Hey guys, I just wanted to let everyone know that we are working on some minor maybe major changes here for the site. We want to change up the layout a bit and maybe add some more stuff. Nothing too big but we want to have a new look ready for 2008. I will be working on the layout as much as possible and will have it done on Jan. 1st 2008. Hopefully sometime by the end of the day so make sure to check back that night. I know we are a young blog but thanks for all the support out there and we want to continue to keep growing and growing. Hopefully 2008 will be a year like we’ve never expected. See you guys then!!
The first game to catch my attention on the PS3, which otherwise functions as a demo center and my Blu-Ray and DVD player, ends up my game of the year. Let me start by saying I am a 360 guy….if it’s on both platforms I go 360 where my library is, a game has to be something special to warrant a purchase. (Other than Spider-man 3 this is my only PS3 game at this time) The Drake demo really impressed me and the game is even far more impressive. The game is brought to us by Naughty Dog, the developer of the Crash Bandicoot and Jak & Daxter franchises. (Both personal favs) The game is a throwback to the old serials, much like Indiana Jones. Here’s what makes this game truly great. Visuals, Characters, Story: Great adventure story, told with amazing gameplay and cinemas. You can’t tell when the cinemas end and the gameplay starts. I actually sat and watched 2 characters talking onscreen for a few minutes before I realized I was able to control it. The voicework and motion capture is the most realistic I have seen/heard. This is by far the best looking current generation console game I have seen on either PS3 or 360…wii doesn’t count The level of detail, interaction, and scale in this game is amazing. Variety: The scenery and locales of the game vary, as does the gameplay. For the most part you are in adventure mode, climbing, running, figuring puzzles, etc as well as gunplay and shooting. The targeting is great, and you can never run and gun, you have to make use of cover and being careful/patient. I did very little hand to hand combat and mostly shot folks. There are few opportunities where the gameplay totally changes and lets to steer a jet-ski and in one of the games best sequences, throw grenades and shoot from the back of a jeep as it barrels along a jungle cliff path near waterfalls. There are no level breaks, as you progress through the story and locations every so often a title card will comes across the top giving a Chapter Number and Title. There are also parts of the game like ‘Shenmue’ where during a cinema you might have to quickly press triangle to avoid being crushed by rocks, or push square to block a punch from the villain during the final fight scene. Bonus: There are some really great DVD type features on the different aspects of making the game, and although the PS3 doesn’t have an ‘achievement system’ like xbox360 this game does. As you get through the game and find other treasures and complete the game on different difficulty levels you unlock reward points from a total of 1,000 much like 360 games. If only it would be part of my gamertag as well. Conclusion: I rarely purchase a new release game, I often wait until they hit that magic $20 price range but this game was worth it and then some. From the demos I have played on the PS3 I am confident that this is the best game on the system and would give anything on the 360 a run for its money. I hope that the success of this game leads it to being a headlining franchise for the PS3 as Crash and Jak were for the PS1 and PS2.
My wife bought me two great games for Christmas this year. One being Assassins Creed and the other Call of Duty 4 for DS. I had made my mind that I wanted Assassins Creed because of all the things I had heard about it and I really wanted to get COD4 for DS because it is the first FPS for DS since Metroid Prime Hunters and the recently released Dementium and also Garnett Lee spoke highly of it on the 1UP Yours podcast. I played about 30 min to an hour through Assassins Creed and so far I love it. I was absolutely blown away by the way the game looks. It is stunning. There is no doubt in my mind that this is one of the best looking games on the Xbox 360. I know a lot of complaints came from the repetitiveness of the game and I have only played the beginning so I cannot comment on that. I still think that this game is going to be great as I just love to jump and climb on everything in sight. In my opinion Altair’s movements are so smooth that they almost look like a cinematic. I can’t wait to start playing the rest of the game and I will post my full thoughts on Assassins Creed once I finish. As for Call of Duty 4, this game is great too. The controls take time to get used to but you will get used to them as you play so there is nothing to worry about there. I found myself tweaking the sensitivity to make the controls less sensitive only to change them back once I got used to it because I realized they weren’t sensitive enough. I really like being able to play an FPS on my DS and COD4 really delivers. My only complaint about the game is not including online multiplayer. The game includes local multiplayer but it would have such a high replay value if you could play against other people online over wi-fi. Check back for my full thoughts on the game once I finish it. Click the thumbnails below for a larger image.
