You know, it's easy to point out all the things something does wrong. That's why writing a review of something bad always seems to be easier than something that was truly magnificent. In my opinion, it's because when something does everything perfectly, it's just too hard to evaluate what made the experience so great. It is something that must be seen instead of read about. That's how I feel about tonight's Lost. I'm not going to recap tonight's episode. If you missed it, it will be posted on abc.com by Friday morning. If you are a fan of the show, this episode needs to be seen, and not recapped.
Tonight's episode did everything right. It filled in a lot of major information about what's going on, and it had an extremely good side story with Desmond. That's all I'm going to say about it. Make sure to watch it, it was one of the best episodes of Lost ever made.
I give it 10 smokey monsters out of 10.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Review: Devil May Cry 4
Capcom's long running Devil May Cry series has always held a special place in my heart. The first DMC game was breathtaking. The second was not as stellar. The third game, however, is one of my favorite games of all time. Devil May Cry 4 lives up to the expectations that the third installment set, and is a worthy successor in the series.
I was skeptical when I heard that Dante would not be the main character this time around. He gets 7 missions in the story mode, but the game's main focus is on the newcomer Nero. However, by the third mission in the game, Nero had already proven to be an exemplary new character. His witty yet serious sense of humor, combined with his love for Kyrie, create a very dynamic character that is one of the best the series has ever introduced.
In terms of gameplay, Nero is reminiscent of Devil May Cry 1 Dante. What makes him shine though is his Devil Bringer arm. The demonic arm allows for creating of very unique attacks, ranging from simple grab moves that bring an enemy towards you, all the way to a move where you take a knight's lance and shove it through his stomach. Nero also has a new attack system known as the Exceed system. This essentially allows Nero to rev up his sword like a motorcycle and use more powerful sword attacks. It's an interesting system that becomes very handy the more you level it up. As cool as the new additions to Nero are, it would have been nice to see them more fleshed out. The Devil Bringer only has a couple (albeit awesome) moves at its arsenal and the Exceed system simply amplifies the damage and look of your core moves. Nero is still an extremely fun character, he just does not seem to have the depth that Dante has.
Capcom has done a major overhaul in how Dante plays. Unlike in Devil May Cry 3, all of Dante's fighting styles can now be switched during combat. This opens up an entire world of new combos at your disposal. Being able to switch between Swordmaster and Gunslinger during the middle of battle makes for some of the most interesting and satisfying combos ever seen in a Devil May Cry game. But for the two steps forward Capcom took with Dante, they manages to take one step back. All of the styles, especially trickster, have been downgraded. Dante can no longer run on walls, step on enemies and shoot them, throw his sword into them and impale them to the ground, or jump on top of a fallen enemy and ride them as if they were a skateboard. The basic moves that were available at level 1 of each style list from Devil May Cry 3 is what you get with each style in 4. Increasing the level of each style simply increases the strength of your attacks with that style (or, in Trickster's case, the distance you dash). However, despite the disappointment in losing some of the best moves from the third game, the ability to change styles during combat more than makes up for it.
Dante also has many new weapons at his arsenal. The Ebony & Ivory pistols, Rebellion sword, and Coyote-A shotgun all make their returns. The rocket launcher and hand to hand melee weapon are back as well, but with every Devil May Cry game, they have new names. The melee weapon is now called Gilgamesh. Aside from the name change, it is the same weapon as it has always been. The rocket launcher is a different story. It is now part of a weapon package known as Pandora. Describing Pandora in a text review is somewhat hard; it is something that must be seen in person. Think of it as a rocket launcher, grenade launcher, laser cannon, deadly boomerang, and a hover tank all in one. Suffice it to say, the guns in the game are exceptional. However, the same thing can not be said about the swords. Rebellion is still a blast to use. Gilgamesh gives you access to the same melee moves as always, so if that's been one of your favorite weapons (it has always been my least favorite) then you will be right at home. The Lucifer is the only truly new melee weapon to the game, and it feels lacking. Attacking with it sticks blades in the enemy, and then you can detonate the blades to cause the enemy to explode. It is a cool effect, but it isn't as damaging as Gilgamesh nor is it as fun to use as the Rebellion. That's not to say it's a bad weapon though. It is very useful in dealing with groups of enemies, and watching demons explode is very amusing. It just is not as fun to use as the Rebellion, Gilgamesh, or Yamato. The Yamato is available when you switch to the Dark Slayer style. It essentially has the same moveset that Vergil had from the special edition of Devil May Cry 3. Using the Yamato in combination with the Rebellion and Pandora proves for some of the most satisfying gameplay that you can get out of the game.
