Level Up

Moving

2011-09-01T13:43:00.001-05:00

Abandon Hope All Ye Who Enter

2010-05-10T03:23:00.005-05:00

I usually consider myself an optimistic individual, especially when it comes to video games. Reading forums almost seems like a masochistic thing to do to yourself these days. I’ve never seen such huge groups of cry babies and snobbery all in one place. Its unapproachable I always say. Why involve yourself in something as silly as console flame wars?

I’ll tell you why. Because sometimes, they actually deserve it. Not the flamers or the trolls, I’m talking about the consoles. Microsoft needs to get their act together. Let’s rewind a bit and turn back Time to the beginning of this mess.

About a year ago I decided to jump onto a more presentable email for professional and business reasons. As I’ve made the transition from teenage gamer, to responsible dad with family, I’ve made some accommodations for them and myself. As I began to use my primary email, I eventually changed the email associations for everything from newsletters to twitter updates and video game account passwords. There was no reason to log in to my old email anymore. Unfortunately, Hotmail has some kind of login detail that isn’t obviously apparent. Emails tend to go dormant after a certain amount of time which isn’t such a big deal if you weren’t using it but this little important piece of damning information would prove to be more than a big deal.

Xbox Live gamertags require a Windows Live ID to be linked to them. In order to recover your gamertag anywhere, you log into your Windows Live ID. In order to change to a brand new hard drive, you need to recover your gamertag onto that hard drive. In order to bring your saved games with you, you need to log into your Windows Live ID. You can even change your Windows Live ID through the Xbox 360 Account Management page, but to do that, you need to log in to your Windows Live ID and there lies the source of my problem. My dormant Windows Live ID means my email doesn’t even exist anymore. One would think there has to be a simple fix to the solution but it goes deeper. Major Nelson released some information about this known issue which is explained here -------> http://majornelson.com/archive/2009/02/19/windows-live-id-s-and-gamertags.aspx?PageIndex=4

So it’s been over a year since they’ve “been looking into the problem.” A year too long I say. Here is why. I am currently on my 3rd Xbox and looking into a 4th. My first console crapped out and flashed the dreaded Red Rings of Death. They sent me my second console, a “refurbished” console which would, from time to time do little things like CORRUPT MY SAVE FILES. I’m talking about it even corrupted my gamertag somehow and had me recovering it every so often. I needed to make some changes fast. The 360 Pro version was only $300 at the time and the Elite at $400 or $450? I forget. So at the time 60 gigs was way better than 20 and way more affordable. I jumped over to the 60 gig, gave my 20 gig xbox to my nephew and recovered my gamertag.

At the time I wanted to transfer everything from my 20 gig hard drive and at the time there was only 2 ways of doing it. Buying the $30 memory unit, or using the free transfer cable. I called customer service and went with a free transfer cable. The instructions warned me that anything I had on my current hard drive would be erased. I hadn’t started any major games so I decided to do it. The process was pretty simple, pop in a disc and connect the cable from the USB to the hard drive. About halfway, the process displayed an error. I tried it again 4 times and still nothing. Luckily, nothing was erased from my 20 gig or 60 gig. I called their customer service again and they explained the cable might have been malfunctioning. 5 weeks and 3 transfer cables later left me in the same position. I started to do some research on the internet. Why weren’t the cables working? It couldn’t have been coincidence that the 4 I got just happened to be broken. It turned out that the cables only worked from a 20 gig to a 120 gig hard drive. I sure as hell wasn’t going to drop another $400 for an Elite, or let alone a $100 for the hard drive alone (although ironically I would totally pay that right now). So I decided to wait, and decided I would buy the $30 memory unit when I got a chance and transfer my saves over.

Months later my email becomes dormant, and I lose the ability to transfer anything onto a memory card because game saves are attached to your gamertag and to move your gamertag or any of those saves, you need to log into your Windows Live ID which is impossible for me because it went dormant! So I settle again and say ”oh well”, I just can’t recover my gamertag anywhere, big deal. Well little did I know I wouldn’t be able to do a lot of things. I can’t play Mass Effect 2 properly because the save is stuck on my 20 gig hard drive. I won’t be able to see the choices I made come to life in the sequel which is a big thing for me because no game has ever done that before. I wanted to participate in a memorable time in video game history. I also can’t continue playing the 90+ hours I sunk into Oblivion or 40+ hours I sunk into playing GTA 4. I can’t activate any skulls on Halo ODST because I passed Halo 3 on my 20 gig hard drive. I would have to pass the game again just to unlock skulls to get achievements etc etc.

So I have come to accept that I wasn’t able to do any of that until 3 weeks ago when my 60 gig hard drive started crapping out on me. In preparation for Halo Reach, I wanted to finish ODST and get ready for the Beta. I even jumped back into the multiplayer after spending a lot of quality time with Modern Warfare 2. So there I was, jumping back in when the game starts to lag BAD. It was unplayable. I restarted the console and the loading times for everything were annoyingly slow. The console takes forever to start, the games take forever to even get to the opening menus and Halo multiplayer was unplayable literally. I couldn’t join any games. I played Battlefield Bad Company 2 just fine online but the loading times literally take about 5 minutes, before, after and in-between games. I’m literally against the ropes here when I start pondering and decide to recover my wife’s gamertag on the old 20 gig hard drive. With the approval of my nephew I borrow the hard drive and start playing some Halo Reach. Switching hard drives should be the least of my problems because that’s why they made them detachable right? Wrong. Somehow, my wife’s Fable II save from the 60 gig hard drive was corrupted. We figured maybe it was causing the console to slow down so we deleted it. A few days later after reaching my 46th hour in Dragon Age, I save my game and went to bed. The next day, low and behold, my Dragon Age file is now corrupted. I was livid. From my presumptions the problem might also stem from switching hard drives since I would switch hard drives to play Dragon Age under my gamertag, and then switch back to the 20 gig to play the Reach beta. I connected the dots and figured out that the same thing was happening to my 20 gig the first time I was switching back and forth to my 60 gig when it was still new and that’s why I was quick to get rid of it for fear it would happen to my 60 gig hard drive. What a sucker I’ve been.

So now I’m determined to fix this Windows Live ID problem once and for all because I want to put my saves on the memory unit I have owned for a couple of months now and reformat the 60 gig hard drive. Oh yeah forgot to mention halfway through all this I eventually got the memory unit but it also didn’t work because, you guessed it, you need to log into a Windows Live ID. So I scour the internet again and decide that I need to have a talk with someone who might know something at Xbox Live customer service. After hours and hours of talks with different people, it turns out no one knows anything at xbox live customer service. The last guy actually helps me out a bit and suggests taking it up with hotmail because, after all, it’s their email that isn’t working. So I call them up and hit yet another brick wall. The “nice” lady tells me I need to start a post in some sort of self-help thread in their FAQ knowledge database. I fight to speak with a manager and after being on hold for 10 minutes she claims that her supervisor is too busy and said that he would just refer me to the same place.

Defeated and tired of waiting on hold and all day literally, I decide to post my problem in a nutshell. Currently, I am awaiting a response from them but have been waiting over a week for someone to reply to the thread, and I imagine that’s how it’s supposed to work? So I sit here waiting….waiting….waiting…..

And I begin to think to myself…..how I never had this problem with my PS3. I started to compare the two. I am still using the first PS3 I purchased on day one and I have never had any problems with it. I was also able to transfer over both my PS1 and PS2 game saves using a $20 adapter. Nothing would get deleted if I did. I even purchased digital PS1 games and used the saves that I transferred from my old memory cards to start where I left off. The way I see it, my appreciation for the PS3 has grown significantly. I already finished Uncharted 2; I recently purchased the God of War collection, God of War 3 collector’s edition, Heavy Rain, Killzone 2, Little Big Planet and just finished sinking 30 hours into Final Fantasy XIII. Hell the service is free to play online, and I use it as my primary hub to watch movies since it plays Blu Rays. The hell was I thinking worshipping the 360 as my primary means of multiplayer fun?

I’m forced to make changes that I have spent over a year denying to myself. And as pissed as I have been about this ridiculous jumbled mess that Microsoft and Xbox has created for me, I have been having a lot of fun making it up with my PS3. I plan to abandon most of my attachments to the 360 and will only use it for first party exclusives and arcade games. I might have to eventually do this on a new console with a brand new gamertag and abandon my 20k gamerscore. My only regret is that I purchased a total of 16 Xbox Live Arcade games that I won’t be entitled to anymore after this. This includes Braid, Castle Crashers, Shadow Complex, Battlefield 1942, Geometry wars 1 & 2 and other important titles that I am sad to even think about.
So what have I learned from this lesson? PS3 has got your back. Hell, it only does EVERYTHING. Peace out Microsoft.

The Noble Crusade

2010-01-28T00:43:00.005-06:00

My people!! I have returned!! Three month absence you say? Nay, I was off on a noble crusade!! Ferelden is much safer place now.

My time away has been a bit selfish I will admit. Hours of gaming piled on school finals was a recipe for disaster. Not to mention I took advantage of the winter break. Unfortunately I still have a massive amount of unfinished games on my hands and theres nothing more that I loathe than unfinished games. Currently I still need to finish practically everything that released since October and that includes Uncharted 2, Batman Arkham Asylum, Borderlands, Torchlight, Dragon Age, Modern Warfare 2 and Halo ODST. It also doesn't help that I have been playing Heroes of Newerth for hours on end. My pile of shame has increased significantly so naturally I fear the Q1 list of games.

