I’ve been playing a ton of Monolith’sF.E.A.R. 2: Project Originover this weekend. I finished the single-player campaign a few hours ago and I can’t think of any rational words to describe it. I feel like David Jaffe after catching someGod of War IIIfootage, except my experience is more in the “What the hell?” realm than, “OH MY GOD, KRATOS JUST PWNED THAT GUY’S INTESTINES!!!!”I don’t want to steal my ownF.E.A.R. 2thunder (review forthcoming), so I’ll switch the subject to the last movie I saw:Babylon A.D.It’s a typical Vin Diesel sci-fi movie — Diesel plays a space tough guy, reluctant to save the day. I know you’re already thinking that it’s boring, but I assure you the movie is amazing. I can only hope the above video can prove it to you.Anyway, it’s the end of the week and we’ve been playing some games. Hit the break to check out which ones and don’t forget to tell us what you’ve been playing.Jim Sterling:In between coughing fits, I’ve been playingOnechanbaraandFEAR 2for review. I have to say thatFEAR 2is one of my first surprises of the year; that game is splendid, and this is coming from someone who hates the first. Highly recommended playing for anybody who wants a game that actually manages to creep you out now and then, while also having a mech section.Conrad Zimmerman:I, too, have been playingOnechanbarafor review, as well asMy World My Way.And I just picked upRetro Game Challengethis afternoon and, while I’m only a short bit in, am finding it to be highly charming.Justin Villasenor:It’s mostly been strategy games for me this week:Supreme CommanderandRome: Total War, in particular.Jonathan Ross:Left 4 DeadandTF2, of course. Checked outFlower, which was kind of neat but I dunno how much I’ll play it. Been playingMy World My WayandRetro Game Challengeon DS, both of which I love, and I managed to squeeze in a littleSF2 HD Remixon the 360. Oh, andOnechanbara, which was…interesting.Hamza Aziz:I’ve been playing getting my corrupted computer somewhat fixed, possibly losing 20GBs worth of music, and banning trolls. Yay.Tom Fronczak:Dota Dota Dotaand moreDota. And a bit more ofPuzzle Quest. I’m finally at the point inDotawhere I can’t call myself a noob anymore and have moved comfortably onto normal mode instead of easy mode. However, I’ve only been playing RD mode lately, I should try AR more often. Still plenty to learn though, plus the constant updates.Tron Knotts:I have no idea what you just said, Fronz.As for me, I wish I was playingRetro Game ChallengeandBig Bang Mini, as I finally managed to find both of them in stores. Problem is, I gave my DS to my mom, so until the DSi comes out, I’ve got nothing to play them on. The wait it killing me!In the meantime, I’ve been playingHouse of the Dead: Overkill, which has turned out to be much funnier than I thought it would be. Also got back intoAnimal Crossing: City Folkafter a couple weeks hiatus (winter can be boring), and am just about to start in onOnechanbara: Bikini Zombie Slayers.Oh, and how could I forgetLocoRoco 2? It’s amazing.Dale North:Jim, I’ve got the fucking SARS too. Hate it.Anyway, I’ve been enjoying Atlus’Steal Princessstill, especially on airplanes. I’ve also been playing a littleUT3here lately, too. Most of my time has been spent replaying the firstYakuzaon PS2 in preparation for the Japanese PS3 that I’m about to try to muddle my way through. I still love this game, and yes, I’m going to playYakuza 2again too.Brad Rice:Been slowly making my way throughResident Evil 4, but I’m much happier about finally getting to playLeft 4 Deadon my friend’s PC. Been playing it two-player split-screen — I wish we had four players together working on this, just because I’d like to have a greater opportunity to use the sniper rifle.Jordan “Grim” Devore:It’s been another busy week for me, and I’ve only really had time to play the PSP port ofPaRappa the RapperandBurnout Paradisefor Friday Night Fights.Nick Chester:Been playing a bit ofStreet Fighter IV, mostly against A.I. (Seth is a teleportation spamming little biznatch) — looking forward to getting some human competition. Also receivedHenry Hatsworthfor the DS, although I haven’t gotten much farther than the stuff I had played last year. Loving it so far. I intend to