WASD and the other Controllers

"Don't get cocky kid" - 11/28/2011 WASD Podcast

noreply@blogger.com (PrisonedBeast) — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 17:03:00 +0000

Another week another Podcast, it is episode 30 and we do things right. First we warm things up with possible resuscitation of Nintendo after they have been floundering in the water with some great sales numbers over the weekend. Next we talk about this controversial article that has been sparked many debates and will continue to spark many more, BF3 v MW3 (written by yours truly). Next gamestop posts the pricing for the PS Vita memory cards, better hold on to your Christmas cash. All this and more on another episode of WASD and the Other Controllers Podcast.

Nintendo puts up some good Black Friday sale numbers
http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/38767/3DS_Mario_Wii_Zelda_Sell_Over_500K_In_November.php

Modern Warfare, has it peaked? Then Battlefield, future looks brighter every day
http://www.fraggednation.com/articles/Modern-Warfare-has-Star-Power-Battlefield-3-has-Staying-Powe-172

We see some pricing for the PS Vita memory cards, they do not look cheap
http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/28/gamestop-lists-vita-memory-card-prices-start-saving-up-now/

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"Gamestop doesn't get it" - 11/21/2011 WASD Podcast

noreply@blogger.com (PrisonedBeast) — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 07:05:00 +0000

Ryan and I get together to talk another week about the biggest news in gaming. We talk about the new Battlefield 3 patch and some of the changes that is bringing. We also talk about how Gamestop announced what there new game service is going to be, and what we think about it. Lastly we talk about Hideo Kojima being on the cover of Official Playstation Magazine and his plans for Metal Gear Solid 5. After the stories we talk about the games we have been playing where I release my rage for the glitches in Modern Warfare 3. So listen in and be sure to send in questions for next weeks show at questions@wasdcontrollers.com.

The Battlefield 3 Patch
http://blogs.battlefield.ea.com/battlefield_bad_company/archive/2011/11/21/multiple-fixes-and-new-squad-functionality-in-today-s-pc-patch-for-battlefield-3.aspx

Gamestop's plans for there future gaming service
http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/21/gamestops-console-streaming-service-will-require-retail-game-pu/

Hideo Kojima announces his plans for Metal Gear Solid 5
http://www.officialplaystationmagazine.co.uk/2011/11/16/historic-issue-65-cover-features-hideo-kojima/

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Modern Warfare 3

noreply@blogger.com (PrisonedBeast) — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 07:04:00 +0000

Another year another Call of Duty game comes out, but this time it is nothing more then a rehashing of what they did two years ago. Will the campaign be enough to justify purchasing or will this title be another overpriced map pack. Developed by Infinity Ward along with Sledgehammer games, this game has managed to be another round of cheap thrills and trying to appeal to emotions. With the producer Activision, it is hard to tell what type of game would of been produced if they were not breathing down the skeleton studio of Infinity Wards neck. As for this game though it seems like they are just a one trick pony.

The story comes to an end in this title but takes the same style of getting there, just like the previous Modern Warfare games there are plenty of explosions and a high intensity story that keeps the adrenaline up. With plenty of enemies to kill and all new locations to travel to the cookie cutter style holds true here. So the game starts out just where Modern Warfare 2 finished, be careful for some spoilers ahead, with Soap in a critical condition he is taken care of in some rebel facility while the Russians are being pushed out of New York. Working with Sandman your given the job to take out this radio jamming tower so that you can get some air support and finish the Russians. You fight your way through the streets and through several buildings to get to the tower. Most of the missions are more then just a shooting gallery and feel like most Call of Duty games, with a couple quick time events thrown in to keep you on your toes. Would not be complete without an offensive scene that could be disturbing to some to increase the hate for Makarov. Though the campaign is where all the resources went, most of the gameplay is going to be found in the multiplayer.

The multiplayer is just like its predecessor, with a new game mode added called kill confirmed where you need to gather dog tags of people who have fallen in order to score points for your team. This new mode is fun and can make team work a little more important which is something that is extremely lacking in other Call of Duty mulitplayer modes. Another change would be that they made entirely new kill streak load outs where you can either be assault, support, and specialist. These each have special kill streaks in them. For example assault is where you will find the rewards that will give the other team a rough day, but these reset after every death. The support pack will give you rewards that help out your team and these don't reset after you die so you can continue to help your team even if your not really good. Lastly the specialist will let you unlock perks as you get kills so you can then be better at killing. Other then these slight changes it is the same game over again. With a lot of the modes returning it can still be extremely frustrating when you get killed because these people have loadouts that are meant to give you a headache.

Overall the game is good just disappointing, to see the finale of the Modern Warfare story played out and finally getting closure, for the multiplayer to be just an expansion that lets you level up weapons along with your soldier. Though I got to admit this game does do what it set out to do. Don't fix what is not broke and just keep using the same recipe for success. What this game does well is the campaign, it was very satisfying and had a good finale. Although being a little predictable at times there were a couple points where I was surprised. The mulitplayer is still good just like it was two years ago and with the new additions it does bring some life back into the old system.

In conclusion this game is a 9/10 with it doing what it promised and not having any boring moments in the story or online. In my opinion this game is worth getting because it is the game that everyone is going to be playing. For example Madden puts out the same game every year but still it sells for $60 but that is the version that people are going to be playing online. This game was extremely anticipated and it seemed to deliver less then extraordinary but this does not mean it still is not a good game.

