WORLD'S BEST PC GAMES COLLECTION

Review of Infamous 2

noreply@blogger.com (darkcell) — Fri, 8 Jul 2011 23:31:00 -0700

Infamous 2 is a superhero sandbox game that takes place in New Marais. The story of Cole Macgrath returns with major gameplay decisions for his as well humanities future. Karma fueled decisions makes up the bulk of Infamous 2's gameplay. There will be some very important decisions you the player have to make as Cole. Nix and Lucy Kuo serve as Cole's guiding lights throughout Infamous 2 when choosing good or bad decisions.

Collecting Blast Cores and bringing down the corrupted Joseph Bertrand III and his militia makes up much of the early portion of Infamous 2. However Bertrand isn't Coles biggest problem. The red Dr. Manhatton clone "Beast" is heading down the eastern coastline on a crash course with Cole and New Marais.

Releasing the RFI has consequences. As a player you will have to make drastic decisions at the end of Infamous 2. The story isn't as fleshed out or has a big "twist" as Infamous did. I really did enjoy the story of Infamous 2. There was one shocker in the storyline I won't reveal. The pacing was proportionate to gameplay. The comic book narration and cut scenes were done and really contributed to the whole superhero vibe.

Infamous 2 is graphically superior to Infamous but it’s not a huge difference. Improved texture work and a color palette used in New Marais do make the game look really good. The lighting was impressive in the French Quarter inspired areas of New Marais. Infamous 2 also has a bit of God of War 3 syndrome regarding character detail. Cole looked great in cutscenes and throughout gameplay. Nix or Kuo looked like plastic mannequins with a nice shiny coat of vasilene coating there faces and skin.

Good voice work, good orchestra and superhero music. Good sound design in the sandbox world. All of the voice actors did a really good job in Infamous 2. The characters seem more fleshed out and much of that has to with good writing, dialog and voice actors performances. New Marais was always immersive with city sounds as you played.

There are always things to do in New Marais. It is a sandbox videogame after all. You can do many side missions, karma missions or even random missions. Side missions for the most part aren't that exciting. Karma missions are based around Nix and Kuo helping you. Random missions pop up which consist of deactivating blast shard bombs or killing people running around with blast shards. Karma is assigned to every mission in Infamous 2 in one way or another.

There are many collectibles in Infamous 2. You can collect hundreds of blast shards throughout New Marais. Dead Drops are collectible by shocking pigeons. You can unlock new powers by completing missions or completing stunt techniques. The combined aspects of other conduits are new to Infamous 2. Cole can use his powers with Nix or Kuo when they are around him on certain missions. The tesla missile, ionic vortex, Kuo's ice powers, nix's powers.

The new combat system is really great. Unlocking faster and more powerful finishers was fun. The "amp" weapon is used to beat down militia and other conduits. The finishers sometimes can glitch depending on which one you perform. Otherwise, they look awesome. Cole swings around and fly’s up in the air in slow motion and comes down and smashes his enemies with electricity covering everything. The new combat system isn't perfect but was awesome and much needed.

User Generated Content is new a new mission structure that greatly adds to Infamous 2's replay value. There are all kinds of user missions you can create and play which practically makes replay ability limitless. The single player campaign will last you maybe ten hours. The different story elements regarding karma choices might make you play through it again. The collectibles are plentiful. Infamous 2 has plenty to make you come back long after you finished the single player.

Infamous 2 isn't perfect. There are some glitches throughout gameplay and the ending of "good Cole" I didn't like although I should have. Even with my gripes Infamous 2 is a great game.

Review-BatMUD Game

noreply@blogger.com (darkcell) — Fri, 8 Jul 2011 01:08:00 -0700

BatMUD is a text-based RPG game where scenarios play out in words and it's up to the player's imagination to experience the game fully. It's like an interactive book only that you can make the decisions yourself when the situations comes.

The great part about BatMUD is that it is compatible with just about any computer you can imagine. It runs on PCs, Macs and even Linux and is free to play for everyone. Before you begin BatMUD, you have the option to choose the appearance of your main character. Since you won't get to see your character in action, it doesn't really matter what type of person you choose - although there are a wealth of options for you to choose from. There are humans, trolls, elfs and more that you can be with both male and female versions to choose. You even have the option say if your character is aligned with good or evil. Similarities between this game and Imperian are inevitable.

Both games are text-based although BatMUD's presentation is a lot more updated. This is because at the corner of your screen you can see the profile of your chosen character. Seeing the stats of your character proved to be very helpful as sometimes you will engage in battle and lose some health. It's an easier indicator for you to see the progress of your character unlike in Imperian where you had to type in a command all the time.

In terms of audio, you won't find any of that here. As aforementioned, the game is all text-based so you will hear nothing but the sounds of your own mouse and keyboard pressing on the controls. It can get a little boring at times, but once the story kicks in you will become immersed in the world of BatMUD. The tutorial is less user-friendly than in Imperian - mainly because the game forces you to visit the game's official website for the FAQs instead of guiding the player directly.

I feel as if this is slightly poor game design as the tutorial should always be played out within the game world itself. It's a bit tiresome having to go back and forth between different screens all the time just to know what you are doing. Maps are lot more colorful than they are in Imperian. This is because they are rendered in full color and a legend is there to tell you where you are at all times.

The game screen can be a bit cluttered although it's helpful having them there. There are separate windows for your map, text box, profile pictures and location information. Most gamers might be overwhelmed by the amount of information that is thrown at them but once you're immersed into the game world, you will be occupied for hours on end. There are other players that you can interact with during your time play BatMUD. You can choose to play within their party or you can opt to fight other players as well. The game has strict rules when it comes to PvP combat however. You cannot kill other players unless there's a good reason and mindless killing will result you in being banned from the game entirely. You've been warned.

BatMUD is a unique experience that RPG players will enjoy playing. Traditional type of gamers that like pretty visuals and explosive sounds won't find this text-based game that much fun. If you have a huge imagination, then BatMUD is certainly the type of game for you.

Have Adventure in Buckingham Palace

noreply@blogger.com (darkcell) — Mon, 4 Jul 2011 08:27:00 -0700

As a sequel to Hidden Mysteries: Civil War, the Hidden Mysteries: Buckingham Palace game presents the same hidden object type of gameplay with a puzzle adventure twist. This time around, you're off to find information about a long lost history behind the Buckingham Palace walls, and get to learn about its rich history too while on the way.

In Hidden Mysteries: Buckingham Palace, you play as a part of the many visitors touring one of the grandest buildings in the western world. However during your visit, you chanced to stumble upon a mysterious letter concerning hidden treasures by an unknown figure known only through the initials A.M. Trying your luck, your first letter leads you to find one of the eight lost crowned jewels. And since the chain of clues look genuine indeed, you're off to an adventure trying to collect all the rare gems, while on the way, learning much about the palace's many secrets too.

The main gameplay is a hidden object adventure where you're tasked to find clues on various locations inside the Buckingham Palace grounds. Items are listed on the left side of the screen and you just have to find all these items before the time is out. Setting apart from usual hidden object games though, you're also to find critical clues to further enhance the game's storyline. These clues, when found, will pop out on a different window, be put into your inventory, and will be used later on the puzzle quests of the game.

After reaching the end of each act, you're off to solve a puzzle in order to find one of the missing crowned jewels. All of your gathered inventory equipment is to be used or combined to solve the puzzles, but you'll have to rely on clever thinking too in cracking most of them out. Furthermore, if you think that you can no longer find a way forward on a puzzle, a solve button is conveniently placed in your menu for skipping the game and go towards continuing your adventure.

Review-Pirates of the Caribbean

noreply@blogger.com (darkcell) — Mon, 4 Jul 2011 07:19:00 -0700

This fun online game a person could get hooked on. The setting is similar to the movie. You design a characters size, sex and shape before taking on the Caribbean in pirates shoes. Kick your way out of jail (you don't die here but put in the jail, closest to were you were defeated in battle. If you loose a battle at sea you return to the jail at the last port you sailed from.)

