The Buzz

Perhaps one of the most anticipated PS3 games of the last half decade; God of War 3 has boggled gamers’ minds for quite some time. Kratos is back and yet again fighting the gods in a rage, slaughtering countless waves of soldiers who don pointless attempts to keep fighting. God of War 3 sets out to go to places that the PS2 predecessors could not go. God of War 3 opens with a bang, starting right where God of War 2. We find Kratos scaling Mount Olympus on Gaia with the other Titan, going after Zeus and other gods that try to stand in their way.

God of War III is the conclusive adventure of the story of Kratos and his quest for revenge against the Gods of Olympus. Showcasing the graphical power of the Playstation 3 console, Sony Santa Monica Studios has been able to render a truly gorgeous looking game. Upon first sight of GOW 3 you’ll notice that the graphics are probably one the best seen so far on the PS3. From the sheer level of detail in each expertly crafted environment to the sheer detail that has been put into the boss battles and the set pieces. The number of enemies onscreen has been increased to 50. So seeing these huge skeletal warriors pile on Kratos and then seeing him violently power them off is empowering. It almost makes you feel like a god! All of these aspects are extremely well done and show how the PS3 can be pushed to make an outstanding game with few blemishes to note.
Naturally the word “epic” will be tossed around here as the grandiose music perfectly sets the tone with its big choir parts, percussion and intense orchestra. Old familiar sounds are back, weapons and that loud bang you get when pulling of a strong attack’s still there though the Helios head still makes that bizarre scream every time you take it out. The music has always gone hand in hand to the theme of the series, epic sounding, and fantasy land galore and well orchestrated. The voice acting is top notch as most are returning and there are some familiar new voices. One such voice is Hercules played by Kevin Sorbo who starred in the TV role of the character.

Being that this is God of War 3, the game play have to be top notch. It delivers, bringing action and puzzles elements together. You are in the sandals of Spartan warrior Kratos will kill everyone who stands in your way. Game play, while familiar to anyone that’s played the first two in the series, never gets old or too familiar. The combat control is much the same as before. In other words if isn’t broke don’t fix it. Instead of fixing, many tweaks have been made that make the combat feel more responsive and deeper than ever before. For starters, the QTEs now put the button prompts in relation to their location on the controller (triangle appears at the top of the screen, X on the bottom ect.). This allows the player to view whatever violent act Kratos is performing at the time without having the button prompt cover it all. Another great change is the ability to switch weapons on the fly, mid combo. This allows for a lot of creativity to be used in how you dispatch each enemy. A new addition to the combat system is the combat grapple. Kratos will fling both blades into an enemy and pull himself towards them. This greatly increases combo variety and makes it easier to string together.
With many way to demolish your enemies you need the weapons to rip them apart, letting river of blood flow. You have the trademark blades, the Blades of Exile. The CLAWS OF HADES, NEMESIS WHIP and the notable new addition the NEMEAN CESTUS are your weapons of mass destruction. Nemean Cestus, a pair of fist gauntlets shaped like lion heads has the ability to smash through solid objects such as rocks and to plow through enemy shields. With each weapon, they have their own unique strengths and weaknesses; take the nemean cestus for an example. They are brutally powerful gauntlets that allow you to perform massive bashing damage on your foes, but they do not allow you to evade very well and so you will rely heavily on offense, always keeping the enemy off balance with them to gain the upper hand. There are tons of mythological monsters to kill. The repetitiveness of battling some of the same monsters throughout the game is limited by some of the ways that you can execute…well…executions. Ah, yes, nothing likes ripping the privates off of an anatomically correct ogre

You will encounter some puzzles along the way. The puzzles in the game are challenging without being overly so and some of them very clever and ingenious. There are also some decent puzzles which require a diverse assortment of strategy. Some will be placing objects in the right places or figuring out how to open gates and doors. The ways in which these are solved remain unique to the series.

God of War 3 does not try to reinvent itself in any major way. It’s just improves on what the series is known for. Graphics, music and superb game play that combines into a massive juggernaut that will rock you to the core and unleashed your inner Kratos.

