tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-46251718606717486992024-03-05T15:25:55.776-08:00Up late talking games & writing? You're...Brad Gallawayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09452185302281177580noreply@blogger.comBlogger905125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4625171860671748699.post-25554330868838328642021-03-08T01:36:00.002-08:002021-03-08T01:36:10.365-08:00<p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: #f7f0e9;">Heyo, it's time again for my annual</span><i style="background-color: #f7f0e9;"> </i><span style="background-color: #f7f0e9;">check-in here at Coffeecola! And to be entirely on brand, it's a few months late!</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: #f7f0e9; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="background-color: #f7f0e9; font-family: arial;">= D</span></p><p><span style="background-color: #f7f0e9; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="background-color: #f7f0e9; font-family: arial;">If you're reading this, then I would guess that it's pretty likely you're following me on other, more frequently-updated platforms?</span></p><p><span style="background-color: #f7f0e9; font-family: arial;">If not, here's a quick rundown...</span></p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br style="background-color: #f7f0e9;" /><a href="http://gamecritics.com/" style="background-color: #f7f0e9; color: black; font-weight: bold;">GameCritics.com</a>.<span style="background-color: #f7f0e9;"> Still the editor there and still loving it. It'd be great to find an assistant editor -- anybody out there?? -- but no complaints, really. We've got a load of great new writers, the old guard are still around and the games are flowing. </span><br style="background-color: #f7f0e9;" /><br style="background-color: #f7f0e9;" /><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-200756560" style="background-color: #f7f0e9; color: black; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">So Videogames</a>.<span style="background-color: #f7f0e9;"> The pod has been around for more than three years and 200 episodes at this point, and I'm pretty proud of that. Still recording with Carlos Rodela.</span></span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://twitter.com/bradgallaway?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor" style="background-color: #f7f0e9; color: black; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Twitter</a><span style="background-color: #f7f0e9;"> Yup.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/bradgallaway/" style="background-color: #f7f0e9; color: black; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Instagram</a> Yup.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br style="background-color: #f7f0e9;" /><span style="background-color: #f7f0e9;"><br /></span></span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: #f7f0e9;">I'm still playing games, but despite being at home 99% of the time due to COVID, there's always WAY more to play than there is <i>time</i> to play. If something doesn't grab me in the first 20 minutes these days, I bounce out, and even with that crazy cutoff there are still a thousand things that slip past me. </span><br style="background-color: #f7f0e9;" /><br style="background-color: #f7f0e9;" /><span><span style="background-color: #f7f0e9;">Otherwise, I'm incredibly glad that we dodged a bullet by the slimmest of margins when Biden was elected, but there are still a ton of serious challenges facing the country and I'm not sure that we're doing enough, quickly enough. And of course, we need to prepare ourselves for constant conservative interference every damn day for the next four years and there is no doubt going to be a hellish Republican comeback in 2024.</span></span></span></div><div><span><span style="background-color: #f7f0e9; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span style="background-color: #f7f0e9; font-family: arial;">Oh hey, ecological collapse, anyone? </span></span></div><div><span><span style="background-color: #f7f0e9; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span style="background-color: #f7f0e9; font-family: arial;">And like... COVID. </span></span></div><div><span><span style="background-color: #f7f0e9; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span><span style="background-color: #f7f0e9; font-family: arial;">It's incredible how much life has changed in such a short period of time. It's not even been a full year since the virus made itself known but everything's transitioned to remote, I only get my groceries curbside, and I haven't been to a restaurant since February, 2020. </span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Gotta be honest, it looks like things won't be acceptably safe until 2022, and the idea of staying at home for another year is like... yeah. Roughest on my son tho, t be totally honest. it's funny that people were flipping out at the idea of being indoors for three months when the virus popped up, and because we politicized it and half the country still isn't taking it seriously, we're still dealing with it. <br style="background-color: #f7f0e9;" /><br style="background-color: #f7f0e9;" /><span style="background-color: #f7f0e9;">....And I think that's about it? If you're reading this, you are one of the true believers and most likely a longtime reader/listener... So thanks for being cool like that. </span><br style="background-color: #f7f0e9;" /><br style="background-color: #f7f0e9;" /><span style="background-color: #f7f0e9;">See ya next year-ish, but in the meantime, don't be a stranger! hit me up on social media, come to GC and catch me on the podcast. </span></span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: #f7f0e9;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: #f7f0e9;">Cheers!</span></span></div>Brad Gallawayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09452185302281177580noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4625171860671748699.post-17262112787464131522020-01-05T01:24:00.000-08:002020-01-05T01:24:01.613-08:00Checking in...Hilariously, I am late for even my once-<i>yearly </i>check-in here at Coffeecola.<br />
<br />
It's been more than a minute since I posted something new here and now that I'm back, I gotta say... I still love my logo. Huge shout-out to Chris Coughlan, who designed it. I really want to try and use it in some way apart from this rarely-updated blog, although I don't see much opportunity a the moment since I'm already juggling two other brands... Still, what a logo. And what a tangent.<br />
<br />
Anyway... Let's get the housekeeping done.<br />
<br />
Am I still at <a href="http://gamecritics.com/">GameCritics.com</a>? Yup, for sure. Still the editor there and still loving it. I could really use an assistant editor to share some of the load, but finding people with the chops <i>and</i> the temperament <i>and</i> the willingness to work for basically free (apart from all the games we get) is like, mission impossible. No idea what the site's gonna do when it's time for me to retire...<br />
<br />
Am I still podcasting? Yup. Although I am still heartbroken that Corey Motley left the <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-200756560" target="_blank">So Videogames</a> podcast due to personal issues, Carlos Rodela stepped in to occupy the second seat and things are still chugging along. The show has been around for more than three years and 150 episodes at this point, and I'm pretty proud of that.<br />
<br />
Am I still playing games? For sure, although not nearly as much as I'd like. Free time comes at a premium these days and there's always waaaaaay more things to play than there is time to play them. I've gotta be super selective when it comes to picking what I spend time on.<br />
<br />
Am I still on social media? Yep. You can catch me on <a href="https://twitter.com/bradgallaway?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor" target="_blank">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/bradgallaway/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, although Twitter is still my main jam and the place where I spend most of my look-at-my-phone-while-standing-in-line time. I post way more food pics on Insta tho, so if that's your jam...<br />
<br />
Apart from all that, things are busy. My youngest is 10 this year, and I transitioned into being a stay-at-home/homeschooling dad so that takes up a lot of my time. I love it though -- I've always wanted to do it, and I missed out on a lot of his first 9.5 years since I was always gone and working so much. This is a great opportunity to catch back up with him and really get some quality time in.<br />
<br />
The wife is now the main breadwinner and she's kicking ass at a job that seemed like an intimidating trash-fire challenge before she started, but she stepped up and took charge, cleaned it up, and now it's humming like a finely-oiled machine. So much respect for her, and so proud -- she's been wildly successful and she's going places. Now, if her gig would just pay her more...<br />
<br />
Other than all this, I've got some non-game side projects going with some super-talented folks that will take me to parts of the country I've never been, so that should be A Thing. Nothing to share on that now, but I'll prolly be tweeting about it when the time comes, so keep an eye on the timeline if you're curious. <br />
<br />
Oh, also, I have a basement now. Super excited about that! It leaks when it rains and I gotta watch some YouTube videos in a hurry to teach myself how to fix it, but still, it's always been kind of a dream to have a basement space and it's just Really Cool to finally be able to check that box.<br />
<br />
I think that's about it? If you're reading this, you are one of the true believers and most likely a longtime reader/listener... So thanks for being cool like that.<br />
<br />
See ya next year. Ish. ^_^<br />
<br />
<br />
Brad Gallawayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09452185302281177580noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4625171860671748699.post-77376684407461194152018-04-04T23:27:00.000-07:002018-04-04T23:27:43.068-07:00Full CircleSo it's been nearly a year since I posted here... If you've been waiting for an update, sorry to keep you hanging!<br />
<br />
Seriously though, I hope you're following me over on Twitter, at GameCritics.com, or listening to me on the So... Videogames! Podcast. This blog may have gathered quite a bit of dust, but I'm still churning out content on a daily basis.<br />
<br />
So why am I posting here?<br />
<br />
Last night I had a TON of stuff to do... Just an endless number of tasks left on my plate, and I was fading fast as the evening rolled on. I usually make a late-night cup of coffee to give me a little boost, but I wasn't feeling it. My other go-to is a Red Bull, but we had none in the house.<br />
<br />
From out of the depths of my memory banks, I recalled a recipe for an old-time pick-me-up that I hadn't had in years... Can you guess what it was? And no peeking at the top of the page, that's cheating!<br />
<br />
Yes indeed, I mixed up an honest-to-god cup of coffeecola that night, and it was both delicious and the equivalent of military-grade rocket fuel.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3IHFKbrXr-PGEVnyZR7F5qqWNlLDzEuCNg5zALvjdhtNJ9uzA-yZMsqvUQicY7gaqK6-DPiuyc3kD0g3-4Ve3ZU8tBIfTcU_N1856vtkB7v9UQ8VEevxwq2-gRtoylw5OgLWtqcNOmSk/s1600/Coffeecola+2018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="491" data-original-width="500" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3IHFKbrXr-PGEVnyZR7F5qqWNlLDzEuCNg5zALvjdhtNJ9uzA-yZMsqvUQicY7gaqK6-DPiuyc3kD0g3-4Ve3ZU8tBIfTcU_N1856vtkB7v9UQ8VEevxwq2-gRtoylw5OgLWtqcNOmSk/s320/Coffeecola+2018.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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So what was the recipe? I'm glad you asked. Back in the day I used to use brewed coffee mixed with coke, but I gotta be honest, it tasted like shit. The difference this time was that I still used regular coke, but instead of brewed, I added in a spoonful of Trader Joe's instant coffee, and it was great.</div>
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When you mix the two together, it foams LIKE CRAZY so you gotta be careful not to make a mess. It's a pretty thick foam and pretty bitter -- the dark coloration you see above is little streaks of concentrated coffee that rose to the top instead of mixing in. </div>
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Once you slurp that down, the actual coke/coffee mixture is pretty tasty. Go easy on the coffee so you don't overpower the coke, but when you get the balance right, it goes down smooth. So smooth, in fact, that I made myself a second one right after, and let me tell you, I got things DONE that night!</div>
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Give it a try if you're feeling bold!</div>
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(And hey, if you're reading this? You're one of the select few who've been following me since the early days. Thanks for being here!) </div>
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<br />Brad Gallawayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09452185302281177580noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4625171860671748699.post-21610805702337520002017-05-27T23:15:00.002-07:002017-05-27T23:15:25.202-07:00...It's been almost a year since my last post. I kinda missed the old blog, so I popped back in to check things out, and it was good to see this familiar face again.<br />
<br />
Life is super busy these days, and I started this blog when I had a lot more time on my hands...<br />
<br />
Since then, my kids have gotten older, I've been working more hours at my day job, GameCritics has hugely expanded and we're putting out more content than ever before, the So Videogames podcast I do with @CoreyMotley has been keeping me busy...<br />
<br />
...and hell, I even try to play a game here and there.<br />
<br />
But as I look back, I realize that I've kinda missed the off-the-cuff stuff I used to post here. I originally thought I'd do something similar and just post it at GC, but that didn't really pan out. Too busy editing other people's work and doing a review of my own, once in a while.<br />
<br />
My free time situation has only gotten worse, but who knows... Maybe I'll pop back in and do a little rambling once in a while.<br />
<br />
If you saw this, you're awesome. ^_^Brad Gallawayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09452185302281177580noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4625171860671748699.post-88600828823255205532017-03-16T17:37:00.002-07:002017-03-16T17:37:15.713-07:00DMC3 SE<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Devil May Cry 3:
Dante’s Awakening – Special Edition<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<br /></div>
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Main Review by Brad Gallaway on <st1:date day="4" month="4" w:st="on" year="2006">April 4, 2006</st1:date><o:p></o:p></div>
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Score: 8.5<o:p></o:p></div>
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It’s interesting that Scott mentioned my quote about
preferring games that revolve “around what you do, not how you do it” in regard
to <i>DMC3</i> because I think this is one
of the rare times when my usual stance doesn’t apply. Frequent readers of the
site will know that I have no love of this series, and I’d say that the
original <i>Devil May Cry</i> is one of the
most overrated games in recent memory, its numerous flaws and rough edges
granted a complete “pass” by fans the world over. However, after playing
through <i>Dante’s Awakening</i>, I think I
can finally see what people like about this series… though I would argue that
it wasn’t really there until now.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Before going further, my second opinion is based on the
Special Edition of <i>DMC3</i>, released
domestically under the PlayStation Greatest Hits banner. There are a number of
differences between this version and the version that Scott reviewed such as a
new boss encounter, the ability to play as Dante’s twin brother Vergil, and a
bonus mode with a 100-floor dungeon. However, all of those things pale compared
to the most significant addition: adjustments to the difficulty level.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I tried playing the first release of <i>DMC3</i> and was completely put off by the absurd challenge
present. I know that Scott said it
wasn’t very much different from any other action game, but I would have to
strongly disagree. I don’t mind some difficulty, but I’m also not in the market
for a stress anxiety disorder. I thought
that Capcom was crazy for some of the choices they made, but everything I
didn’t like the first time around has been completely rectified.<o:p></o:p></div>
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With the simple inclusion of mid-mission checkpoints that
should have been there in the first place, almost all of my frustration was
completely eliminated. Besides that, the
Easy difficulty is now even easier than it was before (for those who want it)
and the new Gold Orb restart system lets players continue the battle exactly
where they died. Since all of these changes are optional, the same level of
challenge is there for players who crave it, but it’s only a good thing to have
more options. I can’t stress enough what a significant improvement in design
and accessibility these new changes are, so huge kudos to Capcom for that.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Now that my thumbs and blood pressure can finally take a
break, it was a lot easier to appreciate the things that <i>Dante’s Awakening</i> brings to the table. The variety in weapons is
excellent, and Dante has butter-smooth animation to bring his ferocious attacks
to life. Like I said earlier, this game is one rare example where “how I do it”
actually takes precedence over what I’m doing. Switching on-the-fly from whirling
nunchuks to sparking pistols to flaming uppercuts and finishing a group of
reapers with a french kiss from a rocket launcher is entertaining enough on its
own to make up for the simplistic goals of each level, although I must say I am
a bit surprised to admit it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Impossibly, the
cutscenes are even more over-the-top than the action, and while I don’t usually
appreciate this sort of Goes-To-Eleven approach to videogame virility, I have
to disagree with Scott and say that it works here. Similarly, I thought that
the game’s attitude towards characterization and storytelling were equally
effective-- neither will win any awards or stand out as an example of excellence
in writing, but there is a strange release in experiencing something rabidly,
offensively gonzo and being okay with it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br />
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<i>Devil May Cry 3:
Dante’s Awakening</i> still has some issues.
Regardless of the difficulty, I don’t think I will ever be a fan of
going back and repeating stages for the sake of collecting upgrade points, and
the developers should invest in a copy of <i>God
of War</i> to learn a few things about good camera placement. However, I can’t deny that <i>DMC3</i> is a runaway freight train crashing
through the walls of moderation with a load of nitroglycerin and testosterone
in tow. And besides, I thought that purple bat-shooting hooker-guitar was
pretty cool.<o:p></o:p></div>
Brad Gallawayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09452185302281177580noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4625171860671748699.post-21599424119066341322016-07-31T23:48:00.003-07:002016-07-31T23:48:32.738-07:00You Can't Vote With Your Heart -- You Need To Use Your Brain<i>Welcome back to Coffeecola! It's been a while.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Fair warning, tonight's topic is <b>not</b> about videogames. Sorry, but it's gotta be done. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>So, my wife and I have been talking about the upcoming election a lot -- pretty much every night -- and I think we're both still in shock that America has somehow come to the precipice of putting a racist, fascist, sexist demagogue who doesn't even try to masquerade as a reasonable person in charge of the country. As ordinary people we feel like we don't have a lot of power to directly affect events that are larger than us, <b>but we can do something</b>. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>I had been considering writing a piece or starting a twitter campaign to unite good-thinking people against Trump, but the wife beat me to it, and she speaks for both of us below. She doesn't have a blog or any visible place of her own to post her message, so I'm blowing the dust off of Coffeecola tonight to give her a platform, however meager it is. </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>These are her words, and I support them entirely.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i><br /></i>
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*</div>
<br />
<br />
I didn't know if I would say anything. Wasn't sure if I was someone who should say anything… But I decided I should, and I am.<br />
<br />
So, this election… I'm sure everyone is sick of hearing about it, talking about it, fighting about it. I know I am, but I make sure to keep reading. I keep informed, even when I don't want to hear one more rotten thing about any of it.<br />
<br />
I don't like to discuss politics -- it tends to get people upset and confrontation is not a comfortable thing for me. I know what I'm going to say here will probably cause some to get riled up. It isn't my intention (I swear, I don't like to fight or argue!) but I feel like I need to say this because we're on the precipice of something terrible in this country, and I don't want to look back and regret that I didn't add my voice. I don’t want to look back and know that I kept quiet.<br />
<br />
I was not thrilled with any of the choices we’ve had for the presidency, before the nominations or after. The one thing I know with 100% certainty is that I won't vote for Trump -- no way in hell.<br />
<br />
I felt that Bernie had a better chance to take on Trump than Hillary, but now that decision is out of my hands. He isn't a nominee, period. I know there are many out there that feel completely shattered by that, and I get it, I really do. I saw how he rallied people, how strongly people felt for him but he's no longer a choice.<br />
<br />
Now what?<br />
<br />
It’s this "now what?" that’s been bothering me so much. There are so many articles and experts out there that talk about all the reasons why a third party can't win this presidential election. They explain in detail how to make a third party a viable choice -- we must start locally and work up from there. The fact is that we, as a country, have not been doing that. So basically, what we are left with is the two party system. Democratic or Republican, Clinton or Trump.<br />
<br />
Even knowing that their third party choice can't win, I still hear and read people say…<br />
<br />
"I can't in good conscience vote for Hillary."<br />
<br />
"I have to follow my heart and that isn't Hillary."<br />
<br />
"I have to vote this way and make a statement."<br />
<br />
I hear you. I can totally see why you feel that way. I mean, I really like the idea of voting for someone other than Clinton, but what I want most is for Trump <i>to not win</i>. The fact that people aren't terrified of Trump becoming president and doing everything in their power to stop that from happening makes me incredibly sad.<br />
<br />
Privilege is a word used a lot lately and I know it makes some people bristle to even hear it, but it is so much a part of this election.<br />
<br />
I have privilege, a lot of it. It doesn't mean I'm rich or that everything is easy, but it means I am not directly affected by a lot of the terrible shit out there. I'm white, I'm straight, I'm cis, I grew up in the suburbs, I speak English, my husband is white, my child is white, I am not physically or mentally disabled, the list goes on.<br />
<br />
It is because of this inherent privilege that I have a moral responsibility to do everything I can to make sure Trump does not become president. If he does, it is guaranteed to go poorly for people who are not me. He will do things that I will 100% disagree with, but it will be nothing compared to what will happen to people of color, immigrants, members of the LGBTQ community or any people who veer away from what Trump deems acceptable.<br />
<br />
I can not and will not allow myself the luxury or the privilege of voting for someone other than the only choice that has a chance to beat Trump. I owe it to every single person out there that doesn't have the privilege I do. This is my way to fight for them, and to do what I know is right by making sure Trump isn't allowed to win, even if it means that the lesser of two evils wins the White House.<br />
<br />
I get wanting to do what you feel is right in your heart. I get why Clinton is seen as a poor choice. But if we’re being honest --truly honest -- then we know that she is a better choice for the country as a whole than Trump is, and we know that no one else has a chance to beat him.<br />
<br />
Please, please, please see beyond yourself and realize how truly serious and dangerous this election has the potential to be. We are in a situation where we must sacrifice for the greater good – we must not vote for who we feel we want to vote for, but <i>we must vote for someone who can beat Trump</i>.<br />
<br />
So now I’ve said my piece, but there’s more to be said.<br />
<br />
I've been following Shaun King on Twitter and Facebook -- he's a justice writer for the NY Daily news. He wrote<a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/news/election/king-stop-donald-trump-voting-hillary-clinton-article-1.2726614" target="_blank"> a great article</a> about being an absolute supporter of Sanders, and why he feels he must now vote for Clinton and not a third party. Give it a read, it's worth it, I promise.<br />
<br />
There’s also <a href="http://www.thestranger.com/slog/2016/07/29/24409613/its-time-to-cheer-up-about-hillary-clinton" target="_blank">this one</a> from The Stranger, written by Megan Burbank. It offers some great points.<br />
<br />
<b>Please do the right thing. </b><br />
<br />
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*</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Brad Gallawayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09452185302281177580noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4625171860671748699.post-45097117108665953462016-05-14T01:18:00.002-07:002016-05-14T01:18:27.776-07:00Blowing The Dust Off<div style="text-align: center;">
*</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Wow, so it's been a while since I updated, and yes, this is going to be one of <i>those </i>posts.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
If you're reading this then I'm sure you've noticed that I haven't been writing anything here at Coffeecola lately -- not trying to make excuses, but the simple fact is that life has just gotten too busy. Between the day job, running Gamecritics at night, spending time with the family and trying to, y'know, actually <b>play some games</b> once in a while, I had to cut back on some things and the blog was one of them. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
On the plus side, I'm still writing, reviewing, and generally being <i>out there</i>... That energy just hasn't been focused <i>here</i>, though. I don't plan to stop blogging, but it's not the priority that it once was. I'll still post things that aren't a good fit elsewhere, but I think my days of multiple updates a week are probably over, at least for now. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
If you still want to keep up with me and what I'm doing, here are four good ways.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
1> I'm still the editor at <a href="http://gamecritics.com/">Gamecritics.com</a>, and all of my written reviews run there. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
2> I'm active on Twitter, and you can follow me at @BradGallaway. I'm more frequently available at night than I am during the day, but if you tweet at me, I'll usually respond. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
3> Although our recording schedule is semi-random these days, we're still putting out new episodes of the <a href="http://www.gamecritics.com/podcast" target="_blank">Gamecritics Podcast</a>. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
4> If you want more of me in your ear, I'm also a very frequent guest on the <a href="http://hyperturbosupercast.libsyn.com/" target="_blank">VideogameBreak Podcast</a>, and while it has a very different flavor than GC's own homebrew, I think it's a lot of fun. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
So, this might be the last post here for a while, but I'm not taking this blog down and I'm sure there will be new bits popping up here and there. In the meantime, thanks for all your support and I hope to keep interacting with everyone who's been reading in the ways listed above.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Cheers!</b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
* </div>
<br />Brad Gallawayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09452185302281177580noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4625171860671748699.post-48492081097466500442016-04-14T00:39:00.000-07:002016-04-14T00:54:48.857-07:00The Division's First Add-On Is Here, And... It Sucks<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">*<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">So, the new
update for <b><i>The Division</i></b> dropped yesterday, and it’s called <b><i>Incursions</i></b>.
