Niyon's Game Journal

Condemned: Criminal Origins - Final Thoughts

2008-08-17T22:29:00.000-07:00

Well, time to finally give my thoughts and put this game to rest.

The game is about a FBI investigator who is tracking down serial killers. It starts off with him chasing someone who he has been after for a while, "The Match Maker." While investigating the scene, someone arrives and mucks things up. He steals your gun, and shoots the guys who were with you. And since it was your gun, the FBI now thinks you are the one who pulled the trigger too.

So you go on the run, trying to figure out who took your gun and framed you. And on the way, you come across "The Match Maker," but he has already had his "match made," and was killed in the same way you were killed. You, with the help of your person in the lab, figure out there is a serial killer of serial killers. So, you go to find him, before he finds his last victim, The Torturer.

While this is going on, things are going crazy. Birds are dropping out of the sky dead or dying. People are going insane. And you are finding the answers to it all while you investigate.

The way you find this information out is by collecting. It isn't too bad, but it is really tough sometimes... and I had a guide helping me. The collecting aspect is fairly cool though, since it unlocks videos and pictures of stuff relating to the game. It made collecting more worth while (other than the massive amount of gamerscore gained.)

The gameplay is ok. The enemies have an insane reach, even if they are holding a small weapon. And blocking isn't always easy to sync up, regardless of the weapon. But the taser is damn fun, I recommend using that every second you can.

The graphics are a little funky. I can respect that it is early 360, so they aren't perfect. But there are times where it looks like everyone is perspiring out of control. And the voices are pretty good, don't have much to complain about there.

All in all, it's a decent game. Despite the possible game breaking glitch, it's good. Worth a rental, since you can easily beat it in a couple nights.

Culdcept SAGA - Day 1

2008-08-15T00:30:00.000-07:00

Well, my new game is Culdcept SAGA. From everyone I have read and heard from (including Chad from Gamercast Network's Video Game Show), it's been described as "Monopoly mixed with Magic: The Gathering." And, that is pretty much what I have seen from it... so far.

The system is that there is a path, with a Castle starting area (like "Go" from Monopoly) and squares that are different areas (Air, Water, Earth, Fire, Neutral, Multi.) These squares can be used to place creatures on, and have them guard. All the creatures have an Attack and HP. And their HP doesn't regenerate (with the exception of creatures that actually have regenerate on their card) unless you pass the castle, or heal them yourself. Beyond that, you have a hand that not only has creatures, but spells and items for use too.

And, the games are not short. The first fight you get into took me about an hour, and I had to retry once because I was about to lose. It feels like Monopoly from the "Go" area, and just having 1 match be 2 hours long (potentially.)

I have a feeling that this will be a game that will take months to completely review. But for now, I will end this post.

Achievement Progress - Culdcept SAGA
0 of 50 Achievements

Condemned: Criminal Origins - Day 4

2008-08-15T00:19:00.000-07:00

Well, I finally finished it today. This post won't be too long, since I was pretty much at endgame.

And, yes, that was a bug I encountered with the game. Apparently, if you hit the final boss instead of doing the desired action, you will lose weapon privileges. How I found this out you ask? Well... after the first encounter, I got to chase him down. And once again, I got to trigger happy. And so, when I got through the second part, I had 1/4 life left, and no weapon. And, I was directly put back into the action.

There are 2 redeeming qualities to this though. First, there was a health kit which brought me back to roughly 2/3 health. And secondly, even though my weapon was gone, my feet still worked. Yes, I got to live my dream of booting a monster in the head. The whole time that I was fighting (especially when I finally got to beat it,) my friend and I were laughing at the idea. And, when the guy went down, our jaws dropped.

Endgame isn't too much to say. It can change depending on how much had been collected before. And, you choose whether someone lives or dies. I chose dies, and would tell you the differences... but I really don't think I can pull off ANOTHER kill using only my "feet of fury."

Final thoughts will be in a day or two, depending on how my work goes.

Achievement Progress - Condemned: Criminal Origins
42 of 50 Achievments
720 Gamerscore

New Achievements - Condemned: Criminal Origins
Revenge Award - 50 GS
Gold Game Completion Award - 10 GS

Condemned: Criminal Origins - Day 3

2008-08-14T10:36:00.000-07:00

Almost finished Condemned this morning (or last night, however you want to look at it). Got really close, but I think the game glitched. But this is all for later, since there is more stuff to talk about that happened earlier in the game.

Like being hit from enemies from really far away for no reason. It wasn't like they had a locker door and I had a meat cleaver, no this was each of us had flaming 2x4s. And they had a reach unlike any that I had seen in a game before. Kinda took away from the game when someone could run up, swing from China, and be able to hit through my perfectly timed block.

Which was also something else I had noticed last night. I could time a block perfectly sometimes, and hear the block sound; yet I would still take damage from the attack. I'm still wondering how that one works, but I am dealing with it.

Since I haven't touched on it yet, I will do so now. One of the cool things this game does with its achievements, is ties them in with the story of the game. For unlocking the Bronze Detective Badge achievement, you see some behind the scenes footage of early gameplay. Or if you collect enough metal pieces, you unlock reports that tell you about what has been going on the whole time in the city.

I don't know, maybe I am still bitter at the way I died last the time before I turned off my box. I had taken a few tries to get to the point where I could fight the boss the first time. But as soon as I could finally take off part of him to continue on, I smack him. And that happened a couple more times. Finally, when I get to do it, the guy screams and runs off. Which is fine, I expected something like that. What I didn't expect is that I was left weaponless, and unable to pick any up. I was just running around going "What the fuck?! WHAT THE FUCK?!!" Needless to say, I have to start back over for that little section, before the point I could fight the boss.

I might do it tonight, I might not. Got another game in the mail yesterday, which I am really interested in playing.

Achievement Progress - Condemned: Criminal Origins
40 of 50 Achievements
660 Gamerscore

New Achievements - Condemned: Criminal Origins
Chapter 8 Bronze Bird Award - 10 GS
Test Pattern TV Xbox 360 - 10 GS
Chapter 8 Silver Bird Award - 20 GS
Chapter 8 Completion Award - 10 GS
Chapter 9 Bronze Bird Award - 10 GS
Chapter 9 Silver Bird Award - 20 GS
Gold Detective Badge - 50 GS
Chapter 9 Completion Award - 10 GS
Chapter 10 Bronze Bird Award - 10 GS
Third Propaganda Award - 20 GS
Fourth Propaganda Award - 20 GS
Chapter 10 Silver Bird Award - 20 GS

Some of Gametaps "finest"

2008-08-12T09:23:00.000-07:00

Well, I had taken some time off from Condmened since lately I have had nothing but night shifts, and Condemned needs to be played in a room that doesn't have much light in it. So, I loaded on Gametap and decided to try out a few of the games on there. And, since I am so cheap, these are all free games on Gametap.

Baseball Stars 2: One of the podcasts I listen to said how much fun they had playing Baseball Stars, so I decided to try it out. I don't know if they meant the first one though, since this second one seemed unnesicarily hard to me. I could barely hit the ball (since the fastballs went from pitcher to catcher in almost half a second.) And when I could hit it, the ball just flew right to someone. Then to top it off, the computer would hit most of the things I threw at it. I honestly didn't like the game much.

Metal Slug 2: A classic arcade game. I know there is a Metal Slug that is to be gotten on Xbox Live Arcade, so I won't go into too much detail. But, the game is fun, and its nice to connect with my friend online to play 2 player... even if we were lagging in the game the whole time.

2020 Super Baseball: I remember playing this game a long time ago, so I felt like I should get it again. Its fun, definately not as bad as Baseball Stars 2, to me. Computer can get some amazing hits/catches at times, but that is to be expected. Its worth looking at if you want a baseball game, and don't mind robots being in it.

Shock Troopers: Playing this felt a little like Metal Slug, except far more Japanese. There are about 8 characters to choose from, all with different special attacks. It's a top down scrolling shooter, much like how the old space shooters were, except you are on foot the whole time. To beat the game, I think I had to use about 10 continues. A bit short, but its always fun to go back later and try a new person out.

