Black Ops: Not so secret...

Publisher:
Activision
Developer:
Treyarch
Genre:
First Person Shooter
Release Date:
November 9, 2010

The best way to introduce someone to online gaming is to refer to “John Gabriel's greater internet fuckwad theory” (thanks Penny Arcade).



It refers to Unreal Tournament but can quite happily be extended to most online games and on this occasion definitely to Black Ops.

Actually I'm only kidding, for being such a popular online multiplayer game I've yet to encounter somebody online that’s been abusive or behaved in a manner that particularly annoyed me, which is good because the multiplayer has for the most part been fun, exciting and relatively balanced.

Its the usual affair, “real world” weapons in a realistic shooter that has an arcade feel to it. Especially when some of the ludicrous “kill streak” rewards come into play often changing the flow of the game. Don't worry though you won't get bored playing competitively as there are an absolute wealth of gameplay types and the progression aspect has returned in an improved form. So rather than everything being unlocked depending on your rank, a points system has been introduced that lets your purchase equipment with points that you have earned. Points can be gained by completing games, getting kills or meeting requirements like 10 knife kills to unlock. There's also the concepts of contracts which I'm sure is new as well. Contracts reward you extra points upon completion of a specific object but cost points to enable to begin with, it's kind of like betting on your skills.



If the realistic shooter that is the normal multiplayer isn't your cup of team then the “Nacht der untoten” mode has returned. A four player romp against the undead where you and your team frantically try to keep the undead out and collect points to buy new weapons or unlock new areas of the map. It gets really hectic on the higher levels which makes for a great experience, particularly if you have a good team.

You'd be forgiven for thinking that Black Ops was purely a multiplayer game, and admittedly it took me a while to even get around to playing the single player but I was glad that I did. The story line while fairly predictable is still gripping and was enough to keep me intrigued. The characters are well developed and unlike some of its predecessors don't blur into a single entity, which is good! As is often the way with Call of Duty games there are also some truly epic set pieces, events where everything becomes chaotic and frantic and usually involve a desperate last stand of some sort. I would also recommend you listen out for some of the celebrity voice actors that lend their talents to some of the characters.



Musically there's not a great deal that stands out, the Vietnam levels being the only exception. Driving a gun boat down a river in Vietnam with 'The Rolling Stones' blaring is a wonderful experience even if it does leave you wondering if the game is glorifying a horrific war.

Overall I'd recommend Black Ops, the multiplayer is addictive and typically good clean fun, similar to what Counter Strike used to be. Just don't forget that there is a single player side to this game, otherwise you'd be missing out on a decent story line which would be a shame.

Marvel Vs Capcom 3: Fate of two worlds (Preview)

The Meadowhall retail shopping centre in Sheffield was lucky enough to have a Marvel Vs Capcom 3 (MvC3) preview event today and as that's a game I'm quite curious about I thought I'd head along.



MvC3 is a bit different from your typical fighter game, instead of a 1 on 1 fight over a couple of rounds you're given 3 characters and the fight ends when they are all unconscious. You can switch between characters when you want and even summon them to throw the odd punch or fire the old laser now and again. If you're really clever you can have all 3 characters do their specials to devastating effect.

Combining the worlds of Capcom and Marvel has resulted in an interesting roster, the likes of Chris Redfield from Resident Evil squaring up against Magneto is often a very bright and entertaining fight.

The game itself looks absolutely stunning, its the same cell shaded 3d look as the Street Fighter games but with additional effects added to emphasize the special moves. The split second introduction as a character breaks out their special moves is also nice, especially as it can give your opponent a chance to react. The backdrops are all unique and feature some really nice effects. I particularly liked the firework display going on in the background of Tronne Bonne's stage. Often the levels seemed to react to whats going on in the fight for example a few too many big smashes on the Resident Evil stage and the glass breaks and all the monsters wander the stage.



Game play wise it's fairly simple to get into, even a novice like me was able to put together a few moves and win a few rounds. The aerial combat while tricky to master is quite a big part of the game so it helps to master that quickly especially seeing as a number of characters are capable of flight. There was no single player version available at this demo, only 2 player but I'm hoping there's some effort towards a story line particularly as Marvel Vs Capcom 2 was so lacking on this front.

