Back!

Yh so took a little break from this stuff for exams but now there over, I’m back in business. Just signed up at Kotaku and will be commenting there regularly. If you have not already heard of hit I really recommend listening to the Giant Bombcast. Its a weekly gaming pod cast with 4 previous employees of Gamespot that is really entertaining.

At the moment my focus is on my Xbox 360 (as always). I picked up Civilisation Revoloution last week and I will be writing my impressions of it soon. I got back into Mass Effect witch I have already played though for some reason. Other than that nothing really going on gaming wise. E3 in 2 weeks or so witch will be exciting, 2k just announced what they are going to show but check Kotaku for info. I will actually be in America for E3 but in New York,that will be awesome.

Check Back!

 

Big Post

Okay. I haven’t posted for an eternity because I have been very busy and just have not got round to it. I had a 4 day weekend last weekend because it was Easter. Over that weekend I played a whole lotta games. Eternal Sonata, Tomb Raider Legend, Saints Row, Call Of Duty 4 and The Orange Box. Ill start from the top.

So I finished Eternal Sonata. I clocked in around 19 1/2 hours play time, fairly short for an RPG but still a pretty lengthy game. I really enjoyed it overall, I though that there were maybe a few too many cut-scenes (seriously the ending to the game lasts about half an hour). Luckily they are very well written and well voiced. The gameplay never seemed to get boring, which was very surprising to me because I get bored of traditional RPGS quite quickly e.g. FF and Lost Odyssey. The design of the game is outstanding. Everything from the characters names to the instrument shaped weapons all follow along a very strict musical motif. This gives the game a richness that really shows the developers Tri-Ace take the smallest details into account. The monster, character and environment design are also really well done. They are all extremely colourful which is nice to see rather than the dull browns and blacks many games seem to follow today. One minor problem that does not really matter is that the achievements are quite ridiculous. In order to get a sufficient amount of points the game requires you to complete it twice. I completed the game and got 120g, this would be acceptable if I had not tried to get the achievements but seeing as they are all secret I did not know what I was trying to get. Its a minor problem that only freaks like me would care about.Overall I think Eternal Sonata is an extremely enjoyable game with excellent design and production values than any fan of RPGS should check out.

9/10

I rented Tomb Raider Legend that same weekend and completed it also. A pretty standard Action/Adventure game. The platforming feels very fluid and some of the puzzles are extremely challenging. There are a few problems like the dreadful voice acting and the uneven graphics but overall a fun little game that you can blast through in maybe 6-7 hours.

7/10

Now Saints Row. I have owned Saints Row for about 6 months and I have been crawling through it one mission at a time. I kept putting into my Xbox 360 and immediately took it out sighing as I did so. But last weekend I sat down at said to myself I am completing that game. In short, that game is fun. The city of Stillwater isn’t especially huge but the amount of stuff you can do in it is nothing short of amazing. Some of the activities are not as good as others (like the stupid Chop Shop one) but most are just fun. The story is pretty generic but each of the four gangs have a very distinct style (if not a bit stereotypical) that gives the game its personality. The one major problem is that the game often glitches up, popping textures and disappearing cars amongst others. The problems detract from the experience but they are not the end of the world. Saints Row is fun that’s all you need to know, but it is definitely 18 or M rated.

8/10

Im gonna rush the last two because i have to go to bed. My friend lent me Call Of Duty 4 on Sunday and I already have 570 points out of it and i have not even completed it I am playing through it on Veteran.  I will talk about it further next post, in short AMAZING.

I have owned The Orange Box since its release. The Orange Box is probably one of my favourite games of all time (or 5 games) the Half Life’s are incredible games with amazing stories and weapons(almost done HL2 EPI 2). Portal is one of the most innovative games I have ever played, it feels a bit dry but the ending pays it all off. Team Fortress 2 is my favourite multiplayer shooter of all time hands down, it will talk about this further in another post because I have alot to say about it.

That’s all for now, check back!

p.s. WEEKLY ACHIEVEMENT UPDATE 4 coming tommorow……tired

“Ponyo”

All they have released so far, Summer 2008!

Usual Stuff

Yeah so I just rented Tomb Raider Legend form some reason. I am quite enjoying it but I have never really been a big fan of games were you (the player) feel isolated. I don’t know why but i like rolling around in groups or teams, its just my thing.

 I have come to a point in Eternal Sonata at the beginning of chapter 4 and I’m on a pirate ship (11 hours in). I have found my way too the boss but I cannot seem to kill her it is very frustrating because up until now the game has been very good at keeping the story and the action moving. Now I’m stuck and i probably need to go and grind up a few levels or maybe try and find that merchant I missed, anyway it doesn’t matter still really enjoying it.

 Here is a list of games I need

• Rainbow Six Vegas 2 (360)
• Call Of Duty 4 (360)
• God Of War: Chains Of Olympus (that’s right PSP)
• Guitar Hero 3
• GTA 4 (360, When it comes out)
• Army Of Two (360, want to try out the co-op)

That’s about it really.

