Showing posts with label casual gaming. Show all posts
Showing posts with label casual gaming. Show all posts

Thursday, 11 October 2012

FIFA 13

There is a massive craze for FIFA games amongst my peers. Being 17 years old kind of makes me the prime target for EA and their annual release schedule but I don't mind it. About half of my "friends" on Xbox Live got the game the day it came out... as did I. I've been following the brand for about six years now with my first game on my Xbox 360 being FIFA 09... Good times :')

Throughout the years, there has been a pattern in which one year there's a massive change or "revolution" of how the game is played and the next year is an improvement in which the game is refined or "evolved". This year is an "evolution" year. But don't be put off by that though; it's for the better.

The main new features of this game includes the use of variability of first time touches of the ball, Match Day mode and skill games...

First time touches - Changing this was a good idea; not all players can sponge the power of a shot as easily as Xavi or Messi and, depending on the power, angle, person passing and person receiving, the first time touch can be extremely erratic. I have played as Bristol Rovers, for example, and the way that balls fly everywhere when you try to play a clever pass, unlike division 1 teams, definitely adds to the realism of the game which can only be a good thing, right?

Match Day mode - Attempting to blur the gap between real football and simulated games comes Match Day mode; a game type where you can play current fixtures using current teams that have their ratings adjusted due to how they have been playing in real life. Playing as West Ham United, several players had their ratings adjusted with several defenders having their stats boosted due to a good defencive game the last time they turned out, whereas the injured footballers (Collision, O'Neil etc.) has their overall rating slashed due to a lack of "form" or at least, playing time. I played a few matches using this mode and it does feel good to have beaten the team that last thrashed your favourite side or to add to the victories. In all fairness though, it's not addictive and isn't essential to enjoying the game.

Skill games - Replacing the practise arena comes skill games; the new way that will make you addicted to FIFA for a few hours. Described as "helping beginners improve their game", EA has brought in an assortment of mini challenges that progress from Bronze to Silver to Gold and then to Skill Challenge in which getting Legendary status is what's required. The skill games are based on the basic attributes of players; shooting, short passing, lobbing, penalties etc. And at the point of writing, I have completed all skill games on Gold with one Skill Challenge on Legendary. They are great to waste a bit of time on when you find yet another match tedious but I have completed them quite easily, so maybe more to come? DLC?

In terms of the modes, there's FIFA Ultimate Team (FUT), that allows you to relive some nostalgia due to its collector cards format, Seasons, that lets you play a series of games online against real people to progress to higher leagues and, of course, Career mode.

Career mode has always been my first port of call, as it were. When I a new FIFA game, I play about 50 hours on the Career mode before attempting other modes, just so that I can get used to the game. This time, however, I think I will probably spend more time due to an addition of several new features including internationals, different transfers, more interaction with your "team", the press and scouting.

The internationals part lets you play as an international side if you do well during the previous season. I, for example, played a season at West Ham. I won the league and the FA Cup and was offered to come and manage Peru, Bolivia or Chile... I'm not saying you start big but you don't have to give up your domestic side to manage your international team and I heartily recommend it.

The difference in transfers is not massive but it didn't need to be, anyway. The only real difference is the clubs won't let their star players go without some serious dosh laid out in front of them which can actually lead you to look elsewhere at lesser teams or future stars. This year you can also add players to a bid to secure a new player by offering them as part of the deal which is good for when your money is tight and nobody wants to buy that player anyway.

This FIFA also includes a considerable amount of more interaction and reaction from your players. During the transfer part, you have to say how the player will be used in the squad (crucial 1st team player all the way down to reserve team player) and if you don't keep your promises then the player will get really pissy with you. I bought two strikers due an injury problem. The two that were injured came back from injury. The two that I bought were in form and I enjoyed playing with them and so didn't change the strikers back. The two previously injured attackers got incredibly pissed off and demanded that they be transferred during the transfer period due to a lack of games. I can imagine that's what a real manager's life must be like and if so; I pity you managers because it is very frustrating.

The press is different this time in that rumours spread like wildfire and they seem to have an opinion on anything and everything you as the manager does. A player not scored in the last five games? Must be on the way out. A player refusing a contract? Disloyal. Refusing to take another job? Saint. Very much like real life, most of it is crap. Tread carefully.

