tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7152655569485954502024-02-02T11:30:24.689-08:00Destined for 1337nessPC game reviews, news, fond memories, and possibly some other random crap. Prepare to be amazed. Or disappointed. Or something in-between.Dennishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10129746949837930085noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-715265556948595450.post-19447051903398038802012-02-25T11:51:00.012-08:002012-02-26T09:36:21.547-08:00Tribes: Ascend (Beta) ReviewGRADE: A+<br /><br />For an oldschool gamer such as myself, Tribes: Ascend is a delightful little slice of nostalgia that has brought back (and improved upon) countless memories of jetpacking, disc-slinging, and truly kickass gameplay. For those who have played Tribes 2, the game will be extremely familiar. For those who have never touched a Tribes game, it will provide a refreshing, riveting experience like none you've ever had.<br /><br /><iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/vPv47q7hbto" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br />The intensity of combat and the fast pace of the game might remind some of games like Unreal Tournament or the like, however - Tribes offers a whole new dimension of movement by giving players the ability to fly for short distances, which makes it kick so much more ass than Unreal Tournament games. You're also given the ability to "ski", which allows players to essentially ignore friction for the most part and slide across the ground on your feet. Combined with jetpacking, players can build up some serious momentum and travel at speeds previously unheard of in FPS games.<br /><br />Along with movement, much of Tribes: Ascend is virtually identical to Tribes 2 (though much better). The graphics are the best of any Tribes game to date, and the physics will have your stomach turning knots when the action gets heavy. A few of the gameplay mechanics and your ability to acquire weapons have been somewhat tweaked to fit the Free to Play format (you have to level up and spend points to earn new weapons and equipment), and HiRez Studios has even added some new weapons and items, but for the most part the game feels like an old friend from the past.<br /><br /><iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/AdUfqFTsbHE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br />To be fair, Tribes: Ascend is still in the beta stages (though the beta is now open to the public), but if the plan is to do nothing but improve the game based on player feedback from here on out, then I'm already sold on this game.<br /><br />Oh, and the best part of all? The damn thing's free. Yeah - it'll cost you much less than some of the steaming piles of crap that people call games out there, and it already kicks ass. So here's what you do: go to the the <a href="https://account.hirezstudios.com/tribesascend/">Tribes: Ascend</a> website, download it, and start kicking some ass <span style="font-style:italic;">right now</span>. And become a better person because of it (probably).<br /><br /><iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/sMbaRjndR9g" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR-6GSLIWDMev_oyQe__ajFlYv-ILga418zkktIe9aAW0Q0pV8T9IHdIVgQgIUR4_hsHstEbAUVc-SQMCF7ZhcEisGFlbMp3b6Xpq8-pvd4Jcqdeua2bYpMfL7gk49YiVHYdEARDszH98/s1600/TribesAscend+2012-02-25+09-13-39-08.bmp"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 112px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR-6GSLIWDMev_oyQe__ajFlYv-ILga418zkktIe9aAW0Q0pV8T9IHdIVgQgIUR4_hsHstEbAUVc-SQMCF7ZhcEisGFlbMp3b6Xpq8-pvd4Jcqdeua2bYpMfL7gk49YiVHYdEARDszH98/s200/TribesAscend+2012-02-25+09-13-39-08.bmp" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713169669260067266" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE1AHairtG9tCPKKaYgIPZO_WdJB8JLFmy2Wr_mI0NH-Cll-kOUmkCvhh0TeT170G8_ppjU2_Wf82EmMfUIFSpaP2t9chBp_GNcNhFw3iLlHW7RGOl0Qe-4vPTfWOT9tXpCVTMw6CP-_0/s1600/TribesAscend+2012-02-25+09-12-58-68.bmp"><img style="cursor:pointer; 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cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 112px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje_Gfxel85uMMakCwl4jN1Hi0699DmFK0solO-BCHYagHxAUORsdaRBnQWsuaunPljIZvLsQH4gftw4H4gfgAHzt064xN17EMzYvbYUD7wXKD2ohrhanPb8c_SxH9hRxrbU6e0MhGcvqI/s200/TribesAscend+2012-02-26+09-03-57-17.bmp" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713499409133983586" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivFPqDAFews35WSou61RkcKcVVc3IGT4SYkmVdXVzfmAlyFpbQW52I2jo6rWV5-QdDA2yvbytpEm1T2dhG37hgt9TSw1XUFKWEvcpt909MGIhbOE146Vx0VeQjwnNjDXjAb7rd0sNYRN8/s1600/TribesAscend+2012-02-26+10-07-27-57.bmp"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 112px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivFPqDAFews35WSou61RkcKcVVc3IGT4SYkmVdXVzfmAlyFpbQW52I2jo6rWV5-QdDA2yvbytpEm1T2dhG37hgt9TSw1XUFKWEvcpt909MGIhbOE146Vx0VeQjwnNjDXjAb7rd0sNYRN8/s200/TribesAscend+2012-02-26+10-07-27-57.bmp" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713499399066697074" /></a>Dennishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10129746949837930085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-715265556948595450.post-74805853883888683862010-07-10T14:53:00.000-07:002010-09-02T21:13:48.087-07:00Singularity Review<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigHhxuLOdZec-PzkCAnHzAznPQWvR_IlM8gPD8nQfXld_Ptx3V9Q-l0jKyPmfttNaFYqrI4kp_P4Z5pZvkWxjYhdEMfKxSgQJ1GiAPDNLJzTDPYYsV4UtohmDHYQZAsqRqAgOHhOMjpkE/s1600/grade+A-.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 89px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigHhxuLOdZec-PzkCAnHzAznPQWvR_IlM8gPD8nQfXld_Ptx3V9Q-l0jKyPmfttNaFYqrI4kp_P4Z5pZvkWxjYhdEMfKxSgQJ1GiAPDNLJzTDPYYsV4UtohmDHYQZAsqRqAgOHhOMjpkE/s200/grade+A-.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492399657849587090" /></a><br /><br />When I first heard about the game Singularity and saw bit of gameplay footage, I wasn't immediately excited about playing it. It looked a bit too similar to <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/pc/action/bioshock/index.html?tag=result%3Btitle%3B1">Bioshock</a>, which I was not a huge fan of, and I thought I would just sit this one out in anticipation of a better game. I stopped following its production and basically forgot about it for the next three months. As it got closer, though, one of my <a href="http://steamcommunity.com/id/DarkKnight">gaming buddies</a> mentioned that he had been following it for quite some time, and was thinking about buying it. Since our taste in games is pretty similar, I started having second thoughts. He put a glimmer of hope in my shadow of a doubt, and I'm sure glad that he did, because Singularity turned out to be quite the enjoyable experience.<br /><br />Set in one of my favorite gaming genres, Singularity is a Sci-Fi shooter that takes place on a remote island that is owned by the former Soviet Union, called "Katorga 12". Sometime after the events of World War II, towards the beginning of the Cold War, the Soviets discovered a powerful element called "E99" (or "E to the 99th power") that allowed them to develop weapons that were far superior to anything that the West was able make. The Soviets' efforts never came to fruition, however, and the facility is now abandoned - or at least thought to be.<br /><br />You are a member of an elite special forces team from the US, one Captain Renko, deployed to the island to investigate some "strange occurrences" that have happened of late. While circling Katorga 12, your reconnaissance helicopter is hit by an EMP blast and knocked out of the sky, stranding you on the island away from the rest of your squad.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqQhcZV0JPSWiDKICFTzOKL1pVEfNv0L1qbchcOsK_qgzlOiAQdNhD22T5Jk_YMxgDMoGQryGLcZUKmC-8be59BOFcysDHgVs524w4XH7HJGVPGC0PjNLhXOWdKz40fU4skbZQgqW347o/s1600/Singularity+2010-07-10+18-22-03-27.bmp"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 112px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqQhcZV0JPSWiDKICFTzOKL1pVEfNv0L1qbchcOsK_qgzlOiAQdNhD22T5Jk_YMxgDMoGQryGLcZUKmC-8be59BOFcysDHgVs524w4XH7HJGVPGC0PjNLhXOWdKz40fU4skbZQgqW347o/s200/Singularity+2010-07-10+18-22-03-27.bmp" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492454692371001986" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">This, in case you didn't catch the bright green overlay, is Devlin. Nice guy, but not quite the brightest candle on the birthday cake.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj26r5eCzjl62gve0rjU6oaqWOggN-CvtL7hzLS2GUhJOJb3pHW7Glob4qR3b5N6vCaZnQhh-D_PX1qW-JSgOuWzvin3uteuBRthJ4p6ao7a5Wf8xBh6lhsqIgrV1V4cqrLBt6HbZZC54/s1600/Singularity+2010-07-10+18-22-34-63.bmp"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 112px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj26r5eCzjl62gve0rjU6oaqWOggN-CvtL7hzLS2GUhJOJb3pHW7Glob4qR3b5N6vCaZnQhh-D_PX1qW-JSgOuWzvin3uteuBRthJ4p6ao7a5Wf8xBh6lhsqIgrV1V4cqrLBt6HbZZC54/s200/Singularity+2010-07-10+18-22-34-63.bmp" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492455879475602210" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Say... that thar's real purdy...</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh10_AtVjA1g8Yb681YtyuVV6ja3kqXK7fs3n2rH6SYpw5muh5ebA4j97_SoUFBDbz4eo4fOCGG5f2B-yA677ucrP0QgpgS-z1Kc44GYhKcT_6l_1mbQOIsR7tJPHudNYsTg29RaCOJ2WQ/s1600/Singularity+2010-07-10+18-22-36-50.bmp"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 112px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh10_AtVjA1g8Yb681YtyuVV6ja3kqXK7fs3n2rH6SYpw5muh5ebA4j97_SoUFBDbz4eo4fOCGG5f2B-yA677ucrP0QgpgS-z1Kc44GYhKcT_6l_1mbQOIsR7tJPHudNYsTg29RaCOJ2WQ/s200/Singularity+2010-07-10+18-22-36-50.bmp" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492457347055046498" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Oh dear God! My eyes! And my helicopter!</span><br /><br />If you've played Bioshock, the similarities between the two games' artwork will be almost immediately apparent. Although Singularity's setting is very different, the graphics are rendered in much the same way as Bioschock's - shiny, vivid, and at times almost cartoony. That isn't to say that the graphics are bad, though. They may not be up to par with most recent shooters, but they certainly fit the story and add to the creepy, surrealistic atmosphere. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihn2Au1VjOfKf7ZFmJf4r-1pjTz0OFD-trMauaO1sLsDZLigpHwCa-w1yhmRzshdV9jHSHoN5Lx5MGaAb_XT6GTodt4Cy5A7pNGpM1qQrcW5ie06cBxvWOZxyWtjT6Nc_ix0XjkLhhGVc/s1600/Singularity+2010-07-10+18-23-20-65.bmp"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 112px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihn2Au1VjOfKf7ZFmJf4r-1pjTz0OFD-trMauaO1sLsDZLigpHwCa-w1yhmRzshdV9jHSHoN5Lx5MGaAb_XT6GTodt4Cy5A7pNGpM1qQrcW5ie06cBxvWOZxyWtjT6Nc_ix0XjkLhhGVc/s200/Singularity+2010-07-10+18-23-20-65.bmp" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492458236390612370" /></a><br /><br />Singularity's sounds are also largely a big hit, with only a few exceptions. The ambient sounds and music do a more than adequate job of immersing you in the game, rising and falling appropriately with the action. The creature and combat sounds are excellent, whether it's the roar of a massive beast or the growl of your weapon as you pump bullets into it by the bucket-full. The voice acting is pretty decent for the most part. My only gripe here is that the Russian soldiers you encounter often repeat the same damn phrases over and over during combat, as if those were the only Russian phrases that the developers bothered to translate with <a href="http://www.google.com/language_tools?hl=en">Google's language tool</a>. Aside from this minor complaint, though, Singularity sounds incredible.<br /><br />Gameplay is always the most important aspect of a video game for me. Personally, I would much rather have an incredibly fun game whose graphics are not cutting edge (like Quake) than have a great-looking game that plays like crap (like Sniper: Ghost Warrior). Fortunately, Singularity offers you the best of both worlds, as the gameplay is every bit as good as the graphics. There are a small variety of situations you will find yourself in, including heated gun fights, battles against powerful creatures, and even a little puzzle-solving.<br /><br /><object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/fG68VB4ZRYw&hl=en_US&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/fG68VB4ZRYw&hl=en_US&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br />What really makes the puzzle-solving truly unique is the implementation of Singularity's semi-original gimmick, the TMD (or "Time Manipulation Device" - don't let the fact that a Russian scientist came up with an English acronym for his own invention bother you... he's quite a lovable character). The TMD not only allows you to physically manipulate certain objects, much like the gravity gun in Half-Life 2, but it also gives you the power to either accelerate or reverse the aging process of some objects. A broken-down stairwell can be instantly repaired, or an explosive barrel can be reduced to a crumpled, rusty heap with a flick of the wrist. Enemies can also be manipulated by the TMD by either blowing them to pieces with an energy blast or accelerating their age until they turn to dust, which looks just about as badass as it sounds.<br /><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/pYQw79LcOtI&hl=en_US&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/pYQw79LcOtI&hl=en_US&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br />Tying all of these great aspects of the game together is a <span style="font-style:italic;">very</span> compelling storyline. The overall concept is brilliantly executed (maybe it's my love for Tom Clancy Novels and East/West confrontations), the majority of the characters are developed quite well (if not an <span style="font-style:italic;">tiny</span> bit cliched), and the pacing of the game is damn near perfect. I would highly recommend this title to anyone who enjoys a good Sci-Fi first-person shooter. Great graphics, wonderful sounds, exciting gameplay, and one hell of a story make Singularity a worthwhile title.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Additional Media:</span><br /><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/FfR-5p62mPQ&hl=en_US&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/FfR-5p62mPQ&hl=en_US&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Dramatic confrontation between Captain Renko and the first boss monster in the game. You know you dig the soundtrack.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg20Nh3d_-_A-ReaSXqm3XPk1I34GdiW7-3aYc8pkm7Ax7mrRkOvgvSQCfuT-JZSToTw8GTa8TS-sIg9xfnm-iuMAKtjKExhoWKse0XHpmq31UEVrQ8_sBaX-xL-Srzt_JMe74kagm9HH4/s1600/Singularity+2010-07-04+16-53-27-94.bmp"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 112px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg20Nh3d_-_A-ReaSXqm3XPk1I34GdiW7-3aYc8pkm7Ax7mrRkOvgvSQCfuT-JZSToTw8GTa8TS-sIg9xfnm-iuMAKtjKExhoWKse0XHpmq31UEVrQ8_sBaX-xL-Srzt_JMe74kagm9HH4/s200/Singularity+2010-07-04+16-53-27-94.bmp" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492511820882126770" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Don't play with that E99 bomb - you'll go blind. And sterile.</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF8DUIc5Ze8OI2bBcO0JqZjrTHCmOwGgmIrBlCNiI45lyLgUdLnkvXigEAonT4ZEfDxXCYC5dbI97vNyOqEPPITo-wN36qZaOxQV6_mDPsvRR4JE2zwCZchd2L5Fb8we9F8lESXSnsj-w/s1600/Singularity+2010-07-04+16-08-51-04.bmp"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 112px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF8DUIc5Ze8OI2bBcO0JqZjrTHCmOwGgmIrBlCNiI45lyLgUdLnkvXigEAonT4ZEfDxXCYC5dbI97vNyOqEPPITo-wN36qZaOxQV6_mDPsvRR4JE2zwCZchd2L5Fb8we9F8lESXSnsj-w/s200/Singularity+2010-07-04+16-08-51-04.bmp" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492506758624671138" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXGUUJizDGuwbCMnZ3imWov3by2nzJaPy_C_Qi3nTQx46BF5CIl8PCFy3Z-Ph72NcEUucAEpybM7SVwZHhQgwIURaup9IuVxGBSW_biPOcWWFV_YYCMkzQVHrlTl404MmIILut4kjNoo8/s1600/Singularity+2010-07-04+16-03-03-86.bmp"><img style="cursor:pointer; 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cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 112px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaFLPosDlDvDvlZFsTR0ZmO_vlOpmBXpqr8CgcRfTMgiH-8XVW4Jo9B2mzDTHZMMvgbvJAn1VDy48XCCZN9qKeaAokPwGaoIhImAd3rDh2MDH8XlHwY_0cib8evYUigImPsz-C77Elst4/s200/Singularity+2010-07-04+16-56-47-59.bmp" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5492511826634420434" /></a>Dennishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10129746949837930085noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-715265556948595450.post-20971774147944775432010-06-29T15:29:00.000-07:002010-06-29T23:49:14.264-07:00Sniper: Ghost Warrior Review<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMDvwORO6lEIT4YSKE57b4M7FD5ekSu-BA-1Sx7elClJ5zJ1S_zihUT3MDGxY4RX0wJDFrkywjioI8Pc2D_s4Fh3OnCtgLT6Tm-6jHuzhLzl3m_yoQA9O4ZAo_qFS0XgGZrZeKsxYR1T0/s1600/grade+C.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 89px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMDvwORO6lEIT4YSKE57b4M7FD5ekSu-BA-1Sx7elClJ5zJ1S_zihUT3MDGxY4RX0wJDFrkywjioI8Pc2D_s4Fh3OnCtgLT6Tm-6jHuzhLzl3m_yoQA9O4ZAo_qFS0XgGZrZeKsxYR1T0/s200/grade+C.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488358710678415826" /></a><br /><br /><blockquote>"You had me at 'sniper'"</blockquote><br /><br />Ever since I saw the movie <span style="font-style:italic;"><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0109444/">Clear and Present Danger</a></span> with Harrison Ford, I've pretty much been obsessed with anything having to do with snipers. There are few things in this world more kickass than a dude dressed up as a bush blowing people's heads off from 300 yards away. I <span style="font-style:italic;">love</span> sniper movies, and I especially love first-person shooters that feature good sniping. That said, I was practically salivating in anticipation of playing the game Sniper: Ghost Warrior.<br /><br />Judging from the trailers and what the game was advertised to feature, I was sure that this was going to be an excellent title. Unfortunately, my expectations were apparently much too high, because Ghost Warrior ended up being a major disappointment for me. To be fair, it does provide you with a few very satisfying sniper moments, but for the most part the game is a convoluted train wreck. I'll briefly outline for you what I feel are the game's pros and cons.<br /><br />First of all, the pros: The graphics are actually pretty nice, and can almost be compared to excellent games such as <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/pc/action/crysis/review.html?om_act=convert&om_clk=gssummary&tag=summary%3Bread-review">Crysis</a> or <a href="http://destinedfor1337ness.blogspot.com/2009/01/far-cry-2-review.html">Far Cry 2</a>. The dense jungle environments are beautifully rendered, along with the weapon models. The biggest eyesore of the game is the character models - more specifically their faces. Game developers have made great strides in the last five or six years in the area of facial animation, but Ghost Warrior abandons any effort to follow suit, resulting in dull, lifeless faces that often remind me of dead fish (especially with the main character, who should arguably be the most animated of all). By the way: I know that I just put a "con" into the "pros" paragraph, instead of saving it for the "cons" paragraph. I'm not sorry.<br /><br />The sniping and stealth mechanics are actually both the greatest pros <span style="font-style:italic;">and</span> the greatest cons of the game. When they work, they're brilliant. The following video shows a few minutes of the first mission of the game, in which I was able to successfully use stealth to evade enemies, and (for most part) successfully snipe the hell out of the ones that weren't so lucky:<br /><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Qmq2FQLGYSs&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Qmq2FQLGYSs&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br />After playing this first mission, I was pumped and ready for more, thinking that this would be the norm for the remainder of the game. For some reason, though, it seems that the first mission is the only one of its kind, as each subsequent mission is marred by broken and inconsistent stealth mechanics, which make the game irritating at best, and nearly unplayable at worst. In some cases, I could sprint right through a group of hostiles at full speed, barely inches away from the enemy, and no one would even give the six-foot tall galloping shrubbery a second glance. In other situations, I would crawl at a snail's pace through thick foliage, several yards away, and be spotted almost instantly. The idea that a sniper in a full ghillie suit sitting almost perfectly still in the middle of a friggin' tropical rainforest would be easier to spot than a brightly-clad South American standing in the open and shouting obscenities in Spanish really, <span style="font-style:italic;">really</span> pisses me off. This is the kind of crap that would make <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108171/">Tom Berenger</a> cry.