From everyone at the YNFVGB Family, we want to thank you guys for making the blog 1,000 visitors strong. This doesn’t include subscriptions, RSS readers, or any email programs so I am guessing the number of readers is significantly higher. I just wanted to thank all the readers and let you guys know that we have no plans to stop doing what we are doing here so keep coming back and spread the word about the blog to help us grow!!
I downloaded the trial version of SWOS yesterday. It was fun but it was also pretty difficult. When the trial ended the score was 1-2. I had only scored a point because of a foul. For anyone who doesn’t know SWOS is a very fast paced soccer game. I really like the simplicity of it. I think that after playing it a few more times I will get the hang of it. If you haven’t downloaded the trial then make sure you stop over to the Xbox Marketplace and give it a try. Even if you don’t like soccer you may like this game.
Gamefly is running a Year-End Sale through Jan 4th. Titles for PS3, PS2, 360, Wii, and DS. Some good deals to be had, finally picked up a copy of Ghost Recon 2 for less than $20. Gamefly used games come with everything and often look Brand New, especially the cases as they are just opened and the game disc is rented out through the mail.
From the YNFVGB Family we wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
We wish for the blog to grow and the podcast to reach as many people as possible- we want your feedback!
The 2nd Episode from yournewfavoritevideogameblog.blogspot.com is available now. Click here to download or subscribe through iTunes. The quality of the podcast is improving but there are times when it may be hard to hear what Kurt is saying because it blanks out. We hope you enjoy it and please feel free to let us know what you think. In this podcast we talk about Maroon 5 the B Sides Collection, the Frontlines:Fuel of War demo, and The Hobbit. Enjoy!
In case you guys didn’t know I have been having trouble getting the podcast to download through iTunes. Well I think that I finally fixed the problem. Since iTunes updates every 24 hours the podcast still won’t be working until they update it. I don’t want to confuse anyone more than I have to so just wait and I will tell you when it will be available and working. Sorry for any inconvenience. Also thanks for listening to the podcast. I hope everyone likes it. We are trying to bust out another one before Christmas but it might be hard. If not, you can expect one before the new year.
I had time to sit down and play the Frontlines: Fuel of War demo last night. I haven’t been following the game at all up to this point but I had read a preview in Game Informer the other day so I could get an idea of what the game was about before I played the demo. After reading the preview I was kinda siked for the demo. It seemed very similar to GRAW because of the use of drones. During the demo you have to recon various points on the map by defending them until they are “captured” or in other words until the “progress bar” reaches the end. The controls are okay. You reload with the left button which took some time to get used to right after playing Halo 3. One feature I really like and I think that more games should incorporate is the sprint button. FFOW uses the Right Button for sprinting. Also the Left Trigger throws grenades. So the whole first half of the demo’s objectives were to recon the various spots on the map. It took me pretty many tries until I finally captured all the points. I thought the demo would end there but it didn’t. In the second half you take control of a tank. I didn’t have enough time to play through the tank segment so I can’t say anything more about it. All in all the demo has got me interested in the title. I wasn’t blown away and I have my doubts but this game seems pretty solid for what it is. It was a good idea on their part to throw out a demo on marketplace otherwise I wouldn’t have even known about the game.
3 months after airing their season finales, USA Network has pulled the plug on 2 of their best shows: 4400 and The Dead Zone. Not sure why it took 3 months to announce they were canceled, but it probably has to do with the strike. Dead Zone wasn’t the most consistent show, but was one of the best- and 4400 showed us what ‘Heroes’ could have been…
Here is a teaser trailer for Rainbow Six Vegas 2. Get the full details about the sequel to one of the best games of 2006 by checking out IGN’s interview with Jean-Pascal Cambiotti, the lead game designer for RSV2.
