Friday, December 24, 2010

Merry XP-Mas & Happy New Year: Red Dead Redemption Double XP til 2011



RockStar is giving you a reason to play this season! Don't miss out! Read below for more details in their own words...

"In the spirit of giving, we're opening up a whole week's plus of Double XP for all players of Red Dead Redemption online starting today, Christmas Eve December 24th all the way through til Monday January 3rd 2011.
All online multiplayer activity during this extended holiday period will earn you twice the experience points. 

Happy holidays and wishes for a great 2011 to all Rockstar and Red Dead fans worldwide.  Enjoy!"

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Dead Space 2 Demo is Hot On Arrival!



If this is a taste for what's to come; I cant wait to feast on the main course! Of course I had the honor earlier this year to play a more extended version of the game and to meet some of the amazing men and woman responsible for this upcoming thriller. Ian Milham, Tanya Clarke and Gunner Wright are all very talented and fans everywhere are looking forward to the finished project. Congrats guys!

Download now on PSN and Xbox Live.

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Major PSN update later today!







LittleBigPlanet 2 demo, Mass Effect 2 demo, Dead Space 2 demo. And that is just for starters! Are you ready?!

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Sony Wants to Save You Big This Holiday Weekend

The team at PlayStation wanted to give you something to look forward to other than the standard turkey and stuffing this Thanksgiving. That’s why we’ve been working hard with retailers across the U.S. to put together some incredible PlayStation 3 bundles that offer something for everyone, from hardcore games to all-in-one entertainment solutions.
Its been a big year filled with many choices for PlayStation fans. In addition to introducing must-have exclusives like God of War III, ModNation Racers and of course Gran Turismo 5, we also packed PSN with everything from sports to your favorite movies and TV shows and added the new PlayStation Move motion controller to our hardware family. What’s more, we made sure that PS3 owners were the first to receive access to stereoscopic 3D entertainment from Blu-ray movies to games! With the holidays upon us we want to ensure that we keep the choices coming.
That’s why this Friday, across many of your favorite local retailers, you’ll be able to find the 160GB PS3 system packaged with everything from a selection of this season’s hottest games to the latest Blu-ray movie releases. We worked closely with retailers to ensure that we provided you with an option tailored to meet your entertainment needs. Whether you’re looking for a package you can enjoy with your gaming friends or something more suitable for a family get-together, we’re confident there’s a bundle out there for you.
Available PS3 bundles include:

Amazon: 160GB PS3 system, UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves Game of the Year Edition, a voucher for PixelJunk: Shooter and a copy of The Karate Kid on Blu-ray $299


Best Buy: 160GB PS3 system, ModNation Racers (PS3), LittleBigPlanet: Game of the Year Edition and Cars the movie on Blu-ray $299


GameStop: 160GB PS3 system, the God of War: Collection and a copy of God of War III $299




Target: 160GB PS3Holiday Bundle, includes StarWars: The Force Unleashed 2 game, a copy of Prince of Persia on Blu-ray movie and one black DUALSHOCK 3 wireless controller $299.99




Walmart: 160GB PS3 system, UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves and Medal of Honor: Limited Edition $299




Sam’s Club: 160GB PS3 system, ModNation Racers (PS3), black DUALSHOCK 3 wireless controller, Blu-ray Disc remote and a copy of How to Train Your Dragon on Blu-ray $399







These are just a few of the great deals you can find should you choose to brave the elements. There are limited quantities of each bundle, so be sure to shop early to take advantage of some great entertainment savings. Check your paper on Thursday and let us know what other deals you come across!
Happy shopping,
Tim Bender

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Call of Duty: Black Ops Review!


Publisher: Activision
Developer: Treyarch
# of players: 1 player, 18 online
Platforms: PS3 360 Wii PC DS
Genre: Action, Shooter
Release Date: Nov 9, 2010
ESRB: M-Mature

Mean As Hell Rating
10/10

Was there ever any doubt?! Did you think for even one iota of a minute that COD: Black Ops would not delivery?! COD is a franchise that hits the mark with unparalleled accuracy with each new entry. This is a series that has set the bar pretty high; a sure tough act to follow. I mean ask yourself; what have you come to expect from COD games? The attention holding campaign is filled to the rim with exciting varied gameplay and sweats with high level intrigue and depth. The amazing multiplayer hypes some stimulating new details, and the new combat mode has finally paved the way for rookie gamers to enjoy the ambitious action without being bomb rushed by veteran gamers. This is without a doubt one of the best shooters this year!