<br /><br />Along with broken stealth mechanics, the sniping mechanics are often pretty finicky at times. One of the coolest features of the game is that you have to compensate for wind speed and distance in your aiming, so the center of the crosshairs isn't always where your bullet will land. In the easier modes (I chose to play through on the "Medium" setting first), you see a red dot that represents the actual point that your bullet will strike. Placing this red dot on a target's head will most likely result in a pretty wicked-sick cutscene, in which you get to watch your bullet travel through the air in slow motion and nail the bad guy in the brain basket. Sometimes, however, no matter how well you line up the shot, the bullet just doesn't hit the target, or else it does something lame like this:<br /><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/6hP-p_bMdyU&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/6hP-p_bMdyU&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br />Probably the worst mistake the developers of Ghost Warrior make is to periodically attempt to create scenes similar to those found in the far superior <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/pc/action/callofduty4modernwarfare/index.html?tag=result%3Btitle%3B1">Call of Duty: Modern Warfare</a> games. I'm sure that their intent was to provide a change of pace from sneaking through foliage and sniping by dumping you into an intense combat situation, but it's so horribly done that I could barely force myself to play through it. The only endearing qualities of the game are the rare moments in which you can pull off beautiful headshots and remain undetected, watching your foes spiral around and run aimlessly in panic and confusion. They should have stuck to that type of gameplay, even if it was only marginally better.<br /><br />I'll admit that I haven't played the multiplayer mode of Sniper: Ghost Warrior yet, but I really don't imagine that it would redeem the game enough to make it worth buying at full price. My advice is: if you're a sniper fanatic like myself, wait until this game inevitably drops in price to buy it. There are plenty of games out there (many are years older than this one) that feature sniping and handle it much, much better than Ghost Warrior. If you have any appreciation for contemporary computer games whatsoever, you will be sorely disappointed in this half-assed attempt at a sniper game. If I were to give this game a grade, the best it could possibly achieve is a C, and that's being quite generous.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Additional Media:</span><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Y08k3Ho7ZN8&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Y08k3Ho7ZN8&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/g3djs2Lvs2w&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/g3djs2Lvs2w&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfgVtelNExJzRd9n6tyFpkAFAcSeQm1jMfV75h_ha902wdFDUPR2bAftciwBdR49Nxgd7LS9O355JYpo2g0GUDLagWO1oqasLTRCkZOHCd9XecKujrtXRUidk3rLLbgHS-Xdd2JtFgbgg/s1600/Sniper_x86+2010-06-28+22-16-10-46.bmp"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 112px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfgVtelNExJzRd9n6tyFpkAFAcSeQm1jMfV75h_ha902wdFDUPR2bAftciwBdR49Nxgd7LS9O355JYpo2g0GUDLagWO1oqasLTRCkZOHCd9XecKujrtXRUidk3rLLbgHS-Xdd2JtFgbgg/s200/Sniper_x86+2010-06-28+22-16-10-46.bmp" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488434200393260082" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuE4tCQDGUTB5psWLrtRLXrGIIbDGOI_Z8uc7TFDm94XizUtPikc3U7i9vpmRSYTPXch-BgApdEE9IvnAoAmp59n-S_hiNPqwEap4Wl6eK9UjES_Yd7CcH0gca-FKGuxiHr5uvyjdS55Y/s1600/Sniper_x86+2010-06-28+22-14-57-75.bmp"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 112px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuE4tCQDGUTB5psWLrtRLXrGIIbDGOI_Z8uc7TFDm94XizUtPikc3U7i9vpmRSYTPXch-BgApdEE9IvnAoAmp59n-S_hiNPqwEap4Wl6eK9UjES_Yd7CcH0gca-FKGuxiHr5uvyjdS55Y/s200/Sniper_x86+2010-06-28+22-14-57-75.bmp" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488434191874554818" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhztQpCFn-MY_de_nIcjYXPGzkgWbUM4xMBfaa5ToqE1xYdpHzQkoTHJgaIL1GIFxL3YXHoSLJMDdZwUeDceZb9Ym5TLnLuKmvLKVwAvTbY3GkJ4kriZ_WsQxDEnrUtegCqSZ1KtbXTmZM/s1600/Sniper_x86+2010-06-28+21-54-56-84.bmp"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 112px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhztQpCFn-MY_de_nIcjYXPGzkgWbUM4xMBfaa5ToqE1xYdpHzQkoTHJgaIL1GIFxL3YXHoSLJMDdZwUeDceZb9Ym5TLnLuKmvLKVwAvTbY3GkJ4kriZ_WsQxDEnrUtegCqSZ1KtbXTmZM/s200/Sniper_x86+2010-06-28+21-54-56-84.bmp" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488434187984382578" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQGLLjDd_QmYRmb6hjFEaKGBsJHUN9XyUgVGr8-nEbUyxNdDyYofvp8Ns6YkQ66R_3eVULuIe2vWoOK18YAzdlqjlFUk3LkaOdJmfbVysbVrIFRXFWD1Bpp54Nb-wCYw_sZUn7EppsJMw/s1600/Sniper_x86+2010-06-28+22-14-50-96.bmp"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 112px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQGLLjDd_QmYRmb6hjFEaKGBsJHUN9XyUgVGr8-nEbUyxNdDyYofvp8Ns6YkQ66R_3eVULuIe2vWoOK18YAzdlqjlFUk3LkaOdJmfbVysbVrIFRXFWD1Bpp54Nb-wCYw_sZUn7EppsJMw/s200/Sniper_x86+2010-06-28+22-14-50-96.bmp" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488434183096406866" /></a>Dennishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10129746949837930085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-715265556948595450.post-39478086162853033082009-04-25T22:51:00.000-07:002009-05-05T22:00:37.036-07:00Fallout 3: The Pitt<span style="font-style:italic;">(note: for now, this article is a work in progress, as it will take quite a bit of time to edit the videos, upload them to YouTube, and write the commentary. Hopefully I'll have it completed relatively soon)</span><br /><br />If you've read my <a href="http://destinedfor1337ness.blogspot.com/2009/03/fallout-3-review.html">review of Fallout 3</a>, then you know damn well that I'm a huge, huge fan of the game. However, I was very disappointed to discover that you are not allowed to continue exploring the incredible world of the Capital Wasteland after you've completed the main storyline. Luckily I saved my game at a point just before the game ends, and so I was able to postpone the ending of the game and play one of Fallout 3's two expansion packs, <span style="font-style:italic;">The Pitt</span>.<br /><br />After installing the expansion, I soon received a radio broadcast asking for assistance. After traveling to the area specified in the broadcast, I slowly crept up to the sound of gunfire (my character mainly relies on stealth, so I wanted to surprise whoever it was that I was going to own with my sniper rifle). Apparently I got there too late, though, and the guy I was supposed to save got pretty pissed that he had to take care of all the bad guys himself (crybaby): <br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/JRa9plExuVs&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/JRa9plExuVs&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />After listening to him bitch and moan for a little while, I decided to help him out. The first task was to acquire a slave outfit to use as a disguise. I could either try to persuade a few slavers to give me an outfit, or take one by force. Being the faithful disciple of Abraham Lincoln that I am, I decided to kick everyone's ass and let the slaves go free:<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/v7VGJ6oACLQ&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/v7VGJ6oACLQ&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Next, I met the dude with the eye patch at the train station so that we could travel to The Pitt. Once there, he flipped out and started shooting some slavers, which was pretty awesome. After the dust settled, he basically gave me the "You're on your own, we're counting on you, don't screw this up, blah blah blah" speech and cut me loose: <br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/rFa8CIy79RM&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/rFa8CIy79RM&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />I eventually found my way to The Pitt itself. The plan was to dress up like a slave so that the slavers would let me in. I disliked the subtlety of this plan, so I made my own: kick everyone's ass <span style="font-style:italic;">again</span>. It worked well at first, but then I got jumped by a bunch of candy-asses with batons. Crap:<br /><br />.<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Wf1ooo2XrfI&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Wf1ooo2XrfI&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />After being bludgeoned into unconsciousness, I woke up to find that the nerds had taken all of my stuff. Damnit. Then some lady helped me up and told me to meet her at her house so we could discuss how I was going to kick everyone's ass again. When I got to her place, she started explaining things to me, when some tool walked in and tried to intimidate me. Being a level 20 character, there really isn't much that intimidates me in this game, so I decided to stab him with a knife I found (he shot me a couple of times, but it really only tickled). Then I jacked his fancy, spikey armor. Owned!<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/eZVjfpXTNUE&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/eZVjfpXTNUE&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Apparently no one noticed that Jackson was dead (or else they didn't care - he <span style="font-style:italic;">was</span> a bit of a dillweed), nor that I was wearing his his armor and carrying his gun, as not a single person gave me a second look when I strolled across town to start my new job as "ingot collector". Before starting, however, I had to swing by and grab an "Auto Axe" from a guy named Marco (as you'll see later, I'm glad I did). Then it was off to play errand-boy:<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/NTBdwUuo8T4&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/NTBdwUuo8T4&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Shortly after stepping outside, I witnessed a touching moment between two estranged brothers who were apparently reunited at that very moment. In a heart-warming gesture of pure love, John-john reached out to his brother Billy, in an attempt to make amends and rekindle their fraternal bond. Billy (who had unfortunately been irradiated to the point of being transformed into a bloodthirsty "trog") responded by trying to bite his brother's face off. At this point I felt that a little peer mediation was necessary, so I pulled out an assault rifle that I picked up on the way out and gunned Billy's ass down. John-john thanked me by peeing himself and running away. n00b:<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/DIBuiaKmLFI&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/DIBuiaKmLFI&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">By the way: Here's what a steel ingot looks like, in case you're wondering (took me a while to figure out what the damn things were, but once I did, they were pretty easy to find):</span><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/3S-RQ3s07ts&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/3S-RQ3s07ts&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">This doesn't have anything to do with the story, but I managed to stealth kill a trog with that auto axe thing, and I thought it was pretty awesome:</span><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/7UW6jR6SvqM&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/7UW6jR6SvqM&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />After killing some trogs, finding some steel, and giving that steel to the asshat in the mill, I returned to the nice lady who helped me up after the mean men beat me with sticks. She explained that Ashur, the head deuchebag of The Pitt, was about to give a speech and extend an invitation for a champion to fight for his or her freedom. The nice lady then graciously volunteered <span style="font-style:italic;">me</span> to be the lucky schmuck to fight a cave full of psychos, in order to get closer to His Deuchiness and thus set the slaves' plan for revolution in motion. Eh, whatever:<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/4cnyyCMjmnI&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/4cnyyCMjmnI&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />To make a long story <span style="font-style:italic;">slightly</span> less long: I signed up to fight in the arena. I fought all three rounds and easily owned the pants off all of my opponents (although I only recorded the final battle). The last guy, Gruber, was somewhat less impressive than everyone made him out to be - let's just say I blew his head off with a Chinese rifle. 'Cause I did. Watch:<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/bTpyd2CoSn4&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/bTpyd2CoSn4&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">More to come...</span>Dennishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10129746949837930085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-715265556948595450.post-6349231397290182842009-04-22T21:03:00.000-07:002009-04-22T22:26:22.211-07:00Left 4 Dead - Surviving Survival Mode (or not so much)With Left 4 Dead's latest update, featuring a new gameplay mode accompanied by a brand-new campaign, there's a lot of zombie-killing for me to catch up on. Although Valve has done a great job at adapting certain parts of the four original campaigns to work well with Survival Mode, the newest map "Lighthouse" is currently the most interesting, offering a completely original experience for this game.<br /><br />The first round I played with a few random strangers, and although our teamwork was about as harmonious as a troop of retarded monkeys with staple guns, it was still an incredibly entertaining experience. The new map is a blast to play:<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/D_hhN3K8veU&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/D_hhN3K8veU&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Our teamwork didn't get much better, but that didn't detract from the fun (at least as far as I was concerned). This time around, the mentally-challenged primates and I opted for more familiar territory (the Crane scene from the <span style="font-style:italic;">Dead Air</span> campaign), hoping to improve our game a bit. We still got rocked (notice I was the last one to die, though - w00t!):<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/9U7s2pL8Bp4&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/9U7s2pL8Bp4&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />After enduring a humiliating defeat at the hands of digital zombies, I decided to call in some of my whores from <a href="http://www.oneworldon-line.com">One World On-Line</a> and do things the right way (thanks to <0w0|>DarkKnight, <0w0|>PuNcH, <0w0|>Sneaky-Biscuit© and eventually <0w0|>Killemall for helping me to delay my inevitable ass-kicking). This round went much better than the last two, but we still failed to do better than Bronze. Still, it was much more fun to have some actual teamwork going on - plus, these guys are hilarious:<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/IS9VAbFfxmQ&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/IS9VAbFfxmQ&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Dennishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10129746949837930085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-715265556948595450.post-21527077763321817242009-04-18T14:06:00.000-07:002009-04-19T17:12:58.585-07:00Spider-Man: Web of Shadows ReviewGraphics:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYWfjXTBM-4T3qvsh2BUtTOlcE4A39YE2WA35toYawoEYHxOBu0eD2mnM7u2K4utuPB4ioFkn8a5hT8skr2fbP12ycKIu5isU-FtNyJRgaPOMRrOLvkIOnKZbZpTKBqf525XVNGRu7nz4/s1600-h/3outof5.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 118px; height: 30px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYWfjXTBM-4T3qvsh2BUtTOlcE4A39YE2WA35toYawoEYHxOBu0eD2mnM7u2K4utuPB4ioFkn8a5hT8skr2fbP12ycKIu5isU-FtNyJRgaPOMRrOLvkIOnKZbZpTKBqf525XVNGRu7nz4/s200/3outof5.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300207486090081538" border="0" /></a><br />Sound:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYWfjXTBM-4T3qvsh2BUtTOlcE4A39YE2WA35toYawoEYHxOBu0eD2mnM7u2K4utuPB4ioFkn8a5hT8skr2fbP12ycKIu5isU-FtNyJRgaPOMRrOLvkIOnKZbZpTKBqf525XVNGRu7nz4/s1600-h/3outof5.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 118px; height: 30px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYWfjXTBM-4T3qvsh2BUtTOlcE4A39YE2WA35toYawoEYHxOBu0eD2mnM7u2K4utuPB4ioFkn8a5hT8skr2fbP12ycKIu5isU-FtNyJRgaPOMRrOLvkIOnKZbZpTKBqf525XVNGRu7nz4/s200/3outof5.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300207486090081538" border="0" /></a><br />Gameplay:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://oneworldon-line.com/forum/gallery/uploads/1225136064/gallery_184_273_12064.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 119px; height: 30px;" src="http://oneworldon-line.com/forum/gallery/uploads/1225136064/gallery_184_273_12064.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />Replay Value:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguIDlZFIELUdJMZkJ-VWXh2BIuIPKF7qw76CNoboGNj1V3X26OJQQhoqFhwKFo-zi7yTuBr-Bd1bfoKsp-fiAYcUJPCwQkK9cAeKKyd_C5OwfMFYP-M87X2OGw_-4SWticWvRy37s06Fs/s1600-h/4outof5.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 118px; height: 30px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguIDlZFIELUdJMZkJ-VWXh2BIuIPKF7qw76CNoboGNj1V3X26OJQQhoqFhwKFo-zi7yTuBr-Bd1bfoKsp-fiAYcUJPCwQkK9cAeKKyd_C5OwfMFYP-M87X2OGw_-4SWticWvRy37s06Fs/s200/4outof5.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308804551515209026" border="0"></a><br />1337ness:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAyK0gukV_OEF7KKaVagSUlSAuTgb_p5aF7shjCA1CbFLjkw81RuBvttGvHzKq9mw2dEROFhda1K832hNQIApdpUHNU9iUAq6-AYDdU0s2suO9wYItFb-O3Y52ZBB_8trr22o1i9Q3q6M/s1600-h/3.75outof5.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 118px; height: 30px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAyK0gukV_OEF7KKaVagSUlSAuTgb_p5aF7shjCA1CbFLjkw81RuBvttGvHzKq9mw2dEROFhda1K832hNQIApdpUHNU9iUAq6-AYDdU0s2suO9wYItFb-O3Y52ZBB_8trr22o1i9Q3q6M/s200/3.75outof5.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326141167073721186" /></a><br /><br />A wise man by the name of Ben Parker once said, “With great power comes great responsibility”. I’m pretty sure he meant to add “and 1337ness” there at the end, but it must have slipped his mind. One tends to forget little details like that when one is fictionally slain by a fictional character. If he <span style="font-style:italic;">were</span> still fictionally alive, though, Uncle Ben would no doubt be fictionally proud of his fictional nephew in his latest video game, <span style="font-style:italic;">Spider-Man: Web of Shadows.</span>.<br /><br />Web of Shadows is not only <span style="font-style:italic;">the best</span> Spider-Man game to date, but it is also an incredibly kickass game on its own merits. Building upon many of the stronger points of previous Spider-Man titles, the similarities and superiorities of Web of Shadows to its predecessors are almost immediately apparent. Not only has every aspect of gameplay been improved, but the game is driven by a completely original storyline that offers many pleasant surprises to Marvel Comics fans. This is like a breath of fresh air after playing through three titles that are confined to the setting and plot of the Spider-Man movies.<br /><br />The graphics in past Spider-Man games haven’t always been the best for their time, and unfortunately Web of Shadows is no exception. The graphics are, however, the best in any Spider-Man game yet, and are adequate for its purposes. The buildings and (some) characters have reflective surfaces and only occasionally look slightly pixelated. The in-game animations are very well-done, but the character movement in some of the cutscenes is still a little awkward and clumsy. Spider-Man is especially well-done, as are most of the boss villains and allies.