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  • sandyqbg
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My Friends

It's a blog a'right

Comment in my blog and I'll surely comment in yours (unless of course the blog is about something that's way out of my league)

  • 26Nov 09

    My net's once again giving me too much trouble. For the past two days I've hardly had more than half an hour of active net connection(with all those 1 minutes and 2 minutes put together). So I'm finding it hard to be active on GS. To make matters worse, Dragon Age is keeping me occupied for most of the time.

    UPDATED IMPRESSIONS

    Dragon Age's been a bittersweet game so far. There are a number of flaws and yet the game manages to keep me hooked. The torture!

    As I said in my previous blog, the game is glitched enough for me to say that Bioware decided to put out a half-finished product. Glitches include:

    1. The enemy attacks going way off mark and still being able to damage my character.

    2. Characters getting stuck at the corners of even small obstacles

    3. Random drops in frame rate

    4. Sudden freezing and crashing

    5. Unresponsiveness to orders in tactical mode

    ...and a few more minor and rare glitches.

    However, the storyline is very good and the missions are interesting. A number of side missions are close to the main story and hence you don't get the feeling that you're getting side tracked.

    Overall, the game is good in almost all aspects, but minor flaws in every aspect prevent it from being the best in any.

    I find myself comparing the game often to other games as well as a few books. Comparisons are as follows:

    Oblivion:Inevitable! The previous(and perhaps even now) pinnacle of open ended RPGs(the un-hack n' slash type) has a few things in common with DAO and yet there a are so many things completely different too. The most important aspect is the open endedness - DAO isn't half as open ended as Oblivion. You can't travel on foot between towns or areas, and thus the very aspect of exploration is limited. A lot of 'explorable' places are also restricted early on and obviously the game is more plot driven.

    Mass Effect:The last time I played a game with such an awesome storyline and detailed universe was Bioware's own Mass Effect. However, I feel that DAO still falls short of the ME storyline, which was totally epic... worth a novel. I'd say DAO has a great storyline, but I wouldn't call it novel-worthy. ME had a more engaging plot with more suspense and twists than your average mystery novel.

    The Witcher: The tactical mode and the combat view in it reminded me of The Witcher, even though the isometric view was introduced as early as Dink Smallwood.

    Fable-The Lost Chapters: Character interactions look like those from Fable. The character is shown as a dumb(in the sense speechless) dopey looking kid in Fable and I find the same expression in DAO. Couldn't they have done something better here. At least the accompanying characters express their views occasionally, which kinda breaks the monotony.

    Eragon: The whole Grey Warden thing and the dealing with the different races - it reminds me so much of Eragon. And then there are dragons in both.. tho the portrayal of dragons is different. There were a few instances that made me feel that I was playing a scene out of the book. I can't tell you the scene because then it'd be a spoiler.

    Lord of the Rings: The mother of fantasy novels! Naturally I always tend to find something from LotR in any fantasy novel that have humans, elves and dwarves in them.

    I actually hoped that I'd be writing a review by this time, but the game is so large that I feel that I've hardly breeched the surface. So the review will have to wait.

    • Posted Nov 26, 2009 8:25 pm PT
    • Category: Games
    • 19 Comments
  • 22Nov 09

    Yes, after much waiting and anticipation, I finally got my hands on the game of the season - Dragon Age Origins, thanks to one kind vendor who had managed to ship it down. I started the game and yesterday and it's been 10 hours of game now. What do I think of it? Well, so far it's not quite the game the hype made it to be.

    The game universe is quite large, not very different from the Oblivion or Fallout games. It's the basic fantasy role playing game, with all it's machinery. The storyline is darker and more engaging than Oblivion and the game seems more story driven than Oblivion... In a way, I think it's a good thing, since I can enjoy the storyline and not be distracted to hell, like I got in both Oblivion and Fallout 3. The combat system is much better than Oblivion and allows for more satisfying battles, rather than the half hearted attempts in Oblivion. Also, the inventory management and Quest/Information management feels more comfortable.

    On the flip side however, the game scales much less. Frames rates dropped at 1280x1024 resolution with no bells and whistles and it still looked worse than CoD 4 at the same setting. I could even crank up CoD4's setting with x2 AA and x2 AF and still enjoy a stutterless experience. The textures were incosistent - there was smooth texturing for most part, but there were places where the bad texturing became an eyesore.

