GAMERS FPS BLOG

Red Faction Review

2012-09-30T08:38:00.000-04:00

Red Faction is a first person shooter developed by Volation Inc and published by THQ. It came out for the PlayStation 2 in 2001, and it's plot is similar to Total Recall. You're a miner on Mars in 2070, and you lead a rebellion against an evil corporation. The story is interesting, and the game was one of the first games to feature fully destructible environments. However, is it worth the buy from the PSN store?

Graphics, Sound and Setting:

The graphics in the game were amazing for the PlayStation 2, and even by today's standards they have aged decently. The enemy models are well designed and the game has diverse locations. The textures are grainy in some areas, but for the most part the game looks solid. The big draw to this game is the Geo-Mod, short for geometry modification, basically allowing you to destroy anything in your environment. The game has a good element of realism allowing you to do that. Bridges, trees, and other things can be destroyed in the game, and look pretty realistic when you destroy them. The game does rely a bit too heavily on orange, brown and grey and as such the colors look the same in different areas, but it's not too bad. The sound quality is decent, there really isn't too much music. I would've preferred some Overall, the graphics have aged decently and the game still looks alright.

Graphics: 5/10

Sound/Music: 3/10

Story/Setting: 6/10

Controls and Gameplay:

Red Faction is a first person shooter where you are given a variety of weapons to fight enemy soldiers and other people from the evil Ultor Corporation. The game is a standard corridor FPS, and it's pretty solid. It uses the Geo-Mod engine, which allows for decent physics and ragdoll effects. There are 15 weapons that can used in the game, which include a pistol, submachine gun, and railgun. These weapons sometimes have scopes for improved accuracy. The AI in the game is pretty bad, the enemies are constantly moving. The game is not particularly difficult, but the AI of the enemies makes it annoying to fight them. Instead of ducking for cover, they'll duck but get right back up and move to another location. This can make fire fights boring and frustrating at times.

The level design is very monotone and boring, and instead of allowing you to explore areas and find secrets, Red Faction is just a get from point A to point B type shooter. This leaves a lot to be desired. The controls are surprisingly good, with movement done by the analog stick and shifting through weapons made easy by using the right and left directional buttons. The controls are a strength of the game.

Controls: 8/10

Gameplay: 3/10

Is this game worth buying? Final thoughts:

Red Faction was a solid, FPS when it was first released back in 2001. However, it just isn't able to stand in modern times against other games. Doom, Quake, and Counter strike have been able to stand the test of time, but Red Faction is different. There isn't much replayability, the level designs feel bland, and in general the game is just dull. The plus points are the Geo-Mod engine, but even that feels outdated now. I wouldn't recommend buying this game, unless you were a huge fan in the past. Overall, I'd give it a 4/10.

Breakdown:

Graphics: 3/10

Sound/Music: 3/10

Story/Setting: 3/10

Controls: 8/10

Gameplay: 3/10

Overall: 4/10.

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God of War 3 Review - Some Facts You May Not Have Known About GoW3

2012-09-28T18:19:00.000-04:00

The first playable God of War 3 (GoW3) Demo was shown live at E3 2009. We will review various elements of the GoW3 game like Gameplay, Graphics, Sound, Replay value, etc.

GOD OF WAR 3 GAMEPLAY:

Hit Start on the PS3 controller and you see Kratos on a narrow path on a mountainside. The Sun God Helios seems to buzz around on his Sun Chariot, but we can rip his skull later. More pressing matters are at hand (or blade). You are immediately drawn in the action as the soldiers from the Army of Olympus surround you. Tapping SQUARE to hack and slash is typical of God of War. However, Kratos can now Grab in different styles using various buttons. Grab enemies using CIRCLE and then you can use different buttons to throw them, use as battering ram, rip it away, etc.

Kratos' sub-weapons are now available on the D-pad and can be switched mid-move. Previous God of War versions had the sub-weapons as combination of R1, R2, L1, L2 and SQUARE, TRIANGLE, CIRCLE and X. Not any more. In GoW3, simply press the down button for the Cestus, and the right button for the Blades. The Cestus is good for close-up melee fighting, whereas the Blades are suitable for general attacks.

The Amulet of Fates from God of War 2 has been replaced by (Apollo's?) Fire Bow. Unlike Typhon's Bane, the magic meter for the Fire Bow regenerates automatically. You can make 6 hits to drain out the Fire Bow meter. The meter fills up completely after another 5 seconds. That is useful, considering that you don't have to conserve your Fire Bow only for boss battles.

A thoughtful innovation has been done with the Quick Time Event buttons. Previous God of War games had the QTE button prompts appear in the middle of the screen. In God of War 3, SQUARE prompt comes on the left side, CIRCLE button on the right, TRIANGLE comes at the top and X comes at the bottom of the screen. L1 and R1 come on the top-left and top-right corners respectively. CIRCLE button mashing comes at the bottom-right corner. This is a commendable addition to this epic series as we don't have to stare at the screen during the finishing moves of a boss-battle to see the button prompt. Just observing towards which side of the screen the prompt comes up, determines which buttons to mash making it just that little bit easy.

GOD OF WAR 3 GRAPHICS:

God of War 1 & 2 had a varying framerate; the same has been continued in GoW3. The framerate varies between 30-60 fps. Stig Asmussen has followed in the footsteps of Cory Barlog and originally David Jaffe who wanted important scenes in the game irrespective of the framerate. However, Stig has reiterated that the framerate will not go below 30 fps.

The vivid art direction comes to the fore, as Kratos makes his way across the picturesque mountainsides to the city of Olympia, bludgeoning and battering the Army of Olympus creatures like undead soldiers, Centaurs, Harpies & Cyclops. A lot of thought has gone in each move. The attention to detail can be judged by the fact that each teeth of Kratos were separately modelled.

The processing power of the PlayStation 3 has been used to its maximum. In God of War 2, we could see only 15 enemies on the screen at a time. This has been beefed up to 50 in GoW3. Kratos is also now a 20,000 polygons hulk compared to 5000 in GoW2. And we haven't even started talking about the Titans. Stig has said that some of the levels will be on the Titans themselves. (remember the Fear Nothing trailer?). In the Demo, the Fire Titan Perseus is shown in the background; a monstrous living being made of volcanic rocks and molten lava that flows down his body. The Fire Titan Perseus is pitted against the Sun God Helios as an engrossing backdrop while Kratos slashes the undead soldiers in the foreground.

The Demo has a resolution of 720p. The final in-game resolution will be 1080p & 1080i.

GOD OF WAR 3 AUDIO:

After Gerard Marino's amazing score in GoW2, GoW3 music seems like another hit-to-be. The music really rouses you up. The background music differs depending on the game situation and blends perfectly with the overall tone of the game. When you are alone, the score simmers quietly, and drums up forebodingly, when you are about to face baddies.

GOD OF WAR 3 STORY:

The story is set 3 hours in the actual game. It has been confirmed by Stig that the demo is in-game part and not a separate play-through. We are left to fill in some blanks as to: the whereabouts of the Blade of Olympus, lack of a magic meter, how the sole sub-weapon Cestus was obtained, why does the Fire Titan Perseus attack Kratos, etc.

However a few things have been verified by Stig: Kratos will battle 5-10 Gods including the Gods seen on the balcony during the final scene of GoW2. He wont have sex with women; which could mean men (heaven forbid!) or Goddesses (yummy!) The Titan Gaia and the Blade of Olympus left out in the trailers & demo will make a comeback in GoW3.

REVIEW BOTTOMLINE:

Stig Asmussen has declared, "We want this game to show what the PlayStation 3 is capable of." That is a pretty strong statement and going by the looks of the Demo, one that is surely living up to the promise. The background score is awe-inspiring. The Firebow and the QTE positioning are commendable additions to the gameplay. The beautiful graphics use the full power of the PS3.

The bottomline is that the potential & possibilities in God of War 3 are unlimited. It is like a Chest filled with Magics Orbs waiting to be opened.

Rahul "TheGodofWar4" B is a fan of the God of War series. He has a God of War 4 fanfiction site where you can download God of War 3 Screensaver

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The 5 Must-Own, Must-Play PS3 Exclusive Games

2012-09-26T19:49:00.000-04:00

As an avid PS3 owner since the beginning, I've bought or played just about every game. And of course my friends list is full of others just like me. Since 2007 there have been many awesome games on the PS3. Here's a list of the 5 must-have or must-play games.

Let's start the count backwards:

Warhawk

Seriously, this game was ahead of its time. I personally logged over 1,000 hours playing it. Even though it was a 2007 release, it's still a blast to play and people are still playing it. And they updated the game with trophies.

Metal Gear Solid 4

Even if you didn't play the originals, MSG4 will be enjoyable. The gameplay is "stealthy," so if you love that type of play, this is a game you'll like. The game looks wonderful.

Little Big Planet

Perhaps one of the biggest "evolutions" with gaming, Little Big Planet took the gaming world by storm. To this day it continues to grow. And the play type is spawning another title in 2010 that's sure to be just as big.

Killzone 2

If FPS games are your thing, look no further than Killzone 2. It looks awesome and plays great. Personally, I liked it better than Call of Duty.

And don't just jump into the multiplayer game, because the story mode is awesome too.

Uncharted

Ok, this is flat out one of the most "rich" games (graphics, gameplay, story) to come out on any game console, period.

Uncharted 2 (also a PS3 exclusive) picks up where this one left off and it's even better if you can imagine that. The best thing is you can get the first Uncharted for next to nothing. Trust me, it's worth playing.

The PS3 is an awesome entertainment system. I use it for watching BLUs and gaming hard. Hope you enjoyed the article.

The author has provided some other off-topic places to check out. Recently, he visited a place to find a good Rival slow cooker. It has reviews, deals and other information (SlowCookerCooking.com).

On a side note, here's slow cookers lens at another site. Interesting stuff.

Well, check back at this very site for more gaming news, tips and information. Game on!

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Metro 2033: Review

2012-09-24T15:23:00.000-04:00

Metro 2033 is based off a novel written by Russian author Dimitry Glukhovsky. I never read the novel as to which this videogame is based off. I can tell you this however, it must be one depressing, scary book. Metro 2033 released March of last year. This atmospheric videogame was developed by 4A Games and published by THQ. Metro 2033 is a atmospheric horror first person shooter driven by a good story. It also has some strong weaknesses as well.

Artyom is Metro 2033's protagonist and just a regular guy who is thrusted into the story by a Ranger named Hunter. Hunter needs Artyom to relay an important message to Polis Station. Hunter tells Artyom a message about the Dark Ones. Dark Ones are the names of the monsters you fight against in Metro 2033. Anyways, Artyom must travel through dangerous underground subway stations as well face the harsh brutal outside terrain of post apocalyptic Moscow. All of the latter while trying not to be killed by waring factions, monsters, demons and bandits you encounter along the way.

Metro 2033's story is good. This is a story driven fps. You must interact with characters for story driven information. Cutscenes and narration also conveys Metro's story. Artyom doesn't talk in Metro 2033. But that doesn't stop the story from moving at a decent progression. Artyom also has powerful thought provoking nightmares that are interactive. The dreams gives you the player insight into the mind of Artyom.

Metro 2033 is over a year old now. The textures and effects are particularly good. The gun models are highly detailed as well. Sometimes people at times all look alike and their eyes are kinda odd looking. The characters models needs work as well as the animations. The lighting is really good considering much of the gameplay is centered around light and darkness. Overall the game is average visually.

Sound design was good in Metro 2033. The music added a depressing atmosphere. The voice acting was really good and every character had real strong Russian accents. The creepy sounds like kid's giggling, ghosts and nearby monsters created anxiety while I ventured into Metros dark underground subways. I really liked the overall sound design in this game. It really helped in creating a depressing atmosphere.

Metro 2033 is a standard first person shooter. The problem is, the shooting and controls felt really outdated and clunky. The hit detection was bad. The AI was really horrid with enemies as well your comrades. You could kill a monster with one throwing knife but it takes at least four shots from a shotgun point blank range to kill it. The overall shooting is very unbalanced and felt outdated.

Metro 2033's main form of currency is centered around a special military ammo. With the special ammo you can buy items, guns, health packs and grenades. I happened to run out of ammo a few times during my playthrough. I did play the game on easy mode. Metro 2033 isn't noob friendly. You have to press a lot of buttons to play this game. When your flashlight runs out, you have to use a cranking tool to recharge it. To view your mission objectives you have to press select and another button to view the compass. Whenever you get near radiation or go outside, you must put your radiation protective mask. The mask can break if you get hit too many times causing you to replace it.

The guns all felt inaccurate. From handguns to shotguns nothing felt right. You had a few different enemies to kill like bandits, demons, flying monsters, gorilla monsters etc. The missions were actually pretty good. Some were stealth and infiltrate style missions. The gameplay missions were varied with a lot of exploration and looting involved. Looting helped keep ammo in my gun. Some on rails sequences are present in Metro 2033 but they were all pretty much ruined by the bad gun accuracy issues.

Metro 2033 doesn't have any online/ offline multiplayer. It's OK since the single player campaign lasted me over 10 hours. There are unlockables if you want to do a second playthrough as well.

Metro 2033 reminds me of S.T.A.L.K.E.R a little. But the horrid shooting mechanics and bad AI ruined this game for me. The story, characters and missions were all satisfactory with that said. If you like story based scary atmospheric fps videogames give Metro 2033 a shot.

7.5/10

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Review of Thief the Dark Project and Guitar Hero Legends of Rock

2012-09-23T12:49:00.000-04:00

Review of Thief the Dark Project:

It seems that most single player FPS games at some point force the player into a sort of "stealth" game mode where all the weapons they have been using till that point either become lost or useless and the player has to get from A to B without being spotted by a variety of enemy guards.