Suffice it to say that no matter which character you choose to use, the experience will be fun. The bosses are very unique and a complete riot, and the levels are all interestingly designed and beautiful to look at. It's just a shame that all of the game's bosses are heavily repeated (you fight most bosses three times) and you have to backtrack through levels previously beaten many times. Backtracking is, at this point, expected from a Devil May Cry game, but the fourth is the only one that has ever really stood out as a problem to me. You spend a good amount of time backtracking through a forest that, quite frankly, is not very fun. The whole area is filled with puzzles that are focused on trial and error, rather than actual skill, and it detracts from the gameplay. However, despite these issues, they are largely overshadowed by the elegant story, adrenaline fueled gameplay, and extraordinary sound effects and voice acting.
Visually, the game is a powerhouse. It's rare for the game to slow down, and it's even more rare to find a place in the game that does not look simply stunning. As tedious as the forest level was to play, it was an absolute delight to look at. Hacking and slashing through demons looks and feels devastating, thanks in no small part to the game's sound design so heavily complimenting the gameplay and visuals. Every demon grunts and groans as the swift sound of your blade or gun tears them apart. The entire experience is purely nostalgic, and makes it one of the best aspects the game has to offer. Determining the best aspect of the game is a hard task, because as amazing as the gameplay is, as stunning as the visuals and sound effects are, the story is just completely over the top and wonderful.
Devil May Cry 3 brought more cinematic sequences to the series than any previous entry had before. It was well written and well told, despite being filled with a lot of cheesy dialogue. Devil May Cry 4 not only has a very deep and emotional story to tell, but the voice work is over the top. Each character portrays their emotions extremely well, which helps create some of the most memorable characters and cutscenes to ever be featured in a Devil May Cry game. Johnny Yong Bosch does an amazing job of bringing Nero to life. Nero's witty jokes are well told, scenes where he explodes with anger are very believable, and his love for Kyrie feels real. The rest of the cast all is voiced excellently as well, Nero just seems to outshine the rest.
From the well told, breathtaking story to the visually immerssive and addictive gameplay, Devil May Cry 4 is a stellar package. Sure Nero could have been more fleshed out, Dante could have retained more of his moves from the third game, and there could have been less repetition, but none of this really matters in the long run because the game is just so far over the top and extraordinary. Devil May Cry 4 is a worthy addition to the series, being a pure blast from start to finish. It is safe to say that Devil May Cry 5 will have some big shoes to fill.
The Good:
-Very addictive, visually stunning gameplay
-A deep, well told story with terrific voice acting
-Nero is an awesome new character
-Fun and well designed enemies and bosses
The Bad:
-Nero feels slightly lacking
-Dante is missing some of his best moves from previous games
-Level and boss repetition gets old
Final score: 9.0/10
I was skeptical when I heard that Dante would not be the main character this time around. He gets 7 missions in the story mode, but the game's main focus is on the newcomer Nero. However, by the third mission in the game, Nero had already proven to be an exemplary new character. His witty yet serious sense of humor, combined with his love for Kyrie, create a very dynamic character that is one of the best the series has ever introduced.
In terms of gameplay, Nero is reminiscent of Devil May Cry 1 Dante. What makes him shine though is his Devil Bringer arm. The demonic arm allows for creating of very unique attacks, ranging from simple grab moves that bring an enemy towards you, all the way to a move where you take a knight's lance and shove it through his stomach. Nero also has a new attack system known as the Exceed system. This essentially allows Nero to rev up his sword like a motorcycle and use more powerful sword attacks. It's an interesting system that becomes very handy the more you level it up. As cool as the new additions to Nero are, it would have been nice to see them more fleshed out. The Devil Bringer only has a couple (albeit awesome) moves at its arsenal and the Exceed system simply amplifies the damage and look of your core moves. Nero is still an extremely fun character, he just does not seem to have the depth that Dante has.
Capcom has done a major overhaul in how Dante plays. Unlike in Devil May Cry 3, all of Dante's fighting styles can now be switched during combat. This opens up an entire world of new combos at your disposal. Being able to switch between Swordmaster and Gunslinger during the middle of battle makes for some of the most interesting and satisfying combos ever seen in a Devil May Cry game. But for the two steps forward Capcom took with Dante, they manages to take one step back. All of the styles, especially trickster, have been downgraded. Dante can no longer run on walls, step on enemies and shoot them, throw his sword into them and impale them to the ground, or jump on top of a fallen enemy and ride them as if they were a skateboard. The basic moves that were available at level 1 of each style list from Devil May Cry 3 is what you get with each style in 4. Increasing the level of each style simply increases the strength of your attacks with that style (or, in Trickster's case, the distance you dash). However, despite the disappointment in losing some of the best moves from the third game, the ability to change styles during combat more than makes up for it.
