Confessions of an Irish gamer

The Best and the Worst of YouTube.

2009-02-27T22:04:00.010Z

Hello 4 or 5 devoted readers! Just a quick post...

Came across 2 videos this week. The first was linked to on U.K. Resistance. It's a streets style song by a guy called Dan Bull on on the games and consoles he grew up with. Well done:

link

Brilliant stuff. Then on the other hand we have a toe-curlingly embarrassing 'training' video for Gamestop employees. It really is awful stuff. You have been warned:

Credit goes to Joystiq for this one. Yeah, cheers for that.

Best of the rest

2009-02-11T18:32:00.002Z

Hello all, long time since I last posted anything but hopefully rashers and I can make this a regular thing now.

Right i ain't going to do the game of the year post because it is too similar to Rashers and it is February. Instead I'm going to a best of the rest of last year. Last year saw the release of some of the best and innovative games ever and here is a break down of what wasn't in the top 5.

FABLE 2

Fable 2 was one of the most anticipated games of the year, and it did not fail to deliver. A fairy tale RPG where every choice has an effect from what you eat, to who you marry, and of course who you kill. Although the games consequences weren't as far reaching as Fallout 3, the lovable humour of the game, the simple controls, and the beautiful style and of course Bunk(My dog) paved the way for casual gamers to play RPGs. This is one the the most enjoyable games i have played and a must buy for anyone who hasn't delved into the world of Albion.

GTAIV

Well there is not a whole lot I can say about this that people already don't know. It is the most believable world every created from the misty mornings to the drunken taxi ride home with Roman, Liberty City has a heart beat. It has the best voice acting around and simply looks stunning. It is full of things to do be it a game of darts, listening to the excellent radio stations or just seeing what happens around the city. Another must have for your game collection.

Mirrors Edge

This my dear friends is the bovril of games. Love it or hate you have to respect it and shows great promises from EA and their willingness to give new IP a try. It is a first person platformer. You control Faith, a runner in a big brother controlled world. Your setting is the roof tops running from building to building avoiding cops and the likes. The controls are strange at first and and the game looks great. It is a game of patience seeing yourself fail the most simple of jump time and time again does need a lot of self control not to plant your controller through the T.V., But when it works you get a enormous sense of satisfaction. Maybe not a must have for everybody but definitely worth a try.

COD World at War

Call of duty 4 was a milestone in online gaming, and WAW is pretty much the same. Set back in WWII the single player offers a fun and entertaining campaign. With its beautiful scripted pieces and hectic battles based on the allies battle in the Pacific and the Russian advance into Germany. It has a well made campaign. But of course the real gem is in the multi player just like its predecessor it is fast, hectic and oh so much fun. It will probably take up a significant amount of my overall gaming time. If you like COD 4 you'll like this.

And that's it for this post, Rashers will be putting up the next post (I hope), with a preview on up and coming games. There is a lot to look forward to in the next month or two including Halo Wars, Resident Evil 5, Tom Clancy Hawx and more..

Later,

Smoky

Game of the Year (Rashers Edition)

2009-01-24T10:22:00.000Z

Long time since I've posted here but hopefully this will be the 1st of many regular posts. The aim is to get back to one a week so keep checking!

It's a bit late for GOTY lists but I'm going to do one anyway. It was an excellent year for game releases. Arguably, better than 2007. The biggest problem last year was how to get the money and the time to play them all. With that in mind, here is my pick of the top 5 games of 2008:

1. Fallout 3

I invested over 100 hours into Oblivion and the Shivering Isles and it looks like Fallout is going to get the same commitment from me (if not more judging by how expansive the DLC looks).

It's not just Oblivion with guns, it's improved in so many areas. The setting is an unusual one for an RPG and post-apocalyptic DC is very well realised and very atmospheric. Actions now also really feel like they have far reaching consequences and the world and quest paths really do change depending on you decisions. Just when you think you've seen everything the game has to offer, something surprising or unexpected happens again. It's games like this that are really starting to make traditional J-RPGs start to look very stale indeed. Final Fantasy has a lot of catching up to do.

2. Deadspace

DeadSpace took a lot of flak in reviews for not being original. It's my belief that not every game that comes out has to re-invent it's genre. Especially, when the end product is as polished as this. Deadspace takes the Resident Evil formula and injects it with lots of very good ideas and moves it to a setting that is right up my ally. The movie influences in this game are from some of my favorite films (Aliens, Event Horizon, The Thing). Worth particular mention is the excellent sound, which really adds to the tense atmosphere.