If you are one of the people who love this part of a game then Thief is made for you. The concept behind the game is that instead of going into places with all guns blazing you have to slowly work your way around a building perhaps taking out a few guards using silent methods and stealing a specific item before escaping unnoticed. Your biggest aid in this is the shadows. You will spend a large part of this game hiding in a corner hoping that the guards walking by wont detect you so that you can get by.

The downside of this game is that it requires immense patience to complete the levels and often silly little mistakes cause you to die and have to restart the level again. So I would recommend this game, but only if you are willing to put a bit of effort into it.

Review of Guitar hero: legends of rock

There can't be many people in the UK who haven't heard about the success story that is guitar hero. Starting out as a small game for computer nerds this series has exploded into a staple party game.

This installment features just over 70 tracks supposedly all written by "legends of rock". Whether you agree with that I guess all depends on personal preference.

The game play is the same as all other guitar hero's in that you start off with just a few tracks to play, if you perform them well your "band" progresses to different venues and you get a larger play list to choose from.

The game also features a "duel" mode where you can compete against other players in guitar fights that involve trying to be more precise when playing than the opponent whilst using power ups to try and distract them.

This game is basically more of the same successful formula that has made the guitar hero series of games so popular. If you like guitar hero then you'll like this. if you don't like playing on a tiny plastic guitar whilst pretending to be in a rock band then you probably wont have much fun with this.

Thomas Urban writes weekly WoW gold making guides and game reviews for http://www.eurogr.com

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Skyrim Review: Is It Really Worth It?

2012-09-20T23:59:00.000-04:00

The Elder Scrolls series is one of the most successful series in all of gaming. Ever since Todd Howard and Bethesda created the first game, Arena, back in 1994, the series has been going strong. No other game blends a first person RPG experience and an epic open world setting like the Elder Scrolls series does.

The Elder scrolls series started with the game Arena which introduced gamers to an open world where they had freedom to explore anything. Daggerfall, the next game, introduced an expansive storyline to the series. Morrowind, released 6 years after Daggerfall, rebooted the series in a huge way, it introduced a new world with improved graphics and gameplay. Oblivion, the fourth Elder Scrolls game released in 2006, was an epic game with voice acting from Patrick Stewart and a huge expensive storyline. Oblivion sold over 3 million copies, and was received well by critics.

So there are plenty of high expectations set on Bethesda studios and Skyrim. Skyrim became a huge financial success selling 7 million games in November, but now that all the hype and smoke has cleared, is Skyrim truly a great game? This is an unbiased look at Skyrim.

The setting of Skyrim is very diverse and beautiful. Skyrim features an increased draw distance from all the previous games, which enables the player to look at objects that are faraway. All the wide open mountain views were hand drawn by artists, and if there's one way to describe Skyrim, it is quite simply: Art. Everything you see on the horizon, whether it be mountains or valleys, can all be traveled to.

Skyrim has 16 cubic miles of land to explore. Every single one of those miles is packed with an incredible amount of detail. As you travel, just looking at the ground reveals beautifully drawn leaves and grass. The forests, giant towers, and mountains all look photo-realistic in Skyrim. Apart from all the wilderness type areas, Skyrim also includes many towns. These range from small towns to sleepy villages all the way up to huge, bustling cities.

Each building looks very authentic, and the exteriors show remarkable detail. But the interior is the real deal. Pubs are full of drinks, tables, singing people, and a warm fire to drink by. Castles are packed with pictures of past royalty, jewels, and various other items. Cities are extremely diverse with some being situated on a river, while others are abundant with castles, and others are deep in the mountains.

While the cities, wilderness, and scenery are breathtaking, the character models are on a different level entirely. Skyrim has 10 main (playable) races of people: High Elves, Argonians, Wood Elves, Bretons, Dark Elves, Redguards, Orc, Khajiit, Imperials, and Nords. Each race has an extremely distinct look.

Not only do they have a distinct look, but they each have facial characteristics that reflect their nature. For example, a Nordic warrior has a weathered, wrinkled look presumably from years of battle. In addition, each character has various facial expressions that range from happiness to disgust and anger. These traits really make Skyrim an interactive experience.

The characters look good, but the enemies look even better. Enemies in Skyrim look extremely fierce and intimidating. There are over 94 types of enemies in the game. Moreover, you can attack virtually anyone you please in the game.

The music in Skyrim was composed by Jeremy Soule, the composer of Oblivion and Morrowind. The music in Skyrim is truly amazing and does a great job of setting the stage for such an epic game. There is 4 hours of music throughout the game, and on the soundtrack around 53 tracks. The music changes from haunting, beautiful themes when you're high up in the mountain peaks to joyful, fun ballads in Taverns, to epic, intense music during battle sequences. Overall, the music in Skyrim is superb.

A major underrated aspect of modern gaming are the sound effects. A great game can be hampered down and sometimes ruined by lackluster sound effects and vice versa. Skyrim is not one of these games, the sound effects are second to none in Skyrim. Everything from the clash of swords, to the whizzing of arrows passing you by, to the roast of a fine not only look real, but sound real as well. Skyrim's sound effects are authentic and fantastic.

The voice acting in Skyrim is solid, and there are 70 voice actors in the game. The main actors in the cast are Christopher Plummer, Joan Allen, and Michael Hogan. There are many different accents and voices in Skyrim. Overall, the game's voice acting can be a bit repetitive, and it felt like it was the same 3 voices over and over. The game didn't have as strong voice acting as it's predecessor, Oblivion. Maybe this was because of a lack of Patrick Stewart, but Skyrim still has solid voice acting.

The controls in Skyrim are both easy and hard to learn. They're easy in the sense that if you have played any FPS game, the controls are second nature. If you are new to PS3 FPS games, they can tricky to get used to.

In Skyrim, you move with the left analog stick, and the right analog stick is used to look around. If you press the left analog stick, it enables you to sneak. Pressing the right analog stick sets you in third person. The X button is the activate button, circle is used to open the inventory, square pulls out your weapon, and triangle is used to jump. Pressing L1 or R1 allows you to attack with your right or left weapon. L2 allows you to sprint, while R2 is used to shout.

Depending on what weapon you have equipped or spell you are casting, the controls can vary a bit. Skyrim could have made shield blocking faster, it feels slow at times, other than that, the controls are fluid to get used to.

As mentioned before Skyrim has 10 playable races. When you start the game, you can select any of them. Each race has it's pros and cons, but Skyrim is designed in a way that you can choose any race and still achieve whatever class you want to be an expert in. When you start the game, it throws you into the story by having a dragon attack right away on the town of Helgen.

The game drops you into the story in an exciting way right away. The beginning intro to the game is a good way to showcase the game and teach the player controls. After you complete the opening sequence of the game, many story lines open up. You can choose to follow the main quest line, conversely you can get involved in Skyrim's civil war, or go and set on your own adventure and level as you go. Leveling in Skyrim is unique from the other Elder Scrolls games in that the skills you use the most level progressively as you go. To gain access to new skills and abilities, you have to select perks. Perks are essentially a new skill you can learn.

In Skyrim there are 18 skills you can train and level up. They are divided into 3 families: Combat, Magic, and Stealth. The combat skills are Archery, Block, Heavy Armor, One-Handed, Smithing, and Two-Handed. The magic skills are Alteration, Conjuration, Destruction, Enchanting, Illusion, and Restoration. The stealth skills include Alchemy, Light Armor, Lockpicking, Pickpocket, Sneak, and Speech. You can practice any of these skills and level as you go. Skyrim has a level cap of 81, and you can become proficient at everything by that time.

The game also includes a new feature called "Shouts". Without spoiling anything, shouts are words from the dragon language and using them has different effects. Some shouts slow time, while others are used to push objects faraway. Shouts are very unique and an awesome addition in Skyrim. Another new feature in Skyrim is dual wielding. The game allows you to equipped a weapon in both hands or have a spell cast and control them independently with the R1/L1 triggers. There are hundreds of weapons in Skyrim that range from one-handed to two-handed to range weapons. All of these are incredibly detailed and fun to use.

The major selling point of Skyrim was the addition of Dragons, and they don't disappoint. The dragons in the game are unscripted and can appear at anytime. This can be either extremely fun or annoying. For the most part, it's a lot of fun. They can appear in towns and than have you and other villagers fight them off. The dragons look incredibly fierce, and are very powerful. The only bad part is their AI. The AI of dragons is pretty bad, and after awhile they become very easy to kill. All in all, dragons are a great addition to the game.

The game is based all around freedom. Freedom to level the skills you want to level, or explore a cave you passed, or follow the story. You can even buy a house and get married. There's just so much to do, and even quick gamers will pour hundreds of hours into this game. There's over 200 quests in the game, and Bethesda announced they are releasing new Downloadable content soon. However, not everything in Skyrim is great.

Skyrim has some flaws. In fact, it has many flaws. The biggest problem is there are a large amount of bugs and glitches in the game. Skyrim is a HUGE game, and it's obviously going to have some bugs, but there are so many that it makes people question whether Bethesda just rushed the release. It seems the more you play the game, the slower it gets. It's important to know that manually saving is almost a requirement, because if you auto-save and run into a glitch which is more than likely bound to happen, it can ruin the whole game. To Bethesda's credit they have made the game more playable with each subsequent patch, but compared to how smooth the PC game runs and even the 360 version, the PS3 version seems like it's an afterthought to them. The game could've definitely been more bug free. Apart from the bugs, the game felt bland at times.

Even though there's 194 enemies, it didn't feel as intense as it should have been a few hours in. The formula becomes repetitive: You enter a dungeon/cave/hall/mountain, fight some skeletons, get the item you went there for, and then leave. Rinse and repeat. If Bethesda added unscripted events to the mix, such as walls caving in or different kinds of enemies inside the dungeons it would've been more exciting, but for the most part it's just the same. Honestly, the loading times aren't that bad, but the more you play the game, the longer they become. This can be kind of annoying, if you're having to wait 3-4 minutes to enter a house. Missions do vary, but some can become repetitive (i.e. the dark brotherhood quests), they follow the same formula, travel somewhere, kill someone, come back, etc.

Skyrim is graphically and musically a masterpiece. The game has some of the most beautiful scenery of any game. It is a massive world that allows you to do whatever you want. But, the gameplay in the game brings down the overall experience. Even the gameplay is solid, but the bugs are absolutely horrible. The PlayStation 3 version is 50/50, you don't know what your going to get. Either it works fine, and you never run into a glitch or you run into bugs that can ruin the entire experience. In spite of this, I would recommend buying Skyrim if you don't have it for the PC or 360. The PS3 version of Skyrim is the worst of the three, but it still is a game that deserves to be in every gamers collection. I give Skyrim a 8/10.

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Cooperation Beats Competition

2012-09-20T07:46:00.000-04:00

For several years now I have been concerned that my teenage son would not easily develop into a fully functioning adult man. From the age of about 14 he changed. I knew him to be intelligent and articulate kid. Suddenly he appeared to become incapable of what I considered to be normal human communication. A series of grunts, monosyllables and shrugs of the shoulder seemed to be all he could muster. He could use this method to meet his basic needs of food, shelter and, of course, his game console and computer.

For the most part, this has been his mode of communication for a few years now. If you really want to hear him talk, ask him to tell you about his latest game. Not for us the easy and more familiar world of football scores or basketball plays. Our bonding moments these days occur over the tally of the number of kills he made, or the number of "golds" he earned, or what level his latest character is on. I have had to learn a new language in order to have a basic understanding of what occupies him for much of his time. To my anguish, he seemed destined for "super geek-dom". I could foresee him living a solitary life in front of a computer, tapping away at a virtual world, and disconnected from humankind. He'd be conducting raids on foreign lands, killing, being killed, and then reviving himself at a keystroke to begin the game again.

Here's just a small peek into the new language I have learned: PVP (player versus player), RPG (role playing games), raiding parties, FPS (first person shooter), MMOG (massively multiplayer online game), RTS (real time strategy), TBS (turn based strategy), NPC (non player character), and perhaps appropriately for me (in spite of my age), "noob" (a newbie to the game world).

His mother, too, was concerned about his grades, his future, his socialization skills, and just how much he likes conquering others and killing his opponents. I reminded her that she sounded just like our grandparents did in the good old days. As kids we didn't mind our manners, we talked too much or not enough. Left to our own devices we would run around outside pretending to be cops and robbers, killing each other, or being killed, and then being magically revived and "shooting" each other once again. Our weapons were fingers and sticks pointed at our targets, along with shouts of "POW!", and theatrical award-winning dying sequences.

A far cry from the virtual reality point and click world? Perhaps. It seems that the more things change, the more they stay the same. Without stereotyping or generalizing, "Boys will be boys," you may say. "It's our natural tendency to kill or be killed." "Survival of the fittest." "Dog eat dog." Game designers have tapped into this [psyche]. Take a look at some of the titles on my son's game library; "Warhammer", "Spore", "Star Wars" (hey, I recognize that one!), "World of Warcraft", "Dead Rising", "Gears of War", and "Grand Theft Auto", just to name a few. It's the way things are, whether in corporate America, on the inner city streets, in countries torn by civil wars... In so many ways, the games are in fact a reflection of the "real" world.

In these games that imitate life, the principle of competition and domination seems to be the rule. In order to win, whatever our circumstance may be, we set out to acquire and dominate all of the resources that will help us achieve our goals. Often times we ignore the impact these actions have on other people, and in fact we even convince ourselves sometimes that the other people don't matter. They are competing for the same resource and should simply be eliminated. Even if you succeed with this approach, you create two long term problems for yourself. The first is that you make enemies out of everyone you encounter, including people on your own team. Their loyalty is very weak and secured only by fear. The second is that even if you succeed at dominating a resource for a while, eventually all those competitors will find another way and your environment will change rapidly and not in a pleasant way. That will be a time when you need allies to help you evolve and take on the next big opportunity. The problem is, nobody will be there to help.

