Ben's Week In Review: March 20
FYI, I've sort of been on vacation since Thursday but I have managed to keep the site updated almost as normal. No previews or reviews for the past few days; you'll forgive me for that, I hope. I'll be back tomorrow night and hit it hard once again. See a brief update of what's to come below.
Length...it's a touchy issue these days
When Rocksteady said it would take 25-30 hours to do "everything" in the upcoming Batman: Arkham City, my immediate reaction was, "woah...that's pretty damn good." An instant later, I flashed back to the '90s and my RPG days and went, "...wait a minute, aren't you the same person that didn't want any game to last less than 40 hours?" Granted, I played RPGs almost exclusively in those days and in truth, action/adventure games are not that much shorter this generation. However, with the length of shooters leading the multiplayer charge, we're starting to become more and more familiar with 5, 6, 7-hour campaigns. And those who almost exclusively go online for multiplayer (a similar practice to my RPG-loving days) will say the campaign length is irrelevant. Plus, RPG fans will point to The Elder Scrolls and Fallout and go, "hey...lots of hours! Don't complain!"
But there has to be something to my reaction to the Arkham City revelation. I think we are getting used to shorter games, slowly but surely, and we are more accepting of shorter adventures. But then again, 10 hours in Uncharted 3...5 times longer than a movie and some of the most fun you'll ever have. I can't really see myself complaining. What's your take on the length issue?
P.S. The reason there's a SaGa Frontier picture here is because I think I'm the only person I know who actually completed the entire game; i.e., all stories for all characters. I think it took about 120 hours. Anybody do it?
How will girl gamers establish themselves?
Okay, so another girl has had another apparent revelation. And while I don't necessarily doubt her complaints nor do I have anything against her public rant, I'm just wondering if female gamers are still seeking a particular voice in gaming. Let's face up to facts- the vast majority of interactive adventures typically don't include features, settings, and concepts that would be considered appealing to women. That's not a sexist comment; it's just an observation based on historic fact. As some form of violence - on whatever level - is usually a mainstay, that is hardly conducive to thoughts of female entertainment. In other words, the standard Lifetime flick is nothing like your standard video game. Yes, stereotypes play a role and while the girls battle that - as all of us battled the general gamer stereotype for many years - I wonder if they realize that they're facing a steeper climb.
The most popular video games every year most often include, for the lack of a better term, "guy stuff." The mainstream world will see it this way, regardless of what you perceive to be the truth. As boys, we were nerds for playing games, but we were playing virtual versions of G.I. Joe, now weren't we? I only have one question: how do female gamers wish to be viewed? And don't reply, "we just want to be seen as gamers, and that's it," because...well, I'm not buying that right now.
Personal gaming update
I probably won't stop playing Dragon Age II until it's done; it's too limited and the story seems barely existent, but I'm just hooked on the building and mission-ing process. As soon as it's done, I'll start up a Career in Top Spin 4, and I can't wait (review coming soon). I feel behind but the good news is I don't really want to play anything else until L.A. Noire drops on May 17. I admit I'm intrigued by Duke Nukem Forever, though.
This week, expect reviews for TS4, Homefront, and Crysis 2. I may also have some interesting new information for SOCOM 4, as I'll be participating in a conference call on Thursday. Finally, we're sort of nearing the end of our new project; it just needs to be approved, which admittedly may take some time. After that, we can announce it...hope you'll like it. :)
3/19/2011 Ben Dutka
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Comments (82 posts)
WorldEndsWithMe
Saturday, March 19, 2011 @ 11:26:21 PM
Shams
Sunday, March 20, 2011 @ 1:47:43 AM
___________
Sunday, March 20, 2011 @ 2:10:42 AM
now days your babysitted through games, almost nothing is a instant death, almost nothing is a instant fail.
the first MGS on ps1, every single level if you were seen by a camera.
start again!
if you were seen by a enemy.
start again!
if a enemy saw a dead body.
start again!
if a camera saw a dead body.
start again!
games those days were so unforgiving, make one mistake, start again!
nowadays its oh thats ok, you cant just go hide for 20 seconds and somehow the enemies memory of your existence is magically erased.
its not the difficulty, but the forgivingness that has really effected the length and the feel of games.
i wish they would go back to the old days, but thats never going to happen!
