12th Day of the Twelve Best Games of 2011: Shadows of the Damned!

     This year had some really amazing AAA titles that blew away millions of fans.  The amount of some of the marketing budgets alone for some of these games could probably be enough cash to actually develop the sequels to which the marketing is made for.  But then there are games like Shadows of Damned; developed by Grasshopper Manufacture.  This was made by Suda51 the genius behind games like KIller7 and  Shinji Mikami the genius behind the Resident Evil games.  Their talents combined to form a 70s style exploitation grindhouse horror game.  Many critics felt the amount of stupid dick jokes and the amount of off color humor was too much.  However, there was a method to their madness.  This game has incredible bosses, a tight story, and controls that I hope they put in the NEXT Resident Evil.  But this title had no triple AAA marketing campaign and while they did have some half hearted commercials on the Comedy Central.  The game was really trotted out to die.  I think with the proper marketing this title could have easily found an audience.

   There is certainly a great deal of craziness in Shadows of the Damned.  But all of this is sold perfectly through eyes of the main character, Garcia Hotspur and his transforming gun buddy Johnson.  You know, his name is Johnson because… wink wink…  Anyway, because the story is told through the eyes of these guys.  Everything from a storybook fairytale to the facts about the crazy worlds they visit; don’t confuse the player but really immerse the player in this world.  For the people looking for it, the title was a commentary on Mexican Machismo and Mexican culture.  Which isn’t a surprise considering Suda51 interest and love for Luchadore Wrestling.

   I loved the complete commitment to making this game’s controls tight and the ability to upgrade simple weapons like shotguns, machine guns, and assault rifles into crazy demonic versions of those simple weapons is awesome.  The addition of RPG elements like upgrading your character and his weapons were the final nails that sold me completely on the Shadows of the Damned.  While the framing might be an acquired taste, the mechanics and essence of the game is unsurpassed.

   The ending not only makes a definite impact on the player but it is totally unexpected and wonderful.  I was very impressed…  While Shadows of Damned might not be every player’s cup of tea.  It is a very important game because it blends action, horror, and RPG game designs into a grindhouse style that many other developers have tried to do; but failed miserably to achieve.  I can’t wait to see what Grasshopper Manufacture does next, because after Shadows of the Damned the sky is the limit.

11th Day of the Twelve Best Games of 2011: Infamous 2 Festival of Blood

      There is nothing better than a good vampire movie right before Halloween.  This title came out right before Halloween on October 25th.  The incredible thing about Infamous 2 Festival of Blood is that this standalone downloadable piece does everything Infamous 2 the $60 installment does; but it does it better.  Infamous 2 Festival of Blood is short(3-5 hours), semi open world, throws out all the good and evil powers, and the story is MUCH tighter than Infamous 2.

     All of the problems with the Infamous Franchise have been addressed in Festival of Blood.  One of the main problems with the Infamous titles is that they are a little too long.  Festival of Blood starts quickly, has a nice middle, and then ends quickly.  Which even with a little bit of fluff does a better job conveying the experience than the 20+ hours of Infamous 2.  Festival of Blood drops the multi-island of New Marais.  Which works really well to condense the experience into the allotted timeframe.  What also works wonderfully are the somewhat gimmicky good and evil choices which the series at one time was all most based on.  While some people might feel that this is a flaw.  The choices all ways seemed artificial to begin with.  The lack of them, allows the designers and writers to focus on the more important elements.  Like tight game design and story.

     Infamous 2 Festival of Blood is strangely a kind of honing of the Infamous Franchise into a sharpened stake.  While the piece was definitely not meant to be a serious installment in the series the way that Infamous 2 was.  After all, at the beginning of the game its just Zeke trying to pick up girls.  The story, style, and mechanics of this piece are amazing.  Sucker Punch shows what CAN be done more than what was or should be done.  This is one of the reasons why this game is so important in the end.  The biggest thing about this game is that for a small amount of money compared to Infamous 2 the player can not only experience some of the best parts of the $60 game but also get an incredible story in the universe of Infamous.

    Festival of Blood has no SERIOUS additions here, but the writing was creative and cool.  Without the need to convey something long and complicated; Sucker Punch knocks it out the park.  The fact that this is a holiday piece, something that the game industry is pretty fresh on; just makes this game that much more amazing.  Also, for the price of a Playstation Network Game no one is expecting a huge title with a lot of additions.  Sucker Punch completely picked up the idea that less is more.

   Festival of Blood shows that Sucker Punch should concentrate on the shorter tighter form rather than trying to make it with User Generated Content.  Infamous 2 was a little too loose with it’s story and it’s open world while a little better than Infamous; still was a little too spread out and unfocused.  The future of Sucker Punch looks very bright considering how well they have managed to evolve the Infamous Franchise.  Hopefully, they will make a new engine for a new console and really bust the next one out of the park.  The chances that Sucker Punch took alone, make this game definitely one of the best games of 2011.

10th Day of Twelve Best Games of 2011: Batman Arkham City

Picture from Batman Arkham Asylum

       Batman Arkham City is noteworthy, if for no other reason that it is a sequel like no other.  The semi-open world Batman Arkham Asylum was the first offering by the wonderful developers at Rocksteady.  Asylum was not only a breath of fresh air for super hero games, but also one of the best Metroid-style games I’ve ever played.  Within that same framework mechanically, Rocksteady offers Batman Arkham City.  But rather than making it yet another Metroid-style design this mechanic is, by and large thrown out.  In favor of the ambitious, open world style that Arkham City brings to the world of Batman.

     Without spoiling anything, Arkham City has one of the best beginnings that I’ve ever experienced in a video game.  Everyone should play the first 20 minutes of Arkham Asylum to show just how cinematic a video game can become.  But it goes farther than cinema, this kind of thing is more impactful than cinema.  Not because, necessarily, of what the player is doing but everything around what the player is doing.  But once this is over most of the innovation fades away.  But not necessarily to the detriment of the whole.

     The story of Arkham City is a comic book story; which is not surprising considering a comic book writer, penned it(Paul Dini).  Even with lots of side-quests. the player has no trouble following the main quest all the way through.  Much like Skyrim, however, the game is constantly arguing with the player about what is truly important.  Which is fine, in an open world design these are perfectly legitimate mechanics.  But unlike Skyrim and unlike Saints Row the Third; not everything in Batman Arkham City is fun or well written.  Many of the villain based side-quests are very vignetted or feel too much like cameo appearances.

   The pace pushes the player along the main path a little; but the sheer distance between quests can make the player wander off track.  Some of the Riddler stuff is a little annoying and sometimes can border on overwrought as far as repetition is concerned.  But these activities are by no means required and while many fans of the Dark Knight will want to finish every one of them.  The average player may only be able to stomach a few.

   The best open world games like Saints Row the Third and Infamous 2 Festival of Blood; players are lead through the main quest from point to point.  The player can wander off if they want.  But the story remains solid enough that the arc is there if the player wants to follow that arc.  Arkham City definitely tries to do this; but the longer the game goes on, the more unraveled things get.  This less focused technique, while it can work and does in this instance.  The relaxed pace can just as easily work against the storyteller or designer as much as working for them.  A small blemish on an otherwise excellent game.  

