there's been a couple of very interesting, very hyped demos that have arrived on live in the last little while. as part of a new thing i'm going to do, i'm going to grab em while they're still hot, cool em off in my xbox hard drive, boot them up and give them a go.
then, initial impressions of these unifinished balls of clay will come to be.
so, for my first demo'd, i took a crack at devil may cry 4.
this is a series near and dear to my bro's heart, having loved up all the ps2 entries of the series and ranting and raving about how i should 'definitely check them out though they can sometimes be a bitch to beat'.
this is my first toe dip in dmc water, so i grabbed my muted green xbox controller and started it up.
locale
now, first off, the settings in this game exude cool. they're super old looking (great adjectives, i know!) but in the kind of run down, shadowed way.
chars
the bad guys, in all their f-d up mutated glory, are really cool and got me excited about this game from the get go. but then came the combat.
gameplay
now, i'm not saying the combat isn't deep, because as a dmc newb, there may be subtleties that i just don't know about. but to my mind this was a button masher at it's core.
one button for punch, another for your 'devil-bringer' sword and another for your gun. throw in a jump button and you're playing a platforming beat em up.
again, i could be missing something, but while the combat felt 'fun' for the 10 minute intro ride, it didn't feel like it would last. not to mention that nearing the end of my 10 minutes (which they've tailored so you can't get tooooo far in the game) i came to some enemies that were the first to do actual damage to my character.
that was the weird thing. it didn't feel too balanced. i took no damage and was f-ing guys up left and right a moment before, and then suddenly WHAM! i was between two intimidating looking mother f-ers on a field of ice (whereas i was previously in a burnt out city) who i couldn't do a whole lot of damage to and who seemed to suddenly be smacking me around like a cat with a 3 armed mouse.
overall fun-acity
the overall fun-ness of this game, will completely rely on getting the balance right between the strength of your character and that of the bad dudes (surprise, surprise) and i sincerely hope there is some form of level upgrade to make you a little more prepared for the bigger and stronger guys.
demo'd!
JD
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Monday, January 28, 2008
a new link
if you check the right hand sidebars, and there are a few there, one of the tables is called 'friendly links'.
it's not always easy to find good stuff on the web. but i've found a few cool things in my travels and try to help those cool things out all i can.
i thought i could do a quick bit of explaining why those links are there and why they're worth checking out.
well, they're not in front of me right now, so if i miss one, forgive me:
jen the journalist - a lady friend of mine who is in the very relatable position of trying to find a full time job in journalism in an unfamiliar city. good read when she remembers to post (though i'm sure after this post she'll remind me that i need to keep checking).
hockey girl - the same lady friends' alter ego blogging for a paper on, you guessed it, hockey. very fun column that has a loyal fanbase and i hear that it's now being syndicated in the chronicle herald in halifax.
glenjm - a nice 'ol guy from halifax who's an actor by trade and a thief by necessity. well, i'm only guessing about the thief part, but his acting chops are way good! you may have seen him in the hobo with a shotgun trailer that won the grindhouse competition. checkout his travelogue - 'stupid foreigner', 'jog or die' or really any of his vids. they're a good time and he's not a bad blogger either.
zero punctuation - a new addition that i've been a fan of for some time. it's ben 'yahtzee' croshaw's alter ego. if you like video games, swearing and random images this is for you. but as long as you don't mind swearing, random images and the occasional reference to beastiality, this guys videos are ridiculously funny. he reviews games, but in a completely off-the-wall kind of way. i'll stop slobbering now, though.
penny arcade - a webcomic that defines what is good about web comics. cutting, snarky and almost always video game focussed, these are well written, well drawn and come out 3 times a week. always good for a laugh or if you're only mildly concerned with games coverage, good to keep up on what's hot in the gaming community.
kotaku - my bible. i have a tab open with this blog all day and refresh it every 20 minutes or so. they have constant updates on news, rumours, and previews of all the games you want to hear about, but they write them in such a way as to keep it fresh, funny and interesting. they also wield a medeivel weapon called the 'ban-hammer' to keep the commenters in their discussion section for each article productive and less 'fanboyish'. i am a proud member and commenter (going by pggb as my handle).
wired.com's game|life blog - a lot of content is duplicate between kotaku and game|life but there are still some nuggets of gold on here like Chris Koehler's all night Rock Band preview party live blog. that was sweet. they have a large assortment of different writers who have really cool takes on video games and industry changes.
i will probably change, edit and add to my list of links as days go by and will try to always keep you, mr. reader, abreast of the changes.
excelsior!