Now sometimes I can be nostalgic so you'll have to forgive me... but I remember when Call of Duty first arrived on the scene back in 2003. The standard for first person WWII shooters was set. But it was quickly becoming bombarded like a bunker with more WWII shooters for everybody and their mother. Then someone wised up and decided that it was time for Call of Duty 4 to head into the modern day and a top selling star franchise was born. After that we had World at War; a solid game but almost seemed like an afterthought, most recall it for the Nazi zombies more than anything else. And then there was Modern Warfare 2, very controversial for sure, but mostly due to the "No Russian" level, afterwards for it's infamous glitches, cheaters galore and late patches. Then with most of Infinity Ward casting off, there was the question if any of us would ever see a Modern Warfare 3 and what was in store for the series as a whole.

That was the bad news. Black Ops is just as incredible and shows the elevation of Treyarch's chapter into this era. The game succeeds on two levels; pushing the the time period several years ahead into the time of Kennedy and the Cuban Missile Crisis while acknowledging that everyone wants to shoot each other in the present, I guess the multiplayer is nostalgic also. The single player campaign has you as an elite covert operative during the Cold War; you end up bouncing to hot spots like Cuba, Russia, and Vietnam.  Each time you're out in the field is a past memory, and each memory slowly but surely builds up while the interrogation cutscenes puts each piece of the fractured jigsaw puzzle into place. You've seen it before but the action is still very good and most of the characters are strong and the story has enough polish of intrigue to keep you going. With that being said, the single player is more comprehensive, duration aware, campaign then most have seen from the series in quite some time.

Now I must admit that I haven't had as much time as I wanted to really play the multiplayer as needed with the general online game population. I mean Black Ops never had a public beta right? But with all the improvements to the multiplayer it is really not a big deal. Forget about what you know from Modern Warfare 2, it is obsolete. It really has everything you need and is balanced for both hardcore and casual gamers alike. The really hardcore fans will come to grips that a lot of features from MW2 did not make it to Black Ops. The one man army perk, nuke kill streak, stopping power, and dual wielded shotguns are not in Black Ops, but who is really going to complain about it.

One of the things that is not present and will be missed (by me) is riot shield. Man I used to love killing people who used that thing... but it would seem that Treyarch is really trying to keep the game balanced this time around. Another thing that became obvious is that a lot of perks have been renamed and assigned to different loadouts and slots to hinder player abusing perks that work in unison too well. As an adjustment to newer players, most perks, special equipments and attachments are available to buy ASAP.Play multiplayer a few times and you'll have enough points to get anything you need. Guns are unlocked as level up just like always, but there is no more discouraging post prestige rounds. The pick up and play aspect of the game is more user friendly.

At it's core; this is still the superb Call of Duty action players have been enjoying for the past 7yr. There really is no wrong way to play it, and there are a ton of modes that can feed the hunger you didn't even know you had for this solid shooter. On top of having pre-existing modes like Domination, TDM, and Barebones, you can now give Wager Matches, Combat Training, and a very deep version of private matches. Wager Matches are pretty much exactly what they sound like, you can buy in for little to nothing or a large amount of money depending on how good you may or may not be. The top 3 players of each round share the pot. There are no more knives only private clan matches on the honor system. You can actually enforce your own game restrictions with other players over servers. One of my favorites (and probably everyone else) is the human vs. zombie theme. I think something like that is an another game... whatever.

I found Call of Duty: Black Ops to be an awesome game. The new modes and sweet mechanics are like icing on an already delicious cake. The competitive multiplayer and the compelling new campaign really help mold it as one the best shooters ever. There is so much more to the multiplayer let alone the single player that if you're trying to get all the trophies or achievements... lets just say your time will be well spent. Call of Duty: Black Ops went above and beyond the "Call of Duty" by delivering one of the most incredible new shooters you'll see this year. Enjoy; I am!

Friday, November 5, 2010

God of War: Ghost of Sparta Review!

Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Developer: Ready At Dawn Studios
# of Players: 1 player
Platforms: PSP
Genre: Action, Adventure, Platformer
Release Date: November 2, 2010
ESRB: M-Mature (Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Sexual Content)

Mean As Hell Rating
9/10

They say that big bangs come in small packages! That is truly an understatement of epic proportions with God of War: Ghost of Sparta! Ready At Dawn Studios went all out for this one, and it shows. A lot of games tend to describe themselves as epic, bigger than life. This is a game that is epic in every sense of the word. I know what you're thinking; "It's on the PSP, it's too small, the game is too short!" I say nay! Like Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker that came before it... this game is bigger and better than a good amount of titles on the home consoles.

GOW: Ghost of Sparta doesn't pull any punches in it's visual presentation or sharp controls. It is an awesome technical acheivement that gives it's PS2 predecessors a run for their money. It is almost a shame that such a grand entry in the GOW series is on such a small screen. The action can get so chaotic at times that you can lose sight of ole Kratos. And some aspects of the controls can cause moments of frustration, but they are few and far between.

Kratos is not an overly simple character, but neither is he very complex. Nevertheless, his nature and unique bond to his family is what connects every game in the GOW series together. What is different about this game is that it explores a  family member we haven't seen before... his brother Deimos. And where has Deimos been this whole time? Why the underworld of course. The details are fleshed out well enough but the tale does seem somewhat condensed compared to console interations.

Ghost of Sparta is still very much a GOW game and never plays like a demo. It has awesome locals, QTE seqences, and even the infamous sex game! Who cares if the quest is linear; aren't all GOW games?! If you didn't like it before then you probably won't like it now. But if you have stuck around from the beginning than you have some sembalence of what to expect and you can bring a cup to catch the saliva from being in awe of the consistancy of greatness that is God of War: Ghost of Sparta.

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II Review!

Publisher: LucasArts
Developer: LucasArts
# of players: 1 player
Platforms: PS3 360 Wii PC DS
Genre: Action, Adventure
Release: Oct 26, 2010
ESRB: T-Teen, (Violence)

Mean As Hell Rating
6/10

 I miss Star Wars: The Force Unleashed! No really I do. After playing through Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II in full I truly realize that this game is merely a shadow of its predecessor. Don't get me wrong, it's not to say that the game is not immediately engaging. It looks beautiful, awesome character animations, and is a decent hack and slash. But it lacks in story, character development and is way too short! I really wanted to like it and I'm not saying it is a bad game, it's just not a great "Star Wars" experience I was hoping for.

So what kind of experience did I get? Repetitive combat and level design, a seemingly half finished story and very little dept. The story starts off interesting enough and uses the "light side" of the force ending as canon(spoilers? maybe.). Starkiller had sacrificed himself by holding off the Emperor long enough for the newly formed Rebel Alliance to escape. Force Unleashed II  starts off with Vader training a clone(or not) of Starkiller. Vader can't control the clone because he is flawed like the rest that came before him. The clone can't suppress original memories of Starkiller and escapes from Kamino to look for Juno Eclipse, the love interest from the 1st game.

The messed up thing about the story is that it feels very unfinished or rushed at best. You might even go as far to call the ending a cliffhanger. It just ends at an awkward point where you feel like you've only completed less than half of the game. The game itself is extremely short. You could probably beat this one in a day; maybe 4-6hrs to finish. Less than that if you could skip the unskippable cutscenes. The story is still good in some places but that was the case in the 1st game. Starkiller has no real character, he just starts off promising. The somewhat hyped appearances of Yoda and Boba Fett are lackluster at best. They must have appeared less than 2 minutes in a cut scene that you can't interact with them in. What a waste!

To add insult to injury; there are rumors that The Force Unleashed III may have been put on indefinite hold. So there is a possibility that we may never see the end of this story or that we may have to pay an arm or leg for DLC to see the end of the story we already paid $60 for.On the plus side, even though the combat is repetitive(especially in later levels), it is greatly improved over the original. In fact the overall gameplay is an improvement. No more chunkiness in combat and your enemies are smarter. The stormtroopers with the anti-force bubbles are out also. Replaced with Sith apprentices who must be defeated with some lightsabre skills.

Speaking of lightsabre, it is worth mentioning that sabre itself feels much more powerful then it did in the 1st game. It is able to remove limbs and heads with ease. I also found the force grip much tighter this time around. Other than that, the controls are pretty much the same but a little more responsive. One of the things I had a problem with in the 1st game was the targeting issue. Targeting what you wanted to grab then throw it was almost a lesson in futility. It is not perfect but more often than not, I got Starkiller to do what I wanted.

