Call of Duty 4 - Final Thoughts

Well, I gave the multiplayer another shot, and think I am ready for my final thoughts (though they won't be completely final.)

The game follows around a couple different people. Their names escape me, but one is part of the British SAS, and the other is in the USMC. You spend most of the game as the SAS, who try to sneak around instead of get in the middle of everything and blow shit up.

For the single player, the AI is really good. Just playing on "normal," or whatever they decided to call that, is tough. If you are able to go through without dying, then it will only take a few hours to get through the whole story.

The plot of the story is that you are trying to stop the Russians and the Iranians from using nukes to screw the world over. But you really aren't paying much attention to the plot, most of your time will be spent dodging bullets.

The maps I had the most fun on were the AC-130 map (because blowing up a bunch of people with no worries about your safety is always fun,) and the stealth mission where you and your mentor go to get into their sniper position.

As for the multiplayer, it is rough at points. If you were late to start (like me,) you will be made fun of for being a low rank (before you have even had a chance to prove yourself.) You have a few guns unlocked initially, and have to unlock the rest along with the various perks you want to use. You can't even be part of a clan until you reach lv 5 I think it is.

The biggest problem I have found is that you will be rank 10, and everyone else will be 40+, which makes your survival for more than a minute nearly impossible. And most of them will be using weapons that will kill within a couple of shots, no matter how well you are geared.

Truly, if you like Halo (especially the multiplayer,) then there shouldn't be any reason why you wouldn't like this game. The mechanics are different, but the spirit is the same. If you like more tactical games (like I do,) you might want to rent it or borrow it before you drop your money on it. It is a good game all-in-all, but just not my cup of tea.

Achievement Progress - Call of Duty 4
17 of 37 Achievements
340 Gamerscore

New Achievements - Call of Duty 4
none

Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 - Day 4

Well, after a few days, I finished the story on realistic. I was kinda hoping for an achievement from it. But I will settle with finishing off all my marksman points, and nearly completing my assault points. And, I ranked up a couple times.

I encountered a couple of new choking points for me, where I would get slaughtered easily. Though, I would chalk that up to just forgetting where the enemies spawn in at. But, there were a couple areas where I worked more efficiently than I had done previously. And, I still got stuck for about half an hour, right before you get to endgame (the helicopter part.)

I was also able to finish off playing terrorist hunt with one of my friends. Thanks to Crum again, along with the 2 guys who we played T-hunt with, I forgot your names off hand. Its always nice to have someone who has played enough hunt show you where all the spawn areas are so that everyone can set up and kill enemies quickly.

As for multiplayer, I can't really get any good matches. In Vegas 1, green dots would show that you will have a good connection, and little trouble. But not in Vegas 2 (at least for me), since even with green dots, I would get horrible lag. I would do better on a match with yellow dots. Multiplayer is fun, and the ACES points are changed from T-hunt/Story to more points. Which makes flashbangs and blind fire even more important. I would love to say that it is the same or better than Vegas 1, but its really tough when my first couple of minutes in the match, I am pressed against the wall waiting for my lag to stop.

Final thoughts will be up when I can get some decent matches in Vegas 2. And, if anyone wants to co-op the story or a T-hunt mission, just send me a message.

Achievement Progress - Rainbow Six: Vegas 2
14 of 47 Achievements
330 Gamerscore

New Achievements - Rainbow Six: Vegas 2
Extreme Hunter - 50 GS
I like the Sound it Makes - 25 GS

Call of Duty 4 - Day 2

Yesterday, I finished the campaign for CoD4. It wasn't too bad, I liked doing the sneaking mission (since that is usually how I play my games.) The AI is really tough just on normal, so I know I won't be able to beat it on Vet by myself.

I found that I liked using the silenced weapons, and using the grenade attachment on the assault rifles. Also, I've learned how to cook grenades to make it a lot tougher for people to throw it back.

That aside, I tried the multiplayer. And I have to say that there are some real A-holes on there. Just because I am a low rank, doesn't mean that I am a horrible player. Everytime someone would complain about my rank, I would just wait for the game to end, and then leave so I wouldn't have to deal with them. Yes, I haven't spent every waking moment playing CoD4's multiplayer, god forbid I join YOUR game.

