OK since this is the last 16 hours (in the eastern time zone) or so that you will have on this earth until Battlefield 3 hits stores for the official US release, I aim to keep my hunger for all things BF3 satisfied until then. To do so I read the following articles from various game sites with different takes to get a broader sense of what to expect. Let's be honest though, seeing the pictures and reading the words is nothing like getting to experience the pure joy it will be to play out these moments yourself. So read on my gaming brothers and sisters...and prepare yourselves for...well...you know. WAR!
IGN posted their PC Review of the game early this morning - Read here
Destructoid has a great preview by Casey Baker - Read it here
Joystiq has posted their PC review as well - Read here
I will say this, the reviews in Joystiq and IGN are fair and critical as they should be. Each outfit gives BF3 a great score mainly on the merits of multi-player (but we already expected that to some degree) and while they discount single-player somewhat I am not akin to just believing the reviewer all the time. Often times my view of certain parts of a game differs greatly and I think that possibly it is because these journalists are playing so many similar games all the time that their expectations become jaded and their experiences muted.
Finally, here is a new vid by the superb Freddie W. Enjoy!
Ok instead of posting a bunch of screenshots or videos that we have all seen already I wanted to share my thoughts on the BF3 beta that is in gamers hands around the world until Oct. 10th. So here goes....
I love it despite its obvious flaws. This is a BETA release people and its an old build to boot. The primary reason for the beta was to test their net code and get a large amount of feedback on the core mechanics of gameplay and weapons. There is a lot of work that needs to be and probably has been done already on the matchmaking, joining games as a squad, launching and exiting, team balancing, and map textures. I can't imagine that these huge things will not be polished in the retail release. It's funny because at first a seasoned FPS gamer will jump into this with a lot of concerns but after getting some games under the belt those things take a back seat to the addicting and rewarding gameplay elements present in this limited beta.
The Operation Metro map is laid out in a superb manner to allow each side to have multiple avenues (not too many) of attack and defense. From the open park atmosphere in the first section to the corridors of the subway all the way to the streets of Paris itself. The guns are well balanced with maybe some slight modifications needed but they sound friggin amazing. My favorite part of this beta was getting a taste of what it was like to play with friends (when it worked) in a 4 player squad. It obvious a lot of thought went into making sure the classes to choose from worked in a 4 man squad. It is a blast to spot enemies for your buddies and then provide suppressing fire on the target while they head for the objective.
This beta is not a very polished presentation of what is surely to come but it does feed the fire. The real excitement comes when vehicles get introduced on the battlefield. Last but not least, EA's stat tracking site battlelog.battlefield.com (which is free compared to CoD Elite) is awesome. I love being able to logon and see what my progress is and what I need to work on to get that next unlock. Very well put together and it even supports clans called Platoons on the site. I created the Zombie Squad. :)
Don't forget 10/25/11 is the release date for Battlefield 3! Reserve your copy!
Epic warfare starts on October 25th 2011! Oh and for those who can't wait (most of us) an open beta across all platforms starts September 29th. Be ready!
These vids are just making people salivate. I think marketing for this game has been stellar and letting the action speak for itself just works. Props to the team at EA/DICE. Enjoy these sweet snippets. Are you getting BF3? What about MW3? Comment below!
Well it has indeed been too long since my last post here. I have plenty to post about though. Lots of good stuff out there in Gamedom of late and while I don't have my head buried deep in the games that would consume most gaming journalists I do keep up with what's out there and from what I have seen the gaming market just picked up a bit with the release of Portal 2, Mortal Kombat, and the upcoming LA Noire in May, the latter of which I am clamoring to get my hands on. There is also a great deal of hype surrounding Battlefield 3 and a few other titles that launch later this year and are providing many drool inducing trailers for the masses. Without further adeiu lets dive into some of the news that I have been tagging.
