• 9Apr 13

  Aliens: Colonial Marines - My Thoughts

  Hi everyone! Sorry I took so long to write this blog; I started a new job this past month and it's been keeping me busy, getting used to the full-time schedule and all, but at least it's pretty cool so far. It's at the Bronx Zoo, I work the rides, 4D theatre and I'm a shuttle conductor. So yeah, good stuff so far. heheh

  But anyways, let's get down to business... Aliens: Colonial Marines. During the past month, in my downtime, I did manage to play this game and even complete it. And all I have to say about it is... it was a pretty good game. Then I go online to read the reviews of it, and they range from "alright" to "downright horrible".

  My question is "why is this"?

  My other question would be "am I missing something"?

  The only bad thing I can really say about it is that there were a few too many dark levels. Even with your flashlight, it's still hard to see your way through sometimes. But that's really it; everything else about the game, the graphics, the sound and especially the story, I thought were great.

  It seems that a lot of people who saw and/or played the demo for this game noticed a lot of differences between it and the finished product. One such gripe that they had was the graphics. Supposedly, the graphics from the final product didn't look as good or function as properly as the ones in the demo (or even the trailer) did. I looked at the differences myself and, even though I see what they mean as far as the collisions go (the final version didn't leave lasting cracks in the walls when someone flew into them for example), I think that calling the final version's graphics "terrible" really isn't right. If the graphics looked like something from a Nintendo 64 game, then I would say that they are a huge step back. Furthermore, as much as I've always loved Nintendo, there were times when their "polygon palooza" graphic-style got on my nerves during those days.

  As far as the sound, I disagree with this criticism. In fact, when I heard what the sound for the demo was like, specifically with the pulse rifles, I was a bit worried. But the way they sounded in the finished product is the way they were meant to sound all along; like how they sounded in the movies. Whew!

  Another gripe people had was the lack of squad commands and supposedly poor AI. I guess in the "Call of Duty" generation, any military style game that doesn't try to emulate said series is automatically looked at as bad. That's a shame really. In fact, let me ask you a question if I may:

  When you heard that Aliens: Colonial Marines was coming out and saw the previews, was your reaction...

  "Wow, it's a new video game based on the Sigourney Weaver movies I used to love watching"!

  or...

  "Wow, the guys who made Borderlands are making what looks like Call of Duty in Space"!

  If you said number two, then that's probably another reason why you were let down so much. Sure, the Call of Duty series is well-made and let's face it, very popular, but just because every FPS that comes out isn't exactly like it shouldn't mean that it's inferior. Maybe this says more about my own feelings toward FPS games than anything else, but as someone who grew up with Goldeneye, Doom, and, if you really want to go back to the dark days, Operation Wolf, I guess I'm easier to impress when it comes to the specs of a game. Which brings me to the last thing I hear from those who were disappointed with the game; the fact that they felt cheated for buying the game at launch and that because of this, they're "never pre-ordering a game again". All I've got to ask you in response to this is "have you ever heard of renting a game"? If not at your local video store, try Gamefly. That way, you can keep the game for as long as you want and decide if it's something you would like to own. And if you don't like it, then you can say "well at least I didn't plunk down 60 bucks for this game (or 99 bucks if you got the Collector's Edition)"! Does that make sense?

  But before I forget, I like this game for its storyline the most. When I played this game, I really felt like I was smack-dab in the middle of the atmospheres and environments that James Cameron had created in the 1986 Aliens film. The level design was so well done, the Easter Eggs from the films like Newt's doll and the cryotubes on the Sulaco were great nods to the films, and some of the plot elements, including the return of a few key characters, made me really happy.

  So overall, I thought that the game was great. Flawless? No. But not nearly as flawed as many people say. How about you? What did you think of the game? Feel free to post some comments and tell me of your experiences on LV-426 and beyond.

  Corporal Daniel Clark, unit LK-4D4, over and out!

  • Posted Apr 9, 2013 8:57 pm GMT
  • Category: Games
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• 18Jan 13

  Do PC Games have trophies or achievements?

  I haven't played a recent PC game in a very long time, I'm wondering how much they've changed.

  • Posted Jan 18, 2013 3:31 pm GMT
  • Category: Games
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• 21Dec 12

  If the world ends today, that can only mean one thing...

  The Battle of Armageddon has been won by Shao Kahn!

  Hurry Raiden! Send a message to your past self and nullify this tragedy!

  • Posted Dec 21, 2012 12:50 pm GMT
  • Category: News
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