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Hey, so again during my late night ritual of searching for more game news. I stumble across on yahoo games about the PS3 new firmware updated. Apparently, from the article this is being called a step backwards because the Playstation 3′s next update, scheduled for April 1, will actually disable one of the console’s most unusual features; which allowed PS3 owners to download the Linux O/S system to their PS3 and use their PS3 not only as a game system but a computer system too. Personally, it makes no difference to me as I have a laptop that I do gaming on; but for those who would like to read more on the subject more. I have provided the link to the story.

http://videogames.yahoo.com/events/plugged-in/new-ps3-firmware-update-is-step-backward-/1395249v

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Listen up music game fans, all ten of you, two of the biggest music industry have sold their rights and estates. First, Jimmi Hendrix will be coming to Rock Band 1 and 2 as well as LEGO Rock Band as a DLC. The DLC will included the likeness of Hendrix and The Experience and a setlist which will be available as standalone tracks or an album, here are the tracks…

*EXP
*Up From the Skies
*Valleys of Neptune
Spanish Magic Castle
Wait Until Tomorrow
Ain’t No Telling
Little Wing
If 6 was 9
You Got Me Floatin
Castle Made of Sand
She’s So Fine
One Rainy Wish
Little Miss Lover
Bold As Love

(*Only for Rock Band 1 and 2)

Second, the late Michael Jackson’s estate was sold to Sony for $200 million dollars and the contract includes ” 10 new albums and unreleased tracks by Michael Jackson, video games and DVDs between now and 2017.” So don’t be surprised if we see tracks featured in DJ Hero 2, a Thriller DLC for Left 4 Dead 2, or a remake of Moonwalker done by Team Ninja.(that will happen before the remake of Final Fantasy VII ooo snap)

So I just read on Yahoo Games that Sony has confirmed a squeal to the popular hit game Little Big Planet. There isn’t much more about the game play. However, it is said to feature the Move Controller feature. To read more about this story please follow the following link:

http://videogames.yahoo.com/news-1394782

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The father of the beloved character Mario, Shigeru Miyamoto is working on getting the Nintendo DS as a learning aid for students.  Miyamoto made the announcement at the 2010 BAFTA while accepting the fellowship award and while he have other goals in mind such as, increasing the Wii’s online presence and bringing more content to the Wii channel.  This bold move plans to be here in the States as well as Japan and Europe, with the Nintendo DS having a strong presence in everyday use in Japan like giving audio tours in museums and teaching foreigners English and other languages. In my opinion, it’s a great idea as a take-home study and it should be tested at universities first.

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Exclusively released for the Playstation 3; Heavy Rain follows the storyline of four characters all with the same purpose; to catch the Origami Killer.

Recently, I got a chance to play a copy of Heavy Rain by the makers of Indigo Prophecy. I got it the day that it was released, but with that being said I can honestly say that it is a game that is actually worth your time, and I’m going to review it without trying to give out some of the plot.

First, you must be into these types of games, because the game play is similar to Indigo Prophecy just a lot less annoying. The graphics for the game are quite stunning. I mean I will admit the game is a bit short, but honestly it’s a game that plays like a movie but it’s not a game that when you play you’re like that’s it?

Which brings me to the next feature of the game if you die with one of the characters in the game, it’s not game over its simple adios amigo (a) and the game keeps going on. Don’t worry for those who have an ending in mind you can simple exit the game and restart the chapter from the beginning from the main menu, but for those who are going to go back and replay the game in it’s entire multiple times (such as myself) just go ahead and play the game through.

I love the storyline because it keeps you completely drawn in to the very end(s). As far as the characters go I love the emotions they use for each of the characters almost like you can really relate to them. You feel Ethan’s anguish as he calls out for his son. You get annoyed by Jayden’s know-it-all attitude. You feel Madison’s terror during her night terror. You relate to Scott Shelby as he searches for the killer.

Although I love the storyline; the actual game play could have been a tad bit better. At times you get wrapped up in what’s going on in the screen; that you miss the sequence or sequences that happen to pop up right on your characters hand. If your character is scared or tensed, you’ll have difficulties selecting choices because the choices are shaking making them hard to read. Also, something that sort of annoyed me in the game is that they don’t run that much in this game, it’s like they walk throughout the game. I think they ran maybe once or twice, and it makes you think or yell “Dude why are you walking at a time like this?!”

At most the game lasts for a day. However, as you control the outcomes it’s actually a game that could last for a quite awhile, and is worth picking up if not at least a rental.

