Braid - Review

You could be easily fooled into thinking that Braid was simply another platforming game.

Braid is first and foremost a puzzle game which uses platforming to assist in solving the always fun and sometimes very challenging puzzle’s spread across 6 worlds.

The first thing you will notice when you begin to play Braid is that the game is highly stylized in its presentation. Braid has simple, yet very appealing graphics and the soundtrack is so beautiful that you will often find yourself listening to the music while you pause for a short break.

Braid tells the story of a man named Tim who is searching for his “princess”, a long lost love. The story is complicated and is presented in a great way that leaves the story to be interpreted by the person playing the game.

Braid’s core gameplay involves Tim rewinding time in order get to puzzle pieces scattered throughout the world. You could easily just go from point A to point B without picking up the puzzle pieces along the way. Doing so, you will miss everything that braid has to offer. This game is all about getting the puzzle pieces and uncovering the real essence of braid.

Braid is a celebration of everything xbox live arcade is trying to be and is the first game in its class that bridges the gap between retro gimmick and pure brilliance.

I can easily recommend Braid to everyone that is serious about their gaming. What I got back from Braid over the 5 hours of gameplay will not be forgotten anytime soon. P.S: This game has a very clever ending, just brilliant.

Gameplay = 9
Visuals = 8.5
Sound = 9
Game Now Score = 8.8/10

My Top 5 Xbox Live Arcade Games

Here is a list of the best games (in my opinion) available on Xbox Live Arcade.

1. Braid (1200 points or $19.20 AUS)
2. Prince Of Persia (800 points or $12.50 AUS)
3. Bionic Commando: Rearmed (800 points)
4. Pac Man Championship Edition (800 points)
5. Geometry Wars Evolved 2 (800 points)

I will be back a little later on in the week with a full review of Braid and Bionic Commando.

E3 2008 - Microsoft Press Conference Recap

The big 3 press conferences have come and gone and there has been some very interesting announcements especially from the Microsoft team who have easily stole the show with some great all round announcements.

Highlights from the Microsoft Press Conference:

- Fallout 3. Coming this Summer (Australia) looking ok but not as good as I expected.

- Resident Evil 5. Release date announced - March 13th 2009. This game was scheduled for this year but has obviously been pushed back. Playable footage, including co-operative gameplay was shown. Plus, chainsaw wielding zombies. Looks fantastic.

- Fable 2. This October. In-game footage was shown. When someone on your friends list is playing the game, you'll see them as a floating orb as they move through the game world, and you'll be able to join together for co-op play at any time.

- Gears of War 2. Release date announced - November 7th, 2008. Campaign has 2 player co-op, but there will be a 5 player mode called "Horde" in multiplayer, where you and 4 other friends will have to fight off multiple waves of locust, sounds like fun to me. - P.S: The footage shown on stage was nothing short of amazing.

- Completely revamped dashboard, complete with Mii-like Avatars and party rooms with chat that span multiple games. Xbox Live Primetime will feature gameshows like 1 vs. 100, which will allow you to play for prizes.

- New XBLA Games. Geometry Wars 2, Uno Rush, Galaga Colonies, the original Banjo-Kazooie and a new South Park game. Great titles coming to xbox live arcade this yeah, all looked fantastic.

- Portal: Still Alive. A version of Portal for XBLA. A crowd favourite heading to the 360 this year!

- Netflix integrated into Xbox Live. Netflix customers will be able to stream movies to their Xbox for no additional fee. You'll also be able to view movies with people on your friends list like you're all sitting on a virtual couch. (US Region only at luanch)

- Scene-It: Box Office Smash. A new version of Scene-It will be the first game to integrate the Avatars into the gameplay.

- You're In the Movies. A new title that uses the Xbox Vision Camera to integrate you into b-grade movies at home.

- Guitar Hero: World Tour. They announced exclusives with Metallica, Van Halen and the Eagles. 85 songs, all master tracks, on the disc at launch.

- Lips. Microsoft's karaoke game, ships this holiday season. Ships with two wireless mics, allowing for duets. Comes with music on the disc, but will also let you use your own tracks from a Zune or an iPod.

- Rock Band 2. Will release first for the 360 in September. Comes with 84 tracks on the disc, but you'll be able to DL 20 more when it's released for the other systems in November for free. You'll also be able to transfer "most' of the on-disc songs from RB1 into RB2, as well as using all of the DLC in the new game. Bob Dylan and AC/DC will be in the game, as will a new song off of the new Guns n' Roses album, Chinese Democracy. They also announced the full setlist.