    Some of the logistics of the world of Batman Arkham City are a little funky.  The fact that this all happens in one night can really feel like a stretch.  Unlike in Arkham Asylum where this was at least plausible.  Especially due to the arbitrary timed main quest that runs through the whole game.  While this might have been good to build tension at first.  It just breaks down into being annoying by the time you realize how it all resolves.

9th Day of the Twelve Best Games of 2011: Dirt 3

         In a year that featured the incredible impact of a game like Forza 4 Motorsports.  It’s often hard to remember that there was another incredible racing title out this year.  That would be Codemasters Dirt 3.  This title has just about everything that Forza has and a little more.  What I mean by this, is that this game has a nice selection of cars, excellent terrain deformation, excellent cockpit view, excellent weather effects, and even night racing. Yes, folks this game has a ton of in race features that you just can’t find anywhere else.

      While Dirt 3 can’t boast having hundreds of cars or customization of those cars with an in game editor.  Dirt 3 puts gameplay over the customization/variety route and it does this in signature style.  Since the original Dirt there has never been a franchise quite so recognizable.  There is nothing to compare the incredible menu interface or terrain deformation that the Dirt Franchise has all ways adhered to.  If only the other major racing franchises on both consoles could take more of a que from Dirt 3.  No matter how many cars your game has, if there isn’t the same kind of versatility that the Dirt Franchise provides; its hard to imagine your franchise evolving much.  Which really has been the problem with the other major franchises.  They may be great games but they are basically the same game we were playing back in 2007.

      Dirt 3 added Gymkhana this which did mix it up a little.  But it’s good to see that the much loved mode is getting it’s own game with Dirt Showdown.  That way, when Dirt 4 comes out they can go back to stressing the core of Rally racing rather than worrying about mixing up. While I liked Gymkhana for a few events as a distraction it was a little too jarring of a change from the core game. There is a certain theory about playing Gymkhana makes you a better driver but considering the surface effects don’t usually play a role in Gymkhana this can only go so far.

     While Forza and Gran Turismo get all the publicity it is Dirt and Codemasters who are truly worth the crown of racing innovators for 2011.  Hopefully the racing genre will be judged by developers on what CAN be done, not just what is EASY to do.

8th Day of the Twelve Best Games of 2011: Gears of War 3

      Gears of War 3 has been maligned as more of the same, bro-fest shooter.  But I think this is more of a case of ignorance than a fault of the game.  Gears of War 3 is somewhat a victim of it’s own success.  The franchise has spawned novels, comics, and 3 games.  This in the space of 5 years.  Which doesn’t sound that outrageous but Halo is the only other video game series to spawn that quantity of material in that period of time.  The problem or the insanely cool part of the franchise is that the makers of the game have used this material to make this third game.  The inclusion of some of this material took away from the story for some of the people playing the game, specifically critics.  This is definitely valid concern for people playing this title as their first Gears of War game.  This kind of depth speaks to the grandeur of this world.  Few video game worlds are deep enough to have such service to have characters from the novels and trust that people will know who those people are.  I would have liked a little more dialogue with those characters so that people who aren’t diehard fans know who they are.

       Putting campaign concerns aside for a moment.  The best part of Gears of War 3 is the multiplayer.  The game has taken some serious time working out it’s kinks and refining it’s edge to a shiny sharp edge that could cut through concrete.  The game does some many wonderful things.  There is an experience point system similar to that of Halo.  Which gives the player access to new weapon skins, character skins, etc… The game has fixed all most all of the problems that Gears of War 2 had in it’s multiplayer.  Gears of War 3 truly has a skill based multiplayer that will commitment gets more fun as you go.  Just based on the number of weapons and modes most players will not get bored or feel as if their experiences are repetitive.

     Epic’s commitment to their fans is so deep that they have had three major community events in since the game came out (September 20th).  Which is far and above more commitment than any other game this year.  Also, they have released 2 map packs and a campaign story pack in the past two months.  Which is also a lot of content for a brand new game which all ready a descent amount all ready.

     Gears of War 3 is an amazing game and should be on the top of anyone’s list that owns an XBOX 360.  I truly believe that Gears of War 3 is the perfect melding of campaign, multiplayer, and co-op.  There is NO OTHER game this year that embodies such a perfection of design and blending.  I would even say that there is no game on either XBOX 360 or PS3 that makes such good use of all the features and innovations that our modern consoles afford us as Gears of War 3 does.  Many games have tried, but Gears of War 3 succeeds and it does it in style.

7th Day of the Twelve Best Games of 2011: Dark Souls

           Dark Souls like Demon’s Souls before it has a singular aspect that everyone who has heard anything about the game is aware; that being, “Your going to Die A LOT!”  Which is not exactly the main aspect of the game, but it certainly has become the most talked about one.  The great part of Dark Souls is how exacting the title is.  Playing Dark Souls can resemble climbing a mountain.  Meaning that you might slip a few times and have to climb familiar territory over and over again.  But in the end you will have a sense of accomplishment that few games can come close to.

           Dark Souls is a difficult game, even for the most seasoned video game players.  There is grinding involved and even with the help of outside sources like internet wikis and strategy guides the game still requires a fair degree of skill.  The player will likely at some point lose all their souls, the currency in the game.  The player could lose a fair degree of progress.  Finally the player may also be in a situation that they are not sure how to get out of.  And all of the previous examples may happen all at once.  This is not the type of game for the casual player or the easily frustrated.  What is this game hiding in this mire of difficulty and deception?  Not as much as you would think but more than you can imagine.

          There are very few cutscenes in Dark Souls.  Those that are there don’t really do too much to tell the story.  Half what little story is there, is told through text boxes the other half through NPCs that ARE voiced.  The bosses are difficult but usually pretty unique in their design.  Some interactions between the player and the NPCs will have unexpected results and to the player’s incredible dismay they can kill vendors.  These vendors don’t respawn and neither do the goods the player needs.

           Once you’ve learned the combat, every battle is important.  Many of the bosses are completely unique and some monsters that were once bosses show up as mini-bosses later on.  The game can take the average player anywhere between 60-100 for one play through.  I don’t think anyone has discovered what a complete play through with all secrets discovered entails time wise.  There are short cuts, but none of these will help you find ALL secrets of the game, just make some areas easier to get to.

         I really loved the kind of solitude and intensity that occurs in various places in the game.  Dark Souls is a Dark Fantasy game, but some people would go so far as to say that this is a true survival horror game.  Just like Demon’s Souls before it, this game is incredibly important to show developers that there are still people out there that love a quality game that has a very challenging difficulty.  By not having a difficulty, it makes anyone who wants to see the entire world of Dark Souls an investor for the long haul.  Oh and by the way, Your Going DIE!

6th day of the Twelve Best Games of 2011: Elder Scrolls V Skyrim!

          The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is probably the biggest game of the year.  With the exception of Dark Souls, this game has more content in it than any other game this year.  Perhaps even in the entire life cycle of the XBOX 360.  The game provides the player with so many options on how to play and what kind of story to create that it is hard to imagine a better example of an open world game.  Even with a bunch of outlets doing 12 hour marathons of the game when it came out there are still SO MANY THINGS to discover in the world of Skyrim.

