So Sony finally announced an official price drop of the nine year-old Playstation 2 system. About damn time. From what I understand, it remains the most-played console -even considering the current generation. Given this and the "tough times" (I hate referencing it, especially with this terminology, but it's true. A note/soapbox moment: the recession wouldn't be half as bad if the media didn't take the chance to BS on it every fifteen seconds. SB moment complete), the PS2 will probably see a jump in sales of both the console itself and the software base. So?

Give us some good games already! For the past couple years, all us PS2 owners have received is poorly-ported current-gen titles and recycled sporting games. I'm sick of having crappy "new" features in my Madden and NCAA! I'm completely through with purchasing lousy [and frankly awful] games such as Iron Man! If you're going to continue officially supporting this platform, demand that developers develop good, solid, and real games - not simply subpar ports. And yes, I'm being quite forgiving when I say "subpar." I really mean s*&#@$ as f$*#. It's an embarrassment to the company and brand when awful ports come to the most-played system that the recent Gamespot article refers to as a "cash cow." If it's so much of a money-generating component of the income model, develop good games! I don't really see the issue here. Not only would licensing be dirt cheap [comparatively], if the price was $20 or $30, gamers would gobble it up. How about a re-release of the God of War series with some extra levels for $30? Hell, I would be first in line! What about a new James Bond game (which was not ported, but developed specifically (not exclusively) for the PS2)? Again, I would be right there! The issue will be developers and publishers expecting us to pay $40 or $50 for a port, which I simply will not do.

Obviously, I am among the income grouping which cannot afford the $400 PS3 (basic model might I add) or $300 Xbox 360. Hell, I'm running a PC from five or six years ago (P4HT 3.0GHz, 512MB RAM, 5700LE @ 256MB). So give us something good. While I don't mind walking into Gamestop and grabbing a couple PS2 games for ten bucks, I would definitely salivate over a brand new, high budget PS2 title. I can only replay what I've got so many times!

I noticed it's been about five or six months since I've thrown one of these "blog" posts up; I was poking around on my profile and it kept bothering me that the link to the header image on my newest blog post was nonfunctional. Lately I've been caught up in the swath of infighting following the soon-to-be collapse of my gaming clan, WMD (wmd-clan.com). A lot of upper-echelon members and community awesome-people (I fall into the latter and dabble in the former from time to time) are scrambling to get something new set up before the servers go down December 1, but already certain people disagree with how everything is being done. Needless to say, some people won't be invited to our new home.

As far as gaming goes, I'm up to my eyes with games to play, games I want to play, and games I need to finish. I'll be spending a lot of time on TF2 before the clan falls apart just so I can play one last time with all the old people. (Still a month off, but I mean come on...it's TF2!) My recent purchases/investments into the PC gaming market include:

It was $5 this past weekend on steam. How could I say no? I've been wanting to try this out for some time now, and with such a great deal my credit card was out before I could argue with myself. I've only played through the tutorial, but so far I have high hopes. I can't wait to try the multiplayer!

I got this on a whim, mostly because I enjoy a good gaming world to play around in. I'm three or so hours in, and so far it's enjoyable. I didn't expect it to be so much like GTA though -in fact I didn't really know what to expect- but my only qualms so far are several of the early missions which are strict trial-and-error and one trip up results in instant failure (specifically the mission involving the re-theft of a girl's chemistry notes from a locker in the girl's locker room). Nonetheless, I do enjoy the game's mechanics and the freshness of the world.

Yeah yeah, laugh it up. I've watched the first season and a half and although I came in expecting the king-nerd of all sci-fi shows, I was impressed by the quality and especially the cinematography.It's a shame this is all we get. 45 minutes in, I'm halfway done and stuck at the lamest of all missions: attempting to outscore my wing mates while shooting at drones. I tried for 15 minutes, then when I realized I'd spent a quarter of my entire game experience on this one mission, I quit and played Bully.

This one surprised me. After all the negative publicity and bashing of it on the forums, I expected a crappy Warcraft 3 remake. It is so much more than that. I dug up a copy after a friend got hooked on WAR, and so far I've been more than impressed after six or seven hours of gaming. It does chug a bit on my sub-par system from 2004, but the blood and sheer amazingness of the graphics make me want to play more and more. This one, assuming it doesn't take 50 hours or something absurd, will get conquered.