Scouting is actually very similar to last year but I wanted to include it as I find it a great way of finding a new generation of stars. Definitely use it at the start of your career if you're planning long term.

The reviews for FIFA 13 are great. The game is, of course, great. If you like football/soccer then it's very, very good with only one negative of a career save that doesn't work due to freezing but it seems like an isolated incident so buy it anyway. Oh, and below my username is some more propaganda for you if you have some free time.

Enjoy.

SkyrimAddict

FIFA 13 propaganda - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KTWk2raYh8

Monday, 24 September 2012

Looking Back...:The Last Stand

I'm not a massive fan of computer gaming. Browser-based gaming has never been part of my gaming routine and has ceased to enthral me despite purchases of newer and better computers on my part with faster Internet connections, also. But, just like if you're not too keen on The Beatles, you have to respect it/them for their impact of their avenue of media. The Beatles revolutionised the way music turned out by creating (a) new genre(s). Browser gaming changed the way we spend/waste our time at school/work... And I respect it for that.

I first heard about The Last Stand (TLS) when I was shown it when I was round a friend's house.Having spent the night there for a sleepover, we were both tired and bloody bored, too. Having played a couple of games on his Xbox 360, he moved onto his computer and surfed the net for a bit. He then showed me TLS and I loved it. I don't know whether it was the fact that I was 11 or that I liked a bit of violence at the time but killing zombies appealed to me immediately and immensely.

The game is a third person shooter where you are behind "cover" and you have to kill zombies to stop them from reaching you and eating your brains (once the cover is destroyed then it's usually over as the zombies quickly descend upon you). The rest of the game is spent finding survivors to help you kill the zombies or looking for weapons. You can have up to seven survivors, including yourself, with the seventh survivor always brandishing a hunting rifle which can take out a zombie in one shot, so my advice would be to gather survivors as quickly as possible in your daylight hours so as to quickly obtain this asset.

In terms of weapons, there isn't a massive variety for your wall but it's big enough so as to keep you satisfied. There's standard pistols then it moves onto shotguns then machine guns with quirky weapons such as the chainsaw adding a little bit of "ommph".

To be honest, it's one of only a few browser games which I play occasionally. I have always adored it and my love affair has continued with The Last Stand 2 being released and 3 having its trailer on YouTube. It's free. The link's below. Have a go. :)

SkyrimAddict

The Last Stand -  http://armorgames.com/play/269/the-last-stand

Saturday, 8 September 2012

Grand Theft Auto IV: A very late review... UPDATE

*As seen via other posts, I have "reviewed" GTA 4 despite only playing about six hours on it at the time. This post is an update for the review using the opinion I have gathered through rigorous playing*

I've played about 60% of story now and I have to say that it's top-notch stuff. The plots come thick and fast not depending on which person you choose to help/get employment from. And it's an interesting, grabbing story that makes you want to plow through it and see out Niko's adventure in Liberty City. A highlight was robbing a bank with the McRearys with the action, emotion and adrenaline of being chased by the cops, and other things besides, it makes you see through Niko's eyes... I even got to the point, after a six hour gaming session on this game, that I started thinking in Niko Bellic's voice. I'm not knocking it, the Russian accent is up there as one of the best, but it's alarming to think how attached you get to a fictional character.

An update of the game play includes that the buttons become second nature and do not feel unresponsive after playing it for such a long time. I am better at driving despite not being in complete control of the vehicle at all times... Yet the variety of cars is something that should definitely be commended (pick up trucks, family saloons, fire engines, police cars, ambulances, lorries, rubbish truck, convertibles, muscle cars and, obviously my favourites, sports cars) with the option to steal pretty much any vehicle... with a bit of an aversion due to the police liking to chase you for a few minutes if they see you committing the crime, leading to bumps, scrapes and (in extreme circumstances) the vehicle blowing up and killing anyone in a ten metre radius.

The array of weapons at my disposal soon increased after my last "review" and I had fun with automatic and semi-automatic machine guns, grenades, sniper rifles, rocket launchers and, of course, my trusty pistol. Due to it's accuracy, the pistol has always been my favourite since I first compared it to other guns. It's also easy to find ammunition with most of the police officers using the same make of pistol (luckily enough). I still listen to Liberty Rock Radio with their classics but I may use other stations if I forget to change it to LRR when I commit grand theft auto.