"Shenanigans" - 11/14/2011 WASD Podcast

noreply@blogger.com (PrisonedBeast) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 05:27:00 +0000

This week I call shenanigans on the Modern Warfare 3 sales. Ryan and I are back on a Monday to do the show at an earlier time in order to have more people tune in. Anyway this week we talk about how EA forum bans are continuing to plague gamers entire EA accounts not letting them play any games. Minecraft, the game that took the indie scene by storm has finally gone gold and has Notchs blessing to start getting reviewed. Lastly we talk about how Modern Warfare 3 did not sell as many copies as Black Ops. All this and some more in this weeks WASD and the other Controllers podcast.

EA Forum Bans locking players out of games... STILL!!

http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2011/11/14/ea-forum-bans-are-still-affecting-games/

Minecraft has gone gold and will be released on Friday

http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/14/minecraft-has-gone-gold/

Modern Warfare 3 did not sell as much as Black Ops

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-11-14-uk-top-40-modern-warfare-3-sells-fewer-than-black-ops

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Uncharted 3

noreply@blogger.com (PrisonedBeast) — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 21:56:00 +0000

Drakes Deception, one of the most anticipated titles of the year hit the shelves November 1st. Naughty Dog has spent the last two years working on this title, but should they of spent more time? Published by Sony Computer Entertainment, this sequel to the 2009 Game of the Year, scratches that itch for more Drake perfectly. This game feels like Uncharted 2, which is not a bad thing but can leave you only half full. This game has even more locations you visit and more near death situations. Will that be enough for it to win 2011 Game of the Year? Lets find out.

The story in Uncharted 3 is the strongest point in this game. With the opening scene extremely powerful in setting the tone for the rest of the campaign. In order to keep away from spoilers I won't cover to much of what happens in the story. What I will say is that the character development in this game is the weakest of the three. With some returning characters they feel kind of left out. Then the end of the game does leave me asking more questions as to why there is tension between some of the characters. Though this does not take away from the overall plot it does leave me wanting more at the end of the game. For example this game does focus on the relationship between Drake and Sully, but the end result is just me asking more questions about there relationship. What the story does well is explain why you are where you are and doing what your doing. The story does manage to capture emotions very well and keeps the tension up. What can break the immersion though is the gameplay.

The Gameplay in this game is one of the weakest parts in Uncharted 3. The aiming takes a very long time to get used to and feels weaker then Uncharted 2. With ammo a constant issue and enemies charging you more often this can lead to very quick and frustrating deaths. When there are snipers looking for you and a walking tank with a shotgun driving you out of cover, this leads to you pretty much dying every time. This is a scenario that happens way to often, you can spend twenty minutes just trying to get past one section. What makes this more reasonable is the checkpoint system keeps you from losing too much progress. Even with the checkpoint system, it can still take an entire clip of ammo on one enemy when there are five more shooting at you and more on the way. This is the most anger inducing part of the game, if it weren't for the well thought out puzzles and some strong platforming to calm things down it would be hard to justify playing more then a couple hours. The puzzles in this game are enjoyable and do require you to think and offer hints if you get stuck, this keeps the pacing of the game steady. There is one puzzle that took me a while but after I got it made me feel pretty good about solving it.

The multiplayer mode in this game is a huge improvement over the multiplayer in Uncharted 2, with all new weapons, tactics, and more vertical gameplay, leaves room for many hours to be spent playing this improvement. With the all new kickback system, similar to kill streaks but instead of kills you get medals. These medals help you progress your character for more unlocks and skins for your character. This mode helps add more life to this game and overall this is worth spending some time in. The weakest part of the multiplayer is again the aiming takes a while to get used to.

The story in this game flows nicely with never a dull moment, from leaping across rooftops to navigating a wrecked shipyard. This game takes what worked in Uncharted 2 and builds on that but leaves some of the flaws unattended, left to keep this game from complete greatness. This is still a solid game and deserves all the hype it has been getting but it does have some issues that can take away from the overall experience. There are the moments that make this a great contender for Game of the Year. In conclusion this is a solid game that is worth every bit of your money but there are some things that keep it from reaching higher. I am going to give this game an 8/10, with some flaws taking away from the experience, the story and multiplayer are both strengths.

"Prostitutes all have money" - 11/3/2011 WASD Podcast

noreply@blogger.com (PrisonedBeast) — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 22:08:00 +0000

Oh are you guys ready for another week of the podcast? Well we deliver this week as we talk about the spike of growth since DC Universe Online goes free to play, and the access "free to play" players get. Next we talk about how Kmart dropped the ball and sold copies of Modern Warfare 3 early and those copies are showing up on ebay for outrageous prices. Lastly we show the Grand Theft Auto V trailer and give some comments and speculation about what we could see in the next installment in the series. No questions this week so send those in to questions@wasdcontrollers.com and we will do our best to answer them.