- Square Enix. Infinite Undiscovery September 2nd. Last Remnant November 20th. Star Ocean 4 Spring 2009.

- Final Fantasy 13 on 360. The big announcement from the show. No word on when, but it is coming to the 360!

- The ability to copy an entire game off the dvd to your hard disk will also be launced with the revamped dashboard a little ater on this year - great news!

As you can see Microsoft had plenty to announce and had the strongest showing at this years E3.

My Top 10 Games on the Xbox 360!

1. Bioshock - Perfection 10/10
   
2. Grand Theft Auto 4 - new benchmark for all sandbox games 9.5/10
   
3. Gears of War - brilliant game mechanics and gameplay 9.5/10
   
4. Call of Duty 4 - Stunning Visuals and great story 9/10
   
5. Burnout Paradise - The ultimate driving experience 9/10
   
6. Halo 3 - Master chief is back and better than ever 9/10
   
7. The Darkness - Highly stylised horror, and that 'voice' - 8.5/10
   
8. Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter - captivating 8.5/10
   
9. Skate. - Breakthrough - 8.5/10
   
10. Tomb Raider Legend - Lara is back big time, great game - 8/10

So there you have it, my favorite 360 titles so far.

I look forward to hearing from Microsoft tomorrow morning when they present their E3 press conference from sunny California.

Unreal Tournament 3 - Review

I would like to start off by saying that I really respect Epic Games when it comes to producing value for money games for all of us. They are amongst a small group of developers that really put their heart and soul into everything they release and it shows with Unreal Tournament 3.

UT3 is all about action packed, fast combat with jaw dropping visuals and killer sound to boot. The visuals in UT3 are fantastic and the game runs at a blistering framerate with no slowdown to be found even in the heaviest of battles.

From the character models to the stunning battle grounds, UT3 looks the part from all angles. The weapons although not realistic feel great and are so accurate that every other developer (besides Activision) should study this game and take notes on how to make a first person shooter.

Unreal Tournament has never been known for its story and UT3 is no exception. The story is shocking, you will find yourself skipping the majority of this as I did, it just does not have any weight at all, pity.

Where UT3 shines is in its gameplay and more specifically in Multiplayer! Multiplayer action is fantastic. Once you find yourself a good ping and a good group of people online, you will have a blast. There are a heap of multiplayer modes to choose from but from what I have played it looks like team deathmatch is the most popular.

The sound in UT3 is very good although the comments made by other players like “yeah, take that!” do get a little annoying after a while.

If you’re after a shooter that is hardcore in nature but easy to pick up and play, this is the game for you.

Gameplay = 8.5
Visuals = 8.5
Sound = 7.5
Game Now Score = 8.3/10

A Gamers History

Hey Ya

Before I begin giving my views on Games, I would like to give a brief history of my gaming life.

I started my gaming life on Atari 2600, with games like River Raid and Pitfall. Moved to the Amiga 500, with Games like Gods, Nitro, and Defender of the Crown. Many nights during my school life constantly playing.

Then with great delight I upgrade to a PC. The list is huge here, and this is where I took my roleplaying games to another level, with game like;
Eye of the Beholder Series
Lands of Lore Series
Crusaders of the Dark Savant
Baulders Gate Series
Neverwinter Nights Series
and many more.

While gaming on a PC, I gamed on a Sony Playstation 1, all major titles. Then moved the Xbox, again all major titles, and yes I got very frustrated if Ninja Gaiden.

I have spent a good part of a year levelling 2 chars to 70 on World of Warcraft, Horde Rogue and an Alliance Warlock. I have since moved onto greener pastures, Lord of the Rings Online and Dungeons & Dragons Online. I am currently playing both at the moment. I enjoy DDO the most of all, as it is the only MMO, which has true variety.

I am a newbee to the Xbox 360 only started about 4 months ago, so I am on major catchup on all the major titles. Here is a list of all titles currently playing or completed.
Halo 3 - Completed
Condemned -- Playing
Mass Effect -- Playing
Bioshock -- Completed
Burnout Paradise -- Completed
Call of Duty 4 -- Completed
Skate -- Playing
Simpsons -- Completed
Kameo -- Completed
Crash of the Titans -- Completed
Half Life 2 -- Playing (Already completed years ago on PC)
GTA4 -- Playing
Crackdown -- Completed
Many More

So that's it, these are my credentials, for giving my perspective on games.

