Let me first and foremost state that I'm a newcomer to the international football, having only gotten interested for the past year. My first Fifa game happen to be last year's edition, Fifa 10. Football is definitely a game for those of us with patience and attention to detail, so it's not for everyone. I would not recommend any Fifa game to anybody unless they knew the rules and would prefer the game for what it is, an authentic take on football, rather than look for some type of instant gratification.
Fifa 11, is definitely a MASSIVE improvement from its predecessors. I'll essentially list out the major changes from Fifa 10 to 11.
Pros:
Authentic passing: Definitely something only the purists of the sport will truly appreciate. This feature is probably the reason why people cannot simply pick up this game and enjoy. I'll admit it takes a lot of time to master. Keep in mind, for the sake of making the game as realistic as possible, EA took out the "pinball" passing from Fifa 10 that let everybody blast precision passes from all parts of the field to one another. Yes, it made things easy, but international football is definitely not an easy sport in any sense. You have to pass ahead of your teammates to catch them in stride, as players do in real life. Not only that, but you must take control of the person you're passing to right after you kick the ball, this is not automatic and you have to really pay attention. Passing is definitely the most frustrating part of trying to play this game, I'll admit it had me flustered for the first week I had this. But with practice, you'll truly appreciate what EA has done this year.
Graphics:
They get better every year, admittedly.
AI:
The computer got smarter, thank goodness. I thought I could play this game on Professional, having played Fifa 10 extensively, but it was a no go. So I've been playing on Semi-Pro to build my skills up. Even on this difficulty, defenders and opposing players will AGGRESSIVELY come after you for the ball. You can't sneak passes past them because they're smart enough to stick their feet out to deflect it. They're also smart enough to do moves to shake you off, rather than running in a straight line or whatever, they definitely got brains this time around. Their passing is refined as well, they consciously survey the field looking for open teammates to pass to.
Career Mode:
EA revamped up their career mode by allowing you to either play solely as your own created player, solely as a manager, or to do both. Options are neatly organized in my opinion.
Troublesome features/parts of the game:
PK shooting: Yes, it's a lot harder this time around. But realistically is it easy? Of course not, so why should it be any different in a game trying to EMULATE the game. Like anything, it takes practice. I myself think this was something EA needed to make more difficult.
Transfers: I read somewhere EA would make transfers more "realistic" by allowing you to negotiate with the club before the player, but either way, it's still ridiculous. I was using FC Barcelona trying to pry Cesc Fabregas from Arsenal. His list value is upwards of $68 million, so I offered $70 million. Arsenal said they would consider a slightly better offer. So I exit out and reenter the transfer screen to offer him a new deal. Then they're asking for something like $80 million? Yes, he's a superstar player, but the transfer system in here is still basically based on how much you're willing to offer. EA needs to redo this completely, allowing for MANY new variables when trying to sign players. I think personal feelings (where they grew up), playing time, club prestige, club success, success of the manager, and finally money should all account for how much players will consider your team. Haggling and offering players should definitely be included. Barcelona recently offered only roughly $35 million Euros for Cesc in real life and I think it's because Arsenal knew he wanted to go back and everything. Such should be included in the game by allowing factors to alter prices for players.
Be a Goalkeeper: Was EA serious with this? Who in the hell would want to be the goalkeeper? This is basically the EA trademark of having a yearly BS feature they hype up that's completely worthless.
Player Celebrations: This was another hyped up feature EA was touting this year. But honestly, since playing the demo.. I've thought the player celebrations were incredibly unrealistic and saw your teammates celebrate like complete idiots. If you watch the elite teams play, after they score a goal.. they don't do this crazy crap. Only teams from the nobody leagues go out of their way to think up a celebration. This was probably the one thing I hated the most this year.
CONCLUSION:
FIFA 11 is definitely the epitome of sports simulation. It's second only to NBA 2K11. Fifa 10 was great, but everything it did right, EA returned it this year and made the game play as realistic as possible. This is not a game for casual gamers, but meant for seriously players. Only consider it if football is one of your top 2-3 sports because you cannot pick it up and dominate as you would want.
EDIT 11/1/10
I recently bought PES 11, just to thoroughly compare between the two. I came to the conclusion that if both games were some how combined, then THAT would be the greatest football sim ever. Both games offer something entirely different. If you're looking for a fun factor for you and your friends here and there, FIFA 11 is for you. The controls and game play are a lot easier to grasp. If you want to play a season mode, but not really care about all the international tournaments, then FIFA and its generic "cup" games would suffice. And lastly, if you're into yearly EA gimmicks, then this is for you, with its player celebrations and "be the goal keeper" junk. Visually FIFA is superior as is its ease of finding what you want in terms of their menu set up. I think the players in FIFA have more appropriate stats, while PES's preloaded roster has a lot of questionable stats assigned. Balls still hit the goal post WAY too often in Fifa.
