Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Them Crooked Vultures: Them Crooked Vultures
Right enough of my geekery...for now - on to some music.
This is the 'debut' (& I use the term very loosely for these guys - it's an epic super-group consisting of Mr John-Paul Jones, Mr Josh Homme & Mr David Grohl, from; Led Zeppelin, Queens of the Stone Age & Foo Fighters respectively.
It certainly excited me when I first heard about them a couple months back & even the short minute long Youtube vids they previewed helped.
Their sound is heavy enough to sound like old-fashioned QotSA (the Songs for the Deaf era - which also coincidentally featured Grohl on drums!) but is definitely catchy as well.
They released their album a full week before it was due for general release, on their Youtube channel & there are already 3 stand-out tracks for me - the tracks grow & there are hints of the associated bands (especially the Foo's) & I really would put them at the top (well equal top really) of my must-see-live list! (the other is of course my band of 2008 & 2009 - Silversun Pickups).
I would definitely have a listen to their Youtube version before buying, as I don't necessarily think it will have the universal appeal of say Foo Fighters, but definitely worth a blast. My top tracks are:
Grohl on drums = win
This is the 'debut' (& I use the term very loosely for these guys - it's an epic super-group consisting of Mr John-Paul Jones, Mr Josh Homme & Mr David Grohl, from; Led Zeppelin, Queens of the Stone Age & Foo Fighters respectively.
It certainly excited me when I first heard about them a couple months back & even the short minute long Youtube vids they previewed helped.
Their sound is heavy enough to sound like old-fashioned QotSA (the Songs for the Deaf era - which also coincidentally featured Grohl on drums!) but is definitely catchy as well.
They released their album a full week before it was due for general release, on their Youtube channel & there are already 3 stand-out tracks for me - the tracks grow & there are hints of the associated bands (especially the Foo's) & I really would put them at the top (well equal top really) of my must-see-live list! (the other is of course my band of 2008 & 2009 - Silversun Pickups).
I would definitely have a listen to their Youtube version before buying, as I don't necessarily think it will have the universal appeal of say Foo Fighters, but definitely worth a blast. My top tracks are:
Track 1: No One Loves Me & Neither Do I
Track 2: Mind Eraser, No Chaser
Track 5: Elephants
Track 6: Scumbag Blues
Grohl on drums = win
Xplay/G4 - who?
So why use the style of X Play?! Here's what I've perused from Wiki about it:
The video game reviews on X-Play use a five-point rating scale, based on such factors as graphics, sound, gameplay, and playability (i.e. replay value). On X-Play's original TechTV homepage, the ratings system was broken down in the following way:
* 1 - Hated it. Do not buy this game. Not even worth the bargain bin. Run from it. Escape!! Escape!!
* 2 - Alright. These games are fun, with some good points, but nothing special. There's definitely a few specific things holding this game back. Wait until the price comes down or pick it up as [a] renter to check out some of the things it does right.
* 3 - Good. Fun to play, pretty solid titles, with a few minor flaws. Most games will probably fall into this category. They're the games that if you like the genre, or liked other similar titles, you might consider giving it a good look. Otherwise, you might not be into it.
* 4 - Very good. Games that are at the top of all our lists, but are missing that strange intangible aura of perfection, and unfortunately that's keeping them from getting in the realm of the almighty five.
* 5 - Near perfect/perfect. If you're a true player, these games will undoubtedly be in your collection, or at the very least you'll have played them until the cartridges and CDs melted. If a game gets a 5, and you like the genre, you should buy.
The hosts (Adam & Morgan) also explained why they use a 5-point ratings system, rather than a 10- or even 100-point scale:
Morgan: Our system is better because it recognizes that scores are broad generalizations.
Adam: For example, a popular web site gave Mobile Suit Gundam: Crossfire a score of 3.0 out of 10. They gave Torino 2006 a 3.9. What is the difference?
Morgan: Both games suck, all the score is gonna be able to communicate to you is that the game is bad. If you want more nuance on the suckage, you have to actually go and read the review. See, in a 10-point scale, everything under 5 just means 'this game ain't worth buying', so there's no real difference.
Adam: And there's no real nuance to a score difference of two- or three-tenths of a point. Our scores at least give sweeping generalizations for you to use as a guide.
It's the rating system I'm used to & have been using them as a guide since I started listening to podcasts! Hence why 1-5*s rather than anything else.
Six out.
PS I don't always agree with X Play...Football games for example - or soccer as they call it - they're never happy with any 'soccer' games.
The video game reviews on X-Play use a five-point rating scale, based on such factors as graphics, sound, gameplay, and playability (i.e. replay value). On X-Play's original TechTV homepage, the ratings system was broken down in the following way:
* 1 - Hated it. Do not buy this game. Not even worth the bargain bin. Run from it. Escape!! Escape!!
* 2 - Alright. These games are fun, with some good points, but nothing special. There's definitely a few specific things holding this game back. Wait until the price comes down or pick it up as [a] renter to check out some of the things it does right.