Finally the event itself was good fun, there was some really nice people there and we all got talking about our thoughts on the game. For the most part we all were enjoying it and the time went quite quickly. There were a few Street Fighter "veterans" who were unimpressed with the simplicity and flashiness of the game in comparison to a more pure game but even they still played a few rounds. Lots of thanks to the kind soul looking after the event who gave out some stylish free shirts.

All in all a great event and a game that I definitely look forward to!



(Just as an aside apparently this game won't be getting an arcade release. The arcade machines we got to play here were former Street Fighter ones re-purposed for this event!)

Nintendo 3DS: Commonly asked questions

With the 3DS coming soon and with quite a few people talking about it I thought I'd go through a few common questions.

How does 3D work?

This diagram I found on Tom's guide explained it well:



So effectively when in 3d mode a barrier thats sitting on top of the display splits the light so that it creates 2 images, beucase each eye sees a different image it creates the sense of depth.

People's depth perception differs though, how can it work for everyone?

Well it can't but Nintendo have thought about this and added a slider that lets you adjust the depth.

What games should I look out for?

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3d:
A remastered version of the N64 classic, for those who haven't played it yet they're going to be in for a treat, anyone who has can look forward to some epic battles in 3d.

Super Street Fighter 4 3D:
A port of the popular console games things could look really nice in 3d. Most interesting is the addition of “figurines” these you can collect through the course of the game. As you pass people in the street who also own this game your figurines will engage in combat. You won't have to do a thing except check the results when you next look at your 3ds.

Resident Evil Revelations:
A sequel to Resident Evil 4 it follows Jill Valentine and Chris Redfields actions as memembers of their counter terrorism group. Hopefully it will bring back the suspense of the original games whilst maintaining the slick play style of Resident Evil 4.



Of course there are the likes of Nintendogs but those 3 really caught my eye.

What other cool features does the 3DS have?

Quite a few but here are the top ones.

3D photograhy; Thanks to the dual front facing cameras you can take 3d pictures.
3D film: Cleverly Nintendo have included an expandable sd slot, while it comes with a 2gb card you can add more and store any of your 3d films on to watch while on the move.
Street Pass: As mentioned above, your games can interact with other people's on the move.

Are the games region free?
Sadly not.

When will it be out in the UK?
March 25th

How much will it cost in the UK?
HMV have them marked down as £230 so expect something in that region.

Can I play DS games on it?
Yep the 3DS is backwards compatible but don't expect your old DS games to magically go 3D.

How powerful is the 3DS?
It's still not clear but early impressions indicate that it's at least as powerful as the Wii.

Can I play 3DS games on the DS?
Sadly not.

Hopefully thats cleared up some confusion. If there's any questions I've missed feel free to ask them and I'll do my best to answer them.

Minecraft reach 1 million sales!

Notch (Markus Persson) announced on his blog today that Minecraft had reached their 1 millionth sale!

Minecraft provides you with a randomly generated simplistic 3D world where everything can be interacted with. The map is littered with different metals and ores for you to collect and craft allowing you to build whatever you wish. To distinguish the game from the myriad of other sandbox games you also have to survive attacks from various undead and horrific creatures.



If that's not enough there is also a multi player mode that allows you and your friends to collaborate on large projects (for example a replica of the star ship Enterprise) or to spend your time setting each others houses on fire.

If you've not already tried it then I recommend you do so now, and while it is still in Beta stages of development its an excellent game that I could quite happily spend days playing.

Ooooh shinies!

Any comic book, beatemup, or fighting game fanatic should already be aware that February 18th is a big date! Why? Thats when Marvel vs Capcom 3 comes out! If you aren't aware of the series I'd recommend you try its predecessor which is available on Xbox Live.

Meanwhile for all you people counting down the days here are the pre-order bonuses that you could pick up with the game (courtesy of CVG):

Shinies!