Now you have a strange world to explore. The British military, undead pirates, giant wasps, alligators, bats and many other dangers face you (the pirate) and your rusty sword the weapon you start with. Later you acquire a gun, voodoo doll and cannons by completing quests assigned to you by various characters in the game. As you complete your quests notoriety is gained and leveling is risen as fights are won.

At many times during the game one may be surrounded by enemies, most of the time it takes provoking to engage in a battle. Simply stay away from the higher level enemies at first to avoid a good swift butt kicking. However much higher level creatures and ships may be defeated when the situation involves more than one pirate. Just gang up on the enemies with your fellow online 'hearties'.

This is where I think I am missing out on a lot of the games design intent, socialization and pirates forming crews. I am not a very social player, helping others only when the situation arises. Occasionally another player will get on my ship and man a cannon.

The high seas is my favorite part of the game. You get two ships one small and one large. I like the small one it seems easier to maneuver during battle. The larger one may be able to inflict and sustain more damage I'm not sure. When engaged in high seas battle right click and hold down to adjust the view of your opponent this is crucial to winning. After sinking the enemy ship you are rewarded with booty. As with normal combat, players can work together. Players cannot harm each other but if you want to fight other gamers online you can do so in a special mode.

The game designers have added an option at last that allows you to battle other players and crew at sea. One can fight for the French or the Spanish. Go get it and have unlimited fun.

About Racing Game

noreply@blogger.com (darkcell) — Sat, 2 Jul 2011 00:12:00 -0700

If you're into playing video games that involve riding vehicles that have only two or three wheels, then you might want to see what types of video games are available for the different gaming systems such as the Xbox, PlayStation 3, Wii, and more. There are a number of different recreational vehicle video games that will suit your needs.

Motorcycles

If you enjoy riding motorcycles, then you'll definitely enjoy playing some of the many video games out there that feature different types of motorcycles. You'll find that there are games made that feature choppers, sport bikes, and cruiser style motorcycles. Many of the games that you will find available today that feature motorcycle racing action take place in a cross country setting that takes you on a long distance journey to your final destination. The goal in many of these types of games is to beat the clock. In some, however, motorcycles aren't used for racing, but they simply are a vehicle that can help you escape chasing law enforcement officials or other enemies who might be out to get you.

Dirt Bikes

Off road racing action is often times a very popular type of racing that people enjoy participating in on the gaming system. Dirt bike games have become very popular over the years because of the fact that they feature some of the most action packed two-wheeled racing out of all of the different types of racing games. You can choose to participate in endure or cross country style races or you can try you luck in the fast paced high impact super-cross style races inside of an arena or outside in the middle of a stadium or country fairgrounds.

BMX Video Games

There are other types of two wheel action video games that are just as exciting as motorized recreational vehicle games. BMX bikes are very popular as well, and many enjoy taking on a challenging city course amidst the hustle and bustle of everyday city life. Try your luck on the ramps of the local skate park, or take part in some hardcore street racing action in the many different types of BMX games that are available for sale today.

Most of the different types of video games mentioned above are available for just about all of the different types of gaming systems such as Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo, and more.

Review of Bulletstorm Video Game

noreply@blogger.com (darkcell) — Sat, 2 Jul 2011 00:08:00 -0700

Bulletstorm is a futuristic first-person shooter developed by People Can Fly and Epic Games. This video game is one of those things where you'll either dig it or you won't. Unrepentantly over the top, the game shares a common spirit with movies like Kill Bill or Shoot 'Em Up. It revels in gratuitous everything, just for the sake of being excessive in and of itself.

Most of the ridiculousness inherent in Bulletstorm stems from the game's story and much reported on "skillshot" based combat system. The script itself is your typical sci-fi fare, but the manner in which the character dialogue is written really makes it stand out. Mostly because it's immature to the point of being infantile and heavily laced with puerile profanity- but in a good way. Also, it's not the amount of profanity that's staggering; it's the sheer variety of it. It's almost like they rounded up a bunch of high school freshman, locked them into a room all night with the assignment to come up with as many vulgar phrases as possible, without repeating themselves.

As far as the combat goes, it's not that it's excessively gory compared to other first-person shooters, it's more the manner in which the violence is executed. A short way into the game you gain a whip-like weapon called a "leash." This weapon allows you to pull enemies towards Hunt (Bulletstorm's main character), and interact with your surroundings in various ways to activate traps, etc. Additionally, Hunt can also slide into and kick away enemies. Throw in a variety of weapons, and there are several nasty ways in which baddies can be taken down. Some of the more, shall we say, creative combinations, are awarded points and called "skillshots." While it may not sound over the top on the face of it, when you spend half an hour using the leash to pull an enemy toward you just so you can kick him away, fire your sniper rifle and steer the bullet all Wanted style into the guy's genitals, just to unlock a skillshot called "nutcracker," then you may see what I mean.

The points you gain for skillshots varies depending on the level of difficulty. While you'll earn 25 points for a headshot, the aforementioned nutcracker will net you 50. Indirect kills can be awarded points too. Take out one or more enemies with your clichéd explosive barrel, and you'll get the "enviro-mental" skillshot and a cool 50 points. Accumulated points are then used to unlock higher ammo capacities, more charged shots for each weapon, or to purchase ammo. So while it's not absolutely necessary to earn skillshots on every enemy, the game does reward you for being creative with your carnage and the variety helps Bulletstorm keep from feeling like just another FPS.

The weapons help as well. Sure, there’s the old pistol and rifle standby, but each weapon also has a charged shot ability that makes it act in different ways. The leash adds a new dynamic, and there are some appropriately futuristic weapons as well. A favorite of mine is the flail gun: a rifle that fires two spiked grenades connected by a chain. Wrapping up a dude with one of those and then kicking him into a group of his buddies was a common highlight in my time with the game.

All in all, Bulletstorm say there isn't any entertainment to be had here, however. I predict that some gamers that are looking for fun gameplay or can at least overlook, a completely juvenile sense of humor. I predict those gamers will find something to like about Bulletstorm. I also predict that most of those gamers will be dudes.

Review of Fable III

noreply@blogger.com (darkcell) — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 23:47:00 -0700

Fable III is all about revolution. On our third trip to the land of Albion, we see a world that is changing. An industrial revolution has taken place, and the signs are evident from Brightwall to Bowerstone. There's another revolution bubbling under the surface of the new cobblestones and behind those brick walls- a revolution against a tyrant king by an oppressed people and led by you, the king's brother.

Although your path leads you to replacing your brother as king, Peter Molyneux and the team from Lionhead Studios decided why "end at potentially the most exciting bit?" Instead we press on, to find out exactly what kind of king you'll be. The Fable franchise has always forced players to make tough decisions and Fable III is no different. Will you keep the promises you made to the people as you led them to depose your brother, or will you follow in his footsteps as a tyrant and oppress those beneath you? What decisions will you make when they affect an entire kingdom?

Despite the new theme of revolution, when you come down to it, the game itself actually conforms pretty strongly to Fable II. The combat is unchanged. One button still controls all melee attacks, another handles ranged weapons and a third for magic. While too simple to be called elegant, the controls are definitely accessible to gamers of any skill level- however, the hardcore set may be disappointed at the lack of depth provided.

The usual meta aspects of the franchise are also in place. For example, how what you do determines your appearance. Everything from the food you eat to how many scars you have from being knocked out in battle play a role. The things you do will determine the way people feel about you as well. You can influence your subjects by interacting with them, giving them gifts or running errands for them. You can make friends, get married, lead a vegetarian lifestyle and have kids. You can also kill your friends, have sex indiscriminately, bite the heads off of crunchy baby chickens and decide whether or not to practice safe sex. Just be prepared for any social stigma and/or diseases that may result.

Fable II was a great game, and with Fable III being so similar to its predecessor, you might think that I'm saying it too is great. Worse yet, I've experienced at least one frozen screen, and had some choppiness on several occasions. I think Lionhead may have been slightly handcuffed by the two year development cycle between this game and the last. Not only did they not have time to deliver a richer experience than the last entry, they didn't even have time to sweep out all the bugs.