2007 is definitely a year to remember. It’s a great time to be a gamer and I believe it will only get better from here on out. We have many hard titles to choose from this year and the pick for Game of the Year is no easy choice but someone has to choose. I would pick at least 5 games if I could but only one game can take the title of GOTY for 2007. Some argue Super Mario Galaxy should take the title. Yes it deserves game of the year but we’ve played Mario in a 3D world before, it’s not really that new. What about Halo 3? Most believe it deserves game of the year but to me it was just a third update to the first Halo, basically all they did was perfect the first game and call it Halo 3. Are you sure it’s not the Mountain Dew and all of the media surrounding it that makes you think it’s the game of all games? Yes Call of Duty 4 deserves game of the year but it was just another iteration of the COD games. I love that they kicked the WWII bucket out the window but it’s still COD. Yes the Orange Box deserves to be game of the year but it has 5 games to help it win so that shouldn’t count, plus over half of the games were released prior to TOB which leads me to my choice for GOTY, BioShock. BioShock is new. It hasn’t been done before. It has an amazing story and a fresh art style that we haven’t ever seen before. Rapture takes you in and makes you a part of it. Rapture is a place you experience, not just a game. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love all the games stated above. But if I have to pick one that stands above them all for the year it is BioShock. *Disagree? Voice your opinion in the comments section below.
Released today via Xbox Live is a demo for Kane And Lynch: Dead Men. For all you people who want to see if K&L is worth your money now is the time. I personally was waiting for a K&L demo because I thought the game looked interesting. Now I can see for myself. This could be one of those times when a demo is bad though. We’ll see if it helps sales. Another demo that is available for download is Frontlines: Fuel of War. I haven’t been following this game prior to the demo but after reading a preview in Game Informer I am very excited for this demo. Check back for my full thoughts of both demos.
Yesterday a firmware update (3.80) for PSP was released adding Internet Radio to the PSP. I am very impressed with the feature even though it seems to be playing through a browser instead of actually being on the PSP itself. I can’t confirm it but that’s how it seems. Once you install the update you then go to “About Internet Radio” on the PSP screen. Read about it and then you will be given an option to download it. Download and enjoy. It might seem a little complicated at first but you will get the hang of it. I also like how they have radio-type noises that play while you are changing from station to station. The sound quality is great and I didn’t experience any lagging. They have many different genres to choose from. I listened to Polish radio stations with my wife. I was surprised that it was even a genre. I suggest you take the time to download and install it. It’s good stuff.
So I’m a big Maroon 5 fan, have been for a long time. Today Itunes released a ‘B-Sides Collection’ from the band. These are tracks that didn’t make the cut for ‘It Won’t Be Soon Before Long’. Don’t take that to mean they are ‘rejects’ though- these songs are incredible and would have been right at home on the studio release. I wouldn’t replace or swap because the album is darn near perfect as is…
They seriously could have added a few more tracks and just released a whole other album!