It’s the first of two free updates, and frankly, I’m glad it was free because I’d
be pissed if I paid for it. A general list of content and changes is at the
bottom of this post.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjidQadU6fAgHhFkX0YG7s_FGPV6QJLPCqpbs3M0VAb8Ahyphenhyphenh8isUmPeDXJoW2YlGcMJ7HHxumThceZroxwiNfmGYu2Xa0C_weVe6XNUNAan7DEtdJZpB3GkYaGUNlut-OmZKmGdc_UWexE/s1600/Incursions01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjidQadU6fAgHhFkX0YG7s_FGPV6QJLPCqpbs3M0VAb8Ahyphenhyphenh8isUmPeDXJoW2YlGcMJ7HHxumThceZroxwiNfmGYu2Xa0C_weVe6XNUNAan7DEtdJZpB3GkYaGUNlut-OmZKmGdc_UWexE/s400/Incursions01.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">On the plus
side, this add-on finally fixes the Dark Zone. In <a href="http://drinkingcoffeecola.blogspot.com/2016/03/being-harassed-in-divisions-dark-zone.html" target="_blank">this blog</a> I talked about how
broken it was, to the point that some sad individual who had been mega-grinding was able to become effectively invincible because his gear was so much
better than ours. It was awful. The devs have now added a new feature called
"gear score", which is the remedy. </span><span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">Basically,
every higher-level piece of armor or weaponry has a points value associated with
it, so the game somehow adds all of those up (it doesn't seem like straight addition)
and assigns a total overall value to a player. Then, it separates those players
into different categories when in the DZ. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">The new
starter category is a gear score of 0-160, so everybody who’s been farming or
crafting the best stuff is no longer in the same zone with people who play more
casually, which is a godsend. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">After this
change went into effect and the superplayers were moved elsewhere, my group
went back into the DZ and we were able to score lots of loot because we were
working together, we were holding our own against rogues, and there were plenty
of AI enemies to kill. The experience was finally back to what it had been
before things became so imbalanced.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">There's also
a new kind of supply drop in the DZ that randomly occurs and everyone nearby
races to grab it. It doesn't happen quite often enough so far, but it's neat.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9rUeIw-XQKboxHceKjZ85mYTfnxe_dN-21AWCfYpkNx2r6_xrspHx3BDO1xFIkXrUzaGg9mJj2Wfz2NXQ1OWExrEjlw1qtsNznPZBVcq3liaF2dUIgZ7HrwzQmShS4iMktjIDbZyGDMo/s1600/the_division_gear_sets-1152x566.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9rUeIw-XQKboxHceKjZ85mYTfnxe_dN-21AWCfYpkNx2r6_xrspHx3BDO1xFIkXrUzaGg9mJj2Wfz2NXQ1OWExrEjlw1qtsNznPZBVcq3liaF2dUIgZ7HrwzQmShS4iMktjIDbZyGDMo/s400/the_division_gear_sets-1152x566.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">On the other
hand, the gear score seems like a double-edged sword. We were excited to jump
into the newest mission, Falcon Lost, but we didn’t meet the minimum gear score
of 140, so we weren’t allowed to start it. Surprised and frustrated, we went
back into the DZ and earned enough loot over two nights to finally clear the
bar for entry.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">Before
talking about the mission itself, it’s worth noting that gear with a better
score was almost always<i> <b>worse</b></i> than what I had previously
equipped. By using stuff with better rank, my DPS and Health both dropped
drastically, even after using mods to offset the difference. I find it
absolutely baffling that requiring a player to get “better gear” means
that their stats drop to unacceptable levels far worse than what the “low level”
gear provided. <b>It makes NO sense.</b> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">Another
thing to note? The next free mission coming up requires a gear score of 220… Considering
how long it took us to get to 140 and the sacrifices in our stats that had to
be made, I don’t see how getting to 220 is any kind of desirable goal. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl2aBbufzrV_1F7y16TANLCDDSc0k0zouy5328HXX7LFW5l6BtLi-g5DKJ8YBNsj6Uo_i3kKrB8w7Y-0PL0AEfinzVQxx7eQEWI9c7VymhfLa29qBWYnLOtART1nFFYQE08v2x6YiWfJM/s1600/division_falcon_lost_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl2aBbufzrV_1F7y16TANLCDDSc0k0zouy5328HXX7LFW5l6BtLi-g5DKJ8YBNsj6Uo_i3kKrB8w7Y-0PL0AEfinzVQxx7eQEWI9c7VymhfLa29qBWYnLOtART1nFFYQE08v2x6YiWfJM/s400/division_falcon_lost_1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">In any event,
we finally started Falcon Lost and it was awful. The mission description states
that it’s designed for a full squad of four with top-level gear, and by golly,
they weren’t joking. My team of three with the minimum required gear was
getting demolished from all sides, and the goal of defeating 15 waves of
enemies while an APC fired grenades at us was impossible. We died and retried
several times and eventually threw in the towel. There was just no way we were
going to get it done. So all the work we put in to gain access to the content?
For nothing. And farming it for gear? Don't make me laugh.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">Overall, I
can’t say that I’m too thrilled with the direction <i>The Division</i> is going. I get that there’s a certain segment of
players out there who want MMO-style endgame content and an infinite amount of
stuff to grind and chase, but that just doesn’t appeal to me. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">I was really
hoping that the devs would release content that would be right for dropping in,
getting it done, and then dropping out again… I really have no desire to grind
and farm just to access new content, especially if the content is going to be
harder than anything reasonably achievable by someone who isn’t playing the
game as a full-time job. Making matters worse, the game has no greatly
increased the mats required to craft things, so an already tedious grind is now
even grindier. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="http://www.gamecritics.com/brad-gallaway/tom-clancys-the-division-review" target="_blank">My review</a>
praised the game for being a good middle ground between MMO design and console
sensibilities, but the devs are now swinging too far in the wrong
direction. Maybe someone likes the idea of having to pour a lifetime into <i>The Division</i> just to keep progressing,
but that’s the opposite of what I was looking for, and it’s a shame. Jumping in
with friends to knock a few missions out or getting some DZ time is great, but
when a forced grind comes into the picture, that’s when I bounce and find something
else to play. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">*<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">Today, Ubisoft® announced that the
first content update for Tom Clancy’s The Division™ is now available for all
players on Xbox One, PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system and Windows
PC. As part of the post-launch plan to keep players entertained after the main
story arc is completed, Incursions is the first of two free updates. Incursions
is comprised of new activities, features and items that continue to build upon
the gameplay experience.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">NEW ACTIVITIES:<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">• New Incursion Falcon Lost: Developed
specifically for squad play, players team up with the Joint Task Force in an
epic fight against the Last Man Battalion and their new deadly weapon.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">• Dark Zone Supply Drops: Players need to
be on the lookout for air supply drops in the Dark Zone from Division command.
These global events provide non-contaminated gear that are ready to use and
don’t require extraction.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">• Assignments: Tackled alone or with other
agents, these lucrative timed assignments will offer players additional
rewards.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">NEW FEATURES:<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">• Trading: As one of the community’s
most-wanted features, loot trading has been added to allow players to share
items within the same group by simply dropping them from their inventory.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">• Gear Score: Now players can size up
fellow agents and gauge the power of items by comparing gear scores.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">NEW ITEMS:<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">• Gear Sets: By completing challenging
activities in Manhattan, players can collect and wear new gear sets to unlock
powerful bonuses and stats. Find the set that best suits your playstyle:<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">- Tactician's Authority – Enhances
electronics and support capabilities.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">- Striker's Battlegear – Provides bonuses
for assault capabilities.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">- Sentry's Call – Enhances marksman capabilities.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">- Path of the Nomad – Provides bonuses for
lone wanderers.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">*</span></i></div>
Brad Gallawayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09452185302281177580noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4625171860671748699.post-51709104016688989702016-04-08T22:45:00.002-07:002016-04-08T22:45:34.837-07:00The Effort/Reward Equation, or, Why I'm Quitting Gungeon. <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">*<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">I picked up <i><b>Enter the Gungeon</b></i> a few days ago, and I’ve
been playing it in short bursts here and there. The graphics are super cute,
the controls feel dialed-in and responsive, and I like the idea of coming up
with a solid pun and building an entire game around it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBdrqYtT1VAnrbCr3Z2e-Xu27yWpjDz5j0ibujFRoTUeUnoRrtucgiKqm8FHERghrEFsQ_pxh43WCIu1gfRwqXi8_q7cO-pSI76NOaI9JkZ8xcihh4IiReOVtH-1kL5pqjkGF2_XORdwo/s1600/Gungeon02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBdrqYtT1VAnrbCr3Z2e-Xu27yWpjDz5j0ibujFRoTUeUnoRrtucgiKqm8FHERghrEFsQ_pxh43WCIu1gfRwqXi8_q7cO-pSI76NOaI9JkZ8xcihh4IiReOVtH-1kL5pqjkGF2_XORdwo/s400/Gungeon02.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">So why am I
about to quit it?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">It's
essentially a roguelike -- the player enters the gungeon and tries to get as
far as they can, defeating enemies and picking up new guns as they go. It has a
bunch of bullet-hell DNA in its makeup and plays a lot faster than most
roguelikes, not to mention that it doesn't mess around with inventory or
turn-by-turn strategy. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">Despite the
fact that (on its surface) this game seems like it should be right up my alley,
I found myself coming to the end of a run today and thinking that I was just
about ready to delete it from my hard drive and move on. At a base level, I
think it's asking for more time and effort than I'm willing to give these days,
and the results of this effort/reward equation just aren't generous enough.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoEPrUqekyQSwyQRG51hGEs6I8q85qpZZaz7kCpkPy6L-Au8IQ25ggvOreq_VjEVHl8-_66nDgWztPCYdhcwqKEFb6QKOgICBG9RQmzvT9JoB09fBHB_eU88vs2Oh2Wfx7mjs3tYIyphE/s1600/Gungeon01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoEPrUqekyQSwyQRG51hGEs6I8q85qpZZaz7kCpkPy6L-Au8IQ25ggvOreq_VjEVHl8-_66nDgWztPCYdhcwqKEFb6QKOgICBG9RQmzvT9JoB09fBHB_eU88vs2Oh2Wfx7mjs3tYIyphE/s400/Gungeon01.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">Playing <i>Gungeon</i> requires twitch skills and repetition
to learn tactics needed for each kind of enemy, and also enough
practice to be able to survive long enough to get to the progress-aiding unlocks,
which <b>@Broodwars64</b> informs me are in there, somewhere. I’ve made a number of attempts with
virtually nothing to show for it, and at the point in my life where I'm at now,
I have <i>very</i> limited time to play
games each day -- usually only an hour or two if I'm lucky. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">With such
limited time, I feel like I need more tangible progress in order to keep me
going -- I'm not afraid of “hard” games, but I need to feel like the time I'm
spending nets me something in exchange, whether that's an enriched mastery of the mechanics, making it to the next level, unlocking something
that improves my next attempt, or somehow otherwise makes it feel like the time
I put in got me somewhere.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">With <i>Gungeon</i>, I feel like it's asking just a
little bit more than I want to put in, while not giving quite enough back. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8I_6pELG3AC5HV-Se6-qyUPxW64yv_IohzLPvFKTyR8c4-FF6fakbIeNmN2KhR6U0rsDxG1JEnDr-D1L6xkkKroHeAYugr1H8gN-jSEGI2zk75mrrkudx1CvI2kZysh7dujsc85X1wM8/s1600/RogueLegacy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8I_6pELG3AC5HV-Se6-qyUPxW64yv_IohzLPvFKTyR8c4-FF6fakbIeNmN2KhR6U0rsDxG1JEnDr-D1L6xkkKroHeAYugr1H8gN-jSEGI2zk75mrrkudx1CvI2kZysh7dujsc85X1wM8/s400/RogueLegacy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">Compare this
to something like <i><b>Rogue Legacy</b></i>, whose
system of progressive unlocks and improving powers kept me playing far longer
than I otherwise would have. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">In other genres, look at “hard” games like <b><i>Monster Hunter</i> </b>or any of the <i><b>Souls</b></i> titles. They may be equally
difficult in terms of challenge presented, but each one of those is <i>excellent</i> at giving just enough
incentive to keep going, whether it's finally getting that last bit of material
to make an amazing new weapon, or unlocking a shortcut that made a desperate
dash through a dangerous area pay off. Balancing steep difficulty with the
incentive to push through it is a tricky balance to achieve, and not every game
is capable of pulling it off.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">Honestly, it’s
rare for me to say that something’s <i>too
easy</i> in a negative sense… I have no problem breezing through something if
it has neat ideas, great art, or is otherwise interesting in some fashion. I'm
far more inclined to find something too difficult in the sense that the reward
is outweighed by the effort required, and devs have to be very careful when
they try to ‘go hard’.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">The fact is
that there’s a ridiculous number of games out there for anyone to choose from,
and for the player on a budget (like me!) almost any title can be had for a
song if someone is patient enough or flexible enough to play on
different platforms. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-twBhRHmzstmj47Jw-SGya3XYeHQ7Kg1srhp53iTB9PcZjuoDz_L5AGhV5tHPq_NVNmJSvvf4B1ZCP8I2tPEqdF6CsYwp3CJL2OKqVC8SRWFvK8atK3dioCgoPaVl3GSLe2AJRaVpvlM/s1600/Books.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-twBhRHmzstmj47Jw-SGya3XYeHQ7Kg1srhp53iTB9PcZjuoDz_L5AGhV5tHPq_NVNmJSvvf4B1ZCP8I2tPEqdF6CsYwp3CJL2OKqVC8SRWFvK8atK3dioCgoPaVl3GSLe2AJRaVpvlM/s400/Books.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">Building up
a backlog of quality titles is easier than it's ever been, and having a wealth
of options combined with a lack of free time means that games which don't
manage to absolutely nail the difficulty equation usually end up forgotten on a
shelf (virtual or otherwise) and left behind in favor of something that
delivers appropriate amounts of bang for appropriate amounts of work. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">I like <i>Enter the Gungeon</i> a lot, but I honestly
don't forsee myself putting much more into it unless I have some kind of
miraculous breakthrough in the next day or two – the effort/reward equation is
skewed just a little too far towards the wrong side for my liking. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">*<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Brad Gallawayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09452185302281177580noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4625171860671748699.post-7783664770922067932016-03-26T21:47:00.004-07:002016-04-07T20:45:58.020-07:00Being harassed in The Division's Dark Zone<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;"> *</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">So tonight,
I "finished" <i><b>The Division</b></i>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">Altogether,
I spent about 60 hours (more or less) and usually played in a team of three. We
completed every main and side mission, and also maxed out the headquarters. I’m
not going to collect all the random pickup doodads, but I will come back for
the DLC after giving it a little rest. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifDWlXSM-I_66WV3V_mWPEuToF4vuxNg9rqeAHBiHAYdvI_K9NjXxZmvs0a5jtR0jXH0FQFBNsv_D4NPq-H_otiogdJVjlMZOjdWn9xovxTM5RxPrIav4fBgBD70RSSXmi__vZ-YQt7Jk/s1600/CehxpbqWEAAGvl0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifDWlXSM-I_66WV3V_mWPEuToF4vuxNg9rqeAHBiHAYdvI_K9NjXxZmvs0a5jtR0jXH0FQFBNsv_D4NPq-H_otiogdJVjlMZOjdWn9xovxTM5RxPrIav4fBgBD70RSSXmi__vZ-YQt7Jk/s400/CehxpbqWEAAGvl0.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">Over the course
of playing the game, we dipped into the game’s online quasi-PVP called “</span><b style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">The Dark Zone</b><span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">”
a few times -- nothing too frequent, but we had some good runs. Sometimes we’d
get some good loot, sometimes we’d lose it to other players, but overall I felt
like it was a great idea and a neat twist on the usual PVP offerings.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">We went back
in today and had what is, hands-down, the <i>worst</i>
experience I've had in<i> The Division</i>,
and probably <b>one of the worst online experiences I've<i> ever</i> had</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsbJiP88B5ixseltpnmj9Cme3Qld62NTLYcVQpbOy_TjAP_KbBdcGCROyaXfEi5zLtmAJDzM2I-ETMGWjT6toPO9MfY3bVWT6_dRwXWujftvuvb63ypHWrU68BTgwoIVXErkgk5qgUE1M/s1600/960-why-the-divisions-dark-zone-is-akin-to-a-psychological-experiment.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsbJiP88B5ixseltpnmj9Cme3Qld62NTLYcVQpbOy_TjAP_KbBdcGCROyaXfEi5zLtmAJDzM2I-ETMGWjT6toPO9MfY3bVWT6_dRwXWujftvuvb63ypHWrU68BTgwoIVXErkgk5qgUE1M/s400/960-why-the-divisions-dark-zone-is-akin-to-a-psychological-experiment.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">When we
first entered the DZ, we were approached by another player. We were having
headset difficulties at the time and none of us could hear each other very
well, so we didn't think too much of it. After the connection improved, we
started catching bits and pieces of this guy talking, and it was along the
lines of "</span><b style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">Let me join your group or I'll kill you</b><span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">".</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">Obviously, this is not the proper way to approach other players if you want to work together, and
since he seemed like he had a screw loose, we moved on and ignored him. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">The thing
is, he did not ignore us.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">He started
following behind us silently, and I thought he'd eventually get bored and buzz
off. However, he persisted. Once my team started taking down AI characters and
accumulating some loot, he opened fire on us from behind and took all three of
us out before we could do anything.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">We
immediately respawned and ran back to the scene of the crime, and he was still
there. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">I figured
that the three of us would open up on him and get our stuff back, but even with
three of us firing at him in unison and giving him everything we had, <i>we barely scratched him</i>. He took the whole team down a couple more
times without breaking a sweat. While he was doing it, he kept saying "<b>You should have let me join your group</b>." and "<b>I
thought we could be friends</b>."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">After repeatedly
getting killed by this guy, we decided to bounce and go to a different zone,
but he kept following us wouldn't leave us alone. Even after we completely left
the DZ and came back, he <i>still</i> found
us and wouldn’t stop tailing our group. The whole time it was the same M.O. -- he'd
follow us and not do anything until we collected some loot, and then he'd kill
us in a matter of seconds and take our stuff.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0koULqrCiCqMHDNz6Mv8TazilB1rPkSa8yF0WEAYdr7IFptGmToXF8ehKJZmx-hLz3srtY6-fFaYSEgVxefwFKTLqKsLY9GAU1LoQShAP6cDE5nHAWxls1JRwXujrHgB3GmOrVY7pORM/s1600/6539047_youll-fear-your-bathroom-after-this-montage_c567686f_m.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0koULqrCiCqMHDNz6Mv8TazilB1rPkSa8yF0WEAYdr7IFptGmToXF8ehKJZmx-hLz3srtY6-fFaYSEgVxefwFKTLqKsLY9GAU1LoQShAP6cDE5nHAWxls1JRwXujrHgB3GmOrVY7pORM/s400/6539047_youll-fear-your-bathroom-after-this-montage_c567686f_m.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">Don’t’ get
me wrong here -- the problem is not that somebody in the Dark Zone killed and
robbed us (it’s been clearly stated since before </span><i style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">The Division</i><span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">‘s launch that this was part of the online) but the
problem is that it’s absurd for one player to be able to steamroll a team of
three with impunity, <i>and then keep on doing it</i>, effectively preventing us from
doing </span><i style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">anything</i><span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;"> in the DZ.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">In The <i><b>Souls</b></i> series (another game with unusual online
PVP) things are different. After getting beaten by someone, that person returns
to their world and it's just luck of the draw if you ever see them again. Unless
the servers are deserted, you probably won’t. I certainly don't mind getting
beaten by someone who's better than me or who has better gear, but being beaten
by someone and going your separate ways is <i>not</i> the
same as being killed by someone and then having them follow you during every
minute of your playtime to kill you over and over and over again. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">Another
difference is that there’s no talking in <i>Souls</i>.
