Well, the heat wave seems to be over. For now. I hope that many of you have taken this opportunity to log some gaming hours. I know I did.
I've pretty much been alternating between Dynasty Warriors 8 and Defiance, although I did find my old Total Overdose savefile - Providence! I've also put a little time into Mass Effect 3.
I saw that BioWare was talking about moving the Mass Effect story forward; good for them I guess. Hopefully they won't steal anymore from Alistair Reynolds. It's pretty bad when it's blatantly obvious. But, at least they used a writer who probably doesn't have nearly as much popularity in North America as, Dick, Heinlein or Asimov.
That would have been priceless. And costly. I'm pretty sure their estates have a lot more money to sue EA and BioWare than Alistair Reynolds does. Plus I'm pretty sure that when you're dead and have people with PoA running the show, they certainly have more time, too.
On to more positive things, I've given Dynasty Warriors 8's Ambition mode a go, and it doesn't totally suck. Far better than Dynasty Warriors 7's Conquest Mode, which did.
I'm also still plugging away at Defiance (and probably will for quite some time). I just recently got smacked down by a giant robot while trying to cross what's left of the Golden Gate bridge, so I figure I'm going to have to do some more of the campaign to get down there. We shall see.
I'm going to try to play some more Defiance tonight if I can get away with it, but due to this heat, I haven't had the energy to stay up past midnight, so here's hoping.
Electrolytes to all, and to all a good day!
Showing posts with label Dynasty Warriors. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dynasty Warriors. Show all posts
Saturday, July 20, 2013
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
I Caved
I did it. I bought Dynasty Warriors 8. Not sure why, but I got caught up in hype. Well, sort of. I didn't watch the videos, didn't read reviews, didn't shtup a cos-player, I just saw an ad and thought "O. M. G!!!"
I hadn't been excited about a Dynasty Warriors game like that since 7, and I was only excited about 7 because of the old new combat system.
And yet, there I was.
So, my buddy J. and I cracked it open, skipped a few cutscenes, and started playing.
And went "whoa!".
I hadn't done that with a Dynasty Warriors game since 4. Kid you not. And I actually already knew about the features.
So, for those of you who have missed my many posts about the Warriors series by Koei, Dynasty Warriors takes place during the late 2nd and early 3rd centuries, called the Three Kingdoms Era. It's largely based on a (wicked) 15th century novel (or pair of volumes here in the West) called Romance of the Three Kingdoms, although I think Koei is also starting to add in a more historically authentic flair to the games, as it now seems to be favoring Wei instead of Shu. Romance of the Three Kingdoms favors Shu.
The gameplay is a combination of tactical action and mob-slaughter combat (no gore, though), where you take your chosen combatant and kick the crap our of thousands of peons and jumping from objective to objective to finish the battle.
The battles themselves are based on historic encounters, although Dynasty Warriors 8 has also thrown alternate scenarios into the mix based on how a battle might have gone if certain individuals hadn't died before their time, which certainly adds a nice layer of storytelling depth.
The 77 (yes, 77) characters all progress as well, with a level system that unlocks more attacks in their combo strings as well as special abilities and improved weapon skills. Each character also has their own weapon which the specialise in (although while you carry two into battle, neither has to be the one your character favours), and the weapons have an affinity that corresponds to an opposing element in a triad; Heaven, Earth and Man.
If you have a weapon that has an affinity weaker than your enemy's, you can do a special counter attack, and if your weapon affinity is superior, you'll perform a special finisher after x amount of hits. It's simple, but that's also what creates those "whoa" moments.
The game also has modes up the tuches, so there's lots of replay. I'm certainly looking forward to the Free Mode, so that I can play battles from multiple perspectives.
Koei has done an absolutely stellar job in bringing all of the elements in the series together that people really like, and so far, I have to say, it definitely doesn't suck.
I hadn't been excited about a Dynasty Warriors game like that since 7, and I was only excited about 7 because of the old new combat system.
And yet, there I was.
So, my buddy J. and I cracked it open, skipped a few cutscenes, and started playing.
And went "whoa!".
I hadn't done that with a Dynasty Warriors game since 4. Kid you not. And I actually already knew about the features.
So, for those of you who have missed my many posts about the Warriors series by Koei, Dynasty Warriors takes place during the late 2nd and early 3rd centuries, called the Three Kingdoms Era. It's largely based on a (wicked) 15th century novel (or pair of volumes here in the West) called Romance of the Three Kingdoms, although I think Koei is also starting to add in a more historically authentic flair to the games, as it now seems to be favoring Wei instead of Shu. Romance of the Three Kingdoms favors Shu.
The gameplay is a combination of tactical action and mob-slaughter combat (no gore, though), where you take your chosen combatant and kick the crap our of thousands of peons and jumping from objective to objective to finish the battle.
The battles themselves are based on historic encounters, although Dynasty Warriors 8 has also thrown alternate scenarios into the mix based on how a battle might have gone if certain individuals hadn't died before their time, which certainly adds a nice layer of storytelling depth.
The 77 (yes, 77) characters all progress as well, with a level system that unlocks more attacks in their combo strings as well as special abilities and improved weapon skills. Each character also has their own weapon which the specialise in (although while you carry two into battle, neither has to be the one your character favours), and the weapons have an affinity that corresponds to an opposing element in a triad; Heaven, Earth and Man.
If you have a weapon that has an affinity weaker than your enemy's, you can do a special counter attack, and if your weapon affinity is superior, you'll perform a special finisher after x amount of hits. It's simple, but that's also what creates those "whoa" moments.
The game also has modes up the tuches, so there's lots of replay. I'm certainly looking forward to the Free Mode, so that I can play battles from multiple perspectives.
Koei has done an absolutely stellar job in bringing all of the elements in the series together that people really like, and so far, I have to say, it definitely doesn't suck.
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Long Time No See, Eh?
Hey guys, it's been a millenia, I know.
Lots of stuff going on.
Microsoft alienating their fanbases, first PC administrators (sorry, Windows 8 is a pain in the ass to administer with all of the extra steps to get to a command line), then gamers with their vague descriptions of what it actually does.