Dante also has many new weapons at his arsenal. The Ebony & Ivory pistols, Rebellion sword, and Coyote-A shotgun all make their returns. The rocket launcher and hand to hand melee weapon are back as well, but with every Devil May Cry game, they have new names. The melee weapon is now called Gilgamesh. Aside from the name change, it is the same weapon as it has always been. The rocket launcher is a different story. It is now part of a weapon package known as Pandora. Describing Pandora in a text review is somewhat hard; it is something that must be seen in person. Think of it as a rocket launcher, grenade launcher, laser cannon, deadly boomerang, and a hover tank all in one. Suffice it to say, the guns in the game are exceptional. However, the same thing can not be said about the swords. Rebellion is still a blast to use. Gilgamesh gives you access to the same melee moves as always, so if that's been one of your favorite weapons (it has always been my least favorite) then you will be right at home. The Lucifer is the only truly new melee weapon to the game, and it feels lacking. Attacking with it sticks blades in the enemy, and then you can detonate the blades to cause the enemy to explode. It is a cool effect, but it isn't as damaging as Gilgamesh nor is it as fun to use as the Rebellion. That's not to say it's a bad weapon though. It is very useful in dealing with groups of enemies, and watching demons explode is very amusing. It just is not as fun to use as the Rebellion, Gilgamesh, or Yamato. The Yamato is available when you switch to the Dark Slayer style. It essentially has the same moveset that Vergil had from the special edition of Devil May Cry 3. Using the Yamato in combination with the Rebellion and Pandora proves for some of the most satisfying gameplay that you can get out of the game.
Suffice it to say that no matter which character you choose to use, the experience will be fun. The bosses are very unique and a complete riot, and the levels are all interestingly designed and beautiful to look at. It's just a shame that all of the game's bosses are heavily repeated (you fight most bosses three times) and you have to backtrack through levels previously beaten many times. Backtracking is, at this point, expected from a Devil May Cry game, but the fourth is the only one that has ever really stood out as a problem to me. You spend a good amount of time backtracking through a forest that, quite frankly, is not very fun. The whole area is filled with puzzles that are focused on trial and error, rather than actual skill, and it detracts from the gameplay. However, despite these issues, they are largely overshadowed by the elegant story, adrenaline fueled gameplay, and extraordinary sound effects and voice acting.
Visually, the game is a powerhouse. It's rare for the game to slow down, and it's even more rare to find a place in the game that does not look simply stunning. As tedious as the forest level was to play, it was an absolute delight to look at. Hacking and slashing through demons looks and feels devastating, thanks in no small part to the game's sound design so heavily complimenting the gameplay and visuals. Every demon grunts and groans as the swift sound of your blade or gun tears them apart. The entire experience is purely nostalgic, and makes it one of the best aspects the game has to offer. Determining the best aspect of the game is a hard task, because as amazing as the gameplay is, as stunning as the visuals and sound effects are, the story is just completely over the top and wonderful.
Devil May Cry 3 brought more cinematic sequences to the series than any previous entry had before. It was well written and well told, despite being filled with a lot of cheesy dialogue. Devil May Cry 4 not only has a very deep and emotional story to tell, but the voice work is over the top. Each character portrays their emotions extremely well, which helps create some of the most memorable characters and cutscenes to ever be featured in a Devil May Cry game. Johnny Yong Bosch does an amazing job of bringing Nero to life. Nero's witty jokes are well told, scenes where he explodes with anger are very believable, and his love for Kyrie feels real. The rest of the cast all is voiced excellently as well, Nero just seems to outshine the rest.
From the well told, breathtaking story to the visually immerssive and addictive gameplay, Devil May Cry 4 is a stellar package. Sure Nero could have been more fleshed out, Dante could have retained more of his moves from the third game, and there could have been less repetition, but none of this really matters in the long run because the game is just so far over the top and extraordinary. Devil May Cry 4 is a worthy addition to the series, being a pure blast from start to finish. It is safe to say that Devil May Cry 5 will have some big shoes to fill.
The Good:
-Very addictive, visually stunning gameplay
-A deep, well told story with terrific voice acting
-Nero is an awesome new character
-Fun and well designed enemies and bosses
The Bad:
-Nero feels slightly lacking
-Dante is missing some of his best moves from previous games
-Level and boss repetition gets old
Final score: 9.0/10
Dishwasher Coming to XBLA
Or so says wikipedia. I'm pretty stoked. Maybe more XNA games will come to XBLA. Right now though, all I care about is playing the Dishwasher. The rest of the games on XNA seemed trivial, but not worth paying money for. Anyways, it looks like Microsoft caught on to its popularity (unless you lie, wikipedia).
If you are reading this and own a 360, you owe it to yourself to buy the game when it comes out. Words can not describe its awesomeness.
One last update: I finished this big paper I had due for my World Religions class, so I will be able to write the DMC4 review tomorrow.
If you are reading this and own a 360, you owe it to yourself to buy the game when it comes out. Words can not describe its awesomeness.