If you're looking for a more difficult to play/master football simulation that has the most minute details put into the game of football, PES may be for you. I love the fact that it has all major international tournaments: Copa Liberatores, Euro Cup, Copa del Ray, Champions League and even the World Cup built into it. Getting a patch can get you all non-licensed leagues (Bundesliga/EPL), as well as several more UEFA/FIFA sponsored tournaments. Presentation-wise, PES looks amazing but it is difficult to find what you want, especially in their version of a manager mode. Graphically it does look more cartoony. Performing moves and using the thru-ball are more effective here. Extras such as different balls, shoes, etc. do NOT cost money, rather are earned with in game points. There's also SO much room for customization. You can basically download on line countless teams, players, jerseys, chants, shoes, balls, whatever you want; Fifa definitely doesn't allow you to do that.
I just want to say, that I'm not retracting my review for before, I'm merely telling you that my hindsight is 20/20 now after trying both offerings of football this year. Neither one is thoroughly superior to the other, but they both offer a lot of pluses in their own way. Depending on what you would prefer, that would be your "perfect" football sim. I myself will keep both as they offer something the other doesn't. If you are a football die-hard and have been your entire life, PES would probably suit you. If you are just picking up football now, and would like a good introduction into the sport and you want something that would make you go crazy trying to play it, FIFA would be for you.
Monday 2 May 2011
Kinect Sports Review
I just got finished playing all of the sports in Kinect Sports and here is my evaluation:
1. Track & Field: This area includes a variety of different activities that work well with the basic body movements the Kinect can control. These include running , jumping, and throwing things (javelins & discus). I think young and old would both have fun with this! This may actually be my favorite activity in this game.
2. Bowling: Not as much control as Wi Sports bowling--but it is actually feels more like bowling when you can just stick your hand out to pick up the ball and then swing your arm to bowl. No controller to hold on to or push buttons. Once again this is an activity that would appeal to both young and old. Personally, I still like the bowling in Wii Sports better because of the more precise control.
3. Boxing: I like this better than the Wii Sports Boxing--but there is still some lag time and I just don't get the feel that all my moves are translating accurately. Plus, like an earlier reveiwer indicated it seems like punching wildly is actually a winning approach in this game. I do like how you can just hold your arms up to block--this felt very natural. I'm waiting for the Kick Boxing version because when you kick your legs in this activity your avatar kicks its legs--but they don't seem to translate to "hits" in the game.
4. Beach Volleyball: This one will take some time to master. It can get a bit confusing because there are several different techniques involved--jumping, hitting, and blocking. If you're tall--make sure you don't have a ceiling fan above you--or at least make sure it's not on!
5. Table Tennis: Once again it was fun to play without a controller in my hand but I felt there were a few times when the intensity of my hits were not reflected in what actually happened on screen. For example, when an opportunity comes up for a "smash" the game announces it and then actually does it regardless of whether I swung harder or not.
6. Soccer: Fun and interesting. You don't have to run around the field yourself. Your player magically appears where the ball is kicked to. Simple body movements control your kicks and blocks. Gray directional lines on the screen show the directionally options when kicking and your location when blocking.
Throughout the games the Kinect takes photos and short videos of your movements. These are played at the end of each game. The images are saved so you can share them with others. This feature will appeal to some and not to others. For example, I find the images of my son interesting and humorous--but I need to find out how to erase the images of me!
Adding a second player was extremely easy. If I wanted to join my son all I had to do was step in front of the TV and the Kinect added me to the in-play game. The graphics are also much better than the Wii! Kinect Sports looked great on a 40" HDTV. We don't even play the Wii on this TV because of how bad it looks.
Bottom line: If you have an XBOX already--adding the Kinect and Kinect Sports really adds a nice dimension to your video game experience. If you have young kids or older folks that have trouble remembering what buttons to push on a remote--it doesn't get any easier than the Kinect.
P.S. It is a neat and strange sensation to be standing in front of your TV and the avatar on the screen is doing the same movements that you are. You can sway, move your arms and legs, and dance, and the avatar mimics it. This alone makes for good entertainment!
1. Track & Field: This area includes a variety of different activities that work well with the basic body movements the Kinect can control. These include running , jumping, and throwing things (javelins & discus). I think young and old would both have fun with this! This may actually be my favorite activity in this game.
2. Bowling: Not as much control as Wi Sports bowling--but it is actually feels more like bowling when you can just stick your hand out to pick up the ball and then swing your arm to bowl. No controller to hold on to or push buttons. Once again this is an activity that would appeal to both young and old. Personally, I still like the bowling in Wii Sports better because of the more precise control.
3. Boxing: I like this better than the Wii Sports Boxing--but there is still some lag time and I just don't get the feel that all my moves are translating accurately. Plus, like an earlier reveiwer indicated it seems like punching wildly is actually a winning approach in this game. I do like how you can just hold your arms up to block--this felt very natural. I'm waiting for the Kick Boxing version because when you kick your legs in this activity your avatar kicks its legs--but they don't seem to translate to "hits" in the game.