There are 10 challenges for you to try out once you're done with the campaign, they have leaderboard support. Word of warning; they may be short but they are tough enough to give the best player a run for his money. Hey if you like thrill of a challenge maybe it will make up for the short campaign. Or not.

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II is step up and a step down from what came before. Like the main protagonist, it inhibits both the light and dark side of the Force. The story leaves something to be desired, and the duration of the game is intolerably short for a full priced game with no form of multiplayer. I just felt like there could have been more to it but at the end I was left violated. If this game was more complete it could have been one of the best sequels ever. I can only recommened it as a rental or if you have to phurchase it, wait til it's $30 or less. Otherwise you're going to be asking for the other half of your money back when you complete it.

 

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Reviews galore coming up!

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II

God of War: Ghost of Sparta

Rock Band 3

Fable III

Kirby's Epic Yarn

NBA JAM

And the hits just keep on coming!

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Fallout: New Vegas review!


Publisher: Bethesda
Developer: Obsidian Entertainment
# of Players: 1 player
Platforms: PS3 360 PC
Genre: Action, Adventure, RPG, Shooter
Release:  Oct 19, 2010
ESRB: M-Mature, (Blood, Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Content, Strong language, Use of drugs) 

Mean As Hell Rating
9/10 




Have you ever had that Deja Vu feeling? Like you've been somewhere or seen something that you have before? You may feel like that upon your first few hours of playing Fallout: New Vegas. Heck you may feel like that during the entire play through. To sum it up: if you've played Fallout 3, you played Fallout: New Vegas. I mean the writing and all is slightly better, there's a lot more to do and much has been improved but the actual experience is the same, flaws included.

From where I'm standing at; Fallout: New Vegas isn't so much a new game or sequel as it is an elaborate expansion pack or DLC. It looks and plays like it's "game of the year" predecessor. There is nothing really new but there is more of the familiar adventures that the fans have been longing for. And like every good adventure, it starts with an important death... yours.

Fallout: New Vegas takes place during the year 2281, four years after the estimated end of Fallout 3, and 204 years after the Great War of 2077, making this installment chronologically the latest in the series thus far. It is set in a post-apocalyptic Las Vegas, Nevada and the Mojave Desert known as the "Mojave Wasteland" which is roughly the same size as the "Capital Wasteland" in Fallout 3. Unlike other cities in the Fallout series, Las Vegas was not struck directly by a nuclear attack. Most building are intact and mutations are not as wide spread.The city is divided into various factions with New California Republic (NCR) being the most notable. There's also the slave driving Caesar's Legion, and other various factions of New Vegas itself.

The game places you as the main character in the role of a courier. In the midst of delivering a package with platinum poker chip and NCR war documents to a town called Primm, the player is found in a shallow grave, having been shot in the head and left for dead. You are then rescued by a robot named Victor who brings him or her to Doctor Mitchell. After that the player enters character creation (defining skills and attributes, name, gender, age and appearance) before investigating the assassination attempt on your life, recover the package, and explore the world. All in true Fallout fashion.

Don't get me wrong; the game starts off rather abruptly but it almost feels as if you have no real sense of purpose or connection.other than to find the man that put the bullet in your dome. Expedient as that is, some will feel very little emotional development or discovery. The moment of emergence is not there. The doc patches you up and sends you on your way. You are on your own.

New Vegas is a big game! There are lots of moral space to shape in the world. You have good and bad choices to make, but there is really no right way to play the game. By your 15th hour you should feel as if you are anchored in the universe and properly armed to handle whatever it throws at you.

One of the more noticeable features of New Vegas is the inclusion of real-world guns. Case in point: M4A1 Carbine replacing the G3 styled assault rifle of Fallout 3. The attempt to include more real weapons have made it a little difficult to find the larger, more powerful, but less common 10mm weapons that were so abundant in Fallout 1, 2, and 3. Nevertheless, weapons such as lasers and large guns like mini guns have returned to bring the pain.

