It would take a game as absurd as Bulletstorm to reawaken my cold dead interest in the fps genre. Though entirely straightforward and absolutely unwavering in its commitment to totally random totally nonsensical engagements with way too many enemies, the game itself is very consistent and entertaining.
For starters, the scenario is ridiculous. Granted, every shooter plot involves one totally ill equipped and outgunned guy surviving all manner of death and destruction as he kills a planetful of increasingly dangerous and well trained soldiers and then some how having trouble murdering the single individual at the heart of it all. Somehow, by adding patentedly ridiculous dialogue and a battleground that's basically a Michael Bay movie in progress, Bulletstorm strikes a tone that speaks directly to that fast car driving, sun glass wearing, action hero we all have deep down.
Pile on top of that the skill shot system, which is the game closest equivalent to complexity, judging your every action. Not only is every element of your killing efficiency judged, your ability to respond to quick time events, and even look at important events in the background is graded too. You can never really afford to ignore those snarky little point pop ups either because without skill points, you'll find yourself with a collection bulletless (and funless) guns.
As much as I hate shooters in general these days, there's really nothing wrong with Bulletstorm. It sticks to its formula without trying to inject puzzles, rpg elements, stealth missions, or some other flow defusing cliche, and with the exception of one or two obnoxious sniping segments (we're supposed to believe a drunk is a better sniper than a robot?) the game never slows down or lets up. Sure, it could be a little longer or a little more ambitious, but at no point did I feel like Storm was too short or more importantly cut short. I could see being upset over a $60 purchase if I had no interest in multiplayer, but people who play shooters and don't expect to play multiplayer are like video game mormons.
I did give "Anarchy" mode a whirl one night, but EA's new online pass gamestop cockblock strategy kept me from really getting involved. In any event, you get a gold star People Can Fly. You single handedly rescued my Bioshock 2 disc from the basement, and put Crysis 2 in my gamefly queue after I'd sworn of FPS' forever.
In other news, MK comes out tomorrow and thats a heap of bad news for Bioshock 2, Alan Wake, Red Dead and every other game lying around my living room hoping to be played. Best Buy strong armed me into buying Portal 2, but I can't see myself playing that unless a co-op buddy is online, then again Portal is amazing. Tough decisions lie ahead.
Speaking of, I jumped on MvC3 yesterday on a whim and HOLY SHIT did I get my ass rocked. I don't know if I'm just that much worse of if the internet went and got that much better, I have no idea how I got that much crappier in such a short time (what, 2 weeks?). We'll see how I stack up in person on Wednesday.
-F.
Showing posts with label mvc3. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mvc3. Show all posts
Monday, April 18, 2011
Monday, March 21, 2011
Been a while, since I gon' messed things up just like I always do.
Had to look at my gamercard to see what I been up to. Turns out not much. But that must mean I'm being a good parent, right?
Brutal Legend - I don't know what all the genre snowjob complaints were. It takes like 2 minutes to find out this game is not an action game. My first tip? The combat is terrible.
Castlevania HD - Yeah I'm back. Whatever. Overpriced DLC be damned, I like to grind. We'll see if the faq ever gets updated again (hint: it won't!)
Dead Rising 2 - Never has accidentally erasing a save game resulted in more joy. Oh no, I'll have to murder all those zombies again with those custom weapons, what infernal suffering!
Final Fantasy XIII - Guess what? I finally gave up on this turd sandwich. Maybe if I. . ha ha ha no. This game sucks.
Force Unleashed 2 - /sad face
Limbo - Hands down the best damned murder a small child in the dark forest simulator I've ever played.
Marvel vs Capcom 3 - Whats not to like? Well, okay, there's a lot not to like. But all in all, a solid entry. Unless you like endings. Or music. Or characters that aren't Sentinel or Dante.
Red Dead Redemption - Boy is this game good. Like, really good. Like, paid actual money for it good. Why does Rockstar keep beating gritty urban GTAs into the ground when the formula works so much better every where else. Can you imagine this with space ships and laser sounds? pew pew vroom zwoop!