          There is, of course, a main storyline quest.  But most players will find the temptation far too great to wander off the path of the main quest and go off and do the other million offer things there are to do.  There are dragons to slay, dungeons to explore, and of course countless wolves and bandits to kill.  This version of the world of Tamriel is so detailed and so amazingly lush that feeling as though your living in the game is pretty easy.  The last game that was THIS immersive for me was Red Dead Redemption.  I think it does an even better job than Rockstar did with the immersion in this title.  Another thing it has in common with Red Dead is a soaring soundtrack.  That even after many hours doesn’t get annoying or too repetitive.

          Skyrim is decidedly unlike many of the other games in the Elder Scrolls series in there is a deep structure running through the game.  Meaning that it isn’t just the main quest that has incredible moments and drama of the highest caliber.  But the side quests have this as well, including the fact that many times your actions in the world will be informed all most completely by these side quests which were normally, for the most part, forgettable in previous installments.  While some of the guild quests in Oblivion were fun and memorable, they were usually rather short and in most cases didn’t effect the main story or even character development very much.  However, in Skyrim, guild quests can effect the main quest and they certainly have a lot to do with character development.

         For most players, I think that Skyrim will still be mostly undiscovered even after they are tired of discovering it.  Not that this game is boring in any way, but doing roughly the same thing over and over can wear on anyone.  I’m just glad that for the most part, the story in Skyrim is SO GOOD that this will probably only happen after at least 30 hours or so.  Me, I’ll happily play this game to the end and after.  I’ve got two characters and I’m looking to max level both of them.  Which according to friends means I’ll be investing around 80+ hours before I’m done.  Who needs World of Warcraft?

      Many critics have pointed to Skyrim as the mark that players love an open world make your own fun experience.  In a time when developers are beginning to believe that players only enjoy a guided, short, rollercoaster-like experience.  I would never bet on that theory as this experience generally is a very poor value.  While the open world experience is very value rich.  Some fans do have issue with open world games as they usually feel like they are pulling the story out of the game rather than being told the story.  Which I can agree with, however, the design of the game is the key here.  The player should be given a large suite of choices but not feel as though they are wandering around looking for something to do; rather than finding something ELSE to do on their way to the main activity.  Elder Scrolls Skyrim is definitely one of the most important games of this console generation.

5th Day of the Twelve Best Games of 2011: Dead Space 2

        The Dead Space franchise is one of the most interesting in the recent years.  The best part of the franchise is that it is part survival horror and part science fiction.  Which is pretty unique in video games.  The next closest thing to Dead Space are the Alien versus Predator games.  Which are no where near as good or popular as this franchise.  Since the first Dead Space, this franchise has shown through sheer power of the story of the series that this is a title to be reckoned with.  Much like some horror movies, fans can either go very deep in the world of Dead Space; like reading the books, comic books, and watching the movies.  Or they can just play the games.

       Dead Space 2 is the best game of the two games that makeup the franchise on the XBOX 360 and PS3 so far.  The incredible changes to interface, movement speed, and even the way  in which the game handles upgrades and such make this a big step forward for the series.  There are plenty of things that stayed the same in Dead Space 2 from the previous installment.  Aspects like music, sound effects, and incredible graphics that have all ways been a hallmark of the series remain.  Dead Space 2 is the BEST example of what modern video games can become when it comes to games giving the player a cinematic feel without the player feeling as though the entire game is on rails.

     The new range of enemies requiring different weapons to deal with them; in addition the player can telekinetically pick up objects or parts of slain enemies to kill enemies or solve puzzles.  While some of this was present in the first game, the second expands this making a real part of the game.  Further immersing the player into the game.  All of this mixes up the game so that the player is both driven by the story but also driven by what could be coming next. 

     Since this game came out in January; There has been a lot of digital water under the digital bridge.  But Dead Space 2 and the whole franchise is certainly very much worth some notice in this year of incredibly impressive titles.  And in the history of video games as a whole I believe that both Dead Space and Dead Space 2 are definitely worthy of top sports when compared to series like Resident Evil and Silent Hill.  Even with Dead Space 2’s forgettable multiplayer; the game is definitely one of the best and most unique games of the year.

4th day of the Twelve Best Games of 2011: Bastion

       Every once in a very great while something absolutely amazing occurs in the video game industry.  Normally, this type of thing happens with a triple A title coming from a big publisher and developer.  What I’m referring to here is something like Bioshock.  That changed the way we think about game design and make us feel like we have opened a door into a new world.  But this year, all most as if foretelling of a new era yet to come.  Bastion, a small game from a small studio, SuperGiant Games.    Warner Bros. saw so much in this game that they picked up publishing at PAX last year.  As this is the first game from this company having a powerhouse like Warner Bros. behind you is a really big deal.

    Bastion is an amazing title.  Bastion is an action adventure game in the truest sense.  There are no real puzzles or platforming in this game.  But there doesn’t need to be.  Bastion shows what focusing on pure gameplay can do for a story driven game.  There are even some open world aspects in the game based on how you proceed through your ultimate quest.  You can upgrade the Bastion, there by making upgrades to your own loadouts.  I don’t want to discuss the story of the game as it will take away from the ultimate experience.  There are no difficulty settings in the game.  You can activate Idols to make the gameplay harder.  But the average player will find the unaltered difficulty to be absolutely perfect.

   There are no problems or bugs in this masterpiece.  The art style and sound design are so superior to everything else out there with the possible exception of Elder Scrolls Skyrim that it makes me absolutely giddy to play.  There is such a blending of gameplay, art, and sound design that it makes the player feel as though they are actually moving throughout another world.  The controls are so responsive as they allow you to make pinpoint movements which are necessary for some of the skill based challenges present in the game.

   As the narrator weaves the story of the KId, he is weaving the player’s story.  He will respond when you begin to venture off the path or fight in particular ways.  He will comment on the enemies you battle and how well the enemies or the Kid are doing at any given time.  When you consider that the narrator is a character in the game it makes it even more interesting.  While Dragon Age 2 did this as well, DA2 didn’t do it nearly as well as Bastion does it.  There is a personalized feel to Bastion that even creating a main character doesn’t even convey as well as the narrator does in this game.  It all most feels as though the game is watching every move you make.  Which for some strange reason makes the escape of Bastion all the more palpable.

   Bastion does what no other game this year did for me, made me want to play it over and over.  It’s usually a chore for me to finish most games and when I’m done, I’m usually glad that it’s over and get a feeling of elation and great accomplishment.  But Bastion just made me want to load up the game and play it all over again.  This is also helped by the downloadable content in the game and the New Game Plus.  For a full playthrough to get all the achievements the game is around 20 hours.  But most players will probably be able to motor through the main story in about 5-10 hours. 

