It took me five years and Final Fantasy XIII to get an Xbox and break into console gaming again. This is a blog where I talk about that and other gaming related things.

• 6Aug 10

  Bioshock

  Got a review up.

  Bioshock was a different experience for me. I was expecting a first person shooter with a fantastical underwater world. What I got as that, with a lot of blood, gore, and creepiness on top of it. For sure, the world of Rapture was immersing and unbelievable. I can't say I've seen the concept of an underwater city done in quite the same way in any other game or movie. It made me curious to see what the city was like before it broke down. Before the people went crazy with gene splicing. When families were taking their children to Arcadia for a day trip or catching a show at the local theater.

  I got tired of the combat rather quickly. After awhile it was very repetitive. I learned what combination of plasmid and weapon worked best on most enemies and it never failed me. I tolerated it so I could move on to the next plot point, and continue to see this wondrous world they've created.

  So now I'm sort of unsure if I want to play the sequel. From the review here on Gamespot, it sounds like it's a lot of the same in terms of combat, but the story isn't quite as good. And since that was the main reason for me finishing the first game, I'm not sure I could tolerate the rest of it.

  So after Bioshock I popped in Mass Effect and got that game started. It comes highly recommended by a friend. So far I'm reminded a lot of Star Wars: KOTOR where more of the game is played in the dialog trees than in the battlefield. But after playing a game with not so enjoyable combat, maybe that's a good thing.

  • Posted Aug 6, 2010 6:43 am GMT
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• 12Jul 10

  Assassin's Creed 2 Complete.

  Last night I finished the story line of Assassin't Creed 2. From beginning to end, it was an awesome game, and I'l be putting up a review soon to describe how awesome it was. In one run through, I managed over 900 of the achievement points, so now I just have to run through and collect a bunch of feathers, plus a couple of the combat related achievements. I'm hopeful that that won't take as much time as the first AC game's flags did. I only have 59 feathers left to collect, so I think I'll be fine.

  Actually, I will discuss the end of the game briefly since I don't want to spoil it in the review. If you haven't finished the game though, you may want to skip past the next paragraph or two.

  So at the end, we pretty much learn that Ezio was just a device that these beings were using to reach out to Desmond. They knew he would be using the animus to look at his past, and that's how they warned him. The world has ended before, it's ending again, and we're not going to be around to save you this time. It got me thinking. I had read that the "present" time in Assassin's Creed was leading up to December 21st, 2012, where supposedly the ancient Mayans predicted the world would end. Now, that's not true, but this is a fictional game, so roll with it. It seems to me that these beings are warning Desmond about the world ending on that date. What's he going to do about it? Who knows? But then I read that Ubisoft may be delaying the release of AC III until 2012, and it made me think they were going to catch up in real time with the game time, which is kind of cool.

  I also saw the entirety of Subject 16s video, and it's got me a little confused. It's Adam and Eve, but it's not the Adam and Eve we're familiar with. These people are in an advanced structure, and appear to be naked, though their skin looks mechanical, so maybe it's some sort of body suit? And what were they doing running up that building? Looking forward to some answers from this in the next games.

  Assassin's Creed Brotherhood is due out soon, and it's going to cover Rome with Ezio, That should be fun. I'm wary about the multiplayer, but there's supposed to be a fairly significant single player campaign as well. From what I know, this game will not further the Desmond storyline, but just be more from Ezio. Looking forward to it!

  Up next in the games list is Bioshock. I'm borrowing it, and the time required to beat it isn't as hefty as some of the other games I have, such as Dragon Age and Oblivion. I've got to get my hands on Mass Effect somewhere too. Can't wait to enter the world of Rapture!

  • Posted Jul 12, 2010 8:19 am GMT
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• 11Jun 10

  Assassinations and Keyboards

  I started playing Assassin's Creed II the other day. Sweet fancy Moses is it a sweet game. So sweet that I couldn't wait until I finished it to start talking about it. I knew it was going to be better than the first one. I've known that since before I owned the Xbox. But it is really grabbing my by the collar and not letting go. The graphics are beautiful, the cities are amazing, and the game play is one hundred times more smooth and believable than the first game.

  The story is a huge plus. I feel like the character of Ezio actually has personality and a purpose to everything he is doing. He's not just a nameless assassin (okay, I guess Altair had a name, but whatever) doing missions. He's got motivation, and every mission has a purpose. I'm not just doing the same three missions over and over again like I was in AC I.

  I just learned how to assassinate a guy while hiding in a pile of hay. How awesome is that? You hide, the guard stands near the hay, and you reach out, kill him, and drag him into the hay pile, no one the wiser. I love doing things the stealthier or more roguish way. Instead of just beating up guards in my way, I hire some thieves or mercenaries to distract them, or better yet, I hire some prostitutes to REALLY distract them while I waltz in, take the treasure and leave without ever being seen. As Altair, the only choice was to fight most of the time. Why would an assassin want to bring so much attention to himself?

  I recently got to the part where I get to have my own villa and upgrade it and pimp it out. At first, that seems like an odd thing to put in the game. Like a mini game of the Sims within Assassin's Creed. But I really like it. I like buying new armor, even just changing the color of my clothes because it makes your character more personalized. You feel more like you're affecting the world you're in, and not just existing in it.

  Okay. Enough gushing. I'm the one late to the party, so most of you are probably just shaking your heads at me. If you haven't played it, do yourself a favor and do so. I would say to play the first one before you do, but at this point, well, there is no point. You want some background? Go read the wiki entry.

  In current gaming news, I'm getting really excited about Rock Band 3. And all it took was the addition of keyboards. I actually play piano, so getting to play an instrument I really know how to play is going to be some good fun I think. And there are a lot of other awesome things about Rock Band 3 that sound really cool. If you haven't read any of the articles, interviews, or videos about Rock Band, and you're at all interested, I would check it out. I fell in love with Guitar Hero at a Best Buy one lazy afternoon. I spent the next few months obsessing about it before just going out and buying it. I imagine I'll feel the same about Rock Band 3. Cannot. Wait.

  • Posted Jun 11, 2010 6:57 am GMT
  • Category: Games
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