Morning's Wrath: *Groan* I should have guessed that at a rating of 3.7 that this game would be awesome. Yea, it wasn't. The instructions for the game are basically non-existant on Gametap, and if you want to see the controls, Gametap says "You use your mouse... I think. You might want to check with the game on that." Too bad the game doesn't have ANY kind of tutorial, and just throws you in the middle of anything. And seeing the graphics, reminds me of when my sister would go to the "make your own doll" sites. Not a good game, just avoid it.

So far, those are the only games I have loaded on. But I will try more, and possibly endure more pain so you all can benefit.

Condemned: Criminal Origins - Day 2

2008-08-05T23:46:00.000-07:00

It's kinda depressing when you know you can beat a game in only a couple days. I didn't think Call of Duty 4 would be as quick as it was, but I guess I should have since it IS geared toward multiplayer more than single player.

So, my initial theories were wrong about the story of the game... especially when I came across the body of the "Match Maker." Apparently, I am supposed to chase down a serial killer of serial killers. Yes, some vigilante who is making the police look bad by taking out serial killers. Except, this "vigilante" is bat-shit crazy, and only going after the guys your character has investigated before.

I've started getting down blocking better. It took a while for when I was using a fire axe (all the while, pretending I was Fire Marshal Bill... lol) since lifting the axe to block apparently takes all of your strengh to do so, making you go really slow.

I have upgraded my tazer though. Now enemies fall beneath my electrified wrath. And if they still survive, I finish them off with a boot to the head (or a weapon to some part of their body.)

Even though my guide I got with the game (package deal, couldn't resist) is great, it fails to point out birds to me fast enough. 2 times, I have ended a level with 5 of 6 birds. And beyond that, I think I missed a couple points of hidden evidence that I could have grabbed. Nice way to drop the ball Prima. I think I will make sure my guides come from Brady Games from now on. I have had good experience with them (Final Fantasy and Lost Odyssey, both helped a lot.)

For now, I rest; knowing that tomorrow (assuming I am up to it), I can probably finish the game off.

Achievement Progress - Condemned: Criminal Origins
28 of 50 Achievements
450 of 970 Gamerscore

New Achievements - Condemned: Criminal Origins
Chapter 5 Bronze Bird Award - 10 GS
Chapter 5 Silver Bird Award - 20 GS
Bronze Melee Master Award - 20 GS
Chapter 5 Completion Award - 10 GS
Chapter 6 Bronze Bird Award - 10 GS
Silver Detective Badge - 50 GS
Chapter 6 Silver Bird Award - 20 GS
Chapter 6 Completion Award - 10 GS
Chapter 7 Bronze Bird Award - 10 GS
Bird Bath Xbox 360 - 10 GS
Second Propaganda Award - 20 GS
Chapter 7 Completion Award - 10 GS
Silver Melee Master Award - 20 GS

Condemned: Criminal Origins - Day 1

2008-08-04T18:58:00.000-07:00

So my next game that I ordered came in today. I heard good things about it, and figured I would give it a shot.

Initially, I thought it would be more like Manhunt; where you were the criminal, going around killing people. Instead, you are an FBI agent that is investigating murders committed by "The Match Maker." Which, is kinda cool... but I would rather be on the other end of it.

The controls in this game are a little sluggish. Sidestepping and going forward seem to be 2 different commands to the creators, and not able to be done by ANYONE with ease. And looking around is a little slow, but I know I don't have the sensitivity turned up all the way.

So far, the game is interesting. I am running through tunnels, breaking into things with fire axes and crowbars, and tazering crazies. I don't like how it seems that the guy you play gets knocked out at least once every chapter. But, I do like the intuition mode to let you know when clues are nearby.

As for combat, it has its good and bad moments. I like how accurate the tazer and guns are. It really helps to stun, then kill someone. But the blocking with melee weapons takes some really good reflexes. I have nearly had my ass handed to me a couple times (and a few from getting shot by hobos with guns.)

I just can't believe I am halfway through already. It didn't take me too long to get here too. And, the collecting isn't as bad as The Darkness was.

Achievement Progress - Condemned: Criminal Origins
15 of 50 Achievements
230 Gamerscore

New Achievments - Condemned: Criminal Origins
Chapter 1 Bronze Bird Award - 10 GS
Bronze Detective Badge - 50 GS
Chapter 1 Completion Award - 10 GS
Chapter 2 Bronze Bird Award - 10 GS
Ripple TV Xbox 360 - 10 GS
Chapter 2 Silver Bird Award - 20 GS
Chapter 2 Completion Award - 10 GS
Chapter 3 Bronze Bird Award - 10 GS
Chapter 3 Silver Bird Award - 20 GS
First Propaganda Report - 20 GS
Chapter 3 Completion Award - 10 GS
Chapter 4 Bronze Bird Award - 10 GS
Static TV Xbox 360 - 10 GS
Chapter 4 Silver Bird Award - 20 GS
Chapter 4 Completion Award - 10 GS

Update Time - July 28th

2008-07-28T00:22:00.000-07:00

After playing some more City of Heroes/Villains, I feel like I have hit a rut. It's fun playing those (which doesn't help that I'm starting to get addicted to it), but I'm losing interest in my other games. I have found myself going back to play Metal Gear Ac!d 2 for the lack of something "better" to play.

... It also doesn't help when my Xbox is being used by others part of the time.

I did add a blogroll to the side of the page. It's small right now, got a couple of gaming sites and a blog my friend just started. If you want to be added on, let me know and I will check out your page.
Other than that, it's just finding something to break out of my rut and get back into wasting time and power on something other than music.

Oh well, for now, back to my gaming.

City of Heroes/Villans - My MMO introduction

2008-07-19T19:39:00.000-07:00

Well, with the help of my friend (and his account), I finally have a chance to play an MMO without having to load it on my system. I watched him play COH/COV before (along with seeing him play Star Wars Galaxies,) but I never really have had a chance to play them.

My one biggest thing has always been interacting with people. I have heard/seen a few things that would normally make me not want to play. Especially when the people you team up with do nothing but stand around, or some dick runs in from nowhere and kills you in one shot. Luckily, with the City of Heroes and City of Villans, most of that isn't too bad. I didn't have many people trying to talk to me (for what I could tell, since I closed my window,) and for the most part I was left alone, probably since I was level 7 by the time I stopped.

With my friend's help, I decided to create a villain that sneaks around and has enhanced criticals. Unfortunately, I spent 5 minutes trying to find a name referencing shadows that WASN'T used already. Even an obscure Angry Beavers reference wouldn't oblige me (the Silent Wind of Doom... wooosh.)

The controls confused me honestly. I didn't want to mess with settings (since it is on HIS computer, and his account.) And without him around, I would have had no clue what to do with things I pick up. Well, "pick up" is the wrong phrase; since there is no loot to be dropped. You gain enhancements and stuff from combat, but no one can steal them from you. They can steal kills though.

My quests were pretty much all about clearing out huge snakes so far. I can't complain when I am standing up to them pretty efficiently. But it is starting to get repetitive. "Go here, clear out enemies, come back, Go here, clear out enemies, come back, ..."

So far it hasn't been too bad, but I still don't think I could convince myself to pay $15 a month to only play one game. City of Heroes/Villans is cool (especially with how you can create your hero almost completely at the beginning), but I don't think I will get an MMO unless it completely wows me. Maybe KOTOR online if it turns out good enough, or even Diablo 3 if they decide to make it more like WOW in that sense.

Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 - Road to Elite

2008-07-19T19:32:00.000-07:00

Well, after much time, I have finally made it to elite on R6V2. I went through A LOT of the single player to get there, but that is beside the point.

The past couple of days, have been really good to me in terms of XP. I have found some really good matches, despite Ubisoft breaking the search function again when the update came out. I got a bunch of ACEs points, and was able to get a lot of kills in a few matches (one, I got 19 on.)

But, all of it doesn't mean much. I got the achievements, and now I feel like I don't know what to do now. If my friend would want to play, then I could use my character to help him out; but otherwise there isn't much to do other than work on higher ranked elite status.

