Fable: Fun, Furious, and Full-Sized

I finished Fable 2 (last month) on Xbox 360. It was a great game! I like linear stories that take place in a non-linear world. You can do whatever you want, or you can follow the path (a gold path in this case) and focus on the main quest. I did just that.

The surprising thing was the diversity and quantity of NPCs with whom to interact. Yes, I heard repeating comments, but it was still a huge variety. Very impressive. It was not repetitive at all – every quest, territory, and character was different (unlike Assassin’s Creed).

I built a female character and in the end chose to keep my dog. According to "Achievements," I only finished 42% of the game. But I don't want to re-do the entire game just to make a different choice in the end. Ugh!

I am anticipating Fable 3 coming out at the end of 2010.

New PS3 Ads - selling what?

I just don't get it. Help me out here. Below is a picture of a gamer giving blood (life?) to Rommel (The Dessert Fox). He is considered a good Nazi, but come-on! What is the message here? I think this is a picture of a gamer giving his heart (again, life?) to Joan of Arc. Did they just want to pick a girl warrior?

It is fun to look at the other images around the main characters. See the mouse in the corner.

Please, give my your impressions.

Nariko? Is that you?

One of my most favorite games is Heavenly Sword. Sadly, there are no plans for a sequel. But Ninja Theory, the developer of HS, is working on a new multi-platform title called Enslaved.

In the new game, you play a character called Monkey. Traveling with you is a NPC named Trip - shown above.

I think there is a striking similarity to Nariko, the main character in Heavenly Sword.

I'll be watching for this title.

Van Halen is coming over to play

Interactive Documentary

The opening scene of Rockband: The Beatles is amazing; it is a foreshadow of what is to come.

Unlike Guitar Hero band-specific-releases, this disk is all Beatles. It follows the history of the Beatles in various stages and settings. In some ways, it is a history lesson told in animation and picture montages between stages. But it is more for those how already know the story. For example, as you enter the Abbey Road chapter, there is an image of Candlestick Park and a ticket stub, but you are not told this was their last live concert ever. The songs in rest of the story start with the band members in the studio, so it is only implied.

It is a beautiful game. Especially as you move into the psychedelic era. Game play is standard Rockband with a few minor “Beatles-mania” additions. The sound quality is awesome – I wonder if it uses the digitally re-mastered albums that released on the same day.

I started playing on drums (Easy) with El Mico on lead guitar (Expert) – both of us are Beatles fans. One funny thing happened near the end of our session that evening: the red pad on the drum kit quit working. This has happened before – it is a pain to re-solder the connection. But I did not want to stop to do that exercise again, so I played a couple songs pressing the CIRCLE button on the keypad with my finger and drumming with the stick in my other hand. It worked out just fine – though awkward. I have not finished the story mode yet. I have unlocked some challenges and extras (like the Christmas album from 1960). The Beatles are very accessible to many generations – I will launch this game the next time company comes over. I am really enjoying this “interactive documentary” of one of the best bands ever. (Click the links in the story; it is worth your time.)

...His Money Are Soon Parted

September has been a good month for new games and I have been taking advantage of the opportunities given to me by Best Buy.

I bought Guitar Hero 5 on September 1st (release day). I had Best Buy Reward Zone certificates that were about to expire; I had to use them. I was able to walk out of the store with GH5 for $30.

I REALLY like party play. I don't really like the song selection: to diverse. But I will load in about 1/3 of the GH:WT songs when I get a chance. I'm working my way through the career mode now.

Best Buy is having a excellent sale this week. Buy one PS3 game, get a second for half price. I believe it covers every game <$60 except for pre-orders.

So I pick up another rhythm game, Rockband The Beatles, and Batman: Arkham Asylum. Again I had some Reward Zone certificates; I got both for $70. That's 1/2 price. I read a review about RB:tB that sold me.

The demo for B:AA was a lot of fun. The extras (Joker) and slightly better graphics over the Xbox made selecting the PS3 version easier. I plan on playing the Beatles this Saturday and keeping my wallet in my pocket.

You gotta play: Prince of Persia

I finished the Prince of Persia game on the PS3 and I completely enjoyed it. I finished it in under 12 hours (trophy) and I needed Elika's help less than 100 times (a gold trophy). The Elika character was the best part of the game - it made it unique. In PoP, you don't 'die,' instead Elika grabs you if you fall or uses magic to push a foe away at the last minute. You know you messed up, but the continuation of gameplay is seamless. Also, the dialog with her character reveals the background story (based on a Zoroastrianism myth) and the details of your next objective. The conversations are well written and well acted. I looked forward to the 'talk' icon that would appear in the bottom left corner. Another interesting feature is the dialog cut scenes were optional - but I think I heard them all. The illustrator look was unique. Everything was outlined in black like you would find in a comic book, but the colors were deep and rich. The puzzles were easy - which I liked - they did not distract from the pace of the game. The boss battles were fun - it was good to mash the buttons again. The Warrior boss was a little different, you could not beat him with a string of combos, you needed to use the environment. Now the negative: I didn't like the ending. Somehow the last task should have been optional. The final trophy was called: "to be continued." Maybe I will get the DLC and the story will be properly finished. If I don't buy this game for you, make sure you pick it up.