• 2Aug 08

  DKsigma3713 .... that's a weird name...

  So, this event started yesterday! Or... today, or something. Now, they're announced some exciting news like:
  If you want a ffxiii demo, you must buy advent children on blu ray!
  A ffxiii game no one wanted was coming to cell phones, but now it's for the psp
  X game coming this year
  Y game coming that year
  X game being "exclusive" to ps3
  Y game being multiplatform
  
  now, it's good, since those games in the event (final fantasy xiii and it's bastard childs, all of the new KH games, dissidia, sigma harmonics etc) from weeks ago called E3 (which blowed by the way) and well, nomura said there would be a BIG announcement, as in BIG. As in; I'll give you all hopes up of a FFVII remake.

  Now, I never played it on the psone, but I've played FFVII on my pc, but the damn thing crashes, so it's got no use anymore. There's many solutions for me playing this now.
  -get a ps1 copy
  -get a better pc copy
  -get a rom of something, which I won't
  -the famous "remake" which would be awesome, and might happen, since square likes making, remake, after remake, after port, after remake, and then another port.
  
  If not ffvii remake, at least something regarding FFVIII, since... well, I haven't played it, but have been dying to play it.

  • Posted Aug 2, 2008 9:51 am PT
  • Category: Rant
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• 19Jul 08

  E3 '08, my personal opinion

  Well, E3 has come and gone with lots of anticipation for a bunch of games. A bunch of sneak peeks at upcoming titles for all 3 major platforms, as well as demonstrations, press conferences, etc. It must have been nice to be there, since people on E3 could have seen more than most of us did. Anyways, here is my personal opinion on the big 3, and my thoughts on the games I'm interested in.

  Microsoft: They had a really good press conference, and they finished it with a bang, but it wasn't such a big deal in my opinion, mostly because even though final fantasy XIII is a highly anticipated game, most of the people who wanted it have already gotten a ps3. Still, the gears 2 trailer was by far the best game trailer I have ever seen. Fable II looked to be Peter Molyneux's true vision of a game, and the "New Xbox Experience" seemed like a nice addition to the original Xbox experience. Some of us (me included) don't like the new look that much, but it's really nice to see that they care, and they truly want to improve their console in as much ways possible.

  Now, there are some things I would've wanted. First and foremost, a price drop for the 360's hard drives. I want a 120 GB HDD, in order to install games, reduce load times, buy more stuff, especially in oblivion. But it's not that possible with my current HDD and I've got the money for the hard drive, but it's not worth it, not at 180 usd. Also, how about Bungie's secret game or something on Alan wake? Guess we will have to wait for TGS/X08 (if there is one)

  Nintendo: I was disappointed. I mean, It's not like I didn't see that one coming, but it would have been nice to see them pull some great games out of nothing at the climax of E3 '08, just like when they announced brawl at E3 '06. The big "N" has always hid their secrets perfectly, with the world finding out about them when they intend it to happen, unlike Microsoft and Sony. Now, Nintendo has done great with its casual approach, Wiis have been selling like hot cakes, they are making a lot of profits, and they seem to be unstoppable. But, in the biggest gaming event of the year, you would expect to see things directed to people who like gaming. Sure, there were some good things, like to know there will finally be a voice chat solution for the Wii, but I'd stick to using the live headset, or a phone's headset. Most 3rd party games announced/showed were... nice, but nothing compared to 3rd party games for 360, ps3, or pc. Nothing seemed to catch my eye.

  I really hope Nintendo starts thinking more about it's core audience. Us. I'm certain many of you would like a Wii Star-Fox. Imagine this: an improvement upon Assault, with good online multiplayer, ship/character customization, and lots of ways to play, á la Warhawk on the ps3. That's my dream Nintendo game, but I know it won't happen. Still, a new Star-Fox would be nice. They still owe us a true Wii Zelda, since twilight princess, despite how great it was, it was a better port of a GameCube game, just like resident evil 4. They seemed to focus a lot on casual gaming, and even though it's not a bad thing at all, it's disappointing for people like me.

