tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22722203710989080982024-02-09T02:21:27.137+07:00Omega PlanetThe world without Games -The world without lifeMaster Bluehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12214268141564601937noreply@blogger.comBlogger34125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2272220371098908098.post-76432339852852866852008-01-13T22:47:00.000+07:002008-01-13T23:54:50.633+07:00The Witcher<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.webwitcher.de/wallpapers/wallp_theRoad_1280x768_vs1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://www.webwitcher.de/wallpapers/wallp_theRoad_1280x768_vs1.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><div align="justify"> <span class="fullpost"> </span></div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;" class="dropcaps">T</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">ech Info:</span><br /><br />Publisher: <a href="http://www.atari.com/">Atari</a><br />Developer: <a href="http://www.cdprojekt.info/">CD Projekt Red</a><br />Genre: <a href="http://omega-planet.blogspot.com/search/label/Action-RPG">Action Role-Playing</a><br />Release Date: Oct 30, 2007<br />ESRB: MATURE<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;" class="dropcaps">S</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">ystem requirements:</span><br /><br />Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2, Vista (Operating System must be up to date with the latest fixes)<br />Intel Core 2 Duo 2.13 GHz or AMD X2 5600+<br />2 GB RAM<br />NVIDIA GeForce 7900 GTX or ATI Radeon X1950 PRO<br />8.5 GB available hard drive space<br />DirectX 9.0c compliant soundcard, plus speakers or headphones<br />DVD-Rom<br /><br />The Witcher has been in development since 2002 (from what I have read) allowing the programming team ample amount of time to hone and polish the game. In The Witcher, you take the role of a witcher (imagine that), who are professional monster hunters for hire. The main <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.thewitcher.com/resources/screenshots/en/3233_800x600.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.thewitcher.com/resources/screenshots/en/3233_800x600.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>character in the game, Geralt of Rivia, an amnesiac Witcher, is the role you will be taking as you hack, slash, and negotiate through the fantasy realm filled with plenty of adult-oriented situations. Everything from sexual situations to racist events prove that this game isn't meant for the kiddies, but it draws a nice parallel with occurrences that happen in our world (minus the dwarves and such).<br /><br />The Witcher also proves that it is possible to adapt a book to a game successfully without dragging the author's name into the dirt. Just look at the plethora of games ranging from Eragon to The Hobbit that were based on books and turned out to be miserable. One request I do have for the reader, though, is that you find the English translation for the book and get some of the backstory to the game. The Witcher does fill you in on certain aspects throughout the introduction, but it is always nice to have a more fleshed-out understanding about what is occurring in the gameworld.<br /><br />With nudity (well, not in the US version), violence, and events that are shaped by your choices, The Witcher sounds like a must-have game. If you bought into the hype and let the anticipation kill you while you waited for the game to be released, this review will definitely push you on either side of the fence if you are wondering if you should add The Witcher to your game rack.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;" class="dropcaps">G</span>raphics - 92/100</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.thewitcher.com/resources/screenshots/en/3235_800x600.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.thewitcher.com/resources/screenshots/en/3235_800x600.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The first feeling on my mind when I gazed upon the screen and took in the graphics of The Witcher was one of utter amazement. It looks as if cdProject took the aging Aurora engine and infused it with fantastic visuals and another chance at life. Geralt himself looks superb as do the rest of the rendered monsters and NPCs. When the spells start flying and swordplay comes into play, the movement of the characters if fluid and it doesn't look like there is a frame missing in the character animations. Once you experience the sunshine filtering through the cracks in the beginning castle, you will start to doubt that is engine was used in Neverwinter Nights.<br /><br />Only one small niggle that appears throughout the game are some of the artificial borders thrown into the way of the protagonist. A gigantic monster might not be able to stop you, but a fence sure will. I understand that this is a limitation with the engine, and as such, I only want to mention it. From what I understand, some people were turned off to the game for this reason, but you will miss out on a masterpiece if you let such a small issue discourage you.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;" class="dropcaps">S</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">ound/Music - 79/100</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.thewitcher.com/resources/screenshots/en/3231_800x600.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.thewitcher.com/resources/screenshots/en/3231_800x600.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Compared to many other import games, the voice acting is passable in The Witcher, but it still sometimes destroys the atmosphere of the game. Did the word babe really exist in a medieval fantasy world? According to The Witcher, it does. Some of the dialog seems to be artificially shortened, and ironically, it does turn out to be the fact. I am not sure if they wanted to save some time in translating the game and getting it to the public or space constraints in attempting to keep it on one DVD came into play.<br /><br />The music is atmospheric, the sound of flesh being cut, and the metal on metal combat will pull you into the game, making you believe you are Geralt, massacring the bad guys (or attempting to negotiate with them). There isn't really any other ground to cover in the sound department, since the biggest issues, in my personal opinion, were the voice overs. Having heard much worse come in from Europe (think Spellforce), these voiceovers are fantastic.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;" class="dropcaps">C</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">ontrols - 88/100</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.thewitcher.com/resources/screenshots/en/2428_800x600.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.thewitcher.com/resources/screenshots/en/2428_800x600.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />As with most PC games, both the keyboard and the mouse are heavily utilized in The Witcher. Different fighting styles, which will be covered in more detail in the gameplay section, are selected by the push of a button. The inventory, quest log, etc. can also be brought up by the push of a button. When I first saw the interface, I was a tad bit confused, but after looking it over, it slowly clicked on what I had to do to level up my character. For example, alchemy can only be used while camping and the ability to dole out attributes wasn't too clear, but after experimenting with the interface and indulging in the manual, I was able to figure it out.<br /><br />You can chose between different camera angles, and I would recommend switching between them to find the best for you. I preferred the over-the-shoulder camera in town, but zoomed further out when I was out in the wild fighting to stay alive. No other issues with the controls came up and when I asked my buddies who purchased the game, they came to the same consensus: The controls are adequate for the game.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;" class="dropcaps">G</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">ameplay - 186/200<br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.thewitcher.com/resources/screenshots/en/2403_800x600.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.thewitcher.com/resources/screenshots/en/2403_800x600.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />As mentioned previously, you take the role of a monster hunter by the name of Geralt. You can cast a small complement of spells and have different fighting styles that can be adjusted depending on the situation. That will be pretty much all of the information I will share with you, as any background information that ties into the story might ruin the game experience for the reader.<br /><br />Character development is approached through the normal level gain scheme and silver and gold upgrade skill points are given. These can be distributed down different trees for extra or upgraded abilities. New spells are learned from shrines scattered throughout the land. There is even ability that increases your combat effectiveness while drunk. So yes, the alcohol in this game isn't only used for alchemy, but also to help you win battles (as long as you have invested points in that skill). Geralt can increase his knowledge of herbology and monster slaying by paging through tomes and scrolls. This highlights different herbs out in the field and allows Geralt to skin monsters for reagents.<br /><br />The alchemy system allows the player to concoct potions that would normally kill a man, but<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.thewitcher.com/resources/screenshots/en/2421_800x600.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.thewitcher.com/resources/screenshots/en/2421_800x600.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a> thanks to the Witcher's physiology, he is immune to the negative effects of the potions. These perform everything from recovering health to increasing battle strength. Since Geralt is an amnesiac, he will have to relearn all of the recipes again, through either scrolls or books. After learning about a certain plant or animal, Geralt can then harvest said object for ingredients.<br /><br />The battle system in The Witcher consists of choosing the correct battle style and then left clicking at certain intervals to perform combos. Some players might think that this simplifies combat too much, but I think the balance is just right. You will need to combine spells, melee combat, and alchemy together to finish certain encounters. For example, undead are vulnerable to silver weapons, but if none are available, a certain alchemical potion allows you to harm the undead with regular weapons.<br /><br />As Geralt progresses throughout the story, certain decisions will have long-reaching effects that will only be experienced later on in the game. This means that even saving profusely won't allow you redeem yourself for past actions 20 hours into the game. As mentioned in the introduction, some of the situations that Geralt finds himself in are very adult-oriented and definitely are present in our contemporary society. As of right now, I am still very absorbed into the game and<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.thewitcher.com/resources/screenshots/en/2408_800x600.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.thewitcher.com/resources/screenshots/en/2408_800x600.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a> I do regret some of the choices I made throughout Geralt's journey. Time to spend another 60 hours playing through the game again.<br /><br />The only issue that dampens the atmosphere are the lengthy load times while zoning in and out. The next patch will address these issues, but until then, sometimes waiting for a minute while loading is the norm. This ruins an otherwise organic transition between scenes.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;" class="dropcaps">V</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">alue / Replay Value - 94/100</span><br /><br />For the price of a PC game, you will receive about 60-80 hours of gameplay depending on how many quests you skip over or attempt to accomplish. Even if you skip quests, the choices that certain quests entail can shape your journey through the game. As it is possible to perceive, you get out of The Witcher what you put into it. You can be the hero, a condescending prick, or anything in between - the choice is yours.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://img223.imageshack.us/img223/4660/w120071024x768ng2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://img223.imageshack.us/img223/4660/w120071024x768ng2.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Master Bluehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12214268141564601937noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2272220371098908098.post-6403549418311516102007-12-15T19:40:00.000+07:002007-12-15T21:13:40.306+07:00Company of Heroes<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://original.companyofheroesgame.com/images/desktop/large/wallpaper_02_800.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://original.companyofheroesgame.com/images/desktop/large/wallpaper_02_800.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;" class="dropcaps">T</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">ech Info:</span><br /><br />Publisher: <a href="http://www.thq-games.com/">THQ</a><br />Developer: <a href="http://www.relic.com/">Relic</a><br />Genre: <a href="http://omega-planet.blogspot.com/search/label/RTS">Real-Time Strategy</a><br />Release Date: Sep 13, 2006<br />ESRB: MATURE<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;" class="dropcaps">S</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">ystem requirements:</span><br /><br />Windows XP or Vista<br />DirectX 9.0c<br />3.0 GHz Intel Pentium IV or equivalent<br />1 GB RAM<br />256 MB NVIDIA GeForce(tm) 6800 series or better<br />6.5 GB of uncompressed free hard drive space (We recommend having 1 gigabyte of free space after installation)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="dropcaps">G</span>raphics & Sound:</span><br />Company of Heroes for the Windows Company of Heroes is brought to us from Relic, makers of Homeworld and the stellar Warhammer 40K: Dawn of War, and industry stalwart THQ. This game has garnered quite a lot of buzz from its showing at E3, and has come through with rave<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://images.strategyinformer.com/screenshots/00025109.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://images.strategyinformer.com/screenshots/00025109.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a> reviews upon its release.<br /><br />Graphically, COH is stunning. Not only are there all the latest high-tech advances like dynamic lighting, shadows, real-time physics, shading and more, but you also have rag doll physics (Havok Engine) and fully destructible environments. Got a sniper bugging you across the way? Just throw a satchel charge into the nearest window and problem solved. The attention to detail is also just staggering. You can zoom right into the action, seeing the various gear and facial expressions of your men, as well as the battle scars on your vehicles, the craters, burning embers and lovely ricochets in the ensuing mayhem. Imagine Call of Duty realism in a RTS folks - it’s that good. I would literally set-up Skirmish mode (along with a handy cheat) to set-off some gargantuan explosions, ripping enemy soldiers limb from limb, cartwheeling into the air in pieces and landing all over the European countryside. Glorious.<br /><br />Speaking of the terrain, the various locales your brave troops face off in are modeled on the real historical places your grandparents fought in. The impressive city environments offer a bevy of church towers, quaint cottages and industrial works. Some maps are wider open, such as the bucolic farmlands, dotted with barns and windmills, or the quagmire of hedgerows, making every advance a slow and treacherous endeavor.<br /><br />In the sound department, this game has some very impressive features. The various weapon <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://images.strategyinformer.com/screenshots/00135058.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://images.strategyinformer.com/screenshots/00135058.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>and explosive effects are 100% spot on. The 50.caliber machine gun has that famous staccato “thump-thump-thump”, while the deadly MG42 has the steady “brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrpppp” effect because of the much higher rate of fire. The same can be said for the explosive rockets, small-arms fire and more. You even get a wide range of “colorful” (in the adult sense) responses from both sides, as they scream for help, or harangue your orders. Just another touch to bring this battlefield to new heights of vibrancy. Lastly, the orchestral war-themed tunes are matched well with missions and conditions, and hold up well amongst the other visual and auditory treats.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="dropcaps">G</span>ameplay:</span><br />Company of Heroes for the Windows In Company of Heroes, most people will dive into the Campaign mode and be busy for a few days grinding through the 15 splendid and varied missions. Unlike most RTS's, you don’t have to send out gatherers (like wood cutters, etc.). You have a few men at the start, and maybe a pre-made base, but the manpower, fuel and ammo points come after capturing various strategic points, not unlike in Dawn of War. This constant tug-of-war between the important resource nodes provides a rather dynamic battlefield, as opposed to the classic “zerg” attack used by amassing a ton of troops at your base, and then<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://images.strategyinformer.com/screenshots/00222839.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://images.strategyinformer.com/screenshots/00222839.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a> finally launching out in a huge wave of destruction. In COH, you have to constantly micro-manage the building of defensive structures, forward bases, armor and more to keep the attack going. Some missions will take you from the infamous meat grinder of Omaha beach, to the port city of Cherbourg, and even an enemy V-2 rocket installation, where you must overtake it with only limited airborne troops. Before each level, you are treated to beautiful CG intro, as well as in-game graphics that link together the story of your brave men on the advance. In the middle of most missions, you will also be given tactical map instructions, complete with a host of arrows, markers and oral objectives to complete - really slick stuff! The missions scale up from very minute in scope, so that you get a handle on all aspects of gameplay, from basic troop management, to the complexities of resource control and utilizing one of three core strategies. The latter really offer an interesting wrinkle to the gameplay.<br /><br />Each strategy employs a different arm of the military; the Airborne strategy uses airdropped infantry, guns, supplies and air power (recon, strafing and bombing runs from P-40 Thunderbolts). The Army or infantry doctrine is all about artillery, expert Rangers and so forth. Lastly, the Armor strategy focuses on the “kings of the battlefield” (aka tanks) and allows for a rocket tank, as well as the mighty Pershing to be called into the fray. Each of these actions costs valuable points, so knowing when to play these special cards is critical.<br /><br />Units are pretty expansive and range from your typical infantry squads, to the impressive 105mm howitzers that can move whole mountainsides with destructive fury. Most units can <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://images.strategyinformer.com/screenshots/00222845.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://images.strategyinformer.com/screenshots/00222845.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>receive upgrades such as anti-tank capabilities, flamethrowers, armor skirts, bigger guns and so on. Once again, these don’t come free; so keep on eye on those resources. The way units behave and react is also pretty amazing. The A.I. in this game is really remarkable. Soldiers under mortar fire will huddle into bomb craters or behind sandbags. Armor crews will cry out when they see indestructible German Tiger tanks prowling the field, and must work to the rear for any chance of survival. A single sniper can demoralize a whole unit, as it picks off soldiers one by one, while slipping back into the shadows. Not since Close Combat have I seen A.I. modeled so well.<br /><br />There is also Skirmish mode versus both human and A.I. opponents. You can choose from a large amount of maps, for up to 2-8 players, and provide for an unlimited amount of replay value. Especially against another person, the tactics can vary wildly from defensive-minded opponents who will set up a bevy of bunkers, barb wire and static field guns, versus the assault-minded foes, who will crash fully laden half-tracks into your positions, filled to the brim with gun-toting grunts. You can play in Annihilation mode (all bases/enemies dead), or go for the faster Objective based, where you have to secure various victory points in order to win.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="dropcaps">D</span>ifficulty:</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.relic.com/upload/COH_Images/super/relic00011.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.relic.com/upload/COH_Images/super/relic00011.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Company of Heroes for the Windows On the default mode, the A.I. is rather tough. Couple this with the micro-management and aggressive gameplay and many new to the RTS may be overwhelmed. Luckily, you have a couple easier difficulty options (as well as some suicidal ones for veterans) and with a really well thought out tutorial, I don’t see much of an issue here. If Relic could have offered more autonomous options for some units, it would cut down on the micro-management aspect, because often times, you may be on one side of the map trying to construct elaborate defense, with machine-gun bunkers, tank traps and mines, while on another front you are getting railed, because you didn’t set-up your anti-tank gun in exactly the right position. This became especially evident in the “defend the hill mission”, where you have to withstand some serious enemy armor and infantry advances.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="dropcaps">G</span>ame Mechanics:</span><br />Company of Heroes for the Windows The camera system is smooth and can fully zoom into the thick of any action. At times though, if you swing up to view the skyline and oncoming enemy forces, there is quite a bit of slowdown with all the action taking place. Other than that, the controls are pretty basic from the heavy mouse click and hot key system of your typical RTS game, and Relic improves upon the formula nicely.<br /><br />Company of Heroes is an amazing title, with jaw-dropping graphics, physics and sound, with intense gameplay and deep, never-ending multiplayer action. This might be in my top 10 PC games of all time list; it most definitely climbed to the top of my strategy list. If you are any kind of fan of war games, strategy or just have a pulse and a PC, you would be moronic not to get this title.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://download.sanook.com/picture/company%20of%20heroes.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://download.sanook.com/picture/company%20of%20heroes.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Master Bluehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12214268141564601937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2272220371098908098.post-65616054830659692007-12-11T10:01:00.000+07:002007-12-11T11:38:34.981+07:00Rome: Total War<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://fotos.trucoteca.com/wallpapers2/3376.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://fotos.trucoteca.com/wallpapers2/3376.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;" class="dropcaps">T</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">ech Info:</span><br /><br />Publisher: <a href="http://www.activision.com/">Activision</a><br />Developer: <a href="http://www.creative-assembly.com/">Creative Assembly</a><br />Genre: <a href="http://omega-planet.blogspot.com/search/label/TBS">Turn-Based <span style="">Strategy</span> - Real time battle </a><br />Release Date: Sep 22, 2004<br />ESRB: TEEN<br />ESRB Descriptors: Violence<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;" class="dropcaps">S</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">ystem requirements:</span><br /><br />English version of Microsoft® Windows® 98SE/ME/2000/XP<br />DirectX® 9.0b (included)<br />Processor: 2GHz Pentium IV or equivalent<br />RAM: 512MB<br />Video Memory: 128MB<br />Hard Drive Space: 3.4GB<br /><br /><span class="dropcaps">T</span>he year is 270 B.C. The republic of Rome has reached a critical stage in its development as a new political and military power in the Mediterranean. To the north the Gauls and Germans assemble their barbaric warriors to prey on the republic's provinces, to the south west the wealthy Carthage is readying its war machine to expand even further, and to the south east the Greek states try to recover from their fall and achieve their former greatness. The Senate relies <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://images.strategyinformer.com/screenshots/00001426.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://images.strategyinformer.com/screenshots/00001426.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>on the three great roman families, the Julii, the Brutii and the Scipii to protect the roman lands and bring law and order to the uncivilized world. The Roman law and order.<br /><br />How difficult can it be to build an empire? How do you divide your army between conquering, defending and occupying a territory? Your coffers are limited and professional troops are expensive. How do you maintain alliances and trade rights when your purpose of expanding is all too clear? You certainly can't fight the whole world at once. How do you prevent unrest in newly conquered lands while imposing your culture and taxation to the people inhabiting them? How do you answer to the Senate's call for duty when your armies are divided on countless fronts and your supply lines are stretched to the breaking point? The Senate loves competent leaders, but the Senate's greatest fear is a too competent leader.<br /><br />And how do you develop a computer game that can offer an insight in all that but also keep it simple and intuitive enough to make it fun, instead of frustrating? Well, it seems that Creative Assembly found a way to do just that. Of course, this is not their first try and the experience from the two previous Total War games obviously played an important role in achieving this goal. Rome: Total War turned out to be an almost perfect combination of historically correct turn based strategy with spectacular real time, epic scale tactical battles and role playing elements.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://images.strategyinformer.com/screenshots/00001406.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://images.strategyinformer.com/screenshots/00001406.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Like it's predecessors, Rome: Total War has two different types of gameplay. The first one is the turn based strategy which takes place on the world map, where you manage your cities, move your armies, establish diplomatic relationships, spy or assassinate your opponents, while the second one is represented by the real time tactical battles where the outcome often depends more on the decisions of the player than on the size of his army.<br /><br />The single player campaign starts with a prologue that also serves as a tutorial, in which a computer advisor will familiarize you with the interface, the basics of army maneuvers, combat and empire management. The advisor is content sensitive, and can be summoned at any time to explain a certain screen or function of the game menus. Even if you haven't played Shogun or Medieval: Total War, the tutorial will get you up the learning curve in a very short period of time, considering the number and complexity of the actions that can be performed in the game.<br /><br />After you have finished the tutorial you can start the main campaign as one of the roman factions. The Julii, Brutii and Scipii have the same technology tree (being all roman factions), and even though the units and buildings are the same, the gameplay styles are very different. The Julii must achieve land superiority over the barbarians in the north, relying on superior units and tactics rather than numbers, as their trading is weak and the fronts will be wide and very numerous. The Scipii must develop naval trade between Europe and Africa as Carthage is very wealthy and military advanced and has access to the most feared unit in the game: elephants. Probably the easiest task falls to the Brutii who must deal with the Greek Cities and the weak <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://images.strategyinformer.com/screenshots/00001420.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://images.strategyinformer.com/screenshots/00001420.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>nations in the east. And while the Greeks are technological advanced and have a rather large fleet, their weakness lies in the fractioned territory and poor choice of cavalry and ranged units.