Final Fantasy XIII-2

            First off I would like to say that I’m sorry that this post is a day late.  I’ve been sick these last couple days.  As such, I have not had time play through the game I planned to review.  Instead I will be giving my first thoughts on the demo of Final Fantasy 13-2.  I will also not be rating the game on any scale; I feel that people rely too much on this rating system which can drop very quickly over the little things, turning people away from an otherwise great game.

At first glance this game looks amazing.  When you get up close, it looks even better, no detail has been left out, even the cut scenes look fantastic, and they appear to use the same engine as the game itself. (Or just have flawless transitions)

The game-play is phenomenal; the turn based combat from the previous games has been replaced with a real time system that combines a bit of each.  The combat feels like turn based game but still has that rushed, fast paced vibe that turn based games are lacking.

The combat system is set up where you assign paradigms to your “party”.  These paradigms are ways that you set the group up for combat.  You can set people to be medics, defenders, attackers, saboteurs, etc. and then determine preset combinations for combat.   You can switch your paradigm at any time in battle based on the need.  So if your health is low, set to a healing paradigm, if you’re taking damage fast, set to a defensive one, and so forth. 

Over all (at least what I get from the demo) the game is fantastic, I plan to get once I get some money, and I highly recommend getting the demo to see if the game-play is something you will like.

Skyrim

Skyrim

This game has a reputation as being the absolute most addictive game ever made, and to tell you anything else would make me a liar.  But is the game perfect?  The answer is no, no game is.  However, we can still look at the facts to see just how close it came.

What First?

When you first start playing skyrim you are being taken somewhere with a few other people, presumed to be criminals, who you later find out are members of the stormcloaks, rebels fighting for syrim’s freedom from the Empire.  After stopping in a small town everyone gets lined up to be executed.  After a guard realizes that you’re not on the list he asks who you are, the camera pans over to you, and from there you design your character.  After spending hours detailing your character, you are brought to the chopping block and about to be executed, when...XXXBLOCKEDXTOXAVOIDXSPOILERSXXX.

Leveling

Like all RPG’s skyrim has a leveling system for your character, this time there’s a slight twist.  As you use various skills such as single handed weapons, specific types of magic, shields, stealth, so-on and so-forth, that particular skill gains experience and levels.  As these skills level up, so does your character.  Every time you level up you chose between magica (magic ‘ammo’), stamina, or health, to increase by ten points, as well as getting one perk point.  These perk points can be used to gain perks in the specific skills, provided you have the required skill level.  These perks can make you more effective at that skill or allow a new technique to be used.   So in a nutshell, if you want to be a better at picking locks then go pick some locks, if you want to be better at swinging a sword, go swing your sword, and when perks are available, pick ones you will frequently use and you will get a character nearly perfect for you.

Visuals / Audio

Step one – look at the ground (in game) and walk somewhere

Step two – look up

Step three – pick your jaw up off the ground, wipe the tears from your eyes, and try to find sanity in your mind after you realize that yes, the beauty you’re seeing is in game

So if that statement hasn’t made it clear go Google search “skyrim landscapes” and you will see; this game is beautiful.  No sound feels out of place, and the music track will make you think you’re watching a high budget movie.

Game-play

The game-play in this game is as to be expected from any Bethesda game, incredible range and magic, though the melee feels a bit like swinging a nerf sword rather than a sharp piece of steel.  Despite the considerably uninspiring swordplay no matter what you do the game never fails to be addictive.   With an expansive world of 16 square miles, not including dungeons, caves , and tombs, you will never run out of places to go and things to do.

Over All

9.5/10

Though many people will argue that this score is unfair, skyrim does have some bug problems.  Glitches are very easy to find, though they don’t generally screw with game-play.  The blank slate approach to the beginning of the game truly lets you make the game what you want it to be.  If I could in good conscience recommend this game to you, I would be dooming you to hours and hours of being addictively glued to the console.  Get this game at the peril of your own social life.

Online grievances

At some point or another we've all played online multiplayer videogames.  With as many people are online, there’s bound to be people who don't mind using cheap tricks and tactics for the sake of an electronic victory, this is just a sad fact.  Some of these people might not recognize the agony it causes the other people, while others do not.  But in almost every case, they just don’t care.
Now, before I go on, I must first say that what these people do are not against the rules of the games, but are rather abuses of systems in the game itself, or just tactics that take the fun of the game away from everyone else. For this week’s blog I will be highlighting a few common of these grievances so you can recognize them, deal with those who partake in them, and avoid doing them yourself.

Spawn-Camping-
            This tactic is one of the most common in first person shooters, and takes place in objective based game modes where a team’s spawn point (area where players reenter the game once they die) never changes.  The basics of this strategy are to wait near, in, or within line of sight of the opposing teams spawn area, and take kill them within mere yards of where they spawned. 

Noob-Tubers-
            A noob-tube is a grenade launcher that is mounted under the barrel of an assault rifle.  While this has many tactical uses, it becomes a grievance when people use a perk that lets them gather ammo for it from dead enemies, and fires the impact explosives at the ground near opponents.  It is often tough to get through a game with someone doing this because they require little effort to hit you with an instant kill explosive.  The best advice I can give is to switch to flak jacket and hope for the best.

