Gameloft have descided to throw their hat into the FACEBOOK ring. If your into those Farmville style games. Green Farm is right up your alley. Plant and sow, buy and sell and gift presents to your mates on Facebook. Have farm animals running around the place. Green Farm has a semi Anime style of feel to it and graphically looks very polished even though its currently in beta.
I’ve already made it to level 3 (Yes MasterAbbott is a super Green Thumb Farmer !!) Check it out below 😉
The Greg Hastings Paintball series has pretty much grew into the “Madden” franchise so to speak for the sport of paintball. With 62 locations, online multi-player with up to 20 players and 3 branches of career mode, this title offers up a load of content and fan service for paintball lovers. Here is my Review of Greg Hastings Paintball 2.
Story
In Career Mode, you start out as a rookie paintball player. There are three different paths to choose from, Tournament Speedball, Recball, and Tournament Woodsball. Greg is the guide from the start and will be heard throughout the career mode explaining tips and a bit of information about each game type you will be facing. This was a huge plus for me as I am not too familiar with paintball and the tips and tutorials unlike some titles out there actually were very helpful and taught me a lot about the differences between various guns field types.
The further you progress through your career, the more you can unlock through the games in game currency system allowing for upgrades to your guns and gear. Career Mode is rather simple for the most part, beat a team in the set number of rounds given and move on to the next. While it was a bit simple though, I found the overall experience to be rewarding and the game kept it fresh by mixing up the match types and different fields.
Gameplay
GHP2 offers many different things in the gameplay department. From Capture The Flag to Assault and many other game types, the content is surely enough to keep you busy, but my biggest worry was how the game would control. I was happy to find out that nearly every function can be customized to the player’s liking making the ability to control your character a comfortable and easy experience by simply changing the settings. As far as the default controls go, I really found nothing wrong with those at all but as fast paced as this title is, it is nice to be able to adjust small areas such as turn speed for more precise movement and shooting. Movements work well and there are three positions you can adjust to, standing, crouching, or prone. It is also very easy to pull off a quick dive to duck behind cover when being shot at.
Speaking of shooting, the guns to their job well and with practice, it is relatively easy to get down the methods of how to hit your targets as sometimes you may find the wind speeds to play into how accurate your shot is. You can also change the hand you carry the gun at anytime during a match which is very useful for what section of the field you are on. Focusing on a target will improve accuracy, but will play into speed and sight range. The guns all feel and react very realistically so skill is something the game does make you earn over time and the learning curve might be a bit much for some players out there but if you stick with it, the fun of that you can get out of the title will start to shine through and the game becomes very enjoyable.
One part of the game that was a mixed bag was the AI. At times my team members would stand on the wrong side of the cover and get eliminated quickly by the opposing team. I also was literally pushed out of my cover a few times which was comedic but did hurt the outcome of a match more than once and made me feel that a lot of AI was preset and a bit robotic. The AI players seem to always want to run down the middle of the field for CTF matches after they grab the flag making them easy targets for the opponents so in many cases it may feel like you need to be a one man team to win a match.
You can however control your team with certain actions such as sending them to various points in the field or to defend an area which doesn’t really fix the problems with your team, but it does help to get them in the areas you feel they need to be. The opponents AI is usually smart for the most part though and can create quite a challenge with some unpredictable strategies that add a lot of fun to a match. There is also a “Cheat Meter” which lets you have a cheating by hitting the correct spot on the meter to wipe the paint off. Most of the time this won’t be helpful as I seemed to get pelted right after pulling this off (which was difficult to start with).
My best advice is to go into Greg Hastings Paintball 2 without the readiness to play your typical FPS. I learned quickly that the game’s engine is purely focuses on the sport of paintball. Learning and listening to the tutorials and minor tips really do sort out any confusion of how to play.
Graphics/Audio
In the graphics department, it seems like more was focused on the little things than the overall experience. The fields and even the players themselves are rather generic. Yes, the fields do FEEL different, but the bland textures do not make them LOOK different aside from colors and terrain. Each player in the game also looks dated and it can be hard to distinguish one from the next. With that said, I was surprised to see how well little details were handled. Your goggles can fog up from a dive with heavy breath and you can have soaked eyesight from the paint, rain, or mud which helped me get past the other graphical problems.
The music in the game is mainly upbeat rock tracks which fit well. Each character is given a voice which they use during the matches from the AI competitors and were actually kind of smart. I could hear a team member shout that they were going to get the flag and I would instantly see their model make their way to that point which was rather cool and I was happy to see how well the voice commands matched up with the somewhat flawed AI. There is also a virtual crowd that burst out during exciting moments of each match but they can drown out crucial things such as the sound of footsteps approaching, which while realistic can be a bit frustrating due to how many times the crowd yells throughout a match.
