It's a ritual every games writer must go through at some point; the traditional run down of his or her top ten favourite games.
After scribbling down a shortlist and then using an advanced method of moving bits of paper about on my desk, I decided on an order. I'm still not a hundred percent sure about the order of the bottom five, but the games that matter are all there. So let's begin;
10; Wario Land 3, GBC, 2000
Probably the least known game on the list, but one that has always stuck with me, WL3 is a 2D platformer in a similar vein to the other Wario games. The game features a linear upgrade system where Wario's powers develop over the course of the game. This allowed for an element of the game which probably is the main reason for it sticking in my top ten; after gaining new abilities, you would go back to older levels and unlock new routes through them, resulting in new levels unlocking. A night and day cycle that altered the enemies and layout of certain levels was a clever feature, as well as some fantastically ridiculous boss fights and an ingenious power up system that beautifully exploited Wario's invincibility. Wario Land 3 showed me that small cartridge games didn't have to be small in vision.
Showing posts with label mass effect 2. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mass effect 2. Show all posts
19 Mar 2010
Birthday Cake Joke
Although the 19th of March might not seem a big deal, it does represent a rather momentous occasion for me. One year ago today, I finally got around to setting up the blog I'd been thinking about doing for a while, and I made that first post about fishing in "Twilight Princess". A hell of a lot has changed since then. I changed the name and layout of the blog, changed consoles in July, became a semi-serious journalist, and went to university. And so, in lieu of any actual gaming updates, I'm gonna talk about my most anticipated games for this year.
And you are going to listen.
Fable 3; Can't wait to start making swords out of dragons teeth or guns out of fog or whatever. I really hope that this doesn't get delayed, cause then I'll have to set fire to something/one. I'm also gonna have to increase my GamerScore if I want really awesome weaponry.
Enslaved; might not have heard of this but it's a new action adventure from Ninja Theory, based on Monkey; Journey to the West. In future New York. And there are robots. So you know, that's cool.
Just Cause 2; I'm aware this comes out very soon, but I won't be able to play it for a while due to uni. Flying round a tropical paradise with parachuting and Spiderman-style sling shooting. And awesome cars.
HD Monkey Island 2; Cannot come soon enough.
Star Wars; The Old Republic; Although I'll probably never play it cause it's on PC and subscription, I'd love to have a go at a free trial, cause this game looks awesome. Smuggler or Bounty Hunter?
Fallout New Vegas; Might not be out this year cause of potential delays, but considering how much I loved Fallout 3, I know I'm gonna love this new iteration. Mainly because there will probably an awesome fedora hat in there somewhere.
Mass Effect 2; Although it came out earlier this year, I still have yet to play it, mainly because I haven't to finish the original. I don't want to start the game without a saved ME1 Shepard to use. Looking forward to more space opera fun. IN SPACE.
L.A. Noire; Film Noir style detective stories have always interested me so I'm really looking forward to this open world crime solving action adventure from Rockstar. And more fedora hats.
SMG2; The original is pure platforming elegance, so surely the sequel will be more of the same. It'll give me something to play over the summer on the Wii, which is good. I should really finish my second playthrough with Luigi at some point...
Half Life 2; Episode 3; Yeah, right.
You know, I never did get that Frog lure. Hm.
And you are going to listen.
Fable 3; Can't wait to start making swords out of dragons teeth or guns out of fog or whatever. I really hope that this doesn't get delayed, cause then I'll have to set fire to something/one. I'm also gonna have to increase my GamerScore if I want really awesome weaponry.
Enslaved; might not have heard of this but it's a new action adventure from Ninja Theory, based on Monkey; Journey to the West. In future New York. And there are robots. So you know, that's cool.
Just Cause 2; I'm aware this comes out very soon, but I won't be able to play it for a while due to uni. Flying round a tropical paradise with parachuting and Spiderman-style sling shooting. And awesome cars.
HD Monkey Island 2; Cannot come soon enough.
Star Wars; The Old Republic; Although I'll probably never play it cause it's on PC and subscription, I'd love to have a go at a free trial, cause this game looks awesome. Smuggler or Bounty Hunter?