* 3 - Good. Fun to play, pretty solid titles, with a few minor flaws. Most games will probably fall into this category. They're the games that if you like the genre, or liked other similar titles, you might consider giving it a good look. Otherwise, you might not be into it.
* 4 - Very good. Games that are at the top of all our lists, but are missing that strange intangible aura of perfection, and unfortunately that's keeping them from getting in the realm of the almighty five.
* 5 - Near perfect/perfect. If you're a true player, these games will undoubtedly be in your collection, or at the very least you'll have played them until the cartridges and CDs melted. If a game gets a 5, and you like the genre, you should buy.
The hosts (Adam & Morgan) also explained why they use a 5-point ratings system, rather than a 10- or even 100-point scale:
Morgan: Our system is better because it recognizes that scores are broad generalizations.
Adam: For example, a popular web site gave Mobile Suit Gundam: Crossfire a score of 3.0 out of 10. They gave Torino 2006 a 3.9. What is the difference?
Morgan: Both games suck, all the score is gonna be able to communicate to you is that the game is bad. If you want more nuance on the suckage, you have to actually go and read the review. See, in a 10-point scale, everything under 5 just means 'this game ain't worth buying', so there's no real difference.
Adam: And there's no real nuance to a score difference of two- or three-tenths of a point. Our scores at least give sweeping generalizations for you to use as a guide.
It's the rating system I'm used to & have been using them as a guide since I started listening to podcasts! Hence why 1-5*s rather than anything else.
Six out.
PS I don't always agree with X Play...Football games for example - or soccer as they call it - they're never happy with any 'soccer' games.
Monday, November 23, 2009
Review: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2!
...or to give it it's proper name...CoD 6! It's finally out - an eagerly awaited sequel - the original game is still at its RRP even after the 2 years its been out! That's quite extraordinary for a 4th outing in a series, so the hopes are high for this latest title.
I got it the day it came out (for a change!) & managed to get a few minutes spare that lunchtime to get past the opening credits & training mode - it's really fast & great fun is had using the modern weaponry - all machine-pistols, sub-machine guns & the occasional shotgun.
One (almost-instant) negative of note - the included manual is perhaps the worst I have ever seen! Everything is in standard font, there's not a huge amount of substance at all & even the 1 screenshot has no background to it. It certainly look incomplete & a little unprofessional - especially for such a high quality game - very bizarre. It was almost as if they didn't feel the need to tell people how to play the 6th edition of their game!
Anyways, the game-play! There are many moments of awe-inspiring/jaw-dropping` game-play - on board a stolen skidoo going at full tilt over an epic jump, taking an entire airbase with just one other member in your squad, the Rio scenes are impossibly good, & the some of the later levels seem rather epic.
The challenge offered by the single-player is good - it's not just a simple walk, shoot occasional & progress - even on the regular difficulty setting there are some parts of the game that really do take all your concentration & effort just to get through. For example holding a building, whilst downloading files, all the while your enemies come from all sides at the same time with scoped weapons & sub-machine guns is an epic & challenging bit of play, reminiscent of the legendary Nazi Zombies!
The Weapons, the sub-machine guns all feel pretty similar, but with different sights & scopes add a little variety. There are lots of different pistols, but the most fun have been the shotguns. Normally their lack of accuracy over distance is quite limiting, not so much now - in Rio & especially during Whiskey Hotel the quick-shot & lethal Striker is very much the harbinger of doom!
I did complete it on Regular in just 2 evenings (about 8 hours) which seemed a little fast, but I then wanted to play it again & grind through on Veteran, just to run through it all again with an epic challenge!
Also there are the side missions - Spec Ops to be precise - 23 levels of increasingly difficult replays of the original storyline, as well as some familiar reworkings of the first Modern Warfare. Expect lots of silliness when playing with your friends - it's a little bit Bob & Steve (see below)
But the levels are really tough - even for the experienced CoD gamer - it represents a proper challenge, but I think it's great fun & does reward you for playing well.
The more starts you earn (1 for regular, 2 for hardened & 3 for veteran) then unlock more levels, each represents a big step up from the previous levels - so far have unlocked Delta & need just 1 more star to open up the hardest levels - Echo. The Delta levels are already the toughest I've seen, so the Echo will need every ounce of prowess methinks.
In terms of the levels - the ghillie-suit vs ghille-suit & snow-sniper levels have been favourites - but the bridge levels are great fun as well.
The overall rating is a well-deserved 5 out of 5
I got it the day it came out (for a change!) & managed to get a few minutes spare that lunchtime to get past the opening credits & training mode - it's really fast & great fun is had using the modern weaponry - all machine-pistols, sub-machine guns & the occasional shotgun.
One (almost-instant) negative of note - the included manual is perhaps the worst I have ever seen! Everything is in standard font, there's not a huge amount of substance at all & even the 1 screenshot has no background to it. It certainly look incomplete & a little unprofessional - especially for such a high quality game - very bizarre. It was almost as if they didn't feel the need to tell people how to play the 6th edition of their game!
