• 13Dec 09

  My Choice for Game of The Year (and Runner-ups)

  ~Well, I haven't written a blog in a while. I started to write this about three days ago, but when I was halfway throughI left the computer for a break and my momclosed the window I was writing in. : / Oh well, Lets try this again.

  Its that time of year, game awards are being handed out, and the most prestigeous of all is on the line. "Game of The Year" (GOTY). Everyone has their opinions of who will win and why, so hereare mine, plus some of the games that were close, but not quite close enough, the Runner-Ups. I will Start with the Runner-Ups.

  Runner-Ups:

  Runner Up 1: Infamous:

  

  ~Face it, you will never be as cool as Cole

  I am sure I won't have many arguments here. Sucker Punch, the developers of Sly Cooper, are back at it again with yet another awesome game: Infamous. An open-world sandbox game with two storylines dependent upon the players moral choices, Infamous is big, engrossing, and unforgetable. The story is told through artsy comic-booklike cutscenes that are very unique. Solid controls and an awesome climbing system that makes spider-man games pea themselvescombined withan ever growing arsenal of electric powers rounds out this awesome package. This is what Prototype wishes it was. :p

  Runner-Up 2: Batman

  

  ~A Batman game thats good? Wow, thats a good idea..

  Batman: Arkham Asylum captures what it is to be Batman. Your not bullet-proof, shadows don't make you completely dissapear (You listening, Tom Clancy?), and stealth is the name of the game. Steath and gadgets. And puzzles. And fighting..ok, there is alot in this game. The stealth element is perfectly executed, from the tense mission and challenges, to the worried expressions of badies as they watch there fellow henchmen picked off. And when yourcover is broken, and awesome-but simple-combo based fighting system makes you look as skilled as any choreography in a big-budget batman movie. This, combined with a sick skill upgrading (a la an RPG), a sick time-attack tyoe mode, and sick puzzles, makes for an awesome game, even for people who aren't remotely fans of Batman...or super heros in general.

  Runner-Up 3: Little Big Planet

  

  ~Sackboy, Love him or your heartless

  Little Big Planet is quiet possibly the new face of Sony. Too bold of a statement, you say? Ok, here is this: Little Big Planet is Sony's Mario. This thing may be simple, but it has such undeniable charm, it will win your heart. Although the platforming is simple (hey, 2.5D is still more than Super Mario Bros can boast!), the gameplay is made fun by whimsical levels saturated with boisterous, unbounded creativity and amusing gameplay mechanics (not to mention the awesome physics engine). Even though the campaign is short, multiplayer is rowdy and hilarious; it has the potential to steal alot of your time. But what really makes this game is user-generated content and the endless levels of customizing. Beat the campaign and played-out multiplayer? Customize sack-boy beyond reason and play a plethora of levels created by other Little Big Planet users. None of them good enough for you? Make your own. The level designer is in-depth and complex, but well worth your time. If you have a PS3, don't miss this game.

  Runner-Up 4: Demon's Souls

  

  ~You will look like him by the time your done with this game

  Demon's Souls is a punishingly hard, highly satisfying, way huge RPG. But, would you expect anything else From Atlus? Oh, and my love of Atlus has nothing at all to do with this game making it in the runner-up section. There have been alot of good RPGs on consoles lately, and suprisingly alot of good western RPGs. Elder Scrols: Oblivion, Fallout 3, and Dragon Age: Origins are all great games. But lets face it, no one does RPGS like the Japs, and since its Atlus, you can expect three things: Its long, its really difficult, and it has an awesome story-line. Now, some of you western gamers (oh wait...I am a western gamer...) don't care for super hard games, but the Japs know how its done. This is no Assasin's Creed 2, its gonna take a while to beat. But don't worry, your gonna have alot of stuff to do during your stay. Life-like, voice acted characters and a vast land to explore in a non-linear fashion mean you will keep coming back.

  Runner-Up 5:Killzone 2

  

  ~What Halo wishes it was, and what Halo will never be

  After the first Killzone game was met with lackluster response, Sony knew they would have to up the ante next time around in order to beat Halo. Boy, did they do it. Killzone 2 has amazing, drool inducing graphics, a kickin'campaign, and a social-life destroying online multiplayer. Like I said, the campaign is cool, but online is where its at. Awesome levels (with many more available through DLC), crazy cool weapons, an array of game types, andtons of ranks to climb all add up to an awesome experience. The dark, gritty, almost deisel-punk look of the game is oh-so right, and the sound is brutal. Overal, this game is brutal. Notridiculously bloody to a comical extent, like Gears of War, but just plain brutal in the way the weapons work (one gun impales people, sticking them to nearby walls before detonating inside its victim), the animations whenenemies die (blood is overly thick and quite abundant), and the superb sound thatimmerses you in the game(hyper-believable guns sounds and the quite audible indicator that your enemies make when downed). Best shooter ever? No, probably not. Bestfuturistic shooter you can buy this generation? Most certainly.