<br /><br />The fourth roman faction, the Roman Senate, or S.P.Q.R, is unplayable, and holds only one province: Latium, with its city, Rome, and while holding virtually no military or economic power, it is without a doubt the most powerful political faction on the world map. Basically the Senate will order around the three roman families, deciding which nation is a fried of foe of the roman people and further more which town or port must be conquered, respectively blockaded. If you carry out the Senate's missions with success, besides the material reward, your family members have and a higher chance to be elected for certain senate posts which in turn offer influence. You can choose not to engage in these missions, but if you fail to obey the Senate's orders too often they will offer threats instead of rewards to motivate you.<br /><br />Family members are very important in Rome: Total War, as they, and only they, serve as generals and governors. A certain family member is practically described by four attributes: command, management, influence and age. Command is very important for a general, raising the morale of the troops he leads in combat and if you ever choose to resolve a battle automatically the outcome will largely depend on his command rating. Management is, obviously, the main attribute of a city governor, influencing the growth rate of the populace, as well as the city's income from trading, farming, resources, and taxation. Influence is the trade of the politician, having an impact on diplomatic relationships and city order, and the most influential family member is generally the faction leader. Age is always a concern, and while youth offers strength<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://images.strategyinformer.com/screenshots/00001422.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://images.strategyinformer.com/screenshots/00001422.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a> and quick advancement in skills, as your characters get old this will have a negative impact on their attributes, not to mention the fact that they will eventually die.<br /><br />The character's attributes are influenced by traits, which can be good or bad, and which are given from birth and through life experiences. For example a general who runs away in battle will have a coward trait, and men fighting under his command will have a morale penalty. Opposed to this, a general who has won some battles against the odds will gain the trait of legendary commander. There are numerous traits, ranging from the passion for alcohol to bloodiness in combat or fear of city walls. Besides traits, family members have retinues composed of advisors, bodyguards, geographers, mathematicians, hunting pets and more. These retinues always have a benefic effect in certain situations, providing better military command, lessen the chance of an assassin to eliminate the character, enlarging the viewing range on the world map, giving bonuses to the taxation and so on. Unlike traits, you can exchange retinues between family members, so that when an older character dies, he won’t take everything he has accumulated in his life to the grave with him.<br /><br />Making a long story short, you will always be short of good generals and governors and while you can still manually command your troops in combat without the presence of a general, the lack of morale bonus and the ability to rally routing units can be decisive in tight situations. You can't fully control your cities without a governor, as you can only change the policy of the <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://images.strategyinformer.com/screenshots/00001449.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://images.strategyinformer.com/screenshots/00001449.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>automanager to military, population growth, cultural development, etc. Also, in the late game, when you must hold a lot of newly conquered provinces far from your capital, it will be almost impossible to stop them from rebelling without a good governor. If you want to skip all the micromanagement you can turn automanage on all provinces, but this will only be ok on the easy difficulty.<br /><br />You only get new family members through birth, marriage and adoption. A male character will have more descendents if he takes a lot of trips on the world map, so a general will have more successors than a governor. This is very important as birth is the only way you can get 16 year old new family members, which will inherit some of his father's abilities. Unlike family members, you can recruit as many diplomats, spies and assassins you can afford. These types of units play a very important role in building your empire, depending on the path you choose to achieve your goals. Diplomats are a must for any style of gameplay, and you depend on their influence rating to forge alliances, trade rights, ask for regular tribute, etc. Spies and assassins depend on their subterfuge rating to carry out their missions, and if they should fail they get captured and killed. Spies in particularly are very useful for seeing exactly what units and how many there are in a certain army or enemy town, if they can infiltrate that city they will open the gates for you from the inside if you choose to attack, and they act as a secret militia in your own towns, maintaining the public order far better than a large garrison. But just like family members, diplomats, spies, and assassins grow old, losing their abilities and eventually dieing, so they're not a “place and forget” type of unit.<br /><br />The single player campaign will get the player through all the stages of the Roman republic, from<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://images.strategyinformer.com/screenshots/00001437.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://images.strategyinformer.com/screenshots/00001437.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a> its struggle to survive to its undisputed supremacy and finally the transition to an empire. Unlike any other game, Rome: Total War will keep you in constant difficulty, even when you control more than half of the world map. The struggle to keep a huge empire from collapsing is even harder than surviving your larger neighbors in the early game. And if at the start of the game the other roman factions will be your best friends, the Senate will eventually start to fear your expansion policy and military power. When your public support will be high enough to take on Rome and become imperator, the Senate will declare you an enemy of the true roman ways, and the other two families will turn on you. This is the hardest part of the campaign, as you will no longer face technology challenged enemies, and you will get a taste of your own medicine in the form of disciplined roman troops and extremely wealthy opponents. After you complete the Roman campaign, you can start a new game with any of the playable factions, which include Britannia, Carthage, the Gauls, the Greeks, Egypt and so on.<br /><br />A nice change from the previous Total War games is that the world map is now 3D, easier to read and more fun to watch. Trade is depicted by caravans who travel along roads between the cities and ships on the naval trade routes. For example, it’s now easy to notice that in the case of <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://images.strategyinformer.com/screenshots/00001394.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://images.strategyinformer.com/screenshots/00001394.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>a siege or port blockade, the city's land respectively naval trade will cease, making it an effective tactic to weaken your opponents' financial power before you engage in combat, because war is more about money than anything else. The terrain features on the world map are not only decorative, since they serve precise strategy roles. For example, you can hide your armies in forests to ambush nearby passing troops, build forts at natural choke points such as bridges and mountain passes, etc. It is also important to attack an enemy position from a certain direction, as it is preferred to hold the upper ground, or to approach an army with a lot of ranged units from a forest. Also, if you are largely outnumbered you should consider a bridge or any other map that contains a choke point as your best aid in obtaining victory. Guerilla tactics are unfortunately not an option, since the battles are limited in time, and if the attacking faction doesn't destroy all the defenders in that period of time the outcome is considered defeat, and this will have a negative effect on your general's stats.<br /><br />Units gain experience from battles and the bonuses are well worth the effort of trying not to send them to be butchered. You can retrain your troops in cities, and you can also refit them with new armor and weapons if you have built an upgrade to the armory. Be aware though, if too many unit members have fallen in combat and you replace them with new recruits this can have a negative effect on the unit’s experience level. The thing is that soldiers never age or die, so you<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://images.strategyinformer.com/screenshots/00001397.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://images.strategyinformer.com/screenshots/00001397.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a> can preserve the same conquering force through almost the whole length of the campaign, making it easy to prey on the enemy city garrisons who are mostly composed of "green" troops.<br /><br />Now on to the other gameplay style: the new 3D real time battles. Here the transition from 2D sprites from the previous two Total War games to fully 3D units and map make the battles nothing short of spectacular. Thousands of units can battle it out on life and death, and while the engine can render you a birds eye view on the general situation, you can get close enough to see which way the balance will incline in a certain regions, and further more, see each individual unit hacking, slashing or thrusting its weapon at its enemies. The variety of animations is truly impressive if we consider the epic scale of the battles. It is pure visual treat to watch your cavalry charge the enemy lines, lifting clouds of dust into the air, knocking down the infantry, or falling from their saddle when they encounter compact Greek phalanx or roman testudo formations. The horse man will try to jump over the units that happen to be in their way to get to their targets. An onager projectile will smash several units, and throw them meters away from the point of impact. The archer's volley is impressive not only in looks, but also in terms of sound, as you can hear the bows' cords being released, the arrows in mid flight, and the sound of the impact on different materials. Also, the volleys of flaming arrows will sound differently from regular ones, but the effect of units dying <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://images.strategyinformer.com/screenshots/00001398.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://images.strategyinformer.com/screenshots/00001398.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>engulfed in flames is somehow simple and unrealistic.<br /><br />The sounds are very good and veridical and you can differentiate between weapons that are being used, the sound of cavalry or infantry marching and so on. The general will also hold a speech before combat, depending on his reputation, the balance of numbers, the standing of the nation you are attacking, etc, even making jokes about the barbarian's excessive hairiness, and the troops always respond after the speech with war cries and by clashing their weapons. The music both on the world map and in combat is very good and complements the visuals, making the game more immersive. Without a doubt the care for details is impressive, and the whole experience is no less than mind blowing. It is easy to understand why Rome's engine was chosen by the History Channel to depict some historical battles on their "Decisive Battles" program.<br /><br />The new 3D engine also plays an important role in the gameplay style. You must place your archers with care, not to fire at your own troops, approximate the trajectory of missiles to get them over city walls and certain map features. Also, it's easy to recognize that charging downhill is more effective than ordering your troops to run up a steep slope. The compact wall of spears<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://images.strategyinformer.com/screenshots/00001419.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://images.strategyinformer.com/screenshots/00001419.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a> of the Greek phalanx will make you think twice before attacking it from the front, and the roman testudo will almost completely ignore missiles, while it will tire you infantry who have to hold up a heavy shield.<br /><br />The sieges tend to be more fun and challenging that the open land battles where cavalry is mostly the only thing you’ll need. But in the case of a siege, the game turns becomes almost chess like, as the attacker searches for vulnerabilities in the city defenses. At the beggining range units fight for supremacy over the city walls, and if the attacker manages to create a breach, infantry will get through it much faster than cavalry, which is obviously not comfortable on narrow city streets, not to mention it can't get up on the walls or siege towers. However cavalry does have its role in city sieges, mainly using its superior speed to cut the retreat of the defeated to maximize its loses or getting fast around the city walls to get behind the attacker while he is trapped in the narrow entry points. It would be impossible for me to write here about all the different tactics and military maneuvers available to a skilled general on the battlefield, but most of them are very intuitive and the military advisor will brief you on the details if you choose that in the options menu of the game.<br /><br />Rome: Total War is the most advanced, complete and realistic strategy game out there. No matter if you are looking for a great single player campaign which can fill weeks or even months with continuous challenges and new experiences, or you just want realistic cinematic multiplayer skirmishes of epic scale, this game delivers true value for money which isn't something too common these days.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.totalwar.com/asset_library/Concept_art/ca_rtw_04_elephants.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.totalwar.com/asset_library/Concept_art/ca_rtw_04_elephants.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Master Bluehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12214268141564601937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2272220371098908098.post-90902635947418448722007-12-08T21:12:00.000+07:002007-12-08T23:04:17.372+07:00Crusader Kings<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.wallpaperpimper.com/wallpaper/Games/Crusader_Kings/Crusader-Kings-1-6M4PHJD79I-800x600.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://www.wallpaperpimper.com/wallpaper/Games/Crusader_Kings/Crusader-Kings-1-6M4PHJD79I-800x600.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;" class="dropcaps">T</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">ech Info:</span><br /><br />Publisher: <a href="http://www.paradoxplaza.com/">Paradox Interactive</a><br />Developer: <a href="http://www.paradoxplaza.com/">Paradox Interactive</a><br />Genre: <a href="http://omega-planet.blogspot.com/search/label/TBS">Turn-based strategy</a><br />Release Date: Sep 28, 2004<br />ESRB: EVERYONE<br />ESRB Descriptors: Violence<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;" class="dropcaps">S</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">ystem requirements:</span><br /><br />• Windows 98SE / 2000 / XP<br />• Pentium III 450 MHz 128 Mb RAM<br />• 600 MB Free Hard Drive Space<br />• 4 Mb Video Card DirectX Compatible<br />• DirectX compatible Sound Card<br />• DirectX 9.0 or higher<br /><br /><div align="justify"> <span class="fullpost"> </span></div> <span class="dropcaps">T</span>ired of Europa Universalis? Paradox Entertainment hopes that you're not, because the Swedish developer has just issued its seventh variation on the critically acclaimed real-time game of grand strategy. Crusader Kings may turn the clock back to the early medieval era, but the design focus is still solidly on historical accuracy. While casual gamers will feel like they've been plunged into a maelstrom of names and dates, anyone with a love of history will appreciate the rigorous attention to detail and epic scope.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.paradoxplaza.com/images/Screens/CK/ck1.jpg"></a> <div class="w432 pb10 fl cb"><div class="content lh16 cl"><p> </p> <p>Those who enjoy historical biographies are also in for a treat. Befitting its name, Crusader Kings<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://images.strategyinformer.com/screenshots/00002495.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://images.strategyinformer.com/screenshots/00002495.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a> places a great deal of emphasis on historical personages. So while you still play through three campaigns--the turbulent aftermath of William the Conqueror's victory in the Battle of Hastings in 1066, the Third Crusade of 1187, and the onset of the Hundred Years' War in 1337--filled with the usual economics, diplomatic machinations, and military campaigning, you do so as an individual. </p><p>So if you want to try your hand at keeping the Muslims out of Jerusalem in 1187, you might step into the stirrups of England's King Richard I, or don the robes of France's King Philippe II Capet, or take over the beleaguered court of Guy de Lusignan, King of Jerusalem itself. There are thousands of authentic characters and virtually no limit on which king you can portray, as long as he is in feudal Christendom--Muslim states, the papacy, and Christian orders like the Knights Hospitallers are included, but they aren't playable. </p><p>Every person in the game features characteristics that wouldn't be out of place in an RPG. In addition to the four basic attributes of martial, diplomacy, intrigue, and stewardship, there are 26 character traits, plus another two-dozen education and special traits and over a dozen diseases. </p><p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.paradoxplaza.com/images/Screens/CK/ck2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.paradoxplaza.com/images/Screens/CK/ck2.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a> Each of these quirks has positive and negative effects. King Malcolm III Dunkeld of Scotland, for instance, is vengeful and suspicious--nasty tendencies that make him appreciate naïve rivals who are forgiving and trusting. He was educated as a martial cleric, which means that he's skilled when it comes to diplomacy, intrigue, and the military. William I of Normandy is on the other side of the fence, with a laundry list of positive attributes that make him energetic, wise, merciful, and valorous. Of course, such features make him the natural enemy of those who are lazy, reckless, and cruel cowards. He's also a bastard, though, so other nobles naturally dislike him and his prestige takes a hit. And then there's Constantine X Ducas of Byzantium, an indulgent but knowledgeable ruler who is unfortunately afflicted with a clubfoot that reduces his chances of marriage. </p><p> </p> <p> All of these factors come into play in every aspect of the game. If your vassals are at the other end of the personality spectrum, betrayal and revolt in your provinces is a constant threat. Conflicts are also accentuated when rival kings have different interests. Don't expect to be arranging too many marriages, or successfully suing for peace during times of war, if this is the case. </p><p>Traits aren't set in stone, however. As in previous games based on the Europa Universalis engine, you are regularly confronted with situations that require you to make some choices. Many of these incidents personally involve your character, and you are asked to react to events such as a pretty wench catching your eye or your son riding horses hard through the woods. No<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.paradoxplaza.com/images/Screens/CK/ck3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.paradoxplaza.com/images/Screens/CK/ck3.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a> matter what you do in these situations, you win and lose. Give in to your passion with the wench and you wind up with a bastard and the lustful trait. Hold back and you might never father an heir at all. Encourage your son's physical activity and his health and fertility scores go up, but so do his chances of illness and developing the reckless personality trait. There are so many events and potential choices to make that you really get the sense of molding a character, much like in a role-playing game. </p><p>Each individual's place in history is further cemented with a massive web of familial relationships. In addition to its role as a strategy game, Crusader Kings also functions as a de facto encyclopedia of European feudal dynasties in the Middle Ages. You can open up your king's main screen and then explore all of his formal connections by clicking on icons representing his parents, wife, sons and daughters, vassals, potential successors, and even court hangers-on. These relationships are so broad that you often begin clicking at one end of Europe and soon end up at the other. </p><p>Start clicking and it's hard to stop, too, since you are creating your own dynasty as you go. It is absolutely captivating to follow the progress of bastards born from lustful assignations that you permitted as well as the careers of heirs once they assume the throne, and the success of arranged marriages, and so forth. There is more of an earthy tone here than in any of the preceding Europa Universalis-styled games, and as a result gameplay is much more grounded. It reduces the overly formal epic sweep of those earlier titles to a more manageable center that <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.paradoxplaza.com/images/Screens/CK/ck5.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.paradoxplaza.com/images/Screens/CK/ck5.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>adds a needed touch of soap opera humanity to some of the most momentous events in history. </p><p>Still, some problems have been held over. Although this style of epic strategic gaming has never been more approachable, Paradox repeats many old mistakes. A tutorial has once again been ignored and the manual is woefully inadequate at helping newbies get into their first campaign. There are no solo campaign objectives aside from simply surviving long enough to build prestige and a strong family dynasty. Unlike Europa Universalis II, there are no immediate, stated goals on which you can focus while getting comfortable with the immense depth of play, the number of historical personages with which to deal, the daunting main map screen with over a thousand provinces, and so on. It's nice that Paradox encourages an open-ended, almost sandbox style of play, but this philosophy is too extreme, leaving newcomers adrift in an intimidating sea of kings, counts, and courtiers. </p><p>Also, multiplayer still isn't what it should be, largely because of the subpar Valkyrienet matching system. Considering the significant number of people out there playing these games against the computer, Paradox should be doing more to develop an online community to play them with other human beings. </p><p> </p> <p> The Europa Universalis engine is also starting to look and feel old. Backward compatibility is nice--especially here, since you can port saved games into Europa Universalis II for a full 800<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://images.strategyinformer.com/screenshots/00002497.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://images.strategyinformer.com/screenshots/00002497.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a> years of historical gaming goodness--but we've been looking at essentially the same map since the start of 2001. And while it is a clean and attractive map, it would be nice to see the engine finally move into 3D territory. Sound quality remains impressive. The musical score is overly bombastic and somewhat out of place for this era, although at least these martial tunes sound great. Atmospheric audio effects are better than ever. Open up the character screen to get information on the king and his vassals and you're greeted by the sounds of hushed whispers as the courtiers gossip. Have trouble with the plague or malaria and voices calling "Bring out your dead!" swell up ominously. </p><p>Nevertheless, Crusader Kings is an impressive addition to the Europa Universalis family. The addition of playable characters adds a welcome human touch that both broadens the historical scope of the game and makes it friendlier to newcomers to the series who want to attach faces and personalities to the names and numbers. </p> </div> </div>Master Bluehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12214268141564601937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2272220371098908098.post-91593571657114400762007-12-01T19:33:00.000+07:002007-12-08T22:39:51.777+07:00Time Shift (movie review)<div align="justify"> <span class="fullpost"> </span></div><br /><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=8,0,0,0" id="gtembed" height="392" width="480"> <param name="allowScriptAccess" value="sameDomain"> <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.gametrailers.com/remote_wrap.php?mid=27369"> <param name="quality" value="high"> <embed src="http://www.gametrailers.com/remote_wrap.php?mid=27369" swliveconnect="true" name="gtembed" allowscriptaccess="sameDomain" allowfullscreen="true" quality="high" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" align="middle" height="392" width="480"></embed> </object><div style="padding-left: 0px; display: none;"></div><br /><br /><br />You want to be the one who can control time ? Let play Time Shift ...<br />Released : October 30, 2007<br /><br />For download<br /><a href="http://www.gametrailers.com/player/27368.html"> <img src="http://www.gametrailers.com/images/gtreviews_podcast.jpg" alt="Blog Page" height="150" width="150" /></a><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-size:180%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">Be careful with your Time !!!<br /><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://img217.imageshack.us/img217/7589/timemastervo0.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://img217.imageshack.us/img217/7589/timemastervo0.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bestgamewallpapers.com/files/timeshift/time-master.jpg"><br /></a>Master Bluehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12214268141564601937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2272220371098908098.post-34824165915404814892007-11-30T20:10:00.000+07:002007-12-08T23:03:51.634+07:00World in Conflict<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.worldinconflict.com/uploads/Support_role_1024.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://www.worldinconflict.com/uploads/Support_role_1024.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="dropcaps">T</span>ech Info</span><br /><br />Publisher: <a href="http://www.sierra.com/">Sierra Entertainment</a><br />Developer: <a href="http://www.massive.se/">Massive Ent</a><br />Genre: <a href="http://omega-planet.blogspot.com/search/label/RTS">Real-Time Strategy</a><br />Release Date: Sep 18, 2007<br />ESRB: TEEN<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;" class="dropcaps">S</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">ystem requirements:</span><br /><br />OS: Microsoft Windows XP/Vista.<br />CPU: 2.0GHz Or Higher, 2.2GHz For Vista, if dual-core: Any Intel or AMD<br />RAM: 512MB, 1GB for Vista.<br />Disc drive: DVD-drive<br />Hard drive: 8GB or more.<br />Video: 128MB video RAM Direct X 9.0c Compatible. Note: ATI Radeon 8500, 9200 & Nvidia GeForce 4 MX Not Supported.<br />Sound: Direct X 9.0c Compatible.<br />Multiplayer: Cable, DSL or Better.<br /><br />Tom Clancy wouldn't approve. In 1989 there would be no way the Soviets could launch an<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.actiontrip.com/reviews/pics/worldinconflict1.jpg%20"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.actiontrip.com/reviews/pics/worldinconflict1.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a> invasion of the United States of America. After all, Soviet Communism was a bankrupt political philosophy, meaning that nothing it created could succeed. Its architecture of aggression – tanks, aircraft and so on were no match to the true blue white heat of technology created by the free peoples of North America. And Soviet troops, in full knowledge of their satanic political pact were not as motivated or as well trained as the forces of Uncle Sam.<br /><br />Which makes seeing tanks roll onto the streets of Seattle seem all the more shocking really. Here is a tale told as well as any in gaming today – for crying out loud they hired a Baldwin, the top one, the one that can act, to provide the narration to this historic conflict.<br /><br /><h3>Close Air Support</h3>While the story may be grand, you're not one of the minds that is controlling a nations strategic nuclear stockpile. World in Conflict places you right on the firing line. It's a corporal's life for you my son, defending town squares, fighting street to street and for each hill.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.actiontrip.com/reviews/pics/worldinconflict3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.actiontrip.com/reviews/pics/worldinconflict3.