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/vjP6PHRjedU&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/vjP6PHRjedU&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />The sounds you will find in Web of Shadows are typical for any Spider-Man game, movie or cartoon, from the classic “thwip” of Spider-Man’s webshooters to the ambient sounds of Manhattan Island. The voice acting is also surprisingly good, as the game features more characters from the Marvel Universe than any other Spidey title. Most of the voice actors nail their characters, even using the appropriate accents and dialects usually associated with a particular character. Oddly, I felt Spider-Man’s voice was the most out-of-place of all – his raspy, ditsy surfer-type voice leans more toward ninja turtle than web-slinger (although it’s still a hell of a lot better than listening to Toby McGuire). Thankfully, though, the dialogue is still great, and Spider-Man delivers some pretty hilarious smartass remarks throughout the game.<br /><br />The gameplay is, hands-down, the best part of Web of Shadows, and that’s really what matters most. Although similar to previous games (i.e. a free-roaming city in which random crimes occur, and the player is given the option to intervene or not), nearly every aspect of the gameplay has been improved. Web-swinging is smoother, easier, cooler, and much more fun; combat is a blast, offering a ton of moves that can be executed in various combinations; collecting hidden objects - which used to be a useless distraction and overall pain in the ass – is now not only enjoyable, but improves Spidey’s speed and stamina throughout the game.<br /><br />The storyline in a nutshell is that Spider-Man’s arch-nemesis, Venom, is succumbing more and more to the will of his alien symbiotic costume, causing him to forgo his oath to protect the innocent and thus driving him to cause widespread chaos in New York City. Venom creates more and more symbiotes, spreading his malice throughout the city and infecting its citizens, causing them to transform into somewhat less-powerful clones of himself. Initially you will have only a few infected civilians to contend with, but pretty soon the city will become overrun with venomites, creating a scene much like one would find in a zombie apocalypse movie. Spider-Man and his allies must then find a way to stop Venom and rid the city of its symbiote infestation.<br /><br />Adding to the depth of the usual Spider-Man gameplay, Web of Shadows allows the player to choose the “black suit path” or the “red suit path”, based on decisions made throughout the game. As Spidey himself is infected by the symbiotic spawn, choosing the black suit path will turn Spidey into a darker, angrier, and ultimately more evil character, whereas the red suit path will have the opposite affect. Regardless of the actual path that the player chooses, however, you are still allowed to switch between Spidey’s red and black suits at will throughout the majority of the game. Each suit has its own arsenal of unlockable maneuvers, giving the player access to a huge array of special moves and combos between the two suits.<br /><br />Another great addition to the gameplay is Spidey’s ability to summon an ally to aid him in battle (note: to those of you who landed on this site after searching "how to summon ally", you have to <span style="font-weight:bold;">hold the button down until Spider-Man's head flashes a blue color before your ally will appear</span>). If you have chosen the red suit path more often than the black suit path, you may summon either Luke Cage, Wolverine, or Moon Knight – all of whom are pretty handy in a pinch. If you choose the black suit path, you can summon Electro, Vulture, Rhino or Black Cat. Regardless of who you summon, allies will prove to be incredibly useful when dealing with hordes of symbiotes. When you’re finished with your ally, you may dismiss them at will and either summon a different ally (after your special meter recharges) or go solo until you feel you need their help again.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/IF4CncqINgM&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/IF4CncqINgM&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/oeS05Lma5qQ&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/oeS05Lma5qQ&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Spider-Man calls on Luke Cage and Wolverine to lend a hand.</span><br /><br />Web of Shadows is an excellent game, especially if you’re a Spider-Man fan. The graphics and sounds, while not perfect, are fairly appropriate and do not detract from the experience of playing the game one iota. The gameplay is intense and incredibly addictive, and the amount of combat moves coupled with the ability to choose a path of good or evil makes the game highly replayable. However - if you own a PS3 or Xbox360, I would recommend purchasing or renting those versions as opposed to the PC version, as the PC version has some performance issues even on higher-end systems. Either way, though, there is little chance that you <span style="font-style:italic;">won't</span> enjoy playing this game.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Screenshots:</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZEbPPNmROdqvwaf6O1TrD9a2-QiVCuWIieGcSEdX_UETi8Tj_lqN4ND39LYcxM_5F1CmCViDNCi0MDXM0LZhkLF1Lp6DXy_ntaZ3H7ZvgHvmIAIuh4gteKw-_nrijxltdBK2jNwnqlJI/s1600-h/Spider-Man+Web+of+Shadows+2009-03-24+18-12-07-96.bmp"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZEbPPNmROdqvwaf6O1TrD9a2-QiVCuWIieGcSEdX_UETi8Tj_lqN4ND39LYcxM_5F1CmCViDNCi0MDXM0LZhkLF1Lp6DXy_ntaZ3H7ZvgHvmIAIuh4gteKw-_nrijxltdBK2jNwnqlJI/s200/Spider-Man+Web+of+Shadows+2009-03-24+18-12-07-96.bmp" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326143754303696018" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHaiH76j18SS5xYuiuK0U2nvPnaaGxdMNdPww0M8taqrvIBt-s1L-uKNc-a6BZQ6QvdIKX3CgjwqcNcZCotJlWY6RXRfkOVIhUAALljhZJcQq0fp28zTVuYnJQhlFKZzJy_Uf167edTYk/s1600-h/Spider-Man+Web+of+Shadows+2009-03-24+18-12-23-64.bmp"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHaiH76j18SS5xYuiuK0U2nvPnaaGxdMNdPww0M8taqrvIBt-s1L-uKNc-a6BZQ6QvdIKX3CgjwqcNcZCotJlWY6RXRfkOVIhUAALljhZJcQq0fp28zTVuYnJQhlFKZzJy_Uf167edTYk/s200/Spider-Man+Web+of+Shadows+2009-03-24+18-12-23-64.bmp" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326144983858254882" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBEsBUHyV2ONledk8jDSn9CtkrANiD2WkIgDjsYFzKBO_KvOuvCxJNHxtaX4T7Wz7z7UrEMTpy1Yavyb0G3vkpR4Be1zqa0n-76VH9LTgSdlAvJ1peoJDQblXwTjgI6e9bTouMYMMFrxU/s1600-h/Spider-Man+Web+of+Shadows+2009-03-24+18-12-24-68.bmp"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBEsBUHyV2ONledk8jDSn9CtkrANiD2WkIgDjsYFzKBO_KvOuvCxJNHxtaX4T7Wz7z7UrEMTpy1Yavyb0G3vkpR4Be1zqa0n-76VH9LTgSdlAvJ1peoJDQblXwTjgI6e9bTouMYMMFrxU/s200/Spider-Man+Web+of+Shadows+2009-03-24+18-12-24-68.bmp" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326145379319043010" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrI5hVlf2S_5P9eETTTv6bbm8Wm4jD-xTVqacVGzfYYUPhyBU3ohyphenhyphentIE84YszW4y8qWN8e9zhAicdIGpBo4WhGl1TbdO2bymfygTiflrYT1at5cLCAneA0xjhEpN4toxK0wMhE_9rpDnY/s1600-h/Spider-Man+Web+of+Shadows+2009-04-03+21-41-30-46.bmp"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrI5hVlf2S_5P9eETTTv6bbm8Wm4jD-xTVqacVGzfYYUPhyBU3ohyphenhyphentIE84YszW4y8qWN8e9zhAicdIGpBo4WhGl1TbdO2bymfygTiflrYT1at5cLCAneA0xjhEpN4toxK0wMhE_9rpDnY/s200/Spider-Man+Web+of+Shadows+2009-04-03+21-41-30-46.bmp" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326160346206833186" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIgC1T8LNCV8Y2Nr1_OcEav-TjgWQzA-cTPtPaSbdPZEqrH40RTgVpMbdhFLcLUTVZoNh_vEFPstodgWImXIZETse3rg5X9qqlAFqKuGQYd4YU55_qp5inD2XVElmnJhLK-Tk5i3tyW78/s1600-h/Spider-Man+Web+of+Shadows+2009-03-24+22-41-34-50.bmp"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIgC1T8LNCV8Y2Nr1_OcEav-TjgWQzA-cTPtPaSbdPZEqrH40RTgVpMbdhFLcLUTVZoNh_vEFPstodgWImXIZETse3rg5X9qqlAFqKuGQYd4YU55_qp5inD2XVElmnJhLK-Tk5i3tyW78/s200/Spider-Man+Web+of+Shadows+2009-03-24+22-41-34-50.bmp" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326160338299313986" /></a>Dennishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10129746949837930085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-715265556948595450.post-18355400751338322602009-03-19T07:53:00.000-07:002009-03-24T17:45:23.542-07:00Fallout 3 ReviewGraphics:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://oneworldon-line.com/forum/gallery/uploads/1225136064/gallery_184_273_12064.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 119px; height: 30px;" src="http://oneworldon-line.com/forum/gallery/uploads/1225136064/gallery_184_273_12064.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />Sound:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://oneworldon-line.com/forum/gallery/uploads/1225136064/gallery_184_273_12064.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 119px; height: 30px;" src="http://oneworldon-line.com/forum/gallery/uploads/1225136064/gallery_184_273_12064.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />Gameplay:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://oneworldon-line.com/forum/gallery/uploads/1225136064/gallery_184_273_12064.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 119px; height: 30px;" src="http://oneworldon-line.com/forum/gallery/uploads/1225136064/gallery_184_273_12064.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />Replay Value:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://oneworldon-line.com/forum/gallery/uploads/1225136064/gallery_184_273_12064.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 119px; height: 30px;" src="http://oneworldon-line.com/forum/gallery/uploads/1225136064/gallery_184_273_12064.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />1337ness:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://oneworldon-line.com/forum/gallery/uploads/1225136064/gallery_184_273_12064.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 119px; height: 30px;" src="http://oneworldon-line.com/forum/gallery/uploads/1225136064/gallery_184_273_12064.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Every once in a great while, a game comes along that absolutely rocks my world. These exceptional games offer shockingly realistic graphics, physics and sounds, and reel me in with a story that is so engaging, so immersive, I often forget that I’m playing a game. I can count on one hand the number of such games that I’ve played: MYST (the entire series, really, but especially MYST and Riven), Quake (again, most notably the first two in the series), The Thief series, Half-Life (along with Half-Life 2), and Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. After playing Fallout 3, however, I’ll either need to switch hands or grow a new finger, because this game is <span style="font-style:italic;">the balls</span>. <br /><br />If you’re the kind of person that’s looking for a quick and short review of the game, then you probably don’t need to read any further than the end of this paragraph. Let me sum it up for you: Fallout 3 is <span style="font-style:italic;">incredible</span>. The story is gripping, the graphics are breathtaking, and the gameplay is as enjoyable as it is intricate. Go buy it. Go play it.<br /><br />If you want more evidence of just why this game is so awesome or why you should spend your money on it, however, you should keep reading.<br /><br />Fallout 3 is a first-person shooter/role-playing game that takes place years after nuclear war has ripped apart the United States of America. As a citizen of Vault 101 (one of several nuclear fallout shelters scattered around the Washing D.C. area) your life is comparatively sheltered – at first. You have all the food and purified water you could ask for, a super-smart dad who is constantly showering you with encouragement and affirmation, and safety from the mutated abominations that now prowl the outside world, which the survivors have come to call the “Capital Wasteland”. Your biggest concern is a bully who <span style="font-style:italic;">tries</span> to look and dress like James Dean, but in actuality comes across as a giant douche. Oh, and you are eventually given the opportunity to kick his ass, which is a plus.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGe0L0fsXKDan9UQwEnh7GWIhU1unrdwwlGiqg2dJGHQcRRemh6r3kvFqUGPTzArcxUJa0hAqbGdquYAaFYGDnco8snCeo1Fiv14G0_1PHzKE_aPg4EYRmqmYFiUUCt-2nHuG_sBV-foI/s1600-h/Copy+of+screenie.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGe0L0fsXKDan9UQwEnh7GWIhU1unrdwwlGiqg2dJGHQcRRemh6r3kvFqUGPTzArcxUJa0hAqbGdquYAaFYGDnco8snCeo1Fiv14G0_1PHzKE_aPg4EYRmqmYFiUUCt-2nHuG_sBV-foI/s200/Copy+of+screenie.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315494774926312130" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Meet Butch, the bully of Vault 101. This baseball bat ought to wipe that smirk off his face...</span><br /><br />While residing in Vault 101, your character is introduced to many of the fundamentals of Fallout 3’s gameplay, but in such a way that the momentum of the story-telling isn’t hampered. You choose your race, sex, and physical appearance at your character’s birth, you receive your first Pip-Boy (a device that acts as your menu, journal, map, inventory, stats page, and more) at age 10, and you take your G.O.A.T. (a test that will help determine what kind of player you will be and which skills you will use most often throughout the game) at age 16. All of these aspects of Fallout 3 are strikingly similar to the character setup used in Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (albeit much better done), which isn’t a surprise as both games were developed by <a href="http://www.bethsoft.com/">Bethesda Softworks</a>. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVT7z3zeniYsMVP11-UZPZcItFSa4jfO56GpIgC_mRiBkdIqqR8xbnNUi7NzcLdFeroFKuC1qV-g79ATeTmTM1ZzglPl6P2PqA-MQYMGro_DBN2Nhh83bCN5exXM_3pCSk3wINWAtY68E/s1600-h/Copy+(5)+of+screenie.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVT7z3zeniYsMVP11-UZPZcItFSa4jfO56GpIgC_mRiBkdIqqR8xbnNUi7NzcLdFeroFKuC1qV-g79ATeTmTM1ZzglPl6P2PqA-MQYMGro_DBN2Nhh83bCN5exXM_3pCSk3wINWAtY68E/s200/Copy+(5)+of+screenie.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315498795834903906" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Ah, the beauty of the Capital Wasteland. Now if only I could find my pants...</span> <br /><br />The skills and perks made available to you in Fallout 3 are also very similar to those available in Oblivion. You can choose to be a stealthy player who is proficient at sneaking and picking locks; a brainy character who can hack computer terminals and provide more efficient medical care to yourself and others; a bullet-spraying, grenade-chucking commando who mows down everything in their path; or pretty much anything in-between. Also similar to its fantasy counterpart, Fallout 3 allows you to play the game as either a goody-goody, an evil-doer, or something of a neutral, based on decisions you make throughout the game. This provides for an extremely dynamic experience every time you play, as the outcomes from any given interaction could potentially take your character in several different directions.<br /><br />No matter what your character looks like or how you conduct your G.O.A.T., you will eventually need to leave the Vault and brave the many dangers of the Wasteland. Up until this point, Fallout 3’s visuals are pretty decent by modern standards, although a tad boring, as the entire game thus far has taken place in the steel corridors you call home. When you first set foot in the outside world, however, the dull redundancy of the Vault fades from your memory, and your eyes are treated to the most beautiful post-apocalyptic wasteland that you’ve ever seen. The scenery is incredibly well-done, as the rich, vivid textures form a startlingly realistic landscape of decimation. Although the majority of the Capital Wasteland is made up of rolling, craggy hills, abandoned subway tunnels, and ruined buildings, these are so well-done that their aesthetic beauty keeps them from getting boring to look at. Character and object models are also superbly done, and certainly help add to the illusion that you are living in a gritty and unforgiving environment.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5In1gv63BxIxUroC0YADdN-1cfYooPrJ9ktcNjrOg2Ju51gU3QgogxiLvuhZmiX2xs_Y2rPkmE4X1mcKl7_Vw_wG21mBXHeD9vAC5uzNVFzrPO1oinAb3j5eYM6ujLmK77QmL-QJ9Hxk/s1600-h/Copy+(6)+of+screenie.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5In1gv63BxIxUroC0YADdN-1cfYooPrJ9ktcNjrOg2Ju51gU3QgogxiLvuhZmiX2xs_Y2rPkmE4X1mcKl7_Vw_wG21mBXHeD9vAC5uzNVFzrPO1oinAb3j5eYM6ujLmK77QmL-QJ9Hxk/s200/Copy+(6)+of+screenie.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315495582817216722" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">The first time you step foot outside of Vault 101, your eyes are treated to catastrophic beauty.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5-lAu0Q96YvguPmzrsMpuLdGKn57NPlFq6PT2PToAOIr4eAlxJpnjEAXO8xSsAEEgY3dgF0iL58k5KzYLSvOLz4SgPNi0gv1Z58i4UoeXyGEc8djIxXF79G1kx6Gq4dHTZqL9bwGrZf4/s1600-h/Copy+(11)+of+screenie.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5-lAu0Q96YvguPmzrsMpuLdGKn57NPlFq6PT2PToAOIr4eAlxJpnjEAXO8xSsAEEgY3dgF0iL58k5KzYLSvOLz4SgPNi0gv1Z58i4UoeXyGEc8djIxXF79G1kx6Gq4dHTZqL9bwGrZf4/s200/Copy+(11)+of+screenie.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315499439292382178" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">The Washington Monument has seen better days.</span><br /><br />Although it might not be Fallout 3’s strongest point, the sound <span style="font-style:italic;">does</span> add to the game’s repertoire of excellence. The ambient sounds you will encounter in the Wasteland are chillingly appropriate, whether you’re scouring the charred remains of a city or crawling through the darkness of a metro tunnel. Some of the weapon sounds can be a bit weak, but for the most part they’re very satisfying. The creature sounds are also appropriate, from buzzing bloat flies to snarling deathclaws (genetically engineered killing machines that are a pain in the ass to kill at first). <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikJgYFl1iOaIZOJYoJWdyU-yRuhqRMwHBANnOzjwvtS_YlaA0EQ5u4bqGo-e-U9-FgD2iW0vq1rMHHCJPqJ7BWIK-UK1TebLRNcmaPRewEVFgeOTUZViELzzRmNykB2dv0rmOI3jiKbUE/s1600-h/Copy+(8)+of+screenie.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikJgYFl1iOaIZOJYoJWdyU-yRuhqRMwHBANnOzjwvtS_YlaA0EQ5u4bqGo-e-U9-FgD2iW0vq1rMHHCJPqJ7BWIK-UK1TebLRNcmaPRewEVFgeOTUZViELzzRmNykB2dv0rmOI3jiKbUE/s200/Copy+(8)+of+screenie.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315496988761637218" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">These vicious deathclaws are just as scary as they look. Try not to pee yourself.</span><br /><br />I’m usually pretty picky about the voice acting in a video game, especially story-driven games like this one. Graphics and gameplay are incredibly important, but the voice acting is really the vehicle that propels the story forward, and poor acting can ruin the flow of an otherwise great story. Thankfully, Fallout 3’s voice acting is, for the most part, as excellent as everything else. Like Oblivion, several characters are voiced by the same actors, but there is still enough of a variety to keep it from getting too boring. Another plus is that the voice of your character’s father is played by the great <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000553/">Liam Neeson</a>, who also provided the voice for the character Aslan in the move The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Neeson is a very talented voice actor, and his performance here is no exception. He absolutely nails the role of an intelligent, caring father, and his praises for your good deeds in the game will actually make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside.<br /><br />Flashy graphics and immersive sounds are all for naught if a video game’s gameplay sucks, but Fallout 3 doesn’t have that problem. Here again you will find Fallout 3 to be incredibly similar to Oblivion - but that’s not a bad thing. Your character will start off at “level one”, leaving them relatively weak and initially incapable of many feats that need to be performed in the game. You gain experience points, or “XP”, by killing enemies and completing objectives, and after you’ve gained a certain amount, you reach the next level. Here we see a distinction in the gameplay between Oblivion and Fallout 3: In Oblivion, you advance specific skills by using them over and over (for example, your Blade skill is increased every time you attack with a sword), but in Fallout 3, you are given a number of skill points to allocate to whichever skills you like each time you level up. This is nice in that you can increase certain skills that you don’t necessarily use very often, but need extra points in to complete a certain task (for instance, there is a point in the game where you have the option of disarming a nuclear bomb, but you need an Explosives skill of 30 or more. I hadn’t used my Explosives skill at all at that point, but once I leveled up, I could allocate enough points to Explosives so that I could complete the task). The downside to this is that you really aren’t rewarded for using these skills, so there’s seldom motivation to develop any skills but the most useful ones.