One last update: I finished this big paper I had due for my World Religions class, so I will be able to write the DMC4 review tomorrow.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Finished
I beat Devil May Cry 4. When I catch a break from school I'll write up a review. Here's a preview: it was awesome.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Raisin Bran rocks
Raisins suck. Bran sucks. Raisin Bran is fucking amazing. I was about to watch an episode of House, so I got a bowl, but its awesomeness inspired me to write a blog about it. Cereal in general rocks. If I met someone who didn't like cereal, I'd probably say to them "Hey pal...wait we aren't pals. Hey dick lord, what's your problem?" Before they could even answer I'd uppercut them.
So in conclusion, cereal rocks, Rasin Bran rocks, if you don't like either, save me some trouble and uppercut yourself.
So in conclusion, cereal rocks, Rasin Bran rocks, if you don't like either, save me some trouble and uppercut yourself.
Friday, February 22, 2008
Lost: "Eggtown" Review
-This review contains spoilers-
This week's episode of Lost, "Eggtown," focused on Kate and her life in a flash-forward. It had its ups and downs, but ultimately left me feeling a lot of contempt and near-hate towards Kate (this sentence earns two points for rhyming). Here's a quick recap:
Locke has captured Miles and has him held captive. Kate wants to talk to him to see if the rest of the world remembers that she was a criminal and a murderer. After talking to Miles, he tells her that he will answer her questions if he can get a single minute to speak with Ben Linus. Knowing Locke would never allow this, Kate seeks Sawyer's help, who seemingly betrays (however, he turns out to be helping her after all). Anyways, some shit goes down, and Kate's plan works.
Miles talks to Ben and makes some references to the guy he works for, who apparently has been searching for Ben. Miles blackmails Ben, offering to tell his boss that Ben is dead in exchange for $3.2 million. At first Ben mocks Miles, as was to be expected, but nevertheless, he agrees to pay the money.
Locke proceeds to go apeshit. He asks Kate what Miles and Ben talked about, and after she tells them, he tells her to pack her shit and head to the beach. Sawyer, however, offers to protect her. The next morning, however, Sawyer tells her that if she had been pregnant it would have been the worst thing in the world. After proceeding to slap the fuck out of Sawyer, Kate leaves to go back to the beach.
The flash-forward in the episode was Kate's court case after she got back from the island. Jack ends up saving Kate by testifying and lying, claiming she was a hero and that she saved six out of the eight survivors from drowning. The jury sympathizes with this, and Kate gets off on 10 years in-state probation. At the end of the flash-forward, we find out that Kate has Aaron, Claire's son, and she is referring to him as her own child.
The episode had a lot of ups and downs. Some good notes: it continued this season's style of answering more questions than it brings up (which is what the series needs right now). Also the moment when we find out that Desmond and Sayid never made it back to the freighter was intense. Finally, the plot twist at the end, where we find out that Kate has Aaron, was completely shocking.
However, the bad outweighed the good. It seems like the show pretty much wants us to hate Kate. Sawyer has turned into this good guy, but she still treats him like ass. It's getting kind of old, too. Kate and Sawyer either need to get together or stay apart, no more of this "have sex on occasion and then start drama" bullshit.
Speaking of Sawyer becoming such a good guy, this does not bode well for him. Anytime a character has a personality change or revelation, they usually die. Last season Charlie kicked cocaine out of his life, and became a true father figure for Aaron. Then he drowned. Sawyer is my favorite character, and if he is killed off, I'll be pissed.
On the same note of Kate and Sawyer getting old, Jack and Kate is getting old too. The whole "I love you, but am not going to be with you" conflict between the two is played out. Move on and bring in something more interesting.
"Eggtown" was a decent episode overall. While I don't hate Kate, I can certainly understand why those who do hate her do. This episode highlights how useless and interfering she can be, and how much drama she can create. Overall, it was okay. There were no huge questions answered, no huge revelations, and nothing major overall. It almost felt like filler, but there was enough relevant plot twists and information presented to keep it from being so. All in all, Lost can do better.
6.5/10
This week's episode of Lost, "Eggtown," focused on Kate and her life in a flash-forward. It had its ups and downs, but ultimately left me feeling a lot of contempt and near-hate towards Kate (this sentence earns two points for rhyming). Here's a quick recap:
Locke has captured Miles and has him held captive. Kate wants to talk to him to see if the rest of the world remembers that she was a criminal and a murderer. After talking to Miles, he tells her that he will answer her questions if he can get a single minute to speak with Ben Linus. Knowing Locke would never allow this, Kate seeks Sawyer's help, who seemingly betrays (however, he turns out to be helping her after all). Anyways, some shit goes down, and Kate's plan works.
