Tag Archives: videogame

NBA 2K13 Review

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Yeah, yeah, this review is kind of late – however, can you blame me? I was too busy trying to get VC points! They are so hard to come by until I got a few tips from some friends. At any rate, take a look at my Likes and Dislikes for the new installment of NBA2K13 and see whether they take the franchise to the next level, or if it falls flat on it’s face.

Likes:

Different Modes

There are many different modes that you can play with this game. So much so that you will really be playing this for a while trying to master each one. Right now I’m developing my player who got drafted to the Grizzlies. You can have conversations with the GM, boost your twitter following, have post game conferences and negotiate contracts. It’s really cool to kind of play the game from that perspective. NBA2K13 is by no means the first game to employ the ability to build your character from scratch, but I really like the way it was executed here. It really brings the game to what we see happening in the NBA today.

If developing your own player is not your thing, you can develop your team just the way you want to in the “My Team” mode. Execute trades, and build a powerhouse of a team. Not your thing – you can play games with up-to-date teams at your leisure. You can also play online with your friends in still more modes like “Quick Match Team Up” and “Tournaments”.

Shoes

The Shoes man! If you are a sneaker fiend you can really spend a lot of time in this area. You can pick from hundreds of pairs of shoes, and you can even modify the colors down to the rubber souls!  You can choose from different brands as well including 2K Generic brand, Spalding, Under Armor, Reebok, Converse, Nike, Jordans, and more. After you finish editing your shoe you can even name them.

Moves

There are tons of moves to choose from to leave your opponent in the dust. from crazy dunks, alley-oops, hook shots, crossovers, fade-aways. Even hesitations, and slight post-up moves. the lean-back that Kobe always does, the shimmey, they are all there and some. Not only that, but there are even moves that are particular to star players so Dirk’s crazy unstoppable awkward fade-away is present, as Derrick Roses ball-handling. I really don’t mind just watching a game play out because it really is entertaining to watch. I end up rooting for a team even though I know it isn’t real.

Music

The music is Boss. Period. Produced by Jay-Z as you no doubt have heard repeatedly, but it goes a long way. I think the era of generic video game beat is now fading as more deals are made with video game companies and famous musicians. You can of course edit the track listing and even add your own library in the editor but the titles are quite good including Nas, Daft Punk, U2 and of course Jay-Z among the line-up. Full Track listing can be found here.

Dislikes:

Graphics

There were times when I was really wondering about the graphic quality of the game over all. For instance – the screen with the starter line-up just before the game starts looks last gen. Seriously. There are other screens like this scattered throughout which really has me scratching my head as most of the game’s graphic quality is top-notch. Also, if your on PS3 make sure “PS – Smoothing” is turned on so the in-game graphics looks as good as it is meant to be. I also found the background screens with all the colors and moving parts to be really quite distracting. The interface could really be cleaned up, but that really is aesthetic preference. However, the game designers could really do something about it.

Too Many Moves

Yeah, I had moves in the section of Likes, but dang there are a lot of them to master. I end up trying to perform all of them and end up getting the ball stripped. Take it from me, just master a few of them – the ones that work for you and stick with those.

VC Points

I’m questionable with these. It definitely drives the game forward, but does everything have to cost these VC Points – even skills? Also, why do the cost so blasted much!? I can understand shoes, and unique articles of clothing. I can even understand training camps etc. but I would much rather my skills being upped based on my style of play and exploits on the court. It gives me more of a sense of accomplishment rather then me putting the game on coach mode to get easy points and just buying a decent jump shot.

Product Placements

the are everywhere this time around. Sprint, Nike, Jordan, Gatorade. You can spot them a mile away. Though they do add some credibility to the game and make it close to what goes on in reality, it does seem to be a little distracting at times. What if I don’t like Gatorade? Or I prefer a different brand? I think they may be alienating a few folks with this move, but that’s just my two cents. It really didn’t dampen my enthusiasm for playing the game so take that with a grain of salt.

Summary:

Over all this is my favorite NBA2K game so far in the franchise. They seem to keep the stuff that works and continue improving on everything else. Seeing the Dream Team, and all the other old school players is just fantastic and they all look so good graphically. I love the level of control of my own player, or team as well as over the shoes my character wears. It really makes me feel like I’m apart of the action which I suppose is the point. Good move 2K, good move. I’m sure in the coming years, they’ll tighten up on the background graphic elements and when that day comes, I will definitely be rejoicing. But until then, this game is still a winner.