I hope you enjoy my contribution to the Blog, if you have any questions about games or you want my take on a game, just ask.

Don't sleep, GAME

"A pessimist to an optimist is a realist." (Mass Effect)

Unreal Tournament 3 - Initial Impressions

I have been really looking forward to UT3 on the 360 ever since I heard it was going to get ported over from the PC version.

It has taken almost 1 year for this to actually happen, is it worth the wait?

Initial impressions suggest "oh yes"

The game looks great and the speed!!! (framerate) is super fast, no slowdown at all. Sure it doesn’t look like a super high end PC graphically however it looks great and plays even better.

I have played through the first 6 levels of the single player campaign so far and although the actual story (if you can call it that) is shallow, the gameplay is fantastic. Weapons feel great and the maps seem varied enough to keep players entertained for hours.

I also got a chance to play some multiplayer, however I could not find a decent connection. I am looking forward to playing some multiplayer with Aussie gamers in a few days when it gets its local release. Stay tuned to Game Now for a full review soon.

Metal Gear Solid 4 - Review

Solid (Old) Snake is back in MGS4 in what will be his final mission.

I want to clear up something right from the start, this game is amazing, however it is not a game for everyone.

Visually MGS4 is easily one of the most beautifully rendered games you have ever seen. From the impressive player models to the attention to detail in all the locations you will get to explore, much love has been put into this title and it shows.

The story is complicated, so complicated that the final cutscene is over 1 hour long. The cinematic cutscenes although long are beautiful, and for the most part interesting. The story towards the end does get a little confusing and if your not a Metal Gear loyalist, you may feel a little left out.

Level design is linear, although the programmers have done a brilliant job in making the MGS4 world feel epic in every way. You will get to explore many different locations around the world, all as visually stunning as the other.

The sound in MGS4 is also fantastic and sounds great in 5.1 The voice acting is spot on and the acting in general is of the highest quality.

What are the flaws you may ask?

The first half of the game is fairly action packed with many great action sequences. The second half of the game however you will get to play less and watch more. It is packed with cut scenes. The question you have to ask yourself is whether your prepared for such an experience.

Snake’s actual game speed is fairly slow, yes its a stealth based game however I would have like to see him move a little faster. The game plays out more like an interactive movie than a full on game. I don't mind the breaks but some people may find it frustrating. There are also constant interruptions to the gameplay with short loading screens. They are short (8 or 9 seconds) however they tend to get a little annoying.

People are talking this up to be the greatest game of all time, well let me tell you, it's not. This is easily the best the PS3 has to offer and if people were waiting for that killer title to drop, this is it!

Take care Snake, it's been fun

Gameplay = 8

Visuals = 9

Sound= 9.5

Game Now Score= 8.8/10

Battlefield Bad Company - Initial Impressions

There is a lot to be said about a game in which you can basically destroy everything that is front of you. Can't find a door into that warehouse? That's ok, just blow a hole into the side of the wall and presto!

You can tell that the developers wanted this to be a much better single player experience than their previous effort and although the campaign story is good, it ain't no GTA4, lets put it that way.

Visually the game looks great and runs at a very nice framerate, which is very important to me personally.

The problem for me so far is that even on the normal difficulty setting, the AI is ruthless. You pop your head out from around a building, you will get shot within a second, it just dosen't feel realistic, its like they can see you though the walls.

Having played through the first few levels, I decided to restart the 2nd level on Easy, yes I know you may be thinking, well you suck, well maybe I do however trust me, Easy is still a challenge and the AI seems way more realistic. I also recommend you "up" the sensitivity of your weapon slighly for a more precise shooting experience.

I'll be back later on in the week for a full detailed review, peace out.

Gears of War 2 - The Cool New Features

Hi guys,

I though I'd share some of the cool new features we can expect from Epics upcoming game of the year 2008 :)

1. Multiplayer has increased from 4 x 4 to 5 x 5
2. At least 10 all new multiplayer maps - 2 of the original maps from Gears 1 to be re done (Gridlock and Subway)
3. You will be able to crawl to cover when you a downed - (owesome!!)
4. Different weapons have different finishing moves, all look fantastic and bloody as ever
5. The 'Curb Stomp' is back with an even better animation, you quickly kick your enemy over and jump on his head - lovely.
6. Environments and player models will look even better than Gears 1 (amazing as it still remains)
7. When is spectator mode (i.e dead) you have many cameras to cycle through and can take screenshots at any stage
8. Framerate will be increased for smoother gameplay, both campaign and multiplayer