Category Archives: Games
Gears of War 3 pushed back to Fall 2011
Well, I had a feeling this was coming. Gears of War 3 has been officially delayed to Fall 2011, and not for any legit reason. Microsoft had this to say: 
“Gears of War 3 promises to be the biggest entertainment launch of 2011,” the Microsoft statement reads. “The teams at Microsoft Game Studios and Epic Games have done great work thus far readying the title for release in the Spring of 2011. However, we’ve elected to move the launch of Gears of War 3 until Fall 2011 to make it the marquee title for the holiday season.”
If the game needed more time for development, sure. But just because you’re missing an A-list title for the holiday season? The first half of the year is usually pretty dull, as far as game releases go (though that trend seems to be on its way out, what with so many games being pushed back to early 2011), so it was nice to see a company willing to release a big-name title sometime other than the fall. But, it couldn’t last. Microsoft saw how great Reach was selling, and decided that GoW 3 needed to be in that slot for 2011. Am I disappointed? Sure. Hopefully this gives Epic time to improve some stuff, which is always nice.
But really, I’m just bummed that I have to wait another half-year to find out whether Clayton Carmine will live or die. Ah well, c’est la vie.
Source: IGN
Halo Reach Review
Tuesday, September 14, one of the most anticipating games of all time was released, Halo Reach. Over half a million players were logged online playing this game only hours after it hit the store shelves. Reach sales ‘reached’ over $200 million on just that first day.
Halo Reach takes place just before the events of the first Halo game. You are the new Noble Six in Spartan Noble Team. A position that the rest of the team would rather not be filled. The rumor is that a live action trailer that was released just before the game was the final events of the previous Noble Six. As the new Noble Six you quickly prove that you are defiantly qualified for the slot.
A lot of specific information is in my review of the Halo Reach Multiplayer Beta. It that review I go into detail about the new weapons, how the game physics has changed, a couple of the new armor abilities, and even the new mutilplayer modes. The features that has changed are a couple new armor abilities. Drop shields is one such new ability, which acts just like the bubble shield from Halo 3. Another of the new abilities is the hologram, the hologram sends out a copy of the player in a straight to the point that the player picks.
The campaign in Reach starts out with the player joining Noble team and immediately sent out investigate what at first thought are rebel attacks. By the end of the first mission the player learns the dreadful truth at Reach is being invaded by the Covenant. Now if you know anything about Halo lore, you know what’s going to happen to Reach. Most Halo fans know the big events of the Fall of Reach but this campaign delves into the smaller unknown, but still important events. After finishing the campaign stay until after the credits there a bonus at the end, like in all Halo games.
The firefight mode is a blast to play. Spending hours playing with four friends is the only way really to play firefight. Competitive multiplayer is no slouch either. Playing 16 player free for all and watching one player fall off a forge remake of lockout, chasing a hologram is what makes games like this worth playing.
The new forge world is the most genius map Bungie could have made. It’s insanely large map to be used in forge to make many different types of maps. One area in the map is a large valley and the landscape is a copy of Coagulation and Bungie went a head and did what every one would want with that and made the Blood Gulch bases. Another area is a large pillar made of earth and with the structures available, in Forge, Bungie remade Ascension. The forge world ends with a hanger-like area inside a cliff.
(I am issuing a challenge, to make a working map that includes every area of Forge World. Once done please send the map to me. I so want to play a map like that.)
I recommend this game to anyone who has played and likes the other Halo games. For someone new to the Halo franchise I would start with Halo 1, although that person could start with Halo Reach and be fine.
Alice at Last: A few favorite incarnations
made by Yappichick
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I’ve loved the story “Alice in Wonderland†since I was little. Since the new Disney movie by Tim Burton came out there’s been a large surge of interest in the various incarnations. Earlier this week I got into a brief conversation on Twitter about some of the different movies and I decided to list a few of my favorites.
Disney’s animated “Alice in Wonderlandâ€
How many folks remember watching this as a kid and wishing you could have un-birthdays? I have a nostalgic love for this film and the music in it. Even now I can still hear the Cheshire Cat singing those lines from the Jabberwock poem. While I’m not as big of a fan of it now, it still goes on my list of favorites simply because it was one of the first that I remember.