Da' News
Portal 2 has been released and reviewed many times over. It has made all the gamers and critics swoon with 9's and 10's across the board. I am not surprised by this. The first Portal was an instant classic and more of the same with new puzzles, co-op, and Valve's twisted humor makes for another $ maker. I haven't gone out of my way to get any time with it. Why? Well it's just not in my cycle of gaming right now and that's as real as I can put it. I knew it would be a great game that I will eventually want to play, but all the hype and in-depth previews kinda spoiled me and I feel like I have already played this game in my head.
L.A. Noire (screen above) on the other hand sounds just the kind of game I been waiting for. Substance, style, depth, amazing graphics, Rockstar Studios' incredible attention to detail, and real actors doing real performances. Yes this one is going to garner some of my attention...nay ALOT of my attention. I read a preview and it just got me even more pumped to play it. I elected to go with the PS3 version on my pre-order for this and for right now that's what I am sticking with. PS3 exclusive content is rumored and it's a single player game. That's why I can't think of any reason to have it on my Xbox 360. Comments? Well check out this latest trailer while you type.
Do you remember playing Twisted Metal on Playstation back in the day? Oh man I do. That game kept me and my friends busy on rainy summer days during high-school. Screw Mario-Kart lets cause mayhem! Below is a pic from the latest Twisted Metal that's in development. David Jaffe, the creator, is totally keeping that old school feel and look while simultaneously bringing the classic title into the latest fold of technology and such. Joystiq has a great preview here. Release date is set for October 4th.
The last bit of game news I would like to mention is Battlefield 3. Oh yes this one is going to find a home on my console this year. I really like what EA and DICE are doing with this title and while it may end up being more of the same old FPS modern combat that we are all use to by now it has never looked better than this and that's enough for my pre-order! Get schooled on this bad boy by watching the Full 12-minute Fault-Line trailer below. BOOM!
GZ Mini-Review
Homefront: Xbox 360 version
$59.99 GZ Rating 7.0 - Good
Ok so I was really excited to get this title in my hands last month. After a solid 17+ hours in online and 5 hours in campaign I decided it was time to pony up the opinion to my readers. Bottom line, if you are tired of the other modern shooter in your disc tray and want a great online experience with a bit of CoD and Battlefield 2 meshed together then Homefront will keep you happy until the holiday season. It has a surprising amount of customization and the vehicles and drones are all alot of fun to use. All of the weapons feel right but the damage could be improved slightly. In fact a 'Hardcore' mode on this title would be a fantastic addition. Maybe in some DLC. The single-player was just ok. It was a bit difficult, but nothing taxing. In fact, don't buy it for anything but online play because Homefront's signature game mode called Ground Control is just addicting and fun. If you were on the fence, I hope this little review helped.
Cool Shiznit
This is all just a bunch of stuff I found that I had to share because its so awesome. Enjoy!
I been online with Homefront for the past two weeks since the game's release and now that the dedicated servers and what not have been ramped up to meet demand I can honestly say that I like this game as much as I liked CoD: Black Ops and possibly even more so. I have only gotten to level 28 so far in my gaming so I have more goodies to unlock still and pass judgement on. Not to mention, there is a title update on the way for Xbox360 which aims to fix some glaring issues. The game modes are insanely fun and keeps things interesting without feeling like your repeating the same task over and over. It's just enough variation to not be stale (so far).
Overall I am having a blast with it and it has a TON of potential for DLC down the road. If you are a CoD player or Battlefield player this title will certainly be worth a spin. Game renters be warned: THQ's online pass code is in effect on this one. So unless you are ok with only getting to level 5 in MP it might be time to trade in some old games and put some cash down to buy this one.
A million people can't be wrong. Oh and this just in...DLC is on the way and Homefront 2 is in the planning stages. w00t!
Got your copy of Homefront on Pre-Order? I do. Select Gamestop locations around the country will be doing midnight releases and I will be at my local store picking up my copy tonight. The pre-order bonus they have for this game is actually pretty good for us multi-player freaks. We get a couple of advanced unlocks like the SCAR-L assault rifle, and an Air Recon Drone. Nice.