I just had to try it for myself. Honestly, I don't find all that many faults with it that are as horrendous as the forums make it seem. The lack of any XP system is the real drawback, since it makes exploring any ancillary rooms looking for loot or to slay monsters in the hopes of a level-up all but worthless. In fact, after four or five hours of gameplay, I really feel no compulsion to finish this one out. It's not bad, it's simply that it's not great enough for me to put aside potentially-awesome titles for this one. I mean, the graphics are great and the environments are detailed, but the lack of XP/loot and a really annoying camera make this one that I doubt I'll finish. We shall see.

I've been plodding along in Titan Quest since May. Every now and again I'll pop in the ebay-acquired CDs and hack my way through a few hours of the main quest. I just got to Babylon after maybe 20 hours of swords and magic, and every step of the way has been amazing. I would have beat this one months ago, but I have to be in a certain mindset to play this or I become quickly annoyed. But so far, this one's a 9.0 at least.

Once I get back to my apartment I'll look on my desktop and see five or so other games I meant to put here. Hopefully I'll remember to update this list before another five months roll around... By then I hope to have purchased a new system, or at least a new mobo, CPU, and RAM for this one (I hope my 7600GT can power these new games, but all indications point to me needed a dx10 card...we'll see if my bank account likes that idea). Well so long for now.

Addendum:

I knew there would be more; regardless, these are some more games that I'm in the process of fighting through

I played through this one about five years ago (well, maybe four). I've become re-fascinated with the Third Reich and its evil-doings, including [and mainly] its paranormal activities. I picked up "Stalin's Silver" from Half Price Books, and with the new "Valkyrie" movie looming on the horizon, I figured now would be as good a time as any to re-conquer Himmler and his baddies. I'm only on the second mission, but the Quake III engine isn't quite as mezmerizing as I remember it being. The gameplay is also much less refined when compared to contemporary games, and involves running, shooting, and lots of time spent hunting for the next door. All said, It's still superb.

I've played every Command & Conquer game excluding Retaliation (PSX), Zero Hour, Yuri's Revenge, Sole Survivor, and Kane's Wrath. That sounds like I'm missing out on quite a lot of C&C lore, but when considering the full list, it is only a small helping -Command & Conquer [Tiberian Dawn], Covert Operations, Red Alert, Counterstrike, The Aftermath, Red Alert 2, Firestorm, Renegade, C&C3, Generals, and I believe that sums it up. Not to mention Dune 2, 2000, and Emperor which are made by Westwood and follow the same vein of gameplay. That being said, Red Alert 3 is outstanding; it's almost as if Westwood reanimated, infiltrated the offices of EA, and developed this personally. Everything shines with that special sheen we all came to love before the monsters of Electronic Arts splooged cash and closed down the most hallowed studios of all time (ahead of Bullfrog and others). 

I was hesitant, for sure, to venture into the PC sports market after the disaster that was Madden 08...and that NBA Live 06 was beyond subpar. But now, with 2K9, basketball has come to the PC again with all the glitz of its console counterparts. There isn't much to do, but the graphics are stupendous and the gameplay shines with energy. I'll review this one shortly, after I poke around more of the features.

With this peek back into the annals of gaming, I'll be investigating what could possibly be the finest year of PC gaming in the history of PC gaming: 2000. Immediately, one monumental title should be popping into your mind's eye, scalding it with fire and ice and the summoned skeletons of a level 72 necromancer. That's right children and elderly folk: Blizzard's own Diablo II, heir to the throne carved by its older brother, reinventor of the action-RPG, the first dose of cocaine before millions had the crack that is World of Warcraft unleashed upon them. I've been addicted –twice- and the results are not pretty. The first time was my junior year of high school; I was naïve, young, and lacked the willpower to fight off addictions as powerful as Baal runs at 2am. And the most recent craving was brought upon me by my now-brother-in-law, who haphazardly began conversations of it during the planning stages of his wedding last summer. Regardless, I've toyed with all clases [sic] excepting Amazon, and all through level 70+ (all but Necromancer 80+). But alas, I'm not here to speak of myself anymore. Diablo II is surely amongst the crown jewels of gaming in its entirety. Everything from the farming to the level crashing to the rushing to the five acts pulls players in again and again. If this isn't an amphetamine, I don't know what is (I'm going to leave that one alone right at the door).