Now, all I need to do is want to play Lost Odyssey again, and finish up Mass Effect on the hardest difficulty. But, I have a feeling that it won't happen any time soon.

Achievement Progress - Rainbow Six: Vegas 2
29 of 47 Achievements
720 Gamerscore

New Achievements - Rainbow Six: Vegas 2
Machine Gunner - 20 GS
Eye of the Sniper - 30 GS
Royal Flush - 30 GS
Elite - 50 GS
Haute Couture - 10 GS

Lost Odyssey - Day 7

2008-07-01T00:18:00.000-07:00

God, I am getting such a bad headache from playing this game so much. And I don't mean I'm getting tired of it, I mean I'm getting a F'n migraine.

At least I'm getting closer and closer. I have gotten almost every accessory that I need to master skills left to learn. I just got Tolten's final skill (that doesn't factor into the skill mastery achievement.) And, I have almost all the spells.

I just hope that I didn't skip a couple of seeds for the 99 seeds. I'm sitting at 97, and I know that those pipots have an accessory that I need, and if I can't either find the seeds, or buy them from the auction house. Or, I will seriously be swearing the WHOLE time since I wasted so much time, to never get the final 4 skill mastery achievements.

Guess I will go check the auction house tomorrow, assuming I still want to play Lost Odyssey after I get done at work.

Achievement Progress - Lost Odyssey
27 of 42 Achievements
735 Gamerscore

New Achievements - Lost Odyssey
Skill Master Jansen - 20 GS
Skill Master Sed - 20 GS
Defeated Holy Beast - 10 GS
Middle Class Master - 10 GS
Defeated King Kelolon - 10 GS
Reached Conference Area 5B - 10 GS
Reached Conference Area 10B - 10 GS
Reached Conference Area 15B - 10 GS
Reached Conference Area 20B - 10 GS
Reached Conference Area 25B - 10 GS
Defeated Golden Knight - 10 GS

The Lost Odyssey... of Lost Odyssey (and more!)

2008-06-28T13:53:00.000-07:00

Well, I seem to be continuing with my infrequent posts. Lately, I have just fallen into a funk, of sorts. That, and my friends have been keeping me busy enough to where I am not playing AS much. But, that aside, onto what I have been doing.

I had played a little more Lost Odyssey since my last post. I finally got done with learning all my learned skills and finally started out again. The fights with the Arthrosaurus (and his 4 friends) weren't too bad actually. And Numara was nice to visit again, especially when my guide told me how to get into one area that I had never gotten to the last time I was at Numara. After I was done at Numara, I went to a couple places with treasure hunting clues. But basically I am at the final place in the game where I can do all the sidequests I can so I can get every last possible achievement.

I also went back and played some Rainbow Six: Vegas 2, since one of my friends (who I also work with) picked up the game. Online has cleaned up a lot better now. There are still some D-bags on there (especially ones who run the games); but it was enjoyable. Especially when one kid got so tired of his team that all he did was scream out "Kick Me" in the lobby after each match. And what made it better was that he didn't actually leave until he chose to leave. Vegas 2 has started to come back for me, I just wish it was nice like this when it first came out.

Also, I went to play some Grand Theft Auto 4. I have been mixing import/export missions with vigilante missions. I really like how the vigilante missions are going in this game. Not a pain in the ass to chase someone down (most of the time.) A little blip on the radar to go toward, and then all you have to do is finish them off. I always felt that a tank was necessary in the old games, but not this one.

Finally, I went back to Mass Effect to finish what I started. I forgot how much of a pain Matriarch Benezia was, but I finally got through it. I finished the game, falling short of my first time through by 4 levels...and about 20 hours. Nothing was more satisfying than seeing that I only have one achievement for Mass Effect left, and that will be the true pain.

I will try to keep this better updated, but I know tonight I am hanging out with my friends again. But, Lost Odyssey will be done...soon...hopefully.

Achievement Progress - Rainbow Six: Vegas 2
24 of 47 Achievements
580 Gamerscore

New Achievements - Rainbow Six: Vegas 2
Spray and Pray - 15 GS
Gun Shark - 25 GS
Come Closer - 15 GS

Achievement Progress - Grand Theft Auto 4
21 of 50 Achievements
445 Gamerscore

New Achievements - Grand Theft Auto 4
None

Achievement Progress - Lost Odyssey
16 of 42 Achievements
605 Gamerscore

New Achievements - Lost Odyssey
Skill Master Cooke - 20 GS
Defeated Persona - 10 GS
Big Dreamer - 10 GS

Achievement Progress - Mass Effect
45 of 46 Achievements
1000 Gamerscore

New Achievements - Mass Effect
Distinguished Combat Medal - 25 GS

Update Time

2008-06-17T00:32:00.000-07:00

Well, after a couple weeks off from Lost Odyssey, I came back to it. To be brief, I picked up Grand Theft Auto 4 and played the hell out of it. It was fun, but I stuck to the single player, and I still have to get the 100% for the game. I haven't tried multi player on it, and would rather have my first time on it with friends instead of random people. I didn't feel like doing posts, since I figured everyone and their mother had reviewed it, so you could get your opinions from anyone. I may make a post or two about things that I will do or have done in the game, but that will just depend on my mood.

I would do another journal entry for Lost Odyssey, but I finished one little area, and am now back to grinding out skill levels for my characters. I will probably stop when my people learn all the skills that are currently learned, and I can later go back and just polish it off. But for now, I have to focus on getting all of Sed's 100 skill point skills (funny enough, "Double SP" is one of them.)

I will do some more posts later when I am up to it, and have more to write about.

Achievement Progress - Grand Theft Auto 4
21 of 50 Achievements
445 Gamerscore

Achievement Progress - Lost Odyssey
13 of 36 Achievements

New Achievements - Grand Theft Auto 4
Off The Boat - 5 GS
Driving Mr. Bellic - 10 GS
Warm Coffee - 5 GS
Fed The Fish - 5 GS
Lowest Point - 5 GS
Retail Therapy - 10 GS
Full Exploration - 20 GS
One Hundred And Eighty - 10 GS
Gracefully Taken - 10 GS
Impossible Trinity - 10 GS
Wheelie Rider - 30 GS
Half Million - 55 GS
That Special Someone - 10 GS
You Won! - 60 GS
Liberty City Minute - 30 GS
Walk Free - 50 GS
No More Strangers - 5 GS
Endangered Species - 50 GS
Assassin's Greed - 20 GS
It'll Cost Ya - 5 GS
Under The Radar - 40 GS

New Achievements - Lost Odyssey
Thanks a Million - 10 GS
True Warrior - 10 GS
Light Class Master - 10 GS
Skill Master Mack - 20 GS
Skill Master Tolten - 20 GS

Lost Odyssey - Day 6

2008-05-18T20:58:00.000-07:00

Haven't updated in a couple days, but I have been playing it in short bursts. Though, finally I got back to the open world, in a new boat. Makes me happy... and then bored after I go searching for underwater treasure for half an hour.

The story so far is really good. Getting a little tired of Gongora's smug self. Claiming he is the king, drinking blood; it really sends off a creepy vibe. And, while I'm on the subject of creepy, kinda creepy to see a man older than one of the immortals call her "Mommy." Just doesn't seem right, but is a little funny sometimes.

There was a small mini game of sorts to end disc 3. Had to do with dodging attacks in the ship you pick up. I didn't fail out of it (I got close though), but I know that this game is fairly forgiving about things like that.

I wish that when people from your party leave for random reasons, they would at least leave their accessories. I would have liked to have the accessories that were on Kaim and Sarah for a couple of battles I had. Really would have helped to have someone else with water resistance...

At least my guide is helping out a lot. I had to fix a couple things (like one of the treasures in Terrace Cave is a treasure hunt treasure.) All in all, it was definately worth the money I paid for it. Hopefully, I can get the treasure achievement by endgame.

That will do for now. More sidequests to be done.

Achievement Progress - Lost Odyssey
8 of 42 Achievements
495 Gamerscore

New Achievements - Lost Odyssey
No One's This Perfect - 10 GS
Surfacing - 125 GS

Lost Odyssey - Day 5

2008-05-13T14:13:00.000-07:00

Damn, thieving little monkies. Luckily, my guide told me about them, so I focused on them first. Didn't take long, and didn't lose much to them. But, at least you get it all back later.