Miles talks to Ben and makes some references to the guy he works for, who apparently has been searching for Ben. Miles blackmails Ben, offering to tell his boss that Ben is dead in exchange for $3.2 million. At first Ben mocks Miles, as was to be expected, but nevertheless, he agrees to pay the money.
Locke proceeds to go apeshit. He asks Kate what Miles and Ben talked about, and after she tells them, he tells her to pack her shit and head to the beach. Sawyer, however, offers to protect her. The next morning, however, Sawyer tells her that if she had been pregnant it would have been the worst thing in the world. After proceeding to slap the fuck out of Sawyer, Kate leaves to go back to the beach.
The flash-forward in the episode was Kate's court case after she got back from the island. Jack ends up saving Kate by testifying and lying, claiming she was a hero and that she saved six out of the eight survivors from drowning. The jury sympathizes with this, and Kate gets off on 10 years in-state probation. At the end of the flash-forward, we find out that Kate has Aaron, Claire's son, and she is referring to him as her own child.
The episode had a lot of ups and downs. Some good notes: it continued this season's style of answering more questions than it brings up (which is what the series needs right now). Also the moment when we find out that Desmond and Sayid never made it back to the freighter was intense. Finally, the plot twist at the end, where we find out that Kate has Aaron, was completely shocking.
However, the bad outweighed the good. It seems like the show pretty much wants us to hate Kate. Sawyer has turned into this good guy, but she still treats him like ass. It's getting kind of old, too. Kate and Sawyer either need to get together or stay apart, no more of this "have sex on occasion and then start drama" bullshit.
Speaking of Sawyer becoming such a good guy, this does not bode well for him. Anytime a character has a personality change or revelation, they usually die. Last season Charlie kicked cocaine out of his life, and became a true father figure for Aaron. Then he drowned. Sawyer is my favorite character, and if he is killed off, I'll be pissed.
On the same note of Kate and Sawyer getting old, Jack and Kate is getting old too. The whole "I love you, but am not going to be with you" conflict between the two is played out. Move on and bring in something more interesting.
"Eggtown" was a decent episode overall. While I don't hate Kate, I can certainly understand why those who do hate her do. This episode highlights how useless and interfering she can be, and how much drama she can create. Overall, it was okay. There were no huge questions answered, no huge revelations, and nothing major overall. It almost felt like filler, but there was enough relevant plot twists and information presented to keep it from being so. All in all, Lost can do better.
6.5/10
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Microsoft XNA
If you haven't checked it out yet, Microsoft has just released a bunch of free games that were designed by Xbox players using Microsoft's new XNA software (which can be downloaded here for free). I downloaded the Dishwasher: Dead Samurai demo last night and gave it a spin, and it's amazing. I'd pay $5, $10, or even $15 for it if it went on XBLA...but sadly it won't be.
Microsoft's plan for these games is to make them part of a $50 per four months or $99 per year package deal. Meaning if you want to play any user created games, you'll have to lay down a bejmanin (it's all about the benjamins, after all). You could go the $50 route, but your subscription to the XNA Creator's Club would be for four months, meaning at the end of the year, you'd end up paying $150 if you decide to keep renewing. So essentially, Microsoft is going to be making $100 from every person who wants to play these games.
Now, for developers, $100 is a steal. Getting your name and work out to such a large user base for only $100 a year is like a dream come true. To everyone else, however (myself included), it sucks. I would love to see the user created games go up on XBLA. Hell, The Dishwasher is better than a lot of XBLA games made by corporate developers. If Microsoft was able to work out a marketing system to where the independent developers who create these awesome games could get them licensed and put on XBLA, then I believe Microsoft XNA would be a much better success. As I said, $100 is a bargain for developers, but your average gamer probably isn't going to pay that much just to play a couple games.
I could be wrong though. XNA could be a huge success, and hell, I could even end up paying for it. It's unlikely though. Unless every title released is as good as The Dishwasher, I don't see it being worth it.
And a random note, due to night classes I missed Lost tonight.
Microsoft's plan for these games is to make them part of a $50 per four months or $99 per year package deal. Meaning if you want to play any user created games, you'll have to lay down a bejmanin (it's all about the benjamins, after all). You could go the $50 route, but your subscription to the XNA Creator's Club would be for four months, meaning at the end of the year, you'd end up paying $150 if you decide to keep renewing. So essentially, Microsoft is going to be making $100 from every person who wants to play these games.
Now, for developers, $100 is a steal. Getting your name and work out to such a large user base for only $100 a year is like a dream come true. To everyone else, however (myself included), it sucks. I would love to see the user created games go up on XBLA. Hell, The Dishwasher is better than a lot of XBLA games made by corporate developers. If Microsoft was able to work out a marketing system to where the independent developers who create these awesome games could get them licensed and put on XBLA, then I believe Microsoft XNA would be a much better success. As I said, $100 is a bargain for developers, but your average gamer probably isn't going to pay that much just to play a couple games.