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>That's what makes World in Conflict such a glorious treat in these days of grand strategy titles like Supreme Commander. The action here is down and dirty – where a well placed air strike provided by your close support aircraft can turn the tide of a skirmish.<br /><br />You'll fight through an engaging campaign, with major objectives split into smaller ones as you advance to your final goals. Forget division sized engagements – your small platoon or company sized groups always be in your reach and always keep you on your toes.<br /><br /><h3>Daisy Cutter</h3>With the action coming thick and fast its just as well World in Conflict offers simple and intuitive controls. Moving the camera and units is simplicity itself as is placing troops inside buildings. Only very rarely will the interface get in the way of your enjoyment of the game.<br /><br />Resource management is on the light side – you won't be tasked with collecting some baloney beans or some such nonsense. You'll earn reinforcement points and tactical aid points by success on the battlefield – killing the enemy or completing objectives.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.actiontrip.com/reviews/pics/worldinconflict4.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.actiontrip.com/reviews/pics/worldinconflict4.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Tactical aids are great fun and come in the form of rewarding slices of militaristic showing off. Learning how best to use these is one of the most fun aspects of the game. How best to clear infantry from a wooded area? Is it a napalm strike, how about a daisy cutter bomb? The choice is yours.<br /><br />To get the best out of the game it's worth upping the difficulty level as the default is a little on the easy side. You'll be glad you did when facing enemies online.<br /><br /><h3>It's the Only Way to be Sure</h3>By the time you get your hands of the top tactical aid, a nuke, you'll be itching to deploy it on enemy forces. And it really doesn't disappoint. World in Conflict is a damn pretty game and the nuclear carnage you can unleash on of the highlights of its visual splendour.<br /><h3><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.actiontrip.com/reviews/pics/worldinconflict5.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.actiontrip.com/reviews/pics/worldinconflict5.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></h3><br />Everything looks fantastic in World of Conflict. If you can see it, you can probable make a complete mess of it. Explosions are fantastic, smoke even more so. Units and maps are extremely detailed and more attractive than most other strategy games I've played.<br /><br />I've not played the game on DX10 hardware, but via DX9 it looks splendid anyway and ran extremely well at high settings on my GeForce 7600 powered notebook.<br /><br /><h3>Online War</h3>Good as the single player campaign is, World in Conflict really comes into its own as a base for skirmish battles. Playing online is a real joy due to the ability to drop into battles already being played out.<br /><br />At first I struggled when playing online, many of us who signed up for the beta took a while to get to grips with things. But by the time the final retail game came along we'd started to<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.actiontrip.com/reviews/pics/worldinconflict2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.actiontrip.com/reviews/pics/worldinconflict2.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a> specialise. Playing with friends is a joy, teamwork is needed to get the best out of the game and World in Conflict then becomes one of the finest multiplayer strategy games around.<br /><br /><h3>Brilliant</h3>World in Conflict proves you don't have to reinvent the wheel to provide top quality entertainment. The tactical play on offer is certainly nothing new. But the combination of quality presentation, a focus on close action and really top notch multiplayer and skirmishes means that World in Conflict really is one of the best PC games released this year.<br /><br />It might have seemed that the action packed nature of the game would make for a dumb experience but really this isn't so. Smart and thrill a minute really can go hand in hand and strategy fans used to more hardcore options should try World in Conflict out.<br /><br />Right...I'm back to flinging nukes.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.avault.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/06/worldinconflict1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.avault.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/06/worldinconflict1.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Master Bluehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12214268141564601937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2272220371098908098.post-21339753226285939752007-11-28T18:10:00.000+07:002007-12-08T23:03:53.876+07:00Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://charlieoscardelta.com/sitedata/wallpapers/8/Wallpaper_711_1/1024x768.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://charlieoscardelta.com/sitedata/wallpapers/8/Wallpaper_711_1/1024x768.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;" class="dropcaps">T</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">ech info:</span><br /><br />Publisher: <a href="http://www.activision.com/">Activision</a><br />Developer: <a href="http://www.infinityward.com/">Infinity Ward</a><br />Genre: <a href="http://omega-planet.blogspot.com/search/label/FPS">First-Person Shooter</a><br />Release Date: Nov 5, 2007<br />ESRB: MATURE<br />ESRB Descriptors: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;" class="dropcaps">S</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">ystem requirements:</span><br /><br />Microsoft Windows XP/Vista.<br />2.4 GHz dual core or better is recommended<br />1024MB RAM (2048MB for Vista)<br />3.0 Shader Support recommended.<br />Nvidia Geforce 7800 or better or ATI Radeon X1800 or better<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;" class="dropcaps">O</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">verview:</span><br /><br />It’s been two years since Infinity Ward dazzled us with their Xbox 360 launch title, Call of Duty 2. Last year Treyarch took over the franchise, at least from a historical WWII standpoint while Infinity Ward locked themselves away in some secluded military bunker and took their epic franchise into more modern times. The result of more than two years of intense game design and<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.msxbox-world.com/screenshots360/ss/346/screenshot_1116981218_1182012334.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.msxbox-world.com/screenshots360/ss/346/screenshot_1116981218_1182012334.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a> a next-gen vision of how online games should really be played has finally arrived. Welcome to Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare.<br /><br />With a story ripped straight from today’s headlines, gamers can finally get a small taste of what our boys over in Iraq are likely going through. This is the stuff they won’t be showing you on CNN and Fox News, but you know it’s happening. The single-player story takes place across multiple countries and follows the Marines as well as the British S.A.S. in parallel events that ultimately converge in a joint operation to save the United States from nuclear devastation.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;" class="dropcaps">G</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">ameplay:</span><br /><br />It would be easy to compare Modern Warfare to other similar games like Rainbow Six and Ghost Recon, and while those franchises share a few common threads, Call of Duty 4 is more of an action oriented title, so rather than focusing on squad tactics and issuing orders, you are merely part of a team, a virtually indestructible team, which means you are only required to kill as many enemies as you can and stay alive.<br /><br />I was surprised at how little focus was put on the interpersonal story. I really didn’t come to care for my teammates. They were merely distractions to draw enemy fire so I could advance to the <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.n4g.com/M/8/Images//78000/78493_med.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.n4g.com/M/8/Images//78000/78493_med.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span class="fullpost">next checkpoint. There is even a quote during one of the load screens that says something like, “It’s good to be part of a team. It gives the enemy somebody else to shoot at”, which was exactly how I felt about my squad. Call me heartless, but knowing that they couldn’t die and that 2-4 well placed shots would have me restarting from the last checkpoint tends to negate any feelings of loyalty.<br /><br />The game kicks off with the traditional training scenario where you learn how to target, fire, and even assassinate some fresh fruit. Then you get to run a short training simulation, a wooden mock-up of a cargo ship you will be invading shortly. This is a timed event where you rush to five waypoints and shoot pop-up targets, flash bang rooms, and sprint to the finish. Your performance on this simulation will result in the game "suggesting" a suitable difficulty level for the rest of the campaign mode. My advice, especially if you are a veteran of the previous Call of Duty games is to ignore their recommendation and play on Hardened. This will offer a challenge worthy of your skills without the frustration of dying every 20-30 seconds in Veteran mode.<br /><br />The scene shifts to you, aboard a chopper as you fly in low and rappel down to the deck of a giant cargo vessel during a terrible storm. You and your team will move through the ship, taking down anyone and everyone, even a staggering drunk and crewmen asleep in their bunks. You’ll make</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://news.filefront.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/08/cod4360-mp-3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://news.filefront.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/08/cod4360-mp-3.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span class="fullpost"> your way along the length of the swaying ship, trying to spot enemy lookouts through the</span><span class="fullpost"> blinding rain, taking cover in empty containers, and advancing to the rear section of the ship and down into the cargo hold. After a few enemy encounters in the cargo area your team will uncover a hidden nuclear warhead, but before you can do anything two bogies have been spotted headed to your location.<br /><br />You grab the clipboard with some valuable intel and start to retreat back to the chopper when the ship is rocked with a fiery blast and you are knocked to the deck. The next 30 seconds is perhaps some of the most exciting cinematic moments of actual gameplay you’ve experience this year, as you rush along catwalks, through collapsing passages, and scramble across the slippery deck of the tilting ship, making a final daring leap to your chopper. Fade to black and roll credits. Yep, that all happens before the game even really starts - how James Bond is that?<br /><br />The opening credit sequence is quite brilliant. You are put into the body of the deposed president, tossed in a car and driven to your execution. Along the way you have full control of looking around, and watching the citizens and militia running around shooting and looting is pretty awesome. It might take you several car rides to see everything that is going on during this lengthy sequence.<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/2007/220/939212_20070809_screen004.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/2007/220/939212_20070809_screen004.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span class="fullpost">The single-player campaign in Call of Duty 4 could be considered short by some, but I found it to be the perfect length and offered an excellent progression of difficulty. Spread across three acts and 16 chapters, you’ll get to experience some extremely intense and exciting combat as both a Marine and S.A.S. operative. The battles really heat up when you get into the urban combat arenas where enemies are lurking on every rooftop and balcony, and sniping from the smallest hole in the wall.<br /><br />While Call of Duty 4 reinvents itself from a presentation and timeline standpoint it fails to truly bring anything new to the table in terms of gameplay. Vehicles, which were always a fun diversion in previous titles whether you were riding a jeep or moving from numerous gun stations on a bomber, are all but missing. There is one insane car chase at the very end of the game, one chopper flyover where you get to shoot at rooftop targets (a unabashed knockoff from GRAW), and an amazing ride in a Spectre AC-130 gunship, but that's it.<br /><br />In the mission, Death from Above, you play the TV operator onboard an AC-130 in charge of targeting and issuing fire orders at ground targets. You get to pick from three powerful weapons, each with their own zoom level and range of devastation. The 150mm cannon is capable of taking out entire city blocks with a single blast, while the 40mm cannon is powerful enough to take out</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/2007/220/939212_20070809_screen008.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://image.com.com/gamespot/images/2007/220/939212_20070809_screen008.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span class="fullpost"> cars and small buildings without too much collateral damage. The 25mm gatling gun zooms in close and lets you take out individual targets with extreme precision. The entire level is played in black and white, or you can invoke thermal vision and play in white and black (yes, there is a difference). This is easily my second favorite level in the game.<br /><br />Which obviously leads to my first favorite level, All Ghillied Up, a flashback episode that takes you back 15 years allowing you to tag along with Captain MacMillan as you both head deep into enemy territory to assassinate Imran Zakhaev. The mission takes place in Pripyat, just outside of Chernobyl, and just after the nuclear accident that happened around that time. Expect a lot of abandoned cities and pockets of radiation you’ll need to avoid, so listen to your Geiger counter.<br /><br />This mission is all about stealth and either avoiding enemy contact or taking out enemies in such a way that nobody is alerted. You are virtually undetectable in your ghillie suit, a full-body outfit that eliminates all straight and curved lines of your profile as you sneak through the underbrush. There is one butt-clinching moment where you and MacMillan are laying in a field of tall grass as tanks and soldiers march toward you and right past (if you are lucky). Perhaps even more tense than that is a makeshift enemy camp inside a maze of cargo containers. You must sneak in and avoid four soldiers clustered around a barrel with a laptop to get some enemy intel. One soldier is asleep, tipped back in a chair, one is on patrol, and two others are nearby enjoying a smoke.<br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.msxbox-world.com/screenshots360/ss/346/screenshot_1106029097_1187796262.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.msxbox-world.com/screenshots360/ss/346/screenshot_1106029097_1187796262.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span class="fullpost">Old staples like looking down the barrel for improved accuracy as well as tossing grenades back at the enemy have returned as well as a few new elements. Dogs join the cast of enemies, but they only appear 3-4 times in the game and they aren’t that hard to kill. If one does knock you down you simply have to push the melee attack to snap its neck before it rips your throat out. I think the dogs would have been better implemented as warnings rather than soldiers. It would have been extremely cool to have dogs in the All Ghillied Up mission and then have to worry about staying downwind of them.<br /><br />The other major new feature that significantly “impacts” the gameplay is realistic ballistics. Bullets have now been granted their right to travel through wood, brick, and even thin metal, effectively reducing your ability to hide behind anything for too long. This feature alone keeps the game, as well as yourself, moving quickly through the levels, but it also gives you the advantage to take down enemies hiding behind a door or a wooden crate.<br /><br />Weapons have been modernized, but other than the models and shapes changing, the way you play the game remains unchanged. You still have your shotgun for up-close spread damage, long-range weapons, flash, frag, and smoke (far fewer smoke grenades in this game), and the occasional mounted turret, the best of which is inside a crashed chopper. You actually have to</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z278/BrownXX/1194292372.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z278/BrownXX/1194292372.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span class="fullpost"> spin-up this weapon with the left trigger before you can fire with the right. The Javelin is by far the coolest weapon in the game, launching a tank-busting missile high into the sky before it streaks down to decimate its target.<br /><br />Before I end up recounting the entire game and spoiling all the good parts lets move on to Arcade mode and multiplayer. Once you finish the campaign you’ll unlock Arcade mode, which allows you to play the game as an arcade experience with a fixed number of lives and scores for enemy kills. But multiplayer is where Call of Duty 4 really shines and ultimately destroys Halo 3 and any other multiplayer combat game currently out there.<br /><br />The multiplayer experience is so massive that Infinity Ward had to lock most of it down and then trickle it back out as incremental rewards for ranking up through online play. Modern Warfare is a class-based experience. At first you’ll have to choose from the few pre-configured classes, but when you have ranked up enough you’ll be able to use the Create-a-Class to customize any of five unique classes, each with your own weapons, attachments, and perks. You can have a class for urban levels, one for outdoor woodsy levels, a Rambo class, a stealth/sniper class, or anything you want. You can select your class before a match and change classes during a match. This change will take effect when you respawn.<br /><br />Perks are special abilities you will earn and you can assign up to three per class. These range </span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z278/BrownXX/1194292371.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z278/BrownXX/1194292371.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span class="fullpost">from anything from bonus weapons (RPG, C4, Claymore) to personal enhancements (increased health, faster reloads, invisible to radar), and combat enhancements (improved accuracy, steady aim, deep bullet penetration). There are some really fun perks like Last Stand where you get 15 seconds after being shot to use your knife or pistol to take down anyone nearby, or Martyrdom where you drop a live grenade when you die.<br /><br />Perhaps the coolest perk is Eavesdrop that allows you to hear enemy conversations. Normally, during online play you only hear your own teammates, which allows you to coordinate and strategize. With Eavesdrop activated you are now privy to enemy tactics and can relay that info to your own guys. Of course this only works if you are playing with others sophisticated enough to be using team tactics in the first place.<br /><br />One of the more innovative concepts in multiplayer are the Kill Streak bonuses awarded for consecutive kills. If you can kill 3 enemies you can call in a UAV for a radar sweep that will reveal enemy locations (for anyone not using the UAV Jammer perk). Killing 5 enemies will bring in an airstrike allowing you to pick the target on an overhead map of the level and obliterate it. And killing 7 enemies summons the attack chopper that will swoop in and send enemies running for cover and their rocket launchers.<br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z278/BrownXX/1194292412.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z278/BrownXX/1194292412.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span class="fullpost">There are 55 levels you can rank-up through and then you have the option to enter Prestige mode, which basically restarts you back at the first level with a clean slate and a special icon to indicate just how badass you really are. There are 10 levels of prestige, effectively giving you 550 levels of ranking. When the guys at Infinity Ward told me there was more than 300 hours of multiplayer gameplay in Call of Duty 4 I was skeptical, but now I think that estimate may be too low.<br /><br />To keep you motivated during those 300+ hours of gameplay are numerous weapons and skill challenges – ten sets in all. There are only a few at first but as you acquire more weapons and rank up, more will unlock. For instance, the Assault Rifle challenge is broken down into all four assault rifle classes with six challenges per weapons. Now mirror that for SMG, LMG, Shotgun, and Sniper then tack on Boot Camp, Operations, Killer, and Humiliation challenges and you have hundreds of objectives that will take you months to complete.<br /><br />There are numerous multiplayer modes, but even these are limited until you earn a high enough rank. Newcomers will head for Team DM or standard Deathmatch games, but there is great fun to be had in Domination, Ground War, Sabotage, Headquarters, Search and Destroy, Team Objective, Team Hardcore, Old School, and Oldcore. The “core” games eliminate the HUD and activate friendly fire, while the “old” games remove the classes and put everyone on the same level.<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z278/BrownXX/1194292414.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z278/BrownXX/1194292414.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span class="fullpost">Regardless of the type of game you are playing, Call of Duty 4 is a fantastic experience with support for up to 18 soldiers over the PlayStation Network and your broadband connection. The game does a good job of matching you with similarly skilled players. Stages are pre-selected and rotated but you can always vote to skip a level you don’t like – majority rules.<br /><br />To wrap up this section, I’m compelled to complain about the weak 7-page manual (or should I say “insert”) that came with the game. Obviously, somebody is trying to force you to buy the strategy guide, and you should, if you want to have any type of competitive edge in the online arena, not to mention any chance in hell of finding the hidden intel in the solo campaign.<br /><br />I must also complain about the Mature rating. Personally, I don’t care because I’m old enough, but I think I speak for a few million pre-17 gamers out there with strict parents who won’t be allowed to play this game when I say, “why is this game rated M”? There is virtually no blood (or gore) to speak of, and the death and carnage is no worse than any of the WWII Call of Duty games that have come before this. And with the exception of a few “shits, hells” and “wankers” there is no bad language to speak of. I can only assume that the ESRB is more forgiving when it comes to historical war shooters than those set in modern times. It’s a sad commentary considering a lot of those pre-17 gamers will likely be enlisting in a year or two to do this for real.<br /><br />The PC is virtually identical to the 360 and PS3 versions of the game. The obvious exception</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z278/BrownXX/1194292374.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z278/BrownXX/1194292374.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span class="fullpost"> would be the arguably improved controls, but after playing this game on console I found the mouse and keyboard were almost "too precise" and made the game too easy a lot of the time. Multiplayer offers the added support for up to 32 players creating the opportunity for much larger battles than the 18-player cap on console.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;" class="dropcaps">G</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">raphics:</span><br /><br />Call of Duty has always impressed me with its amazing visuals but nothing could really prepare me for the absolute photo-realism of what I was seeing while playing Modern Warfare. Sure, there are moments where the game sinks into videogame land, but for the most part you’d be hard pressed to tell you aren’t watching footage from some CNN guy embedded with the troops.<br /><br />The animations and character modeling are ultra-realistic, and you’ll see your team executing coordinated CQB moves right from the military handbook. They breach doors, cover corners, and provide cover fire for advancement and even reloads. The details on the models goes right down to individual gear; grenades on the belt, extra ammo, and some of the best weapon models you’re likely to see without enlisting.<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://assets.jolt.co.uk/picdump/_mainsite/articles/071109/cod4/03.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://assets.jolt.co.uk/picdump/_mainsite/articles/071109/cod4/03.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span class="fullpost">There are day and night missions, providing ample opportunity to break out the night vision goggles. These not only turn the view into monochromatic green, but also reveals the laser targeting sights of any weapons in view. It also amplifies the negative effects of an enemy flash bang grenade - gotta love that retina burn.<br /><br />The urban levels were easily the highlights of the game with multi-tiered structures, narrow alleys, balconies, rooftops, basements, and all sorts of places to take cover. There is one mission where you are escorting a tank down a street lined with enemies on both sides on multiple levels. This level really showcases the visuals and the level design. There is fantastic use of lighting, real-time shadows (even from the light of a TV), weather effects, smoke, fire, and particles for dust and debris. The graphics are quite literally, explosive.<br /><br />The one thing I didn’t like was my inability to tell friend from foe, but then I realized, that’s probably the way it is in real life which makes me wonder why there isn’t a lot more friendly fire. Not everyone who is an enemy is wearing a turban or a bandana or has a “shoot me” sign on their back. Sometimes the differences are very subtle and really require your utmost attention and reflexes to identify and shoot the proper person. There are a few hints like names and ranks over friendlies and red crosshairs on enemies when firing from the hip.<br /><br />As far as visual differences between PC and console, they are too few and minimal to even</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z278/BrownXX/CoD4MW_RVW_05.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z278/BrownXX/CoD4MW_RVW_05.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span class="fullpost"> mention and what few variances there are could be considered subjective and easily tweaked with your monitor or in-game brightness and contrast settings. Texture for texture and model for model, the PC and console versions are identical if your PC supports the recommended hardware requirements. You can probably squeak some higher resolutions out of your PC but why risk potential framerate issues when the game looks and performs great 1280x960.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;" class="dropcaps">S</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">ound:</span><br /><br />When you combine the gorgeous visuals with the epic original score by Stephen Barton and the main theme and music production provided by award-winning composer Harry Gregson-Williams you have something that is not only emotionally immersive, but also incredibly cinematic. While major parts of the game are played in musical silence, there are key parts where music plays a pivotal role in fueling your adrenaline for the battle at hand.<br /><br />The voice acting goes above and beyond anything we’ve heard in a Call of Duty game. Battle Chatter is back and far more effective than it was before. Your team will call out enemy locations as well as letting you know when they are reloading or advancing to a new area. You’ll also get continual radio updates on where to go and what to do.<br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z278/BrownXX/CoD4MW_RVW_04.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z278/BrownXX/CoD4MW_RVW_04.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span class="fullpost">The sound effects are what really sell the war experience. Each and every weapon was digitally sampled and sounds just like its real-life counterpart. They even got the sound of heavy guns and tanks recorded as well as engine noises and explosions and all sorts of environmental sounds like weather, rain, wind, and the sounds of footsteps on a wide variety of surfaces.<br /><br />The 3D surround mix not only immerses you in the world but also offers its own tactical returns by allowing you to hear enemies sneaking up on your position. This is huge in multiplayer where there is far more sneaking than the solo game. And while the visuals between console and PC are virtually identical, I have to give the nod to the consoles for slightly superior sound. I have an Audigy and a THX 7.1 surround system on my PC, but it can't compete with the Onkyo surround system in the big game room.