So the tracks are Story, Infatuation, Figure It Out, The Way I Was, Losing My Mind, Until You’re Over Me, Miss You Love You. I won’t talk about each track, but if you are a Maroon 5 Fan even casually you need to purchase these songs. Before this was released I had 2 of the tracks already and I’m not sure these guys have written a bad song yet…
The first official YNFVGB Podcast is available for download now. There is a link included in this post that will direct you to the download (just click here) and there is also a link in the sidebar that will take you to the download. I am very proud of our first podcast even though there are a few minor problems. Some problems I noticed include: Kurt might be hard to hear, the quality on his end wasn’t that great either because of the type of microphone he had to use. Next, I didn’t realize it till after we were done recording but the mic was too close to my mouth so it may sound weird at times. Other than that I am very proud of the podcast, I hope you guys enjoy it and please give us feedback here at the site. Leave a comment and let us know what you think. We are new to the whole podcast recording so I can promise you that things will only get better from here on out. We had a lot of fun with this podcast so we will definitely continue with it and there will be more available for download in the future. We are not sure how often at this point but we hope to do it weekly. I will also try to get the podcast up on iTunes so you can download it from there. Until then if you wish to download it through iTunes click advanced at the top of iTunes, then “Subcribe to podcast” then just copy the link below:
Kurt and I recorded our first episode of the YNFVGB podcast last night. It’s currently being uploaded and will soon be available for download. More details later today…
I took time to make sure I downloaded the demo for Burnout Paradise. I am a fan of the Burnout series. Not huge, but I did finish the first two and played through a good chunk of Revenge. The Burnout series is definitely going in a different direction with this game. My first complaint about the demo was that it took to long to get started. You have to go through a tutorial type segment before you can really start. If you have the patience then this will be no problem. Next my expectations were a little high going into the demo and I heard that it was a big open world sandbox type game. It is no doubt but I was a little disappointed because the world just felt like all the other tracks I have raced in previous Burnouts put together to make a world/city. Yes it’s an open world, big deal. It still felt the same, almost more confusing. I obviously didn’t see the whole city but it didn’t seem fresh enough for me. I do think the game may be a little more complicated than the others but I haven’t spent enough time to really get to know how the game works to the full extent. I’ve heard a lot of good things about the game and the potential is there. I guess we’ll see when the full game releases. I personally just wasn’t feeling it.
ABC announced their schedule for the new year. LOST will be now shown on Thursdays at 9:00pm. The 8 episode 4th season will premier January 31st. ABC decided to go with the 8 episodes instead of nothing deal even after Carlton and Lindelof suggested that they don’t. There is word that episode 8 ends with a huge cliffhanger. No word on when they rest of the season will pick up. Maybe we can count on a 24 episode 5th season to pick us back up. Read the IGN article to get the full scoop on the rest of the shows.
Geez Amazon you are killing me!
Today is HBO Series Rome- Both Seasons for $59.99 This is crazy- they are normally about $60-$70 EACH. Make it even sweeter by using the “DVDSAVE5″ coupon to get it for $54.99 when using your Amazon Visa Card. Looks like I know what I’ll be doing part of Xmas break…
So in the next few days you will be seeing trailers for the new Batman movie, I would post a link, but Warner Brothers has been yanking them as soon as they show up. Next to Indiana Jones this my my most anticipated movie of the summer. Who would have thought that Heath Ledger would make such an amazing Joker? I can be pretty tough on sequels, but with all the total garbage movies that have been coming out lately I look forward to the next installment in these franchises. Disagree? POST A COMMENT!
Another courtesy of Amazon, gone when its gone deal is Arrested Development Complete Series (Seasons 1, 2 , and 3) for $29.99. $10 a season!? (Easily the best Comedic Series since Seinfeld) If you’re looking for more funny TV while you’re shopping pick up It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia -GREAT STUFF!
“If I had Eyes” is the single from Jack Johnson’s upcoming album “Sleep Through the Static.” The overall style of the song is typical J.J. and that is why I enjoy this song so much. There are rumors floating about saying that J.J. will be using more electric guitar in the upcoming album. I personally really wanted him to move in this direction. For all acoustic junkies out there, if this single is a true representation of the rest of the album then you have nothing to worry about. J.J.’s style that we have come to know and love is not compromised one bit with the electric sound. In fact it’s better than anything I would have expected. It’s a fresh come back for J.J. and February 5th can’t come soon enough. Go and pre-order the album now through iTunes and you will only be charged $0.99 for the single and the balance will charge when the album is released in February.