4. Beach Volleyball: This one will take some time to master. It can get a bit confusing because there are several different techniques involved--jumping, hitting, and blocking. If you're tall--make sure you don't have a ceiling fan above you--or at least make sure it's not on!
5. Table Tennis: Once again it was fun to play without a controller in my hand but I felt there were a few times when the intensity of my hits were not reflected in what actually happened on screen. For example, when an opportunity comes up for a "smash" the game announces it and then actually does it regardless of whether I swung harder or not.
6. Soccer: Fun and interesting. You don't have to run around the field yourself. Your player magically appears where the ball is kicked to. Simple body movements control your kicks and blocks. Gray directional lines on the screen show the directionally options when kicking and your location when blocking.
Throughout the games the Kinect takes photos and short videos of your movements. These are played at the end of each game. The images are saved so you can share them with others. This feature will appeal to some and not to others. For example, I find the images of my son interesting and humorous--but I need to find out how to erase the images of me!
Adding a second player was extremely easy. If I wanted to join my son all I had to do was step in front of the TV and the Kinect added me to the in-play game. The graphics are also much better than the Wii! Kinect Sports looked great on a 40" HDTV. We don't even play the Wii on this TV because of how bad it looks.
Bottom line: If you have an XBOX already--adding the Kinect and Kinect Sports really adds a nice dimension to your video game experience. If you have young kids or older folks that have trouble remembering what buttons to push on a remote--it doesn't get any easier than the Kinect.
P.S. It is a neat and strange sensation to be standing in front of your TV and the avatar on the screen is doing the same movements that you are. You can sway, move your arms and legs, and dance, and the avatar mimics it. This alone makes for good entertainment!
Bulletstorm (Epic Edition / X-Box 360) Review
The title of this piece refers to an interview I once saw with the developers of Halo: Combat Evolved. This was Bungie's big goal, to create 30 seconds of fun for the gamer, and then let him do it again and again. And it worked - Halo is arguably one of the greatest FPS franchises in the business!
However, without fail, the same thing could be said for just about EVERY shooter out there. Point, shoot, reload, point, shoot, reload... Still fun though, right?
People Can Fly and Epic Studios have done just that with their new opus, Bulletstorm. Only, this time, they added a couple new wrinkles to that 30 seconds; a nifty new tool, the tether; and a carnival house devoted to pain! Just about everywhere one looks in Bulletstorm, one sees something they wouldn't want to get too close to in real life - cactus covered in deadly spikes, exposed electrical wiring, man-eating plants, etc. Each of these things are designed to be used by the player to rack up crazy combinations of over the top violence visited upon the bodies of maniacal (and most probably cannibalistic) muties out to kill you. The more you manage to wring out of a combo, the more points you get. However, since points in Bulletstorm equate to cash, and cash is what you need to buy more ammo and upgrades for your fabulously twisted weapons arsenal, it behooves the player to be as creative in his kills as he possibly can. This "skillshot system" is what changes everything - People Can Fly obviously love video-games, and it shows in a perfectly balanced system designed to reward player creativity with bigger and better toys...
One example is the flailgun, a weapon you find early on that shoots spiked grenades connected by a chain like a sadistic bolo, perfect for tying up a foe which you can then use to fling into a group of his buddies before remotely setting off the explosives, multiplying your skillshot count by the overall amount of enemies. If any of them end up stuck to a cactus, or slamming up against an explosive barrel, you get credit for those things, too! All these seemingly disparate mini-atrocities add up to one big score, which the player can then use to buy themselves something nice from the store. And since every item in the store is a weapon or something weapon-related, that "something nice" is definitely gonna be something you like. This, of course, is just one small example - not only does each weapon have a secondary mode, they also have their own specific skillshots to unlock inspiring the player to use each weapon in ways he may never have thought about before!
As for re-playability, Bulletstorm has that in spades. Playing thru the campaign opens up challenge areas you can take on separately by yourself, or with a couple of friends (the main campaign has co-op as well!). Your scores are kept track of and placed on the gamerboards for everyone else to see. The better you get at manipulating each one of these spaces, squeezing out more and more skillshot points, the better you end up being in the campaign upon every consecutive play-thru. In the end, the experience is akin to billiards - the better you get at it, the more satisfying the experience. And with graphics this good, and characters this fun to hang out with, you're gonna want to get better...
On the subject of multi-player, results can be mixed. If you're playing with friends with a common goal, you're gonna have a lot of fun. If you're playing with strangers, you're probably not gonna have any fun at all as most of the gameplay relies on mutual cooperation and good communication. But with a single-player experience this good, who cares?
However, without fail, the same thing could be said for just about EVERY shooter out there. Point, shoot, reload, point, shoot, reload... Still fun though, right?