    The game is also pretty glitchy. The character would get caught on the edges of obstacles, like logs or rocks. You wouldn't even notice that there is an obstacle there and yet find your character stuck. I found the other obvious glitch when I was fighting a large monster. The monster would strike the ground long after I had moved away from the spot and yet I would lose HP... or it would do a headbutt and I'd easily dodge it; the monster would ram into the wall, but still my character took the toll. Pretty irritating that.

    Overall, except for the combat system and a more streamlined storyline, I find little that stands out in the hype fest. Of course, it is not bad... in fact far from it, but then it's not all that revolutionary or stands-out-of-the-crowd kinda game, either.

    I'd give it somewhere between 8 and 9. However, I have to play the game more to actually find out how good it. Storylines are an important factor for such games, and a good one can surely sway my opinion... just the way Mass Effect did(having little novelty and not a very deep gameplay, but an incredibly awesome storyline)

    How did you find the game?

    See you next time... probably with the review.

    • Posted Nov 22, 2009 8:13 am PT
    • Category: Games
    • 18 Comments
  • 13Nov 09

    My vacation's begun. Actually it began a week ago, but my net decided to give me the run when it went bust on the second day of my vacation. Took a week to get it ready and here I am. I've been playing a few games at this time, especially revisiting older titles, that were gathering dust in the shelves. And I finished Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts(which I started exactly a year ago, right down to give or take two days last year)

    And here's the review of CoH: OF. Read and comment. Rec it if you like:

    Company of Heroes Opposing Fronts review

    More news soon!

  • 8Jun 09

    I've decided to make a weekly blog... just to keep my blog updated. Actually I had planned to do it yesterday but forgot, as I was busy writing a review for Galactic Civilizations II: Dread Lords which you can read here. Read and reccomend it if you like it. It is quite long and objective but I've quite a lot of info into it.

    Games

    I've been playing Dead Space for about a week now and I'm nearing the end. And what a game! It surely takes the top honours of its genre.

    Books

    Got the Inheritance trilogy(Eragon series) the day before yesterday and have started reading the first book Eragon. The plot's delving deeper but I've hardly grazed the surface. I also bought another book 'One Night at a Call Centre' by Chetan Bhagat... an Indian author. It's supposedly a good book but I don't know how many ppl have heard of it.

    Movies

    Now what did I watch last week... ah yes! I watched Departed. Great movie. Jack Nicholson and Matt Damon literally smoked the scenes with their great acting. Even though Di Caprio was good, I felt he could have done better as he is capable of more.

    Gamespot and E3

    No, this is not a detailed E3 analysis, so don't cringe. I watched the Microsoft and Nintendo press conferences. Nintendo's wasn't very interesting(God, some of their presenters looked lioke they were in terrible pain) but MS sizzled. I've got high hopes for Modern Warfare 2 and I'm also intrigued by Project Natal. Good going MS, but get your consoles fixed first before you go for new ventures.
    Accursed GS has not given me the Nintendo emblem yet and I wonder if they're even gonna give it. Maybe they'll eat it just as they did for my Best of Gamespot 2008 emblem.

    In other things, my college has begun as I said in my previous blog and is taking a toll on my time. I also joined a new union... Bookspot(and they've already made me an officer. Not good news, is it? )

    See ya, next week

  • 3Jun 09

    ... and that includes vacation. Yup! My summer vacation is over and I'm once again busy with college. To make matters worse it looks like I'll be having a more hectic semester(if that's even possible). This means that I'll be having very little time to afford on the internet and even lesser time with this glitchy slow-loading site called Gamespot. I'll drop in as much as I can especiaally during the weekends but it's rough to stay around for long during the weekdays.

    In other news, I watched parts of the Microsoft and Nintendo press conferences. It was really a great experience especially watching a telecast live with a slow-as-snail internet. Too bad I couldn't watch Sony's PC or Gamespot's live as I had college. I've already got the MS E3 badge and I'm waiting for the Nintendo badge. It should come soon (if they didn't forget me )

    In gaming... I'm playing Dead Space. It's gotta be the best the survivor horror genre has too offer. I'll write a review as soon as possible

    See ya

    • Posted Jun 3, 2009 6:36 am PT
    • Category: N/A
    • 9 Comments
  • 26May 09

    While surfing the big bad world called internet I came across an interesting site called MyBrute. It's a game where you don't actually control your player. Yeah you read that right, you DON'T control the player. Can't understand? Check this one out and you'll see.