 New Vegas also brings to the scene something that was missing from Fallout 3; the reputation system. It is mostly due to the quantity of factions. The degree of faction loyalty influences the player's reputation. Reputation effects the behavior of faction non-player characters (NPCs) toward the player, and it reflects the impact of selected choices in the world. The availability of dialogue options with NPCs are pretty much based on skills, reputation and karma. Skills have bigger effect on conversation choices. What I like about this is that your success or failure of speech is dependent on skill level rather than chance like it was in Fallout 3. There is a new companion wheel that controls companion behavior and task. It really offers ease of companion interaction.

Now with this being Vegas, you may ask yourself "what about the casinos?" Don't worry be happy, they're there and you can visit them to particapate in mini-games, including blackjack, slots and roulette. You can win or lose money at these mini-games. Word on street is that the mini-games were done by a programmer experianced in programming none-table gameing machines. There is also a card game called Caravan that is playable. The game explains how to play it.

I really liked Fallout: New Vegas. If I had any real complaints, it is pretty much the same as the last game; it's glitchy. Not enough to be really annoying or game breaking but don't be surprised if the game crashes after haveing a long game marathon. But it is a massive game so this was somewhat expected... besides there should be a patched released to help sort the glitches out. When it is all said and done this is a Fallout game and it has a wonderful big populated world for fans of the franchise to explore and you need not have played Fallout 3 to enjoy it. As long as you can look past the glitch issues you will have a good time in New Vegas.

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Inception review

Inception
2010
148 minutes
rated PG-13


There are plenty of films that present the notion to the viewer that characters on screen are inhabiting a world that is not grounded in reality. But what happens when the characters are in a dream. Reality is thrown out the window because dreams can be on such grand scale that they border on infinite. Inception is written, produced and directed by Christopher Nolan and is a very sophisticated and beautiful film that hits you with such a stunning blow to the mind you'll wake up gasping for air just as Leonardo DiCaprio is on the shore of his own subconscious. Ok let's get the obvious out there; Inception is a science fiction thriller with a tightly coiled plot, cerebral conceits and formidable ambition. I honestly feel sorry for some of you "popcorn" movie goers, by mid reel you're going to be left scratching your head wondering what is going on. Let me save you the trouble, watch the movie let it wash over and drown you and save the head scratching for later. And for some there will be a later because Inception is that kind of movie. It is complex and you'll want to see it again.

But perhaps I was to harsh on my average cinema attendees, Inception is one of the few films that can be enjoyed on a casual and more open minded level. Come to think of it, the protagonist himself takes a journey on pretty much the same level. I'm referring to Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio), he makes his living navigating the minds of other people, sharing their dreams and stealing ideas in an elaborate psychological scam known as "extraction." To complete his task he uses his right hand man Arthur (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and a sleep-inducing gadget, his business is mostly involved with high level corporate espionage. But the movie opens, a client named Saito (Ken Watanabe) hires Cobb for a collectively different task: Rather than steal an idea, he wants Cobb and Arthur to plant one in the mind of Robert Fischer (Cillian Murphy), the would-be heir to an energy conglomerate, in a process called "inception."

To say the job is hard is an understatement. Cobb has to gather a group of "dream warriors" to make sure the mission goes off without a hitch. The group includes a slick forger named Eames (Tom Hardy), a chemist named Yusuf (Dileep Rao) and a young architect named Ariadne (Ellen Page), she is in charge of designing the mazelike dreamscapes much of "Inception" transpires in, she also acts as an essential proxy for film goers who are likely to find themselves utterly lost in the director's own convoluted ideas. All of that notwithstanding, the set pieces are nothing short of amazing. Nolan reportedly used as few CGI effects as possible while making this film and it shows. Nolan sets the example of the best kind of filmmaking, unrestricted from the laws of time, space and even gravity, but never from the most basic rules of good story telling fiction.

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World review

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
2010
112 minutes
rated PG-13

Mean as Hell Rating
9/10 

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World is the fourth film from British director/writer Edgar Wright. Wright captured world attention with the cult hit of his second film Shaun of the Dead (2004). Subsequent to this, he went onto the cop show parody Hot Fuzz (2007) and then entered the Hollywood mainstream with Scott Pilgrim. Ahead for Wright are a bunch of projects, including the conspiracy film Them (2011) and his long announced adaptation of Marvel Comics’ Ant Man (2012), as well as co-writing the script for Steven Spielberg’s The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn (2011). Scott Pilgrim is adapted from a series of six graphic novels published by Toronto-based comic-book artist Bryan Lee O’Malley between 2004 and 2010.