Anyways, the game-play! There are many moments of awe-inspiring/jaw-dropping` game-play - on board a stolen skidoo going at full tilt over an epic jump, taking an entire airbase with just one other member in your squad, the Rio scenes are impossibly good, & the some of the later levels seem rather epic.
The challenge offered by the single-player is good - it's not just a simple walk, shoot occasional & progress - even on the regular difficulty setting there are some parts of the game that really do take all your concentration & effort just to get through. For example holding a building, whilst downloading files, all the while your enemies come from all sides at the same time with scoped weapons & sub-machine guns is an epic & challenging bit of play, reminiscent of the legendary Nazi Zombies!
The Weapons, the sub-machine guns all feel pretty similar, but with different sights & scopes add a little variety. There are lots of different pistols, but the most fun have been the shotguns. Normally their lack of accuracy over distance is quite limiting, not so much now - in Rio & especially during Whiskey Hotel the quick-shot & lethal Striker is very much the harbinger of doom!
I did complete it on Regular in just 2 evenings (about 8 hours) which seemed a little fast, but I then wanted to play it again & grind through on Veteran, just to run through it all again with an epic challenge!
Also there are the side missions - Spec Ops to be precise - 23 levels of increasingly difficult replays of the original storyline, as well as some familiar reworkings of the first Modern Warfare. Expect lots of silliness when playing with your friends - it's a little bit Bob & Steve (see below)
But the levels are really tough - even for the experienced CoD gamer - it represents a proper challenge, but I think it's great fun & does reward you for playing well.
The more starts you earn (1 for regular, 2 for hardened & 3 for veteran) then unlock more levels, each represents a big step up from the previous levels - so far have unlocked Delta & need just 1 more star to open up the hardest levels - Echo. The Delta levels are already the toughest I've seen, so the Echo will need every ounce of prowess methinks.
In terms of the levels - the ghillie-suit vs ghille-suit & snow-sniper levels have been favourites - but the bridge levels are great fun as well.
The overall rating is a well-deserved 5 out of 5
Saturday, November 07, 2009
Thoughtus generalus
You might have noticed but I am writing a lot more blogs, probably more than ever before & I'm trying to understand my own reason!
So here are my thoughts:
As a way to reflect, blogging is a great tool - the classic theory of getting ones brain on paper, to process my thoughts.
Another thought is just the sharing of my brain - my thoughts, opinions, geekery etc. as above. So when I here an awesome band/mix then sharing it to the masses seems obvious. Also as a gamer (Pikachuind in Xbox of course, as below) then telling people what I think & sharing the knowledge sees to be obvious.
The way I treat my blog is very similar to my relationship with my best mate (Vet Boy by the way). What I mean by that is that I don't really care what people think about my blog - you might think interesting, or not - but that's not really the point! It's like with Vet Boy - I tell him repeatedly he's my best mate, & he will be my Best Man, I don't care what he thinks of me & would not expect him to view me as his best mate in return!
I'm not really sure that even makes any sense to anyone but us, but that's the weirdness of our friendship!
With this blog, I'm thinking, processing & posting - I don't need people to care less about my thoughts - they're just out there.
Right that's enough randomness from me - time for some tea!
So here are my thoughts:
As a way to reflect, blogging is a great tool - the classic theory of getting ones brain on paper, to process my thoughts.
Another thought is just the sharing of my brain - my thoughts, opinions, geekery etc. as above. So when I here an awesome band/mix then sharing it to the masses seems obvious. Also as a gamer (Pikachuind in Xbox of course, as below) then telling people what I think & sharing the knowledge sees to be obvious.
The way I treat my blog is very similar to my relationship with my best mate (Vet Boy by the way). What I mean by that is that I don't really care what people think about my blog - you might think interesting, or not - but that's not really the point! It's like with Vet Boy - I tell him repeatedly he's my best mate, & he will be my Best Man, I don't care what he thinks of me & would not expect him to view me as his best mate in return!
I'm not really sure that even makes any sense to anyone but us, but that's the weirdness of our friendship!
With this blog, I'm thinking, processing & posting - I don't need people to care less about my thoughts - they're just out there.
Right that's enough randomness from me - time for some tea!
Friday, November 06, 2009
Pro Evo: Current Team: 4:4:2
Keepers:
Buffon, Cech, Almunia
Defence:
Maicon, Carlos Puyol, Sergio Ramos, Dani Alves, Clichy, Vermaelen, Mexes, William Gallas
Midfield:
Rosicky, Iniesta, Ramsey, Sissoko, Vieira, Cesc Fabregas, Simon (Brainshare) Hodgkins,
Attack:
Lionel Messi, James (Hobbit) Sinden, Fernando Torres, Andrei Arshavin, Theo Walcott, Wayne Rooney, David Villa, Kaka, Van Persie, Thierry Henry
Not bad, but it is only our first season!