DC Universe Online Free to play access
http://www.pcgamer.com/2011/09/19/dc-universe-online-is-going-free-to-play-next-month/

Kmart selling MW3 and breaking the release date
http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/03/kmart-sold-modern-warfare-3-early-copies-wind-up-on-ebay/

Grand Theft Auto V trailer
http://www.rockstargames.com/newswire/article/19461/grand-theft-auto-v-trailer.html

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Battlefield 3

noreply@blogger.com (PrisonedBeast) — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 07:13:00 +0000

A tank explodes next to you, your buddy is laying dead on the ground. Quickly you revive him, moving forward against the Russians. A RPG whips by your head and you manage to retaliate and take him down. You start taking fire and things get hazy, falling back into cover. You lob a grenade and manage to take out two enemies you push forward and capture the hill. This is exactly what I experienced playing DICE's new shooter Battlefield 3. Produced by DICE and published by EA, this game makes teamwork an essential part of victory After a couple years since the release of Battlefield 2, Frostbite 2 makes its debut on the highly anticipated sequel. This new graphics engine will make the environment more destructible, along with being more detailed. There is a entire single player campaign as well as a Co-op mode and full 32 player multiplayer (64 on the PC). First however there is the campaign.

The campaign in Battlefield 3 is an entirely separate experience. With the story being told in flashbacks you try and explain to this officer what you know about New York being in danger. You go through the last couple weeks of what happened leading up to the point of where you start at. Not wanting to give to much away I won't cover to much more of the story. The game play in the campaign is simply a shooting gallery with some vehicle levels thrown in to mix it up. The game tries really hard to keep you on the same path because if you wander at all you just fall over and die. This breaks the immersion and can get frustrating when you don't know why you did actually die. There really is not a whole lot to say about this campaign, it does feel a lot like Modern Warfare's story but the controls are different obviously. Now the meat of this game is in the multiplayer, that is where the most depth and fun lies.

The multiplayer in Battlefield 3 is a very enjoyable experience. There are a several modes of play, there is conquest, rush, squad rush, team deathmatch, and squad deathmatch. The big ones to play are the conquest mode and the rush mode. Conquest is where your team tries to capture these locations and hold them whiling pushing against the enemy team. If you control more points than the other team their tickets will go down faster. The object is to empty your opponents ticket pool to zero before they empty yours. One ticket is worth one player spawning on the appropriate team. Rush mode is where there is an attacking side and a defending side. The attackers want to arm and destroy these MCOM stations. While the defenders want to defuse the bombs and prevent the attackers from destroying the points. The defenders win if they get the attackers tickets to zero and the attackers win if they blow up all the stations. The difference with squad rush is that it is 4 v 4 and there is only one MCOM station to destroy per area. The team deathmatch is just standard first to however many kills will win. Another big thing that is in the multiplayer would be the vehicles, with there being jets, helicopters, tanks, jeeps, and amphibious assault units, this game has them all. These vehicles add a element to the game that keeps you on your toes and gives the engineer class a purpose. There are four classes in the multiplayer these include: Assault, wielding the defibrillators and the assault rifles, Support, giving ammo and using light machine guns, Engineer, can repair vehicles and uses rockets, lastly Recon, using sniper rifles along with some support abilities. These four classes are all loaded with tons of stuff to unlock and many ribbons to earn while playing as them. Overall the multiplayer is where most of the time went into developing this game and it has paid off.

There are several things that this game does well, for one being able to feel the recoil in the guns being just right, along with the sound of the gunfire in the distance. This keeps you feeling immersed, like you are in a war. This keeps you intrigued and only breaks when you die and looking at the deploy screen. Now the bad... this game does not do a good job of balancing, there is a constant one sided gameplay where one team will dominate the other for several rounds and there is never any auto balancing. This can take away the fun of the game. Now you can switch teams if this happens to you but in order to keep it fair you can only do it so often. Also the lag on some of the servers can make the game almost unplayable. When you almost get to cover but end up teleporting backwards and getting picked off is a very frustrating occurrence that happens way to often. Looking for low ping servers help but the server browser being a webpage has its own issues, where it will say there are several spaces open but when you join, the game is full. Other then that the server browser works well enough to get you in games with less waiting around. The battlelog is the new way to experience battlefield for those who play this game on the PC. I do not personally have a problem with it. The new way to launch a game makes sense but it feels like there can be some problems if the website goes down or playing the single player while offline. Overall though this game is fun just the launch week blues dragging it down in some big ways.

I give this game a 9.5/10 with some issues keeping it from greatness it is definitely a must buy for anyone who is a first person shooter fan. DICE managed to deliver and released a well polished shooter. I can play this game for five hours straight and not want to put it down. This game just scratches that itch I have had since I stopped playing Bad Company 2. So all together a great solid game with some issues that need to be addressed before it can really be at a point of absolute greatness. It is available for Xbox, Playstation, and PC. If you can choose between all three I would recommend going with the PC version for the 64 player battles.

"Hugh Laurie = Gordan Freeman" - 10/27/2011 WASD Podcast

noreply@blogger.com (PrisonedBeast) — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 22:32:00 +0000

Why hello everyone, we are back with another podcast. This one started out with a bad omen but managed to finish without any technical difficulties. We talk about some of the biggest news of the week in gaming. First in order make some money off the "pay what you want as long as it is more than the current price" model there was the launch of the Indie Royal. Four games that get more expensive the longer you wait in to purchase it. Next there was the Grand Theft Auto V announcement of an announcement that will happen on Nov 2. Lastly Planetside 2 makes a bold statement and we speculate on if they will be able to back it up. We answer some great listener questions so keep sending those in. So what are you waiting for listen in!!