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;" class="dropcaps">V</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">alue:</span><br /><br />If you are in this for the solo game you’ll likely feel a bit cheated. On Normal mode you can blast your way through the single-player game in 8-10 hours. Hardened bumps that to 12-16 hours and Veteran will likely hit the 18-20 hour mark with a lot of death and checkpoint restarts.</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z278/BrownXX/CoD4MW_RVW_09.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z278/BrownXX/CoD4MW_RVW_09.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span class="fullpost">Multiplayer is the obvious focus for this fourth installment of Call of Duty, and to fully exploit every last challenge and rank you can expect to spend anywhere from 200-300 hours, or more. Much like you, the game only gets better the more you play it.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;" class="dropcaps">F</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">inal:</span><br /><br />Call of Duty 4: Modern Combat is easily the best game in the history of the franchise, at least from a technical standpoint. I didn’t find it nearly as immersive or personally rewarding as I did the previous WWII games where I actually came away having learned something, but that is the risk you take when you abandon history and delve into fiction. Perhaps, someday, when the current events in Iraq are declassified, Infinity Ward can do something a bit more relevant with the genre.<br /><br />Even so, Modern Combat is just about as perfect a game as you can get. It falls short of total perfection only because it really doesn’t evolve the FPS genre in any significant way – not that I know what that might be, but I’d know it if I saw it. It’s a must-own, must-play game for anyone (screw the ESRB) who owns a next-gen console or high-end PC.</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://assets.jolt.co.uk/picdump/_mainsite/articles/071109/cod4/01.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://assets.jolt.co.uk/picdump/_mainsite/articles/071109/cod4/01.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Master Bluehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12214268141564601937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2272220371098908098.post-79504551447410795792007-11-26T20:42:00.000+07:002007-11-26T20:51:23.947+07:00Rainbow Six Vegas 2<div align="justify"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://nayyeri.net/misc/TomClancysRainbowSixVegas_9296/wallpaper_rainbow_six_vegas_04_10243.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://nayyeri.net/misc/TomClancysRainbowSixVegas_9296/wallpaper_rainbow_six_vegas_04_10243.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span class="dropcaps">A</span>t the finale of Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas, the titular antiterrorist team foiled the launch of a missile toward the titular desert metropolis before uncovering a traitor in their midst. As a reward, players were greeted with a black screen bearing the words "To Be Continued," which all but confirmed a sequel.<span class="fullpost"><br /><br />Today, Ubisoft made it official: Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas 2 is indeed in development at Ubisoft Montreal for release sometime next year. For now, the Francophonic publisher says the game is being readied for "next-gen consoles and PCs." No specific platforms other than the PC were mentioned, but the original Rainbow Six Vegas was released for the PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation Portable. (Proposed PlayStation 2 and Xbox versions of the game were canceled.)<br /><br />Ubisoft was similarly cagey about Rainbow Six Vegas 2's plot, saying only its "intense solo campaign...uses new tactical possibilities in various locations around Sin City." Gameplaywise, the title will offer a range of online multiplayer modes, including adversarial and co-op, which would tie in to the single-player campaign.<br /><br />Rainbow Six Vegas 2's release will roughly coincide with the 10th anniversary of the author-inspired franchise, which has sold more than 16 million units worldwide. </span></div>Master Bluehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12214268141564601937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2272220371098908098.post-21158918938835623622007-11-25T18:09:00.000+07:002007-11-25T22:15:31.513+07:00The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass<div align="justify"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://nintenblog.free.fr/wallpaper/ds_The_legend_of_Zelda_Phantom_Hourglass.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://nintenblog.free.fr/wallpaper/ds_The_legend_of_Zelda_Phantom_Hourglass.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div class="pt5"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="dropcaps">T</span>ech Info:<br /><br /></span><br />Publisher: <a href="http://www.nintendo.com/" class="nintendo">Nintendo</a><br />Developer: <a href="http://www.nintendo.com/" class="nintendo">Nintendo</a><br />Genre: <a href="http://omega-planet.blogspot.com/search/label/Action-RPG">Action-RPG</a> <a href="http://omega-planet.blogspot.com/search/label/Adventure">Adventure</a><br />Release Date: Oct 1, 2007<br />ESRB: EVERYONE<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;" class="dropcaps">S</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">tory:</span><br /><br />Phantom Hourglass picks up where Wind Waker left off. After Link and Tetra - as princess Zelda - defeated Gannon, they and their pirate friends went off in search of adventure on the high seas.While exploring new waters, they come upon the Ghost Ship, said to steal the life of anything that goes onboard.Tetra, being the spunky gal she is, hops onboard the ship and starts exploring, undaunted by the haunting tales. Soon after boarding, however, she screams and <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://jeux-france.com/Webmasters/Images/37851020070427_125506_9_big.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 263px; height: 397px;" src="http://jeux-france.com/Webmasters/Images/37851020070427_125506_9_big.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a> Link, trying to save her, falls into the ocean. When Link wakes up, he finds himself on Mercay Island and quickly befriends the fairy, Ciela, and her grandfatherly caretaker, Oshus. Link tells the man of his lost friend and is directed to the Temple of the Ocean King, where he encounters a man named Linebeck, who is currently trapped in the temple. Link quickly frees the man, gets the sea chart for the region, and joins Linebeck to chase after the Ghost Ship. Adventure ensues.<br /><br />Now, anyone can tell that this is not a particularly original story. Link is once again saving the princess from the forces of evil. Yet the telling of this tale is done very well. From the paper cutouts of the introduction to the funny faces and illustrative gestures made by Link and Linebeck, Phantom Hourglass delivers the same old same old with a fresh face, great humor, and excellent characterization. And say what you will of the cartoony style, it lends itself very well to storytelling through pantomime.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;" class="dropcaps">G</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">ameplay:</span><br /><br />By far, this is Phantom Hourglass's greatest feature. It has been a while since I've played anything as creatively designed as Phantom Hourglass. From the start, you get the feeling that this is something different. I mean, you're so used to controlling Link with a d-pad, and now you're forced to rely completely on the stylus for almost everything. And yet, I found that the little snippets of stylus-dependent interactions in previous DS games had adequately prepared me for the maneuvers I had to perform to get Link to walk, run, toss items, roll, attack and fish. Control isn't perfect, but we'll get to that later. For those of you who haven't played Wind Waker, you take Link from island to island via a ship and fight enemies, open chests, and solve puzzles in real time.<br /><br />There's not much new here, except for the Temple of the Ocean King, a multi-level dungeon with some interesting challenges. The first major challenge is the time limit. The Temple <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://a248.e.akamai.net/f/248/5462/2h/images.gamezone.com/screens/29/1/52/s29152_nds_20.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 270px; height: 405px;" src="http://a248.e.akamai.net/f/248/5462/2h/images.gamezone.com/screens/29/1/52/s29152_nds_20.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a> constantly drains your health unless you have the Phantom Hourglass, which you acquire early in the game. This bauble allows you to negate the effects of the temple for as long as the sand remains. Killing bosses and finding sunken chests nets you more sand, extending your time. Managing your time as you go down is important, and since you will be revisiting the labyrinth multiple times, you may find shortcuts as you gain new items.<br /><br />The other challenge is the Phantoms, huge spectral warriors that roam the halls of the Temple. Phantoms cannot be killed until the end of the game, so you must avoid them at all costs. If spotted, you must flee to a safe zone which hides you from them and stops the timer. Both challenges combine to make the Temple a unique experience, and while it was at times aggrivating, overall it was tolerable.<br /><br />As far as the rest of the game's play goes, much like the story, Phantom Hourglass takes the old and makes it fresh with innovative design. The two best examples would have to be the puzzles and the boss fights.<br /><br />The puzzles in Phantom Hourglass aren't particularly hard, but they are creative, requiring you to use the DS in ways that you naturally wouldn't think of. Everything from the microphone to the suspend feature are required as solutions to the puzzles in this game. Being able to write on the map is a godsend, as well as an innovative way to keep track of clues and find the location of hidden treasure. And while the solutions the puzzles were usually apparent after a bit of thinking, they still remained challenging enough to keep me interested.<br /><br />The other aspect of gameplay that really stood out was the boss fights. It shouldn't come as a surprise that Zelda series bosses would have different and creative weaknesses, but Phantom Hourglass' excellent use of the DS hardware added a whole new dimension. Frequent use of the dual screens and imaginative use of items is key to defeating bosses, some of which present a real conundrum until you finally reach an epiphany and then proceed to whoop arse.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://a248.e.akamai.net/f/248/5462/2h/images.gamezone.com/screens/29/1/52/s29152_nds_21.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 398px;" src="http://a248.e.akamai.net/f/248/5462/2h/images.gamezone.com/screens/29/1/52/s29152_nds_21.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />There is also multi-player included via wi-fi, but I didn't get into it, so I cannot comment. Aside from that, though, Ninendo has done a great job in making a truly novel playing experience.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;" class="dropcaps">G</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">raphics:</span><br /><br />The DS is no slouch at pushing polygons, and Phantom Hourglass proves it. With graphics that approach what you'd expect from a late-era N64 or early-era PS2 game, you won't want for quality. All of the characters are rendered with enough polygons to move fluidly and not look blocky. A great attempt is made at shading too; both cel shading for the characters and lighting are done well, lending a cartoony feel that still manages to be high-quality. The only place that the visuals get dicey is during the cutscenes; whenever there is a close-up on an island or model, the detail on the textures breaks down and the presentation degrades a bit, but it's a minor point.<br /><br />The best part about the graphics, though, are the character designs. For those of you who can recall the release of Wind Waker, it got harshly criticized for the characters' cartoony looks. I loved them, however, and after the ugliness that was Ocarina of Time's characters, it was nice to have a new, less hideously repulsive style. Phantom Hourglass delivers more of the same, and the result is characters who are expressive and funny. Kudos!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;" class="dropcaps">S</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">ound:</span><br /><br />I don't care what people say, I've never been a big fan of Zelda music, and after Twilight Princess' awful midi score, I didn't exactly want to hear more. Fortunately, Phantom Hourglass has a decent soundtrack, and any sound quality issues can be blamed on the DS's tiny speakers rather than a lack of quality sequencing. From epic sailing themes to the ominous dungeon tunes, Phantom Hourglass's soundtrack will not offend, and may even delight, but at the very least you can expect to get fitting music all around.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://a248.e.akamai.net/f/248/5462/2h/images.gamezone.com/screens/29/1/52/s29152_nds_22.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 268px; height: 401px;" src="http://a248.e.akamai.net/f/248/5462/2h/images.gamezone.com/screens/29/1/52/s29152_nds_22.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />That being said, sound effects in Phantom Hourglass are pretty well done. The echoes in caves and cavernous dungeons are a nice touch, as are Link's shouts and grunts, as they really give the lad personality despite him not actually delivering any lines.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;" class="dropcaps">C</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">ontrol:</span><br /><br />With a game like Phantom Hourglass you'd think accurate, dead-on control is a MUST. Strangely, you'd be wrong. Phantom Hourglass, despite requiring all movement and all action be controlled by the stylus, does not do a perfect or even near-perfect job making the stylus respond the way you want it to. Rolling, in particular - but also sword swings and aiming - are more difficult than I had expected them to be and are definitely not precise. The good thing is that Nintendo likely realized this and made the game a lot more forgiving than it would be otherwise. While it is somewhat of a cop-out, toning down the difficulty level to accommodate less-than-perfect control was still acceptable, considering how fun the rest of the game was.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;" class="dropcaps">O</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">ver:</span><br /><br />Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass was a fun game. On top of that, it was creative and used the DS in ways that really showed off the potential of the system. While it may not be the best game you'll play this year, it certainly will make you appreciate the creativity that went into its design and the solid product that was the result. I wholeheartedly advise you to play this game, if for no other reason than see that a game can be fun while still managing to use a system hardware in creative ways.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://jeux-france.com/Webmasters/Images/37851020070427_125504_1_big.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://jeux-france.com/Webmasters/Images/37851020070427_125504_1_big.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span class="fullpost"></span></div></div>Master Bluehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12214268141564601937noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2272220371098908098.post-43084041016968168922007-11-24T20:57:00.000+07:002007-11-24T21:45:44.050+07:00FINAL FANTASY TACTICS: The War of the Lions<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.ps2vicio.com/Wallpapers/Final_Fantasy_Tactics/Final_Fantasy_Tactics_3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://www.ps2vicio.com/Wallpapers/Final_Fantasy_Tactics/Final_Fantasy_Tactics_3.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><div class="pt5"><span style="font-weight: bold;" class="dropcaps">T</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">ech Info</span><br /><br />Publisher: <a href="http://www.square-enix.com/" class="playstation">Square Enix</a> </div> <div class="pt5"> Developer: <a href="http://www.square-enix.com/" class="playstation">Square Enix</a> </div> <div class="pt5"> Genre: <a href="http://omega-planet.blogspot.com/search/label/TBS" class="playstation">Fantasy Turn-Based Strategy</a> </div> <div class="pt5"> Release Date: Oct 9, 2007 <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/psp/strategy/finalfantasytacticspsp/similar.html?mode=versions" class="fwn playstation"></a> </div> <div class="pt5"> ESRB: <span class="playstation">TEEN</span> </div> <div class="pt5"> ESRB Descriptors: Blood, Drug Reference, Fantasy Violence, Mild Suggestive Themes </div><br /><br /><span class="dropcaps">N</span>early ten years ago, players first got to experience the world of Ivalice through the exploits of a young man named Ramza Beoulve. The game was <i>Final Fantasy Tactics</i>, the vastly different successor to the recently-released <i>Final Fantasy VII</i>. Gone were the full motion videos throughout the game, the varied cast of unique characters, the exploration of dungeons, and even the overworld map itself. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.rpgfan.com/pics/fft-psp/ss-005.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.rpgfan.com/pics/fft-psp/ss-005.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>In their stead were planar battlefields that seemingly float in space, and player-created armies that clashed realistically in a hybrid of turn based and ATB combat. This extreme change in visuals and gameplay was a bit much for some. But for others, it was a treasure that could only be found in used game shops, if at all, and often cost more than when it originally sat sealed on store shelves until getting re-released as a Greatest Hits title. Though the game was scarce at one time, gamers are once again invited to the war-torn land of Ivalice via the PSP in <b>Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions</b>, and this time, it comes with beautifully animated story sequences, a couple new characters, and a freshly translated script. <p align="justify"> The plot follows the aforementioned Ramza, the youngest son of the noble house of Beoulve, and his best friend Delita throughout the titular War of the Lions. History records Delita as the one responsible for bringing an end to the bloody conflict, but the game's narrator thinks the true hero is actually Ramza. After a short tutorial battle that takes place in the middle of the plot, the game shifts back to when Ramza and Delita were still just cadets at the Akademy. From there<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.rpgfan.com/pics/fft-psp/ss-002.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.rpgfan.com/pics/fft-psp/ss-002.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>, Ramza and a few novice soldiers begin a journey that eventually sees the end of entire armies and villains with supernatural powers.</p> <p align="justify"> <i>Final Fantasy Tactics</i> features a class system similar to that seen in some other games in the series. All jobs begin at the lowly squire or chemist class. Squires are the gateway to all things physical, including knights, monks, ninjas, and dragoons. Chemists eventually yield mages, summoners, and arithmeticians; magic users that use any acquired magic on targets determined by such things as the unit's level or location. Characters acquire Job Points in battle, which allow skills to be purchased in any order and even open up new classes. All in all, there are 22 different classes to master, and each character can also choose a sub-skill from any other attained class. </p> <p align="justify"> Like other tactical RPGs, the bulk of the game takes place on the battlefield. After placing up to five characters on set starting spaces, battle progresses with turns happening based on each unit's speed. Faster characters get more turns than slower ones, and play usually follows one side moving before the other, though this is not always the case. Units have a set range and can only select one location per turn. Should you get there and decide that probably wasn't the best choice, the unit is stuck in place until its next turn. Thus, all decisions to move are critical, and mistakes can be costly.<br /></p><p align="justify">Once in place, characters can pick from any of their available actions. Simply attacking results in an immediate action, but most special abilities, particularly those of the magical variety, require some time to charge before being unleashed. The charge time can easily be checked to decide if <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.rpgfan.com/pics/fft-psp/ss-008.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.rpgfan.com/pics/fft-psp/ss-008.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>it's worth doing that move, since a unit preparing an action is highly vulnerable to attacks of any kind. </p> <p align="justify"> Like most games in this genre, <i>Final Fantasy Tactics</i> has a twist on combat. Units felled in battle have a counter above their body. After three turns, that unit will either turn into treasure chest containing a piece of equipment, or a crystal, which can either restore the HP and MP of anyone that acquires it, or transfer all learned skills to the finder. Those who meet that fate are removed from the game forever, so care must be taken to revive fallen allies or finish the battle before their timer runs out. </p> <p align="justify"> Most battles are won by defeating all enemies, but some can be won by just defeating a single key enemy. These battles are generally what defines the game's variable challenge. Some are pretty easy, but others can be punishingly difficult. Without a proper strategy and suitable equipment, some battles are nigh impossible. To make matters worse, there are stages with multiple battles where the player is invited to save in between combat. Though the player is allowed to re-equip characters and choose different classes or skills, the party is not permitted to travel elsewhere to level up. Woe to the player that overwrites his only save file during such a battle; unless a successful strategy can be devised, your only recourse is to start again from the beginning. </p> <p align="justify"> When not in battle, the rest of the game takes place in menus. This even includes the towns that are scattered throughout Ivalice. Shops are nothing more than a menu with a backdrop. The<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.rpgfan.com/pics/fft-psp/ss-009.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.rpgfan.com/pics/fft-psp/ss-009.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a> same is true of taverns, which yield backstory and offer sidequests that give money and job points for completion. The rest of the time will be spent customizing your party one character at a time. This takes place in yet another menu and serves its purpose well.</p> <p align="justify"> Visually, <i>Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions</i> is almost indistinguishable from its original PS1 incarnation save for the flawless stretch to a 16:9 screen ratio. As such, the graphics are not exactly the most advanced seen on the PSP, yet for some reason, most special attacks bring battles to a crawl for their duration. While someone not familiar with the pace of the original game might mistake the slowdown for dramatic pause, experienced players will be bothered a bit by the constant drop in pace. Fortunately, it doesn't detract from the game very much, but it is the one major flaw in what is otherwise an excellent port. This is particularly strange since the PSP's hardware is vastly superior to its eldest console brother.Though it loses a point for the slow battles, the animated cut scenes more than make up for it. In a word, they are gorgeous, and fortunately, they frequently replace what were previously in-engine sequences for plot development. In all, there are probably around ten, and they are fully voiced. Not only that; the voice acting is quite good and is a welcome addition. </p> <p align="justify"> For those that enjoyed the original score by Hitoshi Sakimoto, rest easy; the soundtrack still sounds great, even through the PSP's tiny speakers. Sadly, there are no new songs. The sound <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.rpgfan.com/pics/fft-psp/ss-004.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.rpgfan.com/pics/fft-psp/ss-004.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>effects sound slightly different this time around, but it neither adds nor detracts from the original game. Luckily, the music is great, but it can grow a bit stale by the end. You will hear a handful of tracks over and over by the game's conclusion.</p> <p align="justify"> For those that have already played the original <i>Final Fantasy Tactics</i>, most will agree the game's highly political story stays interesting to the finish with all its twists, turns, and backstabbings as Ramza and company unravel the plot surrounding the mysterious Zodiac Stones, around which the game centers. In what is arguably worth the price of admission alone, this time, there is a new translation. And this time it even makes sense. No longer will characters stupidly utter "I got a good feeling!" and then find a piece of treasure hidden in a rock. Now everything actually flows, but considering the script has been put in a dialect that is fitting for the time period and setting, it still might take some deciphering to understand. An interesting effect of this is the way it separates those born of high blood from commoners by the way they speak. This addition brings just a bit more depth to the plot and is a nice touch. </p> <p align="justify"> Completing the game can be done in as few as twenty-five hours, but most will find that it takes at least thirty. Those that want more can have their game extended quite a bit longer. The PSP incarnation adds two new classes to the mix. Dark Knights take considerable leveling to unlock,<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://a248.e.akamai.net/f/248/5462/2h/images.gamezone.com/screens/32/5/19/s32519_psp_107.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://a248.e.akamai.net/f/248/5462/2h/images.gamezone.com/screens/32/5/19/s32519_psp_107.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a> and the Onion Knights require even more to be useful. Considering the work required to use these classes, it is entirely possible to finish the game the same way it was played on the PS1. And those that find the main plot too easy can explore an optional dungeon filled with extremely powerful foes and a hidden boss. There is also the option for versus and co-op play, but this requires having a friend with another PSP and a second copy of the game. There are some things that can only be accessed by playing with a friend, but it's nothing one can't live without. </p> <p align="justify"> In conclusion, fans of the genre that missed <i>Final Fantasy Tactics</i> the first time around are highly recommended not to let it pass them by a second time. Those that fell in love with the game back in its PS1 days will probably find it worth another play. If tactical RPGs aren't your cup of tea, you won't like this one; as its title suggests, it is one. Otherwise, this game is perfect for on-the-go battling.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://yipikayei.files.wordpress.com/2007/03/final_fantasy_tacticspsp.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://yipikayei.files.wordpress.com/2007/03/final_fantasy_tacticspsp.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a> </p>Master Bluehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12214268141564601937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2272220371098908098.post-72959244242911351482007-11-23T15:17:00.000+07:002007-11-23T16:06:21.150+07:008800GT Powerfull weapon<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.firingsquad.com/hardware/nvidia_geforce_8800_gt_performance/images/10.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://www.firingsquad.com/hardware/nvidia_geforce_8800_gt_performance/images/10.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">MSI NX8800GT-T2D512E OC<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.firingsquad.com/hardware/nvidia_geforce_8800_gt_performance/images/16.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.firingsquad.com/hardware/nvidia_geforce_8800_gt_performance/images/16.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><em><em></em></em><br /><br />As far as we can tell, MSI is first out of the gates with a factory overclocked GeForce 8800 GT card, the NX8800GT-T2D512E OC. The NX8800GT-T2D512E OC relies entirely on the NVIDIA reference board design with the obvious addition being that it's overclocked out-of-the-box, running at 660MHz core, 1650MHz on the shaders, and 950MHz memory (1.9GHz effective). These speeds are 9% faster than the stock 8800 GT on the graphics core and shaders, and 5% faster memory.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.firingsquad.com/hardware/nvidia_geforce_8800_gt_performance/images/15.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.firingsquad.com/hardware/nvidia_geforce_8800_gt_performance/images/15.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />In order to keep price down, MSI skips including a game bundle. As a result we've been told that the board has an MSRP of $249. If this price holds true at retail, this card is certainly priced to move. Strangely enough, the board only shipped with one DVI adapter (perhaps to further help keep price down?). MSI also includes a power adapter, S-Video cable, and component video output cable for hooking the card up to an HDTV.