“Alice in Wonderland†& “Through the Looking Glass†(1985)
This TV movie was memorable for many reasons. It had an incredible cast and followed the plot of the books rather well. I’ll never be able to forget the first stanza of the poem “Father William†thanks to Sammy Davis Jr. dancing and singing it as the Caterpillar. Then there were the things that gave me nightmares such as Carol Channing as the White Queen turning into a sheep (which did happen in the book) and the very scary (at the time) Jabberwock. While I admit the effects look somewhat cheesy today, I recently rewatched this one and was happy to find that I enjoyed it just as much now as I did then.
American McGee’s Alice
I happened across this one while visiting a friend over the summer years ago. I watched him play it all the way through and realized that I loved the storyline. And older Alice who survived a fire that killed her parents (after her first trip down the rabbit hole) is locked in a mental hospital and has to fight her own insanity which is also warping the very real Wonderland that she’s still tied to. Who wouldn’t love that? Plus a Cheshire Cat with piercings and tattoos? And now they’re making a sequel? One of my favorites without question.
Syfy’s “Aliceâ€
I wasn’t sure what I would think of this version of Alice in Wonderland. The storyline is quite different and many of the characters adjusted to fit in the new story. Even the Hatter wasn’t quite as mad as he normally is though the White Knight cracked me up to no end. Still, I have to admit, but the end of this one I decided that I could accept this as one I would recommend and enjoy later. It’s different, the ending is one that made me jump for joy and I admit that Andrew Lee Potts as the Hatter is cute enough to make me watch it again.
Tim Burton’s “Alice in Wonderlandâ€
To give them credit, they didn’t make a true sequel or reboot it even though this was done through Disney and could have easily been either. Instead they took the original story and decided to set this one years after that. The first time I watched this one I thought it was good, nothing exciting and decided that I preferred the character of Chessur (the Cheshire Cat) to the others in the film. Less than a day later the movie had grown on me like a fungus and I found my love of the Mad Hatter renewed. It’s easy to get distracted by the visuals and score but the storyline is an excellent one and I highly recommend this incarnation.
And that’s my rundown of my favorite Alice in Wonderland incarnations! Do you have others that I didn’t mention or a different opinion on the ones I did? Hit me up with a comment!
Tony Hawk Shred(To Peaces)
I posted this video to “Shred” it to peaces. Did Tony Hawk: Ride really sell that well that they can justify releasing another game using the fake skateboard controller? I speak as a former skater when I say this is totally ridiculous. The bundle is marked at $99.99. I would rather buy another skateboard(signature brands=same price). I for one play a game to escape reality and not to simulate it so much only to pretend. It just seems a bit silly to me. I was really hoping that the Tony Hawk games would go back to the way they were. I popped in the original Tony Hawk Pro Skater and its still enjoyable. The graphics were out dated, but the gameplay was solid. Speaking of graphics, they look horrible in this trailer. I hate to see anything involving skateboarding fail, but hopefully this does so they realize to go back to using the controller. I’m curious if anyone out there is thinking of picking this up and why. Please leave a comment if your one of the few or if you want to “Shred” this trailer to peaces as well.
Icarus revealed to be Bioshock: Infinite
Well, today’s the day. Today is the day that whatisicarus.com finally reveals its secrets. It’s not System Shock 3, and it’s not a new IP. No, it’s another Bioshock game. Now, some may groan, and some may moan, but wait! This is not your typical undersea fare you’ve grown to expect out of the series. No, this game, this “Bioshock Infinite”, is set in a new place. This game is set in Columbia, a city in the clouds. A synopsis, straight from the website:
“BioShock Infinite is a first-person shooter currently in development at Irrational Games, the studio behind the original BioShock (which sold over 4 million units worldwide). Set in 1912, BioShock Infinite introduces an entirely new narrative and gameplay experience that lifts players out of the familiar confines of Rapture and rockets them to Columbia, an immense city in the sky.
Former Pinkerton agent Booker DeWitt has been sent to rescue Elizabeth, a young woman imprisoned in Columbia since childhood. Booker develops a relationship with Elizabeth, augmenting his abilities with hers so the pair may escape from a city that is literally falling from the sky. DeWitt must learn to fight foes in high-speed Sky-Line battles, engage in combat both indoors and amongst the clouds, and harness the power of dozens of new weapons and abilities.”