People Can Fly and Epic Studios have done just that with their new opus, Bulletstorm. Only, this time, they added a couple new wrinkles to that 30 seconds; a nifty new tool, the tether; and a carnival house devoted to pain! Just about everywhere one looks in Bulletstorm, one sees something they wouldn't want to get too close to in real life - cactus covered in deadly spikes, exposed electrical wiring, man-eating plants, etc. Each of these things are designed to be used by the player to rack up crazy combinations of over the top violence visited upon the bodies of maniacal (and most probably cannibalistic) muties out to kill you. The more you manage to wring out of a combo, the more points you get. However, since points in Bulletstorm equate to cash, and cash is what you need to buy more ammo and upgrades for your fabulously twisted weapons arsenal, it behooves the player to be as creative in his kills as he possibly can. This "skillshot system" is what changes everything - People Can Fly obviously love video-games, and it shows in a perfectly balanced system designed to reward player creativity with bigger and better toys...
One example is the flailgun, a weapon you find early on that shoots spiked grenades connected by a chain like a sadistic bolo, perfect for tying up a foe which you can then use to fling into a group of his buddies before remotely setting off the explosives, multiplying your skillshot count by the overall amount of enemies. If any of them end up stuck to a cactus, or slamming up against an explosive barrel, you get credit for those things, too! All these seemingly disparate mini-atrocities add up to one big score, which the player can then use to buy themselves something nice from the store. And since every item in the store is a weapon or something weapon-related, that "something nice" is definitely gonna be something you like. This, of course, is just one small example - not only does each weapon have a secondary mode, they also have their own specific skillshots to unlock inspiring the player to use each weapon in ways he may never have thought about before!
As for re-playability, Bulletstorm has that in spades. Playing thru the campaign opens up challenge areas you can take on separately by yourself, or with a couple of friends (the main campaign has co-op as well!). Your scores are kept track of and placed on the gamerboards for everyone else to see. The better you get at manipulating each one of these spaces, squeezing out more and more skillshot points, the better you end up being in the campaign upon every consecutive play-thru. In the end, the experience is akin to billiards - the better you get at it, the more satisfying the experience. And with graphics this good, and characters this fun to hang out with, you're gonna want to get better...
On the subject of multi-player, results can be mixed. If you're playing with friends with a common goal, you're gonna have a lot of fun. If you're playing with strangers, you're probably not gonna have any fun at all as most of the gameplay relies on mutual cooperation and good communication. But with a single-player experience this good, who cares?
Portal 2 PS3 Review
If you like puzzle games, this is about as good as it gets. There is no other puzzle game like this, and believe me when I say you won't be disappointed. The first Portal game was just an extra; this is a full-length game. The first thing you'll notice is the inclusion of co-op which adds an entirely new layer of fun to the game. Think about what you could do with 2 portals, and imagine how you would complicate the puzzles with 4 portals instead. My friend and I were having an absolute blast trying to figure out just how to position our portals in tandem to set up the solution for these increasingly difficult puzzles. It's challenging and fun at the same time.
There were a few times where we almost gave up, and then the solution suddenly presented itself and we were able to continue. This game is not for anyone who is looking for a relaxing stroll through the Aperture Science Facility. This game WILL test your patience and intellect, and it is significantly more complex than the original game. Don't let that scare you away though, this game is absolutely amazing. New gameplay elements such as funnels, light bridges and gels come alongside the return of the Portal gun and not only do they present some intriguing puzzle designs, but they will test your wit in new ways that surpass even the sharpest minds.
UPDATE: My friend and I have finished the co-op portion of the game and the puzzles spike in difficulty near the end. There are roughly 40 co-op levels in the game, and there are a few trophies to make you come back to a few of the more difficult challenges. The length of the co-op will vary depending on the skill of the player, but my friend and I managed to solve all 40 puzzles in about 11 hours. Some people will say that it takes 5-6, but that's probably on a second or third playthrough. If you've never seen the gameplay elements before, you will have to take some trial and error to figure out how they work before you can think about trying to solve the puzzles.
The single player campaign is excellent, though this also spikes in difficulty pretty significantly about 1/3 of the way through the game, and then again 2/3 of the way through. The game starts off with a quick tutorial, but this game assumes that if you are playing Portal, you already have a pretty good idea of how to think with portals. Some of the puzzles in the middle of the game actually had me turning off my system until the next night, at which point I was able to figure it out in a matter of minutes. One thing that I really love about this game is the fact that it never tells you where you are supposed to go, you have to look around and then figure out how to get there by using everything in your environment. This is ever more evident once you reach a certain point in the game. All of the stops are pulled out and the amount of mind-bending thinking that you have to do borders on insanity. It's never too difficult though, as the solution is always right in front of you. The trick is you have to figure out how to make it happen with varying degrees of complexity. Some puzzles will take you 30 seconds, and others will have you trying things over and over for 30 minutes. All while being incredibly fun the entire time! The single player campaign took me about 15 hours to complete, and I will certainly be playing it again soon.