Beamboom
Sunday, March 20, 2011 @ 7:25:18 AM
Last edited by Beamboom on 3/20/2011 7:25:47 AM
Drake_RB3
Monday, March 21, 2011 @ 11:13:08 AM
How I found the time for that, CV 3, Super Castlevania 4, and Dracula X was interesting. What a week that was.
Meanwhile my roommates were cursing trying to beat Ghosts and Goblins only to be deceived by an Illusion of Satan.
Underdog15
Saturday, March 19, 2011 @ 10:27:10 PM
Reply
I beat all stories in SaGa Frontier. I bought it mostly because it was an RPG that had a picture on the back of many PS boxes. I still have a hard copy of it, actually. :) Back in PS1 days, I played, not quite exclusively, but nearly, only RPG's. (Some exceptions, of course) It wasn't until PS2 and my original XBOX that I began branching out. This is the first generation that RPG's haven't been my primary game of choice. Mostly because there aren't many AAA rpg's for consoles. (I said many, not none... just anticipating a response there. lol) And there certainly aren't many turn based ones, which were my favorite.
My PGU:
I'm doing some catch up. I always wanted to try out Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom, so I'll be giving that a whirl. For multiplayer, I'll be switching between KZ3 and AC:B. Last week I played a lot of MLB 11 The Show, and will likely continue to get in a couple games a week.
EDIT: FYI, in my opinion, AC:B is a very excellent multiplayer game. Especially if you typically hate run n' gunners. Patience and cleverness are rewarded in AC:B.
Last edited by Underdog15 on 3/19/2011 10:28:59 PM
Dancemachine55
Sunday, March 20, 2011 @ 6:49:25 AM
Apparently, modern RPG's consist of third person or first person shooters that incorporate levelling and stats tweaking, eg Fallout 3 and Mass Effect. Even Final Fantasy XIII lost a lot of strategic role playing elements just to cater to the ADHD "entertain me now and make it easy for me to finish" crowd.
Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Sunday, March 20, 2011 @ 11:53:21 AM
Underdog15
Sunday, March 20, 2011 @ 12:15:42 PM
Temjin001
Saturday, March 19, 2011 @ 10:40:33 PM
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I don't really have any interest in girl gamer sociological issues.
I would love to see a Contra Hard Corps review. I tried the demo on XBL a few weeks back and I really liked it. I'm not big on the newer anime look, but the game appears to stay true to it's gameplay form--that's where it counts.
I've also nearly dismissed Crysis 2 as a game I'm interested it. I really wanted to like this game, but it would seem Crytek likes to carry on like Peter Moleneux and talk big talk but come up short with the goods at the end of the day. But I dunno.
PGU: My family and I get to move this next coming weekend to get closer to the university I'll be attending. I'll have my hands full.
I took a little break from Lost Odyssey (i love it, no doubt)--it's the twitcher in me surfacing.
I finished Reach on Heroic. Fun stuff. Though, I think the Halo formula is beginning to feel really overly saturated to me. Reach has some of Halo's finest moments, but I get such a "been there, done that" vibe where most of what I value seems to have more to do with valuing the nostalgia of it's greatness back when Xbox launched. Maybe it's just too many sequels in too short of time. I have to compliment the MGS series in this respect. Never has any MGS felt milked to me. Where the hype of it's sales never seems to have caused Konami to push a new MGS out the door every year, or too frequently, because of it's great success and quality. Each game feels like a great "welcome back" experience with loads of new content and game play to absorb myself in
WorldEndsWithMe
Saturday, March 19, 2011 @ 11:10:07 PM
Shams
Sunday, March 20, 2011 @ 1:53:54 AM
Temjin001
Sunday, March 20, 2011 @ 1:54:53 AM
...yeah, I like to pick on pointless things =p
Lawless SXE
Saturday, March 19, 2011 @ 10:42:23 PM
Reply
Game length doesn't really bother me as long as the campaign on normal can last nine hours or so. Anything less than that just feels like being shortchanged. And games that last upwards of 40hrs can be irritating, as more often than not, it becomes akin to a chore to finish them. I dunno.