I'm happy I bought the Prima guide to the game. It has most of the info, but I've found myself making a couple notes here and there. Its really nice to have maps to where I am and where I'm going. Not even Gamefaqs has a world map (which would have helped a little more in the earlier parts of the game.)

I do love how this game looks visually. This is really on the level of how Gears of War is in the level of detail (especially when walking around in the city.) Most of the cut-scenes are in game, very little is CGI, and even when it is there isn't much of a difference. And, most of the story related conversations outside of the cut-scenes still has the voices.

Yet, this game doesn't seem like a J-RPG (Japanese RPG) to me. Even though the characters look it, the style seems like it; I just can't wrap my head around the fact that it resembles a J-RPG so much. The ring system is a great distraction, along with how the combat flows (not many games include spell disruption.)

Though, it is a little depressing to see the party split up after you took so much time to form it. I won't spoil anything, but the person you expected to screw everything up, does. And he uses his errand boy in a similar way that Janson was used. But that is enough for now.

Achievement Progress - Lost Odyssey
6 of 42 Achievements
360 Gamerscore

New Achievements - Lost Odyssey
None

First 10,000 Points/Lost Odyssey - Day 4

2008-05-12T00:00:00.000-07:00

Well, I finally got 10,000 total Gamerscore. Technically, I overshot it by 96, since a disc complete in Lost Odyssey is 125 GS. But, that is beside the point.

I had been shooting for 10,000 for a while now (especially when I saw how easy it was to get 1000 in Oblivion.) Mainly the games that helped me get to it were:

Oblivion (all 1250, especially after the expansion)
Rainbow Six: Vegas (1 & 2)
Splinter Cell: Double Agent
The Darkness
Marvel Ultimate Alliance
Mass Effect
and finally, Lost Odyssey

All helped immensely in achieving my stupid goal of getting to 10,000 GS, but I am happy for it. And now, I will try to get to 20,000

But now, to the other part of this post: Lost Odyssey. I finally got through disc 2 tonight, and am really liking the story so far. Dreams are still coming in like bad Powerpoint presentations, but I can't really complain.

Since I stopped milling SP, it's not as tedious to play. Definately more enjoyable than waiting for one or two certain Silver Keolons to show up, and running from a bunch of battles until I get one with them. But, at least I am finding plenty of accessories to make it better, and more interesting. Nothing better than picking up a bracelet that opens up 3 more skill slots.

It's good to see the memories unlocking for the characters. And...to see Jansen look and act like an ass. Nothing better to see a painted up man lusting for a woman...really makes you think...

Achievement Progress - Lost Odyssey
6 of 42 Achievements
360 Gamerscore

New Achievements - Lost Odyssey
Out to Sea - 125 GS

Lost Odyssey - Day 3

2008-05-07T14:20:00.000-07:00

I spent most of yesterday just power leveling and getting as many skills learned as possible. I know, Lost Odyssey was made to fight the need to power level. But, if you want the achievements for skills, it is almost necessary to play it to get the skills.

Luckily, with the right spells and skills, it makes it easier. The answer is Silver Keolons. While they run away, if you boost your casters while they cast gamble, you have a good chance (especially at higher levels) of killing them in one shot. Each silver keolon nets 8 SP (skill points), and enough xp to level up (until you reach 39, then it takes more and more keolon kills to level up.)

But, after a while, I got tired of it and decided to move the story along more. I unlocked a few more dreams, and the final immortal to join my party (which, by the end of last night, I was power leveling again for the new immortal.)

What I have noticed about the dreams, is they are basically like Powerpoint presentations. Sure, they can be really cool to read, but if you just skip through them, its like watching a Powerpoint presentation. The graphics are cool, and some of the fonts are cool too.

I didn't realize it at first, but the accessories that you put on the person, will be seen on them in battle. For the longest time I was asking myself "Why the hell does Kaim have cat ears? Is it a glitch?" No, I had the "minimet ears" on him, and they were being shown on him. Just like various earrings can be seen on the people, depending on what accessory it is you choose for them. I think it's cool, just would have been nice to have been given a heads-up that they would be shown like that.

Achievement Progress - Lost Odyssey
5 of 42 Achievements
235 Gamerscore

New Achievements - Lost Odyssey
None

Lost Odyssey - Day 2

2008-05-04T22:49:00.000-07:00

I've been a little lazy the past couple days on writing here. But, I have completed the first disk as of like 2 AM this morning.

The story is really cool so far, though a little confusing. From what I have gathered, here is the story:

Kaim (the main guy from the commercials, fighting in the middle of all the soldiers) is an "immortal" and has lived for 1000 years. Unfortunately, he doesn't remember anything in particular. As the place where he was fighting gets nuked by a meteor, another immortal (named Seth, who also has amnesia) is also out there and survives. Gongora, starts "helping" Tolten, the old regime's prince (who Jansen refers to as "Golden Boy" later on,) survive attacks set against him.
While Kaim, Seth and Jansen are out, Kaim and Seth start to regain their memories. It all culminates for Kaim when he sees his daughter and finds out he has 2 grandchildren.

It's really confusing, but that is what I gathered so far.

I finally developed a system to get perfects nearly every time (which helps for the 3-in-a-row achievement.) Watch the timer instead of the ring itself. Hold down the trigger before the character's turn comes up, and when the timer is around 41-35 seconds, let go. That is the area where getting a perfect can happen, no matter what level ring you have equipped.

The sidequests are a real pain. Without having a guide other than the ones from Gamefaqs, it's hard to know were the seeds are (easily) and know where to activate the sidequests. They aren't really that bad all-in-all though. Nothing really intense to make it impossible to finish (with the exception of a couple sidequests.)

I will talk more about this later. Right now, I'm getting ready to see if I can get another 30 GS to bring my total Gamerscore total to 10,000 (though, since I have an odd number of points, I will be over if I get 30.)

Achievement Progress - Lost Odyssey
5 of 42 achievements
235 Gamerscore

New Achievements - Lost Odyssey
Perfect Three - 30 GS
Survived - 125 GS

Lost Odyssey - Day 1

2008-05-02T00:32:00.000-07:00

Well, before I start with this, I finally got enough XP to rank up in Vegas 2... so I got my officer achievement and realize I wasted a lot of time to get the gamerscore for it.

But, onto happier topics. The new[ish] game I got was Lost Odyssey. I watched the awesome commercial (except the ones I saw were like 30 seconds) and was greatly impressed. I didn't get the JRPG (Japanese RPG) vibe that I would normally get when I see a game like Final Fantasy. Especially by just how the war scene looked.

The opening to the game was just bad ass. That's all I can really say about it. It was cool, and the opening fights were interesting. Of course, the opening fight would be easy, considering its trying to introduce the whole system to you.

Though, once all that was done, it really hit me that it was a JRPG. Lots of random things to pick up, many healing items, and men with makeup. Luckily, it has some cool things in it.

I like the ability to equip rings, and have a chance to increase damage yourself (instead of random criticals that JRPGs love to serve.) Also, you don't just go around opening every chest you see; you shake trees, look in pots, and even check behind posters. It's nice to see that they aren't all the same.

And, the fights are interesting enough. The more damage the front row takes, the less they defend the back row. And, it doesn't come back if you heal the front row (at least, it doesn't come back in THAT battle.) Which, really sucked because I had my ass handed to me by THE FIRST BOSS I FOUGHT (the opening battle doesn't count, since you can't die and you can't lose.) But, the experience is enjoyable so far. All I need to do now, is get a guide so I can collect everything I need for the game's acheivements. Guess it's not a good thing that I am a collector/completionist when I play RPGs...

Achievement Progress - Lost Odyssey
3 of 42 Achievements
80 Gamerscore

New Achievements - Lost Odyssey
The Dreamer Wakes - 20 GS
Ring Assembler - 30 GS
Skill Linker - 30 GS

Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 - Online Update

2008-04-29T15:50:00.000-07:00

Well, I figured that the online was messed up for at least that night (would be weird to have me be the ONLY person playing on Live at that time,) so I gave it another shot.

