Up in Flames!

It's amazing how fast your weekend plans go up in flames!Call of Duty announced that this weekend (30Jan - 01Feb2009) will be double points weekend again. The post does not specifically say this is only for CoD:WaW, but that is where I will play. Also, two new games will be added: Team Tactical and Mercenary Death Match - both are already on COD4:MW. I was going to finish Tomb Raider: Underworld (enjoying it!) and watch the Cards squeak past the annoying Steelers, but "Duty Calls!"

Charting Drake's Fortune

I finished Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, and, to be brief, I really enjoyed it. I did it on medium difficulty (I don't usually play through a game twice, so I skip easy and I don't want to be frustrated on hard), and it took me 10 hours of playing time. I really like the scenery - and it (scenery and story) takes a big change the last 80% of the game. I thought the cut scenes and voices were entertaining. The one vehicle level was the highlight of the gameplay (riding a jetski upstream shooting baddies at every turn), followed by the platforming. My least enjoyed part of the game was all the shooting - it was needed and it was fun, but there was too much of it. How many mercenaries are on this island? Naughty Dog (the developer) didn't bog down the story with a lot of characters. If a new bad guy came along, the old one was killed. I liked Nathan Drake - an identifiable character. Elena was OK, but I would have had more co-operative puzzles and game scenarios with her (like Resident Evil 4+).

The puzzles were easy - hints popped up even before you had a chance to search. I'm not complaining, it kept the gameplay moving.

Some brief tips:

• Change guns often - you get rewards for using different guns.
• Always look for hidden treasure.
• Don't forget about hand-to-hand combat.
• An orderly attack: Snipers, Grenade launchers, shot gun (don't let them get close), and the rest. Use cover.
• Enjoy the view.

And there are Nazi's in this game - I hate those guys!

I bought this game used - that was a wise investment.

Will I go back and get all the trophies? Probably not. I finished this game so I could move on to Tomb Raider and prepare for Uncharted 2!

Bioshock for $20 at Best Buy

If you want to take on this guy:

First go to 2kGames and print the $10 off dollar coupon.

Then bring it to Best Buy before January 31st. Also bring one of these: Walk out with one of these:

That was easy. Let me know if the game was worth $20.

The Console Battle - my take

I get into many discussion about which system is better. I know that the PS3 is. But, just like I am willing to forgive obnoxious Pittsburgh Steeler fans, I understand why other gamers prefer their 360 or Wii.

If you are a casual gamer, all you care about is the game - it doesn't matter which system it plays on. With all the awesome multi-platform games last year, you couldn't loose. If there was an exclusive game (LBP, GeoW2, L4D) , then your favorite system plays that game.

I believe that any intelligent person who owns both PS3 and XBOX360, will tell you that the technology and the value of the PS3 are better. I believe a Wii (there is one in my house), serves a different market (girls and families). But who cares about technology, value, and market when you are immersed in a absorbing game.

Value Comparison Chart

Variety magazine has an interesting article about the PS3. Please read it. I really don't care if the PlayStation3 becomes really popular and is proclaimed the King (or Queen) of the Consoles. I just want it to sell enough so game developers make great games on it. (Let me encourage you to BUY your PS3 games and make developers happy.) Let me tell you the only reason I would be tempted to buy an XboX: many of my friends around the world own one. We can talk together about our Call of Duty experiences, but we can't play together. I'm a little saddened by that. BUT, I have made many new (faceless) friends on the PSN and Home; I'm glad to game with you.

Perfect for Halloween

One of the PS3 Blog sites had a link to a girl who dressed up as Faith from Mirror's Edge. I guess if Lara Croft can have 'real world model,' so can Faith.

"Everyone green up!"

According to PlayStation SOCOM Blog, the 1.30 patch for SOCOM: Confrontation is ready for download. I'll be on-line Saturday morning (10Jan2009) on one of the USA East servers. I'm glad I did not spend too much time playing before (like I had time), because Slant 6 will be "clearing all player statistics." I'm sure that will be a popular decision.

SOCOM Trophies on Jan 12th

I so very much want SOCOM Confrontation to work! Version 1.3 is due out on January 12th - I'll be there to download it. Besides "fixing" the game, it adds trophies!

The list from PSN-Trophies is impressive. In fact - I believe these trophies will be harder to achive then original PAIN and Warhawk trophies. But this is what I have been waiting for.

If you are a SOCOM fan, leave me a comment - I need a friend to be a mentor. And if you are on-line with me, LOOK OUT. I'll have you in my sites.

I've made the move...

...to Call of Duty: World at War. COD4:Modern Warfare is now a nostalgia game.

I've only started the WaW story - it's pretty good, but the on-line multiplayer game that made COD4 unforgetable is back and new with WaW. The sound does not seem to be as good: gun sounds and weird walking noises - but the graphics and detail are wonderful.

I like the addition of a beginers game - stay on that board as long as you can!

I've seen people through the kill cam that seem to be under the levels - has anyone else seen this? A nasty cheat if it is true.

After I finish the game and play the Nazi Zombie level I'll comment further.

If you see me online - invite me into your game!

Roundhouse is my favorite level

Reflection’s Frame

It was fairly short, but I finished Mirror’s Edge by EA games (DICE). I played the story through on Medium during the week after Christmas (3 days). Story? I guess that would be my only major criticism – the story was complicated and I didn’t care about it. I just wanted to get back to jumping, leaping, and solving puzzles. I thought the graphics where beautiful – though plain. They gave a real sense of depth and height. The controls became second nature after the tutorial and were never a limit to gameplay. Every time there was a pipe in my path I smiled – I liked to slide under them. The shooting was a little clunky – I had to stop walking to aim, but I did very little of it. It was more fun to disarm an opponent and keep running. The speed of the game was amazing, and I loved the sound of the main character Faith. I would say she was beautiful, but I mostly only saw her fingers. Now that I am done, I am going back to find the remaining hidden bags and beat the qualifying times for the levels. You see, it is about speed: running through a level precisely and efficiently. Now that I have figured it out once – by pain of many fatal plunges – I should be able to complete each chapter and earn a speed trophy.If you own this game, add me as a friend to compare my times.

KillZone: a change of heart

I was saddened when my KillZone 2 Beta ended. I’ve had a change of heart after my entry on First Person Shooters below. I guess you could say, “I finally got it.” I continued to play KZ2 Beta – the on-line only shoot-um-up – and I began to understand the class system. My character developed (32 classes!); I played other games rather than just ‘Body Count;’ and my mind was finally opened. I still don’t know who the Helghast are or why they are fighting, but I do know that Guerilla Games has developed a game that has captured my attention. KZ2 is on my wishlist - I don't know if I will buy it when it arrives in February - but it will be mine. Find out more from Wiki.

Merry Christmas

As we celebrate God’s gift to mankind we give gifts to each other. Here is a list of my PS3 gifts:

The conscious readers of this blog will realize that I bought some of those games. Yes, that is true. And I think I wrapped all of them but one. But each one was given to me by someone: Thank you Chester for Lara Croft. (Chester is my dog.) El_Mico, thank you for COD and R2. My Ellen got me Mirror's Edge and the Simpson's Game (Barbies). Rock Band came from my Mom. Finally, the Guitar Hero band set - drums and all - came from David.

A Merry Christmas to you all!