On my must-have list for the new year is Mass Effect 2, MAG, Dantes Inferno, Heavy Rain, Splinter Cell: Conviction, Battlefield: Bad Company 2, Bioshock 2, Final Fantasy XIII, God of War 3 and Warhammer 40K: Dawn of War 2 Chaos Rising. That pretty much translates into $650 for the next 3 months and my wallet is scared for its life.

During my time away I also purchased an iPhone and have been buying up a storm of apps so a new feature I want to introduce is a monthly or weekly spotlight on the ones worth checking out. More things planned if time allows me!

My free time has been limited due to school and work so the amount of games is just exhausting to look at. I am currently compiling a GOTY list which is late as always but I like to rent or play every game in every category to give all of them a shot. My next post will be lengthy so I'll see how soon I can hammer it down before I get swallowed up with my hectic schedule.

So bask in our bloody glory comrades, for your leader has returned!!

Valve aquires Icefrog

2009-10-05T16:54:00.004-05:00

A huge unseen announcement was made today regarding the popular Warcraft 3 mod Dota (Defense of the Ancients). According to his blog (http://www.playdota.com/forums/blogs/icefrog/264/great-news-dota-fans/), Icefrog will be leading his very own team at Valve. Not many details are given but hints at future projects that still involve Dota.

"My goal and top priority in the future is to solve the surrounding issues that affect the DotA experience in order to allow it to reach new heights. Addressing these issues will enable us to further enjoy aspects of DotA such as the gameplay, mechanics, and in-game feel that currently work well and ought to be maintained. As I've said many times in the past and especially after today's developments, I am very excited about DotA's future!"

Im excited to see what they do with the formula. Whether this means a brand new creation of heroes similar to Heroes of Newerth, or some kind of expanded mod out of WC3 remains to be seen. Valve is known for their strong mod support and digital downloads. Im hoping for a standalone digital release but I can dream. Here's to Icefrog!

Heroes of Newerth: Beta Impressions

2009-09-08T10:54:00.007-05:00

I consider myself to be a hardcore Dota fan. When we have Dota gatherings in my garage every week, it may seem like we gather for cult followings quite often. My dedicated group of friends are quite picky when it comes to playing anything else actually. When I recently introduced them to Heroes of Newerth, their Dota foundation was shaken to its very core.

Heroes of Newerth is an updated remake of the popular Warcraft 3 mod, Dota. Currently being developed by S2 games, Heroes of Newerth is almost an exact take on the game. This was of course taken into account since the development team has received permission to actually do so from Icefrog, Dota's one-man development team. Since Demigod released, it seems the gates have been sprung open for many other developers looking to capitalize on the underground following. HoN seems to be taking the lead when it comes to the 1 to 1 iteration, but does it still innovate? My time with the beta so far has me thinking "yes".

Dota games are notorious for their leavers. It is a tiresome habit and it ruins most games because the game heavily depends on teamwork. The odds quickly shift with the loss of a teammate. There are times when players simply disconnect unintentionally for one reason or another but the team still suffers. Players have taken it upon themselves to use third party programs to ban these leavers and give them an exact date and time of said loss. HoN has built-in a great leaver protection system that allows players to reconnect and jump back into the game(even after a computer restart). I myself found this to be an issue when I accidentally unplugged my ethernet cable, and I reconnected with no problems. This kept me in the same game with my friends and I wasn't banned for being a leaver. For the people that do purposely disconnect there is an experience penalty and an average that keeps track of your leaver percentage. It is tacked onto your profile stats and helps to point out who is really there to stay, and who will quit after being "first blood".

HoN will have 60 heroes on launch day and thats far more than League of Legends' 30 and Demigod's 8. Most heroes are familiar such as the devourer which is very remeniscent of Pudge, but you will also play as cosmetically different heroes like the Poliwog Priest who plays exactly like Rhasta but looks extremely different. For the most part, the heroes will also have the same skills. I ran into the Tidehunter who is now called the Kraken and had his regular Dota skills with a different ultimate. The item creation also feels intact but I found myself a little lost since this was my first time going through all the shops. S2 games has helped to alleviate this by allowing you to click on an item and immediately see the items needed for the recipe, as opposed to looking through all the shops to find the correct items. This was a very noob-friendly transition as I knew what I was supposed to be doing but didn't know where the items were. The game's performance is spot on and overall I am content with the pacing of the game. The 30 to 40 minute games are still there.

HoN also offers many other unique features that Dota cannot due to its mod nature. Sever side hosting provides some very much needed lag-free gameplay. Lag has been a heavy issue as well since every attack, spell or click matters in the game. HoN also includes new maps so that the original Dota map isn't the only field that players can take part in. There is even an anti map-hacking system which will detect any third part programs that allows players to see the other teams through the fog of war. This was another big issue with games as it ruined the fairness for the other players. Throw in some familiar Dota features like denials, last hits, assists, different modes (Single Draft, Random Draft, All Random, Easy Modes), stat tracking, new auto-balance features and you have yourself a game worth staying for. The best part about all of it? The game is only 30 bucks with preorders giving you some added goodies.

Achievements: A Double-Edge Sword

2009-07-30T17:27:00.008-05:00

When Microsoft announced back in 2005 that the Xbox 360 was going to include achievements, the press were skeptical about such a feature (and quite possibly still are). Boasting big features like the 360's player-created content and Xbox Live Arcade, achievements seemed like more of an afterthought, than the focus. Fast foward to today where achievements have changed how we play our videogames in the new millennium. For as long as I can remember, games have always been about fun and storytelling. The incentive to go out and grab the next big title was because you wanted to play it, not get the achievements for it. In the grand scheme of things, these achievement points might inflict more bad habits than fun features.

Sure they provide a great social aspect to games. I will not argue with this, in fact I think its one of the 360's greatest ideas. You can compare yourself to others and help reach the in-game goals together or even talk about how you got them together. We are social creatures, us millennials. We like having all of our information and personal business right out there for everyone to see. Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, you name it gamers are associated with it too. It is a great form of interaction and I think these social aspects have created rich new social environments for our benefit. MMOs are thriving with it and websites are dedicated to it.

Gamers are aggressive by nature. The games we play are cutthroat and promote competition, whether its First-Person Shooters or Real-Time Strategy games. I can recall many nights of Halo smack talk between my brothers and I and sometimes one of us ended up with a busted lip (me). The battle of wits and skill is a constant selling point for games. The industry has become so aware of this that games don't even need a singleplayer story mode even. Xbox achievements have created monsters out of some of us by accident and it is with this in mind that I am not attacking achievements, just questioning the outcome that they bring out. Gamerscores have become the videogame world's pissing contest. The more Gamerscore, the more hardcore you are.

This is also another negative stigma with videogames nowadays. Marketing has split the industry apart and tried to categorize just what gamers are; Casual, Core/Hardcore or whatever label they want to put on us, it all seems so dense. Just how hardcore do you have to be, to be considered "hardcore"? Not every Call of Duty player is out there playing Gears or Halo because they are hardcore. They're out there paying Civilization, or trying out the latest puzzle game on the DS too. I'm getting ahead of myself here, lets back it up.

As I turned on my PS3 the other day I felt uneasy about sinking in more of my time into an RPG that is going to take forever like Persona 4 because I wouldn't get any recognition for it. And it is in that thinking that I immediately stopped that train of thought to pursue it further. For years, I had boasted myself as an RPG player, but was at a crossroads where I felt like I should have been playing for achievements and trophies instead of enjoying a game as wonderful as Persona 4. I've been arguing with myself about where is my time going, and do I really want to play a game for hours and hours without being credited for it? It's a shame that it has come down to that question, for me even. I usually don't let trends and social communities taint my way of thinking but for once, I was upset about having to make that choice. For some, this isn't a problem but for most adults with families, wives, jobs, it in fact is and I'm sure game developers would agree since they are working in their respected careers just like any other person out there.

I also took a look at my collection. My PS3 games were nothing but Playstation exclusives and my 360 was the dominant force with exclusives and multi-platform titles, all for the sake of achievements. This is also what could be hurting the Playstation 3's sales since I feel like I had already invested my time into getting so many achievements. Now Sony is telling me I can get trophies this late in the game? Not to mention, they weren't retroactive so I lost out on Uncharted, Heavenly Sword and Metal Gear Solid 4 trophies.

I even examined my habits and what I have been playing lately. RPGs take forever to finish and I think with the idea of achievements taking longer to obtain, it becomes difficult to complete them and even finishing the games themselves. We've seen the effects of marriage and kids on the gaming hobby, but achievements also come into play if you're thinking about playing a quick game of Call of Duty instead of finishing Valkyria Chronicles.

In my struggle to finding a balance between my hobby and the needless social interaction of it, I realized that I am my own worst enemy. I shouldn't care about people seeing my achievements or trophies, but rather, enjoy the game I purchased and forget about sharing it with online strangers. The incentive to playing games shouldn't be more incentives, but rather the enjoyment they bring us.

C&C 4 Incoming

2009-07-11T06:00:00.007-05:00

I recently took a survey for the Command & Conquer team that literally took up atleast 30 minutes to complete. About halfway through the survey, I bumped into 2 questions in particular that revealed just what exactly C&C4 is going to be all about.

First up is the description to the epic 15-year dramatic conclusion to the Tiberium series, which I wasn't too crazy about in the first place. The features don't sound too bad though.