Indie Royal Bundle
http://www.indieroyale.com/

Grand Theft Auto V
http://games.ign.com/articles/121/1210615p1.html

Planetside 2 claiming to be like Risk where Battlefield and Call of Duty are like checkers.
http://www.pcgamer.com/2011/10/27/planetside-2-dev-modern-warfare-and-battlefield-are-like-checkers-where-were-sort-of-like-risk/

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"Chain Reaction" - 10/20/2011 WASD Podcast

noreply@blogger.com (PrisonedBeast) — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 06:21:00 +0000

This week Ryan and I are back from a week off in order to take our midterms. So we are here and ready to talk about the highlights of the week. First we talk about Battlefield 3's newest multiplayer trailer and what they show. Next we talk about Torchlight 2 and how it is reaching to be released late 2011, how late we still don't know. Lastly we try and save you guys money with letting you know amazon is getting into the digital preorders saving up to at least 15%. So tune in for an awesome cast and hope you guys enjoy it.

Battlefield 3 new multiplayer trailer

Torchlight 2 still aiming for late 2011 release
http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/20/torchlight-2-still-scheduled-for-late-2011-barring-death-or-ill/

Save a lot of money on amazon with preorders.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/?docId=1000729951

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Orcs Must Die!

noreply@blogger.com (PrisonedBeast) — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 07:48:00 +0000

So Orcs Must Die! is a tower defense type game where you play as a "Rift Guardian". With the 3rd person camera it lets you get into the action as well as pick off any stray orcs that wander through your traps somehow unscathed. Your job is to make sure no orcs make it through the rift and into the real world. This is the first game made by Robot Entertainment but they did do the art work for Age of Empires online. There is a not that much complexity to this game but it does offer multiple solutions to each level. It offers a good mix of strategy and some good old hack and slash.

The story line basically starts out with your master having an accident, and your the only one left to take the place of the Rift Guardian. You are then keep to keep the rifts safe from having orcs travel through them. The story is very thin and basically unnecessary but it is nice to see there at least be an attempt at one. There ends up being a little twist but in the end the overall story is very cliche. With the plot being told at the beginning of levels or in minor art style cut scene.

The gameplay is where the meat of this game lies. With the ability to summon traps for the cost of coins you are then left with a couple traps to choose from. Within certain limits you can then make the best orc slaying machine ever. With some level layouts pointing to common solutions, there is always a different way of beating a level giving this game a good bit of replay ability. There are only 25 levels but after playing through on medium you can then unlock the harder difficulty. Couple things wrong that could of been addressed would be the lack of tutorials. I feel like offering a couple strategies of ways to use your newly learned trap could of gone a long way. Another thing would be the complete lack of mentioning that there are certain objects in the levels that you can interact with in order to take out some orcs that might get loose. I learned this out by placing my crossbow over an item and it was highlighted, then through my curiosity I shot it. That is when the chandelier fell and crushed several orcs. Though there are many interact able objects other than just the chandeliers but that I will let you figure out. Then there is the complaint that the game does not tell you what door wave 1 will be coming out of. Some levels have multiple entrances and some on other sides of the map. Your resources are limited at the beginning of the game. So time again I found my self setting up an amazing trap to slay many an orc only to see that they were going to come in the other door.

This game does the tower defense very well with a couple tweaks keeping it from pure brilliance. I would like to see them add a co-op feature later or possibly a multiplayer where one person sets that traps and another person picks the mobs. For what the game is now though it is a great time killer and can be taken in small chunks. Then there is always the option where you can play through several levels and completely lose track of the time. This game knows its place and is worth the $15 price point. They could of easily gotten away with $20 but glad they chose that price.

So this game is on Xbox Live Arcade for 1200 Microsoft Points or $15 on Steam. I am going to give this game an 9/10 with it being cheap, fun., and overall a great tower defense title. I had a great time going through this, thinking of strategies and then feeling like I am unstoppable was commonplace yet never too much to where I was getting bored. The game keeps a good balance of getting coins and the cost of traps, keeping the game from being just too easy. I would get this game again and it could be a great gift for anyone with an Xbox. For 1200 MS points why not spread the love for that friend. Be sure to check out the other post where I play the first 6 levels and show easy strategies to beat them. WASD and the other Controllers: Orcs Must Die! levels 1-6

Orcs Must Die! levels 1-6

noreply@blogger.com (PrisonedBeast) — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 22:08:00 +0000

Hello everyone, for those who could not tune into the live stream last night here is the videos I made. This playlist will show the first 6 levels in Orcs Must Die and a strategy you can use in order to beat it. Look for the review soon and hope you enjoy the videos.

RAGE

noreply@blogger.com (PrisonedBeast) — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 22:30:00 +0000

So RAGE came out last week. Developed by id Software, the creators of Doom and Quake, and published by Bethesda Softworks. This post-apocalyptic world is full of bandits, mutants, and the "Authority". There is a lot of content that you can do in this game. The downside is that most of the extra content is not really as deep as it may first appear. This does not take apart from the fact that the game is extremely gorgeous with the open world environment feeling alive. So inside this review you can check for all the good, the bad, and the ugly of what RAGE has to bring.

So the story is that you are a ARK survivor. Before there was this wasteland the world was thriving. It was not until a meteor hit the earth that caused it to become the way it is now. The ARK program was made in order to ensure the survival of some technology and mankind. You wake up not sure what the year is only to be quickly attacked by bandits. Saved by a local villager you go with him back to the town of Hagar. With the "Authority" looking for ARK survivors and paying for them you need to blend in. This is where RAGE starts out. You are now in control and go on the first of many quests that will explain more of the world and all that has happened in your sleep.