The voice acting in both single player and co-op is superb, and GLaDOS is even more hilarious than the first time around. It's pretty much a guarantee that you will find the dialog humorous, whether it's listening to GLaDOS telling you that you will fail to solve the next test, or that Wheatley thinks you may have died from a horribly long fall and isn't sure what to do.
The PS3 version of this game also comes with Steam integration and this is a breeze to set up. I managed to log into my Steam account on my PS3 and I was able to see all of my friends and send messages, view achievements, etc. Best part is you can access this all within the game too, and it was very easy to set up. Just type in your name and password, and I was immediately connected. I haven't been able to test out the PC / PS3 playing together yet, but I'll be sure to update my review once I am able to try it out.
UPDATE: Since the PSN has been down since April 20, I have been unable to play online yet. I was quite fortunate to have linked my PSN account to Steam, as players are currently unable to do this right now. When the PSN is restored this game will certainly be received better by the community due to the online portion being completely dead on arrival.
It's been a long time since I've been able to have this much fun with a video game, and one with so much content (apparently Valve is planning on releasing DLC and a map editor for the game to allow creating new levels). The only gripe I have with the game is a lack of challenge maps. One of the best parts of Portal was to see if you could solve the puzzles in the fastest time, fewest steps and fewest number of portals. That is sadly missing from this game, and it would be totally awesome in co-op mode. The story and level design make up for this, but there isn't a whole lot to come back to once you've completed the game. Even still, getting 20-25 hours out of a video game is pretty good for a puzzle game considering the competition these days.
If you're even close to being on the fence about this game, I highly recommend that you give it a shot.
There were a few times where we almost gave up, and then the solution suddenly presented itself and we were able to continue. This game is not for anyone who is looking for a relaxing stroll through the Aperture Science Facility. This game WILL test your patience and intellect, and it is significantly more complex than the original game. Don't let that scare you away though, this game is absolutely amazing. New gameplay elements such as funnels, light bridges and gels come alongside the return of the Portal gun and not only do they present some intriguing puzzle designs, but they will test your wit in new ways that surpass even the sharpest minds.
UPDATE: My friend and I have finished the co-op portion of the game and the puzzles spike in difficulty near the end. There are roughly 40 co-op levels in the game, and there are a few trophies to make you come back to a few of the more difficult challenges. The length of the co-op will vary depending on the skill of the player, but my friend and I managed to solve all 40 puzzles in about 11 hours. Some people will say that it takes 5-6, but that's probably on a second or third playthrough. If you've never seen the gameplay elements before, you will have to take some trial and error to figure out how they work before you can think about trying to solve the puzzles.
The single player campaign is excellent, though this also spikes in difficulty pretty significantly about 1/3 of the way through the game, and then again 2/3 of the way through. The game starts off with a quick tutorial, but this game assumes that if you are playing Portal, you already have a pretty good idea of how to think with portals. Some of the puzzles in the middle of the game actually had me turning off my system until the next night, at which point I was able to figure it out in a matter of minutes. One thing that I really love about this game is the fact that it never tells you where you are supposed to go, you have to look around and then figure out how to get there by using everything in your environment. This is ever more evident once you reach a certain point in the game. All of the stops are pulled out and the amount of mind-bending thinking that you have to do borders on insanity. It's never too difficult though, as the solution is always right in front of you. The trick is you have to figure out how to make it happen with varying degrees of complexity. Some puzzles will take you 30 seconds, and others will have you trying things over and over for 30 minutes. All while being incredibly fun the entire time! The single player campaign took me about 15 hours to complete, and I will certainly be playing it again soon.
The voice acting in both single player and co-op is superb, and GLaDOS is even more hilarious than the first time around. It's pretty much a guarantee that you will find the dialog humorous, whether it's listening to GLaDOS telling you that you will fail to solve the next test, or that Wheatley thinks you may have died from a horribly long fall and isn't sure what to do.
The PS3 version of this game also comes with Steam integration and this is a breeze to set up. I managed to log into my Steam account on my PS3 and I was able to see all of my friends and send messages, view achievements, etc. Best part is you can access this all within the game too, and it was very easy to set up. Just type in your name and password, and I was immediately connected. I haven't been able to test out the PC / PS3 playing together yet, but I'll be sure to update my review once I am able to try it out.
UPDATE: Since the PSN has been down since April 20, I have been unable to play online yet. I was quite fortunate to have linked my PSN account to Steam, as players are currently unable to do this right now. When the PSN is restored this game will certainly be received better by the community due to the online portion being completely dead on arrival.
It's been a long time since I've been able to have this much fun with a video game, and one with so much content (apparently Valve is planning on releasing DLC and a map editor for the game to allow creating new levels). The only gripe I have with the game is a lack of challenge maps. One of the best parts of Portal was to see if you could solve the puzzles in the fastest time, fewest steps and fewest number of portals. That is sadly missing from this game, and it would be totally awesome in co-op mode. The story and level design make up for this, but there isn't a whole lot to come back to once you've completed the game. Even still, getting 20-25 hours out of a video game is pretty good for a puzzle game considering the competition these days.