The criticisms that I wrote in the last "review" were somewhat harsh to GTA IV; "the camera angles when driving are always too far or too near... A middle ground would be nice. You can die really easily which sucks at the start when you have to pay to get healed up. It's a bit unrealistic when you date girls and they say it's been an OK date despite the fact that you've totalled her car... Also, when I try to cross a bridge there's always a police barricade there and they always kill me as I go past... Is that normal for the start of the game?"

There are retorts to each one with driving getting easier due to the amount of time spent cruising around in vehicles plus the use of pressing B giving a cinematic look to driving. You can indeed die easily at the start of the game, but as it progresses you learn to buy/obtain body armour... Not to mention that the cover system allows you to not get shot as much *face palm*. The date/totalling car part is still true... But hey, it makes it a  bit easier to "hook up", as someone like me wouldn't say. And the police barricades are usually only there so that you unlock islands as the story progresses yet there are make-shift police barricades that are used in an attempt to stop you/slow you down during police chases, however these are not permanent.

And now for a final conclusion; 10/10 definitely. I couldn't rate it highly enough and even if I could, it probably wouldn't be enough. On a par with Skyrim too. And that's the highest honour I can bestow upon GTA IV.

SkyrimAddict

Monday, 3 September 2012

Cool YouTube Users: officialxboxmag

I bought my first Xbox 360 magazine when I was first interested in Guitar Hero: World Tour. I bought the magazine with the glossy cover and Guitar Hero on the front despite the fact that it wasn't "official". I was, indeed, susceptible to anything that looked good so at the time I bought games depending on their trailers or cover art or what a friend owned. Then, about a year and a half after my first purchase, a member of my family offered to buy my magazine for me. Not knowing which one I usually purchased, they bought the Official Xbox Magazine (OXM) as it was the most expensive of the solely Xbox 360 magazines. Having read the magazine and used its disc, I was certain that I could only buy this magazine in the future months to come... And I still do.

As with most businesses/brands, they have their own Facebook and Twitter pages along with a very extensive website which is run by some top people (as is most of the things they do :S). The most recent of their uses of popular "social" websites is their use of YouTube.

Despite not having a lot of time to do YouTube videos (they have to work for their actual jobs), there is a large variety of videos that make up their uploaded videos section.In the last month or two it has, admittedly, been a lot about Minecraft due to the immense popularity of it on XBLA. However, even one game can bring about a diverse selection of different videos from an introduction, to gameplay to OXM Land which is basically their world and they let 100 people onto it to build whatever they want... The results are quite staggering and impressive.

That's not to say that it's just Minecraft. Their most popular videos have come from Matt Lees (AKA OXMJamSponge or "the guy with the weird hair-do") and his ability to make any game sound quite exciting. An example of this is Dragon's Dogma. Not an extremely successful game, by any means of imagination, but Matt has made introductions to different types of systems found in the video game including the Pawn system, level system and the different classes, though he's only shown us a few in his videos. :'(.

The most recent video of interest is a Star Wars 1313 gameplay video, with Matt asking someone from the development team about LucasArts' CGI effects team (which recently worked on The Avengers) while showing off the latest of gameplay shown by the developers. It looks really good, but I wouldn't be surprised to see it be for the next generation of consoles. However, it's Matt being there that consoles any worries about it and I'm sure it will be great whichever generation it comes out in.

I've been subscribed for about seven months and I always look forward to seeing an OXM video pop up in the subscriber's box... Maybe you should too.

SkyrimAddict

Star Wars 1313 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbhcsrYnW1c
Dragon's Dogma - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_c8krHCKHDI&feature=relmfu
Minecraft introduction - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jt9dHr0Veo

Friday, 31 August 2012

Skyrim: new Hearthfire DLC

More DLC for the second best game of all time? Yes please! Skyrim Hearthfire looks a lot like Bethesda has looked at The Sims or Minecraft and gone "Yes. We need some of that in Skyrim. Make it done." This 400 MSP pack comes with the ability to buy a plot of land, get materials and then build your own home which you then maintain and add with furnishings and more and more rooms... Wow.