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">XFX GeForce 8800 GT Alpha Dog Edition</span><br /><br />Arriving right around the same time as the MSI NX8800GT-T2D512E OC was the XFX GeForce 8800 GT Alpha Dog Edition. The Alpha Dog Edition is XFX’s entry level GeForce 8800 GT 512MB SKU and relies on the standard 8800 GT reference board design and stock clock speeds.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.firingsquad.com/hardware/nvidia_geforce_8800_gt_performance/images/17.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.firingsquad.com/hardware/nvidia_geforce_8800_gt_performance/images/17.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Inside the card’s packaging were quite a few accessories beyond the graphics card. For starters XFX includes a copy of Company of Heroes on DVD-ROM. Also included with the copy of Company of Heroes is a CD containing the latest patch you’ll need to play the game with DirectX 10. While this is a very neat tie-in idea, Company of Heroes is a year old now. XFX also offers a newer DX10 game as a bundle, Lost Planet, but apparently this didn’t make it over to the Alpha Dog Edition. Funnily enough, XFX also includes a tag you can hang on your door that reads “I’m gaming, Do Not Disturb”.<br /><br />Here’s a word of advice though, use the tag on your significant other at your own peril.<br /><br />To finish the Alpha Dog package off, XFX also includes two DVI adapters, an S-Video cable, and a component video output block. The XFX GeForce 8600 GT Alpha Dog Edition carries a $249 MSRP.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.firingsquad.com/hardware/nvidia_geforce_8800_gt_performance/images/18.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.firingsquad.com/hardware/nvidia_geforce_8800_gt_performance/images/18.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />If the stock speeds aren’t good enough and you want a little more performance, XFX will continue to provide their Extreme and XXX Edition SKUs. The XFX GeForce 8800 GT Extreme will run 40MHz faster than the Alpha Dog Edition at 640MHz. XFX’s product literature for the 8800 GT lists a “TBD” for the Extreme, but unless XFX has tinkered with the speeds in the board’s BIOS, the stream processors on the 8800 GT normally run 2.5 times faster than the graphics core, yielding a clock speed of 1600MHz (640MHz core x 2.5) for the stream processors. We did get a confirmed speed of 950MHz (1.9GHz effective) for the memory. Extreme boards will sell for an MSRP of $279.<br /><br />At the top of the heap for XFX is the GeForce 8800 GT XXX Edition. The XXX board runs at even higher speeds, XFX’s specs list a 670MHz graphics core and 975MHz memory (1.95GHz effective). Again, XFX lists a TBD for the shader speed, but we’re going to assume that XFX is sticking to the 2.5 ratio and that the shaders will therefore run at 1675MHz. If these speeds pan out, this would make the XFX GeForce 8800 GT XXX one of the fastest 8800 GT boards on the market. Getting your hands on all this performance will set you back $299.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">System Setup</span><br /><br />Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6800<br /><br />EVGA nForce 680i SLI motherboard<br /><br />2GB Corsair TWIN2X2048-6400C4<br /><br />ATI Radeon HD 2600 XT<br />ATI Radeon X1950 Pro<br />ATI Radeon HD 2900 XT 512MB<br />ATI Radeon HD 2900 GT 256MB<br />PowerColor Radeon HD 2900 Pro 512MB<br />Catalyst 7.10<br /><br />NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GTS 320MB<br />NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GTS 640MB<br />NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GTX<br />NVIDIA GeForce 8600 GTS<br />NVIDIA GeForce 7900 GT<br />ForceWare 169.01<br /><br /><br />300GB Western Digital Caviar SE<br /><br />Windows Vista 64-bit<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Benchmarks</span><br /><br />Company of Heroes 1.71 (running DX9) <br />F.E.A.R. 1.08<br />Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion<br />Enemy Territory: Quake Wars<br />Call of Duty 4 Demo<br />Half-Life 2 Episode Two<br />Lost Planet DX9<br />World in Conflict<br />Unreal Tournament 3 Demo<br />Crysis Demo<br /><br />F.E.A.R. Performance<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.firingsquad.com/hardware/nvidia_geforce_8800_gt_performance/images/pf800.gif"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 380px;" src="http://www.firingsquad.com/hardware/nvidia_geforce_8800_gt_performance/images/pf800.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.firingsquad.com/hardware/nvidia_geforce_8800_gt_performance/images/pf1280.gif"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 380px;" src="http://www.firingsquad.com/hardware/nvidia_geforce_8800_gt_performance/images/pf1280.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.firingsquad.com/hardware/nvidia_geforce_8800_gt_performance/images/pf1600.gif"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 380px;" src="http://www.firingsquad.com/hardware/nvidia_geforce_8800_gt_performance/images/pf1600.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a>Master Bluehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12214268141564601937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2272220371098908098.post-70149216707350444462007-11-23T13:37:00.000+07:002008-01-16T23:48:51.634+07:00Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.nintendoglobal.net/articolo/file/resident-evil-4/resident-evil-4-wii-edition-big.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 330px; height: 467px;" src="http://www.nintendoglobal.net/articolo/file/resident-evil-4/resident-evil-4-wii-edition-big.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div class="pt5"> <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="dropcaps">T</span>ech Info</span><br /><br />Publisher: <a href="http://www.capcom.com/" class="nintendo">Capcom</a> </div> <div class="pt5"> Developer: <a href="http://www.capcom.com/" class="nintendo">Capcom</a> </div> <div class="pt5"> Genre: <span class="nintendo"><a href="http://omega-planet.blogspot.com/search/label/Horror">Horror</a> <a href="http://omega-planet.blogspot.com/search/label/Action">Action</a> <a href="http://omega-planet.blogspot.com/search/label/Adventure">Adventure</a></span> </div> <div class="pt5"> Release Date: Jun 19, 2007 </div> <div class="pt5"> ESRB: <span class="nintendo">MATURE</span> </div> <div class="pt5"> ESRB Descriptors: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Language </div><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><span class="dropcaps">O</span>verview:<br /><br /></span>The Chronicles of the Villainous Umbrella Corporation have been traced back to almost a decade and they are still covering their tracks. However, in Resident Evil 4, Umbrella makes only a cameo near the end. When I first heard this, I thought "Crap! now who is going to 'accidentally' produce thousands of mindless destructive eating machines? (aside from McDonalds)" But, yet<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.gamechronicles.com/reviews/wii/residentevil4/revil48.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.gamechronicles.com/reviews/wii/residentevil4/revil48.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a> again, Capcom has thought of another equally disturbing way to suck the player into a nightmarish adventure.<p> In 1996 Capcom released Resident Evil, which told a story of a deadly virus known only as the T-Virus, which transformed its unsuspecting host into a brain-eating undead. Of course it wasn't the usual "brains” they were munching, as it was any fleshy body part, fingers, eyes, intestines.... you get the point. Though our standard foes are "mindless" they aren't zombies (though they are somewhat more intelligent then some people, you know who what I'm talking about) 2005 would be the year that this new Horror was released, and then again in '07 for the next generation gaming system.</p><p> The radical new control system of the Wii involves both the remote and the nunchuk, which aids in making <b>Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition</b> more interactive, thus sucking the player into the fantasy world, making it at times, seem more like reality. This game is a third person action/adventure, with countless bad guys and not enough bullets. It is a standard single player action game with no chance they could make it two player. Shame, would be cool to kill zombies with a buddy. (No I don't mean, "Zombies ate my Neighbors!")<br /></p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="dropcaps">G</span>ameplay :</span><br /><p>"1998, that’s the year those grizzly murders occurred in the Arklay Mountains..." the player is greeted with an oddly familiar character, Leon, it is a warning of what is to come. When I picked up the controller and followed along with the intro movie, I thought "another exciting adventure of bloody undead science experiments gone wrong (sorry little Timmy, you only get the Red <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.avault.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/07/re4wii4.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.avault.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/07/re4wii4.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Ribbon for killing a city with your deadly T-virus, better luck next year)" Though the control was a little bit to be desired from what I was used to, you could say that little village at the beginning of the game acted as a good tutorial, complete with about 20 zombies and 1 very deranged man with a burlap sack on his head wielding a chainsaw...violently.</p><p> I would say that I am an experienced gamer, born into video games, it's in my blood. This village gave me the chills (and my control went flying across the room a few times as well.) Just like most new systems, the Wii has a few kinks; one of them is the control system. Hard to navigate and aim, it took a few deaths of which I was bitten, chomped on, hacked up with axes and pitchforks, and my personal favorite, having my head amputated (very skillfully I might add) with a chainsaw. However, I eventually got a hold of my controller and was able to continue as if it was second nature.</p><p> The great thing about what Capcom does with their Resident Evil Series is their constant upgrade with shock value. I mean they have really broken it down to a basic arithmetic: Twisted story line + Attractive Hero/Heroine + Lady speared through the head with a pitchfork or other deranged weapon = Resident Evil. There's always that person at the beginning of the games that looks like they died so painfully, it makes even the toughest of gamers cringe. This is and always will be one of Capcom’s greatest strengths.</p><p> As I mentioned above, the new system to Resident Evil 4 is very different to that of the original<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.avault.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/07/re4wii2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.avault.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/07/re4wii2.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a> games. No longer can your character rotate 360 degrees with out picking up a foot. And the camera angles aren't askew as they were in the original games. The camera follows Leon around in a 3rd person action view, so that you are above and behind Leon's right shoulder, this provides for a more action-pact game, less "Survival Strategy" as its predecessors were. This new camera angling dropped the frustration that I had experienced with some of the other games of this chronicle. ( I know a few readers out there that know exactly what I am talking about.)</p><p> Another really interesting feature that came along with "awe" inspiring camera is the Reticule. The targeting in Resident Evil 4 Wii Edition came with a reticule so that it was easier to aim at your targets as they approached, (or sniped without their knowledge).</p><p> Though this system wasn't recently implemented, it was however upgraded. Players on the Resident Evil 4 PS2 edition had the wonderful task of pointing a gun and hoping that a little red dot from the gun's laser-pointer landed on his/her target and though this was a great step up from holding down R1 and firing in the direction the target was, (usually missing) this doesn't beat the Wii's reticule system by a long shot. I believe that it really proved to be a nice add-on to make the players experience more enjoyable, I mean come on, how hard is it to say "NO" to shooting a mass of zombies with a variety of guns, really...</p><p> Though it wasn't a "viral outbreak" it was however biological. As with all the Resident Evil games, there is a Logical explanation for what has happened in the story line. a virus, and alien abduction, a parasite, whatever the case may be, the hordes of monstrosities aren't dead people coming to life for no apparent reason. This is another thing that makes the overall story (and gameplay) a more entertaining experience. I have to be honest; parts of this game scared me, played at night, in the dark, alone...</p><p> However there is one down side to this game that I couldn't shake. Through all of this turmoil, <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.gamechronicles.com/reviews/wii/residentevil4/revil41.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.gamechronicles.com/reviews/wii/residentevil4/revil41.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>the shooting, the running, and of course the zombies dying (again) as they were threatening me, in Spanish. What I failed to grasp was WHY. Why would they set the story in a rural village in Spain? Why would the zombies be yelling "Matalo!" instead of "Kill Him!"? This to me, though it didn't take away from the gameplay or story in itself, threw me for a loop. </p><p> There is one very apparent problem with the games plot. The huge plot hole is who or what exactly is the Las Plagas? Through the game your following a character known as Sadler, the mastermind behind the plan, but it doesn't go so far as to show who (besides Sadler) is behind this and what ties to the Umbrella Corporation he has. This part of the game struck me as having a huge plot hole and ultimately did detract from a otherwise perfect story. In the world of creativity, there could have been so much more to this, thanks Capcom.</p><p> And lastly, I would like to add that the writers and developers of this game got a little more in depth with their character development. Though I won't spoil anything more than reviewing this game, it is safe to say that the player should expect to see more familiar faces than just Leon's, along with some new ones. Also, characters are formulated with "wit" and "sass." It was interesting to see what Leon's personality was really like after all those years. And just because the Boss is dead and the credits start rolling, doesn't mean it's over...</p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="dropcaps">G</span>raphics :</span><br /><p>I spent some time researching and studying the differences in the graphics between the Wii Edition and its forerunner, and as I did the only thing that I truly noticed is how smoothly the<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://images.strategyinformer.com/screenshots/00198893.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://images.strategyinformer.com/screenshots/00198893.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a> texturing ran together. It really does stand out further when compared to Resident Evil. And the videos/ cut scenes were really well developed (though some of the lighting made Leon look as if he was ill). But there have been serious improvements, all in the name of Graphics, in the past few years.</p><p> Needless to say, though the game was a hit on the PS2, I really think that The Wii Edition made it all the better. That’s what we should expect from next generation systems. Smoother texturing, better shadow rendering, and overall, a higher quality picture. This combination speaks miles to anyone who wants to go to the extreme with their gaming. Now we just have to wait and see what is next on the list for more media entertainment systems.</p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="dropcaps">S</span>ound :</span><br /><p>If you take an old George Romero movie like Night of the Living Dead, or Dawn of the dead ( the remake) and mute it...is it still scary? Does it still raise the hair on the back of your neck? I am going to guess the answer is "No." Just like any other work of art (Resident Evil 4) has to come together. A movie, a game, an opera for that matter, if it doesn't have a good sound track, there’s no way its going to be very good, and it is safe to say that Capcom did it again with an equally freaky sound track.</p><p> I'm not going to sit here and tell you that I am in fact a huge fan of zombie flicks, believe me that <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://images.strategyinformer.com/screenshots/00198891.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://images.strategyinformer.com/screenshots/00198891.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>little girl in Dawn of the Dead (2005) scared me pretty bad. But I will tell you as a horror enthusiast, that sound is everything when tying the whole package together. But with every good comes a little evil, though the soundtrack and the play (Leon’s footsteps over twigs cracking them) helped draw me in, there was some predictability to it. When our hero was being chased, there is an eerie music playing in the background, but once all the foes have been dropped, the music stopped, giving it that "It's Quite, Too Quite." feel.</p><p> Though this is really cool for the first hour, it does get really boring toward the middle of the game because you can then use it as a technique against the hordes of mindless neck-chompers. In my opinion, Capcom should have kept the music playing and then slowly had it fade out after a while so that when you least expect it Bam, out of the closet pours "Ted" our token zombie; it would have kept me a little more on edge. Though it had that minor glitch, I think that Capcom's zombie saga will never really have problems with their soundtrack and audio systems; they have a pretty well put together package.</p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="dropcaps">V</span>alue :</span><br /><p>As yet another game in the set of the Resident Evil Chronicles, I have to say that the game did fairly well. I do know that some of other games produced as part of the same story have been flops (Code Veronica *cough**cough*) I was surprised to have this one play into my favor. The game was very successful in pulling the player into the story and making it a game that was very hard to put down. We all know that there aren't that many out for the Wii...Yet.</p><p> Overall it was a great game, one that I would play over and over, primarily due to the fact that<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/media/13271/1/4.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/media/13271/1/4.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a> once it is beat, just like the originals, you can unlock some of the cool costumes and new guns. You also have the unique ability to play Ada Wong's side of the story (previously a PS2 exclusive), though you only have a few "brush in's" with her in the normal story line.</p><p> Another wonderful thing about Capcom's Resident Evil series is the length; they are long! Something that I believe speaks miles about having a good plot. I believe it was about 20+ gameplay, for me to beat it. The best part of this game by far is its value at a retailer. At $29.99 in stores, it makes it hard to say a lot of really bad things about a game.</p><p><span style="font-weight: bold;">Final :</span><br /></p><p>It's hard to beat a classic; it’s even harder when that classic is really good. But sometimes a sequel can make a difference and completely redeem some of its forerunners mistakes. It would be safe to say that good things should be coming our way from Capcom and its Umbrella Corporation, lets just see what their twisted minds with think up next...</p><p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.gamersgallery.com/gallery/data/500/wallpaper_resident_evil_4_06_1600.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.gamersgallery.com/gallery/data/500/wallpaper_resident_evil_4_06_1600.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></p>Master Bluehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12214268141564601937noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2272220371098908098.post-84759724176691566012007-11-21T14:16:00.000+07:002007-11-23T14:53:56.133+07:00Metroid Prime 3: Corruption<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://img211.imageshack.us/img211/2412/metroidprime3corruptionsm6.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://img211.imageshack.us/img211/2412/metroidprime3corruptionsm6.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="dropcaps">T</span>ech Info<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span><div class="pt5"> Publisher: <a href="http://www.nintendo.com/" class="nintendo">Nintendo</a> </div> <div class="pt5"> Developer: <a href="http://www.retrostudios.com/" class="nintendo">Retro Studios</a> </div> <div class="pt5"> Genre: <a href="http://omega-planet.blogspot.com/search/label/FPS" class="nintendo">Sci-Fi First-Person Shooter</a> </div> <div class="pt5"> Release Date: Aug 27, 2007<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/wii/action/metroidprime3/similar.html?mode=versions" class="fwn nintendo"></a> </div> <div class="pt5"> ESRB: <span class="nintendo">TEEN</span> </div><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span></span><br /><p>As Space Pirate activity expands and Phazon begins infecting entire planets, Samus and the Federation set out to regain control of the region. But they soon discover that Phazon is more powerful than they ever realized. Each bounty hunter is overcome by the substance. Even Samus is corrupted. Thus closes the Prime trilogy, and in grand fashion. </p> <p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="dropcaps">G</span>raphics :</span><br /></p><p><i>Corruption</i> is undoubtedly the most gorgeous Wii game available. Placed side-by-side with some<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.totalvideogames.com/screenshots/Metroid_Prime_3_Corruption_72362.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.totalvideogames.com/screenshots/Metroid_Prime_3_Corruption_72362.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a> of the visually best shooters on other systems, <i>Corruption</i> does not have the same level of crispness, but it holds its own through outstanding direction and intelligent artistic flares. </p><p>Space scenes, viewed in either cut sequences between planets or from vistas in playable areas, are breathtaking. Players are consistently reminded of the otherworldliness of the PVI9 universe, and each planet in that universe has a distinct yet varied feel. Elysia's floating city is unique in its relaxed openness, but dually sinister in its Metroid research labs. Bryyo presents the familiar, harsh motifs of fire and ice but set against a backdrop of a formerly intelligent and peaceful civilization. Vahalla starts as a quiet spaceship and evolves into an invaded stronghold and then a Metroid and Phazon dominated structure. </p><p>Small, clever visual cues create the true story as Samus continually morphs throughout the game. Her suit, only visible at select times, becomes overrun with the blue tint of Phazon. Her reflection, only visible while wearing the scan visor, slowly shows her corrupted state by the Phazon running across her face and through her veins. The effects are played up when they should be and kept in the background when appropriate. The camera angles are cinematic, the <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://img.gamespot.com/gamespot/images/2007/312/928517_20071109_screen001.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://img.gamespot.com/gamespot/images/2007/312/928517_20071109_screen001.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>visors remain spectacular, the arm cannon's energy and gravitational effects are stunning and the battles with Ridley are epic. Wonderful work. </p> <p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="dropcaps">S</span>ound :</span><br /></p><p>Sound is often overlooked, but <i>Corruption</i> makes full use of every human sense it is capable of affecting. The classic tunes remain, but each level is a blend of orchestral rock and <i>Metroid</i> riffs to craft a grand, space opera soundtrack. But it remains subdued, a background voice to each planet and space station. When the music subsides, the booms of Samus's arm cannon and the screech of the missiles blend into its own soundtrack, much like how the lightsabers' vibrations in <i>The Empire Strikes Back</i> created its own music. A few memorable scenes, particularly the early encounters with the Metroids, are as creepy as ever through sound alone. </p><p>It’s a grand accomplishment, without even mention of the high quality voice work, the first in the series to put a voice to the characters. In classic Nintendo fashion, the playable character has no dialog, a decision I've always liked. It keeps players in the role, rather than watching it. </p> <p><span style="font-weight: bold;" class="dropcaps">G</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">ameplay :</span><br /></p><p><i>Super Mario 64</i> changed a genre not just through design, but through the control of the character in that design. The Remote/Nunchuck combo as implemented in <i>Corruption</i> does the<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://britishgaming.co.uk/e3/2007/wii/prime/01.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://britishgaming.co.uk/e3/2007/wii/prime/01.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a> same for the first person shooter and is the greatest control scheme the genre has seen on a console. The advanced setting is mandatory for the best experience as the aiming reticule is tied almost exactly to the motion of the remote, essentially using a minuscule bounding box to differentiate between aiming and head movement. Take the 10 minutes to adjust to the style and you will not be disappointed. Movement through any corridor is fluid, aiming is precise and dynamic and puts dual analog to shame.</p><p>The total immersion is what tips <i>Corruption's</i> controls beyond a keyboard and mouse. The simple task of removing a power cell from a wall is no longer a button push, but a reach in, grab it, and pull it out motion. That's your hand making it happen; it's surprisingly rewarding and used the right amount of time. The grapple beam's attachment to a flick of the Nunchuck works perfectly and is another batch of interactivity not found elsewhere. Similar interaction is used throughout play in different settings and adds a level of realism that graphics cannot. </p><p>Even without the controls, <i>Corruption</i> would be one sweet experience. In classic <i>Metroid</i> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://l.yimg.com/download2.games.yahoo.com/games/buzz2/content/p/3/462423/928517_20060509_screen004.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://l.yimg.com/download2.games.yahoo.com/games/buzz2/content/p/3/462423/928517_20060509_screen004.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>tradition, players progress through multiple worlds, collecting upgrades that open additional areas to investigate. While the game is slightly more linear at first, <i>Corruption's</i> backtracking goodness and deep exploration expands overtime. The action is heavier than its predecessors, but not at the expense of the adventure elements as <i>Corruption</i> is the largest of the three games. The environmental puzzles are solid and satisfying, particularly the morph ball segments, which continue the excellent 3D transition. The maps take great advantage of every dimension while the change in the weapon system, with set stacked upgrades rather than beam choices, works better than expected and makes <i>Corruption</i> a streamlined experience. </p><p>The full story is still told mainly through scans, which I like as it lets players take it at their own pace. The corruption theme plays well during gameplay. Hypermode is an extremely powerful and destructive attack system that uses the corruption as a weapon, but its cost is an energy tank. Sometimes you can come out of Hypermode and recover some energy, but other times Phazon overloads Samus's suit, and the remaining Phazon must be expelled through a barrage of panicked blasts to avoid death. It's a love-hate relationship that keeps with the dark tone of the series, and plays out to its fullest in the games final act. </p> <p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="dropcaps">M</span>ulti :</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://wii.advancedmn.com/images/media/metroidprime3_050.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://wii.advancedmn.com/images/media/metroidprime3_050.