So long 2010 and thanks for the fish

2010 is dead. The year that started with the promise of great things and fizzled to nothing more than the year of sequels and expansions has finally been put to rest. So now, as the last Quality Street are being plucked from the tin, the task of naming the best of 2010 begins.

Looking around the internet most people say that 'Red Dead Redemption' is the best of 2010 and while it is an excellent game I'd have to disagree. For me Mass Effect 2 was the best game of 2010.



Mass Effect 2 resumes the story of Shephard as he or she journeys across the outer reaches of space desperately warning people of the impending reaper threat, like a gun toting Cassandra.
From the cinematic opening sequence to the frantic closing mission, Mass Effect 2 is suspenseful, full of action and with a story line so engaging you'll not want to stop playing.

The gameplay is an improvement over the original and while the absence of the 'Mako' is noticeable. It doesn't hinder the game in anyway. Party management has become a slick and easy to use process that means you no longer have to spend hours changing peoples equipment just because a new pistol is available.
The characters themselves are interesting, and for the most part likeable. Often you will find yourself ensuring no harm comes to your favourite characters.

So if you find yourself with a bit of money left over from the holiday season then go pick up this game (and the original too if you haven't played it). You won't regret it particularly as the third and possibly concluding chapter is coming soon.



Honorable mentions go to:
Red Dead Redemption
While the story line is stretched a bit thin the multiplayer more than makes up for any grievences you may have with this game.
Just Cause 2
A fun and chaotic action game, a bit like GTA on Red Bull that is let down by a paper thin plot and slightly repetitive gameplay.
Fallout 3: New Vegas
If you liked Fallout 3 you'll love this game. If you never played Fallout 3 try this, just don't pay any attention to the random bugs and I don't mean the Rad Scorpions.
Dead Rising 2
2010 was also the year of the zombies, if you're the kind of person that loves Dawn of the Dead and the Walking Dead you'll love playing this game.
Alan Wake
Terribly cheesy but at the same time gloriously wonderful, it has the slickness of a wonderfully polished american tv show. Just avoid the DLC.
World of Warcraft: Catacylsm
Technically not game in its own right but the work that has been done to Azeroth and the various realms of WoW has been absolutely amazing. If you've not tried it yet try WoW now, its the best its ever been right now.

Pound of Ground

Publisher:
Akella
Developer:
Centauri
Genre:
Fantasy Shooter
Release Date:
Nov 08, 2010 (US)

Zombies are cool right now, the new 'Walking Dead Series' is brilliant, Deadrising 2 was a great game, and the Red Dead Redemption undead expansion looks awesome. Who doesn't like zombies? So you'd think the combination of the walking dead, shotguns and a bright red hot rod would work a treat, but sadly you'd be wrong.

Lets start with the paper thin story, you play as Johnny Meyer who wanders out of the desert dazed and confused and runs head first into a zombie encounter. From there you're tasked with driving your blazing red car around the desert with the occasional town shutting down the gas spewing machines that are causing the undead to rise. As your memory slowly returns it becomes apparent that Johnny was on holiday with his newly married bride when things went wrong.



Well I think that’s the storyline, I couldn’t really fathom it due to the horrendous voice acting. I wouldn't normally mark a game down for voice acting and while I respect their attempts to create a 'B Movie' feel, it gets very annoying very quickly. Meyer for instance clearly missed his calling as a ventriloquist as he seems able to talk without moving his lips. You can skip the cut scenes though so lets move on from that.

Gameplay wise its a fairly standard affair, a lot like someone has taken the questing mechanism from World of Warcraft and based a game around it but on a shorter scale. For the most part its extremely repetitive, there are highlights when you get to drive around in your Red Sports car as new areas are unlocked but even they wear a bit thin. Combat consists of either running around beating undead brains in with a baseball bat, blowing their brains out with different guns or mowing them down with your sports car. Things are nice as you get new weapons but for the most part the shotgun works well enough.



The unfortunate thing is there was potential in this game, you can see it now and again but unfortunately its almost entirely eclipsed by the repetitive gameplay and the horrid voice acting.