Players get really good at raiding each other's worlds. They have trigger fingers that can hit that key so quickly you can't even see the movement. And when they play on-line with others, they get really smart about tactics. They learn to take orders from [bosses], to collaborate with others to successfully complete their attacks, and to wait their turn for rewards. The first time I heard that one, I wondered what happened to the old "That's just not fair" complaint, when measuring out how much soda he had compared with his older sister.

Occasionally my son comes out with an Australian expression that he learned from someone called Bruce. He might say something in Japanese that he heard last night, or he'll say something about his friend in Holland. I've learned not to be surprised at anything he comes out with. It's when he speaks in a perfect Scottish accent that I check under the bed to see if there's anything there that might explain this amazing transformation. The answer is that he's chatting to real people, real Aussies, Japanese or Dutch or Scotsmen. There's no age difference, self-consciousness, race, gender, shyness or embarrassment in his virtual world. Everyone's on the same page, everyone has something in common. And - guess what - they are all talking to and cooperating with each other!

Being a concerned parent, I decided to do some research to see if I could understand his "condition". My mind was put somewhat at ease to find out that he was in the company of millions of others. The book by John C. Beck and Mitchell Wade titled "The Kids are Alright: How the Gamer Generation is Changing the Workplace" was a great help. If you have a teenage gamer or may be hiring young gamers, that book is a very helpful place to start.

Until now, success in his gaming world has been measured in body counts, size of territory and money in the bank. Not too dissimilar from the real world? In business, we'd all love to see the marketplace littered with the remains of our competitors. We'd love to be "king" of our territory. And of course one of our major reasons for doing this is to put money in the bank. And how do we do this? We do it by strategizing, by raiding, then attacking and eliminating our opponents, and ultimately reaping the rewards.

Even though my son learned a lot about collaborating and working with others to successfully play these games, the goal was always the same - domination. In business we assemble large groups of people and partners to collaborate and cooperate with the same ultimate goal in mind. Some of those partners will attach themselves to a large company to ride the coat tails of its success and catch the bread crumbs as it plunders its way through the market. All of the people involved are motivated by the opportunity to make a "quick killing". Dominate quickly, get rich, and get out. For every one that is successful, thousands of others are driven out of business. In this resource domination model, those without the means to acquire large numbers of resources quickly simply cannot keep up. You might say "but this is the natural order of things in the competitive marketplace". You would be totally right. What we need to do is change the paradigm that we live in a competitive marketplace to one where cooperation is the rule. Cooperation enables us to take on much larger projects than we could ever dream of doing by ourselves by leveraging the strengths and resources of others.

Over dinner recently, my son was quieter than usual. I knew that he'd bought a new video game, which he'd been playing for a few days. He said that the game had gone from super-easy and fun to ridiculously difficult. It had seemed so simple: "You get stuff and then do stuff then you colonize space." He explained that you start off with choosing the environment you would like to grow in. You have a choice of forests, deserts, jungles, seashore, and so on. Then you decide whether you are a carnivore, herbivore, or omnivore. You get to choose personality traits like aggressive or collaborative.

Your character is now ready to be born. You have great flexibility in this area as well, being able to assemble creatures with the most unlikely features and limb structure. Of course, you need to make selections based on the environment you have chosen so that you can feed and move about successfully. Now you devour as much food as you can in your new domain and soon you stretch yourself beyond that to the world at large.

All the while your character is growing in strength almost regardless of the characteristics you had chosen at the start. You are successfully becoming the leader of your world. You now go to the next level outer space. Suddenly you are faced with traveling to far away galaxies and meeting new strange creatures and conditions. All the tactics you learned from growing up in your home world no longer seem to work. His character was a very aggressive carnivore. He believed he needed to be the most powerful and awesome warrior he could be. He knew he would face many challenges. He was able to destroy and dominate anything that got in his way. By being the ultimate competitor, he became the conqueror of his world.

Once he got to outer space, however, he found many situations that he was not well equipped to manage. Food sources were sapped away. As an aggressive character, he had an unusually large number of enemies and very few, if any, allies. It became clear to him very quickly that he had made a mistake. As a lone wolf aggressor, he was not going to survive. He needed the talents and skills of other characters, and he needed to be more versatile himself.

He found, by experience, that there is no way to win in this game, or any significant game, without learning how to cooperate with others. That means developing skills that are helpful to others, and matching other's skills to your unique needs at any given time. Without the right collaborative, team building, cooperative spirit, you will simply fade away. In business, three key elements must be aligned to create the potential for success. They are: 1. A compelling vision; 2. Comprehensive strategies to execute that vision; and 3. Committed leadership to achieve the vision and strategies. My son's experience shows us that leading with this spirit of cooperation will unleash the potential and catapult the business forward to the next level.

What a great lesson for a teenager. He learned that to execute your vision and strategies you will need resources from other, including suppliers, operating systems, capital, and distribution. In a competitive model, your tendency is to protect your great ideas and your resources, and to exploit those provided by others. This wall of protection makes collaboration and the acquisition of resources very difficult, time-consuming, and expensive as everyone plays the same game. By adjusting your leadership attitude to one of cooperation, you effectively dissolve the wall and invite other people in. Suddenly you find people who are excited about your vision and want to help you make it happen. Others with specific resources or expertise can and will directly support the execution of your strategy. Acquiring motivated partners is easy and may cost you nothing as they all attach themselves to the bigger dream of your vision. Having many independent champions for your vision will expand your leadership beyond any limits you could imagine. Cooperation makes the pie larger for everyone and it creates sustainable businesses built on the strength of a far more potent resource. What is that resource? In a word: "relationships". Cooperative relationships enable everyone to succeed, and they will be with you and you with them when the next waves of change come along.

Patrick Smyth. Business Leadership Navigator. Serving high growth businesses in developing compelling business strategies and lead change to improve performance. Helping leaders overcome challenges to achieve their goals and reconnect them with their dreams. 615-261-8585 http://www.innovationhabitude.com

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Call of Duty 5 - World at War Review

2012-09-18T22:47:00.000-04:00

With CoD4 being one of the most impressive and ground breaking releases in terms of photo realistic graphics, game play to die for and a storyline that was so involving it made you want run down to your local recruitment office and sign up! Cod5 had a very tough act to follow, but surely with a team that could put out a title like Cod4 they shouldn't have a problem right?

As soon as I heard they were returning the WWII and the Pacific Theater era I cried a little inside as these scenarios has been covered by more than enough titles, game developers out there; 'The world has moved on, can't you?' Still I was definitely going to get this game no matter what due to Cod4 being so good, I think many people felt this way, and I also think Activision used this fact to their advantage.

So the game...sticking with the same graphics engine as Cod4 (sorry I'll try to stop mentioning it as this isn't a comparison), the visuals are stunning and jungle landscapes really make the game a dream to look at. One of the best things about this engine is just how well it runs on lower end systems. To test this I played it on an AMDx2 4600 at 2.8GHz, 2 gig's of ddr2 ram and a 7800GTX extreme with resolution at 1280x1024 and was getting an average of 50fps with settings on high.

Now this isn't very impressive compared to what can be achieved with newer hardware, however 50fps will give you great game play and considering you can build a system as specified above for ~£150 (excluding monitor and peripherals etc) you can see just how well they have done with this engine.

The campaign is split into two sections, you swap between playing as Private Miller of the U.S. Marine Corps fighting the Japanese Army in the Pacific, and Private Dimitri Petrenko of the Red Army advancing on Berlin. (have I seen this format somewhere before?).

As expected the playability of the game is outstanding, the combat really gets your heart pounding and the games AI really adds a sense of realism that I find lacking in a lot of FPS games. Your buddies will help you out but the pace of each battle really depends on how aggressive you're feeling. This makes for a game that is different each time you play through it as the scenario reacts to your game play style.

The multiplayer is the same format as CoD4 (damn!) giving each player a ranking so you have targets to achieve and the fast paced action will keep you online for days.

And to be honest that's all I have to say about this release because if you've played CoD4 (and who hasn't) you've seen it all before really. Don't get me wrong it is a GREAT game, I enjoyed playing it thoroughly and would recommend it to all as it would turn any WoW addict into an FPS fan. However I still feel a bit let down. It seems as if Activision have made a breakthrough with CoD4, then rather than pushing the boundary further and keeping the gaming community on the edge of their seats, they themselves have sat back and played it safe to get the benjamins rolling in.

They have built a sense trust with their name as one would expect nothing but the best from them now, I pray that they will not abuse this trust that we as consumers have put in them. I hope they will use the profit from this release to good use and get back on the edge of their seats, as we all know what they are capable of when they put their mind to it. It's time to make another giant leap for mankind guys!

Alessandro Pata

The Review Team

[http://www.trtreviews.com]

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Borderlands Review

2012-09-17T05:19:00.000-04:00

17,750,000 Different Guns. Literally.

I had incredibly high hopes for this game, I pre-ordered it about 6 months before it actually came out. The concept of combining my two favorite styles of gaming was very appealing to me, and luckily, this game did not let me down one bit.

The basic story of this game is you traveled to the planet of Pandora with 3 friends (for more info on the characters, visit the Borderlands website) in search of a vault filled with alien technology so you can become rich. That is basically the entire plot line, you just adventure through the lands following a voice in your head that tells you who to kill and where to go to get closer to the vault. If you aren't familiar with the RPG genre, you start at level 1, and in this game the level cap is 50, so you can keep killing things and completing quests to gain experience to level up to 50. Every time you level up past level 5 you get a talent point that contributes to either your special ability, your shield, or your guns.

Right from the opening cut-scene I knew this game was going to be good. I played as Lilith, the Siren, and ran through the game in about 3 days with a total of 22 hours to complete every quest the game had to offer, coming across hundreds of the seemingly endless amounts of guns. After I beat the game I began my second play-through, where all of your enemies are larger and tougher, and in turn the loot is better as well.

I have to say that the game is nowhere near as incredible if you are playing by yourself though, you get less experience so the leveling goes slower, and the bosses are more difficult to defeat when you don't have your comrade close by to revive you when things go bad. But regardless of whether you are playing it by yourself, or with 2 or 3 friends, this game is well worth the money.

With 17,750,000 (literally) guns, you're never grinding to find a specific weapon. The more you play, the better weapons you will find. Some weapons actually do some incredible, and unique stuff. Like a shotgun that shoots a wave as bullets, or a rocket launcher that shoots 3 rockets consecutively. You'll never find the exact same gun twice.

If you just head out on the main story line, I believe you could take this game out in about 10-15 hours playtime if you're power-housing through it with a friend or two.

I must say that the ending to this game is a little disappointing and the storyline is rather weak at parts, but when you're finding a new gun every 5 minutes and constantly upgrading your skills and abilities, the storyline is the last of your concerns, if just gives you a reason to go out and kill things.

I also ran across a few minor glitches in the game, mostly while driving the vehicle, but nothing big enough for me to desire to score this game lower.

The Scores (out of 10, 10 being the highest)

Playability: 9.5

This game is very easy to understand and control, whether you are an RPG veteran or completely new to the style.The FPS and critical strike (getting headshots) system work very well, and suit this game wonderfully.

Graphics: 9

A very unique style of graphics, and is VERY well done. I did not give it a 10 because sometimes the environment blends together when I feel like it isn't supposed to, (example:) giving the illusion that you can jump over something when you really cant.

Plot: 7

Without the epic ending I was anticipating, the game lacks a purpose. Also, I feel like as time goes on the plot matters less and less. The first few quest-givers you meet are real people that you feel like you're helping, but further down the road in the game it just becomes mindless killing (which, in this game is TONS of fun, so the plot was not a major factor for me). Moral of the story: Don't buy this game because you think the story is going to be great. (Buy it because you like getting head shots and owning psycho midgets)

Replay Value: 8.5

This game does have a second play-through option which makes the loot better and the enemies bigger and with different names. However, it's still the same plot line, so it may struggle to grip your attention long enough to do it all again.

OVERALL SCORE

8.75

Although the plot won't quite reel you in, the immense amount of weapons, incredible co-op feature, and endless amounts of headshots and enemies to kill sure will.

For more video game reviews, movie reviews, political thoughts, and philosophical discussions, visit my website: http://www.theroyreview.com/

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Choosing Your Flat Screen TV

2012-09-16T23:57:00.000-04:00

When it comes to buying a new TV, there are a lot of options out there. By a lot, I mean thousands of options. With that said there is no reason to be timid when it comes to your research. To be honest it's better to be aggressive. Search every review, every site, the news paper, newegg, toms hardware, and any other tool you can get your hands on. Let's see if we can pinpoint some key things to look for when buying that new TV.

Let's talk about what you want to use your TV for. That seams to be the most simple thing to decide in your research. If you're a gamer, you want a high refresh rate. Now I'm not talking about a Wii gamer here. I'm talking about fast moving games like FPS style games. Same goes if your into fast, action packed movies. Now if you're buying something for a quest or play room, then refresh rate and response time may not matter to you. Plasma is where you want to be for higher refresh rates as far as current technology goes. Everything else works pretty good for all other types of TV usages.

Size is everything when it comes to a new TV. If all else fails, I always say go bigger. Understand though that when you go big, you absolutely want to stay away from cheap manufacturers. A lot of the times a cheap manufacturer will slack on pixel quality and it really stands out in the picture quality on a big television. Either way, I would never recommend buying a flat screen TV from a low quality manufacturer. Going with brands you know is always a safe bet.

Now that that's out of the way, let's talk a bit about weight. The weight of your TV will determine the wall mount you need. Be sure and view as many TV wall mount reviews as you can to ensure you're not making a big mistake. There is nothing worse then buying a mount and TV, only to find the mounting brackets aren't made for your TV model or can't hold your weight.

Positioning is something to keep in mind as well. If your planning on mounting the TV in a corner, then a bigger TV might be deceptive and not actually fit in the corner correctly. Again this is where aggressive research can help you make the right decisions.