  If I was giving out a Game of the Year award, it would go to Bastion.  In fact, if I was giving out a Game of the Decade award, it would go to Bastion.  Yes, ladies and gentlemen I love Bastion more than Bioshock.  Sorry Ken Levine…

Bastion is available for the XBOX 360, the PC on Steam or even through your Google Chrome Browser from the Google Appstore.  The game is very inexpensive and EVERYONE should play Bastion.  No matter your gaming tastes or level of skill; you should go out and buy Bastion.

3rd Day of the Twelve Days of the Best Video Games of 2011: Saints Row The Third!

        Call it bad timing, call it a lack of descent marketing. Call it a brand without an AAA reputation.  But Saints Row the Third is the Best Game of the Year that you’ve heard virtually nothing about.  Let me run this down for you.  The game is an open world, third person shooter, that has a Grand Theft Auto style aesthetic but without even a vein of seriousness.  Volition, Inc. developed this game not set the world on fire with an awesome story or some kind crazy graphical upgrade that will make all other games look terrible.  No, they just wanted the player to HAVE FUN!  Wait, what?  Fun?  Yes, ladies and gentlemen, there is nothing quite like a fun game to remind you of why we bother playing video games to begin with.

      What do I mean: The checkpoints are generous, you are constantly playing with crazy weapons, you get to drive, fly, or even go boating in countless vehicles that you get to customize.  You get to buy property and collect the money and discounts from that property like Assassins Creed.  There is a crazy Japanese game show side activity set where you can earn money for your character and participate in crazy activities.  Save anywhere, every activity from the side missions to the main mission are not meant for the player to sit through a puzzling or dramatic narrative but to constantly make the player laugh and say out loud, “WTF?”  Oh, and did I mention you can do all this with a friend?  Yes, the entire campaign can be played through co-op!

    While I can’t say enough good things about the game: excellent soundtrack, good pacing, a perfect difficulty level on NORMAL, and some of the most inventive gameplay I’ve ever seen.  I do have to mention that this game might not be for anyone.  The title has an playful adult theme that will probably; in the long term, only appeal to actual adults. But this was a simple matter of personal taste and not an error on the developer’s part.  There are certainly a lot of things people might find sexist, in poor taste, or morally questionable in Saints Row the Third.  Yeah, don’t worry about any of that; it’s done with the same tone that the whole rest of the game is.  Sometimes it unintentionally dips a toe into South Park style humor.  But it never really ventures into for very long or very deeply.  This game wasn’t meant to be taken seriously.  That is the best and most healthy way of taking everything it presents you with.  Otherwise, your going to be angry and confused instead of laughing and confused.

    The more I played Saints Row the Third the more I loved it.  The only real problems I had with the Saints was the constant need to keep checking my phone for the next thing.  I might have preferred to simply be directed to the next story mission and then choose to play it or not immediately. 

     Perhaps it is the industry’s complete inability to actually categorize a game like Saints Row the Third, that has kept it under the radar.  But the TV commercial below probably best evokes the feeling you get when you play the game.  For a game that is so hard to define in today’s market, the commercial does a pretty good job of at least giving players an idea of what they are getting.

       I was extremely cold on this game when I saw if months ago.  But that’s the thing about Saints Row the Third, you have to ACTUALLY play the game to appreciate it.  While I can’t say that Saints Row the Third is the best game of the year.  Saints Row the Third is definitely the best game of the year that you probably haven’t played.  For crazy, silly fun you have to take it to the Saints!

2nd Day of the Twelve Days of the Best Games of 2011: Forza 4 Motorsports!

           Forza Motorsport 4 is the best simulation racing game to date.  The forth installment in the Forza series, while this game doesn’t have everything; it does have all most everything which is more than I can say for anything else this year.  The main improvements in number 4 consist of a better online community features and some good updates in graphics that make this years set of cars the best looking around.  There are fewer throw away(cars that no one REALLY wants to drive) cars than ever before and probably fewer than any racing game out there.

          The fact that the average player can ACTUALLY complete the main story campaign in around 28 hours rather than previous installments that REQUIRED the player to race in long endurance races that 89% of players wanted no part of.  I have to say that this was my first Forza that I actually finished and wanted to keep playing.  I truly enjoyed the handling on every car, which is difficult feat considering most racers tend to have one drivetrain set that is either impossible to drive or needs such serious tuning that it discourages any but the most hardcore from driving them.  While each car does have completely different handling, none of them are so crazy that they require severe changes to your approach.

       One of my favorite things about the new Forza is that it makes driving from the cockpit an interesting and rewarding experience.  I loved seeing every new car interior.  There is so much to do in Forza 4, everything from a Rivals Mode(similar to the EA Autolog stuff), online races to participate in, a world tour mode(campaign) and event mode(single races or single events).  By the time the first downloadable car pack came out I had all ready invested over 30 hours in this game.  I really can’t say I played any game more this year than Forza Motorsport 4.  Currently, with all the crazy games coming out, I’m only up to around 40 or so hours.  But unlike a lot of other games this year, I’m STILL playing Forza 4.  This is partially due to their monthly update downloadable content where they add more cars.  In Forza 4, you can never play enough because your earning money to buy new cars to have new experiences.  So you can never have enough money.

       Even if Forza 4 is only a moderate upgrade from Forza 3; these updates were significant and not all ways completely apparent.  The Forza 4 is certainly not perfect; most tracks still feel deserted and sterile, there is still no night driving, and there are still no weather effects.  While these are all valid flaws, I’m hoping on a new console these issues will be addressed without having to go backward in and other area.  So far Turn 10 has succeeded where so many other developers have failed.  They have respected and responded to their community without being slaves to them.

Modern Warfare 3: 16,666,667 customers served and counting!

           There have probably been more articles on Call of Duty than there are stars in the sky.  The amount of press that this franchise garners is right up there with celebrity weddings.  With the latest round of sales the newest addition to the series Modern Warfare 3, the series has earned a brand new title, highest selling piece of media ever!  But why?  What’s the big freakin deal?  After all, most critics aren’t even considering this game in their games of the year discussions.  I’m one of those critics, by the way.  So what’s the deal, how can 16,000,000 people be wrong?  Well, it’s not quite that simple, and I’ll explain why.

            The Call of Duty series began hot and heavy way back when the XBOX 360 first launched.  That was Call of Duty 2 and it was not anything near what we see in the game today.  Back then it was a World War 2 First Person Shooter and it was on both the XBOX 360 and the PC.  Most PC players absolutely loved it.  In fact, at the time my PC wasn’t even good even to run the game properly because the graphics were SO GOOD.  In turn, the XBOX 360 wasn’t quite as powerful as a top of the line PC, but it was an incredibly good experience.  It was by far the best launch title for the system and had everyone really psyched.  But even with it being the only launch title worth it’s salt to pick up; it still didn’t do the kind of numbers we are used to seeing out of Call of Duty today.

          The real power of the series launched with the first of it’s modern military FPS’s Call of Duty 4.  Most critics point to this game as the start of the modern gamer’s obsession with the modern military FPS.  Most of the current tropes were present.  Things like perks and a level progression.  There were kill streaks, no death streaks yet; but this was just the beginning.  This game also made a heck of a lot of money.  More than Call of Duty 2, but that was mainly due to that fact that the XBOX 360 install base still wasn’t anywhere near the size it is today.  The first recognizable game to people who just got into the modern military shooter “game” recently wouldn’t come out until 2 years later.  The game that changed everything, literally.

         Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 was that game.  This game came out to universal praise and the founders of Call of Duty: Jason West (Infinity Ward president, game director, co-CCO, and CTO) and Vince Zampella (CEO and co-founder of Infinity Ward) unfortunately due to a legal dispute left the company along with many of their top staff members.  Which is, exactly where we begin to see a critical stir beginning to grow.  Not in a good way, mind you.  It wasn’t so much that people were angry with Activision.  But that they saw the creative forces or at least the people behind the creative forces no longer being at Infinity Ward.  While this may or may not have been the correct analysis of the situation it seemed correct at the time.

         The following year, Treyarch put out Call of Duty Black Ops and this game also broke practically every record there was.  The game had a cold war campaign and a multiplayer that while similar to Modern Warfare 2 was different enough to carve out a little place of it’s own.  Tryarch, had been a red headed stepchild to fans while Infinity Ward was at full strength but now, the company seemingly crippled the Treyarch folks seemed like a kind of true force that could save the franchise.  Unfortunately, they were the first to get hit by some critics saying that the game was not only too much like Modern Warfare 2 but that they had neglected to up their own game significantly from Call of Duty 3 World at War.  But this was definitely the minority view.  As time went on Black Ops became a true universal force and within just a few months it’s place at the top of both the sales and the online play charts was cemented.  The game had found not only a huge install base waiting for the next big thing.  But the group of people who had moved from Call of Duty World at War to Black Ops.

        With the release of the latest game Modern Warfare 3.  There was a mixed feeling of hope and trepidation.  Few reviewers and critics held out much hope for the game.  Especially going up against Battlefield 3.  What most people considered to be a well loved brand.  But most people considered it a well loved brand on the PC.  Which Call of Duty mostly left behind way back with Call of Duty 4.  The only experience most recent console owners had, had with Battlefield was that of Bad Company.  Which all ways sold pretty well, but nothing compared to that of Modern Warfare or even Black Ops.  Predictably that’s pretty much what happened.  The PC sales for Battlefield 3 were great and the console sales were fine.  But a month or so later when Modern Warfare 3 came out, the REAL sales numbers started rolling in and it wasn’t even going to be a contest.

        That wasn’t the real story however.  The real story was a game that had an excellent but safe multiplayer, much like that of Modern Warfare 2.  With a single player campaign head and shoulders better than Battlefield 3 but not doing anything that amazing compared to it’s predecessors in the series.  Fans, for the most part made few of these connections.  More interested in playing more of the same Call of Duty multiplayer they loved and enjoying a solid single player with a story that wrapped up the storyline begun with the first Modern Warfare game.  While technically speaking Battlefield 3 has a better multiplayer, better graphics, and in some cases better content.  Fans by large didn’t want a reinvention of their beloved genre.  They wanted what they had with Modern Warfare.  Critics in most cases couldn’t get past the abysmal single player of Battlefield 3.  Most giving the game the benefit of the doubt.  But numbers tell the tale and while Metacritcs averages for both games was a scant .4 points different.  Their sales were MUCH farther apart, with Modern Warfare 3 eclipsing Battlefield 3’s total sales of the past month within hours.

       All of this doesn’t really explain much.  As to most this was simply a case of people not breaking with the brand.  But it was more than that, the Black Ops folks moved over to MW3 as did all the people who were still playing MW2.  Infinity Ward and Activision had an event for the fans of Call of Duty a little earlier in the year and this event along with the hype surrounding the game solidified the player base and flexed the collective muscles of both the XBOX 360 and PS3 install bases.  There are really no games with such an effect on PC or console.  But with such a universal appeal and a universal acceptance why weren’t the critics kinder to the game.  This game that made more money than an entertainment product in history has an 88/100 average critical score on Metacritic.  Which is pretty good, but far from extraordinary.

    The critics didn’t universally love it for the same reason that all the fans really DID love it.  That being, at the core of the game it is pretty much exactly the same game as Modern Warfare 2.  Which the developers will be quick to contest.  But the changes to the game are based in the details not the broad strokes.  And while many players have been at this for years now and notice the broad strokes.  Few critics will see them or even try to notice them.  To critics it will probably be an indefinable familiarity which makes them doubt that there was any innovation here.  Also, with a short campaign, many developers are tired of giving a pass on the story aspect of Call of Duty games and want their cake and eat it too.  Meaning a long engaging story and an extremely strong multiplayer.  Which, to my knowledge, doesn’t really exist.

       The reason it’s not among my games of the year is that there doesn’t seem to be anything substantially new in Modern Warfare 3.  They continued their ridiculous story from MW2, which I also didn’t really like.  I play Modern Warfare for the multiplayer and while they did add a bunch of new modes and some interesting things into Modern Warfare 3.  They still haven’t added everything they could have from the series as a whole.  Which means they are still holding back.  I would have really liked to see a new graphics engine or at least a higher graphics standard from the old engine.  While this might mean dropping from their 60 fps.  It would have also shaken up what is getting to look a little old in the presence of games like Crysis 2 and Battlefield 3.  So while Modern Warfare 3 is a good game, it seems like it was the only safe move they had after losing the number of people did from the time of Modern Warfare 2.

      Modern Warfare 3 is a case study in building up a franchise to its blazing peak.  How will things turn out when the next XBOX and Playstation arrive?  How will things change?  We will have to wait and see, but for this generation Activision and Call of Duty are the clear winners.  Hopefully the future will be bright for all involved.

The 1st day of the Twelve Days of the Best Games of 2011:Ultimate Marvel Versus Capcom 3!

      I decided to start this list off with a bang.  I’m putting Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 out first because this has been a controversial title at best this year.  Mainly this is due to the fact that Marvel vs. Capcom 3 came out in February of this year.  The game was amazing.  The first installment had some amazing features like Shadow Battle and a great player card that was originally seen in Tatsunoko vs.Capcom which was a Wii exclusive.  One of these made the transition to Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3.

     The main differences between the games that the first title had 38 characters and Ultimate Marvel versus Capcom 3 has 50.  Other than that, there are some balancing changes and the addition of the Heroes and Heralds mode that is both online and offline.  In order to insert the Heroes and Heralds mode, it seems they had to drop Shadow Battle.  But as Shadow Battle was only a perfecting of A.I. opponents to match a particular style of play, it could probably be lived without.  However, Shadow Battle was one of the major things that kept me playing the original title.  As with all other fighting games it remains a work in progress.  Why is this title so wonderful?  Building upon the incredibly amazing framework of Marvel vs. Capcom 2, this is the fine tuning of that franchise to a fine edge.  Once one has practiced with this game for an extended period of time; the possibilities are endless.  While I’ve been unable to spend quite as much time with Ultimate as with the original I am positive that the trend holds from one to the other.  With the first, I spent around 100 hours and with the new one I’ve hit around 10.  But the game only came out around a month ago.