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitNE4YHoicEXwIZEps1li1UJvUxOCDMR8z618xDgd-MmKEjEXwD-_zUMHZfpkwCqdW_M31gzFFExutDN0HN4r70OAxOE8ajCv9GyJpXjHE7Xn0uYrqxA00LkHHOaDtiMtEjHnowYezM9s/s1600-h/Copy+(10)+of+screenie.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitNE4YHoicEXwIZEps1li1UJvUxOCDMR8z618xDgd-MmKEjEXwD-_zUMHZfpkwCqdW_M31gzFFExutDN0HN4r70OAxOE8ajCv9GyJpXjHE7Xn0uYrqxA00LkHHOaDtiMtEjHnowYezM9s/s200/Copy+(10)+of+screenie.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315496001052197842" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">The level-up screen is easy to use, and provides an incredible level of customization for your character.</span><br /><br />Perhaps the only thing I found to be irritating about the gameplay as the fact that your character can only reach a maximum of level 20. In Oblivion, your character can reach ridiculously high levels, allowing you to squash the toughest of foes with your little finger. In Fallout 3, unfortunately, once you’ve reached level 20, your character cannot progress any further, forcing you to hone only the skills and perks that you like best, or else start a new game to explore the other skills and perks you weren’t able to use the first time around. This was a fairly smart move for Bethesda, as it provides motivation to play the game through more than once, but personally I like attaining super-human status in an RPG, which I missed in this game.<br /><br />Combat here isn’t as straightforward as most first-person shooters. At first, your character will do very little damage with whatever weapon he/she is wielding, and any projectiles you fire will be fairly inaccurate. You will get better as your character progresses and levels up, but this feature does prevent the game from being the typical run-and-gun type FPS. Another interesting feature is the incorporation of the V.A.T.S. system, a targeting system that allows you to freeze the action and target specific enemies or specific parts of an enemy’s body. The V.A.T.S. will show you the likeliness of your shot being a success, as well as the projected damage it will deal. This can be useful for lower-level players, as you are more likely to score a hit on an enemy using V.A.T.S. than if you tried on your own.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgREAg9XQTnBB79NOfUcxYjjMK6_USFJ4H9MvZWhboCQfflmXo4YNq0ah80zgxF1szHy6mWqYvcIn_ocA_zXQHUBdFvsbSf7eo00KSym4gRG_zFqntGx3TfFF1AxZw6BxGRDb09FmyU5eU/s1600-h/Copy+(3)+of+screenie.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgREAg9XQTnBB79NOfUcxYjjMK6_USFJ4H9MvZWhboCQfflmXo4YNq0ah80zgxF1szHy6mWqYvcIn_ocA_zXQHUBdFvsbSf7eo00KSym4gRG_zFqntGx3TfFF1AxZw6BxGRDb09FmyU5eU/s200/Copy+(3)+of+screenie.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315496428652703618" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">The V.A.T.S. system lets you target specific areas on your enemy's body, allowing for greater accuracy.</span><br /><br />Another feature that makes Fallout 3 so immersive is the sheer size of the game world. The Capital Wasteland is pretty huge (although not as massive as Oblivion’s Cyrodiil), and there are plenty of nooks and crannies for you to discover, as well as full-fledged cities. Some are downright impressive (like Rivet City, a settlement made out of a beached aircraft carrier), and some are downright creepy (as a teacher, I found the town of Little Lamplight to be the most disturbing – a city run entirely by children... I had a nightmare like that once…). The downside to the size of the game world is that there aren’t any kind of vehicles available for you make the journey a bit quicker. If you need to travel to a location across the map that you’ve never been to before, it could possibly take you a LONG time to reach. Thankfully, Fallout 3 allows the use of fast travel, as does Oblivion, which lets you instantly travel to any location that you’ve already visited.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAqi5m0gcLRUk3DRO7WaPl0MrtZ1LIljYM8CpZyAE2vZhwnrGfGLjhqkutRzytGWIpohIsQmUHM3T_Tlk_TeEu6bb8VRg_C9Z7y3WwQPQpl2hDQasZf7wkhXJTIzVfzxPNEOjqWyz74kw/s1600-h/Copy+(15)+of+screenie.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAqi5m0gcLRUk3DRO7WaPl0MrtZ1LIljYM8CpZyAE2vZhwnrGfGLjhqkutRzytGWIpohIsQmUHM3T_Tlk_TeEu6bb8VRg_C9Z7y3WwQPQpl2hDQasZf7wkhXJTIzVfzxPNEOjqWyz74kw/s200/Copy+(15)+of+screenie.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315500116862620322" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd-rk-jsuu1FdCwZnarkAbddaNyFYGSYw9NJj-uqOB6DJlfDV-wRJTzPdrGgVc00aX39m1J6JRAre5bTWU6Fx7UN3aexIqgMx64V7MIp6LnJg8Pvm-G66jtQBJiO07QzW-DuDLJcdinDU/s1600-h/Copy+(14)+of+screenie.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd-rk-jsuu1FdCwZnarkAbddaNyFYGSYw9NJj-uqOB6DJlfDV-wRJTzPdrGgVc00aX39m1J6JRAre5bTWU6Fx7UN3aexIqgMx64V7MIp6LnJg8Pvm-G66jtQBJiO07QzW-DuDLJcdinDU/s200/Copy+(14)+of+screenie.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315500359950034946" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Welcome to Little Lamplight: Paradise for children like these; living hell for teachers like me.</span><br /><br />I consider the game design and gameplay to be damn near flawless. That said, Fallout 3 does have some aggravating issues. Namely, Fallout3.exe crashes often, losing any unsaved progress up until that point. For me, the crashes became so frequent that they made the game unplayable. I scoured the internet in search of a remedy, and after trying everything I could find, I still didn’t find a solution. Unfortunately, I was forced to turn to a… <span style="font-style:italic;">less conventional</span> means of fixing my problem, which I won’t get into here. Let’s just say it involves sharing things with my peers. I was disappointed to find such a glaring flaw in a game that is otherwise so incredibly awesome.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWlcFzfrAFGOiHdh3zWCORKFUoIcQ6R_z-HRX0MPULPEvtV1tGNmVJigx7mElJNhSLC_SAEHgkeMwbswyEatVFu33bWDRLfTqxiXciDV6cr8TcbVHM3Pk7nhuHGpZG-LgY2lWBr39vO8k/s1600-h/Copy+(2)+of+screenie.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWlcFzfrAFGOiHdh3zWCORKFUoIcQ6R_z-HRX0MPULPEvtV1tGNmVJigx7mElJNhSLC_SAEHgkeMwbswyEatVFu33bWDRLfTqxiXciDV6cr8TcbVHM3Pk7nhuHGpZG-LgY2lWBr39vO8k/s200/Copy+(2)+of+screenie.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315497630615998674" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Unfortunately, I saw this screen a lot when I first started playing Fallout 3. Hopefully Bethesda will get their heads out of their asses and fix this problem soon.</span><br /><br />To write an exhaustive review of a game as deep and complex as Fallout 3 would take a long time, and would probably be so long that it would bore most readers. That said, I will just tell you that there is much, much more to this game than what I’ve described here – I only wanted to share the highlights in hopes of helping you make the decision on whether or not you want to purchase the game. In summation, I highly recommend Fallout 3. The game is incredibly fun, highly customizable, and the replay value makes it worth the money.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Gameplay footage:</span><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/V5wTVFMQUaM&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/V5wTVFMQUaM&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/tfa03TMhhtY&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/tfa03TMhhtY&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Fallout 3's explosions are <span style="font-weight:bold;">awesome:</span></span><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/9p2vm4fWFh4&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/9p2vm4fWFh4&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Additional screenshots:</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW5itfO7iZOSflYVd4DtEcfvWsPWWqMZLJb9FWZkEBuyfasq5KsHiDPXagwjaJ75bUavMh4ebnQEdzxGJeOw7atmuLCTOmNoHo7zBB9caTp1xR9D9CiQ7vP7CVrK10fAEoZcICISKcZXo/s1600-h/Copy+(4)+of+screenie.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW5itfO7iZOSflYVd4DtEcfvWsPWWqMZLJb9FWZkEBuyfasq5KsHiDPXagwjaJ75bUavMh4ebnQEdzxGJeOw7atmuLCTOmNoHo7zBB9caTp1xR9D9CiQ7vP7CVrK10fAEoZcICISKcZXo/s200/Copy+(4)+of+screenie.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315498123914152658" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtXZlM0FiHiwBD9wJDHWMadkrtF4eLJGsXTyysLWg72mKZidTjw3UINkgmue0MCcFWIdnBjEOGgHvZI4gng2EwDWcTWL4Yo0Wy-U9JYivTVHr0FKYT1WJo4oRKfA0mNGPl0O24sz03y2A/s1600-h/Copy+(9)+of+screenie.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtXZlM0FiHiwBD9wJDHWMadkrtF4eLJGsXTyysLWg72mKZidTjw3UINkgmue0MCcFWIdnBjEOGgHvZI4gng2EwDWcTWL4Yo0Wy-U9JYivTVHr0FKYT1WJo4oRKfA0mNGPl0O24sz03y2A/s200/Copy+(9)+of+screenie.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315499294531796546" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB7akTMBwl9b_k7_0ED9dLA1jkLRkgj1FuSKO3uTXSnqdgg9nwO7R-EucCWkROt1iyd1QVaH0xh2ttodqRgN5WmxFK-wGy-0zSX6ZorAxVdAdceiguTOl7KaaPBQ4m_HSLm9Z8zuy2aWM/s1600-h/Copy+(12)+of+screenie.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB7akTMBwl9b_k7_0ED9dLA1jkLRkgj1FuSKO3uTXSnqdgg9nwO7R-EucCWkROt1iyd1QVaH0xh2ttodqRgN5WmxFK-wGy-0zSX6ZorAxVdAdceiguTOl7KaaPBQ4m_HSLm9Z8zuy2aWM/s200/Copy+(12)+of+screenie.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315499698470574050" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN2Bi1gbVObvq4cIoXelwaDrcHpthrkOkUVZ68sFDAOIqnPK7GXPyOTMxxRSsQvqgYZu8FhcUHWnAhfZk0TAjsjM3d2JUFrHsovuT-hqPcM2vH1ImDdN_gcTWEzT3_RXZjhnfpLBWmLCM/s1600-h/Copy+(13)+of+screenie.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN2Bi1gbVObvq4cIoXelwaDrcHpthrkOkUVZ68sFDAOIqnPK7GXPyOTMxxRSsQvqgYZu8FhcUHWnAhfZk0TAjsjM3d2JUFrHsovuT-hqPcM2vH1ImDdN_gcTWEzT3_RXZjhnfpLBWmLCM/s200/Copy+(13)+of+screenie.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315499893596178322" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0I3A3VtvpIfffB1yWlMqfwfa9nKJzye_NLQiOLgKIgad8ml6pXKnX9kJSc0Vp5BB9uDex9IMb6JaddyV3JsV0ByriLXm3MhyphenhyphenXYWQz0ixNMBpCZQBb07bAcpFrqMfuG_XIoKJBE_kbBJ8/s1600-h/Copy+(16)+of+screenie.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0I3A3VtvpIfffB1yWlMqfwfa9nKJzye_NLQiOLgKIgad8ml6pXKnX9kJSc0Vp5BB9uDex9IMb6JaddyV3JsV0ByriLXm3MhyphenhyphenXYWQz0ixNMBpCZQBb07bAcpFrqMfuG_XIoKJBE_kbBJ8/s200/Copy+(16)+of+screenie.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315500743479194818" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfrMUI_iiA_lan3hvfwI-DbeLb6DE36Kqk_KVTOfHrxotmmSzqyEwJM3SbSGAXA2HCcC0rLkATaQCaf-bXE1bbRSsx0izVs7D4hpuCTr03Yc2pGMiQ-tefmujQh19DUjoz5WKAHRHnDXU/s1600-h/Copy+(17)+of+screenie.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfrMUI_iiA_lan3hvfwI-DbeLb6DE36Kqk_KVTOfHrxotmmSzqyEwJM3SbSGAXA2HCcC0rLkATaQCaf-bXE1bbRSsx0izVs7D4hpuCTr03Yc2pGMiQ-tefmujQh19DUjoz5WKAHRHnDXU/s200/Copy+(17)+of+screenie.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315500861828811794" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVozMtZxTLeRgZe49oZWFHcIjeQRby-t0o6qzK0vUri5PWmaog_7aQ13ugrRsBcgNTguy47SOu5tRkjztC6YPquI4MvF83QkpX8BDzC3VZmbxyLhUf_IrHDpGFL6y4F9ngqFJakHYx29o/s1600-h/Copy+(18)+of+screenie.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVozMtZxTLeRgZe49oZWFHcIjeQRby-t0o6qzK0vUri5PWmaog_7aQ13ugrRsBcgNTguy47SOu5tRkjztC6YPquI4MvF83QkpX8BDzC3VZmbxyLhUf_IrHDpGFL6y4F9ngqFJakHYx29o/s200/Copy+(18)+of+screenie.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315501022707067650" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJisaRVdyuWto4F2zMBnoDI9JnI_0RsNNYMRYO2GROt-x6zV0wKEVnq-AZoEEFrHYBYUJr12zSZ-MUhETElxgSgJeDRC_775sWMaZ3-pTbnyKaLedmH6shj9RgEBOURgOrhK8N_BtNIgk/s1600-h/Copy+(19)+of+screenie.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJisaRVdyuWto4F2zMBnoDI9JnI_0RsNNYMRYO2GROt-x6zV0wKEVnq-AZoEEFrHYBYUJr12zSZ-MUhETElxgSgJeDRC_775sWMaZ3-pTbnyKaLedmH6shj9RgEBOURgOrhK8N_BtNIgk/s200/Copy+(19)+of+screenie.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315501127717781826" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdD4XAkUviYr6Tx0flW_HhFTuEvW0x14epx24Maf02X9gJU6AgUfDq8fVJ7BPiZ9IlftPhp29VA5PC-DWIpC-czjcWx2UFtxMw9HUNrPW3hlZvvoUHIgWdZGo4QDFRdLaD_Y1d9hMEOjY/s1600-h/Copy+(20)+of+screenie.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdD4XAkUviYr6Tx0flW_HhFTuEvW0x14epx24Maf02X9gJU6AgUfDq8fVJ7BPiZ9IlftPhp29VA5PC-DWIpC-czjcWx2UFtxMw9HUNrPW3hlZvvoUHIgWdZGo4QDFRdLaD_Y1d9hMEOjY/s200/Copy+(20)+of+screenie.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315501236718459986" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiBety-FN0M3lOqWOCmJDU6NyQxbEqyLfiux9wZuVkbuezV_ZXU82pdsxazUxLeX4qeAB8R7CdpHlckRRQRNMC_XRNTjhVeb7eTVtN7v3SHMzJ7CoyI7xeNur74bjPStFWYzVmqDIJ9I4/s1600-h/Copy+(21)+of+screenie.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiBety-FN0M3lOqWOCmJDU6NyQxbEqyLfiux9wZuVkbuezV_ZXU82pdsxazUxLeX4qeAB8R7CdpHlckRRQRNMC_XRNTjhVeb7eTVtN7v3SHMzJ7CoyI7xeNur74bjPStFWYzVmqDIJ9I4/s200/Copy+(21)+of+screenie.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5315501328130275762" /></a>Dennishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10129746949837930085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-715265556948595450.post-5085254718626373872009-03-02T15:51:00.000-08:002009-05-10T16:23:18.175-07:00Quake Live ReviewGraphics:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFgUJE7ffwJQe_5DwavDxeTdKY7e9ZOaa9w7u6aZKehTsS2yQjKjN_aUQ1wVulHGUIhGiz3XMDvwjX1gfB7GDcFNDoOpOqVceNsESnbWM1dfQIpU2Jz8DYxgCXGtcQ9RuifM8fCXfzKHI/s1600-h/5outof5.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 119px; height: 30px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFgUJE7ffwJQe_5DwavDxeTdKY7e9ZOaa9w7u6aZKehTsS2yQjKjN_aUQ1wVulHGUIhGiz3XMDvwjX1gfB7GDcFNDoOpOqVceNsESnbWM1dfQIpU2Jz8DYxgCXGtcQ9RuifM8fCXfzKHI/s200/5outof5.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308804425779431906" border="0"></a><br />Sound:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguIDlZFIELUdJMZkJ-VWXh2BIuIPKF7qw76CNoboGNj1V3X26OJQQhoqFhwKFo-zi7yTuBr-Bd1bfoKsp-fiAYcUJPCwQkK9cAeKKyd_C5OwfMFYP-M87X2OGw_-4SWticWvRy37s06Fs/s1600-h/4outof5.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 118px; height: 30px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguIDlZFIELUdJMZkJ-VWXh2BIuIPKF7qw76CNoboGNj1V3X26OJQQhoqFhwKFo-zi7yTuBr-Bd1bfoKsp-fiAYcUJPCwQkK9cAeKKyd_C5OwfMFYP-M87X2OGw_-4SWticWvRy37s06Fs/s200/4outof5.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308804551515209026" border="0"></a><br />Gameplay:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFgUJE7ffwJQe_5DwavDxeTdKY7e9ZOaa9w7u6aZKehTsS2yQjKjN_aUQ1wVulHGUIhGiz3XMDvwjX1gfB7GDcFNDoOpOqVceNsESnbWM1dfQIpU2Jz8DYxgCXGtcQ9RuifM8fCXfzKHI/s1600-h/5outof5.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 119px; height: 30px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFgUJE7ffwJQe_5DwavDxeTdKY7e9ZOaa9w7u6aZKehTsS2yQjKjN_aUQ1wVulHGUIhGiz3XMDvwjX1gfB7GDcFNDoOpOqVceNsESnbWM1dfQIpU2Jz8DYxgCXGtcQ9RuifM8fCXfzKHI/s200/5outof5.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308804425779431906" border="0"></a><br />Replay Value:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFgUJE7ffwJQe_5DwavDxeTdKY7e9ZOaa9w7u6aZKehTsS2yQjKjN_aUQ1wVulHGUIhGiz3XMDvwjX1gfB7GDcFNDoOpOqVceNsESnbWM1dfQIpU2Jz8DYxgCXGtcQ9RuifM8fCXfzKHI/s1600-h/5outof5.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 119px; height: 30px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFgUJE7ffwJQe_5DwavDxeTdKY7e9ZOaa9w7u6aZKehTsS2yQjKjN_aUQ1wVulHGUIhGiz3XMDvwjX1gfB7GDcFNDoOpOqVceNsESnbWM1dfQIpU2Jz8DYxgCXGtcQ9RuifM8fCXfzKHI/s200/5outof5.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308804425779431906" border="0"></a><br />1337nees:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwKWc-74RqkqSsDrEYZUNXIm4dZNUomXPXns474Fk-F4oqFvi7lk8t6q-IroM1BfrWH7twdcXukzvAkYKe37IAlegy6zExovhuoo3oVVl64EL4V87JtWNJjOvtndjqHYUt2wAWj7vdoAY/s1600-h/4.75outof5.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 119px; height: 30px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwKWc-74RqkqSsDrEYZUNXIm4dZNUomXPXns474Fk-F4oqFvi7lk8t6q-IroM1BfrWH7twdcXukzvAkYKe37IAlegy6zExovhuoo3oVVl64EL4V87JtWNJjOvtndjqHYUt2wAWj7vdoAY/s200/4.75outof5.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308811227126860530" border="0"></a><br /><br />As far as first-person shooters go, Quake holds the all-time title of 1337est of the 1337. The original Quake was the first game that <span style="font-style: italic;">really</span> sucked me in and had me up at all hours of the night, blowing away digital opponents in the most realistic, engrossing 3D world that had yet been created. I also enjoyed the subsequent titles immensely, including the pure death match game Quake 3. Also sporting the finest graphics of its time, Quake 3 provides intense multiplayer gameplay at blistering speeds, and has yet to be bested by any FPS released since. If you want to play Quake 3 and not get your ass handed to you, you had better be pretty damn good. And now, with the launch of <a href="http://www.quakelive.com">Quake Live</a>, you no longer have an excuse not to try your luck against some of the most hard core FPS players on the planet.<br /><br />The idea of Quake Live is pure genius: Web-based deathmatch that you can access from basically any computer with an internet connection. You go to the website, set up an account, download a few files, and after about 10-15 minutes with a broadband connection, you're playing Quake 3 - for <span style="font-style: italic;">free</span>. Yes, free. As in, you pay $0.00. Air isn't even that cheap.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQDYt6bYDU6SCRyfM0KMnBADP0PZfe8bYAgpMwi56glUX3NKNhd-YbCvr9rdqw2Avo7f6v5BdtuaM_cyJYvsUQf2uyxilsTNQX6C9b-3lTTKY4OJJzUQr-fBWQJW9xbltukjb_DFXxKtA/s1600-h/Copy+%286%29+of+screenie.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQDYt6bYDU6SCRyfM0KMnBADP0PZfe8bYAgpMwi56glUX3NKNhd-YbCvr9rdqw2Avo7f6v5BdtuaM_cyJYvsUQf2uyxilsTNQX6C9b-3lTTKY4OJJzUQr-fBWQJW9xbltukjb_DFXxKtA/s200/Copy+%286%29+of+screenie.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308810514463278626" border="0"></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The graphics, weapons, characters, maps, and pretty much everything else is almost identical to Quake 3.</span><br /><br />The game itself is just about identical to Quake 3. The graphics, which aren't exactly top notch nowadays (but were at the time), the sound, the physics, and gameplay are nearly indistinguishable. In addition to the game content, Quake Live also provides you with a preliminary match against an AI controlled character to estimate your skill at the game, which is then used to give you a list of servers in which players of the same skill congregate. This feature is a definite plus for those who've never played Quake 3, and would like to try it without getting completely annihilated by superior players.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHO6xioFFnva1tGK_1MNnPuT5T6XkBNGxbD4rM9RbIqWRfmltxaxXAtC5CTclxGa6YtKNzbLSWiGehBLpGC9b0TQgWb4RLwseodoX70iYDnLs3HPw9U7CpW-3ie8D3BkkazxcilbW2XuU/s1600-h/Copy+%283%29+of+screenie.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHO6xioFFnva1tGK_1MNnPuT5T6XkBNGxbD4rM9RbIqWRfmltxaxXAtC5CTclxGa6YtKNzbLSWiGehBLpGC9b0TQgWb4RLwseodoX70iYDnLs3HPw9U7CpW-3ie8D3BkkazxcilbW2XuU/s200/Copy+%283%29+of+screenie.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308808805120582146" border="0"></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Best Pick servers are matched to your skill. I'd recommend starting there.</span><br /><br />Classic deathmatch gameplay, easy accessibility and a built-in, on-line community are the obvious pros to Quake Live, but there do exist some cons. First of all, the initial setup on QL can be a bit on the long-ish side. It took me the better part of 15 minutes to register and get everything set into place, and that's being generous. Once I had everything setup and I played through the qualifying round, though, it was a breeze to connect to a server and start fraggin'. After around 3 or 4 hours of blasting n00bs with rockets, I took a break and came back to this:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXtnhqn2YdGEv47RYA7MulFdDosUSCJ24oP_HBmWLhvoZRR6dwvwbm-dZ6rntYoivx-ai6niSo70GUw2tkywCTnvGS13HScVlTy65kycrDhVx2gwVlvxNYz-sL8yOYstCxxLt8_F5L1u4/s1600-h/Copy+%282%29+of+screenie.