Fallout New Vegas; Might not be out this year cause of potential delays, but considering how much I loved Fallout 3, I know I'm gonna love this new iteration. Mainly because there will probably an awesome fedora hat in there somewhere.
Mass Effect 2; Although it came out earlier this year, I still have yet to play it, mainly because I haven't to finish the original. I don't want to start the game without a saved ME1 Shepard to use. Looking forward to more space opera fun. IN SPACE.
L.A. Noire; Film Noir style detective stories have always interested me so I'm really looking forward to this open world crime solving action adventure from Rockstar. And more fedora hats.
SMG2; The original is pure platforming elegance, so surely the sequel will be more of the same. It'll give me something to play over the summer on the Wii, which is good. I should really finish my second playthrough with Luigi at some point...
Half Life 2; Episode 3; Yeah, right.
You know, I never did get that Frog lure. Hm.
1 Feb 2010
MASS EFFECT 2 (BOX) REVIEW!
I got Mass Effect 2 the other day! YAY! I I CAN'T PLAY IT! YEAH! SO HERE'S MY MASS EFFECT 2 REVIEW.
OF THE BOX.
SO. Let's get started.
As with all new games, it came in some stupid plastic wrapping. Normally these are pretty tough to get into, but this was something else. I ended up jabbing at it with a knife, which finally got through, and only slightly damaged the box art.
The box art! At the top is MASS EFFECT 2 in BIIIIG letters, which makes sense since... that's what it is in. The image below shows three of the characters, starting with Shepard. I never really noticed till now, but if you squint, and turn your head slightly, he looks like an angry Matthew Fox. With an assault rifle. Miranda looks oddly happy, considering she is probably fighting for her life, and the lives of thousands of others. But then I realise who she looks like and think... AWESOME. Jigsaw-Face man looks like he had a very late night. Or is on drugs. I am aware of his real name, for the record.
Owards, breaking through the seal on the box (which is a certificate of authenticity, telling me... it's definately a plastic seal.), to the discs. Quite surprised when the first disc swang outwards, revealing... ANOTHER DISC! Totally wasn't expecting that, but I guess it's more to be expected than say... I dunno, a cougar. That'd suck. 30 quid for a cougar mauling. That's a total rip. Side note; the disc has a little note on it which says "Do not make illegal copies of this disc" Presumably, Microsoft thinks pirates won't break the law if asked nicely.
Manual! It's got the same front as the box, unsurprisingly, but it's got black and white stuff on the inside. I'm sure the original had colour artwork, but I guess it's not the end of the world. Although from what I read on the blurb, whole planets are vanishing, so it's the end of some worlds, I suppose.
Finally, the Cerberus Network membership, telling me I case access a wealth of in game stuff. The code itself is printed on a card in the middle of the flyer, and has cut out lines. I'm thinking about cutting it out. Perhaps getting it laminated, keep it in my wallet and flash it at random strangers. I dunno.
And so that concludes my review of the Mass Effect 2 box.
It's taunting me.
Sitting on my desk.
Wanting to be played.
blurgh.
OF THE BOX.
SO. Let's get started.
As with all new games, it came in some stupid plastic wrapping. Normally these are pretty tough to get into, but this was something else. I ended up jabbing at it with a knife, which finally got through, and only slightly damaged the box art.
The box art! At the top is MASS EFFECT 2 in BIIIIG letters, which makes sense since... that's what it is in. The image below shows three of the characters, starting with Shepard. I never really noticed till now, but if you squint, and turn your head slightly, he looks like an angry Matthew Fox. With an assault rifle. Miranda looks oddly happy, considering she is probably fighting for her life, and the lives of thousands of others. But then I realise who she looks like and think... AWESOME. Jigsaw-Face man looks like he had a very late night. Or is on drugs. I am aware of his real name, for the record.
Owards, breaking through the seal on the box (which is a certificate of authenticity, telling me... it's definately a plastic seal.), to the discs. Quite surprised when the first disc swang outwards, revealing... ANOTHER DISC! Totally wasn't expecting that, but I guess it's more to be expected than say... I dunno, a cougar. That'd suck. 30 quid for a cougar mauling. That's a total rip. Side note; the disc has a little note on it which says "Do not make illegal copies of this disc" Presumably, Microsoft thinks pirates won't break the law if asked nicely.
