• 5Jul 09

  Spreading the Wealth...

  I'm usually a one game at a time kind of guy. As I have lately become addicted to older 360 titles I buy at least one "new" game a week.

  I pick a game out of my stack based on mood. I know most of you probably do that and are reading this and thinking, "God, Laughlyn is such a tool... I can't believe this guy calls himself a gamer. He's probably ugly too. Who the hell does this guy think he is? What a blowhard! I'm cancelling my subscription and never coming to this site again if this is the type of moron that they allow to have a forum here... screw this, I'm never playing games again! This guy sucks!" or something to that effect.

  So for those of you not completely repulsed by my new habits I thought I would drop some impressions on you... probably things you already knew since I'm playing games that the whole world of is sick of by now but this is my blog and since no one is reading it at this point allow me to indulge myself!

  The Orange Box

  I bought this game for Portal and TF2, I'm going to be honest. After finding no one playing TF2 on the 360 I basically turned this game into Portal 24/7. One day I decided to give HL2 another shot, having previously played it but struggled with a low end PC.

  -Portal

  This game is amazing. It's different, SMART, addicting, frustrating and rewarding all rolled into what seems like a very simple concept. Get from point A to point B using two portals that you can place. Easy enough, right? Hell no! It's a huge emotional rollercoaster. I can go from frustrated to no end to unbelievably, dancing in my living room elated at success.

  I've gotten to the point where the puzzles are really starting to get challenging and take a lot of thought. Good times... I can't remember the last time a game challenged my MIND instead of dexterity and reaction time. Great times. If you haven't played this, and that's unlikely since the person at the store who sold me the game made it seem like I was the last person on the face of the planet to have played this game, play it now!

  -Half-Life 2

  As smart of a shooter as you'll find. Not just moving from point A to B while shooting everyone along the way. I'm really fickle with my shooters and while I appreciate the greatness and intelligence in the game design I just have a hard time connecting with the game in a real meaningful way.

  I like the game and I think it's great... don't get me wrong but I'm not sure if I understand the fervor with which people LOVE the game. There a certain games that when people mention them with such zeal as others mention HL2 I understand but as soon as that absolute adoration is turned on HL2 I get kinda lost.

  Sure its a smart shooter but there's just something that I can't put my finger on that still makes me scratch my head when I hear people call it the Greatest Game of All-Time.

  The one thing that I noticed when I mentioned in a previous blog that I got the Orange Box was the constant use of the term, "value". I could not agree more especially considering that I bought it used a long time after it came out. As an entire package this might very well be the best gaming bargain of all-time.

  Burnout: Revenge

  I'm not typically a fan of arcade versions of games. I love sim sports and especially sim racing. With the exception of the occassional Mario Kart and a real brief forray into Project Gotham Racing (I think drifting is one of the stupidest things in the world) I've only played two racing franchises in the last 12 years. My racing has been limited to Gran Turismo during my PS1 and PS2 days and Forza on my 360.

  My gf didn't take too well to Forza so in the idea of getting a racing title into the house I explored the Burnout franchise if for no other reason that the ability to crash for fun. After a very helpful hint from payne6705 I was steered towards Burnout: Revenge instead of Paradise.

  Since playing the first night we got it, my gf and I have been hooked. While I thought I would only be concerned with Crash Mode I have come to love the entire game. The arcade racing is much more forgiving than sim racing and its easy to pick up and put down without too much of a time commitment.

  My only problem is the vast amount of cars in the game. If they're not real cars I don't care about them. I race the same car and crash with the same van so unlocking cars that look more or less the same and could drive the same for all I know just seems odd. Oh look! Another Ferrari look alike! Awesome!

  There are still people playing online which is awesome! I'm terrible against live people but its still a lot of fun. Once again, if you haven't played this game I whole heartedly recommend it to anyone. Tons of fun and destruction!

  So... in closing let me just say that I hope everyone had a fun and safe 4th of July and that I'm sorry I took up your valuable time telling you things you already knew. These games are awesome and if god forbid you haven't played these games yet, get out there and play them... or else I'll lead the pitchfork and torch bearing mob to your front door and banish you from our community!

  Take care and happy gaming!

  Laughlyn

  • Posted Jul 5, 2009 12:53 pm PT
  • Category: Games
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• 4Jul 09

  Happy 4th of July!

  Happy 4th of July to all my fellow US Gamespotters and to my international readers... happy Saturday!

  Busy day here in Chucktown as I have to work for a few hours (the only person in the company not working a 14 hour day) then home to pick up the girlfriend and off to hang out with my parents at one of the nicest hotels in town!

  I hope everyone has a happy and safe day... remember, don't drink and drive.

  I'll be back tomorrow with some gaming related items but in the meantime... have a great day!

  Be careful out there!

  Laughlyn

  • Posted Jul 4, 2009 8:48 am PT
  • Category: General
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• 1Jul 09

  Final Assassin's Creed Thoughts and I Don't Listen...

  Final Assassin's Creed Thoughts

  I finished AC yesterday and I just want to drop some final impressions of the game.

  1. "If you don't expect too much from me, you might not be let down," might be the most opportune quote to describe my experience with AC. All I remember hearing from everyone was that the game was repetitive and the ending was crap. Given that I knew the handicaps before even buying the game I had the bar set pretty low. Luckily I kept my head and just really enjoyed the game.

  2. The control scheme was awesome. By the time I got to the last couple of missions I was flying along the rooftops graceful as a figure skater. I love the ability to free run without having to constantly push buttons in order to get it happen.

  3. Few stupid achievements. I like games that reward a game played through in a more or less normal playstyle. I got achievements at the right spots and skipped the flag cheevo because there was no f'ing way I was doing that.

  4. AC2 might now be a launch day purchase. I had so much fun with the first one that I cannot wait to see how they improve on the minor flaws and give us a new world, Venice!

  For those of you who haven't played AC, I thoroughly recommend that you do. It's dirt cheap now and the game play is more than worth it.

  I Don't Listen

  In yesterday's blog I wrote asking for suggestions on a "new" game to buy. I appreciate everyone's suggestion but when I got to the store there was a game that was just calling to me, "The Orange Box".

  Despite owning HL2 for the PC I never played it all the way through... yes, I know, blaspheme.

  I'll be honest, I got it mostly for Portal and TF2, since I've never played either.

  Portal is a ton of fun and challenging. The humor is dark and entertaining. I can't wait to play more of it.

  I've only played TF2 in one match so I don't have enough to give an opinion there.

  This morning I woke up and decided I'd screw around a little playing through HL2 and I must say, I'm hooked.

  Yes, yes, yes, I know the game is great and telling you guys this is tantamount to telling you the sun came up this morning but I'm glad I gave this game a chance.

  Catching up on older games is sweet. If anyone still has The Orange Box and wants to play some TF2 let me know... in the meantime, I'll be all over the many options the game has to offer.

  Thanks for your advice on future purchases... I will be sure to come back to them as time warrants.

  Take care and happy gaming!

  Laughlyn

  • Posted Jul 1, 2009 11:49 am PT
  • Category: Games
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