What could possibly trump Diablo II, holder of the action-RPG crown eight years running? (I say this as I install Titan Quest mind you.) I won't be as bold as to compare the two, but Shiny Entertainment's Sacrifice stands proud as a spiritual successor to Bullfrog's epic Magic Carpet series. Sacrifice combines epic and powerful story with the glee of guiding slain souls to one's altar to be sacrificed as resources. In addition, free will in choosing missions and building a unique army makes a truly unique and spectacular gaming experience. Sacrifice threw fast-paced action in the faces of gamers worldwide and backed it with absolutely gorgeous graphics, bloody carnage, and the forte of Magic Carpet's action elements. Let me tell you, if there is some way to dig up a copy of Sacrifice and play it, do so. And I mean first clas [sic] air mail; damn owl-fly it to your PC.

And if you thought graphics were a strong point in Sacrifice, Planet Moon Studios had another thing coming two days after my millennium birthday. PMS (excuse the acronym: I didn't name the studio) not only unleashed one of the pillars of gaming, it damn-near carpet-napalm-nuke-shrink ray-Cloverfield bombed the collective bowel movements from every gamer who ever experienced this glorious game. Of what do I speak? Giants: Citizen Kabuto, obviously. I detailed my passion for Giants in my previous entry of The Good Old Days, but I cannot stress how original, hilarious, and downright entertaining this game really is. Do yourself a favor, spend the five bucks on amazon.com and order yourself a copy before I buy them all up and sell them for $100 apiece.

Honorable mentions: Deus Ex, a game I've never given its due credit, whose sequel still sits unplayed in my Shelf of Gaming Glory. And, of course, the father of it all: Hitman: Codename 47, a game who is as broken as it is original, a game I can sit down at and wonder how such glory spawned from such a mess. And even in all its foulness, 47 is still a dream to play.

DIABLO SAYS: Slay me before I eat you

I completed Portal today...yes, it took me long enough. I reached level 18/19 on December 26, mere hours after I received the Orange Box from my (amazing, loving, wonderful, every great adjective ever used to describe the best girlfriend a man could have) girlfriend, and reached said level before putting it aside in favor of sleep - I believe it was around the six a.m. hour. Regardless, today I decided to pick up where I left off and spent two! hours completing the remaining two challenges and enjoying the credits to their full extent. It took me thing long since I hadn't played for nearly three months and had since forgotten the rules of Portal. Nonetheless, in the end it was one of the finest games I've ever played: puzzle or otherwise.

Why can't the quality of higher-budget games reach this high? There are games which publishers throw tens of millions at, and the end product lacks ingenuity, gameplay innovation, or entertainment (read: most of EA's schlock). Something so simple as a portal concept was developed without major funding and yet it remains one of the finest products in all mentioned categories. It boggles my mind how game-producing monoliths still can't compete with the amateur market. Games from Plasma Pong to Darwinia shock players with their creativity, yet big-name publishers continue to spurn us with their big-budget crap. I would rather pay fifty bucks for Portal than for another of EA's generic titles. That is my statement.

Hopefully none of this rant detracts from my main point, and that is simple: Portal is outstanding. From "Still Alive" (spoiler) to the individual level design and even the achievements. Everything sparkles with a shine born from care and not dollars.

PART ONE

I've been gaming for the better part of ten years now - that is, seriously gaming - and I can definitely "feel" when a game is going to be a c lassic. Unfortunately, contemporaneous games are more and more lacking that certain ingredient which propels them into gaming eternity as the top of their *c lass Luckily, backwards compatibility exists [to some extent] and we may enjoy the treasures of yesterday for as long as we wish.

GIANTS: CITIZEN KABUTO

I've seen more and more references pop up to Kabuto over the last few days in the forums, for the most part here. I had this game in my "archives" since 2001, and it wasn't until two or three years ago that I got around to busting out the dark-green CDs and installing what I would soon find to be a game unlike any I'd ever experienced. The opening cutscene set the stage for a brilliant gaming romp through a colorful and humorous world, where large-headed, foul-tempered, gray-skinned mongrels give you missions such as hunting for meat or rescuing a certain number of cliff-dangling compatriots. The dry wit and sheer comical genius of Kabuto makes it more than a c lassic: It makes it a Gaming Deity. Planet Moon's next game, Armed and Dangerous possessed many of the same qualities; however, the gameplay was more "mainstream" and lacked a good deal of the charm. Giants: Citizen Kabuto lives on, both in my fond memories and my packed CD folders laying all around my desk, and it shall remain one of the pinnacles of PC gaming history.