And, as I suspected, the lag was still there. It wasn't as bad for SOME games, but others it was a few minutes before everything settled enough to where I could play. The dots, still, don't mean much before you go into a game.

And, there are plenty of pricks who host games. About 4 or 5 games, I was kicked within the first couple of minutes (one game, I was kicked before it had shown I connected on my screen.) That just really brings down the experience when people can not give anyone a chance. Later, one of the people who had kicked me, invited me to their game (I guess too many people bailed), but I found out that those same people would kick anyone who pissed them off enough... glad I was on their team.

But, needless to say, it was still fun. A couple of matches of conquest, I was holding at least a 4:1 Kill-Death ratio (one of them, I went 9-0.) The online is nowhere near the stability of Vegas 1's online, but it is a definite start.

And, just as a note to any of you who want to reach Elite without any cheating, total conquest can do it (400 XP to the team who completes the uplink + xp from kills, and lives are set to "unlimited).

Achievement Progress - Rainbow Six: Vegas 2
20 of 47 Achievements
490 Gamerscore

New Achievements - Rainbow Six: Vegas 2
Pointman - 10 GS
Short Controlled Bursts - 15 GS
Triggerman - 20 GS

Time for an update

2008-04-25T22:08:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the lack of posts. Been a little short on cash, so I haven't gotten any new games to play, or made much progress on Final Fantasy Tactics for the PSP. On a positive note, I should be getting my next game (Lost Odyssey, so the review will be a long while) sometime next week.

So, I went back to try to get to the 1050 GS for Mass Effect (since Bring Down the Sky raised the max GS to 1050). I only had about 6 achievements left. Unfortunately, I wasn't playing the last character on the right difficulty, so I still have 2 more to get. This time, I am doing a blitz through the campaign, skipping as many side quests as possible to get this, and then replaying the character the same way on the toughest difficulty. Hopefully, that will net the results I want. And, at least I can make a couple choices I never made (like saving the Council...god I hope I didn't spoil it for anyone.)

And, within the past week, Ubisoft released a patch for Rainbow Six: Vegas 2. I was excited, because that is another 85 GS to add, which brings me closer to the 10,000 mark. My PFC achievement was unlocked as soon as my profile was loaded. Unfortunately, the "Freedom Shall Prevail" achievement wasn't right away. But a quick play through of a level on the story got it for me. I also noticed how the power leveling spot in Pic des Pyrenees was fixed, so at least anyone who reaches elite now will be able to say they did it without (as much) cheating.

Too bad, multi-player is still shot. Yea, but this time its worse (at least for me.) Tonight, after I got my other achievements, I decided to give Versus one more try, to see if the lag issues got fixed. Now, I don't know what is going on over at Ubisoft regarding this game; but apparently I was the only one playing. I kept getting an error message, basically saying the search failed. After many attempts, and checking T-hunt and Co-op story, I came to the conclusion that I would have rather dealt with the horrible lag.

One more note before I list the achievements I got recently; my friends want to borrow my blog to review 3 Uwe Boll movies. I don't see why not, considering that the movies will be based on games (...loosely at least ;p ) But if anyone has a reason for me to not do it, leave a comment.

Achievements:
Mass Effect
Neural Shock Specialist - 15 GS
Turian Ally - 20 GS
Asari Ally - 20 GS
AI Hacking Specialist - 15 GS

Rainbow Six: Vegas 2
Private First Class - 10 GS
Freedom Shall Prevail - 75 GS

Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 - Final Thoughts

2008-04-15T00:57:00.000-07:00

Sorry about the delay, but I wanted to give the game a couple more chances to wow me.

Unfortunately, as much as I wanted to like this game, it was really hard to sometimes. While it was nice to get the early XP boost from playing Vegas 1, a glitch stopped me from getting an achievement because I skipped private first class.

But, onto the story (I will vent later.) It starts out 5 years before the Vegas happenings in France. Bishop (the custom character that you are, so YOU can be the hero in this one), and his partner Knight (if you have a friend... everyone laugh at the chess reference... ok,) are brought in to lead Bravo team (with Gabriel and Logan as your team mates.) After a couple of mishaps, the "flashback" ends, and you are brought back to the day that Gabe and Kan are taken while Logan is tracking Irena.

You (Bishop), don't get to get the casino treatment that Logan gets though. No, you get to run on roofs with snipers, through malls and schools, and even by yourself in some oil fields. Nothing screams Vegas like Nevada oil fields... that's the life. Though, after you are done in the oil fields (and are double crossed by an NSA agent...who gives a kinda Sam Fisher vibe,) you make one final push toward Gabe's house.

Most of the new weapons are good additions. I love using the L8A52, along with the 500 tactical, the Type 05, and the SR-25. But, I am a fan of silence. The guns all have the chance to penetrate, it just depends on the weapon. Though, for some reason, shotguns work really well blasting people through concrete...

I did like the addition of ACES. It is the new way to unlock weapons. Instead of requiring ranking up to get weapons (like in Vegas 1), you can now unlock weapons just by killing enemies in certain ways. And, in addition to that, you can rank up through single player now too. Makes it nicer since ranking is cosmetic. And....that it doesn't matter as much if you made it to elite (especially with the glitches that are in the game.)

Terrorist hunt can be very fun, especially with friends. Makes it more competitive to just get a few kills...and not be the last one standing. And, its set to 2 lives, and if everyone dies (regardless of how many lives are left,) its game over.

As for versus... I don't know what to say. I tried very hard to get decent games. But the dots mean nothing anymore... at least until a patch comes out. I would have 3 green, and a crappy connection. I would have 2 yellows, and a crappy connection. I would have 1 red, and not be surpried with a crappy connection. And I know it isn't my internet, because Call of Duty 4, R6V1, Halo 3: all of them I can play with little to no lag at all.

All in all, I have to say that the game isn't that bad. At this time, $60 is too much for what you get. People saying Vegas 2 is more like Vegas 1.5 is partially right. The only thing that really screams "sequel" is the story. The only problem with saying its Vegas 1.5 is that there wouldn't be the online problem that it has, or the achievement problems. Yes, playing through the story on realistic twice, I still haven't gotten the achievement for it (and the achievement problems are happening to everyone.) Right now, until the problems are fixed, I give this a rental at most. I can't see paying as much for the game, when its not even fixed at launch. Though, if it gets fixed right, I could see giving it a buy.

Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 - Day 5

2008-04-05T23:05:00.000-07:00

I'm not quite ready to put up my final thoughts yet. I have wanted to like this game so much, but its becoming harder and harder.

Apparently, I am not the only one who hasn't gotten the achievement for playing the story on realistic. Once again, the achievements are glitched out. I have no clue about the "Rappel King" achievement, since it doesn't say whether it is a multiplayer or single player achievement.

I at least have unlocked all the weapons. Though, I still love to use the 552 commando (which you have at the beginning of the game.) The shield was overrated, but at least I can see why it is unlocked much later. And, at least you don't have to rank up to get the weapons (which was a downside to R6V1.)

I hear people complain about the story, and the maps. I liked the story honestly. Yes, it needs more "Vegas," because only one casino was visited in Vegas 2, but you hit 3 in Vegas 1. The least they could have done is have the Rainbow team storm through an empty strip club, or something else that might be found in Vegas.

The maps aren't that bad honestly. They are trying to capitalize on weapons being able to shoot through cover. Though, would be nice to have the shotgun not really penetrate at all, unless you are right next to it. But, that would be in a perfect game.

And, just a final note: multiplayer is still broken as hell. I really wish this would have been worked out earlier.