No matter how cheesy or awful someone might be, the devs don’t make you listen
to their taunting or verbal abuse. In <i>The
Division</i>, we went to PSN party chat to avoid hearing randos talk in the DZ,
but we could still hear this guy talking (environmentally) when he was close to
us. Thankfully there are options in the menu which prevent verbal communication with other players, so as soon as we stopped playing, I shut all that stuff off. It's going to stay off. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">This
experience was incredibly frustrating and discouraging, and is by far the worst
time we’ve had with the game overall. Ubisoft definitely needs to address a few
things in order to improve things here because there are always going to be
people who want to be the biggest fish in a small pond, and if someone like
that can be an active barrier to the gameplay of others, then action needs to be
taken. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHj8RUeAI7ZqkvscAh-ppZNYWXZPZ5Bj52CJDO-4l_1L-lUZ9PLdWRSmLrX3K-HukTVZXZLw-sPkfYC4i5NJXvRNswA-ObFJVX-WplhOP2t8q8VELetiIHBPQRdfWmx9Ba5JmqUOIChbc/s1600/uuma17Q.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHj8RUeAI7ZqkvscAh-ppZNYWXZPZ5Bj52CJDO-4l_1L-lUZ9PLdWRSmLrX3K-HukTVZXZLw-sPkfYC4i5NJXvRNswA-ObFJVX-WplhOP2t8q8VELetiIHBPQRdfWmx9Ba5JmqUOIChbc/s400/uuma17Q.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">For
starters, let’s talk about the balance. Prior to becoming level 30, the DZ is
sectioned off to players in certain segments. Levels 1-5 play in one zone, levels
5-10 play in another, and so forth. My team were all level 30. The guy harassing us was
also level 30. In </span><i style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">The Division </i><span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">it’s
possible to find or craft gear that improves individual stats regardless of
level, and I’m guessing this is how he was crushing us – on paper we seemed
like equals, but in practice this was clearly not the case. It seems like
assigning point values to players based on their gear might prevent the sort of
one-sided domination we saw here. People who grind for days to get the best
gear should be matched against people who are doing the same.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">Going
further, despite the everybody-for-themselves nature of the DZ, I’d say this
guy’s behavior was straight-up harassment. It's one thing to take a headshot in
PVP or lose a match here and there, but it's something else altogether to have
someone watching over your shoulder the entire time you're playing, arbitrarily stopping your progress and verbally taunting you. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">In
situations like this, I’d like to see some sort of system to let me avoid being
instanced with an abusive person – if I tag them as being a harasser, let the
servers put us in different games. </span><span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">There's a similar system in the phenomenal </span><i style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">Helldivers. </i><span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">You can down-vote a player who's a jerk, and the game will then take steps to avoid bringing you two together, which is brilliant.</span><i style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;"> </i><span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">If Ubisoft can't do that, then at the very least there
should be </span><i style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">some</i><span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;"> sort of reporting system. </span><span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">I know it might be hard to implement
since anyone who gets their stuff stolen might want to ‘report’ the thief as a
knee-jerk reaction, but I felt like this went way beyond gameplay and became full-on
harassment.</span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwHB543h6Wtdyz2tbQ2pHPoexNwGQMZ5OkKmglCtgS1wN7kq1UFCFz0907iNLOUEM-bpGHM30W5vgEhh3GhZftm7GjsWjaeMBTZ_d-NuFzo9IG_7XF_RZhZsbfHMVdnEyomiAuGbupIEY/s1600/the-division-player-wins-1v3-dark-zone-battle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwHB543h6Wtdyz2tbQ2pHPoexNwGQMZ5OkKmglCtgS1wN7kq1UFCFz0907iNLOUEM-bpGHM30W5vgEhh3GhZftm7GjsWjaeMBTZ_d-NuFzo9IG_7XF_RZhZsbfHMVdnEyomiAuGbupIEY/s400/the-division-player-wins-1v3-dark-zone-battle.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">If Ubisoft
wants </span><i style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">The Division </i><span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">to have a robust
player base and become a persistent online platform, they’re going to have to
take steps to stop people like the guy we met tonight from dominating the
online component. If there’s nobody in the DZ except nigh-invulnerable creepers
who get off on actively interfering with others, then they can kiss any dreams
of long-term success goodbye despite everything </span><i style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">The Division </i><span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">gets right, and it gets </span><i style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">a lot</i><span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;"> right. Seeing all of that hard work go down the drain thanks
to people abusing the system would be a real shame, but I’ve gotta be honest –
after a session like tonight, I’m pretty reluctant to ever go back into the
Dark Zone again. </span><span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">*</span></div>
Brad Gallawayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09452185302281177580noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4625171860671748699.post-91995589595928583082016-03-10T20:43:00.002-08:002016-03-10T20:43:43.863-08:00The Division - Early Impressions<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">*<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">So, <b>The Division</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">First off, I
want to say that although it was really inconvenient for review purposes, I do think
it was a good idea for Ubisoft to hold all review copies back until launch day.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKJkc-sI_XzM0qp8_ywKT3f3QnNUEvkzvnHtNoegpCOWSb5jq_3tlb71_-3_hGkdDqegqPJYW0bTWYp3rzsnf_GFMh-jPygQ5saKj_hdY41N_LbygFQyt259UNf3v7H-Bl37TgGn8jMv4/s1600/header.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKJkc-sI_XzM0qp8_ywKT3f3QnNUEvkzvnHtNoegpCOWSb5jq_3tlb71_-3_hGkdDqegqPJYW0bTWYp3rzsnf_GFMh-jPygQ5saKj_hdY41N_LbygFQyt259UNf3v7H-Bl37TgGn8jMv4/s400/header.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%; text-align: center;">The Division
is not playable without an online connection, and either there was no way to
turn on the servers early for critics, or perhaps someone at Ubi didn't think
that early access would give an accurate impression without the expected number
of users online. Either way, I think they made the right call in this instance.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Personally,
I'm a big believer in not reviewing a game with significant online components until
it's open to the public… Sometimes games can look or feel <i>very</i> different when there are only 100 writers playing, as opposed
to 100,000 people who paid $60. (Let’s not forget about day-one patches as
well.) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I know a lot
of writers are still locked into the “have to be first, have to publish on day
one” mentality but I think that's becoming less of an option these days. If nothing
else, reviewers owe it to their readers to give the most accurate and thorough
impressions possible, and that's just not a thing we can even <i>do</i> without access to the full game in an
environment that matches what paying customers will get. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilrAURpwzNNwBwaHW-UWR3xZBUfPm8yb4bNCvqitonESRpuZY8evt3dhOFxzX2U56-5M0zpMCEgBK6R1WBAPAoZ40p6M_zgBTGYGfufdXJ25RqoYTXI_oESk34V5m2U76IbABTic0lQjw/s1600/CdOliR6UkAAWWtu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilrAURpwzNNwBwaHW-UWR3xZBUfPm8yb4bNCvqitonESRpuZY8evt3dhOFxzX2U56-5M0zpMCEgBK6R1WBAPAoZ40p6M_zgBTGYGfufdXJ25RqoYTXI_oESk34V5m2U76IbABTic0lQjw/s400/CdOliR6UkAAWWtu.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">So, what
about the game itself? I'm about nine hours in at this point, and I have to
say, I really, really like it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The Division
is a third person, real-time cover-based shooter with heavy multiplayer integration
and progression elements, but it's entirely possible to go through the game by
yourself -- although that's not the ideal way to do it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Basically,
you create a character and jump into a New York that’s been devastated by a
virus. Lawless gangs have taken over, and you are one of the few people trying
to keep order. Although there are named characters and NPCs, this is not a
story-heavy experience… Basically the plot is "take back New York"
and I haven’t yet seen much more than that. If you're looking for a very
story-rich, character-driven experience, The Division is not that.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYwGSkRv0g7OfwRhUsd3V8VnLxyJ0eu3icA2VB1NeUrmnltBwI4GsMSLyIJ5-Ex9fjIsZv6labIpL1OdoG9_nD-s2M4sWyQWcNWoyqvhMeo4b-zwVH9-NjppEdlbHDqZRmbL21-c45Wlc/s1600/maxresdefault.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYwGSkRv0g7OfwRhUsd3V8VnLxyJ0eu3icA2VB1NeUrmnltBwI4GsMSLyIJ5-Ex9fjIsZv6labIpL1OdoG9_nD-s2M4sWyQWcNWoyqvhMeo4b-zwVH9-NjppEdlbHDqZRmbL21-c45Wlc/s400/maxresdefault.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">After
starting, it's pretty overwhelming at first… There are a lot of menus and a lot
of stuff going on, and although the tutorials do a fairly decent job of
explaining things, there are inevitably a lot of questions that will only
become clear after experimentation. That said, I figured things out pretty
quickly, and it seems like a good system.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The player’s
home base is a hub that has three areas: Tech, Medical, and Security. Each one has
their own questline, and completing these quests unlocks upgrades and abilities
for your character. Resources are also needed to earn some of these upgrades,
and missions out in the world will award these necessary things.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_f0vLY1oZpZTLx-V8CQX5yeaP5M64TWXybt8_MS_pJKQa2F3DZfNUj-VoRjBfqFPyGGozC9MYPkWvOtpPA85qITgXuX0-41f8Ep59ZZrzLR4aX9rKyLKSzU_fmWfaI6OzL7CIyYmX4M0/s1600/Q0lDK4Pvs4R8.878x0.Z-Z96KYq.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_f0vLY1oZpZTLx-V8CQX5yeaP5M64TWXybt8_MS_pJKQa2F3DZfNUj-VoRjBfqFPyGGozC9MYPkWvOtpPA85qITgXuX0-41f8Ep59ZZrzLR4aX9rKyLKSzU_fmWfaI6OzL7CIyYmX4M0/s400/Q0lDK4Pvs4R8.878x0.Z-Z96KYq.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">New York is
a totally open world and the player is free to go wherever they wish, although
the map clearly shows that some zones are recommended for certain levels. The
zone around home base is for players level 0-4, the next zone is for levels
5-8, and the furthest parts of the map are for levels 18 and up, and so on. You
can go in there if you like, but you're probably going to get your ass shot off
in short order.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Getting back
to the quests for a moment, they're roughly divided into three sizes -- the
story quests are the biggest, there are side missions which are kind of
middle-size, and then there are encounters, which are small-scale. Players can
look at these and decide what kind of experience they want for the time that
they have, and self-regulate.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">So far, the
multiplayer has been excellent. It's really easy to find friends and to join
them, or to invite them to join you. It's also easy to meet randoms and join up.
I haven't done any of the PVP stuff yet, but it’s important to note that PVP is
limited to The Dark Zone, a very clearly marked and separate location on the map.
Players who don’t want to participate in PVP 100% don’t have to. It is <i>purely</i> optional. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP2lfq0uNEO6ZgZvS4OiGifFdia8FVAP-aPum2WOYiXpPqgqEaxIpVhI6vf8X51WJNXC1QwaUlcF4xr6wHPlcHDUyosrtEWebPMVFR3xc-Wf7GzSi7grUe9bRZWbclIbkK5kx8jK1ZaKk/s1600/4135a9de1310f6c562b56c9e2ffff7bf.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP2lfq0uNEO6ZgZvS4OiGifFdia8FVAP-aPum2WOYiXpPqgqEaxIpVhI6vf8X51WJNXC1QwaUlcF4xr6wHPlcHDUyosrtEWebPMVFR3xc-Wf7GzSi7grUe9bRZWbclIbkK5kx8jK1ZaKk/s400/4135a9de1310f6c562b56c9e2ffff7bf.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">However, I
have done a lot of co-op, and it’s great. The thing I'm most impressed with is
the difficulty scaling -- I did one specific mission by myself and it was a
cakewalk, I did it with one other player and I noticed a ramp-up (but wasn't
too hard) and then I played the same mission again with four people and it was
quite a bit tougher, this time requiring team tactics, supporting each other,
and making sure we all had each other’s back. Although it was the same mission
all three times, it felt <i>very</i>
different playing it with different numbers of people, and so far it feels like
the difficulty scaling is right on.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">As far as
the gear goes, enemies will drop stuff as a player makes their way through the
world… There are a whole slew of armor pieces, some cosmetic pieces, and of
course, weapons. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTeu6hwE5BL-xTcJmrnIb-k8-oZGxiPTKchIW-79CSLsRhqOAiwhpVSz9RFo46z-6dRtIN24EDsEMCnZfr1JfOE62Q_Ow-5VgsR670i_TQB-DxbG3gm0gFyGUPKxmQ-I8WV8zgtL2q5qY/s1600/the-division-base.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTeu6hwE5BL-xTcJmrnIb-k8-oZGxiPTKchIW-79CSLsRhqOAiwhpVSz9RFo46z-6dRtIN24EDsEMCnZfr1JfOE62Q_Ow-5VgsR670i_TQB-DxbG3gm0gFyGUPKxmQ-I8WV8zgtL2q5qY/s400/the-division-base.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Although
it's not entirely based on reality, The Division certainly skews towards
realism, and in that respect (so far anyway) I haven't found any gear that
seems really crazy or anything that doesn’t seem to fit with the rest of the
world. Apparently the best stuff is kept in the PVP zone, but the quality of drops
ramp up as the player goes on, and I'm constantly finding new things to use
while not being overwhelmed with stuff to trash or sell back at base. I feel like
the loot drop rate is quite nice, although I will say that I certainly wouldn't
mind a few more exotic things. However, I'm pretty early in the game and there
is a lot left to see… </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Considering that the player has access to some
science-fiction equipment (a portable healing zone generator, a spider drone
with a gun, etc.) I wouldn't be at all surprised to see some more fantastical
stuff show up later on.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I've said
this before but the best way of summing up what The Division feels like is to
say that it gives me the experience that I wanted from <b>Destiny</b>, before I knew
what Destiny was actually like. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtKG0TeLqdBrX909Ei1S_zFVWXpy-thi-0PNlKJS7piMwZGDeQVIEw-8vYfh9E-m23CGTJNDn3VtEHD_1zB36Q-h8NTzMq5Ln8vv6-R4-ZmcJsapap_qv8gtcKIbMZvevAU4H8EbwnI7c/s1600/tom-clancys-division-wallpaper-2b38a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtKG0TeLqdBrX909Ei1S_zFVWXpy-thi-0PNlKJS7piMwZGDeQVIEw-8vYfh9E-m23CGTJNDn3VtEHD_1zB36Q-h8NTzMq5Ln8vv6-R4-ZmcJsapap_qv8gtcKIbMZvevAU4H8EbwnI7c/s400/tom-clancys-division-wallpaper-2b38a.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">It's great
to be out in the world and feels like you're really a part of something, and
the missions are quite varied… I'm not doing the same strike over and over, and
New York is far bigger than one small hub. There are large chunks I haven't
even seen yet, and I like that there are little surprises in each mission that
keep the play feeling fresh. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I'm not an
MMO guy in general, but this game has enough action to keep me in, and the
ability to solo anytime is really appealing to me, plus the feeling of being in
this world and fighting with purpose is a great spin. The Division is
definitely in the same general ballpark as Destiny is (as far as I’m concerned)
but it's hitting different notes and it has a very different feel. It’s
clicking for me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">There is a
lot of The Division left to see and although I'm not sure I will be able to
complete it before I turn in a review, I feel like I need to put at least another
10 or 15 hours in before I’ll have a good measure of what's going on. That
said, I really like what the devs have created here and I'm playing every
chance I get, which isn't something I can say about every review assignment. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">So far it's
an unequivocal thumbs up, but look for my full review in the future.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">*<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Brad Gallawayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09452185302281177580noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4625171860671748699.post-39433221762142248032016-02-28T21:48:00.000-08:002016-02-28T22:39:34.401-08:00Far Cry Primal - Tearing It Up, Stone Age Style<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">*<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">So, <b><i>Far Cry
Primal</i></b>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">There are a
lot of reviews out there so I'll spare the general breakdown (the @Gamecritics
review from Brad Bortone is still forthcoming) but I had a few thoughts I wanted
to share.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>Getting the
hard data out of the way:</b> I finished the game tonight, and clocked in about 21
hours. I captured all of the outposts, did all of the story quests (main and
side) upgraded the entire village, tamed all of the companion animals, and upgraded
almost all of the gear. A lot of that stuff was totally optional, but I was
having a great time so I decided to go for it. I would imagine that someone
could do a critical path of the game in <i>far</i>
less time than I spent, so all told it comes in at a very reasonable,
appropriate length. Even was doing all that extra stuff, it didn't feel like it
overstayed its welcome.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">Now about
the game itself… Wow. I've never been a fan of <i>Far Cry</i> as a series but this one really clicked for me. By setting
the thing in a prehistoric context, all the elements come together so sensibly
-- the open world, expanding territory, killing animals, crafting… it’s all a
great fit. Every aspect of the game’s
design harmonizes, and there aren't many open world games where simply
wandering around is satisfying to me, but it is here. Just taking in the
scenery, cruising around with whatever beast was with me at the time and hunting
down anything that came across my path provided me with far more entertainment
than I would've imagined.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">As for the
story, I've seen a number of people complain about it, but I find this quite
puzzling. I think it's pretty clear that this is a story about Stone Age survival,
so I'm not sure what people were expecting. In general, it’s a tale of protecting
your tribe, wiping out your enemies, and fighting to live. Beyond that, the
game actually includes two proper antagonists- Ull of the northern cannibal
tribe and Batari of the southern fire users. In addition, each major member of
the player’s tribe has their own brief storyline. None of this is novel-length
stuff, but I really don't think it <i>should</i>
be. Keeping in mind that <i>Primal </i>is
about prehistoric man, what’s here is quite satisfying. There were several
moments that were laugh-out-loud funny, and certainly several that were quite interesting,
or touching.</span><span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">Along the
same lines, I've seen people complain about the weapons variety, and again, I
have to ask -- <i>what were you expecting</i>?