Sony talking about the PS4, and how it really does most of the same stuff as the XBox 360, but they're a bit nicer about it (well, the game lending and no sign-in restrictions is a nice touch, at least).
And me, playing Dynasty Warriors 7 Empires because I don't give a damn. Yes, I said it, I really don't care about the next system generation.
Actually, I just don't adopt early, and given all of the SKU's of the current generation, I'm waiting until near the end of the next one. Or at least year 5.
Anyway, on to games, because frankly, the business side is just ridiculous.
I've been playing quite a bit of titles lately, both on PC and console.
So, yes, I've been playing a log of Dynasty Warriors 7 Empires on my PS3. Fantastic game despite the lack of English VO (and let's be honest, these sucked anyway).
What makes 7 Empires great is the addition of the "Strategems", which are single-use special abilities that can change the ebb and flow of the battle, sometimes drastically. Some of the achievements are pretty epic, too, like finishing a battle without using your weapon.
That said, it's still too easy on any level of difficulty lower than Hard. Also, Koei's being really douchy on whether or not they're going to release the final patch in the West that they did in the east. This patch, called the 1.03 Patch, not only fixes several bugs, but adds more gameplay features.
I asked Koei about this on their Facebook page, and instead of responding with an IM, they deleted my post. I'm starting to really dislike them, actually.
I've also been playing Doom 3: BFG Edition, also a really damned good game. Whether or not it has aged well, it certainly has a better atmosphere than most survival-horror games. It's also interesting playing what is the PC version, and seeing how different it is from the original XBox version.
It's definitely a little longer, but some highlights are missing, such as the first encounter with the Cherubs. That was pretty disturbing the first time around, but that seems to be missing in the BFG Edition.
I also decided to give the Syndicate (the FPS that many feel was an abortion) single-player game a go on Hard, and I have to admit, I'm enjoying the game quite a bit more despite its cheap boss battles. Understanding the weapons as well as your abilities really helps there.
And finally, I'm slowly slogging away at Demon's Souls. I have to admit, I think the game is a bit overrated, actually. Granted, I'm finding most of the PS3 (and XBox) exclusives are.
Oh, wait, no, it's not. Right, for those of you with XBox Live Gold (which I figure after E3, you're considering canceling, and I can't rightly blame you as I'm considering the same), you need to get a gander at this: http://www.xbox.com/en-US/live/games-with-gold. If you don't have Fable III already, it's free. I'm also playing that. It's a good game, but the previous titles were better. But hey, it's free until June 30th, so why not!
Anyway, MS is running this from July 1st until December 31st of this year (PSN's offering is looking better and better, but next gen, my accounts will be going dark as I refuse to pay to play online through a VPN that I could have set up on my own router)
So that's the console front. And my gripings on that.
On to the PC:
Since replacing my laptop's hard drive, I was able to get DOS emulation running properly. Many of you don't know that I actually have a lot of DOS games, as I grew up in that era.
Anyway, between my own collection and Good Old Games, or http://gog.com, I've been doing a lot of catching up.
I recently finished Redneck Rampage and the Suckin' Grits on Route 66 expansion, and I just played The Terminator 2029 for the first time in 15 years.
Redneck Rampage is hardly innovative, but it's pretty amusing, and the level design is generally very good and well thought-out. It has more in common with Dark Forces, actually, than Duke Nukem 3D in that department.
The Terminator 2029 is a mission-based game that takes place in the future between the first two Terminator movies, and goes up to the point where you destroy Skynet from outer space, if I remember right.
It's an objective based first-person action game that seems to have more in common with Eye of the Beholder than, say, Doom.
I also finished System Shock for the first time. And I still believe that Bioshock is an utter joke in comparison. Better controls, but not half as smart.
I've also recently been playing Command and Conquer Renegade, which is actually a pretty neat shooter. Mediocre level design, but very ambitious and easy to appreciate.
GOG, by the way, is having a huge sale, and the first Torchlight game is available for free until June 20th. I'd grab it, I hear it's what Diablo 3 should have been. Plus, it's free. You can't go wrong with that.
Now, before I finish up, I recently heard that MySpace kiboshed all content except for music. And gave users 7-days notice by the site only.
According to some of the complaints, people have not only lost memory, but important items such as saved trial testimony. Why am I bringing this up on my gaming blog and not my personal politics blog? Because this one probably gets more viewers, and this is pretty serious.
This is a reminder to back up everything you can, when you can. You never know when someone pulls the rug out from you on a whim until the last moment, so take control while you have the opportunity.
Keep your thumbs on the sticks, and your fingers on the triggers, and if you have to throw something, make sure it's soft. If something launches anyway, your Wii wrist strap clearly wasn't tight enough.
Lots of stuff going on.
Microsoft alienating their fanbases, first PC administrators (sorry, Windows 8 is a pain in the ass to administer with all of the extra steps to get to a command line), then gamers with their vague descriptions of what it actually does.
Sony talking about the PS4, and how it really does most of the same stuff as the XBox 360, but they're a bit nicer about it (well, the game lending and no sign-in restrictions is a nice touch, at least).
And me, playing Dynasty Warriors 7 Empires because I don't give a damn. Yes, I said it, I really don't care about the next system generation.
Actually, I just don't adopt early, and given all of the SKU's of the current generation, I'm waiting until near the end of the next one. Or at least year 5.
Anyway, on to games, because frankly, the business side is just ridiculous.
I've been playing quite a bit of titles lately, both on PC and console.
So, yes, I've been playing a log of Dynasty Warriors 7 Empires on my PS3. Fantastic game despite the lack of English VO (and let's be honest, these sucked anyway).
What makes 7 Empires great is the addition of the "Strategems", which are single-use special abilities that can change the ebb and flow of the battle, sometimes drastically. Some of the achievements are pretty epic, too, like finishing a battle without using your weapon.
That said, it's still too easy on any level of difficulty lower than Hard. Also, Koei's being really douchy on whether or not they're going to release the final patch in the West that they did in the east. This patch, called the 1.03 Patch, not only fixes several bugs, but adds more gameplay features.