Buffon, Cech, Almunia
Defence:
Maicon, Carlos Puyol, Sergio Ramos, Dani Alves, Clichy, Vermaelen, Mexes, William Gallas
Midfield:
Rosicky, Iniesta, Ramsey, Sissoko, Vieira, Cesc Fabregas, Simon (Brainshare) Hodgkins,
Attack:
Lionel Messi, James (Hobbit) Sinden, Fernando Torres, Andrei Arshavin, Theo Walcott, Wayne Rooney, David Villa, Kaka, Van Persie, Thierry Henry
Not bad, but it is only our first season!
Halo 3: ODST
Ahhhhh Halo - one of the biggest selling title in Xbox history - a console shifter when it was released & Halo 2 was bigger still. Then, when Halo 3 came out, the hype was epic. For the new outing from the Bungie team, (originally called Halo 3: Recon, but renamed later on) Halo 3: ODST had a lot to live up to, but but there was not the hype of previous games. However, I was still excited & brought it as soon as I could afford to.
But all that is background - what's it actually like - that is the real question.
It is very different not playing as the enhanced hero of the series: Master Chief, but instead as one of the elite soldiers known as Orbital Drop Shock Troopers (ODST's - hence the game title). The most noticeable difference is the fact that your shield does not re-energize - you actually need to find medipacks, which are scattered in places around New Mombasa.
The key element of the game is to explore the deserted city of New Mombasa, which is filled with squads of Brutes & their minions, trying to discover what happened to you missing teammates, separated from each other as they entered the city.
You play as the rookie (ironic really) exploring using your VISR (Visual Intelligence System for Reconnaissance) to get a better look at the city. The VISR creates a line around specific features on the landscape, so enemies show up in rad, ammo & weapons in blue, teammates in green & yellow for important items. As most of the play that happens with the Rookie takes place at night, the VISR is indispensable as it also acts like enhanced night-vision goggles.
As an ODST, you get some rad weapons, including a silenced machine gun and pistol that is not just an emergency weapon - it's really accurate & ranged enough to be able to take out snipers with single-shot head shots. However fans of the previous games will love the fact you can still get shotguns, assault rifles, sniper rifles, from the marines & a load of plasma guns from the Brutes. One thing to note is that there is no dual wielding as an ODST & ammo & fresh weapons are few & far between!
When you're searching for clues as the Rookie, you will pick up different objects which take you to different events which have caused your team to go AWOL. These break up the game nicely & are very reminiscent of the old Halo levels - bright sunlight (very different to the darkness of Mombasa), epic battles against the odds & great level design.
There are many different levels types highlighting the best of the Halo series: flying, group combat, run & gun, sniping, driving & big bad-ass weapon levels...oh & tanks - never forget about tanks. Although at first this makes the main detective story feel a little bit like a side quest - once you start to encounter multiple Brutes, a Chieftain or 2 as well as a pack of jackals - the challenge is really noticeable - mostly because of the non-recharging shield.
Overall - this game is really spectacular. Taken on it's own merits it is outstanding. When you add it to the Halo series, it will stand out as being rather difference to the previous Master Chief outings. However my rating is a well deserved 5 out of 5
But all that is background - what's it actually like - that is the real question.
It is very different not playing as the enhanced hero of the series: Master Chief, but instead as one of the elite soldiers known as Orbital Drop Shock Troopers (ODST's - hence the game title). The most noticeable difference is the fact that your shield does not re-energize - you actually need to find medipacks, which are scattered in places around New Mombasa.
The key element of the game is to explore the deserted city of New Mombasa, which is filled with squads of Brutes & their minions, trying to discover what happened to you missing teammates, separated from each other as they entered the city.
You play as the rookie (ironic really) exploring using your VISR (Visual Intelligence System for Reconnaissance) to get a better look at the city. The VISR creates a line around specific features on the landscape, so enemies show up in rad, ammo & weapons in blue, teammates in green & yellow for important items. As most of the play that happens with the Rookie takes place at night, the VISR is indispensable as it also acts like enhanced night-vision goggles.
As an ODST, you get some rad weapons, including a silenced machine gun and pistol that is not just an emergency weapon - it's really accurate & ranged enough to be able to take out snipers with single-shot head shots. However fans of the previous games will love the fact you can still get shotguns, assault rifles, sniper rifles, from the marines & a load of plasma guns from the Brutes. One thing to note is that there is no dual wielding as an ODST & ammo & fresh weapons are few & far between!
When you're searching for clues as the Rookie, you will pick up different objects which take you to different events which have caused your team to go AWOL. These break up the game nicely & are very reminiscent of the old Halo levels - bright sunlight (very different to the darkness of Mombasa), epic battles against the odds & great level design.
