I think the picture speaks for itself.I DO know some girl gamers in real life,but,this one i don't know...

...Me and my Writting:

You play a black ops soldier called Jack Kellar, and he is a 'rogue' and a 'maverick' who doesn't follow orders but gets results .Anyway, the cutscenes are filmed, and it shows Kellar being grilled by a government agent to explain his actions over the previous four days, where a mission to stop a terrorist called Lennox got completely botched.

What follows is eight levels of intense gun play, across a variety of locations such as a woodland border checkpoint, a graveyard, a huge fortified bridge and a dockyard. The levels are generally pretty well designed, and although they are totally linear the action is well directed, and you certainly shouldn't find yourself getting bored. The course of progress is rarely any more in depth than following the strict path to the level's end, but sometimes you'll have to destroy a door or some sort of daunting barrier blocking your path . There's also the obligatory planting explosives on certain machinery to scupper the terrorists' plans. Not particularly inspired, but never less than entertaining.

Graphically, Black is an outstanding effort on the ol' PS2, and despite a few rough edges is one of the very best looking games on the console. The weapon models in particular are excellent and include an almost fanatical level of detail. It is also brimming with lots of gorgeous special effects, such as dusty lighting , overblown explosions and a very nice out-of-focus effect. The only criticism I would raise is that some of the floor textures have a tendency to waver and stutter, which does tarnish an otherwise visually storming game. Criterion has really thrown the development manual at the PS2, and managed to achieve almost unprecedented visuals from technically ancient hardware. In terms of audio, it is also a very strong performance. The soundtrack is pretty much action-movie quality. Usually during the levels there is no music, but it often kicks in when either the level is reaching a climax or a particularly intense action sequence is beginning. The sound effects are awesome - gunshots and explosions sound very authentic and this is one game which really needs to be played with the sound turned all the way up to eleven to appreciate it.

There is some noticeable character AI, and it's not half bad, as these things go. Enemies have a commendable knack of finding cover , and if they see you from a distance, often they'll discretely try to close to within firing range - even if this means following you up a couple of flights in a building. It's not on the same level as, say, Halo or Half-Life, but is pretty decent all the same. Unfortunately the enemy designs are not quite so interesting - for almost the entire game you'll be shooting against masked goons, often from a medium to long range, and their design never differs from the camouflage outfit replete with balaclava and/or helmet. Differing weapons and riot shields is about all there is to separate them, and it does get a bit tiring shooting the same 2000-plus character models for the entire game. For part of the first level then the third level onwards, you'll also be in the company of one or two fellow US soldiers for pretty much the rest of the game. Their role is - as always - to basically follow you and provide covering fire while you do all the work. They hang back and aren't really useful enough in my opinion, but nevertheless it's nice to have a bit of companionship, and they are far less irritating than comparative squad-mates in Killzone.

If you were up to speed with all the pre-release hype and marketing surrounding Black, you may know it was touted to have all sorts of revolutionary environmental destruction, much like Red Faction similarly boasted several years ago. It's very impressive from a visual standpoint, but to be honest rarely means anything significant to the gameplay, and is a bit of a white lie given that it's only very specific buildings or structures that can be damaged. Controlling Kellar is pretty hassle-free thanks to some responsive and fluid controls, and you'll probably not struggle at all due to the DualShock . Kellar moves at an appropriate pace and the default aim sensitivity is pretty reliable, both of which are pretty important for me in a FPS. Naturally, in this post-Halo world of games, you can only carry two weapons at any one time and grenades are thrown instantly via a quick press of R2. There's also the obligatory melee attack, and you can carry up to three medkits (unless you play on Hard mode, where you can't carry any) which are accessed at any time by pressing down on the D-pad. All in all the controls are as good as you could ask for, and as intuitive as pretty much any other console shooter out there. Thankfully, one aspect not lifted from Halo is the regenerating health system. Although I appreciate video games don't tend to be especially realistic, I still have a dislike for games which give you recharging health without plausible justification. Here you'll find the portable larger medkits scattered around the place, and some enemies drop small white medkits when they die. It helps keep the game moving and is actually a pretty balanced health system.