Since Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is adapted from a comic book that’s ripe full of video game references, the movie follows the same road. There are tons of musical cues from Zelda, Super Mario and Street Fighter. There are also really heavy video game references like Scott Pilgrim getting beat down only to get up and grab a life, (something akin to a 1-UP) or the evil exes turning into coins when they’re defeated. Also the films structure resemble a video game with each ex being boss battles of increasing difficulty and Scott Pilgrim “leveling” up between each fight.

All of this is going on while Scott and Ramona continue to work through their tenuous relationship — plus Scott tries to break it off with Knives — as if it were just another ordinary day. But it’s honestly hard for the casual observer to tell if that’s actually the case and what we’re seeing in the “Scott versus” matches is merely an allegorical depiction for how our hyper kinetic hero deals with his inner demons (especially since no one around him seems to realize what a bad-ass their bass-rockin’ friend really is). In spite of that… this is a WHOLE lot of fun, and you can pretty much throw caution to the wind! At times, the movie does indeed drag while waiting for the next adversary to appear; especially near the end where the wear & tear of the high-impact battles gets a little exhausting to watch.

Within this heightened unreality, the characters exist in a uniquely surreal and sugary pop world of their own. The characters’ emotions which are all but reduced to love and heartbreak are contextualized into exaggerated gestures – tears, rage, unbridled glee – like a silent film. The highly superficial character of Scott bares no psychological depth. We learn very little about Scott (except that he doesn’t own a cell phone or understand how to use the internet), and we gain no understanding of his true feelings for Knives or Ramona. With little rhyme nor reason, Scott is just going through the motions as if being controlled by someone standing off-screen playing with a joystick (he even jumps from scene to scene as if time and place are irrelevant) and lucky for Scott, the master of his destiny has mastered the game of life.

After all is said and done, it is sad that this film has yet to get the credit it deserves. Maybe when the DVD comes out it will gain a respectable cult following. As a "geek" I can really appreciate movies like this stroking my inner fanboy, but if the rest of us don't get together and start showing these films some love as whole... they will surely die apart.

Transformers game good?! it's about Optimus Prime!

Look mom, I can finally play as one of my childhood pastimes and it's actually fun! No it's not clunky, and yes I can transformer anytime I want. Ok,ok I'm trying not to be too nostalgic but man I love it when game developers get it right or at the very least make a good attempt. I'm talking about the new Transformer IP "Transformers: War for Cybertron" and as longtime fan, I'm loving it. I mean it isn't a movie game (thank God) so you get more flexibility from the story and characters. It's like all the G1 characters we actually care about: Optimus, Bumblebee, Ratchet, Ironhide, Jetfire, Megatron, Starscream, Thundercracker, Soundwave, Brawl and Barricade! I'm sure I missed a few but so what; I just gave you an A-list of awesome transformers! The single player is pretty good. You have the option of play as either Autobot or Decepticons. Chronoligically, the Decepticons campaign starts first. It was actually the more boring of the two but I still had ball playing Megatron in all his crazed filled awesomeness. And I loved that at the beginning of certain chapters you had the option to choose which Transformer you wanted to control, I mean if you don't want to be the leader you can be the scout. Pretty cool. I like me some Optimus Prime and this game actually shows you how he became the leader of the Autobots and required the Matrix of leadership. I mean I'm not going say the story is foolproof because some things aren't really explained but if you care enough about it go play the game yourself. How does the game play you ask? Well I only played it on one systems so I can't vouch for the others as yet. But on my PS3, it ran pretty smoothly with some slowdown here and there. Not enough to deter me from playing or completing the game. The multiplayer is really the "meat and potatoes" in this rodeo. There are several multiplayer modes to choose from. "Escalation" is a mode for exclusive pre-order characters and characters unlocked during the campaign. Non-stop waves of robots attack until the player(s) are defeated, similar to Gears of War "Horde" mode and Call of Duty: World at War "Nazi Zombies". Players are also able to spend points earned from defeated enemies on health, ammo, new weapons and unlocking new areas in the map. There is also the jack of all multiplayer modes, Deatmatch and Team Deathmatch! "Deathmatch" is a free-for-all game type where the player with the most kills at the end of the game is the winner. In "Team Deathmatch" players are divided into Autobot and Decepticon teams.[4] The winning team is the one who earns the most kills. There is also "Conquest" mode. Its a capture-and-hold style game, similar to the conquest mode found in the Star Wars Battlefront series. In "Countdown to Extinction" players must take an active bomb and place it at an enemy base, similar to the Assault mode in the Halo series. "Power Struggle" is the game's equivalent to the common Capture the Flag game type. Finally "Code of Power" is a mode consisting of two and a half minute rounds where teams vie for a giant melee weapon. Competitive multiplayer games do not allow use of canon Transformers. Players must create their own Transformer based on the class they wish to play which determines their vehicle form. They may then choose a specific look for that form, and customize the color scheme, weaponry and abilities they take into battle. Classes include a "Leader" class, a "Soldier" class, a "Scientist" class, and a "Scout" class, each with unique abilities, vehicular transformation, and weapon loadouts. Scouts are cars, Leaders are trucks, Scientists are jets and Soldiers are tanks. The multiplayer aspect also features a experience and leveling up system, including perks, and upgrades. After all is said and done, the game is awesome! It does the Transformers justice! It's more than meets the eye!