If you're even close to being on the fence about this game, I highly recommend that you give it a shot.
Call of Duty: Black Ops Online PS3 Review
I'm simply astonished and amazed at how well this game has held up to my expectations thus far. The control i have over customization, from the perks, attachments and equipment far exceeds what MW2 had to offer. There's more flexibility, and the level of customization really puts you in control. I like being able to spend some cash on the items i want when they become available, and i enjoy being able to tweak them to suit my playing style. Instead of needing to complete challenges in order to purchase certain modifications to your weapons, you merely compete for cash in online play and spend that hard earned cheddar on the items YOU want.
Thus far, the online experience has been a blast. There were a few annoyances i had with player health, and in my estimation, under the core setting it is a little too high. I had countless shots that i felt should have been kills but weren't because the player health threshold was so high. Once hardcore mode becomes available to me, i may start leaning more that way where there is a lot less forgiveness. The feel, sound and response of the weapons is very pleasing. The shock response upon striking a target is a nice subtle indication that my shots were on point. The lack of commando/pro is VERY relieving, and close quarters combat becomes more of a game of who ADS first or who's closer for a melee strike. If you miss with a knife, chances are you'll be shot. There is really no room for error there and that adds a lot of excitement and tension. It also removes the likelihood of commando campers as now melee strikes require being far closer to your target to succeed.
Most of the familiar perks are still there, though some of them have different names now (final stand is now second chance, for instance). Treyarch added a little flare to the pro versions of each perk by integrating specific tasks that make them more challening to acquire. For instance, instead of just starting out with unlimited sprint speed with marathon, you get a longer sprint duration than normal and must utilize the perk to gain 10 first blood kills, run 26 miles and cap the flag in Capture The Flag 15 times. Doing this has introduced me to game styles and tactics i would otherwise have not explored, and for that Treyarch gets my thumbs up. The rest of the perk pros are equally as challenging and exciting to work towards.
Pursuing contracts is fun, as it truly makes achieving certain goals more worthwhile and instead of being just a number under the statistics page, you reap the benefits through cold hard cash. If i'm going to attempt 15 head shots with a particular weapon, i like knowing that earning a couple hundred or even thousand COD points are my incentive for doing so. I would like it if the contract timers were a tad longer but it's not too horrible.
Editing player tags is a fun addition, and there are literally ENDLESS possibilities to what sort of creations a player can come up with. Emblems can be rotated, enlarged, shrunken, color swapped, layered, you name it. The sky is the limit here. Treyarch even included an AWESOME library of banners to choose from (purchasable with COD points, of course)to add the icing on the cake. For the first time, your player tag can be truly unique.
Honestly though, the BEST part of my experience thus far has been the theater option. When you compete in online play, your matches are actually saved, and you can go back and review them as well as chop em up for rendering. You can view each match from ANY players perspective, and there is an option to view the match in first, third or free camera mode. The possibilities a player can achieve with this feature are endless. Want to review a match and see how others played a map to improve your performance? Now you can. Want to see that awesome game winning kill again? Now you can! Want to create the best damned kill mash up ever? NOW YOU CAN!
I haven't spent the time going through single player mode since i'm more of an online player anyway, but if single player mode is anything like my online experience has been, then i look forward to what it has to offer. There is still a lot more to explore in this game but overall i give it a five star and i don't see that changing any time soon. I know it's early, but in my honest estimation, Treyarch really knocked this one out of the park.
Post release edits:
**Combat training is a much welcomed addition to the game for FPS newcomers. There are several levels of AI difficulty to select from which allow players to hone their skills with each weapon and piece of equipment (unlocked progressively in the same manner as online play) and allow them to better grasp and improve their performance on any particular map. Every map in game is selectable, and players may set up a match to suit their tastes and skill level. The best part about the AI is that they don't camp, they have razor sharp aim and on higher difficulty settings it is as though you're fighting against real, high caliber players.
**I do still love the emblem editing feature but some things about it kind of bother me. Layers cannot be renamed, and sometimes you duplicate certain objects which appear on the list with the same name. I've screwed up a couple of times trying to resize or angle a particular layer but accidentally edited the wrong one. We need to be able to discern layers from each other. I would also have liked it if on top of everything else we were able to skew shapes.
When I first heard about customizing the look of our character models, I was under the impression that we would be able to edit clothing and such, so I was disappointed to find out that selectable player models were determined by your first perk type, and the only true customization is in the face paint option. A bit underwhelming, but not game breaking. I mean, how often do we see ourselves anyway? There is still the option to add cammo and emblems to our guns, after all. From the reticle shape and color, lense color, cammo options and ability to add our emblems and clan tags to guns there is just so much to choose from to make your weapon your own. I've seen some cool combos on other players via killcams or replays.