Scott Pilgrim - Legit beat'm up. Finally took it down. Shame about the online multi though. I know, it had to be out in time for the movie but c'mon, Facebook has proven we don't want to see our friends in person. Don't force your vile social experiment on me Ubisoft.
Super Street Fighter 4 - You know if you take financial and competitive commitment out of the equation, this games not half bad. Then its just that game where you get to rub oil on people and fire them into walls with the power of your thigh muscles.
Up next, bulletstorm is on the way, and I've finally got a reason to return to Rapture. Will mortal kombat ever come out? Am I actually considering not buying Portal 2? All this and more whenever Thom forces me to write on this thing again!
-F.
Brutal Legend - I don't know what all the genre snowjob complaints were. It takes like 2 minutes to find out this game is not an action game. My first tip? The combat is terrible.
Castlevania HD - Yeah I'm back. Whatever. Overpriced DLC be damned, I like to grind. We'll see if the faq ever gets updated again (hint: it won't!)
Dead Rising 2 - Never has accidentally erasing a save game resulted in more joy. Oh no, I'll have to murder all those zombies again with those custom weapons, what infernal suffering!
Final Fantasy XIII - Guess what? I finally gave up on this turd sandwich. Maybe if I. . ha ha ha no. This game sucks.
Force Unleashed 2 - /sad face
Limbo - Hands down the best damned murder a small child in the dark forest simulator I've ever played.
Marvel vs Capcom 3 - Whats not to like? Well, okay, there's a lot not to like. But all in all, a solid entry. Unless you like endings. Or music. Or characters that aren't Sentinel or Dante.
Red Dead Redemption - Boy is this game good. Like, really good. Like, paid actual money for it good. Why does Rockstar keep beating gritty urban GTAs into the ground when the formula works so much better every where else. Can you imagine this with space ships and laser sounds? pew pew vroom zwoop!
Scott Pilgrim - Legit beat'm up. Finally took it down. Shame about the online multi though. I know, it had to be out in time for the movie but c'mon, Facebook has proven we don't want to see our friends in person. Don't force your vile social experiment on me Ubisoft.
Super Street Fighter 4 - You know if you take financial and competitive commitment out of the equation, this games not half bad. Then its just that game where you get to rub oil on people and fire them into walls with the power of your thigh muscles.
Up next, bulletstorm is on the way, and I've finally got a reason to return to Rapture. Will mortal kombat ever come out? Am I actually considering not buying Portal 2? All this and more whenever Thom forces me to write on this thing again!
-F.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Angry Birds is the new Tony Hawk
Seriously. I mean yeah I loved angry birds the first time I played it. And I had a blast playing it casually since then. But now, there's seasonal packs that seem to just be retreading familiar ground. Fling a bird and hope it goes where you wanted it. While I like the new birds with even more convoluted powers; I'd rather them fix the aiming mechanism more (like an angle / strength indicator) then putting the pigs in shamrock hats. Release a level editor and let the talented community show you how to make your own game better. Oh but enough about that.
Marvel Vs Capcom 3. Yes, I am late to the boat on this one and well, I dont really like it as much as 2. Im not just saying that because Im terrible at the game, but it feels very Killer Instinty to me. Like once the combo starts, just stop hitting buttons and watch. I know capcom is going to rape us by releasing characters (hopefully in a more timely fashion then Konami did with Castlevania:HD on live!) but I just feel the roster comes up a little short. Wesker, really?
Damn, Im in a hating mood today...... Hope Lord Of Shadow doesn't disappoint. Hey Fenix, fix the broken gamercard links up there already!
PS Operation 100k before New Years is on!*
20,548 to go.