Considering that the main character gathers sticks and rocks and uses animal
skin as tethers, did anyone actually expect rocket launchers or automatic
weapons? I mean, what can you logically make out of that kind of stuff? If you ask me, the game actually makes <i>several</i> concessions towards variety via two types of club, a spear, a sling, bait, traps, three types of bow, three varieties of stone dagger with different effects,
three types of bombs (yes, bombs) and this isn’t even counting the animal
companions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">After
receiving a "beast master" power from a shaman, the main character
can tame several different kinds of predator. The owl is used as a forward
scout, is large enough to kill men on its own, and can drop the bombs I just
mentioned. The other animals all have their own perks, from the black jaguar
who can kill enemies without alerting others, to the wolf who enlarges the player's sphere of awareness, to the powerhouse cave bear who draws
all enemy fire so that the player is safely ignored. It seems to me like
there's <i>plenty</i> of variety within the
game’s context, and frankly, a good chunk of it goes past the boundaries of
believability. So, to hear people say they weren't satisfied with the variety
of weapons… I just don't know what would satisfy them. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">(And <b>Real
Talk</b>: there are a <i>million</i> games out there that let people pack ridiculous
arsenals. Did you really need that here too?)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">Getting back
to the story for a second, I think it's </span><i style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">well</i><span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">
worth saying that </span><i style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">Far Cry Primal</i><span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">
treats its women quite well. There are three prominent female story
characters who are treated as either equal (or superior to) their
male counterparts, and none are sexualized in any way. In the lower ranks of
the player’s tribe, there are just as many female hunters as there are male.
When approaching enemy fortifications, the soldiers are of either gender, so
even in a prehistoric context where there </span><i style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">might</i><span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">
be an argument made for having women in a lesser role, the developers were
mindful of this and made them clearly equal to the males. It's a great move,
and very appreciated.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 107%;">Although
anyone who follows me on Twitter or listens to the GC podcast knows I've been
very critical of Ubisoft in the past, it's clear to see that they have taken a major step forward with <i>Primal</i>, and I
want to applaud them for doing so. This is a great game on many levels, and it
shows the kind of thoughtful consideration that makes a piece of work appreciably better. I'm
thrilled that they decided to do something more than phoning in another sequel,
and hopefully other people will give the game a chance and feel the same.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 17.8333px;">Far Cry Primal</span></i><span style="font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 17.8333px;">? It's great stuff. <b>Absolutely recommended.</b></span></div>
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Brad Gallawayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09452185302281177580noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4625171860671748699.post-55311510707058461932016-02-16T23:47:00.005-08:002016-02-16T23:47:56.956-08:00Enhanced accessibility at Gamecritics.com<div style="text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>Hey hey. I just posted this over at @Gamecritics, but I figured it was worth a crosspost over here at Coffeecola too. We're doing what we can, but if any of you have feedback or ideas on how to improve this, let me know!</i></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We at <a href="http://gamecritics.com/">Gamecritics.com</a> are supporters of
accessibility in gaming. We love to play videogames, and we think everyone else
should be able to enjoy that love too, no matter what their situation might be.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In order to give helpful information to
those who might need it, we've been posting addendums to our reviews for
several years -- we started with content guidance for parents, but we soon
began including audio information for those with hearing impairments. If a
player needs audio cues to be successful, we felt that was something that
someone should be aware of before putting their hard-earned money down.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Recently, it was brought to our
attention that the option to re-map controls (or the <i>lack</i> of that
option) would be of great interest to gamers that require alternate
configurations or special setups. It took us about two seconds to see the value
in this, and we will now be adding this info to all of our reviews.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Along the same lines, we've been seeing
a number of developers include ‘colorblind' modes as a way of making their work
playable to that segment of the audience. We decided to not wait for someone to
make the request, so we're also adding this to our reviews, too.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Starting today, February 16, 2016,
every review that runs at Gamecritics from this point forward will feature:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 12.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">- Information for
parents</span></b><span style="font-size: 12.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 12.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">- Information for
hearing impaired players</span></b><span style="font-size: 12.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 12.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">- Information on
controls </span></b><span style="font-size: 12.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 12.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">- Information on
colorblind modes</span></b><span style="font-size: 12.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We believe in and support accessibility
and diversity in gaming, and we hope that these additions to our coverage will
benefit players of all kinds. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Thank you for supporting
Gamecritics.com! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Brad Gallawayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09452185302281177580noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4625171860671748699.post-5267301756642662902016-01-30T17:45:00.001-08:002016-01-30T17:50:40.496-08:00Five Hours With The Division: Beta Impressions<div style="text-align: center;">
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So <b><i>The Division</i></b> originally appeared at E3 back in 2013, but at the time it wasn't exactly clear <b>what</b> it was. </div>
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An MMO? A co-op shooter? An open-world game with online portions? Something else entirely?</div>
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Ubisoft wasn't forthcoming with details at the time, and the heavily-scripted trailers featuring players squawking into their headsets were tough to suss out. However, a game can only remain shrouded in mystery (or confusion?) for so long. With an expected street date of March 8th, access to a beta version was given to those who pre-ordered the game. </div>
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Being quite curious about it for all this time, I ponied up a fiver. <b>Here's what I saw. </b> </div>
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<b>(And just FYI, you can click on the images to enlarge them.)</b></div>
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The beta version offers only a portion of the features that will be available in the full product. There were a number of things (perks, crafting, and more) that were greyed-out or
otherwise unavailable.</div>
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It's also worth mentioning that unlike other so-called
'betas', this one seems like it fits the proper definition -- there
were a number of bugs that cropped up, several areas were inaccessible, and all
sorts of weirdness was on display. I was dropped from the game a number of
times, the game began with Spanish as the default language, sometimes my gun floated five feet in the air above me, and in general, it
felt like it was not in a finished, polished state. </div>
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Not a complaint, just
an observation. <o:p></o:p></div>
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At the time I began, I was only able to choose between
male/female for my character. The customization options were not enabled and
the race was chosen either at random, or perhaps based on the language
selected? <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ1l8SMlWafN9Ie_Kh5qPcLH1CGslijNg9pDGytMCOFX0XDO_IS6SjdtCrhR4w5n9sFy2-nGMtKwgOvxbp10VfFJ74tRWJNFVbH0y_57B5Vp3rNFYIz18Z2QU-gRn0AD4mibCX_8EUXVc/s1600/CZ_YgBOUcAAKcQt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ1l8SMlWafN9Ie_Kh5qPcLH1CGslijNg9pDGytMCOFX0XDO_IS6SjdtCrhR4w5n9sFy2-nGMtKwgOvxbp10VfFJ74tRWJNFVbH0y_57B5Vp3rNFYIz18Z2QU-gRn0AD4mibCX_8EUXVc/s400/CZ_YgBOUcAAKcQt.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<o:p>The normal view when a player calls up the map via an AR overlay. </o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTg68QIDlAdYzDqKn4rdPlWp8AacANpoBQvTK5U7jnTYAr0ixNBBEZY-LUxaCy5ctl_P0aCb0qRQR_6Hy4QRXx-RQ0g6_liSDqqVPS6iBF65eZMWZBdwSLnQfFFTNnZBoyjlGv7Xaf4rA/s1600/CZ_ZFVlUUAAwhks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTg68QIDlAdYzDqKn4rdPlWp8AacANpoBQvTK5U7jnTYAr0ixNBBEZY-LUxaCy5ctl_P0aCb0qRQR_6Hy4QRXx-RQ0g6_liSDqqVPS6iBF65eZMWZBdwSLnQfFFTNnZBoyjlGv7Xaf4rA/s400/CZ_ZFVlUUAAwhks.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<o:p>A zoomed-out view showing the surrounding area. </o:p></div>
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From there, things kicked off with an opening cutscene describing a city descending int chaos after a virus was released, and the game
quickly rolled me into tutorials. There's a lot going on in <i>The Divison </i>and
there are loads of systems. It was overwhelming at first, but things quickly became clear. Well, mostly clear. </div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>The Division</i> is an open-world, third-person shooter based inside a huge city. </div>
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T<b>he core campaign is single-player. </b></div>
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This may come as a surprise to many since the trailers were so heavily oriented on co-op, but it does seem entirely possible to play as a lone wolf. However, there are at least two flavors of co-op available -- Apparently players can go through the story campaign with one or more partners, working together to restore the city. </div>
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I played the beta partnered up with my wife, but I also ran into a few friends randomly exploring the world. Grouping up with them was as simple as walking up to them, and away we went. No painful hoops to jump through, although there are options for forming more formal parties. </div>
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The other type of co-op was based in a special area of the game's world called The Dark Zone. In this area, groups of players enter and the game becomes PVP. Squads of friends can stick together and cover each other's backs, but when other groups or real players are encountered, it can get hairy. </div>
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If nobody fires a shot, they can co-exist peacefully while gunning down AI characters carrying loot. But if one group decides to open fire on another, then all hell breaks loose and squads try to take each other down while collecting spoils from the fallen.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDmf_Z3210ydGzcuZWc-dOhKoKKTkj8SnWwI40Cq9Kl5mwKp6qT5fA7G6QYe2iCTahWIESm1r0u6LOI_mjJJr3BjSXxCSort_Jc-92IeiVMcUVvR3KB7m9lsL2rccYQYRaSoBbLtk7JGk/s1600/CZ_YepCUcAAeGXv.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDmf_Z3210ydGzcuZWc-dOhKoKKTkj8SnWwI40Cq9Kl5mwKp6qT5fA7G6QYe2iCTahWIESm1r0u6LOI_mjJJr3BjSXxCSort_Jc-92IeiVMcUVvR3KB7m9lsL2rccYQYRaSoBbLtk7JGk/s400/CZ_YepCUcAAeGXv.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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This screen shows the different types of gear the player can equip for tactical purposes, and below is the screen for skills. There are also menus for equippable perks, cosmetic appearance, and more. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg0g0Trz0aE51Oy0IzB5WDrhPPQvh2rlmkX4xAJu5kxdAPbKWKzYBQWexlv6jExQhg7ZftJLfA5HgbYwjui3m_cpiXvly6dCzi3oEeMyHKWXKBTG0P3HEumHP3TsrulBEDbqEEK_hBeHQ/s1600/CZ_ZCwKUYAAuQnm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg0g0Trz0aE51Oy0IzB5WDrhPPQvh2rlmkX4xAJu5kxdAPbKWKzYBQWexlv6jExQhg7ZftJLfA5HgbYwjui3m_cpiXvly6dCzi3oEeMyHKWXKBTG0P3HEumHP3TsrulBEDbqEEK_hBeHQ/s400/CZ_ZCwKUYAAuQnm.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Weapons can all be modded in several ways (seen above) adding various effects and qualities.<br />
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The open world is quite beautiful and highly detailed, with areas featuring interiors, exteriors, and varied elevations. The weather and lighting are of special note -- the environment regularly cycled through blizzard conditions, sunshine, light and dark with very convincing levels of quality.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirDYgEAf6nrStmIoj8ir_lZDgNOSsycDcJcTsW6BFoVy41SFUxTvEZMd90lEPNxlhqtBv5ljc9wB9ImS9QlWyDDfyz1mA_ISKKcerskzAIIQHC_wRvBievP5wVeeM1C1UXVjVat9tuNWM/s1600/CZ_YyqHUMAAbDp8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirDYgEAf6nrStmIoj8ir_lZDgNOSsycDcJcTsW6BFoVy41SFUxTvEZMd90lEPNxlhqtBv5ljc9wB9ImS9QlWyDDfyz1mA_ISKKcerskzAIIQHC_wRvBievP5wVeeM1C1UXVjVat9tuNWM/s400/CZ_YyqHUMAAbDp8.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_m29J1wRCfAZ-Y9k81Nu1MBfF7c0J5itDGIZ1k436l_NKQ7T4HLwuOfOG5B4ctGCH0-4OFYNywCMX4Srk8ynM8xyBlyUToKOkxt3Ssk5OxfD5z7PjuhIeoTLDdMU3WHmSuLFJOm1rVk4/s1600/CZ_ZQrhVIAAr_N-.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_m29J1wRCfAZ-Y9k81Nu1MBfF7c0J5itDGIZ1k436l_NKQ7T4HLwuOfOG5B4ctGCH0-4OFYNywCMX4Srk8ynM8xyBlyUToKOkxt3Ssk5OxfD5z7PjuhIeoTLDdMU3WHmSuLFJOm1rVk4/s400/CZ_ZQrhVIAAr_N-.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: left;">In the campaign area, random missions pop up, and completing these give various rewards that can often be put towards restoring the city. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitzUobxuzvhITrYPFQj2VmVqsAu_zYiUWG__1EFKct7n8-TOCfy-PSwqMUgZTw5KiSDIIXGW_EqbspwEAz-6CNUzM1tL_0LPMYjgWZmjlrEVmxvu75rhKeI9RLeO_2axHaP9QrYf8WcF8/s1600/CZ_Y0uTUEAAFDRF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitzUobxuzvhITrYPFQj2VmVqsAu_zYiUWG__1EFKct7n8-TOCfy-PSwqMUgZTw5KiSDIIXGW_EqbspwEAz-6CNUzM1tL_0LPMYjgWZmjlrEVmxvu75rhKeI9RLeO_2axHaP9QrYf8WcF8/s400/CZ_Y0uTUEAAFDRF.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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This poor guy was locked up by looters, so rescuing him (and others like him) was one typical mission.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigmNwxzWczLgKx-ETuJrt1Kz5qriId1dMZgrZVWpf5ysknSgQHC2vfxcZqlvT3JG_6hScqnhoPWLeXs0z2FxEv2isKNqRFUamUmhlYdmTeoF6pn_4ELFy-m8Aco81Rv9I8jX_ohqTtx-4/s1600/CZ_YznSUAAEPwnx.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigmNwxzWczLgKx-ETuJrt1Kz5qriId1dMZgrZVWpf5ysknSgQHC2vfxcZqlvT3JG_6hScqnhoPWLeXs0z2FxEv2isKNqRFUamUmhlYdmTeoF6pn_4ELFy-m8Aco81Rv9I8jX_ohqTtx-4/s400/CZ_YznSUAAEPwnx.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Miscreants will often terrorize the streets, so something like this is a straightforward cleanup mission.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjucF9DWza7DpuNUqo2m6EQHHf31P0dTlfwUhagKGvfyNj8489SBg4gJJtgPwdd-YD7vQxJVlLBzMVK-NEzu4eC3PoAlYfedXKZ8XtSqA09vFG099ZsXt85sLfgknPzijOrRohe7vgM9PA/s1600/CZ_ZORDUAAED_nQ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjucF9DWza7DpuNUqo2m6EQHHf31P0dTlfwUhagKGvfyNj8489SBg4gJJtgPwdd-YD7vQxJVlLBzMVK-NEzu4eC3PoAlYfedXKZ8XtSqA09vFG099ZsXt85sLfgknPzijOrRohe7vgM9PA/s400/CZ_ZORDUAAED_nQ.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Several buildings in the world are contaminated with a virus. In these, certain machines must be activated, and then the data uploaded to HQ. A clock counts down for added pressure, and of course, the street toughs try to foul things up as you go. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5aJ4ufna8iT-9V0OJKqqyYqeS1SWL4tWKBc9c6baLmLpdGjxO2aEr-SIwfLFn3kGnmxI3_UbmY4SAJ9mpuqzhTLrCdP7n3JC18hiWBYPv1_k5IpyIMG6aQXkSdfv_9fxNHu5qUEtjJkA/s1600/CZ_Za9OVIAAVefP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5aJ4ufna8iT-9V0OJKqqyYqeS1SWL4tWKBc9c6baLmLpdGjxO2aEr-SIwfLFn3kGnmxI3_UbmY4SAJ9mpuqzhTLrCdP7n3JC18hiWBYPv1_k5IpyIMG6aQXkSdfv_9fxNHu5qUEtjJkA/s400/CZ_Za9OVIAAVefP.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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When all missions are cleared in the area, reporting back to the 'job board' respawns more events in different areas. Different parts of the city present different threat levels, as seen below. (Small print, you can see it below 'Chelsea') </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI52MWmlwS4FZG3AJ0Tb13SOGWUTKgDegOGWckJ9NU4guLNMhTQM1zvAIRgmIJS0R8UWBfSBc-GtXYwG-hqsCNItC46tZjibw49Zuo0xNRuxLwyExuOhZxO82L27dqaJ7LmtIzZnWSvqQ/s1600/CZ_ZPIUVAAAGfBD.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI52MWmlwS4FZG3AJ0Tb13SOGWUTKgDegOGWckJ9NU4guLNMhTQM1zvAIRgmIJS0R8UWBfSBc-GtXYwG-hqsCNItC46tZjibw49Zuo0xNRuxLwyExuOhZxO82L27dqaJ7LmtIzZnWSvqQ/s400/CZ_ZPIUVAAAGfBD.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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There's more to the game that we didn't see in the beta, but this seems to be the general flow of the singleplayer portion. Customizing loadouts, gear and appearance seems to be a big hook, and the co-op was seamless and smooth. It's unclear how long the campaign is, and the value of the Dark Zone's PVP will be of varying worth depending on player preferences, although it's worth noting that the best swag is to be found there.</div>
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Looking towards the future, Ubisoft has already announced three expansions to the game available via season pass. </div>
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<b>From Ubisoft PR:</b></div>
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<i>The development team has a complete post-launch plan to keep
the experience fresh for all players, including several free updates, new
features and functionality, as well as 3 major expansions to provide a renewed
gameplay experience after launch.<br />
<br />
The free updates to be released for all players will add new game modes such as
challenging group-oriented operations to test players’ abilities in co-op mode
and win unique rewards.<br />
<br />
The 3 paid expansions are included in the Season Pass and will be released over
the course of the year. Each expansion builds on The Division, continuing your
agent’s journey and progress with new content, gear and gameplay as you fight
to take back New York:<br />
<br />
• <b>Expansion I: Underground</b><br />
This first major expansion opens up a new area to players as they explore the
uncharted underworld of New York City with up to 4 friends for intense co-op
action<br />
<br />
• <b>Expansion II: Survival</b><br />
In this expansion, players will have to survive as long as possible in a very
hostile environment that will challenge even the most talented agents.<br />
<br />
• <b>Expansion III: Last Stand</b><br />
Stay tuned for more information.<br />
<br />
At launch, Season Pass owners will also unlock the exclusive Sawed-off Shotgun,
a unique sidearm customized for short-range destruction. Season Pass owners
also receive a set of exclusive outfits and weapon skins, as well as access to
special monthly benefits including exclusive content drops and special events.</i><o:p></o:p></div>
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This is a pretty good summary of the time I spent with the beta and of what we know, but many questions remain. Regarding cross-platform play, there's been no definite answer. My guess is no. </div>
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In terms of the expected lifespan of the game (yes, there's a <i>Destiny</i>-sized elephant in the room) it's hard to say. If the parts of the game that weren't in the beta are as rich as what <i>was</i>, that's pretty promising. Of course, <i>The Division</i>'s long-term health will live or die based on the additions and expansions, but it seems to me that the hooks are in place to keep things rolling. New areas seem quite possible, new modes and missions could be slotted, new gear is a no-brainer... I'd say there's a lot of potential here. </div>
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After three years of being a huge question mark, it seems like <i>The Division</i> is coming together quite nicely. I'm planning to jump in on PS4... How about you?</div>
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Brad Gallawayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09452185302281177580noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4625171860671748699.post-27020864888820174802016-01-22T17:28:00.004-08:002016-01-22T17:28:53.378-08:00PSN Flash Sale - Ends 1/25<div style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhiBPzsgw56UsiXV3FiDpZIjQzZG5EjuDRL115ac-1Q820GAkmZoH9YI1ip6zmVRaZ5UpRuBtoYigEcaehQicBILca-CmftYyspigZ-uNwfbQlSglJrebNMywuBx6R6hXbCRiNNSADE0U/s1600/psn-flash-sale.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhiBPzsgw56UsiXV3FiDpZIjQzZG5EjuDRL115ac-1Q820GAkmZoH9YI1ip6zmVRaZ5UpRuBtoYigEcaehQicBILca-CmftYyspigZ-uNwfbQlSglJrebNMywuBx6R6hXbCRiNNSADE0U/s400/psn-flash-sale.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><br />
PSN is having a big Flash Sale right now until January 25th. There's a lot of
stuff on the cheap, but with so much to choose from, what are the best picks?