playFlowersometime today, despite our somewhat divided Destructoid review.Topher Cantler:My whole gaming week consisted of downloadable titles.Flower, Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo, Castle Crashers, SSFIITHDR, andPac Man CE.SSFIITHDRhas reinforced the fact that I still inexplicably suck balls atStreet Fighter, but it isn’t stopping me from being super pumped forSFIVthis week. I’ve kicked enough ass inRival Schoolsover the years, it’s time for karma to bite me in the ass with a game I’m not so good at. Hurt pride will be a small price to pay for moreStreet Fighter. Come beat me up, I’ll stil be having a blast anyway.Jim Sterling:Oh yeah, also just started playingHalo Wars. It’s pretty muchCommand & Conquer, but with moreHaloz!Samit Sarkar:I got my hands on theKillzone 2demo this week, and I must say, it’s a fantastic little slice of the game. Obviously, it’s visually striking — that much was never in doubt — but thegameplayitself is what kept me coming back (I’ve played through the 10- to 15-minute demo three times now, and I’m definitely going to play it some more before the game’s release). The Helghast AI is some of the best I’ve seen in a videogame: they fight like you would expect real soldiers to fight, flushing you out from cover with grenades and by flanking you. Suffice it to say that the demo shut up the “it’s just another gray current-gen shooter” thoughts in me, and now I really want to buy the game.I also gave theResident Evil 5demo a shot, even though I’ve never played any of the prior games in the series for more than fifteen minutes or so. I was very apprehensive because of the whole you-can’t-move-while-you-shoot thing, and in fact, I died pretty quickly the first time I tried it. I don’t understand why the default control scheme (D, I believe) has you aim with theleftanalog stick instead of the right — luckily, using scheme A fixed all that, and I was able to complete “Public Assembly” on my second try. Even with a ten-minute demo, it’s easy to see how well-crafted the game is; the devs do a wonderful job of ratcheting up the tension (I was at low health the whole time and got a green herb just when I neeeded it). I could actually see myself enjoying this game.On Wednesday, EA had their Winter and Spring Preview event in Manhattan, which I attended; they were showing off a ton of games (at least 15), includingThe Godfather II(awesome fire effects),Battlefield 1943(looking like a tremendous value for a downloadable game),EA SPORTS Active(it may usurpWii Fit’s throne), andThe Sims 3(addictive). Look for previews on some of those games (and more) in the days to come.I beatFlowerin about two hours on Friday night, and they were two of the most fun hours I’ve had with videogames in a while. I didn’t have a problem with the more “game-y” aspects of the game — I’ve never disliked what people call “collect-a-thons” — and there’s a definite story arc in the game that evokes one hell of an emotional response.Flowermay not be for everyone, but I think everyone should at least try it regardless.Finally, I resumed my trek to Rivet City inFallout 3′s Capital Wasteland. That’s where I am right now, and I was enraged when I discovered that, just because I happened to duck into the Jefferson Memorial on my way to Rivet City, the game won’t allow me to get the Trophy for finishing my current main story quest (“Scientific Pursuits”). Apparently, you have to complete quest objectives in the order in which they are presented — there’s onlyone very specific orderfor each quest, and youhaveto do the quest that way if you want the Trophy for that quest. RAAAAAGE.Conrad Zimmerman:That’s interesting. I did a ton of stuff out of order on the 360 version and it awarded the achievements when I completed the quest line, regardless of how I went about it.Jim Sterling:PS3 version ofFallout 3RUINED, Xbox 360 version comes out tops. Confirmed!Samit Sarkar:Well, I haven’t actually completed the quest yet, so I’m not sure if I won’t get the Trophy. But I’ve already talked to Dr. Li, and said “I’ve already visited Project Purity, he’s not there,” and the game still gives me the objective “Talk to Doctor Li.” It’s weird. Plus, there’sthis, which is what really worries me.
