Issue 3: Mid-April, 2009

Latest Happenings:

The pre-E3 hype machine is starting to rumble to life. Exciting times are on the horizon. 2007 and then 2008 were arguably two of the best years our industry have ever seen. Games like Mass Effect, Bioshock, Halo 3 (still a multiplayer juggernaut), Call of Duty 4, Assassin’s Creed, Uncharted, Fable II, Gears of War 2…all games that blew the lid off gaming in one way or another. And, they almost all have sequels, or continuations in the case of Halo and Fable, on the way. So far we know about those sequels, with Assassin’s Creed 2 just popping up to tease. The setting sounds really interesting and being that I’m an amateur history buff, I like what they’re doing with the series. Granted, the first game wasn’t perfect, but they did do a lot of things right. It sounds like they listened to the fans and are learning from their mistakes. I also expect there to be a few big-name surprises at E3, as well. Oh, and the obligatory “here’s an old classic that you’ve all been waiting for…buckle your seatbelts, core gaming audience….expect we’ve dumbed it down so Aunt Linda can play…..I present you with….Kid Icarus can Cook! for the Nintendo Wii and DSi!” I hate you, Reggie Fils-Aime. I hate you.

Oh, and the rumors of a new PSP for Christmas continue to gain momentum. I’m intrigued, Sony. Tell me more.

Irresponsible Reviews:

Note: These are called “irresponsible reviews” because I’m basing my review on a very short time playing the game. A responsible reviewer would play a game in it’s entirety before making a blanket statement damning it to the ether of shovelware. I’m not that guy.

• Tom Clancy’s Hawx (demo)
• Playtime: 10 Minutes
• Review: I haven’t played a flying game since Afterburner II on the Genesis/Arcade. I liked those types of games back in the day, but as they progressed they moved towards the simulator type of game. I’m more of an arcade style of gamer. What lured me to try Hawx was the graphics and the google maps technology. My understanding is that Ubisoft partnered with google to have real time updated images of real places via satellite. That’s very cool! They also partnered with real companies to develop the in game planes. Beyond that, the graphics were unbelievable. The control was decent and the gameplay was pretty fun. I didn’t know exactly what I was doing, but it wasn’t too complicated.
• Verdict: A pleasantly surprised thumbs up!

• Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena (demo)
• Playtime: 15 minutes
• Review: Heard good things about the first Riddick game on Xbox and initially heard good things about this one, too. The demo was straight forward and easy to get into. The graphics are very good, especially the menus….very well done. Control was very good, as well. The atmosphere pulled you in. I got stuck in a drone lab thing and couldn’t figure out how to get out. That coupled with my never-ending bout with motion sickness when playing FPS’ ultimately led me to turn the demo off.
• Verdict: A lot of potential and very promising. I liked what I played, before I got stuck and almost barfed. If you liked Halo and Bioshock, this is probably a worthwhile purchase. Thumbs up!

• Dig Dug (Xbox Live Arcade)
• Playtime: One hour
• Review: I wonder what someone in their teens would think of this game? I, like many gamers, grew up with gaming and cut my teeth on games like Dig Dug. There is nostalgia there. I remember borrowing this game from my older cousin along with the paddles. It was like Christmas. This was back when games for the Atari 2600 cost a lot of money and you couldn’t rent them. There weren’t exactly easily accessible. So, to try out a game was truly something special. The xbox live release isn’t any different than the arcade version, aside from the matte graphics and achievements. It’s still simple, still challenging in the later stages, and still mildly entertaining.
• Verdict: I got this game for 200 MS Points on Live. That’s $2.50 in real world dollars and about as cheap as a “full” game will ever get on Live. I wouldn’t pay 400 ($5) points for it, though. So, if you can get it cheap and appreciate the classics….eh, why not.

Status Report:

Took a break from Star Ocean IV. Not a bad game, I just needed something that moved at a little more of a brisk pace. Popped in Fable 2 and downloaded Knothole Island. It was very fun and the weather effects were fantastic. But, it only lasted a couple of hours. I wanted to, and ultimately did, shoot that village leader in the face. But you know what, $10 for these add-on levels is a bit much, even if they are good.

Anyway, played through Knothole Island, completed those challenges. Then went on to grind on some achievements. Fable 2 is one of those rare games that I can keep going to. Usually, when I beat a game, it’s done. D E D dead and done. I never go back. But, this game keeps compelling me to come back just because it’s fun. I spent an hour last night just exploring (and resisting arrest, but I digress). I’m really looking forward to the new expansion coming out in May. I have high hopes.

Latest Haul:

Have I ever mentioned how much I love Cheap Ass Gamer? Due to the beloved website, I scored four new games for $65 last weekend at Blockbuster. Scored Uncharted for $20, Heavenly Sword for $15, Folklore for $10 and Assassin's Creed (Xbox 360) for $15. Now, I just need a PS3. At least I'll be ready when I finally get it later this year. I have to give myself some credit though. I did pass on Ratchet and Clank ToD for $20, Lego Batman for $20, and a bunch of other games for less than $20 that I normally would have picked up.

On the Horizon:

Couple of quick things here……

Batman: Arkham Asylum Collectors Edition – Pic of the contents has finally come out. It looks cool and all, but is it really worth $40 for a batarang, journal about the villains and a nondescript “bonus DVD”? These CE/LE’s are getting a little old. And, to answer your question, yes I will be in line to reserve the ultra-mega-limited-collectors edition of Mass Effect 2, so suck it.

Final Fantasy VII Advent Children Complete – The re-envisioned “masterpiece” (not so much) is on it’s way to Blu Ray on June 2^nd. This version just launched in Japan with a playable demo of FF13. It isn’t confirmed that the domestic release will come with the demo, but nobody expects it to. Even though the original version was just okay, I’m really excited for this. … When will I learn?