Tastes vary, of course, but here's what caught my eye. </span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt; text-align: center;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><b>I'm curious about... </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Actual Sunlight<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Eiyuu Senki<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18px;">Hohokum</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18px;">Steins; Gate</span><span style="font-size: 18px;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18px;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18px;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 18px;"><b>And these are guaranteed good times...</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Flower<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Guacamelee<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Hand of Fate<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Hotline Miami</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Luftrausers<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Race The Sun<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Rogue Legacy<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Stick It To The man<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Tokyo Jungle</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">If you have a couple of bucks to spare and need to beef up your PS4/PS3/Vita backlogs, now's the time!</span></div>
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Brad Gallawayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09452185302281177580noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4625171860671748699.post-41813840568289743082016-01-07T00:08:00.001-08:002016-01-07T00:22:18.278-08:00A Second Look At: Dead Space 3, 2013 <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
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Since we’re still in that wonderfully empty-ish zone of
downtime after the end of fourth-quarter madness but before the start of the 2016
releases, I'm still happily plinking away at my backlog.<o:p></o:p></div>
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If you follow me on Twitter, then you probably already know
that my most recent selection was <b><i>Dead Space 3</i></b> from Visceral Games.
Although I’ve played and completed all the other <i>Dead Space </i>titles, I can't say that I really enjoyed them… It's kind
of funny because I think they all have a lot of potential that they don't live
up to, but I keep coming back to them… Because?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsfBUUuWOXalAD821Op_A8Y_YbnH7eFyundYnBtfHUPJVgxR8TeYNBmmOaOZ0SxMoh3hl73WuqAtoKAuy0TZG2OxsS6EQ2QTdGM8ESr8GIE33AyF0Pj0a1PCrdpwMKjXx9wn9UG9wdKn0/s1600/DS3+01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsfBUUuWOXalAD821Op_A8Y_YbnH7eFyundYnBtfHUPJVgxR8TeYNBmmOaOZ0SxMoh3hl73WuqAtoKAuy0TZG2OxsS6EQ2QTdGM8ESr8GIE33AyF0Pj0a1PCrdpwMKjXx9wn9UG9wdKn0/s400/DS3+01.jpg" width="282" /></a></div>
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Anyway, I had heard nothing but bad things about <i>Dead Space 3</i>, but I knew that it had a
heavy multiplayer focus, and I'm always looking for games to play in co-op with
the wife. Making the prospect even more attractive, I got two copies for about
three dollars each, and that's a pretty hard price to beat – if it turned out
awful, we weren’t out much cash.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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At this point I'm about 10 hours in, and getting pretty
close to the homestretch, which is just fine. The gameplay is pretty much what
I expected… Typical <i>Dead Space </i>shooting,
with a hell of a lot of monster closets and surprise attacks. You could
basically call this "<b><i>Watch Out Behind You, Because It’s Always
Behind You: The Game</i></b>” and it would be accurate.<o:p></o:p></div>
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In fact, the gameplay is so dull that I can easily see why a
lot of solo players abandoned ship on it and never came back. If I was playing by
myself, it would be far too one-note to trudge through, but it really takes on
new life with a second player, and not just because you have a buddy to chew
the fat with -- the devs have made some really smart decisions that make it shine
in cooperative. (And to be clear, this is co-op between two separate 360s. The game offers no splitscreen or couch co-op.)<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>Sidenote:</b> <i>For whatever reason, the “story-oriented,
intentionally co-op” genre has never really taken off on console. Things like <b>Army of Two</b>, <b>Hunted: The Demon’s Forge</b>, and others like them are quite a bit of
fun in their intended co-op modes and significantly less so alone. I wonder
what it would take for this style of game to flourish on consoles, but that's a
question for another day.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhei7UIeJ_Q6OuKxGnnAnKt_Sqq9E3dZjdYls_Berwrk1YODYmxcr_SyyJ_-eddbG_Qb7rKa-_SOovyd3oGtSbqPSxhJmxbh5dLFC8OmdypjJwN-wyxAncE5ajNf2KzoYQOTf_V4yAz20c/s1600/Dead-Space-3-Gameplay-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhei7UIeJ_Q6OuKxGnnAnKt_Sqq9E3dZjdYls_Berwrk1YODYmxcr_SyyJ_-eddbG_Qb7rKa-_SOovyd3oGtSbqPSxhJmxbh5dLFC8OmdypjJwN-wyxAncE5ajNf2KzoYQOTf_V4yAz20c/s400/Dead-Space-3-Gameplay-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The free-flying space sections are pretty great.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b>So anyway, what does <i>Dead
Space 3</i> do right?</b></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>One:</b> The graphics
are pretty awesome. Although I’ve been spending a lot of time on PS4 admiring
all of the bells and whistles, I was really impressed by how sharp <i>DS3</i> looks on 360. Of course, it's not
really all <i>that</i> old, but even so, it
shows just how much life was still left in the old machine. It looks fantastic.<o:p></o:p><br />
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<b>Two:</b> The gun modding. Basically, each gun has eight or ten component parts that can all be interchanged. There's no penalty for experimenting, and a player can do it as often as they wish, which was a really smart move to encourage use of the system. Players will come across different parts as they go through the game, and how they’re assembled can modify how they work.<o:p></o:p></div>
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For example, the player starts off with a basic assault rifle, but adding a different tip turns it into a fully automatic gun, while another one will turn it into a shotgun. It's a little confusing at first, but it doesn't take long to get the hang of it. Once a few more components are collected, it becomes incredibly fun to experiment with different configurations. A fully auto rifle with a flamethrower underslung? Sure. A sawblade shooter with an electric rivet repeater attached? Go for it. Plasma blades with grenades and a blast shield? You bet!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6dTRCIPlZfsZdFaBd0_2uZjArtFvDvNqnO96uw_MDGRyZ8LyktQH1eWqOQuF35qC2nnKA9_41FqLP1BZ5noP91jSGUl_XlZjP5YDRwOK-V8AMY5hy4ALNY-rvxoxS9nYwxSV368YWuSM/s1600/eqbg12zcttox0afawd5j.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6dTRCIPlZfsZdFaBd0_2uZjArtFvDvNqnO96uw_MDGRyZ8LyktQH1eWqOQuF35qC2nnKA9_41FqLP1BZ5noP91jSGUl_XlZjP5YDRwOK-V8AMY5hy4ALNY-rvxoxS9nYwxSV368YWuSM/s400/eqbg12zcttox0afawd5j.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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This modding is a strong component of the game, and it’s
made better with special co-op focused attachments which share life-ups, ammo,
or other effects between players.</div>
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<b>Three:</b> So about
that co-op. Obviously, the game can be played through in solo mode, and it
sports the usual story-oriented campaign with cutscenes and NPC characters.
However, the brilliant thing here is that in addition to series star Isaac
Clarke, the devs have included a second character called Carver. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikhX-YPFC70eqRGMPEiiLLDs0Cm-o3yx-i2yTebtTQXtgfBoZkEu3Q71LV56QRcKa0hcc3oW_qvMm7mEog1qYA3DeTEapnKodgJwXe3ne-Q3fo_-2RmgvTyAIUCAZe3OteHNrFXhuQBfk/s1600/2282611-DeadSpaceThree_58039_screen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikhX-YPFC70eqRGMPEiiLLDs0Cm-o3yx-i2yTebtTQXtgfBoZkEu3Q71LV56QRcKa0hcc3oW_qvMm7mEog1qYA3DeTEapnKodgJwXe3ne-Q3fo_-2RmgvTyAIUCAZe3OteHNrFXhuQBfk/s400/2282611-DeadSpaceThree_58039_screen.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Badasses. I love Visceral's armor design.</td></tr>
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I'm not sure how often he pops up in the solo campaign, but
in the co-op, Carver is always tagging along. In each of the cutscenes, Clarke
takes center stage in order to carry the campaign along <b>BUT</b> Carver is <i>always</i>
prominently featured behind him, or to the side, or in some other way so it
looks like he's present even though he's not actually participating in the
story. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Furthermore, the game shows cutscenes from different
perspectives. While I expected one section to look identical for both my wife
and myself, I was surprised to find out that each of our screens was showing something
different. At one point my wife (playing Clarke) was inside the cab of the
vehicle that was sliding down a cliff. My character (Carver) was <i>outside</i> the vehicle trying to get her
out. She couldn't see me on her screen, but I could see her on mine. That’s
just one example, but there are many. <o:p></o:p></div>
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In other instances, there are weird psychological effects
that crop up. At one point, a level we were in was covered in party streamers,
presents and birthday cake. I thought it was the weirdest thing ever, but my
wife couldn't see any of it, nor could she hear the voices that were playing on
my TV. This attempt at approximating Carver having a moment of insanity was
really cool, and created a few moments of confusion between the two of us in
real life as we were trying to figure out what the hell was going on and why we
weren’t seeing the same things. <o:p></o:p></div>
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There aren’t nearly enough of these moments and I think
that's a shame considering how strong they are, but even the little bits that
we get are pretty brilliant. I can't say that I've seen anything else quite like
them in other games.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>So where does <i>Dead
Space 3</i> go wrong?</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX_EOt7TSZgsCxYp9XraJP18cbNnUgCu748NBjTVm30MUW-NRLuG90nmKWFX5b-FqXKH3srccpMusXTBDfNy-VBB6z5r2V4CfV9T0vhjg-iO-2cD_uRuKnPlr5vInwWkpG2GmD4XafeU8/s1600/gaming-dead-space-3-screenshot-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX_EOt7TSZgsCxYp9XraJP18cbNnUgCu748NBjTVm30MUW-NRLuG90nmKWFX5b-FqXKH3srccpMusXTBDfNy-VBB6z5r2V4CfV9T0vhjg-iO-2cD_uRuKnPlr5vInwWkpG2GmD4XafeU8/s400/gaming-dead-space-3-screenshot-5.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You again? And again? And again?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
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Well, I think the biggest thing is what I already mentioned
-- the action is flatly one-note. Most of the game is walking through hallways
of various lengths and taking out monsters which pop out at you from all
directions. In ten hours, I think we’ve come across… <i>one </i>boss? Maybe two? It's not especially compelling, and the game
is certainly long enough for boredom with this content to set in.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi04UczH5cXC5tGj90x0iqi_ltuJ4K8_QeQXhoYA0EEg6WXVv7bmt9tm8mw9zZ3soN-t3v1ckzsVerKiyklv4GAwCRTBBDIkjTW6fzOCRo6EtjiEHkdyiwTEepEaou3YAfIk9XpbOvh7JY/s1600/bFuuQ.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi04UczH5cXC5tGj90x0iqi_ltuJ4K8_QeQXhoYA0EEg6WXVv7bmt9tm8mw9zZ3soN-t3v1ckzsVerKiyklv4GAwCRTBBDIkjTW6fzOCRo6EtjiEHkdyiwTEepEaou3YAfIk9XpbOvh7JY/s400/bFuuQ.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seriously, ignore this MF'ing thing. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Otherwise, the story just isn't good. Although I’ve played
through all of the <i>Dead Space</i> games,
I have a hard time keeping the plot straight in my head… I know there's
something about an alien “marker” that turns people into monsters, but then it
was really man-made, but then it was actually alien. And, for whatever reason,
people keep joining the cult that popped up around the worship of this marker because…
I don't know why. I mean, who <i>wants</i>
to turn themselves into a corpselike grabby-monster? <i>Dead Space 3</i> furthers all this somehow, although I couldn’t explain
what the point of it is, honestly. Clarke goes after another marker and it’s
all hazy after that.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwGpygZg3uqfJ1MFj3J7NWr9P5P4Hy2e1y_7UxR6J0lXw5k3bjLl7NQKpFNWH-QvFPZPhXaiLymv7ZqcUI79XOPbCzTDTflEvrXJCjdpVIPX81gkH_S76kCq8wq1hORM-FgyITspJ2aKo/s1600/article-2154972-13774849000005DC-851_468x286.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwGpygZg3uqfJ1MFj3J7NWr9P5P4Hy2e1y_7UxR6J0lXw5k3bjLl7NQKpFNWH-QvFPZPhXaiLymv7ZqcUI79XOPbCzTDTflEvrXJCjdpVIPX81gkH_S76kCq8wq1hORM-FgyITspJ2aKo/s400/article-2154972-13774849000005DC-851_468x286.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Husband and wife, blasting happily in tandem. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So, while the downsides are significant and I don’t
recommend this game to lone wolves, the interesting, fresh take on co-op and
the gun modding in <i>Dead Space 3</i> are
actually both quite good and very creative. I could easily see some of these
same mechanics making a big splash in different games that might use them to
better effect. In the meantime, if you have $6 for two copies and a buddy
willing to commit 15 hours, I’d say Clarke’s final journey is a worthwhile
investment. </div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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*</div>
Brad Gallawayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09452185302281177580noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4625171860671748699.post-60196763080992975672015-12-25T22:10:00.000-08:002015-12-26T00:15:38.254-08:00A Second Look at: Prince of Persia, 2008 <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">*<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Although I
don't talk about it much these days, the <b><i>Prin</i></b></span><b style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;"><i>ce of Persia</i></b><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;"> franchise has been
one of my favorites since the 2003 reboot, </span><b style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;"><i>Sands of Time</i></b><i style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;">.</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">It was a stunning
experience on all levels thanks to the Prince’s fantastically acrobatic traversal,
a unique time-rewind mechanic, and its storyteller-style voiceovers. It all
came together into something fairly magical for me, and I was hooked ever since.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">After <i>Sands of Time</i>, I played the two sequels
and enjoyed them greatly despite the drastic shift towards a darker, edgier
tone. Nu-metal and unnecessary profanity aside, the mechanics were still solid
and I was genuinely interested in seeing what would become of the Prince after
meddling in powers he couldn’t control. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqSTITS4y-qkKTTAl3pT3x6rC0fd8MEDqSowd8q_e2__uz7jnt0urLQSwbohMVksIFtKOWCx3mdIvfE9TO-6qCknscAlEtZNr0EsJ2uRRAzawwJL6kCdwUp21iTsWINEZ0emOjMdevzlg/s1600/POP0_X360_BXSHT_Retail_1000w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqSTITS4y-qkKTTAl3pT3x6rC0fd8MEDqSowd8q_e2__uz7jnt0urLQSwbohMVksIFtKOWCx3mdIvfE9TO-6qCknscAlEtZNr0EsJ2uRRAzawwJL6kCdwUp21iTsWINEZ0emOjMdevzlg/s400/POP0_X360_BXSHT_Retail_1000w.jpg" width="283" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">However,
when Ubisoft rebooted the franchise yet <i>again</i>
in 2008, I bounced right off of it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I think I
wrote about <i>a paragraph</i> on it at the
time, and<a href="http://www.gamecritics.com/guest-critic/prince-of-persia-review"> the @Gamecritics review</a> was a quickie written by someone who popped
up and didn't stay with the site. I regret leaving the topic so soon, and I should
have been more vocal about it – in a nutshell, the gameplay felt less technical
and too simplified, I was not a fan of the empty-feeling open world, and having
to collect items to progress the story was the final nail in the coffin. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">However, as
someone with a substantial soft spot for the Prince, it always bothered me that
I never finished the 2008 installment. I've had a copy of it for years, and now
that we’re past the fourth quarter madness of holiday review season, it felt like
the right time to pull the game out from the bottom of my backlog and give it
another try.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I'm glad
that I did.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJjuHEEOojPkk3rV4Mqtt96diQFDAn6e38zg7513mnpeEpNW35GobtSES8XQvHMiKfCj4y78z_iZwAs9accAhAlL36Xwvkg-wjhrsCe-DitHmOQ-wn3SBgiB5GUTbpTSgdEB18XaOfYUU/s1600/pop2008-9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJjuHEEOojPkk3rV4Mqtt96diQFDAn6e38zg7513mnpeEpNW35GobtSES8XQvHMiKfCj4y78z_iZwAs9accAhAlL36Xwvkg-wjhrsCe-DitHmOQ-wn3SBgiB5GUTbpTSgdEB18XaOfYUU/s400/pop2008-9.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Revisiting
the game now, I will say that the character designs and animations are strong.
The Prince and his companion Elika are a handsome pair, and the developers have
taken quite a bit of time to make sure that they animate fluidly. They display
many little flourishes that accentuate the partnership they grow over the
course of the game. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">When on a
ledge, they quickly leapfrog to switch places if the Prince needs to navigate
in the opposite direction, or when standing on a beam, they hold hands and spin
around gracefully to trade positions. In
most of these cases, it would've been perfectly fine to have no special
animation at all, but by including these quick touches and grasping embraces, the
two really do behave like a pair.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqj7S9EpP741tuu3rGfHq2NVH8wwPsMevtAQ7J47b1RCgYHfKDAMGNqNgplqUke15GHqSBKUcXp3PhdPfn5ZJvZ_q6cXRLdfJRsPtRF3Dnmt6__VVMS2I4d4m700sm2IFBJLiCebDU6LM/s1600/pop2008-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqj7S9EpP741tuu3rGfHq2NVH8wwPsMevtAQ7J47b1RCgYHfKDAMGNqNgplqUke15GHqSBKUcXp3PhdPfn5ZJvZ_q6cXRLdfJRsPtRF3Dnmt6__VVMS2I4d4m700sm2IFBJLiCebDU6LM/s400/pop2008-6.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Following this
theme, I enjoy how the two work together in a functional sense. When the game
first released, one of the biggest points of contention was that Elika had
magical powers, and whenever the Prince missed a jump or is somehow otherwise
doomed, the game immediately cuts to a scene of Elika grabbing his hand and
pulling him back to the last safe platform he was on. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">While I do
have some issues with other parts of the game’s design, this isn’t one of
them. Rather than seeing it as some sort
of handholding or dumbing-down, it’s just an interesting choice that eliminates
the need to waste time reloading a save.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">In the
earlier games, the same sort of "do over" function was a gameplay
element that asked the player to rewind time at will, and it was a limited
resource – it was the literal <i>sand of
time</i>. In 2008, the developers threw this out the window, made it an
automatic response to player death and removed the limitation on its use. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYCeynoB_NPxA6nojV4J8Ea_Gu2LNHxX2izZSq_PryKqT6h8bCX67271n3vuCdypPwdA0hl3djMPn9a9jYl70Q5kWV1uhrgFcrYqC9SHyOd1Dp4EbvMImLYajL8nFXirLPgBNj8NMCtvY/s1600/1666309-prince_of_persia__elika_saving_prince_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYCeynoB_NPxA6nojV4J8Ea_Gu2LNHxX2izZSq_PryKqT6h8bCX67271n3vuCdypPwdA0hl3djMPn9a9jYl70Q5kWV1uhrgFcrYqC9SHyOd1Dp4EbvMImLYajL8nFXirLPgBNj8NMCtvY/s400/1666309-prince_of_persia__elika_saving_prince_.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I don’t know
about you, but I generally re-load a save and keep playing if I die in a game,
so removing the time needed to perform a step <i>I’m going to do anyway</i> was welcome. In addition, it’s yet another
thing that reinforces the connection between the two main characters, so this
is a win-win. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Looking at
the characters and their dialogue, the developers recorded <i>a ton</i> of fully-voiced lines between the Prince and Elika. Some of
it serious, some of it informational, some is just playful and it’s all enriching.