Looking for reviews on TV wall mounts?
If so, I suggest you check out: TV Wall Mount Reviews

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Review: Rage Does Everything Right, But Not Much Else

2012-09-14T07:44:00.000-04:00

ID Software has come a long way. They became a household name in 1992 with the release of a little title called Wolfenstein, and have since become synonymous with the first-person shooter genre. Prolific titles such as Doom and Quake set the standard for innovative, unique, and fun games, and allowed for a relatively small company to reach a large audience.

In a time where FPS (first person shooter) games are a dime-a-dozen, id Software took it upon themselves to create a game that would simultaneously fill all the necessary quotas, but also reach outside the box. That mindset gave birth to RAGE, a post-apocalyptic shooter that, for better or worse, does exactly what it's supposed to do. The graphics are gorgeous while running at 60 frames-per-second, and the weapon selection is acceptable, though some may find it a tad sparse when compared to other games in the genre.

The selling point for RAGE comes in the form of vehicular combat. Players are able to acquire vehicles through races, bets, and quests, and subsequently outfit them with an array of weapons and gadgets. If guns on your car isn't your thing, you're more than welcome to invest in a beefed-up grill to ram your opponents into pieces. But whatever you decide, you will never feel like you are selling yourself short.

Unfortunately, for all of the things that RAGE does well, it never really reaches beyond the typical confines of the average FPS. It is very much an on-rails shooter, and, except for the moments when you're in a vehicle, you'll never feel like you're free to do whatever you want. From the very beginning of the game, the paths are linear, and the item needed to finish a whatever quest is in progress is always straight ahead. This eventually becomes repetitive, especially when the enemies being fought look and sound exactly the same.

This is not to say that RAGE isn't fun to play - it is. However, some players may yearn for the open-world feel of a game such as Borderlands, which, much to id's chagrin, RAGE has been compared to liberally. What ultimately makes this game stand out is that, at its core, it has "id Software" written all over it: the bosses are huge, the enemies are disturbing, the guns are crazy, and most importantly, there is a ton of fun to be had.

Grade: B

Everyone has a little bit of nerd inside them dying to come out. Release your inner nerd.

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CSDM (Counter Strike Death Match) - A Classic Death Match Game!

2012-09-13T16:15:00.000-04:00

Counter Strike Death Match, commonly abbreviated as CSDM, is an FPS (First Person Shooter) team death match game. The main objective of this game is to win against the opposing team by eliminating all their team members or, if you've joined the terrorist team, by planting a bomb and successfully igniting it when the timer on it runs out. This kind of team death match generally starts with players choosing their side - terrorist or counter-terrorist - and then buying the weapons and ammunition they would like to use during the course of the game. As a terrorist, players may have the bomb in their possession and they can choose to plant the bomb, or just go for the old fashioned style of winning a team death match - "kill them all." As a counter terrorist, players may purchase a bomb defusing kit, so that the terrorist team will be forced to fight it out, instead of getting an instant win through a bomb explosion. It is implied that the whole area or map is destroyed when a bomb is set off.

Counter Strike has been around for a couple of years but its game-play and its replayability is still one of the best the industry of gaming has seen for its genre. Maps and mods (modifications) are still being developed by programmers and do-it-yourself modders even after years of the game being released. Proof of this game's lasting appeal can be seen in how many gamers or people are still playing CSDM over LAN (local area network) or over the Internet. Young and old alike are into the this kind of team death matches because unlike normal first person shooter games, where you play through different levels and campaigns, CSDM can offer that special twitch or trigger reaction to gamers. A person isn't just shooting at an enemy AI rather at another intelligent human being who can change his or her tactics on the fly.

Another appeal CSDM has over gamers is the supposed realism of this multiplayer game. Players can choose weapons from a list of actual weapons used in modern warfare. Players often claim that each type of weapon would react differently when fired. For example, an AK47 rifle packs a lot of damage but it can be pretty difficult to aim at a target given that the recoil forces the nozzle to point upwards every time a player fires. A double handgun is available as a side arm and definitely deals out more damage than a single pistol but of course come reload time, the player wielding the double handgun would be at a disadvantage because of it would take longer to reload.

The main thing that got video gamers hooked to CSDM though, is the depth with which one can choose his or her strategy. One can be a sniper or a heavy infantry. One can be also be a stealthy terrorist ready to plant the bomb anytime or one can be a sneaky counter- terrorist, ready to dish out death using a simple knife. All in all, this death match game is something of a gem in the gaming industry. It's staying power is proof that people are just out to have good old- fashioned team games using advanced technology. It doesn't matter what age group you are. Once you hear the call of you team mates buzzing through your receiver, you can't help but answer - "Roger that."

Are you looking for more information regarding csdm? Visit http://acronyms.thefreedictionary.com/CSDM today!

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What Makes a Bad Game?

2012-09-13T05:02:00.000-04:00

Many people have many different opinions about what makes a bad game, so I asked some average gamers for their opinions.

"Lack luster effort put in by the developers."

"I think the key element is fun. I can overlook mediocre graphics and story if the underlying game is fun. But if they game is a chore to play, with no enjoyment, what's the point?"

"bad gameplay'

"gameplay and graphics"

"bugs and glitches is always a good recipe for a bad game. Also, horrible presentation can help make it bad. But overall, it's the execution. If it just plain has bad gameplay or just doesn't work out well, then it can easily make a game bad."

"Lacking in fun factor. With all them fancy normal mapping and physics engines, some developers seem to have forgotten what's truly important."

"A complete and total lack of inspiration, style, or anything unique. This is what makes nearly all bad games bad."

"bad graphics. I hate games with bad graphics."

"Bad fun factor and gameplay. Also, if there is a lot of glitches, it sucks."

"A bad game is a game that isn't fun to play. Everything about a game contributes to the fun factor: graphics, sound, presentation, story, and of course, gameplay mechanics. I hated Star Fox Adventures not because the gameplay was bad, I hated it and called it a bad game because the characters and dialogue were so stupid, it stopped being fun and I couldn't stand it after 20 minutes of turning it on for the first time. So sometimes, a game can be bad because of other factors besides gameplay mechanics.That's my 2 cents worth."

"Boring gameplay, crappy graphics, weak story."

"One of the things that annoys me most about games is when they don't have a lot of interactivity or the game just wastes your time with repetitive elements. (Final Fantasy VII, I'm looking at you! ). I don't like games like linear RPGs where you just tell your party what to do and go to the next place to find the next person to talk to in between hours of random battles. I guess this could also apply to some FPS on consoles where the autoaim is out of control (007 Agent under Fire)."

"A lot of things make a game bad. And these factors change for most people. For me, what makes a bad game is a lack of story, bad controls and games that are either too hard or too easy. There are a few other minors but those are the big ones."

There are so many factors that contribute to a bad game A shortlist in no particular order (IMHO)

- bugs, glitches, exploits, and holes

- bad story

- poor graphics, sounds, physics (where applicable)

- bad level design

- bad NPC AI (enemy or friendly)

- bad UI / gameplay controls

- bad use of checkpoints / save points / no quicksave

- slow load times between levels (or environments)

- lack of innovation, cliched, repetitive levels

- lack of challenge

"It's just lazy game design I guess."

* Unintuitive controls

* Lack of originality

* Having the "been there, done that" feeling.

* Insane difficulty

* Complete lack of challenge

* A poor game-saving system

* Sequels having less features, or gameplay than previous installments.

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Review of Max Payne 2 and Warzone 2100

2012-09-10T11:12:00.000-04:00

Review of Max Payne 2:

Remedy studio's had a lot to live up to when they decided to make this sequel to the classic Max Payne game.

After settling back into his police work job after the mess of the 1st game Max finds himself bumping into a woman he encountered previously and who he thought was dead. They then proceed to drag each other into another murder mystery.

The game play is very similar to the first game in that you explore a dark and sinister city that is filled with thugs who seem intent on filling you with as many holes as possible. The awesome bullet time aspect of the game is still here however you no longer need to kill enemies to build it up. Remedy must have figured out that players didn't like having to constantly try to conserve their bullet time for harder parts of the game and just wanted to use it all the time.

The graphics have been improved very noticeably which means the game looks prettier but it does require a slightly more powerful PC to run than the original game.

Overall an excellent FPS with a really sinister and creepy storyline (just wait till you get to the circus).

Review of Warzone 2100:

Seems to me that the designers of this game were called into a board meeting one day and asked to produce the most generic real time strategy game they could. If that was the case then full credit to the team, as that is exactly what they've done

Warzone 2100 takes place on a post apocalyptic world with various factions fighting each other for control of various resources. Most missions involve the player setting up an economy via resource gathering and protecting it from enemy units whilst building up an army of their own which will eventually have to go and destroy the other bases on the map.

The buildings are all generic, a few for troop buildings, some for research, towers for defense. All the units are very generic, tanks, trucks, soldiers etc...

The game claims that the 3d terrain is an important aspect however I feel all it does it get in the way of certain camera angles when you are trying to see what your troops are doing.

If you are a die hard fan of RTS games then you will probably get a decent amount of enjoyment out of this title, however for the rest of us there are a whole host of other game choices that we could choose from in the RTS genre that are a lot more fun than this.

Thomas Urban writes weekly WoW gold making guides and game reviews for http://www.eurogr.com

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A Look at Deus Ex Human Revolution

2012-09-10T02:54:00.000-04:00

I've just been playing Deus Ex Human Revolution and, considering how hyped the title has been, I thought those of us that have played it may want to share our opinions. It may also help some of you decide whether to buy the game or not. Firstly forgive me if this sounds like something you've read on IGN; I wrote for them once, among other sites, and it has had a profound effect on how I discuss games:

For those of you who have never heard of Deus Ex and have no idea what the fuss is all about I would like to enlighten you: In 2001 a small and insignificant game studio - their greatest contribution at that point being the widely panned and ridiculed Anachronox - released a game that would be anything but small and insignificant. Deus Ex was a FPSRPGACTIONADVENTUREPUZZLE game that turned to the gaming world and said, "Yo. THIS is how you make a game." The gaming world simply stared back in awe. Deus Ex is widely credited as the single best and most complete PC game ever created. Any gamer worth anything has Deus Ex somewhere in their top 10 as a non-mover (along with Fallout 2). Not to labour the point or anything. If you're not sold at this point there is very little hope for you; you may leave.

This of course creates a problem: It is hard for me - as someone who has played the original extensively - to view Human Revolution in spite of its predecessor. So as I discuss the game, you may find me journeying back and telling you about how the old game did it. It may even turn into a "Deus Ex did this, Human Revolution doesn't" affair. I apologise in advance but Deus Ex is the type of game that you can't help doing this with, in the same way World of Warcraft fanboys vehemently claim that vanilla WoW was better than Cataclysm. Perhaps this potent inability to enjoy Deus Ex Human Revolution for what it is - a game of nearly unrivalled ambition and scope - is responsible for my inability to enjoy it to any great degree.

(OH NO HE SAID SOMETHING CRITICAL).

Deus Ex is a pretty but fractured game, both practically and metaphorically. The graphics are interesting in places but that is a credit more to the art team than the engine designers. Facial animations are horrendous, anti-aliasing doesn't seem to actually manage to anti any of the aliasing, and the engine is like an epileptic riding a bus... as it drives over shale. There will be moments where extreme precision will be required, where every ounce of your experience as a gamer must be leveraged in a glorious display of how utterly awesome you really are (despite the fact that you're supposed to write a 2000 word essay and will probably fail the semester if you don't get it in tomorrow)... and then the game will stutter. And you'll miss the shot. And then you'll be piled on by 600 mercenaries. And you'll die. And then you'll have to deal with the 10 minute loading times. Add that to the fact that, in a handful of places, the game is genuinely hard and you have a cocktail that induces pure, vein-popping frustration...

(As a brief aside: has anyone else noticed how - of late - we've started to actually get games that need players to think? Prior to The Witcher 2 it was all "aim assist" rubbish and "detailed quest trackers" bollocks. Now it's... DEATH. DEATH AND FRUSTRATION. I regret ever saying games were too easy. I'm sorry. I really am. Anyway... I'm calm.)

Despite these momentary flutters of genuine difficulty, the game mainly resides in the "formulaic and tedious" realm of combat; it really is just another same old, same old FPS-based combat affair. The augmentation system is supposed to allow you to avoid this sensation but sadly augmentations are founded on a principle of limited, feigned choice and not real choice. Deus Ex gave you the ability to mix and match a vast amount of alterations and buffs that allow you to play the game how you want to play it. Human Revolution merely gives you three brackets: guns, not guns, everything else. When you make a choice in a basic skill you are making a choice to take one set of skills over another. There is no expansiveness to it; just pick a group and follow the line. Of course you can "come back and pick it up later" with skills and there are a fair amount of basic traits for you to get as you play along. The fundamental problem is however that the skill system seems to follow an "it doesn't matter how you get there but by the end of the game these boxes will be ticked" mentality. When I get to the end of an RPG I want to be powerful but I also want to be limited. I want to feel like my character was crafted by me for good or for ill. If my build leads me to an ending where I can't win, so what? It's my build. Human Revolution doesn't deliver that sensation; Deus Ex did. And this, in all honesty, is really where Human Revolution needed to shine if it were to cone near to toppling its progenitor.

That isn't to say there aren't good things about this new-fangled Deus Ex reboot. The story is amazingly well scripted and - outside of games like Oblivion and Fallout 3 - I can think of no other single player game that has such a massively open world for you to explore and involve yourself in. Just like the best movies don't include the glorious action scenes exclusively, the best games are made great by the little things, not the massive explosions; Human Revolution has an amazing array of little things. From side quests to Easter eggs to mini-chains, Square Enix have spared no expense in really bringing the universe in which Deus Ex exists to life. Many FPS fans quip about games involving little videos of every NPC you shoot, giving you some background into their lives; Human Revolution has that. On some NPCs you may find PDAs with emails from their kids or wives. You may kill a scientist and then discover via her computer that she was expecting a child. It's all there and, more importantly, it's all done well. There is also a vibrant depth to the writing in the game which is surprising when you consider that Square Enix is behind the title (all Final Fantasy games are rubbish (there, I said it)). Sometimes there will be laugh out loud mockery of our society, at others times there will be comical references to real conspiracy theories. There are also some cutting observations about people thrown in there for good measure. The original took great risks in presenting some of the ideas it covered so openly. Human Revolution took that risk as well. In both cases it has paid off.