JD
it's not always easy to find good stuff on the web. but i've found a few cool things in my travels and try to help those cool things out all i can.
i thought i could do a quick bit of explaining why those links are there and why they're worth checking out.
well, they're not in front of me right now, so if i miss one, forgive me:
jen the journalist - a lady friend of mine who is in the very relatable position of trying to find a full time job in journalism in an unfamiliar city. good read when she remembers to post (though i'm sure after this post she'll remind me that i need to keep checking).
hockey girl - the same lady friends' alter ego blogging for a paper on, you guessed it, hockey. very fun column that has a loyal fanbase and i hear that it's now being syndicated in the chronicle herald in halifax.
glenjm - a nice 'ol guy from halifax who's an actor by trade and a thief by necessity. well, i'm only guessing about the thief part, but his acting chops are way good! you may have seen him in the hobo with a shotgun trailer that won the grindhouse competition. checkout his travelogue - 'stupid foreigner', 'jog or die' or really any of his vids. they're a good time and he's not a bad blogger either.
zero punctuation - a new addition that i've been a fan of for some time. it's ben 'yahtzee' croshaw's alter ego. if you like video games, swearing and random images this is for you. but as long as you don't mind swearing, random images and the occasional reference to beastiality, this guys videos are ridiculously funny. he reviews games, but in a completely off-the-wall kind of way. i'll stop slobbering now, though.
penny arcade - a webcomic that defines what is good about web comics. cutting, snarky and almost always video game focussed, these are well written, well drawn and come out 3 times a week. always good for a laugh or if you're only mildly concerned with games coverage, good to keep up on what's hot in the gaming community.
kotaku - my bible. i have a tab open with this blog all day and refresh it every 20 minutes or so. they have constant updates on news, rumours, and previews of all the games you want to hear about, but they write them in such a way as to keep it fresh, funny and interesting. they also wield a medeivel weapon called the 'ban-hammer' to keep the commenters in their discussion section for each article productive and less 'fanboyish'. i am a proud member and commenter (going by pggb as my handle).
wired.com's game|life blog - a lot of content is duplicate between kotaku and game|life but there are still some nuggets of gold on here like Chris Koehler's all night Rock Band preview party live blog. that was sweet. they have a large assortment of different writers who have really cool takes on video games and industry changes.
i will probably change, edit and add to my list of links as days go by and will try to always keep you, mr. reader, abreast of the changes.
excelsior!
JD
a slow day
another dreary monday for games. not much new on the horizon to get excited for just yet but it can all change.
for one thing, rez hd comes out this wednesday on live. and with 3 controller vibration support, this will be the bestsexual stimulant shoot em up in the live library.
but honestly, i have heard that the game in mind-blowing and fun in the geometry wars, everyday shooter type of way, and that the vibration does add a certain element to the game.
in other news, i found the free live apology game to be quite boring, as underwater 2D fighting, that looks kind of 3D was never high on my priority list to play. really not into it right now.
i am, however, slowly getting into dead rising, a game i am woefully late to get a chance at first hand, but i'm finding the whole 'play over and over again until you can survive and win the main story line' thing kind of tedious. dying has never been easy for me to take in games, and it seems that the only way to get high enough stats to survive for long stretches of time is to do just that. it's counter-intuitive.
lastly, the king of kong: a fistful of quarters dvd has been dated, and it's coming out on the 29th in america. please check it out, gamers and non-gamers alike. it's another 'drag your girlfriend or dubious fiancee to movie' that will win them over. the plot line, while maybe not 100% accurate, as i stated before, is hard to not get dragged into.
hoping for more exciting developments down the line,
JD
for one thing, rez hd comes out this wednesday on live. and with 3 controller vibration support, this will be the best
but honestly, i have heard that the game in mind-blowing and fun in the geometry wars, everyday shooter type of way, and that the vibration does add a certain element to the game.
in other news, i found the free live apology game to be quite boring, as underwater 2D fighting, that looks kind of 3D was never high on my priority list to play. really not into it right now.