I asked Koei about this on their Facebook page, and instead of responding with an IM, they deleted my post. I'm starting to really dislike them, actually.
I've also been playing Doom 3: BFG Edition, also a really damned good game. Whether or not it has aged well, it certainly has a better atmosphere than most survival-horror games. It's also interesting playing what is the PC version, and seeing how different it is from the original XBox version.
It's definitely a little longer, but some highlights are missing, such as the first encounter with the Cherubs. That was pretty disturbing the first time around, but that seems to be missing in the BFG Edition.
I also decided to give the Syndicate (the FPS that many feel was an abortion) single-player game a go on Hard, and I have to admit, I'm enjoying the game quite a bit more despite its cheap boss battles. Understanding the weapons as well as your abilities really helps there.
And finally, I'm slowly slogging away at Demon's Souls. I have to admit, I think the game is a bit overrated, actually. Granted, I'm finding most of the PS3 (and XBox) exclusives are.
Oh, wait, no, it's not. Right, for those of you with XBox Live Gold (which I figure after E3, you're considering canceling, and I can't rightly blame you as I'm considering the same), you need to get a gander at this: http://www.xbox.com/en-US/live/games-with-gold. If you don't have Fable III already, it's free. I'm also playing that. It's a good game, but the previous titles were better. But hey, it's free until June 30th, so why not!
Anyway, MS is running this from July 1st until December 31st of this year (PSN's offering is looking better and better, but next gen, my accounts will be going dark as I refuse to pay to play online through a VPN that I could have set up on my own router)
So that's the console front. And my gripings on that.
On to the PC:
Since replacing my laptop's hard drive, I was able to get DOS emulation running properly. Many of you don't know that I actually have a lot of DOS games, as I grew up in that era.
Anyway, between my own collection and Good Old Games, or http://gog.com, I've been doing a lot of catching up.
I recently finished Redneck Rampage and the Suckin' Grits on Route 66 expansion, and I just played The Terminator 2029 for the first time in 15 years.
Redneck Rampage is hardly innovative, but it's pretty amusing, and the level design is generally very good and well thought-out. It has more in common with Dark Forces, actually, than Duke Nukem 3D in that department.
The Terminator 2029 is a mission-based game that takes place in the future between the first two Terminator movies, and goes up to the point where you destroy Skynet from outer space, if I remember right.
It's an objective based first-person action game that seems to have more in common with Eye of the Beholder than, say, Doom.
I also finished System Shock for the first time. And I still believe that Bioshock is an utter joke in comparison. Better controls, but not half as smart.
I've also recently been playing Command and Conquer Renegade, which is actually a pretty neat shooter. Mediocre level design, but very ambitious and easy to appreciate.
GOG, by the way, is having a huge sale, and the first Torchlight game is available for free until June 20th. I'd grab it, I hear it's what Diablo 3 should have been. Plus, it's free. You can't go wrong with that.
Now, before I finish up, I recently heard that MySpace kiboshed all content except for music. And gave users 7-days notice by the site only.
According to some of the complaints, people have not only lost memory, but important items such as saved trial testimony. Why am I bringing this up on my gaming blog and not my personal politics blog? Because this one probably gets more viewers, and this is pretty serious.
This is a reminder to back up everything you can, when you can. You never know when someone pulls the rug out from you on a whim until the last moment, so take control while you have the opportunity.
Keep your thumbs on the sticks, and your fingers on the triggers, and if you have to throw something, make sure it's soft. If something launches anyway, your Wii wrist strap clearly wasn't tight enough.
Saturday, August 18, 2012
Currently Playing
No, the Mass Effect Review isn't done. There, I said it.
Anyway, as of the last little while, I've been dumping hours into two games on *gasp!* my PS3: Dynasty Warriors 7 and Syndicate.
Yes, I'm well aware that they are both available for the 360, but at the time, Syndicate was on sale for the PS3 only at a local shop, and Dynasty Warriors 7 XL isn't available for the 360 because Koei thinks that Mixjoy is a relevant feature.
Now, I think all of you know about me and Dynasty Warriors: I'm a jaded fanboy. By the way, that said, Dynasty Warriors 7 Empires is sounding frigging awesome; you'll want to go to Koei Warriors when you get a chance and check out the skinny on the forums.
So, first up: I finally conned K (girlfriend) into playing a Dynasty Warriors game; 7 to be exact. Not working on XL yet; once I have the story mode scompleted, I will though. Anyway, contrary to how she thought she might feel about it, she actually liked it. I set her up with Yue Ying, although using the ge, not the staff. She preferred the twin swords, though. However, she bored of it fairly quickly as I had ass-raped everything on the field before she had a chance to fight; Oh well, chance favours the prepared mind.
As mentioned, I've also been playing Syndicate. What can I say about Syndicate? Well, nothing that hasn't been said before; the single player experience is okay, the multiplayer experience is better. Actually, it's not just better; it's awesome. Unfortunately, it feels stunted. While it's great that Starbreeze was kind enough to display zones using the classic Syndicate world map, there's only 9 levels; not 50 like in the original. And there's no. D. L. C.
I kid you not. What a wasted opportunity!
At any rate, for those of you who do play Syndicate online, my PSN handle is Rabbi_Voody, just like my XBL one. I have started a Syndicate and am happy to welcome others within my ranks; we're (well, I'm) called Canuckorp, and the tag is CKP.
Okay, enough plugging my Syndicate (which, let's be honest, is a clan), I should probably gush about the stuff I like because it sounded like I was giving the game a back-handed compliment. The multiplayer is fleshed out much better, and plays exactly as I was hoping it might; like a super-high-tech and brutally violent Rainbow Six (not that R6 isn't already brutally violent) - except you're all super-soldiers. A huge portion of the mode is using and combining "breaching" (hacking) skills to attack, heal and manipulate the environment.
Your abilities include damage buffs, kill hacks (everyone has a computer chip in their head, after all), self-resurrection and many other buffs or abilities, plus the ability to interact with objects that you just have to screw with, like lowering an enemy's shields are screwing with their special armour.