Camping-
            This is where a player “strategically holds a position” usually in non-objective game modes.  Utilizing shotguns, burst fire rifles, and defensive equipment, they stay in a specific spot, moving only to aim, and farming kills.  While the small cases can usually be over looked, large time offenders can be a pain, though relatively easy to deal with. (snipers don’t fall under this category as this is the nature of the gun)

Quick-scoping
            This is a technique used in the Call of Duty series.  The way the game is programmed, when you pear through a sniper scope, the gun sways back and forth a bit.  However, when you pull the scope up to your eye, the lens starts out perfectly centered. So by firing the gun before the scope is fully pulled up you can use this, one shot kill gun in close quarter combat. 

Assassins Creed Online-
            In general the assassin’s creed multi player system is great, but many people don’t play it the way it should be played.  The game is meant to be a stealth game that rewards players for stylish kills.  Nobody does this, they just run around the roofs of buildings getting areal kills, they run around the open giving themselves away, and making it difficult in general to play the game in true assassins creed fasion.

Please leave comments about your opinion of these grievances, and even tell of some others you have encountered.

Nexuiz

because of an unforgivingly busy schedule, i have not had time to play a new game this week.  So instead i will be giving my first impressions on a game that i'm quite excited about, Nexuiz.  Pronounced nexus, this game has a "tron meets metroid prime hunters" feel in a classic arena style shooter, all with its own unique twist. 
An arena shooter has a faster pace than the more realistic kind, generally the characters have more health, and you would never take cover.  it puts you in the middle of firefights where, if you want to not get shot, you have to out maneuver as well as out aim your opponent.  each of the several maps seem relatively small (though i don't know for sure) and just as vertical as horizontal.  with a variety of weapons scattered throughout the map, and the starting weapon a shotgun, you have to be quick when you spawn.

the key feature that this game has that make it unique is the dynamic mutator system.  basically by getting pick-ups or killstreakes you will get the choice between 3 random mutators.  these mutators come in 5 categories; yourself, your team, enemy team, everyone, and WTF. (I'm not joking)  they can range from infinite ammo until you die, to temporary reduced gravity, everyone goes to 3rd person view, even 10 seconds of inverted controls for the oponent team.  there are over a hundred diferent mutators, none of which seem likely to unbalance the play of the game as bad as the CoD kill streak system. 

Graphically the game is beautifull, so much more than ecpected from an indie-developer with a crew size in the single digits.  for the price of about $15, i would say its worth looking into and i cant wait to get it myself.

Jedi Outcast (revised)

Systems: PC, Xbox  

Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast

            Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast starts out as a first person shooter, but after mission 2or 3 becomes a classic light saber filled star wars action game.  The game runs very well with only one problem; you don’t start with the light saber, and once you get it, it takes a while before you fight a dark Jedi.  This really isn’t that bad though; it allows the game-play to develop and change as your light saber and force skills get better.  Upon replaying the game, should you chose to do so, It becomes aparent how dependent you bcame on your light saber and the force, giving an even deeper understanding of the story.

 

Game-Play

            As a first person shooter, this game excels.  As a light saber fighting, plat-forming, action game, it is a masterpiece.  The weapon variety is quite large, with eight guns and three explosives, each with two modes of fire.  Let’s be honest though, once you get the light saber you will never use anything else.  Good thing the lightsaber system is work of art.  The attack you perform depends on how you move, where you are looking (up/down), and where enemies are in location to you.  There are also three combat styles that can be switched between at any time, giving you three versions of each attack type.  Along with a couple of in air attacks and the dismemberment system, lightsaber fighting never gets old.

(9.8/10)

NPC’s

            This games NPC’s have a surprisingly intelligent AI system.  They try to surround and flank you.  When hurt they will run away, or try to find cover.  If an officer or trooper commander dies the whole group will scatter and become less organized.  My personal favorite is when you pull a weapon out of their hands using the force, they put their hands up in surrender, until you turn your back, then they run and try to find a gun.  The troopers will even have conversations with each other if they don’t know that you’re nearby.  The only problem being that the grenade throwing enemies take no regard of their allies location or the splash damage to themselves.

(9.9/10)

Difficulty Developement

            The games difficulty scale (how the later levels get more difficult) is more dynamic than most games.  The small groups of storm trooper grow in size and will get a couple heavily armed and armored commanders.  The Reborn (evil Jedi) get more skilled in the force, come at you in groups, and eventually get lightaber/force resistant armor.  Towards the end of the game they throw in powerful robotic enemies that require special tricks and techniques to defeat.  With your skills increasing alongside the increased difficulty of the levels, the final result stays roughly the same in difficulty throughout, but the player’s style of play must adapt to the constantly changing game dynamics.

            (10/10)

Level layout, design and diversity

            The levels are fairly large for a game of this time, and are set up in a way to make you feel like you’re in a military base with some annoying locked doors, rather than a strangely shaped series of rooms and corridors.  The variety of the level locations and creative ways to kill you show that the designers cut no corners.  You easily find yourself crushed by the elevator that was supposed to help you, falling to your death in an electrified pit, or being sucked into the vacuum of space.  Though the game is a bit unforgiving with the plat-forming puzzles, they are all very straight forward and often very short.  A large variety of locations and objective types keep the 20-25 hour game from feeling repetitive.

            (9.5/10)

Multi-player

            This game has a completely separate multi player system that features classic multiplayer game modes with the same game-play feel as the single player.

            (9.5/10)

In Total

            This is an amazing game in all areas; it can easily keep up with many modern games despite its age.  This game is a must play for any star wars fan, or someone who just loves a good game.

            Total Score: (48.7/50)

            Final Score: (9.8/10)