i am, however, slowly getting into dead rising, a game i am woefully late to get a chance at first hand, but i'm finding the whole 'play over and over again until you can survive and win the main story line' thing kind of tedious. dying has never been easy for me to take in games, and it seems that the only way to get high enough stats to survive for long stretches of time is to do just that. it's counter-intuitive.
lastly, the king of kong: a fistful of quarters dvd has been dated, and it's coming out on the 29th in america. please check it out, gamers and non-gamers alike. it's another 'drag your girlfriend or dubious fiancee to movie' that will win them over. the plot line, while maybe not 100% accurate, as i stated before, is hard to not get dragged into.
hoping for more exciting developments down the line,
JD
Friday, January 25, 2008
force unleashed?
well it's fairly free, but still a little domesticated...
just joking, but honestly, this game looks re-frigging-diculous!
this is the equivalent of star wars porn for any nerd that holds the original trilogy near and dear to their heart (like me) - so long as you don't count the actual star wars pornography that probably exists out there.
follow the link. thank me later. it not only looks fun to play, it looks like crackdown meets frigging episode v! the only troubling bit in the entire clip is the white rancor and that dopey looking plant planet.
besides that, i'm sold lucasarts. take my wallet now as you will own it whenever you are gracious enough to streetdate (wikipedia says august 26, 2008, but who knows) this game.
please let it play as good as it looks! please!
help me obi-wan kenobi, you're my only hope,
JD
just joking, but honestly, this game looks re-frigging-diculous!
this is the equivalent of star wars porn for any nerd that holds the original trilogy near and dear to their heart (like me) - so long as you don't count the actual star wars pornography that probably exists out there.
follow the link. thank me later. it not only looks fun to play, it looks like crackdown meets frigging episode v! the only troubling bit in the entire clip is the white rancor and that dopey looking plant planet.
besides that, i'm sold lucasarts. take my wallet now as you will own it whenever you are gracious enough to streetdate (wikipedia says august 26, 2008, but who knows) this game.
please let it play as good as it looks! please!
help me obi-wan kenobi, you're my only hope,
JD
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
rock band has arrived in canada...in a BIG WAY
after numerous reports that rock band quantities were negligible and fears that you should start getting worried about getting a copy, it seems like everywhere you look, those big blue boxes are staring you in the face.
i know, that i, like everyone else, grabbed one the instant i saw it, fearing i might never have another chance to own one.
for the benefit of the few people to read my blog, i've documented my excursion, and disappoint/glee that there are now copies of rock band everywhere, where there were none a week prior (at least none that were on sale):
wal-mart near the cash.
wal-mart again, this time above the game accessories.
wal-mart the third, i guess they ran out of room on the floor and over the 360 stuff, to they stacked some extra boxes above the old ps2 cabinet that's in the back corner of the electronic's section.
this is the stack they now have in eb, after they guy told me they had 'a couple' in stock. they were receiving another shipment as i took this picture...
and this was in starstruck, a lame movie store in the scarboro town center. they too got a late shipment.
and don't delude yourself into thinking that these were only the ps3 versions that no one was buying before, there is an almost 50/50 balance, if not more of the 360 versions out there now.
i guess the droughts were just speculation and rock band won't turn into the next wii consumer frenzy.
loving the rock, but hating the block,
JD
*edit*
you can see for yourself how many are xbox360 versions by clicking the pictures.
i had no idea how detailed the pics were that i can take with my blackberry.
also, by block in my sign off, i meant how sometimes it kind of feels like stores hold out supplies until they can shelve a ton of merch. so 'block' is as-in how eb c**k blocks me everytime something good comes out. peace.
i know, that i, like everyone else, grabbed one the instant i saw it, fearing i might never have another chance to own one.
for the benefit of the few people to read my blog, i've documented my excursion, and disappoint/glee that there are now copies of rock band everywhere, where there were none a week prior (at least none that were on sale):
wal-mart near the cash.
wal-mart again, this time above the game accessories.
wal-mart the third, i guess they ran out of room on the floor and over the 360 stuff, to they stacked some extra boxes above the old ps2 cabinet that's in the back corner of the electronic's section.
this is the stack they now have in eb, after they guy told me they had 'a couple' in stock. they were receiving another shipment as i took this picture...
and this was in starstruck, a lame movie store in the scarboro town center. they too got a late shipment.
and don't delude yourself into thinking that these were only the ps3 versions that no one was buying before, there is an almost 50/50 balance, if not more of the 360 versions out there now.
