• 3Mar 10

  Sneak Attack

  Short blog today. I just wanted to know how in the world Lunar got remade on the PSP without me knowing anything about it. I didn't play the original on Sega, but played the hell out of the updated version on Playstation. I wish I still had it, but I was a dumb kid when I played it like ten years ago and traded it in. On top of being an incredibly polished RPG, the soundtrack is easily the best I have ever heard in a game. The main song that Luna sings on the boat early in the game brought a tear to my eye every time; I'm not ashamed to admit it.

  • Posted Mar 3, 2010 2:56 am GMT
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• 24Feb 10

  My Crysis Crisis

  Having just finished Crysis this weekend, I have developed mixed feelings about the future of PC gaming. It was completely clear that the consoles couldn't manage the vast environments and depth of gameplay, but this experience came at a cost. I've owned the game for over a year and my computer just decided recently that I was able to run the game.

  When I first purchased Crysis, it was able to play for about thirty minutes but would then receive the infamous 'blue screen of death'. This problem spread to the rest of the games I played, then eventually it began to occur when I was just sitting in Windows without any programs running. This frustration eventually led me to give up on computers all together and do my gaming on the consoles.

  After unpacking boxes from my recent move to the new house, I found the Crysis box and decided to give the game another shot. I discovered in the end that it was my virus protection that was eating up all my memory and causing the crashes (basically the exact opposite of it's main purpose). Uninstalling it allowed Crysis, and all other programs, to run perfectly. I was then able to experience first person shooting in a way that couldn't be done on current consoles. Some come close; Far Cry 2 has some amazing visuals, but the environments seems strangely lifeless. Uncharted 2 has several photo-realistic moments, but the rest clearly looks like a video game. In Crysis, there is hardly a second that couldn't be mistaken for a real world video.

  Most PC gamers praise the vast options to customize the experience that isn't available on consoles. I found this to hurt more than help. At least a dozen times during the seven our adventure, I paused to fiddle with the options in order to find the perfect balance between a good frame-rate and amazing visuals. Nothing breaks the immersion like popping in and out of option menus all the time.

  The computer clearly offers the superior gameplay, but I no longer feel as if the hassles are worth it. Buying a new PS3 or 360 game, there is no question that you will be playing within seconds of getting home since the game is designed for that exact system setup. With the PC, there is never quite any guarantee. Even if you meet the system requirements, there is any number of things that could go wrong (such as falling victim to being on the wrong side of the ATI vs Nvidia war that has been going on for over ten years). Several years ago, I purchased Neverwinter Nights and spent the first five hours on the internet and literally re-writing bits of the game's code in order to get it to run. I would gladly sacrifice a bit of visual quality to know that I would never have to go through that again.

  PC gaming is in a downfall because, at least in my case, I no longer want to be forced to work for my entertainment. I haven't completely give up on computer games; titles like Crysis will always keep me playing. Anyone without a rig that can handle the game knows it to be the definitive FPS visual experience (especially impressive since it is over two years old). However, the computer will never again be my primary system of choice. The few sacrifices on consoles are more than made up for by the convenience and guarantee that the games will work without the hassles. The final battle may be upon us as Crysis 2 comes to both the PC and consoles. If the consoles can keep up visually, that could be the final nail in the coffin for computer gamers.

  • Posted Feb 24, 2010 7:33 pm GMT
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• 5Feb 10

  When Life Beckons

  You may have noticed my activity has dropped way off lately. One reason is because it was decided to block the Internet at work in an attempt to increase productivity. This completely backfired on them because now I just spend all day playing PSP and iPhone games. Now I don't even look at my computer monitor. The up side is that I will be writing more reviews since I have more time to play portable games.

  I don't have time outside of work to get online lately either due to the fact that I just bought a house that certainly qualifys as a fixer-upper. We had to rip out all the carpet and paint all the walls and ceilings. We are trying to do all the work ourselves, so it's taking some time since we both work full time also. It's all good though because for the first time in my life, I will have a room exclusively for gaming. There's nothing in it right now; just concrete floors, white walls, and a faded ceiling that still needs painted. I took some 'before' pictures that I posted below and I'll post some 'after' pictures once I finish with the room.

  

  • Posted Feb 5, 2010 10:30 am GMT
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