Girl gamers is a tough nut to crack for guys. It occurs to me that they seem to feel a need to prove themselves. I don't mean any offence by that, but given the amount of sheer stupidity that they profess to cop in games because of their gender, it makes sense that they would feel that way. The problem seems to be that guys refuse to allow them to do that, and instead cast aspersions on them, rather than treating them like any other gamer. I suppose it is further compounded by what you mentioned in the article about the generalised appeal of games not being aimed at females. That is changing though, with motion controls and games like Heavy Rain. For some reason, I feel as though I'm drawing a conclusion that seems to correlate maturity to feminine intervention. One seems to be reliant on the other, or perhaps they both face similar challenges...
Personal Update:
Almost finished with Brutal Legend, and working on the review right now. Read the intro and first few Cantos of Inferno. Was trying to find Purgatory and Paradise yesterday with no such luck. But, I did manage to pick up 3D Dot Game Heroes, and I was going to get WKC as well, but STILL $100. I'll just wait for the second.
Had to laugh at being in Cairns yesterday while Prince William was at hometown. Was interesting.
Peace.
WorldEndsWithMe
Saturday, March 19, 2011 @ 11:12:12 PM
Lawless SXE
Sunday, March 20, 2011 @ 3:30:47 AM
Peace.
P.S. Holy frick, I'm suddenly more interested in WKC: Origins. It's being developed by the same team that did Alundra and FF3. And it, along with WKC2 is apparently releasing in May. Aww crap. WKC or L.A. Noire?
Last edited by Lawless SXE on 3/20/2011 3:40:37 AM
Teddie9
Sunday, March 20, 2011 @ 11:59:40 AM
NoSmokingBandit
Saturday, March 19, 2011 @ 10:52:48 PM
Reply
The PS2 era was full of action games that took a while to finish because of the depth, not the padding.
Still, nothing beats popping in FF7 and watching the next 70 hours of my life go by in a blur.
MadPowerBomber
Saturday, March 19, 2011 @ 10:57:45 PM
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I think the sanest thing for a girl gamer to do -- or any gamer at all -- is just hit the mute button and not use headsets. I mute everyone when I play online, and my roommates' puppy ate my headset and I've yet to replace it. Shooters, for some reason, bring out the lowest common denominator in games. When I played Street Fighter IV online the first time around, the community backing the game was immensely different from the community of any FPS I've played. Respectable, honorable, and a complete lack of crap talking.
Personal gaming update:
I'm becoming a game collector and didn't even realize it was happening. Ha. I haven't traded or sold a copy of a game in over a year and have amassed 57 PS3 games, which is the most games I've ever had at any given time. Which leads to that frustrating moment of, "What do I want to play?" and not being able to decide. I picked up Homefront, Dragon Age II, Bayonetta, Mini-Ninjas and Heavy Rain (again, finally!). Homefront is a bit lackluster from the single player aspect of it. It's a visual let down, it plays very closely to Treyarch/Infinity Ward's games, and is graphically hard on the eyes at times. Dragon Age II won't be started until I've finished Origins and Awakening. I don't know how much longer I have to go on Origins, but I imagine it's a bit of a ways. This is my third restart of the game, so it's become a bit tedious. Haven't touched Bayonetta or MiniNinjas yet, but did start Heavy Rain and so far, my complaints are still there -- at least for the opening of the game. I will finish it this time, though, and it will stay in my library. Finished Black Ops on my original profile (MadPowerBomber, add me if you like! I don't mind, if you don't mind me secretly stalking your trophy status. Hahahaha), and played a little bit of Bulletstorm. I also spent a good chunk of the day talking on here, despite the horrible migraine that kept me out of work. I just gotta say, if I haven't before, this community of gamers is the best, most intelligent, and fun to talk to out there. Even if things get heated, you guys are all still really cool folks in my book. :)
SvenMD
Saturday, March 19, 2011 @ 11:04:20 PM
Temjin001
Saturday, March 19, 2011 @ 11:13:12 PM
WorldEndsWithMe
Saturday, March 19, 2011 @ 11:25:06 PM
DazeOfWar
Sunday, March 20, 2011 @ 1:01:35 AM
Right now I'm working on DA: Origins also. I'm also playing DS2, LBP2, KZ3, Ys I & II (PSP), and just finished Homefront. There is just to much great stuff.