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXtnhqn2YdGEv47RYA7MulFdDosUSCJ24oP_HBmWLhvoZRR6dwvwbm-dZ6rntYoivx-ai6niSo70GUw2tkywCTnvGS13HScVlTy65kycrDhVx2gwVlvxNYz-sL8yOYstCxxLt8_F5L1u4/s200/Copy+%282%29+of+screenie.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308801577760401250" border="0"></a><br /><br />I was used to the queue screen that I normally got when I tried to log in to QL (which normally only takes you a minute or two), but this screen persisted for a few hours, and I'm still getting it now even as I write this review. Alas, it would appear that one aspect of Quake Live that makes it so damn 1337 is also its downfall. The fact that all game activity is routed through one website (instead of being able to directly connect to a number of independently hosted servers, like in the original Quake 3), means that if that website is down or experiencing heavy traffic, everyone's screwed. I suppose that's the price you pay for not paying a price to play... I oughta trademark that frickin' sentence.<br /><br />Annoying cons aside, there really is no reason for you not to give Quake Live a try, especially if you are a deathmatch enthusiast like myself. It's free, it's easy, and it's a hell of a lot of fun (that's what she said).<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Gameplay footage:</span><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dy6EidqV2uJCBS2OYE8oJff0N9g0HVzPkG8GyFiFOWhrmuX6nnFfPlsMsmIrkd2l27DvUAM_gMjXZL6gdTJxA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>Dennishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10129746949837930085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-715265556948595450.post-89123236392388384922009-02-13T15:29:00.000-08:002009-02-13T16:17:54.122-08:00Desire: Man's Strength, Man's Bane<span style="font-style:italic;">I'll take a bit of a departure from my usual writing topics to publish something I wrote in college (not that many people are going to read it anyway). As I mentioned in my review of <a href="http://destinedfor1337ness.blogspot.com/2009/02/legendary-review.html">Legendary</a>, I am fascinated with mythology. I wrote this essay to fulfill an assignment that required us to compare and contrast myths from two or more different cultures. I hope some will at least find it interesting.</span><br /><br />Throughout time, romance has been one of the fondest themes found in stories from various cultures. Love between a man and a woman is often the most intense of storytelling elements, and in several myths the love a man has <span style="font-style:italic;">for</span> his woman - and the lengths to which he would go to protect and preserve her - is a powerful motivation to embark upon the most daring and dangerous of journeys. It is a grand and ancient longing for a man to fight the battle and rescue the beauty, as many myths depict the valiant hero engaging the enemy in order to rescue, defend, or avenge his beloved. It would seem as if a man could meet any outward challenge when faced with such a feat - even if meeting that challenge meant that he would have to journey into the darkest realms of the cosmos, to the land of the dead, or to the underworld.<br /> <br />However, just as man’s inner passions are what drive him to perform such heroic deeds, so are they often his greatest bane, as we will see in the exploration of three different myths from three different parts of the world. The Japanese story of the “primal couple”, Izanagi and his wife Izanami; the Greek story of Orpheus and his wife Eurydice; and finally, from North America, the Nez Percé story of Coyote and his wife, all tell the tale of love and loss, and of man’s desire for his woman, which can both inspire him to heroism and crush the very purpose of his quest at the same.<br /> <br />In the First and Second Parts of the <a href="http://www.sacred-texts.com/shi/kojiki.htm">Kojiki</a>, the oldest of Shinto scriptures, the tragic tale of Izanagi and Izanami unfolds. Izanagi-no-Mikoto (literally translated the “Man-Who-Invites”) and Izanami-no-Mikoto (the “Female-Who-Invites”) were last of the “Seven Divine Generations” of deities. The first man-and-wife couple, Izanagi and Izanami were the creators of the islands of Japan, along with many of the Shinto deities. Although divine brother and sister, the two gods went on to create numerous other islands and deities, until Izanami gave birth to the “Fire-Burning-Swift-Male” deity, which “through giving birth to this child her august private parts were burned, and she sickened and lay down” (Kojiki “Retirement of Her Augustness”). Mortally wounded by the birth of her fire deity, Izanami dies, and Izanagi, raging and lamenting the death of his beloved wife, draws his sword and cuts the head off of the burning god.<br /><br />After beheading his son, Izanagi follows his younger sister to Yomi, the underworld land of the dead, in hopes of catching her and bringing her back with him to the realm of the living. Upon finding his wife, Izanagi calls out to her, saying, “Thine Augustness, my lovely younger sister! The lands that I and thou made are not yet finished making; so come back!” (Kojiki “The Land of Hades”). Izanami, greatly desiring to return, agrees to go with her husband if he agrees not to look at her, as she answers his plea with, “Lamentable indeed that thou camest not sooner! I have eaten of the furnace of Hades. Nevertheless, as I reverence the entry here of Thine Augustness, my lovely elder brother, I wish to return. Moreover, I will discuss it particularly with the deities of Hades. Look not at me!” (Kojiki “The Land of Hades”). <br /> <br />As he anxiously waited for his sister to return from inside the palace of the underworld, Izanagi’s patience began to grow thin. In his impatience, he broke off a tooth from the comb that was in the left bunch of his hair and lit it as a torch. Then, using the torch as a light in the dark palace, he pursued his sister in order to hasten their departure. Upon finding his sister once again, Izanagi discovered that her flesh was rotting, maggots were swarming about her carcass, and eight evil thunder deities were dwelling in her body. Horrified, the god fled the underworld, which dishonored his now wretched spouse. Izanami sent her demons, the eight terrifying thunder deities, howling and scratching after her beloved. Izanagi evaded the demons, distracting them by turning his comb into grapes and his headdress into bamboo sprouts. Now thoroughly enraged, Izanami herself began to pursue Izanagi. The goddess-turned-demon soon caught up to her brother and the two exchanged curses (Yamato “Izanagi and Izanami”). Narrowly, Izanagi escaped his sister’s wrath, which could have been completely averted had Izanagi complied with his sister’s request, instead of giving in to his impatience and his burning desire to see <span style="font-style:italic;">his</span> wife.<br /><br />Similar to the story of Izanagi and Izanami is the Greek myth of the musician <a href="http://www.vcu.edu/engweb/webtexts/eurydice/eurydicemyth.html">Orpheus</a>, and his wife, Eurydice. Orpheus was a magical minstrel who charmed all who heard him, including animals, trees, rocks, and humans. His wife, Eurydice, was a young dryad or wood nymph. The couple’s tragedy begins when Eurydice meets Aristaeus, the patron deity of the hunt, in the valley of the river Peneius, near Tempe. Aristaeus makes advances towards Eurydice, much to her displeasure, so she attempts to flee his lusting grasp. In her flight, however, Eurydice steps on a venomous serpent and is bitten. Eurydice dies from the envenomation and is sent to the underworld, leaving her grieving husband behind. Orpheus, however, is not content to leave his beloved in the realm of the dead, so he travels through a portal at Aornum in Thesprotis and descends to the very realm Eurydice was cast down into (Bonnefoy 201). Orpheus descends into Tartartus - the deepest, darkest region of the universe - in much the same way that Izanagi descends into Yomi for <span style="font-style:italic;">his</span> wife.<br /> <br />As Orpheus enters this dark land, he uses his beautiful voice and his magical lyre to charm the ferryman, Charon, to take him across the river Acheron. After reaching the gates to the underworld, Orpheus again uses his lyre to charm the beast Cerberus, a mighty three-headed dog who guards the entrance to Hades, lulling the monster to sleep. After passing through the gates, Orpheus and his lyre perform an even greater feat by charming the heart of Hades, the lord of the netherworld. Hades thus agrees to grant Orpheus the safe passage of his wife, but on one condition: Orpheus is not to look back at Eurydice until they are both back under the light of the sun. But, just as Izanagi could not comply with his sister’s request for him not to gaze upon her, Orpheus’ desire to see his wife overcomes him, and he glances back at her just as they reach the edge of the sunlight. Eurydice then fades into an intangible smoke and is lost forever (Graves 112). Again, a man’s passions and desires take him into the depths of hell, only to have his prize snatched out of his hand due to his inability to control those same desires.<br /> <br />Poor Izanagi. Poor Orpheus. One is compelled to pity them for their inconsistent practice of will power, which leads them down the throat of the underworld at one moment, and strips them of their beloved wives the next. Perhaps the wise and cunning Coyote will be more cautious and heed the warnings he is given.<br /> <br />Coyote’s story is found in a myth of the Nez Percé tribe of North America, called “<a href="http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.juntosociety.com/native/spirit4ani.gif&imgrefurl=http://www.juntosociety.com/native/nezperce5.htm&usg=__7AVxAn-nBVk_QmfkSA-pRm9-NQs=&h=308&w=285&sz=158&hl=en&start=1&um=1&tbnid=_0s3lBJTU-KIbM:&tbnh=117&tbnw=108&prev=/images%3Fq%3DCoyote%2Band%2Bthe%2BShadow%2BPeople%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26sa%3DN">Coyote Was Going There</a>.” In this story, Coyote’s wife became ill and passed away, leaving Coyote very, very lonely. The famous trickster could do nothing but weep for his loss, when suddenly a death spirit came to him, saying, “Coyote, do you pine for your wife?”, to which Coyote answered, “Yes, friend, I long for her...” (Parabola 66). The spirit then offered to take Coyote to the place where his wife was, the place where the dead dwelt, but only if Coyote agreed to do everything exactly as the spirit did, and to not disregard anything the spirit commanded him to do. Coyote enthusiastically agreed, and so the two set off. <br /> <br />The spirit took Coyote on a wonderful journey, which, to Coyote, seemed to be largely imaginary. The spirit picked berries, admired the many horses, and entered a very long lodge, all of which were invisible to Coyote. Yet, determined to be with his wife again, Coyote mimicked the spirit perfectly and obeyed his every command. As the two sat in the lodge, which seemed like an empty prairie to Coyote, the spirit explained that Coyote’s wife was preparing food for him and that they should eat. Once again, Coyote complied, and as soon as it began to grow dark, the lodge that was previously invisible slowly started to appear around him, along with the inhabitants of the lodge. Coyote’s wife was among them (Parabola 68).<br /><br />Coyote stayed at the lodge for several days, and every night he saw his wife and deceased loved-ones. One day, however, the spirit came to Coyote and ordered him to go back to his home and to take his wife along. Coyote was to travel back over five mountains for five days, and although he was allowed to take his wife with him, he faced one stipulation: just as Izanagi’s wife told him not to look at her, and even more similar to Hades’ command that Orpheus not gaze upon his wife until they had reached a certain point, Coyote was not to <span style="font-style:italic;">touch</span> his wife until they had descended from the fifth mountain. Coyote agreed, but as he and his wife were camping on the last night of their journey, the trickster was overcome with his desire for his wife, and as he rushed over and touched her, she vanished before his eyes (68).<br /><br />Because of his impatience and his inability to control the desire that drove him into the depths, Izanagi was pursued by his furious wife-turned-demon, narrowly escaping his demise and ultimately separating him from his spouse for the rest of his life. Orpheus had a strong desire for his wife as well, yet he likewise lacked the will to restrain it, and thus lost his beloved. The mythical character Coyote possessed just as much longing for his spouse as his Japanese and Greek counterparts had for theirs, but he also was unable to control it, and so he shared the fate of Izanagi and Orpheus. Desire can indeed push a man to achieve the otherwise impossible, but, as we have seen in these three stories, it can often push <span style="font-style:italic;">too</span> hard, thus thwarting his valiant quest.<br /> <br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Works Cited</span><br /><br />Bonnefoy, Yves. Greek and Egyptian Mythologies (Chicago: U of Chicago P, 1992).<br /><br />"Coyote and the Shadow People." Parabola. Summer 1997. 66-69.<br /><br />Graves, Robert. Greek Myths (New York, USA: Penguin, 1955).<br /><br />Kojiki. “Retirement of Her Augustness” and “The Land of Hades” Trans. B.H. Chamberlain, 1882. 29 April 2004. <http://www.sacred texts.com/shi/kojiki.htm>.<br /><br />“Yamato Glossary/Characters” Izanagi and Izanami. U of California, Berkeley. 29 April 2004.<br /><http://ias.berkeley.edu/orias/hero/yamato/characters_yamato.html>.Dennishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10129746949837930085noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-715265556948595450.post-45628632864730930302009-02-07T11:46:00.001-08:002009-03-11T06:49:18.124-07:00Legendary Review<span style="font-style:italic;">Note: Most of the people who have landed on this review have done so after searching for a fix to that pesky elevator glitch towards the end of Legendary. So, to make it easier for those frantically searching for a solution to this aggravating problem, I thought I'd post the fix here, where people can find it more easily. You're welcome.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Open the PandoraEngine.ini (C:\Documents and Settings\USERNAME\My Documents\My Games\Legendary\PandoraGame\Config-Folder) and search for<br />"MaxSmoothedFrameRate=300" and play around with the value. I had to change mine to 30 in order to get it to work, but some have had success with 60 or other values. Good luck.</span></span><br /><br /><br />Graphics:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYWfjXTBM-4T3qvsh2BUtTOlcE4A39YE2WA35toYawoEYHxOBu0eD2mnM7u2K4utuPB4ioFkn8a5hT8skr2fbP12ycKIu5isU-FtNyJRgaPOMRrOLvkIOnKZbZpTKBqf525XVNGRu7nz4/s1600-h/3outof5.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 118px; height: 30px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYWfjXTBM-4T3qvsh2BUtTOlcE4A39YE2WA35toYawoEYHxOBu0eD2mnM7u2K4utuPB4ioFkn8a5hT8skr2fbP12ycKIu5isU-FtNyJRgaPOMRrOLvkIOnKZbZpTKBqf525XVNGRu7nz4/s200/3outof5.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300207486090081538" border="0" /></a><br />Sound:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicFeurOKEIHzyBudQQkzIkdYFIsUPjvn8aem7AgPhDuSi9wTBE4JU8W2hWGIsk2pyVcxeGUqXqdDKGDP7Ce8rpvXh-VQK5o2gmbrRY6WuyUCFyK3KERxD9fin2rpWPxJD9u7TrfVw8WMY/s1600-h/2outof5.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 118px; height: 30px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicFeurOKEIHzyBudQQkzIkdYFIsUPjvn8aem7AgPhDuSi9wTBE4JU8W2hWGIsk2pyVcxeGUqXqdDKGDP7Ce8rpvXh-VQK5o2gmbrRY6WuyUCFyK3KERxD9fin2rpWPxJD9u7TrfVw8WMY/s200/2outof5.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300207725826020754" border="0" /></a><br />Gameplay:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo7AqS15Lzu9U0QLiETVE9djXRgEt0Yi9vbSr_v0ui2UclOvKylAkXhTcvI6PAX_OxQKW9l-Pp_1ZbAqWUN9XEpzZ6YSxaWI_NJyLfQ2Ch0hcVXRcKSmlh4yXb5RAf_06qicOxsGwmzYI/s1600-h/4outof5.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 118px; height: 30px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo7AqS15Lzu9U0QLiETVE9djXRgEt0Yi9vbSr_v0ui2UclOvKylAkXhTcvI6PAX_OxQKW9l-Pp_1ZbAqWUN9XEpzZ6YSxaWI_NJyLfQ2Ch0hcVXRcKSmlh4yXb5RAf_06qicOxsGwmzYI/s200/4outof5.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300207810379180466" border="0" /></a><br />Replay Value:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2E3sXCa0cw6sz4-WuInP0RCmAGQ_9DBUCMDWix9yaVz9-7Uff8XKyddLS5NYu4tB2l8UIs32mjKqbFJZRqtcqBjdO2Nft2_TmWaFG1XcuXap5Jz7MIUAtpmSnRc2ABPhb3FDj5rVU8NM/s1600-h/1outof5.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 118px; height: 30px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2E3sXCa0cw6sz4-WuInP0RCmAGQ_9DBUCMDWix9yaVz9-7Uff8XKyddLS5NYu4tB2l8UIs32mjKqbFJZRqtcqBjdO2Nft2_TmWaFG1XcuXap5Jz7MIUAtpmSnRc2ABPhb3FDj5rVU8NM/s200/1outof5.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300207929461808562" border="0" /></a><br />1337ness:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Si_Ak2Qc0Q4b4cv-GV33hCQiQbZUtAZB3Sa_dFrLWx47jqM23laMcfCSKBVZwCNcgNuuR4x3kik5mE-jIqmjqEiMS8K29nU0u73FK4kVJKqx7MUtSdmYu_UoKaUR6v1EDw89GI48p-4/s1600-h/2.5outof5.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 118px; height: 30px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Si_Ak2Qc0Q4b4cv-GV33hCQiQbZUtAZB3Sa_dFrLWx47jqM23laMcfCSKBVZwCNcgNuuR4x3kik5mE-jIqmjqEiMS8K29nU0u73FK4kVJKqx7MUtSdmYu_UoKaUR6v1EDw89GI48p-4/s200/2.5outof5.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300209161337307810" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Mythology has always fascinated me - specifically mythological creatures. As a child, I practically inhaled anything to do with dragons, griffins, trolls, ogres, etc. I've probably read just about every book and seen just about every movie that features these monsters, and I continue to search for more. That said, I was very excited about the first-person shooter <span style="font-style: italic;">Legendary</span>, by Atari, which promised epic battles with some of the fiercest creatures from various mythologies around the world.<br /><br />In <span style="font-style: italic;">Legendary</span>, you play as a thief named Jack Deckard, who is commissioned to steal the mythological artifact <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pandora%27s_box">Pandora's Box</a>. Mr. Deckard, however, is apparently a ginormous dumbass, and for some reason opens Pandora's Box before attempting to steal it (perhaps he lives under a rock and has never heard the idiom before, but I doubt that), unwittingly releasing a horde of savage creatures upon the planet. Fortunately, his arm is also emblazoned with "The Signet", which gives him some fairly cool mystical powers.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcr8EqCIkDbJkhIdluTRJ1UtrTLjD_fZCJpQ5bKu9JBQU608WptgDX9C1n2XSlKa0a9tVEdZaRL8NvOeBqdF_h1-VzF21ALVUza9GvjbU0Dtzzj_iTaUFVGRGi2iRm6YnN9c4Ek1IiLaQ/s1600-h/screenie2.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 125px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcr8EqCIkDbJkhIdluTRJ1UtrTLjD_fZCJpQ5bKu9JBQU608WptgDX9C1n2XSlKa0a9tVEdZaRL8NvOeBqdF_h1-VzF21ALVUza9GvjbU0Dtzzj_iTaUFVGRGi2iRm6YnN9c4Ek1IiLaQ/s200/screenie2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300148845276106114" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Deckard done a bad, bad thing.</span><br /><br />Since he's pretty much screwed the whole of humanity, Deckard feels compelled to right his wrong (as I would) and fight the creatures, with the assistance of a secret society that is trying to find a way to put the creatures back into Pandora's Box. The plot thickens as yet another secret society (the bad guys) join the fray in an attempt to use the creatures to take over the world. The story is not what I would call deep or engrossing, and if I didn't like crappy Sci-Fi movies as much as I do, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have enjoyed this game at all...<br /><br />Moving along to the graphics: <span style="font-style: italic;">Legendary's</span> visuals are not by any means top notch by today's standards, although they would have been awesome about 6 or 7 years ago. That said, they aren't terrible, and there are a few specific places in the game that look <span style="font-style: italic;">pretty</span> damn cool. You'll get to experience a small variety of landscapes, which include the monster-infested streets of both New York City and London; an ancient, creepy castle; subways, waterways, and underground tunnels; and several indoor facilities, including the stronghold of your arch-nemesis. Most of the environments are fairly well-done, the quality slightly less impressive than <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/pc/action/bioshock/index.html?tag=result;title;1">BioShock</a>.