I could be wrong though. XNA could be a huge success, and hell, I could even end up paying for it. It's unlikely though. Unless every title released is as good as The Dishwasher, I don't see it being worth it.
And a random note, due to night classes I missed Lost tonight.
Testing
I bought the domain to www.theloneliestwebsite.com
Woot! Now the nobody that reads this can read it at its own domain!
Woot! Now the nobody that reads this can read it at its own domain!
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Fun songs to play on Audio Surf
Here's a couple songs that are a blast to play in Audio Surf:
-"Fuel" - Metallica
-"Southside" - Moby ft. Gwen Stefani
-The Power Rangers Theme Song
-"The Hand That Feeds" - Nine Inch Nails
-"Looking Up The Sun" - Poets of the Fall
-"The Adventure" - Angels and Airwaves
-"Through the Fire and Flames" - Dragon Force
-"Anthem (We Are The Fire)" - Trivium
-"Prayer of the Refugee" - Rise Against
-"Zombie" - The Cranberries
-"Stronger" - Kanye West
-"How Far We've Come" - Matchbox Twenty
-"The Kids Aren't Alright" - Offspring
-"All My Life" - Foo Fighters
-"One" - Metallica
-"Dream On" - Aerosmith
Unfortunately, my hard drive (which had thousands of songs on it) was recently erased, and I haven't rebuilt my music collection yet. However, all of those songs are extremely fun to play. Feel free to leave comments suggesting any songs and I will add them to the list (I'll also be adding more songs as I play more).
In unrelated news, I'm halfway through DMC4 and it's fucking amazing. I should have no problem making it last until March 9th.
-"Fuel" - Metallica
-"Southside" - Moby ft. Gwen Stefani
-The Power Rangers Theme Song
-"The Hand That Feeds" - Nine Inch Nails
-"Looking Up The Sun" - Poets of the Fall
-"The Adventure" - Angels and Airwaves
-"Through the Fire and Flames" - Dragon Force
-"Anthem (We Are The Fire)" - Trivium
-"Prayer of the Refugee" - Rise Against
-"Zombie" - The Cranberries
-"Stronger" - Kanye West
-"How Far We've Come" - Matchbox Twenty
-"The Kids Aren't Alright" - Offspring
-"All My Life" - Foo Fighters
-"One" - Metallica
-"Dream On" - Aerosmith
Unfortunately, my hard drive (which had thousands of songs on it) was recently erased, and I haven't rebuilt my music collection yet. However, all of those songs are extremely fun to play. Feel free to leave comments suggesting any songs and I will add them to the list (I'll also be adding more songs as I play more).
In unrelated news, I'm halfway through DMC4 and it's fucking amazing. I should have no problem making it last until March 9th.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Useless Thoughts and Ramblings
I should be busy revising this major paper I have due tomorrow for English 111, but I'm not, so here's some thoughts and ramblings.
First off, after reading Gamespot's preview of Warhammer Online I must say, I'm pretty impressed. I am a big fan of WoW, but a breath of air and change of pace would definitely be nice. However, competing with WoW in terms of scale is going to be really tough. Deciding to get into a MMORPG was a tough decision for me, due to the monthly fees. After playing WoW, I inevitably decided that the customer support was so good and there was so much depth to the game that it was ultimately worth the $15 I shelled out every month. For me to pay any more money monthly for a game, it better deliver a lot.
Warhammer Online sounds like it is shaping up to deliver quite a bit. It has PvE, PvP, and RvR (region versus region combat, something I'm pretty interested in). It even has an auction house and really awesome quest mechanics. However, it is the combination of all of that as well as a lot of other elements that make WoW so popular. Patches keep the game ever evolving, stuff like holiday events add personality and fun to the game and keep it interesting for the casual player, while an extremely deep character customization system and massive amounts of tactical instances keep the hardcore players happy. If Warhammer is going to compete, it needs these elements too. I'm not saying it should rip-off WoW...well actually I am. It pretty much needs to emulate everything WoW does successfully while improving on WoW's weaker aspects (repetitive quests, large amounts of grinding). Also, one huge draw in WoW has for a lot of people is it's scalability. WoW looks good from an artistic stand-point, and can run on pretty much any computer. That's one of the main reasons it has 9 million+ players. Warhammer is shaping up to look great, but whether or not it will scale well is another question. I'm really hoping the game does well though. It has potential, I would just like to see it met.