*unless Microsoft bans my other xbox for no apparent reason, like they did the first
~M
Marvel Vs Capcom 3. Yes, I am late to the boat on this one and well, I dont really like it as much as 2. Im not just saying that because Im terrible at the game, but it feels very Killer Instinty to me. Like once the combo starts, just stop hitting buttons and watch. I know capcom is going to rape us by releasing characters (hopefully in a more timely fashion then Konami did with Castlevania:HD on live!) but I just feel the roster comes up a little short. Wesker, really?
Damn, Im in a hating mood today...... Hope Lord Of Shadow doesn't disappoint. Hey Fenix, fix the broken gamercard links up there already!
PS Operation 100k before New Years is on!*
20,548 to go.
*unless Microsoft bans my other xbox for no apparent reason, like they did the first
~M
Monday, December 20, 2010
Seasons Gamings
Since this will probably be my last post of the year, figure I'll run down everything that's up in my gaming world in one super post.
Castlevania SOTN - There's nothing I can't say here that isn't already known, so this is more of a declaration of love than anything else. Is there a scale with which this games awesome can be measured? More than a decade later this is still one of the best and most rewarding experiences a gamer can have. It doesn't require any concessions about difficulty, or plot, or gameplay, or community, or anything. SOTN stands on its own as a masterpiece of both tech and design and the entire Castlevania series and staff should be damned thankful they have its haughty coat tails to cling to. Hats off, Konami. Now do it again on a non-portable console (I'm looking at you, Dawn of Sorrows!)
Enslaved - Cut from the same "Journey to the West" fable that gave rise to Dragon Ball, Enslaved follows one man's harrowed journey across a post apocalyptic wasteland. The catch is that he'll do so leashed to a helpless and often irritating female companion. Enslaved embodies everything that is wrong with escort missions in general, but unlike most games that incidently fall in those trappings, Enslaved lavishes in them. Practically highlighting them as bullet points on the back of the box.
Outside of that, the game is basically Prince of Persia, which ain't a bad thing. Running, jumping and combating in linear episodes that appear open ended but really aren't. You get a few needless upgrades, and there's some a few ranged combat scenarios that feel almost like mini-games, but by and large its just a question of reflexes and intuition, figuring out what the devs want you to do, and do it fast.
The best part is that it actually feels kind of epic. There's the knowing comfort in the back of your mind that obviously the story doesn't conclude with you falling off a tree and plummeting to your death, but many times it seems like that's within the realm of possibility. The exhiliration of scampering about is often on par with the joy of scaling giants in Shadow of the Colossus. Too bad they went with The Matrix ending tho.
Fallout New V. . . nah I'm just kidding, if I haven't sold you yet, "what should I do?". Instead,
Final Fantasy XIII - I know, this again, right? Its weird, the same thought goes through my head every time I turn it on. Every time. Yet, I keep doing it. Even the wife is questioning it, now. Is it the endless promises that somewhere beneath all the stupid decisions and incomprehensible "game" design is a solid rpg experience? Does my fanboy blood still run final fantasy crystal blue after all these disappointments? Am I just bored? I can't say for sure. I promised myself I would never make the Rumble Roses mistake again, but it really feels like I'm getting there with this.
So what have you missed? Another 10 hours of nothing. Absolutely nothing. Every single thing I ranted about in that last post about FFXIII is still true. The character stupidity, the needless filler flashbacks, the single serving gameplay portions. Led around this great big world by a linear leash, then tied to a game play stop sign while my master goes off to do something that looks really fun. Why won't they just let me cut loose? Would it be so bad for a player to excel and see what this Crystarium really has to offer? And what the devil is an Eidolon anyway?! I swear, there are so many seat belts in this game, its practically impossible to drive the car.
Marvel vs Capcom 3 - My disdain for all things MvC2 is well known, but that obviously hasn't tarnished my love for the series as a whole. An high tech orgy involving my youthful nostalgia and marvel's marketing machine? Sign me up. I am absolutely unabashedly hype for this release and it can't get here soon enough. Now if only they would get rid of Crimson Viper.
Minecraft - Somebody bought it for me, so yes I'm playing it. I still don't "get" it, but that may be the hater in me keeping it away from my hype center. I don't know. There is an allure to building and just seeing what will or won't happen, for sure, I just wish there was a reason besides don't get murdered at night. Time will tell.