The weapon selection is pretty extensive and is entirely real-world weapons, all modelled in immaculate detail. All the usual suspects are here such as the Glock 17 pistol, an Uzi, the AK47 or M16 assault rifles, the M79 grenade launcher and the rocket launcher. They all sound hugely dangerous and somehow it's pretty satisfying in a gunfight when you are expertly handling weapons like this. I'd also like to point out that a lot of artistic licence has been taken with the guns, namely that most automatic weapons have a clip of 60 to 90 rounds - which is great in game terms, but obviously not all that realistic. Still, you won't question the matter when you're in a firefight against four enemies, and that large clip saves you from having to do a potentially fatal reload. On weapons where the option is available, you can also switch between semi-auto, burst fire or fully automatic fire mode, which is a nice touch. My only real issue with the weapon lineup is that I feel that a lot of the machine guns are too similar, and because the choice tends to be so extensive it immediately renders a lot of the arsenal obsolete - you'd have to be a fool to favour a pistol over, say, an Uzi or MAC-10 Elite, especially given that these two can be silenced, just as the smaller firearms can. Like Cold Winter, although it's great having a big weapons lineup I feel it could've done with more balancing and tweaking, as the odds swing hugely in favour of just a few weapons as it is.

Given the high quality of the sound and music, it's a shame that the speech can't help bring things down a little. For a start, the game is littered with profanities which sound rather forced and as though they are simply there for shock value . Also, the actual delivery of the script is suspect at times. For example, at the beginning of the second mission Kellar is trying to sneak across the border, yet he is literally shouting over his radio to relay his position and strategy of approach. The voice acting isn't bad, as such, but it just lacks sublety, which seems something of a recurring theme as far as this game is concerned.

A big problem is that with a game as action-packed as this it's only a while before it starts to become slightly tiresome and repetitive. Entertaining as it can be, because of the intense, concentrated action, I think it's a good idea to play it one level at time, and try to space it out over a week or so. The problem is compounded by some questionable checkpoint spacing, whereby there's only one checkpoint per level - usually about halfway through - but due to the length of some levels you will be playing up to 30 or 40 minutes at times without passing the checkpoint. As I'm sure you can understand, this can be very annoying if you keep dying and you have to replay the entire level. Whilst I felt the Normal difficulty was generally pretty well-balanced , the game has a horrible tendency to unleash a couple of RPG troops on you when it wants to make things tricky. They tend to be high up buildings and are generally very elusive - the only clue often being the ominous smoke trail of the projectile. I felt this was a little unfair and smacked of a quick, lazy way to ramp up the difficulty. Also, Kellar cannot jump, and Criterion have taken advantage of this by putting in small steps - I mean literally about two feet tall at points - to prevent you backtracking through the levels. I'm not sure why this decision was made and I appreciate it's a really small issue to gripe about, but being unable to backtrack or explore at will because your stupid character cannot climb something a bloody hamster could mount is pretty annoying, and somewhat implausible.

Furthermore, it's a shame that the game doesn't last a bit longer. You will probably see the ending after six or eight hours' gametime , although possibly longer than that 'off the record' if you keep dying and having to restart. I think it's a bit of a shame that there's not a bit more variety to it - there's the one stealth level, but it's actually easier to simply run and gun your enemies, rather than creep around and unsuccessfully try to avoid being seen. The option to perhaps drive a vehicle , or some non-linear levels set in wide-open spaces could work wonders for the pacing and variety here, but I have to clarify that I'm not suggesting that Black isn't fun as it is - just that a little more variety would only be a good thing.

Strangely for a big-budget, high profile FPS, there is no multiplayer whatsoever. No split-screen, no online; nothing. While this doesn't particularly bother me personally (I'm mostly a lone gamer) I appreciate that it's something of a missed opportunity to extend the game's lifespan several-fold. They did claim that this was done to put more time and resources into creating an outstanding single-player game, but it's something of an oversight regardless. Technically things are pretty good. The surround sound is excellent, and really put to full use. The frame rate is pretty stable, with occasional dips when things get really heated, but nothing that mars the game too much. You can also mess around with environmental physics which works well enough

Overall, Black is a good game. It has absolutely superb audiovisual presentation, extravagant and hugely entertaining action and some of the best FPS set-pieces you'll find on the PS2. It's a shame the experience doesn't deliver a little more variety and there are a few minor flaws which bring things down a little, but all in all this is one of the most explosive, entertaining shooters on the PS2. Well worth your time.

That's the question...

Prestige mode is an option that a player can choose after they progress through Level 55 (Commander), and it can be accessed in the Barracks menu. Prestige mode effectively restarts a player at level 1. All weapon and other challenges will be reset. The player must progress through the ranks to unlock challenges and weapons again. Despite being reverted back to level 1, the player gains a special symbol next to their name indicating they are in Prestige mode. A player can progress through the ranks a total of ten times and enter a new level of prestige mode with a new symbol placed by the player's name. It is rumored that Infinity Ward will release a patch to add more prestiges in the console versions and add prestiges in the PC game. The last prestige medal, the "Gold Cross" lets players know that they have played through to the last prestige rank.