Still, it would be hard to deny that the game is fun. The story is pretty good, and the production values as far as voice acting and dialogue are concerned are solid. Graphics have been tweaked for the better, but seem to be traded off for seemingly random drops in frame rate. Ultimately though, fans of the series will find enough enjoyment here to warrant picking it up. If you played Fable II and didn't like it or thought it was merely okay, there is certainly nothing here that will win you over. Even though Fable III is all about revolution, it is far from revolutionary.

Review-Dead Rising 2

noreply@blogger.com (darkcell) — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 23:27:00 -0700

Dead Rising 2 follows retired motocross star Chuck Greene as he tries to pick up the pieces of his life, torn apart by previous zombie outbreaks. His wife was zombified in Las Vegas, his daughter Katie was bitten, and now Chuck must scramble to earn the expensive drug Zombrex to keep Katie from turning into a zombie as well. The game revolves around Chuck's surviving an outbreak in Fortune City, an Atlantic City-esque amalgamation of strip malls, slot machines and psychopaths. As it turns out, finding Zombrex for his daughter, locating other survivors within the city and combating surviving humans who have gone insane is only scratching the surface of the bedlam that lies within Fortune City.

Despite the intriguing plot line, Dead Rising 2 is a zombie-survival free-roam game at its core. Chuck has the ability to level up regularly through the collection of "prestige points" (PP). With this RPG element, players have the ability to gain intense combat moves, improve physically and earn combo cards. Combo cards are the newest aspect to the Dead Rising series; they describe how players can combine two separate items to form one amazing weapon. For example, combining a child's water gun with a container of gasoline creates a flamethrower. Or, on the more comical side, you could combine something like a car battery and a wheelchair to create an electric chair. This is one aspect of the game that provides endless entertainment, as it seems like there are an infinite amount of possible combinations.

From a technical perspective, game developers have taken all of the great elements from the original Dead Rising and improved them. Dead Rising 2's character movements seem more natural than that of its predecessor. For example, humans have a more realistic gait to them and Capcom included a larger variation in zombie animations. An added bonus is that Dead Rising 2's graphic capabilities allow for hundreds if not thousands of zombies to be onscreen all at once, as opposed to Dead Rising`s hundred or so zombies onscreen. This adds more realism and a better sense of setting in the player.

Capcom decided to follow Dead Rising's layout, requiring players to make it to an in-game bathroom before they can save their game. They also retained a time limit for all missions, requiring players to complete certain parts of the game on a timed schedule. If players miss their opportunity to complete that mission, then that mission is failed. This was a major issue to many players in the first Dead Rising because some felt that not enough time was allowed for exploration and non-story related missions. Fortunately, Dead Rising 2 allows much more time for players to explore and rescue survivors between story missions than the first game.

Dead Rising 2 is an excellent game. The main story line has over five different endings, stats are carried over into game replays, it supports online co-op and there are so many different things to do that the game is just begging to be replayed over and over. Not to mention that the competitive online multiplayer "Terror is Reality" is like American Gladiators with zombies. And at the very least, Dead Rising 2 will become your own personal reference when you're working on that zombie escape plan.

About Simpson's Video Games

noreply@blogger.com (darkcell) — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 09:29:00 -0700

The Simpson's Video Games is the video game that has used some of the characters from the well known animated television serial "The Simpsons". The Simpson's animated show has been one of the longest running television series of all time. It is a rare example of an animated series that appealed to both kids and adults. The show revolves around the potbellied, beer chugging, chronically lazy "papa" Homer Simpson and his dysfunctional family.

Such was the popularity of the jagged haired, jaundiced complexioned toons, it didn't take the video game industry too long to realize that it was sitting on a virtual goldmine and soon these television characters were packaged into several action packed video games. While critics weren't too happy with the first few video games, most Simpsons video games have been commercially very successful.

The Simpson's video games feature some of craziest and most hilarious story lines to have ever been written. The Simpson's video games have crossed all kinds of video games systems and genres that include Bart Vs the Juggemauts, Simpson's Skateboarding, The Simpson's Road Rage, The Simpson's Hit & Run, Krust's Super Fun House and Virtual Springfield. The present generation has been rather more traditional by the general public beginning with the Simpson's Road Rage which was actually based on the Crazy Taxi.

The first Simpsons game was designed and released by Konami in 1991 and was called "The Simpsons". It's based on the "beat' em up" genre of arcade games and is based on the same gaming engine as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles arcade game. In the game the Simpsons family must stop the billionaire Mr Burns and his gay-lant sidekick, Smithers from stealing the giant diamond from Springfield jewelers.

Again in the same year, Acclaim released another Simpsons based video game - The Simpsons: Bart Vs. the Space Mutants, was released. In this single player game, Bart being the only kid on this planet who knows the secret of the Aliens must do every thing in his power, which means collecting points, weird objects like purple hats and radio active rods before he meets and fights the Boss at the end of each level.

The arcade games were good solid fun, but the Simpsons video games came into their own when they were designed for the advanced gaming consoles.

The Simpsons Hit & Run video game which was released in the 2003 for such advanced consoles like the Xbox, Nintendo GameCube and the PS2, belonged to the action adventure genre. The game is based on the sand box format in which, instead of the restricting the player with strict goals he is given the liberty to explore the city of Springfield and find his own adventures. In order to make the game more realistic, the story and the dialogues were written the writers of the show itself.

In 2007, EA Mobile released The Simpsons: Minutes to Meltdown, a 3D action adventure games for mobile phones. In this game Homer Simpson has to save the world from being destroyed by a nuclear meltdown. It's another thoroughly enjoyable game that that has been loved the critics and gamers alike.

GourMania Game Review

noreply@blogger.com (darkcell) — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 23:30:00 -0700

The food industry is always a very lucrative source of business opportunities and here's your chance to dominate this industry in a time management casual game. GourMania is all about earning your way to the top by monopolizing your area's food shops, but of course, you'll have to start at the bottom first, and that means being the sole chef for your new restaurants on their initial openings.

Starting off in the game, you are to work for an ailing fast food chain being its only chef. Earning enough money during your shifts will accumulate enough funds to buy this diner for yourself. Of course, you'll soon realize that buying businesses that earn you consistent income is the best route to go, and thus, opens up a lot more opportunities for you to buy other underdeveloped food shops and save them from ruin for your own benefit.

GourMania is actually a blend of both time management and hidden object gameplay. Most of your task in-game is to wait for customer orders, find the correct ingredients for these orders and prepare the food for serving. All of these tasks should be done per customer as you take note of their patience levels. Your shop will also open for a limited time only, so be sure to serve the maximum customers within this limited time for more profit.

Earning money is really the name of the game. Most of the money you'll be earning would be spent on buying upgrades and other tools to help you prepare food. Remaining money though would be used to buy other food shops, and honestly, I just get very excited whenever a shop goes public for purchase. I guess it's just a very cool concept for a casual game to have you buying businesses, and earning residual income from them too after each day of operations.

Game Review of Hot dish 2

noreply@blogger.com (darkcell) — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 23:04:00 -0700

The unique cooking time management game, Hot Dish graces our casual gaming library with its sequel, Hot Dish 2: Cross Country Cook Off. This time around, you're already a well established cook coming from the original game, and since you've proven yourself worthy of cooking glory, it's time to pit yourself against other American chefs in order to reach the top of the country's culinary expertise.

The game actually started after you've been invited to participate in America's Gourmet Grand Prix. In this competition, you'll be taken to the test as you try to prove yourself against the many recipes famous in various select parts of the U.S. You must clear all the challenges and try not to be eliminated, so that you can get yourself closer to the elusive Grand Prix Gold Medal by proving to others that you are worthy of being the country's top chef.