I’ve been playing a ton of Monolith’sF.E.A.R. 2: Project Originover this weekend. I finished the single-player campaign a few hours ago and I can’t think of any rational words to describe it. I feel like David Jaffe after catching someGod of War IIIfootage, except my experience is more in the “What the hell?” realm than, “OH MY GOD, KRATOS JUST PWNED THAT GUY’S INTESTINES!!!!”
I don’t want to steal my ownF.E.A.R. 2thunder (review forthcoming), so I’ll switch the subject to the last movie I saw:Babylon A.D.It’s a typical Vin Diesel sci-fi movie — Diesel plays a space tough guy, reluctant to save the day. I know you’re already thinking that it’s boring, but I assure you the movie is amazing. I can only hope the above video can prove it to you.
Anyway, it’s the end of the week and we’ve been playing some games. Hit the break to check out which ones and don’t forget to tell us what you’ve been playing.
Jim Sterling:In between coughing fits, I’ve been playingOnechanbaraandFEAR 2for review. I have to say thatFEAR 2is one of my first surprises of the year; that game is splendid, and this is coming from someone who hates the first. Highly recommended playing for anybody who wants a game that actually manages to creep you out now and then, while also having a mech section.
Conrad Zimmerman:I, too, have been playingOnechanbarafor review, as well asMy World My Way.And I just picked upRetro Game Challengethis afternoon and, while I’m only a short bit in, am finding it to be highly charming.
Justin Villasenor:It’s mostly been strategy games for me this week:Supreme CommanderandRome: Total War, in particular.
Jonathan Ross:Left 4 DeadandTF2, of course. Checked outFlower, which was kind of neat but I dunno how much I’ll play it. Been playingMy World My WayandRetro Game Challengeon DS, both of which I love, and I managed to squeeze in a littleSF2 HD Remixon the 360. Oh, andOnechanbara, which was…interesting.
Hamza Aziz:I’ve been playing getting my corrupted computer somewhat fixed, possibly losing 20GBs worth of music, and banning trolls. Yay.
Tom Fronczak:Dota Dota Dotaand moreDota. And a bit more ofPuzzle Quest. I’m finally at the point inDotawhere I can’t call myself a noob anymore and have moved comfortably onto normal mode instead of easy mode. However, I’ve only been playing RD mode lately, I should try AR more often. Still plenty to learn though, plus the constant updates.
Tron Knotts:I have no idea what you just said, Fronz.
As for me, I wish I was playingRetro Game ChallengeandBig Bang Mini, as I finally managed to find both of them in stores. Problem is, I gave my DS to my mom, so until the DSi comes out, I’ve got nothing to play them on. The wait it killing me!
In the meantime, I’ve been playingHouse of the Dead: Overkill, which has turned out to be much funnier than I thought it would be. Also got back intoAnimal Crossing: City Folkafter a couple weeks hiatus (winter can be boring), and am just about to start in onOnechanbara: Bikini Zombie Slayers.
Oh, and how could I forgetLocoRoco 2? It’s amazing.
Dale North:Jim, I’ve got the fucking SARS too. Hate it.
Anyway, I’ve been enjoying Atlus’Steal Princessstill, especially on airplanes. I’ve also been playing a littleUT3here lately, too. Most of my time has been spent replaying the firstYakuzaon PS2 in preparation for the Japanese PS3 that I’m about to try to muddle my way through. I still love this game, and yes, I’m going to playYakuza 2again too.
Brad Rice:Been slowly making my way throughResident Evil 4, but I’m much happier about finally getting to playLeft 4 Deadon my friend’s PC. Been playing it two-player split-screen — I wish we had four players together working on this, just because I’d like to have a greater opportunity to use the sniper rifle.
Jordan “Grim” Devore:It’s been another busy week for me, and I’ve only really had time to play the PSP port ofPaRappa the RapperandBurnout Paradisefor Friday Night Fights.