The game play for this game is very mediocre with nothing to memorable about it. This is one of the downsides to RAGE. The game just feels like another shooter with only so many weapons where you can do some minimal customization, along with change the ammo type. The characters are very well done and look good but most of the game is them telling you to do stuff for them while they work on something. The game does go from fetch quest to fetch quest with a couple "dungeons", where you go into a bandit stronghold, authority place, etc, where you will then just do some task that you were sent out to do. These can get tedious after a while but they do help the story along. There are so many different elements of game play though none of them feel as complete for example, there is a trading card game where you can challenge this guy to this game where you collect cards in the game and can challenge this one guy. The problem here is that it is the one guy with another guy later. This does not really make collecting the cards worth a lot of the time. Another thing would be the racing, though fun it is a couple tracks over and over with them occasionally reversing the direction you drive. You then win these racing tickets that let you get upgrades for the few vehicles you get in this game. So this game does many things but none of them are anything more then a distraction from the main quest and can be left alone. The saving grace of this game is the combat, with some items you can craft, you can make RC cars that have bombs and can explode, there is also the wingstick that can be thrown and sometimes breaks but does good damage against enemies. The guns feel a little weak considering how many shots it takes to down an enemy but ammo is not always in short supply. The enemy AI feels good with them avoiding grenades and staying behind cover and taking shots at you when they can.

So what works for this game would be the combat and the enemies along with the beautiful world. This makes the game enjoyable for the most part, with the good level of difficulty and pacing. The game has a good steady pace with a couple alternate tasks in between missions to keep yourself from getting burnt out. The game fails when it comes to the added side content. This is not fleshed out and does not make it worth doing more then the first couple times. The added racing is not terrible but it does feel extremely easy as long as you know what you are doing.

So this game is available for the Xbox 360 , PS3, and PC. This game is a good title with some minor things that do keep it from being a great one. It does have its similarities to Borderlands but it is completely different and they should not really be compared. I am having a good time playing RAGE and I think that it is a good game but for people who want the best, should hang on to their money. I would give this game a 8.5/10 it is good, takes some time to complete and it is gorgeous plays well in the combat with just the added stuff feeling useless. I would buy it again but maybe wait for price to drop before purchasing.

"Is there a Halo movie!! Nope" - 10/6/2011 WASD Podcast

noreply@blogger.com (PrisonedBeast) — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 22:09:00 +0000

This week there were some issues with the sound and that will not be known as the dead sound. But I am determined and the show must go on. So we talk about Halo movie and what this means. Then there is Bethesda suing Mojang over the scrolls trademark. Apparently there might be some confusion there. Lastly we talk about Rage and the driver issues on the PC. Then plagued by the dead sound there is a little bit in there where I explain briefly what happened but it comes back. Then finally answer a question from the greatly supportive Beth Catron.

Halo Movie News!! Nope just a rumor again...
http://www.joystiq.com/2011/10/06/rumor-dreamworks-halo-movie-mentioned-in-press-release/

Bethesda going to court with Mojang over the word Scrolls
http://www.pcgamer.com/2011/10/07/bethesda-nobody-here-enjoys-being-forced-into-scrolls-lawsuit/

Rage not having best launch for PC and ATI users
http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2011/10/rage-on-pc-is-a-mess-but-you-can-fix-some-of-it.ars

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Frozen Synapse

noreply@blogger.com (PrisonedBeast) — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 00:44:00 +0000

Frozen Synapse brings a new meaning to the phrase turn based game. This game can have turns as little as a minute to a couple days. Developed and published by Mode 7, this game brings a lot to the table with using very little. It is not the most detailed game but, however it is very strategic. With a whole single player campaign as well as five different multiplayer modes. With all these ways you can enjoy this self acclaimed "simultaneous turn-based strategy" you will hardly be disappointed.

As for how the story plays out, there really is not so much one to speak of. But there are several missions where you go around just doing these simple tasks (mainly being kill the other team). With one shot kills, things can get heated pretty quickly. Then there are the turns where you can lose three soldiers before you even know what happened. So the seemingly complex look of the game is very noticeable within watching the trailer for the game. However this is not quite how the game is played. The game unravels in five second chunks, one chunk being one turn. So two people plan out what they want to do in their five seconds then lock in the submission. There is the option of seeing what will play out in that time as well in order for you to get an idea of what might happen to your men and your opponents. So once both people have turned in there chunks the game will then play out the outcome. This is where people die in the game and the "action" takes place. So it then gets resolved to a last man standing. There are also other multplayer game types such as "Secure" and "Hostage Rescue" these use a new bidding based mode.

Overall there is really not a whole lot to this game but that does not keep it from being fun and appealing. With the ability to take your turn when you want to it keeps you from feeling like you should rush your turn. That is when mistakes get made and the game can get a little frustrating. The game overall will not last more then about 60 seconds on average but the planning phase is what causes the most time. Some matches can take longer depending on what type of units you have and the game type you choose. The simulation feature can sometimes be off because of the way it assumes your opponent will move and can take some getting used to. The weakest feature is the match making, this game really has the trial by fire approach where the tutorial helps you play the game but not really learn any strategies. This is where you need to find your own strats and how to deal with each type of unit.