The weapons are also fairly creative for a lot of run-of-the-mill standards such as pistols, assault rifles and shotguns. Of course, plenty of other weapons such as the classic minigun are also available; you'll have to play more to see more.
Now, being that there are so few levels, there are luckily a lot of incentives to keep playing. The first is the score; how you score will do two things; it will level you up and it will carry your research.
Research is how you improve the weapons you can choose from as well as weapons that you may find in the world that are not available for selection. To unlock these items, you earn tokens from killing heavies and wiping out enemy agents. All in a days' work. Now, research encompasses weapon modifications as well as breaching abilities, so it's definitely worthwhile to invest in. Further, as you rank up, you can buy character modifications, which are unquestionably worth the investment.
The levels are actually very well done, although the variety is basically "total annihilation", "assassination" and theft (which also involves defending the get-away vehicle). But it's so well-done, that I just can't put it down. Oy.
Oh, and I finally acquired a copy of The Peace Keepers (SNES) for less than $30, so I'm really proud about that. Fantastic game. One of my favourite sellers on EBay, Pedro's, is no longer with us, but I was able to get it from another seller, snesbrosauce. If you're looking for good cartridge buys - especially SNES games, look him up. It'll be worth your while.
Also, I have pre-ordered Borderlands 2 for the 360 (it is my dominant system), so for any of you who enjoy Diablo With Guns (aka Borderlands), I will definitely be up to killing bandits and mutants come the middle of September. You have my handle (which was so subtley dropped at the beginning of this post).
What can I say, I'm a sucker for co-operative punishment. Misery does love company, after all.
Anyway, as of the last little while, I've been dumping hours into two games on *gasp!* my PS3: Dynasty Warriors 7 and Syndicate.
Yes, I'm well aware that they are both available for the 360, but at the time, Syndicate was on sale for the PS3 only at a local shop, and Dynasty Warriors 7 XL isn't available for the 360 because Koei thinks that Mixjoy is a relevant feature.
Now, I think all of you know about me and Dynasty Warriors: I'm a jaded fanboy. By the way, that said, Dynasty Warriors 7 Empires is sounding frigging awesome; you'll want to go to Koei Warriors when you get a chance and check out the skinny on the forums.
So, first up: I finally conned K (girlfriend) into playing a Dynasty Warriors game; 7 to be exact. Not working on XL yet; once I have the story mode scompleted, I will though. Anyway, contrary to how she thought she might feel about it, she actually liked it. I set her up with Yue Ying, although using the ge, not the staff. She preferred the twin swords, though. However, she bored of it fairly quickly as I had ass-raped everything on the field before she had a chance to fight; Oh well, chance favours the prepared mind.
As mentioned, I've also been playing Syndicate. What can I say about Syndicate? Well, nothing that hasn't been said before; the single player experience is okay, the multiplayer experience is better. Actually, it's not just better; it's awesome. Unfortunately, it feels stunted. While it's great that Starbreeze was kind enough to display zones using the classic Syndicate world map, there's only 9 levels; not 50 like in the original. And there's no. D. L. C.
I kid you not. What a wasted opportunity!
At any rate, for those of you who do play Syndicate online, my PSN handle is Rabbi_Voody, just like my XBL one. I have started a Syndicate and am happy to welcome others within my ranks; we're (well, I'm) called Canuckorp, and the tag is CKP.
Okay, enough plugging my Syndicate (which, let's be honest, is a clan), I should probably gush about the stuff I like because it sounded like I was giving the game a back-handed compliment. The multiplayer is fleshed out much better, and plays exactly as I was hoping it might; like a super-high-tech and brutally violent Rainbow Six (not that R6 isn't already brutally violent) - except you're all super-soldiers. A huge portion of the mode is using and combining "breaching" (hacking) skills to attack, heal and manipulate the environment.
Your abilities include damage buffs, kill hacks (everyone has a computer chip in their head, after all), self-resurrection and many other buffs or abilities, plus the ability to interact with objects that you just have to screw with, like lowering an enemy's shields are screwing with their special armour.
The weapons are also fairly creative for a lot of run-of-the-mill standards such as pistols, assault rifles and shotguns. Of course, plenty of other weapons such as the classic minigun are also available; you'll have to play more to see more.
Now, being that there are so few levels, there are luckily a lot of incentives to keep playing. The first is the score; how you score will do two things; it will level you up and it will carry your research.
Research is how you improve the weapons you can choose from as well as weapons that you may find in the world that are not available for selection. To unlock these items, you earn tokens from killing heavies and wiping out enemy agents. All in a days' work. Now, research encompasses weapon modifications as well as breaching abilities, so it's definitely worthwhile to invest in. Further, as you rank up, you can buy character modifications, which are unquestionably worth the investment.
The levels are actually very well done, although the variety is basically "total annihilation", "assassination" and theft (which also involves defending the get-away vehicle). But it's so well-done, that I just can't put it down. Oy.
Oh, and I finally acquired a copy of The Peace Keepers (SNES) for less than $30, so I'm really proud about that. Fantastic game. One of my favourite sellers on EBay, Pedro's, is no longer with us, but I was able to get it from another seller, snesbrosauce. If you're looking for good cartridge buys - especially SNES games, look him up. It'll be worth your while.
Also, I have pre-ordered Borderlands 2 for the 360 (it is my dominant system), so for any of you who enjoy Diablo With Guns (aka Borderlands), I will definitely be up to killing bandits and mutants come the middle of September. You have my handle (which was so subtley dropped at the beginning of this post).
What can I say, I'm a sucker for co-operative punishment. Misery does love company, after all.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Gem Number Next
So I finally had time to sit down with Bladestorm: The Hundred Years war. I've had it since just after Christmas, but I haven't had the time due mostly in part to a) getting accustomed to my new job and b) buying it in the middle of Darkstar One (which I highly recommend, by the way).