  Sony: They did a great job showing off their upcoming holiday lineup. From the beginning montage video, to how they showed off games like Resistance 2, Killzone 2, Resistance retribution, gave some new SKU announcements, and just like any other press conference, they talked about sales, lineup of games, and availability of the console, through a game in a way that's simply unmatched. The little big planet presentation was just genius. They had such a low blow because of the final fantasy XIII announcement, but they managed to stand up, and they really impressed me with their press conference, but I wanted more than just a teaser for God of War III, still; I was almost certain it would be just a teaser.

  Now, they could have done better, by showing off something more dramatic; for instance: A new game from their other developers, especially Naughty Dog. I fell in love with Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, but never got a chance to play any of the Jak games, so it would be nice to try the series. How about some more information in your console's availability throughout the world? After all, not just the US likes Playstation brand products. I'm still waiting for Playstation network to be available for us Mexicans.

  As for games that caught my eye. I'll talk some games that I'm anticipating the most that are also coming out this year:
  
  Project Origin - You can't go wrong with the sequel to 2005's bone chilling F.E.A.R. After seeing some footage back in 2005, watching reviews, screenshots, gameplay, and many things more, I fell in love with it, but my pc couldn't (and still can't) run it as good as it should be. I became so glad when it was announced for the 360; I picked it up, and have loved every single bit of the game. Now, with a true sequel, a true, not rushed out, well made sequel, I can't be more hyped about this. I can't wait to fear Alma again.

  Star Wars: The Force Unleashed - I'm a big star wars nerd. When I was a little kid, I always wanted to be a Jedi and have a green light saber. KOTOR did that for me, but now, I just want to be a Sith, and do Sith stuff. The Force Unleashed seems to be the perfect choice for me. The story is just nice, and adding fan service for it, makes it the perfect game for all Star Wars fans.

  Dead Space: Just check out one of the trailers. It looks amazing. The story is interesting enough for a comic book (done) and even a horror movie (let's hope not!). It's got some really nice graphics, effects, and game play mechanics that seem to make it all just so, stressing, but in a good way. I can't wait for this scare-fest.

  Gears of War - Bigger? Better? More Badass? Check, check, and double check. It's just how the original Gears of War should have been, not that the original was bad or anything. But it's getting a better storyline, some (slight) improvements on gameplay which (dramatically) change some of the things you can do. More weapons, more options, and just more badassedness (if that's a word) will make Gears of War 2, a truly stunning game.

  Resistance 2 – I just got the original resistance this week, and I must say, I am wowed at how good it is. I thought it was an overhyped launch title, but no, it's actually really impressive, good looking, and most importantly: FUN, which applies to the chimera, having FUN factor. Now, by adding 2 different campaigns, bigger bosses, and a pistol that shoots detonatable bullets, I just can't wait to see how it all begins, and hopefully, ends.

  Left4Dead – It's a shooter. It's made by Valve software. It's 4 player co-op. It's got zombies. You just can't go wrong with a game with all of the characteristics I just mentioned. I mean, how could you? It's a good game just by checking out who is making it, and how it plays out. But by watching videos, I just can't wait for it, I just can't wait.

  I just can't wait for all of these games (and many more) to come out. There is just 2 problems. What am I gonna use my Wii for? and, how am I supposed to pay for all of this? I hope I can get the answer to both of them soon.

  • Posted Jul 19, 2008 3:20 pm PT
  • Category: Editorial
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• 2Sep 07

  Decisions are never easy

  *MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD*

  Bioshock has become more than just a game by now. Long before its release to the public, it already had many followers. Whether it was system shock fans, critics, fan boys, and such, Bioshock never lacked attention. It started as a spiritual successor toe the system shock series, and now, it's more than a sequel, and more than just a videogame.

  The story begins with the main character, a man named jack inside a plane looking at a picture, and says: "They told me, Boy, you were destined to do great things, and you know what? They were right" And so, the story unfolds. The plane falls and Jack, desperate to survive looks at a lighthouse which is the closest land, and he swims as he struggles to survive. When he enters the lighthouse, he fins a submarine, and he enters and finds himself in the underground city of Rapture. A utopian city which was supposed to be some sort of paradise. But when Jack steps out, he realizes things have gone terribly wrong.

