• 13Nov 08

  Here's what needs to be fixed in Gears of War 2:

  Here is a list of what absolutely needs to be fixed in Gears of War 2 multiplayer:
  
  1) Matchmaking
  2) Matchmaking
  3) Matchmaking
  4) Matchmaking
  5) Matchmaking
  
  That's right, the only thing that absolutely needs to be fixed in Gears of War 2 is the slow matchmaking. Waiting three to five minutes to get into a match is ridiculous. When I play a an action game online, that's exactly what I expect: Action. Other than that, there is nothing else that really needs to be fixed. I know what some of you are thinking though: What about the overpowered chainsaw? What about the underpowered shotgun? What about smoke grenades? What about the massive lag? Usually I would answer all of these questions with What about it? But since most people are looking for an in depth answer, I guess I have no choice but to oblige or suffer a barrage of thumbs down (and I can't upset people, not on the internet).
  
  The shotgun:
  I've heard way too many complaints about the new shotgun. Many people think it isn't powerful enough, and I was on board with those complaints for a while until I played with the shotgun a bit yesterday and I see what Epic did with it. They made it the perfect weapon for ninjas! In the original Gears of War, it was a weapon that could be used by rushers, duelists, and ninjas. Now in order for the shotgun to be effective, you have to sneak around the enemy so you can get close enough to kill him/her without being spotted. Before, the shotgun was mostly about rushing in and engaging in a practice called the shotgun dance. This is where two people strafe in circles while shooting their shotguns randomly until one of the dancers fall. Now with Gears of War 2's stopping power, you must sneak around the enemy, get close, aim, and fire.
  
  The chainsaw:
  Now many people think the chainsaw is overpowered. Really? I think if someone with a chainsaw can get within a foot of you without being downed, you deserve the bloody chainsaw death. If someone does get too close to comfort: dive back and fire. Most people complain about the amount of shots it takes to stop someone from revving their saw; well the dive back and fire strategy is perfect for these situations because it gives you enough room to fire off enough shots to stun the chainsawer. At this point, he/she will be a sitting duck! Make 'em quack...
  
  The smoke grenade/wall tagging:
  As you should be aware of, we now have the ability to plant smoke/frag/ink grenades on the walls, which turns them into proximity mines for the poor sap who walks past them. I love this new feature! It adds a new strategic dimension to the Gears universe. Unfortunately, many people disagree. Most people think wall tagging is cheap. To be more specific, most people think smoke tagging the wall is cheap because of the new concussive blast the smoke grenades emit. I think it forces the player to be more observant of his/her surroundings. It teaches players to think before they blindly run around a corner. I guess people aren't aware that you can shoot down grenades on the wall, but not only that! If you throw a grenade anywhere near a walled grenade, the explosion will cause the grenade(s) on the wall to go boom and kill/knock down anyone who planned to trap you.
  
  The smoke grenade's concussive blast can now knock you off your feet. I love that! Now I can use smoke grenades to not only create a temporary smoke screen, but anyone near the blast will be incapacitated. Which is perfect if I want to sneak behind the enemy or if I want to get a power weapon without being shot to the ground within seconds. People now act as though the smoke grenade is the Holy Grail of Gears of War 2, and that nothing can overcome it. Well, this is a team based game and if you run ahead of the team only to be knocked down by a smoke grenade and killed, then you deserve death! But if you stay with the pack and get knocked down, your team can provide cover fire until you get up. Multiplayer is based around teamwork, after all.
  
  Laggy hosts:
  I would usually understand this complaint. But I believe most of the lag will (or at least should) be fixed when/if matchmaking is fixed. Matchmaking should select the best host, which is not always the case. Besides, I haven't experienced too much lag online. Personally I think they should make it more like Halo 3's matchmaking where it gives you the option to:
  
  -Play with people of your skill level
  -Play in a room with a great connection
  -Play where people speak your preferred language
  
  I'm sorry if you disagree, but it's all just my opinion. I know I sounded like a jackass, but I'm sick of people complaining. I think people just need to learn to adapt rather than whine to get their way. I'm not gonna lie, I whined at first but then I adapted to the shotgun, the grenades, and the chainsaw. I just don't understand why it's so hard for everyone else to do the same. Thanks for reading! If you disagree with any of what I had to say, leave a comment telling me what you disagree with. I'd love to hear some responses from the other side of the argument.
  • Posted Nov 13, 2008 4:18 pm PT
  • Category: Games
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• 24May 08

  Goodbye high school...

  I graduated!

  My school has officially lost its most hardcore gamer (seriously).

  I don't have much else to say... um...

  /blog_entry

  • Posted May 24, 2008 3:26 pm PT
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• 17Feb 08

  March 8th, 2008: Melee Memorial Day

  I've been waiting for Super Smash Bros Brawl for what almost seems like forever now. It's almost here in America and I am mega excited. I have been playing Melee for years and with Brawl right around the corner, I thought of giving Melee a little last hurrah. So I have declared March 8th, 2008 Melee Memorial Day. So if you're reading this and happen to be a fan of Smash Bros: Take a weekend off work, invite some buddies over, and play some Melee before it is completely taken over by Brawl.
  
  If you're like me, you're going to be getting Brawl on launch day. So once the clock strikes midnight, take you and your buddies to a Brawl Midnight sale near you, buy it, then play it until the sun rises and then some. Then when your friends leave... Play online, build some stages, play the Adventure mode, eat some cake, unlock as many characters/stages/trophies/stickers/CDs as possible, then pass out! Once you come to, clean yourself up (you'll look awful)!
  
  Let us all hope Brawl isn't delayed again... 'Cause I'll be mega pissed!

  UPDATE: Join the Facebook event! CLICK HERE! Spread the word to other gaming sites. I've gone to Gamefaqs and Gametrailers already, but more is always better!

  • Posted Feb 17, 2008 1:02 pm PT
  • Category: Games
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