Does this mean no more Kane? :(

Getting into the specifics a bit, they displayed what C&C4 could be. I like many of these could-bes but I'm hoping they really change up the gameplay a bit since C&C 3 and RA3 didn't really do it for me. I blame Dawn of War II and Company of Heroes for being so awesome. Anyway, heres the screen.

Class-based teams sounds interesting, DD LFG.

What I would really like to see from the Command and Conquer series is another C&C: Generals! I want to rape and pillage with my overlord tanks! "Overlord Ready"

-Frank

Aion Beta Impressions

2009-06-24T16:37:00.018-05:00

There are many MMOs to look forward to in the near future. Bioware's Star Wars: The Old Republic looks to completely revamp MMOs narritively, while Champions Online takes a new angle on their superhero MMO. One game in particular has been on my radar for 2 years now and I've been keeping a close eye on its progress. Aion is scheduled to release in September of this year so it won't be too much longer that we get to experience it. I recently took advantage of a promotion Gamestop is having for Aion. A reservation for 5 bucks gets you a beta code that you can instantly add to your PlayNC account. I recently joined Aion for its second beta here in the US and it has exceeded my expectations so far.

The starting classes available are warrior, scout, mage and preist. In general MMO fashion these classes will allow two other class trees to travel down.

Warriors > Gladiators (DPS) or Templars (Tank)

Scouts > Rangers (DPS) or Assassins (One-shots)

Rangers > Sorcerers (Nukers) and Spiritmasters (Summoners)

Priests > Clerics (Super Healers) and Chanters (Group Buffs)

Choosing a class shows the characters in full armor

I started with the character customization which immediately fascinated me with the number of hairstyles and face options alone. If I remember correctly the count for the female hairstyles was around forty something and the male was twenty something. The possibilities were endless, not only were the faces different enough from each numbered selection, but you could then tweak them right down to their specific characteristics.

You can literally spend hours tweaking a character if you wanted

The sliders shown are solely for the face, the body had its own sliders

The difference in customization is staggering, I saw small Asmodians....

and large ones.

Finally I was ready to take Diablos out for our first crusade. We spoke with NPCs and smashed bugs and raided enemy camps to retrieve our supplies. The grind didn't feel so difficult since the bulk of the experience was coming primarily from quests. It also seems that for the people who do prefer grinding kills instead of questing could choose to do so. I saw a good amount of people killing the Spriggs instead of taking back our supplies.

Your basic starting armor

Spriggs didn't stand a chance

Attacking was done with a simple click of the mouse. While it has the same 'ol auto-attacking mechanic that MMOs are known for, Aion throws an added feature that reminds me of Age of Conan. Upon reaching level 5, my second ability actually became a follow-up skill to my first skill, Ferocious Strike. After unleashing my attack on the enemy the second skill, Robust Blow, popped up on both the screen and in place of my Ferocious Strike on the skill bar, letting me know I could chain them together. I explored this further and even checked out the skill tree which showed that you may be able to chain many skills together. All you had to do was click on the second skill wherever it was available (3 spots, I counted) and you were on your way to doing some pretty sweet combos.

Skill tree displays attack combos

Robust blow in action

On the subject of combat I also acquired a skill called Shield Defense which literally changed my stance until I used another skill or deactivated it. This helped to block lots of incoming damage while the cooldown to my skills refreshed. It was a welcome change and I think it definitely works for Aion.

Activating shield block changes the character stance

Aion has 2 opposing factions, the Asmodians and the Elyos. Both live on different continents of the world, and they are separated into three zones; Elysea, Asmodae and The Abyss which is a neutral zone where the factions will clash. Lets also not forget that the game has a third server-controlled faction, the Balaur which are a race of dragons that will randomly attack either side. Some videos have captured these beasts flying through the air and it seems like they may also be used to balance the game if one side is overpowering too much, too often. That is just a guess but I can see this having some major changes for both sides.

The World Map; top left displays world location

The server-controlled Balaur

Since you play alongside your Asmodians or Elyos, you can duel with other characters who choose to accept. This was introduced to Lineage II late in the game but that didn't stop everyone from PVPing with friends or curious players. I challenged a fellow Asmodian to a duel and he humbly accepted. We were both at level 6 so it seemed fair to ask. 3 seconds later we were crossing swords. I stuck to my 2 big hits and switching to block strategy while the challenger flailed his sword on me. I kept using my debuff which lowered his defense and followed up by chaining my 2 skills together and switching to my block stance afterwards. Within moments he was defeated and I had more than half my health. Maybe I had better gear, but it seemed apparent; using your character's skills and stances correctly can significantly make a difference.

PVP via duel

As for flight, I didn't reach level 10 in the limited time I had to play. The betas last about 3 to 4 days every time they are up so I should be able to see more of it when the beta reopens. I did get to use their fancy teleport which zips you across the land in realtime. You can't control where you fly to but the view was pretty great.

This cinematic was off of a completed quest

Teleporting is actually flight driven

In Lineage II fashion, people could set up personal stores wherever they pleased, selling anything they wanted to get rid of. Some were bargains and some rip offs, so keeping an eye on the items and what they cost is going to be helpful. Essentially people can leave their character online overnight selling their old gear (unless its character bound) for profit; the seller wins, and in many instances, so does the buyer.

Binding items provides a sweet animation

Stores display any message users want

Getting around was surprisingly easy. Even though the map only cleared the places you visited, the minimap and world map were pretty helpful. I was killing and collecting things with ease and this might have been largely due to the fact that the interface was pretty easy to read. When you received quests, names , locations and key items were clickable and contained all the information you needed to know about them. There was even a 'Locate' option that made it easy to know where things were. I was flying through quests rather quickly. I even found a cleric to party with which made leveling that much easier.

There's that handy Locate button

Region map being cleared off

Armor comes in sets but literally has multiple slots for accessories etc.

Aion is scheduled to go into closed beta #3 on July 2nd. I also looked up to see if Aion would be available through Steam, now that they have a decdicated PlayNC section and that is an affirmative. No prices yet as to what the digtal copy will go for. If you haven't reserved your physical copy, I would suggest doing so to get an early preview of this epic MMO.

-Frank

E3 Funnel

2009-06-19T03:55:00.003-05:00

Review: Plants vs Zombies

2009-06-11T01:09:00.010-05:00

It's no doubt that Zombies are right on top of the gamer's enemy list, right next to Nazi's, Robots, and evil corporations. Zombies are everywhere; They're in music, on TV, T-shirts, tattoos and now even on my computer screen! It's Plants vs Zombies and it has been taking up the bulk of my gaming time. My dead, decaying, brain-hungry, walking little secret was only a click away!

Pop Cap is definitely going to be a game developer to watch. Sure, they dabble in quick little easy to play arcade games but they are really well thought out fun arcade games! Take Plants vs Zombies for instance where they give you their take on tower defense, it's quick, easy and it's tower defense and Warcraft III knows I love me some tower defense. So the basic setup is pretty easy, plant sunflowers to receive more sun, and plant more plants to strengthen your defense against the invading zombies. As you progress through different levels you gain new plants that you can mix and match for strategic purposes.

The backyard adds a pool for added strategy

The Ultimate Defense, Tall Wallnuts!

Collecting cards may have brought in the addictive element since I am a collector of many things. The strategy comes with the initial 7 slots you have. Completing stages gives you new cards as you progress with the story mode. You then reach a card cap and have to choose from over 30 different types of plants to use against the zombies. It is really quite simple and begins to take an interesting turn as you reach the second level, where you play during the night and no longer receive as much sun power. You have to rely on your Sun-shrooms and newly acquired spores to fend off the midnight zombies. What was really great about the game was that a new zombie type was added after every stage, so not only are you juggling with new plants to play with but you have new types of zombies to kill and learn from. You are then transported to your backyard where there is a pool and finally your roof which both provide new tactics.

Watch out for those graveyards later

This is Crazy Dave, your crazy next door neighbor

who has some great stuff for sale, like extra slots!

Lets face it, zombie games are usually serious and include heavy horror elements but Plants vs Zombies is good 'ol light humor. The artwork is fresh and the game is teeming with possibilities which Pop Cap definitely took advantage of. PvZ is filled with loads of mini games, and side elements that pack so much extra content for this title. Even your second run-through provides more challenges since you not only have new cards but the game adds extra little challenges. For a small game packing so much content for $9.99 this game is a steal, unless you wait around till Steam offers it for their weekend deals.

Its time like these that I need a Charry Bomb

Overall, the hours I have sunk into this game have been enjoyable and repetition wasn't a factor because it offers new things to do every step of the way. I was pleasantly surprised by this little gem and its the reason downloadable titles are becoming even more popular. Conclude this game with zombies singing along to the end theme and you got a winner.....that's right, there's a song.

Grade: Favorable

Did you know....

2009-05-21T11:03:00.010-05:00

The Neogaf forums are teeming with interesting information. You find many rants and what I like to call gamer snobs in the forums but I came across an interesting one I found was worth sharing. I stumbled upon a thread that started off pretty boring but snowballed into a legendary thread. Showcasing many mind blowing facts that range from NES games to our current favorites, many minds were blown. Post #70 came and changed our lives forever....

We begin with Super Mario Bros on NES, which contained an interesting fact that many of us might haved missed the first time around. . . .the clouds were the same model as the bushes, just recolored.