  And so, you begin Bioshock. The game has an incredibly cool presentation, since it has some profound thoughts on its story. Utopias have never had a good ending in history, due to the human's greed and selfishness, since nobody cares for anyone but themselves. In the case of Rapture, things are different. Sure, people don't care for each other, but this time, people have gone horribly mad, due to a genetic substance called ADAM, which makes the user improve certain physical abilities and even gain new ones.

  As the story progresses, you see that things are not what they look like. Such as the little sisters, when you first see them, you think they're normal little girls, but later one, you notice that they're more than just little girls. They psychotic beings that drain ADAM from dead bodies, but in the end, you realize that they're still little girls.

  Bioshock is a game in which you have to take decisions by yourself. After you defeat one of the Big Daddies that protect little sisters, you can either choose to harvest or to save the little sister. Sure, ultimate power sounds awesome, but it's a really high price, and so, saving a girl is a good choice, but you won't obtain as much ADAM, and so, things will be tougher. In the end, the good choice is obvious, for your actions define what you really obtain. It's either happiness or power.

  Bioshock's way of story telling is different from most games. Instead of being told everything in cut scenes and such, you either receive calls from Atlas, Tenenbaum or Andrew Ryan, to name most of them, or you search of audio diaries, which tell you what has been happening throughout the game. Either way, the story is really interesting, and makes you want to listen to every single diary not just for the achievement, but also because of how intriguing the story is.

  The game is supposed to be a first person shooter, but to call a FPS game is an understatement. Sure, it has the usual shotgun, pistol, machine gun, sniping weapon (in this case, a crossbow like in half life) and the good old explosives. But, how many games have a flamethrower that is more than just a flamethrower. It's also a freezing machine, and an electrocuting one. This weapon can be applied in many different ways. You can either burn a character so that he/she runs to water to get the fire turned off, and then you can zap him with the electric gel. You can use the liquid nitrogen to freeze enemies and break them into pieces, or you can freeze a machine so you can hack it with less trouble than usual.

  So, it's got the usual weapons, but it's got one thing unusual. You are the most powerful weapon. You can have all those powers the chemical thrower has, you can use telekinesis like the gravity gun from half life 2, you can throw wasps, you can make some friends your allies, you can fool security cameras, and such.

  Since Bioshock uses the UNREAL ENGINE 3, it's obvious it's got some incredibly detailed graphics, shadow effects; characters have detailed clothes and skin. But there's one thing that really stands out, and that's the water. Water effects look incredibly detailed. Whether it's bubbles, a splash of water, leaks, and so, water never looked this good in a videogame. All of these details make Bioshock's city of Rapture have a personality of its own. You can see that back in the day, the city was like heaven, but now it's turned into hell. You can see that people lived there, people used to be happy, but madness struck everyone, and so, the city began crumbling on itself.

  The only real flaw with Bioshock, is that even though it has some tough enemies, it doesn't become a big challenge, since vita chambers revive you with all your items, most of your health and EVE, and enemies with the same damage they had when they killed you. Sure, this might reduce the stress factor that some games have, and we play games to have some fun, but it doesn't represent a huge challenge as most games do. For better or for worse, vita chambers are in Bioshock.

  Taking decisions was kind of hard, but in the end. Saving little sisters was totally worth it. The sign of gratitude from the little kid s heartbreaking, as such is the way a big daddy protects the little sister when being attacked by a bunch of Splicers. In the end, either harvesting or saving little sisters becomes something more than just becoming more powerful in the game. You can either become the most powerful man on earth and you get everything you ever wanted, but you will still have a hole in your heart which won't be filled easily. Or you can give hope to those that were denied the chance to learn, to love and to live, and you shall be the happiest man on earth, and you shall be remembered by the little ones you saved.

  Bioshock is a great achievement in gaming. It's not just the incredibly detailed graphics, or the intense action. It's got some thoughts that few games make you have. Sure, it's not perfect, but nothing in this world is, and that's what makes things in life so beautiful in a certain way, and Bioshock applies to this rule. It's a beautiful game which must be played not just by 360 and pc gamers, not just by FPS fans, not just for people interested on it. It's a game that must be played by everyone who loves games.

  • Posted Sep 2, 2007 8:02 pm PT
  • Category: Editorial
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