Since it’s that wonderful time of the year when nothing happens I’ve decided it’s better I just go on vacation for a while. I’ll be back when the E3 hype ramps up and the unveils start rolling in. I’ll get some commentary going then. But for now I don’t feel there’s much purpose in rehashing old stories and depositing not-so-psyched pennies into the blog bank.
Till E3
You know, readers, I really don’t feel any particular guilt for missing out on posts. The fact of the matter is that I can’t be arsed to write a post three days a week, when I feel there is fuck all to write about. So, if you want something spiffy to read head over RPS and check out the Shogun: Total War 2 rumor, which was cool. Just don’t hang around here. It would be sensible to subscribe, that way you don’t have to head in unless there’s a post.
Toodles for now
Today I turned in my essay. It’s been in writing for the last few months. So today, I will not be posting anything. Why? Because for the first time in a very long time I feel like I can relax. And since I finally have the opportunity to, I will do it. Hence no post today.
Do you like the Wild West? I usually don’t. I think old Western movies suck. I think The Good, the Bad and the Ugly is a pretty boring flick. I do, however, like Deadwood. Deadwood was this cascade of vile profanity with a story focused on some likable and some utterly disgusting characters. It was great.
And so is Red Dead Redemption. So in normal review fashion I’ll make it even more clear for you:
This is a great game.
Red Dead Redemption is the kind of a game I go around wishing for at times. It’s not grand, it’s not fantastical, it’s down to earth and sensible. Sometimes this sensibility will be a bit disappointing, but all in all its a great experience. For a sandbox game there’s a lot of fun stuff to do. Hunting is fun in its own right. It’s not Monster Hunter, but then it’s always satisfying lining up a headshot from horseback while a deer is in full flight. It is actually always satisfying shooting stuff. Weapons feel right, the sounds sound gratifying, and just generally everything feels true to the setting.
The dead eye mechanic that’s been toted on about is what you’d expect. Awesome. There’s nothing quite like marking down six headshots and watching John Marston make six families fatherless( or more likely, leave six prostitutes without income).
Best of all, in my humble opinion, is the story. It’s not particularly complicated, it’s not very amazing, it’s not very epic, but it’s damned good. It’s about John Marston. Once an outlaw, now trying to make right for himself. Forced to do a job for some government agents keeping him on a tight leash he goes hunting down some old comrades of his. And while the story is never epic, it’s always good and down to earth. The moments that will have you thinking “That sonuva whore!” is more likely to be where rattlers steal the hard earned goods of your benefactor, rather than some story of grand betrayal in the highest echelons of society. The ending, which has been the most thought provoking aspect of this game is an interesting choice. It left me speechless and disappointed when it happened. But as the events has matured in me over the day I’ve come to accept it realizing that it was inevitable, and even come to think it was good.
The question is, what will you think?
What’s bad then? It is by no means a perfect game. Cover will often not be as protective as you think. As soon as you leave an act, the people that have grown on you during that part of the game, will be left too. Which is a damned shame. The cast of characters are great. It’s a wonderful set of scoundrels, lowlifes and decent human beings.
I know that not all people will appreciate the lack of grandeur. But I quite like Red Dead Redemption. It’s believable. So much that I’ll mourn the passing of the Old West.
Giddyup pardner!
What the fuck.
Read here.
I hate the score 10. At least from reviewers that are supposed to have credibility. If I would say, “this is the best game, it is truly perfect. Then that is in itself a lie, probably, but it’s an opinion from a biased gamer. IGN, however, is a gaming site which is supposed to provide readers with some manner of professional opinion. But, here we have a game that strikes 10 in every fucking category. How is the sound PERFECT? How are the graphics PERFECT? How is the gameplay PERFECT?
I call bullshit. It’s probably a great game. But it just reeks of retardation. I don’t think it’s possible for a game to even be in the 9.5 category.
What the fuck.
Let’s hope they get something right out of this and end the Mario franchise on an upnote like a perfect score. It would truly be a grand day in gaming history if they’d just let the canon be, and try to come up with a new protagonist.
So I just got around to playing through Portal, on my own this time. Did it in one go(it is short innit).
So what are my feelings?
A. Portal is a puzzle game. But it’s more like a fun physics engine. The puzzles themselves aren’t as engaging as one would hope.
B. Portal without GlaDOS would be shite.
The boss fight really makes Portal a bittersweet experience for me. It sort of hints at what a great experience Portal could have been.
I might be rather cynical. I’ve played it before, with various friends, and have always been surprised at how it has been lauded. Sure, it’s a great game, but there seems to be a common notion, that it’s the greatest ever.
I don’t agree.
To excuse my negligent behavior I’ve decided to post something. It’s mostly a “did you miss it” post.
http://xbox360.ign.com/dor/objects/14320288/red-dead-redemption/videos/reddead_vdr_051710.html
I’ve been keeping my expectations for Red Dead Redemption willfully low. The last few GTA games have been a so and so experience for me. I liked GTA IV, but it didn’t really conjure any emotions of pure awesomeness for me. I actually preferred the DLC The Lost and the Damned. Mind you I was pretty obsessed with the series Sons of Anarchy at the time, so that might have played a part in it.
As some of you more attentive readers might have noticed, there was no Saucy Sunday yesterday. It’s because I just didn’t feel like making a blog post.
So if anyone has a problem with me treating the blog like I treat my toenails, take it up with Central Command. I’ll probably post something tomorrow, but honestly I have too much going on in my head right now to worry about gaming.
Yes, it’s that serious.
Information originally from here
Since the GamesRadar post has been removed I’ll sum up what I can remember.
First off though, a summary of the X-com franchise. The X-com games are basically turn-based strategy games. Aliens invade, you’re part of the x-com organization, and your goal is to repel them. So, in essence all you do is fight aliens. The kicker, though, is that you get to research, train and build. You research new armor and weapons, train your men and women into hardcore badasses and build yourself a base. It’s all very rewarding(and time consuming).
So what about this new X-Com? Well, they tell us that all the features we’ve come to expect are there. Except …
… It’s first person. I was skeptical at first, but looking at the provided screens, and thinking back on X-Com enforcer (which was pretty neat) I decided it could be pretty good. The art-direction they’re going for is like.. I don’t know, 50’s? It’s kind of like the retro-type pre-war era that Fallout always references to. Idyllic suburbs, thick-rimmed glasses, men with shirts and ties. Looked cool.
The only thing that worries me up to date is the missions. The information provided stated that missions will be as following. You go to an investigation site, start collecting data and clues. Kind of like CSI, except with aliens and less semen. But as time progresses, alien activity in the area increases. And in the end you will be forced to retreat or die. In time your research will provide you with gear and armor to allow you to stay longer, but the general idea is that you go to a place, and then you’re forced to flee. It sounds interesting enough, to be sure, but I’m worried about execution. The idea that you can’t complete a mission for real strikes me as odd. They didn’t hint yet if it was possible to eliminate all resistance. Generally neverending spawns of monsters are a bad thing.
Time will tell.
Currently busy trying not to be a moron. I.E I am trying to work on my essay. So I have decided to not post today. I will, however, leave you with something to think on.
How would the MMORPG industry look today if WoW hadn’t been published?
Mull that over, if you will. Now I return to the land of discourse and analysis.
Stop Being A Moron - And learn to love the game 