There are many different levels types highlighting the best of the Halo series: flying, group combat, run & gun, sniping, driving & big bad-ass weapon levels...oh & tanks - never forget about tanks. Although at first this makes the main detective story feel a little bit like a side quest - once you start to encounter multiple Brutes, a Chieftain or 2 as well as a pack of jackals - the challenge is really noticeable - mostly because of the non-recharging shield.
Overall - this game is really spectacular. Taken on it's own merits it is outstanding. When you add it to the Halo series, it will stand out as being rather difference to the previous Master Chief outings. However my rating is a well deserved 5 out of 5
Thursday, November 05, 2009
Gaming Part 3: Pro Evo 2010
Professional Evolution Soccer (aka PES) is a football (real football that is, or soccer as our American cousins would say) has been around for as long as its biggest rival: FIFA & is now starting re release annual games, very much like FIFA. It's also a football game. But what a great game it is.
Sure you can score dozens of goals on the easiest setting, but what my advice is to challenge yourself & go straight to Top Player.
Like other games, when you crank up the difficulty setting - you really have to work hard to make any progress - hello Call of Duty on Veteran mode, Halo on Legendary mode or Gears of War on Insane mode. This means that it's not just a quick breeze to complete a game, it's a challenge. Sometimes (& I'm looking at you Halo 3) you need to work in cooperative mode to complete parts of games where your own team's AI is not too amazing or where you don't have a team - you need one to make it through!
Anyways I digress.
I've always viewed PES as a bit of a social tool - it's OK to play on your own, but with friends, there is much teamwork/competitive spirit to the game & makes the game more fun.
So what's new in this year's offering? Well year-on-year, the realism has been growing. Now there are nice touches which add a little extra detail, such as the water bottles next to the keeper, when you make a substitution during the game, you can hear the announcer in the background. Also more fundamental changes, such as the removal of a points system & a shift to actual money - your choice of pounds, euro, dollars or yen.
The look of the game is really good & everything is sharper & movements more realistic. Initially I was very impressed.
Unfortunately, there is a little bad news - the refereeing. After a dozen games or so, I started noticing some inaccuracies. As always in games the referees are millimeter perfect when it comes to being offside. However, in Pro Evo 2009 the horrendous/dirty challenges were severely punished. In PES 2010, the opposition seem to get away with everything!
There have been numerous horrific challenges (even within 1 match) from the computer-controlled players & play is allowed to continue, unless advantage should be played, then the referee gives a free kick. This is very frustrating.
Now it might be the Top Player setting, but I'm not sure that is the case. When you've been working really hard just to get a goal & then your best striker gets flattened by the opposition's central defenders, in the keepers box, you would expect instant red card & penalty. But for nothing to be given seems extraordinary. It would be more acceptable if the opposition were treated the same, but yellow cards for to be doled out only to our team seems beyond comprehension.
It even made Hobbit not want to play the game again with this kind of ridiculous refereeing.
That's quite a fundamental issue & can cause real headaches when you're playing your socks off just to be destroyed by Wigan/Birmingham/Hull etc. because of a glitchy ref.
For this game I feel a 4 out of 5...but I still prefer it to FIFA!
Sure you can score dozens of goals on the easiest setting, but what my advice is to challenge yourself & go straight to Top Player.
Like other games, when you crank up the difficulty setting - you really have to work hard to make any progress - hello Call of Duty on Veteran mode, Halo on Legendary mode or Gears of War on Insane mode. This means that it's not just a quick breeze to complete a game, it's a challenge. Sometimes (& I'm looking at you Halo 3) you need to work in cooperative mode to complete parts of games where your own team's AI is not too amazing or where you don't have a team - you need one to make it through!
Anyways I digress.I've always viewed PES as a bit of a social tool - it's OK to play on your own, but with friends, there is much teamwork/competitive spirit to the game & makes the game more fun.
So what's new in this year's offering? Well year-on-year, the realism has been growing. Now there are nice touches which add a little extra detail, such as the water bottles next to the keeper, when you make a substitution during the game, you can hear the announcer in the background. Also more fundamental changes, such as the removal of a points system & a shift to actual money - your choice of pounds, euro, dollars or yen.
The look of the game is really good & everything is sharper & movements more realistic. Initially I was very impressed.
Unfortunately, there is a little bad news - the refereeing. After a dozen games or so, I started noticing some inaccuracies. As always in games the referees are millimeter perfect when it comes to being offside. However, in Pro Evo 2009 the horrendous/dirty challenges were severely punished. In PES 2010, the opposition seem to get away with everything!
There have been numerous horrific challenges (even within 1 match) from the computer-controlled players & play is allowed to continue, unless advantage should be played, then the referee gives a free kick. This is very frustrating.
Now it might be the Top Player setting, but I'm not sure that is the case. When you've been working really hard just to get a goal & then your best striker gets flattened by the opposition's central defenders, in the keepers box, you would expect instant red card & penalty. But for nothing to be given seems extraordinary. It would be more acceptable if the opposition were treated the same, but yellow cards for to be doled out only to our team seems beyond comprehension.