 

Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance Release Date Announced

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If you are like me, then you are cautiously optimistic about the next installment in the Metal Gear Series. The next game will follow Raiden as the main character and his exploits as the coolest ninja to ever walk the earth. This game doesn’t look like it will follow the traditional Metal Gear path, instead giving the user more of an open field to play in. Raiden can cut pretty much anything in the game, and the moves are ridiculously outlandish.

The story takes place three years after the events in Guns of the Patriots – so don’t worry about this new game messing any of the story line up. I’m excited about the game to say the least and can’t wait till February 19th 2013.

Will you be in line?





					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
New 2K13 Screens and Gameplay Footage

			
						

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I have procured, for your Basketball enjoyment, new game footage and screens for the next installment of the 2K franchise.


One of the significant changes that the Devs talk about is the analog stick functionality. Instead of the shot stick – it is now in control of your dribble – which by the way I should totally get credit for since I’ve been yelling that at the screen for years. At any rate, they finally listened to me  and you can now break people’s ankles at will. This game is shaping up to be something quite desirable. Check the video below as well as the images.






					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
Modern Warfare Monthly Content Release Starting….NOW!

			
						

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Activision announced that come Jan 24th, Call of Duty Elite Members will have access to post-release content. This content will be released monthly for the next 9 months. Yup NINE MONTHS! Those with Xbox Live Accounts will get the first dibs with content for other consoles coming later.


The new content will include new multi-player maps including Central Park and the Italian seaside. I’m pretty excited about this new package as MW3 is, in my opinion, the best in the series to date. If you’re an Elite Member, you can go here for more info: http://www.callofduty.com/elite/go-premium


Full Press Release below:


BIGGEST ENTERTAINMENT RELEASE OF THE YEAR GETS EVEN BIGGER WITH UNPRECEDENTED NINE-MONTH POST-RELEASE CONTENT SCHEDULE AVAILABLE FIRST FOR CALL OF DUTY® ELITE PREMIUM MEMBERS Call Of Duty®: Modern Warfare® 3’s Season of Monthly Content for Call of Duty Elite Premium Members Kicks Off January 24th on Xbox LIVE Santa Monica, CA – January 10, 2012 – Modern Warfare® 3 blazes into 2012 with the debut of all-new multiplayer maps Liberation and Piazza, the front line of the Modern Warfare® 3 Content Season for Call of Duty® Elite, nine consecutive months of epic downloadable content that commences January 24th for Xbox Live users. Activision Publishing, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Activision Blizzard, Inc.’s (Nasdaq: ATVI), revealed today that the content will be available first for Call of Duty® Elite’s premium members on Xbox LIVE, followed by additional platforms at a later time. From January through September, Call of Duty Elite premium members on Xbox LIVE will receive regular updates of all new content totaling at least 20 content drops. The Modern Warfare 3 Content Season for Call of Duty Elite will include a broader variety than ever, with brand new multiplayer maps, Special Ops Missions, new game modes and more. While Call of Duty Elite premium subscribers get the new content first, as promised, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 fans who want to buy the content a la carte as they have in the past, will be able to purchase the content via Modern Warfare 3 Content Collections. “The mammoth launch of Modern Warfare 3 and the breakout success of Call of Duty Elite were just the beginning. Call of Duty Elite provides an ?always-on’ connection to our fanbase, and the MW3 Content Season is the ultimate way to demonstrate our ongoing commitment to the Call of Duty community and provide tremendous value to Call of Duty Elite premium members, said Eric Hirshberg, CEO of Activision Publishing. With the Call of Duty®: MW3 Content Season for Call of Duty Elite we are delivering on our promise of more new content, more often, and with more variety than ever. With three studios collaborating on the first season, the breadth and depth of material on tap is truly extraordinary. It’s rare you can successfully execute both quantity and quality, but thanks to the expertise of our developers, the reach of Call of Duty Elite and the passion of our fans, we intend to deliver. All content drops for Call of Duty Elite premium members will occur once a month, starting in January for Xbox Live users and will continue through the year, ending in September. During the first three months of 2012, Activision will release five different content drops on three occasions in January, February and March, first on Xbox Live, followed by additional platforms at a later time. The first two Content Drops will be multiplayer maps also playable in Modern Warfare 3 Survival Mode that throw combatants into a war-torn Central Park and an Italian seaside village. Liberation is a vast, militarized landscape, ripe for long-range sniper and LMG fire, with mounted turrets on either end that lend power to anyone brave enough to expose themselves in exchange for deadly firepower. Piazza is the idyllic Italian getaway that is anything but, where tight corners and branching pathways pose great risk at every turn. Close-range combat dominates in Piazza, where attacks from behind, above and below are an ever-constant threat. The third Content Drop will be available for download in mid-February and two additional Content Drops will go live in March, as premium Call of Duty Elite members will receive new content once a month through September. Also in March, the first Modern Warfare 3 Content Collection will be available for purchase by the entire Call of Duty: MW3 player community on Xbox Live. To celebrate the launch of each new content drop, Call of Duty Elite will run specialized events for real-world prizes throughout the nine-month Season. Additional details about the Modern Warfare 3 Content Season for Call of Duty Elite and Collection series will be announced throughout the year. The Modern Warfare 3 Content Season is co-developed by Infinity Ward, Sledgehammer Games and Raven Software. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is rated “M” (Mature) by the ESRB for Blood and Gore, Drug Reference, Intense Violence and Strong Language. For more information on the Call of Duty: MW3 content drops, season of content, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and Call of Duty Elite visit www.callofduty.com/mw3 and www.callofduty.com/elite. To become a Call of Duty Elite premium member, go to http://www.callofduty.com/elite/go-premium. For additional Call of Duty Elite updates and information, visit www.facebook.com/callofdutyelite, and also via Twitter @CallofDutyElite. Published by Activision and developed by Beachhead Studio, Call of Duty Elite is a comprehensive social gaming network offering a deep and innovative service for all registered Call of Duty players. Call of Duty Elite provides “always-on,” universal communication between the platform and the game. Players can access Call of Duty Elite via web or console—to connect with friends, plan multiplayer matches with their Clan or social Group, configure load-outs, access comprehensive stats and interactive heat maps, and much more. About Activision Publishing, Inc. Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision Publishing, Inc. is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and leisure products. Activision maintains operations in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Spain, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Australia, South Korea, China and the region of Taiwan. More information about Activision and its products can be found on the company’s website, www.activision.com. 