Bladestorm: The Hundred Years War is an original IP in a similar vein as Dynasty Warriors. However, the similarities end at embellished history and melee combat. You play the role of a mercenary who participates in real and fictional battles during the Hundred Years War (which, if I remember right, was 113 or 114 years long). You'll meet real and fictional characters including The Black Prince (Prince Edward of England - not to be confused with Edward II, the son of Edward I, aka Longshanks) and St. Joan of Arc while kicking ass in the name of whatever currency is in fashion at the time.
Combat is very different in that you control ranged, melee and cavalry support units. However, you need to unlock different books which you'll find in battle or purchase to use these units. Further, units are upgradable. Or you can choose to go it alone, although that isn't recommended. Hell, you'll get beaten like a baby fur seal in the off-season.
Each unit and equipment type also has special attacks associated with them, so it's worthwhile exploring the different units. Plus, there's a balancing act between different equipment types and different units, and some of the unit special skills actually mitigate some of these deficiencies.
As far as I can tell, the game is a match of capturing control points, but there are "special requests" that you can complete. These are usually a matter of beating certain officers or a fetch job of some sort.
So far, I'm finding the difficulty is starting to curve upwards somewhat steeply, so there's either something I'm missing or I'm rushing a little too hard. Either way, the game is a lot deeper than the "professionals" laid it out to be.
I've also started to play through some of my PS2 games. I finished Hunter The Reckoning Wayward. So far, best game structure of the series, but the graphics and controls are utter garbage compared to the XBox games. This seems more to do with the deficiencies of the PS2 controller, but it could also be that the devs dicked the controls to push the game out sooner. That is a possibility.
I've also played the PS2 port of No One Lives Forever. So far, it's alright. The dialogue is right out of Black Adder and Monty Python, though, so it adds a great touch of British Humour.
In truth, I've played a little bit of all of my PS2 games; Final Fantasy X, Final Fantasy XII, NOLF, Taito Legends 2, Killzone, and HTR: Wayward. Final Fantasy X, from what I've played, is same crap different day - cool cutscenes, humdrum combat reminiscent of the extremely overrated Final Fantasy VII. Final Fantasy XII, however...that's looking to show some huge promise. Taito Legends 2 is an awesome compilation with a terrible menu interface that's about as user-friendly as a beartrap closed on your ankle and Killzone really is pretty mediocre. I can't believe Sony had the chutzpa to sell that dreck as a Halo-killer, especially since Halo was no longer the shooter to beat by that time. Halo 2 was, and it's hardly a game that requires much talent to beat, at least insofar as the singleplayer campaign was concerned.
Next up, I want to find the PS2 port of Deus Ex as I hear that it's quite competent.
After Bladestorm, I'm probably going to get to work on my PS3 backlog. I need to finish Little Big Planet and Resistance 1 and 2. After that, I'll take on Killzone. I know Killzone 2 is good; the first 5 minutes of that were infinitely better than the first 5 minutes of Killzone 1, and I'm not just referring to the visuals and horrid audio, but if one can, it's better to tackle a series in proper order. Couldn't be helped with Hunter: The Reckoning.
Bladestorm: The Hundred Years War is an original IP in a similar vein as Dynasty Warriors. However, the similarities end at embellished history and melee combat. You play the role of a mercenary who participates in real and fictional battles during the Hundred Years War (which, if I remember right, was 113 or 114 years long). You'll meet real and fictional characters including The Black Prince (Prince Edward of England - not to be confused with Edward II, the son of Edward I, aka Longshanks) and St. Joan of Arc while kicking ass in the name of whatever currency is in fashion at the time.
Combat is very different in that you control ranged, melee and cavalry support units. However, you need to unlock different books which you'll find in battle or purchase to use these units. Further, units are upgradable. Or you can choose to go it alone, although that isn't recommended. Hell, you'll get beaten like a baby fur seal in the off-season.
Each unit and equipment type also has special attacks associated with them, so it's worthwhile exploring the different units. Plus, there's a balancing act between different equipment types and different units, and some of the unit special skills actually mitigate some of these deficiencies.
As far as I can tell, the game is a match of capturing control points, but there are "special requests" that you can complete. These are usually a matter of beating certain officers or a fetch job of some sort.
So far, I'm finding the difficulty is starting to curve upwards somewhat steeply, so there's either something I'm missing or I'm rushing a little too hard. Either way, the game is a lot deeper than the "professionals" laid it out to be.
I've also started to play through some of my PS2 games. I finished Hunter The Reckoning Wayward. So far, best game structure of the series, but the graphics and controls are utter garbage compared to the XBox games. This seems more to do with the deficiencies of the PS2 controller, but it could also be that the devs dicked the controls to push the game out sooner. That is a possibility.
I've also played the PS2 port of No One Lives Forever. So far, it's alright. The dialogue is right out of Black Adder and Monty Python, though, so it adds a great touch of British Humour.
In truth, I've played a little bit of all of my PS2 games; Final Fantasy X, Final Fantasy XII, NOLF, Taito Legends 2, Killzone, and HTR: Wayward. Final Fantasy X, from what I've played, is same crap different day - cool cutscenes, humdrum combat reminiscent of the extremely overrated Final Fantasy VII. Final Fantasy XII, however...that's looking to show some huge promise. Taito Legends 2 is an awesome compilation with a terrible menu interface that's about as user-friendly as a beartrap closed on your ankle and Killzone really is pretty mediocre. I can't believe Sony had the chutzpa to sell that dreck as a Halo-killer, especially since Halo was no longer the shooter to beat by that time. Halo 2 was, and it's hardly a game that requires much talent to beat, at least insofar as the singleplayer campaign was concerned.
Next up, I want to find the PS2 port of Deus Ex as I hear that it's quite competent.
After Bladestorm, I'm probably going to get to work on my PS3 backlog. I need to finish Little Big Planet and Resistance 1 and 2. After that, I'll take on Killzone. I know Killzone 2 is good; the first 5 minutes of that were infinitely better than the first 5 minutes of Killzone 1, and I'm not just referring to the visuals and horrid audio, but if one can, it's better to tackle a series in proper order. Couldn't be helped with Hunter: The Reckoning.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Delays
For any of you who have read the comments on the previous post, I mentioned that I'm having trouble reviewing Call of Cthulu: Dark Corners of the Earth.