Cross Country Cook Off actually plays just like the original game where you try to prepare various dishes within the shortest time possible. In each level, you have a quota number of stars you need to achieve. Reach this quota by following all of the food preparations as accurately as possible and by planning all your moves so that the ingredients won't stay unattended for very long. In the end, multitasking is really inevitable, but I'm guessing that's what this game is aiming for anyway.

Aside from stars, you can also earn prestige points by satisfying the judges and initiating combos during the actual time management game. Prestige points will earn you gadgets and power-ups whenever they reach certain levels, and these tools can be used to better your cooking or even inspire you to use strategies when already playing against the clock. Just remember though that you can only bring one gadget to the actual game to enhance your cooking prowess, so choose wisely amongst the dozens available for you to use.

Review of Dark Sector

noreply@blogger.com (darkcell) — Thu, 9 Jun 2011 01:00:00 -0700

Digital Extremes, the producers of Unreal and Unreal Tournament, have spent 4 years developing Dark Sector, and since the initial teaser trailer announcing a new game set in space very little else was heard.

The original sci-fi premise has been abandoned in favor of a more earthbound setting, but it is obvious that Digital Extremes wanted to make a beautiful and satisfying if not extremely violent game. The problems seem to have arisen from developing this into a coherent story while at the same time being influenced by titles which have launched in the meantime.

I'm not saying the latter is a bad thing, the use of a Gears of War style cover system for example is a boon, as is aftertouch (ala heavenly sword) which enhances the kill sequences brilliantly later on in the game.

However, storytelling is where Dark Sector lets itself down, as characters come and go with little rhyme or reason, and alludes to a back story that we know little about. But if gameplay is your thing then the story driven cut scenes don't interrupt the flow too much and to be honest they aren't as bad as the story in Lost Planet, for example.

Playing as Special Ops agent Hayden Tenno, you find yourself being sent to Lasria, a fictional member state of the former Soviet Union, where the latest threat to the freedom of the Earth comes from an evil bad guy called Mezner who is set to enslave the world with a virus that turns ordinary folk into zombies, monsters and a load of other freaks.

Things don't go according to plan when Tenno becomes infected with the very same virus he has come to destroy during a battle with one of Mezzner's Goons. This should kill Hayden, or at least drive him mad, but fortunately he is able to fight of the worst effects of the virus thanks to a pre-existing condition called congenital analgia - which means he can't feel pain.

So, rather than turning Hayden into a mindless zombie his arm begins to mutate eventually giving way to the ability to grow a triple bladed throwing star, known as the Glaive, from his very flesh. Now this is where Dark Sector comes into its own. The Glaive is quite possibly the coolest weapon in any game ever.

As a tool for mercilessly slaughtering your opponents the Glaive clearly has no peer, especially when you gain the ability to add aftertouch which, once mastered, lets you guide the Glaive round corners and chase down victims severing limbs and decapitating heads in glorious slow motion. Something that I never tired of (not sure if thats a good or a bad thing!).

But its uses extend beyond mere extermination and you can use it for some simple puzzle solving by picking up various environmental elements such as fire, ice and electricity with the Glaive and using them to open doors or clear obstructions.

Dark Sector's online gameplay offers two types of game: Epidemic and Infection. Both these games types are meant for 10 players, but you can include bots to make up any shortfall. In an epidemic game type there are two teams, each led by a Hayden, the objective is simply to see which team can kill the other team’s leader first.

Infection sees one player cast as Hayden, who must survive as long as possible while trying to kill all of the other nine players single handedly. The most fun is had when you get to play as Hayden when you get to make full use of the shield and Glaive against your hapless adversaries, even though he is significantly outnumbered.

On the whole Dark Sector is a game well worthy of your time and scores a solid 8/10 simply because it looks gorgeous and you will never tire of slaughtering your opponents with the Glaive.

Free Game Cheats for GH3

noreply@blogger.com (darkcell) — Thu, 9 Jun 2011 00:33:00 -0700

The absolute greatest game on the planet is Guitar Hero, well at least in my opinion. I am not a guitar player but would absolutely love to be one now that I have the taste for Rockin! Now I am not the best at playing guitar hero but that really doesn't matter, it is a blast to play and you really feel like a rock star when your playing. These Guitar Hero III Cheats will blow you away and really improve your game play.

These cheats have made the game even more challenging and fun. I would like to share them with you, they really add to the enjoyment of the game. These cheats can be deactivated so don't worry if they are to much for your level of play. As long as you save the cheats you can always turn them back on at any time.

In order for you to enter the codes each note needs to be strummed. All the following cheats can be found in your Guitar Hero III game. Simply click on options and go to the "Cheats" menu bar, once you are there you will follow the codes laid out for each cheat you wish to unlock. They will be for example, red + yellow and you would hold down the red and yellow at the same time and strum. If there is a "X2" that would mean to hold and strum twice. That being said lets get started unlocking the cheats.

Unlocking All Songs In Quick Play Mode:

Yellow + Orange, Red + Blue, Red + Orange, Green + Blue, Red + Yellow, Yellow + Orange, Red + Yellow,

Red + Blue, [Green + Yellow]x2, [Yellow + Blue]x2, [Yellow + Orange]x2, Yellow + Blue, Yellow, Red, Red

+ Yellow, Red, Yellow, Orange.

This one is kind of long, just take it slow and you will get it.

Put Your Game Into Hyper-speed Mode:

Orange, Blue, Orange, Yellow, Orange, Blue, Orange, Yellow.

This is perfect for players that are pretty good , but want to pump up their skill level.

Unlock The Performance Mode:

Red + Yellow, Red + Blue, Red + Orange, Red + Blue, Red + Yellow, Green + Blue, Red + Yellow, Red +

Blue.

This will put you well on your way to being a Rock Star!

Want To Play With Hot Flaming Heads:

Yellow, Orange, Yellow, Yellow, Orange, Yellow, Yellow, Orange.

Now Your Playing With Fire!

Unlock The Precision Mode:

[Green + Red]x3, [Red + Yellow]x2, [Red + Blue]x2, Yellow + Blue, Yellow + Orange, Yellow + Orange,

[Green + Red]x3, [Red + Yellow]x2, [Red + Blue]x2, Yellow + Blue, [Yellow + Orange]x2.

Okay, you have to admit this is way cool stuff huh, oh yea, awesome! Enjoy all of these Guitar Hero III Cheats, they will all make you a better player and you will look too cool doing it. So print out these codes and Have Fun!

Review of Rock Band Video Game

noreply@blogger.com (darkcell) — Sat, 4 Jun 2011 23:31:00 -0700

Rock Band has one major difference from other music games: it's not just about one person's experience. This is a group effort and the game play is geared towards teamwork. While all the members of your band must be concerned with their own performances, you must work together to earn epic scores in Rock Band. Each instrument comes with its own Overdrive (AKA Star Power) system. Individually, they kick in a x2 multiplier for the player who enters Overdrive. But you can stack other member's Overdrives to creative massive multipliers for the entire group. Get all four members in Overdrive at the same time for a bonus x8. To do this, though, will require some communication between your team members.

In a way, Rock Band is a little like three distinct games built into one. First, there's the guitar game, which lets you play the same sort of game as Guitar Hero on guitar and bass, but with a few differences. For one, the guitar itself different from the Guitar Hero guitars. It's bigger, with a longer neck, and its body feels more solid. The fret buttons are larger, and are flush against the neck of the guitar, and there is a second set of narrower fret buttons all the way down the neck that you can tap on for solos.

Now I'm going to discuss the singing it is a unique experience compared to the guitar and drums on Rock Band. The instrument you play has no buttons to press and doesn't consist of hundreds of individually-counted notes. Your voice is what you use for this instrument. You don't have to be a good singer you just have to match the pitch line that appears on screen.

Finally there are the drums, easily the most intense and enjoyable instrument of the bunch. The kit consists of a collection of four color-coded pads and a kick pedal, along with a pair of drum sticks. There's really no reference point for the drums portion of the game except for, well, real drums. You hit the pads in time as you would with a realistic drum kit, and on expert, the game practically maps out each song's drum part note for note. Also when you are playing on expert, you are playing the drums. If you play well on expert, you can probably play a decent beat on a real drum set. The good news for beginners is that easy difficulty does a pretty good job of easing you into the act of drumming.