**The one true online grievance i've experienced is the horrible, HORRIBLE spawn point system, which has been a thoroughly obnoxious problem since purchasing the game. More often than not when I am killed I can find myself respawning in the same spot consecutively, which usually leads to instant or quick death, or near the area where i was recently killed only to be picked off again. Sometimes i spawn right where an enemy cobra is floating around and there isn't anything i can do except soak the death and respawn again. In some games like CtF there are spawn timers so that only adds to the problem.
Thus far, the online experience has been a blast. There were a few annoyances i had with player health, and in my estimation, under the core setting it is a little too high. I had countless shots that i felt should have been kills but weren't because the player health threshold was so high. Once hardcore mode becomes available to me, i may start leaning more that way where there is a lot less forgiveness. The feel, sound and response of the weapons is very pleasing. The shock response upon striking a target is a nice subtle indication that my shots were on point. The lack of commando/pro is VERY relieving, and close quarters combat becomes more of a game of who ADS first or who's closer for a melee strike. If you miss with a knife, chances are you'll be shot. There is really no room for error there and that adds a lot of excitement and tension. It also removes the likelihood of commando campers as now melee strikes require being far closer to your target to succeed.
Most of the familiar perks are still there, though some of them have different names now (final stand is now second chance, for instance). Treyarch added a little flare to the pro versions of each perk by integrating specific tasks that make them more challening to acquire. For instance, instead of just starting out with unlimited sprint speed with marathon, you get a longer sprint duration than normal and must utilize the perk to gain 10 first blood kills, run 26 miles and cap the flag in Capture The Flag 15 times. Doing this has introduced me to game styles and tactics i would otherwise have not explored, and for that Treyarch gets my thumbs up. The rest of the perk pros are equally as challenging and exciting to work towards.
Pursuing contracts is fun, as it truly makes achieving certain goals more worthwhile and instead of being just a number under the statistics page, you reap the benefits through cold hard cash. If i'm going to attempt 15 head shots with a particular weapon, i like knowing that earning a couple hundred or even thousand COD points are my incentive for doing so. I would like it if the contract timers were a tad longer but it's not too horrible.
Editing player tags is a fun addition, and there are literally ENDLESS possibilities to what sort of creations a player can come up with. Emblems can be rotated, enlarged, shrunken, color swapped, layered, you name it. The sky is the limit here. Treyarch even included an AWESOME library of banners to choose from (purchasable with COD points, of course)to add the icing on the cake. For the first time, your player tag can be truly unique.
Honestly though, the BEST part of my experience thus far has been the theater option. When you compete in online play, your matches are actually saved, and you can go back and review them as well as chop em up for rendering. You can view each match from ANY players perspective, and there is an option to view the match in first, third or free camera mode. The possibilities a player can achieve with this feature are endless. Want to review a match and see how others played a map to improve your performance? Now you can. Want to see that awesome game winning kill again? Now you can! Want to create the best damned kill mash up ever? NOW YOU CAN!
I haven't spent the time going through single player mode since i'm more of an online player anyway, but if single player mode is anything like my online experience has been, then i look forward to what it has to offer. There is still a lot more to explore in this game but overall i give it a five star and i don't see that changing any time soon. I know it's early, but in my honest estimation, Treyarch really knocked this one out of the park.
Post release edits:
**Combat training is a much welcomed addition to the game for FPS newcomers. There are several levels of AI difficulty to select from which allow players to hone their skills with each weapon and piece of equipment (unlocked progressively in the same manner as online play) and allow them to better grasp and improve their performance on any particular map. Every map in game is selectable, and players may set up a match to suit their tastes and skill level. The best part about the AI is that they don't camp, they have razor sharp aim and on higher difficulty settings it is as though you're fighting against real, high caliber players.
**I do still love the emblem editing feature but some things about it kind of bother me. Layers cannot be renamed, and sometimes you duplicate certain objects which appear on the list with the same name. I've screwed up a couple of times trying to resize or angle a particular layer but accidentally edited the wrong one. We need to be able to discern layers from each other. I would also have liked it if on top of everything else we were able to skew shapes.
When I first heard about customizing the look of our character models, I was under the impression that we would be able to edit clothing and such, so I was disappointed to find out that selectable player models were determined by your first perk type, and the only true customization is in the face paint option. A bit underwhelming, but not game breaking. I mean, how often do we see ourselves anyway? There is still the option to add cammo and emblems to our guns, after all. From the reticle shape and color, lense color, cammo options and ability to add our emblems and clan tags to guns there is just so much to choose from to make your weapon your own. I've seen some cool combos on other players via killcams or replays.
**The one true online grievance i've experienced is the horrible, HORRIBLE spawn point system, which has been a thoroughly obnoxious problem since purchasing the game. More often than not when I am killed I can find myself respawning in the same spot consecutively, which usually leads to instant or quick death, or near the area where i was recently killed only to be picked off again. Sometimes i spawn right where an enemy cobra is floating around and there isn't anything i can do except soak the death and respawn again. In some games like CtF there are spawn timers so that only adds to the problem.