					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
Mafia II and Joe’s Adventure

			
						

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If you’re into Mafia flicks and games like Grand Theft Auto, then Mafia II is definitely up your alley. The trailers were good and all, but we wanted to know if this game really lives up to the hype. Is it just another run and gun, or does it deliver the goods?


Well, lets just answer that question now so we can get it out of the way. Does the game live up to the hype? Absolutely. No question about it. The game pulls no punches. Its rating of mature wasn’t for show. The story line is engaging, and has you begging for more at every turn. Graphics are great, and game play is amazing -besides a crazy camera angle or two so lets take it from the top.


What We Liked:


The Cars


You will find yourself driving for a lot of the game. And when we say a lot, we mean A LOT! However, there are some pretty cool cars, and since this is an era piece, you will see some classic beauties. Taking cars is a simple as breaking the glass, picking the lock, or yanking the driver out of the front seat. Driving them is quite fun, as they’ve added realistic damage and handling but be very careful as a short joy ride can turn into a car chase at the drop of a dime because the place is crawling with police. So be careful with the throttle and obey the laws when they are around or you may have more trouble then you intended. Whats cool is that the more trouble your in the more forceful the police become. If they have  your description, you have to avoid getting spotted. You should also change cars or get the plates changed at a garage if they know your license plate. Once you get caught you have the option to fight it out, or bribe! At the garage, you can also detail the car anyway you want if you have the money. color, plates, tires, and even engine upgrades to help with outrunning the po-po. Lastly, if you have a favorite car that you use often, don’t forget to fill ‘er up because you will run out of gas.


The Guns


You get access to a number of time-specific guns like the ever famous Tommy-Gun, or the .38 special. You’ve got a couple other guns from WWII like the MP 40 and the  M3 Sub Machine Gun. I personally like the pump-action shotgun myself. The guns, as you would expect, have different ranges and are better suited to certain environments so take this into account when in a shoot-out. There are a few gun stores in the area where you can stock up on guns and ammunition between missions.