3. Burnout Paradise

Burnout gets this high a mention as it dared to do something different with the racing genre. The notion of playing your single player game in a city full of other online drivers to interact with is excellent. It was touched on by Test Drive Unlimited, but burnout brings it to the next level with the city full of opportunities to create chaos with friends or random strangers. Plus the city looks great. I must confess that I haven't downloaded and of the generously free online content but it's been that kind of year.

4. Left 4 Dead

I play a lot of online multiplayer and I particularly love co-op play, so I was very excited for this. Valve once again didn't disappoint. They have crafted a balanced co-op experience that encourages players to really play together and co-ordinate and punishes players that like to go it alone. In doing so they have created a new template for co-op online and I'm really looking forward to where they go with it next. I'm sure Valve had some good DLC in the pipeline, if 2007's TF2 is anything to go by.

5. Gears of War 2.

"Bigger better and more Bad Ass", Cliffy B sums it up nicely. It really is a traditional sequel, with almost every aspect of the game improved. For me though, the new horde mode was a genius idea and many hours were spent online screaming into the mic in panic. I did it though... all 50 waves cleared. Phew.

Honourable Mentions:

So many good games means that a top 5 is really hard to compile. I'm disappointed there is no room for Fable 2 which really won me over with a combination of humour, original idea and a whimsical fairy-tale setting. World at War, will of course suck hundreds of hours of time from me for most of the year. I've not played Mirrors Edge yet, but I know I'm going to love it. GTA IV would have been in the top five had the story and setting not fell apart in the last 3rd of the game. GRID was a great racer and has some of the most thrilling online crashes ever!

Ok, that's it. Be sure to cast a vote for your Game of the year on the poll there. Coming soon, Smokey gives his top 5. We'll also be doing a look forward to the year ahead.

Take Cover UH-OO

2008-07-11T15:15:00.000+01:00

Battlefield Bad Company has been out for about two weeks.The big question was whether it could challenge COD4s online domination.The Answer is hell yea..
I'll start first with the single player mode.It's six missions, all very big mind you and quite fun.
On normal the game is very doable in six to eight hours. On hard however, the game does get a bit sticky, the enemy AI is frustratingly accurate while showing no real ability to flank or out maneuver you, but considering the distances the shoot outs can take place in, it does even it up a bit.Enemy tanks do not miss no matter how fast you drive, your only hope is to brake suddenly and hope for the best. The single player is a solid game the humour given by the four squad members keeps it entertaining, having tank battles over a golf course or flying a gold plated hind helicopter around is quite fun.

Now time for the real gem of Bad Company the multi player.There are eight maps ranging from infantry only to light vehicles and lots of vehicles.The games are played through EA servers which can hold 24 people per game and seem to be able to cope quite well bar the odd hiccup. There are five class's to choose from, all with there own sets of weapons and abilities, which are unlocked as you rank up.For example the support role allows you to call in mortar strikes on areas, heal teammates and repair vehicles, demolition allows you to lay mines and use a rocket launcher. The maps are excellently designed allowing for plenty of sneak tactics. A squad that works together can be devastating and can have bombs planted before an enemy has time to get into position. The Gold rush mode never gets boring and keeps the battle moving but still focused on a front line. Seeing support classes bravely run across a battlefield with a medipack in there hand only to be foiled by a stray shell at the last second(My personal experience) never grows old.

The use of DICEs frostbite engine is excellent.The game looks superb and sounds even better the ping and woosh of bullets is the best I've heard in any game. The destruction allowed is brilliant, buildings can be decimated by shells, rockets, etc until nothing but the bare structure is left same applies for walls and trees.Makes camping a lot harder.It has a party system that seems to work fine and it generally is lag free.It is a must buy for anyone who plays games online.It gives COD4 a run for its money in my books.

SMOKY

Whats to come

2008-06-18T16:15:00.000+01:00

You have to love Rainy days, no guilt felt for sitting in playing games all day.
Metal Gear Solid 4 was out recently and only owning a 360 means we cant review it.I will say this though it seems to have scored 8/10 on most reviews and it's a game you expect to get 10/10, yet another let down in the PS3 world.But that is a topic that we will discuss at a later date.

I am going to do a quick pick of the big titles coming out over the next couple of months.
First, Battlefield 2 see above for a more detailed preview and a game i am still looking forward to.
C&C3 kanes wrath is out the same day, June 27th, for those who are interested.
Robert Ludlum's The Bourne Conspiracy is out the same day a demo is up on Xbox live. It seems fun and looks good but a bit repetitive and arcade like. Worth picking up second hand maybe?