    MyBrute

    By clicking that link you'll be challenging me

    • Posted May 26, 2009 3:30 am PT
    • Category: Games
    • 13 Comments
  • 22May 09

    I've been playing Battlestations Pacific on and off for sometime now, alternating it with Diablo 2. BS: Pacific's quite good, but definitely not the RTSer I believed it would be when I bought. It compensates for that with its intense action and beautiful vistas.

    Check out me Battlestations Pacific review

    Read and rec it if you like it

    • Posted May 22, 2009 12:53 am PT
    • Category: Games
    • 10 Comments
  • 28Apr 09

    Yeah, that's it. I had more problems with my net connection early March and then came my semester exams. So I was busy with the exams. I've done my exams okay and now I have my semeser vacation which should last about 3 weeks. I'm glad to be back at GS but the problem is other than meeting the olo' guys, GS has little to offer me as of now. My interest in gaming is waning(Maybe it's just temporary).

    Currently I'm occupied with Travian

  • 5Feb 09

    A Gamer's Take on Some of 2009's Anticipated Games

    I just wanted to express my opinions on some of the much talked about games that are slated to release this year. These are merely my opinion formed around the news and facts I've heard and read about these games. First on...

    HALO WARS(X360)

    One of the most popular FPSes on the Xbox is finally getting an RTS cousin. Great ain't it? Probably not so great after all. With Ensemble Studios in trouble and so much confusion that has prevailed around this game's development and release, there is a healthy chance that it might turn out to be an anticlimax to the great series. Perhaps they are milking the series too much.

    Expectation Quotient: 2.5/5

    BIOSHOCK 2: SEA OF DREAMS(X360, PS3, PC)

    Bioshock was indeed a true cIassic. With its mind-boggling vistas and an eeire atmosphere which made you jump by the mere absence of enemies, few games make you feel the way Bioshock did. Here comes the second in the series... the sequel (or maybe a prequel, as some say it is). Given the record of the three -Shocks that preceeded it, this one might make it the elite league too.

    Expectation Quotient: 4.5/5

    F.E.A.R 2: PROJECT ORIGIN(X360, P3, PC)

    Here comes another sequel in our list. While the original F.E.A.R was a success, the two games that were released under the same banner did not match up to the standards set by the original. F.E.A.R 2: PO continues where the original left albeit with a different character as the protagonist. This one is promising.

    Expectation Quotient: 3.5/5

    DIABLO 3(PC, Mac OS X)

    The game that brings back sweet memories of mindless zombie and monster massacre. Blizzard has finally decided to go on and bring one more Diablo to the table. While so much has been said about the change in art ****and some nifty new features, Diablo will be the same mindless hack n' slash at heart including the frenzied clicks that will probably be one of the main reasons for buying a new mouse( No seriously). Fans are gonna lap this one up.

    Expectation Quotient: 4/5

    GOD OF WAR 3(PS3)

    One of the most celebrated PS3 exclusive action games is back, maybe bigger than ever before with all its adrenalin pumping action and frenetic button mashing. Make way for Kratos and his awesome arsenal of moves. This one is surely gonna be a bloodbath... definitely not for the faint-hearted. With this ending the trilogy fans are in for a wild treat.

    Expectation Quotient: 4.5/5

    RESIDENT EVIL 5(X360, PS3)

    The fifth installment of this survival horror series has already made a bang with its 'cool as hot' stills. There's the part about the important part lighting is going to play in the game. With a gameplay similar to RE4, some additional features, a new story and a whole new setting, Resident Evil 5 might turn out to be the best in the series.

    Expectation Quotient: 4/5

    STARCRAFT 2(PC, Mac OS X)

    After about a decade in the backburner, Blizzard has revived the game that revolutionized RTS gaming, especially multiplayer. As is the nature of Bliz relatively little has been made public given the fact that the game is so close to release, but the hype has already grown out of proportions. Can Bliz weave the same magic again. The decision to break the game into three separate parts is not very encouraging. But then, it IS a Blizzard game. I just hope that the hype does not become the game's villain.

