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What I’m Gaming Vol. 14

Welcome back to What I’m Gaming! At the beginning of every week, I post about the games I’ve played in the past seven days and give some quick thoughts and impressions about those games. To see past editions of this feature, click What I’m Gaming.

Assassin’s Creed II

The New Year came and I had the urge to start a new game. I perused my unusually large collection of games, and decided to continue the Assassin’s Creed series. I had recently watched my girlfriend play Assassin’s Creed: Revelations, so it seemed like a good idea to get caught up on the first part of Ezio’s story.

I had previously only completed the original Assassin’s Creed game (and yes, I collected all the flags) and thought it was pretty fun, and I had heard from just about everywhere that the second game was waaay better, so I began.

The second game certainly improves on many aspects of the first game (like adding swimming; seriously, what assassin can’t swim?), but the thing I enjoyed the most was a greater emphasis on storytelling. While the original game tells the story of Altair and begins the story for Desmond, you can play through the entire game and barely know what happened. Not this time around.

I was able to complete the entire game (full 1000G and all) in about a week of play, so it became the first game I completed in 2012. It also helped me get ready for…

Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood

Once again perusing my collection, I got the feeling that I wasn’t ready to be done with the swift dealing of death from ledges and rooftops and haystacks. I was fresh of Assassin’s Creed II, so it felt natural to continue the series – similar to when I try to watch only one episode of House.

The game seems to have a greater focus on developing the characters (Ezio, Desmond, and Desmond’s crew) and having a wider mission variety. I now have a group of Assassins I can send off to do random quests to level them up or use them on nearby guards so I don’t have to get my hands dirty. Once again, the series makes solid progression in improving the gameplay, with combat being an emphasis. All welcome changes.

It adds what I’ve heard is fairly addicting multiplayer, but I’ve yet to sink my teeth into it and probably won’t until the campaign is completed.

Bastion

I’d been interested in playing Bastion since the Summer of Arcade promotion, but I refuse to play $15 for an arcade game that I’m not hotly anticipating (which is almost never). But when they ran the 12 days of Xbox promotion to end the year, the very first day had Bastion half off – only $7.50. This price was much better for me and I couldn’t wait to start.

Right off the bat, you notice how attractive the game is, and throughout the game, the narrator kept me informed and engaged. Some people don’t like his voice, but I found him highly entertaining. The gameplay is simple but solid, and the music and sounds are quite fitting. This game isn’t one that has a strong story; it’s just enough to give you a reason to keep going. Unfortunately, it is a quite brief experience (in my opinion justifying my refusal to buy it at $15) that I was able to complete the two necessary playthroughs and do everything there was to do in a short 8 hours.

Bloodrayne: Betrayal

Another arcade I noticed was on sale and decided to pick up. This game is a 2D side-scrolling hack n’ slash game and it is a throwback in a modern skin. What I mean by that is it is fun to play and difficult to master. I tried my hardest to get an S rank on the first couple of missions, but no matter how many times I tried, I was unable to do so.

I haven’t given up, though. I enjoy a good challenge and this game delivers. If you like these types of games, it’s worth taking a look.

Halo: CE Anniversary

I had this game since launch, but with so many other games in my to-do list, it kinda got lost in the shuffle. I pulled it out and decided to take a run through the first couple of levels, switching back and forth between the new graphics and the old and seeing how times have changed. It’s pretty amazing to see what used to be the top-of-the-line graphics back then and come them to what just slightly above average now.

I’ll be getting back to this title eventually. I’m looking forward to my run through the game on Legendary, but it’ll have to wait until I find some more free time.

Crysis 2

This is a title I hadn’t picked up in a while. I haven’t touched any FPS for a good while, so I decided to hop online and go a few rounds. It appears my FPS skills have deteriorated some after not having played them in so long, making playing this game online quite the struggle. It didn’t help that everyone still likes to use the Camo so much. I got frustrated pretty quick, but at least I knocked out a few achievements along the way.

Saints Row

Yes, the first one. I was working on this title exclusively in previous weeks, but I stopped when I realized that one of my graffiti tags (needed for a pair of achievements) appeared to be glitched. I’ve triple-checked all the graffiti tags on the map – of which there are 75 – and it shows I’ve gotten them all, but the counter in the menu says I’m missing one.

It’s a big downer for me that I’ll probably have to start over after making so much progress. I don’t think I’ll be playing this again any time soon.

Games I Bought

I went on quite the buying spree in the past month or so. It’s not my fault, though! All these different stores and publishers are to blame with all the sales and discounts that were calling out to me over the holiday season. Anyway, here’s the list:

Bloodrayne: Betrayal
Bastion
Street Fighter III: Third Strike Online Edition
Burnout CRASH!
From Dust
Beyond Good & Evil HD
Bulletstorm

Additional Intel

I had been telling both myself and others than I eventually wanted to buy an HD recording device so I could record my gameplay and make YouTube videos, and I finally made good on my claims. I am now the proud owner of a Hauppauge 1212 HD PVR and I have to say it works great so far. The quality is astounding.