In other news, in an interview with Alan Flores (lead designer in the Guitar Hero games), he gives insight into what to expect in the next Guitar Hero game. It's respectable that he's trying to bring something new to the table, but honestly, Guitar Hero seems pretty played out to me. It was pretty much a stepping stone to Rock Band (which, if you can afford it, pretty much renders the need for a Guitar Hero game uselss). Flores talks about taking GH in new directions. One of those directions seems to be Guitar Hero Aerosmith. Seriously? Do they realize that Aerosmith hasn't had anything good since the 80s, and that the key demographic for the GH games is 18-24 year olds (meaning the majority of GH players either weren't born or were in elementary school during Aerosmith's golden days). Who is going to buy that? Seriously, who wants a game dedicated to Aerosmith? They aren't a bad band by any means, but their biggest hit was "I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing" - the theme song for Armageddon, and one of the worst songs ever composed. Not only will that song be included in the game, but 30+ others will be as well. Here is my list of Aerosmith songs I would like to play:
-"Walk This Way"
-"Sweet Emotion"
-"Dream On"
Actually "Dream On" was just released for free over Xbox Live for download in Guitar Hero III, so cross that off the list of songs I'd buy the game for. That leaves two. Out of 30-40 songs, I would want to play two. That's a winner if I've ever seen one. And finally, here is the first screenshot from the game:
At least they did a good job of replicating Steve Tyler's gigantic mouth. His mouth is bigger than the shark's from Jaws. Don't believe me? Look:
I can't tell whose is bigger.
Also, I'm downloading Audio Surf. I'll give a review/update at a later date.
First off, after reading Gamespot's preview of Warhammer Online I must say, I'm pretty impressed. I am a big fan of WoW, but a breath of air and change of pace would definitely be nice. However, competing with WoW in terms of scale is going to be really tough. Deciding to get into a MMORPG was a tough decision for me, due to the monthly fees. After playing WoW, I inevitably decided that the customer support was so good and there was so much depth to the game that it was ultimately worth the $15 I shelled out every month. For me to pay any more money monthly for a game, it better deliver a lot.
Warhammer Online sounds like it is shaping up to deliver quite a bit. It has PvE, PvP, and RvR (region versus region combat, something I'm pretty interested in). It even has an auction house and really awesome quest mechanics. However, it is the combination of all of that as well as a lot of other elements that make WoW so popular. Patches keep the game ever evolving, stuff like holiday events add personality and fun to the game and keep it interesting for the casual player, while an extremely deep character customization system and massive amounts of tactical instances keep the hardcore players happy. If Warhammer is going to compete, it needs these elements too. I'm not saying it should rip-off WoW...well actually I am. It pretty much needs to emulate everything WoW does successfully while improving on WoW's weaker aspects (repetitive quests, large amounts of grinding). Also, one huge draw in WoW has for a lot of people is it's scalability. WoW looks good from an artistic stand-point, and can run on pretty much any computer. That's one of the main reasons it has 9 million+ players. Warhammer is shaping up to look great, but whether or not it will scale well is another question. I'm really hoping the game does well though. It has potential, I would just like to see it met.
In other news, in an interview with Alan Flores (lead designer in the Guitar Hero games), he gives insight into what to expect in the next Guitar Hero game. It's respectable that he's trying to bring something new to the table, but honestly, Guitar Hero seems pretty played out to me. It was pretty much a stepping stone to Rock Band (which, if you can afford it, pretty much renders the need for a Guitar Hero game uselss). Flores talks about taking GH in new directions. One of those directions seems to be Guitar Hero Aerosmith. Seriously? Do they realize that Aerosmith hasn't had anything good since the 80s, and that the key demographic for the GH games is 18-24 year olds (meaning the majority of GH players either weren't born or were in elementary school during Aerosmith's golden days). Who is going to buy that? Seriously, who wants a game dedicated to Aerosmith? They aren't a bad band by any means, but their biggest hit was "I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing" - the theme song for Armageddon, and one of the worst songs ever composed. Not only will that song be included in the game, but 30+ others will be as well. Here is my list of Aerosmith songs I would like to play:
-"Walk This Way"
-"Sweet Emotion"
-"Dream On"
Actually "Dream On" was just released for free over Xbox Live for download in Guitar Hero III, so cross that off the list of songs I'd buy the game for. That leaves two. Out of 30-40 songs, I would want to play two. That's a winner if I've ever seen one. And finally, here is the first screenshot from the game:
At least they did a good job of replicating Steve Tyler's gigantic mouth. His mouth is bigger than the shark's from Jaws. Don't believe me? Look:
I can't tell whose is bigger.
Also, I'm downloading Audio Surf. I'll give a review/update at a later date.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Devil May Cry 4
Welcome to the loneliest blog in the world. If you are reading this, I thank you for making this site a little less lonely (but at the same time resent you for removing the truth in the site's title).