With gas prices going up this will give me a reason to stay home and save my hard-earned cash for other things. It's funny how that statement sort of parallels the background story in Homefront where gas prices skyrocket and contribute to the US economic meltdown. In fact a few websites that normally aren't known for throwing in their two cents when it comes to worldly affairs have breached that silence and spoke out on the Homefront story and its real world possibilities. Unanimously they all agree that, while being highly unlikely, the events are Homefront are plausible. This kind of drama and controversial approach is more common these days in our mature gaming world.
LA Noire is the next game on my list to acquire this year. Release date is 5/17/11. I am a huge Rockstar fan and love the games they put out (mostly). This one is looking stellar and quite frankly I could use a break from all of the FPS games out there. There are a ton of videos out there for you to watch, but the one that I find most impressive is the one below that details the investigations themselves and really lets that new motionscan technology shine. Check it out. Are you getting LA Noire? What do you think about it?
A while back I did a short blog post on the new Alice: Madness Returns game that is in development. American Mcgee is back in the saddle and the press got a fresh look at the latest build. I don't why this game intrigues me but it does. I think the imagery is what shocks my mind.
Probably the 3rd game I will acquire later this year is Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception. A new villain for the game was revealed check the video below.
Every play Serious Sam? I did. Played the original and loved it. Never played the sequel, but now they are developing Serious Sam 3. Some screens and stuff here.
Saints Row 3 was officially announced on March 3rd and developer Volition is changing things up this time around and putting in drop-in/drop-out full campaign co-op. Wikipedia (I know) actually has a great write up on it here. I just hope they keep the insurance fraud mini-game in there!
Two last tidbits of fun stuff....
Ever see Super Mario Bros. updated with sound effects from today? Watch.
Have you watched "The King of Kong: A fistful of quarters" documentary? If not I recommend you rent it and give it a whirl. For those that have watched, you would be interested to know that Billy Mitchell ponied up the dough and built an arcade at Orlando Airport. He is yet to be seen there. Ha!
This game is the newest Zombie saga to be announced this year. Reports from other sites say they caught wind of it a few years back but then nothing for a long time until this fantastic trailer. When something as awesome as this trailer is put in front of me I am instantly driven to know more about it. I will read more and more until my eyes bleed. With that in mind I will just say that while this trailer is not actual in-game footage it certainly earns a spot on two lists. 1) It is in my top 5 games for this year 2) Probably the best game trailer I have EVER seen.
I did the research for ya, but I won't be long winded about it. Instead I will mention that this game is essentially a mash up of elements from the best games out there now. It will have the 4 player drop-in/drop-out Co-Op and some special infected like Left 4 Dead. It will have the melee weapon customization of Dead Rising 2. Lastly it will throw in a helping of RPG-like elements like Fallout 3. While I go watch the trailer again and then once more in forward mode, here are some links to previews of Dead Island.
Yeah I'm ready for the resistance. Bring it. Homefront is my most anticipated game right now. A lot of gamers are just glazing over it and not paying much attention or so they seem. I personally believe this game is getting alot more indirect attention from gamers who are just wondering how bad it will be while secretly hoping it kicks ass. I for one think this will be a fantastic game. FYI Homefront was pushed back to a March 15th release date. Why? Probably because a new Pokemon game releases the same day. Go figure.
Want to know more about Homefront's Battle Commander system? How about Battle Points? Want all the in-depth coverage? There is no other place besides http://community.homefront-game.com/home to go. GZ will always cover Homefront, but for a day's worth of news and videos check that link out.
Lastly, I bought and read the Homefront novel "The Voice of Freedom" which was a very enjoyable read. It paints a pretty bleak and believable picture of a dilapidated America and then keeps you turning pages to see what the main character is up against next. Great character development and a scary background of events. If you like fiction based in reality (Tom Clancy novels) you will like this one. Pick it up @ Amazon or Barnes & Noble for $10.