<br /><br />The creatures are the main draw of the game, and you can tell this is where the developers focused most of their attention. <span style="font-style: italic;">Legendary</span> throws a satisfying variety of monsters at you, including werewolves, minotaurs, griffins, fire drakes, and pixies to name a few. Most of the creatures not only look great, but behave as one would expect a mythological abomination to. Werewolves are tough but agile, able to scale walls and hurl objects at you; griffins slash at you from the sky and shake the ground when they land; minotaurs tear through walls and other obstacles, wielding war hammers and ramming their prey with their horns. The two boss creatures - the golem and the kraken - are simply huge, and will stomp your ass into oblivion if you're not careful. Hell, they'll stomp your ass into oblivion even if you <span style="font-style: italic;">are</span> careful. You gotta have respect for giant monsters.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtobRo5dUC5-zHfKjfscgp7D9SYYlY29YPTt1tmP9wvqjaPb0bRJ9kRCQbC8gtnC4ozo925BlyudFjWJnuWrTCyLVYMkNhsE46fTBvEC7ZdjEA8uvctYBCCe2Ln4J6q0ePRlYE1iT395Y/s1600-h/Copy+%2814%29+of+Copy+of+screenie2.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 125px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtobRo5dUC5-zHfKjfscgp7D9SYYlY29YPTt1tmP9wvqjaPb0bRJ9kRCQbC8gtnC4ozo925BlyudFjWJnuWrTCyLVYMkNhsE46fTBvEC7ZdjEA8uvctYBCCe2Ln4J6q0ePRlYE1iT395Y/s200/Copy+%2814%29+of+Copy+of+screenie2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300157088820171810" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">"Let no joyful voice be heard! Let no man look to the sky with hope!<br />And let this day be cursed by we who ready to wake... the <span style="font-weight: bold;">Kraken</span>!"<br /></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9OAcK1cLnEX5zuDeYu7rixUj698jZL5qkkYKP6GYH3MU6l1t8B-V1JTISgzTiY6O4RAeY6sMqJjd9kNCKJFoVJelMRpMGXx9gemmrLTEFCtL8TSK1RyV6spy8Psk18cz0sSTx6a84uQI/s1600-h/Copy+of+screenie2.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 125px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9OAcK1cLnEX5zuDeYu7rixUj698jZL5qkkYKP6GYH3MU6l1t8B-V1JTISgzTiY6O4RAeY6sMqJjd9kNCKJFoVJelMRpMGXx9gemmrLTEFCtL8TSK1RyV6spy8Psk18cz0sSTx6a84uQI/s200/Copy+of+screenie2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300157527465457186" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Don't bother shooting the golem - your bullets can't harm him. He's kind of a bastard that way.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Legendary</span> offers you a very limited variety of weapons, most of which work well enough. You start off with a hatchet, then eventually gain a pistol, shotgun, sub-machinegun, assault rifle, heavy machinegun, rocket launcher, molotov cocktails, hand grenades, and a flamethrower. Most of the weapons look pretty decent - albeit extremely generic - but only a few are really fun to use. For some reason, the developers of <span style="font-style: italic;">Legendary</span> picked the the number of weapons you can carry as one of the very few aspects of the game they wanted to keep fairly realistic. Aside from the axe and throwable objects, you are only allowed to carry two weapons, so you'll often have to set one down to pick up another. This can be frustrating at times, as there might not be enough ammo available for your favorite weapon in certain places, so you'll have to sacrifice it for a weapon you might not enjoy as much.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDDo_lxpvjJE6pyrnWKFNkqNICPG0Y9iaC7GOxeCC6utElk-TgjAdHXRAUpMG3bnjqB_ImfjB1HF0rvVveh0hmm0tlqWcsF2OoBBqJKkM7Bw9W1UPizO7cY8tIN8J_nB9d-XDBEGJRotY/s1600-h/Copy+%283%29+of+screenie.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 125px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDDo_lxpvjJE6pyrnWKFNkqNICPG0Y9iaC7GOxeCC6utElk-TgjAdHXRAUpMG3bnjqB_ImfjB1HF0rvVveh0hmm0tlqWcsF2OoBBqJKkM7Bw9W1UPizO7cY8tIN8J_nB9d-XDBEGJRotY/s200/Copy+%283%29+of+screenie.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300161804734399874" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Like many of its contemporaries, Legendary allows you to use iron sight aiming with most of its weapons, which is pretty cool.</span><br /><br />The sound is as mediocre as everything else in the game, particularly the weapon sounds. The firearms sound ridiculously dull and non-threatening, which doesn't add much excitement to combat. The same is true for explosions - a detonating grenade sounds more like a water balloon popping that it does an explosion, which is pretty lame. Thankfully, most of the creature sounds are fairly appropriate, although they're nothing spectacular. The voice acting is decent for the most part, but there are a few horrible performances (mostly the male voice actors that try to pull off a British accent - and fail miserably). Overall, the audio in <span style="font-style: italic;">Legendary</span> is just so-so.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH6Swc41yWlJh44Am29g3ZqY_tsblr0VDnlvCY62Noyic9HcFmap3pry6n_2AVvKziT0TUobTat08v7p8yeqHJorD7K_MZxYkxCSU_08Gu0OJ-bMGdZNf5ABTt7CpQRWeSR3R0cKOgwCk/s1600-h/Copy+%288%29+of+screenie.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 125px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH6Swc41yWlJh44Am29g3ZqY_tsblr0VDnlvCY62Noyic9HcFmap3pry6n_2AVvKziT0TUobTat08v7p8yeqHJorD7K_MZxYkxCSU_08Gu0OJ-bMGdZNf5ABTt7CpQRWeSR3R0cKOgwCk/s200/Copy+%288%29+of+screenie.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300195588026827666" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The majority of the voice acting is okay, but whoever did the voice for this character is an obnoxious twit.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Legendary</span>'s gameplay is fairly unique, although it obviously borrows a little here and there from a few other games. The shooting is pretty straightforward, as one would imagine. After killing a creature, however, you have the ability to absorb its "animus", by using the signet on your arm. Stored animus allows you to heal yourself, perform energy attacks that knock back enemies, or interact with special objects or devices. These little perks come in handy, but animus isn't always easy to come by. Only mythological creatures will yield animus when killed (human opponents simply fall over and die), and most creatures require some sort of unique action to be taken in order to more effectively dispatch them. Werewolves, for example, must be decapitated after they are knocked down, or else they will rise again and attack, and minotaurs are especially vulnerable when their backs are facing you (which is usually accomplished by dodging a charging minotaur and then opening up on it when it passes). Most of the creatures are downright tough, and it will usually require quite a few bullets to bring them down.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhClagq7WB1rTqvQRG1p_9kYd1QpZirNrhpfSz0Vb2XV_EkuhuAVz0GDj8zCaR6GGqHy7l1jBnjFVTifzZU_9UJmgJCesodvD2NzaVXon0dBTqxQg3IcxtDeUao9wGPSdl0dXeoHm7AsPY/s1600-h/Copy+%283%29+of+Copy+of+screenie2.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 125px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhClagq7WB1rTqvQRG1p_9kYd1QpZirNrhpfSz0Vb2XV_EkuhuAVz0GDj8zCaR6GGqHy7l1jBnjFVTifzZU_9UJmgJCesodvD2NzaVXon0dBTqxQg3IcxtDeUao9wGPSdl0dXeoHm7AsPY/s200/Copy+%283%29+of+Copy+of+screenie2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300198934820648642" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Ummm... ouch?</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtt6H3PjRxfmtN9fowPGfor5jixj1VLy3mJR9S4AIzI9tlD_2kFrYpq0AjpZj-xp2rbRyw9chNt454WQKa_3E12wi9HsqFToqcIU9BJu_rkP2Tns4StlCdR1ImltBgmDlTIOTmOsnSsyA/s1600-h/Copy+%289%29+of+Copy+of+screenie2.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 125px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtt6H3PjRxfmtN9fowPGfor5jixj1VLy3mJR9S4AIzI9tlD_2kFrYpq0AjpZj-xp2rbRyw9chNt454WQKa_3E12wi9HsqFToqcIU9BJu_rkP2Tns4StlCdR1ImltBgmDlTIOTmOsnSsyA/s200/Copy+%289%29+of+Copy+of+screenie2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300199204517159506" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Minotaurs carry large hammers and are friggin' hard to kill.</span><br /><br />Overall, <span style="font-style: italic;">Legendary</span> isn't a bad game. Its graphics, sounds, and story line are severely lacking for a game made in 2008, but regardless it is still a fun game to play (probably no more than one time through, though). I wouldn't say that it's worth the $50 price tag, so you might want to wait for it to go down in price (or borrow it from a friend who was a big enough sucker to pay full price for it). I realize that it's gotten some pretty rough reviews, and although it certainly isn't anything close to the greatest game ever made, I'm not sure it deserves such negative press. I played through the entire game once, and aside from one very annoying glitch (clipping through the elevator on the last level - the solution to which can be found <a href="http://forums.eu.atari.com/showpost.php?p=2014539&postcount=21">here</a>) I enjoyed it immensely. In summation: <span style="font-style: italic;">Legendary</span> is a game I would definitely recommend, but not at the current price.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Additional screenshots:</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWDInjLGkmMCNNF-4YMeuyFhl4bKRb2Aqq5IK0tJyV6dPWYnK9GM5oFQe_J0XEWtSP1Xl5szP4o7H_inIcB92TTsGf0szSyS64lpsS6b5TokBnmHzkHkMiK3yQ3ZzFaO5fqzVn9d_aniw/s1600-h/Copy+%282%29+of+screenie.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 125px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWDInjLGkmMCNNF-4YMeuyFhl4bKRb2Aqq5IK0tJyV6dPWYnK9GM5oFQe_J0XEWtSP1Xl5szP4o7H_inIcB92TTsGf0szSyS64lpsS6b5TokBnmHzkHkMiK3yQ3ZzFaO5fqzVn9d_aniw/s200/Copy+%282%29+of+screenie.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300205138525362034" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBomfjKALXYlin9rx9SbNC_Qgq1cQtdPcy174QakqIk-p125vzI5ipvaAefqxRf8C1CfLDqrYtj13bupPqCmd4PylW8jvvvWbGZ-I0rPb2R6IppQhjxtgB1d7NM-WVS7mMmq_6jtqGpDE/s1600-h/Copy+%286%29+of+screenie.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 125px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBomfjKALXYlin9rx9SbNC_Qgq1cQtdPcy174QakqIk-p125vzI5ipvaAefqxRf8C1CfLDqrYtj13bupPqCmd4PylW8jvvvWbGZ-I0rPb2R6IppQhjxtgB1d7NM-WVS7mMmq_6jtqGpDE/s200/Copy+%286%29+of+screenie.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300205389957628098" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_P7xJqdxbMl4oz9jGyCOb80RLa7_qHx1xY0ESVxLjfw-BB2FVoPkOMZk7eOtXmsg7TwdhW2pQLpz7U7k_iAcwO9VZgcLjfzcJCdDhEmLRJ_J_c8aFnQST4uK6ZCmqhzjtx8MU2k5LzHM/s1600-h/Copy+of+Copy+of+screenie2.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 125px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_P7xJqdxbMl4oz9jGyCOb80RLa7_qHx1xY0ESVxLjfw-BB2FVoPkOMZk7eOtXmsg7TwdhW2pQLpz7U7k_iAcwO9VZgcLjfzcJCdDhEmLRJ_J_c8aFnQST4uK6ZCmqhzjtx8MU2k5LzHM/s200/Copy+of+Copy+of+screenie2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300205581002979298" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrjEQrSAmvSAYNeHkkVIGZgu8kSupN3J8aewowXGnOHNl19LcdUccOHx12kxF00z59_1sVy6M1LyPwIz3HYeQgqZTuai2emQ9Cvrx1jiJI0J3H80J6a_TVaWcie0j2IyJZTmOxFsrf_xQ/s1600-h/Copy+%282%29+of+Copy+of+screenie2.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 125px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrjEQrSAmvSAYNeHkkVIGZgu8kSupN3J8aewowXGnOHNl19LcdUccOHx12kxF00z59_1sVy6M1LyPwIz3HYeQgqZTuai2emQ9Cvrx1jiJI0J3H80J6a_TVaWcie0j2IyJZTmOxFsrf_xQ/s200/Copy+%282%29+of+Copy+of+screenie2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300205790423549714" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_cCuyJ5-81xgH-Nit8vDzXwyJN1pItsFvgT9Vlnc-nqFest1SqkHfQ9YkUz1dsEDoq1hAe2y0_QOor0XT0d0kyCnKiUCIqWqcmambmShxswHb2oCr9pPwIfKRf2IugZ8hoGRVDmwrOUI/s1600-h/Copy+%284%29+of+Copy+of+screenie2.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 125px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_cCuyJ5-81xgH-Nit8vDzXwyJN1pItsFvgT9Vlnc-nqFest1SqkHfQ9YkUz1dsEDoq1hAe2y0_QOor0XT0d0kyCnKiUCIqWqcmambmShxswHb2oCr9pPwIfKRf2IugZ8hoGRVDmwrOUI/s200/Copy+%284%29+of+Copy+of+screenie2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300205943954227922" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNo48XeBfyt6LLafeGYnwsby0t2Ix4GxOgKqS231tAcp1xEy9G0aFMsny0htWL08CJFvu9hjPSE4r_fVJir3atO5ii3BCPrNgDR4o0P4NTFynvPOMxeeimaJMdaKkcleHFssWmeox5B0Q/s1600-h/Copy+%286%29+of+Copy+of+screenie2.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 125px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNo48XeBfyt6LLafeGYnwsby0t2Ix4GxOgKqS231tAcp1xEy9G0aFMsny0htWL08CJFvu9hjPSE4r_fVJir3atO5ii3BCPrNgDR4o0P4NTFynvPOMxeeimaJMdaKkcleHFssWmeox5B0Q/s200/Copy+%286%29+of+Copy+of+screenie2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300206105626705602" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVPLBb2W9sCwgsMwZoSRNS6TZgRl4JquHoDJlryROsnLLqD_2P11-_r2dn717fT1zFG94RivYejHX9C_ksdMXdVtUzGDoQHyEfcIiDs0VFqed_Y9gVScmKn8UbZc04BokbIk0HQ5d6iRE/s1600-h/Copy+%288%29+of+Copy+of+screenie2.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 125px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVPLBb2W9sCwgsMwZoSRNS6TZgRl4JquHoDJlryROsnLLqD_2P11-_r2dn717fT1zFG94RivYejHX9C_ksdMXdVtUzGDoQHyEfcIiDs0VFqed_Y9gVScmKn8UbZc04BokbIk0HQ5d6iRE/s200/Copy+%288%29+of+Copy+of+screenie2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300206577814646578" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzrg2tuZ-w-iUQh0pN_cVx0omt25Ng01hODQpcIMopyPPurRUN1ApGkzy2CbUOra3oVg1PsDF2jb_UOnfvWwfHz2WYpSPj7BaLzaAPKvDqVd0Fhfr0__yfliythVSqI6oLdmFTjzXAh_I/s1600-h/Copy+%2810%29+of+Copy+of+screenie2.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 125px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzrg2tuZ-w-iUQh0pN_cVx0omt25Ng01hODQpcIMopyPPurRUN1ApGkzy2CbUOra3oVg1PsDF2jb_UOnfvWwfHz2WYpSPj7BaLzaAPKvDqVd0Fhfr0__yfliythVSqI6oLdmFTjzXAh_I/s200/Copy+%2810%29+of+Copy+of+screenie2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300206763078806066" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK0rU0NZUM6o92-DOBpTFvhu09ZVvhhiDDcXtw6PsYSf4lb-T8WF2ThQRv44D4CDaDxGfArRbp0Kq396LympcedJ9tGnY9V6VF7m-D4wkuvn0Y1Nr23l59AnGUDlfhR8ZKj2fR09EsKYA/s1600-h/Copy+%2811%29+of+Copy+of+screenie2.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 125px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK0rU0NZUM6o92-DOBpTFvhu09ZVvhhiDDcXtw6PsYSf4lb-T8WF2ThQRv44D4CDaDxGfArRbp0Kq396LympcedJ9tGnY9V6VF7m-D4wkuvn0Y1Nr23l59AnGUDlfhR8ZKj2fR09EsKYA/s200/Copy+%2811%29+of+Copy+of+screenie2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300206976909609346" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgFhJ7545hV6-Kom7CTmv42rd2EPZgMGZoAKOlnddcr_SJlEpgM-IGoxaxAcopMqvjkKvRPBXGLvrfruyUnBptF9RvB6gvOasZbESrKj80Ba6fIsy4mu8fm0iu-hRgs6kic8G12Yuif_s/s1600-h/Copy+%287%29+of+Copy+of+screenie2.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 125px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgFhJ7545hV6-Kom7CTmv42rd2EPZgMGZoAKOlnddcr_SJlEpgM-IGoxaxAcopMqvjkKvRPBXGLvrfruyUnBptF9RvB6gvOasZbESrKj80Ba6fIsy4mu8fm0iu-hRgs6kic8G12Yuif_s/s200/Copy+%287%29+of+Copy+of+screenie2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300207257395847730" border="0" /></a>Dennishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10129746949837930085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-715265556948595450.post-24779647437888522842009-01-21T16:59:00.000-08:002009-02-09T17:30:11.063-08:00Lord of the Rings: Conquest ReviewGraphics:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcEhSGa0WH1IjJX4nVf3TkIuxNJAsokmZnSAO3bkwuMOKsX45_LjAlQrUIir6hlU8n7ehKIVeArlMlfMPuVEVdeqHuVWY8wPV713MgFhbFVe0kCSlXFeUnlpZhzimG0doLE5JlymEoVo0/s1600-h/3outof5.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 118px; height: 30px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcEhSGa0WH1IjJX4nVf3TkIuxNJAsokmZnSAO3bkwuMOKsX45_LjAlQrUIir6hlU8n7ehKIVeArlMlfMPuVEVdeqHuVWY8wPV713MgFhbFVe0kCSlXFeUnlpZhzimG0doLE5JlymEoVo0/s200/3outof5.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293975376203152338" /></a><br />Sound:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcEhSGa0WH1IjJX4nVf3TkIuxNJAsokmZnSAO3bkwuMOKsX45_LjAlQrUIir6hlU8n7ehKIVeArlMlfMPuVEVdeqHuVWY8wPV713MgFhbFVe0kCSlXFeUnlpZhzimG0doLE5JlymEoVo0/s1600-h/3outof5.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 118px; height: 30px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcEhSGa0WH1IjJX4nVf3TkIuxNJAsokmZnSAO3bkwuMOKsX45_LjAlQrUIir6hlU8n7ehKIVeArlMlfMPuVEVdeqHuVWY8wPV713MgFhbFVe0kCSlXFeUnlpZhzimG0doLE5JlymEoVo0/s200/3outof5.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293975376203152338" /></a><br />Gameplay:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7ulHwOm0AAzJDMZwrDgKlvRVb3xlnwONUWM7Ku5khDXyQGd1U9-co2NkVtV5p_nYLurKdgXwP1ajt3WTpm4NJks9RZOoyS5-q-Z9HppLotjfYEyYj4oRnh2pX19EVutKXMLKqm2TjURY/s1600-h/2outof5.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 118px; height: 30px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7ulHwOm0AAzJDMZwrDgKlvRVb3xlnwONUWM7Ku5khDXyQGd1U9-co2NkVtV5p_nYLurKdgXwP1ajt3WTpm4NJks9RZOoyS5-q-Z9HppLotjfYEyYj4oRnh2pX19EVutKXMLKqm2TjURY/s200/2outof5.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293975507847547170" /></a><br />Replay Value:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQc8Ds4hhdCnrELuCrQdbrG9AJMW-1HJgHZ_QbQjmX12BO2EEcQEe6seEJWBtzoWWYj-OswYwsLkpDTLDNYPpwiSYMRJNT5v_poTTLCx1-BPqMc6icCz5c49Mg4c8FuvrqR5lQpjPCl5Q/s1600-h/0outof5.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 114px; height: 30px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQc8Ds4hhdCnrELuCrQdbrG9AJMW-1HJgHZ_QbQjmX12BO2EEcQEe6seEJWBtzoWWYj-OswYwsLkpDTLDNYPpwiSYMRJNT5v_poTTLCx1-BPqMc6icCz5c49Mg4c8FuvrqR5lQpjPCl5Q/s200/0outof5.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293975765027235106" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">1337ness:</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibOOW6n_MiGkfkmI-4PnRNdhGazKotfKWXLoYtQDHgWa_09q6P3fbW2xfgggh3I9ZFAi1LfeF232iq5Az4fTRbVoN_02zJiW9aNp4eC_ABJ5qTQ1LderWKoJi1AUkfF9U16Ml-wkDofww/s1600-h/2.25outof5.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 118px; height: 30px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibOOW6n_MiGkfkmI-4PnRNdhGazKotfKWXLoYtQDHgWa_09q6P3fbW2xfgggh3I9ZFAi1LfeF232iq5Az4fTRbVoN_02zJiW9aNp4eC_ABJ5qTQ1LderWKoJi1AUkfF9U16Ml-wkDofww/s200/2.25outof5.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293976762204582834" /></a><br /><br />I am indeed a fan of Tolkien's work (not the kind of fan that dresses up like Aragorn and totes his replica <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narsil">Narsil</a> sword with him to the grocery store - those kinds of fans need to move out of their mothers' basements and get a life). I've read all of his books and consider every one of them a masterpiece. I saw the movies based on his books and thought they were pretty awesome as well. I've played <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/action/lordoftheringsthett/index.html?tag=result;title;3">The Two Towers</a> and <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/action/lordoftheringstherotk/index.html?tag=result;title;2">The Return of the King</a> video games, and enjoyed them immensely. I've often fantasized about taking long, leisurely horseback rides through Middle Earth, drinking beer and practicing bad hygiene with Gimli the dwarf, and getting completely and utterly lost in the deep, gorgeous blue eyes of Legolas the elf...<br /><br />Uhhh... I mean killing orcs and... um... stuff. <br /><br />You can imagine my excitement when I heard about this brand new Lord of the Rings game which promised new playable characters and a more open-ended gameplay than its predecessors. I really <span style="font-style:italic;">really</span> wanted this game to be good. Sadly, however, I was let down.