Last night I decided to finally go and buy a PSP. I bought a black PSP on it’s release date but lost interest in it because most of the games coming out for it were also on Xbox and Playstation and I would rather own them for a console then a handheld. So I sold it. Then came the PSP-2000. I heard good things about it and I really liked the White LE Version (not for Darth) and I noticed that there were a lot of PSP exclusive games out and about. I heard sales were doing better and that the PSP wasn’t going anywhere soon. I also checked Amazon and found all the games I love for less than $15. So after all the thinking and reasoning I decided to pick one up. I bought the White LE Star Wars package. First of all compared to the Silver PSP’s package this package is lame. With the silver PSP package you receive a 1GB memory card, the Daxter game, and and a full season of family guy. With the white PSP package you receive a crap Star Wars game and that is it! If it wasn’t for the color I would have never went for that package but I really don’t like the silver one. So I was disappointed about that. Some things that I noticed right off the bat was the PSP-2000 is much much lighter, almost too light making it feel cheaply made. Other than that I don’t feel that it is any thinner and I don’t see any other major differences. I still need to pick up a memory card and some good games before I really start to dive into it. I am anxious to begin playing the PSP again.
Amazon has been having some truly great Lightning Deals lately, the Bond Sets, Complete Six Feet Under, Complete Raymond, etc. Todays is great and I wished I hadn’t just bought it last month! (Amazing show- and the set is numbered) Amazon Lightning Deal Today – Angel – Complete Series Collector’s Set $66 (Should start showing around 4pm and if it moves like SFU it will be gone fast!)
To all ye faithful YNFVGB readers, YNFVGB is planning to get into the wonderful world of podcasting. Details are scarce because it’s still early but we could have our first podcast episode out as early as the end of December. We have been leaning on doing a podcast for a while now and we finally might be able to make that a reality. Kurt and I have been discussing what we would like to be able to do with the podcast and a few more things need to go down before we can attempt this so sit tight and please check back frequently. Thank you.
I just thought I would share my current iPhone layout as of yesterday. I figured I would keep the holiday spirit alive and use a Christmas theme. Now every time I look at my iPhone I am reminded that Christmas is just around the corner. This theme was downloaded at modmyifone.com and is not available through Installer so you have to manually download it and add it. I use CyberDuck on my MacBook for all of my filing needs. I highly suggest using CyberDuck for file transfers because it’s a fast and easy and it’s also free so go download it now.
Head on over to Amazon and pick up The Orange Box for Xbox 360 for only $49.99. This is currently the best deal in gaming history…if you can get past the box art.
So its about time for some equal lovin’! I posted earlier about the Amazon Blu-Ray B1G1, now they are running a B1G1 for HD-DVD. (Make sure you get your Warner titles on HD-DVD!) Check out the deal here.
Also todays ‘Deal of the Day’ at Amazon is the entire Bond collection in SD for $110. Not as good as the CC BF deal but you get a sexy box and Casino Royale. Click here to check it out.
Jack Johnson’s new album “Sleep Through the Static” is now available for Pre-Order through iTunes. When you pre-order the album through iTunes you will receive the exclusive track “Goodbye”, a digital booklet, and the albums single “If I Had Eyes.” Jack Johnson strays from his usual acoustic style and jumps toward his electric guitar in this new 14 track album which is expected to release February 5th, 2008. The track listing is as follows: 1. All At Once 2. Sleep Through The Static 3. Hope 4. Angel 5. Enemy 6. If I Had Eyes 7. Same Girl 8. What You Thought You Need 9. Adrift 10. Go On 11. They Do They Don’t 12. While We Wait 13. Monsoon 14. Losing Keys
You know how I told you there would be more opportunities to win free Xbox 360 games? Well here is your second chance. This time it’s simple, all you have to do is email YNFVGB@gmail.com with your name, address, game choice (choices below) and a comment or suggestion about the site and you will automatically be entered into the drawing to win a free Xbox 360 game. How easy is that? If you are in fact picked as the winner you will have 8 games to choose from including: Blue Dragon, Crackdown, Forza 2, Gears of War, PGR3, Shadowrun, Tenchu Z, and Viva Pinata. Don’t miss the opportunity to win a free game courtesy of YNFVGB!! The opportunity to sign up ends January 8th at 11:59 pm so make sure you sign up soon! Thank you!!