Manual! It's got the same front as the box, unsurprisingly, but it's got black and white stuff on the inside. I'm sure the original had colour artwork, but I guess it's not the end of the world. Although from what I read on the blurb, whole planets are vanishing, so it's the end of some worlds, I suppose.
Finally, the Cerberus Network membership, telling me I case access a wealth of in game stuff. The code itself is printed on a card in the middle of the flyer, and has cut out lines. I'm thinking about cutting it out. Perhaps getting it laminated, keep it in my wallet and flash it at random strangers. I dunno.
And so that concludes my review of the Mass Effect 2 box.
It's taunting me.
Sitting on my desk.
Wanting to be played.
blurgh.
21 Jan 2010
There Is Nothing for Me To Talk About...
...so this is a non-blog post.
What am I meant to say? That I'm still really excited for Mass Effect 2, and I have preordered it? That I really want my Xbox? That I want a new laptop so I can play Team Fortress 2 which I bought but haven't played yet?
Until something exciting happens to me (don't hold your breath) just stick at the Newb Review. There should be a podcast featuring me going up at some point, and I've got a couple of reviews there as well.
Till then... Yeah, I got nout.
What am I meant to say? That I'm still really excited for Mass Effect 2, and I have preordered it? That I really want my Xbox? That I want a new laptop so I can play Team Fortress 2 which I bought but haven't played yet?
Until something exciting happens to me (don't hold your breath) just stick at the Newb Review. There should be a podcast featuring me going up at some point, and I've got a couple of reviews there as well.
Till then... Yeah, I got nout.
13 Jan 2010
I Wish I Was A Spaceman
HELP ME. MASS EFFECT IS SLOWLY CONSUMING MY LIFE. AND WORST OF ALL THE ACHIEVEMENTS ARE ALL REALLY OBSCURE, MEANING IT HASN'T GONE UP IN AGES.
Right then, now that the insanity is out of the way, onto the matter at hand; talking about Mass Effect.
Mass Effect is good. The story is captivating and very immersive. The talking sections have plenty of options and allow you to explore the plot as much or as little as you want. The driving sections admittedly aren't the best but as previously mentioned, I find it hilarious to drive into absolutely everything. Randomly searching the galaxy for things to do is also good fun and helps to make my character better, which I desperately need.
As I said in my last blog post, I don't enjoy the combat in Mass Effect. It feels clunky, and shooting enemies doesn't feel as gratifying as say Borderlands or Fallout 3. The biotic powers are good, so long as your opponent is standing still, and your teammates can use them properly. Admittedly I have started to adapt my play style to suit the game better. It's all about seeking cover, you can't just run into combat scenarios and expect to come out the other side unperforated. Having said that, what is the point in seeking cover if the enemies just walk right behind you, perfectly shielded and shoot the hell out of you?
I've also levelled up more efficiently, putting more points into armour, shotguns and the Barrier biotic. I need all the help I can get, and my logic is, if I can stay alive longer, I have more chance of hitting the bastards.
It's still a hard decision on Mass Effect 2. The collector's edition costs a grand sum of £54.99, and that's a fair amount. Requires more thought. Must resolve problem.
Until next time, I will see you all on the front line, ducking for cover from a missile behind a small crate, y'all!
Right then, now that the insanity is out of the way, onto the matter at hand; talking about Mass Effect.
Mass Effect is good. The story is captivating and very immersive. The talking sections have plenty of options and allow you to explore the plot as much or as little as you want. The driving sections admittedly aren't the best but as previously mentioned, I find it hilarious to drive into absolutely everything. Randomly searching the galaxy for things to do is also good fun and helps to make my character better, which I desperately need.
As I said in my last blog post, I don't enjoy the combat in Mass Effect. It feels clunky, and shooting enemies doesn't feel as gratifying as say Borderlands or Fallout 3. The biotic powers are good, so long as your opponent is standing still, and your teammates can use them properly. Admittedly I have started to adapt my play style to suit the game better. It's all about seeking cover, you can't just run into combat scenarios and expect to come out the other side unperforated. Having said that, what is the point in seeking cover if the enemies just walk right behind you, perfectly shielded and shoot the hell out of you?