Not much else seems to be coming out in July and August, September sees the release of Mercenaries 2 World in Flames who's prequel I was a big fan of on the PS2 . Its a GTA style game except based in a war-zone which works quite well and if they make it as fun as the first it should be a good hit.Star Wars Force Unleashed is out in September as well, It boasts new better force powers and Star Wars characters(how many can there be) can't help but feel they need to give the star wars genre a break for a couple of years.

Later in the year, Left for Dead is due out, it's a CO-OP zombie survival game, sounds tasty.
Gears of War 2 is due out of November more CO-OP play.
Fable 2 is delayed until Xmas but its worth the wait if they get it right.It's a RPG that allows a friend to jump into your game and directly affect your world. You can choose to kill your friends wife should you be so spiteful , go on quests, and generally explore the world that Peter Molyneux has created for you.

Theres lots more of course,this is just a few games that i think deserve a mention ~
Until next Time.

SmokyCaveman

COD to be dethroned?

2008-06-08T14:09:00.000+01:00

Call of duty 4 - Yet another First person shooter. What could separate it from the from the most saturated genre in the gaming industry? Quite a lot actually, graphically a superb game showing that games can survive without the use of the Unreal Engine. It sounds excellent, especially through a surround sound system. The single player game is a joy to play, with some of the best scripted levels I have ever experienced. Some even involve the use of a A130 gunship! But the single player mode is not the best part of this game. On-line it is a gem, from the fast paced team deathmatch to the tactical search and destroy. It uses an excellent party system which every other multi-player game should take note of.
Call of Duty 4 has pretty much dominated the charts, selling 10 million copies and is still the most played on-line game on the XBox\PS3 networks.

This week saw the release of Battlefield 2 Bad Company Demo. A very popular series on PC and the original XBox. Battlefield is a stunning looking game and with the use of DICE's Frostbite engine which allows a level of destruction which many other games have promised but failed to deliver on. Thankfully BF2 does not fail. Buildings can be blown apart, shells leave craters that work as makeshift fox holes. The use of tanks, jeeps and helos adds a whole new twist to a multi-player game. Hiding in buildings is no longer safe as a well placed shell will destroy your cover (handy for checking for snipers). I must mention that the demo is a bit laggy and the party system seems to make a few mistakes, but it is not the finished article so lets hope they get it sorted. When it runs smooth, it is a thrilling game.

Can Battlefield de-throne COD4? I for one believe and hope it can. The use of destructible scenery and vehicles adds plenty to keep you entertained and the map featured in the demo, Oasis, allows for plenty of flanking. The Gold Rush mode keeps the battle focused in an area until the attackers destroy two crates of gold, then a new base is created further back and this continues until one side wins. If Dice manage to sort out lag issues and keep it running smooth I can see this being a big challenger for the COD4 crown.

GRID Makes Racing Fun Again.

2008-06-03T22:43:00.000+01:00

I've long been a fan of racing games, from Test Drive and Geoff Crammonds Formula 1 all the way up to the sublime Forza 2. But lately it feels as if driving games have got into a bit of a rut. Apart from a few minor innovations, such as more accurate driving models, longer and longer car lists, sharper and cleaner graphics and smoother frame-rates, the last few years have seen little change in the basic formula that has been set ever since Grand Turismo popularised the genre again.

However, nothing has been done to improve the nagging problems that have beset the genre since GT either. Problems such as clinical but boring looks, predictable processional AI, multi-player determined by car configuration rather than skill and the pattern of progressing through the game by upgrading cars to the top of their class to easily beat the opposition, have become the norm.

GRID does not re-invent the genre but bravely tackles these issues straight on.
The graphics are not clean, but filtered through movie like post-processing effects. It looks great and I spent the 1st few races just admiring the views.
The AI is brilliant and unpredictable.... cars miss their breaking points, cause pile ups, crash into you on the inside of a turn... everything a human opponent could be expected to do. This can lead to an odd moment of frustration, but this is countered by the excellent flashback facility.

The MP is where I'm really enjoying it though... keep the races short and the damage on and let the chaos ensue. Even if you get written off by some aggressive French driver (no offence, they've just been crashing into me a lot! ) it doesn't take long for the next race to start and another attempt to get through the 1st corner unscathed.

The voting system works well and race types and tracks vary a lot. Yet again though, there is no party system. I don't understand why this isn't standard. Its annoying trying to get a few people into the same room.

Rashers