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></p><p>The lack of multiplayer may be unfortunately to some, and I certainly expected online play to be a major selling point of <i>Corruption</i>, but the game stands on its own merit as an outstanding single player experience. From an artistic standpoint, the Prime trilogy is, perhaps, best closed without an online multiplayer addition. If you have a friend with the game, however, you can use each other to unlock extras like screenshot captures, which can be traded between consoles. </p> <p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="dropcaps">F</span>inal :</span><br /></p><p>Accept these two realities: Wii's graphical firepower is below the capabilities of its rivals, but Wii's first-person controls are far beyond any other console. The trade is a bit of flash for a ton of feel, and it’s a good one. While most shooters transport players inside a character's head, <i>Corruption</i> throws players inside the entire suit by giving the complex Samus realistic controls. </p><p>And what <i>Corruption</i> lacks in available hardware specs it makes up for in direction and style for a truly beautiful game world. With creative creatures and a consistently brooding atmosphere, Samus's world is as alive and gorgeous as ever. It may not use the freshest paint, but it comes from the brush of a great painter, and together rivals <i>Twilight Princess</i> for the best Wii game yet.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.thehardcoregamer.com/Portals/0/Gallery/Album/22/Metroid%20Prime%203%20Screen%20shots_E3%20Metroid%20Prime%203%20screen%20shot%2002.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 213px; height: 285px;" src="http://www.thehardcoregamer.com/Portals/0/Gallery/Album/22/Metroid%20Prime%203%20Screen%20shots_E3%20Metroid%20Prime%203%20screen%20shot%2002.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a> </p>Master Bluehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12214268141564601937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2272220371098908098.post-77110252603492271822007-11-20T11:24:00.000+07:002007-11-20T14:51:43.043+07:00Tales of the Abyss<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://img210.imageshack.us/img210/984/toawallpaper12801uf4ra.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://img210.imageshack.us/img210/984/toawallpaper12801uf4ra.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="dropcaps">T</span>ech Info</span><br /><br /><div class="pt5"> Publisher: <a href="http://www.namcobandaigames.com/" class="playstation">Namco Bandai Games America</a> </div> <div class="pt5"> Developer: <a href="http://www.bandainamcogames.co.jp/" class="playstation">Namco Bandai Games</a> </div> <div class="pt5"> Genre: <a href="http://omega-planet.blogspot.com/search/label/RPG" class="playstation">RPG</a> </div> <div class="pt5"> Release Date: Oct 10, 2006 <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/rpg/talesoftheabyss/similar.html?mode=versions" class="fwn playstation"></a> </div> <div class="pt5"> ESRB: <span class="playstation">TEEN</span> </div> <div class="pt5"> ESRB Descriptors: Alcohol Reference, Fantasy Violence, Suggestive Themes, Simulated Gambling, Language </div><br /><strong><br /><span class="dropcaps">U</span>S, </strong> <strong>October 11, 2006</strong> - Even though they may not receive as much mainstream attention as other RPGs, Namco Bandai's Tales franchise has just as rabid a fanbase as other popular titles.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y38/Toomuchfreetime/Lukestatart.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 239px; height: 375px;" src="http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y38/Toomuchfreetime/Lukestatart.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a> Regardless of whether the games are beloved by all (like Symphonia) or wildly debated (like Legendia), it can easily be said that each title in the Tales series is highly anticipated. Tales fans, take heart: the latest chapter, <b>Tales of the Abyss</b>, lives up to the enthusiastic hype with an extremely deep and expansive RPG.<br /><br />The game centers around Luke fon Fabre, a sheltered young nobleman from the Kingdom of Kimlasca-Lanvaldear. Sheltered is perhaps a bit too tame of a description: spoiled is perhaps a bit more accurate for Luke -- he has no concept of how the outside world works or how to properly interact with people outside of his castle. As a result, he simply expects that people will assent to his will because every other servant and suspect has done so for his entire life. At least, what he remembers of his life. See, Luke was violently kidnapped when he was a child, and the trauma of the event completely erased his memory. As a result, Luke was confined to the "safety" of his castle until it was deemed safe for him to return to the normal world. So Luke remains cooped up in his castle, interacting with his closest servant Guy, receiving sword training from his teacher Van, and generally being bored senseless.<br /><br /><!-- start image div --><!--- end image div -->However, one day Luke's safe existence is completely torn apart when a mysterious woman named Tear invades the castle and attempts to kill Van during one of his training sessions. As Luke confronts her, a rare warp known as a hyper-resonance occurs, transporting them deep into the Malkuth Empire, an enemy country that has a very terse peace with Kimlasca. Finding himself out in the real world for the first time and potentially in danger, Luke attempts to make his way back to the safety of Kimlasca. However, his path back to his homeland is tied to events foretold by the Order of Lorelei, an ancient order that holds a mystical prophecy known as the Score (which governs just about every facet of life) that speaks of a time when a chosen one will arise and lead the world into prosperity. However, this prosperity is also threatened by impending war and a potential plot by the most unlikely conspirators of all. Of course, Luke and <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://tales.namco.com/abyss/media/screens/real_time_battles/092106/lg/Clip0021.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://tales.namco.com/abyss/media/screens/real_time_battles/092106/lg/Clip0021.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>the assorted characters that he gathers find themselves trying to avert disaster on a global scale.<br /><br />While this may sound like a generic, even clich¿d premise for an RPG -- particularly the chosen one concept that you've seen in tons of other games -- Tales of the Abyss manages to veer away from these standard pitfalls with a number of twists and turns to the plot that keeps the game moving in unexpected directions. (For instance, the chosen one idea is actually turned on its head about halfway through the game.) Abyss also has a number of memorable characters that will join you in your quest, such as a sacred animal known as a cheagle who has a knack for setting things on fire, a young girl that uses a massive stuffed puppet as a weapon, and an infamous necromancer in the service of the military. You'll also face off against a group of unforgettable villains, many of whom have some serious character quirks -- Dist, I'm specifically thinking of you as an example! But perhaps one of the more interesting facets of the game comes in Luke's perception of these characters and the rest of the world. I'll admit, at first, I hated his character: his constant whining about what he missed from his comfy, sheltered world, his refusal to understand that the world didn't revolve around him and his overly simplistic views. However, as the game went on, I found myself overlooking his stupid social inadequacies in favor of placing myself in his shoes, learning more about this strange new land as he did.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.rpgfan.com/pics/talesoftheabyss/ss-007.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.rpgfan.com/pics/talesoftheabyss/ss-007.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><!-- start image div --><!--- end image div -->Fortunately, a number of standard features from the Tales franchise make this exploration at the same time of the main story. Players can literally spend dozens of hours collecting raw materials for trade in towns, track down and perform favors for NPCs or other tasks. While that may seem like busy work, you'd be surprised how much performing some of these jobs actually engaging for players, particularly the number of the side quests and secondary stories going onchanges some aspects of the world, such as stores that open in cities. You probably won't find every single job available to you in your first play through, which only furthers the replay ability of Abyss. The only downside that does crop up to performing quite a few of the side quests is that some sections of the game can be extremely linear, preventing you from going into some towns at certain moments in favor of moving the story along. This can be particularly disappointing especially when you know where you need to go to fulfill some task, and yet you know that you'll just need to hold on till later to complete the goal.<br /><br />You'll also find classic Tales elements such as cooking to restore health and skill points (known in Abyss as TP) makes a return, and various characters will be radically stronger at certain recipes than others, even adding new twists to generic items like sandwiches. Players will also go through various mini-games, such as casino games, stealth puzzles, and even battle arenas to improve your party. Players will also find that skits are included as well to give you further <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z278/BrownXX/ss10.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z278/BrownXX/ss10.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>insight into the minds of party members at specific times during the adventure. Even though they're not voiced over like the cut scenes, they really fill in the details of the story and add a secondary level of depth to the plot that you wouldn't experience simply from a cut scene after a massive battle.Speaking of battle, <b>Tales of the Abyss</b> features a revamped battle system. Characters have both a regular and special attack available to them, as well as the option to guard from incoming attacks. The guard isn't provided to completely escape damage; instead it lessens the impact of a strike that you receive. However, past these general moves comes the option to also move around on the battlefield, positioning your characters to the side or behind monsters to inflict more damage or set up combination attacks with your party members. As time goes on, you'll also discover new abilities called artes which you can assign to one of eight shortcuts that can be used in battle, and special gems that you can equip in places known as fon slot chambers to boost the effectiveness of an activated arte. You can also strengthen your party members with the use of Capacity Cores, special items that augment your character stats like the power of your strikes or your magical defense. Once again, you probably won't unlock every Capacity Core or arte, giving you even more of a reason to replay the game to collect stronger attacks and abilities.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.rpgfan.com/pics/talesoftheabyss/ss-038.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.rpgfan.com/pics/talesoftheabyss/ss-038.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><!-- start image div --><!--- end image div -->For the most part, you'll be pounding both the regular and special attack buttons, landing strikes and protecting yourself with guards from incoming attacks. However, there's one other feature known as field of fonons, based around the concept of six elements (earth, wind, water, fire, light and darkness). During a battle, one of these fields may manifest itself with a specific elemental focus, allowing you to trigger a special attack on a targeted opponent. However, there are a few catches to the FOF setup. First of all, the amount of space that these fields will often occupy will be so incredibly small that you'll need to be in the right place at the right time to pull off the attack. This can often result in missed opportunities to trigger these strikes. What's more, you'll need to wait until these fields have a color that aligns with its particular element. If they appear and they're colorless, they are useless to your party. However, the majority of fields that crop up wind up being colorless, further reducing your chances to actively trigger an FOF attack. In fact, you may find that relying more on the artes and your basic attacks are a much more dependable way of killing opponents instead of waiting for a fonon field to align itself.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.rpgfan.com/pics/talesoftheabyss/ss-040.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.rpgfan.com/pics/talesoftheabyss/ss-040.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>You'll take any one of your four party members into battle, and while you have the opportunity to have up to three other friends control the other party members via multi-tap, you're not really going to use this feature often, simply because your friends would merely be sitting around until you run into a fight. In their place, you'll rely on the AI of the computer and various settings that you'll place on your party members to fight alongside you. For the most part, the computer will do exactly what you want it to, attacking or using their skills effectively. However, there are moments when you will want to shoot them because they'll run directly into harm's way, not use an item or skill to heal themselves, or stand around ineffectively. You'll also wish that there were some fights that you could have the game skip or fight for you, because the loading screens between battles can sometimes take longer than the actual fights themselves. Finally, and perhaps one of the most confusing facets of the battle system comes in the fact that you'll be exposed to certain elements of it before it's cleanly explained to you. I stumbled my way through using fonon fields and specific arts for more than 10 hours before I had all of them cleanly explained by one character in the game. Why the game decides to handle combat in this manner is anyone's guess.<br /><br /><!-- start image div --><!--- end image div -->Fortunately, the visuals are relatively decent -- as far as the character models are concerned.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z278/BrownXX/ss02.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z278/BrownXX/ss02.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a> Designed by Kosuke Fujishima, (who worked on both Tales of Symphonia and Tales of Phantasia, as well as the manga series Oh My Goddess and Sakura Wars), players will easily get a sense of the personalities of the characters, particularly within the various skits and cut scenes. This is bolstered by the solid voice acting found within the game, which is impressive considering the sheer amount of spoken lines in Abyss. Unfortunately, a number of the environments that you'll adventure through are relatively plain. Battlefields in particular are extremely generic, which really stand out in contrast to the character models of your party, the enemies that you face off against, or the effects from special abilities.<br /><br />Tales of the Abyss is one of those games that should please die-hard Tales fans and win over a number of newcomers to the series. Lots of memorable heroes and villains, tons of missions and side-quests, and lots of goals that you won't exactly discover or finish on the first play through helps add to the game. However, some linear plot directions, long load times and a quirky battle system that sometimes degenerates into button mashing bogs down what is otherwise a thoroughly enjoyable RPG.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bestgamewallpapers.com/files/tales-of-the-abyss/mieu.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://bestgamewallpapers.com/files/tales-of-the-abyss/mieu.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Master Bluehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12214268141564601937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2272220371098908098.post-56752067007151193192007-11-19T19:50:00.000+07:002007-11-19T22:11:53.775+07:00Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://images.bluelaguna.net/valkyrie-profile-2/wallpapers/valkyrie-profile-2-10.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://images.bluelaguna.net/valkyrie-profile-2/wallpapers/valkyrie-profile-2-10.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;" class="dropcaps">T</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">ech Info<br /><br /></span><div class="pt5"> Publisher: <a href="http://www.square-enix.com/" class="playstation">Square Enix</a> </div> <div class="pt5"> Developer: <a href="http://www.tri-ace.co.jp/" class="playstation">Tri-Ace</a> </div> <div class="pt5"> Genre: <a href="http://omega-planet.blogspot.com/search/label/RPG" class="playstation">RPG</a> </div> <div class="pt5"> Release Date: Sep 26, 2006<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/rpg/valkyrieprofilesilmeria/similar.html?mode=versions" class="fwn playstation"></a> </div> <div class="pt5"> ESRB: <span class="playstation">TEEN</span><br /><br /> </div><p class="bodytext"><span style="font-weight: bold;" class="dropcaps">V</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">alkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria</span> is the long overdue sequel to its predecessor, which was released some seven years ago. Unlike many of the other series in the Square Enix lineup, this title actually has significant relevance to its first installment. In fact, VP2 is slightly different in the respect that it is much more linear and story-driven, while the original VP was much more open-ended. Linear isn’t necessarily a bad thing, though. The storyline is epic and very immersive. It can easily stand on its own for newcomers to the series, but it also adds more<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z278/BrownXX/f74e496a4d.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z278/BrownXX/f74e496a4d.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a> depth and appreciation to the history of Midgard, Asgard, and all the realms in between for veterans of the original Valkyrie Profile. </p> <p class="bodytext"> The story focuses around the struggles of Alicia, the young Princess of Dipan, who was banished by her father King Barbarossa because she is the involuntary vessel for two souls – her own and that of the valkyrie Silmeria, banished from Asgard by Odin for opposing his will. VP2 is a tale about opposition and revenge against the gods, and Alicia becomes an instrument in that crusade against divinity. Without spoiling the story, the young princess befriends a cast of support characters, from loyal knights to mercenaries and treasure hunters. The tough talking, heavy hitting Arngrim makes a return appearance in VP2, and this bad boy hasn’t lost his touch since his debut back in 2000. </p><p class="bodytext"> </p><p class="bodytext"> While the cast of primary characters develops nicely, it is important to note that the Einherjar, spirits of slain heroes chosen by the valkyries, play a less significant role in the second installment of the series. While they were the focal point of Lenneth’s time on Midgard in Valkyrie Profile, they serve as combat support more than anything else on Silmeria’s journey. Their former lives are not nearly as glorified as they were in the original. As such, their stories are resigned to a few short paragraphs on the status screen. Thankfully, the main story is more than beefy enough to move along without needing the support of disjointed, and sometimes <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.rpgfan.com/pics/valkyrie-profile-silmeria/ss-011.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.rpgfan.com/pics/valkyrie-profile-silmeria/ss-011.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>nonsensical, side stories. </p><p class="bodytext"> </p><p class="bodytext"> Veteran players may remember Valkyrie Profile’s signature battle system, which involves each participant being assigned to one of the four right thumb buttons. That system returns in the second installment with a few modifications. Most radically, a free movement system is implemented, which means you have to actually move into attack range in order to hit an enemy. Also, unlike the vast majority of RPGs out there, you don’t win by wiping out everything on the battlefield. Battles can be won quickly by eliminating the enemy group’s leader. In fact, players are encouraged to end battles in as little time as possible, and they may be rewarded with usable items. </p> <p class="bodytext"> Also, all actions besides standard movement and Soul Crushes use a predetermined amount of AP, or Action Points, and player weapons have a preset attack limit, between one and three strikes per attack turn. The kicker is your party shares a single attack bar, which means button mashers have no home here, whereas that elementary play style was almost encouraged in the original VP. By timing attacks properly, you can maximize damage output and, ideally, unleash a series of devastating (and absolutely spectacular) finishing moves – the aforementioned Soul Crushes.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.rpgfan.com/pics/valkyrie-profile-silmeria/ss-025.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.rpgfan.com/pics/valkyrie-profile-silmeria/ss-025.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a> </p><p class="bodytext"> </p><p class="bodytext"> The skill system has been modified as well. The teach-by-item approach is gone this time around. Instead, players must discover combat skills through their gear. Each piece of gear is assigned a color, as well as a rune. Skills are learned by matching up like-colored gear with different rune combinations. For those of us not versed in ancient Norse runes, and that’s probably the vast majority of us, the runes flash when linked to other runes that will produce a skill. It’s all a bit much to grasp at first, and it takes a high degree of experimentation to get results. There are some tutorials in the early part of the game that help explain the concept, but the best way to learn is definitely through practice. </p><p class="bodytext"> </p><p class="bodytext"> Dungeon crawling retains much of its original flavor. Even though the 3d models are very well done, VP2 plays much like its older sister. The general concept of puzzle-oriented side-scrolling dungeons, which is unique to the series, returns in full force. This time around the backgrounds are less like a cartoon and more focused on a sort of stylized photorealism. Think Norse mythology married to western European style and Japanese storytelling at its finest. The end result is one all its own. </p> <p class="bodytext"> Players are given some degree of control over dungeon dynamics through the introduction of “sealstones.” By collecting and placing these stones on the appropriate dais within a dungeon, certain effects can be projected across the entire zone, such as shifting elemental weaknesses. In most cases, players start at a disadvantage, and it’s left to them to retune the effects to create more favorable conditions. Such an approach requires some foresight. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.rpgfan.com/pics/valkyrie-profile-silmeria/ss-026.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.rpgfan.com/pics/valkyrie-profile-silmeria/ss-026.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a> </p><p class="bodytext"> </p><p class="bodytext"> These changes in the general system will come slightly more easily to the Valkyrie Profile vets out there, but even so, the learning curve for Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria is pretty steep, even for a role-playing game. Expect to spend at least a good six hours in the beginning just getting used to the shifting camera angles in battle, which can be a bit awkward to all players, seasoned or not. If you can get past the huge learning curve, the end result is well worth it. Controlling a battle beyond the typical point-and-click-a-menu approach is a very refreshing change, indeed. </p><p class="bodytext"> </p><p class="bodytext"> All in all, this Square Enix title will not disappoint. The visual design and world class storytelling alone make this one quite a force to reckon with on the game store shelves. Whether the captain needs an epic story to feed his mind or flashy, high power combat skills, VP2 is a prime example of both eye and mind candy. The original Valkyrie Profile lacked the exposure to bring it into the spotlight, and as a result, many players missed out on one of the role-playing masterpieces of the time. Thankfully, Silmeria does not have to suffer the same fate. This blonde is a pleaser, not a teaser. We do have our own contemporary saga, and it’s called Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z278/BrownXX/928450c845.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z278/BrownXX/928450c845.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></p>Master Bluehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12214268141564601937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2272220371098908098.post-77995374349375366952007-11-18T13:51:00.000+07:002007-11-18T16:54:25.157+07:00Atlus plugs into Xbox 360<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://videogamerx.gamedonga.co.kr/gamenews/a006/122/02.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://videogamerx.gamedonga.co.kr/gamenews/a006/122/02.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><p> <span class="dropcaps">W</span>hile not a high-profile publisher in the West, Atlus has developed a reputation for bringing relatively niche Japanese role-playing and action games to Nintendo and Sony platforms stateside. Today, the Irvine, California-based American arm of the Japanese company announced it would be extending that reach to Microsoft's Xbox 360 as well. </p><p>"We are very proud to pledge our support to the Xbox 360 and to officially partner with Microsoft to bring quality titles to their impressive entertainment system," said Atlus USA exec Tim Pivnicny. "Atlus is renowned for its expertise and excellence in the RPG genre with critically acclaimed hits like Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 and Odin Sphere, in addition to the award-winning Trauma Center franchise." </p><p>Along with revealing its agreement with Microsoft to become an officially sanctioned third-party publisher, Atlus has announced two games for the console, both due out in 2008. Operation Darkness is a strategy role-playing game that puts a fantastical spin on the European front during World War II, giving players magical powers to thwart Hitler's advancing tide. Atlus did not attach a developer to the game, though it did launch an official <a href="http://www.atlus.com/operationdarkness/" target="_blank">teaser site</a>. </p><p> Also slated to arrive in 2008 from Atlus is Idea Factory's Spectral Force 3. Released for the 360 in Japan in 2006, Spectral Force 3 is the first installment in the role-playing series to arrive in the West, and Atlus claims the game features more than 50 hours of gameplay spread out over more than 150 missions. Players assume the role of a mercenary commander and are able to recruit 40 unique characters to their cause. </p><p> Neither Operation Darkness nor Spectral Force 3 has been rated. </p>Master Bluehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12214268141564601937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2272220371098908098.post-776757329447689112007-11-18T12:39:00.000+07:002007-11-18T13:52:22.334+07:00Rogue Galaxy<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i11.servimg.com/u/f11/11/05/44/38/rogue_10.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://i11.servimg.com/u/f11/11/05/44/38/rogue_10.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;" class="dropcaps">T</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">ech Info</span><br /><br /><div class="pt5"> Publisher: <a href="http://www.us.playstation.com/" class="playstation">SCEA</a> </div> <div class="pt5"> Developer: <a href="http://www.level5.co.jp/" class="playstation">Level 5</a> </div> <div class="pt5"> Genre: <a href="http://omega-planet.blogspot.com/search/label/RPG" class="playstation">RPG</a> </div> <div class="pt5"> Release Date: Jan 30, 2007 <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/rpg/roguegalaxy/similar.html?mode=versions" class="fwn playstation"></a> </div> <div class="pt5"> ESRB: <span class="playstation">TEEN</span> </div> <div class="pt5"> ESRB Descriptors: Blood, Crude Humor, Mild Language, Use of Alcohol, Violence, Use of Tobacco, Mild Suggestive Themes </div><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="dropcaps">G</span>ameplay :</span><br /><br />Rogue Galaxy is an RPG from the Level 5 developing team, the same people who brought you titles like Dragon Quest VIII and Dark Cloud. The story revolves around a young man by the name of Jaster Rogue, who lives on the desert planet Rosa. A war has broken out in the galaxy, and Rosa is an enslaved planet. When a beast breaks its way into Jaster's village, the soldiers <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.rpgfan.com/pics/roguegalaxy/ss-002.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.rpgfan.com/pics/roguegalaxy/ss-002.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>who are occupying the area are no match for it. A cloaked man in town accompanies Jaster on the way to fight the beast, but mysteriously leaves after spotting two figures watching them. Leaving his sword to Jaster, the mysterious man vanishes without an explanation. <p> The two figures watching Jaster are revealed to be two space pirates by the name of Steve and Simon who are on the lookout for someone called the Desert Claw to recruit in their ranks. After fighting the beast and seeing Jaster's impressive fighting ability, the two are convinced that Jaster is the one they seek. Eager to fulfill a lifelong dream of traveling the galaxy and to save his enslaved planet, Jaster goes along with their assumptions, and joins Steve and Simon among others as a space pirate.