Nick Chester:Been playing a bit ofStreet Fighter IV, mostly against A.I. (Seth is a teleportation spamming little biznatch) — looking forward to getting some human competition. Also receivedHenry Hatsworthfor the DS, although I haven’t gotten much farther than the stuff I had played last year. Loving it so far. I intend to playFlowersometime today, despite our somewhat divided Destructoid review.
Topher Cantler:My whole gaming week consisted of downloadable titles.Flower, Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo, Castle Crashers, SSFIITHDR, andPac Man CE.SSFIITHDRhas reinforced the fact that I still inexplicably suck balls atStreet Fighter, but it isn’t stopping me from being super pumped forSFIVthis week. I’ve kicked enough ass inRival Schoolsover the years, it’s time for karma to bite me in the ass with a game I’m not so good at. Hurt pride will be a small price to pay for moreStreet Fighter. Come beat me up, I’ll stil be having a blast anyway.
Jim Sterling:Oh yeah, also just started playingHalo Wars. It’s pretty muchCommand & Conquer, but with moreHaloz!
Samit Sarkar:I got my hands on theKillzone 2demo this week, and I must say, it’s a fantastic little slice of the game. Obviously, it’s visually striking — that much was never in doubt — but thegameplayitself is what kept me coming back (I’ve played through the 10- to 15-minute demo three times now, and I’m definitely going to play it some more before the game’s release). The Helghast AI is some of the best I’ve seen in a videogame: they fight like you would expect real soldiers to fight, flushing you out from cover with grenades and by flanking you. Suffice it to say that the demo shut up the “it’s just another gray current-gen shooter” thoughts in me, and now I really want to buy the game.
I also gave theResident Evil 5demo a shot, even though I’ve never played any of the prior games in the series for more than fifteen minutes or so. I was very apprehensive because of the whole you-can’t-move-while-you-shoot thing, and in fact, I died pretty quickly the first time I tried it. I don’t understand why the default control scheme (D, I believe) has you aim with theleftanalog stick instead of the right — luckily, using scheme A fixed all that, and I was able to complete “Public Assembly” on my second try. Even with a ten-minute demo, it’s easy to see how well-crafted the game is; the devs do a wonderful job of ratcheting up the tension (I was at low health the whole time and got a green herb just when I neeeded it). I could actually see myself enjoying this game.
On Wednesday, EA had their Winter and Spring Preview event in Manhattan, which I attended; they were showing off a ton of games (at least 15), includingThe Godfather II(awesome fire effects),Battlefield 1943(looking like a tremendous value for a downloadable game),EA SPORTS Active(it may usurpWii Fit’s throne), andThe Sims 3(addictive). Look for previews on some of those games (and more) in the days to come.
I beatFlowerin about two hours on Friday night, and they were two of the most fun hours I’ve had with videogames in a while. I didn’t have a problem with the more “game-y” aspects of the game — I’ve never disliked what people call “collect-a-thons” — and there’s a definite story arc in the game that evokes one hell of an emotional response.Flowermay not be for everyone, but I think everyone should at least try it regardless.
Finally, I resumed my trek to Rivet City inFallout 3′s Capital Wasteland. That’s where I am right now, and I was enraged when I discovered that, just because I happened to duck into the Jefferson Memorial on my way to Rivet City, the game won’t allow me to get the Trophy for finishing my current main story quest (“Scientific Pursuits”). Apparently, you have to complete quest objectives in the order in which they are presented — there’s onlyone very specific orderfor each quest, and youhaveto do the quest that way if you want the Trophy for that quest. RAAAAAGE.
Conrad Zimmerman:That’s interesting. I did a ton of stuff out of order on the 360 version and it awarded the achievements when I completed the quest line, regardless of how I went about it.
Jim Sterling:PS3 version ofFallout 3RUINED, Xbox 360 version comes out tops. Confirmed!
Samit Sarkar:Well, I haven’t actually completed the quest yet, so I’m not sure if I won’t get the Trophy. But I’ve already talked to Dr. Li, and said “I’ve already visited Project Purity, he’s not there,” and the game still gives me the objective “Talk to Doctor Li.” It’s weird. Plus, there’sthis, which is what really worries me.