Moving on. . . . judging from an in-game screen shot and a picture of the instruction manual, it seems Metroids first made their appearance in Kid Icarus back on the NES.

Mega Man 2 also held a small surprise. In an otherwise tiled background, the big dipper can be seen right before the door to Crash Man.

If you look around Donkey Kong's treehouse in DK64, you see a red girder from the original Donkey Kong, Cranky's phonograph from Donkey Kong Country, and a painting of a dolphin which was the code name given to the Gamecube.

Grand Theft Auto IV seems to have taken its font from an unlikely source.

Here is another way to look at the Half Life logo

Left 4 Dead's logo can literally be seen here in an x-ray during Chapter 2.

Taking a closer look at Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo's cover-art reveals Dhalsim hidden in E. Honda's hundred hand slap.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game reveals that Michaelangelo was a comic book enthusiast, as the Watchman logo can be seen on the bottom of his board. The Watchmen graphic novel was actually released around the same time so this could explain the bridge.

Nintendo likes to throw winks from its first party titles throughout their games. In The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of time, after meeting Princess Zelda for the first time as Child Link, a peek into a nearby window at different angles reveals three very interesting portraits decorating the wall of Hyrule Castle - say hello to Super Mario, Bowser and Luigi.

On a same note, in Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, taking a closer look at the masks might have helped us to see this connection. . . .

To the Left, we have the level "Silent Cartagropher"from Halo 1, and to the right, the last level in Halo 3 titled "Halo".

Pokemon and its many sequels all take place in actual Japanese provinces.

On the same note, World of Warcraft might have taken a page from pokemon's book. . .

And last but not least. Glados from Portal was seen as the enemy, the antagonist, who broke free from human clutches and went berserk in the facility. A closer look could reveal otherwise....

And there you have it, some great video game facts from the Neogaf boards. Definately worth a look as I left out many, many other tidbits. You can find the link to the forum here http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=232550

-Frank

Quickies Announcement

2009-05-02T04:16:00.009-05:00

Here at Level Up we find ourselves out battling sea creatures and reigning down fire on the unworthy as we travel the lands on our mighty steeds. For this reason we have decided to bring you Level Up blog's first feature, Quickies. We shall send our news, tied to a falcon who will cross earth and bloody sky to bring you word of our travels and discoveries. Let us laugh in the face of time Muahahaha...Muahahahahahaaaaa....Muahahahaaahaaahaaaaaah

WCG Ultimate Gamer

2009-05-01T04:42:00.016-05:00

WCG Ultimate Gamer's season finale just ended recently and I've been reserving my judgement till the end since I was on the fence about it. WCG Ultimate Gamer aired on the Sci Fi channel and ran 8 episodes complete with scenester drama, ridiculous challenges, and dare I say, some pretty hot gamer chicks?

Not all was lost. I actually enjoyed the show aside from the douchebaggery (more about that later). WCG had gamers running through real-life and game challenges at the same time to compete for the ultimate prize, $100,000, the ultimate Samsung package and a chance to be sent to China for the WCG International finals to compete on Team USA? I forget the details but it was probably because I had major product placement shoved down my throat ( again, more on that laters). WCG actually did a lot of things right for a gaming competiton. For one, they did a really good job of actually showing the gameplay between the matches and how they progressed as opposed to just showing "exciting game sequences" and intercutting them with the "gamer reactions". Biggest offender? MLG. The commentary to it wasn't so bad either, I didn't hate the hosts like I thought I would. I guess after seeing so much gaming on TV fail so bad, I expected to really hate the show and to be honest I didn't.

The show had its ups and downs for the group morality. I'm not completely sure if I needed the "drama" to keep me watching. What forced a lot of the gamers to hate or like eachother was the fact that the one who performed best had a choice to send whoever they wanted against the last place loser. So this made a lot of the them nervous, angry, and scared for the most part but overall I still didn't see a real reason to have a system like that in there, unless the producers wanted to push the drama in there to keep the ratings going?

Comin back to that douchebaggery. Trash/shit/smack talkers are annoying as hell and Zofag123, or Jamal, looks like he could use an asswhooping. The dude was making claims that were complete B.S. I actually question as to why a 30 year-old dumbf**k would constantly poke a fight with a 20 year-old about "whos got the skills" or however he tried to spin it. I found myself rooting for Swoozie and Prod1gy since there were tight. The only other downer was the constant ads. They plaayed in the Samsung arena, played bluetooth challenges on Samsung phones, won a Samsung phone to call home with, and played on Samsung TVs. I own one myself but the product placement was annoying after the 3rd episode. They stuck in commercials for the headsets they were using but I care less to even look up what brand it was.

Was it worth putting in the time to watch it? Sure. Would I reccomend it? Sure. The guys and girls on there are professional gamers in their respective fields and it was good to watch. It still doesnt have that "it" factor to really make us feel proud about playing games but its a start. Hopefully they can make some significant changes to the second season and make it passable, instead of just watchable.

Missed out on the season? You can catch all the episodes and extras at Hulu.com.

Review: Resident Evil 5

2009-04-09T17:22:00.014-05:00

Resident Evil 5 is a small step in a different direction. Where fans are familiar with certain themes and gameplay mechanics, RE5 may be called quite the opposite. Take it from someone who has completed the story mode and is on his second run to rack up those darn achievements. Resident Evil 5 while different, still brings the fun and excitement in zombie carnage.

RE5 has received its fair share of criticism over the years, mainly because of its “tank controls”. The game takes place in a different setting and still sports the same type of gameplay. For one the “tank controls” are now “turret controls” because you are unable to move and shoot at the same time. This has been increasingly frustrating for a game that is now grouped in the action-horror category. More about that genre jumble later. For a game that is supposed to be faster paced and more action-heavy, RE5 still persists on dragging the gameplay a bit by making you have to stand still when you aim and shoot at enemies. This was actually a breath of fresh air a couple of years ago but with today’s advancements in technology and what is expected from games now, leaves Capcom with no excuse. Dead Space which was a smash hit, actually gave the survival-horror genre a jump start and a fresh new look on how scary shooters are supposed to be done. Being able to move and shoot should have seriously been considered by the minds at Capcom.

This also leads to the slight disappointment with the genre not staying true to its roots. The Resident Evil series has been branded the leading survival-horror game since its inception. RE5 actually has nothing to really be afraid of. The game is set in Africa, in broad daylight. You see your enemies coming and the scariness of being trapped in a mansion, or a train, or a city full of zombies even, is gone. The campaign is now completed with an A.I. partner or a co-op buddy. The survival-horror title is no more in RE5. Action-horror, or just Action seems more fitting. While the story is nothing spectacular it does provide a lot of answers to the lore and stories from the other games. You might also say that with today’s endings, this is definitely an ending fit for a Resident Evil game.

The A.I. can be a bit inconsistent at times. Your A.I. partner reacts to your attacks and snipes heads really well but there are times when Sheva won’t pick up ammo laying on the floor or assist in opening the crates nearby to help free-up time in critical situations. I have experienced worse but I wish they would have given this area some more polish. I found myself being robbed of my achievements simply because she was either taking my kills or made me miss my opportunity in one way or another. The enemy A.I. was a bit on the “why would you do that” side. Yes they are mindless zombies, but if they are smart enough to use guns and take cover, why would they not try to run for cover when they see me blowing their friend to smithereens right beside them? Left 4 Dead taught us that when zombies are running at you, they’re going to claw at you with all their might. RE5’s zombies actually stopped running to start walking toward you 5 feet away. This just felt hypocritical in a way since they were just running for you.

These little flaws pail in comparison to how great and fun the game really is. Resident Evil 5 looks fantastic. The environments are hyper realistic and help set the mood. Whether you are traversing through a barren village, fighting a giant sea monster in the middle or a rainy ocean or fighting a swamp village of zombies, you can’t help but marvel at its beauty. While some character models are repeated you really can’t be angry at Capcom for coming up with some realistic looking and moving character models. I couldn’t get over how great a job they did with the coloring of the African Americans. In video games we have come across black characters and have identified them by the dark color in their skin but there is something about RE5's zombies that look absolutely incredible in their true-to-life depictions. I was literally in awe at how wonderful these characters looked.

The arcadey-feel that is presented in RE5 is the single most significant reason you will have to play this game. It provides you with strong replayability and a stellar campaign. Checkpoints are spread out very well so a section doesn’t feel too long especially if you feel yourself dying too much. The chapters and sections provide you with those bite-sized 10-20 minute sessions if you are usually short on time. The inventory system has improved in a way since you are able to have your A.I. partner Sheva, pick them up if you aren’t able to carry them. I also enjoyed being able to buy new weapons and items from the store. Upgrading your arsenal between chapters and death screens made the overall experience very enjoyable.

RE5 also provides you with a lot of extras and after-action trophies. Seeking out treasures and emblems for in-game achievements is a great reason for a second playthrough but RE5 offers many other incentives. Alternate costumes, infinite ammo locks and unlockable new weapons all beg you for a second playthrough. And if that wasn’t enough, Mercenaries Mode returns! I actually had a lot of fun with this back when it was introduced in RE4 but they have certainly beefed it up for its second iteration. I only wish there were more playable characters but playing mercenaries co-op with a friend is definitely satisfying. If only the campaign was split-screen as well.

The game is definitely more fun than it is frustrating. When you are provided with so much variety and built-in value, you lose sight of the little nit-picky arguments one may try to build against it. While the story may be a bit predictable, it still provides some great insight to the story of the series. RE5 is gorgeous, fun and definitely worth playing.