The ranking system seems a little more fair than how Halo's is, but it really sucks to have to unlock EVERYTHING other than a couple of starting weapons. That, and unlocking the challenges later on. I got all the way up to helicopter 2 or 3 times before I unlocked the challenge for it. Too bad it never counted, and I can never survive that long again.

I will give my final thoughts soon for this game. I don't know how much more of the multiplayer I will play, since its getting really tiresome.

Achievement Progress - Call of Duty 4
17 of 37 Achievements
340 Gamerscore

New Achievements - Call of Duty 4
Wrong Number - 20 GS
Look Sharp - 20 GS
Ghillies in the Mist - 20 GS
No Rest for the Weary - 10 GS
Piggyback Ride - 20 GS
Down Boy Down -20 GS
Desperate Measures - 20 GS
Win the War - 40 GS

Call of Duty 4 - Day 1

Well, when I finally beat Vegas 2's story, I decided to pop in the game I got that day. I bought Call of Duty 4 mainly on all the hype it had gotten from people. Everyone has been saying how good the multiplayer is, and how good the game is, so I figured I would give the game a try.

I tried CoD: Finest Hour on the Xbox and didn't really like it. I just am not really into WWII games. That, and I don't like to "strafe dance." For those of you who are scratching your head, let me explain. The idea is basically darting back and forth between cover and an open area. Its used in any game that doesn't have a cover system like Gears of War, Rainbow Six: Vegas, or Mass Effect. So, you are basically doing a two-step between cover and an open area to shoot out but not get shot. Its not so bad when in a multiplayer match since you aren't fighting a computer, and whoever is near will just run around and mow your ass down (which is why I don't mind Halo as much.)

So far, the story is pretty good. The firefights are ok, but I feel like I am putting too many shots into a person to take them down. I could put 4 assault rifle rounds in a guy's chest, and watch him stagger for a second before getting up to shoot me again. I know the last stand happens to guys, even the computer gets them. But it gets real tiresome.

One thing I really do like about the game is that you can throw grenades back. They all seem to have really long fuses, but I won't complain if it keeps me from getting boned by a grenade.

I will add more later, when I go to play more story and also give the multiplayer a shot.

Achievement Progress - Call of Duty 4
9 of 37 Achievements
170 Gamerscore

New Achievements - Call of Duty 4
Earn a Winged Dagger - 20 GS
Make the Jump - 20 GS
Dancing in the Dark - 20 GS
Four of a Kind - 20 GS
Rescue Roycewicz- 20 GS
Save the Bacon - 20 GS
Straight Flush - 20 GS
Roadkill - 10 GS
Death From Above - 20 GS

Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 - Day 3

I finally finished the story a couple nights ago, but I have been too busy to write about it.

And, I also realize I spoke too soon about the way the story is going. It actually hits a point to where you go around without Michael and Jung (and end up with an NSA agent...kinda reminds me of this one guy I know from another game I played....) Eventually, Mike and Jung catch back up and everyone (Including Logan, who meets up later with you) goes to take down Gabriel.

The final fight was a real pain though. A helicopter is flying around, with a machine gun going full auto, and then guys run nearby every couple of minutes. It's survivable, especially with the sprint ablity, but it really takes a good shot. I suggest an LMG, and an assault rifle (ones the guys drop obviously.) Both really help out with the fighting.

Endgame was satisfying. I didn't give Gabriel a chance, but there is a showdown of sorts. You will see what I am talking about if you do a single player (at least, I'm not sure if it is the same in co-op.)

I understand what people are saying about Vegas 2 being a glorified expansion. It feels the same as Vegas 1, and the graphics are on par with it (though I wouldn't have expected better graphics.) All-in-all, I am still happy I spent my money on the game. I will give some final thoughts after I taste multiplayer, but I will still play the game after I give my final thoughts.