    Expectation Quotient: 3.5/5

    WARHAMMER 40,000: DAWN OF WAR 2(PC)

    Sharing the fate of F.E.A.R, Dawn of War had an initial success which it failed to repeat on its expansions. That aside, the sequel has veered from its styIe and has done away with the 'distraction' of base-building, which hitherto has been a main component of the gameplay. It's one for the fans but how much fans are going to like it is yet to be seen.

    Expectation Quotient: 3/5

    EMPIRE: TOTAL WAR(PC)

    As much as there have many spin-offs, none have come close to emulating Total War's success in this niche RTS-TBS genre. Sure enough, Sega and Creative Assembly has brought a new member into the Total War. Let's give Empire a arm welcome. With a whole new setting, and the absence of non-ranged infantry Empire is bringing some entirely new features and gameplay pinters to the gamers. Another one for the fans.

    Expectation Quotient: 4/5

    Comment on what you expect from these games. Do you think any of the games are over-hyped? Or perhaps some of those don't deserve to be on this?

    If any of you feel that more games have to be included, just say so and I'll do a second part with those games included.

    • Posted Feb 5, 2009 6:24 am PT
    • Category: Games
    • 8 Comments
  • 8Jan 09

    WHY ATHEISM IS NOT NECESSARILY A SOLUTION

    "THERE'S PROBABLY NO GOD. SO STOP WORRYING AND ENJOY YOUR LIFE." If you have been reading the papers recently or if you have been to London of late, you would have probably noticed this. This is the newest avatar of the atheist campaign that is gaining popularity globally. The fact that the campaign was able to raise £140,000, £135,000 more than what its founders originally intended, while human welfare organisations are struggling for funds, speaks for itself.

    Some of the recent events that have taken place in the name of religion and God are certainly very disturbing and undermine the very aim of the faith. These events lend credit to the claim that the path of religion leads to destruction of self and others around, as some have come to say.

    This brings us to the big question. Is atheism the solution? Will atheism show us the way to end this madness? Perhaps not. Instead of trying to prove why religion is the best, I'll demonstrate why atheism is not exactly the best solution.

    Religion has been the founding stone of civilization. It set the basis on which man could congregate and build empires that did not fall apart at the touch of the hat. In fact, religion was initially no more than a set of beliefs and rules strung together, but it kept communities from disintegrating, providing a platform to settle internal disputes and maintain order in the community. Ancient Egypt or Rome can be cited as good illustrations to the role that religion played in shaping them as two of the most powerful civilizations of the ancient world. In fact every civilization worth its annals in history had its strong religious background that made it what it was.

    Historically religion has been cornerstone of civilization, but one might ask if it holds relevance in the modern world. It certainly does. We might have come a long way from hunting and foraging for food but Man's gut instincts remain the same and it takes little for him to return to his ancient unsavory ways. Don't we have more lot more gun totting tots? Where's the world going? As the world embraces atheism more, it has also been taking a step back in terms of morals. Of course, it might be purely co-incidental. But then again it may not.

    The main reason that we have been able to come so far through all the hard times is this religion. Think of a world where religion as a concept did not exist. At least in the case of the old world anarchy would have been the ruler and mankind would have destroyed itself a hundred times over by now.

    Proponents of atheism argue that religion has been and still is the root cause of many a bloody conflict. Think Crusades, they say. Think about the recent spate of terror attacks, they say. However, religion in itself is rarely the cause for violence. The politics behind it is the culprit. People in power abuse their ability to reach out to the masses, use religion as a tool and bend the public to do their bidding, all because of selfish gains or to enforce their idea of a perfect world.

    The Babri Masjid problem, in spite of it having religious roots, did not flare up because of the religion itself. Some people high up in the political and religious order perhaps decided that it was time garner some publicity or perhaps they simply did not like the way things were now. There was a lot of political lobbying on either camp on the issue and it ended with one of the bloodiest religious riots in the country in recent times.

    Now the next question will be – If not for religion, then these so called selfish people in authority would not have been able to charm the people to do their dirty work, will they? If religion did not exist, then there will surely be something else to fight about – competition to be the best, clash of ideologies that have nothing religious about them, dispute of materialistic possession, etc. Bickering and quarrelling is in our genes. There will always be something to politicize and ultimately result in strife. Even trivial things as an untimely sneeze would be enough to cause uproar.