Then the next few months I have some D1P coming out. Socom 4, L.A. Noire, and inFamous 2. Those will get me to June but after that there is many more. I don't think I'll ever get caught up.
SvenMD
Saturday, March 19, 2011 @ 11:00:26 PM
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I don't think you can compare RPG lengths to any other type of game...they have, and always will be, the longest games available.
But I feel like now there are many more GOOD games that I want to play, so I don't want ALL of my games to take 40 hours to beat. With games like FF - you can "beat" them in 30-50 hours, but to do EVERYTHING, can take FOREVER. This was fine when I was in middle school or high school. But now I get about 3 hours a night, maybe 4-5 nights a week. So that's only about 12-15 hours per week (and this will decrease even more in about 3 months). So to finish a game that takes 80-100 hours could take me 2 months. That's just impossible if you want to play any more games....which I do!
On the flip-side....a game that only take 6-8 hours is a freakin' ripoff in my opinion (I'm lookin' at you Homefront) And again, I'm a SP guy, so MP is just "extra" - it shouldn't be considered for "game length" since technically MP length is infinite if you so choose.
PGU: Finishing up Enslaved platinum, then I don't know. Not really interested in DAII, LA Noire, DNF, MK....my calendar is a little open until inFAMOUS 2.
WorldEndsWithMe
Saturday, March 19, 2011 @ 11:20:49 PM
SvenMD
Sunday, March 20, 2011 @ 2:31:01 PM
WorldEndsWithMe
Sunday, March 20, 2011 @ 6:10:28 PM
WorldEndsWithMe
Saturday, March 19, 2011 @ 11:20:29 PM
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Any game that clocks in at 5 hours should only cost $30, nevermind how the multiplayer is.
I really liked Dragon Age II at first, but now it's starting to piss me off. I know I'll finish it, but I agree there is no story yet. I'm just doing pointless missions, I can hardly even upgrade weapons and armor cuz even when I do every mission possible there aren't enough EXP points to get strong enough to hold the stuff. This game is a step back, and my review will reflect that.
Girl gamers are just fine. They either like "guy stuff" or they are happy with some niche stuff. I recently met the hottest girl in the world and she's a gamer who doesn't seem to have any chip on her shoulder about it. If women are worried about their standing in the gaming world then nothing is stopping them from creating a development studio for girl games.
Playing through Dragon Age II, it's fun but so much is not there that should be. Oh yeah and I bought Ar Tonelico 3 today. After I fix my backlog I can't wait to dig into that one.
Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
Sunday, March 20, 2011 @ 11:54:30 AM
Eld
Saturday, March 19, 2011 @ 11:34:18 PM
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As for girl gamers, I think most of them would prefer that articles that talk about them just didn't exist.
rogers71
Sunday, March 20, 2011 @ 12:01:07 AM
Even when you have two different teams working SP/MP, most, not all, games will suffer from having to spend resources for MP development. Naughty Dog, in my opinion, has the correct formula for making an awesome campaign and an equally great MP experience.
Scarecrow
Saturday, March 19, 2011 @ 11:40:06 PM
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I'm not one to complain much, as long as it's over 5 hours I'm fine with it.
I'm just itching to get my hands on White Knight Chronicles 2.
I'm looking forward to a lot of games, but that game is like the one I REALLY want at the moment. Need a solid date...
BIGRED15
Saturday, March 19, 2011 @ 11:57:11 PM
Reply
Jawknee
Sunday, March 20, 2011 @ 1:06:50 AM
PS3_Mom
Sunday, March 20, 2011 @ 1:36:34 AM
Reply
Personal Gaming Update
Due to a tough financial week, I rented Homefront when I had planned to buy it. I liked it but have done pretty much everything I ever will in campaign mode. The multiplayer is good but I have more mp games than time. Might still buy it when I find it cheap but not right away for full price. I am playing the SOCOM 4 beta. I have mixed feelings on it. I like it but keep thinking I wish I was playing Killzone 3 instead. That is the only mp that I feel like I really want to play these days. Tried Crysis 2 but didn't give it much of a chance. It also didn't really grab me.