Achievement Progress - Rainbow Six: Vegas 2
12 of 47 Achievements
255 Gamerscore

New Achievements - Rainbow Six: Vegas 2
Completed Theater - 25 GS
Completed Nevada Desert - 25 GS
Completed Estate - 25 GS

Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 - Day 2

I did some terrorist hunting tonight. First, I want to say thanks to "TILT mfc", "I 3viLcLoVVn I", and "Crumworld" for dealing with me, especially when I wasn't doing that well.

I never really did terrorist hunt in Vegas 1, so this was a welcome change. You still gain XP from going through the missions, and you can level up your skills too. Also, I found out you can tag your enemies like in the story mode. The only real downside is that every person has 2 spawns, which can really suck if everyone gets owned within the first couple of minutes.

I also did a face map for my character. I hate how I can't have the character wear anything on his head, except for a couple of helmet types. It really takes away from it. I would love to have it be my eyes looking through the hole in the baclava (the ski-mask type thing).

If anyone wants to meet up, just send me a message (gamertag is listed on here.) As long as I am not in the middle of anything important, I would be willing to join into a game.

Achievement Progress - Rainbow Six: Vegas 2
9 of 47 Achievements
180 Gamerscore

New Achievements - Rainbow Six: Vegas 2
Novice Hunter - 5 GS
Bring it on! - 10 GS
My Name is Sam - 25 GS
Veteran Hunter - 20 GS
True Identity - 20 GS

Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 - Day 1

Well, I picked up this game Wednesday (since I guess they wanted to break the "new game Tuesday" rule) and have been playing it for the past couple of nights. I have to say that Ubisoft really outdid themselves with this game.

First off, when I put the game in, I got a message to the effect of "Hey, you played Rainbow Six: Vegas a lot...here is some free XP for your character. Now go kill more terrorists." I was a little surprised to see that...and then noticed that I didn't get the achievement for Private First Class (which I passed by when I got the free XP.) It shouldn't affect me too much, but it feels like I walked through a store and when the sample place was right in front of me, they picked up their stuff and moved it so I couldn't get it. Maybe Ubisoft will put out a patch later and allow people who had this happen to get the achievement.

The story is pretty good. I was expecting a sequel, and got a prequel. Yes, they ended up NOT allowing you to know what happened with Logan's team, and instead had you take control of an agent named Bishop (who has a partner named Knight) who originally was working with Jung and Michael 2 days before in Vegas. Even some names that should be familiar from Vegas 1 gets mentioned (like Irena Morales).

They redid how the campaign plays, and made it better. Now, Bishop looks like how you want him to, and your character that you create takes over for Bishop. So, if I hooked up my vision camera to my 360, I would be the hero. Which is actually really cool.

They also made a whole new system to distribute weapons. So, instead of ranking up to unlock weapons, you have to kill people in certain ways. For example, killing someone with a brick of C4 will get you 3 points of assault. Once you get enough points in assault, you unlock the Desert Eagle. And, with that same system, half of the things you unlock are weapons, and the other half is XP (it switches back and forth.)

I will leave it at this for now, and continue it later.

Achievement Progress - Rainbow Six: Vegas 2
4 of 47 Achievements
100 Gamerscore

New Achievements - Rainbow Six: Vegas 2
Completed Pic des Pyrénées - 25 GS
Completed Old Vegas - 25 GS
Completed Recreational Center - 25 GS
Completed Convention Center - 25 GS

The Darkness - Final Thoughts

Well, where should I begin with this. I don't want to spoil too much, so I will be careful with the plot summary.

The story follows Jackie Estacado, and starts off on his 21st birthday. His Uncle Paulie ends up giving him a "present", by trying to kill him. Jackie escapes his trap, and decides to get back at his uncle. Along the way, a couple of people from the family help him out. All the while, a being that lives within Jackie awakens which calls itself "The Darkness", and prevents Jackie from being killed before his time. After dying a couple of times, Jackie learns how to conquer the darkness and kills Paulie at his mansion.

I have to say that the story is really good. Its up there with the stories from role playing games like Mass Effect and Oblivion. That was one driving force for me was to see where the story would lead (other than Jackie killing his uncle.)