Final thoughts in the works, just give me some time

Achievement Progress - Rainbow Six: Vegas 2
15 of 47 Achievements
360 Gamerscore

New Achievements - Rainbow Six: Vegas 2
Weapon Collector - 30 GS

Call of Duty 4 - Final Thoughts

2008-03-31T23:09:00.000-07:00

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

2008-03-31T09:49:00.000-07:00

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

2008-03-25T18:23:00.000-07:00

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

2008-03-24T13:02:00.000-07:00

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

2008-03-24T12:29:00.000-07:00

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

2008-03-22T01:04:00.000-07:00

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

2008-03-21T09:00:00.000-07:00

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

2008-03-18T15:23:00.000-07:00

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

2008-03-18T01:36:00.000-07:00

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

2008-03-15T16:30:00.000-07:00

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

2008-03-11T00:24:00.000-07:00

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

2008-03-08T03:00:00.000-08:00

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

2008-03-05T18:22:00.000-08:00

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.

Halos and Effects (Halo 3 and Mass Effect)

2008-02-26T00:11:00.000-08:00

So, I had a bunch of spare time today, and went back to gather more achievements that I have been working on.

First, Mass Effect. For a while I have been trying to finish off the last of the biotic achievements, and I was finally successful today. It is a real pain just trying to use the desired skill over and over on enemies. I've gotten to a point where all I am doing is skipping through dialog trying to get back to the action. Though, that is one of the things people have complained about Mass Effect.

Also, I found out something new about the game. I didn't realize the Mako (the vehicle) had a scope on it. Makes shooting far targets 10x easier. To do it, hold left trigger, and then click the right stick. It has a zoom similar to a sniper rifle. Really nice.

As for Halo 3, I have been trying to get to the officer achievement for sometime. A couple days ago, I got to the needed 10 skill (playing Team Objective), and was only 2 XP away. And for the last few matches, I kept saying "Oh come on, I'm 1 XP away!"

Though I did get a cool laser kill today in one of my matches (titled "DO NOT WANT".) I'm really proud of that.

That's about it for today. I will keep playing games and trying to keep this updated.

Achievement Progress - Mass Effect
38 of 45 Achievements
840 Gamerscore

Achievement Progress - Halo 3
35 of 49 Achievements
765 Gamerscore

New Achievements - Mass Effect
Singularity Mastery - 15 GS
Stasis Mastery - 15 GS

New Achievements - Halo 3
Spartan Officer - 25 GS

Final Fantasy Tactics: War of the Lions - Day 2

2008-02-25T14:43:00.000-08:00

I'm still grinding out levels on my characters. It really bugs me sometimes how much JP (job points) it costs to just learn 1 spell, or one ability. At least I got to a point in the game where I was easily set up to just grind multiple levels in just one fight.

I had a white mage, black mage, monk (main character), and an archer stand all in a T where it looked like this:

A M B
--W--

I had my black mage cast damage spells on the monk, which would hit everyone, then my white mage would cast protective spells on the party (protect, shell, etc), my archer would use potions on herself, and my monk would use chakra to heal everyone and give the mages back their MP

The poor "monster" that I had left alive at the time, a chocobo. I had a thief just harass it, stealing from it and occasionally attacking it. I left it blind, and when it would heal, it would be standing near my thief, so she would be healed too.

I used that to get a lot of XP and JP. Though, it does get boring after a while. And my black mage doesn't even have JP boost, so it makes it tougher to make it effective. I almost want to throw in a squire for my next few battles just so I can use them to earn it.

Final Fantasy Tactics: War of the Lions - Day 1

2008-02-22T23:54:00.000-08:00

I've had this game for a little while now, but I got lost in it and decided to start over. So, this is like a Day 1 for me... I guess. And with how busy I have been, this is a few days later than I would have liked.

I forgot how much talking happens in this game. It's ok, but in typical Final Fantasy fashion, there is no way to skip the dialog. You can skip the cut scenes, but I actually like watching them. I like the animation for them.

As for the classes, I find that I am still using most of the basic classes. But I always have on "jp boost," even though I could equip things that would be more beneficial. It helps get through the classes quicker, but it still takes forever to just master 1 class. Though, I guess grinding levels happens in just about every Final Fantasy game.

I will add day 2 later, though I will try to not take as long to get it done.
(This was started on 2/19/08, and finished on 2/22/08)

The Darkness - Day 2

2008-02-20T18:18:00.000-08:00

Its been busy for the last couple of days, but I can finally throw up this one, and one for Final Fantasy Tactics for the PSP. Now, on to the review.

______________________________________________________________________

I finally upped the auto-aim, much to my dismay so that I could make sure that I hit my desired targets. I still have trouble farther away, but it is much better now. Getting the micro SMGs (or machine pistols, I haven't quite determined which yet) hasn't affected me, since I haven't used them. I just looked at them and said "Well....looks like 2 bullets out of both clips will probably hit." The shotgun, thank god, isn't like in Halo. The shots actually scatter and won't pwn people from far away.

Right now, I'm having a lot of fun using the creeping dark. Sneaking up on poor losers, and then biting their face off. Darklings still aren't being used much other than for the purpose of getting achievements.

And collecting things is becoming a real chore for me. I don't mind it when it isn't very often, but there are between 5-8 on every little part you go to. And then you have to go dial the numbers to finally get the collectible unlocked.

I do like the dialog to the game. It can be really funny at times to hear what everyone around you has to say. Too bad the TVs never have anything good to watch.

Achievement Progress - The Darkness
10 of 50 Achievements
95 Gamerscore

New Achievements - The Darkness
Summoner - 5 GS
Rogue Killer - 15 GS
Ghandi - 10 GS
Keeper of Secrets - 10 GS
Gatherer - 5 GS

The Darkness - Day 1

2008-02-16T14:04:00.000-08:00

Well, the next game I got was The Darkness. I was looking forward to this game, even though people were saying that the game was good, but didn't have much going for it after the campaign.

I really loved the opening sequence. Nothing better than a car chase with mobsters firing at the cops through a crowded tunnel with construction going on.

As for gameplay, so far it has been hit and miss...literally. While having two guns to fire can be fun, Jackie really has problems aiming at things. I haven't messed with "auto-aim", but I almost think I should turn it up just so I can make sure I hit my desired target.

Also, I've shot plenty of mobsters to see them go down for a couple seconds, and then get right back up. It really sucks to "knock them down" and start to walk away, only to find your back riddled with bullet holes and you on the ground. At least the restart animations are cool, where the Darkness basically says that you aren't going anywhere but back out to kick some ass.

I will get to more of it later, when I don't have to go to work within an hour.

Achievement Progress - The Darkness
5 of 50 Achievements
50 Gamerscore

New Achievements - The Darkness
Up Close and Personal - 5 GS
Happy Birthday - 25 GS
Picking up Stuff - 5 GS
Knuckle, Meet Face - 5 GS
Romantic - 10 GS

Splinter Cell: Double Agent - FInal Thoughts

2008-02-11T18:50:00.000-08:00

Well, now for my final thoughts for this game. I will say it again, I am not doing the multiplayer since I will probably be the only one there.

The story of the game is that after a mission where Sam loses his new recruit partner, he is sent deep undercover. At the prison where he had been placed, he meets Jaime Washington, a member of JBA (John Brown's Army.) After helping Jaime escape prison, he takes Sam to the JBA headquarters to let Sam join them in the fight help America.

From there, Sam has to help the JBA and keep in their good graces; while at the same time, keep the NSA informed of the activity that is going on. It is your choice whether you help in the terrorist acts, or if you stop them and save many innocent lives.

From looking at the book, I thought I would be doing a lot more than just picking locks and hacking computers. The only things that I did other than picking locks though; cracking safes, and using my hack device. I loved the safe cracking portion, because all of the situations required speed along with the accuracy. But, I got really tired of the hacking mini game, because there was at least 2 in EVERY mission (except for the 11th, but you don't do much in the 11th). As for the other parts, I will give my quick thoughts

lock picking is the same as its been in the other games. Not too bad to do, I could have even done without getting electronic ones
e-mail hacking was rough. I had a guide open, not even knowing how bad it was until I got to the puzzle
mine making/bomb defusing is basically the same thing. It was creative to do. I didn't mind it, just had to make a lot of mines

The AI in the game can be hit and miss though. Either, they are super attuned, and can detect a flea walking on the ground. Or, they hear the light get shot, and say "F that, I want to just go about my business." I do like the option of killing or knocking out enemies, and the weapons that can be used.