<br /><br />Conquest does offer players the ability to play one of four different classes (as well as the ability to switch classes at certain points during a mission): Warrior, Mage, Archer, and Scout. The Warrior is perhaps the class most familiar to those that have played the previous Lord of the Rings games from EA. The staple of the Warrior's attacks are melee moves, some of which are similar to those familiar with the other games. Players can execute strong, medium, or heavy attacks, and performing them in rapid succession will sometimes result in a semi-cool combo move. Players can further enhance their attacks by holding down the melee modifier button, which lights your sword on fire and generally causes more damage than regular attacks. In addition to the sword, the Warrior sports a throwing axe/knife (depending on the specific character), which works much in the same way as Gimli's throwing axes in The Two Towers and The Return of the King. The animation for this maneuver has been dumbed down quite a bit, however, resulting in your character performing a move much more akin to Clay Aiken hailing a taxi than a dangerous warrior slaying evil foes.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh19BgI_MXe98OaodN2ARalQIjDWNvAtyG3msp3uIW4-cgCSY6aOmNSUfS_UJTr1uiVzC69q_uCP5nZkdgSIV2bzFw0T2rN2nd7_mBTw5ICGV2dFTqIdr22ezAx-4dCCYqqDYabQuZ-CSM/s1600-h/conquest.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh19BgI_MXe98OaodN2ARalQIjDWNvAtyG3msp3uIW4-cgCSY6aOmNSUfS_UJTr1uiVzC69q_uCP5nZkdgSIV2bzFw0T2rN2nd7_mBTw5ICGV2dFTqIdr22ezAx-4dCCYqqDYabQuZ-CSM/s200/conquest.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295824332156998114" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">The tower of Orthanc. You think Saruman has some compensation issues?</span><br /><br />The Mage is a slight departure from Gandalf from the previous titles, able to perform ranged magic attacks as well as melee attacks with his staff and/or sword. Mages can cast shields which protect themselves and allies from enemy ranged attacks, and they can heal themselves and allies within a certain distance. The Mage is definitely a support character, though, and if you try to tackle the hordes of Mordor alone with this guy, you'll more than likely get your ass kicked.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT6S6ljQHd-xxUXPmM6FS_pGboci8rkzkg8FX30f5ZlOZBZtdINQSYornbF9ZjjP44FLmVzknGr14QTvPi3sWQCsu_57rZBbcD52j-i45pcXeZZqyTtCkV8XyW1iNU38viZhTgvb4Qv2Y/s1600-h/conquest1.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT6S6ljQHd-xxUXPmM6FS_pGboci8rkzkg8FX30f5ZlOZBZtdINQSYornbF9ZjjP44FLmVzknGr14QTvPi3sWQCsu_57rZBbcD52j-i45pcXeZZqyTtCkV8XyW1iNU38viZhTgvb4Qv2Y/s200/conquest1.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295824982394200914" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Orcs, huh? I dunno... I guess I'll throw some lightning at them... or something...</span><br /><br />Archers are even more useless and less fun to play than Mages (that is, of course, <span style="font-style:italic;">my</span> opinion, and you are free to have a different - albeit wrong - opinion of your own [yes, I do watch the <a href="http://www.colbertnation.com/home">Colbert Report</a>]). The shooting mechanics of Conquest are pretty horrible, and probably the least realistic of any game I've played that features archery in combat. When it boils right down to it, Archers have two basic combat moves: kick and shoot. Kicking is fun when you can punt a goblin off a bridge into the abyss below, but is pretty lame on the open battlefield, and shooting gets old after the first five or ten orcs you kill. There are slight variations to shooting, such as zooming in or using poison, fire, or multiple arrows, but it won't take long before these too become repetitive and boring. Again, Archers tend to get their asses kicked a lot, especially when the orcs tap dance right around the front lines, ignoring your numerous foot soldier allies, and run right up to you for some unsolicited attention.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhReW5HlvNLS_KPYEAbReP6p_-ezHNCya1uhz2d9USTjUpobXOI3ap_3egNSUVzMk91VMQs7Ypc8jmmRMzt2DKtC68TLBLOw121xdTC8_zOZDXWiY1UG8sB4HFMo4C-8w_zzhQ7Kok_ilc/s1600-h/conquest3.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhReW5HlvNLS_KPYEAbReP6p_-ezHNCya1uhz2d9USTjUpobXOI3ap_3egNSUVzMk91VMQs7Ypc8jmmRMzt2DKtC68TLBLOw121xdTC8_zOZDXWiY1UG8sB4HFMo4C-8w_zzhQ7Kok_ilc/s200/conquest3.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295825404071445602" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Legolas are ten ninjas. Too bad he'll still get his ass handed to him.</span><br /><br />The Scout is perhaps the coolest class in its premise, but ultimately the most useless in its execution. This class's melee skills and durability in battle are severely lacking when compared to the Warrior's, and its "special abilities" really aren't that cool. The Scout is capable of cloaking, which sometimes means you can run around your foes undetected, but mostly means you'll look slightly more transparent than usual when the orcish warriors pummel your skinny ass into the ground. Provided that you are actually able to sneak up behind an orc without being caught and smacked around, you can perform a backstab maneuver, killing the orc in an overly-drawn-out animation sequence which takes a bit longer than simply beating the orc down with your blades. Neither cool nor time effective. Also, as with the Mage and Archer, the Scout tends to get his hindquarters handed to him in a fight, which really only makes him useful for <span style="font-style:italic;">very</span> specific circumstances.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJllOnw3hX-Zm9aZJH86ReXXlnQj5uTsMawaHNDPduK17zJe_520C7t4CLrgRIc4EC8wFw7EKApoK-5dzNqQ31BIuOiZZpUw7jKlYTT67XxtHLumH7CCPcWmgU4YfUkKzzqk4Tg1Yzx-s/s1600-h/conquest+2.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJllOnw3hX-Zm9aZJH86ReXXlnQj5uTsMawaHNDPduK17zJe_520C7t4CLrgRIc4EC8wFw7EKApoK-5dzNqQ31BIuOiZZpUw7jKlYTT67XxtHLumH7CCPcWmgU4YfUkKzzqk4Tg1Yzx-s/s200/conquest+2.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295826300365407234" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Now you see me, now you don't - oh, you <span style="font-weight:bold;">do</span> still see me? Crap.</span><br /><br />The graphics in Conquest aren't bad, although they aren't by any means cutting-edge. The game does boast some reflective surfaces, and occasionally attempts to throw in some bloom effects, although these aren't nearly as well-done as most modern games. Almost all of the characters, models, terrain and buildings are in the likeness of the movies, so in most cases they look just fine.<br /><br />The sound is, for most part, fairly decent. The musical score and battle sounds are similar to the previous games, although a bit more hollow-sounding than before. The voice acting is pretty good, featuring narration by <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0915989/">Hugo Weaving</a> (they guy who played Elrond in the movies, as well as Agent Smith in "The Matrix"), which seems to be done rather half-heatedly and with less enthusiasm than I would have liked to hear from this actor. What I found the most irritating, however, was the voice of your commander (or whatever the hell this guy is supposed to be). Throughout the entire human campaign, this guy shrieks orders to you at the top of his lungs, even if he requires something as mundane as retrieving a key. It's absolutely obnoxious, and the game certainly could have done without it.<br /><br />As I've touched on before, the gameplay is far worse in Conquest than in either of it predecessors. In The Two Towers and The Return of the King, players could actually execute some pretty sweet moves with their button-mashing (my wife was particularly partial to the "Orc Hewer" move), and the balance between melee and ranged weapons was excellent. You actually felt like one of the heroes of Middle Earth, single-handed taking on droves of goblins and looking <span style="font-style:italic;">frickin'</span> cool while doing it. In Conquest, however, none of the classes feels particularly powerful (even when you are given the opportunity to play as a hero such as Aragorn, Gandalf or Isildur), and each character's moves seem half-assed and sloppy. Furthermore, certain parts of the game are hampered by extremely poor camera angles (a problem which rarely plagued the other games), and other parts prove to be frustratingly - and unnecessarily - hard (I recall several instances where I used language that my mother would not approve of, nor would I want my eight-month-old daughter to learn only to repeat to my mother later on, which would almost certainly get me my ass kicked).<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj13ZbM16fCjhaV0A2YXO5Hai6R2bBaXvRzgGlFtY9EfNDiSJI2LgiQ7p8OPi6zYh-KlrtRxDereiYhvsw6HulCt0RxO5wgvBdaqd4pTreyPAI_We5WDJcrmQoq6SytQkDMNzJtZOcx4VA/s1600-h/conquest4.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj13ZbM16fCjhaV0A2YXO5Hai6R2bBaXvRzgGlFtY9EfNDiSJI2LgiQ7p8OPi6zYh-KlrtRxDereiYhvsw6HulCt0RxO5wgvBdaqd4pTreyPAI_We5WDJcrmQoq6SytQkDMNzJtZOcx4VA/s200/conquest4.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295825703152628866" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Gimli vs. the Witch King: EPIC FAIL.</span><br /><br />The bottom line is: Conquest just isn't that fun. It doesn't carry on a shred of the quality that made the other games so great, and is extremely disappointing all around. I didn't even make it to the third level before giving up on it, and I don't plan to go back and attempt to either. Tolkien must be rolling in his grave.<br /><br />Oh, and if you could <a href="http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=do%20me%20a%20solid">do me a solid</a> and not mention that thing about the elf to anyone... that'd be great.Dennishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10129746949837930085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-715265556948595450.post-21042756875670309932009-01-12T19:19:00.000-08:002009-02-14T23:22:17.242-08:00Far Cry 2 ReviewFar Cry 2 Review<br />Graphics:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqNph0emSPH7gW3lUpS6ehii6ZhGyAHsLg58iatyRfqrbUISdAjuxUWdQcRTMRz6Pcju488kflhexveLH0otCejoydcDrgKPy6JnbC3QvaelIdfxQp_QfD2Z1_RwsY0RAGsKAgPpumXo4/s1600-h/5outof5.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 119px; height: 30px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqNph0emSPH7gW3lUpS6ehii6ZhGyAHsLg58iatyRfqrbUISdAjuxUWdQcRTMRz6Pcju488kflhexveLH0otCejoydcDrgKPy6JnbC3QvaelIdfxQp_QfD2Z1_RwsY0RAGsKAgPpumXo4/s200/5outof5.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290613145575880722" /></a> <br />Sound: <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeG7dbs1EzXuB523rIEs-DE3Yd2sYxahzgnjaUCZw_TUA1xqPBx_9CahmbqbieezMTmfZt3Kz9PiHGQxNq4f4mgZrjxsnuypaNNSstbjhpdU3YIQmkqgOSdaLcDy3GaZtxt2CaVgRHWPs/s1600-h/4outof5.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 118px; height: 30px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeG7dbs1EzXuB523rIEs-DE3Yd2sYxahzgnjaUCZw_TUA1xqPBx_9CahmbqbieezMTmfZt3Kz9PiHGQxNq4f4mgZrjxsnuypaNNSstbjhpdU3YIQmkqgOSdaLcDy3GaZtxt2CaVgRHWPs/s200/4outof5.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290613307015883266" /></a> <br />Gameplay:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeG7dbs1EzXuB523rIEs-DE3Yd2sYxahzgnjaUCZw_TUA1xqPBx_9CahmbqbieezMTmfZt3Kz9PiHGQxNq4f4mgZrjxsnuypaNNSstbjhpdU3YIQmkqgOSdaLcDy3GaZtxt2CaVgRHWPs/s1600-h/4outof5.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 118px; height: 30px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeG7dbs1EzXuB523rIEs-DE3Yd2sYxahzgnjaUCZw_TUA1xqPBx_9CahmbqbieezMTmfZt3Kz9PiHGQxNq4f4mgZrjxsnuypaNNSstbjhpdU3YIQmkqgOSdaLcDy3GaZtxt2CaVgRHWPs/s200/4outof5.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290613307015883266" /></a><br />Replay Value:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeG7dbs1EzXuB523rIEs-DE3Yd2sYxahzgnjaUCZw_TUA1xqPBx_9CahmbqbieezMTmfZt3Kz9PiHGQxNq4f4mgZrjxsnuypaNNSstbjhpdU3YIQmkqgOSdaLcDy3GaZtxt2CaVgRHWPs/s1600-h/4outof5.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 118px; height: 30px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeG7dbs1EzXuB523rIEs-DE3Yd2sYxahzgnjaUCZw_TUA1xqPBx_9CahmbqbieezMTmfZt3Kz9PiHGQxNq4f4mgZrjxsnuypaNNSstbjhpdU3YIQmkqgOSdaLcDy3GaZtxt2CaVgRHWPs/s200/4outof5.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290613307015883266" /></a><br />1337ness:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSlVux8aM_iLqQgulJ4qy0nshADg9G0Zw1ypBljl1OYAjbAnJtc3ueAc82p57ZuxIiHiIRopsftnMSYKP_-f8q0xzvsc7YSQKQlquFWCPOMQIUzJbYK_7oyYRva0KkUKhRYjKsr3jA0jY/s1600-h/4.25outof5.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 118px; height: 30px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSlVux8aM_iLqQgulJ4qy0nshADg9G0Zw1ypBljl1OYAjbAnJtc3ueAc82p57ZuxIiHiIRopsftnMSYKP_-f8q0xzvsc7YSQKQlquFWCPOMQIUzJbYK_7oyYRva0KkUKhRYjKsr3jA0jY/s200/4.25outof5.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5290614128186754370" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Tall, pale grass shimmers and sways in the welcomed breeze as you traverse across the blistering African savannah. The weapons you carry – your tools for survival – now add to your misery as you drag them along, trying make your way through one of the most unforgiving landscapes on the planet. Rough, uncut diamonds (the only currency of value in this god-forsaken country), rattle in your pocket, reminding you of why you are here in the first place, and giving you the motivation to trudge on.<br /><br />You have been paid – and paid well – to kill a man. A murderer, tyrant and usurper, your target has more than earned the price on his head. The monetary gain of your mission is nice, as it puts food in your stomach and helps to provide you with more of the instruments of destruction that you depend on so much. On this particular mission, however, money is not your primary motivation. When it comes right down to it, the thing that keeps your legs moving long after they have felt like giving out, and what drives you to brave the desolate plains and scorching temperatures is that you simply want to end this villain’s reign of terror over the people of this country. You want to see the bastard die, and you want to be the one to pull the trigger.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOniMyfTaJTNdBE4PYVjj-08hLB58fJiqHZVvMPaf3xIeYxOyY0O-Vq3_TzNfbYQA2IcRgVz6q0PNod_N8PQoYlnbdEZ2uZKYBoRtDoXC7y84pK3_ya3-bQr0DL83Nr_TKvVyAOVQk0-g/s1600-h/Copy+(4)+of+screenie.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOniMyfTaJTNdBE4PYVjj-08hLB58fJiqHZVvMPaf3xIeYxOyY0O-Vq3_TzNfbYQA2IcRgVz6q0PNod_N8PQoYlnbdEZ2uZKYBoRtDoXC7y84pK3_ya3-bQr0DL83Nr_TKvVyAOVQk0-g/s200/Copy+(4)+of+screenie.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295962340925266738" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">I knew I should have taken that left turn at Albuquerque. </span><br /><br />After checking your map, you realize that you are approaching the warlord’s encampment. The setting sun casts contrasting red and black shapes over the small, makeshift village as you crest the hill to its northern border. While remaining completely undetected by its inhabitants, you survey the village from a distance with your monocular, noting the patrolling guards, the placement of machinegun turrets, the entrances, exits, and vehicles parked in the road. <br /><br />Put simply, your plan is to kill the warlord and escape the village without getting a bullet in your head. You intend to sneak into the encampment after dark and eliminate your target silently, making your escape that much easier. As you settle down into the tall grass to wait for darkness, however, you notice a familiar-looking figure exit one of the mud-and-straw huts down in the village. You recognize the figure as the very man you were paid to assassinate, his long, jagged, tell-tale scar running down his face, across his dark flesh. You expect him to immediately enter the shelter of another of the numerous huts, but he lingers in the street, conversing and smoking with one of his bodyguards. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy_5uJcrx3U9wuD7eAYCY-bMJfMsxq1dK-smSP41TFEv7CkciaZy9E_1pneGhCmNGSHneiRT38kBCwSSdpBe5xYTVQVqPxvgyo0iP5mbskE2p1yfEO1hZ7YpsDyzG4QsaNFQ8Gd3XfS-k/s1600-h/Copy+(8)+of+screenie.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy_5uJcrx3U9wuD7eAYCY-bMJfMsxq1dK-smSP41TFEv7CkciaZy9E_1pneGhCmNGSHneiRT38kBCwSSdpBe5xYTVQVqPxvgyo0iP5mbskE2p1yfEO1hZ7YpsDyzG4QsaNFQ8Gd3XfS-k/s200/Copy+(8)+of+screenie.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295962710064640722" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">This poor bastard is about to get a lead-induced migraine.</span><br /><br />The temptation to forego your plan of stealth and infiltration mounts as the warlord continues to present himself as an easy target. Your patience soon wanes, and you slowly, silently slip your high-powered rifle off your shoulder, steadying it on the ground amongst the dry vegetation. Anxious to end the life of this truly evil man, you raise the scope of your weapon to your eye and affix the crosshairs on the villain’s head. After steadying your breathing and adjusting for the distance, there is no hesitation: you pull hard on the trigger, piercing the African night with the sound of your rifle.<br />Your target’s head erupts in a cloud of red, as the spinning blot of lead bores its way through flesh and bone. Cries of fear and outrage rise up from the village below as men race to their posts, while others run in vain to the warlord’s aid. Somewhere to your left you hear the roar of an engine as the headlights of a Land Rover punctuate the growing darkness. Dropping the rifle, you unshoulder another of your weapons, loading a rocket-propelled grenade into its muzzle. The dry grass around you is instantly ignited as a bright ball of flame leaves your weapon, heading directly toward the headlights of the oncoming vehicle. The resulting explosion is both blinding and deafening as shattered and torn metal rain down to the ground, and more fires are started by the smoldering remains of the vehicle.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIDCt3dF1BI0xDhXPGCiHL2sC1yP2x6z-bNq-6MnuKqyiN1ANnm0EV6_CINkMrAYK_vDXg6RD7tcgwDqN4FMuHg8i0RGDMuc_cuaD7PTShZ64tlMSascPukck08Iq9AsmwRMn3x9YEnP0/s1600-h/screenie2.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIDCt3dF1BI0xDhXPGCiHL2sC1yP2x6z-bNq-6MnuKqyiN1ANnm0EV6_CINkMrAYK_vDXg6RD7tcgwDqN4FMuHg8i0RGDMuc_cuaD7PTShZ64tlMSascPukck08Iq9AsmwRMn3x9YEnP0/s200/screenie2.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295963082107930706" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Boom! Headshot!</span><br /><br />It is in the ensuing chaos and pandemonium that you make your escape, leaving the mercenaries who survived terrified and bewildered. Your weapons no longer seem to burden you as you tear across the wilderness, your legs soaring over the uneven and treacherous landscape, taking you farther and farther away from danger. After putting a few hundred meters between you and the village, you stop to breathe, and you allow yourself a little smile of satisfaction and a sigh of relief. You’ve rid the country of a terrible tyrant – but your task of liberating this country from such vermin has only begun.</span><br /><br />In Far Cry 2, the first-person shooter from Ubisoft, you are a mercenary hired to tip the scales in a war-torn African country, and ultimately kill the Jackal, a notorious arms dealer who has single-handedly fueled the fires of war by arming the rival factions. The scenario described above is a very accurate depiction of some of the possible encounters the player may have in the game, as Far Cry 2 provides hours of immersive and extremely open-ended gameplay.<br /><br />From the very first scene, players will notice the stunning detail and immense beauty of the game’s graphics. The scenery is just about as realistic as it gets, with tall grass and trees swaying in the breeze, casting dynamic shadows on the ground below. Enormous, craggy mountains line the horizon, which prove to be wonderfully detailed when you observe them up close, and you can almost feel the warmth of the sun as it casts its glow on the earth around you. From the landscapes, to the characters, wildlife, vehicles, and weapons, Far Cry 2’s graphics are simply beautiful to behold. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUBDuCX0GiEVHeYNBo3fAdGPiiIEb00l5SwxqPobqbQNDwkvJO1zk6KYMUY17DcNhi4ivrmMWwqMrEPUH7jqYzheW96Sr4iWgX4yNHqtRXRUloNl8WvjJ51JP6y1OK4b25KhDDx_-e5wU/s1600-h/screenie.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUBDuCX0GiEVHeYNBo3fAdGPiiIEb00l5SwxqPobqbQNDwkvJO1zk6KYMUY17DcNhi4ivrmMWwqMrEPUH7jqYzheW96Sr4iWgX4yNHqtRXRUloNl8WvjJ51JP6y1OK4b25KhDDx_-e5wU/s200/screenie.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295963553645004914" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">The landscape in Far Cry 2 is simply beautiful.