Grade: Favorable

Onlive - The Future of Gaming?

2009-03-25T07:22:00.004-05:00

Just when we thought gaming had hit a critical milestone with web-broswer games on Kongregate.com or Instantaction.com, a new service plans to surpass cloud gaming and take on the 3 console gaming giants themselves. At GDC 09', Steve Perlman presented a 55 minute introduction to this service that's been in "stealth development" for the past 7 years.

Onlive is a new service that is set to come out in Winter of this year. It is a games on demand service, that will be releasing titles the same day as they hit store shelves. Rent them, buy them, demo them or even spectate someone playing them before you buy; Onlive is determined to take advantage of their streaming features. Complete with your own profile that includes avatars and your recorded "brag clips" they've made it a social experience as well. All it requires is a high-speed internet connection. 5mb will get you streams in HD resolutions while 1.5mb will translate to a standard def look. Perlman also explains that Onlive will be supported on both PC and Macs and will have an optional Micro-Console for your TV. Essentially you won't have to worry about your computer's hardware because the Onlive servers will take care of all that information crunching for you. Your machine becomes a "thin client" capable of running games on their high settings. The beta will be running this summer so the signups are available at their site, Onlive.com.

This brings up a couple of things to think about. Will the latency break the service? Gamers are picky, picky little girls and I could see this being a problem if the lag is significant enough to ruin the game. This is definately what could be the make or break feature for them. Onlive also will patch and update automatically so no need for waiting, downloads, and most importantly, no need to purchase new hardware which could be a direct blow to the Big 3. Is a possibly more affordable micro-console that plays any game from any system enough to win over your wallet? Could this be the beginning of the unified console myth that we've read about? Will Batman escape from the shark infested tank? Tune in next time to find out!

Level Up Awards 2008

2009-03-10T14:58:00.020-05:00

Welcome to the first annual Level Up awards! After about 5 months of trying out everything on these lists, I wanted to compile something fun and entertaining. Initially, I had a more ambitious project planned for this but it requires too much time and resources. Something I will probably leave for next year. But on to the awards! I have to say 2008 was an extraordinarily good year for games. We saw epic final battles unfold after 10 years of storytelling (MGS4), we witnessed the birth of a brand new genre (Mirror's Edge), monster sequels (Gears 2, GTA4) and the invigoration of old ones (Fallout 3). This year also solidified the existence of downloadable games and that even handheld games can make big waves in the industry. The Wii is an unstoppable powerhouse, the 360 thrives in Japan and Ps3 barely starts to catch up. Meanwhile the PC quietly makes millions through digital distribution!

The nominees all deserve high praise for their hard work. Always raising the bar and yet bringing back familiar themes we love. I had a great time playing all of them and I feel it shouldn't have to come down to just one winner. I kept the list short and stuck with genre because they give a general feel as opposed to "best PS3 game" etc. Those aren't as interesting to me. All categories include all systems if applicable. And now, without further adeui, the 2008 Level Up Awards!

The Nominees are...

1. Bionic Commando Rearmed

2. Castle Crashers

3. Mega Man 9

4. Braid

5. Geometry Wars 2

6. Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo HD Remix

And the Winner is....

Castle Crashers stole my heart the second I saw the intro. What I loved about it was the arcadey feel it gave off and sparked fond memories to the days of Gauntlet. Finally, an XBLA game that I can play with 4 of my friends while sitting in the same room. Castle Crashers was fun everytime I picked it up and it provides superior replayability. Character unlocks, pets, and new weapons are all just some of the incentives to keep playing. With the ability to level up your character and customize his strengths, you can't argue with how great a game this is.

The Nominees are...

1. Chrono Trigger DS

2. God of War: Chains of Olympus

3. Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia

4. Final Fantasy: Crisis Core

5. Patapon

6. Professor Layton and the Curious Village

And the Winner is...

Call me a sucker for Final Fantasy games but no one can argue about the epic story jammed into this little UMD. Where the other Compilations of Final Fantasy games failed, Crisis Core redeemed the name. Crisis Core has the best visuals I've seen on a PSP and with it comes great gameplay that mixed RPG with turn-based elements. The introduction of Zack Fair as a main character was a fresh new perspective to the usually-gloomy story plots. There is hope for the FF7 universe afterall.

The Nominees are...

1. Valkyria Chronicles

2. Advance Wars: Days of Ruin

3. Red Alert 3

4. Tom Clancy's Endwar

5. Sins of a Solar Empire

And the Winner is...

Valkyria was a fresh new experience. Who knew I could get my action-rpg, strategy, epic anime fix all in one place? I'm okay with turn based combat, but throwing in active movement and strategy elements completely sold it for me. I wish they could have let you done more with the customization of your armies but this game could open up a whole new grey area of multiplayer. Sadly it got crushed in the onslaught of game releases in the November-December window. I hope it has legs for the unfortunate souls who have yet to experience its majesty.

The Nominees are...

1. Persona 4

2. Fallout 3

3. Tales of Vesperia

4. Fable 2

5. The Witcher: Enhanced Edition

And the Winner is...

The hours I have sunk into this game are scary. At this point in time I haven't even completed it but I've been staying away from the main quest line since I've read it stops the game. Yes there's a patch out but I wanna finish it correctly! Fallout does feel like Oblivion with guns but it does alot of new things right. They definately captured the Fallout universe really well and give you that sense of walking alone in the wasteland which is something we all need to experience atleast once in our lifetime.

The Nominees are...

1. Gears of War 2

2. Call of Duty: World at War

3. Resistance 2

4. Left 4 Dead

5. Grand Theft Auto 4

And the winner is...

Left 4 Dead is special. Valve totally nailed the fun in the multiplayer department. You can't have replayability without a fun multiplayer and it seems Valve had this in mind. Co-op campaigns are always fun, so when they incorporated the multiplayer experience into that I was skeptical at first but it totally works with both the pacing and the gameplay. Left 4 Dead was definately a new enjoyable experience. With new free maps and modes coming, you can't go wrong.

The Nominees are...

1. Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures

2. World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King

3. Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning

And the Winner is...

Warhammer online caught me by surprise. I didn't expect an MMO game to feel so easy and stress-free. People could argue about balancing issues and end-game content all they want but those issues plague almost every MMO out there. Warhammer is the first title to even come close to WOW and I commend them for it. They introduced public quests, capitalized on RVR combat and gave you great incentives like achievements and live events. Warhammer had a great launch and remains to be a tough competitor.

The Nominees are...

1. Dead Space

2. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots

3. Mirror's Edge

4. Grand Theft Auto 4

5. Prince of Persia

And the Winner is...

You have to hand it to Rockstar for being the studio that tends to keep pushing the boundaries and playing with your perceptions and moral values. GTA4 took that sandbox game we all know and love and gave life to it. I've never seen a city feel so alive and real as Liberty City, it's the ultimate playground. You learn to even care for Niko Bellic, the tragic yet funny protaganist. The animation and dialogue are superb, you truly feel like you are making conscious decisions with the people you call your friends. Rockstar never seems to dissapoint and has been the most consistent innovater.

The Nominees are...

1. Left 4 Dead

2. Far Cry 2

3. Gears of War 2

4. Resistance 2

5. Call of Duty: World at War

And the Winner is...

Gears of War 2 blew my expectations out of the water. Based on the campaign from part 1 you would think they would stick some kind of generic storyline to a bland plot but Gears 2 definately broke through that stigma. They added new enemies and new weapons sure, but they changed the perception to the Gears universe and really brought you into this visceral world. The pacing was unstoppable. I felt like I didn't want to put the controller down because I'm in the middle of a movie and I wanted to see what happened. Add an already stellar multiplayer mechanic with it's own set of upgrades and you got yourself a winner.

The Nominees are...

1. Fable 2

2. Grand Theft Auto 4

3. Fallout 3

4. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots

5. Left 4 Dead

6. Gears of War 2

7. Dead Space

8. Call of Duty: World at War

And the Winner is...

Metal Gear Solid 4, what an emotional journey. Tying up all the loose ends for the past 10 years and marrying it with a great new control scheme and innovative gameplay. Hideo Kojima has really captured the art of storytelling and no video game comes close when it comes to the genre. You feel the cycle of life pass through this game and the controversial topics it covers. I was thinking to myself how incredible it is that you only really play as snake 2 times out of the 4 games. The cutscenes are beautiful and so realistic in their execution. I couldn't believe the amount of work that was put into such a huge project. The Metal Gear series ended Solid Snake's story with a powerful and enthralling ending. Well done Mr. Kojima, well done.

So there you have it. After 2 weeks of fighting with my busy schedule I bring you the first Annual Level Up Awards. 2009 seems to be just as promising and I look foward to bringing you my ambitious project in the future.

-Frank

Aion Scheduled for Fall 2009

2009-02-22T00:54:00.012-06:00

NCSoft has many great titles under it's belt but Aion looks to be the most ambitious yet. I've been anticipating this title for quite some time now and finally theres a confirmation for this year. The Aion Community Manager Lani "Liv" Blazier presents us with a letter from Lance Stites....

Originally Posted by Liv
Hello everyone,

I'd like to thank you for your patience while I collected feedback, comments and suggestions from various Aion communities' across Europe and North America. I used this information to create a list of questions that I felt needed to be addressed right away by our development team. This list does not cover all of your questions, I realize this, but I wanted to provide what information is available at present. The rest I am still working on.