Well, I gave you guys a month to vote for what you think deserves to be “Game of the Year.” The Poll is closed and the Fan Favorite for Game of the Year is none other than Halo 3 which beat out Assassins Creed by 1 point. Thanks for going out on a limb guys. I expected to be surprised a little. Halo 3 is a great game none the less. Anton, Kurt, and I will come up with what we believe deserves to be crowned “The Official YNFVGB Game of the Year for 2007″ and post why we think the game deserves this title. Expect a post within the next few days. Thanks for voting everyone!!
So this June we will see ‘The Happening’, the newest film from M Night released to theaters. Only reason I bring this up is a few interesting details. After his series of successes for Disney, and a very public falling out over passing on ‘Lady in the Water’ which resulted in a deserved ego check for Night in my opinion-we are about to see him try to get himself back in the public favor in the R Rated Fox distributed film. It’s a paranoid thriller about a family on the run from a natural crisis that presents a large-scale threat to humanity. Great teaser poster and great cast; Mark Wahlberg, John Leguizamo, and Zooey Deschanel Good luck!
Last night I finished Call of Duty 4’s single-player campaign. I had been playing it on and off since the release date and I also had The Orange Box to complete along with Super Mario Galaxy so it took me a while to finish. This morning I began to jot notes down about what I was going to write for the post. I realized then that there are so many things that make this game a great game. Every part of it is memorable. The one thing that I still strongly believe that makes a game great is “diversity.” After going from HL:2 to COD4 I realized even though the pace is totally different these two games are very much the same. Each and every level is created to convey a particular scenario, but then the game takes that scenario and makes it something new, not something we are familiar with. In COD4 we are put into a lot of familiar scenarios but these scenarios are unexpectedly changed during the level. For example, I was in the helicopter shooting people on the ground when all of a sudden one of our choppers was shot down, we then had to drop down and save the pilot. These things make this game very real. Each level has its own way of making the scenario unique. One of my favorite levels is the level where you are sneaking through enemy base camps, crawling in fields, and sniping enemies and while doing this there are enemies surrounding you everywhere. This level felt so fresh to me. Another big aspect of the game which I thought was something that no other game has really tried or pulled off and that was having one of the main playable characters die. That was totally unexpected. The game was never boring, never repetitive, and I can honestly say I will probably go back and play it again. I can’t say that about too many games either. This game deserves a 10/10 even without the multiplayer. I can’t wait to see what they do with Call of Duty 5.
From December 8th to the 18th Amazon.com will be having a special that they call “10 Days, 10 Deals”. This means there will be a new deal each day for 10 days at Amazon.com. Each deal will only go on for the designated day and will be different the next day. This deal is in fact for video games only so keep your eye on the link here and make sure to check it this Saturday.
Greetings! Todays HiDef deal is a select group of Bluray titles available for Buy 1 get one Free over at Amazon. Prices are as low as $19.95 which means you can get 2 high def dvds for about $10 each! With that $99 Wal-Mart HDDVD player causing such a ruckus the bluray camp has been throwing these kinds of deals out pretty regularly. Click here to check out the movies which are eligible for the deal.
To all YNFVGB readers, all the writers here at YNFVGB are pretty busy with full-time jobs and it’s hard to put out posts as often as we’d like so if you like YNFVGB and want to help us out then please email us at ynfvgb@gmail.com with any juicy news, announcements, or anything that you think we should post about on the blog, nothing is too short or unimportant to post so email away. In the email just write your name, a short summary of the buzz, and link to it so we can see it’s legit and you’re all set. We will then post it on the site for all to read. Names will be included in the post so you can get all the glory. So if you like the site and want us to succeed then please contribute in this way. We want to be loyal to our readers and doing it this way really helps us produce a great site while showing love to the the ones who read it. We would greatly appreciate it if you do this and we hope to hear from you soon!
I’m having a very busy day at work. Deadlines creeping up and not a lot of time to scour the web for some sweet goodies. But with the time I have for the lunch break I came up with some random buzz for the day…
- Free content is exclusive to Xbox Live Gold Subcribers for the first week, then made available to Silver Subcribers. (Ouch!)