I just LOL'd at the title of this post! How appropriate that tidbits and Dead Space 2 be used in the same sentence? Ok so I have two posts today. This one just for EA's hit title. First up is my mini-review of the game's single player component. Click here for Destructoid's review including multi-player.
GZ Review of Dead Space 2
by Beegzz
As some of you may already know, Dead Space 2 is the sequel to the beloved original that launched back in Oct 2008. It was well received by critics and gamers, however the latter group did not jump on the bandwagon of sales that was much deserved. Dead Space 2 has every bit of the original's mojo and the game's troubled hero Issac Clarke is very much in the center of it all. (Minor spoilers ahead) The necromorphs are back and badder than ever and dismembering them is the fastest way to dispatch them. The game even starts with one breathing down your neck, literally, in one of the best beginning cut-scenes in a survival horror game I have seen. You see Issac is a going a bit mad and wakes up in a straight jacket and necromorphs are wreaking havoc around him. When you finally get to the first store where you can buy your engineering suit its an epic moment as Issac dons the famous duds once again. Eventually you learn that this part of the saga is taking place on a space station called The Sprawl. This game world is filled with memorable new levels and challenges for you to make your way through. The whole campaign is a fantastic 10+ hour journey with Issac fighting his inner demons while trying to figure what he must do to save the day. Gameplay is largely the same as in the first title but improvements have been made all-around. Perhaps the best one is the ability to move around freely in the zero gravity portions of the game by utilizing the thrusters on Issac's suit. There are new weapons and suits for Issac this time around. The reliable plasma cutter, line gun, and pulse rifle all make a return as do others. The new weapons are extremely pleasing with the Javelin Gun being an early favorite and they can all be upgraded. Issac gets to try on cool new suits and some of them provide bonuses like armor, stasis regeneration, and more weapon damage. The floating menu/inventory screen is still one of the slickest interfaces I have seen yet. Dead Space 2 amps up the scare factor with ominous music and clever lighting and level design. You WILL whip around and check your six when you hear a noise. With a great story, the uber-disgusting necromorphs chasing you and popping out of the ceilings and, not to mention all the heat-thumping thrilling moments, you will be party to one of the most epic single-player experiences around. Plus your mom will hate it!
9 out of 10 - Game Zombie Editors Choice
Yup that picture above is of a life-size replica of the plasma cutter. Got money to blow? Go for it!
If you beat Dead Space 2 you will unlock Hardcore mode that only allows you 3 game saves for the entire campaign but if you invest the time you will get one of the coolest unlocks this side of the galaxy. Peep the video below to watch Issac's new toy go 'BANG BANG, PEW PEW PEW'
It the thought that goes into the death animations that I appreciate the most. What a fun part of the development process! Ahhh yes...its the little things.
Dead Space 2 is every bit as entertaining as I hoped it would be. I am roughly 5 hours in and already I am looking forward to my next play through with my upgraded weapons and suit. Fighting these frightening monstrosities never gets old. I already have a handful of water cooler stories to tell you. I only wish I could show you instead of typing it out here in a post. I very much need a video capture device! My review of Dead Space 2 is forthcoming once I finish the campaign and give multi-player a whirl. Stay tuned!
Remember last week I mentioned in my post that some new Homefront previews and such were coming? Well today I re-post it to you my loyal readers and give you my take on it. I also want to touch on the whole opinion piece of Homefront stemming from its story line and in-game world.
First thing is first. Two, count 'em, two videos showing off Homefront's multi-player gameplay and new features. My thoughts after the jump.