The combat in the game isn't TOO bad. For being someone who kills for a living, Jackie sure can't aim without you turning auto-aim up a lot. The weapon selection is fairly small, but that should be overshadowed by the use of the Darkness.

There are 5 main Darkness powers (2 at the beginning, and 3 gained through the main story.)

• The "Creeping Dark" is basically like a tentacle that you can control. It will crawl through vents and attack lights and people. Using the creeping dark, you can gather items from remote places, and also consume hearts
• Summoning "Darklings" is basically summoning minions to fight for you. You start with 1 darkling type (berserker), but eating certain hearts will unlock 3 more (gunner, lightkiller, and kamikaze.) They are summoned through portals that can be seen in Darkness mode, and can be controlled loosely with a "go to" command.
• The "Demon Arm" is like the creeping dark, except less control and more power. It will strike lights, impale enemies, and even move objects. It is really fun to pick up a car, and throw it at a group of people using the demon arm.
• The "Darkness Guns" function like 2 pistols, but are far more powerful. They use up darkness energy as their ammo (so don't use them in heavy firefights), but one acts like a shotgun while the other acts like a machine pistol. Very effective at close range.
• The final power is a black hole. And it does exactly what you think it would. It pulls objects into it, and can trap people too. The only major downside is that you lose Darkness mode for a minute.

The AI for the game is really good. On normal, I found myself swearing a few times. People cower if they see you in Darkness mode. Enemies will try to flood the area with light, or will try to survive any way they can. 2K did a really good job with that part.

There were a couple glitches that took away from the game (and cost me a couple of achievements.) One happens with Jimmy the Grape regarding someone you are supposed to kill for him. I know a couple of times I was hit in a way that I didn't think was possible in firefights.

All in all, it is a really good game. It helps prove why the 2007 went to the 360. I would say that this is at least worth a rent. If you don't try to collect everything and help everyone, then it will take probably 4-5 hours to get through the story. But, that story is really good.

The Darkness - Day 4

I finally did one final push to get everything and finish the game since I'm picking up Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 tomorrow (or today if you really pay attention to the date of this post).

I liked the last part of the game where the Darkness just takes complete control. I just wish I could have done that more through the game. And...I wish it would have given me the "Bringing People Together" achievement in the middle of the Darkness controlled sequence. Though, the end was a little sad.

As for the achievements, I knew earlier on that I wouldn't get the achievement for collecting everything. I missed a couple earlier on, so I shot for the 75% mark (and ended up getting about 90% of them). I also wish I had executed more. I got a final push at the end when I finished getting the darkness based achievements.

I really did love the story though. It was really good, and made me want to get to the end, just for that. Plus, mobster business is always interesting.

Final thoughts will come later. I am going to get some sleep now, and hopefully get a copy of Vegas 2 in the morning.

Achievement Progress - The Darkness
30 of 50 Achievements
630 Gamerscore

New Achievements - The Darkness
One With the Dark - 25 GS
Fashionable - 25 GS
Legendary Summoner - 25 GS
Crazy for You - 25 GS
Anti Air - 15 GS
Void Bringer - 15 GS
Into the Dark - 50 GS
Gunner - 15 GS
Take a Look at the Sky - 50 GS
The Obsessive Collector - 15 GS
Ripper - 15 GS
Cannibal - 25 GS
Darkness Master - 100 GS
Executioner - 10 GS
Anti Hero - 25 GS

Final Fantasy Tactics: War of the Lions - Marching on

Sorry about the inconsistent updates. I have been playing more Mass Effect and FFT, but just haven't come across anything post worthy. But, that aside, on to my journal update
______________________________________________________________________

It gets really tiresome to run back and forth to just pass time. I really want to finish the game as fast as I can, but I want to gather as much as I can. I can't help but just want to gather. That was always how I played.

I have finally mastered monk with my main character. And one of my crew has mastered thief and has moved onto Dragoon. Let the jumping matches begin.

Finally, one of my story characters won't be controlled by the AI, which really helps out. The AI for your allies isn't always the best. Instead of helping the person next to them, they attack and heal themselves. Selfish bastards.