     Many people have stated that this is a really bad move by Capcom and they take it out on the franchise.  While this game probably could have been downloadable content but considering the amount of content I would venture to say it wouldn’t have been much cheaper than the the price of the new boxed copy.  While I understand the problems people have with what Capcom did, I would venture to say that most of those folks would be happy playing the original and just renting the new game.  As they probably didn’t play the original for more than a few hours.  Most people who have invested a great deal of time in the franchise understand how sweeping the changes have been to the systems that make them worth the money.  This is certainly the last time Capcom could probably get away with a move like this with their more casual fans but this also comes with the knowledge that fighting games are beginning to float back to being very hardcore again and away from the casual market.

     Perhaps with a new Street Fighter on a new console this might change.  But currently I see fighting games getting more hardcore not less.  So for the hardcore, they simply move from one game to the next as the new installment arrives.  It’s a tradition, like putting up a Christmas Tree at Christmas.  So for those of you who don’t like this game or this franchise you probably are simply not willing to put in the time with the game to make it fun.  And that’s fine.  But as far as fighting games are concerned the Marvel vs. Capcom Franchise is one of the four most important in the fighting game community.  And for $40, this game is an amazing deal and a wonderful time.

 

Twelve Days of the Best Video Games of 2011! (Video Game Awards)

 Every year, every outlet comes out with a set of the best games of the year.  Well, this year has been a crazy quilt of some amazing games.  Not since 2007, have I seen such a glut of great games.  So every day for the next 12 days I’ll be writing an article about the top 12 games of the year.  These games are not going to be in any particular order and are not going to have anything to do with genre, system, or price point.  Not that I don’t realize that there is a significant difference between a XBLA or PSN game and a full priced $60 title.  More it is that these selections are based more on quality, than anything else.  The first game of the Twelve will be revealed tomorrow 12/17/2011.  So enjoy…

 

Last of Us PS3 Exclusive from Naughty Dog! Not much Uncharted here!

    This is certainly an incredible looking game.  But it also looks like another Zombie Survival game.  Even if it does have a “28 days later” twist with a little “The Road” thrown in.  While the concept is definitely not new, the interactions between the daughter and father look amazing.  A story driven zombie game would be amazing, as traditionally these types of games are all gameplay and no story.  So kudos to them.  Can’t wait to see some more!

Command and Conquer Generals 2 from Bioware?

      Update via Jostiq: “  Update: We've got the official PR from Electronic Arts, found at the Source link below. Most notable is this line: "Command & Conquer Generals 2 is being developed by a new BioWare studio, BioWare Victory, and is coming exclusively to the PC in 2013." So Victory Games is now BioWare Victory and its plans for a PC-exclusive C&C game are still in place. Wow!” If you don’t believe, here is the link.

Not exactly sure what to make of all this.  I don’t doubt Bioware can probably make an RTS and since the Command and Conquer brand hasn’t been doing very well for the past couple years this might be the right kind of shot in the arm it needs.  However, I’m a little afraid of what I’m seeing here.  EA’s brand coupled with Frostbite 2?  I didn’t think EA partners worked like that.  I guess I was wrong, I thought it was a more separate but equal proposition not a you play in my yard, I’ll play in yours.  Does this mean that some other studio in the future could make the next Balder’s Gate or the next KOTOR or the next Jade Empire?  Or even the next Mass Effect?  I don’t know…

   Finally, 2013?  What does THIS mean?  Is this going to be a PC only release?  Then it makes sense.  But if your all ready using Frostbite 2, what’s easier than porting that to consoles?  And in 2013 what consoles would those be?  Hopefully all will be revealed in press releases on Monday or next week when all the other outlets get to see what’s happening under the curtain.  But I’m guessing some of this will still be top secret until E3.  Geez, June seems like a REALLY LONG TIME from now.

Award for Most Beautiful New Trailer goes to Diablo 3!

Get More: GameTrailers.com, Diablo III - VGA 2011: Exclusive Cinematic Trailer HD, PC Games, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360

   Every time they make a cinematic for this game, it just makes me want the game even more.  I wish this had a little release date attached to the end of it.  Diablo 3, will be worth the wait, whenever it comes out in 2012!

Metal Gear Solid Rising ReVengeance trailer Reveal!

Get More: GameTrailers.com, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance - VGA 2011: Exclusive Revengeance Trailer HD, PC Games, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360

    The big story here is that Kojima Productions is partnering with Platinum Entertainment!  Every game that Platinum has made since it began has been amazing.  So I am definitely picking this game up.  It looks like Vanquish on steroids and that’s saying something!  

  Of course, with the Kojima and Metal Gear names along side the great action; what more could you ask for?  I dunno, but they will probably throw it into the collectors edition

Even Game Developers hate the Online Pass!

      I really appreciate that David Jaffe is being straight with the media when he admits Online Passes limit the player base and are ultimately bad for the game.  But he is also being straight when he admits it’s all up to the publisher.  Sony has really screwed themselves over with the whole Online Pass this year.  After all, Uncharted 3’s not exactly Black Ops and neither will Twisted Metal.  Especially with the recent news that Online Passes from EA expire; I’m more confident than ever that they are a really bad thing.

     This isn’t something that I wanted to harp on but it seems like lots of publishers feel that adding on the Online Pass is doing something positive for them.  For instance, Ubisoft for the first time has included an Online Pass for Assassin’s Creed with their new release, Assassin’s Creed Revelations.  While the multiplayer here is cool and different it wasn’t exactly blowing it out of the park in Brotherhood.  It’s definitely a niche group, not a blockbuster.

       They could certainly be serving a little broader group if they got the folks picking the game up at Gamestop used in a couple months to at least try the multiplayer.  But no, it’s better to pay-wall the multiplayer so that the people getting the game new are the only ones that will be playing.  Which history seems to show, fizzles out in a few months.  I also noticed that Ubisoft didn’t bother with a Season Pass, meaning that they aren’t too interested in providing a beefy suite of DLC in the next six months or so.  Which I suppose, also says something about their commitment to the game.  I guess making $10 off online passes from used games is more important than getting an extra $15-$20 right off the bat for a Season Pass.  But then the Season Pass is a commitment to providing $20-$25 worth of multiplayer in the next six months.  While the Online Pass is for something that’s all ready been created.

     An even more interesting case of Online Passes shooting the publisher in the foot is that of Saints Row the Third.  A game that is 90% single player, open world wonderment.  These folks DO have a Season Pass and have all ready forced out a bunch of content.  However, they want people to actually bother playing co-op and their silly Whored Mode!  One is great, the other is a silly rip off of all the other shooter horde modes.  Co-op is pretty fun, and might be worth the $10 for an online pass.  But really, unless you know someone who has the game.  It’s pretty pointless to even bother with it.  The single player is awesomely fun and co-op is just an add-on.  So they losing by making people pay.  I probably would have at least tried the mode; if I was able to try it for free.  But not for $10.

      Finally, there are lots of ways to rectify this situation, as I’ve stated previously.  But it doesn’t seem like publishers or consumers are as interested in this as they should be.  And people buying the games new, probably shouldn’t be that worried.  Except when the Passes expire or when they just don’t work at all.  So publishers, if you are going to make us all go through this crappy Online Pass malarkey.  At least make sure THE ONLINE PASSES ALL WAYS WORK!