The reason for this is because I chose to test it out on the XBox 360 first to see how well it was emulated (being that Morrowind and both Halo titles are an absolute wash). Because of a glitch in the game engine, I'm stuck on a puzzle indefinitely about half to two thirds of the way through the game.
I'm going to test this out again tonight by starting with a cache wipe and reinstalling the emulator. If it still fails, I'll be moving over to the XBox and counting the emulation as a wash. This will not affect the score as I know for a fact that the game is playable beyond this point. On my first playthrough about 5 years ago, I got about 90% of the way through the game. You'll find out why I stopped when you read the review.
If the emulation is found to be faulty, I'll be taking a break from the game until next week because I'm itching to play something that isn't a first-person shooter.
The reason for this is because I chose to test it out on the XBox 360 first to see how well it was emulated (being that Morrowind and both Halo titles are an absolute wash). Because of a glitch in the game engine, I'm stuck on a puzzle indefinitely about half to two thirds of the way through the game.
I'm going to test this out again tonight by starting with a cache wipe and reinstalling the emulator. If it still fails, I'll be moving over to the XBox and counting the emulation as a wash. This will not affect the score as I know for a fact that the game is playable beyond this point. On my first playthrough about 5 years ago, I got about 90% of the way through the game. You'll find out why I stopped when you read the review.
If the emulation is found to be faulty, I'll be taking a break from the game until next week because I'm itching to play something that isn't a first-person shooter.
Friday, March 25, 2011
What I've Been Up To
For those of you wondering what I've been doing for the past few days since writing about Soul Blazer, I have an update for you.
I've placed a pre-order on Dynasty Warriors 7 (despite the fact that I should wait for Empires, but that's neither here nor there, really), finished Soul Blazer, started on The Guardian Legend (again, long story) and have been trading custom soundtrack playlists with the denizens of the Dynasty Warriors 7 forum on Gamespot (which is actually mirrored from GameFAQs *shudders*).
So, here's the skinny:
Yes, a seventh Dynasty Warriors game is in the pipeline. It's due out next Tuesday (March 29th) along with:
-WWE All Stars for the 360, PS3, Wii and PSP
-Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars for the 3DS
-The 3rd Birthday for the PSP
-Super Street Fighter IV 3D for the 3DS
-Need For Speed: Shift 2 Unleashed for the PC, 360 and PS3
-Darkspore for the PC
-Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2012: The Masters for the 360, PS3 and Wii
-NASCAR 2011: The Game for the 360 and PS3
-Magicka: Vietnam for LSD, PCP and Shrooms. Seriously, though, it's for the PC.
-Mass Effect 2: Arrival for the PC, 360 and PS3
-Realm of the Titans for PC
-Moon Diver for the PS3
-Face Rider for the 3DS
Back to Dynasty Warriors 7. Dynasty Warriors is a series by Koei that started way back on the original SONY Playstation (which I refer to as the PSX because that was one of the early designations. It is not to be confused with the overpriced PS2 media centre of the same name) as a fighting game spin-off of their Romance of the Three Kingdoms strategy series, which I've outlined in an earlier post.
A little background on Romance of the Three Kingdoms is required here. Basically, in the late 2nd century, China's imperial power was flattened by corruption in internal strife. This led to a civil war that resulted in the nation/empire be split into three, each portion ruled by a different family (or dynasty). These three families were Wei, Wu and Shu. Eventually, China would be reunified by one of the retainers of Wei - after their throne is usurped, and this family would form the Jin Imperial dynasty. That's pretty much the meat and potatoes.
The games focused on the civil war itself, and ignored what happened after the Three Kingdoms.
In each game, you select a general and start fighting in virtual 2nd century battles with magic, siege engines and horses. Oh, and the occasional war elephant (although they kinda sucked). As the games progressed, more generals became available. There were over 50 at the time of Dynasty Warriors 5, and each represented a different faction.
The second game in the series was a beat-'em-up for the PS2, and it pretty much picked up from there.After the 3rd game, and expansion called Extreme Legends was created, which added new characters and a new level structure. A version of this expansion exists in some form or another for all preceding Dynasty Warriors games since. Another expansion, Empires, was created after the fourth game in the title. Empires adds strategy elements and removes the game's story, and focuses more on conquering all of China however you want to using the characters of the series. There are also two spinoffs of this series (one more of a mutation), Warriors Orochi which combines the worlds of Dynasty Warriors and Samurai Warriors and Dynasty Warriors Strike Force, which is an action-RPG that focuses heavily on collecting materials to make new weapons and items.
Strike Force is not the only game in the series to incorporate character development; 4 and 5 included ranking up and collecting items to boost your attack, defense, health and special attack guage stats. 6 took a more RPG approach, and included a level system (in 6 Empires, the level cap was 50). You could also equip a certain number of booster items which could do everything from raising stats to healing you after a certain number of KO's or even boost a specific stat after x number of KOs.
Each new version has added and removed features in some way or another. Every version adds new character. The combat system is fairly simple, relying on matching up light and heavy attacks, and really didn't change much until Dynasty Warriors 6, where it was over-simplified to the point where it became extremely boring.
As things stand right now, the most current title in the series is Dynasty Warriors Strikeforce, at least until next Tuesday. It was generally poorly received. This is not undeserved, because while it brought some neat ideas to the table, it also had a crapload of problems.
Strikeforce introduced unprecedented officer customization (for the series) by allowing you to take a second weapon of any type (in every other game, an officer had their main weapon and that was it), added different kinds of special abilities as well as being able to perform rush attacks and air combos, and even each weapon type had special moves and features associated with them. The cherry on top was that it supported 4-player online co-op.
However, it was the first major console release to not include offline co-op (an insult to the fanbase), the base combat system was the same monotonous piece of crap from Dynasty Warriors 6 and the framerate went bonkers whenever it felt like it. Where the older Dynasty Warriors titles had massive levels, Strikeforce incorporated levels that were chopped up and scaled down. Mounted combat was gone. It was like for every goof thing, there was something bad, and much of it outweighed the package as a whole.