It even made Hobbit not want to play the game again with this kind of ridiculous refereeing.
That's quite a fundamental issue & can cause real headaches when you're playing your socks off just to be destroyed by Wigan/Birmingham/Hull etc. because of a glitchy ref.
For this game I feel a 4 out of 5...but I still prefer it to FIFA!
Tuesday, November 03, 2009
Game Review Part 2...Fable 2
I thought I'd do a little review, starting with Fable 2:
Now I know it's been around for about a year, but I thought I would not even begin to get into it, as it was a Role Playing Game (RPG) which is not really my bag at all. However, after some prodding from Sparky (who just got it with an X360 for his birthday & was raving about it) I decided to download the first episode from Xbox Live Marketplace.
My main observation was the similarity between Fable 2 & Star Wars: The Force Unleashed - getting experience points (XP) from beating enemies & upgrading skills & weapons. However there are also comparisons to more open world (sandbox) games, like the GTA series.
Once you get through the child stage, which is really just a back-story & scene setting section, then a whole world is open for you to discover (only part of it, if you go through the episode method) & begin to gain employment (to earn gold, which you can exchange for property/supplies/weapons), or do quests, various missions which progress you through the game.
If you just did the main quests, you could probably complete it in say 8-10 hours. However, doing all the side-quests, finding all the secrets & generally experiencing the world of Albion, created by Lionhead Studios in full, game-time is huge - days rather than hours.
And if you do get through to the end, there are some download-able content packs (DLC) which open up more quests & regions to explore.
I had great fun with this game, which gets better the more you play & develop your character. Also I think that repeat plays might well be in order, to try to get some of the the more challenging achievements. So overall I would heartily agree with the XPlay rating of a 5 out of 5.
Now I know it's been around for about a year, but I thought I would not even begin to get into it, as it was a Role Playing Game (RPG) which is not really my bag at all. However, after some prodding from Sparky (who just got it with an X360 for his birthday & was raving about it) I decided to download the first episode from Xbox Live Marketplace.
My main observation was the similarity between Fable 2 & Star Wars: The Force Unleashed - getting experience points (XP) from beating enemies & upgrading skills & weapons. However there are also comparisons to more open world (sandbox) games, like the GTA series.Once you get through the child stage, which is really just a back-story & scene setting section, then a whole world is open for you to discover (only part of it, if you go through the episode method) & begin to gain employment (to earn gold, which you can exchange for property/supplies/weapons), or do quests, various missions which progress you through the game.
If you just did the main quests, you could probably complete it in say 8-10 hours. However, doing all the side-quests, finding all the secrets & generally experiencing the world of Albion, created by Lionhead Studios in full, game-time is huge - days rather than hours.
And if you do get through to the end, there are some download-able content packs (DLC) which open up more quests & regions to explore.
I had great fun with this game, which gets better the more you play & develop your character. Also I think that repeat plays might well be in order, to try to get some of the the more challenging achievements. So overall I would heartily agree with the XPlay rating of a 5 out of 5.
Sunday, November 01, 2009
Game Reviews: Part 1 of....
OK this might turn out to be a bit of a long post, so I might well split it over 3 posts.
Here are my current most played games:
Fable 2
Halo 3: OTSD
Pro Evo: 2009/2010
Call of Duty 5/Nazi Zombies
I'm going to do some reviews & post them up over the next couple of weeks - so expect some geekery!
Here are my current most played games:
Fable 2
Halo 3: OTSD
Pro Evo: 2009/2010
Call of Duty 5/Nazi Zombies
I'm going to do some reviews & post them up over the next couple of weeks - so expect some geekery!
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Twitter Apps
The apps I use for Twitter are; Twitter application, to the Google Desktop interface. This app makes posting very fast & simple & you get the top 7 feeds from the live twitter homepage.
However, Google Desktop is not available on Snow Leopard yet, so on my main home computers I use the Twitter Widget, this is on, but only allows posting, rather than having a feed as well.
The other is on my phone. You can use the web browser & Tweet that way, but is a rather laborious, so I downloaded a Twitter app from the Ovi Store & again it's very simple & has no feed, but still useful when you need to Tweet & you're away from your computer(s)
Right no more geekery...today!
However, Google Desktop is not available on Snow Leopard yet, so on my main home computers I use the Twitter Widget, this is on, but only allows posting, rather than having a feed as well.
The other is on my phone. You can use the web browser & Tweet that way, but is a rather laborious, so I downloaded a Twitter app from the Ovi Store & again it's very simple & has no feed, but still useful when you need to Tweet & you're away from your computer(s)
Right no more geekery...today!
Tweet update:
Having now used Twitter for the past few months (now much more regularly thanks to some cool apps...more later) I'm liking it more and more.
It also is gaining more popularity through mass media & people are now starting to quote it as gaining peoples opinions for news articles on the Beeb News site, especially Stephen Fry!