Process

Prestige mode is unlocked after Level 55; merely reaching Level 55 doesn't unlock it as the player must gain enough EXP in Level 55 before being able to do it. Prestige Mode is accessed through "Barracks" and is the furthest down item in the Barracks menu.

When the Prestige Mode icon is clicked, a message comes up saying:

"Trade all your accomplishments for a bit of prestige. Other players will see your new prestige rank in the lobby, leaderboards and game".

After this message the player can select "Learn more" or cancel and return to the menus. After clicking "Learn more", a second warning pops up saying

"Prestige has a price: Everything you've unlocked including weapons, experience and challenges will be reset; you'll have to rank up again to reacquire them. Only your leaderboard rankings, clan tag and play lists will be unaffected."

Should the player still be determined to go to prestige, one final warning pops up saying

"There's no going back..."

If the player then hits "Enter Prestige" the decision is final, prestige mode is activated, and the sound of a shot from a Desert Eagle plays to affirm it.

Check this video if you don't feel to read what i've wrote.

Pros

The Prestige mode allows players to show skill level beyond level 55. Those players who have progressed through numerous Prestige Modes will have symbols unique by their name. These symbols are usually an indicator of the player's skill since much more play time has been contributed by the player to achieve the prestige rank.

Cons

Prestige mode causes a player to lose all unlocked weapons and completed challenges. If a player's goal is to gain more prestige ranks, there isn't much incentive to completing numerous weapons' and other challenges since they will be reset upon getting through that mode's level 55.

Edit: I've entered the nightmare aka Prestige Mode!

...Previously

Metal Gear Solid:The Eternal Legend

Part Three

Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater

"That's Major Ocelot to you. And don't you forget it." - Ocelot

Ocelot is one of the few figures who have marked presence in all the chapters of the Metal Gear Solid saga, but their importance is sometimes deprecated by fans - after all, he is the target of the infamous plot twist of Sons of Liberty, is owned by the arm of the late Liquid Snake ... Flashback: In Snake Eater ,we see an inexperienced and arrogant Ocelot, which has an interesting relationship with Big Boss - though opponents, Naked Snake becomes a kind of mentor, who advises the use to what is today one of its images: a revolver.It is recommended also the scene where Ocelot faces Big Boss for the second time when he meets Eva) this scene is interesting as an introduction to a young Ocelot, contributing to a more thorough view of the character genesis.

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"Which will it be, Jack? Loyalty to your country, or loyalty to me? Your country, or your old mentor? The mission, or your beliefs? Your duty to your unit, or your personal feelings? You don't know the truth yet. But sooner or later you'll have to choose." - The Boss

Continuing the tradition of the series in the creation of strong and independent female characters, The Boss, mentor to Naked Snake, is one of the most charismatic and fascinating characters in Snake Eater. If the relationship between Big Boss and Solid Snake was reproduced in Sons of Liberty so distorted by Solidus' Snake and Raiden, Snake Eater does so through Naked Snake and The Boss. There are other scenes that could be included here, such as the wonderful final, but this scene is once again a powerful way of introducing the player in the context of the narrative presenting in brief the Cobra Unit, Volgin, and the interest of the group in Sokolov, the scientist who must redeem Naked Snake in the first "act" of the game. It also shows the difference between student and teacher in a brutal and unexpected result: few moments in Snake Eater managed to captivate the player and both promise a step further as this initial stage - and all through a non interactive sequence.

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"The time has come for a younger generation to rise. I've been wandering for more than a century and now my journey comes to a close. What a splendid way... to end it all. I have no regrets... I can return to the forest at last." - The End

It's official: along with Psycho Mantis, the battle against The End, a sniper with over one hundred years has become one of the most referred moments by fans. Since an area open-ended, in the middle of the forest, the player must seek, through their rudimentary gadgets (Snake Eater runs in the 60s), the enemy, a struggle that patient may last more than one hour. There is a deep sense of "place" and a corporate relationship with the environment: a videogame rarely been so immersive.

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"So you survived the Colonel's torture, eh? Watching this has made me realize something... it's really not that bad. It's the ultimate form of expression." - Ocelot

The brutality of this scene is hardly reflected in words. While it is a "virtual" representation, are the details that distinguish the work of Kojima in this area and create more "human" characters and a strong relation with the player - fear seems palpable, pain doesn't exits : How many people show so its fragility and humanity when the typical action-hero of today seems to be Marcus Fenix?