LittleBigMidget
Sunday, March 20, 2011 @ 2:11:07 AM
Reply
Last edited by LittleBigMidget on 3/20/2011 2:15:16 AM
PS3_Mom
Sunday, March 20, 2011 @ 5:52:39 PM
PasteNuggs
Sunday, March 20, 2011 @ 2:17:44 AM
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PGU:
I finished Homefront on Thursday and then got the itch for AC:B so thats all I'm into now. I'm loving it, but I feel like they constrict where you can go at one time more than 2.
Also, I got to yell at a Gamestop employee today for being a complete d*ck because I canceled my Crysis 2 preorder. People who are a**holes for no reason really p*ss me off.
BikerSaint
Sunday, March 20, 2011 @ 2:26:58 AM
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As for female gamers, I'm all for it...the more gamers the better. And as I said before, there was one female in KZ3's Warfare mode that nobody could even come close to on the match boards.
My PGU,
There isn't any!!!!!!
After my PS3 red-lighted while playing KZ3's Warfare,and with my KZ3 disc still in it, I've tried to play Halo 3 & Splinter Cell:Conviction, but as I played them on my BotBox all I could think of is where my KZ3 points would have been at, & what I'd be doing in KZ's Warfare, had my PS3 still been working.
I've been thinking about trying to find a place that will rent me a PS3 at a decent price, but then I'd still have to crack open my PS3 just to figure out how to get the damned disc out(since none of the game-eject remedies on Google or YouTube worked). And after spending $139 for the Helghast Edition, I just don't want to have to spent another $60 to re-buy the game all over again.
Since I won't have the bucks till July, I think I'm going seriously going to need a 4 month long 12-step Program.... "Hi everyone, my name is Saint & I'm an Playstation 3 & Killzone 3 addict"
Last edited by BikerSaint on 3/20/2011 2:33:29 AM
Lawless SXE
Sunday, March 20, 2011 @ 3:13:22 AM
BikerSaint
Sunday, March 20, 2011 @ 9:39:51 PM
PSXE is my support group.
But even with my other consoles & games, every time I try to get into another game, my mind keeps reverting back to KZ3 & I want to brutal melee everything on screen.
And lately, I've been hating on my BotBox & Wii.
Yes, you read right.....I said red light.
You know how the PS3 does everything???
Well, mine finally decided to turn itself into a Sony traffic light,...it starts green, then instantly turns yellow, & goes into a constant blinking red light mode.
And it won't even turn blue to acknowledge that it's holding my KZ3 disc in Blu-ray cell-block 3
___________
Sunday, March 20, 2011 @ 2:31:34 AM
Reply
you dont want it to feel like its dragging out, but you dont want to feel like you missed half the game!
like KZ3, your in a spacefight, trying to stop a war then all of a sudden the game ends.
its like WTF?
did i get a edited version or something?
wheres the rest of the game!?
same as homefront, your in the middle of the games biggest battle, then all of a sudden the game ends.
its like your racing down a road at 300KMPH then all of a sudden you stop.
so you dont want games dragging out, or suddenly finishing you want a nice tapered feel.
like alan wake, its paced PERFECTLY!
one thing i loved about that game is its pacing.
it never feels stretched, theres heaps of moments you think ok this is the end, then the story takes a twist and shoots you back up ready for more!
FPS should be at least 8 hours long on the easiest difficulty because thats where most will play it.
RPGs should be at least 20 hours just on main missions, RPGs should be longer because there normally based on character development and a world over time.
its hard to see how characters change, and how the world changes because of you if its so short.
there normally allot more story orientated so a longer length would help that.
racing games should be similar 20 or so hours, because theres heaps of collection you can do, heaps of upgrades you can purchase.
no point saving up to buy the fastest car, then 2 races after you buy it the game finishes!
other games like puzzle, stealth, platformers is really hard to say.
id go with same as shooters, dependent on what the storys like.
if GOW3 did one thing right, its pacing.
did not feel rushed, did not feel stretched out, felt just right.
endings is something developers SERIOUSLY need to work on!
honestly can not remember the last time i finished a game and thought wow, now thats a fantastic ending!
actually i can, last time was infamous almost 2 freaking years ago!
allot of games these days fall into 2 categories.