You Only Have One Life to Live…Sort of…(Rayman Origins)

Rayman Origins is a brand new Rayman game from Ubisoft.  This isn’t some kind of cash grab repurpose; it’s a whole new game with Rayman and his friends.  The game is incredible fun and surprisingly challenging.  At least it was surprising to me.  The game contains some of the best art and music that I’ve ever experienced in a platformer.

      The strangest thing about Rayman Origins is that with one hit Rayman dies; he can get one heart and only one heart to take a hit for him but then that’s it.  What happens when he dies.  Rayman gets dropped back to load screen and then back;  All most in the same place as he died in some circumstances.  The checkpointing in the game seems to have been done by someone who has actually played the game and know where the hard sections of the game reside.  This isn’t a bad system, it encourages people to be perfect, at least in single player. 

     To me, if the player is simply waiting through a load screen in order to be dropped back just about where they left off.  Why not just have lives, and then a continue screen perhaps.  The player can even earn lives the more points they earn.  I don’t know, I’m not a game designer. 

    By the time I was well and truly into Rayman Origins; I was pretty sick of making one mistake and then having to wait through a load screen just to be dropped back to the area in which I died.  Early in the game, the multiple live thing would have to be tweaked as most of the time in the early game you must actually redo the whole level if you die in any part of it. 

    The game is wonderful, but again it’s pretty difficult.  For the average player, will probably not see the whole game unless they are playing multiplayer, which is only available on the same console.  Having multiple lives would probably create just the right amount of handholding in the single player so that a majority of people would be able to see most of the game.  The way it stands, I think a lot of people will get frustrated and quit by the time they reach the end of the first world or the second world. 

   Which is a shame, because even with some of the more traditional trappings in the game; it is usually well paired with the musical score.  Every aspect of the game seems in complete harmony.  Nothing tacked on or superfluous just to make the game longer or harder.  So, while Rayman may be Immortal.  He really only has one life to give his fans; and for most of them, that is not enough!  

Awesome Skyrim Cover Song!

Greatest Magazine in the world closes on December 5th! Wait what?

      GamePro, according to Gameinformer today, both the website and the print magazine will be closing as of December 5th.  This news is not only surprising but sad.  Under the leadership of John Davison; the magazine grew to be the best critical magazine on the market.  Since Davison left the magazine last year; the magazine has dropped in quality significantly.  While Davison is now moved on to bigger and better things; it is easy to see where the cart went off the rails.

      Unfortunately, there are some really good people still working over at GamePro and while their last couple of issues have been lackluster to say the least; I figured it was more a problem of growing pains than the closure of the magazine and website.  To close both website and magazine seems like a crazy move.  The website has some very good, under-advertised content on it.  In fact, before this story broke I linked to a good video story they did about Star Wars Old Republic.  I have a lot of respect for the people who work at GamePro, even if their editorial choices have been somewhat suspect over the past two or three months.

      GamePro closing may be a sign of the times.  But I don’t honestly believe that Electronic Gaming Monthly, Gameinformer, and Edge Magazine can hold up the whole Western World of video games in the print market.  I suppose, the argument is that there is no room for a print magazine in the 21st Century about something as ever changing as video games.  I think this argument could also be made about print newspapers.  But print magazines are not about timely information.  They are about a contemplation and criticism that doesn’t appear to exist online in any form. 

      I love Electronic Gaming Monthly and Edge Magazine but to be the ONLY sources of criticism seems very dangerous.  Because neither magazine is an old standard that cannot be broken.  Edge is published by Future who is constantly losing ground in the magazine market.  Electronic Gaming Monthly is barely two years old and while it’s digital format seems revolutionary; as time has gone on it feels more like a website than a webzine.

      GamePro closing isn’t just the end of a very short, very brilliant golden age.  But it is also a rallying call to all video game media outlets to up their game or die.  If it can happen to the original EGM, GamePro, and countless others it can happen to you.  So stop the nonsense(sending a whole team of people to cover a show your only going to have text content allotted to, for instance) and start making quality content.  Or suffer the same fate.  Because of this kind of thing continues all of us will  lose; fans, writers, journalists, owners, developers, and the culture as a whole.

     Here is wishing all the folks who work at GamePro the best of luck finding a new job and I really loved the incredible, contemplative discussion that you tried to bring us every month in the magazine and then every week on the website.  I am very sad to see you go.

Nice to Know I’m Not Alone in My Feelings Toward Star Wars Old Republic

  Full Disclosure, I really hated the amount of Star Wars Old Republic I played.  I loved the voice acting and the story but the actual design of the game and some of the antiquated mechanics left it feeling like a Pre-Burning Crusade MMO.  Perhaps given the time the folks at GamePro had with the game; it has gotten better.  I hope so, because the idea of the game is incredible and the voice acting is great.  So even if this just went free to play I would probably sign up.  But at this point, I will take Skyrim over any MMO that’s out right now.  However, Guild Wars 2 , whenever that comes out could be the savior both Wow Players and serious RPGs could be looking for.  NCsoft has shown off a significant amount of the game and while I have yet to play it; it looks great.  Its kind of a hybrid between the traditional WoW structure and that of a single player RPG.  What could be better than that?

Black Box should stop Running and Talk it Over!(Need for Speed the Run)

       When I started playing Need for Speed the Run, the latest racing game from EA’s Black Box Studio; I was a more than a little anxious about the length of the campaign.  Many reviewers had noted that the campaign was too short, the challenge modes weren’t compelling, and multiplayer did nothing to extend the life of the game.  What I first noticed about the game, was just how two dimensional the story element of Need for Speed the Run is; there is a short opening cinematic and then, nothing.  After the opening cinematic the others that follow consist mostly of the main character sitting behind the wheel of his car or running from the cops.  Albeit more or less silently.

       This is a problem, given this is supposed to be a story centered game.  A race from San Francisco to New York sounds like a great movie plot after all. Unfortunately, they had to add in some incredibly silly out of the car quick time events in order to try and valid this fact.  It would have been far better, if these worthless sequences were replaced with some dialogue, flashbacks, backstory, or even with a villain or quasi-villain that would have given our protagonist someone worthwhile to fight against or overcome.  The middle to end of the game, tries desperately to up the intensity of the tone.  Only succeeding in making the game even more predictable than the earlier areas.

     Even with a very unbelievable storyline, an exciting experience could have been had.  I mean in the world of Need for Speed the Run, mobsters have helicopters, unlimited vans firing guns, and would rather kill the person they are trying to collect money from rather than just collecting the money.   Also, the main character seems to just around the corner from his next $80,000+ vehicle but doesn’t have the where with all to just fence said vehicles and collect the money for his debt.  All this put aside there are ways around such nonsense.  After all, in the 1977 release, Smokey and the Bandit; another multistate chase drama.  The Bandit, is an extraordinarily unbelievable character.  Constantly on the run from the law, making money at a state fair by people paying to “see” him because he is such a legend.  Crazy things happen to him, like meeting a runaway bride on his way to delivering illegal beer across state lines and then knowing every possible person that could possibly help him along the way.  Having the runaway bride be engaged to the sheriff’s son.  Finally, not even excepting the money for his delivery and instead making “another bet.”  Which probably should have been Smokey and the Bandit 2.  But no one really thinks too much about this while watching Smokey and the Bandit.  Or if they do, it seems to make the Bandit look lucky or good.  Rather than the whole situation being too unbelievable.