I have spent the last week discussing the current state of morale within the community and the general excitement for the game with our production team and after reviewing the community report, one member in particular wanted to address you all directly. I would like to introduce you to Lance Stites, Executive Producer of NCsoft West's Game Production Studio.

Greetings to all, As Executive Producer, my responsibilities include preparing and supporting the launch and ongoing operations of product for the "Western" market—including North America and Europe. I've worked with NCsoft since 2001, including 5 years in the Austin office and after a brief time away from the company I returned to spend almost a year in the European office. I've worked to launch or support multiple products or expansions, including the Lineage and City of Heroes franchises.

As you've probably seen, NCsoft West is undergoing restructuring which involves the relocation of certain key staff. We're building a dedicated production studio to support titles like Aion and the Lineage franchise. We've added Lani "Liv" Blazier as our Aion Community Manager recently and she is already taking an extremely active role within the community. Within the MMO community, this role is of vital importance and great to have someone who understands the importance of the player base and will be a tireless advocate of the community needs. Liv has spent the past several days gathering information and answers that are important to the community. We want to continue this open dialogue with the players and look forward to more as we move toward and past our Aion launch.

We really have an exciting time ahead of us in regards to ongoing updates to existing products, new releases on the horizon, and closer cooperation and coordination between the European and North American territories.

Cordially yours,

Lance Stites
Executive
Producer, Game Production Studio
NCsoft West

The Community Team is
committed to listening and responding to your needs. Please find below the answers to 5 questions that I wanted to make you had answers to sooner, rather than later.

1) When will Aion be released in North America/Europe?
We expect to ship Aion in NCsoft West territories in the fall of 2009.

2) Why is localization taking so long?
The localization effort is enormous, with a vast amount of content. Aion is not simply being translated, a team of dedicated content writers are re-creating the written dialogue and content to provide AAA quality and to ensure that it is culturally relevant for our audience. We are going to do this launch "right" rather than fast.

3) Has a date been set for our Preview Event?
While we are not ready to release specific details regarding the Preview Event, we can tell you that participants will include those who signed up at last year at FJV, PAX and Leipzig. We will also be extending invites to long time NCsoft customers and dedicated legions. As we get closer, we will be offering more opportunities for fans to get signed up for this exclusive event.

4) Will there be community support for Europe?
Absolutely. We realize that many in the community were surprised with our announcement regarding the consolidation of the North American and European operations. We are deeply committed to our European community and will have native speaking Community Coordinators for our supported languages (English,German & French).

5) Will there be servers for each region?
We will have servers physically located both in Europe and North America for launch. We know you have more questions and they are being addressed. My goal is to have another update for your within the next few weeks.

Thank you,

Liv
Community Manager, Aion

Aion looks amazing. If you get around to it, check out some of their gameplay videos online. Too much awesomeness for this blog...too much.

-Frank

Killzone 2 Demo Impressions

2009-02-14T15:34:00.007-06:00

So I've come to the realization that Killzone has become a flagship franchise for the PS3 and I applaud them for it. Sony has been losing exclusives left and right for quite some time now, and I'm glad they are fighting back. This whole console war between the 360 and PS3 is like watching your kids fight, you want them both to put up a fight, but you don't want either of them to lose. I'm not a fanboy, or a hater as some would love to put it. I don't hate the Wii for that matter. I've always loved games, growing up, and having discovered this ugly underbelly of the video game industry, makes me think sometimes I should have taken the blue pill. It's very depressing, watching these flame wars and people's fake Internet personas clash over stupid shit. When did this even start? Either way, I'm done trying to tell everyone games kickass no matter what but I'll probably be called a fanboy carebear, or whatever word has been coined for the week.

But enough ranting, I'm here to talk about Killzone 2 - The Halo Killer!!! (see what I did there?). I completed Killzone 1 back when it launched not because it was dubbed "The Halo Killer" but because it caught my interest. I actually liked the gameplay and whatever story there was to offer. Which brings me to the K2 demo. Was it awesome? You bet! Is it perfect? Well no.

My only gripe with the Killzone games is the controls. I have to admit it doesn't help when you come off COD and keep meleeing or throwing grenades when all you wanna do is aim. But they have a control style for just such a person! And I found that to be genuine of them, to acknowledge that there are different FPS games out there. But that's not my complaint. I found the sensitivity to need some major tweaking.

Games like COD and Halo or even Gears for that matter, have the controls figured out. You don't get frustrated when you see a guy and couldn't kill him because the controls didn't let you, and that's what Killzone did to me a few times. I feel like maybe an aim-assist wouldn't hurt, but getting the controls right would be better. FPS's suffer from really bad controls. You feel disconnected because your connection to the game is the controller and if that's not working, the game is going to get pretty annoying.

Killzone 2's controls aren't as bad as I thought they were going to be. With some tweaking to the controller sensitivity I was ready to murder some Helghast! I ran through the demo 3 times trying out new tactics and strategies. "Strategies you say?" Indeed, K2 has you taking cover and staying in first person view, which also isn't as bad as I thought it was gonna be. It feels like Time Crisis but way cooler since the setting is darker and more visceral. So I found myself testing out different tactics. Throwing grenades instead of rushing right in. Running around to knife a Helghast while he thought I was still in cover instead of having a fire fight with him. And all these worked out, I couldn't really exploit much from the A.I. so I was happy. After that all I had to do was take in the pretty lighting and amazing gameplay.

The K2 demo rushes you into battle, after you've just crash landed. You find yourself in the middle of a warzone and have no other choice but to fight back. So off you go shooting, and sprinting to cover. You pick up a rocket launcher and blow up some explosives on the bridge. This moment is what practically sold me. The particle effects and animation to this game are insane. They really did come close to that video they showed us a while back. I couldn't get over how pretty this game is. The sky and the ocean look so beautiful and alive. You continue down the path where real-time events are occurring and it's just so seamless. A squad gets dropped off in front of you and it's perfectly executed. You've played FPS's before, you know how this plays out, but K2 does it better. As a matter of fact K2 doesn't really do anything shooters haven't done before, but it does everything a little bit better. I'm not saying it does Halo better than Halo, but it looks, feels, and smells like what a shooter should do.

I didn't want the demo to end. Sadly, it's one of the shortest demos I've ever played but wow, what a great 10 minutes. I have no doubts this game will have trouble selling. If you've already purchases Warhawk, Uncharted, and MGS4, then add one more to the list because Killzone 2 is the shooter for the PS3.

-Frank

Hanbitsoft reads Level Up Blog

2009-02-09T22:12:00.006-06:00

It seems just like yeterday I was rambling on about Hellgate shutting down-well fear not! On January 26th Hanbitsoft claimed it will be continuing Hellgate's servers after Namco Bandai's Jan 31st shutdown date. Hanbisoft will be taking over the patching and updates and keep it going on it's FREE subscription model, how do you like that?

With the good news comes the bad of course. Dragon Age: Origins has been delayed to later this year. Expect to see this title in the "last half of 2009." While this is a bit of a pain to take in I think the flood of new titles throughout the year should keep us busy. If you're like me you still haven't picked up every single holiday title and are thinking "SF4, RE 5, Killzone 2, DOW 2, and Demigod are all within a month of releasing. . . .Holy S**T."

Note: My brother and I are cooking up a special feature for our games of 2008. While we are a bit late to the party, it's better late than never! Plus, it's more than just a list! (hopefully)

-Frank

Ex-1uppers update

2009-01-26T22:58:00.010-06:00

Talk about a comeback. The Rebel FM guys at eat-sleep-game.com have had mind blowing success and donation numbers that I'm happy to be a part of. Rising from the ashes of EGM/1UP the ex-1UP employees are making waves with their new homes.

Ryan Scott debuted his first Podcast on Jan 17th with guests Karen Chu, Ryan Higgins, Andrew Fitch, Greg Ford, and Ernie P. The Geekbox hit 10,000 downloads in under 29 hours! And the first podcast was epic. I look foward to episode 2 when its released on the 28th. Follow the link below to enter a soapbox of nerddom.

http://www.geekbox.net/

Also bouncing back are the ex-1up show production crew. Now known as Area 5, they released part 1 of their first show titled "CO-OP" on Jan 21st. The first episode brings together the crew and other fallen comrades for a discussion on 2008's biggest and notable titles. Feel free to check it out while its still free and we wish them all the very best. Follow the link to have a look see.

http://area5.tv/

-Frank

Dota Version 6.59

2009-01-26T16:04:00.005-06:00

The newest Dota version is here and have brought some pretty significant changes. Here are some of the highlights.

* Added a new subtle cooldown effect to make it a little clearer when spells are in cooldown and when they finish. This is mainly for long cooldown spells where it is sometimes difficult to tell. More work will be done in this area soon, but it needs a bit more time to make sure that anything extra is not visually intrusive. (PGRu-Unexpect3D)
* Reworked Enigma's Conversion (see details below)
* Added a new experimental mode -er (-ExperimentalRunes, see details below)
* Rebalanced Necrolyte's Heartstopper from 250/500/750/1000 AOE with 1% drain to 700/800/900/1000 AOE with 0.5/0.75/1/1.25% drain
* Abaddon now uses the Death Knight model instead of the Evil Arthas one (practically the same, but commonly requested)
* Increased model size of hexed units a bit

Here are the details to Enigma's Eidolons.