- BioShock DLC is upon us: *New achievement – Beat game without using Vita Chambers on Hard. *New Plasmids – Machine Expert 1&2, Vending Expert 1&2, Sonic Boom 1&2, and Eve Saver. (Not really a big deal, at least it’s free…) *Fixes widescreen problem and other misc. things.
- Free Guitar Pack for Boom Boom Rocket *I noted in an earlier post that a pack would be available Dec. 16th. I’m not sure if they decided to release it early or if this is a whole different pack.
-PSP Games on sale at Amazon.com including: *Brave Story: New Traveler, Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles, Coded Arms Contagion, Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Heroes, Online Chess Kingdoms. (Nothing too appealing…if you haven’t noticed there are already amazing prices for triple-A PSP titles at amazon, just look in the used section, most you will pay for a game is $20)
- A demo for Burnout Paradise will be available via the Xbox marketplace December 13th.
I just finished HL 2: Episode 2 yesterday. I heard many people say that this game was the best Half-Life so far so I came into the game with high expectations. The game definitely has a slow and frustrating start. At points I was wondering if the Half-Life series is more about Zombies and horror than Combines and action. I like the Zombie segments when they are short but my favorite parts are when you fight off the Combines. Another frustrating segment in Episode 2 is the level with the Antlion Workers. It was a unique level but I personally didn’t enjoy it and I thought the level was too long. But the game does change once you get above ground and it changes enough for you to totally forget the two earlier segments. I enjoyed every part once you get the car. Once you reach the White Forest you will be blown away by the visuals. One of my favorite parts was watching Dog fight with the Strider. The game is amazing. Since this game has no cut-scenes it makes you feel like you are not just playing a game but you are in the game. This game wraps you up and brings you in and makes you feel like you really are a part of the Half-Life world. I don’t want to spoil anything but the second to the last level is a pure rush. You will feel a true sense of accomplishment when all the soldiers are cheering for you. I would like to look at HL2, Ep1, and Ep2 as just one game with all of them being my favorites. One thing is for sure…Episode 3 can’t come soon enough.
Hey guys, I just wanted to let everyone know that we are working on some minor maybe major changes here for the site. We want to change up the layout a bit and maybe add some more stuff. Nothing too big but we want to have a new look ready for 2008. I will be working on the layout as much as possible and will have it done on Jan. 1st 2008. Hopefully sometime by the end of the day so make sure to check back that night. I know we are a young blog but thanks for all the support out there and we want to continue to keep growing and growing. Hopefully 2008 will be a year like we’ve never expected. See you guys then!!
The level of detail, interaction, and scale in this game is amazing. Variety: The scenery and locales of the game vary, as does the gameplay. For the most part you are in adventure mode, climbing, running, figuring puzzles, etc as well as gunplay and shooting. The targeting is great, and you can never run and gun, you have to make use of cover and being careful/patient. I did very little hand to hand combat and mostly shot folks. There are few opportunities where the gameplay totally changes and lets to steer a jet-ski and in one of the games best sequences, throw grenades and shoot from the back of a jeep as it barrels along a jungle cliff path near waterfalls. There are no level breaks, as you progress through the story and locations every so often a title card will comes across the top giving a Chapter Number and Title. There are also parts of the game like ‘Shenmue’ where during a cinema you might have to quickly press triangle to avoid being crushed by rocks, or push square to block a punch from the villain during the final fight scene. Bonus: There are some really great DVD type features on the different aspects of making the game, and although the PS3 doesn’t have an ‘achievement system’ like xbox360 this game does. As you get through the game and find other treasures and complete the game on different difficulty levels you unlock reward points from a total of 1,000 much like 360 games. If only it would be part of my gamertag as well. Conclusion: I rarely purchase a new release game, I often wait until they hit that magic $20 price range but this game was worth it and then some. From the demos I have played on the PS3 I am confident that this is the best game on the system and would give anything on the 360 a run for its money. I hope that the success of this game leads it to being a headlining franchise for the PS3 as Crash and Jak were for the PS1 and PS2.