Overall
Greg Hastings Paintball 2 was a rather pleasant surprise. There are quite a few flaws within the game without a doubt but I feel like if you are a paintball fan, you really won’t mind these as this title pays so much attention to detail when it comes to the guns and real-life field recreations it can outweigh the negative aspects of the game very easily.
Even if you are not a paintball fan, I would say give this title at least a try before you put it off for it’s lacking presentation. I found myself having a lot of fun in the online and offline modes and the engine used is quite addictive and is truly unique. The minor details in the game were pleasant to see and the career mode was challenging and enjoyable and kept the whole process of moving through from being too monotonous. With a ton of content,a field editor,online & local multi-player and even a single player exhibition, Greg Hastings Paintball 2 is a solid title that overcomes its flaws by being full of content and fan service.
The highly anticipated Medal of Honor is going to be holding an open multiplayer beta from October 4th through the 8th for PC users. I have personally played it on the Xbox 360, and it is definitely worth trying out. Several sites will be providing the downloadable client, and the entire list is here.
Details
Medal of Honor’s multiplayer provides two opposing forces: the Coalition and the recently renamed “OPFOR” (previously the Taliban). In the beta, there will be two different maps available. One is the Shahikot Mountains where players will be able to play the Combat Mission mode. In Combat Mission, the Coalition has five consecutive bases to capture while the OPFOR tries to defend them. Each base is timed, and if time runs out then the OPFOR wins.
The other map is the Kunar Base where players will be able to play the Sector Control mode. The Sector Control mode is pretty much exactly how it sounds: each team will try to control sectors (bases). The longer that the team controls each base, the higher the score.
When used in the proper context, PS3 controllers and explosions are a wonderful thing. However, if PS3 controllers are the things exploding, it leads to lawsuits and warnings from Sony. Therefore, Sony killed off the Snakebyte controller in Firmware 3.50. But the wired Snakebyte controller will still work with your PS3. If you want your current Snakebyte controller repaired or returned after October 5, 2010, you can apply for their mailing list. They will also be sending a free HDMI cable as an apology.
Snakebyte’s official stance on the matter: “As a brand and manufacturer with a dedication to quality and a history of producing high-quality products, Snakebyte strongly distances itself from this statement. The so-called ‘”counterfeit controllers”‘ (copies of the Dual Shock 3) don’t only damage Sony Computer Entertainment’s bottom line – they put established third-party manufacturers under price pressure as well. The unsubstantiated announcement cited above implies that an award-winning, certified product like the Snakebyte Premium Bluetooth controller for the PlayStation 3 is also a danger to consumers that ‘”may ignite or explode.”‘
“Snakebyte is dedicated to making high-quality products that offer our customers a better gaming experience. We’re proud of our products and, especially in this case, we stand by them. A technical solution to the problem already exists, and we ask for your patience as we prepare to roll it out.” Sounds like firmware won’t stop them.
With an opening song that makes fun of the last season’s opening the show quickly sets the tone for the whole series yet again for being full of hilariousness bordering on plain idiotic, and even perverseness mixed in-between. The actual opening for this series thankfully will be something entirely different as this was purely for comedic purposes.
We start with Tomoki waking up in the morning after dreaming of an angel in his dreams telling him to beware the angel, only to wake up to Ikaros and Nymph wanting him to get ready for school, only for him to suffer angel missiles being fired right into where it hurts the most, all the while with a big smile on his face. After arriving at school Tomoki again has the same dream in class and the group plans to enter his dreams to find out what they truly are about.
The name of the game from Synapse is the Dive game, where angeloid’s allow their masters to enter different people’s dreams and experience them as if they were real life. What would have sounded like a great idea, only devolves into a hilarious romp through all of the main characters dreams which provides a laughable insight into Eishirou, Mikako, and Sohara’s inner thoughts.
Out of them all the most unexpected was Mikako with her dreams full of murder and destruction where she rips apart not only the enemy but begins to go after her friends in a homicidal rage that befits her Yakuza origins. Then we even see Sohara’s dreams. Surprisingly enough Sohara always came off as innocent and always beating the heck out of Tomoki for his perverted actions lead us to believe she hates perverted things. Though one peak into her dreams where she has Tomoki all over her in many hilarious ways was completely unexpected but the ensuing mental breakdown was enjoyable to watch.
As it turns out the reason that they had yet to be able into Tomoki’s mind is that there has been some sort of protection placed over his mind, which brings the question up: Who is protecting Tomoki and why? Then again with the various dreams that they did experience the least of their worries should be a little bit of protection.
As they enter the dream world yet again however, Tomoki tells everyone that this is still not his dream, but instead they are standing on a barren field with a stone monument in the middle that has writing that none of the group can understand. They quickly leave and return to the real world to yell at Nymph though they quit trying at that point to find the dream that Tomoki has consistently been having
An interesting bit to note however is that Ikaros had been very reluctant to even allow Tomoki to do the Dive Game and then as they entered subsequent dreams she grew more and more reserved, but she refuses to speak about what is bothering her.