I compliment this writing, but the brilliant part is that most of this dialogue
is optional and is only heard when the player pushes the ‘talk now’ button. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Letting the
player engage in this narrative at their own pace is an incredibly smart choice
- I ignored it in action-heavy sections, and when I hit quiet moments and was
ready for a break, I’d chat with Elika for extended periods of time. By leaving
it in<i> my</i> hands, it was never
intrusive, and never broke up the flow of what was happening at any given
moment. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWMmRQDXLrDdIWoHrqkjp4YbIos4MDxQUwZ_Igr1NLc8LrqtHUTUr8X0w6yO2oBAgogy_JVS1ZxAqACv-B_X04M-pCWzAvGZu-HXjhx_Sqk6AsuRSvQLp5R7-n0-mo8l43RphtV-8KqrU/s1600/elika.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWMmRQDXLrDdIWoHrqkjp4YbIos4MDxQUwZ_Igr1NLc8LrqtHUTUr8X0w6yO2oBAgogy_JVS1ZxAqACv-B_X04M-pCWzAvGZu-HXjhx_Sqk6AsuRSvQLp5R7-n0-mo8l43RphtV-8KqrU/s320/elika.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Oh, and
about Elika… Looking back, I’m a little surprised that I didn’t hear more about
her as a strong female character. She’s
fiercely independent and driven, she doesn’t take a back seat to the Prince
during discussions, and she’s the reason why he can accomplish anything at all
-- without her magic, he wouldn’t get far. She’s an equal (and even his
superior) in most respects, and she’s a big, big part of why my opinion of this
game turned around. However, rather than becoming the subject of fandom and
cosplay, she vanished. I don’t recall seeing her mentioned as a good example at
the time and she’s forgotten now. A true shame! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">So, everything
I’ve touched on has been positive so far, but if that’s all true then why did I
bounce off of it so quickly back then? Well, the game was heavily criticized at
the time of release, and many of those criticisms were entirely valid. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">For
instance, the world feels too empty in general, and while there are certainly
some technical sections which require a bit of skill, it's not challenging to complete
in any real sense. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Unlike the
older games, <i>Prince of Persia </i>2008
was structured as an open world. This sort of design was still exciting and
fairly newish back then, so I can understand why the devs might've wanted to
try it, but for a game that’s essentially a highly-structured platformer at heart,
it doesn't feel like a natural fit. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje3hqfh8JK4iMV0h9W0OMXJty2YCezuvD7fZ980StQ9oHZ9M-QCsoxEYnth9BLKWuvLJqI12gh3xQMD_k8NG9oblJ7wYCWmcUb3VBbeyskImbNKwaJzlFoiVOAA0wjxjLwd-WtB2na6Y8/s1600/181809-pop4__4_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje3hqfh8JK4iMV0h9W0OMXJty2YCezuvD7fZ980StQ9oHZ9M-QCsoxEYnth9BLKWuvLJqI12gh3xQMD_k8NG9oblJ7wYCWmcUb3VBbeyskImbNKwaJzlFoiVOAA0wjxjLwd-WtB2na6Y8/s400/181809-pop4__4_.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">With the restriction
that the Prince can go to a number of levels in any order and that he may or
may not have the appropriate power-up that lets him get to the end of each
section, most areas ended up feeling like hallways camouflaged by beautiful
skyboxes and interesting bits of impossible architecture – easy to pass through
from one end to the other, but with nothing notable happening along the way. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Another poor
choice was requiring the player to collect a certain number of "light seeds"
in order to progress. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Certain
parts of the world are locked behind the power-ups I just mentioned, and these can
only be acquired after collecting seeds scattered throughout the environment.
Unfortunately, these seeds don’t exist until an area has been completed. As such, the player is forced to travel back
through the same level again at least once to collect the seeds which appear
afterwards. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Going
through a level the second time is <i>far</i>
less exciting than the first, and doing so for the purpose of collecting
arbitrary MacGuffins is poor motivation. Making it even less pleasant, many
seeds are tucked in out-of-the-way places that often lack a clear way to return
to the main path. Sometimes, there seemed to be no way back <i>at all</i>. It feels like the developers had
the idea of wanting players to hunt for things, but never quite figured out how
this level-combing was supposed to work in practice.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Speaking of
things that don’t work, the combat is… Well, it’s awful. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">It could be
successfully argued that the <i>Sands of
Time</i> titles had excessive combat, but 2008 flies in the opposite direction.
The only enemies in the game are a handful of carbon-copy peons and five boss
characters which appear over and over. This isn’t enough variety to keep the
fights fresh from start to finish, and combat itself is a series of QTEs that
rely on the player remembering which move beats what, paper-rock-scissors style.
It looks impressive the first few times a combo is successfully pulled off, but
it feels so stiff and unpleasant that I wish the developers had done something totally
different with it. Thankfully, most fights can be won by pushing the enemy over
an edge, so the bulk of them can be ended in a hurry.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">While all
that stuff is bad, the real doozy is how it finished. No real discussion of <i>Prince</i> 2008 is complete without mention
of <i>that ending. </i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Spoiler warning until
the next bolded line.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Over the
course of the adventure, the Prince and Elika work to cleanse their lands from
evil. <i>The twist is that Elika died before
the game began.</i> Her life was bought in exchange for releasing the evil in
the first place, so by containing the evil again, she must forfeit her life and
die a second time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I thought
this ending was quite touching and bittersweet, until it was revealed that it
wasn’t the real ending. Once she’s laid to rest, the game keeps going. Off in
the distance, an object beckons. Once there, it’s revealed that the player can
re-release the evil and bring Elika back to life – essentially, you’re undoing everything
the pair did over the course of the entire game.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Some people
have tried to explain this decision away by saying that I could have turned my
console off after laying Elika down, but I don’t buy it. The game is OBVIOUSLY
still going on, there was no in-game choice to select, there was no ‘<i>the end</i>’ message that scrolled… Who
arbitrarily turns a console off and says that they’ve completed the game?
Nobody, that’s who. The developers <i>clearly</i>
want you to keep playing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I knew this
was not the path I wanted to take but I wanted to see the entirety of what the
developers had crafted, so I followed it to the real ending. It was basically “to
be continued”, and it felt like the most wrongheaded and financially-driven
thing I’ve seen in quite some time. What <i>could</i>
have been an intensely poignant and memorable finale turned into a giant raspberry
blown in the player’s face, and the entire experience was cheapened. It is an
understatement of galactic proportions to say that this ending was a Did Not
Like.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">End of spoilers! <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">So, after
taking stock of the whole thing from front to back and finally rolling credits on
it after all these years, <i>Prince of
Persia</i> 2008 is an eccentric, flawed experience… But, don't let that scare
you off. I think the relationship
between the Prince and Elika is actually quite special, and the way that it
intertwines with the mechanics makes it that much better. And, despite the
relative ease of navigation compared to previous installments, it's often entertaining
to simply go through the environment and watch the Prince cling to ceilings,
make fantastic leaps, or spin around on the top of a crumbling castle while holding
Elika’s hand. It may not be my favorite <i>Prince
of Persia</i>, but coming back to it now has given me a different perspective,
and I appreciate the strengths in spite of its weaknesses more now than I did
back then. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj28VmzFJ3mVB31nUUUgR0-rTuppIZh4fOfIJE3DC0OdbtYvKamDfNs3XXLPOikWABPlUDddyi5NJ5w_TQRwj_1BmPaAYUrlt5R4QlkH4w3B_4ACJeAtf64wi9tOsnQHiR9_TifL8omPgo/s1600/tumblr_m7ya71XDYp1qltfj7o1_500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj28VmzFJ3mVB31nUUUgR0-rTuppIZh4fOfIJE3DC0OdbtYvKamDfNs3XXLPOikWABPlUDddyi5NJ5w_TQRwj_1BmPaAYUrlt5R4QlkH4w3B_4ACJeAtf64wi9tOsnQHiR9_TifL8omPgo/s400/tumblr_m7ya71XDYp1qltfj7o1_500.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">If you made
it this far, thanks for reading! </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">And, for more on <i>Prince of Persia </i>2008, the good men of @CaneAndRinse <a href="http://caneandrinse.com/issue-twenty-nine-prince-of-persia-2008/">covered it on their podcast</a>, front to back. </span><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%; text-align: center;">Give a listen if you like!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">*<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Brad Gallawayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09452185302281177580noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4625171860671748699.post-36883066483898548032015-12-12T22:46:00.001-08:002015-12-12T22:46:39.467-08:00Blasting Through My PS2 Backlog, Part 1<div class="MsoNormal">
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>Welcome back to Coffeecola</b>!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 17.3333px; line-height: 18.5467px;">First off, in case you missed it, I posted my<a href="http://goo.gl/nsffj9"> top ten games of 2015</a> over at @Gamecritics. If you haven't seen it, click on over and let me know what you think of my selections! </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 17.3333px; line-height: 18.5467px;">Now, let's get down to business...</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 17.3333px; line-height: 18.5467px;">So, it sounds a little ridiculous to still have a PS2 backlog now that we're well into the PS4 era, but... Yep... I definitely <i>do</i> have a stack of games from back then that I always meant to play. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 17.3333px; line-height: 18.5467px;">I didn't want to commit to anything big this weekend since I'm working on other reviews, but it felt like the time was right to blow through some of these in rapid-fire style and pack up the ones I'm genuinely <i>never</i> going to play. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 17.3333px; line-height: 18.5467px;">Here are the first four...</span></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Jak & Daxter: The
Lost Frontier</span></i></b><span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> -
2009<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I was a big
fan of Naughty Dog’s original <i>Jak &
Daxter</i> trilogy, so I picked this one up who knows when because I was hoping
for more of the same. For those who’ve never played it, it’s basically a
hop-and-bop franchise with some light vehicle and collection elements tossed
in.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">While it’s
got the same stars and it’s set in the same world as the first three titles, it
was done by a different studio (High Impact Games) and it was originally built
for the PSP, so there are some differences. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP7iJ356B9dBGEumv9iCBw6w1qRL7LfpiZl7IcxrePfmBX7C-PV_Oe2iYP7T_op7veqILyO065QMp7X3grOi185mBxK4JWapCHo9Vwdbss6lFq2s1AC7pxzSU4xhkw0ltnykwDpelH7BU/s1600/jak-and-daxter-the-lost-frontier-20091106022221983.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP7iJ356B9dBGEumv9iCBw6w1qRL7LfpiZl7IcxrePfmBX7C-PV_Oe2iYP7T_op7veqILyO065QMp7X3grOi185mBxK4JWapCHo9Vwdbss6lFq2s1AC7pxzSU4xhkw0ltnykwDpelH7BU/s400/jak-and-daxter-the-lost-frontier-20091106022221983.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">For example,
the camera doesn't tilt up and down since the PSP didn't have a second stick, there’s
aerial combat, and the graphic quality is pretty weird -- it definitely doesn't
look like a native PS2 game. It seems
fine enough for what it is, but after having played the original three and
after letting so much time go by, I think I'm all right with leaving this
franchise in the past.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Verdict: Tossed in storage<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Pirates: Legend Of The
Black Buccaneer</span></i></b><span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">
- 2006<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I had been
looking at this one for a long time, waiting for it to drop to the right price
in the bargain bins, but I think it was @AshtonRaze tweeting about it that finally
pushed me over the edge into purchase territory. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH_o_kExpcvYq-cpx4N1BXNEwBQq4IOv2I8_XhsDPPn5nJzrn4ex4jqdo1gYHcJ6vF5bxnSlDwBYsHbbp31z8Ot5zEvba-Qlav-Cof3nMvOtXmpJumMfAaEuJmVEuE6hdNaXsEvYI_LEE/s1600/IMG_6852.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH_o_kExpcvYq-cpx4N1BXNEwBQq4IOv2I8_XhsDPPn5nJzrn4ex4jqdo1gYHcJ6vF5bxnSlDwBYsHbbp31z8Ot5zEvba-Qlav-Cof3nMvOtXmpJumMfAaEuJmVEuE6hdNaXsEvYI_LEE/s400/IMG_6852.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;">The gist is
that an escaped slave becomes some sort of evil voodoo queen, and your
character is a sailor who’s one of many coming after her treasure. It's got a strong
Eurojank vibe to it, and the world seems more complex than I was expecting… I
didn’t play long, but I was picking up a bit of old-school </span><b style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;"><i>Tomb Raider</i></b><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;"> mixed with a
dash of </span><b style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;"><i>Risen</i></b><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;">. </span><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;">There was platforming,
a quest log, some puzzles… The word felt fairly open-ended, too. Promising! </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9uyMvEoBQ-L8GksARJ_YS3znCdJW-U2BzJ6LryEOfusrG_Ysb8vZ07KM7sq_3-yVRtchFjj7NRCyz5ytNN8xr6NxZAVOJdyf2IMJdc1WYI1RVO5M5Y0bnnOtZfob7ZJU1EBBjo_GM3sA/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9uyMvEoBQ-L8GksARJ_YS3znCdJW-U2BzJ6LryEOfusrG_Ysb8vZ07KM7sq_3-yVRtchFjj7NRCyz5ytNN8xr6NxZAVOJdyf2IMJdc1WYI1RVO5M5Y0bnnOtZfob7ZJU1EBBjo_GM3sA/s400/2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">On the other
hand, I'm not too sure about the themes… casting the antagonist as a black
female slave who does voodoo is a little questionable, and the first power the
hero (a white guy) earns is the ability to turn into a hulking black voodoo
brute. The whole thing feels vaguely racist in some way, but it was good enough
to pique my interest.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Verdict: Kept it around to play later.
<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 17.3333px; line-height: 18.5467px;">*********************************************</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6X0Y_qGHiLLooVmQ05x4zHEoU_62TwXHZX6j5b1vBVyvg0fRtQwH9HdWIIWV3y5FhRp7Uzx6Rie4sZ5HgZcm65R6-LgxKfOpfZq7m-OQfJywA5yxYGqzGdAsE66ALNfbBRM7DLzeZ31Y/s1600/Summoner_2_Coverart.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6X0Y_qGHiLLooVmQ05x4zHEoU_62TwXHZX6j5b1vBVyvg0fRtQwH9HdWIIWV3y5FhRp7Uzx6Rie4sZ5HgZcm65R6-LgxKfOpfZq7m-OQfJywA5yxYGqzGdAsE66ALNfbBRM7DLzeZ31Y/s320/Summoner_2_Coverart.png" width="225" /></a></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Summoner 2</span></i></b><span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> - 2002<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">This one is
a bit of a cheat because I did play this when it first released. I seem to remember
getting fairly far in it until I hit a big difficulty spike and I put it down.
I recall being impressed with the size and scope of it back then so I wanted to
give it one last shot, but it hasn’t aged well enough. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEH04B_ufd837jNdcS4-wRSAh0ZLFuSxEmgOAudAHqHWbgQTY7QrwC2qhFvum5noV_bnljCnPowSUf8FCsrM6tIC_8rjy2k5zJrfxCyXsoTuLvGgfYUEFoscxql1I1Zs5ipSdFOKjVP8k/s1600/summoner-2-gameplay7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEH04B_ufd837jNdcS4-wRSAh0ZLFuSxEmgOAudAHqHWbgQTY7QrwC2qhFvum5noV_bnljCnPowSUf8FCsrM6tIC_8rjy2k5zJrfxCyXsoTuLvGgfYUEFoscxql1I1Zs5ipSdFOKjVP8k/s400/summoner-2-gameplay7.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;">Within the
first few minutes of play, I was really turned off by how stiff and unnatural the
movement and combat felt, and the graphics weren't nearly as good as some of
the other games in my PS2 backlog.</span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgim7sfMZlgauF3mWolQMsiwbSesETAO9HoNpLLgES2Z33cI1IoTrJhqgJiHbEoRcFjAW61h1FwjLm1N0PDV-qSQTq6me2WXdH7HfREcJnsDEt3xAagbTXQLvvla6Xzk9oa5Fy5X5vjAEo/s1600/hqdefault.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgim7sfMZlgauF3mWolQMsiwbSesETAO9HoNpLLgES2Z33cI1IoTrJhqgJiHbEoRcFjAW61h1FwjLm1N0PDV-qSQTq6me2WXdH7HfREcJnsDEt3xAagbTXQLvvla6Xzk9oa5Fy5X5vjAEo/s400/hqdefault.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;">I’m sure
there's a lot to the game that I haven't even scratched, but this one’s a
little too rough and I don’t think I’m going to be able to commit to this one. </span><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Verdict: Tossed in storage<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 17.3333px; line-height: 18.5467px;">*********************************************</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1MAxsj01D0rLlBvikbAbO9bhQb9Jk6Nh_GBYxiTMsW_Pp_oQAWx2pFH_PoXWyppCKj4TzAn4Ln-MfeR8hR-QjS_RZaBNdbR5KsRWCTB4gHwzq6T4lBumDRIpZ92znn7UgHBp0BuVPZCc/s1600/The_World_is_Yours.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1MAxsj01D0rLlBvikbAbO9bhQb9Jk6Nh_GBYxiTMsW_Pp_oQAWx2pFH_PoXWyppCKj4TzAn4Ln-MfeR8hR-QjS_RZaBNdbR5KsRWCTB4gHwzq6T4lBumDRIpZ92znn7UgHBp0BuVPZCc/s320/The_World_is_Yours.jpg" width="224" /></a></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Scarface: The World Is
Yours</span></i></b><span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> - 2006<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">This one
surprised me a bit -- it seems like a pretty legit attempt at horning in on <b><i>GTA</i></b>
territory and there's definitely some money behind it. It's an open world game
with a lot of licensed music and tons of voice acting. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfwqSQtv7qFcyP6ekwzcJzrV5VUfjjrmCM2SyC1lcG8O2j091zKtxJyzAvRo3oJqZMp_GPjYvXTfHN9-IMa-O4b3GYms_GILL3p6hjQUh5QyLSbH9e3Jhyi-9URzh1Xy8n35-cbG5GrXc/s1600/IMG_6849.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfwqSQtv7qFcyP6ekwzcJzrV5VUfjjrmCM2SyC1lcG8O2j091zKtxJyzAvRo3oJqZMp_GPjYvXTfHN9-IMa-O4b3GYms_GILL3p6hjQUh5QyLSbH9e3Jhyi-9URzh1Xy8n35-cbG5GrXc/s400/IMG_6849.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;">Speaking of
which, the main voice actor isn’t a ringer for Al Pacino, but he definitely gets
the tone of the film correct. Within the first few minutes of play, he was swearing
a blue streak and had me diving for the remote control so that I wouldn't have
to explain to my son what all those words meant.</span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik8ikk8-4BN_0AfdKV5OZ_lu2NzoOZPF1qqc8AloSKbg9olSegEZQ5HPVBW5XDV3cQhCNNS0fX113u1TJPIF_x7pyLowI8CnT3nyMtfX_Dzr-2UAtuMeY4bytE7W6bTlROEGqoxGZD_io/s1600/IMG_6850.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik8ikk8-4BN_0AfdKV5OZ_lu2NzoOZPF1qqc8AloSKbg9olSegEZQ5HPVBW5XDV3cQhCNNS0fX113u1TJPIF_x7pyLowI8CnT3nyMtfX_Dzr-2UAtuMeY4bytE7W6bTlROEGqoxGZD_io/s400/IMG_6850.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;">Things
started off on the right foot with a good tutorial and the beginning of the
game was strong, showing the fall of Tony Montana and how his wealth and power was
stolen away. The enemy count was a wee bit concerning (I think I killed 150
dudes in the first three minutes) and I don't know that I’m necessarily in the
market for another open world game after all the other ones I've played this
year, but this one had me intrigued.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Verdict: Kept it around to play later.