1 all fuse no bang.
2 the WTF, did i miss half the game?
some suit both like KZ3, leading up the whole game to stahl, the whole game is about stahl.
the endings just so underwhelming!
you spend the whole game on a fuse, sizzling out, then ends with no bang.
WTF?
wheres the kaboom?
there was suppose to be a earth shattering kaboom!
so KZ3 suits both, theres no bang, and it just ends so abruptly.
most common though is the all fuse no bang, like homefront.
the 2nd one though, is more like GOW3.
has a really satisfying ending but its just poorly paced.
as i said before it feels like your moving at a nice pace, then just suddenly stops.
your left wondering WTF happened?
honestly, when i finished KZ3 i thought it was a joke, i sat through the credits thinking GG were playing a joke and there was still more to come.
sadly i was wrong.
developers seriously need to work on there endings though, there either boring as bat sh*t, or just finish abruptly.
im 80% of the way through motorstorm so far, and all i can say is meh!
first 2 were WAY more fun!
the controls are whats spoiling it for me.
the first 2 had very distinctive arcade controls which suits the series.
this though has a mix in between, which just gets annoying!
thing i hate most about it though is its constantly punishing you for things out of your control!
for example theres so many jumps in the game, problem is there blind.
if i had a nickle for every time i hit a jump, and hit it on the wrong side and because of that i end up slamming into a sign or whatever else, well, you get the story.
just gets seriously frustrating being punished for something completley out of my control!
how am i suppose to know theres a sign further up?
i have xray vision do i?
wish i could see through roads, would really come in handy!
Lawless SXE
Sunday, March 20, 2011 @ 3:25:49 AM
I think with Racing games, it's important to have the game end shortly after you recieve the best car. If it drags on for too long, then it just gets boring as you feel as though there is no real competition. But because racers generally have a wealth of content anyway, there really is no limit on how long you can play for, as long as you're willing to put into it.
I agree on the other lengths that you've mentioned though, except for RPGs. I feel that they should really be longer because of the natural complexity of them. They need to introduce the mechanics over time and let you truly master them, rather than throwing them all at you upfront.
I also agree with you about the endings. So many games leave you feeling underwhelmed, or as though it isn't a proper conclusion. Brutal Legend just left me hanging...
Peace.
___________
Sunday, March 20, 2011 @ 8:15:01 AM
all of my local stores do!
ive stopped playing it though, its just really boring me.
trying to finish de blob 2 now, which is one of the very few games actually made here!
good game, gets a little repetetive but its allot of fun.
dunno why, but its really mellowing for some reason, just relaxes ya.
part of thats due to the sense of humor, the games constantly throwing jokes at ya.
kraygen
Sunday, March 20, 2011 @ 2:39:57 AM
Reply
They are saying Batman will take 25-30 hours to do everything, but that isn't that great for me. I don't play video games for platinum trophies or because I want to spend hours looking for tiny trinkets in hidden area's. They put those hundreds of hidden items in there to make the "game" last longer.
It's just a smokescreen though. If I play batman, it's for the batman aspect, for the gameplay. It's not so I can find a bunch of bat poo hidden in tiny little corners. In truth, the majority of people who want Arkham City, they'll only get 12-15 hours out of it most likely. They want to play batman, not hide and seek.
That kind of stuff is ok for those hard core trophy lovers who have an aching need for tedious, mind-numbing, easter egg hunts, but that's just not for me. I want gameplay, story, substance.
I just can't afford to pay $60 for a game that I'll be done with in only a few days. I need them to last. Luckily rpgs are my favorite, if I loved shooters I'd be screwed. Well that or I'd be playing a bunch of old shooters from the bargain bin.
I am glad Infamous 2 has implemented the create/share aspect, because I'll get hours and hours of unique gameplay. Whereas even if I really enjoy batman, once the story is done there probably won't be much more that I care to do, so Batman will have to wait till it's on the cheapo counter.