As for the missions, I generally enjoyed them. The HQ missions get tedious, and could use a few more minutes thrown on them. I actually enjoyed the boat mission and the prison levels. Both were set up really well. They weren't too hard to get through, and allowed for a lot of interesting ways to cross the level. Though...nothing is better than punching through the ice, and dragging a guard into the water with you to slit his throat.

All in all, I would say this is a good game. For those of you who like a good stealth game, the Splinter Cell series never disappoints. It can be plenty difficult on normal, but only a couple of times where you might want to launch your controller into the wall. If you have never played a Splinter Cell game before, rent this game before you buy. Metal Gear Solid is similar, but not the same as this game; and you will find that out quickly.

Splinter Cell: Double Agent - Day 3

2008-02-10T22:05:00.000-08:00

Well, I finally finished the game. I won't put up final thoughts until tomorrow, I want to give the game completion a little time to set in. And I won't try multiplayer, since it will only be me and 2 die hard fans of the game (though, I know Rainbow Six: Vegas has more people playing it, since the multiplayer was one of the best experiences I had.)

As for the game, I won't spoil the ending. I will say that until the final mission at the JBA HQ, I had about a 80% trust with them (had to make a tough choice, and I made the one that lost their trust). And, as usual, I got upset at the level of sight that some generic guards had at the JBA HQ. Even in a hall that was nearly pitch black, the happened to see the light on my shoulder I guess.

I did like how I had to disarm the bomb. First, I had to "crack the safe" to open the box to the computer. Then, I had to hack the computer to gain control. And finally, I relived the bomb creation game by doing a "claw game" to remove the detonator of the bomb. That, was a satisfying way to end it. No "end boss", just the task at hand to be done.

BTW, if you want to see a cool kill sequence, you have to unlock the "11th" level. If you get the chance, sneak up on Moss and try to grab him. Even though I typically got shot and killed almost every time, it was one of the coolest kill sequences I have seen from the game.

Achievement Progress - Splinter Cell: Double Agent
20 of 38 Achievements
560 Gamerscore

New Achievements - Splinter Cell: Double Agent
Save Hisham - 10 GS
Kinshasa Assignment Completed - 30 GS
Save Lambert - 10 GS
Defeated the JBA - 100 GS
Agent of the Month - 20 GS
Hero - 20 GS

Splinter Cell: Double Agent - Day 2

2008-02-10T00:44:00.000-08:00

Sometimes, I think this game focuses too much on gadgets. The hacking game is really simple and easy after the first time, but it happens at least twice on every mission. I wish they would do a little more safe cracking, because that was actually really well implemented.

The one thing that is pissing me off is having to collect. I have to sneak around the JBA base just to collect all the info I can for 20 GS. And I still have a little more to get. And apparently all the JBA can see you hiding in the dark in a corner, when any civilian or guard would assume that the massive object is a new tree that was put in. They are wearing NVGs (Night Vision Goggles) that are invisible.

The actual missions can be fun. I enjoy disabling lights, and then sneaking past the people when they go to look at why the light isn't working. That, and I love using the sticky cameras to knock out people when they go to look at them. Though, at least I don't have to worry as much about hiding bodies as I used to. I know I won't ever get 100% stealth, because I feel that some times, you can't get through without knocking out/killing at least 1 person.

I will continue it later. Right now, I want to rest. I know I am close to finishing the single player, though finding anyone for multiplayer would be like looking for people wanting to play Perfect Dark Zero, so this will be yet another game that I will never get the 1000 GS on.

Achievement Progress - Splinter Cell: Double Agent
14 of 38 Achievements
370 Gamerscore

New Achievements - Splinter Cell: Double Agent
The Invisible Man - 20 GS
Shanghai Assignment Completed - 30 GS
HQ 2 Assignment Completed - 30 GS
Cozumel Assignment Completed - 30 GS
The Collector - 20 GS
HQ 3 Assignment Completed - 30 GS

Splinter Cell: Double Agent - Day 1

2008-02-08T02:07:00.000-08:00

While I did get it the day before, I didn't get too far into it. But I did use today to help get farther.

The first Splinter Cell game I played was the original one. I never played the other two, so I knew I had some catching up with new functions. I did the two optional training missions, which I nearly got blinded from because they decided to use all white rooms for most of it.

After my corneas had recovered, I started playing through. I already like some of the things you can do. I have had a lot of fun just grabbing people while in the water and killing them under the surface. And, how the pistol has an EMP on it to take out lights

I also like how the aiming in this game has greatly improved. It would take forever in the original one to line up a pistol shot, and even then with no movement and crouching, you could still miss by a mile. This one, the aiming for both guns is a lot tighter.

While I haven't played the original in a long time, I do remember some form of a throwing trajectory. I really miss that if it was there, because if I wasn't throwing smoke grenades, I would have detonated myself a couple of times already. Though, I don't even throw many objects anymore.

As for the AI, it seems almost too smart. While I may be on normal (knowing my limits for a stealth game), the AI can see for miles it seems. The indicator on my back and side give off light...I guess that was their hint that something was there. Though, if I am looking at them in a dimly lit room, they must assume that I am a new cardboard box put into the room, and that it would be safer to just not go looking into said box.

I will continue the huge amount of loading and reloading my save because I ruined the whole mission by trying to chase someone down.

Achievement Progress - Splinter Cell: Double Agent
8 of 38 achievements
210 Gamerscore

New Achievements - Splinter Cell: DA
Training Completed - 10 GS
Teacher's Pet - 40 GS
The Human Light Switch - 20 GS
Iceland Assignment Completed - 30 GS
Ellsworth Assignment Completed - 30 GS
HQ 1 Assignment Completed - 30 GS
Getting Technical - 20 GS
Okhotsk Assignment Completed - 30 GS

Halo 3-Heroic Revisit

2008-02-04T21:15:00.000-08:00

Since I finished Advance Wars, and am waiting for my next game to come in, I decided to finish the Halo 3 campaign on heroic. I started it while I was hanging out with my friends. And now I am back to play the shooter that so many have been excited to play.

I forgot how messed up some of the game was. After the battle with 343, the game took away my fully loaded brute shot and my shotgun with plenty of ammo; and laughed as it gave me an assault rifle that wasn't even half full. If I had remembered that, I would have left those weapons outside so I could pick them up again.

I also forgot how this game likes it when you run and gun, but so long as you have weapons to mow down the enemy. I like to be up close to my enemy, so obviously I was doomed to begin with. Took me a long time just to get through the second to last map (the one with all the Flood on the Covenant ship.)

And so I finally finished the game on hardcore. I did like the ending, how the Chief goes right back into a pod, just like how he started when he came out in Halo 1.

I don't know what I will be playing next, at least until my game comes in from the mail. But I will try to keep posting up.

Achievement Progress-Halo 3
34 of 49 Achievements
740 Gamerscore earned

New Achievements- Halo 3
Campaign Complete: Heroic - 125 GS

Advance Wars: Days of Ruin- Final Thoughts

2008-02-02T01:03:00.000-08:00

Here is my first review for this blog. Hopefully, I can keep up reviewing games (even if they aren't brand new to everyone, they would be new to me.)

Advance Wars: Days of Ruin is definitely a good addition to the Advance Wars series. The story is from a whole new set of characters, and a new world. The world has become ravaged from meteor strikes. The sky had become darkened, and the land lost all plant life (think Matrix without the technology.) The main protagonist, Will, emerges from the Rubinelle Military Academy only to be chased by a local gang. Captain Brenner comes in with the 12th batallion, Brenner's Wolves and saves Will's life. Will begins to travel with Brenner in search for survivors and finds an amnesiatic girl.

I will try to avoid spoilers in this, so I will highlight the main parts. The batallion meets up with the leader of the New Rubinelle Army, and go off to fight the Lazarians. After a double cross, Will and Brenner's Wolves run off. Once they defeat the New Rubinelle Army, they turn their attention to a war profiteer who runs IDS.

The game has grown up in relation to its counterpart, Dual Strike. Apart from a storyline that deals with disease and survival, the land also portrays a dark look about the game. In addition to that, the units look more grown up and even the capturing of buildings doesn't include soldiers jumping up and down on the roof.