I plan on getting some recreational videos up and possibly a few video guides here or there. I’m going to try and have a good time with it, so be on the lookout for any future updates.

In other news, it appears I will soon be a proud owner of a backwards-compatible ps3. My girlfriend’s brother had one and it stopped reading blu-ray discs, so they basically said if I can fix it, I can have it. I’ve already ordered the parts.

That wraps up my gaming report for this week. Now it’s your turn – what have you been playing this past week? What new games have you bought?

Let me know in the comments.

What I'm Gaming Vol. 14

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Assassin’s Creed II

I was able to complete the entire game (full 1000G and all) in about a week of play, so it became the first game I completed in 2012. It also helped me get ready for…

Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood

It adds what I’ve heard is fairly addicting multiplayer, but I’ve yet to sink my teeth into it and probably won’t until the campaign is completed.

Bastion

Bloodrayne: Betrayal

I haven’t given up, though. I enjoy a good challenge and this game delivers. If you like these types of games, it’s worth taking a look.

Halo: CE Anniversary

I’ll be getting back to this title eventually. I’m looking forward to my run through the game on Legendary, but it’ll have to wait until I find some more free time.

Crysis 2

Saints Row

It’s a big downer for me that I’ll probably have to start over after making so much progress. I don’t think I’ll be playing this again any time soon.

Games I Bought

Bloodrayne: Betrayal
Bastion
Street Fighter III: Third Strike Online Edition
Burnout CRASH!
From Dust
Beyond Good & Evil HD
Bulletstorm

Additional Intel

I plan on getting some recreational videos up and possibly a few video guides here or there. I’m going to try and have a good time with it, so be on the lookout for any future updates.

That wraps up my gaming report for this week. Now it’s your turn – what have you been playing this past week? What new games have you bought?

Let me know in the comments.

What I’m Gaming Vol. 4

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Didn’t have as much time as usual this past week to play as I’d like, but I did get in at least a couple of games.

Games I Played

Looks like a Bejeweled RPG to me

Gyromancer

This is yet another game I bought because it was on sale, but never played until recently. If you’re noticing a trend with me, you’re right. If it looks interesting and it’s cheap enough, then I usually buy it and get around to playing it later.

Anyway, this game was created by Pop Cap and published by Square-Enix. The reason I’m mentioning this is because it shows distinctive traits from each company. Pop Cap generally makes casual and puzzle games, and Square-Enix has long been known for its RPGs. Well, this game is both. Kind of a mix between Magic (the art style), Bejeweled (the puzzle part) and RPG elements (Square-Enix’s contribution). It actually works out well – the gameplay can be rather addicting, once you get the hang of it.

Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days

This was a game that I picked up really cheap a few months ago. I wanted it when it released, but I had a feeling that it wouldn’t be worth the full purchase price – and I was right. I have actually already beaten the story once on Hard, but a friend and I decided to give Extreme a go. We got past a very frustrating part (where you protect the limo), then called it quits.

I can only take so much frustration at a time.

F.E.A.R.

Once again, I was helping a friend work on finishing his multiplayer achievements. We’ve completed all of them except for two, but those might take a while. If you’re wondering, those two are the “MP 100” and “MP 1000” achievements for playing 100 and 1000 multiplayer games, respectively.

I keep putting it off, but I really need to get back to playing that campaign. I need to finish my Extreme playthrough for the campaign and the Instant Action maps, and then I can clean up all the easier ones.

Crysis 2

Ever since my initial outing with the multiplayer in Crysis 2, I’ve been wanting to play it more and more. I like shooters in general, but I tend to prefer more sci-fi style FPS because for me, it’s more fun. I like to at least have a chance to retaliate if I’m getting shot from the back or the side, you know? Oh, and the powers are fun.

I’m gradually getting better as I’m learning the maps and understanding how to locate people that are using camo (because they’re ALWAYS using camo), and leveling up so I can better compete with them. It’s not without its faults – the online is a bit laggy (but definitely not unplayable) and higher level players have a significant advantage over you, but it’s still good fun to me.

Tales of Vesperia

I’ve finally reached the final dungeon, but I’m not ready to finish it just yet. I’m going to spend some time farming a significant amount of GRADE so when I finish, I can start my second playthrough with all of the skills and abilities and everything I had from my initial playthrough. Getting all those titles on the second run is going to be just lovely.

NBA 2K11

I didn’t get to play this one as much as I’d have liked. My brother had work to attend to, so we only got a few games in. Me and Michael Jordan are eagerly awaiting his return.