At the core of that bravery is your role as the player. You aren't just the proverbial faceless Master Chief or a bit part in the narrative. You don't just follow the linear plot to its ultimate and obvious conclusion. You aren't just given an array of basic choices based on a black-n-white idea of good and evil. Human Revolution takes you, puts you in your chair and says, "We go where you go." You can play the game without killing a single bad guy (aside from one or two bosses). You can play the game and kill everyone. You can side with an array of people and factions, or consider only your best interests. You can bully or you can empathise with your friends, or turn on them if you really want to. Every decision you make, big or small, has a profound and meaningful impact on the world around you. Whether it's as simple as which NPCs are there for you to talk to, who shoots at you, who doesn't, or as meaningful as altering the direction the story will take entirely, these decisions aren't just rudimentary options. They are choices based on moral standards firmly rooted in reality: Do I kill the hostage? Do I let her go? Do I let the terrorist go as well? Do I kill the terrorist and the hostage? Do I save the hostage and kill the terrorist? When the game presents you with a decision it doesn't just ask you to pick yes or pick no. It asks you what you genuinely think about the situation. This dedication to choice leaves you not being laboured by the story but being dedicated to and invested in it to the point where the momentary lapse into combat isn't too frustrating. And if you get bored of the combat, you can always go round flushing toilets and stealing cans from vending machines, clogging up your (Tetris) inventory.

(Another aside: has anyone notices how inventory systems these days are just lists? That's it. Everything is the same size, and it is all stored as items on a list. If life were like that I'd spend much more time shopping. If I could buy a 50 inch TV and have it take up the same space in my bag as a box of eggs I'd totally buy a 50 inch TV. Tetris inventory is so much fun though. I play it in real life sometimes. And then you get a packet of something squishy. And it messes up the communism. Bastard squishy packets. Anyhow. Chill pill acquired.)

I think at this point in time I've written a guide to, and not an insight into, the game and so I shall promptly (yeah... right...) conclude. Someone at Square Enix decided that Deus Ex would be better in a wheelchair and thus Human Revolution was born. It's not the original by any stretch. That said however Human Revolution largely triumphs where it has to triumph outside of a few hiccups here and there. It is a good game. Sadly it has been released in the same year as The Witcher 2, Skyrim and Battlefield 3 so it isn't going win any awards. Do I think everyone should play it? Yes. Yes I do.

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Dead Rising 2 Review Multiplayer

2012-09-07T13:01:00.000-04:00

Dead Rising 2

Information

Supported on Dingplay:Yes
Genre: FPS, Driving, Motorcycling
Max. Online Players: 4
Leaderboards: Yes
Private Games: Yes

Summary

18 and over only
Take as much time as you want to verify the scores
Have three random rounds then a final round as well (Slicecycles) to determine winner
Can choose opponents in a private game or enter a public game
Ranked and unranked matches

Modes

Ramsterball

A game of tag where the person who is 'it' racks up points by hitting bumpers and avoiding contact with others. Frustrating camera angles when playing mean it is difficult to see where other opponents are. Also passing of the tag is somewhat arbitrary as contact is sometimes made but the person who is 'it' doesn't change hands. Evade your opponents more easily by hiding behind bumpers where possible, and circling the arena at speed.

Zomboni

The aim of the game is to mow down zombies and shoot their zombie juice into any of the four target mouths that surround the playing arena. The mouths on the outside open and close with the player only scoring when the mouth is open and where the player has enough zombie juice in the tank. It can be frustrating attempting to get near the mouths at times.

Stand Up Zomedy

Dead simple concept, accessorize the zombies that are wandering around the arena with your own coloured items. Get bonuses by putting three different accessories on a zombie, or stopping someone else getting three different items on a zombie. Try to go back to zombies you've accessorised before, as you get more points when you add items to them, rather than aimlessly wandering around putting items on random zombies. Not one of the more exciting games.

Headache

Put hats on numerous zombies and then remove the hats by pressing a button located towards the outside of the arena. The more hats that are placed on the zombies before pressing the button means bigger scores. So continually putting hats on zombies and clearing them straight away doesn't pay. Like Stand Up Zomedy, not much excitement to be had.

Ball Buster

looks like Celebrity Squares but with zombies. Doors open on a panel grid to reveal zombies, you gain points by shooting the zombies before other opponents. The trick is to focus in on a particular area rather than attempting to cover all the squares, thus giving you more chance to react quicker than your opponents. One of the better games available.

Bounty Hunter

First person sniping of zombies on an elevated platform. The aim is to shoot as many zombies as possible. There is also a jackpot target that pops up in the centre of the arena. The best tip is to aim for the entrances at the far corner of the arena where the zombies are filtering out. Aiming in the direction of the entrance means that you don't have to be particularly accurate to score well, just aim in that vicinity to rack up the points. Aim for the zombies with bonus signs above their head as priority.

Pounds of Flesh

The game involves flicking zombies onto a skip located in the middle of the arena. The heavier the zombie, the more points you gain. Try and take decent straight runs ups to score well. Restocking the zombies frequently after each punt ensures you don't have to be too accurate to score well.

Master Shafter

The aim of the game is to run to targets that randomly spawn and then attempt to key in the button combinations faster than your opponent.

Slicecycles

The final round of online matches. Mow down as many zombies as possible in the allotted time. Time penalties apply for performance in previous rounds, the lower the score in previous rounds the more waiting time at the start gate whilst your opponents gather points. In reality the time delay does little to deter high scoring of points. Getting the bonus zombies is crucial as they yield a much higher score than the 'normal' zombies. The trick is to aim for these bonus zombies and don't overshoot the area where the zombies are located, as there are no zombies on the outside of the arena. Quickly turn round when you are heading towards the point where there are no more zombies towards the outside of the arena and skid into the remaining few zombies. Then plow through the zombie field again repeating the process above.

Positives and Negatives

Positives

Easy to get a game started
4 players maximum works well
Some fun games - notably Slicecycles, Ball Buster, Bounty Hunter
Synergy with single player game - 'cash out'
Decent variety in game types
The games are just the right length, being completed within a few minutes

Negatives

Can't vote or choose games to be played
Not all of the games are fun to play, most notably Stand Up Zomedy and Headache
Too much emphasis on last round (Slicecycles)
Time penalty in last round meaningless
Each game takes a few attempts to get used to it
Any lag can be crucial in a round

SUMMARY

For actual gameplay footage, helpful videos on Dead Rising 2, and more information go to http://dingplay.com and click on reviews, making sure to follow the relevant link. Play for cash and great prizes on Dead Rising 2 and over 200 other online video games. There are 100s of free games to play on the site, as well as spot the ball and lowest unique auctions for cash and prizes. Plus lots more!

Join for free now at http://dingplay.com

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Quake Live Introduction

2012-09-06T07:38:00.000-04:00

Quake Live is a relatively new browser-based video game. A browser-based game is pretty self-explanatory: it is a game that runs from your internet browser. It is a remake of the very popular game Quake 3 Arena, which came out in 1999 and was praised by video game critics and players alike. The game has been featured in competitive scenes for many years, and has been used in tournaments and leagues. Quake is such a popular gaming series, in fact, that a LAN party called QuakeCon is held in Dallas yearly that attracts thousands of gamers from around the world.

The game is not your typical FPS (First Person Shooter): it is extremely fast paced, and very skill based. It takes a lot of practice to become proficient at the game because the learning curve for the game is ridiculously steep. Newcomers to the game may be very discouraged when they join a game that is far above their skill level and get pummeled by higher-level players. They can avoid this by not joining a game that is orange or red, which is typically full of professionals that have been playing for years. It is recommended to do offline practice against computer players before trying your skills on multiplayer as you can begin learning the layouts of the maps, the pros and cons of the different weapons, and which weapon is better to use at which range, situation, etc. This is not a light, easy, or casual game, and you will become frustrated if you don't practice and learn the game before trying your hand at multiplayer matches.

A few general tips to start playing the game will be given, but going in depth would require a book's worth of content in order to teach you all the tricks and tips and movements. Some essential moves you need to learn in order to move faster in the arena include strafe jumping and circle jumping. Strafe jumping is essentially where you hold down your move forward key and one of the strafe keys, jump, and then alternate the strafe key while still holding the forward key and jumping right when you land. If you want even more speed, then you move your mouse in the direction of the strafe. It's not too complicated, and if you practice it enough, within a matter of days, or a couple short weeks, you'll have nearly mastered it. There are very useful videos on Youtube to learn this, and many other techniques, I recommend viewing them.

Now that you know a bit bout the game, stop reading, and start playing! See you in the Arena.

Damian is a talented writer, webmaster, student, gamer, and SEO master. He is proficient in writing SEO articles, playing games like Call of Duty, Civilization, and much, much more. His latest project, Cartoon Games is his latest foray into the internet marketing business, offering free Flash and Shockwave games to play online.

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Best Xbox Games on 360

2012-09-05T19:05:00.000-04:00

With all the hype in advertising for video games today, it is hard to know how the games features really hold up to the fancy phrases and images in the ads. That's why you need the experience of an unbiased, expert who is a fellow consumer like you! I'll give you the best of the Xbox 360 in this article.

Smackdown vs. Raw 2010 Review: The latest installment of the WWE series, it is actually a pretty solid game even if your not a wrestling fan. The controls are easy to learn and gameplay is fluid. If you are a Create-A-holic like me, there are tons of things to do in this game. Create wrestlers looks, moves,taunts, gear and then create your own grapple finishing move or the new top rope finishing move creator. Then, create your own entrance for them. Then, create your own storyline! Yes, new also is the Story Creation mode. If your a WWE fan, and love to be creative, you will want to pick this one up to carry home. If not, the gameplay will probably grow stale after a while. It's worth at least a rental.

6 piledrivers out of 10

Left 4 Dead 2 Review: It's Post-Apocalypse. Zombies and mutant creatures run rampant through the streets of Louisiana. What do you do? Grab three of your buddies and shoot/hack your way to freedom through five good length campaigns, four different game modes, and an A.I. "Director" that changes the pace(monster spawns,weapons and items, etc..), you will be playing Left 4 Dead 2 long after the evacuation choppers have left. My favorite game mode is Versus where you can also played as specialized Infected characters and try to off the survivors before they make it to the safe house. A Definite BUY for FPS and zombie fans.

8 Shotguns out of 10

Dragon Age: Origins Review Bioware has been perfecting the art of the RPG for years and this is the crowning jewel so far. With combat you can choose to go on the fly and program your other members with in depth controls over their actions, or pause and give each member a specific action to perform on a specific target. Also, a lot of moral decisions are placed in front of the player, where a lot of grey area is involved, making have to look within yourself to decide what you would actually do. A lot of these choices do impact the story as well. This allows for a lot of replayability as well as all of the specialist classes(each character can have 2). Since you only have to earn them once, starting a new game leaves them open from the beginning. You will want to buy this one, as Dragon Age has a lot of content, as well as added new downloadable content from the Developer.

9 Frost Cones out of 10

Overlord II Review: Let's face it. Sometimes being the bad guy can be fun. Add an army of hilarious gremlin-like minions at your beck and call, and you would have never thought pillaging the countryside could be so fun. The controls take a little getting used to, but they are designed well and make controlling the different types of minions and your overlord not as such a daunting task as it may seem. You can also craft weapons and armor for your overlord using the souls of your creepy little friends. The minions are the key to all the puzzles in the game as well as unlocking items and areas. You can resurrect your favorite minions, who will equip weapons and armor(sometimes unique) from fallen enemies. One annoying factor I found is the map on the game screen has no compass and turns with your overlord. This can make finding your way difficult, especially with the lack of landmarks in the game environment. The game play also can get repetitive after you have conquered your first couple of towns.

6 enslaved townfolk out of 10

Dragon Age Awakening: The expansion of the smash hit Dragon Age: Origins, Awakening picks up where the original left off. The Archdemon is vanquished but Darkspawn still roam the land. You can import your Warden from the Origins(highly recommended) or start as a foreign Commander. Gameplay is great and solid, just like in Origins, but herein is a slight problem, with the addition of new abilities and specialization, you still won't see much need to deviate from your builds in Origins. In essence, Awakening really only expands on the story and not in gameplay. Still clocking in at around 20 hours, its got the length of a full game. P.S. Don't expect to see too many familiar faces from Origins.

7 Crazy Mothers out of 10

Check out The Gamer Reviews! With 20 years of electronic gaming, from Atari to PS3, here at The Gamer Reviews, you can bet we will give you the real scoop on the latest and greatest console and PC games on the market today.

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PC Game Review - Mirror's Edge

2012-09-03T05:08:00.000-04:00

Mirrors Edge was born out of Parkour/free running and places you in the role of Faith, a messenger for the people of the city who don't trust electronic communications. Faith travels across rooftops, out of sight and out of mind of the authorities. However things are about to change.

I'm a bit late reviewing this, since it came out on PC in the early days of the site and I had already bought several games to review. So I've had the "opportunity" to read other reviews of this and see if my hopes that it would be the great landmark game it seemed like it could be. Apparently not!

So now it was my turn to have a go and see if I agreed with the general consensus. And the answer to that is yes and no.