  P.S.: The inventor of Halo was having a vivid dream that he was playing what he wished Halo was. It was amazing,just like he had envisionedHalobefore it wasactually time to design it. With a start, he woke-up. He lookeddown and noticed a PS3 controller in his hands. Upon looking up,he realized Killzone 2was on the TV screen. He had been playing what he wished Halo was! It just went by a different name, "Killzone 2".

  Ok, now for what you all have been waiting for with baited breath (lol), my pick for Game of The Year.

  VXLBeast's Pick for "Game of The Year" goes to:

  Drake's Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

  

  ~Keep hanging Drake, we want Uncharted 3!!!

  Was there really any competition? Ok, so there was alot of competition. But Uncharted 2 is really a diamond among rubies, saphires, and emeralds. Uncharted 2 achieves a new level of video games immersion, pulling you into the action like no other gamebefore it. It is hard to focus on any single part, as the game is overall so outstanding. The awesome platforming sections, the intense gun fights, the great camera that stays trueeven in tricky hand to hand combat, the mind-bending puzzles, the superb voice acting and dialogue, theawesome story that can pull off being serious and hilarious and realistic and outrageous and light-hearted and emotional without breaking a sweat, the splendid graphics (easily the best of anyconsole game so far) with vivid, disturbingly real environments and near photorealistic character animation, the awesome cover system,and the addicting and enthralling online play, to name a few. It seems like every singleaspect of this game was executed with unheard of precision. All the cool stuff that shows up in othervideo gamesas cut scenes you actuallyplay in this game.One personwrote a blog about his impressions of the game.He was so mesmerized by every apsect of it that it made him ponder about the day that video games could become the standard media,advancing to the pointwhere they wereconsidered interactive movie experiences more than time-wasters for kids. Some of have even gone so far as to call it the downright best game ever made? So, does it threaten the throne of Legend ofZelda: Ocarina of Time? Although I don't believe Zelda's crown has been taken yet, it is interesting to see that it is possible to get close.

  And so, for those reasons and much, much more, Drake's Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is my pick for "Game of The Year". Go out an pick up a copy today, and happy gaming to you!

  P.S: You will notice I mentioned nothing of Modern Warfare2, or Modern Warfare 1.5 as I call it. I wrote a large paragraph explainging why I didn't even give it a runner up award, but decided to remove it because it didn't fit very well with the subject matter. Stay tuned and I willre-post that paragraph as a seperate blog.

  As always, thanks for reading!

  • Posted Dec 13, 2009 5:32 pm PT
  • Category: Editorial
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• 27Nov 09

  Proud New Owner of a PS3!

  Thats right, I finally got it! As some fo you know, I had mentioned how Wal-Mart had a deal where you got the PS3 for $300, but it came with Infamous, Batman: Arkuhm Asylum, and the Dark Knight on Blu-Ray. I was very excited for this, but there was only one problem: My parents have never gone Black Friday shopping and did not wan't to take me. WHat was I gonna do? I begged my sister to take me, and she said she didn't want to (she is not a morning person at all, and we would have to wake up about 5:30, lol). But, after begging profusely, show finally conceded. I set my alarm for 5:30, and to Wal-Mart we went.

  We arrived about 6:00 in the morning, so I was scared all the PS3s would be gone. When we arrived at the electronics section, there were only non-bundle PS3s there. Not good...Butthere was no reason tofear, Mr. Electronics department worker man with a scraggly beard was there to save the day! Lemme explain. Worried, and with half asleep sister in tow, I waited in line to talk to an employee. When I finally got up there with the non-bundled PS3, before I could say anything, he asked me, "Don't you want a bundled one?" and plopped down a bundle PS3 Slim from behind the counter. I wanted to hug this man! But I didn't...he smelled bad.

  Aaaaanyways, onward march. I got my PS3!

  

  So, everything is hunky-dory, right? Well, not quite. Since I paid for $200 of it, and my parent's picke dup the other $100 as my Christmas gift, they won't let me play it until Christmas!!! But, I did convince them to let me set it up so we can watch the Dark Night on Blue-Ray on our brand new Sony Bravia 40-inch LCD TV. So, yah, I think I can survive.

  Which brings me to my next subject! An online name. You can never change your name once you type it in for online on the PSN. So what should mine be? My username for everything has been VXLBeast for as long as I can remember, that makes it easier, plus I love the name. But, I dunno, maybe it is time for a change? What do you think of these names?:

  VXLBeast

  Lone Wolf

  White Wolf

  Inglorious (I thought this up before the movie came out, but now that "Inglorious" is associated with an ultra violent movie, I don't think I will use it.)