Ludicrous_Liam
Sunday, March 20, 2011 @ 4:20:14 AM
LittleBigMidget
Sunday, March 20, 2011 @ 3:21:36 AM
Reply
Lawless SXE
Sunday, March 20, 2011 @ 3:27:53 AM
kraygen
Sunday, March 20, 2011 @ 1:16:10 PM
Besides, that was one example. The focus of my rant was that too often games are short and what they do to increase their length is by adding gimmicky little things like item hunting.
Last edited by kraygen on 3/20/2011 1:23:38 PM
LittleBigMidget
Sunday, March 20, 2011 @ 3:58:35 AM
Reply
Lawless SXE
Sunday, March 20, 2011 @ 5:04:02 AM
kraygen
Sunday, March 20, 2011 @ 1:19:24 PM
Bioware claimed Dragon Age 2 would be an improved rpg experience and yet when the game came out it had less rpg options. They had removed aspects that were in the first game.
When it comes to claims made by devs, I find it better to doubt, you will be disappointed much less often.
Shams
Sunday, March 20, 2011 @ 4:33:52 AM
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Played Uncharted:DF and Dead Space 2:Severed. It's surprising how good looking U:DF remains after all this time (and how entertaining), which is true testament to ND. Severed was pretty thrilling. More fast paced and action-oriented than the full on game. But equally morose and emo. Love the ending music ("Fathom" by Russian Circles i believe).
Playing inFamous again (7th time i believe, but w/o the compulsion to pull off everything now that it is platinumed). Playing it with a TB headset and different TV, so it actually feels somewhat like a new experience. Like U:DF, it has aged well, however, I forgot how slow it starts when you don't have many powers in the beginning (so I switched from Hard to Normal as you accumulate skill points more quickly). It really picks up when you can glide and grind, then it becomes a joy to fly around the city. Until then, I still think the story and action is paced well enough.
I picked up Just Cause 2, and I must say, though not w/o it's flaws, it's pretty impressive game with the vistas, terrains, and all the nutty things you can pull off with the parachute and grappling claw (and whatever two things you can connect). I'm looking forward to the game.
Temjin001
Sunday, March 20, 2011 @ 11:28:47 AM
Shams
Sunday, March 20, 2011 @ 3:45:28 PM
To me, inFamous struck the perfect balance between focused gameplay, and chaos; action and platforming; simplicity and scale. The story is intriguing, and the environment is immersive.
Pandacastro
Sunday, March 20, 2011 @ 5:25:24 AM
Reply
Temjin001
Sunday, March 20, 2011 @ 9:01:14 PM
LittleBigMidget
Sunday, March 20, 2011 @ 6:03:12 AM
Reply
kraygen
Sunday, March 20, 2011 @ 1:20:26 PM
RadioHeader
Sunday, March 20, 2011 @ 7:00:50 AM
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I'm so adept with it now that I feel I'm ready for a pure aim shooter, like Quake 3, with trick jumps & everything. The Move is very nearly as fast and accurate as a mouse but much more fun.
I realise I'm a little late to the Move party but from now on I intend to rave about it like it was an M$ product and I was an "independent" game review site.
Jawknee
Sunday, March 20, 2011 @ 3:12:18 PM
RadioHeader
Sunday, March 20, 2011 @ 4:14:50 PM
deadzone height 0%
crosshair sensitivity 0%
turn speed 100%
I recall you talking about the sharpshooter. I can't vouch for these settings if that's what you use since I've never tried one.
If you want to try just using the move then the one tip I can give would be; When calibrating and you're asked to aim at the symbols top left/bottom right, aim a little wide of the symbols and this has the effect of decreasing the crosshair sensitivity even further - smoothes the movement of the crosshairs if your hand is a little shaky. Doing this would definitely be no good for the sharpshooter since you're no longer actually aiming at the targets, but since you're just shooting from the hip it makes no difference.