Mortal Kombat - Rivaled only by Batman Arkham City in terms of inciting raw fanboy excitement within me is MKs return to glory next spring. It's uncertain if the loss of Midway's incompetence or just the need for a "break in the norm" game like MKvDC is to blame for Netherrealm studios sudden interest in magnificence, but not one iota of information regarding MK gives me bad feelings, which is both bad and good because there's a criminal shortage of it. DO YOU WANT ME TO BEG LIKE A DOG FOR A SCRAP OF YOUR HYPER VIOLENT MASTERPIECE?
Super / Street Fighter 4 - My whole life is governed by competition. Every motivation from going to work to carrying out the garbage is based on the notion that I am better / getting better at something than somebody else. So there was only so long I could watch the entire fighting game community polish this knob before I'd give it another go, and so I did. First, I popped my SF4 disc back in and instantly remembered everything I hate about it. The only thing thats changed is me, now instead of wallowing or raging at the gameplay, online community, storyline, achievements, everything, I view it as a unique opportunity to make sport with Dan Hibiki, the best character Capcom ever ripped off.
But then Gamefly sent me SSF4, and while I won't say I've completely changed my spots, I can say I've actually had some fun with it. A lot more (on my own) than I did with "vanilla" sf4, thats for sure. Naturally, it's to be expected that after you release a game, make a ton of money, then retool it and rerelease a year later (at full price, mind you!) you're going to make some improvements. Simply put, SSF4 is the best SF4 could hope to get. The cast is diverse enough, the gameplay is facilitative enough, and the music is nostalgic (once you unlock the character theme option) enough that I can actually get into it.
Now that said, its still full of crap designs, crap decisions, and if you ever hear the words "I love / like / don't entirely despite ultra combos" come out of my mouth, you'll know I've been murdered and replaced with a cylon. But, I spent a few hours on saturday and a lot of hours on sunday making people respect Dan's mediocrity (say it like Cartman's authoritah for maximum effect), and slamming people face first into the floor with T. Hawk and I feel better for the experience. Will I be able to do this every day? Is it worth the 20 bucks gamefly is willing to let me keep it for? Probably not, but at least it has a shot. . . until MvC3 gets here.
-F.
Castlevania SOTN - There's nothing I can't say here that isn't already known, so this is more of a declaration of love than anything else. Is there a scale with which this games awesome can be measured? More than a decade later this is still one of the best and most rewarding experiences a gamer can have. It doesn't require any concessions about difficulty, or plot, or gameplay, or community, or anything. SOTN stands on its own as a masterpiece of both tech and design and the entire Castlevania series and staff should be damned thankful they have its haughty coat tails to cling to. Hats off, Konami. Now do it again on a non-portable console (I'm looking at you, Dawn of Sorrows!)
Enslaved - Cut from the same "Journey to the West" fable that gave rise to Dragon Ball, Enslaved follows one man's harrowed journey across a post apocalyptic wasteland. The catch is that he'll do so leashed to a helpless and often irritating female companion. Enslaved embodies everything that is wrong with escort missions in general, but unlike most games that incidently fall in those trappings, Enslaved lavishes in them. Practically highlighting them as bullet points on the back of the box.
Outside of that, the game is basically Prince of Persia, which ain't a bad thing. Running, jumping and combating in linear episodes that appear open ended but really aren't. You get a few needless upgrades, and there's some a few ranged combat scenarios that feel almost like mini-games, but by and large its just a question of reflexes and intuition, figuring out what the devs want you to do, and do it fast.
The best part is that it actually feels kind of epic. There's the knowing comfort in the back of your mind that obviously the story doesn't conclude with you falling off a tree and plummeting to your death, but many times it seems like that's within the realm of possibility. The exhiliration of scampering about is often on par with the joy of scaling giants in Shadow of the Colossus. Too bad they went with The Matrix ending tho.