  Any other suggestions for names? Thanks.

  Also, I need money to buy Christmas gifts to my family, so I am gonna have to sell Batman Arkuhm Asylum before I get to play. it. ;( Oh wel, Blazing_quilava will just have to enjoy it for me.

  Well, thats about all I got to say. If you have a PSN username, please tell me it so I can add you when I setup my PS3. See you on!

  • Posted Nov 27, 2009 11:32 am PT
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• 24Nov 09

  Updates, my random thoughts, and Happy Thanksgiving!

  ~Happy Thanksgiving!!!~

  Well, I don't usually write these kinds of blogs, but I don't have the gumption to write a full length article at the moment. So, you get this!A "Happy Thanksgiving" greeting,updates about me, and other random thoughts I have at the moment.

  First of all, NO SCHOOL FOR THE REST OF THE WEEK! What a relief, time to catch up on unions, blogs, and other stuff. Some of you may have noticed I haven't been active this last week or so. School was pretty hectic these past twoweeks, so sorry about that. I'm back now though!

  I played Far Cry 2 and Modern Warfare 2 at my friend's house recently. Far Cry 2 was awesome! The open world was verycool and theenvironment was reactive to user input. The freedom to go anywhere and do anything combinedwith the fact that yourdecisions affected the story line made it very intriguing.

  Modern Warfare 2 on the other hand...Well, I am going to save my full opinion of the game for a later blog I am going to write. I will leave it at this: MW2 was the most un-fun I have had in a long time. I played seven or so matches online, and in every single one of them, ever single person was camping. Literally everyone. No one moving around, no one fighting at points of contention, no one trying to flank. Absolutely everyone was sitting behind corners, waiting for people to walk unexpectantly by. Plain and simply, it sucked.

  Moving on, I am getting into a new hobby (lol, I get new hobbys all the time. RC cars, Bonsai Trees, Wood Carving, so on, so forth). My new hobby? Airsoft guns! When I had an airsoft war with some of my friends, I knew I was hooked. So I saved up some money and got this:

  

  Its nothing fancy, but it is a pretty M14good rifle for only $60. My friend also got a really nice shotgun, and tomorrow we are having a huge war. We are getting about eight people together to have a huge war in the woods by my friends house. A pretty good section of the woods are cleared out, so we are going to construct some barriers and forts out of scrap wood we have. It just rained recently, so its gonna be really muddy. Its gonna be grand.

  Well, as you guys probably know, I love Capcom. Ever since Okami, I have had an affinity for them. I am looking forward to Monster Hunter: Tri, Lost Planet 2, and now Dark Void. Honestly, six months ago, I thought Dark Void looked lame. Lame cover, seemingly lame concept for gameplay, and lame name. Well, all that has changed. I have been watching some videos of Dark Void, and it looks awesome. Basically, you were working on a ship when it dissapeared sailing through the Burmuda (sp?) Triangle. You end up in a land called the "Void", a land where everyone who dissapears in the Burmuda Triangle appears. The humans who appear there are attacked by the alien race that populates that land, the "Watchers". The human resistance is led by none other than Nikola Tesla. If you know or are even mildly interested in electricity, you know who Tesla is. He was a beast. Anyways, he leads the human resistance, developing new technology with what they can gather throughout the "Void". I will let that be as far as I go. You really got to see the trailer for this, it is looking it will shape into something very cool. Here is a linky to the trailer:

  http://www.gamespot.com/ps3/action/darkvoid/news.html?sid=6233000&mode=previews

  Yay for Capcom! ^___^

  And with Thanksgiving comes Black Friday. I have never actually done any Black Friday shopping, my parents don't like it one bit, lol. But, this year, Wal-Mart has a PS3 bundle I may not be able to pass up. PS3 + Infamous + Batman: Arhkum Asylum + Batman: Dark Knight on Blu-Ray, all for $300. Very cool. Honestly, I am not interested in the Batman game, so I would probably sell it to GameStop, but I definitely want Infamous. Even so, before I play Infamous, I am getting Drake's Uncharted 2: Among Theives. GOTY, IMO.

  Haven't been playing alot of Video Games lately because of school, reading, and other stuff taking up my life, but Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor is stillabsolutely amazing. This is a hard thing to say...but it might be the best RPG I have ever played. Outstanding. After I beat Shin Megami Tensei, I am thinking about getting Chrono Trigger. Its an Enix ****c, supposed to be amazing. Speaking of great games, I still haven't gotten Mazora's Mask yet. Its only $10 on Wiiware, so I don;t know why I haven't gotten it yet, lol.

  So, whats new with you guys? Anybody got cool plans for thanksgiving? My family is coming over, but nothing that interesting really.

  • Posted Nov 24, 2009 6:35 pm PT
  • Category: General
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