    All major religions in the world are built around a code of ethics, which is aimed at showing the individual how to live in harmony with the society while working for the betterment of self and the society as a whole. Each religion openly condemns acts of mal-intent bound to cause harm to fellow human beings even though the measures used to curb those acts and enforce its rules differ.

    Even the laws of today's political administration which we are obliged to follow have been adopted from religious code and adapted to suit specific demography oriented needs. However, at a personal level of the individual the reach of religion is more pronounced than the law. 'Law is blind', it is said and in this case it is certainly true. Law cannot see the individual needs and cater to it, because that would probably be seen as a breach of its clause of impartiality and equality. Contrarily, religion is flexible and can mutate suitably to address to individual whims while at the same time conserving the essence of its faith. In this respect religion transcends law in maintaining public order. No wonder religious ideals have spread more successfully than has any form of government.

    'Crime cannot be controlled unless the criminal decides to forego it', another popular saying. This obviously shows that the change must be effected from within the person and no matter how it is framed, law has been and will always be seen by the general public as an external agent meant to govern it. While the law reaches out to the analytical mind, religion has the power to reach the person's emotional centre. Even the mighty law resorts to religion to correct its transgressors.

    What would happen if the world shuns religion? Each person would probably do as he sees fit, oblivious to its consequences, because he does not have the inner 'conscience', usually built in the course of faith, to tell him what is right and wrong. Baser instincts would take over in the absence of a self-imposed abstinence from things considered wrong. Once again chaos would be the order of the day. Of course, I might be wrong, but then there is a good chance that this might happen. If that happens we might end up in a worse position than we are today.

    It is an acceptable fact that in spite of its shortcomings of some of its laws, religion is a guiding light to a person's perspective of good and bad, something which will not develop on its own. It must be taught, instilled in the mind of the individual at a younger age, and practically religion has been and still is one of the best teachers.

    Atheists might say that 'atheism' is simply the non-belief in the existence of God, and not discarding of the self-imposed rule. For all practical considerations, when there is no form of higher authority to fear or feel that you are obliged to answer, the individual will be lax in following those rules. Even though the concept of an omnipotent ever-seeing being might be creepy to some, it does play a commendable role in keeping people from choosing the wrong path. There is a good chance that thoughts like – "I'm not responsible to anyone. So why should I care?" crop up and that combined with the other nagging thought – "I'll circumvent my rule this one time. After all it is a rule I set for myself" form a deadly duo that is likely to take the person down his path of destruction. It's a natural and there are not many with a will strong enough to fight back those misleading thoughts.

    Not only that but religion also provides the necessary incentive for the individual to be considerate and helpful even when the individual knows no one is looking. It may just be fear that drives it, but the end result is desirable. The person need not be religious to be spontaneously 'good' to others, but it is not an inherent attribute of atheism.

    Moreover without a consensus on the rules that are to be followed, disagreement and misunderstanding are bound to erupt, with each person advocating his or her code of ethics as the right one. What is the chance that a whole section of the population believes in a single set of rules, without any external agent imposing it upon them? Not much, I believe. This defeats the purpose of atheism – a society devoid of violence and disagreement, the two undesirables which supporters of atheism claim are the domain of religion.

    As an added bonus man can fall back to the bastion of religion when he has been rejected by friends and isolated by the society. It is the only form of soothing escapism that is not entertainment and helps the individual to get back on his feet.

    Let me come back to the first line of this article, the quote from London's buses. When there is no proper unified set of rules to follow and no sense of responsibility at a personal level, confusion will prevail and that is quite likely to spawn violence and corruption. What was an inter-communal conflict soon becomes an inter-personal one. Under such circumstances how is anyone supposed to enjoy life?

    Simply put atheism does not have the faculty to manage the complications arising out of the clash of individual agendas in a society without a unified code of conduct This one factor is enough to let loose the Pandora's Box. Not as an example of atheism but as an example of a society marred by the clash of individual agendas, I would put forth several African countries, most prominently Congo which reels under the pressure of civil war, with each faction fighting to have its own way.

    Religion is nowhere close to being the foolproof method of preserving order in a society but it is a relatively better alternative to a world without religion. Atheism is just as good at being a solution as it is to being the source of troubles.