Judging by the logos at the bottom of the screen, Irrational is sticking with Xbox 360, PC, and PS3 as their platforms.
This news is not exactly what I was expecting. Personally, I was hoping for a new IP. However, I’m glad the franchise is moving someplace other than Rapture. Another story set down there is not what the series needs. What do you think? Is it too soon for another Bioshock announcement? Will you pick it up? Let us know in the comments.
Retro Rocket: Final Fantasy VII
So many things have been said over this game that it is hard to find a new spin to put on it, that being said I am just going to talk from the heart on this one. I found Final Fantasy VII by accident. I had always been a fan of the U.S. releases of Final Fantasy back when it was always on Nintendo. I loved both Final Fantasy 4 and 6 with all my heart. Between Resident Evil 2 and Final Fantasy VII I was finally convinced to save up my money to get a PlayStation, to this day it remains one of the best purcahses I ever made.
I am not going to bother to bore you with a review of FF 7. The internets are littered with them and they have been done by far better then me. What I will do is tell you why, no matter how many times the game is called overrated, I will always love it. Final Fantasy VII had a mood to it. From the characters, the settings, and especially the music everything coalesced to make you just feel what it was like to be in the world of Cloud, Barret, and Tifa. By today’s standards the graphics are terrible but at the time they were mind-blowing. The places I went in the game felt real no matter how fantastic they were.
Speaking of music, I don’t think a FF game has ever had a better soundtrack. At every single turn in the story the music sets the tone. From joy to heartache and from mystery to romance the music is center stage. It is no small tribute to the soundtrack that FF7 is one of the most remixed soundtracks ever.
Say what you will about melodrama, the characters of FF7 have stuck with me. I still feel the plight of Cloud when he returns home to his small town only to not find his mother, or of Aerith and her quest to find her place in the scheme of things. Final Fantasy 7 is close behind 6 in terms of remember-able characters that stick with you.
With the game being on the PSN store, I highly encourage you to try it out for yourself. Forgive the now outdated graphics and just play it for what it is, you will enjoy it.
Van Redd Reviews: Limbo
Darkness and Light are two of the simplest forms of artistic expression, and yet for all time they have been the most powerful. The subtext is easy to understand…quite primal in fact. Limbo plays to this strength and is one of the most haunting games I have ever played.
Haunting is quite apt as your character, a young boy, looks like a lost spirit. His form is black save for his dots of light eyes. The world he traverses through is a mix of shadow and light, the forms of trees and buildings just faintly apparent. From the very beginning you feel as if things are not right. You are made to feel weak and helpless; one hit will send you to your doom. Death lurks at every corner in this world and can come at you unexpectedly. From a huge spider and brain controlling slugs to environmental hazards like electric lines and buzz-saws. Each death is a very VERY gristly end for your little companion.
Limbo is actually a rather simple platformer. The controls are as simple as it gets; you use one button to run, one to jump and one to activate/push/pull. While this seems easy the trick to this game is in how devious the game becomes in timing what to do with when to do it. Limbo requires you to be creative and think outside of the “Mario Box”. You will not be jumping on enemies heads, instead you must lure them into traps, avoid them, or take advantage of a weakened foe.
Later in the game you will face devious gravity puzzles, be required to backtrack, and your brain will be stretched to figure out just how to get to your goal. Your goal, though, is not made very clear. You get a small indication that you are after a girl, your sister according to promotional materials. You are never told how you came to be in the forest; actually your never told anything. There are no cutscenes to really speak of, no dialogue, and no text to read. A highly subjective ending awaits you that I will in no way spoil, all I can say is that you will have to make your own mind up about this story of this game even more so than in Braid.
I was able to power though this game in a marathon six hour session, so be aware that this is not a game that is going to take up a huge amount of 
time. I do not regret it and I do need to go back though and pick up some of the hidden orbs you can find. While I do enjoy the art style and minimalist approach, it does feel this was made as a “games are art” game merely for the sake of it.
BOTTOM LINE: While Limbo is a exciting, beautiful, and haunting experience the price tag is rather high. I totally recommend playing it but be aware that your only going to get about seven total hours of this game unless your into replaying it again and again.