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"Make no mistake…the dead…are not silent". - The Sorrow

Snake Eater is an experience quite different from its predecessors. There is a sense of an organic world ,in which Naked Snake has to catch its food and survive. In the world of videogames death is just a new beginning: Game Over - Continue. Death is customary in video games and synonymous with fun and disengagement: the modern Roman arenas exist in multiplayer online titles such as Halo 3, Gears of War, Counter-Strike, among others. Competitions where the winner is the one that eliminates the opponent's faster and more effective. In this scene, Kojima wants to reverse this trend and forcing the player to reflect on their actions. The interpretation of experience is something personal and that will depend on the sensitivity and openness of the player.

Kojima is a genius,we already know it,but, when he made the first MGS back in 1987,the game was not very well known,and perhaps it was condemned to fail.As a closure:

-Do you think that Kojima will develop another game series with the same success as MGS?
-When Kojima decides to put an end to his career,will the industry feel its loss?
-For how many years will be this amazing series discussed and remembered?
-There will be another Kojima in the future,another developer capable of imaging another Masterpiece like MGS?

...Previously

Metal Gear Solid:The Eternal Legend

Part Two

Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty

"Gift of the silver tongue -- they say it's a mark of a good officer -- and of a liar. Americans are too in love with the sound of their own voice to speak the truth." - Revolver Ocelot

Hideo Kojima loves to manipulate the player: after one of the most intense hype campaigns that i can remember , opening the sequel to one of the most emblematic of the PlayStation's titles was a provocation to the players, keeping the mystery in Snake - face covered, but with the cigarette as usual - until a choreographed fall over the bridge and "landing" on a ship and with New York as background. It is an extraordinary response by how can so quickly and effectively present the initial premise of the expectations of players and a great improvement in the graphics and more advanced techniques of animation and how the action is "shot".

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"I've completed over 300 missions in VR. I feel like some kind of legendary mercenary." - Raiden

He was one of the best-kept secrets in the history of : the presence of Raiden as protagonist of the second "act" of Sons of Liberty was interpreted by some fans as "treason" - Kojima came to suggest that Snake would have died at the end of the introduction mission, in which the player controlled a Snake infiltrating in a ship to prove the existence of a new Metal Gear. The Raiden revelation - kept in strict secrecy until the launch date - in a scene that evokes Metal Gear Solid, is used by Kojima with humor, as always, moreover, saw the fans "revolt"; others, however, never forgot what happened.

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"There's no need for sorrow, Queen. I died once already - I can't die twice." - Vamp

Bisexual vampires: a simplistic way, after the disappointment with Raiden, who was easily reach the breaking point and ridicularized the plot of Sons of Liberty for its strange characters. Yes: Vamp is a vampire. Immortal. Apparently. But this surrealist post-modern touch have always been part of the of Metal Gear charisma: the meeting between reality - the demand for representation of a natural AI and themes that are reflected in "real world" - and pure fiction. The scene, an excellent action sequence, continues to manipulate the memory of the player linking the so-subconscious with the corridor before the mano-a-mano with Gray Fox in the previous title.

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"Since no one can kill me, I may as well kill everyone I can." - Fortune

This scene represents an excellent introduction to a new character, appearing immediately after Vamp. Fortune smacks of madness and torture inside of Psycho Mantis. Fragile and psychotic, is someone who carries the "burden" to continue to live - the bullets to deviate from its body, protected by a kind of shield - and can not cope with their pain. Ends up being a secondary character, but beyond the scene , is still some relevance in another wonderful sequence near the end: "Now I remember ... your heart's on the right."

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"The data of life is transferred from parent to child. That's how it works. But we have no heirs, no legacy. Cloned from our father, with the ability to reproduce conveniently engineered out. What is our legacy if we cannot pass the torch?" - Solidus Snake

Solidus' Snake is the third clone of the Big Boss and older brother of Liquid and Solid. Used by the Patriots as the last U.S. President - a puppet figure just to maintain order and control among the masses, encobrindo obscure the power of the organization - and Solidus' planning a terrorist strike that aims to overthrow the corrupt regime of secrecy and Patriots, giving the name of Sons of Liberty. It is the main antagonist of Raiden, symbolizing the relationship that Snake was with Big Boss. Continuing to stimulate the memories of the players, the confrontation against the Harrier recalls the Hind D Metal Gear Solid - "That takes care of the cremation" - and likeness of Solidus' with Big Boss becomes more evident with the outcome of the battle in which ultimately lose an eye. The irony is that against the regime of the Patriots, Solidus', although it is a detestable character that strictly complies with its role of "villain" in the plot, may not be the real terrorist ...