When I first saw rumours of this a few weeks back, I thought it was going to be a rip off and that I wouldn't need it. Then I saw the trailer... Yeah, it looks awesome with making your own rooms, being able to use fallen foes as trophies... And there's mounted mud-crabs obviously.

I hope the way it's laid out onto the controller makes it easy to make majestic houses and I do yearn for something in Skyrim to be glitch-free... Hopefully, this can deliver and rival The Sims in house making.

And if not? It's only 400 MSP.

SkyrimAddict

Trailer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Vb9NiZohcw

Friday, 24 August 2012

Grand Theft Auto IV... A very late review

Having strict parents is somewhat a burden when it comes to what I can and can't do. An example is that I wasn't allowed to stay up later than 10 pm on weekdays when I was a bit younger and, until very recently, I've had to follow the PEGI system of age ratings. I'm 17 and all the way through my life I have only played 3s, 12s and 16s with a few BBFC age ratings of 15 too. After seeing that I'm actually quite mature, my parents have finally allowed me to buy and play age 18 rated games. By looking through to the back of my Official Xbox Magazine, I realise that about a quarter of the games are age 18 rated. One of the 10/10s has always been Grand Theft Auto IV (GTA IV) and, due to this recommendation and all my friends having played it, I have always wanted to see what Liberty City is like to play in.

I got the game from Amazon.co.uk for about £15 and I've played about 6 hours so far. GTAs have always been open world games that allow you to do whatever you want with a hint of story of reaching the top of the pile of criminals. The game play feels a bit weird as the buttons aren't as responsive as I would have liked but GTA IV makes up for this with the feeling of awesomeness as you commit grand theft auto/hijacking a car. A simple press of the Y button does this and the following police chase is a lot of fun, even if I am really bad a driving and I almost always crash into the back of a fellow motorist. So far I've used my fists, a knife, a baseball bat and a pistol for weapons with my favourite being the baseball bat... It's just fun to use, I swear!

There's a lot of awesomeness in other aspects of the game too; I, for one, love the radio stations in the car. I always listen to "Liberty Rock" radio station and occasionally Evil Woman by ELO or Mamma by Genesis plays and it feels genuinely great to cruise around, and smashing into things, while one of your favourite songs is being played in-game. I also love Niko Bellic and his attitude to most things; kick the living shit out of your problems and they will go away. Yay.

Criticisms of a 10/10 games seem to be in supply however; the camera angles when driving are always too far or too near... A middle ground would be nice. You can die really easily which sucks at the start when you have to pay to get healed up. It's a bit unrealistic when you date girls and they say it's been an OK date despite the fact that you've totalled her car... Also, when I try to cross a bridge there's always a police barricade there and they always kill me as I go past... Is that normal for the start of the game?

Conclusions to be made include that it's a great game to play (good game play, story and freedom) but whether it's a 10/10 game... It will have to pull out all the stops to get that status. :P

SkyrimAddict

Wednesday, 15 August 2012

Plague Inc.

After seeing a few pictures on random websites about a mobile game called Plague Inc. I really wanted to try it. The concept is basically using the idea of you being a disease and evolving to infect as many people as possible and eventually cause the extinction of the human race. It's essentially a strategy game and, as past posts show, I have a bit of a soft spot for strategy whether it's on PC, console or, as is this case, mobile.

I say mobile but it's just my iPod and I don't use it much. Plague Inc. has changed that however with a lot of game time going into trying to unlock new types of diseases such as fungus and biochemicals. It is fun to play and unlocks the mad scientist in all of us... A little bit anyway.

I must be off; the world needs me to cause its doom.

SkyrimAddict

Thursday, 12 July 2012

Wow...

Yep, it's been quite a while. No excuses for it either... I just didn't feel like writing as it turns out. Lots has happened in that that time too; I've mined diamonds in Minecraft, been shredding guitar on Guitar Hero III etc. but the most exciting thing has been the introduction of Skyrim's new expansion pack/DLC... Dawnguard. Set in the normal world but with a whole host of new things to do/fight/collect/use, it really has added several 10s of hours to the game. At the moment my character has levelled up on the Vampire Perk tree and has several of the perks available that allow it to use daemonic powers that can suck the very soul out of enemies... NICE. It's just added something new and fresh and it was well worth the 1600 MSP.