Demonic Conversion:
=====================
Splits any non-hero unit into three Eidolons, killing the targeted unit.Eidolon's can duplicate themselves once whenever they attack 6 times.

Lesser Eidolon/Eidolon/Greater Eidolon/Dire Eidolon (Same as before)

Cooldown: 35
Manacost: 170

Notes: It cannot target Level 5+ Neutral Creeps

Experimental Runes:
====================
This temporary mode changes the rune system to a more experimental one. I will be changing how -er works from version to version to try out different ideas. I don't plan on any one version of the new runes to replace the current system directly, so do not panic. Instead, it will be used as something to create discussion, spark ideas, find flaws and playtest different concepts over time. How -er works for this version: Runes spawn simultaneously on both sides at 3 minute intervals (instead of 2). Again I have no plans to make this permanant.

And Icefrog follows with a very important note....

Notes: I wanted to release this sooner rather than later because of some
important code fixes. I am planning on finishing the traditional .x9 quest for
v6.59b (along with some more balance tweaks) and then followed by TC in 6.60 if
everythings work out right.

Enjoy
-- IceFrog

Update: I'm getting lots of emails asking me what .x9 and TC are. Every 9
version there is a hidden side quest in the map. TC is the Tauren Chieftain hero
model.

A new Hero!! And the Tauren Chieftan to boot. One can only speculate what kind of stuff their going to do with the character model but I'm assuming he's still going to be a strength hero. Hope it works out. For any other improvements, you can find the rest of the changelog here http://getdota.com/changelogs/index/33

-Frank

Dawn of War II Inauguration

2009-01-21T01:12:00.016-06:00

Finally got my desktop up and running again. Seven media dvds and six installations later, heres what I have so far.

Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne

The Orange Box (TF2)

Sacred Gold

Fallout 2

Fallout Tactics

Tabula Rasa

Old school stuff I know, but I've been in the mood for it. And last but certainly not the least I'm currently updating...

Hell yes!! Can't wait to jump into the multiplayer. I took the hit and went ahead and purchased the Soulstorm add-on even though I could of sworn I owned the actual retail copy but my efforts were fruitless. Nonetheless I remedied that in no time thanks to Steam's 75% off leaving Soulstorm at a measley $7.50. I'm downloading the night away.

-Frank

Twitter, the newest form of gaming news?

2009-01-19T00:29:00.005-06:00

For those of us who scour the web in all it's forms and infinite information, reading blogs, forums and news sites, none have captured our free time as much as http://twitter.com/.

"If you aren't familiar with Twitter, it is one of those things, like MySpace, that sounds totally ridiculous and stupid when you first hear about it. But once you start using it, you realize how much fun it is."

-Eric Nuzum, Author of The Dead Travel Fast

In a nutshell, you either hate it or love it and until now Twitter has grown to a higher purpose. (for gamers anyway). Recently Sam Houston of QforQ.com fame decided to post up some Twitter URLs from game developers and video game press alike. Big name game developers have followed the calling and even started up new twitters simply because of the huge response it has recieved. If you're interested in taking a peek check out Sam's new site which needed its own website just to handle the tremendous amount of names and companies. http://gameindustrytweet.com/

Happy twittering!

-Frank

Dota Version 6.58

2009-01-13T00:46:00.014-06:00

The latest Dota map just landed and we've got the changelog with all the details right here. It's been a while since the last update and no wonder, they dropped a huge amount of changes on us. The most notable 2 underlined here---

First major change is a complete remake of Storm Spirit.

Storm Spirit:
==============

Attack Range: 500
Strength: 17 + 1.5
Agility: 22 + 1.8
Intelligence: 23 + 2.6
Movement Speed 295

Static Remnant
-----------------

Raijin creates a remnant of himself containing his essence. The Static Remnant will release its stored energy whenever an enemy units comes near it. Lasts up to 12 seconds.

Damage: 140/180/220/260
Trigger AOE: 210
Damage AOE: 260
Cooldown: 4
Manacost: 70/80/90/100

Takes 1 second to create after cast. This is not channeling, just time delayed.

Electric Vortex
-----------------

Storm focuses his energy to rip open a vortex drawing an enemy to it. This process slows the Storm Spirit down for a brief period.

Pulls 100/150/200/250 units over 1/1.5/2/2.5 seconds.
Your movement is reduced by 50% for 3 seconds.

Cast Range: 300
Manacost: 100
Cooldown: 20

Overload
---------

Storm Spirit becomes overloaded with electrical energy whenever he casts a spell. The charge is released on his next attack as an electrical burst, dealing damage and slowing nearby units.

Slow: 50% as 80% ms
Lasts 0.6 seconds (Same stats as old overload)
Bonus damage: 30/45/60/75AOE: 275

Ball Lightning
---------------

Storm Spirit becomes enveloped with energy, losing his physical form, and travels until he depletes his mana or chooses to stop. While in this form, he deals damage to nearby units based on how far his electrical form has traversed. Damage, speed and area of effect improves per level.

Stops traveling whenever you run out of mana. Deals damage in a small area around you based on distance traveled.

Damage: 8/12/16 per 100 units traveled
Manacost: (15 + 7% of total manabase) + mana based on distance traveled (10+1% per 100 units)
Cast Range: Global
Cooldown: 0

Travel speed and damage AoE improves per level.You can cast spells like Static Remnant during your roll if you are quick enough.Specific interactions with spells/projectiles follow the same rules as Waveform does.

Undying also got a pretty sweet overhaul. Check out the specs.

Dirge:
=======

Attack Range: 100
Strength: 25 + 2.1
Agility: 10 + 0.8
Intelligence: 27 + 2.8
Movement Speed

Cast Point 0.45
Hero Class: Strength

Decay
-------

Dirge saps away the strength of enemy heroes and retains it for a period of time.

Steals 4 Strength from each hero for 21/24/27/30 seconds
Deals 30/60/90/120 Magical Damage

Manacost 70/90/110/130
Cooldown 11/9/7/5
Cast Range 625
AOE: 300

Note: Often missed, note the cooldown

Soul Rip
---------

Redirects the flow of living energy through a target friend or foe, damaging them or healing them depending on how many units are near it. 25 for each unit.

This does not hurt zombies below since they are magic immune.
This can target your tombstone.

Unit Cap: 5/10/15/20
Cooldown: 25/20/15/10
Manacost: 50/75/100/125

Tombstone
----------

Unholy powers summon a cursed tombstone. Zombies will frequently spawn near each enemy unit and attack them. Zombies have a passive that additively slow their target by 7%. Zombies cannot be controlled.

Spawn area: 400/600/800/1000
Frequency: 3
Slow Duration: 2.5 seconds

Zombie Stats:
HP: 30
Armor: 0
Armor Type: Unarmored
Magic Resistance: ImmuneDamage: 37-45
Attack Type: Pierce
Attack Speed: 1.6
Movement Speed: 375
Bounty: 5-7

Deathlust: If the target the zombie is attacking is below 100/200/300/400 hit points, it gains 50% movement and attack speed bonus.

Tombstone Duration: 15/20/25/30
Tombstone HP: 150/300/450/600
Tombstone Armor: 10
Tombstone Armor Type: Medium
Tombstone Other Stats: Magic Immune, No regen.
Tombstone Bounty: 70/90/110/130

Cooldown: 60
Cast Range: 250
Manacost: 120/130/140/150

Flesh Golem
------------

Dirge's hatred for all living beings allows him to transform into a monster. While he's transformed he carries a plague that affects nearby enemy units. Strength of the plague depends on how close the enemy is. Amplifies damage enemy units receive and reduces their movement speed (7%). When a plagued unit dies, its essence is transferred back to the Undying.

Cooldown: 90
Duration: 30
Manacost: 100

Plague Aura Damage Amplification: (old plague was 20/25/30%)
at max distance (700): 5/10/15%
at closest distance (150): 20/25/30%
In between is just an even spread between the numbers

Units that die under plague release their energy to you. Creeps heal you for 3% and Heroes for 12% of your Max HP.

And The rest of the changelog here

http://getdota.com/changelogs/index/24

A complete revamp of Blademail and Cranium Basher have also been made. Blademail now requires activation and lasts for 4 sec, while Basher recieved a recipe change.

Dawn of War 2 Beta incoming

2009-01-09T01:30:00.005-06:00

Let us rejoice, Warhammer 40K: Dawn of War 2 beta will be hitting Steam on Jan 28th. And if you happen to own a copy of Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War - Soulstorm, you get a head start on the competition on Jan 21st. Announced for the beta are 4 playable races and 5 multiplayer maps. Time to go buy a copy of Soulstorm! See you guys in the beta.

-Frank

UGO aquires 1up.com

2009-01-09T00:55:00.005-06:00

Image courtesy of Kotaku.com

This one hit too close to home. UGO Entertainment and parent Hearst Corporation have acquired 1UP and its associated sites. After the buyout came mass firings, all of which included the 1up Show production crew and the EGM staff. Among the fallen were long-time employees James Mielke, Skip Pfister, Ryan O'Donnell, Cesar Quintero and Shane Bettenhausen and new staff members including Philip Kollar, Nick Suttner, and Anthony Gallegos. There is a list of 40+ employees and we send our best wishes to them. Many of them have already fallen on their feet and started a very anticipated new podcast labeled Rebel FM. You can DL the new podcast here http://www.eat-sleep-game.com/news/ and follow some of the ex 1uppers as they bounce back and even better than ever.

