S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat Screenshots

My favorite parts of the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. games are the awesomely life-like skyscapes you see throughout the game.  Below are just a few of the screenshots I’ve taken while playing.

Summer of Arcade

This is just a quick rambling AudioBoo about the quality of downloadable games we’ve seen this summer, which only further justifies the medium as a contender in the video game market.  I haven’t purchased a single hard copy of a game since Fight Night Round 4 in June, and in the meantime my attention has been kept by arcade games like Battlefield 1943 and Shadow Complex.  I bet GameStop loves to hear that.

DOOM Resurrection only $2.99!

Doom Resurrection is a first person shooter from the folks at id Software, makers of the Doom, Wolfenstein, Quake and now Rage series of games.  It takes its cues from Doom 3 in particular, which was best-known for being a graphical revolution when it debuted on the PC back in 2004.  Resurrection uses assets from that same game but, as you would expect of the iPhone, doesn’t look quite as good.

The fact that it’s an FPS has been misleading to some, because it’s one of the multiple “on-rails” games that have found their way to the iPhone.  That being said it’s a full-featured experience that doesn’t borrow levels from its previous PC counterpart, and even though it doesn’t look as good as that game in particular, it’s one of the most impressive visual showcases on the platform.

Doom Resurrection was previously priced at $9.99, but at $2.99 it’s a steal.  Hurry though, this is a QuakeCon exclusive deal that will end at noon tomorrow (August 16th).  It’s worth noting that id’s iPhone version of Wolfenstein 3D is also on sale for only $0.99.  Links to both can be found below.

iTunes – Doom Resurrection

iTunes – Wolfenstein 3D

Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 Night Vision Goggles!

Man, I thought the legendary Halo 3 “cat helmet” was bad. If you haven’t seen it, Infinity Ward has really gone to great lengths to cash in on the Prestige Edition of their hotly anticipated Modern Warfare 2 game. For a whopping $150 (roughly equivalent to two full-priced 360/PS3 games and a DS game) you can get your copy of Modern Warfare 2 with a working pair of night vision goggles. What??

Sure, you get a lot of stuff for that cash aside from the goggles. Included in the package are:

• Steel book with metallic finish (included in the $80 hardened edition)
• Artbook (included in the $80 Hardened Edition)
• Token to download the origninal Call of Duty (included in the $80 hardened edition)
• Night Vision Goggles that is capable of seeing up to 50 feet
• Collector’s stand to hold your goggles that is individually numbered.

AudioBoo – Battlefield 1943 and Monkey Island

This one’s split into two parts because the first part exceeded 5 minutes.

Sacred 2: Fallen Angel Review

Sacred 2: Fallen Angel is almost difficult to review just because of the sheer amount of content in the game.  You can play for hours and hours and still not really make a dent in the overall scope of the game, but based on the amount of time I’ve sunk into the world of Ancaria I think I’m well equipped to dish on my opinion of the game.

Sacred 2 is, at its most basic form, a callback to the classic PC RPGs of yesteryear.  For the most part if you’re a fan of games like Diablo, Diablo II, Dungeon Siege and Neverwinter Nights you’ll have a good time with this game.  You get to choose one of six character classes with unique traits and skills, and play through either the dark or light side of the main story campaign.  Make sure you’re careful to pick a character you really like though, because the level cap maxes out at a staggering 100, so you’ll have a lot of time to bond with your digital self.

As with most RPGs the main gameplay is as follows: travel from town-to-town picking up quests from villagers and other NPCs, go bash in the skulls of some monsters, and return to said NPC to get experience to advance your character’s level and gain some loot.  The items you receive are rated on a star scale up to 5, with each additional star signifying an ever better item with more powerful attributes.  The reason this is important is because, as we all know, dungeon crawler RPGs are all about the loot.  If you don’t have a propensity for acquiring trinkets to maximize your character’s abilities then this game (as well as the entire genre) isn’t for you.

The graphics are somewhat discouraging for next-generation title.  The closest thing I can relate them to is Titan Quest on the PC, but that’s a 3 year old game.  Still, the comparison is apt as both the camera angle and character movements in both games are very similar.  Given the fact that the world of Ancaria is huge it makes sense to give them some leeway in the graphics department, but still there are better looking games out there.  The audio is another aspect that I have issues with – it’s very repetitive.  You’ll hear the same bits of music everytime you have an encounter with an enemy (a scenario which plays out roughly every 30 seconds) so you’ll probably be tired of the sound aspect of the game within a few hours of play.  The voice acting is also hilariously bad, but one could almost chalk that up as a feature of the game since it brings some nice comedic relief every now and then.

Where this game truly shines is in co-op multiplayer.  You can jump into an instance of the game with up to 3 of your friends and progress through the story as you would if you were playing the game alone.  Like most RPGs this is the way the game was meant to be played.  You’re able to jump in and out of games no matter what your progress is in singleplayer, given that you characters are no more than 10 levels apart.  From here you can progress through the campaign as you would normally, working through quests and generally helping each other out and once you finish up the session your character’s experience progress, items and loot are carried back into singleplayer.