<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">*</span></b></div>
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Brad Gallawayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09452185302281177580noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4625171860671748699.post-7163510590802596292015-11-27T09:38:00.004-08:002015-11-27T09:38:53.471-08:00The Witcher 3 is done, and The Old Hunters is too hard. Also, Chibi-Robo! <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">*<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Welcome back to Coffeecoloa, and
happy (belated) Thanksgiving!<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Before
getting to my usual game stuff, I just want to take a minute to express thanks
for everything that I have - my wonderful family, a source of income, a warm
place to live, enough food to eat… things like these aren’t a given, and not
everyone is fortunate enough to have them. I mean, I know a lot of people who struggle in just getting by, and here I am, lucky enough to spend time
playing videogames and writing about them… It's an absolute luxury to be sure,
and I'm very aware of that. And I am thankful.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Anyway, I
also hope that <i>you</i> have good things
in your life, and I hope this holiday was a happy one for you. </span><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;">Now, on with
the show!</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">>Witcher 3</span></b><span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;">The last time I talked about it, I
was just getting back into it after deciding that Bethesda's latest<b style="font-style: italic;"> </b></span><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;">was too boring
to stick with, and in the time that's passed since then, I actually completed
the game. It seemed like it was going to go on for infinity at times, but there
actually </span><i style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;">is</i><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;"> an end to the main
storyline, and after wrapping up the entire game, I can say that I'm genuinely
glad I came back to it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Overall, I
think the writing was outstanding… Probably the best writing in any game I
played this year. Also, many of the quests were interesting and varied, and so
much work was put into every aspect of the experience that it's just a
monumental effort. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDlfHL_ScC90fJiO3vROjQ_lECd07HpyFTZewIz4Llc6IpBUqkzSuRJlIygTDbeDHTCBcpHXHypS7H-23prrBPNTeCe93_QYIhp2ppt-ZREscqr0aE4cYdSUD6iqMimKMM_oGJP8DEt7U/s1600/cerys.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDlfHL_ScC90fJiO3vROjQ_lECd07HpyFTZewIz4Llc6IpBUqkzSuRJlIygTDbeDHTCBcpHXHypS7H-23prrBPNTeCe93_QYIhp2ppt-ZREscqr0aE4cYdSUD6iqMimKMM_oGJP8DEt7U/s400/cerys.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;">I also
thought that the female characters were particularly well done, and I do think
it's a great example of strong women in games. Although some people who played
the previous </span><i style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;">Witche</i><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;">r titles said that
the devs did quite poorly with their women (and maybe they did) they’ve clearly
learned some lessons along the way because the ladies here are fantastic. They’re
strong, they have their own motivations, they don't play second fiddle to
Geralt, and they feel like well-rounded characters. Great stuff.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Of course,
the game does have a few issues. The biggest one is that the pacing is a little
insane. The main quest is incredibly long and takes the number of turns. A lot
of interesting things happen -- and that's great -- but these days I find it
hard to buy into the "urgency" of a main quest when a game takes so
many detours. It was also a problem for me because so many of the sidequests
were genuinely good, and I didn't want to miss any of them. I felt compelled to
do as many as possible in order to avoid having any automatically fail by
advancing the story. I realize that there are story events that had to happen
in order to have the finale that the devs wanted, but I think it would have
been possible to restructure the game and make it a little less arduous to get
through.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDCZ1Mff_8ltEM6vAgLfTajiTqwlcyPHLvr8KM7ZD9n6Wqpc4jrfwt2NMsV-GAHVkeW4tPzngcHosKv8ik9dmh9mVOIQbdDZi-8yaiEGATGhIk17qH1cR245ec_D5O7rgwaaXMDNPcqc8/s1600/Yennefer01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDCZ1Mff_8ltEM6vAgLfTajiTqwlcyPHLvr8KM7ZD9n6Wqpc4jrfwt2NMsV-GAHVkeW4tPzngcHosKv8ik9dmh9mVOIQbdDZi-8yaiEGATGhIk17qH1cR245ec_D5O7rgwaaXMDNPcqc8/s400/Yennefer01.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;">It's also
worth noting that the game takes a few weird stumbles at the end. @SparkyClarkson
raised this issue in his second opinion at @Gamecritics, and I think he's
absolutely on the money. The game rises to a crescendo with a fantastic battle at
the Witcher home base, and rather than ending things there, there's still quite
a bit left to do afterwards, except none of it is as compelling or as exciting
as that battle. In fact, it even gets a little bit nonsensical, with a
last-minute MacGuffin showing up to lead into some some quest stuff that just
don't make a lot of sense.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Those are
pretty forgivable things when looking at everything else the game gets right,
though, and it gets a hell of a lot right. It's a fantastic experience from
start to finish, and although it is a significant commitment of time, I do
think it's one of the few games that is worth investing in despite how long it
is. The developers have absolutely raised the bar when it comes to writing and
worldbuilding, and we are now living in a post-<i>Witcher</i> world. Any developer wanting to cover the same territory
really needs to <i>bring it</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">>Bloodborne: The Old Hunters</span></b><span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> While I plan on doing the <i>Witcher</i> DLC, I need to take a short
break before pushing on, so I decided to drop back into <i>Bloodborne</i> and give the <i>Old Hunters</i>
DLC a try.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">To be fair,
I'm not the biggest <i>Bloodborne</i> fan.
The story is a mess to me, I think some of the systems don't work as well as
they could, and I don’t think much of the aesthetics. The hunters look
great, but the world is too monochromatic and too cluttered with garbage and
statues and all sorts of stuff that just ends up being visual noise. So, while I’m
definitely not one of the hardcore <i>BB</i>
devotees, I am a Fromsoft fan and I was curious to see what they would bring to
the table with this new expansion. Unfortunately, what it looks like they brought
is an insane level of hardcore difficulty.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;">Look, I'm
not the best player out there, but I think I can generally hold my own and I am
quite experienced when it comes to Fromsoft and the </span><i style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;">Souls</i><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;"> games. And besides, I got through </span><i style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;">Bloodborne</i><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;"> by myself with only a few difficult spots here and
there, so I thought I would be well-equipped to handle this, but the developers
are trolling pretty hard… They've really jacked up the difficulty.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">While there
are a few brutal enemies (the shark giants in the Fishing Hamlet are a
nightmare) and there are a few too many ‘GOT YA!’ moments for my taste, the
bosses are the worst offenders. Many do a <i>crazy</i>
amount of damage and they're just straight-up difficult to fight. My friend @MikeSuskie
(in his review) says that there's no real trick to finding these bosses, the
player just has to be good enough to beat them, and I think he's correct.
Unfortunately, I think the devs have taken it a little too far this time. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">As for the
rest of it, well, it's just OK, I suppose. It's interesting that they put an
absolute <i>crap-ton</i> of new weapons in
this DLC (clearly in response to complaints that there weren’t enough things to
choose from in the vanilla game) but it's ironic that in order to get these
weapons, players have to be good enough to survive the areas where they are… </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">which means they have to be high-level… </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">which means they have to have already been through the game. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Since leveling up weapons takes a lot of resources that
aren't just laying around, most of the weapons people will find won't be any use
unless they do a lot of farming, or start a new game in order to re-harvest resources.
I’d love to try some of these new things out myself, but some of them I just
can't equip because my stats aren't set up properly, and the rest are too low
to do me any good. I ended up collecting them, putting them aside and using my
old standbys. It seems like a missed opportunity here.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;">Also, a
heads-up to anyone who did what I did and missed the first shortcut that leads
back to the very first lamp in the Hunter’s Nightmare. I have no idea how in
the world I missed it, but I did, and there’s a </span><i style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;">very</i><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;"> important NPC which hangs out in that shortcut… He has quite a
bit of information about the world and ends up giving the player a weapon at
the end, so if you plan to play this DLC, make sure you talk to that person
before moving on. He's at one end of the large bridge spanning the bloody river
that's in the starting area. Once you see the giant flea monsters, go up to the
bridge and go in the hallway at one end… He's down there.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Overall, I'm
feeling pretty mixed about <i>The Old Hunters</i>. On the one hand, I want to keep
supporting From as I've been a fan of theirs for a very, very long time. On the
other hand, I don't think <i>Bloodborne</i> was that great, and this add-on feels like
it's hard for the sake of being hard. I'm pretty sure that a lot of people who
struggled to get through the main game will be absolutely <i>destroyed</i> by the level of difficulty here, and I just don't see the
point of making it so crushing. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">>Random</span></b><span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> Just a couple of quick notes before
I wrap up… </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">First, I want to give a shout out to <b><i>Chibi-Robo: Zip Lash!</i></b> on
3DS. I haven't heard many people talking about it, and the people who <i>have</i> talked about it don't seem to think
very much of it, which is a shame. I'm a fan of the character, and I think that
this is a pretty solid outing for him. It’s certainly better than the last game
he was in. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;">There are a few weird choices and it's not the sort of thing that
you want to marathon for hours on end, but I think it's a lot better than
people give it credit for, and it's really cute as well. If you're a fan, it's
definitely worth picking up, and if you want some solid platforming action,
this is a good one to check out.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Finally, I
haven't fired my WiiU up for ages, but I've been pretty curious about <b><i>Xenoblade
Chronicles X</i></b>, out on December 4, and while I’m not going to cover it
for review, I am going to pick it up to see what it's all about. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;">It looks like
it has a </span><b style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;"><i>Phantasy Star Online </i></b><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;">vibe to it, and I'm a sucker for anything
with giant robots. Some reviewer friends who already have been through the game
have told me that they think I'll hate it -- which is very likely possible --
but it sounds like an interesting project that warrants investigation… I'll
have more to say on it later.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>*</b></span><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span></div>
Brad Gallawayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09452185302281177580noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4625171860671748699.post-74968884964366999652015-11-14T00:54:00.002-08:002015-11-14T00:54:59.713-08:00Fallout 4? No, Witcher 3! <div style="text-align: center;">
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<b>Welcome back to Coffeecola! </b></div>
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So, that <b><i>Fallout 4</i></b>, right??? </div>
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Yeah, not so much. I have a copy of it here, and while I wouldn't say I was <i>overly</i> hyped for it before release, I'm definitely a <i>Fallout</i> fan... <i><b>Fallout 3</b></i> was really good, and <i><b>New Vegas </b></i>was one of my all-time faves. I was in the market for more <i>Fallout</i>. </div>
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Then I started playing it, and it lost me <i>in a hurry</i>. </div>
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Real talk: the beginning is pretty awful. Events happen too quick for my taste, and the opening 'motivation' is cheap and distasteful. Once I got into the game proper, the writing was dull, the quests were dull, and the emphasis on crafting is something that I'm not really interested in at this point. The interface for building structures was abysmal, as well. </div>
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My playtime is pretty limited these days, so picking up a bajillion pieces of junk and spending an hour trying to mod a random handgun or combing the wasteland for roofing materials just isn't what I want my focus on in a game of this type. I put about four hours into it, and then I shelved it. </div>
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I really doubt I'm gonna come back to it anytime soon, but a side effect of being disappointed in <i>Fallout 4</i> is that it lit a fire under me to return to <b><i>The Witcher 3</i></b> to wrap it up. </div>
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The last time I went riding with Geralt was around June or so, so it's been about six months, give or take. At the point where I quit, I had put in 60 hours and had made it to Skellige, but burnout was hitting me pretty hard. It was just way too much content, but ironically, it was content I didn't want to skip. The writing was great, the quests were interesting... It was physically impossible for me to <i>not</i> do them, but it's got to be one of the most content-heavy games I've ever played. </div>
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There's. Just. So. Much. To. Get. Through. (And that's not even counting the map icons, monster quests, treasure hunts and all the other minor stuff!) Anyway, I decided the time was right so I fired it back up and... I had <i>no friggin' idea</i> what was going on. I mean, Yennefer wanted me to do something that I didn't remember anything about, I lost the main plot thread, and I had forgotten most of the systems in the game. </div>
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Putting the search for Ciri on hold, I fumbled around with the controls for a bit and decided to clean up some of the secondary quests that were left hanging as a warmup exercise. </div>
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Thankfully, I got back into the groove pretty quick, and my time away from the game reminded me of why I liked it so much in the first place. I'm glad I came back. </div>
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That said, I wish the devs had structured the adventure a bit differently... It would be great to have more emphasis on the main quest and to have left most of the secondary stuff for <i>after </i>credits roll. </div>
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A big problem for me was that I didn't know what quests would fail if I didn't do them, and their general quality is so high that major FOMO kept hitting me every time I felt like I needed to critpath it. Knowing that I could focus on the central plot without fear of losing content would have helped stave off exhaustion, for sure.</div>
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In any event, it's good to be back in <i>The Witcher</i> and I'm really hoping to close the book on it. And hey, who knows... I may even pop for that DLC! </div>
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Brad Gallawayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09452185302281177580noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4625171860671748699.post-35695510853403144232015-11-04T20:37:00.006-08:002015-11-04T20:37:52.196-08:004 guys, 1 Steam Machine - SFW<div style="text-align: center;">
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<br />
Hey all, just a quick redirect tonight - A group of my friends got together to weigh in on the new <b>Alienware Steam Machine</b>. You can read my writeup on their thoughts over at @GameCritics <a href="http://www.gamecritics.com/brad-gallaway/four-guys-and-a-steam-machine-not-porn-really">right here</a>. I'll be back with a regular update next time. Thanks!<br />
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*</div>
Brad Gallawayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09452185302281177580noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4625171860671748699.post-5647419775195332542015-11-01T23:41:00.002-08:002015-11-01T23:44:15.150-08:00Playing Catch-Up! <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">*<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Welcome back to Coffeecola!<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I’m currently
between review assignments, so I’ve had some precious free time to play pretty
much whatever I want without feeling guilty about it -- AKA, the best time of year!
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">So, what’s
been on the docket?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">*</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">><b><i>The Talos
Principle: Deluxe Edition</i></b> (PS4)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Despite
hearing all the praise last year, this one kind of snuck up on me. I honestly
didn’t expect to like it as much as I did.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">While it’s
very <b><i>Portal</i></b>-like
in many ways, I really liked the different aesthetic of the game, and the
writers did an outstanding job with it. The themes of humanity and free will
were a great fit with the puzzle-based gameplay, and the world had an awesome
atmosphere and style. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsFM1lsLD_hyeqiRiLCETEU6-H9MzIsbPiT2h4ene0c90VzQM2VBb7hQVz2Q51GTFEYMh-1Inu6dWPpDnXzUKY1IcVg6JPcbt6dDbjlSIJs2b_fTC5QGMWHFwIwB9MQshgnW4s6oIIkQE/s1600/TalosDeluxe01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsFM1lsLD_hyeqiRiLCETEU6-H9MzIsbPiT2h4ene0c90VzQM2VBb7hQVz2Q51GTFEYMh-1Inu6dWPpDnXzUKY1IcVg6JPcbt6dDbjlSIJs2b_fTC5QGMWHFwIwB9MQshgnW4s6oIIkQE/s400/TalosDeluxe01.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;">While I didn’t
love some of the in-game text (the myths and historical writing found on PCs weren’t
effective at all) </span><i style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;">Talos</i><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;"> is one of the
exceedingly rare instances where the existence of audio logs not only made
sense, but actually did a great job of enhancing the story. Even better, the
ending was both perfect and amazing, and it left me glowing with contentedness for
the rest of the day.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">In fact, the
story is really what carried the day here. I think the game is too long by a
third, and the final bunch of puzzles were exercises in frustration. If I hadn’t
been so invested in seeing how things turned out, I’m certain I would have quit
before the end. Thank god for GameFAQS, amirite?? Speaking of which, mega props
to <b>nomercyrider</b> for his awesome FAQ.
I used it and I am<i> not</i> ashamed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Despite
getting a bit burned out on it by the end, I am very, very glad that I pushed
on through – it really was a wonderful experience overall. I haven’t touched the <i>Road to Gehenna</i> DLC because I’m feeling pretty burned out on the
puzzles right now, but I’m pretty sure I’ll give it a shot once some time has
passed. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">*<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">><b><i>Leo’s
Fortune</i></b> (PS4)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I have to
say, when I saw this one pop up on PSN I wrote it off out-of-hand based on the
screenshots, but I heard some positive things later on so I decided to give it
a shot. I'm glad that I did.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I haven't
been keeping up with mobile lately, but apparently this one was a successful
mobile title that got ported. It doesn't really break new ground, but it's very
focused on being a physics-based platformer, and it does what it does very
well. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR0bW_wPYqQ1o-OS0UDU3ytHMEdeZ18QzPSu7goNPNn47atvpmJ4_TZP2f2mumrdScWIpr9RG-CUI2vFB16jU_1Q_cJW8kbM75QbWHG3cXDYmPuwEeMyo8wfJv4vYjic1l6p0HLrpFmdE/s1600/Leo01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR0bW_wPYqQ1o-OS0UDU3ytHMEdeZ18QzPSu7goNPNn47atvpmJ4_TZP2f2mumrdScWIpr9RG-CUI2vFB16jU_1Q_cJW8kbM75QbWHG3cXDYmPuwEeMyo8wfJv4vYjic1l6p0HLrpFmdE/s400/Leo01.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;">The main
character is a big fuzzball who can puff himself up, and the developers have
done a good job of designing levels which are a mix between straight-up
platforming and puzzles which involve environmental manipulation.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I have to
say, I also thought the story had a certain sort of magnetism. Although it was
totally simple, it took a dark turn by the end and finished with a positive
message that I didn't see coming. It could've used a little more story
sprinkled throughout, but I appreciate what was there.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">><b><i>Shovel
Knight</i></b> (3DS)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">So, I first played
this when it dropped last year, and I have to be honest, I didn't click with
me. That retro vibe was pretty clear, but it just didn't seem to be doing
anything that was interesting at the time, and I put it down pretty quick. Of
course, it went on to receive so much praise and love that I couldn’t ignore
it. I decided to give it a second chance and I finished it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjih5tlG0evR3uhW_dNZRXrhAz8-7InnT_sGj5iBbmaDjS__4Pf5xp_-_r3rvxs7s2mraYDJM6tLhMoLtE4SnEkFcOBgtKfnCX5NuRGAxXka3Tr2LG-CE1OmuOZHTSSIpFOPBLkdTKYE94/s1600/ShovelKnight01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjih5tlG0evR3uhW_dNZRXrhAz8-7InnT_sGj5iBbmaDjS__4Pf5xp_-_r3rvxs7s2mraYDJM6tLhMoLtE4SnEkFcOBgtKfnCX5NuRGAxXka3Tr2LG-CE1OmuOZHTSSIpFOPBLkdTKYE94/s400/ShovelKnight01.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;">Now that
I've done the main campaign, I definitely recognize it as a quality product and
can appreciate what the developers were going for, although it never lit
my world on fire.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I think that
part of my apathy is that the visual design of Shovel Knight himself leaves a
little bit to be desired… Something about it just doesn't pop for me, and his
shovel feels underdeveloped. I mean, it could've basically been <i>anything</i>
besides a shovel, so that feels like a gap needing to be filled there.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Anyway,
don't get me wrong. It's definitely a good game and I'm glad that I came back
to it, but… yeah. Probably not gonna end up on my ‘favorite 3DS games’ list. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>Side note:</b>
the free Plague Knight DLC is pretty nuts. It’s basically a whole new campaign
re-using some of the old levels, but the new character has all-new moves and
different strategies. It feels a lot more technical and demanding than the
vanilla content, so check it out if you need some of that.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">*<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">><b><i>Sunset
Overdrive</i></b>, XBO<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Now that
I've got an Xbox One in the house, I've been trying to go back and see all of
the games that caught my attention before I had access to one. This was at the top of the
list.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Although I'm
pretty tired of open world games, I do appreciate that the traversal in <i>Sunset </i>is fairly unusual and ends up
lending it an energy that others have been lacking. Since the main character
can grind/hang/wall run/bounce/air dash, getting from point A to point B is a
lot more fun than simply crossing the city in standard open-world style. It
reminds me of <i>Crackdown </i>a bit in that
respect.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5KqRj9wq05fS_KX25MPSBSmmKkRo9ZzdB5RS8cEdV8pbywl8-TV2VkMEnWhyphenhyphenlseEpU4s5gz8aoZ8onFPzXIVV-i3Db7YP10aIytAm9ps83UEguDsby3hPTIyuSn5F7I6kKJ2bez1QnWY/s1600/SunsetOD01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5KqRj9wq05fS_KX25MPSBSmmKkRo9ZzdB5RS8cEdV8pbywl8-TV2VkMEnWhyphenhyphenlseEpU4s5gz8aoZ8onFPzXIVV-i3Db7YP10aIytAm9ps83UEguDsby3hPTIyuSn5F7I6kKJ2bez1QnWY/s400/SunsetOD01.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;">On the other
hand, the missions haven't exactly been very interesting (I absolutely </span><i style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;">despise</i><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;"> the base defense) and it
feels like there's a little bit too much going on at times. Since the main
character is a sitting duck when on the ground, having to constantly stay in
motion while dodging things/targeting/managing crowds/working the camera leads
to moments of pure overload, so it's probably a good thing that the save points
are pretty generous.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Style-wise, I've seen a lot of people bounce hard off of it, but I found it to be
genuinely humorous for the most part – some of the lines in the script are
pretty sharp. It's definitely a little too "in-your-face" at times,
but not horribly so given the irreverence at its core. I really like the female
voice actress, so maybe that helps?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The things that I find more offputting are the different menus and "amps" that
the game offers. These power-ups feel like an extra layer that I don't want on
top of things, and it's presented in such a cluttered and busy fashion that I
end up ignoring most of it. I wouldn't mind some streamlining in this area.