     The main difference between Smokey and the Bandit and Need for Speed the Run is story.  Smokey and the Bandit starts pretty suddenly and without too much introduction, much like Need for Speed the Run.  However, it’s what Smokey and the Bandit does with the rest of the movie that makes all the difference.  The Bandit is constantly talking to the others; whether this be in his car or over the CB.  The audience gets an idea of who the Bandit is and the reasons he is loved.  There is also the general feeling that the cops are lazy and somewhat useless.  Which is also, conveyed through actions and images rather than pointed out directly.  There is even a love story running through the middle of the movie.  I’m sure most guys going to see this movie in the 70’s weren’t too thrilled when that popped up in their action, chase filled movie.  But it allowed the movie, at least a little bit, to appeal to a broader audience than just guys.  In the age of cell phones and texting, there really is no excuse why a similar story mechanic couldn’t have been used in the Run.  Perhaps the developer looked at such a plot mechanism slowing down the pace of the game.  But as the game is incredibly short, some filler to simply make a worthwhile story out of it would have been nice.  No matter how fast paced your story is, it can’t all be action.  I think that is probably action movie 101.  Even Michael Bay knows better than that; usually anyway…

Even with Frostbite 2’s less than stellar rendering of people in this game(I’ve seen more convincing models in PS2 games).  There could have been a lot more dialogue between the two main characters(if you can call them that).  Either keeping the idea that they are talking on an overblown iphone or the developers could have actually had her in the car with him.  Perhaps they were worried about needing to do a bunch of facial animations.  Well then, dropping the entire “out of car” and story areas of the game completely; adding in some more options on the tracks, perhaps adding a few more miles of road in the process.  Along with a MUCH deeper multiplayer would have fixed that.  The focus should be either on making a great story or making a deep rich racing game.  Because otherwise, we get Need for Speed the Run.  Rather than Smokey and the Bandit or Need for Speed Hot Pursuit. 

    

The Day a Joke becomes a Reality! Why Blizzard? Why?

   The question is; is this the end of the World…. Of Warcraft?

Ultimate Marvel versus Capcom 3: Ultimately Awesome!

        Fighting games as a rule are played by two kinds of people.  Those who play online with strangers and those who play on their couch with friends.  Ultimate Marvel versus Capcom 3, more than just about any other fighting game out there is focused on the former.  Most folks who play with someone in person with friends, probably won’t see too many differences from the last game that came out around 9 months ago.  While there are certainly tons of changes and some of which make a great deal of impact on the game.  It will be hard for the average fan to notice them.

       This game adds lots of new characters, backgrounds, and some balance changes to some of the characters to create a better overall experience.  There is even a brand new mode promising to add some even cooler changes to the game, unfortunately rather than being packaged with the game it will be post launch downloadable content; at least it’s going to be free.

       There are some UI changes from the first game that are a little hard to get used to.  The way that X-Factor and your three character team are displayed.  Both only made it more difficult to easily evaluate at a glance.  The other cosmetic upgrades really make no difference to gameplay.  All of these changes were probably done to differentiate the game from the earlier title.  But were not necessary in the end.

       The gameplay itself remains virtually unchanged.  Returning players from the last game will be able to jump right in and while some of their favorite characters may not be quite as effective as they once were.  It doesn’t seem like any characters were broken by the balance changes.  Some of the framerate slow down has been addressed which gives the game a feeling of being even faster than it was originally.  Which can be a good or bad thing depending on your personal play style.

       Most of the people who are playing Ultimate Marvel versus Capcom 3 online right now seem to be folks that were pretty addicted to the first version of the game that came out earlier this year.  There is going to be a steep, all most insurmountable learning curve for anyone picking up this game cold.  While normally I would suggest picking up the first game, first in order to learn more slowly.  I would not in this situation, for $40 it’s just not worth buying both game which combined would probably cost you between $70-$80.  Training and mission mode are useful tools in learning; but practice, Youtube videos, and perhaps a strategy guide are probably going to be more effective than anything built into the game.  All of this applies somewhat to this reviewer as I’ve been away from Marvel versus Capcom 3 for about 4 months.  So while it was my favorite fighting game, I’m still all most starting from scratch compared to all the folks online who have been playing the game nonstop.

      As with many Capcom fighting games of late, Ultimate Marvel versus Capcom 3 is light on modes.  While these game are by far the most popular with the tournament players.  It is hard to understand why Capcom doesn’t want to appeal to some of the casual audience by putting things like survival, story, or even time attack modes.  All of which are pretty much a throwaway for the professional players.  It makes the casual player feel more like they are buying a better product than just getting arcade, versus, online, and training modes.  While at $40 Ultimate Marvel versus Capcom 3 is probably the best fighting game your going to find.  It is also hard to not remember that last February 16th regular old Marvel versus Capcom 3 came out.

      Marvel versus Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds was definitely the best fighting game I’d ever played.  The game had what seemed like an infinite amount of depth.  Which only makes me love Ultimate Marvel versus Capcom 3 even more exciting(even if it’s going to take me 2-3 months to get to be any good at it.).  So while I’m not sure that this game couldn’t have been DLC, I also I’m not sure that it would have been much less expensive so for this reason I give Ultimate Marvel versus Capcom 3 a 9.5/10.

      

Top 10 XBOX Games of All Time that AREN’T Halo!

        Today marks the 10th anniversary of the XBOX and to celebrate I’m listing off the best XBOX games of all time, that maybe you’ve forgotten about.  After all, while Halo might have been the most lastly and iconic of the big black box’s titles it wasn’t the only reason to own one.  After all, the XBOX was my only console during that period.  And this folks represents the reason why: (Not in specific order)

         1. Crimson Skies

     2. Mechassualt

     3. Oddworld Stranger’s Wrath

     4. Phantom Dust

     5. Burnout Revenge

     6. Black

     7. Psychonauts

     8. Jade Empire

     9.  Knights of the Old Republic 1 & 2

   10. Otogi 1 & 2

     There are countless others.  I just settled on 10.  Not ALL of these games would hold up today, but I would venture to say that most of them would.  Perhaps not Mechassault, because after all, it was basically an online only game.  But the rest would be a different story considering most are single player only experiences.  So if you get a chance, take some of these games for a dry run.  And if you ever meet the guy who made Phantom Dust, tell him he needs to make another one.  Because while it is probably the least known game on this list, it is one of the best.

 

Some of the Community's Best showing off UMVC3!

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Courtesty of Giant Bomb!

   Hey guys, in scant hours Modern Warfare 3 arrives everywhere in the United States.  I figured I’d relive the excitement of Modern Warfare 2 with my favorite folks over at Giant Bomb!  Enjoy…

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