I've also levelled up more efficiently, putting more points into armour, shotguns and the Barrier biotic. I need all the help I can get, and my logic is, if I can stay alive longer, I have more chance of hitting the bastards.
It's still a hard decision on Mass Effect 2. The collector's edition costs a grand sum of £54.99, and that's a fair amount. Requires more thought. Must resolve problem.
Until next time, I will see you all on the front line, ducking for cover from a missile behind a small crate, y'all!
5 Jan 2010
Vehicular Menace
It says quite a lot about my mental state that when someone offers me control of a vehicle in a video game with a gun attached my thought process is less "Oh, that's useful, a fast and safe way of getting from Point A to Point B, with the added safety of a gun which can be used to take down roadside enemies" and more along the lines of "Cool, now I can mow shit down."
Borderlands has got cars. Admittedly, they're sort of dune-buggy style cars that have entirely independent front wheels, but a car none the less. They also come with a choice of machine gun or rocket launcher, the latter of which has officially been designated "the nuts" at taking down... Pretty much anything. Despite this, I still find the best way to take down enemies is to just drive into them. Skag? Drive into it. Bandit? Drive into it. Rakk? Go off a jump, into it (I haven't done this, but it would be freaking sweet). The more I play of Borderlands, the more I like, and I haven't even left the first area yet. Great Crimbo present =)
Another thing that does what be havin' cars is Mass Effect. Well, not a car. It's an ATV with ridiculous suspension and jump jets. In a similar way to Borderlands, it gets you from Point A to Point B, and it's got a gun on it. However, it's more fun to run the Geth over. Admittedly, the Geth Armatures don't go down so you have to machine gun 'em a bit, but it's brilliant if you can slide the Mako just right and take out three rocket troopers. Alternatively, jump jetting onto their heads. Both of this work well.
Mass Effect is fun, but the combat is shockingly bad. I love the talking bits, and just navigating around the ship and the Citadel. The voice acting is absolutely spot-on, which is obviously of vital importance. It's just a shame that the combat is shockingly poor. I was having a great time, right up until the point I had to start shooting things. Then suddenly, it all fell apart. But I'm persevering. I have until Mass Effect 2 comes out to start liking it more, and get past the point I am at now. I'm thinking about pre-ordering the GAME Collectors Edition, with the exclusive stuff in it. Good times.
And that's me done for the evening. I've got to go pack my bags, because I'm off for little under a week, but I shall return Sunday evening to chat to you about... something. See y'all on the bridge!
Borderlands has got cars. Admittedly, they're sort of dune-buggy style cars that have entirely independent front wheels, but a car none the less. They also come with a choice of machine gun or rocket launcher, the latter of which has officially been designated "the nuts" at taking down... Pretty much anything. Despite this, I still find the best way to take down enemies is to just drive into them. Skag? Drive into it. Bandit? Drive into it. Rakk? Go off a jump, into it (I haven't done this, but it would be freaking sweet). The more I play of Borderlands, the more I like, and I haven't even left the first area yet. Great Crimbo present =)
Another thing that does what be havin' cars is Mass Effect. Well, not a car. It's an ATV with ridiculous suspension and jump jets. In a similar way to Borderlands, it gets you from Point A to Point B, and it's got a gun on it. However, it's more fun to run the Geth over. Admittedly, the Geth Armatures don't go down so you have to machine gun 'em a bit, but it's brilliant if you can slide the Mako just right and take out three rocket troopers. Alternatively, jump jetting onto their heads. Both of this work well.
Mass Effect is fun, but the combat is shockingly bad. I love the talking bits, and just navigating around the ship and the Citadel. The voice acting is absolutely spot-on, which is obviously of vital importance. It's just a shame that the combat is shockingly poor. I was having a great time, right up until the point I had to start shooting things. Then suddenly, it all fell apart. But I'm persevering. I have until Mass Effect 2 comes out to start liking it more, and get past the point I am at now. I'm thinking about pre-ordering the GAME Collectors Edition, with the exclusive stuff in it. Good times.
And that's me done for the evening. I've got to go pack my bags, because I'm off for little under a week, but I shall return Sunday evening to chat to you about... something. See y'all on the bridge!
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