You're taken through the basic training that shows you how to do the special wall running/jumping and rolling that helps you traverse the landscape. I have to admit, I tried this on the Xbox-360 and I found it far easier on the PC. Throughout the game I did come across some areas that took me many, many attempts to get past. I remember one area where it took me almost 30 times to get a tricky jump right. So it's not easy anyway. However, when you get it right, it's fabulous fun and the whole world feels completely accessible. I was really, really hoping for more possible routes in places though, they could have reduced the difficulty by doing this and made the game a little more fun for those of us who don't care if we get every move spot on.

The scenery itself however really appealed to me. The bright whiteness and huge scale of the city really gave Mirrors Edge an Epic feel to it. The problem was though, it's a bit like driving:

You don't really notice the scenery when you have to drive.

Combat wise was a similar story to the rest of the game. They suggest you try to isolate the enemies before you take them down, but the process of isolating them is tricky. If you get more than one attacking you in close quarters you can pretty much guarantee you'll be returning to the last checkpoint in no time. On the other hand, there are times where the combat just flows beautifully and you seem to be running rings around the bad guys. I do wish there had been a little more stealth in there. When you're taught combat you're shown how to disarm someone from behind. But I only came across one opportunity to do this. The bad guys always, always knew where I was otherwise even if they hadn't seen me for a while, so there was no real way to crawl around in secret and then disarm them easily. Additionally to this, the actual window of time for disarming some of these enemies was ridiculously short and I was forced to jump kick everyone and then run away before they could react nearly every time. Either that or use bullet time (oh yeah, they have bullet time) to slow everything down enough to get the click in.

The story of Mirrors Edge is short. It's a complaint I agree with, but on the other hand this is a fast game so the large areas that would take quite some time in your standard fps game take only a few seconds here. And although the story is short, it's not bad, which is a relief considering the daughter of the great Terry Pratchett was involved! I really hope that a sequel that focuses more on the story is on it's way because if there was just a bit more plot I think this could have been the hit of the year.

Some of the story is told in animated comic-book format. You'll either love it or hate it. I, for one, thought it was great.

The story is well matched by the music score that really worked for me. The minimalist sound really lent itself to the huge openness that the game, at least, portrays. I'm also a fan of the theme song, which helps I guess!

Basically the main problems with this game revolve around its length and it's unforgiving nature in regards to jumps and combat. It has huge plus points in its setting, quality of story/setting and fun once you've gotten used to it. If you can get your hands on the demo or not you'll know the second you start playing if this game is for you, but I think it's excellent.

Score: 80 out of 100

Final words: Mirrors Edge is a great game, but look before you leap! Try the demo first as it's not for everyone!

This article was written by Andy Yates of PC Games and Reviews
Visit us for more PC Game reviews, news, screenshots and more!

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And the Geek Shall Inherit the Earth

2012-09-01T08:36:00.000-04:00

"Blessed are the geek: for they shall inherit the earth." (inspired by Matthew 5:5)

So you've been a geek from as long as you could hold a game controller or climb up to sit in front of the computer. You were the first kid on the block to tie up your parents' phone lines with a dial-up modem. The letters FPS, RPG, and RTS are more than just alphabet soup to you - they're in your blood. You know more people from the online gaming community, and perhaps you know them better, than you know your next-door neighbor. Years of working on in-game tactics and practicing your hand-eye coordination have left your wits and reflexes sharp.

But maybe your parents, your friends, your teachers, or your spouses think that you've wasted your time on what can be interpreted as a fairly expensive hobby. After all those nights spent gazing blearily at a computer or television screen and shouting yourself hoarse over Ventrilo or Xbox Live, maybe you're thinking that they're on to something; have you been wasting your time and energy on something that doesn't actually have any merit in the real world?

The plain truth is you, as an online gamer, have been building a set of all the tools you need to become an incredibly effective leader in any situation. Let's take a look at three core skills you needed to develop in order to be successful in an online team environment, for example:

Knowing your teammates. Whether your team is competing against computer-controlled bad guys or it's facing off against another team of real live players, knowing both your own strengths and weaknesses and those of your other teammates is imperative. If each member of your team fills the role they at which are the strongest and with which they're most comfortable, success will follow.
Knowing what you're up against. Just jumping into any situation without doing at least a little research first isn't always the best course of action. Yes, fortune favors the bold, but things will go much more smoothly if you or another one of your teammates looks into the kind of things you can expect to encounter in your coming adventure. Sometimes the line between success and failure is razor-thin; just a little extra information can bump you and your team from one side of that line to the other.
Knowing that you can always try again. Let's face it: there will be times that your team may fall short of their goals. Just because you didn't go the distance this time, however, doesn't mean you won't succeed the next time you try. Keeping a positive outlook in the face of adversity means regrouping with your team, taking an honest look at what went wrong and what needs to be done differently, and then motivating each other to get back in there and do it all over again.
It's obvious how these three learned skills - knowing your strengths and weaknesses, knowing what you're getting yourself into, and knowing that minor setbacks can't keep you down for long - can be applied to practically any situation, online or in the real world: whether it be in school, at work, or in your personal relationships, all of these skills can make you successful at whatever you do.

So fire back with those little gems the next time someone runs down your favorite passion. It's not "just a hobby" and it's certainly not mindless entertainment, either! And they said that video games would rot your brain. Shows how much they know!

David DeMar has been an avid gamer since his parents brought home an IBM PCjr in the early 1980's. He currently leads an Alliance-side World of Warcraft guild on the Argent Dawn realm with his fiancee, Pam. To learn more, visit [http://www.pagefiftysix.net]

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MMORPGS: World of Warcraft, a Review

2012-08-31T11:43:00.000-04:00

Introduction

If you're into computer games, you probably have heard of World of Warcraft, the latest hit produced by Blizzard Entertainment, and you're probably aware what an MMORPG is. If you're not, let me explain it quickly. A MMORPG is a massivly multiplayer online roleplaying game that allows thousands of players to play in a persistent game world.

World of Warcraft currently entertains close to 7 million people world wide. It has drawn many of the mmorpg veterans but also introduced a lot of new people to the genre. Why is world of warcraft so successful? Well. I think it comes down to more than one thing.

First of MMORPGs are usually not that easy to get into, often the player is presented with a akward interface, tons of options and a lot of things going on around them in general the first time the log onto the game. Blizzard has done a pretty solid job in keeping the interface simple and stupid, allowing even newbie players to get into it at a quick pace. Hints and Tips help guide the true MMORPG newbie along as well. When the developers of the game created the interface, and gameplay in general their goal was for it to be easy to get into it, but to be hard to master.

They have definitely accomplished the first part, the second part can be argued about. What defines a good player in an MMORPG basically comes down to two things.

1) Does he know his character and the abilities

2) Does he pay attention

There are no twitch skills involved, and in my opinion if youre looking for a competitive game, current mmorpgs - including WoW - are not the place to look at. If you want skillbased competition stick to RTS and FPS games.

The second thing that makes wow so successful is mostlikely the name of the producer and their huge fanbase - which they deserve by all means - after having released such great games as the diablo and warcraft series, which were all huge hits.

Let's get to the review part :)

Character Creation

Like every MMORPG or MUD out there the journey always begins with the character creation. You get to pick your site - alliance or horde , your race and a few visual features. Character customization is definitely one of the game's weakest points, the diversity and amount of features to select and change for character remind of Everquest which was released almost 8 years ago. You get to chose

* between a handful of faces

* skin tone

* between a handful of haircuts

* between a handful of facial hair styles

* hair color

It is probably not a huge deal, and its certainly nothing game breaking, a bit more would have been nice though.

First steps

As you take your first steps within WoW, getting used to the user interface, you will quickly notice that the game is very quest driven. You can earn most of your character's experience via quests, you will still be grinding mobs for exp once in a while though.

The starting quests also lead you along nicely, out of the starting area to the bigger towns and into the deep dungeons

The world

The amount of detail that was put into the world of warcraft is amazing and stunning. The cartoony style may not be everyones cup of tea, but whether you like it or not you cannot dismiss that the world has a lot of character. It is filled with content too, and you will find yourself stumbling from point of interest to point of interest.

The dungeons

The dungeon instances, which are zones that belong to you and your group, while pretty linear most of the time are also amazingly done. The boss encounters are fun, and the best loot is gotten from doing instance runs. The dungeon instances are supposed to be the group part of the game (aside from pvp) and it would be unwise to enter them alone unless youre like 20 levels stronger than the mobs inside the dungeon.

The way to 60, and beyond

Most people ive talked to tell me they have the most fun leveling their characters to level 60, because it is quick paced most of the time, and only slows down rarely. The quests are done well, and there is just so much to discover.

Once you hit 60 youre basically stuck with three things to do though

a) do instance runs (raids) for items

b) grind monsters for money

c) pvp

Now this might sound as if it should be enough. But the core problem is this: there is no character advancement beyond 60 other than getting items. These items are gotten by raiding elite dungeons with your guild, playing the bazaar game or by gaining rank while pvping.

Right now, if youre a raider, you raid so you can raid more. There is no reason to take that super dagger of stabbing into a normal 5 man dungeons and just carnage stuff left and right, other than for the sake of carnageing - is that even a word.

The game at this point, 2 years after its release, direly needs some alternate advancement, luckily the expansion (The Burning Crusade) is right around the corner, so that should help out some for now.

Server Issues

This is were i have an axe to grind, so pardon my rant

Ever since wow was released , the game has had severe sever stability issues. I guess they did not expect the kind of amount of people to buy the game back then and got surprised. Not a big deal, most of the MMORPGs face server issues the first few days of the game's release, even if is not as popular as wow.

But even after 2 years of development it is sad and annoying to see that the same server problems still exist, while not as severe, and the servers need to go down for maintenance weekly.

Content Updates

We all know it, Blizzard likes to do things correctly, and they always take their time. The thing is, that this is a MMORPG. People need to be handed new content almost constantly, waiting 3-4 months between content updates that deliver content that was promised to be in the game when it was released just seems weak. Then again i can certainly appreciate the amount of work that must be needed to create the content. It wouldnt be so bad if there was actually some way of alternative character advancement.

This review may sound a bit harsh and dont get me wrong, WoW is an amazing game, and what the artists did is just mind boggling. I leveled 3 characters to level 60, and as i was progressing along through the vastly different world zones of the game there was always this thought on mind.

Wow is an amazing online world, but it is as if they do nothing with it. Where is the dynamic world, that i imagined when i first read about WoW in 2002. There has been a world event of the opening of a raid instance that involved the players gathering resources for a month or two and then battling in a war like scenario to unlock the dungeon. While this is definitely a step in the right direction it is not enough. Next generation MMORPGs need to be developed with dynamic behaviour in mind. The world needs to change and feel less static.

Fazit

World of warcraft is a great game, and you will definitely enjoy leveling your character. After that it is uncertain, you will have to see for yourself. Doing raid instances can be fun, unless you dont like to rely on people. PVP can be fun too if youre into that kind of thing. Heck, even trying to amass huge amounts of virtual money can be fun to some people.

Stefan Pratter is a developer of the free browser based MMORPG Lands of Kazram - [http://www.landsofkazram.com]

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New Archery Equipment 2011 Review

2012-08-29T15:51:00.000-04:00

Listen up all you archery hunters. If your in the market for a new bow this year, this article is for you. With today's technology archery equipment has improved like never before. Bows are faster and quieter than ever before. Some claiming speeds of over 360 fps. Arrows are lighter and stronger. Some even have weight transferring systems for better accuracy and penetration. Sites are lighter and so bright that they even appear to glow in the dark. Yes even releases have advanced so much it's almost imaginable hunting without one.

As any avid archery shooter will tell you, we all have our preferences. I like High Country Bows, Easton Aluminum Arrows, ( my friends call them lincoln logs) Muzzy Broadheads, Black Gold Sites, Rip cord fall away rests and Scott Releases. After previewing some of the hottest archery equipment for 2011 I just had to share some of the reviews with all of you.

BOWS - All bow makers have either improved their existing products or introduced new ones but there are several worth taking a look at. One thing to keep in mind when purchasing a bow is that Brace Height and Axle Length all have an effect on your shooting and bow performance. A longer brace height is a more forgiving bow. The shorter the brace height the faster the bow will be.

BEAR ARCHERY - has introduced their all new CARNAGE with its 32 in. axle to axle length and a brace height of 7.25 in. It is the fastest bow in the Bear line up. Producing speeds up to 345 fps.

MATHEWS - has introduced two new bows this year. The Z7 XTREME with 28 in. axle to axle and 7.375 in. brace height is said to be the smoothest drawing and most forgiving bow they have ever produced. And for you speed freaks the all new Z7 MAGNUM with 32 in. axle to axle and a brace height of 6.375 in. is said to produce speed of 340 fps. and over

PSE ARCHERY - has two bows worth mentioning. Their blazing fast OMEN PRO with 33.62 in. axle to axle length and a brace height of just 5.5 in. produces speed of 366 fps. Their CHAOS ONE was designed for women and young hunters. Weighing in at just 3.3 pounds, it has a 30.5 in. axle to axle and a brace height of 6.875 in. It produces speeds to 302 fps. It's available in 40-50 and 60 pound draw weights and 24-28 in. draw heights.

HIGH COUNTRY ARCHERY - has introduced their new SPEED PRO Xll with 33.5 in. axle to axle and a 6 in. brace height. This bow has a rating of 355 fps. At 3.3 pound it might be the smoothest drawing and quietest shooting bow they have ever produces.

DARTON ARCHERY - has introduced their new DS-3800 with 33.8 in. axle to axle and a 6 in brace height it can produce speeds up to 350 fps. This makes a good choice for bow hunters and 3D shooters.

ARROWS - with all the hype now a days on carbon arrows, I'm going to try some out. With the advancement in technology these days they are producing arrows that are just as strong and much flatter shooting than my aluminum arrows. (lincoln logs)

CARBON EXPRESS - one of the leading manufacture's of carbon arrows has redesigned its MAXIMA HUNTER arrow. The new dual spine and weight forward design offers superior accuracy. The dual spine helps maximize forgiveness and better harness energy for tighter groups. Hunters looking for toughness should try their all new MAXIMA HUNTER KV SHAFTS. Made with a layer of Kevlar which is 5 times stronger than steel. They provide maximum penetration and durability.