This was something that was slowly revealing itself with the whole Blog idea, but now because of the simplicity & speed of posting people are micro-blogging more than ever.
As evidenced here, blogging can easily be off-putted by their bloggers because you almost have to be in the right mood to blog - to get one's brain on paper as it were, but this is not the case with Tweeting - it's instant & can be done just with a phone.
Now I know that it's possible to email in a blog or try doing it from a phone, but it really isn't quite as smooth.
Personally I love to process with writing, but the time-consuming element can be a little daunting.
I shall leave you with my postulating.
It also is gaining more popularity through mass media & people are now starting to quote it as gaining peoples opinions for news articles on the Beeb News site, especially Stephen Fry!
This was something that was slowly revealing itself with the whole Blog idea, but now because of the simplicity & speed of posting people are micro-blogging more than ever.
As evidenced here, blogging can easily be off-putted by their bloggers because you almost have to be in the right mood to blog - to get one's brain on paper as it were, but this is not the case with Tweeting - it's instant & can be done just with a phone.
Now I know that it's possible to email in a blog or try doing it from a phone, but it really isn't quite as smooth.
Personally I love to process with writing, but the time-consuming element can be a little daunting.
I shall leave you with my postulating.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Working again
Working again at Pearson has made me realise what I geek I am. A Mac geek that is!
When I left Pearson & went to pastures new, I started using Mac OS 10.4 rather than Win XP & never really looked back.
This meant that when I came back, rather than being scared about this foreign OS, I now embrace the challenge of trying to make as many of the 3k pieces of software work on a mac.
Prime example RM Easiteach which as far as I ever knew was only PC compatible, with a few Google searches turns out to have a reader, available free from RM (a la Adobe Acrobat Reader opening *.pdf files).
I think that I might actually be able to contribute something useful to the team...whatever next!
When I left Pearson & went to pastures new, I started using Mac OS 10.4 rather than Win XP & never really looked back.
This meant that when I came back, rather than being scared about this foreign OS, I now embrace the challenge of trying to make as many of the 3k pieces of software work on a mac.
Prime example RM Easiteach which as far as I ever knew was only PC compatible, with a few Google searches turns out to have a reader, available free from RM (a la Adobe Acrobat Reader opening *.pdf files).
I think that I might actually be able to contribute something useful to the team...whatever next!
Tiny tiny url's
The TinyURLwebsite (http://www.tiny.cc/), is a very clever tool which allows you to "Post shortened URL links on blogs or forums. Make email friendly URLs. Simplify links to your website. Hide an affiliate link. Create personal or unique addresses using a keyword. Tiny.cc turns a ridiculously long URL into a tiny URL... short, meaningful and permanent."
Basically where you have an epic address like:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/24-Complete-Season-7-DVD/dp/B000Y7ZBZS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1256652761&sr=8-1
(new 24 Season 7 box set btw)
You can slam it into Tiny URL & shrink it down to http://tiny.cc/24561 Not bad for a free website & very useful for certain microblogging websites (twitter) which require users to make absolute use of every character!
Intersting & useful!
Basically where you have an epic address like:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/24-Complete-Season-7-DVD/dp/B000Y7ZBZS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1256652761&sr=8-1
(new 24 Season 7 box set btw)
You can slam it into Tiny URL & shrink it down to http://tiny.cc/24561 Not bad for a free website & very useful for certain microblogging websites (twitter) which require users to make absolute use of every character!
Intersting & useful!
The golden age of infinite music
A brilliant article I just read from the Beeb website, written by John Harris (author of Hail! Hail! Rock'n'Roll, published by Sphere.)
He makes some very interesting observations about the changing face of music. Thinking about the the cultural power of music on young people, & their thirst for knowledge about all things, it does make you think about what do I know? Does my lack of musical/tech knowledge impede my youthwork? Something to ponder & explore at least
Not long ago, if you wanted music, you had to save up your pocket money, take a trip to the local record shop and lovingly leaf through its racks. Now, it's almost all free, instant and infinite. And our relationship with music has changed forever. We all know what the alleged future of music will look like. The record industry will be reduced to a smouldering ruin, the album replaced by endless individual songs and music rendered pretty much worthless by the fact that it's universally free. Empty record shops will be overrun with weeds and old CDs will be used as coasters. Your Madonnas, U2s and Coldplays will prosper, but for anyone further down the hierarchy, the idea of making much of a living will be a non-starter.
That's the accepted wisdom, at least. Some of it will probably prove to be true. But that grisly picture ignores subtler and more fascinating changes in our relationship with music that people have barely begun to understand. Fans can instantly discover the Rolling Stones' 1980s works, if they want to. Now, just to make this clear from the off: I'm nearly 40. Having recently moved house and consigned my CD collection to cardboard boxes, I've been surprised to find that I don't miss it at all. I use the free version of the music streaming application Spotify almost every day - and I now understand that it represents a genuine revolution in music consumption (and makes iTunes look pathetically old-fashioned).