    • Posted Jan 8, 2009 8:55 am PT
    • Category: Editorial
    • 35 Comments
  • 1Dec 08

    Far Cry's turned out to be not as good as I'd like it. So I've dropped the idea of pinning it on my favs list. Read the review here:

    Far Cry 2 review by sandyqbg

    Recommend it if you like it.

  • 29Nov 08

    First, the bad news:

    Unable to obtain Medieval 2 Total War, I decided to satisfy myself temporarily by playing Rome TW.So I pop the RTW disc in my optical drive and wait... Nothing happens. Only then I find out that my RTW disc is not working. Great! That's 400 bucks down the drain.

    To make matters worse the NFS MW that I've been playing for the past two weeks just gave up on me. I just wish the save files are intact.

    Now for the good news:

    I just completed Crysis. What a great game. My only gripe is that it is not optimized. Time for a game update:

    Gaming Update

    Games I have finished till date

    -CnC3: Kane's Wrath
    -CnC3
    -Comapny of Heroes
    -PoP:SoT
    -Pokemon Red/Blue(finished both once)
    -Age of Empires: Age of Kings
    -Medal of Honor Airborne
    -Call of Duty 4 Modern Warfare
    -Pharaoh
    -Pokemon Silver
    -Portal
    -Half Life 2
    -Fable: The Lost Chapters
    -Mass Effect
    -Crysis


     

  • 15Nov 08

    Finally. After over a month(or was it nearly two) I managed to cross L20 chasm. Hope things will go pretty fast from now on.

    Good News: I got Red Alert 3 today. YAY to me. Actually there's little to celebrate now that I've played he game a little, as you'll know in my impressions.

    First Impressions

    Far Cry 2: The game's great - enough to make it to my favs list. I needs a little more evaluation tho. The first thing you notice in the game is its beatiful vistas and awesome sound efeects. The gameplay mechanics, however is nothing to go all oohs and aahs about. It's good enough to keep you entertained but there isn't anything that says "You gotta try this out no matter what".It plays the free roam way with a number of primary and secondary objectives. The secondary objectives get a tad too repetitive but can do away with them if you don't wanna play them. The other nag is the AI. It's not so 'brilliant', even tho you can expect to be flanking and cover tactics from the enemy.

    Red Alert 3: Once again the first thing you notice is the graphics... which to me is quite a letdown. The gameplay also feels a stale especially playing with that graphics. To make matters worse the game has been complicated with stuff like each unit having a secondary attack or form which can be toggled to, and that gives the unit a different play style. It's all too confusing. Not CnC enough for me.

    • Posted Nov 15, 2008 5:31 am PT
    • Category: Games
    • 13 Comments
  • 10Nov 08

    Good news first - I finally got my copy of Far Cry 2 today and I'm excited. But I'm not gonna throw myself at it immediately. I still have Company of Heroes Opposing Fronts to tend to. I don't want to leave it just like that. So I'll try completing at least the British campaign before I start with FC2.

    I've written a new Review for Anno 1701. It's just a short review.

    First Impressions for Comapany of Heroes Opposing Fronts:

    The game rocks... CoH **** The game preserves most of the elements from the original and adds two new campaigns - the British and the German campaigns. However the game has become a little complex with the addition of specialized units for each faction. This kinda makes the game lose some of its sheen from the original CoH whose simplicity was charming. The focus has also shifted away from the infantry(as was in the original CoH) and this coupled with mostly not-so-normal units have made the game forsake its close to WW2 feel. Nevertheless it rocks.

    • Posted Nov 10, 2008 5:30 am PT
    • Category: Games
    • 14 Comments
  • 8Nov 08

    Exams over and it's vacation time now. Time for gaming and more GS. There's the industrial training but then that's still a week away. It's time for...