If you have Skyrim, have played it to the brink of exhaustion and thought that it was time to put it away for a few weeks/months/years... well, you'd be wrong. :P

SkyrimAddict

Tuesday, 22 May 2012

Ignoring Past Excuses

As the title suggests, I have ignored the rule of not buying and playing Minecraft and I now play it often... and it's great! Really, really good and I can't believe how good it is... The way that the map you play on is randomly generated (mine's called "Brave New World"), the fact that you can do anything you want with no constraints and that your friends can come into your world and help you build that amazing skyscraper you had plans to build or you could go into their world and blow their house up by inviting some creepers to stay ;)

So far, I have built a mine-shack that is next to a mine I have dug with the finding of iron, coal, gold and redstone being one of the best experiences in gaming. Near to this is my main house in the middle of a body of water with a bridge of sand joining from all directions at the front of the house... and I'm proud of it! That's why Minecraft is so great; it takes the idea of crafting and if you put the effort in, you can create some truly amazing pieces of art/architecture.

I must go, "Brave New World" calls me.

SkyrimAddict

Monday, 30 April 2012

Cool Youtube Users: freddiew

As you probably know, I enjoy playing video games and I like watching videos on YouTube to do with videogames so when someone comes around who uses games as their inspiration for their videos then it just seems natural that I become a massive fan of theirs. Freddiew is one of those people with videos that include real life Mario Kart, GTA and a first person Mario Bros. video that I just love as they are based on video games but also very original, also.

The newest and my most favourite video is that of "Skyrim Badass" that is basically being an @$$ in Skyrim in real life. With the life-like graphics and the sword-fighting choreography, I love this video and I have watched it many times already...

...and it's not just because I love Skyrim!

SkyrimAddict

Thursday, 26 April 2012

Minecraft for 360

The news that Minecraft was branching out to different gaming consoles was of no surprise to me as it was the most popular game on the computer over the last few years and the owners were looking for new revenue streams. Minecraft will get it's release as an Xbox Live Arcade game where people can do as they do on the computer; namely mining, crafting and fighting with creepers. You can basically do what the computer guys are doing minus the regular packs and updates that the computer game gets.

When I first saw Minecraft I thought it would be a fad and one that would be over quickly due to its block-y graphics and its weird game play. But then it turned out to be a long-running, extensive gaming experience that most people I know have played or are playing.

The release is welcome and I for one will be buying it... little pickaxes and beds here I come!

SkyrimAddict

Tuesday, 24 April 2012

Euro 2012

With Euro 2012 just around the corner at the beginning of June, EA have published another tournament game that convinces most football fans with the title: "UEFA Euro 2012".

 I, being a massive football fan, have always loved watching the world cup and the euros with anticipation and worry for England's football team as they never do as well as they should. The chance of playing as England and winning such a prestigious event with other countries such as Spain and the Netherlands playing would be amazing and a lot of fun, I would imagine.

According to Amazon, the game this year does not have a plastic box surrounding it, but rather a DLC Microsoft points card attached instead. For £15 to £18 you can add another mode to FIFA 12 and play as whatever team takes your fancy; I'll probably take Macedonia...

I look forward to playing the game alongside the tournament and hopefully England can win... in real life or the video game! I don't mind either way!

SkyrimAddict

Monday, 23 April 2012

Halo 4

So, moving away from Skyrim and RPGs in general I would like to write about Halo 4 and how it's shaping up to be "Game of the Year" already. The trailer was released several months ago and showed the audience Master Chief floating through a spaceship on a jet pack with Cortana giving orders. The trailer looked good with subtle hints about what was to happen in the future.

Halo 4 will be the start of a new trilogy for Master Chief with worlds such as the exotic jungle planet of Requiem to play on and co-op missions that allow you to get to know your Chief better. The multiplayer also looks good with the whole Red vs Blue situation finally being unveiled as a proper story rather than just what-it-is.

The design for the Chief and his enemies has been radically overhauled with the only things remaining including the general shape of the characters and the helmet that Master Chief wears.

I loved Halo: Reach and at first I was hesitant at what 343 Industries could bring to the table in terms of Halo but so far it all looks good. I can't wait to play it later this year.

SkyrimAddict