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Back in November of 2007, we were given a game that was said to be innovative, monumental, and one of the first “true next-gen experiences.” Instead, to the majority of gamers who picked it up, it turned out to be bogged down by repetition and an open world that wasn’t quite as open as one would like, and slowly paced title. Assassin’s Creed II is here and accomplishes everything the original tried so hard to do, and does it perfectly. It is executed in a way that leaves you with the sense of wanting and needing more in the end.

This third person action-adventure was developed by Ubisoft Montreal as the second installment of the Assassin’s Creed series. The game begins exactly where the pervious game ended as you take control of Desmond Miles who is escaping from Abstergo Industries with the assintance of Lucy Stillman. But before you escape you retrieve the genetic memory of the birth of Ezio Auditore da Firenze from the Animus. Why is this importance? You are later thown into the Renaissance-era Italy where you play as Enzio, the son of an Italian banker who is on the pursuit of the Templars of Italy when he is betrayed and his family is killed. You don the robes of an assassin to take your revenge.

While the basics are the same of the pervious game, there’s been so many improvements it might be hard to replay the previous game since you don’t get access to the new parts. For one the combat has been totally refined adding things like swords, knives, bombs, and the hidden (dual) assassin blades of course, plus you can steal enemies’ weapons and use it against them too. The combat has a more over all intelligent flow from the first game, althought it builds on that idea.
Don’t want to fight anyone and slip by unnoticed? Blending in the crowd is made easier as a gray circle will indicate that you are hidden. You could hire courtesans to distract them, thieves to lure them away or mercs to fight for you. Do more killing and bad stuff than the city can tolerate (which isn’t much) and the guards will be more suspicious of you so while before they’re a bit more suspect of you, at full notoreity they’ll practically want to kill you on sight. How do you bring it down? Find posters that no guard would see, kill officials that don’t exactly run that fast or bribe heralds and naysayers instead of…I don’t know, roughing them up mafia-style and threatening to break their knees?

Another added element is the idea of money. It can be spent on upgrades such as better armor, better weapons, replenish your poison blades, smoke bombs, buy paintings or tint your cape. Buying paintings or upgrading your villa, a sort of central base of operation.
Not to mention there’s a lot more added missions with the familiar races but also there’s assassination contracts, courier missions, beat-em-up parts where you pummel cheaters and many others. As far as collecting is concerned, there is some of that found in the feathers but there’s only 100 as opposed to 100 in each city but then we have glyphs. Uncover a building and find an icon and you’ll see somewhere on the building is a glyph, strange markings easily found by using Eagle Vision and scanning them prompts a really intriguing story about Subject 16 where you decode messages, find clues embedded in photographs are doing some riddle solving.

The world feels much more open now because of the lack of redundancy. Every city you visit has random assassination missions, races against thieves, guards to lure away with mercenaries or the local brothel, and so on, but even though it’s the same in every city, they are not required so you can do these little side quests or ignore them. As for main story missions, there are a few that repeat. but missions like these are spaced out and done in ways that they don’t feel repetitive, which is a big plus and a lesson learned. The overall pacing of the story is so well done and intriguing in ways that are so natural you don’t think about it at all.

The graphic are simply impressive as you look over the Italian cityscape. Ubisoft took their time in recreating many landmarks and capturing the renaissance atmosphere, culture, and city layout of Italy. There are moments in the game where I just stopped to admire the view, mainly in the temples and viewpoints. The animations are lifelike. An absolutely stellar soundtrack with some really haunting and peaceful themes playing throughout and the more dramatic or action moments are nicely done. Voice acting as well is spot-on with many voice actors actually sounding like they’re from the era and place.

Assassin’s Creed II comes back revamped, improved, and flawless in everyway imaginable. Enzio feels like more compelling protagonist. His personality, back-story, and his progression from young misfit to skilled assassin is very gripping. The supporting characters, including family and friends your meet along the way, provide some interesting plot points that will keep you inclined to progress with as much of your free time as possible. ASSASSIN’S CREED II not only redeems its predecessor’s many follies, but it is most definitely one of the best games out there.

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So I thought I begin a web based mini series of my MMO adventures.

In this series I will give you the run down on what its like to play a certain MMO.

In this web series I will cover games such as this.

I hope that by giving some of you a brief glimpse into the world of massively multiplayer

online role playing games that you might be persuaded to give them a try.  Stay tuned for

the first entry into this adventure’s journal.