i guess the droughts were just speculation and rock band won't turn into the next wii consumer frenzy.
loving the rock, but hating the block,
JD
*edit*
you can see for yourself how many are xbox360 versions by clicking the pictures.
i had no idea how detailed the pics were that i can take with my blackberry.
also, by block in my sign off, i meant how sometimes it kind of feels like stores hold out supplies until they can shelve a ton of merch. so 'block' is as-in how eb c**k blocks me everytime something good comes out. peace.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
tidbits and news
so i guess i jumped the gun a little saying that activision had sorted out that whole eensy weensy guitar hero iii for wii problem. you know...the one where they didn't get stereo sound? you don't remember that because guitar hero iii came out a while ago?
well, i had said that it was cleared up, and in reality, only now have they said that replacement disks are being shipped out...in february.
so don't get too excited guitar-wiiers, you will have to deal with mono sound and unfun guitar face-offs for another little while.
bad santa
i also procured two of the things that were on my most wanted list from well before christmas. santa may have come late for me (between december 26th to january 19th) but he sure came up big!
- a 30" hdtv - as described below
- a halo 3 version xbox 360 - complete with 0 copies of the game included!
- and a copy of... wait for it.... ROCK BAND!
i was cruising my 'near-work' eb and saw some boxes around of the ps3 version so i casually asked 'got any rock band special editions for the 360?' and was told that my lucky ship had arrived.
so yes, i'm now in the midst of trying to sync another rhythm game to my hdtv, having just kind of figured ghiii out a week ago.
but in the fun-factor rating system, it measures a whopping 11.5 our of a possible 10 fun-ness points.
jen and i have been rocking out to many hits, and like all other reviewers, i found the single player experience a dish best served in one bite, quickly. it's not very deep is what i'm saying.
playing in a 'band' however, is sweet. we've even taken turns singing-to moderate success-and still had fun. need to get over a proper group to do it up right though...
rocking the free and domesticated worlds,
JD
well, i had said that it was cleared up, and in reality, only now have they said that replacement disks are being shipped out...in february.
so don't get too excited guitar-wiiers, you will have to deal with mono sound and unfun guitar face-offs for another little while.
bad santa
i also procured two of the things that were on my most wanted list from well before christmas. santa may have come late for me (between december 26th to january 19th) but he sure came up big!
- a 30" hdtv - as described below
- a halo 3 version xbox 360 - complete with 0 copies of the game included!
- and a copy of... wait for it.... ROCK BAND!
i was cruising my 'near-work' eb and saw some boxes around of the ps3 version so i casually asked 'got any rock band special editions for the 360?' and was told that my lucky ship had arrived.
so yes, i'm now in the midst of trying to sync another rhythm game to my hdtv, having just kind of figured ghiii out a week ago.
but in the fun-factor rating system, it measures a whopping 11.5 our of a possible 10 fun-ness points.
jen and i have been rocking out to many hits, and like all other reviewers, i found the single player experience a dish best served in one bite, quickly. it's not very deep is what i'm saying.
playing in a 'band' however, is sweet. we've even taken turns singing-to moderate success-and still had fun. need to get over a proper group to do it up right though...
rocking the free and domesticated worlds,
JD
Friday, January 18, 2008
re: gaming news update: 1/4/08
guess who was right?
so what do we get for the rampant and persistant xbox live! outages up to, including and since christmas?
like i said earlier, a crappy-or from what i've heard, pretty good-old-ass xbox live arcade game.
not exactly blowing my socks off microsoft. why couldn't they just give us a bunch of points, like a significant amount of points, say...enough to change your gamercard name-800-or maybe get a couple of arcade games you have wanted to for a while, maybe some rock band dlc...
either way, i'm not too impressed. although silver members can get it too...
angry in my passiveness,
JD
so what do we get for the rampant and persistant xbox live! outages up to, including and since christmas?
like i said earlier, a crappy-or from what i've heard, pretty good-old-ass xbox live arcade game.
not exactly blowing my socks off microsoft. why couldn't they just give us a bunch of points, like a significant amount of points, say...enough to change your gamercard name-800-or maybe get a couple of arcade games you have wanted to for a while, maybe some rock band dlc...
either way, i'm not too impressed. although silver members can get it too...
angry in my passiveness,
JD
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