So I would rate this game at about a 8/10. The game is fun but has some issues that can keep it from reaching its full potential. I like this game but it does not feature too much that makes me want to come back for more. I can play a couple games but as for sitting there and playing constantly, it does feel a little dry. The game does come with an extra copy if you buy it on Steam for $25 which is cool in order to get some friends in there and play with you. This could become the PC gaming equivalent to word with friends except it might also ruin a couple good friends over frustration. So if you can find out some good strategies and come in prepared this will be a great buy and will be worth the money. If you are only playing by yourself against strangers then you might want to just get a shooter.

"Dude, I don't know how to play!" - 9/29/2011 WASD Podcast

noreply@blogger.com (PrisonedBeast) — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 05:43:00 +0000

This week we do it live and have some great listener emails we go over. As for stories we talk about the Humble Bundle has made another debut and this time it is not so much a bundle but a game. The new League of Legends Dominion mode is now available to anyone who wants to jump in a try it out. We also mention how Ubisoft seems to be having some trouble reaching deadlines for a certain platform *cough* PC *cough*. So listen in to this weeks show and be sure to submit more questions and tell your friends.

The Humble Bundle : Frozen Synapse
http://www.humblebundle.com/

League of Legends Dominion
http://dominion.leagueoflegends.com/

Assassins Creed Revolution getting delayed along with some other Ubisoft titles
http://www.pcgamer.com/2011/09/29/assassins-creed-revelations-release-date-pushed-back-on-pc/

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"Cupcake Analogy" - 9/25/2011 WASD Podcast

noreply@blogger.com (PrisonedBeast) — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 07:59:00 +0000

This week Ryan and I are back and again we are live! We talk all about the upcoming release of the battlefield 3 open beta, and speaking of open betas Diablo 3 has launched its closed beta this week as well so there is tons of content you can see online. Dota 2 is moving the release date up so we can look forward to playing that game sooner than usual. Then we close with Cliffy B and his meltdown at Eurogamer over a disagreement on what the game should of scored. So join us and listen in this week for a good week of content though there is a unfortunate lack of quality this week due to a problem with the recording device.

Battlefield 3 Open beta is starting on the 29th
http://www.destructoid.com/battlefield-3-beta-arrives-september-29-211864.phtml

Dota 2 launch is getting pushed up
http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/23/dota-2-launch-moved-up-to-satisfy-seething-fans/

Cliffy B gets angry at Eurogamer
http://www.gamepro.com/article/news/223005/editorial-cliffy-b-calls-eurogamer-haters-for-gears-of-war-3-review-score/

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"Nubageddon" - 9/17/2011 WASD Podcast

noreply@blogger.com (PrisonedBeast) — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 06:11:00 +0000

This week we try the live again and this time we had a lot more success oh yeah and we also talked about VIDEO GAMES!!!! Wouldn't be a WASD Podcast without talking about DLC, Deus Ex is to get its first DLC in early October where it gives you a whole new set of augs and abilities. Resident Evil 6 or just another hoax we talk about our thoughts on the possible new game in the franchise. Nubaggedon 2011 has hit hard and what will happen to the 3DS does nintendo lack the capabilities to make hardware that is not released unfinished? Check it all out this week all done live!

Deus Ex DLC to come out
http://www.pcgamer.com/2011/09/15/deus-ex-human-revolution-missing-link-dlc-designed-to-encourage-aug-experimentation/

Resident Evil 6 Trailer or just some leaked footage of a new series http://www.computerandvideogames.com/319225/resident-evil-6-trailer-appears-update-but-is-it-fake/

Nubaggeddon 2011 Check out some of what happened at nintedos press conference http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2011/09/nintendo-presser-3ds-analog-add-on-100-hour-zelda-pink-3ds.ars

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Dead Island

noreply@blogger.com (PrisonedBeast) — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 18:27:00 +0000

Dead Island came out last week and it did end up having a pretty tough launch with some bugs and some controversy that held it back from scoring higher on some charts. Developed by Quicksilver and published by Techland, they do a good job of making the zombies feel more like a threat rather then a nuisance. This lets you expect some more terrifying moments and more satisfying victories over the scourge. So lets find out if this game deserves your money or should just be left marooned.

STORY:
The storyline in this game is pretty straight forward with added sidequests here and there. There are four characters you can choose from each one having a different back story but the story remains the same. The only change would be what type of weapon you end up using the most. Anyway you start out waking up to see that there are these zombies everywhere and you feel like you might be the only one left to survive. Then a voice calls out and guides you but you end up getting knocked out by the zombies. Next time you wake up you are in a little hut where you find out you are immune to the disease. Now after saving a lifeguard you are then to clear the way to a more defensible lifeguard tower. Once you do this task the game starts to open up more with there being sidequests you can do in order to get additional experience or money. Though the main story will keep you involved the side missions can feel a little repetitive when they are consistently fetch quests. The story is enjoyable and it has a good pacing to it introducing new types of zombies as you go along. This does keep things fresh as new areas of the island get explored it really does feel open though your limited to the island.