That said, 7 is looking more and more welcome. The combat system has been rolled back to pre-Dynasty Warriors 6, you are allowed to use multiple weapons, you can use siege engines instead of just destroying them, and the story has been expanded to incorporate the rise of the Jin dynasty. Character upgrading will also be available, and has been rolled back to pre-Dynasty Warriors 6 as well, with a few enhancements which includes skill point allocation. The roster has also been increased to 60 characters, and both online and offline co-op are available.
So, I'm pretty stoked. If you want to know more, check out the Dynasty Warriors 7 link at Koei's website. You can check out the screenshots, read about the game and listen to some of the songs on the game's soundtrack.
Now then, I've also recently finished Soul Blazer. It's about 12 or so hours long, and it's not bad for an early 1990's action-RPG. It's no Brainlord or Secret of Mana, but it was quite enjoyable nonetheless. I had fun with it.
Next up - at least until my review poll closes (choices are on the right-hand side after my links, labels and such) - I'm working on The Guardian Legend for the umpteenth time. The reason I say this is because the game's save system is rediculous, but the game itself is awesome. It's kind of like The Legend of Zelda, but with guns. And boss fights occur in a Shmup (Shoot-'Em-Up) sequence. It's also got some of the best NES music since Megaman 2, and that is saying something. I strongly recommend that you try an emulation of this at the least. For it's time, the production values are through the roof.
And finally, I'm in the process of updating my custom soundtracks for my 360 games (which I rarely use). I have one for Koei's Warriors series, one for for Fallout (which I've used twice), one for fantasy-themed games (no, I do not use this one for Oblivion; Jeremy Soule is this era's Johan Sebastian Bach), one for Mercenaries 2 (which I do use when I play), one for fighting games and the last one is for racing games.
I stream these off of my computer because, frankly, I have 70 gigs of music on my computer. And playlists are great. I'm currently in the process of modifying them (starting with the Warriors soundtrack), and I will probably delete a few (like Fallout). Racing and Mercenaries will be staying though.
The reason I make these is because I'm not a fan of licensed music and I sometimes have...more appropriate music for the material. For instance, I actually put the Fantasy soundtrack together for the excellent and underappreciated Sacred 2 (which Blizzard can learn A LOT from for Diablo III). The Mercenaries soundtrack exists because while I love Mercenaries 2: World in Flames, the soundtrack doesn't really have a lot of punch. And it's kind of interesting that all of the achievements are named after songs. Seemed more like a hint than a reference to me.
I created my fighting game soundtrack because I wanted ot lay it to something heavy. When I first played Kakuto Chojin, the first thing that really stood out was the soundtrack (and not the Q'uran passagest that got the game banned to appease some religious fundamentalists). Instead of mostly pulsing techno or rock, it was actually composed of several different genres, such as industrial metal, trance and hard rock. It's actually, so far, the best fighting game soundtrack I've ever heard. The gameplay's not quite up to par, but I'll leave the enjoyment factor up to youse guys.
My racing soundtrack is simply the music that I would like to drive to. This includes genres ranging from hard rock and blues, different metal subgenres, trance and electronica, you name it. I'm not a huge fan of most of the licensed crap I hear in Need For Speed or even Forza 2 (although you only hear music in the dashboard unless you're playing a custom soundtrack). I could probably see myself using this as a template for GTA 4 if I chose to buy it. But I'd have to make sure to add Breaking The Law by Judas Priest, because for whatever reason, Rockstar thinks it doesn't belong. It was a single, and it's better than You've Got Another Thing Coming by leaps and bounds in the fun department. And it fits.
What can I say, I like to micromanage my gaming experience.
Okay, it's 2:41 AM and I'm rambling. Have fun, and check out my poll (I bet you thought i was gonna plug DW7 again...fooled you) - there's only 5 days left on it, and I will have that review done by the end of April, whatever you vote for.
I swear.
I've placed a pre-order on Dynasty Warriors 7 (despite the fact that I should wait for Empires, but that's neither here nor there, really), finished Soul Blazer, started on The Guardian Legend (again, long story) and have been trading custom soundtrack playlists with the denizens of the Dynasty Warriors 7 forum on Gamespot (which is actually mirrored from GameFAQs *shudders*).
So, here's the skinny:
Yes, a seventh Dynasty Warriors game is in the pipeline. It's due out next Tuesday (March 29th) along with:
-WWE All Stars for the 360, PS3, Wii and PSP
-Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars for the 3DS
-The 3rd Birthday for the PSP
-Super Street Fighter IV 3D for the 3DS
-Need For Speed: Shift 2 Unleashed for the PC, 360 and PS3
-Darkspore for the PC
-Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2012: The Masters for the 360, PS3 and Wii
-NASCAR 2011: The Game for the 360 and PS3
-Magicka: Vietnam for LSD, PCP and Shrooms. Seriously, though, it's for the PC.
-Mass Effect 2: Arrival for the PC, 360 and PS3
-Realm of the Titans for PC
-Moon Diver for the PS3
-Face Rider for the 3DS
Back to Dynasty Warriors 7. Dynasty Warriors is a series by Koei that started way back on the original SONY Playstation (which I refer to as the PSX because that was one of the early designations. It is not to be confused with the overpriced PS2 media centre of the same name) as a fighting game spin-off of their Romance of the Three Kingdoms strategy series, which I've outlined in an earlier post.
A little background on Romance of the Three Kingdoms is required here. Basically, in the late 2nd century, China's imperial power was flattened by corruption in internal strife. This led to a civil war that resulted in the nation/empire be split into three, each portion ruled by a different family (or dynasty). These three families were Wei, Wu and Shu. Eventually, China would be reunified by one of the retainers of Wei - after their throne is usurped, and this family would form the Jin Imperial dynasty. That's pretty much the meat and potatoes.
The games focused on the civil war itself, and ignored what happened after the Three Kingdoms.
In each game, you select a general and start fighting in virtual 2nd century battles with magic, siege engines and horses. Oh, and the occasional war elephant (although they kinda sucked). As the games progressed, more generals became available. There were over 50 at the time of Dynasty Warriors 5, and each represented a different faction.