</p><p> Admittedly, while it's a fun story, it isn't terribly original or new in the realm of RPGs. An exceptional young man swept up in circumstances that lead him to becoming the hero of the day is pretty standard. Still, there's more to Rogue Galaxy than meets the eye. The story and overall feeling of the game is rather lighthearted, but there's a deeper level to the story and the characters. While there is plenty of humor involved in the story, there are some more serious moments as well and the two elements are balanced out quite nicely.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.rpgfan.com/pics/roguegalaxy/ss-022.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.rpgfan.com/pics/roguegalaxy/ss-022.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a> </p><p> The only problem story-wise is that the characters, while interesting and quite likable, are not the deepest bunch that I've seen in an RPG, and some of them tend to run along the lines of stereotypes at times, making some developments rather predictable. Still, that doesn't mean that it isn't fun to watch the story unfold, or that it's hard to get attached to the characters. And it definitely doesn't mean that it isn't fun to play. </p><p> The battle system in Rogue Galaxy is a blast and offers an impressive array of variety in gameplay. Battles are action based and in real time. You may choose on the fly who you would like to play as in battle, and each character has their own fighting styles, special moves (which cost ability points, of course), and combos. The other two members of your party are only distantly controlled by you, in a style similar to the Star Ocean games: you can set up different battle strategies to dictate how you want them to fight the battle. </p><p> For instance, you can have your party members focus on one enemy, or fight independently and fight whomever they want. Your other party members will call out to you at times, and a menu will pop up on the screen with suggestions of what to do, such as using a healing item, or executing one of that team member's special moves. All of this is done while the battle is going, so you have to keep on your toes and think fast. Battles are also significantly more challenging then your average run of the mill RPG, but not unrealistically so, which keeps the battle system fun and interesting.</p><p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.rpgfan.com/pics/roguegalaxy/ss-004.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.rpgfan.com/pics/roguegalaxy/ss-004.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a> New abilities for your characters are learned through a system called Revelation, which is a grid where slots for various items are grouped together. Putting items in the corresponding slots and filling up the group that they are in will allow the character to learn new abilities. Then, a new group of slots that are connected to it are opened up, which lead to new abilities. Think of it as the Sphere Grid in Final Fantasy X, only with items like "sticky gum" and "iron cube" used to fill up the slots instead of spheres. The Revelation system is rather easy to get the hang of, and you'll be pleased to see just how large each character's grid is, allowing for many, many different learnable abilities. Some of these abilities are passive, like fire resistance, but they all play a part in how effective your characters are in battle.</p><p> Along with the main storyline and battles, the world of Rogue Galaxy is huge and there is plenty to see and do. There is a side game that allows you to leave traps with bait out wherever you like in order to catch an insectron, which is, well, exactly what it sounds like. You can feed, train, and even breed insectrons and then take them to the Insectron Tournament to fight other insectrons for, of course, rewards. The Insectron Tournament is Rogue Galaxy's main mini-game, something that, admittedly, a note that some one usually hate in RPGs.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.rpgfan.com/pics/roguegalaxy/ss-027.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.rpgfan.com/pics/roguegalaxy/ss-027.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a> </p><p>But nine times out of ten, mini-games are frustrating and monotonous. You want to do them for those ultra-cool, secret, strong items that you can get nowhere else in the game, but you don't want to piddle away hours of monotonous gameplay just to get it. Pleasantly, the insectron mini-game isn't particularly frustrating, and hunting for them and training them in and of itself is kind of fun, since it can be done more or less “on the go” regardless of where you are in the main storyline.</p><p> Rogue Galaxy may occasionally fall into the realm of stereotypes and predictability, but it is undeniably fun to play, and has many unique aspects that keep it from feeling generic. In fact,<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.rpgfan.com/pics/roguegalaxy/ss-010.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.rpgfan.com/pics/roguegalaxy/ss-010.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a> it's a pretty unique game, within the scope of RPGs in general. The game’s weapon synthesis method, bizarre as it sounds, involves a sentient frog named Toady joining you. He's not a playable character, but instead, he eats two of your weapons, and spits out a better one for you! Does that make sense? No, of course not, but it doesn't have to. The whole process is actually rather funny to watch, but don't underestimate Toady. He can regurgitate some very impressive equipment indeed. Rogue Galaxy is, simply put, a lot of fun to play.</p><p style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="dropcaps">G</span>raphics :</p><p>If you like Dragon Quest VIII's graphics, then you'll love Rogue Galaxy's. Done in the same cel-shaded style as DQVIII's (albeit without the “love it or hate it” talent of Akira Toriyama at the design helm), the graphics are distinctly like the design of a good anime with bright, vivid colors and well-defined lines that make the look of the game pop out and catch your eye instantly. Character designs are very well put together, and some of them are rather unique. </p><p> While it's true that Jaster is the typical, seventeen year old, handsome, blond hero, other designs such as Simon's rotund, heavily armored body and the villain Norma's bizarrely sinister, yet girlish ensemble are really interesting. Still, even as typical as Jaster may look, it's a look that <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.rpgfan.com/pics/roguegalaxy/ss-065.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.rpgfan.com/pics/roguegalaxy/ss-065.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>works and it fits right into the world (or world's, I suppose I should say) that he inhabits. </p><p> And then there are designs that, even given the lighthearted mood of Rogue Galaxy, are rather, well, silly looking. Rosencaster, a frightening soldier and warden of a terrifying prison, looks like Frankenstein's monster. Scars, long, rectangular head, the whole nine yards. And there are people with cartoony shark heads as well. Yes, I said shark heads. While all of these designs are admittedly a matter of personal tastes, I simply found it hard to get past some of them. There is a point at which creative liberties spill over into silliness, and unfortunately, Rogue Galaxy’s character design does get to that point occasionally.</p><p> World designs are quite beautifully done, however. Whether it's the huge, desert world of Rosa, the green and fertile jungles of Juraika, or the sprawling metropolis complete with flying cars on Zerard, Rogue Galaxy is just fun to look at. Colors, shading, lines, and frame rate all run together easily and smoothly. The CG is also smoothly put together and looks great, and really, isn't all that far off from the in-game graphics, which is rather impressive. Rogue Galaxy looks beautiful, and there's enough creativity and variety in its looks that it avoids feeling like a static world with generic characters inhabiting them, a trap that too many games fall into. The worlds in Rogue<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.rpgfan.com/pics/roguegalaxy/ss-062.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.rpgfan.com/pics/roguegalaxy/ss-062.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a> Galaxy are distinct and a level above many of what other games have to offer.</p><p style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="dropcaps">S</span>ound :</p><p>Rogue Galaxy sound like it plays: great. The team of voice actors that Level 5 hired to play the characters are superb. Some of them are instantly recognizable, for those of us that have spent many a day dorking out with video game and anime obsessions. Steve Blum, who most notably has lent his voice talents to characters such as Vincent Valentine of Final Fantasy: Dirge of Cerberus, Gale of the Digital Devil Saga series, and Spike Spiegel of the anime Cowboy Bebop, plays Zegram, the too-cool-for-you pirate, and his deep, calm voice is definitely perfect for the roguish character with a bad attitude that he plays. Will Friedle of Kingdom Hearts II, and, oddly enough, Kim Possible is also on the roster as Jaster. Just about every character's voice fits and sounds natural. Simon's happy-go-lucky Scottish sounding accent fits his carefree and friendly attitude. </p><p> The intense and serious Lilika sounds just as she should as well. My only bone to pick with the voice acting is some of the minor characters are a bit, well, annoying. Some of the outcasts from the tribal village of Burqaqua that Jaster and company encounter on Juraika (whose crime was <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.rpgfan.com/pics/roguegalaxy/ss-072.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.rpgfan.com/pics/roguegalaxy/ss-072.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>an interest in technology and gadgets) sound a bit grating. Why are all of the outcasts, bizarre, impish men who speak and act as though they are completely insane? Lilika and other Burqaquan villagers look, sound and act relatively normal, so why the nutty, stereotypical tinkerers who sound as though they've had high doses of caffeine directly injected into their bloodstreams? It's a small complaint, and I realize that the intent is comedic effect, but, truth be told, it doesn't work all that well.</p><p> The music in Rogue Galaxy is also really impressive. Memorable, sweeping tunes make up Rogue Galaxy's very cool soundtrack. Each area that you are spirited off to has music that fits its scenery and atmosphere beautifully. The Dorgenark, the ship that your pirate party inhabits, has a rather catchy, laid back jazz tune to it, which fit the easy going atmosphere that the crew creates. The desert planet of Rosa has a sort of dry, lazy lull to it, that's fitting of a sandy planet constantly under the heat of a desert sun. Each track was obviously very carefully put together, and it's nice to hear. A good soundtrack to an RPG is rather important, as it sets the tone and mood of the game and the various stages that it goes through. Rogue Galaxy is an excellent example of how that is done well.</p><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="dropcaps">V</span>alue :</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.rpgfan.com/pics/roguegalaxy/ss-069.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.rpgfan.com/pics/roguegalaxy/ss-069.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></p><p>Rogue Galaxy boasts over seventy hours of gameplay, and good gameplay at that. Between the main storyline, exploring, the Insectron Tournaments, side quests, mini-games and the never-ending quest to max out your character's ability to fight like a god in battle that any true RPG fan simply cannot help but fall prey to, Rogue Galaxy is a game that you'll be working on for some time. What's more is that you'll have a blast with every hour you pour into it. </p><p> The gameplay is interesting and varied enough that even the most normally painful level grind should be fun. If you're the type of gamer however, who wants to just get to the good stuff and see all that a game has to offer you as soon as possible, be warned that the dungeons are quite long. It's a ton of fun to play, but don't expect to just power level your way up to the next part of the game. Rogue Galaxy takes its time, but in this case, that’s definitely not a bad thing.</p><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="dropcaps">F</span>inal :</span><br /></p><p>With the next gen systems already out, it's nice to see that the PS2 is still getting some good titles for those of us who just cannot cough up the six hundred dollars that Sony is asking us to fork over for a PS3. </p><p> Rogue Galaxy is an RPG made for traditional fans of the genre. With a solid story, vivid and likeable characters, a vast, interesting world, and fun gameplay, Rogue Galaxy is simply a must-have for RPG fans.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.rpg-legends.com/images/news/05-07/RG/Logo-Rogue-Galaxy.gif"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.rpg-legends.com/images/news/05-07/RG/Logo-Rogue-Galaxy.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a> </p><p> </p><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span><br /><br /></span>Master Bluehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12214268141564601937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2272220371098908098.post-89436564935886233062007-11-16T21:40:00.000+07:002007-11-16T22:36:12.547+07:00Terminator Game ?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.vistawallpaper.com/data/media/5/terminator.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://www.vistawallpaper.com/data/media/5/terminator.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span class="dropcaps">A</span> game based on the upcoming Terminator film "Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins" will be arriving on "next-generation consoles, PC and mobile" when the movie hits theaters in the summer of 2009. Terminator license-owner Halcyon Co. has formed its own gaming subsidiary to develop the title, <a href="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/home_entertainment/games/e3iadcd4c24edf0481536c8622a310f7ef0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" class="external">according to Hollywood Reporter</a>. <p> "When you own the intellectual property and have the creative control, you can make sure you're publishing a top-tier video game that will satisfy the needs of the marketplace," newly appointed Halcyon Games CEO Peter Levin told the site. </p><p>Development of the game has already begun. The studio's execs told Hollywood Reporter it also plans on making games based on Halcyon's recently acquired first-look rights to works by sci-fi writer Philip K. Dick. The first game adaptation of Dick's works will arrive in 2010, and the studio plans on creating original IPs as well. </p><p>Also onboard at Halcyon Games as production VP is Cos Lazouras, who recently worked for Tigon Studios, actor Vin Diesel's game production house. </p>Master Bluehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12214268141564601937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2272220371098908098.post-23162710321471770732007-11-16T19:50:00.000+07:002007-11-16T21:46:00.813+07:00Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.atlus.com/smt/downloads/wallpaper/smt_wallpaper_04.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://www.atlus.com/smt/downloads/wallpaper/smt_wallpaper_04.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><div class="pt5"><span style="font-weight: bold;" class="dropcaps">T</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">ech Info</span><br /><br /><br />Publisher: <a href="http://www.atlus.com/" class="playstation">Atlus Co.</a> </div> <div class="pt5"> Developer: <a href="http://www.atlus.com/" class="playstation">Atlus Co.</a> </div> <div class="pt5"> Genre: <a href="http://omega-planet.blogspot.com/search/label/RPG"><span class="playstation">RPG</span></a> </div> <div class="pt5"> Release Date: Oct 12, 2004<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/rpg/shinmegamitenseinocture/similar.html?mode=versions" class="fwn playstation"></a> </div> <div class="pt5"> ESRB: <span class="playstation">MATURE</span> </div> <div class="pt5"> ESRB Descriptors: Blood, Intense Violence, Mature Sexual Themes, Language<br /><br /></div><p><span class="dropcaps">I</span>magine, if you will, a typical life in the thriving Tokyo metropolis. Accompanied by several of his friends, an average high school student decides to visit a teacher in the hospital. Along the way, he encounters a reporter who presents him with a mysterious magazine on the occult. The tabloid sparks interest in one of his friends, who proceeds to examine the articles further. Upon their arrival, they find the hospital completely vacant; patients and doctors alike are no where to be found, and their teacher is missing as well. To the students, it seems as if the prophecies in the magazine have begun to manifest before their very eyes. The hero rushes to the hospital roof where he solemnly witnesses the destruction of the world.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.atlus.com/smt/screenshots/nocturne_01.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.atlus.com/smt/screenshots/nocturne_01.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></p> <p>Fortunately, a mysterious power grants him the ability to survive the seemingly absolute devastation. Opening his eyes, he finds himself in the presence of an ominously stoic child and an old woman wearing a veiled mourning dress. They insert a bug into his eye, tearing at his flesh and drowning his vision in blood. The hero slips out of consciousness and reawakens in an alternate world known as the Dysen Sphere, the dry and inverted husk of that which once blossomed with life. At the center of this world is Kagutsuchi, an immense sun-like entity which is prophesied to give birth to a new earth once properly fertilized with a particular 'kotowari,' or philosophy of life. The chosen kotowari will serve as the foundation for a paradigm by which all life and forms of existence in the new world shall be governed. Various factions have emerged, each representing an individual kotowari, in an attempt to gain sovereignty over Kagutsuchi. To the hero's amazement, these factions are comprised of demons Ð and as he observes his body pulsate with a deep neon blue aura, the protagonist begins to realize that he has become a demon as well.</p> <p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.atlus.com/smt/screenshots/nocturne_08.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.atlus.com/smt/screenshots/nocturne_08.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Shin Megami Tensei : Nocturne presents the player with an array of ethical dilemmas in selecting the kotowari which best suits his or her beliefs. The 'Yosuga' attempt to seduce the protagonist with Social Darwinism; under their philosophy, those who are strong will survive, while the weak will find no home in the new world. The 'Shijima' believe in a harmonious existence based on principles of Buddhism; the world will be veiled in silence as mankind serves to provide for the earth, rather than take from it. The 'Musubi' present an isolationist philosophy through which each person will exist within his own individual paradise, a safe haven from the outside world. If the player finds himself unattracted to the kotowari, he also has the option of remaining neutral and seeking out his own path. Every decision made in the world of Nocturne will inevitably sway the protagonist back and forth between the various philosophies and ultimately determines which of the game's multiple endings is received.</p> <p>Shin Megami Tensei : Nocturne features the Press-Turn Battle System, a modified version of traditional turn-based combat. In this system, players and enemies alike are rewarded with extra turns for exploiting the weaknesses of the opponents. Casting a fire-based spell on an ice-based enemy, for instance, will result in an extra opportunity to attack. These bonus turns are finite in number, however, which keeps combat balanced at all times. Likewise, executing an attack which a particular enemy has a resistance to will result in the player being penalized. For such careless mistakes, Nocturne is less merciful; not only will the enemy deflect or regain<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.atlus.com/smt/screenshots/nocturne_11.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.atlus.com/smt/screenshots/nocturne_11.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a> health from the attack, the player will lose all of his remaining turns for the round. In addition to meticulous tactical planning, it quickly becomes important to maintain a balanced party in order to succeed.</p> <p>The player's party consists of only one 'human' character Ð the hero. It is his responsibility to recruit and train demons to fight alongside him in battle. This is usually accomplished by talking to enemies, rather than killing them. Demons will frequently interrogate the player or request monetary bribes in exchange for their services. Once recruited, demons function as a full-fledged member of the party; they are able to gain levels, use a variety of skills, and improve their arsenal of attacks. Only three demons are able to fight alongside the protagonist at any given time, although they may be swapped out for one another mid-battle if the need arises. Finally, two demons are able to be synthesized together in order to form a completely new ally based on the level, skills, and race of those which comprise it. 'Sacrifice Fusions' are possible on a full moon, in which a third demon is sacrificed in order to power up the initial combination. Furthermore, the majority of Nocturne's demons are derived from a multitude of mythological sources; a wide spectrum of allies is represented, from Baphomet and Beelzebub to Titania and Dionysus. With several hundred of these demons available, many of which are only obtainable through advanced fusion techniques, the player can spend hours and hours experimenting with this unique and engaging system of party management.</p> <p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.atlus.com/smt/screenshots/nocturne_14.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.atlus.com/smt/screenshots/nocturne_14.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>On the other hand, the hero is only able to improve his battle prowess through the 'Magatama,' a system not unlike Final Fantasy VI's Espers. Each Magatama, a sentient being which exists within the protagonist, provides particular stat bonuses and abilities when equipped. Upon leveling up, they also reward the hero with new skills depending on his level. There are eight available slots for skills, and once they have been filled, it is necessary that the player overwrite a previously learned ability in order to gain access to a new one. Unfortunately, once a skill is discarded, it is lost forever; therefore, it is of the utmost importance that the player make intelligent decisions regarding the skills which he decides to keep. A seemingly mediocre ability could become infinitely more useful as you proceed through the game.</p> <p>As expected, dungeon exploration in Shin Megami Tensei : Nocturne is an equally rewarding, albeit challenging endeavor. Each area features unique puzzles which are sure to keep the most astute gamers occupied, while the addition of a freely rotating 3D camera makes navigating a pleasure. Casual gamers, however, are advised to take note that Nocturne offers a significantly greater challenge than your average RPG. Dungeons are long, bosses are menacing, and the random encounter rate is typically high. Enemies exhibit a fetish for surprisingly effective<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.atlus.com/smt/screenshots/nocturne_17.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.atlus.com/smt/screenshots/nocturne_17.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a> instant death attacks, and there are very few 'safe spots' free from combat; the player will engage in battles throughout town areas as well as dungeons. For some gamers, these obstacles will serve to sweeten the nectar of triumph, while others may become easily discouraged and frustrated with the seemingly cheap tactics employed by some of Nocturne's nastier foes.</p> <p>Although screenshots speak louder than words, Atlus has managed to deliver absolutely incredible artwork, character designs, and environments. Shin Megami Tensei : Nocturne utilizes a truly avant-garde cel shading technique to breathe life into the Vortex World. Every character animates with superb fluidity and gorgeous lightning effects serve to flesh out the psychedelic, new-age designs of the various locales to be explored. Musically speaking, Nocturne's OST surpasses all expectations; the sheer variety and originality in composition to be found here is simply breathtaking. There are a multitude of battle themes brimming with energy; in particular, the final boss music is more reminiscent of something to be found in Sega's Rez rather than a traditional RPG.</p> <p>Shin Megami Tensei : Nocturne is a rare title that manages to do most everything right. Gamers who have been craving a dark, mature RPG experience will find satiation this fall when Nocturne is released stateside.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.atlus.com/smt/downloads/wallpaper/smt_wallpaper_01.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.atlus.com/smt/downloads/wallpaper/smt_wallpaper_01.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></p>Master Bluehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12214268141564601937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2272220371098908098.post-54324884110988473132007-11-16T15:16:00.000+07:002007-11-19T19:46:56.126+07:00Dynasty Warriors: Gundam<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://hinhanh.tretoday.net/newuploads/11_2007/210bdc528e.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://hinhanh.tretoday.net/newuploads/11_2007/210bdc528e.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;" class="dropcaps">T</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">ech Info</span><br /><div class="section_head" align="left"><div class="pt5"><br />Publisher: <span class="xbox"><a href="http://www.namcobandaigames.com/">Namco/Bandai Games</a> , <a href="http://www.koei.com/">Koei</a></span> </div> <div class="pt5"> Developer: <a href="http://www.koei.com/">Koei</a> </div> <div class="pt5"> Genre: <a href="http://omega-planet.blogspot.com/search/label/Action"><span class="xbox">Action</span></a> </div> <div class="pt5"> Release Date: Aug 28, 2007<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/xbox360/action/gundammusou/similar.html?mode=versions" class="fwn xbox"></a> </div> <div class="pt5"> ESRB: <span class="xbox">TEEN</span> </div><br /><b><span class="dropcaps">G</span>raphics & Sound:</b> </div> <div class="content" align="justify"> Even after spending extensive time with <b>Dynasty Warriors Gundam</b>, the combination still seems odd. However, the end result of this pairing is actually incredibly fun - at least if you're <i>Gundam</i> fan.<p> As far as presentation goes <b>DW Gundam</b> has its high and low points. On one side you get<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.battletechuniverse.org/media/dynastygundam/screen1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 367px; height: 205px;" src="http://www.battletechuniverse.org/media/dynastygundam/screen1.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a> gorgeously modeled, hi-res versions of mobile suits from multiple series. The main suits' look get the most attention, but even the armies of fodder suits look great. At the same time, maps are incredibly dull. There are a few stand-outs, though even the best maps have little issues. Some are too dark while others aren't all that well designed. There are attempts to make them look a little better by adding swirling dust or fog, though these don't go nearly as far as they could.</p><p> Another positive when it comes to presentation is the voicework. As far as I can tell, most of the English voice actors from the various <i>Gundam</i> series reprise their roles for the game. There's a sizeable amount of chatter in the game, whether it be during story sequences, mission briefings or battlefield chats. Some of the more entertaining sound moments come in Original Mode, where you get to see pilots from different series interact with each other. One of the best comes when Puru and Domon team up and Puru finishes Domon's, "This hand..." line.</p><p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://ps3.psu.com/media/gundam-musou-/gundam-musou--ss-4.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 360px;" src="http://ps3.psu.com/media/gundam-musou-/gundam-musou--ss-4.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a> Music is generally good. I couldn't tell if any of the songs come from the series, though they aren't that far off from what does appear in the shows. At random times, the music will cut off for no reason. This seemed to happen after having to restart missions multiple times and not so often that it becomes a problem. In fact, the lack of music helped me to focus on the game and tactics a little better... so it wasn't a bad thing as far as I am concerned.<br /></p><div class="section_head" align="left"> <b><span class="dropcaps">G</span>ameplay:</b> </div> <div class="content" align="justify"> If you have ever played a <i>Dynasty Warriors</i> game, then you probably know exactly what to expect from <b>Dynasty Warriors Gundam</b>. You enter a battlefield and defeat large armies of enemies and commanders in order to capture points on the map. The only difference is that you're playing as a giant robot, fighting other robots and the closest thing you get to anything remotely resembling something from the feudal age is Musha Gundam.