GAMEPLAY:
The gameplay is where this game is a good bit of old fashioned zombie smashing. They do not necessarily reinvent the genre but they do make it more satisfying. The way the melee combat works is very simple at the beginning but the later you get the more important timing is. With the level of the zombies scaling with you it makes things harder and harder as you go along. In the beginning you might feel like there are not enough to kill and you want to take them all on but later in the game you will try and avoid most of them because a good sized group can take you out pretty fast. This can keep things scary when you turn around and there is a zombie there and you could not hear it approaching. There are also some gun mechanics but the melee is where you can tell a lot of the focus of the game is which does make sense being your on an island, there cannot really be a entire cache of weapons on a resort island. There is also the co-op aspect where you can travel the world and join peoples games if they are in the same area as you in their own game. This lets you either choose to play with someone who is in the same area as you or simply just let others join you if you choose. Now this game can't be all good there are some drawbacks. Such as graphics don't feel optimized for example on the PC there are some spots that never render and the draw distance is not very good and this can hurt the immersion. Another issue would be the lack of SLI support in the game forcing you to do some work around in order to get the desired out put. There is also the degrading of weapons feature that does feel a little imbalanced with only a couple hits will break a weapon and you need to repair it if you want it to be any good. This can get annoying when you are no where near a repair bench but instead about to fight a room of zombies.

FINAL THOUGHTS:
So what works in this game is probably the satisfaction of killing the zombies. With the added mechanic of breaking their legs or arms making placement of blows more important depending on what you are fighting. Also the amount of stuff you can do does feel plentiful but with the drawback that most quests are escorts or fetch tasks. The stuff that does not work would be the weapon degrading, this game would be a lot of fun without that mechanic but leaving in the combining of weapons in order to make some unique custom ones is a fun time sink. The only problem with that part though would be the difficulty of getting recipes. It would be cool if it would let you try and make your own combos such as duct taping a knife to the end of your bat (not the best example but you get the idea).

So all together I would say this game is probably not worth paying $60, it could of used the DLC coming out later this month at launch to encourage more co-op and learning how to work together. It is $40 on amazon as a digital download which is a really good deal and if you have a PC. It is worth it if your looking for another zombie killing game. As for console player just try and get a good deal on E-Bay or something like that because it could use some more refining before it is really worth it. I did have a lot of fun playing this game it is long and you will spend some time on it. The replay ability is pretty high adding some more value making the $40 price look very good. Anyway aside from some minor complaints this does do a good job of making zombie killing fun again.

"Nemo Finds You" - 9/11/2011 WASD Podcast

noreply@blogger.com (PrisonedBeast) — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 16:23:00 +0000

Ryan and I are back joined by two special guests this week. We jump into stories this week as we discuss how Dead Island will have their DLC for zombie survival mode to be coming out later this month. Final Fantasy XIII-2 is now 90% complete and will include time travel. There will be vampires in Skyrim. With football regular season kicking off we talk about some of the changes in Madden 2012. So listen in for a great podcast with some guests as we semi celebrate our 20th podcast.

Dead Island DLC coming out later this month
http://www.pcgamer.com/2011/09/09/dead-island-dlc-to-add-co-op-survival-mode/

Final Fantasy XIII-2 is 90% complete
http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/11/final-fantasy-xiii-2-is-90-percent-complete-more-pre-tgs-detail/

Skyrim will have vampires
http://www.computerandvideogames.com/318441/vampire-transformations-confirmed-for-skyrim/

Six changes in Madden 2012
http://nflfootballnow.com/2011/05/21/six-changes-for-madden-2012-franchise-mode/

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"Seasame Street Nazi Zombies" - 9/6/2011 WASD Podcast

noreply@blogger.com (PrisonedBeast) — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 06:47:00 +0000

Ryan and I are LIVE!! This week we streamed the podcast and there were some audio problems but please remain calm. We still covered tons of content and have a good show for you. We talk about the creative director from 343 Industries leaving. We discuss how Steam trading is live and some impacts that will have. Then close stories off with noting that Modern Warfare 3 will not have zombies. There were plenty of questions this week and we answered most of them. Hope you enjoy this weeks episode.

Halo 4 Creative Director leaves 343 Industries
http://gamasutra.com/view/news/37037/Halo_4_Creative_Director_Ryan_Payton_Leaves_343_Industries.php

Steam Trading releases beta and is now Live
http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/06/psa-steam-trading-leaves-beta-now-official/

Call of Duty 3 will have no Zombies
http://www.pcgamer.com/2011/09/06/call-of-duty-modern-warfare-3-will-have-lan-support-improved-theatre-mode-no-zombies/

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"Back from PAX" - 8/29/2011 WASD Podcast

noreply@blogger.com (PrisonedBeast) — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 18:49:00 +0000

I am back from the weekend in Seattle and I am very excited to record again with Ryan. We talk all about the Gamestop controversy about them opening and removing parts of a game. Team Fortress has turned 15 and gave away free stuff to everyone who logged in on that day. Gears of War is possibly going to start a new trend with its new season pass for DLC paying a flat rate now for what DLC will come out in the future. We wrap things up with me talking about some of what I did at PAX and look forward to next year.

Gametop prevents Onlive from bundling in a free copy of Deus Ex for the PC copies
http://www.destructoid.com/gamestop-the-worst-removes-onlive-codes-from-deus-ex-pc-209773.phtml

Team fortress is now 15 years old
http://www.pcgamer.com/2011/08/25/team-fortress-2-is-15-free-hats-for-all-also-cake/

Gear of War is offering a Season Pass for DLC
http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/29/gears-of-war-3-gets-30-season-pass-first-dlc-in-november/

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"Happy Ending for Nintendo" - 8/21/2011 WASD Podcast

noreply@blogger.com (PrisonedBeast) — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 06:01:00 +0000

Hey welcome back to a great week of news, though we only cover part of it there was a lot that went on this week. Guess this makes up for the lack of news last week. To start things off we talk about the controversial Battlefield 3 not including a in game server browser. Nintendo has an amazing week with the 3DS since the price drop. Then EA is limiting the number of sales for both digital and retail copies of The Old Republic, Biowares new Star Wars MMO. We answer a listeners question and discuss the latest in new releases. So listen in to stay in the know on some of the biggest stories of the week. Be sure to send in any questions you guys have it brightens Ryan and my day to see some listener questions so keep sending them in.