</span><br /><br />The physics of the game compliment the graphics nicely. The earth erupts into columns of dirt from the impact of a bullet; trees and other foliage rock and sway convincingly from explosive shock waves; buildings and vegetation shift, crack and crumble from the onslaught of your weapons, and the explosions are just plain awesome. Also, like most FPS games today, Far Cry 2 uses fairly realistic gravity effects and collision detection, further immersing you in an already immersive game world. <br /><br />While not the Crown Jewel of Far Cry 2, the sound is still quite good. The ambient sounds of the African wilderness (such as birdsong, monkey chatter, and the braying of zebras) accompanied by African-esque tribal music, aptly set the mood for the game. The voice acting is done well enough, featuring many different characters and a variety of accents. Perhaps the biggest letdown with the voice acting, though, is that the dialogue seems incredibly rushed, as if every pause that the voice actors took between words was edited out - the reason for which one can only speculate. The voice-overs are a rarity found mostly between missions, and the game’s other sound effects more than make up for their shortcomings. The weapons, vehicles, and combat sounds are all excellent and very believable. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQMt_cAMIhenxyTkjlxUQqQMnD4NQehl4oCTRqkhSHJP4i9kcY-txamcZQkIWdyzbqsSBKG_pSsL6ZldvxqStFxfmLtCTjKU92jggOWJy4Xnvs1EdyHRhC5Jjd9T4Pd7eu1BQZNvBtHrM/s1600-h/Copy+(7)+of+screenie.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQMt_cAMIhenxyTkjlxUQqQMnD4NQehl4oCTRqkhSHJP4i9kcY-txamcZQkIWdyzbqsSBKG_pSsL6ZldvxqStFxfmLtCTjKU92jggOWJy4Xnvs1EdyHRhC5Jjd9T4Pd7eu1BQZNvBtHrM/s200/Copy+(7)+of+screenie.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295964036642058322" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Fact: The explosions in Far Cry 2 are extremely frickin' cool. </span><br /><br />Far Cry 2’s gameplay is, in a way, both its strongest and its weakest points. For the most part players are given an incredible amount of freedom with which to accomplish their missions. Gun shops provide you with a wide variety of weapons: from rocket and grenade launchers, to submachine guns, light machineguns, assault rifles, sniper rifles, pistols, and a flamethrower. You are able to carry one primary weapon (an assault rifle, sniper rifle, flamethrower or some types of submachine guns), a secondary weapon (pistols, submachine guns, or a particular type of grenade launcher), and a special weapon (rocket or grenade launchers, light machineguns, or the tranquilizer rifle). Your arsenal is supplemented by hand grenades, Molotov cocktails, and a machete for close quarters. Such a layout with so many options and combinations make you quite the formidable foe.<br /><br />The storyline is carried out through a series of missions that seem repetitive in their premise, but prove to be potentially diverse in their execution. You are usually given the job to assassinate or blow up a specific target, which you can perform in a few different ways. Depending on the gear available, you could hammer your enemies from a distance with explosives, and then leisurely rummage through their remains for useful items; snipe the soldiers from afar, then go in for the main kill; silently sneak into the encampment with silenced weapons; or you could do it the old fashioned way and run right in, guns blazing, hoping the bad guys drop dead before you do (or any combination of the above). The many different methods of accomplishing your goals are incredibly entertaining, and almost never get old.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWFVVqu-c6EUc2OF2I_b20QeDxV0qvYusI4rNpeRF36KVi1BoaXVC5m_tZKsQwSS_Mb2Zjj15Ep7KAO3KN6g7zKAi4q-n112RXNHrTANJUNTzXfXU3V4IB6CIyZokwlEbECGqqTvEEV0Q/s1600-h/Copy+(5)+of+screenie.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWFVVqu-c6EUc2OF2I_b20QeDxV0qvYusI4rNpeRF36KVi1BoaXVC5m_tZKsQwSS_Mb2Zjj15Ep7KAO3KN6g7zKAi4q-n112RXNHrTANJUNTzXfXU3V4IB6CIyZokwlEbECGqqTvEEV0Q/s200/Copy+(5)+of+screenie.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295964760286294610" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Guess he won't be needing that Jeep anymore... dibs!</span><br /><br />There are a few minor downsides to the gameplay, however. In an apparent attempt to create a more realistic shooter experience, the game’s developers threw some curveballs into the combat mechanics. For instance, during a firefight your gun might randomly jam, forcing you to withdraw from the fight to un-jam your weapon. This might seem like a cool and unique feature at first, but after a while it simply becomes an irritating distraction. Likewise, your character’s constant need to find and consume medicine to combat bouts of malaria can be a major downer when the action heats up. Perhaps the most irritating of all, however, is the all-but-broken stealth mechanics. <br /><br />In similar games (such as Crysis or even the original Far Cry), players are rewarded for stealthily killing their enemies from thick brush, and are able to sneak up on a foe undetected, dispatch them, then move on to the next without alerting their enemies (if done correctly). In Far Cry 2, however, your cover is blown with the first guy you kill. Even using the more stealthy weapons (such as the silenced pistol, silenced MP5, or machete) will alert every single enemy in the area as soon as you kill them, giving the player no real incentive to use stealth at all. Furthermore, it seems as if the enemies are more efficient at using cover than you are, as they tend to pick you off from behind trees, bushes, grass, and even solid walls, whilst remaining completely hidden from your eyes.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjBdmUdISGl5GRs_8LKWawV7veSrpUWsZAQWwhDlegPDo50B6t9PJ4szXDe_H0hXHy506lH4mSbntRZ-5B4vEEPc7rp1n143zYP4PJ32cRu8vG-EN10BZx_klGasrGT4xew1EmvYpGlNI/s1600-h/Copy+of+screenie.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjBdmUdISGl5GRs_8LKWawV7veSrpUWsZAQWwhDlegPDo50B6t9PJ4szXDe_H0hXHy506lH4mSbntRZ-5B4vEEPc7rp1n143zYP4PJ32cRu8vG-EN10BZx_klGasrGT4xew1EmvYpGlNI/s200/Copy+of+screenie.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295965483473904914" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Dark, murky swamps like this one should provide an ideal place for stealth combat. Unfortunately, it just doesn't work that way in Far Cry 2.</span><br /><br />One of the most alluring aspects of playing video games is the fact that most give you a super-human feeling, allowing you to get the best of your enemy using your skills of stealth and hand-eye coordination, and it is in this very aspect that Far Cry 2 is fairly disappointing. It is a letdown, no doubt, but the other excellent qualities of the game more than make up for this. FPS fans will walk away with several memorable moments that are truly unique to this game, and if given the chance, Far Cry 2 should prove to be a wildly engrossing, entertaining game that is well worth the price.Dennishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10129746949837930085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-715265556948595450.post-51749828398268436522009-01-04T20:32:00.000-08:002009-02-09T17:36:13.851-08:00About the reviews...Here's how my reviews work, as I've devised my own reviewing system. Actually, to be honest, it's a complete and total rip-off of the same reviewing system we use over at <a href="http://planethalflife.gamespy.com/">Planet Half-Life</a>, but with my own personal touch:<br /><br />A game review is based on five categories: <span style="font-weight:bold;">Graphics</span> (how the game looks), <span style="font-weight:bold;">Sound</span> (the quality of the game's sounds and voice acting), <span style="font-weight:bold;">Gameplay</span> (Is the game fun to play? Is it addicting? Does it tear you away from family, friends, or other worthwhile activities? Etc, etc, etc), <span style="font-weight:bold;">Replay Value</span> (after you've beaten the game, would you play it again and how much?), and finally <span style="font-weight:bold;">1337ness</span> (the overall score which averages all of the previous categories).<br /><br />Like many other review sites, games receive a score out of five possible points. The score will, of course, be given in Chuck Norris heads, since Chuck Norris personifies 1337ness. Don't argue.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0cD7h5YhXVrBTvE7Nosh33Wl-aaAHjHd_UoE08lYuXJUwpXZik-6fQ7DxxlPZfV0iJs384XruozIQFbUSf6NYQyNU6yhTZGL4HTXi-UugLL7oWUAYFWjFpnDC9O_-RJU8eHzmxv00wIE/s1600-h/chuckhead.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 138px; height: 179px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0cD7h5YhXVrBTvE7Nosh33Wl-aaAHjHd_UoE08lYuXJUwpXZik-6fQ7DxxlPZfV0iJs384XruozIQFbUSf6NYQyNU6yhTZGL4HTXi-UugLL7oWUAYFWjFpnDC9O_-RJU8eHzmxv00wIE/s200/chuckhead.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295969435698737010" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Chuck Norris: 1337ness.</span><br /> <br /><br />For example, a game that I would consider to be perfect (or so damn close it's not even funny) would look like this:<br /><br />Graphics: <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://oneworldon-line.com/forum/gallery/uploads/1225136064/gallery_184_273_12064.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 119px; height: 30px;" src="http://oneworldon-line.com/forum/gallery/uploads/1225136064/gallery_184_273_12064.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />Sound: <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://oneworldon-line.com/forum/gallery/uploads/1225136064/gallery_184_273_12064.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 119px; height: 30px;" src="http://oneworldon-line.com/forum/gallery/uploads/1225136064/gallery_184_273_12064.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />Gameplay: <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://oneworldon-line.com/forum/gallery/uploads/1225136064/gallery_184_273_12064.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 119px; height: 30px;" src="http://oneworldon-line.com/forum/gallery/uploads/1225136064/gallery_184_273_12064.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />Replay Value: <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://oneworldon-line.com/forum/gallery/uploads/1225136064/gallery_184_273_12064.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 119px; height: 30px;" src="http://oneworldon-line.com/forum/gallery/uploads/1225136064/gallery_184_273_12064.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />1337ness: <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://oneworldon-line.com/forum/gallery/uploads/1225136064/gallery_184_273_12064.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 119px; height: 30px;" src="http://oneworldon-line.com/forum/gallery/uploads/1225136064/gallery_184_273_12064.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Obviously, a game that sucked would not get nearly as many Chuck Norris heads, and therefore would not be nearly as 1337 as the game reviewed above. I'm hoping that I'll find a way to make the Chuck Norris heads look a little more uniform in size and location, so it doesn't look so ghetto. <br /><br />Keep in mind that I only review games that I've played, owned, or am interested in, which are mostly first-person shooters. There's no way in hell you'll find anything like Final Fantasy games or any other kind of Anime/Manga crap, so don't hold your breath. That stuff's for losers anyway - you're better than that.<br /><br />Thanks again for stopping by!Dennishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10129746949837930085noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-715265556948595450.post-19618583386529654922009-01-02T21:18:00.000-08:002009-02-09T17:33:24.027-08:00Cyberpowerpc - at least their moms think they're 1337.It is my sincerest hope that none of you reading this have ever had the misfortune of doing business with <a href="http://www.cyberpowerpc.com/">Cyberpower Inc</a>. While some have had tremendous luck with this company (bastards), most - including myself - have developed ulcers and lockjaw from their interactions with Cyberpower. Have a seat, break out the violin, and listen to my sad, sad story.<br /><br />In November of 2007, our HP Pavilion a418x started to take a turn for the worse. The 2.7 GHz single-core Intel Celeron processor, along with the NVIDIA GeForceFX 5200 PCI video card and 700-something megs of PC2700 RAM just weren't performing to our liking anymore. More specifically, they weren't performing to my liking. Games like Half-Life 2 and Team Fortress 2 looked more like a family vacation slide show (albeit with a tiny bit more guns and blood) rather than the truly epic PC games that they are. I wanted a system that kicked ass. Our system most definitely did <span style="font-style:italic;">not</span> kick ass. At the time, I didn't know nearly as much about computers as I do now, so rebuilding the system to kick ass was not an option (although since then, with the help of my beloved <a href="http://www.newegg.com">Newegg</a>, I did build it to kick quite a bit more ass than it was previously capable of kicking). My solution: Buy a completely new system that did kick ass.<br /><br />There was a problem with my solution, though. Just four months prior, my wife and I found out that we were pregnant with our first child. Someone somewhere at some point in my life told me that having kids costs money. Brand-new kick ass computers also cost money. Crap. Time to refine my solution a bit.<br /><br />I went on the internet and searched for cheap computers that didn't take eighteen years to boot up (which then went on to sound like an angry badger being shut in an oven whilst performing only slightly better than an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abacus">abacus</a>). In my searches, I found Cyberpowerpc.com. The website appeared to sell some pretty slick machines, and only at a fraction of the price of bigger manufacturers like Dell or HP. There was much rejoicing.<br /><br />After getting my wife's permission to use the credit card (shut up), I excitedly ordered our brand-new, kick ass system. This new computer was light years ahead of our old computer (I hate that term... but it's so true). I was absolutely ecstatic about it, and couldn't wait to play all of my favorite games on a computer that didn't suck. <br /><br />It was only after ordering the computer that I found the <a href="http://www.fatwallet.net/forums/retailerratings/displaystore.php?storeid=556">negative reviews</a>. Ah, crap. I decided to remain optimistic and stick with my order, as I was desperate to have this new system. Silly, silly me. My order was delayed more than <span style="font-weight:bold;">four times</span>, and finding out any information on why it was delayed or when I would have it was next to impossible. Cyberpower's customer service representatives, along with leprechauns, unicorns, and other mythical creatures, are very difficult to find. I became very nervous that this company had just screwed me out of $700 worth of kick ass computer.<br /><br />Finally, on Christmas Eve (over a month after I place my order), I received the new computer. For the first two weeks, it worked flawlessly. Games like Doom 3, Far Cry, Painkiller, Half-Life 2, Team Fortress 2, Quake 4, and Oblivion performed wonderfully on high settings. After about two weeks, however, the computer started to freeze up completely. I figured it was a fluke, and rebooted, but then it started happening more and more frequently. Finally, the computer wouldn't run more than five minutes without locking up. Damn.<br /><br />I tried to contact tech support for Cyberpower. I grew a beard and raised a litter of grizzly bears while on hold. When I finally got a hold of someone, he was actually very nice and helpful. He told me that one of the RAM sticks must be bad, so I should send it back and get a new one. That was pretty painless enough - I sent back the faulty stick, got a new one, and the computer did great... for another two weeks. Then the same ugly problem was happening again. I tried simply switching DIMM slots on the motherboard, which postponed my problem for a while, but eventually it became as persistent as before. After another century on hold for tech support, we decided it was the motherboard that was causing problems, and we needed to replace it.<br /><br />Again, the exchange process went fairly smoothly. I got the new motherboard installed, and the computer again worked great for a while. Guess what happened then... c'mon, guess... yeah! Once again, it was teh sux0rz! And once again, I was able to thumb through the entire Bible from Genesis to Revelation while on hold for tech support. And once again, the motherboard was found to be the culprit. When I replaced this one, the damn thing still didn't work right. It was at this point that I said, "Screw you" to tech support and solved the problem on my own using Google and a prayer. Now, over a year after receiving my computer, it has worked without error longer than ever. I'm really happy with the way it performs when it's not FUBAR, but it has been a super huge pain in the ass up until this point (I counted, and I've written "ass" in this post nine - make that ten - times. Sorry...).<br /><br />Bottom of the line is: Please, please, pretty please, do yourself a favor and stay far, far away from Cyberpowerpc. Horrible customer service combined with a crappy product make this company a friggin' nightmare to do business with, and I wouldn't wish that on anyone. <span style="font-style:italic;">Most</span> anyone, I should say... you know who you are.<br /><br />In case anyone's interested, this is the system I now have (I added quite a few things - like the graphics card, extra RAM, hard drive, and power suppply - after I got it from Cyberpower):<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Motherboard: GigaByte GA-M57SLI-S4 nForce 570-SLI Chipset<br />CPU: AMD Athlon™64 X2 5200+ Dual-Core CPU w/ HyperTransport Technology<br />GPU: XFX PVT88SFDD4 GeForce 8800GS XXX 384MB Superclocked Alpha Dog Edition<br />HDD: 2 X 250GB SATA-II 3.0Gb/s 8MB Cache 7200RPM <br />RAM: 4GB PC6400 DDR2/800 Dual Channel Memory<br />PSU: OCZ GameXStream OCZ700GXSSLI</span><br /><br />Pretty nice, for what I need at least.<br /><br />Ass. Ha! That's eleven.Dennishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10129746949837930085noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-715265556948595450.post-51260282674691484242009-01-01T16:23:00.000-08:002009-01-02T21:17:09.099-08:00Introductions and crap...Thanks for taking the time to read this - my hope is that I will eventually be able to write reviews for PC games that I own or have played before, as well as post news or interesting events about the games I play. Since this is the first post on this blog, I'll start by telling you a little bit about myself:<br /><br />By day I'm an elementary school teacher, entertaining and (hopefully) educating third graders. By night (and weekends and holidays) I'm a husband, a father, and a gamer - in that particular order. I absolutely love outdoor activities, such as hunting, fishing, four-wheeling, hiking, etc., but after becoming a father I haven't had much time for these things. Playing video games, however, has proved to be a much more convenient means of entertainment - at least for now.<br /><br />I started computer gaming around 1995, with the release of MYST on CD-ROM. It wasn't long after that that I got into Doom, Quake, Warcraft II, and eventually the Half-Life series, which has been my favorite so far. I am currently a staff writer for <a href="http://planethalflife.gamespy.com">Planet Half-Life</a>, which has been a blast.<br /><br />Since the days of Quake, I have been playing under the handle <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calvary">Golgotha</a>, a name I chose because of its significance to my religious beliefs. I've had several tags affixed to the ends of my call sign (including the TFC clans =|SCC|=, -=[BBB]=-, and [R-Dk]), but now I have settled with the <0w0|> tag worn by the awesome members of the Half-Life community <a href="http://www.oneworldon-line.com">One World On-Line</a>, of which I have been a member for some years now.<br /><br />I will, of course, post more information and hopefully get a little creative with things as I learn more about this blogging stuff. If you're interested (or know someone who might be), you can check out my wife's infinitely superior blog, <a href="http://laughingthroughthechaos.blogspot.com/">Laughing Through the Chaos</a>.<br />Thank you again for reading, and I hope you stick around to see what is to come!Dennishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10129746949837930085noreply@blogger.com2