Rock Band is a great game. The presentation elements are top-notch and take music games to a new level, this is an excellent game and I would highly recommend it to anyone. So if you are looking for a place to find rock bank you can just use the link below to go to my blog where there will be a few different game reviews but if you scroll through you will find it with no problem.

Review of Guitar Hero 3

noreply@blogger.com (darkcell) — Sat, 4 Jun 2011 22:48:00 -0700

The original Guitar Hero was one of the most innovative music video games ever created. Guitar Hero II enhanced aspects from Guitar Hero, and Guitar Hero III improves elements from Guitar Hero II. The third edition of this game franchise is available for the PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii, PC, Mac, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 2.

There is laundry list of playable songs available in the game. The songs and bands playable in the game are amazing across the board. Some of the myriad of bands entail Nine Inch Nails, Metallica, Smashing Pumpkins, and Pearl Jam. A grand total of 71 songs are included in the game, and they are all engrossing. The game does emulate a similar formula that made the first two games brilliant. This includes rock music that is as old as thirty or forty years ago. A few flaws with the game are the lack of any songs from AC/DC and Led Zeppelin; however, fans of Slash will enjoy his music that is in the game. Hopefully, AC/DC and Led Zeppelin will make an appearance in Guitar Hero IV. Another drawback in this game is the absence of create a guitar player mode. I would have expected something like that to be in the game, but it was missing in action.

The gameplay is exactly what any avid fan of Guitar Hero expects it to be. Veterans of the previous Guitar Hero video games will feel right at home with this adaptation. Guitar Hero III is just more of the same excellent gameplay I have come to imagine. The career mode has been altered to accommodate Guitar Hero aficionados. For example, gamers can play through the entire game from beginning to end in single or cooperative player mode. Both players will be playing different instruments in the game in cooperative play mode (ala Guitar Hero II). For instance, player one can play as the lead guitar player. Player two will be in control of the bass.

There is a much more pivotal responsibility of the bass player in this game. If anyone wants to hear all the songs the game has to offer, then cooperative play is mandatory. As you progress through career mode, there will be guitar duels that you will encounter. These duels will coerce gamers into going up against formidable guitarists like Slash for rock music supremacy. My personal favorite had to be these entertaining boss meetings. I only wish there were more than just the insufficient three that are available in this game. Nevertheless, the boss guitar sequences are more than enjoyable. Excluding the emphasis of the bass (in the cooperative career play mode) and the guitar duels, Guitar Hero III is virtually identical to Guitar Hero I and Guitar Hero II. Playing the guitar to earn money is present, and you can spend that money you earned on content. The storyline in the game was marginally more cohesive in this iteration. Guitar Hero III has a plot that is told via a comic or cartoon style. Unfortunately, there is no voice acting in any of these succinct comic book moments.

On the bright side, the game does an adequate job of making a smooth transition from one location to a different location. Visually, the graphics in the game have a vaguely better than the previous games in the series. I did notice the animations look cleaner on next generation consoles like the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The graphics are not going to impress anyone, but who really cares. The audio is the bread and butter of Guitar Hero III, and that is where the game shines with radiance. Now that I think about it, the game is not dreadful. The game is not remarkable. Guitar Hero III is just more of a similar rehashed game. Yes, we have seen this game before. So what? Should that really matter? It should not matter. Overall, Guitar Hero III is video game that will keep anyone rocking on for about the same time as Guitar Hero I and Guitar Hero II.

Most Wanted RPG Game

noreply@blogger.com (darkcell) — Mon, 23 May 2011 23:56:00 -0700

The variety of massively multiplayer online role-playing games is enormous. There are games for dragons and fantasy worlds, pure sci-fi games where you should survive in a future galaxy, crime games and many more. Which ones however have proved to be the test over time?

The ultimate best seller among the MMORPG games is of course The World of Warcraft. There is pretty much of everything in this fantastic game. You have to maintain your economy, while be strong at the battlefield. On the top of it the game has a great story board and an interesting hero element with a bit of fantasy, sorcery and traditional real work elements.

EVE Online, on the other hand, is known to be the test science fiction online game. The action is set in space and the payers will need to seek their luck or find their death in the unknown. The game also has a well put story board and gives players full control over the way they will develop during the game. From this angle EVE Online is giving an experience similar to a real world one.

Another bespoke massively multiplayer online role playing game is the Lord of the Rings Online. Since the release of the films it has become the ultimate choice of many and has a really good coverage on most of the game servers. The game amazes with its superb graphics and real, authentic feel. There is no need to say anything else for this game, choose race among the four main races - Man, Elf, Dwarf and Hobbit and see for you.

Final Fantasy XI is one more fantasy MMORPG game with a lot of fans. the game is very distinctive and has a real identity unlikely most of the MMORPGs. Another good side of Final Fantasy XI is that you do not need a monster computer to pay it. Speaking of the game itself, it has great graphics, good story and freedom to develop your character the way you want. However battles are not that good and can be boring sometimes. If you are a war addicts this will surely disappoint you.

City of Heroes is the final game in our list however this doesn't mean it is the worst one in the top five. N fact it is a great game with excellent graphics and great story. Moreover it is one of those games that don't require a lot of time and effort just to start playing. The hero you will choose develops quickly and gets "into" things for a couple f hours. The game is great for those who love battles as well as it features big, fast paced battles.

Tips to Find Free Flash Game

noreply@blogger.com (darkcell) — Mon, 23 May 2011 23:49:00 -0700

If you haven't played an online flash game before, then you're missing out on a truly fun experience. There are sites with hundreds of addictive, fast-paced, and creative little games. You can spend hours stuck on just one game, determined to get to the last level. If you've got work to do, then you should probably stay away from flash games. You'll find yourself using valuable work time playing the games, and you'll have trouble tearing yourself away.

In order to find the most fun and addictive flash games, you can look in many different places. Some sites collect flash games, categorize them, organize them, and allow users to rate them. You can then see the most popular games, sorted by their ratings, the number of play, or the style of the game. This really helps to narrow down the type of game you play. Some days you might be in the mood for a fast-paced action game, or you may be in the mood for a logic game that requires you to think. All styles of games exist, it's just a matter of finding them. Some of the most popular game sites include Ebaum's World, Newgrounds, AddictingGames, and FlashArcade.

There are other sites which are focused more on the developers of free flash games. GotoAndPlay is a popular site like this, along with the Experimental Gameplay Project. While these sites are geared towards developers, there is still a place for people who just want to play games. In fact, by playing a game and telling the maker what you think, you can play a crucial role in the development of the game, and help to improve it for future players. So if you're willing to type a little bit to the programmer, those sites may be great for you.

If you're interested in making free flash games, then you need the program that gets it done: Adobe Flash. It's expensive to buy, but you can use a trial version for free. It also takes a lot of effort to learn ' however, that effort is not all in memorizing code and functions, as with other programming languages. Mostly you focus on learning the layout of Flash, and how to time things right.

Free flash games are all over the internet, and are extremely popular because of how fast and convenient they are. No file downloads no installations, and no OS-specific games. So look up some flash games, and start playing!

Review of Robot Unicorn Attack

noreply@blogger.com (darkcell) — Sat, 21 May 2011 22:29:00 -0700

Robot Unicorn Attack is a free online game which you can play in your web browser where you help a rainbow-colored-haired robot unicorn jump from one platform to another without falling off the cliffs or bumping against the edges and walls of the platforms. As he dashes across the lush purple grasses and rainbow-strewn backdrops, leaping from one platform to another, he has to collect butterfly fairies along his way to gain at least 10 points for every butterfly fairy he caught.

There are glass stars that blocked his way and he has to jump over them (by hitting on letter "Z") to avoid a fateful death or to dash through them (by hitting on letter "X") to collect at least 100 points for every glass star he was able to explode. You have three tries to make your score as high as possible, the first wish, second wish and the last wish. You have to use each wish wisely by collecting as many points as possible before you let your robot unicorn lose his neck. Your scores on the three wishes would be summed up for your total score at the end of the game.

