The occasional rantings of a disgruntled PC gamer

• 19Nov 09

  Console news and new review.

  I finally done it. I bought an Xbox 360 Elite. I'm so ashamed of myself... But then again, I got to finish Batman Arkham Asylum on hard and get all these delicious achievements (which will be up as soon as I connect my new black 360 to the Internet). I stole a bunch of games from a friend of mine (same dude who sold me my PS2) and now I have about 4 games to play (Brutal Legend, Force Unleashed, Dead Rising and Redisdent Evil 5 again for achievements). I don't know what to think of it yet, since I can't bring myself to play the Xbox version of games that are available on the PC as well (Assassin Creed 2 is an exception, since I'm using the Xbox controller anyway). Part of me wants the PC graphics, while the other wants more achievement points. I'm buying a new PC monitor with full HD support and HDMI port so I can connect my Xbox to it, with out the need to switch between the PC and the Xbox all the time (maybe just the audio connections).

  I bought an Xbox for a few reasons: Alan Wake, Dante's Inferno and Dead Space 2. I will probably use it to play games such as The Saboteur and Dark Void,but mainly for these games. Don't know about online gaming yet, and I probably won't pay for a Gold account, but with 120 GB, I'll probably download tons of demos.

  In other news: I uploaded a few new videos and a new review for Saw: The Video Game on the PC (I'm actually the only one who reviewed it on the site).

  In other, other news, I shaved my beard off and left only a moustache as a sign of unity and support of Movember, a month dedicated to rise the awareness of prostate cancer and other manly health problems. All of you manly man out there - join the cause! I'll see about posting a pic of my awesome, awesome (it's not that awesome) moustache here on the blog.

  In other, other, other news, I'm still playing Dragon Age. I will post my ending video once I finish (I hope) so you can all see my Dalish Elf in action.

  That's it for now. If you watch the videos please leave a comment letting me know what you think about all those endings. Plus, I'm thinking about starting a new "segment" on my Gamespot page - one-line reviews (self explanatory really), where I review games I don't want to write a whole review about...

  Til next time, may your achievements flow and your trophies shine. And don't forget to grow a moustache! You still have a week and a half to do so!

  • Posted Nov 19, 2009 3:58 pm GMT
  • Category: Other
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• 10Nov 09

  Can't stop playing Dragon Age: Origins

  I fall victim to the Dragon Age game yesterday. Played it through most of the night and some of the morning before I remembered I have a class I have to get to. But now all I can think of is powering on my PC and kill some more Darkspawn (and maybe save the kingdom or something).It's weird, since I usually don't play RPGs, especially not fantasy RPGs. But I have to say the DAO is probably the best one I have tried (and this is coming from a guy who couldn't stand Baldur's Gate).

  I started the game as a Dalish Elf Warrior on easy mode and I think it was the right choice. I hate micro-managing by party or issuing commands mid-fight, so obviously I get my ass handed to me a lot, but as long as I have enough health potions and injury kits,I'm having fun. Combat is a little hectic and hard to follow, but exploring the world and completing quests is awesome. I can safely recommend it to anyone who has enough time and a strong will (addictive much?)

  Who knows, maybe now I start playing more RPGs, at least from Bioware (I loved Mass Effect as well). And if you are playing Dragon Age as well, leave a comment telling me which Origins story you picked.

  • Posted Nov 10, 2009 5:52 am GMT
  • Category: Games
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• 3Nov 09

  Saw impressions - part II

  I WAS planning on make this a 3 part impressions blog entry, but since I finished the game yesterday, part 2 will be the last one.

  So yeah, I finished saw in 3 days, and in less than 7 hours. Some would say it's a bad thing, but I'm glad it was a short game, since I was getting tired of it towards the end. The game is divided into 7 chapters and in each one detective Tapp needs to save someone he had wronged or had wronged him in the past. Basically the whole game revolves around solving puzzle after puzzle, trying not to get killed in between, and then solving one longer, more complicated puzzle to save this person. It is a weird formula, but it works.

  In case you were wondering, puzzles do tend to repeat themselves quite a lot, but it never feels dull or over used, since they keep getting harder and harder. For example, one of the more common puzzles is to successfully complete a wiring circuit by re-routing power to a light bulb through pieces of wire. When you have one power source and two bulbs, it is pretty easy, but when having 2 power sources and over 10 bulbs, things are a bit more complicated. Add a ticking down clock and a man screaming in agony in the background and you got yourself a sticky situation.

  In my playthrough I've discovered that combat is a lot easier than I initially thought. The various weapons Tapp can utilize are completely useless (with the exception of the gun) and using his fists is a lot quicker and deadlier. The main reason for that is that weapons are slow, while the fists are fast. Landing a punch on an enemy causes him to stumble a bit, granting an opening for another punch. SO tapping the punch button over and over is the best way to win a battle, even against the toughest of enemies.

  All in all, Saw is a nice game, with solid atmosphere that would not shame a classic survival horror game. I will be writing a review, so for any more information about the game, check back soon. The reason this impressions blog is a bit short is because nothing much had changed since I started to game. Maybe someone with an interest in the movie series will appreciate the plot a bit more, but I can only look at it from a gameplay point of view. Anyways, if you're going to play this game, do so knowing this is a weekend game that will not last you very long or will offer much of a challenge. For you who won't be playing this game, go check out the ending video I posted HERE.

  • Posted Nov 3, 2009 12:53 am GMT
  • Category: Games
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