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://ps3.psu.com/media/gundam-musou-/gundam-musou--ss-46.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 360px; height: 199px;" src="http://ps3.psu.com/media/gundam-musou-/gundam-musou--ss-46.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Gameplay is split between three main modes: Official, Original and Multiplayer. Official Mode follows the plotlines of the first three <i>Gundam</i> series: <i>Gundam 0079</i>, <i>Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam</i> and <i>Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ</i>. At the start of the game, you are limited to playing as the show's main protagonists, though completing each scenario unlocks other mission lines for other characters. These missions are usually retellings of the missions from the perspective of enemies like Char and Haman. Completing missions also unlocks pilots for use in Original Mode.<p> Original Mode is basically playable fan fiction. A planet appears in Earth's orbit and threatens to slam into Earth. Somehow or another, pilots from different series team up with each other in<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://ps3.psu.com/media/gundam-musou-/gundam-musou--ss-12.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 360px;" src="http://ps3.psu.com/media/gundam-musou-/gundam-musou--ss-12.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a> order to investigate the planet. Much like Official Mode, you are limited to mobile suits from two series; Domon (<i>G Gundam</i>) and Heero (<i>Gundam Wing</i>).</p><p> From the very start, <b>DW Gundam</b> is something that was made more for fans than the general public. If you haven't a clue about the show's plots, Official Mode probably won't make any sense, despite how hard missions attempt to fill you in. Fans of earlier <i>Gundam</i> series (those appearing in Official Mode) will probably enjoy <b>DW Gundam</b> just a little more than those who enjoy the later two. While nearly every pilot/suit of any significance from the first three shows make an appearance, the later two shows are represented by two (playable) pilots/ suits each. As for <i>SEED</i> fans, well... sorry. It probably won't be enough to totally dissuade <i>Gundam</i> fans, but at the same time it sucks to not see better representation since the suits from both shows were, at least in my opinion, some of the better-looking ones.<br /></p><div class="section_head" align="left"> <b><span class="dropcaps">D</span>ifficulty:</b> </div> <div class="content" align="justify"> <b>Dynasty Warriors Gundam</b> falls into the same difficulty pattern as most <i>Dynasty Warriors</i> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://ps3.psu.com/media/gundam-musou-/gundam-musou--ss-25.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 347px; height: 195px;" src="http://ps3.psu.com/media/gundam-musou-/gundam-musou--ss-25.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>games. Even though you are sometimes facing upwards of a hundred enemies at a time, most go down with a few hits and little resistance. You'll soon realize that these enemies are really just fodder to get you through to the commanders, who put up more of a fight. With the exception of a few commanders (Haman comes to mind), most are pretty easy to cut through provided you don't end up being double-teamed. Even then, commanders will only chase you so far, giving you an opportunity to retreat and find health.<p> As mindless as missions are, most feature a bit of strategy. Some missions require that you quickly rush to specific points on the map, sometimes leaving others to be taken over. You'll also have to decide if you can spare a few minutes to clear areas, lowering enemy resistance in adjacent areas. The only times missions become too much to handle is when you have to protect a specific area while also keeping an eye on another character who is always on the other side of the field.<br /></p><div class="section_head" align="left"> <b><span class="dropcaps">G</span>ame Mechanics:</b><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://ps3.psu.com/media/gundam-musou-/gundam-musou--ss-7.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 360px;" src="http://ps3.psu.com/media/gundam-musou-/gundam-musou--ss-7.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a> </div> <div class="content" align="justify"> <script src="http://www.gamevortex.com/IMAGE_SERVER/imgServer.php?img=2427&align=right&border=1&padding=4&width=0" language="javascript" type="text/javascript"></script> <b>Dynasty Warriors Gundam</b> sticks to the series' hack n' slash gameplay. Combat is about as basic as it can get. Most of your time is spent mashing down on one attack button while occasionally hitting another for a combo. Although basic attacks are usually a good way to get things done, it is worth it to learn some of the more advanced combos since they can really help out - especially when trying to land that last blow on a commander. Some of the combos also look really cool. Combos also help to fill your special meter, which in turn lets you unleash powerful special attacks that can usually take down small armies with one blast.<p> Every enemy you kill also earns experience for both your pilot and mobile suit. As pilots level up, they can learn special passive abilities that improve their suit's performance. Some increase the amount of experience you get per kill, while others make certain attacks more powerful or even quickly fill up your special meter. Leveling up Mobile Suits increases their stats as well as unlocking new special attacks (up to 3). Suits can also be equipped with parts that are won by defeating commander mechs during the game.</p><p> As previously stated, <b>Dynasty Warriors Gundam</b> is a game that is really more for <i>Gundam</i> fans. Missions are pretty repetitive and the story is impenetrable for anyone who hasn't seen the show. At the same time, sometimes a little mindless, repetitive fun is necessary - something that <b>Dynasty Warriors Gundam</b> provides.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://hinhanh.tretoday.net/newuploads/11_2007/d3a64fa42d.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.kuroneko-chan.com/echoes/images/Musha_Gundam.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a> </p></div></div></div></div>Master Bluehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12214268141564601937noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2272220371098908098.post-31180392622916141902007-11-16T01:12:00.000+07:002007-11-16T02:02:29.738+07:00Need for Speed ProStreet<object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=8,0,0,0" id="gtembed" height="392" width="480"> <param name="allowScriptAccess" value="sameDomain"> <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.gametrailers.com/remote_wrap.php?mid=27736"> <param name="quality" value="high"> <embed src="http://www.gametrailers.com/remote_wrap.php?mid=27736" swliveconnect="true" name="gtembed" allowscriptaccess="sameDomain" allowfullscreen="true" quality="high" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" align="middle" height="392" width="480"></embed> </object><div style="padding-left: 0px; display: none;"></div><div style="padding-left: 0px; display: none;"></div><br /><br />Need for Speed , one of most hottest Racing game series ,the newest of this series ProStreet is available ,good or bad ? Let's watch and feel .<br />Released : Nov/13-15<br /><br />Follow this link for download<br /><a href="http://www.gametrailers.com/player/27735.html"> <img src="http://www.gametrailers.com/images/gtreviews_podcast.jpg" alt="Blog Page" height="150" width="150" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(51, 51, 255);font-size:180%;" ><span style="color: rgb(0, 153, 0);">Your car is now ready !<br /><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.wallpaperez.info/wallpaper/games/Need-For-Speed-Pro-Street-best-car-1351.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://www.wallpaperez.info/wallpaper/games/Need-For-Speed-Pro-Street-best-car-1351.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Master Bluehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12214268141564601937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2272220371098908098.post-84168336158234718602007-11-15T23:13:00.000+07:002007-11-16T01:56:27.610+07:00Kane & Lynch: Dead Men<object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=8,0,0,0" id="gtembed" height="392" width="480"> <param name="allowScriptAccess" value="sameDomain"> <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.gametrailers.com/remote_wrap.php?mid=27909"> <param name="quality" value="high"> <embed src="http://www.gametrailers.com/remote_wrap.php?mid=27909" swliveconnect="true" name="gtembed" allowscriptaccess="sameDomain" allowfullscreen="true" quality="high" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" align="middle" height="392" width="480"></embed> </object><div style="padding-left: 0px; display: none;"></div><br /><br />This is a movie review for Kane & Lynch: Dead Men ,look so interesting , but i thinks it's not for some one under 16 years old to view (and playing ;) )<br />Released : Nov/13<br /><br />Follow this link for download it<br /><a href="http://www.gametrailers.com/player/27908.html"> <img src="http://www.gametrailers.com/images/gtreviews_podcast.jpg" alt="Blog Page" height="150" width="150" /></a><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);font-size:180%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">Let be a Dead man as well !!!<br /><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://bestgamewallpapers.com/files/kane-and-lynch-dead-men/psychopaths.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://bestgamewallpapers.com/files/kane-and-lynch-dead-men/psychopaths.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Master Bluehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12214268141564601937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2272220371098908098.post-8555262583136981672007-11-14T18:00:00.000+07:002007-11-14T18:45:13.420+07:00Alone in the Dark on Wii, PS2<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://hinhanh.tretoday.net/newuploads/11_2007/0c893eb88d.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 451px; height: 208px;" src="http://hinhanh.tretoday.net/newuploads/11_2007/0c893eb88d.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span class="bodybold"><span class="dropcaps">A</span>tari</span> may be on the canvas and facing the 9-count, but that fact alone isn't going to stop it from releasing ported versions of upcoming New York based survival-horror Alone in The Dark on both PS2 and Wii.<p> The two new Alone in the Dark titles will stand beside their next-gen counterparts on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC. Unlike the previous versions which were developed by <span class="bodyBold">Eden Studios</span>, the new ports will be handled by <span class="bodyBold">Hydravision</span> -- a French developer best known for the (obscure) <em>Obscure</em> series of survival horror games. </p><p> While the PS2 conversion looks to be fairly standard issue, Atari has confirmed the Wii version will sport a "control system specially adapted to make full use of the Remote and Nunchuck to manipulate objects in real-time." So perhaps there's an incentive there for players to consider one of these new packs alongside their prettier cousins. The huge install base of both the Wii and PS2 sure isn't going to hurt the company's bottom line any either. </p><p> Announcement of the PS2, Wii release was made today by Atari Executive Vice President of publishing and production Mathias Hautefort. "Realizing the enormous ambition of Alone in the Dark is a huge technological challenge, which becomes even more demanding on Wii and PlayStation." he said. "However, we're certain players will be impressed with what Hydravision have achieved on the two consoles, not least with the Wii game which is perfectly adapted to the gameplay thanks to the console's unique controllers." </p> Considering how much the survival horror genre owes to its father-figure franchise, it'd be a real shame to see the series' resurgence be best remembered for a blaze of ill-advised and hurriedly executed 11th hour ports -- especially considering the trouble they must have had getting NYT bestselling author Lorenzo Carcaterra on board to do all the writing. Guess we'll just have to wait and see what the future holds for Alone in the Dark.Master Bluehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12214268141564601937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2272220371098908098.post-64083050769379943512007-11-14T16:59:00.000+07:002007-11-16T16:54:44.411+07:00Atari CEO Resigns as Company Withdraws from Production<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.pelikonepeijoonit.net/articles/pkp_atari.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://www.pelikonepeijoonit.net/articles/pkp_atari.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span class="dropcaps">A</span>midst concerns about the company's lack of funds and ability to continue its business, Atari officials announced today that the publisher will "re-focus its operations on publishing and distribution in North America, completing its withdrawal from the production business."<div class="moduleArticleBody"> <p> According to the release, Atari's operations going forward "will involve title acquisition, sales and marketing, and physical distribution of products from [Infogrames] IESA, its 51% shareholder, and other selected partners."</p> <p> Atari has agreed in principle to terminate its Production Services Agreement with IESA in the near future. The company is planning to transfer certain employees and contract other staff on a project basis for a limited period of time. Unfortunately for Atari's employees, this restructuring initiative will also reduce the company's current workforce "in order to re-align the Company's cost structure with its on-going business base."</p> <p> Along with the withdrawal from production, Atari CEO David Pierce has also announced his resignation. Curtis G. Solsvig III, Chief Restructuring Officer, has been appointed interim CEO and will assume Pierce's responsibilities for now. Atari said that an executive search for a new CEO has already been started. </p> <p> "We appreciate David's support and commitment through a difficult period in the Company's history and wish him well in his future endeavors." said Gene Davis, Chairman of the Board of Directors.</p> <p> Finally, as part of the new plan Atari has also licensed its <i>Test Drive</i> franchise to Infogrames under a six-year agreement that provides for a $5 million advance royalty. According to the terms, Eden Studios, which originally developed <i>Test Drive Unlimited</i> for Atari, has the rights to develop and market at least two new releases of the franchise during the life of the license. The deal was signed on Nov. 8, 2007, and Atari said it "will assure the continued vitality of the franchise and will strengthen the relationship between Atari and its parent company while providing an important element in the on-going financial restructuring of Atari."</p> <p> "Atari continues to take important steps to stream-line operations and establish a winning business plan. We expect that the actions we are undertaking today will position us for the future as a preferred business and distribution partner," concluded Curtis G. Solsvig III.</p> </div>Master Bluehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12214268141564601937noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2272220371098908098.post-58307328342455807782007-11-14T12:07:00.000+07:002007-11-16T16:51:18.079+07:00Halo 3<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://hinhanh.tretoday.net/newuploads/11_2007/5a39a068b5.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px;" src="http://hinhanh.tretoday.net/newuploads/11_2007/5a39a068b5.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;" class="dropcaps">T</span><span style="font-weight: bold;">ech Info :<br /><br /></span><div class="pt5"> Publisher: <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/games/" class="xbox">Microsoft Game Studios</a> </div> <div class="pt5"> Developer: <a href="http://www.bungie.net/" class="xbox">Bungie Software</a> </div> <div class="pt5"> Genre: <a href="http://omega-planet.blogspot.com/search/label/FPS"><span class="xbox">First-Person Shooter</span></a> </div> <div class="pt5"> Release Date: Sep 25, 2007<a href="http://www.gamespot.com/xbox360/action/halo3/similar.html?mode=versions" class="fwn xbox"></a> </div> <div class="pt5"> ESRB: <span class="xbox">MATURE</span> </div> <div class="pt5"> ESRB Descriptors: Blood and Gore, Mild Language, Violence<br /><br /></div><b><span class="dropcaps">W</span>hat the Game's About </b><br />Six years ago, Bungie Studios defined Microsoft's new-kid-on-the-block platform, Xbox, with one game: Halo: Combat Evolved. It can be argued that without Halo, the Xbox would have been a miserable failure, and there certainly wouldn't be an Xbox 360 today. After the tremendous success of Halo, Microsoft put Bungie to work on Halo 2, which released to see even more <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.wallpaperez.info/wallpaper/games/Halo-3-Senior-Sergeant-1169.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.wallpaperez.info/wallpaper/games/Halo-3-Senior-Sergeant-1169.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>impressive sales. And now there's Halo 3, which will undoubtedly sell through the roof. The title is the third and final installment in the Halo trilogy, which means it offers closure to the arcing storyline. In addition to its campaign mode, the game also supports Xbox Live multiplayer. Some will argue that Halo 3 is essentially "Halo 2 Plus," but few would disagree that it's superior to its predecessor in nearly every way possible.<br /><br /><b><span class="dropcaps">W</span>hat's Hot</b><br />It all starts with campaign – at least it did for us. True Halo fans will immediately sink their teeth into the campaign mode, as it brings to an end the Halo trilogy's storyline. Bungie's third installment is roughly the same length as its predecessors and has diverse level design. You'll explore a satisfying amount of areas as you progress into the game's depths. Like both its predecessors, Halo 3 is pure action. There are no puzzles to slow you down. You'll have to blast your way through level after level, employing different weapons for different situations. In this sense, the game can very easily be picked up and played without having to think a lot. You get to shoot stuff. And it's fun.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://iphonesinrtp.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/07/game-squirrel-12.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 202px; height: 303px;" src="http://iphonesinrtp.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/07/game-squirrel-12.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />It's hard not to compare Halo 3 to Halo 2, as we'll be honest: we were disappointed with Halo 2's campaign mode. The reason we bring this up is because Halo 3's is an absolutely huge step in the right direction. Indeed, Halo 3 is a blast to play for many of the same reasons the original Halo was years ago. The level design is compelling, the story interesting and the action non-stop.<br /><br />Playing alone is fun, but playing with friends is more fun. Whether it's in two-player co-op or four-player co-op via Xbox Live, Halo 3 provides an excellent co-operative experience. The new "points" system, which challenges you to compete as well as cooperate, adds a whole new reason to replay through the campaign mode. If you love playing co-op, you're going to love Halo 3.<br /><br />Halo 3's greatest single strength is – no surprise – its multiplayer. This is true for co-op, but it's even truer when it comes to the game's main multiplayer mode. In many ways, it is a more refined version of what we got in Halo 2. Bungie has tweaked, polished and re-tweaked the different facets of the Halo 2 multiplayer experience, the end result being Halo 3.<br /><br />What's more, Halo 3 has the most interesting variety of weapons in the entire franchise. There are more weapons to choose from than ever before, and many of them are purely awesome. Take, for instance, the gravity hammer. It feels like pure power when you use it to literally pound your enemies to smithereens. What's more, not only is the spartan laser an excellent option for dealing with vehicles, it's just as satisfying to get a kill with it against someone on foot. Oh, and what about the needler? It took Bungie three games to do it, but finally, at last, the needler is a serious option for those looking to do some serious damage.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.halo3.com/images/screenshots/downloads/sb_carnage.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 365px; height: 206px;" src="http://www.halo3.com/images/screenshots/downloads/sb_carnage.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>If you've ever played Halo 2 on Xbox Live, you know all about the annoyance that is push-to-talk. Well, apparently Bungie listened to all of our complaints – it's gone. Well, sort of. If you have four people on your team or less, you don't have to press the D-pad to talk to your friends. Hallelujah.<br /><br />Perhaps the number-one thing that sets Halo 3 apart from both its predecessors is The Forge. With it, Bungie has ensured that the online community can reinvent Halo 3 as time goes on. You're able to customize almost anything you want. Whether it's modifying weapon placement, adding vehicles to a map, changing spawn points or creating power ups, you can do it in The Forge.<br /><br />Bungie has also included the long coveted Saved Films feature in Halo 3, which lets you save and edit your own game videos. What's particularly impressive about this is that the game automatically keeps in memory the last few games you've played. So, if you decide that you want to find and send a game you played an hour ago to a friend, Halo 3 will most likely have kept the real-time replay of the match in a list of previously played matches. This even works <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.halo3.com/images/screenshots/downloads/val_laser2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.halo3.com/images/screenshots/downloads/val_laser2.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>for campaign mode.<br /><br />Finally, Halo 3 could have the very best soundtrack we've heard all year. The music is responsible for the different kinds of energy that surge through you as you play through the game. Bungie always queues the music at just the right time. When exploring dark, unknown corners of a Flood-invaded compound, sinisterly moody music plays. But the switch flips when you face a crowd of Covenant warriors; the game blasts you with some of the most epic music in any video game ever. Our hats go off to Martin O'Donnell and his team. Nobody does "epic" better than you guys.<br /><br /><b><span class="dropcaps">W</span>hat's Not </b><br />While Halo 3 is bigger and better than Halo 2 in possibly every regard, it's incredibly easy for us to nitpick the game. Perhaps this is because the game feels like nothing more than "Halo 2 HD." The uninformed gamer, in fact, might see someone running around with the battle rifle in Last Resort and think its Halo 2. An important question must be asked: how wrong would they be? After all, the underlying skeleton of Halo 3 is awfully similar to that of Bungie's last game. At<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.halo3.com/images/screenshots/downloads/H3_E307_3P02.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 367px; height: 206px;" src="http://www.halo3.com/images/screenshots/downloads/H3_E307_3P02.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a> times, it feels like Halo 3 is simply the team's attempt at a "redo" of Halo 2.<br /><br />While the campaign mode is a huge improvement over Halo 2's, it's not without flaws. The formula is unchanged from the original Halo, which released in 2001: shoot stuff, progress. It can feel repetitive and devoid of the kind of depth other shooters, like Half-Life 2, bring to the genre. Some areas in the campaign mode are immediately memorable, but others are less so. One level, towards the end of the game, comes to mind. Unfortunately, while we wish we could forget about the level, we can't. When you play through Halo 3, you'll know what level we're talking about. It's a notable low point for the game's campaign mode.<br /><br />Bungie has retooled the difficulty system in an attempt to make Halo 3 accessible to the millions of newcomers who will undoubtedly buy into the Mountain Dew-powered hype. This means that Normal difficulty has been translated into baby mode, with permanently defunct enemy AI. Both Heroic and Legendary difficulties will provide you with more challenge if you're playing campaign alone, but if you're in a group of four people via Xbox Live co-op, you'll be disappointed to find that you're blowing your way through hordes of Covenant with little to no trouble.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://xbox360media.ign.com/xbox360/image/article/749/749182/halo-3-20061205095653662.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://xbox360media.ign.com/xbox360/image/article/749/749182/halo-3-20061205095653662.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>On the subject of Xbox Live co-op, many of our attempts at playing co-operatively online have been ruined by noticeable lag problems. The problem seems to come and go, and while we aren't docking points because of it (it'll likely be fixed via a patch in the future), at this point in time, the lag is an issue.<br /><br />Despite that both The Forge and Saved Films on paper sound like the second coming, in reality, neither functions quite the way Bungie would have you believe. With The Forge, you actually can't change "anything and everything" you want. Certain maps don't let you place certain weapons on them. What's more, weapons like the Fuel Rod Canon are entirely missing from not only The Forge but multiplayer as a whole, which is incredibly disappointing. Meanwhile, Saved Films lacks no-brainer features, like active rewind, and can be more difficult to play around in than it should be.<br /><br />Perhaps our single largest complaint with Halo 3 is that it still doesn't allow you to browse and join other people's custom games. This is a feature that was even available in Halo PC years ago, and no console version of Halo has included it. This means you're limited to only playing with people on your friend's list and random people in matchmaking. Matchmaking is great if you're looking to get in on a quick game of some kind, but in its current form, it suffers from the identical problem Halo 2 did at launch: there's a very limited number of playlists and if you don't like any of them, you're out of luck. Thankfully, chances are Bungie will add more play lists in the future. But the lack of a custom games list is quite simply inexcusable.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.wallpaperez.info/wallpaper/games/Halo-3-video-game-1031.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.wallpaperez.info/wallpaper/games/Halo-3-video-game-1031.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Confusingly, Halo 3's load times seem to be some of the worst in the franchise. Whether you're playing in campaign or over Xbox Live, you'll have to wait for the game to load each level or map when you're in the menu. Then you'll have to wait again for it to actually load the level in-game. The load times just feel so long.<br /><br />And, at last, our last complaint: while Bungie has ditched the push-to-talk system for smaller parties, for some reason you still have to press the D-pad to talk if there are more than four people on your team. What's up with that?<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.halo3.com/images/screenshots/downloads/val_mongoose1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 353px; height: 197px;" src="http://www.halo3.com/images/screenshots/downloads/val_mongoose1.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><b><span class="dropcaps">F</span>inal Word </b><br />Halo 3 is an excellent first-person shooter, and with it, Bungie ends its trilogy on a strong note. The campaign mode never amazes, but it is still thoroughly enjoyable. Meanwhile, multiplayer is, as expected, the best part about the game. Ironically enough, Halo 3's biggest weakness is also its most powerful strength. The game is, essentially, a super refined and polished version of Halo 2. This is true in regards to the campaign mode, the multiplayer, the weapons, the maps – everything. As an entirety, Halo 3 feels just like Halo 2. Is that a good thing or a bad thing, though? The answer to this question will likely differ depending on the person answering it.<br /><br />Ultimately, Halo 3 is in fact just more of the same. However, it's always been more of the same. Bungie once said that what makes Halo so entertaining is it's the same 30 seconds of fun over and over. Just like Halo and Halo 2 illustrated this theory, Halo 3 does too.<br /><br />Even with its many shortcomings, Halo 3 is an absolute must-purchase for anyone with an Xbox 360. At last, Bungie's finished the fight.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.wallpaperez.info/wallpaper/games/Halo-3-Helmet-1034.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://www.wallpaperez.info/wallpaper/games/Halo-3-Helmet-1034.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Master Bluehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12214268141564601937noreply@blogger.com0