The good thing about Robot Unicorn Attack is that kids and adults alike will get to play this game. This is so easy to play that even little kids have the chance to enjoy this game. The game is played by merely pressing two letters in the keyboard, Z (to jump up high) and X (to dash through glass stars). The goal is pretty easy too, as mentioned above. Make the robot unicorn go as far as you can without falling off the cliffs or bumping against walls and glass stars and that's it. Collect butterfly fairies and explode glass stars along the way for bonus points, pretty easy. Plus the graphics is quite appealing for the kids, with those rainbows and all kids will definitely love this game. And as I've said, this game is not for kids alone. Adults can somehow relate to this game since it is pretty entertaining. It's kind of childish, alright but sometimes, we have to indulge the kids in us. And the background music will give you a nostalgic feeling. I kind of remember good old days when I was just a kid myself and I, like everybody else, got caught with the dance craze caused by Erasure's "Always". So you see, even the background music is somewhat telling us all that this game is not for the young ones alone. It is also for the "young once".

All in all, Robot Unicorn Attack is one nice game. It's simple yet entertaining. This is a good mode for bonding with your kids or for reliving past memories.

Console Games in Xbox Live

noreply@blogger.com (darkcell) — Fri, 20 May 2011 09:15:00 -0700

Xbox Live is an online gaming service created and operated by the IT industry giant Microsoft Corporation. Ever since the release of the popular gaming console Xbox, there has been a constant increase in the number of games and subscribers to Xbox. Presently, It is the only online gaming service based on consoles that charges fees to users, to allow them to engage in multiplayer gaming. The Xbox system was launched in 2002 and an updated version in the Xbox 360 console was made available in 2005. In 2007, the service was extended on Windows platforms and enabled Windows machines to connect to the Xbox Live gaming community.

Currently, Microsoft is planning to further extend the Xbox Live service to the Microsoft mobile platforms including mobile phones and handhelds as part of their total domination plan in their Live Anywhere initiative. Microsoft is driven to come up with extensions of the service due to the popularity of this gaming service.

Since 2006, Xbox Live has been extremely successful. The data that Microsoft gathered was that more than half of the gamers who bought the console also used their service. About 85% of those who bought consoles also used the console to download exclusive content from the online marketplace. The service has also been used as a social network tool with chat, voice chat and video chat capabilities.

The popularity of Xbox Live enabled this gaming service to accumulate around 30 million subscribers in which 10% or 3 million are always active at any time. The large user base is another advantage this gaming service offers, as there are plenty of competitive players to have matches with 24 7.

The boom has generated several off-shoot projects for Microsoft and third-party developers and manufacturers. There have been plenty of devices that were made based on Xbox Live games that are essential to the gaming experience like the Xbox rapid fire controller which enables the user to fire their weapons at a much faster rate than the usual controller.

With the continuous growth and increase popularity of Xbox Live gaming services, Microsoft has become determined to fully develop itself as a one-stop shop for the online needs of people. One of the latest developments enables users to listen to music while playing a game via the XMB.

Due to the success of the Guitar Hero game, there are plenty of game developers who are integrating a multiplayer feature into to their games that needs access from the gaming service. For the developers of Halo, Call of Duty and Gears of War series, it has become a good move as they have become the top Xbox Live gaming series to date. Rest assured, there will be newer and better games as many game developers will try to get a piece of the market share.

In the past, fantasy games like Final Fantasy were the most popular games but with the onset of multiplayer games such as 1st person shooter games like Call of Duty, the gaming industry has changed. If you have been able to play at least one of the first or third shooter games, you will know why they have become so addictive and highly engaging.

Due to the extensive number of terrific games and the availability of broadband internet plans all over the world, it will continue to flourish and dominate the gaming arena for the foreseeable future.

Review of NASCAR 2011

noreply@blogger.com (darkcell) — Mon, 16 May 2011 22:31:00 -0700

The experience of a freshly baked steak and burning rubber can be nothing short of breathtaking. And all that can now be experienced from the comfort your own home with NASCAR 2011 the game:

Modes

The first thing players will notice is the menu. This is honestly one of the best menus ever made. The garage in the background and track access cards while loading put me right into the NASCAR experience. An experience gained from many modes including career, quick race and online play. Now normally I'd say that career mode is where the mileage is at but this time I just can't.

Career mode let's you play as yourself or one of the 43 famous NASCAR sprint series drivers. As you race you gain experience, which can be put in new sponsorships or unlocks additional content, usually an invitational event or a color scheme. The sponsorship is a nice touch. After a couple of decent finishes you'll gain interest from famous sponsors. Put their logo on the car will unlock additional bonuses for predetermined criteria, like leading a race for 10 laps. And while the sponsorship is a great idea it only goes so far because career mode only supports one season, all hard earned respect goes lost after the 36th race, not great.

Racing

Luckily the cream of the crop is determined on track and in that respect NASCAR 2011 the game does very well. Racing with 43 other cars fighting for every inch of the racetrack is an experience unlike any.

During the race the game does a stellar job keeping you posted of the world around you. At the bottom of the screen the HUD gives a clear overview of the surrounding cars. And the tire and fuel indicators are essential for making it to the end of the race. Trust me I've had races where the tires would suddenly fall off a cliff, leading to the inevitable puncture.

This is both a good and a bad thing, because while it adds a nice strategic element to it, the execution lacks subtle cues. Tires tend to drop off quite harshly and any car damage is always brutal. I've experienced a race where the car would pull to the left leaving me counter steering through the entire thing - really exhausting!

Also tactical is the positioning of the front end. These cars drive quite heavily so the entry to a corner makes all the difference between ending in a giant swabble or reaching the finish line scot-free.

When you do make errors or decide go the long route, there's always the possibility to pit. In the pits a small screen pops up giving options for refueling, or changing tires. The only downside to this is that it yanks the player straight out of the immersion and switches to a fly cam until the car returns to the track.

The same can be said about cautions. These flags, which indicate a safety car situation, add a big lottery to any race. In the game they don't come out too often (luckily?) but they do get the job done, although it would've been nice to stay in-car throughout the whole thing.

Reasons they don't come out too often probably have something to do with the AI. They tend to drive very cleanly and don't get tangled in each other's tracks too often. When they approach an obstacle (probably you) they do a solid job in trying to avoid it, despite failing when in larger packs. Don't expect anything like the real thing though. The two-car bullet phenomenon, where one is the pusher, is definitely something you won't see in the game. The same can be said about strategic slipstreaming in packs or slingshots. But for the largest part the AI is satisfying.

Ultimately these elements do compliment the tactical sport that is NASCAR, and overall they've been implemented very nicely and do deliver close racing as is notorious for the sport, well done Eutechnyx!

Driving

So how do these cars drive? To find out I connected a G27 to the PS3 version of the game and grinded my teeth in. To be honest I was a little anxious at first. Seeing a big oval banking coming up and knowing that the wheel is connected to 3500lbs of aluminum doesn't fair well with me. And after many laps of bravery and content, I can say that it definitely does what it says on the tin.

These V8 muscles are heavy and it feels that way. Changing direction is tough, punishing any rookie entry to the corner. Contrary to what you may think the smaller ovals are what really get to you.

Also important for any tight oval is skillful braking. The balance between high pedal pressure and soft is as big as light and day. Aggressive drivers will definitely find the car dancing under the pressure, leaving you pray to the upcoming attackers.

As I mentioned before damage adds to the excitement of racing. Any contact with the wall and you might find the car pulling to either side. Harder contact will hurt the transmission. The damage is both visually and mechanically pleasing, despite never willing to break the car completely. Even the hardest of impacts will not result in an automatic forfeit of the race, the only dent in the system.