Should the music industry finally get its act together and insist on some kind of subscription model, I'll pay for the same kind of service. But I wouldn't imagine that will alter my new listening habits. All that said, my musical mindset is still rooted in an increasingly far-off past, where to be a true fan of a band took real dedication, access to obscure information - and, frankly, money. I've just poured the music-related contents of my brain into a book, and I would imagine that 30-ish year's worth of knowledge about everyone from Funkadelic to The Smiths has probably cost me a five-figure sum, a stupid amount spent on music publications, and endless embarrassed moments spent trying to have a conversation with those arrogant blokes who tend to work in record shops.
Last weekend, by contrast, I had a long chat about music with the 16-year-old son of a friend, and my mind boggled. What to listen to next: Little Richard or La Roux? At virtually no cost, in precious little time and with zero embarrassment, he had become an expert on all kinds of artists, from English singer-songwriters like Nick Drake and John Martyn to such American indie-rock titans as Pavement and Dinosaur Jr. Though only a sixth-former, he seemingly knew as much about most of these people as any music writer. Like any rock-oriented youth, his appetite for music is endless, and so is the opportunity - whether illegally or not - to indulge it. He is a paid-up fan of bands it took me until I was 30 to even discover - and at this rate, by the time he hits his 20s, he'll have reached the true musical outer limits.
What does all this tell us? Clearly, for anyone raised in the old world, the modern way of music consumption has all kinds of unforeseen benefits. A good example: though I've always heard plenty of talk about the utter awfulness of such infamous albums as Lou Reed's Metal Machine Music (a double album of guitar feedback and white noise) or Deep Purple's Concerto For Group And Orchestra (don't ask), I can now listen to them for nothing, and have an opinion of my own.
As one of my music press colleagues use to say, there's no longer any past - just an endless present. They're both terrible, incidentally, but that isn't the point. What really matters is the fact that I can so easily tune in - and what that says about a new world of completely risk-free listening. Most importantly, as the great digital revolution rolls on, bands are no longer having to compete for people's money. Instead, they're jockeying for our time. And the field is huge, crossing not just genres, but eras. Who do you want to investigate today: TV On The Radio or Crosby, Stills and Nash? Do you fancy losing yourself in the brilliant first album by Florence And The Machine, or deriving no end of entertainment from how awful The Rolling Stones got in the 1980s? Little Richard or La Roux? White Lies or Black Sabbath?
As one of my music press colleagues use to say, there's no longer any past - just an endless present. U2's last album may have been a "grower" - but not many let it grow. For musicians, it's self-evident that there are all kinds of new openings for their music, but even if they break through, much less concerted attention will be paid to it. They may get an audience, but it will be very easily distracted. After all, endlessly playing the same album so as to extract your "money's worth" is behaviour that will soon seem like something from the dark ages. Woe betide the act that decides to make the kind of record that tends to be charitably described as a "grower" - something that may account for, say, the scant interest paid to the last U2 album. Certainly, as a record company MD told me a couple of weeks ago, stuffing your albums with mere filler is no longer a sensible option. So, yes, the record industry may yet have to comprehensively reinvent itself, or implode. Sooner or later, given that the need to read reviews before deciding what to listen to is fading fast, I rather fear that even music journalists may be rendered irrelevant.
But for now, this is a truly golden age - the era of the teenage expert, albums that will soon have to be full of finely-honed hits and the completely infinite online jukebox. Even if the music business manages to somehow crack down on illicit downloading and claws back a few quid via annual subscriptions in return for that self-same endless supply of music, the same essential rules will apply. Really: what's not to like?
He makes some very interesting observations about the changing face of music. Thinking about the the cultural power of music on young people, & their thirst for knowledge about all things, it does make you think about what do I know? Does my lack of musical/tech knowledge impede my youthwork? Something to ponder & explore at least
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Current Job:
OK so here's the skinny about what I'm doing back in Digital Support.
I'm helping teachers, home users & IT technicians install & operate software on their computers. It breaks down as all Primary & Secondary Schools & FE Colleges. Overall there's about 24'500 educational establishments & about 3000 pieces of software.
This means it's far busier than ever & a massive step up from when I worked here 4 years ago. The team's kinda the same size, it's just the workload has increased significantly.
But it does raise a certain question - why am I not perusing more of a Youthwork career? Well more on that in another entry later on. But for now I'm content with helping people & it's actually helping young people - just a little indirectly!
Six out
I'm helping teachers, home users & IT technicians install & operate software on their computers. It breaks down as all Primary & Secondary Schools & FE Colleges. Overall there's about 24'500 educational establishments & about 3000 pieces of software.
This means it's far busier than ever & a massive step up from when I worked here 4 years ago. The team's kinda the same size, it's just the workload has increased significantly.
But it does raise a certain question - why am I not perusing more of a Youthwork career? Well more on that in another entry later on. But for now I'm content with helping people & it's actually helping young people - just a little indirectly!
Six out
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