GOLD TIP - another leading manufacturer of carbon arrows introduced their all new KINETIC XT which comes in four spine sizes. The KINETIC PRO with a spine straightness of.001 delivers maximum performance and penetration regardless of the conditions. Also hot and popular are the VELOCITY XL and the VELOCITY PRO. while weighting in at 25 to 30 grains less than the XT HUNTER and the PRO HUNTER they offer blistering speed to your target.

EASTON - probably the best known of all for producing quality arrows are on top of their game again this year. With the redesigned ST AXIS. These shafts are produced with N-Fuses Carbon Nanotubes for increased strength and durability. The smaller diameter shafts preform effortlessly in any weather condition and hit like a ton of bricks. For the speed freaks and 3D shooters Easton offers the FLATLINE SURGICAL. It's one of the fastest and flatest shooting arrows that is easy to remove from your practice targets. Then don't over look their FULL METAL JACKET SHAFTS.

TROPHY RIDGE- probably the least known of all is quickly gaining a reputation for producing arrows with some of the tightest tolerances in the industry. Their unique, seamless filament - winding process ensures each arrow has precise spin, weight and straightness. Along with their silent slide coating they add armor tough inserts for added shaft end strength. From their top of the line BLAST to their mid-range HAILFIRE and WRATH and even their economy priced CRUSH they incorporate straightness tolerances of.0008.

BROADHEADS - with so many choices on the market now a days you just have to experiment with several to see which ones shoot the best for you. This is a brief over view of some of the newest ones to hit the market this year.

MAGNUS - has re-engineered its SNUFFER SS. It's a one piece three blade cut on contact broadhead. It's available with either a 1.0625 or1.125 cutting diameter and weights from 85 to 125 grains.

MUZZY - has two new broadheads this year. The PHANTOM MX 85- grain which is a two blade cut on contact with a 1.12 in. cutting diameter and the new MX-3 75-grain that is a three blade chisel point broadhead with a 1.187 cutting diameter.

SLICK TRICK - offers two new broadheads. The RAZOR TRICK a four blade cut on contact broadhead that offers a 1.12 and.875 in. for a total 2 in. cutting diameter. The GRIZZ TRICK is a four blade chisel point broadhead. Available in 100 and125 grains with a 1.25 in. cutting diameter.

G5 OUTDOORS -offers two new broadheads. The MONTEC CS 100 grain cut on contact broadhead with a 1.06 in. cutting diameter and the T3 EXPANDABLE BROADHEAD with a 1.5 in cutting diameter.

TROPHY EDGE - offers three new broadheads. The ULTIMATE STEEL which is a three blade chisel point broadhead with approx. 1.12 cutting diameter. The BUCKBLASTER 100 grain expandable broadhead that has an incredible 2.75 in. cutting diameter and the MEAT SEEKER expandable broadhead that is available in two and three blade models with 1.5 in. and 2 in. cutting diameters.

SIGHTS - there are many new sights that hit the market this year. Anywhere from one pin to seven pins. Here we will review some of the most popular ones.

COBRA - introduced their PYTHON 5. A five pin all metal sight for added protection for your fiber optics. A bubble level with a fluorescent sight ring. It has a 5.5 in. target extension that is ideal for 3D shooter's and weighs in at just 8 ounces.

TROPHY RIDGE - added the MICRO ALPHA V5. This sight is a vertical five pin sight. It has 18 in. of.019 light gathering fiber optics per each pin. Made with an aluminum housing. It features a sight bubble level and micro adjustments for windage and elevation.

TRUE GLO - introduces the new RIGHT SITE XS. This sight is adjustable for right or left hand. It's a bright five pin sight that includes a glow in the dark sight ring, windage and elevation marking and a rheostat light.

BLACK GOLD - introduced the SURGE this year. This sight is available in five or seven pins with an all metal housing. It features their unique PHOTO CHROMATIC TECHNOLOGY, which automatically adjusts the brightness of the pins based on available light. Other features include a fluorescent pin guard ring and each micro pin is independently adjustable.

TRIJICON - mainly known for their guns scopes has entered into the archery market this year with a one pin ACCUPIN SIGHT. They claim that if you sight your bow in at 20 yards and at 60 yards you will be dead on at any yardage. The sight comes with a Accudial that allows you to adjust the sight yard by yard out to 80 yards. The dial has laser etched yards so you don't have to worry about stickers coming off. It also has a full metal housing.

ARROW RESTS - there are many new rests that hit the market this year. The best way to find one you are comfortable with is to try them out. A few of the top brands that I would recommend are.

LIMB SAVER - has always produced quality rests. Their newest one offers a twin bearing system for smoothness and the launching arm that allows it to neatly rest on the dampening pad or float just above the riser shelf for added quietness.

G5 OUTDOORS - offers a unique spool rather than arm design. The reverse spring technology keeps your arrow up longer for more consistent and tighter groups. The over sized molded spool provides a whisper quite shot after shot.

TROPHY RIDGE - introduced the REVOLUTION. I actually had to try this one out and was amazed with it's performance. It's design incorporates a full capture locking arm that holds the arrow until you release your shot. Once released, the arm swings 90 degrees in the opposite direction for unmatched fletching clearance.

RIPCORD - re-engineered their popular rest this year. The RIPCORD CODE RED offers an internal brake system that eliminates bounce-back and a new red coating that is whisper quite. There's no need for felt or moleskin. With indexed markings it's a breeze to tune and zero in.

RELEASES - There are so many releases on the market that you would have to try them to see which one is right for you. I prefer the wrist strap design by SCOTT releases. Many companies produce wrist strap designs as well as hand held releases. You will just have to choose one that you are comfortable shooting with.

If you would like more information or to view a video of some archery hunts you can visit.
http://www.extremewhitetailbowhunting.com

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Top 10 Upcoming Games of 2009

2012-08-28T13:41:00.000-04:00

I haven't ranked these games because they are on different platforms and very diverse categories. These games are some of the most anticipated games of 2009 and have large fan bases. They all look exciting and will provide tons of gamers with some high intensity fun!

Halo Wars - Halo Wars is a real-time-strategy (RTS) game built specifically for the Xbox 360 console. Players manage resources and create and maintain buildings and armies to complete objectives. There are two playable factions, the human UNSC and alien Covenant, with their own units, strengths, and special abilities. Players establish their armies by building and expanding bases; it is at these locations that units are trained and upgrades resourced. There are only a few base locations on each scenario or map, making base fortification and defense a key priority. Destruction of a player's last base results in defeat if a new base is not quickly reestablished. This is new territory for Halo, if they don't pull this off it could seriously hurt the Halo brand name. The game launches in the U.S. on March third, so get ready!

Guitar Hero: Metallica - Guitar Hero is such a clever idea, get a guitar and play while watching the screen patterns. Who would have thought it would be a global hit like it is? Guitar Hero 3 was awesome and then they brought out Guitar Hero: Aerosmith which focused on one band. I am more of a Metallica fan and interested in how many and which songs they will select from the Metallica song arsenal. I have started to burn out on Guitar Hero a while back but maybe this new version will spark my interest again. It comes out on March 29th.

God of War 3 - A game with great fighting and graphics, God of War is back and better than ever. This time the amount of enemies onscreen has been increased to 50 as opposed to the maximum of 15 in previous God of War installments. That is always good news. Only two weapons have been confirmed so far: the trademark Blades of Athena, and the Cestus, a pair of fist gauntlets shaped like lion heads. These new weapons appear to have the ability to smash through solid objects, such as rocks. Sounds like fun. The game comes out for PS3 only towards the very end of this year. So don't hold your breath.

Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars - Okay I am stoked about this one! I am seriously considering buying a Nintendo DS just for this game. My friends say don't buy a system for one game, but I say rules are made to be broken. Besides, this game is badass! Listen to this: there is a drug dealing minigame a la Drugwars, which will allow players to peddle six types of drugs around the city. Players will make a profit by recognizing market conditions and demands based on geography and plying their wares accordingly. Wow, and I thought Scarface had a decent mini drug game. If that doesn't have you sold, you can use the stylus on the DS as a screwdriver to hotwire cars. After doing so, the vehicle's alarm can be set off, which can be deactivated with a special device. Different cars need different tools to be hotwired. Greatness. The game comes out March 17.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 - Bought and loved the first one. Have been a huge fan of the Call of Duty series and they haven't let me down so far. This is the sixth installment in the series. I see a pattern of them flipping back and fourth between world war 2 and modern warfare. Very smart, that way by the time the users are bored of one type the other game will be about to come out. Activision is great about improving their games by leaps and bounds. They provide some of the most realistic fps war games. Now that the Battlefield games have slowed down, they have cornered the market. The game comes out in the fourth quarter of this year.

Resident Evil 5 - Official Xbox Magazine gave Resident Evil a 9.0 out of 10, praising its "balls-to-the-wall shootouts and awesome battles." Sheva's A.I. was praised concerning how she is "vigilant about reviving you and is an able combatant," though criticized for its inability to be strategized with, making the final battle "maddeningly tough." That the enemies in the game come in all speeds was positively received. Of note were gun-wielding enemies which can fire blindly and duck for cover. The game's control scheme was criticized for not allowing the player to shoot and move at the same time. The new inventory system was also called into question, the review saying that many will hate it though it is "essentially game balancing-making sure you're never too well armed." RE5 was summarized as "an action spectacular with terrific production values" and as an "excellent co-op game." The Official PlayStation Magazine gave the game a 5 out of 5 praising the controls and visuals. Xbox World 360 gave a much more critical review saying "East meets West with mixed results" and stating that its "A solid shooter which sadly falls short of Resident Evil 4's standard.". One of Xbox worlds main criticisms was Sheva's A.I. saying she is "responsible for both the best and worst Resident Evil 5 has to offer". The review also states that she will always choose the weakest weapon given to her and that when playing in single player that playing with Sheva is "a babysitting nightmare". However the game did receive 81/100, while complimenting the "great" Co-op mode. The UK based independent PlayStation magazine PlayStation World criticized the game for it's lack of tension and it's failure to significantly move the series forward. However it did give the game an 8 out of 10. Resident Evil 5 is set to release March 13th.

Diablo 3 - It's release date hasn't been issued yet, it may not be this year, but the sheer possibility leaves it hard to ignore. Simple and addicting, you can get hooked into this game just like a great rpg. Going from hellacious cavern to the next, fighting increasingly harder enemies, It doesn't get much better. Diablo 3 looks to make it even greater. Diablo 3 will retain a feel similar to that found in earlier games in the series, including a viewpoint reminiscent of the old isometric view. The trailer for the game looks awesome, it has new features, but retains the nostalgic feel of the first version. An enhanced quest system, a random level generator, and a random encounter generator are slated for use in order to ensure the game provides different experiences when replayed. Quests have always been great for Diablo unlike some mmorpgs like Age of Conan that ruined the positive connotation of the word quest for me. Additionally, there will be class-specific quests to go along with the main storyline quests. For the first time in the series, in-engine cutscenes will be employed during key moments.

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction - This game will have stunning graphics using the unreal engine 2.5. There have been a lot of delays in the production so this game has been long overdue. It was recently pushed back to April and let's cross our fingers that the date sticks. The information about this game is as stealthy as the gameplay itself. Little is known, but a couple of trailers and screenshots that were leaked give us some insight. The trailer demonstrates a more civilian based Sam interacting with props (tables and chairs) to disable enemies. The events depicted in the trailer take place in Washington D.C, and several landmarks, including the Korean War Memorial, the United States Capital and the Washington Monument, have been seen in various promotional videos and trailers. On June 30th you can get your hands on a copy.

The Sims 3 - In contrast to the earlier versions, the houses and neighborhoods will be seamless, allowing players to explore and interact with their neighborhood without loading time. Twelve careers are available to pursue (law enforcement, crime, military, science, politics, journalism, business, entertainment, culinary, medical, athletic, and gardening). Each career has a workplace building in the neighborhood, which Sims travel to for their shifts. Sims can also apply for jobs within these buildings. Evidently they have beefed up the "create a sim" feature as well. You can change the obesity and muscle level among other things like facial features. The part I think is the coolest is this: Create-A-Sim now features over 80 unique traits to choose from. Some of these are Evil, Slob, Good Sense of Humor, Charismatic, Loner, Computer Whiz, Vegetarian, Frugal, Clumsy, Athletic, Hot Headed, Lucky, Insane and Flirty. It is not possible to give a Sim traits that contradict each other (such as Brave and Cowardly). The player can also edit many aspects of a Sims' personality, such as favorite hobby, color, music genre and food. A lot to explore in this one. Find it in stores on June 2nd.

Tekken 6 - One of the greatest fighting games of all time, right up there with Mortal Kombat. I figure this is a lot like when Star Wars re released the originals, there is a ton of anticipation here. It has been awhile since there has been a new Tekken game. Can you imagine playing this game in 1080p? Tekken 6 will boast the greatest number of characters ever seen in a Tekken game with a total of 42 characters (including the two Bloodline Rebellion characters). According to Namco, virtually all of the Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection characters will be returning with new additional characters. Don't miss out on this one, it comes out in October 27th of this year and by that time Japan will have nearly had it for two years!

Clarke Baldwin is a journalist who has worked for Dallas Morning News and other publications. You can find his site at Super Media Blog and a related story at Top 10 Upcoming Games 2009.