To prevent damages you might want to tweak the car setup a little. Players can choose between a standard setup (auto tuned for the particular race) or become engineers themselves. Aspiring engineers can start out easy using a few sliders to change the downforce, tires and gearbox among other things. I think that most will really appreciate this simplified method of making setups. Go all out though and the game throws any possible tweak into the mix. I can't confirm this but I can imagine it being on par with real world NASCAR! And the best part is that all these efforts do pay off during the race, both in car-wear and stability.

Online

With the handling aced most will probably picture fantastic online battles, fighting till dusk and pushing the tires to their absolute limit, well don't. Online racing often falls short of the picture we have in our heads, because close racing can only be done with mutual respect. Unfortunately, and I can't blame the devs for this, the oval circuit lends itself perfectly for bump races and ghost riders. I can say that out of all the races I've been on, I finished not a single one with a feeling of satisfaction and content.

On the bright side I haven't experienced much failure in the online system myself, although I've heard complaints from other users. So when you do know a couple of fair buds that are up for a race, go for it! But for most racers, unfortunately, lack of skill/intention worldwide will mark this mode useless.

Presentation

NASCAR the game 2011 is out for the Wii, PS3 and the Xbox360. The last two versions are identical to each other and is the version that we used for this review.

The current gen is running on its final legs and it shows. The graphics while pushing 43 cars fall short of the best we've seen in the genre. The trackside objects look very flat and do a poor job in conveying the belief that you're part of a bigger world. On the flip side the cars look great and it can be really entertaining at times to read a cars backend infomercial.

Also surprisingly good are the pre-race shows. These include hawks flying into the air and fireworks as the cars pass the pit straight, things you'd expect in real NASCAR racing. But again unfortunately the in-car experience doesn't live up to the immersion.

This isn't particularly helped by the sound. No matter the view you're in the engine always sounds the same. It lacks a rough edge and is too clean overall. Less clean is the sound of the spotter. This director up in the sky helps the driver pick the best lines and keeps him up to date of the swabbles ahead. In the game however he feels the need to repeat, confuse and annoy, within spectacular short timeframes. He especially feels the need to repeat "all clear" when driving on an island for numerous laps. I do feel that further tweaking and a few extra lines would greatly help the spotter implementation.

Conclusions

NASCAR 2011 the game is the first of the series and is shows. On top of that the graphics suffer from having to run 43 cars at all times. Still the racing itself is great and does offer a lot of joy, even when you're not familiar with the sport. The proper implementation of damage, tire wear and fuel compliments this feature.

The biggest problem, in my eyes, is the fact that you may find it unrewarding to race. Online is a hit or miss and the career mode isn't up to speed just yet. And because of that your mileage may vary to the largest extend, making this title a recommend only to the biggest of NASCAR fans or the purest of racers.

All About MotorStorm Series

noreply@blogger.com (darkcell) — Sun, 15 May 2011 21:44:00 -0700

The MotorStorm series is well-known for providing loads of challenge and threatening the well-being of DualShock 3s worldwide. Since its 2007 bow, legions of gamers have experienced the thrill of narrow victories and the agony of being shunted into a wall and out of the last qualifying position. After a sound PS3 sequel and a handheld spin-off, the series returns to PS3 with MotorStorm: Apocalypse, a title that carries on the tradition of its predecessors, albeit with new bells and whistles.

Since 2008's Pacific Rift, we've seen two hugely action-driven and cinematic racers in Blur and Split/Second. Their influence is pronounced in Apocalypse. The scenario throws you into a massive faux-San Francisco city in the midst of a major disaster. The urban turmoil is a fine diversion from the "Burning Man-as-race" and "tropical paradise-as-race" motifs of the first two PS3 games, and allows for more tension and peril.

MotorStorm games follow a few simple rules: They're unforgiving and relentless and favor judicious use of speed bursts and aggression to bypass your opponents. Additionally, the open tracks ensure that environmental elements are as perilous as the competing big rigs. The series' signature hook is probably the engine management. As you boost, your engine risks overheating, which you are always cognizant of as you shunt a rival driver to pass.

Although Apocalypse touts its story and rapidly collapsing environments as its biggest new additions, one new tweak to engine management transforms the series dramatically. Pacific Rift introduced water-cooling, which allowed you to drive into puddles and temporarily slow down or remove all engine heat. Apocalypse introduces airborne cooling. Essentially, when you hit ramps and snag big airtime, letting off both boost and accelerate will cool your engine in-air, which gives you a significant advantage in maintaining your speed once you land. Make no mistake; it's a genuine game-changer. I tried to go back to Pacific Rift to refresh my memory after several hours on Apocalypse, and found it near-unplayable without the airborne cooling feature.

The game effectively adapts the now-standard XP system into its online racing. You earn betting chips in every race that you participate in, and you can use those chips both to gamble on your chances of beating other racers and to unlock different perks, such as increased grip strength, faster engine cool downs, or faster respawns. It can also be used to purchase vehicle upgrades, a slickly implemented feature that will ensure that people continue to participate, though I wish it also let you earn XP in campaign or time trials. Between its slick multi-player, finely tuned boosting tweaks and a single-player story that gradually reaches the series' trademark difficulty, MotorStorm: Apocalypse fortifies the concepts the series is known for. It draws the right elements from other racing games while refining those that make it stand out. Despite some long loads, occasional hokey campaign moments, and sporadic frustrations within its busy environments, it's a fine sequel that's well worth playing.

Review of Bejeweled Deluxe

noreply@blogger.com (darkcell) — Sat, 14 May 2011 21:29:00 -0700

Do you like to play online games? Well, I do and I used to spend most of my time playing games on my computer. I play a lot of games, but Bejeweled Deluxe is one of the games that I like to play the most.

I'm sure that you are going to love Bejeweled Deluxe if you like the original. It is a great game, and it greatly improves on the original version. However, you should not start playing this game unless you have a few free hours to give up because you can easily get lost with playing. Bejeweled Deluxe can be very addictive that you might neglect to wash the dishes or make dinner because you are too busy playing it. I have been so involved in the game in the past that people have shown up at my house to make sure that I was fine.

There are plenty of free versions of Bejeweled Deluxe on the Internet, but these free games will only be free for a very limited amount of time. These are only trial versions, so you have to pay for the rest of the game when the time of the trial expires. The trial version of Bejeweled Deluxe can help you decide if you would like to purchase the full version or not even if it may not be long enough of a trial.

There are also free versions of Bejeweled Deluxe online, but these come with expensive costs because they are not legal. These free versions are often infected with spyware, malware, and a ton of viruses that can cripple your computer. These games are for free but they also allow hackers to mess with your computer. Of course, the creators of Bejeweled Deluxe will never do this to you because they are honest businessmen who want to earn an income in an honest manner.

GamePlay of EVE Online

noreply@blogger.com (darkcell) — Fri, 13 May 2011 11:15:00 -0700

Simply imagine you are piloting your space ship through space, on a search for fortune and fame. Perhaps you are in the process of working a trade route, transporting ore from a central mining area to a heavily industrialized planet in order to sell it at a huge fortune.

Just as you are flying through the star system, your sensors pick up on something...it's the pirates after you, and you sire off a few shots to keep them away. One of them shouts out at you, "You must hand over your cargo or die." Though you consider negotiating with them, but realize it's of no use. However you fire off a missile salvo at the pirate closest to you, and he crumbles into dust. As you make a run back to planet, another two pirates open fire thus weakening your shields. Miraculously you duck into its protection just as your shields breaks up, barely escaping death and heading towards the biggest sale of your life.

Eve Online is one of the several MMORPGs that can be found on the internet. An MMORPG stands for a Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game. A MMORPG like Eve Online is unlike a number of computer games in that in a regular computer game, where you are the sole human player; as for all the other characters you relate with are simply computerized "bots."

On the other hand in MMORPGs you're interacting with other people who populate the world of the game. There are NPCs (Non Player Characters), who are just a part of the game, however for the most part you're interacting with other people. For instance, the pirates in the Eve Online form the other people, at times on other parts of the world, linked through the Eve Online Server. If you receive messages, these are sent out by someone on the other end.