Call of Duty: Black Ops Offline PS3 Review
Ok, let me begin this review by saying I love shooters and have been playing them ever since I was a kid and Wolfenstien was on PC. That evolved to Goldeneye on Nintendo 64. That all changed when Metal Gear Solid came out for PS1 and I now wanted a good story to go along with my gameplay. I have always kind of liked the COD world war series, but never got into it. When MW1 came out I was blown away, I loved the game and it had a good story to tell. My only complaint with MW2 was that the story was not only lacking, but down right stupid. I never got into multiplayer because I don't have the time to train myself to compete with a bunch of 5th graders who spend 40 hours a week playing the game.
This all leads me to Black Ops, as with all 1st person shooters the campaign is short, yet good. The action is intense and the overall gaming is fun. What made the campaign even more fun was that I felt fully drawn into the game due to the compelling story. I actually wanted to check out zombies but I could not draw myself away from the campaign in order to check it out. The story was that good; I wanted to find out what happens. I'm not going into detail what the story is about because you probably already read that somewhere else. As far as the graphics, I thought they looked sharp. The scenery was not as sharp as MW2 because their seemed to be a haze in the air everywhere I went but it was still looking good. My favorite part was in Vietnam they started playing rock music from the time of the Vietnam War, which made it fill even more authentic.
As far as zombies go, it's fun to shoot zombies every now and then when I have a few free minutes so it's a nice add-on bonus.
Bottom line, if you are a lone wolf player like me, this is definitely the game for you. If you are a strictly on-line player, read someone else's review.
This all leads me to Black Ops, as with all 1st person shooters the campaign is short, yet good. The action is intense and the overall gaming is fun. What made the campaign even more fun was that I felt fully drawn into the game due to the compelling story. I actually wanted to check out zombies but I could not draw myself away from the campaign in order to check it out. The story was that good; I wanted to find out what happens. I'm not going into detail what the story is about because you probably already read that somewhere else. As far as the graphics, I thought they looked sharp. The scenery was not as sharp as MW2 because their seemed to be a haze in the air everywhere I went but it was still looking good. My favorite part was in Vietnam they started playing rock music from the time of the Vietnam War, which made it fill even more authentic.
As far as zombies go, it's fun to shoot zombies every now and then when I have a few free minutes so it's a nice add-on bonus.
Bottom line, if you are a lone wolf player like me, this is definitely the game for you. If you are a strictly on-line player, read someone else's review.
Sunday 1 May 2011
Playstation 3 Review
I am officially in awe of the Sony Playstation 3. I am honestly intrigued why anyone might opt for something else (no this is not an invitation for all the 360 trolls to crawl out from under the rocks and start spitting stink-venom, the 360 has value in it's own right too.) But the PS3 really does, DO IT ALL.
-Blu-ray - You get one of THE BEST Blu-ray players around. I also own the top rated Samsung 3D Blu-ray player that gets applause for its lightning fast load times. My PS3 was nearly the exact same speed in my side-by-side comparison. It is also a future proof Blu-ray player with it's 3D capabilities.
-320gb Storage - THE most storage available from any OEM console. I have my entire MP3 library on here and it streams perfectly to my surround sound system. I've set up playlists for all occasions and it really rocks the house. I also have 5 HD movies that I love to watch and rewatch saved on here. Given that I don't really REwatch stuff mutch, I probably will only save my favorites but I am sure to have enough space.
-Video Apps - Hulu Plus and Netflix are both so extremely robust I have actually cancelled my cable. They both stream in HD through the PS3 and look beautiful.
-Best Exclusive Game Titles - Between the Killzone, Uncharted, MLB The Show, Gran Turismo, Little Big Planet, Mod Nation Racers and Infamous series you can't go wrong. It has all the same cross-platform titles as the rest but these exclusives look absolutely stunning. There is no question, that a game designed for the PS3 looks like the most amazing thing in console gaming to date.
Motion Controller - I was skeptical about this. I have a Wii. It's fun enough, but it's a Wii and they games are well, dull. This is amazing. I cannot get enough of Ping Pong and the Gladiators game in Sports Champions. The 1 to 1 tracking works exactly as promised. The motion controller even operates the XMB (cross media bar, the main menu.)
Pandora - Yes, the PS3 web browser will go to [...] and stream your stations through your surround sound. I'm listening to "my" station right now.
Hands down, this is the best home entertainment value around. It has games for everyone in the house including little ones, teenagers and games for more mature folks. It also has a bunch of family friendly games. I know I sound like a paid spokesperson but I couldn't be happier with this console. From most of the reading, the poor reviews are really a result of slow shipping (likely their own fault for not choosing carefully) so be careful when reading reviews. As for Amazon, I buy A LOT from Amazon. Nearly every piece of electronics I own comes from them and given the A+++ customer service experience I've had I will never shop anywhere else. Yes, there is a BB 15 minutes down the street but they can't touch the level of service I've received from Amazon.
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