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"To begin with, we're not what you'd call "human." Over the past 200 years, a consciousness appeared layer by layer at the crucible of the White House. It's not unlike life started in the oceans four billion years ago. The White House was our primordial soup, a base of evolution. We are formless. We are the very discipline and morality that Americans invoke so often. How can anyone hope to eliminate us? As long as this nation exists, so will we." - G.W.

As the more experimental title in the series, the long end of Sons of Liberty sold a large part to the public who had not yet sense away by Raiden or bisexual vampires. Kojima makes an error by his ego, there is a certain aspect of interior monologue, but only those who try to follow the plot in a serious manner fully understand the intentions of the author - the true meaning of the S3 Plan, the role which the player plays in this program: something you want to monitor human will. The conversation with GW,the IA that we ultimately evade throughout the game, is for us an impenetrable wall of text, for others is the principle of debate and one of the arguments favoured to demonstrate how video games have long ceased to be games for children.

Continues...

Metal Gear Solid:The Eternal Legend

This blog is dedicated to all the Metal gear solid fans.I've putted together some of the most striking moments in the Metal Gear Solid series,emphasizing the "trilogy": Metal Gear Solid (and also his remake Twin Snakes), Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty and Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. The connection between "cinema" and "game", an immediately recognizable features of the work of Kojima, meant that the article should focus on the narrative and the cut-scenes - perhaps the main reasons that motivate the admiration of fans for this rich and complex universe.

Part One:Metal Gear Solid

"From the moment we're thrown into this world, we're fated to bring each other nothing but pain and misery." - Psycho Mantis

A few know how to create the epic environment made by Hideo Kojima that any Old-School player hopes of a confrontation against a boss, one of the institutions of videogames that endures for decades but which has fallen in common-place in recent years. Surprising and provocative, Psycho Mantis break the "fourth wall" turning to a direct to the player and providing all their movements - the character, said, "were able to read our mind", dodging to all our invested .

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"Snake: There are no heroes in war. The only heroes I know are either dead or in prison. One or the other."
"Meryl: But Snake, you're a hero, aren't you?"
"Snake: I'm just a man who's good at what he does: killing."

The video games have undergone profound and rapid changes in technology since its foundation, but to enter the three-dimensional world has further accelerate the process. Just compare the original version of Metal Gear Solid with its remake, Twin Snakes - only five years and a complete redesign of its game engine. While the work of Kojima has remained always at the forefront of technological development, is mainly for humanity of its characters that has achieved as widely - this effect was already achieved with the Playstation basic models.The pair Snake / Meryl and their relationship form an unlikely love of the key points in the myth that Metal Gear Solid and became decisively contributes to the emotional involvement of the player. This scene, is dramatic, theatrical and over the top, very interesting dilemma posed by the player, who feels unable to save Meryl and that will lead later to a striking scene of torture of which will depend on his life.

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"I was born on a battlefield. Raised on a battlefield. Gunfire, sirens and screams... they were my lullabies... Hunted like dogs day after day... driven from our ragged shelters... That... was my life. Each morning, I'd wake up... and find a few more of my family or friends dead beside me. I'd stare at the morning sun...and pray to make it through the day. The governments of the world turned a blind eye to our misery." - Sniper Wolf

The Sniper Wolf's death may be criticised by some for the strange contrast between the melodrama loaded after a battle over more (a "duel" of snipers), but is the perfect example that there are no characters in black and white in Metal Gear Solid and the ease with which Kojima can change their registration, monitoring and alternating comfortably between "game" and "film".

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"The path you walk on has no end. Each step you take is paved with the corpses of your enemies...Their souls will haunt you forever... you shall have no peace... Hear me, Snake! I will be watching you! My spirit... will be watching... you!" - Vulcan Raven

The first confrontation takes place on board of a tank through a mined land ... The second confrontation, in the previous video, it seems involving a strange sense of destiny and it is a fight so brutal as the first. The whiteness of snow sends a strange beauty and comfort, the connection of Raven animals and their counsel final show the difference between his impressive physical and a mysterious personality: as Sniper Wolf, the "good giant" smooths the line between friend / enemy and puts the player to reflect on their actions.

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"We're not tools of the government, or anyone else. Fighting was the only thing... the only thing I was good at. But... at least I always fought for what I believed in." - Gray Fox

Gray Fox is one of the most complex characters of the Metal Gear universe and establishing something between man and machine in the tradition of the series, represented in Guns of the Patriots for the Raiden's return or the unit Beauty and the Beast. Former companion of Snake, presumed dead by their own hands, literally Frank Jaeger returned to the world of living under an experience that gave him over-human capabilities. It is one of the most important of the narrative and protagonist of a crucial turning in the fight against Metal Gear Rex represented above, in yet another scene of anthology that creates a new dilemma in the player.

Continues...