The second game in the series was a beat-'em-up for the PS2, and it pretty much picked up from there.After the 3rd game, and expansion called Extreme Legends was created, which added new characters and a new level structure. A version of this expansion exists in some form or another for all preceding Dynasty Warriors games since. Another expansion, Empires, was created after the fourth game in the title. Empires adds strategy elements and removes the game's story, and focuses more on conquering all of China however you want to using the characters of the series. There are also two spinoffs of this series (one more of a mutation), Warriors Orochi which combines the worlds of Dynasty Warriors and Samurai Warriors and Dynasty Warriors Strike Force, which is an action-RPG that focuses heavily on collecting materials to make new weapons and items.
Strike Force is not the only game in the series to incorporate character development; 4 and 5 included ranking up and collecting items to boost your attack, defense, health and special attack guage stats. 6 took a more RPG approach, and included a level system (in 6 Empires, the level cap was 50). You could also equip a certain number of booster items which could do everything from raising stats to healing you after a certain number of KO's or even boost a specific stat after x number of KOs.
Each new version has added and removed features in some way or another. Every version adds new character. The combat system is fairly simple, relying on matching up light and heavy attacks, and really didn't change much until Dynasty Warriors 6, where it was over-simplified to the point where it became extremely boring.
As things stand right now, the most current title in the series is Dynasty Warriors Strikeforce, at least until next Tuesday. It was generally poorly received. This is not undeserved, because while it brought some neat ideas to the table, it also had a crapload of problems.
Strikeforce introduced unprecedented officer customization (for the series) by allowing you to take a second weapon of any type (in every other game, an officer had their main weapon and that was it), added different kinds of special abilities as well as being able to perform rush attacks and air combos, and even each weapon type had special moves and features associated with them. The cherry on top was that it supported 4-player online co-op.
However, it was the first major console release to not include offline co-op (an insult to the fanbase), the base combat system was the same monotonous piece of crap from Dynasty Warriors 6 and the framerate went bonkers whenever it felt like it. Where the older Dynasty Warriors titles had massive levels, Strikeforce incorporated levels that were chopped up and scaled down. Mounted combat was gone. It was like for every goof thing, there was something bad, and much of it outweighed the package as a whole.
That said, 7 is looking more and more welcome. The combat system has been rolled back to pre-Dynasty Warriors 6, you are allowed to use multiple weapons, you can use siege engines instead of just destroying them, and the story has been expanded to incorporate the rise of the Jin dynasty. Character upgrading will also be available, and has been rolled back to pre-Dynasty Warriors 6 as well, with a few enhancements which includes skill point allocation. The roster has also been increased to 60 characters, and both online and offline co-op are available.
So, I'm pretty stoked. If you want to know more, check out the Dynasty Warriors 7 link at Koei's website. You can check out the screenshots, read about the game and listen to some of the songs on the game's soundtrack.
Now then, I've also recently finished Soul Blazer. It's about 12 or so hours long, and it's not bad for an early 1990's action-RPG. It's no Brainlord or Secret of Mana, but it was quite enjoyable nonetheless. I had fun with it.
Next up - at least until my review poll closes (choices are on the right-hand side after my links, labels and such) - I'm working on The Guardian Legend for the umpteenth time. The reason I say this is because the game's save system is rediculous, but the game itself is awesome. It's kind of like The Legend of Zelda, but with guns. And boss fights occur in a Shmup (Shoot-'Em-Up) sequence. It's also got some of the best NES music since Megaman 2, and that is saying something. I strongly recommend that you try an emulation of this at the least. For it's time, the production values are through the roof.
And finally, I'm in the process of updating my custom soundtracks for my 360 games (which I rarely use). I have one for Koei's Warriors series, one for for Fallout (which I've used twice), one for fantasy-themed games (no, I do not use this one for Oblivion; Jeremy Soule is this era's Johan Sebastian Bach), one for Mercenaries 2 (which I do use when I play), one for fighting games and the last one is for racing games.
I stream these off of my computer because, frankly, I have 70 gigs of music on my computer. And playlists are great. I'm currently in the process of modifying them (starting with the Warriors soundtrack), and I will probably delete a few (like Fallout). Racing and Mercenaries will be staying though.
The reason I make these is because I'm not a fan of licensed music and I sometimes have...more appropriate music for the material. For instance, I actually put the Fantasy soundtrack together for the excellent and underappreciated Sacred 2 (which Blizzard can learn A LOT from for Diablo III). The Mercenaries soundtrack exists because while I love Mercenaries 2: World in Flames, the soundtrack doesn't really have a lot of punch. And it's kind of interesting that all of the achievements are named after songs. Seemed more like a hint than a reference to me.
I created my fighting game soundtrack because I wanted ot lay it to something heavy. When I first played Kakuto Chojin, the first thing that really stood out was the soundtrack (and not the Q'uran passagest that got the game banned to appease some religious fundamentalists). Instead of mostly pulsing techno or rock, it was actually composed of several different genres, such as industrial metal, trance and hard rock. It's actually, so far, the best fighting game soundtrack I've ever heard. The gameplay's not quite up to par, but I'll leave the enjoyment factor up to youse guys.
My racing soundtrack is simply the music that I would like to drive to. This includes genres ranging from hard rock and blues, different metal subgenres, trance and electronica, you name it. I'm not a huge fan of most of the licensed crap I hear in Need For Speed or even Forza 2 (although you only hear music in the dashboard unless you're playing a custom soundtrack). I could probably see myself using this as a template for GTA 4 if I chose to buy it. But I'd have to make sure to add Breaking The Law by Judas Priest, because for whatever reason, Rockstar thinks it doesn't belong. It was a single, and it's better than You've Got Another Thing Coming by leaps and bounds in the fun department. And it fits.
What can I say, I like to micromanage my gaming experience.
Okay, it's 2:41 AM and I'm rambling. Have fun, and check out my poll (I bet you thought i was gonna plug DW7 again...fooled you) - there's only 5 days left on it, and I will have that review done by the end of April, whatever you vote for.
I swear.
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