My biggest problem with Sacred 2 is the platform.  As I mentioned above, it’s a traditionally PC RPG experience which has been ported to the console, and I think the Xbox 360 doesn’t do it justice.  Being able to use a keyboard and mouse instead of a controller probably would have made this game much more enjoyable to me, if only because clicking on the screen to have my character move is much easier than using an analog stick.  The game also chugs a bit when you’re in towns which may be a symptom of limited console hardware.

If you’re looking for an action RPG on the console then I’d have to say give Sacred a shot.  I know a lot of people have been much more glowing about it than myself.  However, I don’t think this is the type of game that someone who isn’t familiar with the genre will be into.  In the end I’d say that Too Human pulls off a console adaptation of the genre better than Sacred 2, so if you’re going to try Fallen Angel consider picking it up for PC instead.

E3 2009 – Rumors and Such

It’s that time again.  This year’s return to the E3 of yesteryear should produce some exciting news.  This post is really just a roundup of some of the rumors I’ve heard and what I’m looking forward to most.  We’ll start with Microsoft and the Xbox 360.

Not much is known about what Microsoft is going to show this year.  You can bet that Halo 3: ODST will play a big role, but otherwise they don’t have the laundry list of announced megaton games to talk about like they have in years past.  One rumor going around is that they’re working on a motion controller (in fact, the same rumor is going for Sony) so we may see the debut of a new motion controller initiative to compete with Nintendo’s ridiculously successful Wii.  There’s also a rumor that the 360’s dashboard will see another massive update similar to the “New Xbox Experience” we saw last holiday season.  This might be tied into the Zune / Xbox Marketplace integration that was announced this past week (along with the new Zune HD).  However, as far as games go, I’m kind of at a loss.  Some folks are saying that Half-Life 2: Episode 3 will be debuted during Microsoft’s conference despite the fact that it’s traditionally a PC franchise.  I’m not sure about that but Episode 3 is definitely a game I’m interested in seeing.

The Sony press conference is the one I’m the most excited for because they have the biggest list of announced games to look forward to.  There has also been some interesting information leaked about possible revisions to their hardware which have me excited.  Let’s start with the games, though.  Currently the games they’ve announced that I’m interested in:

• Uncharted 2 - A sequel to my second favorite game on the console.  What I’ve seen so far looks even better.  Can’t wait for this game.
• Heavy Rain - Should be interesting, comes from the same folks that made Indigo Prophecy.  The gameplay seems to rely heavily on quick time events but the visuals are great as a result.
• Project Trico - This game isn’t technically announced yet, but some footage was released not long ago and it looks promising.  Unfortunately I wasn’t around for ICO on the PS2, but I’m looking forward to playing my first game from Team Ico.
• God of War 3 – This one’s obligatory.  Another game from a series I haven’t had the opportunity to try out yet but if nothing else the gameplay looks extremely fun and the visuals are amazing.

So that’s just the software, how about the hardware?  I’ve been flirting with picking up a PSP (for the second time, I might add – I bought the original when it was first launched but there were no games so I traded it in to put towards my 360), and all rumors point to an announcement of a new version of the PSP this year during Sony’s press conference.  Apparently called the “PSP Go,” this new portable console will be focused on digital rather than physical media.  You’ll be able to download games from a PSP store which is very appealing to me, and very appealing to Sony because it should cut down on some of the rampant piracy issues associated with the device.  A lot of folks are pointing to this as the rebirth of the device, and I know that if it’s announced I’ll buy one, plain and simple.

There’s also the question of the Playstation 3.  Despite having a solid line-up of games Sony is still struggling in this department.  Some shots were recently leaked of a PS3 “slim” redesign, and originally these images were scoffed at.  There is a bit of a twist however – sites that put these images up were contacted with cease and desist notices, giving this rumor some credibility.  Could Sony finally be making a big push to put the PS3 on the map?  A slim and sexy version of the console could do the trick, though a price drop wouldn’t hurt either.  We shall see.

As for Nintendo?  Who on Earth knows.  They maintain that they’ll have games for core gamers (i.e. gamers who aren’t interested in doing exercises on a balance board or playing their Wii remote like a pretend saxophone) but we’ve heard that before.  All I know is that it really doesn’t matter what they do at this point, the Wii and DS combined will continue to sell like gangbusters and completely outshine the 360 and PS3.  My only concern is that Microsoft and Sony will begin to think that motion controllers are “where it’s at” and give up on traditional gaming as we know it.

It would be a sad day if that were to happen.

Chronicles of Riddick : Assault on Dark Athena Review

I’ve had some time to spend with Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena and I have to say my overall impressions are very positive.  I was a bit apprehensive about playing the game because I wasn’t at all familiar with the franchise and I’m usually a little hesitant when it comes to games based on movies (and movies based on games, for that matter).  However, Assault on Dark Athena has a lot of fun gameplay elements and overall I’m very happy with the experience.