Assault Heroes 2 was officially announced today. If you watch the trailer (availably on xblm) you can see many different vehicle types i.e and the same crazy amount of enemies as before. I have the full 200 in the original (because nobody was playing the co-op online by the time I bought it, so I did local co-op and controlled both players THAT’S RIGHT!). So I will definantly be picking up the sequel when it comes out.

I am realising that this blog is slowly turning more game focused by the second. It is just hard too find sufficient topics about Ghibli when there next movie is not scheduled to come out until later this year. The film is called “Ponyo” and a spiritual successor to a film called “Ponyo On A Cliff” which I have not seen yet.

I will leave you with this…

…I know its random but its awesome.Check Back!

WEEKLY ACHIEVEMENT UPDATE 3

Not a lot of achievements this week been very busy.

• Earned 50g in Eternal Sonata    slow points about ten hours in
• 15g in BFME2                               okay game rented it, never playing it again

 Thats about it this week. Check Back!

Eternal Sonata - Early Thoughts

Yeah so I picked up Eternal Sonata last weekend from my local GAME. I traded in 3 psp games to get it which I know is stupid but I never play my psp. Anyway I heard about this game about a year ago on a interview on “On The Spot” Gamespots weekly video game show ( I recommend it). I saw it there but I really did not think I would end up owning it because to be honest I’ve never really been the biggest RPG fan. But this game just looked different. So I got it home popped it in my 360 and I load up a new game, immediately I’m met with this gorgeous scene with Chopin in his bed that then flashes to this AMAZING cut scene in the flowers. I had never ever seen colours like this in a game, it reminded me of a Studio Ghibli film.

I’m about 7-8 hours into the game now and I am enjoying it immensely. I am totally engaged with the characters now because of the number of amazingly done cut scenes the game throws at you (fully voiced,which is great by the way). The combat system is just amazing. Battles take place in sort of semi real time. Battles do take place on a separate plain FF style but instead of choosing whether to run or attack or cast magic, you control the characters directly. The gameplay in the battle system is sort of button mashy but this is great because the hits feel really visceral, like they are doing some real damage. I don’t think I have explained it well enough so here’s a video so you can get the idea.

Sorry bout the sound quality but you get the idea, btw that’s not the real sound quality lol. The music in the game follows the theme of Chopin not all of it is his own work but the other pieces are in the same style. The graphical style in Eternal Sonata is breathtaking to say the least. Every stitch on Chopins bed, every monster is amazingly animated the lip syncing is a bit off but it doesn’t spoil the experience.

The only major worry (well its not really major at all) is that I have been playing the game for 7-8 hours and only have 3 achievements out of 22 worth 30g. This isn’t a huge thing because I’m just enjoying the experience but I have battled a lot of really hard bosses and solved one RIDICULOUSLY hard puzzle so would have been nice to get something for those individually but oh well.

Overall I am really really enjoying my time with Eternal Sonata and will keep you posted with my experiences of the games as i delve deeper and deeper into this 30+ hour game. Check Back!

P.S. Check out former editor Jeffs Geurstmanns new site Giantbomb.com

ACHIEVEMENT WEEKLY UPDATE 2

• Completed Rainbow Six Vegas and am starting to go back through on realistic (but the ending is cool) cant wait for RSV2
• Bought N+. Fun little game going through it definitely gonna try and complete all 50 episodes am on about episode 14. I got the treasure hunter, perfectionist and disciple achievements so far worth 45g.
• Bought Rocketmen axis of evil BIG MISTAKE. Played the first level found it boring and repetitive. Note to self : Always try the trial version before purchase.
• Determined to keep playing Saints Row I wanna get 500+ single player points but no multiplayer ones because its jacked. 120 points in that so far.

 That’s it for this week. I am planning to start writing some reviews of games soon but I have not decided which ones. Also I’m only gonna start one my schoolwork is done.

P.S. Just hit Sergent on RSV multiplayer. Really enjoying it. 

So funny might by the album or at least rent the DVD.

Nothing much

Played a gig last night. I’m in a music program for young adults called starfish and each month they have these concerts to showcase some of the talent. I have been at starfish for about 4 years and its never gotten boring. Its also were i first learnt how to play drums… well first I played the …..bongo. But then one day my mum turned to me and said you’ve got good rhythm. That’s all she said but that was what got me into drums.

I now play 1+ hours a day and have Starfish practices every Tuesday I also have drum tutoring which I have only started because I have to have one to get my music GCSE.

Anyway that’s all for now, Ill talk about my recent achievements in the next WEEKLY ACHIEVEMENT UPDATE.

p.s. can’t wait for RSV2.

Check IT….

TONY ROYSTER JUNIOR…..13 YEARS OLD DRUM SOLO…..

Awesome Band

The band is called Future Of The Left and the song is called ‘adeadenemyalwayssmellsgood’….yh no joke, enjoy!!

Sorry cant get the video to work for some reason just click on the link!!