Saturday, October 16, 2010

NBA 2K11 Review

Publisher: Take-Two Interactive
Developer:  2K Sports
# of players: 1 player, 10 online
Platforms: PS3 360 Wii PC PSP
Genre: Sports
Release: Oct 5, 2010
ESRB: E-Everyone(Everyone)

Mean As Hell Rating
9/10 

The greatest player of all time meets one of the greatest NBA games as Micheal Jordan returns in NBA 2K11. But did you ever imagine that Jordan would be a weak link on the basketball court?! I mean come on; he's only the six-time NBA champion! In any event; you get to play as his Airness for the first time on current consoles. That is great and all but you know how good news and bad news come hand and hand... Micheal Jordan is in the game but his presence is overshadowed by improvements in just about every other facet in this awesome NBA simulator. Ok, maybe it's all good but I wanted to point that out..


Most NOOBS(you know who you are)will want to play NBA 2K11 using only aspects of Micheal Jordan's career(and you can)and it would still be an awesome game. But that is only a fraction of what's in the game. It is easily the deepest basketball game ever not to mention one of the deepest sports games I've ever played. It will take you months to get through this game on the first runthrough. and you can bet your sweet behind that you are going to want to get as much out of the game as possible, every part is as good as the last because this baby never lets up.


When I first saw the game in action, I honestly thought I was watching a basketball game on TV. In addition, the stellar team of announcers of Kevin Harlan and Clark Kellogg are GREAT!! Sorry, couldn't resist. You have camera angles that make it feel legit and there are even promotions for upcoming games that are akin to what you'd see on TV. The developers knew their stuff indeed!


Now truth be told; Micheal Jordan is really no better than a bench warmer in NBA 2K11. That notwithstanding, it is impossible to ignore his presence. When you fire up the game for the first time you're introduced to the #23 legend as he walks into court for the player intros for the 1991 NBA finals. How ironic that you take control of Jordan in 2K11 in a game that he lost in real life. But it is a nice nostalgic nod to see these classic Lakers and Bulls teams recreated. There is an entire mode to replaying Jordan's most memorable games and it is a welcome reminder of the NBA glorious past. All the key moments are here. The Flu Game? Check. The Shrug Game? Check. Do you remember "The Iceman" George Gervin once played with the Bulls? 2K does and he's here too.

But let me be frank; the Jordan challenge mode isn't much fun at all. If you want to come out a winner in each of the 10 games you have to reach certain statistical accomplishments. If you fall short you have to restart from the first quarter and that sucks! I mean it basically makes you choose goals over greatness but at the same time devalues Jordan's achievements and makes you play like a ball whore.

The blast from the past stuff may be a lil lackluster but on-court action is realistic and very satisfying representation of the real thing. Now the game doesn't hold your hand; you have work at getting good at the new Dynamic Shot Control and Isomotion Dribbling Controls. And you're going to want to because there are nearly 50 moves to learn and incorporate into any game situation. Seriously, you could play for hrs trying to master this stuff on tutorial alone. Having patience is a given but getting it right is more satisfying. You could play "old school" and just press buttons but you would be selling yourself short.