Also, pausing when using the radial menu to change between weapons would be
super welcome. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA_4XzoVjE-i2fPiG4_rRcuz6K83j_kBMfEjLKFkLdWBM8VouDxfBSxevRdjhDirywVMs0Bm2AEiA4LZYH0knSI8aOhyWdZyEb34q3GYu4j6-ZLyoHL-nzMjOjZBwddJdpaz_sHkpLcMI/s1600/Sunset02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA_4XzoVjE-i2fPiG4_rRcuz6K83j_kBMfEjLKFkLdWBM8VouDxfBSxevRdjhDirywVMs0Bm2AEiA4LZYH0knSI8aOhyWdZyEb34q3GYu4j6-ZLyoHL-nzMjOjZBwddJdpaz_sHkpLcMI/s400/Sunset02.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;">I'm just
doing the main story missions and I’m happy to say that the game is going by
pretty quickly -- I think I'm past the halfway point and not tired of it yet,
which is a good sign. Dunno if I'll be up for any of the DLC once I roll
credits, but it's been a thumbs up so far. It's not something that feels like a
system seller, but it if you already have an Xbox one, then it’s recommended. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Oh, and it's great to see Insominiac finally finding the fun again. They felt really lost when they were churning out those dreary <b><i>Resistance</i></b> titles, and as a fan of the studio, I had a hard time understanding where they were coming from and what they were going for. <i>Sunset </i>feels like a more logical progression for them and I'm glad to see that they've got some of their spark back.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">*<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Brad Gallawayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09452185302281177580noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4625171860671748699.post-6702004639339163202015-10-24T01:25:00.003-07:002015-10-24T01:25:41.502-07:00Hands-On with the Alienware Steam Machine!<div style="text-align: center;">
*</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Hey hey, welcome back to Coffeecola!</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Just a quick redirect tonight... I posted hands-on impressions of the Alienware Steam Machine over at @gamecritics, and it's a pretty fab piece of hardware. </div>
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For my thoughts on this kit, <a href="http://www.gamecritics.com/brad-gallaway/alienwares-steam-machine-hands-on-impressions">head over to the page at GC</a>.</div>
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While you're there, I'm giving away five copies of <i><b>The Talos Principle</b></i> (PS4) and a <b>Valve Key</b> which grants a copy of every game Valve has ever made, <i>and every game they'll ever make</i> <i>in the future</i>. </div>
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All you have to do is leave a comment. So easy! </div>
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Brad Gallawayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09452185302281177580noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4625171860671748699.post-46013621666435480392015-10-05T20:45:00.002-07:002015-10-06T00:18:14.172-07:00Blood Bowl 2, Paddington, and I'm on TV!<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">*<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Welcome back to Coffeecola!<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">First off, I
was a guest on the new <b>@VideogameBreak</b>
TV show which is now airing on local Seattle stations. The show is just now
getting off the ground, and host Carlos Rodela does a great job with it. If
that name sounds familiar, that you might know him from the <a href="http://video-game-break.com/">@VideogameBreak Podcast</a>,and
he’s also <b>@Onawa</b> on Twitter. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">In any
event, here the first two complete episodes are also on YouTube in case you
don't get local Seattle TV.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9NrAKr8_t0">Episode 1</a> - <b><i>Mad
Max</i></b>, <b><i>Senran Kagura 2</i></b>, <b><i>Underfall</i></b> and CYOA games.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7u3FiJrpvB4&feature=youtu.be">Episode 2</a> – Game
preservation and journalism stuff<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>So, what
have I been playing? </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I just finished <b><i>Blood Bowl 2</i></b> (PS4) and it's been
taking up all of my free time over the last week or so. Although I've never played
the tabletop game that it’s based on, developer <b>@CyanideStudio</b> has taken a second stab at porting it to electronic
formats, and in this case, the second time's the charm.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;">For those
not familiar with </span><i style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;">Blood Bowl</i><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;">, it's
essentially football played by fantasy races (elves, orcs, ratmen, humans, etc…)
along with a large dose of violence and fatalities.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Now, if you
read this blog with regularity or you know me from the <b>@Gamecritics</b> podcast,
you might be wondering why I'm even<i> remotely</i> interested in a sports title, and
the answer is: <b>I'm not.</b> Despite the
fact that American football is definitely the basis for <i>Blood Bowl</i>, it plays a lot more like a turn-based strategy RPG than
it does like Madden, and that's what hooked me. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">While the
tutorial doesn't quite do its job and the production values are lower than I'd
like, there's no denying the deep strategy and tactics here. Playing a great
match is like <b><i>XCOM</i> </b>on a field, and
with all the special abilities, cheating, and bizarre circumstances, it makes
for an incredibly entertaining experience.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;">Now, while
the online is pretty robust and you're able to have a full season with friends,
I was thrilled to see that the developers have included </span><b style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;">a full single player campaign</b><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;">, complete with special challenges,
cutscenes, and an actual ending. I haven't tried multiplayer, but I had a great
time with the story mode, and a special shout-out goes to the two voice actors
who played Jim and Bob, the announcers. The pair did a </span><i style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;">great</i><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;"> job, and really help sell the entire experience.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Although <b>@GC_Danny</b>
is handling the review for @Gamecritics, this title comes totally recommended
by me, and I give it an absolute thumbs up. It's easily one of my favorites
this year.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">While on the
subject of games, the good people at <b>@MommysBestGames</b> just released <a href="http://store.steampowered.com/sub/76770/">a bundle on Steam</a>, and it's a pretty killer deal. For only $8, players can get four lovingly-
handcrafted indie experiences from the twisted mastermind of Mommy’s Best,
Nathan Fouts. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;">For those of
you unfamiliar with Nathan's work, it just so happens that I reviewed three
out of the four games offered in the current bundle. They are:</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">1> <b><i><a href="http://www.gamecritics.com/brad-gallaway/weapon-of-choice-review">Weapon Of Choice</a></i></b> – 8.5/10<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;">2> </span><b style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;"><i><a href="http://www.gamecritics.com/brad-gallaway/shoot-1up-review">Shoot 1UP</a></i></b><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;"> – 8/10</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">3> <b><i><a href="http://www.gamecritics.com/brad-gallaway/explosionade-review">Explosionade</a></i></b> - 8.5/10<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">So, if you
know how strict I can be with games, then you know the scores I gave his work are no joke -- that’s a lot of great game for not-a-lot of cash. If you like indies and never
tried these when they originally debuted on XBLI, now’s your chance.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>Now, about TV and movies...</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">While we’re
waiting for some of our favorites to return (Season two of <b><i>The Flash</i></b>, yo!) the wife
and I were checking out some other shows that we heard were good, and one we
tried out was <b><i>iZombie</i></b>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">This show is
based on a 2010 comic by Roberson and Allred, but to be perfectly honest, I
didn't care for the book, and I was more than a little surprised to see that someone had picked
it to develop into a TV show. That said, we gave it a spin, and I'm happy that
we did – it’s been a nice little treat. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;">In a nutshell,
the main character is infected with a zombie virus, but by eating brains she
maintains most of her humanity despite being incredibly pale. She works in a
medical examiner’s office, so she has frequent access to food, and a side
effect is that when she eats a brain, she remembers some of that person's
history and takes on some of their personality. Naturally, since most of the
people coming into the morgue have been murdered, she uses this ability to help
solve the crimes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">It's a goofy
premise, but luckily the show doesn't take itself too seriously. It's more
about getting fun performances out of the cast, and everyone does a great job. Also,
someone in the writer’s room must be a gamer, because they drop a lot of game
references that are actually on-target and make sense. I was impressed! I'm
about halfway through the first season, and we're down for the rest… It's light,
peppy, and pretty cute.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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One final thing for the blog tonight… As parents, we're always on the lookout
for some quality entertainment that the whole family can watch -- Something that's
not too intense for the young ones, and not too insipid for Mom & Dad. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB17NOV59wtDMV1mTTO7P_yu_hL1XhqOOobnQs0cqC4AiAfYWwWk71lH_x9Jw4Jw-sYJiv-kjlbwCheGgLwV4zAxGneRIuRJ-83g4mTHELOvo9fb4g4np7XDBMf8XiRkWq2sD0IHeIIxg/s1600/Paddington+Stills+2014+Wallpapers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB17NOV59wtDMV1mTTO7P_yu_hL1XhqOOobnQs0cqC4AiAfYWwWk71lH_x9Jw4Jw-sYJiv-kjlbwCheGgLwV4zAxGneRIuRJ-83g4mTHELOvo9fb4g4np7XDBMf8XiRkWq2sD0IHeIIxg/s400/Paddington+Stills+2014+Wallpapers.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;">I'd heard a
lot of good things about the 2014 remake of </span><b style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;"><i>Paddington</i></b><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;">, but the movie
trailer looked like absolute crap. I couldn’t understand where the good
word-of-mouth was coming from, because just seeing those few seconds of clips
from the film really turned me off. However, it was for rent on iTunes for .99
one rainy afternoon, so we risked the buck.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I have to
say, I was <b>quite surprised</b> by the
quality of the film -- the trailer was full of kiddie crap like burps and
pratfalls, but the film was actually quite smart, had a lot of sophisticated
visual storytelling, and told a wonderful tale rich with magical realism.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.0pt; line-height: 107%;">If I was the
director of the film, I would've been pulling my hair out at how stupid the
trailer made it seem, but I'm glad that we decided to give it a chance…
Everyone in the entire family enjoyed it, and I can't recommend it enough to families
with kids. It's a movie that's entertaining on many levels, and much, much
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Brad Gallawayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09452185302281177580noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4625171860671748699.post-82263839465797833612015-09-26T00:01:00.001-07:002015-09-26T00:11:09.198-07:00Final Thoughts On Until Dawn<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background: white; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;">*<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Lr_ciorejq40q7vNY7BtF5t-w1Sd_6jcwfUsFSEfu41fI6oGq5UvrXEMqRhm2d8SN1JknRojt-Lip3lqZ7zLGARDS_sFIoPCF29vat72eIWymeuakHXCBnSsKyflVe6WcYSUhvHAa6c/s1600/UntilDawn01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Lr_ciorejq40q7vNY7BtF5t-w1Sd_6jcwfUsFSEfu41fI6oGq5UvrXEMqRhm2d8SN1JknRojt-Lip3lqZ7zLGARDS_sFIoPCF29vat72eIWymeuakHXCBnSsKyflVe6WcYSUhvHAa6c/s400/UntilDawn01.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;">So, </span><i style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;"><b>Until Dawn</b></i><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;">.</span></div>
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<br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;">I’ve been
hearing a lot about this one lately, and two of my fellow writers at @Gamecritics
liked it a lot, so I was excited to check into it. Apart from the positive
word-of-mouth, I'm generally into the "choose your own adventure" game
genre, and adding a horror twist was intriguing.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;">It was
suggested to me that <i>Until Dawn</i> was
best played with other people in the room (agreed!) so I recruited the wife to
sit with me and the two of us went through the entire game in about three
sessions. Now that we’ve wrapped it up, I can say that I liked it, but
not nearly as much as everyone else on Twitter. As credits rolled, I was left
fairly unsatisfied. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;">If you
don't know what <i>Until Dawn</i> is, it's
basically a Telltale-style title where the player has a group of eight college kids
(Or were they teens? Hard to tell.) in a cabin deep in the woods, things start
to get crazy and people start dying, and… Well, I'm sure you can guess how it
goes from there.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggQ0YBjkimGBYtQokKROWCy5YiSsJIeE0rKG8ZwKDjBN-VNHGkFvriQk75gt3I8D8xVon8XwngcZhQvAHHRraBvfMNpfNq-7U57UdJCp8nIWG1A-ww9EFsQAJAGbA4zcDYS0w3p5KMMKA/s1600/UntilDawn02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggQ0YBjkimGBYtQokKROWCy5YiSsJIeE0rKG8ZwKDjBN-VNHGkFvriQk75gt3I8D8xVon8XwngcZhQvAHHRraBvfMNpfNq-7U57UdJCp8nIWG1A-ww9EFsQAJAGbA4zcDYS0w3p5KMMKA/s400/UntilDawn02.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;">What I
liked best about it is that it really nails the teen-slasher film genre and
translates it into a more interactive experience. The material suits the style
of play well, and all the usual tropes are here, from the character archetypes to
certain camera angles, and the way the music kicks in at certain times. It is </span><i style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;">rich</i><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;"> in B-movieness, and as a fan of
B-movies, that was great.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;">As for
the rest of <i>Until Dawn</i>, it only
delivers middling results.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;">Several
sources have stated that it originally began as a PS3 title meant to use Move motion
controllers, and that makes absolute sense. The bulk of the game is watching
characters walk down hallways (actual hallways, mine shafts, narrow paths in
woods and so on) and the camera always has a fixed angle. The developers are
clearly pushing the player in a certain direction, which makes sense as someone
holding a Move controller might not have the same level of functionality that a
standard controller has.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;">Beyond
that, there are <i>a million</i> little
instances of the player grabbing an object and rotating it, grabbing an object
and pulling it, grabbing an object and lifting it, grabbing an object and
opening it, and so on. It’s clear that those motions were meant for someone
with a Move controller to be acting them out. It would've been really gimmicky in
that context, and it's not any better here.</span><br />
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRJTbJtNPJsJidkQUWfnKNJeAPbuzx1gbEGoiuxA82RfGxtM7k0gZjzwmPVgD5ugvH5EFHoWAovWNQqlO-oXIukOlwyS9mf1fTfRJK-59VwQFeWTBd8XPPcLpJLB7RJh9Ionbwmw_JP3g/s1600/UntilDawn03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRJTbJtNPJsJidkQUWfnKNJeAPbuzx1gbEGoiuxA82RfGxtM7k0gZjzwmPVgD5ugvH5EFHoWAovWNQqlO-oXIukOlwyS9mf1fTfRJK-59VwQFeWTBd8XPPcLpJLB7RJh9Ionbwmw_JP3g/s400/UntilDawn03.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;">As for
the story, it feels confused and there's a little too much going on with it,
but not in a good way. It's not terrible by any means, but it doesn't feel as
tightly focused as a horror film would be, and some of that is probably due to
the developers trying to extend the length of playtime. I think our run clocked
in at about six or seven hours, and that felt <i>way</i> too long for what it is. Considering that most of the game is
walking down a hallway and having a QTE once in a while, it could've been half
the length would've been better for it.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<i><span style="background: white; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;">Until Dawn </span></i><span style="background: white; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;">also leans incredibly heavily on cheap jump scares, to the
point that you can predict exactly when they’ll pop up. Not only is it the
lamest way to make a game "scary", they get repeated so much that
they lose all effectiveness. Sometimes they didn't even make sense in the
context of what was going on!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;">As for
the choices, I can't say that they were great. Apparently there's a lot going
on in the game depending on each character’s interaction with each other, and
that very well may be true, but during this initial playthrough it felt like
most of the life-or-death choices were pure luck… Sometimes I felt like I was
doing the right thing, and had a bad ending. Other times, decisions didn't seem
to matter. I never felt like poor consequences were because I made a bad
choice, but more that I made a random choice that just happened to be wrong.
This lack of buy-in had me throwing my hands up in the air about halfway
through, and I gave up on trying to make my choices matter – I might as well
have been flipping a coin at each juncture. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;">As for
seeing different outcomes, I have no desire to replay any of the chapters to
try different things. I </span><i style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;">might</i><span style="font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;"> if the
game was shorter, but there's a lot of filler that I don't want to sit through
again, and to be frank, now that I know what the story’s about, the desire to
find out what’s going on has evaporated. With no mystery left in the plot, my
drive to continue is gone. </span><br />
</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl7lcXdPwAdlHtlOaor6whKGTOWx_SMxxyKqVU5IQV_A6POvTSpN9Bk7T2v-KTPEHgEGVKiDZLLQPmVZy6VOhP0moPwJPKMx1mPIsVVrmZ6_MnWZLt_SuXsF-j4f1f7jVeo8vSO-teGPI/s1600/UntilDawn04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl7lcXdPwAdlHtlOaor6whKGTOWx_SMxxyKqVU5IQV_A6POvTSpN9Bk7T2v-KTPEHgEGVKiDZLLQPmVZy6VOhP0moPwJPKMx1mPIsVVrmZ6_MnWZLt_SuXsF-j4f1f7jVeo8vSO-teGPI/s400/UntilDawn04.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;">Oh, and
by the way, for those who are wondering, I finished with three survivors -- Emily,
Josh, and Sam. Two of the deaths I incurred felt like total bullshit, and the
other three… well, who knows. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 107%;">Overall
it’s fair to say that I generally liked <i>Until
Dawn</i> for what it was, but I don't think I ever want to play through it
again, and it's definitely <i>not</i> one of
the best games of the year for me. An interesting experiment, but one that I
hope leads to stronger works in the future.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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Brad Gallawayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09452185302281177580noreply@blogger.com2