LittleBigMidget
Sunday, March 20, 2011 @ 7:25:25 AM
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Kevin555
Sunday, March 20, 2011 @ 7:56:30 AM
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I also played Crysis 2, i loved the original Crysis on a maxed out PC rig but felt a little underwhelmed by Crytek's sequel. Maybe, & just maybe, if they just for once stopped touching themselves over their supposed visual console power & instead give console gamers a stable bash online then their game would be recieved a little better by the masses. Anyway, it's just a demo so i won't shit it on it just yet. but i'm cautious on the final product.
Anyway, i'll be trying it out on the PC if i'm going to throw cash at Crytek. If it sucks balls on PC then it's a no buy.
In other news, anyone else seen the early E3 rumor of Hitman 5? If thats a reality come E3 time i will glow & beam like an overjoiced father.
Also, SEGA....VF5:FS, soon please.
Good read as usual, it's always interesting to see what my gaming brothers & sisters are digging even if your tastes aren't the same as mine.
Last edited by Kevin555 on 3/20/2011 7:59:49 AM
Temjin001
Sunday, March 20, 2011 @ 11:30:20 AM
Excelsior1
Sunday, March 20, 2011 @ 8:45:57 AM
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length of games is a touchy subject. in my experience a lot of developers tend to stretch the truth when it comes to the length of their games. the developers claimed gow3 would take 12-15 hrs to complete when it was no where near that.
castlevannia is a great value with its 20 hr campign.
Teddie9
Sunday, March 20, 2011 @ 12:18:30 PM
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oh yeah PGU
kz3 throughout my week, loved it, however I've gotten a little tired of the mp.I was hoping crysis would deliver. By the looks of things that's not the case, so I'm not completely sure what's going to happen throughout april....
Last edited by Teddie9 on 3/20/2011 12:21:59 PM
bigrailer19
Sunday, March 20, 2011 @ 12:59:02 PM
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Despite the demo being pulled because that early code fr Crysis 2, had connection issues, I'm still looking forward too it. I've seen screen shots and it may not be what they said it would be in terms of a graphical beast but it looks decent. And the gameplay really intrigues me. So I'll be picking that and move heroes up on Tuesday!
Excelsior1
Sunday, March 20, 2011 @ 1:38:23 PM
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JDC80
Sunday, March 20, 2011 @ 1:46:52 PM
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Other games I'm putting in some serious PT in BioShock so I can finally start up BioShock II. Never knew shocking and popping people in the face with a wrench can be this fun.MK demo was fun so I might picked that up after I beat KZ3.
Quick question to Ben: In honor of the NCAA basketball tournament would you guys consider an cheap bosses of all time tournament? I already got two number one seeds and they're both from the Street Fighter conference Seth from Street Fighter IV and M.Bison from Street Fighter II.
Minishmaru
Sunday, March 20, 2011 @ 1:55:45 PM
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THEVERDIN
Sunday, March 20, 2011 @ 2:14:05 PM
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Minishmaru
Sunday, March 20, 2011 @ 2:33:58 PM
Steel
Sunday, March 20, 2011 @ 3:29:15 PM
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bigrailer19
Sunday, March 20, 2011 @ 8:43:10 PM
With that said I'm with you about people jumping the gun. I think most games that are not exclusives, people are automatically faulting. I do agree that the screen shots for the PS3 I have seen lately are pretty good. KZ2 or 3 good? Meh not really. But I do think people jumped the gun on the game. The MP has a lot to offer, now its all up to execution. The SP sounds really interesting, not having played the first since i dont play PC games.
With that said Crytek jumped the gun on the demo. This is a very good example of why I think betas are a good idea. Crytek also has been tooting their horn, and now it seems like all they can do is back track. So they've done this to themselves. But I wont ever hold that against the final product. Im very excited about it, and I'm anxiously waiting to see how it turns out!

SaGa Frontier









Ben Dutka PSXE [Administrator]
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Saturday, March 19, 2011 @ 10:01:45 PM
The other reason action-oriented games SEEM shorter these days is due to the advent of hard drives in consoles, and how we save our games. Back then, death was A. more common, and B. more of an issue. It was back to a save point, so the overall amount of time to beat a game was probably higher.
The actual game itself was just as short if not shorter. We just never could get through it as easily.