-Frank

Virus Terrorists!

2009-01-03T15:29:00.005-06:00

So my computer has come down with with a Trojan virus. Damn the web and it's spread of std-like virus'. My computer will be out of comission for a week but I'll be up and blogging in no time. So for the time being Happy New Years to everyone and the start of the new Video Game Arms race. We'll post up some NPD's soon and see who came out on top. 2009 here we come.

-Frank

R.I.P. Tabula Rasa, Hellgate

2008-12-27T20:40:00.012-06:00

As you may already know Tabula Rasa and Hellgate: London will be closing their servers in about 2 months. Both are free to play till they officially close down around the January-February window.

Ok, so Hellgate had a bad launch. Most MMO's do, with Age of Conan and Warhammer Online as exceptions. People were getting charged twice for their subscriptions or not receiving certain subscription-based items but that shouldn't have spelled doom for them. The gameplay was fun. For once you felt like you were in control of your attacks rather than watching your character swing at their own will. Hellgate gave you that Diablo feel with a twist. The traditional hack-and-slash forumla was enhanced by experiencing the action RPG from the first-person perspective and through nontraditional character classes and playstyles. I reached the late 30's of the game and I enjoyed getting there. The dialogue was even pretty witty for an MMO. I've seen walls of text and trust me, 90% of the time, it isn't really worth the read unless you're getting directions for your objective. Hellgate actually added some funny stuff worth reading. The story was interesting. I don't remember much since I haven't played inforever but I plan on giving Hellgate some attention before it leaves us.

It's a shame what happened to Bill Roper's crew. I read an interview with Bill explaining how he was paying out of his own pocket to support his team here. http://www.1up.com/do/feature?cId=3169356 It's a good read and educational actually. Bill touches on everything from the development process to the failed revenue model he tried to generate. I personally thought it was worth a try since nothing like that had been done but I think without the major factors like fleshed out auction houses or PVP, it failed to grasp the players' attention. So downers aside the game just got a bad deal financially. The MMO market doesn't lend itself to much diversity and Hellgate actually went against the bill for once. I liked it for it's sense of uniqeness and overall gameplay. So If you guys ever get a chance, give it a try before it shuts down.

Tabula Rasa....Richard Garriot's bastard child. With his flight to space and then sudden statement about moving on to other things you begin to think it was only a matter of time before they signaled the white flag for Tabula Rasa. But they really really really shouldn't have. I never got the chance to play TR but now that I freed up some time I'm playing this game wondering "What the hell?" How could a game like TR fail? It's got a kickass gameplay mechanic that is totally alien to MMO's (no pun intended) and it works. So how could it fail? It even has a character cloning system so you dont have to reroll! How cool is that? How could you not want a game like this? Set in space, humans are fighting aliens! I've experienced the first 3 hours to TR so far for the first time and I cant help but feel remorse for the loss of this game. It's truly a downer but I'm going to spend the next 2 months playing it till it goes offline.

Warhammer's patches haven't been letting my patcher work for some reason so something needs to fill my MMO void now!! I'll post about my time in Warhammer soon. For now, Tabula Rasa is pretty damn sweet. So there you have it, two MMO's just waiting for you to pop in and play. Play them now before its too late.

-Frank

Oddworld added to GOG.com

2008-12-18T19:51:00.007-06:00

Oddworld has come to GOG.com's growing library. If you haven't heard about GOG yet you should head on over and check out their list of games. GOG celebrates the Good Old Games of back in the day. Headlining their library are games like Fallout 1, 2, tactics, Giant Citizens Kabuto, Gothic and Sacred Gold. This month, as a thanks to customers, they released 2 free adventure games for your enjoyment, Beneath a Steel Sky and Lure of the Temptress. GOG's games include free DRM, wallpapers, guides and digital licenses to all the games you buy a' la Steam. So go check it out!

-Frank

Top 5 PC games to look foward to in 2009

2008-12-18T05:09:00.021-06:00

2008 was a big year for gaming and 2009 shows no signs of stopping. Competing for your wallets and time, these games are sure to hit the spot when it comes to your favorite gaming hobby. Now looking over this list I realized they're all pretty much real time strategy games but that doesn't change the fact that they are big contenders in the PC universe this year. These top 5 games are everything a PC gamer hopes for; single-player campaign, level progression, competitive multiplayer, the whole package.

5. Company of Heroes: Tales of Valor

The third installment in the genre-revolutionizing real time strategy space. COH proved it could stand the test of time and remains to be one of the best RTS games out there. Adding a destructible enviroment and emphasis on your squads became a perfect formula for COH. The latest expansion isn't adding any new armies but its definately going to add new units, modes and maps. I found myself installing the other 2 just because I got the itch to play and dabble in those "small skirmishes that matter" campaigns. Tales of Valor is without a doubt an impulse-buy. Get it, play it, love it.

4. Demigod

Demigod has what it takes to change the face of gaming again. Take a huge influence of DOTA and mix it with beautiful graphics, sprinkle some multiplayer tournament gameplay and add a level progression MMO-style skill tree. The result? A genre bending, Real time strategy action RPG. Demigod has some big shoes to fill if it plans on taking on the underground beast that is DOTA. I've really been looking foward to this title and its coming out first quarter of 09', how awesome is that? The wait is almost over and I cant wait to sink my teeth into this game.

3. Starcraft 2

You're damn right it's about time. Blizzard has kept us waiting for over 10 years now? Can't remember if it was 97' or 98' but it's been too long! Promising the same paper-rock-scissor gameplay, SC2 looks as promising as ever. The new units alone are something to be very excited for. Wether its adding a new queen unit to the scourge or the huge mothership for the protoss, SC2 has really outdone itself this time around. I would have to say the only negative is waiting for the expansions to play the rest of the campaigns. We'll have to wait and see how that turns out.

2. Warhammer 40k: Dawn of War 2

Having discovered Warhammer this year I've grown to respect the lore and gameplay behind this series. I wasn't even aware I had purchased Mark of Chaos a while back. When Warhammer Online and Warhammer: Battlemarch released this year it gave me a chance to dive in headfirst into what has become my current obsession. Dawn of War 2 is being made by Relic, the geniuses behind Company of Heroes. Adding orcs and elves to the COH formula? In the future?!?! Count me in! Waaaaagggghhhh!!

1. Diablo 3

Is there no one else? Diablo 3 is going to be huge. It's crazy just how incredible this game looks. If you haven't seen any gameplay footage, get to the D3 website and watch their 15 minutes of epic awesomeness. Only 3 classes have been revealed but they're already creating buzz around the net. The skill trees look killer, the graphics look beautiful and it will fulfill your top-down gameplaying needs. I have to say I miss the dungeon crawling and with Mythos on hiatus at the moment, it's looking like D3 is going to fill that void. Long Live Diablo!

What is Dota?

2008-11-20T14:24:00.012-06:00

Defense of the Ancients is a custom scenario for Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne. The objective of the scenario is to destroy the opponents' "Ancient". The two teams' ancients are heavily guarded structures at opposing corners of the map. Players use powerful units known as heroes, and are assisted by allied heroes and AI-controlled fighters called "creeps". As in RPG's, players level up their hero and use gold to buy equipment during the mission.

Defense of the Ancients pits two teams of players against each other: the Sentinel and the Scourge. Each base is defended by towers and waves of units which guard the main paths leading to their base. In the center of each base is the "Ancient", a building that must be destroyed to win the game.

Each human player controls one Hero, a powerful unit with unique abilities. In Allstars, players on each side choose one of ninety-one heroes, each with different abilities and tactical advantages over other heroes. The scenario is highly team-oriented; it is difficult for one player to carry the team to victory alone. Nevertheless, some heroes, given enough time, can change the outcome single-handedly, while countering the opposing team's heroes. Defense of the Ancients allows up to ten players in a five versus five format and an additional two slots for referees or observers, often with an equal number of players on each side.

Because the gameplay revolves around strengthening individual heroes, it does not require one to focus on resource management and base-building, as in most traditional RTS games. Killing computer-controlled units earns the player experience points; when enough experience is accumulated, the player gains a level. Leveling up improves the hero's toughness and the damage it can inflict, and allows players to upgrade their spells or skills. In addition to accumulating experience, players also manage a single resource: gold. The typical resource gathering of Warcraft III is replaced by a combat-oriented money system; in addition to a small periodic income, heroes earn gold by killing hostile units, base structures, and enemy heroes. Using gold, players buy items to strengthen their hero and gain abilities. Certain items can be combined with recipes to create more powerful items. Buying items that suit one's hero is an important tactical element of the scenario.

Allstars offers a variety of game modes, selected by the game host at the beginning of the match. The game modes dictate the difficulty of the scenario, as well as whether people can choose their hero or are assigned one randomly. Many game modes can be combined (for example, an easy difficulty level and a random hero pick), allowing more flexible options.

In June 2008, Michael Walbridge, writing for Gamasutra, stated that DotA "is likely the most popular and most-discussed free, non-supported game mod in the world". In pointing to the strong community built around the game, Walbridge stated that DotA shows it is much easier for a community game to be maintained by the community, and this is one of the maps' greatest strengths. Defense of the Ancients has been credited as one of the influences for the upcoming Gas Powered Games title Demigod, with the video game publication GameSpy noting the game's premise revolved around aspiring gods "[playing] DotA in real life".

Post edited courtesy of Wikipedia.