Videogames

Anyone watching the Xbox Reveal tomorrow? Here's hoping Microsoft doesn't screw this up! Anyway, with the arrival of a new generation I felt like making a video to celebrate some of the best games there have been in the current generation (2006-2013). There's 150 Games with 150 Songs by 150 Artists (Of course, that includes BR and GG). Check it out if you want a trip to nostalgia lane :p

Dark Souls is the first game I've played where I've done an excessive amount of grinding. Gutted that I just lost 20,000 souls too - about 2,000 away from levelling up. Mind you, I don't generally play RPGs and never played an MMORPG, so there you go.

League of Legends!

Anyone?  :D

Dark Souls

I heard about people getting obsessed with this game, and since it was a Fantasy/Dungeons&Dragons type RPG, I figured that I would be exempt, being the SF shooter fan that I am. But the obsession for me isn't any of the RPG elements (because I can barely even read any of the stats on the crap TV I'm playing the Xbox 360 through), it's the challenge of there being no difficulty setting and being forced into lots of repetition through dying so many bloody times. In other games, that mould probably put me off, but every time I win a boss battle and my hands are shaking from nerves, I know that I can continue on and eventually finish the game (or just look up a walkthrough to help me). It's also quite a fun learning curve once you figure out how each NPC attacks, there's a lot less fear going into battles; mostly it's just the stupid little mistakes you make from not being patient enough that screw you over. So now I'm obsessed with continuing on so I can get to the next location, the next boss...

Egg wrote: play bioshock, like, right now.

...and you too will realise just how overrated that game is!

Egg wrote: i'm gonna play the retail version of Injustice at a friend's house before i buy it. i've never been much of a fighting game fan, with exception to SSB. also, i thought BioShock Infinite was fantastic.

Gonna be honest, I've only played Super Smash Bros once. I liked it, but I never actually  had a copy for myself lol. Never played Bioshock either.

I pre-ordered Injustice: Gods Among Us the other day, judging by the demo it looks to be a pretty kick ass game.

Warstub wrote: And here's my after thoughts on Bioshock: Infinite... "Any story that has to wrap things up with extended scenes that explain what you have never taken part in (as a game player), hasn't done the job properly."

That was an interesting reading, even though I disagree with some of it you make some valid points :D

Here's my attempt at writing a review for Bioshock Infinite. I'll try to keep it as spoiler free as possible but if you haven't played it, maybe skip the "story" bit.

Story
The game is set in 1912 in the floating city of Columbia led by father Comstock, a charismatic character in the likes of Andrew Ryan or Sophia Lamb (for those who played the previous games). The setting is a welcome change in the ever increasing futuristic shooter medium. The story is good and once again it's enhanced by audio diaries (called voxophones) scattered across the city. At first, it may seem like the typical "hero has to save the princess" kind of story, but you'll soon realize Booker (the character you play) isn't the typical hero and Elizabeth ain't quite the typical damsel in distress. Halfway through, it takes an interesting turn which unfolds in a remarkable conclusion.
Gameplay
Gameplay is very similar to previous Bioshock games. It's a FPS with special powers and RPG elements, alternating shooting and exploration. While similar, the formula has some tweaks. For instance you are only able to carry two weapons, and health packs aren't stackable anymore. As expected , there are new gameplay mechanics of which the most interesting ones are Skylines and Tears (basically windows into other worlds). Skylines add verticality and work seamlessly while Tears give you more alternatives to deal with foes. Contrary to many companion AI, Elizabeth (aside from being a great character) actually helps. She'll bring you the aforementioned "Tears", she'll mention objects of interest like voxophones and lockpicks, and most importantly, in time of need she'll occasionally give you money, ammo, health packs and salts.
Visuals
Visually the game is impressive, the city of Columbia is a truly beautiful gameworld. Yes there will be "ugly" when you take a closer look at certain objects but overall it's pretty neat.
Audio
From the vending machines (voiced once again by creative director Ken Levine) to the licensed songs; from the remarkable voice acting to Garry Schyman's blasting original score, Bioshock Infinite's audio is top notch.
Achievements/Trophies
Not a very creative list. Most achievements require to kill X number of enemies with a given weapon. The most satisfying one is definitely "Scavenger Hunt" which has you playing on 1999 mode (hardest difficulty) without purchasing anything (health, salts, ammo) from the "Dollar Bill" vending machine. That's probably the best way to play the game. I did that on my second playthrough and it was a lot more enjoyable.
Final Words
Bioshock Infinite is a very polished game, in two playthroughs I only had 1 bug and it wasn't even a big one. The game is a lot like the original Bioshock, which is one of my all time favorite games. That said, I have to admit that after a while playing Infinite it started feeling like "been there, done that", some kind of "deja vu" if you will. That all changed around halfway through when a turning point in the story sets it apart. The final chapters are some of the best and in my opinion, the finale elevates the game from great to memorable. It demonstrates what can be achieved in terms of storytelling in a video game and proves that some experiences can't be replicated in other mediums which in itself is an achievement for the video game industry.

So to summarize, you should play this game, even if you're not a shooter fan.

Score: 9/10

I mostly play Metroid games like Super Metroid and Metroid Prime 1 & 2: Echoes.

Two thirds of the way through Bioshock: Infinite and here's what I have to say about it:

http://warstub.blogspot.co.nz/2013/04/bored-with-combat-part-2.html