The Clothes


You can go to the clothing store to get new threads whenever you want. Some stores are more upscale then others and offer different selections. You can change your clothes at your apartment whenever you want to, and depending on your mission, your clothes can get dirty. However, the damage isn’t permanent so if you chose the same outfit the next day, dirt has usually gone. The clothes don’t really add anything to your hit-points or anything like that, but that level of customization is a welcome aspect of the game.


The Music


The game designers added licensed music to the game which worked marvelously. If you love oldies, I’m sure a lot of your favorites will come on the radio. We played this game nonstop for something like two weeks and the radio never seemed to get old. The songs were well spaced and every now and then you would get breaking news interruptions that detailed a job you just did, or war reports which was a great touch. Songs from the Drifters, Muddy Waters, Buddy Holly, and Little Richard (to name a few) added to the overall feel of the game. With these songs, you get the sense that you are really living in that time period. You end up getting immersed in the game-play and forgetting reality for a while. It definitely makes for a memorable experience.


DLC (Down-loadable Content)


This helps to explain bits of the story and keep it fresh. Love this addition, but hate having to pay for it. However, the story is quite compelling and this helps to keep game play going after you beat the game. I tried Joe’s Adventure which shows some of the same time period from Joe’s perspective. There are also a few new things that get added, like new cars new songs, new clothes etc… Game play is a little different as well. You have more control over the missions you can play so this adds a level of control we felt was missing from normal game-play. Most of the gaming controls stay the same so you can get right back into the swing of things with no problems. Here, you get points for beating people up and completing missions, whereas before you didn’t really get anything more than satisfaction that you made it to the next part of the story. We like this arcade approach because you don’t feel rushed to complete the story and you still get rewarded for doing your own thing. It also fleshes out the game a bit, and you get to know more about the characters.


What we Didn’t Like:


Character Development


Besides your good buddy Joe, you never really got to know the other characters. I never felt like you got know your family or anyone else in the Mafia Family very well. You never really get to interact with your family at all during the game and so some of the heartwarming moments seem contrived. As a matter of fact you we never get the sense that you know anyone really. Now this could be on purpose, but we would rather more interaction between characters or at least a little more back story on some characters to make you feel empathetic when they show up.


Freedom


Now yes, this is a free roam game, however, it doesn’t really matter if there isn’t anywhere to go. Now, maybe we missed it, but there really isn’t much to do in the city except get gas, make a phone call, buy a gun, buy clothes, and maybe crush a car for money. The rest are missions that drive the story forward. We think the game designers could have added a few mini games to make you feel like you really lived in the town. Wish you could enter more buildings. The city is pretty extensive area-wise so you MUST drive everywhere, but that also takes away from the exploration a bit as well. We never really got the feeling that we could just roam around and find something interesting to do.


Boobies


 I know you guys are wondering why this is in the “Not Like” section. Well so what! We weren’t feeling the Playboys littered around the city that you can collect and browse at your leisure. Thought it was an interesting feature, but we thought that it cheapened the game a little bit. Nudie pictures everywhere, aren’t we above that? No? O.K. well if that’s your thing you can try to collect all the pin-ups. As a guy trying to clean up his act, I’ll try to pass on this one.


Wrap-Up


All in all we thought this was a great game. I was apprehensive at first, but the story-line is top notch, a place where GTA falls short in our opinion. It was so compelling that it was on my mind even after playing. It was fun, but I wasn’t smiling a lot of the time because the game was so gritty. I wanted to know a little more about the characters, but the Down-loadable Content answers this call  and keeps things fresh. This is an absolute must have for that Mafia buff in your family – especially if that Mafia Buff is you!


					

		
		
	


				
					
	

		

						
NBA 2K11 Review

			
						

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So I’ve been playing NBA 2K11 on the old Xbox 360 and to be honest with you, the game has lots of surprises. The predominant theme of the game centers around Michael Jordan mostly – and his career over the years. For me personally, this was the main reason to check the game out. It’s been so long since there was a true Jordan presence in any basketball game and to finally get one worth mentioning was definitely worth the 60 bucks. That’s not to say it was a perfect game however. But first lets take a look at the things it does well.


Here are some things that I love.


Signature Hightlights


After your game you can take a look at the highlights of all the key players of the game by choice. It does so stylistically as well, and it really is a pleasure to see you dishing it out on opponents.


Game Reel


This is a collouge of the different highlights of the game.