KABUTO SAYS: Tasty Treat that Keeps on Giving

As of late, I've found myself dodging what I should be doing, namely studying for neuroscience, german, and stats, and playing through my ever-increasing collection of games. In the past week, I've defeated three premier real-time strategy titles; Empire at War for the second time so I could better experience its sequel, and Dawn of War, in anticipation for Soulstorm. Next on the agenda: Winter Assault, Dark Crusade (which I purchased days after its release last year and have yet to beat), Prey (dug up a copy for three bucks at the local Half Price Books), eventually finish the Orange Box single-player games, and after that, who knows? I still play Team Fortress 2 frequently, but we'll see for how long.

Additionally, I despise the rating system for games. 0.5 increments is ludicrous and every game I rate seems to be too high or too low. Gamespot is annoying in its simplification of reviews, both its own and by users. This is my plea to revert to the Good Old Days.

Beowulf

Terrible. I've only played it for around an hour, but so far I've succeeded in nothing but frustrating myself to the point of violence. On one hand, the developers clearly took a page from the God of War franchise with the epic boss battles, contextual keys, environmental puzzles, and bloody combat. On the other hand, the developers clearly took a page from the God of War franchise with the crappy boss battles, impossibly-hard contextual sequences, and pointless environmental puzzles. Where God of War stepped up was the ancillary gameplay, story, movie scenes, and so on. Beowulf, so far, has left me angry and unsatisfied. At the very least, this game should never have graced the DVD drives of the PC platform.

Time played: 1 hour-ish

Score: 3.5

Hellgate: London

As a hardcore Diablo 2 player, I know what I want from my hack-n-slash action RPG item-grabbers, and Hellgate delivers to some potency. The six clases vary enough for much replay value, although I've found the engineer to be by far the most entertaining and balanced - I'm a natural summoner or Necro, and the engineer blends that trait with the ability to wield firearms: awesome. I do have some gripes though. For starters, there isn't nearly enough loot. From every review I've read, they marvel and swoon over the limitless item drops, but I've found the drops to be few, far between, and lacking the same addictiveness of Diablo 2; this is mainly attributed to the startling (and by that I am estimating about 90%) amount of times monsters drop items which cannot be used by your clas You may break down these items for parts, but that is a painstaking collection process. I am assuming, however, this is something that will develop into something better the more I play. Additionally, it is easy to become trapped by enemies into a corner -which as five of the six clases it is impossible to fight out from- and you simply have to die and wait for the monsters to disperse and then revive yourself. Not awesome as this occurs frequently, especially as melee characters. All in all, I am impressed and Hellgate is one for the collection.

Time played: About 10 hours

Score: 8.0: Hellgate is obviously held at a higher standard than, say, Postal 2: Apocalypse Weekend. High-profile games have this problem and my ratings are no exception.

Timeshift

This game deserves far better than a 6.5. As of my point in the game (around nine hours), I have encountered nothing that leads me below a flat 9.0 rating, and using the old [and better] gamespot system, a 9.3. The time shifting never becomes monotonous: if you haven't partaken, imagine F.E.A.R. with the ability to stop and rewind time in addition to slowing it. Stopping time, unarming an enemy, and then unpausing it, watching as he runs around cursing for his now-vanished weapon before you blow his face off is pure entertainment. For the bottom line, take F.E.A.R., add more weapons, more enemies, more time shifting, take it from cramped corridors and dank basements and put it in rain-soaked streets and ATV-traversable forests, add gargantuan walking robots and an evil scientist, and you have Timeshift.

Time played: Around 9 hours

Score: 9.0

Clive Barker's Jericho

I did not expect to enjoy this game at all, coming off a lackluster Quake 4, but lo and behold, I was sucked in. Jericho is nothing new, and actually it takes many familiar things away and adds frustrating elements, but it is enjoyable nonetheless. The enemies are the same, the weaponry is boring, and the game siezes control from you frequently to go into story mode, but everything fits together in such a way to keep me intrigued. The amount of blood and the way it sprays is spectacular, and the storytelling is strong. Admittedly, I haven't played all that much, but from what I've seen, this is one I'll sit down and beat sooner rather than never.

Time played: 2-3 hours

Score: 9.0

Of note: I know how to spell, but gamespot in all its wisdom can't mend a simple scripting problem and I am not allowed to use the word "clas s." Good job gamespot. No, really.