Games I Bought

Well, this is the second week in a row I haven’t bought anything. I’m really trying to concentrate on completing the mountain of games that I already own, instead of just adding more to it.
I did, however, receive Iron Man 2 from Gamefly the other day. Haven’t started playing it yet, though.

Conclusion

That about wraps up my gaming report for this week. Now it’s your turn – what have you been playing this past week? What new games have you bought?

Let me know in the comments, and if you like this post, share it.

What I'm Gaming Vol. 4

4 Replies

Didn’t have as much time as usual this past week to play as I’d like, but I did get in at least a couple of games.

Games I Played

Looks like a Bejeweled RPG to me

Gyromancer

Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days

I can only take so much frustration at a time.

F.E.A.R.

Crysis 2

Tales of Vesperia

NBA 2K11

I didn’t get to play this one as much as I’d have liked. My brother had work to attend to, so we only got a few games in. Me and Michael Jordan are eagerly awaiting his return.

Games I Bought

Conclusion

That about wraps up my gaming report for this week. Now it’s your turn – what have you been playing this past week? What new games have you bought?

Let me know in the comments, and if you like this post, share it.

What I’m Gaming Vol. 3

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Welcome back to What I’m Gaming Vol. 3! I was able to play a lot of different games this week – I’ve been trying to whittle down my massive game collection before it takes over my room. Quite a few Xbox Live Arcade titles on the menu this week, with just a few retail games sprinkled in for good measure.

Games I Played

Crysis 2

Let’s start with a big retail title, shall we?

I remember when the original Crysis released on PC a few years ago. I don’t play games on my PC, nor will I anytime soon (if ever), but I was envious of that game. I may not have to be soon, though. It was literally a great looking game and looked like a blast, too.

Fast forward to the release of Crysis 2. As with many titles I want, I didn’t buy it right away. But Amazon had it as the Deal of the Day for $40 brand new, I couldn’t resist. I had just over $30 credit from doing surveys on Amazon Mechanical Turk, so the game only cost me around $10. Now, at that price, this game is an astronomical deal.

I played it initially for a few levels, but at the time, I was suffering a bit from shooter fatigue, so I didn’t go too far. Now that I’ve recovered, I jumped right in to the multiplayer, and right into ass whoopings. It’s got a perk and leveling system that’s basically a high tech version of Call of Duty, of course, customized to fit Crysis 2, so it didn’t feel too foreign to me (but I need to admit, I don’t play much Call of Duty to begin with). After a short time, I adjusted my controls and, aside from the advantageous unlocks and map knowledge of veteran players, I think I did alright. We played the Crash Site game mode, with is basically like Crazy King in Halo. I enjoyed it and I’ll definitely be back for more – and not just because of the ridiculous achievements.

HALF MINUTE HERO: Super Mega Neo Climax

When this game released two weeks ago on XBLA, I was initially unimpressed. But because of it’s Super Long But Awesome title and the innuendos that come with it, I decided to dig a little deeper.

Turns out, this title is a port of the original PSP game that came out a few years ago. It got a Wind Waker style makeover along the way. I had read the original graphics were still available, if you prefer pixelated sprites polluting your HDTV, but after taking a look, a passed and reverted back to the updated visuals.

The game’s premise is so simple, it’s almost disgusting. But it works. I played through the first few “stories” (each one requires you to save the world in 30 seconds or less) and it was actually pretty fun, once you get the hang of it. Even if you don’t like RPGs, you should at least check out the trial. If you like the trial, you’ll love the game. And with every part only 30 seconds long, even the parts you don’t like will pass very quickly.

Unbound Saga

I’ve had this game just sitting on my harddrive, collecting digital dust after purchasing it during a weekly sale a few months ago. I felt like trying something new, and I didn’t know what to expect going in. It’s pretty easy to describe. Think of it as a modernized, co-op version of Comix Zone. I didn’t care much for its predecessor, but I was able to enjoy Unbound Saga for several levels, despite being terribly bad at beat’em up games.

It’s available for 800 Microsoft Points, but I don’t know if I’d pay that much for it, still. If you see it go on sale, though, definitely consider picking it up.

Crazy Taxi

When the now-defunct Dreamcast was still King, I was in love with this series, and I started right here. With the original. I remember playing the living hell out of this game (and its sequels), trying to beat my previous scores. And I was good.

Unfortunately, not all things are like a fine wine. That is to say, not all things get better with age. And my nimble thumbs and blazing reaction time were not subjected to the positive side of advancing age. I’m not old, but I’m definitely not as skilled in certain genres (racing and fighting, in particular) as I once was. And with this game, it shows. I spent a few hours frustrating myself because I couldn’t help but think of how good I USED to be, and how terrible I am now.