To review Assault on Dark Athena is really to review two games – both Assault on Dark Athena itself and the previous title in the series Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay, which debuted late in the original Xbox’s lifecycle and was therefore missed by gamers such as myself.  Fortunately you don’t have to worry about playing a shabby Xbox port, because Tigon and Starbreeze Studios have completely remastered the game to bring it up to next-gen standards.  I have to say compared to native Xbox 360 games there is no noticeable difference in graphical fidelity, and the environments in Butcher Bay are rich and pleasing to the eye.  They did a great job of breathing new life into a game that was considered ahead of its time on the Xbox.

Gameplay-wise Escape From Butcher Bay and Assault on Dark Athena are part stealth/espionage, part first person shooter, and part puzzle-solver.  Though you’re encouraged to use Riddick’s comfort in shadows to quietly take out enemies in the dark, you can also run around blasting them if you so dare.  The puzzle elements of the game are almost a throwback to older PC adventure games like Myst or Monkey Island.  There are many times throughout that you’ll have to use your noggin to work through a problem in order to advance, and more often than not the puzzles provide just enough challenge to be fulfilling without being so difficult as to cause frustration.

The move from Butcher Bay to Assault on Dark Athena does provide some handy upgrades, but the overall look and feel of the series remains consistent.  Though the environments and textures are just as good in Butcher Bay as they are in Assault on Dark Athena, I noticed that the character models in the latter were a big improvement.  You can tell that a lot of attention was paid even to off-shoot characters and overall the detail is great.  Another cool enhancement comes in the form of hot keys for your weaponry.  If you want to, you can use a radial to browse all of the weapons you’ve collected, but in Assault on Dark Athena you can also assign your favorites to buttons on the d-pad for easy access.

The two games include a whole lot of replay value aside from the standard fare of achievements.  If you’re a fan of the Riddick franchise you’ll delight in the fact that you can unlock a whole bunch of bonus features by finding and collecting items such as packs of cigarettes and security key cards in the game.  Overall I have to say that it’s rare to find a singleplayer experience that provides as much content as Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena does.  Even if you’re new to the franchise like I was you’ll be able to jump in and enjoy the gameplay right away, and because Butcher Bay and Assault on Dark Athena have linked narratives you’ll get a consistent experience the whole way through.

If you want to learn more please check out my media post for ‘Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena’ by following this link: Game Reviews – The Chronicles of Riddick : Assault on Dark Athena and Sacred 2: Fallen Angel

Left 4 Dead’s Survival Mode

I’m a huge fan of Left 4 Dead, and it tends to be my go-to multiplayer game of choice because of its stellar cooperative play.  For that reason, when the latest downloadable content for the game dropped yesterday, including the hotly-anticipated “survival” mode, I downloaded it immediately.  Last night we had a crew of 4 ready to give it a try, but to be honest it left a sour taste in my mouth.

Survival Mode is basically an extended version of the scenario that plays out at the end of each of the four levels in Left 4 Dead.  In the standard co-op mode the way it works is you and your 3 buddies have to defend an area while you wait for a rescue vehicle to come and save you from the zombie onslaught.  Such a task is extremely difficult, especially on expert difficulty, but we’ve been able to overcome that part of the game several times with proper strategy.

Survival mode basically throws strategy out of the window.  It’s almost as if Valve made this mode just to thwart the gamers who play it.  For example, if you ever find a good spot to hold up and defend from, chances are good that there will be some new breakable wall that will let the infected flood in from behind you.  Not only that, but the waves of zombies and special infected come much more rapidly, and often simultaneously unlike in standard cooperative play.  Add to that the fact that they’ve severely reduced the effectiveness of using melee attacks to push zombies away from you, and this mode has frustration written all over it.

The good news is that it’s completely free, so you don’t really have to worry about whether you’ll like it or not.  Give it a shot, you might dig it or you might think it’s a little overboard.  I’m apart of the latter group.

A new contender enters the ring…

It’s no secret that I’ve been planning my next laptop purchase for a while now.  Up until today I was stuck deciding between the HP HDX 16 and the Dell Studio XPS 16.  Now Acer had to come along and throw a monkey wrench into my plans!  I was lucky to have narrowed it down that far!

Acer announced a new line of very interesting notebooks at their event in New York today.  The new line is branded “Aspire Timeline,” and they basically amount to machines with the portability of a MacBook or Dell Adamo with a much more attractive price.  There are three models (13.3″, 14.1″ and 15.6″) and all three are only an inch thick.  The prices range from $699 – $899.  They also have incredible battery life; eight hours stock and up to ten with a solid state drive.

Since I’m looking for a machine with a screen that’s larger than my current MacBook’s the 15.6-incher is my most likely candidate.  Of course details are sketchy right now and if the laptops don’t perform in the end then I’ll have to pass.  Still, in the documentation Acer says that these are for “knowledgeable users who understand performance” so there’s hope.

Originally found on Engadget: http://www.engadget.com/2009/04/07/acer-announces-aspire-timeline-ultralights-699-to-899/