So I picked up Devil May Cry 4 yesterday (as the blog title just might suggest) and am loving it. New character Nero = awesome. Is he Dante? No. But Dante couldn't be in most of the game due to his full schedule of murdering cult assassins. A lot of reviews have pointed out the game is too similar to its predecessors (I'm looking at you, Xplay), and while this is pretty much true, I don't see why it's a bad thing. It's sort of the "why fix what isn't broken" logic I guess. It's not that DMC4 is at all a rehash, as Nero brings a lot of cool new abilities to the table, but at its core components, the game still follows the steps that DMC and DMC3 (DMC2 was a failure and will not be acknowledged) set.
Basically if you didn't like the previous entries (excluding 2) you won't like this one. But if you are a Devil May Cry fan, the game is fantastic. But Xplay brought up the question of whether or not games need to diversify themselves more from their predecessors in this generation. Personally, I think that no one wants to buy a rehashed game, but at the same time, people buy sequels to games for a reason: they want an experience similar to the first. I think Devil May Cry 4 has done a pretty good job of playing safe and delivering want fans want. It's a much more cinematic adventure (something that, in my opinion, bodes well for the series) with a new character that handles a bit different than Dante, due to the Devil Bringer moveset. Dante is still available at later levels too, so veteran fans won't be disappointed either. I think a lot of games are pushing for innovation these days, and while I'm a fan of games trying something new and pushing the boundaries, majority of games released can't seem to do it right.
The biggest example is the Wii. How many games have really taken advantage of what everyone hoped for when the Wii was announced? I'm still waiting for an awesome first person sword/gun game that really takes advantage of what the Wii could do (fuck you Red Steel). The best game on the Wii, Super Mario Galaxy, barely uses the motion controls. Too many third party developers are using the same generic "shake the wiimote to [insert pointless action]" and calling it "innovating gameplay." That's not innovating. I could think of something more innovating than that:
The game is called "Extreme Rapist: Just Say No!" The premise? Don't get raped. Shake the wiimote to shake your finger left and right signaling to the rapist "No!" and that you mean business. If the rapist doesn't give up, point the wiimote towards the screen to cover your ass and run. It's genius.
In the end, Devil May Cry 4 is a great game, regardless of whether or not it reinvents the series. It diversifies itself from previous entries, but not to the extent where it alienates its former audience. It might be nice to see the next entry into the series go in a new direction, but DMC4 shouldn't be penalized for remaining true to what makes the game a blast to play. In my opinion the formula still feels fresh and is a blast to play, so why change it?
So I picked up Devil May Cry 4 yesterday (as the blog title just might suggest) and am loving it. New character Nero = awesome. Is he Dante? No. But Dante couldn't be in most of the game due to his full schedule of murdering cult assassins. A lot of reviews have pointed out the game is too similar to its predecessors (I'm looking at you, Xplay), and while this is pretty much true, I don't see why it's a bad thing. It's sort of the "why fix what isn't broken" logic I guess. It's not that DMC4 is at all a rehash, as Nero brings a lot of cool new abilities to the table, but at its core components, the game still follows the steps that DMC and DMC3 (DMC2 was a failure and will not be acknowledged) set.
Basically if you didn't like the previous entries (excluding 2) you won't like this one. But if you are a Devil May Cry fan, the game is fantastic. But Xplay brought up the question of whether or not games need to diversify themselves more from their predecessors in this generation. Personally, I think that no one wants to buy a rehashed game, but at the same time, people buy sequels to games for a reason: they want an experience similar to the first. I think Devil May Cry 4 has done a pretty good job of playing safe and delivering want fans want. It's a much more cinematic adventure (something that, in my opinion, bodes well for the series) with a new character that handles a bit different than Dante, due to the Devil Bringer moveset. Dante is still available at later levels too, so veteran fans won't be disappointed either. I think a lot of games are pushing for innovation these days, and while I'm a fan of games trying something new and pushing the boundaries, majority of games released can't seem to do it right.
The biggest example is the Wii. How many games have really taken advantage of what everyone hoped for when the Wii was announced? I'm still waiting for an awesome first person sword/gun game that really takes advantage of what the Wii could do (fuck you Red Steel). The best game on the Wii, Super Mario Galaxy, barely uses the motion controls. Too many third party developers are using the same generic "shake the wiimote to [insert pointless action]" and calling it "innovating gameplay." That's not innovating. I could think of something more innovating than that:
The game is called "Extreme Rapist: Just Say No!" The premise? Don't get raped. Shake the wiimote to shake your finger left and right signaling to the rapist "No!" and that you mean business. If the rapist doesn't give up, point the wiimote towards the screen to cover your ass and run. It's genius.
In the end, Devil May Cry 4 is a great game, regardless of whether or not it reinvents the series. It diversifies itself from previous entries, but not to the extent where it alienates its former audience. It might be nice to see the next entry into the series go in a new direction, but DMC4 shouldn't be penalized for remaining true to what makes the game a blast to play. In my opinion the formula still feels fresh and is a blast to play, so why change it?
Saturday, February 16, 2008
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