But wait there is more... you get a slam dunk contest with the Blacktop mode. You also get a 3 point shooting contest, one on one and a game of 21. That's wassup! The only real issues I had with the game was the online segments. Lag plagued me in every mode, occasional hiccups are annoying, When you try to take on more than one player in team up mode it is almost stop and go. What kinda hurts the game on realism is that the players are clueless in loose ball situations. On long rebounds or steal attempts, they mostly just stand idly by while the rock rolls away from them. Another problem I had was that layups and point-blank shot are still to easy to miss, as always they can hurt critical moments.

What more can I say; this game is a huge improvement over last years. Everything has been improved and overhauled. It is the platinum standard of the genre. I was think that maybe 2K should take a chill pill and take off 2012 because I don't know how they are going to top this. Or maybe the Mayans are right and the world will end because that is the only thing that will keep fans from playing this gem!

I loved this game and give it 9/10. It is one of the best sports game I have ever played and is worth your time and money, don't miss out.

Saturday, October 9, 2010

Good time to be a gamer... On PS3!

Marvel announced today that the X-Men arcade game will be coming to PSN this fall with full support for six players (local or online on the PS3). And that’s not all — Capcom and Marvel unveiled new characters for Marvel vs Capcom 3: Arthur from Ghosts ‘N Goblins and Spencer from Bionic Commando, Magneto and M.O.D.O.K..



  • Coming to PSN Tuesday: Sports Champions “Haunted” DLC – Sports Champions shows its dramatic side with Tim Burton-esque specter and skeletal character models.




  • Coming to PSN tomorrow: Deadliest Warrior: The Game – The goriest cable show of all time gets a PSN fighting game — and new DLC characters are on the way.




  • 10 Things You Don’t Know About Alien Breed: Impact for PS3 – The creators of Worms have revived their classic shooter series in glorious HD, and it’s loaded with sweet Trophies.




  • ModNation Monday: Free Mod, “Family Guy” Spotlight Next Week! – Family Guy fans: stop by the PlayStation.Blog this Monday at 12pm PT. Shipoopi 





  • Dead Nation Online Co-op Confirmed, Special Zombies Revealed – Your prayers have been answered! Mine too, actually.




  • God of War: Ghost of Sparta “Origins” Trailer + Bonus – Kratos has a brother, and his name is Deimos. 




  • Killzone 3 Beta Starts on October 25th: Here’s Your Chance to Get In! – Guerrilla Games will distribute 5,000 beta codes to U.S. PlayStation Plus members, but you’ll have to act fast. 




  • What are you waiting for?!

    Tuesday, October 5, 2010

    It's time for DownTown Orlando to Shine!

    Ok I know this is a little different and that not everybody lives in Orlando, Fl, but downtown just got a nice upgrade in the form of the Amyway Center! And it is about time; I mean New York has the Madison Square Garden, Boston has the Staples Center, Atlanta, the Georgia Dome. And now Orlando's time has come with the awesome new Amway Center. Even before it was finished, there was considerable buzz going around that the Amway Center was "a centerpiece, a showcase, a rallying point for the community", and Orlando's elected officials were praised as "smart civic leaders who get it." Many agreed, but some would argue that point.

    "Some said it couldn't be done or shouldn't be done - but our community rallied and recognized that it would benefit Central Florida residents," said Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer. "The city saw the project as more than just bringing additional concerts and sporting events."

    I had the honor of attending the tour and I must say the Amway Center is the new Pride of Orlando. I mean isn't it wonderful to have a new facility that has already begun to pay for itself?! "Before contruction was even completed, the NBA announced that the 2012 NBA All-Star Game would be played here," said City Commissioner Daisy W. Lynum. "The economic impact of that event alone could be as much as $100 million."

    I have to say that as an avid event goer, the Amway Center is going to appease many alike with it's numerous "Amenities and Concessions." I'm not going to list everything, but to name a few they have Disney Atrium, Metro PCS, Fairwinds, Coors Light, Budweiser, Cold Stone, Papa Johns and more. To keep the kids happy; Stuff's Magic Castle is on the scene. It is a children's play area available whenever the doors of Amway Center are open to the public.

    All I'm saying is that if you live in Orlando or you happen to pass through; the Venue on your Menu should be the awesome new Amway Center. Bring your "friends and loved ones and create shared memories that will last a lifetime."