Although MMORPGs have been around for a long time (Everquest was definitely one of the most popular of all time), they are at present becoming increasingly more popular. Despite the fact the earliest MMORPGs were almost all fantasy based games that were full of wizards, warriors and dragons, many MMORPGs have split out. For instance, Eve Online is a futuristic, space-based combat and trading game, while The Sims Online is based on the popular Sims living and building game engine. A number of people are drawn to MMORPGs since they allow them to play an interesting computer game which enables them to interact with other people, keeping the player's interest and avoiding the predictability that some games can lapse into. Eve Online and other similar games function much alike small worlds with their own leaders, heroes, crooks, followers, wars and politics thus making the fantasy worlds that much closer to reality.

Review of Chaos Theory

noreply@blogger.com (darkcell) — Fri, 13 May 2011 11:12:00 -0700

"Chaos Theory" is one of the sleuth-based video games in the series of video games provide by Tom Clancy's Splinter cell series of video games. The game has been developed and published by Ubisoft. This game is the third in the series of Splinter Cell series and one of the most intriguing video games that has ever hit the market. As usual the hero is Sam Fisher, the lone splinter from the Splinter Cell of the Third Echelon of black-ops branch of NSA in United States.

The arrival of "Chaos Theory"

Though the game was scheduled to be released in early 2004, it could not be so and was finally released as version compatible to Xbox, Play Station 2, and Game cube as late as in March, 2005. At the same time its version for PC also came out. A few versions meant for the Nintendo DS and Nokia N-Gage were also released. Background music and soundtrack of this video game was composed by Amon Tobin who framed it on Ninja Tune record label. For the cinematic effects of the game, composer Jesper Kyd composed the music. For voice, actor Michael Ironside and Don Jordan lent their voice for Sam Fisher and Lambert, the boss of Sam Fisher respectively. The game earned excessive popularity all over the world and as a result was declared as the game of the year in 2005. The video game was applauded all over the world for its outstanding game play and lively graphics. The graphics in this game of Chaos Theory has made several improvements over the traditional system of the video game that includes both normal mapping and HDR lighting.

The process of Stealth

In the game of Chaos theory, the Stealth mechanics have been refined quite a lot. There is the traditional light bar but the addition is an aural monitor to measure the noises exactly what Sam makes during the operation he undertakes. Because in the endeavors Sam undertakes, it is extremely important that the sound is minimal or else he may be tracked down and eliminated himself. Another alteration that has taken place in the game is the AI detection. In the previous version unconscious or dead bodies were automatically detected and an alarm ringed but now in the newer version they are to be specifically detected and an alarm will have to be ringed. An alarm will be a great help for the enemies to spot Sam and they will be ready for the combat. Two peculiar features that have been added lately to this video game are interesting. The first one is that repeated alarms will not automatically terminate the game. Secondly, for killing civilians, Sam may be heavily chastised by his boss and authorities. Consequentially, his mission scores may reduce to a great extent. The "Chaos Theory" is the first of such games that keeps track of the performance of players during the mission and a summarized report is available at the end of it.

Chaos Theory combat and weaponry

Even for the hand to hand combat, Chaos Theory provides a knife to Sam that can be used for threatening to killing. The attacking prowess is from all sides and not only from behind as in the older version. Even while hanging upside down Sam can choke or strangle his enemy. Pulling people over railings, throwing bodies of the cliff or over railing or pull them over. Though the capability of shooting round the corner is removed, the same is balanced by allowing the gun to be on either side of the body. In the field of weaponry, there are three kits to choose from. The first one is the Redding's Recommendation kit which provides a fine balance between lethal and non-lethal weapons.

The Assault Kit has more ammunition and less non-lethal weapon while the Stealth Kit is just the reverse of the Assault Kit. Then there is the 5.72 mm pistol with OCP which means Optically Channeled Potentiator that can disable electronics for the time being. A green light indicates hitting the target while a red like indicates a miss. The SC-20K modular assault rifle now have multifarious new gadgets like a launcher, under mount shotgun for close range firings and a 20mm sniper scope for long range combat. Non-lethal weaponry is multitude in number and has items like sticky shocker that shocks and numbs all targets. There are also multiple type of grenades and a gas to make the enemy unconscious. On the other hand the enemy prowess has improved too with various new features.

The Plot

Main focus of the game is on Far-Eastern countries like North and South Korea and Japan. The information warfare of Splinter cell stages a return here. The plot is as intriguing as the game and you can have a feel of the same when you play the game of Chaos Theory.

Review of Spider-Man Friend or Foe

noreply@blogger.com (darkcell) — Tue, 10 May 2011 09:54:00 -0700

The Spider-Man franchise has legions of fans, and it is fairly obvious that Spider-Man is Marvel Comics' most notorious superhero. Everyone's favorite web-slinger is another Spider-Man game titled Spider-Man: Friend or Foe. Spider-Man: Friend or Foe is a video game that is available for the Nintendo Wii, Nintendo DS, PlayStation 2, PSP, PC, and Xbox 360.

The storyline in the game is something about a meteor and monsters. In a nutshell, there is not much of a logical plot. But that is perfectly fine. The game is intended to be facetious and not solemn. All anyone needs to know about the storyline in Spider-Man: Friend or Foe is that Spider-Man is facing adversity, and he defers to his most nefarious enemies for assistance. Spider-Man will form an unlikely alliance with a bevy of characters such as Silver Sable, Goblin, Doctor Otto Octavius, Scorpion, and many others.

The gameplay is all about fighting several opponents. The game does add some variety to the gameplay by sprinkling a boss every now and then. For the most part, it is a prototypical game that lacks any originality. As redundant as this may seem, I still had a great time pummeling adversaries with Spider-Man. The combat system is intuitive and engrossing. There are the fundamental attacks and the extravagant web attacks that give the game some much needed style. Spider-Man can utilize his webs to swing an enemy from one side of an area to a completely different place. In addition, he can shoot his webs to swarm foes with webbing (leaving them immobile). As Spider-Man uses more web attacks, he earns more and more experience. Performing combination attacks are done without any trouble, and the controls are user-friendly. Clearing out a room without multiple opponents are straightforward. Players can have human controlled ally or an ally controlled by the artificial intelligence to follow Spider-Man. You can switch on the fly between Spider-Man and the other characters, but the other characters are not as agile as Spider-Man. Spider-Man is the only character in the game that has the dexterity to accomplish maneuvers in the blink of an eye. Unfortunately, there is no Xbox Live support with the game. There is only a two player cooperative mode.

The most disappointing aspect of the game is the web swinging; there is no web swinging across the enormous skyscrapers of New York City. Devoted Spider-Man were somewhat perturbed by this. I would have appreciated the game more if I could take in the scenery. Since the Spider-Man: Friend or Foe is for the six to thirteen ages demographic, it is a rudimentary game with no challenge.

An avid gamer can cruise through this game from start to finish without any difficulty. Now that I think about it, there is actually no real consequence for dying in this game. If you die, then you merely start over from the same place because of a token system (ala Lego Star Wars). Gamers will probably have a much more laborious time singing that absurd Spider-Man song, than they will have playing this game. How does that song go again? I think it is something like "Spiderman, Spiderman, Does whatever a spider can." Oh, the hell with the song. Whatever, I do not care about something as frivolous as the catchy Spider-Man tune. Honestly, I only know the first two lines. But I digress.

The graphics in the game are nothing spectacular. Even for the Xbox 360 iteration, the visuals were not anything like Marvel Ultimate Alliance. There are also some minor platform jumping elements in the game, but they are few and far between. The audio in the game has its moments with adequate voice acting. The animations in the game are greatly exaggerated, but I thought that was done intentionally to accentuate the humor in Spider-Man. No one will find a particularly long and arduous game with Spider-Man: Friend or Foe. The game is approximately five hours long. I know; that is shorter than Heavenly Sword and Stranglehold. Overall, Spider-Man: Friend or Foe is only for the immensely dedicated Spider-Man enthusiasts.