Press Book


I thought this was a cool addition. It takes snapshots of the game as well so you see key plays from a photojournalist’s point of view. Very similar to what you would see at NBA.com or ESPN.com when looking through pictures of a past game.


“My Jordans”


The game actually has you collecting Air Jordans throughout your career! Different Jordan’s give your player’s different abilities. There are 40 in all to collect.


Living Roster


To me, one of the coolest aspects of the game. The living roster is just what it sounds like. Players and league stats are updated in almost real-time. I’m playing a season with the Knicks right now (hapless Knick fan – what can I say?) and the interface is giving me live info on what has transpired around the league. Injuries, trade rumors, scores…its all there.


Jordan Challenges


In my opinion, the second coolest aspect of the game. You get to relive all the Jordan great moments like “the Shrug”,the 1991 NBA Finals, 69 points against the Cavaliers, and more. The game actually starts you off in Jordan’s shoes. If you are not used to the game – go ahead and exit and practice a little bit before you start playing in Jordan mode ’cause there is a lot to learn.


How it Comes Together


Why do I think the Living Roster is the coolest aspect of the game? Well its not new but it works really well this time because of the juxtaposition between the new teams and the old teams. You are solidly placed in the “here and now” because of the reference point of the old heads. The game never really feels stagnant and you aren’t stuck with buyers remorse because you just bought the game and someone got traded and now your game is out of date. I just played the Wizards and Gilbert Arenas was in the line-up. Not only that, but it also tells you about up coming games in much the same way you would see them broadcast on television.


Moving on to game-play, controlling your player is pretty easy and intuitive. You can also try your own skills with the “shot stick” (the right stick on the 360 controller). You can control how your player shoots based on your own preferences. If you get good at this – it definitely pays dividends. Everything is pretty much what you would expect up to a point. However, the more complex moves require a bit more finesse. Ball handling becomes a bit more complicated when trying to step in and do a turn move to lay-up or some other similar move. It’s not impossible, but I wonder what the percentage of pulling that move off every time you wanted would be.  However, the move transitions were great, and I definitely got excited every time I pulled something off.


Each players’ real-time stats definitely meant something. I definitely felt it when a team was doing well, or doing poorly. This can be frustrating because a team that you feel you could normally beat all of a sudden becomes a challenge because they are on a real-life run. However, this is not a negative aspect because it ads to the overall realness of the game.


I also enjoyed the customization elements of the game. You can change shoe types and colors as well as appearances. I left most of it alone so that I would keep everyone’s appearances as close to their real-life counterparts as possible. However, the possibility is there.


You can also play different modes like blacktop pickup games, dunk contests, or three point shootouts. You can also team up with your friends online and start or join a “crew.” Announcer speech has been improved once again. They are generally interesting and at times I wonder if they are being updated in real time as well! The crowds have been re-worked so that they don’t look like the same 1 person duplicated 1,000 times. This time its the same 10 people duplicated 100 times each. Its not huge but its something. Plus the noise swells and decreases just like a real game depending on who is winning.


What I Didn’t Like


In an effort to make movement more lifelike, I feel like the designers went a little overboard with the player’s physics when it came to momentum. When you reach, be careful because you may end up near the half-court line for simply trying to swipe the ball. Of course that’s an exaggeration, but you get the point. Also, it passing is inaccurate, and turnovers can get ridiculous. Some people will say you need to protect the ball more, but it can really get frustrating. A lot of the game is spent either stealing the ball or getting it stolen simply because passing is so inaccurate. Some reprieve is that you generally won’t find yourself passing it to a player who is out of bounds. I am so glad they fixed that issue, or play could have been unbearable.


I also wasn’t immediately wowed by the graphics this time. Not saying graphics are atrocious but they I felt like no huge strides were made between 2K10 and 2K11 in terms of realistic facial expressions and jersey movements. There are some weird moments where your jersey is shaking all over the place while the player is standing still or when your clothes and body are indistinguishable. However, these issues are few and far in between and certainly don’t detract too much from what does make this game so awesome.


Wrap-up


A solid game and must-have for a Jordan admirer. The Jordan presence alone makes it worth it. The other stuff is bonus! Real-time stats and as much customization as you can stand and there really isn’t too much to shake a finger at with this game. Transition between game and real-life games are almost seamless. Playing this game makes you more interested in real games and real games makes you interested in playing the game. If that was the intention, well played sirs…well played.