Fallout New V. . . nah I'm just kidding, if I haven't sold you yet, "what should I do?". Instead,
Final Fantasy XIII - I know, this again, right? Its weird, the same thought goes through my head every time I turn it on. Every time. Yet, I keep doing it. Even the wife is questioning it, now. Is it the endless promises that somewhere beneath all the stupid decisions and incomprehensible "game" design is a solid rpg experience? Does my fanboy blood still run final fantasy crystal blue after all these disappointments? Am I just bored? I can't say for sure. I promised myself I would never make the Rumble Roses mistake again, but it really feels like I'm getting there with this.
So what have you missed? Another 10 hours of nothing. Absolutely nothing. Every single thing I ranted about in that last post about FFXIII is still true. The character stupidity, the needless filler flashbacks, the single serving gameplay portions. Led around this great big world by a linear leash, then tied to a game play stop sign while my master goes off to do something that looks really fun. Why won't they just let me cut loose? Would it be so bad for a player to excel and see what this Crystarium really has to offer? And what the devil is an Eidolon anyway?! I swear, there are so many seat belts in this game, its practically impossible to drive the car.
Marvel vs Capcom 3 - My disdain for all things MvC2 is well known, but that obviously hasn't tarnished my love for the series as a whole. An high tech orgy involving my youthful nostalgia and marvel's marketing machine? Sign me up. I am absolutely unabashedly hype for this release and it can't get here soon enough. Now if only they would get rid of Crimson Viper.
Minecraft - Somebody bought it for me, so yes I'm playing it. I still don't "get" it, but that may be the hater in me keeping it away from my hype center. I don't know. There is an allure to building and just seeing what will or won't happen, for sure, I just wish there was a reason besides don't get murdered at night. Time will tell.
Mortal Kombat - Rivaled only by Batman Arkham City in terms of inciting raw fanboy excitement within me is MKs return to glory next spring. It's uncertain if the loss of Midway's incompetence or just the need for a "break in the norm" game like MKvDC is to blame for Netherrealm studios sudden interest in magnificence, but not one iota of information regarding MK gives me bad feelings, which is both bad and good because there's a criminal shortage of it. DO YOU WANT ME TO BEG LIKE A DOG FOR A SCRAP OF YOUR HYPER VIOLENT MASTERPIECE?
Super / Street Fighter 4 - My whole life is governed by competition. Every motivation from going to work to carrying out the garbage is based on the notion that I am better / getting better at something than somebody else. So there was only so long I could watch the entire fighting game community polish this knob before I'd give it another go, and so I did. First, I popped my SF4 disc back in and instantly remembered everything I hate about it. The only thing thats changed is me, now instead of wallowing or raging at the gameplay, online community, storyline, achievements, everything, I view it as a unique opportunity to make sport with Dan Hibiki, the best character Capcom ever ripped off.
But then Gamefly sent me SSF4, and while I won't say I've completely changed my spots, I can say I've actually had some fun with it. A lot more (on my own) than I did with "vanilla" sf4, thats for sure. Naturally, it's to be expected that after you release a game, make a ton of money, then retool it and rerelease a year later (at full price, mind you!) you're going to make some improvements. Simply put, SSF4 is the best SF4 could hope to get. The cast is diverse enough, the gameplay is facilitative enough, and the music is nostalgic (once you unlock the character theme option) enough that I can actually get into it.
Now that said, its still full of crap designs, crap decisions, and if you ever hear the words "I love / like / don't entirely despite ultra combos" come out of my mouth, you'll know I've been murdered and replaced with a cylon. But, I spent a few hours on saturday and a lot of hours on sunday making people respect Dan's mediocrity (say it like Cartman's authoritah for maximum effect), and slamming people face first into the floor with T. Hawk and I feel better for the experience. Will I be able to do this every day? Is it worth the 20 bucks gamefly is willing to let me keep it for? Probably not, but at least it has a shot. . . until MvC3 gets here.
-F.
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