    Gaming Update

    Games I have finished till date

    -CnC3: Kane's Wrath
    -CnC3
    -Comapny of Heroes
    -PoP:SoT
    -Pokemon Red/Blue(finished both once)
    -Age of Empires: Age of Kings
    -Medal of Honor Airborne
    -Call of Duty 4 Modern Warfare
    -Pharaoh
    -Pokemon Silver
    -Portal
    -Half Life 2
    -Fable: The Lost Chapters
    -Mass Effect

    Games I am currently playing

    -Hearts of Iron 2 Doomsday
    -Crysis

    Games Bought Recently

    -Company of Heroes Gold
    -Anno 1701

    Games Looking Forward to Get Shortly

    -Far Cry 2

    I also searched for Red Alert 3 and Medieval 2. *Sigh* Nobody has any of them. At least I've been assured by the good guy behind the desk that he'll have Far Cry 2 shortly.

    The guy, however tempted me with Crysis Warhead and Resistance World in Flames. Which do you think is the better deal?(Both are priced equally.)

    Impressions

    Anno 1701: Okay but it feels more like the developers ripped the basics from some micromanagement game like Pharaoh or Caesar and dumbed it down. It hardly presents a challenge. There'snothing wrong in it. The graphics look cool and the game plays out quite well, but there is little in the game that makes you wanna play it.

    Hearts of Iron 2 Doomsday: One of the best large scale RTSes based on WW2. It looks so much like a TBS but plays in real time. It's all about large scale tactics and strategy planning. And yes there's a decent amount of micromanagement and research thrown in. But I warn you, it's a worm that you can't get out of your head. I spent a lot of time just planning my course of action even when I'm not sitting at my PC. With over 90 hours of gameplay time and several more hours wasted just thinking about it, there's no need for further justification.

    • Posted Nov 8, 2008 5:05 am PT
    • Category: N/A
    • 9 Comments
  • 29Oct 08

    I'll be having my sem exams the whole of this week and the next. That means I won't be able to be active on GS for the next two weeks. There's still a lot of preparation to be done. Will return once the exams are over with FC2(hopefuly).

    Sign off - Sandy

    • Posted Oct 29, 2008 10:36 pm PT
    • Category: N/A
    • 9 Comments
  • 13Oct 08

    That's right. I seem to have to hit a wall. I've been stuck in level 20 for more than a month and between 50 and 70% level progress for nearly 2 weeks. I'm beginning to wonder even if I'd make it to Level 21. What a drag.

    How's it been for the others?

  • 28Sep 08

    Disappointing's the word that wraps it up. It's innovative and a has fun element called the Creator... and here you can create everything from your creature to buildings to vehicles. However there ends the fun. The gameplay's quite weak. It's what I call the super genre game that encompasses action, simulation, RTS, arcade and the creator(I don't know what genre to classify it under) . But it miserably fails to retain the flavor of any of the elements it is made of. Individually the parts are not worth much, but their net value is enhanced by the integration of these parts into a single entity. However even then the gameplay does not hold well - it's broad but also too shallow.

    The best part of the game is the Cell stage, that accounts for the arcade and the Creature that accounts for Action/Simulation. The rest, namely Tribe stage and Civilization stage feel like second rate RTSes.

    EDIT:The Space stage is a lot better than the Tribal and Civ stages. It reminds me of Mass Effect

    • Posted Sep 28, 2008 12:34 am PT
    • Category: Games
    • 16 Comments
  • 23Sep 08

    After going thru much pain(relatively speaking) I got Spore for less than $22(conversion value). I haven't spent more effort on buying any other game than this one. Had to constantly checking out the nearest store, but they didn't have Spore at all, only the Creature Creator. After a couple of hours search I zeroed in on a store that had the game, but unfortunately not on the spot. They had get it from whatever place they had stocked it up at. Had to wait for another hour till they got it from the storehouse. Phew! That's a long wait for a game. I just hope the game's worth the effort.

    That means Crysis will be put on hold again. And yeah don't forget to check out my review of Mass Effect. Recommend it if u like it.

  • 20Sep 08

    I've just completed my review of Mass Effect and have posted it on GS. Here is the link:

    Mass Effect review by sandyqbg

    Read and recommend if you like it.

    My Gaming Update

    -I installed Condemned Criminal Origins, but foung a little too dry for my taste.

    -I've once again started playing Crysis. It's quite good, but I get the feeling of deja vu. It's like I'm playing Far Cry. The Nano suit sets it apart though.

    -Then there's Armor Games. It's quite entertaining. Some of the games there are addicitve.

    See ya

    • Posted Sep 20, 2008 10:01 am PT
    • Category: N/A
    • 6 Comments
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