Ok so what did you think of the two videos? At first glance you might think this was a video of CoD or BF2. I must admit that I was thinking the same thing. Then the guy starts showing off all of this cool stuff like enemy players getting bounties placed on their head and the cool class/loadout screen which can be customized in the middle of a match. The two features introduced in the video are the Battle Commander system, which gives you missions on the fly (marking enemies) based on how the match is going, and the Battle Points system that is just flat out awesome. While the developers haven't re-invented the wheel here it seems, at least on the surface, that they have successfully combined all the aspects of what made other games great and added their own flair to it which looks to be adding up to ALOT of fun. After a few minutes of footage I saw what makes Homefront different and all-together awesome. I will post my full impressions once I have a copy in my hands. These devs have some huge competition that this game will be released in the shadow of, but the gaming landscape is ripe for a show stealer. This could be it people. Stay tuned and pick up your copy come March 8th.
Now for the opinion piece of the post. First I want to reference IGN's coverage from 1/21 as my inspiration to post these next few lines. After reading the IGN piece, the comments, and some other articles from last week I have to say that the controversy is building in the media over Homefront's premise and chosen background for the story. The authors of the articles and a lot of readers are "concerned" about the game's message. They are worried that the message will be "America is awesome" or that it will fan the fires of American patriotism. There is also the North Korea card getting played that some take offense to, and not to mention the supposed 'improbability' of America being invaded.
Opinion?
I think they are all stupid. Who are they kidding? Worrying about a game's message of patriotism? Really? What kind of audience do you think you are catering too? The men and women playing this game are not going to all of a sudden start going bat-shit insane toting American flags on their body and treat foreigners with extreme prejudice because of the events in Homefront. Games are forms of art in my mind. Much like a movie or book. All forms of art are at their greatest when they make people begin to question the things they represent. Good or bad, happy or sad. Take it or leave it, admire it or hate it. That's art.
That being said....Homefront's singleplayer mode is meant to draw the emotions out of you. What would you do in that situation? You think it is improbable or unlikely that America would be invaded, which gives you an air of ignorance, yet you think it is OK to portray a poorer country in this light? Get over yourself.
OK I said my piece. I expect that once the mainstream media gets a hold of this, and they will, the controversy will just get bigger. Which should translate to more sales and more n00bs to blast online! Comments welcome!
So Black Ops on Xbox360 is currently where I spend my gaming time. It won't hold my attention for too much longer though. Why? Well that's easy. On March 8, 2011 THQ will release the new FPS game Homefront for 360/PS3/PC. I will be getting a copy for my 360. This game isn't in the limelight as much as a CoD game would be or even Battlefield for that matter, but it caught my attention mainly for the reasons outlined in the video below. I think the single-player campaign is going to be great. I will be posting my thoughts on this Friday's coverage by IGN on the multi-player in Homefront. Here is the vid.
Ok so for all of you CoD junkies out there who are counting down to the first map pack release on Feb 1st (360 only) here is Treyarch's sneak peak of what to expect on the multi-player maps.
Zip lines! Yikes! Should be loads of fun for all. Speaking of fun have you seen the commercial dubbed "Your Mom Hates Dead Space 2" yet? No? Well feast your eyes on the vid below. GREAT marketing gimmick. Give EA kudos on that idea.
I love the gore and the scares. Bring it. Alright so on to the next tasty morsel. Last summer a video teaser of a gritty remake of the movie Mortal Kombat was released on YouTube. It starred movie actor Michael Jai-White of Spawn, Dark Knight, and Sucker Punch fame playing Jax as a detective. Some of you may have seen this already, but I just watched it for the first time ever and I was highly entertained by it. I can't wait for the webisodes. Any MK fan old & new should watch this. Comment below.
All of us want better control right? Those guys on the MLG circuit make it look so easy. I am constantly running into uber-CoD players when casually gaming at night. Maybe if I had one of these I could at least stay alive longer right? Maybe? One point for dialing in your resistance on the analog sticks, two points taken away for not being wireless. Click the pic. The jury is out on this one.
Ok so in the lighter side of the news, I wanted to share this fan-friggin-tastic video of a Nintendo inspired Scion xB complete with game console and a projector built into the headlight. I want one.