The game adds some new units, while removing a couple and repurposing a couple. The list of new units includes:

bikes
anti-tanks
dusters
carriers
seaplanes
gunboats
flares

They removed the Neotanks and the Osmose from Dual Strike, which I see now for obvious reasons. As for the repurposed units: the Megatank is now called the Wartank and has more ammunition but can't mow down vehicles as well as before. The APCs of old, are now called Rigs which can resupply units and build temporary airports and seaports to repair those units.

The CO system has been changed. When playing through the campaign, you don't get to choose COs at all (which actually sucks for a couple of missions.) Also, through the campaign mode, you don't get to even really use COs for the first half of the game (at least.) The COs in this game though are fairly balanced, none of them have outrageous abilities that aren't countered by something else (except for the final boss, but he isn't available for WiFi combat....from what I have read.) The CO system requires the CO to be put into a unit to get any benefits. The CO has an area (with the exception of a few) where units nearby get the affect. The CO then gains power from them self or the nearby units taking out enemy units. If the CO's unit goes down, all power is lost.

As for multi player, there isn't much for me to say. There is "pass the DS" mode, for people who have friends that don't have DSs. There is multi-card play, which allows you and your friends to play against each other on your own DSs. And there is WiFi (which I never tried), but also allows you to download/upload maps.

All in all, the game is good. The game play is solid, the story is great, and some of the maps can be very fun. If you liked playing any previous Advance Wars game, you will love this game. If you like turn-based strategy games, you will probably enjoy it. If you like games with a darker storyline, you might like this. I would say this gets at least a "rent before you buy it" if you have never played an Advance Wars game, or are short on cash.

Advance Wars: Days of Ruin- Day 5

2008-01-31T00:08:00.000-08:00

After having the game for a little over a week, I finally finished the campaign mode. And, I will honestly say, I looked to the web for a strategy on the final mission. It was rough, and at least 4x tougher than the final mission for Dual Strike.

I did notice after a couple of times I restarted, there is conversations that you won't see if you beat the mission early on. You could try to drag it out, but I wouldn't recommend it. I would say rush hard, and rush fast. That was the only easy way I could find.

I went onto WiFi and found out that you can download maps from the service. You only get to choose "random" or "recommended," and even then it is only 1 map you download per session. Though, the two I got, actually looked fun. I may try it out against a CPU (since I have no friends to "pass the DS" to.)

I probably won't do an online battle with anyone. I never really like online multiplayer strategy games. Too many bad memories from Warcraft III and Starcraft. Though, I will give the free battle system a look over. And the map building system too.

Expect to see a final thought on the game within the next day or two (depending on how much time I get.)

Advance Wars: Days of Ruin- Day 4

2008-01-29T23:21:00.000-08:00

I'm nearly done with the campaign. I've noticed a lot is similar between Days of Ruin and Dual Strike. The set up of a lot of the levels is similar, and the AI always passes over the direct combat units, and goes straight for the indirect combat units.

The final battle, I won't go into too much (especially since I am not done with it yet), but shares a lot with Dual Strike's final battle. First, to "win", you have to strike certain points on a large mass (in this one, it's a base.) Next, the enemy CO is "all powerful." Not only can he boost the units in his 5x5 diamond area, but any units in said area get repaired, even if they are not on a building.

Unfortunately, unlike in Dual Strike, you don't get to choose your COs for the campaign, at all. It doesn't really matter for the first 60% of the game honestly, but it would have really helped for a couple of the maps later on. I don't mind having to load my CO into a unit to get the benefits, makes it a little more even so that the units the whole time aren't boosted.

I haven't explored much more to the game than the campaign. Though, there really isn't much to explore. The download and play option that was in Dual Strike, was removed so you could do a "pass the DS" play. Which is fine, if none of your friends have a DS. I'm not really into doing WiFi battles, since I know that I will find either 10 yr old kids screaming at me and calling me a loser, or I will find some guy that is older than me, and knows every strategy. Needless to say, I will be fine not examining it.

They also removed the "War Room," which I felt extended the play of Dual Strike. So, instead of leveling up COs, and choosing from 10 uniforms; you are given a handful of COs, no leveling, and 4 color schemes.

I will probably be wrapping this up soon, seeing as how I really don't feel the need to go into more detail until I finish the campaign.

Advance Wars: Days of Ruin- Day 3

2008-01-28T19:57:00.000-08:00

After getting a couple more maps in today, I realize that this follows much like the last game did. The first half of the game is relatively easy. There were a couple of maps that caused a few problems, but nothing too major. But the last half gets increasingly difficult.

My point, Mission 21. As usual, the map is a timed map where if you don't eliminate the enemy (or capture the enemy base) or you will be "f'ed in the a." As usual, you have a few assets at the beginning, while the enemy has an army marching toward your position. The twist; the map was 2/3 water, which meant the enemy started out with about 3-5 battleships, all of which can move and fire, along with a couple of cruisers and a sub or two.

If any of you know how I play, I create a trench, and slowly try to move against the enemy line. And that is regardless of the game (some of my friends could tell you, I could pull that off with Magic: The Gathering.) So, needless to say, I ended with 3 days left on the doom clock.

I don't mind maps like that. So far, this is the only map that has had a doom clock. Unlike Dual Strike, which had a ratio of about 1:5 or 1:6 of doom to non-doom maps. So, it is more of a relief without having clocks ticking down your eventual doom.

For some reason, the kids from the IDS (which is the epitome of Black Hole from Dual Strike) remind me of the Delightful kids from down the lane from Codename: Kids Next Door. Yes I still watch cartoons, even though I am in my 20s; but that is beside the point. They all look "cutesy" and "innocent" even though their only concern is to "play with their toys", which is really to unleash destruction upon you.

Thats enough for now, I have to stop the kids from playing with a new toy...which will probably take me far longer than I really need to.

Advance Wars: Days of Ruin- Day 2

2008-01-27T23:09:00.000-08:00

I was able to get some time in today in the middle of my shift at work to play some more of the game, and I have to say that Mission 17 is rough. The map is definately set up to not be an easy win. I would equate it to Mission 22 from Dual Strike. Without giving away anything, all I have to say is "bomber rush" is what did it for me.

I have some good and bad points about the CO system. I do like how your CO can hop into a unit and boost the battle. But I would like them to be able to earn the XP when they aren't in a unit. And, I do miss having dual COs on the field. But, considering how the game plays, I can't really complain. The CO system does work out for it.

Enough for now, more info will come later.

Advance Wars: Days of Ruin- Day 1

2008-01-26T21:01:00.000-08:00

Well, to tell the truth: this isn't my first day playing it. I've had it for a couple of days now, but for now, this is the first day of posts.

I am amazed at how the game looks. It doesn't look as "cute" as Dual Strike did. I got confused a couple times trying to figure out if I had a recon unit out, or if it was a new unit. Though, the game looks more grown up. The land is desolate, fires are on the battlefield (and will illuminate some of the map in the fog of war), and even units can hide in rubble.

I've found the same thing that I found in Dual Strike though, the missions where you don't have to build takes half the time to do. Which is nice, but I am always having problems finding new strategies that work, especially with all the new units they put in.

Which, speaking of the units; they really ramped up the units for this game. First, they gave the Megatank (which is now called a "Wartank") 5 shots from the main cannons instead of 3, which is great because that was a good unit before. Also, the APCs (now termed "Rigs") can now build temporary Airports or Harbors, while still carrying units.

Along with those, I have come to love seaplanes and carriers. Carriers can "build" seaplanes and then launch them right from their position. I also have found that I like using flare units, to light up the fog of war missions. And, I love building Anti-tank units, especially when they can fire from a short distance, or right next to the tank.

That's all for now, I will continue later. Right now, I have a war to win!

Journal Entry 1: Welcome

2008-01-26T20:51:00.000-08:00

Thanks for stumbling onto my blog. The whole purpose of this is to get an idea of whatever game I'm playing, while I'm playing it. I will try to be honest, and when I finally get finished, I will give a final thought on it.

I can't guarantee I will update it every day, but I will say that I will do my best in keeping it up to date. And with that, on to my first post.