The very end of the show follows Eishirou with a seed that he had brought back from Tomoki’s dream only to realize that things brought back from a dream should have disappeared which gives the revelation that they may not have been in a dream at all. As he ponders this however a giant ball of light explodes into the ground near him.
Standing in the light is yet another angeloid, Astraea and she is out for Tomoki’s blood. She takes off quickly and leaves Eishirou behind stunned. Overall the episode was a great starter with many enjoyable moments, especially the dream sequences. The only negative I found was the fact that the main part of the story was introduced so late in the first episode that it barely set up any story structure from the getgo.
Stealth missions can be either really hard or one of your favorite missions depending on your play style. But you won’t have to worry too hard about one specific stealth mission thanks to the new video that Ubisoft has released which has a full voice over walkthrough from Ubisoft and also demonstrates the new combat system which emphasizes attacking instead of defending.
I won’t keep you too long so you can watch the video to help tantalize yourself even more for it’s November 16th release date on the PS3 and 360.
Ready to make thugs blow up in giant fountains of blood? Then look no further than the trailer below for Fist of the North Star which will arrive on shelves November 2nd. We see main protagonist Ken tearing apart identical looking thugs like they were nothing, which brings about memories of Koei’s popular Dynasty Warriors Series. Except Ken makes people swell up and blow up like huge blood balloons.
The trailer also shows off Ken’s Hokuto Shinken which involves striking the bodies vital points causing them to die in very brutal ways. We also see the English voice dub in action which sounds very similar to the original voices used in the Anime dub, though if it isn’t to your liking there has been a confirmed original Japanese voice over with subtitles.
This week Criterion Games revealed some new cars for Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit. Let’s detail them:
Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione
Designed with the intention of giving the venerable Italian performance car company a sports car designed to compete with Ferrari and Lamborghini, the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione is an impressive feat of automotive engineering, while also maintaining the classic Alfa looks and performance.
Ford Shelby GT500
Carroll Shelby is the king of purpose-built race cars that can also be driven on city streets. He started his collaboration with the Ford Mustang in 1965, building the Shelby GT350, a raw, unabashed American muscle machine.
Aston Martin One-77
With only 77 examples being manufactured, the Aston Martin One-77 is one of the rarest cars on the planet, with each one tailored individually to each owner’s specifications, effectively making every car one-of-a-kind. But that’s not even the best thing about the One-77.
BMW M3 E92
The fourth-generation – or E92 – BMW M3 marks a departure from the past in one way, and a return to it in another, with both combining to create an outstanding vehicle. The new engine is just as quick as it is fast, rushing from 0-60 in only 4.1 seconds, with a top speed of more than 180 mph when the electronic limiter is turned off.
Koenigsegg CCXR Edition
Only available as a special order from the Koenigsegg factory, the CCXR Edition is an exceedingly rare supercar, with only 4 ever produced. If you thought the CCXR was rare, the Edition kicks exclusivity up a notch. Only one other Koenigsegg model, the CCXR Trevita, has a lower production number.
Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport
There are few cars in the history of automobiles with as much history as the Chevrolet Corvette, and the rarest Corvette of all was the Grand Sport, a purpose-built racecar constructed by Chevrolet in 1963 to compete with the Shelby Cobra.
Lamborghini Gallardo LP 560-4 (my favorite!)
As the ‘entry-level’ Lamborghini, the Gallardo is by far the most popular model sold by the company and has achieved a status as one of the best performance vehicles available today. The LP560-4, which was introduced in 2008, continues in the tradition of outstanding performance.
Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit return the series to it’s roots, with sport cars, paradisiac tracks and the cop versus racers formula. The game is set to be released on November 16, for PC, PS3 and Xbox 360. The latest trailer can be seen right below.
The geniuses over at cracked.com have put together a collection of video game easter eggs that literally took years to find, an accomplishment not so uncommon (I’m looking at you Mega Man 9 secret >.>). Click on over there to read up on it, interesting stuff as always from the cracked laboratories.
With dozens of Game of the Year awards under his belt, Duke remains the King of Action. Larger than life action is what Duke is all about, mixed with humor and innovative explosive action in this 20+ hour game.
Los Angeles. Under attack by aliens intent on stealing our chicks for breeding. Duke Nukem springs into action dealing damage like only he can, making his “insightful” comments along the way. If you’ve never played a Duke game, this is your chance to see why he’s been a fan favorite since 1991, with over 18 original Duke Nukem games since that time. Duke Nukem is not the typical faceless hero — he’s an in-your-face hero who has a personality that doesn’t quit. Yes, it’s a B-movie plot, but that’s what makes it fun!
