The Noble Crusade

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!!

Achievements: A Double-Edge Sword

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.

E3 Funnel

There was so much information to take in during E3 week, I have wrapped up and listed a massive amount of E3 info worth checking out. We saw some surprises and even new footage from games thought to be dead (I'm looking at you Alan Wake) and overall it wasn't as bad as the last 2 years. Makes me wonder what Pax '09 has in store for us. Anyway, here's the list, enjoy losing many hours of your life ^.^




First Halo ODST gameplay footage

http://www.giantbomb.com/halo-odst-e3-trailer/17-725/

Twitter and facebook coming to xbox live

http://www.giantbomb.com/xbox-live-facebook-integration-demo/17-718/

Project Natal announced

http://www.giantbomb.com/xbox-natal-demo/17-719/

Halo Reach announced

http://www.giantbomb.com/halo-reach-teaser-trailer/17-726/

Splinter Cell: Conviction

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/e3-09-splinter-cell/50007

Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 announced

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/e3-09-ninja-gaiden/50019

Dragon Age Origins E3 trailer

http://www.giantbomb.com/dragon-age-origins-e3-trailer/17-708/

Metal Gear Series coming to 360

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/e3-09-metal-gear/49981?ref=playerfeat

Star Wars: The Old Republic - Jedi vs Sith trailer!

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/e3-09-star-wars/49936

Left 4 Dead 2 announced

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/e3-09-left-4-dead/49967

Beatles Rockband trailer

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/e3-09-the-beatles/49969

Dante's Inferno

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/e3-09-dantes-inferno/49820

Call of Duty: MW2 Conference

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/e3-09-modern-warfare/50039

Alan Wake Trailer (The makers of Max Payne)

http://www.giantbomb.com/alan-wake-e3-trailer/17-723/

FFXIII played on 360

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/e3-09-final-fantasy/49971

Heroes of Telara (New MMO)

http://www.giantbomb.com/heroes-of-telara/17-715/

Super Mario 2 Galaxy announced

http://www.giantbomb.com/mario-galaxy-2-trailer/17-753/

New Super Mario Bros announced

http://www.giantbomb.com/new-super-mario-bros/17-756/

Metroid: Other M announced

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/e3-09-metroid-other/50258?type=mov

Assasins Creed 2

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/e3-09-assassins-creed/50139

Rogue Warrior announced

http://www.giantbomb.com/rogue-warrior-e3-trailer/17-762/

Metal Gear Solid: Peacewalker announced

http://gamevideos.1up.com/video/id/24968

Zelda Spirit Tracks Trailer

http://www.giantbomb.com/zelda-spirit-tracks-trailer/17-758/

Wii Sports Resort

http://www.giantbomb.com/wii-sports-resort-trailer/17-759/

PS3 Motion controller tech demo

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/e3-09-playstation-3/50276

Part 2

http://www.gametrailers.com/player/50277.html

Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles for Wii

http://www.giantbomb.com/re-the-darkside-chronicles-gameplay-part-1/17-763/

APB Announced

http://gamevideos.1up.com/video/id/24888

APB Customization Trailer (Sick!)

http://gamevideos.1up.com/video/id/24973

Mass Effect 2 E3 trailer

http://www.giantbomb.com/mass-effect-2-e3-trailer/17-738/

Fallout 3: Point lookout announced

http://www.giantbomb.com/fallout-3-point-lookout-trailer/17-765/

Demons Souls Announced

http://www.giantbomb.com/demons-souls-e3-trailer/17-767/

Brutal Legend E3 trailer

http://www.giantbomb.com/brutal-legend-e3-trailer/17-768/

Wet Traiiler

http://www.giantbomb.com/wet-trailer/17-766/

FFXIV Video

http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3174536

Uncharted 2 Gameplay

http://gamevideos.1up.com/video/id/24992

The Last Guardian

http://gamevideos.1up.com/video/id/24990

MAG Gameplay

http://www.giantbomb.com/e3-2009-demo-mag-massive-action-game/17-782/

Warhammer 40K: Space Marine

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/e3-09-warhammer-40-000/50452

Castlevania: Lords of Shadows announced (bwing developed by Hideo Kojima!!)

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/e3-09-castlevania-lords/50687

Halo 3:ODST gameplay

http://www.giantbomb.com/e3-2009-demo-halo-3-odst/17-804/

Final Fantasy: Dissidia Cinematic

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/e3-09-dissidia-final/50702

WCG Ultimate Gamer

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.

Level Up Awards 2008

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

Dawn of War II Inauguration

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