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An Introductory Guide to Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3

2012-08-27T11:04:00.000-04:00

Call of Duty stands out as the top-selling FPS franchise in the history of video gaming, and has sold in excess of 60 million units worldwide. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 received many gaming accolades a couple of tears ago, and now its follow up Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 will take the franchise to even greater heights. The single-player story carries on from the plot of MW2, where the Russian Federation invaded the United States of America. In MW3, the Russian Army has enlarged its attack strategy, and the campaign mode now includes missions in Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

This game now offers the most advanced multiplayer in the franchise to date, and has numerous brand-new features and improvements. Modern Warfare 3 will have an innovative pointstreak reward system, a new weapon-progression system, several fresh multiplayer game modes and 16 maps included when the game is released. Including two Co-Op game modes, 40 weapons at your disposal, plus an enhanced game engine which runs at over 60 frames-per-second, this game sets a new level for first-person shooters.

FEATURES:

Impressive Single Player - Fill the boots of several characters of different nationalities during the campaign mode, and battle the Russian Federation in varied destinations throughout the world, including England, France, Germany, Moscow, Dubai, Somalia and Sierra Leone.

Extensive Multi-Player Options - Offers the wide range of multiplayer options included in MW2, as well as a couple of completely new modes, Kill Confirmed and Team Defender. A new pointstreak reward system takes the place of the previous killstreak system, plus Modern Warfare 3 will include an innovative weapon-progression process. There are sixteen multiplayer maps at launch with more accessible at a later date as DLC.

New Co-Op Options - The new survival game mode puts two players up against wave after wave of progressively stronger enemies, in addition the Mission mode presents two gamers time-based in addition to objective-based quests to accomplish - you will find sixteen quests in total. Cooperative matches within Modern Warfare 3 may be enjoyed via local split-screen or online.

Breathtaking Visuals - The innovative game engine developed for MW3 will deliver ground-breaking visuals as well as character animation at a fantastic sixty fps.

Integration with Call of Duty: Elite - Modern Warfare 3 multi-player features an facility to link into Call of Duty: Elite, an exciting new Internet service to maintain a record of your multiplayer statistics and enables social-networking via Facebook.

Revamped Killstreak Reward System - Gamers will acquire 'pointstreaks' within multi-player which allow them to choose from 3 distinctive 'strike packages'. The Assault strike package awards points to gamers for anything you kill and equipment destroyed, the second Support strike package awards points to gamers for meeting mission goals, and finally the Specialist package rewards players with perks rather than pointstreaks.

Innovative Weapon-Progression System - Each weapon accumulates its own experience points the longer you use it, that may be used to buy attachments in addition to 'proficiency' perks. Some example weapon attachments could include a laser sight as well as various scope options. Some 'proficiency' perks include Kick (reduced weapon recoil) and Focus (reduces flinch reflex when under fire).

The official launch date for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is slated around 8th Nov, 2011, and will be sold on the following platforms: PC/Windows, PS3 as well as Xbox 360. The publisher for the game is Activision, and this video game was developed by Infinity Ward / Sledgehammer Games. Multi-player options are catered for in this game. The PEGI ranking specified for the video game will be PEGI 18, and will be thus appropriate for players 18 years as well as older.

Visit GamingEdge to read game reviews for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 by the popular gaming review sites. Find the best pricing within South Africa, check out in-game screenshots and also look at videos. Visit our useful GamingEdge web page link displayed here - Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3

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Battlefield 3: The New King of Console FPS Games?

2012-08-26T03:39:00.000-04:00

When people think of First person shooter (FPS) games, Call of duty is almost always the name that is synonymous with FPS gaming. For better or worse, COD has been a juggernaut when it comes to FPS console gaming. However, in February 2011, DICE (EA Digital Illusions Creative Entertainment) revealed they were working on Battlefield 3, and this sent shockwaves through the gaming community. For the first since 2005, they were releasing a direct sequel to Battlefield 2, one of the greatest FPS games of all time. Not only was Battlefield 3 highly hyped, but it was also coming out a week before Modern Warfare 3. It quickly became a Battlefield.vs. Call of Duty competition for FPS supremacy. This became an indirect message to infinity ward that after 4 years,their reign as the kings of FPS games was being challenged and possibly coming to an end. Now after almost a year of both games being released and all the hype is gone, did Battlefield 3 dethrone Call of Duty as the king of console FPS games?

Graphics, Sound, and Setting:

Battlefield 3 is set in the near future. The game is mainly a multiplayer game, but it does have a single player campaign mode. In the single campaign, you take control of various military operations such as a force recon marine, a Russian spec ops officier, an F-18 fighter pilot, and a M1A2 tank operator. The story of Battlefield 3 is surprisingly interesting and engaging. As you progress through the story there are many twists and turns. The main themes of the story are an upcoming war in 2014 which spans from Iran to France. Battlefield 3 does a good job of blending the action and the story together. Overall, Battlefield 3 has a solid single player story.

While the story is solid, a huge question that many people wonder about are the graphics. When DICE showcased Battlefield 3 at gaming conventions, the graphics looked phenomenal. The footage of the tank and the sands of Karkland were absolutely incredible. The level of detail was unseen in any other game before this.

However, all that footage was pre-rendered and expected to look good. When put into a real-time setting with thousands of changing variables, did BF3 deliver the same amount of intensity and rich realism in it's graphics? It absolutely did. Battlefield 3 is simply put a beautiful game, DICE put $100 million dollars into marketing and it's apparent they wanted to show off a product they are proud of. Battlefield 3′s graphics are made on a new Frostbite 2 engine and new character animation technology called ANT. The frostbite engine allows the game to create immense details, dynamic shadows, and smooth textures all throughout a large environment while it's all destructible. The ANT character animation is incredible, every soldier looks incredibly realistic with facial expressions that change when the action heats up.

The single player campaign in Battlefield 3 spans many locations including Iran, New York, and Paris. Most of the areas are urban with many buildings and DICE did a wonderful job adding clear detail to each area. There are a lot of vibrant colors and Battlefield 3 has great distance terrain.

The graphics in the multiplayer maps are also very impressive. There are 9 main maps, not including the downloadable content. These maps are Caspian Boarder, Damavand Peak, Grand bazaar, Kharg Island, Noshahr Canals, Operation Firestorm, Operation Metro, Seine Crossing, and Tehran Highway. Each of these maps has it's unique elements and style. DICE did a great job of making the multiplayer experience different in each map. Caspian Boarder is a forested map, which is really large. It contains buildings and forests and is excellent for sniping and using vehicles. Damavand peak is set in a dark and rainy market place. Kharg Island is set in a rocky island and has an ocean surrounding it. Noshahr Canals is set in an industrial area with various canals you do battle in.

Seine Crossing is a bright colored map focused in Paris. Tehran Highway is the last main map and it's focused in an urban area in Iran during the night. Overall, the graphics in Battlefield 3 are exceptional, from the single player campaign to the diverse multiplayer maps, there is plenty of variety in each map graphically.

The sound in Battlefield 3 is some of the best sound quality I've ever heard of any game. Each bullet whizzing by sounds sharp and realistic and when you get good enough you can pinpoint where it came from. The tanks, jets, and other vehicle sound effects are all amazingly realistic. The voice acting is superb, and it really feels like your a part of the action. The game also features a 19 track official soundtrack composed by Johan Skugge and Jukka Rintamki. The sound in Battlefield 3 is very impressive. Overall, the graphics in Battlefield 3 are exceptional, from the single player campaign to the diverse multiplayer map, there is plenty of variety in each map graphically.

Graphics: 10/10

Sound/Music: 10/10

Story/Setting: 8/10

Controls and Gameplay:

The controls for Battlefield 3 are your standard First person shooter controls. They can be customized, but the default setting is pressing L1 to aim and R1 to fire, movements done by the left analog stick. The right analog stick allows you to move the camera around. Holding down the analog stick allows you to sprint. Pressing triangle allows you to change weapons, circle is used to interact with objects in the environment, square is used for reloading or picking up a weapon, and the X button is used to jump. The right and left diagonal buttons are used to switch between technologies you have, the up button is used to toggle laser sight, and down is used to toggle between firemodes such as automatic and burst fire. The R2 button allows for a quick knife, while the L2 lets you throw a frag grenade. The controls are easy to learn, but difficult to master. Learning the controls for driving a tank or flying a jet can be confusing at first, and do have a small learning curve. Overall, the controls are fantastic for Battlefield 3.

While the graphics, great sound quality, and interesting story all powerful and set the foundation for a game. None of these things hold a candle to the most important part of games. The gameplay is the heart and soul of games. DICE had a bold task when creating gameplay that would be fast, exciting, and intense enough to knock Call of Duty from it's throne as console gaming king. The team at DICE delivered in many areas, but also fell short in quite a few.

Battlefield 3 uses the Frostbite 2 engine. This engine allows for fully destructible environments, advanced physics, and real-time radiosity. All of these things basically mean that the physics and graphics of Battlefield 3 are vastly improved for every pretty much every game before it. Bullets are able to penetrate through walls seamlessly, the front wall of a building can be blown open from a tank shot, a grenade can send debris flying everywhere when it explodes. Battlefield 3 is one of the most realistic FPS games out there. So many things can happen, but the frostbite 2 engine streamlines them and allows the game to run smoothly by rendering textures at a fast rate. This allows the action and excitement to happen without any lag. There are 3 modes of gameplay in Battlefield 3: the single player campaign, a co-op mode, and multiplayer mode.

The single player campaign looks great and has many different locations, however it can get a bit repetitive. The fact of the matter is that Battlefield 3 is primarily a multiplayer game. The single player campaign is a good way of learning the basics before you go online or in co-op, but it offers no real replayability. It would have also been nice to see the offline map mode from Battlefield 2, where you can play with bots. However, Battlefield 3 does not offer this.

The co-op mode allows you to team up with a player online and complete 6 missions. There are a variety of objectives that you and your partner must complete in each mission. Co-op can be a lot of fun when your playing with a friend, however Battlefield 3 doesn't offer any split-screen co-op. This can really suck if you have friends over, as theres no way to play together unless you have 2 PlayStation 3s.

The multiplayer mode is the main attraction of the game. In Battlefield 3, there are 6 multiplayer gamemodes: Conquest, Rush, Team Deathmatch, Squad Deathmatch, Conquest Domination, and Squad rush. Each gamemode has a different objective and playing each one is a different multiplayer experience all together. Some gamemodes require precise teamwork, while others can be every man for himself. The Conquest gamemode is the classic Battlefield 3 gamemode, in which two teams fight in a large scale map for control of various bases. This gamemode is best suited for teamwork and vehicle warfare. In my opinion, conquest is still the best gamemode. It's exciting and you have a variety of ways to gain points.

In Rush, there are two teams. One team tries to attack and destroy an M-COM station, while the other defends it. Squad Rush is essentially the same, but in a more confined environment. Team Deathmatch is another classic mode where you are part of 12 person team vs another 12 person team. The objective is basically to kill as many enemies as you can and reach a certain amount of kills as a team. This mode doesn't have any vehicles and is all about just going out with guns blazing and killing as many people as possible. Squad Deathmatch is the same as Team Deathmatch, but instead of 2 teams of 12, there are 4 teams of 4 people battling each other to reach a certain amount of kills. Conquest Domination has two teams of 8 people fighting in a close quarters location. It's similar to Conquest, essentially the same, except for it's more confined and has more tactical planning when attacking a base.

When you select a gamemode, you are given 4 classes to select.There is the Assualt class which are the infantry soldiers but also the medics. Selecting Assualt allows you to rack up kills and also revive dead teammates. The Engineer class is able to repair vehicles and carry rocket launchers to take out other vehicles. The Support class is a class that provides others with ammunition and also carry heavy guns that are able to kill many enemies. Recon is the last and final class, and they are the snipers in the game. Recon is useful for taking out opponents from a distance.

Battlefield 3 puts a huge emphasis on teamwork and squads. Each class has major strengths and weaknesses, and to succeed and win being able to utilize each one is essential. Upon joining a conquest game or any other gamemode you are placed into a squad. Being able to come up with tactics and choosing the right classes for the right situations is what makes Battlefield 3 stand out from other First person shooter games. Battlefield 3 has VOIP support meaning you can communicate on a headset with your teammates, it also includes ingame messaging. Battlefield 3 is a solid game if you play it without any other friends, but with friends it's quite simply one of the best games ever made. This game thrives on teamwork.

One of problem of this game are the maps. The same maps that are very detailed can become annoying, because they are very large. You can go minutes without any combat, and also health is lost very easily. It's very easy to die in this game when you first start out. Another major problem is all the downloadable content. You're not obligated to buy DLC, but the game does feel empty without having all the maps and items. The DLC can bring the $60 price tag of Battlefield 3 all the way up to $125. One huge problem in BF3 is that this game requires you to have an online pass. New games come with an online pass, but used games don't. An online pass can only be used once, and buying a new one costs $10. This was done to boost sales, but it really does hurt the resale value of Battlefield 3.

Controls: 9/10

Gameplay: 8/10

Is this game worth buying? Final Thoughts:

Battlefield 3 does a lot of things right: the graphics are incredible, sound quality is outstanding, and the multiplayer is very diverse and exciting. However, it also misses in a lot of areas. No splitscreen co-op, no replayability in the single player campaign, no offline maps, expensive DLC content, and gameplay that can become repetitive after some time leave so much to be desired. Battlefield 3 is ultimately not the revolutionary game that it was hailed to be when the first few minutes of footage were revealed. At the same time, it's by no means a bad game. When you buy Battlefield 3, you're getting a solid, finely made First person shooter. It's similar to Call of Duty in the FPS aspect, but the squad based system, vehicles, and large maps make it a very different experience. I would highly recommend buying Battlefield 3, it is one of those games that you can find yourself coming back to over and over again. Battlefield 3 is a solid game and a definite buy for PlayStation 3 owners. I give it a 9/10.

Breakdown:

Graphics: 10/10

Sound/Music: 10/10

Story/Setting: 8/10

Controls: 9/10

Gameplay: 8/10

Overall: 9/10

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