You will be able to Kinect for $150 this fall
Poor puns aside, this morning Xbox Live’s Major Nelson broke the news on his blog that the Kinect motion sensor for the Xbox 360 will be $150 and come bundled with Kinect Adventures. Alternatively, You can get a bundle with one of the new 360 Slims (with a 4 GB hard drive) for $299. Of course, Sony already announced their pricing and bundles back at E3 ($100 for camera, motion controller, and game, or $399 for all that plus a PS3), although none of those come with the $30 navigation controller that players may or may not be needing in the long run.
So, Kinect comes out of the box multiplayer-capable, while the Move bundle only enables one player. Though, if you already have a Playstation Eye, then that price may be even less. So what do YOU think, readers? Kinect or Move? Dance Central or Sorcery? Perhaps both? Perhaps neither? Let us know what you think in the comments.
Source: Majornelson.com
Solving Nelson Tethers: Puzzle Agent – A Review
I love Steam. Have I mentioned that before? XBLA and PSN are great and all, but when it comes to taking risks on independent games, Steam is the king. One of the more recent indie gems is Nelson Tethers: Puzzle Agent, put out by Telltale Games. Personally, I’ve always loved Telltale’s story, but that’s another story. At any rate, Puzzle Agent features the illustrations of Graham Annable, creator of the Grickle series. What results is a game with a charmingly hand-drawn art style that plays like a cross between Professor Layton and Fargo.
Nelson Tethers is the only agent in the employ of the FBI’s oft-neglected Puzzle Research division. The game opens in Nelson’s closet-sized office filled with puzzle-y items like Rubik’s Cubes and jigsaw puzzles. After a brief tutorial to introduce you to the world of government puzzle solving, Nelson is assigned to Scoggins, Minnesota to investigate the closing of the eraser factory that supplies the White House. Nelson realizes once he arrives that perhaps not all is as it seems, as he finds a town full of puzzle-crazy villagefolk. What follows is a ridiculous trip around the mountain town. I really enjoyed the story, right up until the end where, unfortunately, the game ends fairly abruptly. My hope is that Telltale will continue in this series, but we’ll have to see.
The gameplay is a cross between typical Telltale adventure-gaming and Layton-esque puzzle solving. As Nelson travels around the town, he’ll meet the various townsfolk, from the quaint woman running the hotel that promises to serve up some “hot dish” to the old environmentalist that just wants the town to embrace its Nordic roots. The voice acting is top notch here, especially from the town’s sheriff. As Nelson travels from place to place, he’ll find clues as to what is happening in the town, along with pieces of chewed gum that serve as clues in the puzzles (gum helps Nelson think). Every character can often be asked several questions, often leading to a puzzle (indicated by a jigsaw piece next to the topic), though some of these are optional.
The actual puzzle-solving varies from puzzle to puzzle, of course, but the system is always the same. When you believe you’ve solved the puzzle, hit submit. This will cause the puzzle to be put in an envelope and shipped off to the FBI to be either accepted or rejected. As the puzzle is shipped off, a tally of how much taxpayer money has been used is kept, going up and up as you get the puzzles wrong. There’s no real relevance of it, but it’s a nice touch that makes you feel a little bad about not getting puzzles right the first time. Of course, to help you do that, there are clues. As I said, these come in the form of pieces of gum found in the game world. There are three clues for each puzzle, with the third clue typically just-about giving you the answer (in some cases, completely giving you the answer). Each puzzle is scored on how many wrong answers were submitted and how many clues you used, giving you ratings from Top Agent to Borderline and everything in-between.
The art style of the game is fantastically charming. Annable’s 2-D Grickle style is in full swing here, and it almost always looks great. My only issue is that the characters look their best when they are surprised or insane, so the expressions are somewhat blank and bland when two characters are just having a conversation. However, that’s where the voice actors really pull their weight and give those Minnesota accents we all love so much. The soundtrack is not incredibly prominent, but the stings are there in the shocking moments, and the soundtrack is appropriately eerie where it should be.
Personally, I loved Nelson Tethers: Puzzle Agent. It is a fairly short game (4 hours or so, depending on how long you take to solve the puzzles), but what’s there is a lovable puzzle game waiting to be found. If you like puzzles, I fully recommend checking this out. If the price was any higher than $10, then that might be a different story, but for the price it’s a gem. At the very least, check out the trailer.
[youtube XtbMF5pHOEs nolink]
Nelson Tethers: Puzzle Agent is available for PC, Mac, and iPhone for $9.99.
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