Battlefield 3 not including in game server browser.
http://www.pcgamer.com/2011/08/19/battlefield-3-pc-wont-have-in-game-server-browser-battlelog-is-the-main-menu/

Japanese Hardware sees a dramatic increase in 3DS sales.
http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/21/japanese-hardware-sales-august-8-14-oh-wait-never-mind-edit/

The Old Republic is limiting the amount of sales made.
http://gamasutra.com/view/news/36696/EA_Confirms_Limited_Number_Of_Old_Republic_Digital_Retail_Launch_Copies.php

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Bastion

noreply@blogger.com (PrisonedBeast) — Sat, 20 Aug 2011 20:42:00 +0000

Bastion is a game that makes some innovative leaps on how story is told. The game's developer, Supergiant Games working with the publisher Warner Brothers Interactive Entertainment, have released a game that is very unique in its presentation. You can expect some role playing elements as well as some action, shooting, and hack and slash gameplay. Along with some great visuals and colors this makes the game not bland at all.

So the story is progressed through an interactive narrator that will say whatever you are doing in a rustic voice that makes you stay intrigued. The game starts out with an event called the Calamity that has left the world in a fragmented state that builds around you as you walk around. With you trying to achieve cores in order to rebuild the central hub known as the Bastion, you are the last hope in restoring the world and figuring out why the calamity happened. What makes the story good is the narrating that just gives it a good feel to what is going on and it makes it simple to keep track of what is going on because the narration happens while you are playing not in between chapters. There is also the multiple weapons you achieve and master through challenges.

The gameplay is very similar to Torchlight where you are run around and use the left mouse to attack with your main weapon and the right mouse button to use you secondary weapon. There are also some other elements like the dodge roll that cause more frustration then ease because you need to be careful otherwise you can easily fall down off the map and take unnecessary damage. There is also the feature to give yourself handicaps in order to achieve bonuses but they are often times not worth the handicap so only there for the more hardcore players. There are some feature though such as choosing a bonus for yourself after you level through assigning certain ales and spirits to certain slots in a distillery. The weapons are fun to use but it is very difficult to maintain a standard of not receiving damage while attacking because the enemies will move quick and attack you regardless of you hitting them. There are the ranged weapons that do make it easier to take out targets from further away.

So overall what works well is the way the story is told but the gameplay could use a little help such as some invisible walls on the side in order to keep from rolling off a lot, as well as having a knockback effect on the weapons. These are minor issues that do not take away from the fun of the game once you get used to it. Soon enough you will roll around like a pro and just remember to heal more often. The game does well with its revolutionary storytelling this is one of my personal favorite things about the game.

So this game is available on Xbox 360 on the xbox live arcade for about 1200 Microsoft points or about $15 however there is a free demo that you can download and try if you need some more convincing. It is also available on Steam for $15 aswell as a free demo. For this price this game is worth paying if you want something new to play. I also recommend the demo because that is a way you can really see what this game is like.

"Sleepy Time part Duex" - 8/14/2011 WASD Podcast

noreply@blogger.com (PrisonedBeast) — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 18:41:00 +0000

In this week Ryan and I return and we are both exhausted after a late moonlit surf session. It works out because there was a news drought so we cover what we could. In this week we talk about Battlefield 3 requiring Origin on retail copies. THQ lays off over 200 people and shuts down multiple studios. There is also the new controversial game for item trading that is now in beta on steam. So join us for a sleepy old podcast with a listener question we answer.

Battlefield 3 requires Origin for the Retail copy.
http://www.pcgamer.com/2011/08/12/battlefield-3-retail-copies-will-require-origin-to-play/

THQ lets 200 people go and puts a popular franchise on hold.
http://www.destructoid.com/thq-realigns-business-200-jobs-cut-from-studio-closures-208380.phtml

Steam Trading goes into beta
http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/10/steam-trading-beta-lets-you-exchange-in-game-items-for-games/

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"Good to be back" - 8/7/2011 WASD Podcast

noreply@blogger.com (PrisonedBeast) — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 06:54:00 +0000

Ryan and I are back from being on our three week sabbatical. We talk about Minecraft reaches its 3rd million sale. The Humble Indie Bundle 3 is out and we talk about the games that are in that including the ones that are now available. Epic is hiring for a new IP that they are planning on making and we have some speculation on what that could be. We close with talking about Borderlands 2 being announced and the time that will be out.

Minecraft Passes 3 million in sales
http://www.pcgamer.com/2011/08/05/minecraft-passes-3-million-sales/

Humble Indie Bundle 3 is now out
http://www.humblebundle.com/

Epic is hiring for new IP
http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/07/epic-hiring-for-new-unannounced-ip/

Borderlands 2 is slated for 2012
http://www.1up.com/news/borderlands-2-coming-2012-report