Mass Effect DLC- Bring Down the Sky

The "Bring Down the Sky" down loadable content (DLC) is 400 MS points off Xbox-live. The download went quickly. And it is automatically loaded on.

The downside to this is that if you have a character that has made it past the first time on the Citadel, then you can't access it. It can only be accessed with a character that either is brand new, or one that hasn't made it to lead the Normandy yet.

That aside, the story of the DLC is this. The mission is that the asteroid X57 is going to crash down on the planet Terra Nova. The Normandy picks up a distress call as it enters the area of the asteroid telling them of the 3 torches that are propelling the asteroid onto the collision course. Its your job to disable the torches and save the Alliance colony on Terra Nova.

What you don't know (if you haven't read the news about the DLC before it came out) is that the Batarians have taken over the torches themselves and are the cause of the problems. And, they have taken hostages.


First off, there is NOTHING TO MINE. So, any of you who figure this would be another place to gather that last mineral/medalion/whatever, you will be disappointed. Just get to the mission, you are getting 50 GS out of it anyway. The planet is like landing on an uncharted world. And the content takes about as long as a typical side mission. It took me a little over 2 hours to finish the mission.

Next, the devs decided to really be cruel at times. All 3 facilities you have to enter are surrounded by an average of 6 rocket turrets. Normally, that wouldn't be as much of an issue. But the devs decided to put shields around the turrets that only drop when you enter a certain area. So, you get bombarded all at once by a cluster f@#k of rockets. Then, the final area you go to is really open, and the Batarians love to overload all your powers.

In all honesty, 400 points might seem a little steep for what you get. I thought I would get a mission the size of one of the 4 main line planets. But, I won't complain about that, since they did throw in an achievement that is fair for the size of the mission. All in all, I would say download it if you want to, and wait to see if the price goes down at all if you want to wait. It won't hurt to wait if you really wanted to (unless you wanted another 50 GS)

Achievement Progress - Mass Effect
39 of 46 Achievements
890 Gamerscore

New Achievements - Mass Effect
Colonial Savior - 50 GS

The Darkness - Day 3

Oh Jackie, why do you have to suck at aiming so much? I find it easier to use the shotgun side of the darkness guns than to use the pistol/smg side. The story to the game is very good, but the shooting is taking away from it.

On a happier note, I got a couple new darkness powers, and all the darklings finally. I love using the darkness guns (even though Jackie would aim better if drunk in my opinion.) They can really decimate lights faster than a lightkiller darkling. As for the demon arm, it can be fun, but I have no clue how to kill with it. Do I throw people into the air? Is there a button combo to rip out hearts? Do I hold them as I unload guns into them? Somehow I feel I won't get the "Darkness Master" achievement.

After the second chapter (which was a bit of a trip), I really am not sure where the story is going to be going. I know Paulie has to die at some point, but when and where. After finishing one whole act in a night, I think it won't take long to get to endgame.

Achievement Progress - The Darkness
15 of 50 Achievements
195 Gamerscore

New Achievements - The Darkness
Beginnings - 25 GS
No Man's Land - 25 GS
Hills - 25 GS
Darkling Master - 15 GS
The Collector - 10 GS

Final Fantasy Tactics: War of the Lions - Day 3

Its been a while since I have last updated on this.

Slowly, but surely, I have been leveling up in the game. I have almost mastered Monk with my main character, and a couple of my side characters are getting close to mastering their classes.

I really hate having to walk around for X amount of days so I can get people to do side quests. Its nice to unlock new stuff, but it is a pain. Even when the people I throw at these quests, are ones that I keep solely for that purpose.

And, at least you should be able to get a report at ANY tavern. Instead, your party waits around at the tavern you started the quest from, and seem to wait until you come back for them. It would be nice if you could leave a note to them saying "Gone to this area. Meet up at this tavern," so that you could catch up with them anywhere else.

I am having fun stealing with my thief. It would be nice if they could get a power to be able to increase the success of their steal. A 28% chance to take a helmet just isn't appealing. Instead, they have a power to GRAB THROWN ITEMS. Yes, they catch ninja stars thrown at them and then taunt saying "Ha! Now this is MINE." Too bad they can't pick a pocket for crap.