But don’t let my gripes deter you from playing this game – it’s still fantastic. The premise is extremely simple: You’re a taxi, and you need to pick up customers (only one at a time in the original, unfortunately) and get them to where they want to go as insanely and recklessly fast as you can, and collect the most fare (money) possible before you run out of time. If you’re thinking about getting this game, I’d recommend the Dreamcast Collection, since it can be had for $20 or less, and also includes Sonic Adventure, Space Channel 5: Part 2, and Sega Bass Fishing. The last two are kinda thrown in, but if you buy just the first two, you’re paying the same price anyway, so why not?

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time Reshelled

If you read what I mentioned above in my Unbound Saga section, you’ll notice I said I suck at beat’em ups. This game takes full advantage of my shortcomings. I’ll contend that I am pretty bad at it (and the previous game, TMNT 1989 Arcade, too) but I really feel like this is a poor game.

I won’t outright say that it’s bad, and some people may even enjoy it, but it just feels really cheap to me. For example, the third level you ride through a sewer on a little board. Enemies spawn everywhere and there are little red things in the water that prick your foot if you touch them, causing an animation where you grab your foot and scream “My toes! My toes!”, all while enemies and other pricklies are still able to damage you and send you into even more animations. Oh, and there happens to be an achievement for not getting hit by any of the traps. Yeah. Once I finish this game (as in, the achievements), it’s gone.

X-Men Arcade

If I’m gonna play a beat’em up, this is how it should be done. Short and sweet, not too cheap, and most importantly, fun. This game is very short, but has held up surprising well over time. It’s not nearly as stressful as other similar games because you really can’t lose, and you actually feel powerful when you utilize the Mutant Powers.

Oh, and let’s not forget the six player online co-op. Just like the coin-op machines you remember.

F.E.A.R

I just played this a little with a friend, continuing to help him with the multiplayer achievements. We’re almost done with them. Now, I just need to get back into the campaign for this game. I was working on my playthrough on Extreme and I was nearly halfway through.

F.E.A.R. 2

I saw another friend online boosting experience points toward the “Five Star General” achievement, so I joined in briefly. I only stayed in for about an hour, though. I guess I’m just not the booster I used to be. I’ll get it eventually, but I won’t be working on it five hours at a time.

Schizoid

Me and the significant other continued our co-op campaign for a few short sessions over the weekend, but we were a bit disappointed to see the “new mechanics” introduced in certain levels to be based almost entirely on luck, rather than skill. Still a great game, but I can’t say I’m enjoying those levels.

Tales of Vesperia

When I said this game will be in here for a while, I meant it. I’m playing this game almost every day, working towards the end. I’ve only got a few more hours before I finally beat the story once, but I still need to complete nearly two and a half more playthroughs in order to fully max the game out. I fully intend to do that since I’ve always loved truly completing my RPGs.

NBA 2K11

Another weekly entry. I’m always playing this with my bro. My win-loss was 5-4 tonight, with three wins and one loss having double digit margins of victory. All I really do is play with him online, but maybe I should spend some time finishing up the My Player mode?

The King of Fighters XII

My chart is almost full. I say another few days of working at it and “The King of Fighters” achievement should unlock and I can get rid of this disgraceful game. At least it has a high True
Achievement ratio, though.

Games I Bought

Hard to believe, but a week went by without me purchasing anything. No games, no DLC, nothing. Maybe if I have more weeks like this, I can actually reduce my current to-play list?

Conclusion

That about wraps up my gaming report for this week. Now it’s your turn – what have you been playing this past week? What new games have you bought?

Let me know in the comments.

What I'm Gaming Vol. 3

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Games I Played

Crysis 2

Let’s start with a big retail title, shall we?

HALF MINUTE HERO: Super Mega Neo Climax

When this game released two weeks ago on XBLA, I was initially unimpressed. But because of it’s Super Long But Awesome title and the innuendos that come with it, I decided to dig a little deeper.

Unbound Saga

It’s available for 800 Microsoft Points, but I don’t know if I’d pay that much for it, still. If you see it go on sale, though, definitely consider picking it up.

Crazy Taxi

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time Reshelled

X-Men Arcade

Oh, and let’s not forget the six player online co-op. Just like the coin-op machines you remember.

F.E.A.R

F.E.A.R. 2

Schizoid

Tales of Vesperia

NBA 2K11

The King of Fighters XII

Games I Bought

Hard to believe, but a week went by without me purchasing anything. No games, no DLC, nothing. Maybe if I have more weeks like this, I can actually reduce my current to-play list?

Conclusion

That about wraps up my gaming report for this week. Now it’s your turn – what have you been playing this past week? What new games have you bought?

Let me know in the comments.