Gears of War Revisited

The guys at Epic pride themselves on taking something that has been used before, reworking it, and then polishing the devil out of it until it is an incredible experience that looks brand new.  A prime example of their hard work is the  Gears of War cover system.

Although “stop and pop” gunplay has been done time and time before, it’s never felt as well executed or worked as fluidly as it does in Gears.  The attention is in the details.  The “down but not out” mechanic adds a great deal of strategic depth.  Sure you could  finish off that opponent you just downed with a quick and easy curb stomp or blow to the head, but if you are patient enough and wait nearby, there is a good chance one of his teammates will come to his rescue giving you a two for one special at your local chainsaw retailer!

While the core of Gears of War is fun, however, the flaws in the multiplayer make you realize just how important  the little things truly are.  For a game that puts an emphasis on team work and tactics, you would think that they would make sure that there was an easy way to organize your team and include a matchmaking system.  Epic says it was a situation where the “left hand didn’t talk to the right hand” regarding Microsoft not allowing matchmaking.  I believe that, for a game that was clearly a system seller, Microsoft should have set aside some time to talk it out.

Other little things, like glitches and close chainsaw-on-chainsaw duels being decided randomly, only fuel the flame.  Of course all of this is nit picky, but it is exacerbated by the fact that the game is lacking in game types and maps.  Originally it was released with 10 maps that were mostly closed off portions of single player maps, along with only three game types which are essentially just small variations on deathmatch.  This makes the entire multiplayer experience feel hollow and barebones.

Thankfully, things are looking up.  Epic has presented two new maps since release and fixed some of the glitches.  They also have introduced a new game type, Annex, which is Epic’s take on the King of the Hill.  It brings with it a much needed in round re-spawn every 15 seconds which is certainly fresh to the Gears way of play.

Gears of War’s multiplayer may or may not be for you now.  It is currently shallow in nature.  Luckily, Epic appears to be committed to their product which creates the appearance that Gears will have a nice long happy update schedule, and that is definitely something to look forward to.

There’s No Place Like Home

At this year’s Game Developer Conference, Phil Harrison delivered Sony’s keynote speech.  In it he described the philosophical Game 3.0 saying that the future is all about the “connected” console empowered by the users who are at the center of the entertainment experience.  He then showcased Sony’s Home, a 3D social-networking service for the PlayStation 3.  While the features he described were incredible, Sony’s Home should immediately be confronted with skepticism.  It appears that the “user empowerment” Harrison mentioned seems to be more along the lines of the user economically empowering Sony.  The service seems anxious to draw in a broad audience rather than focusing on providing a first class online service for its faithful user base.

Sony stands to make a great deal of money with Home whether or not it actually competes directly with Xbox Live.  Everything a user does will be connected in some way to advertising.  Sony Bravia TV will play the latest movie trailers.  The central lounge will be adorned with physics based advertising banners and movie-theatre-sized screens projecting high definition videos.  I have no fundamental problem with this advertising because it will keep the service, which is free, up and running.  However, Sony also plans on incorporating non-gaming related brands and a bevy of micro-transaction opportunities as well, and that is where the problem lies.  The inclusion of non-gaming brands, such as new leather couches for “in Home” apartments, hint that Sony is more interested in making Home into a 3D virtual world for the general public rather than for its loyal PlayStation 3 users.

We all know too well the Sony that attempts to push its products as your one-stop solution.  It hasn’t fared well in the past, and why should it be any different with Home?  Despite its amazing features, Home will still not provide gamers a quick and universal way of finding their friends and jumping directly into a game.  Another factor to consider is that jumping from one 3D space to another will load much slower than an easily navigable 2D user interface such as the Xbox Live Dashboard.  While everyone is hailing Home as the impervious lovechild of MySpace and Second Life, it is missing some very key ingredients that are necessary for a good gaming experience.  Sony needs to offer a stripped down version of Home that keeps its typical users in mind or it might just have to count its over-engineered online service as another failure.  They’re desperately hoping that Home will expand their user base, but how many people are going to plunk down half-a-grand for a lovechild when the parents can be played online without having to spend a penny?

Runescape

Since its humble beginnings using 2D sprites, Jagex Ltd’s Runescape has evolved into a fully 3D-modeled, browser-based MMORPG that not only is free (why else would you be reading this) but also includes the basics that comes with any MMO along with some extra features that will have you up and questing in no time!

After the initial download, the character design page offers 13 customization options to create a unique Runescape citizen. Sadly, at this point you will probably notice Runescape’s Achilles Heel…its graphics!  It can’t compare to the commercially released titles out there, but since the game isn’t eating $15 a month out of your wallet, I think you’ll be able to cope.  Your new character will now visit Tutorial Island where you’ll learn a variety of skills such as mining, fishing, combat (melee and ranged), and casting spells; all of which are important for your survival.

Along with these new skills you’ll notice some of the many great extras that you wouldn’t expect from a free MMO: 360 degree camera control, a Friends/Ignore list, customizable player controls, an entertaining soundtrack, and a stat system for charting your progress.  These features easily have Runescape in the running as the best “free” MMO on the internet!

With a free account you will be able to participate in 18 quests spread among three difficulty levels.  At the beginning you’ll be killing low level orcs and goblins and probably a cow or two (they put up a weak fight and are easy XP) before making your way to those larger monsters that require the help of friends. If questing doesn’t satisfy your thirst for blood then some good ol’ PvP in the Wilderness will do, but don’t go out there during your early levels because each time you die you lose everything except your three most valuable possessions.

Combat isn’t the only thing to do in Runescape.  Trading with other players, crafting your own items, playing the available mini-games, and visiting some of the shops run by various NPCs all come with the experience!  If you do find that you’ve become addicted and there are no more quests left to burn the midnight oil, FEAR NOT.  You can pay a $5 a month fee to get member status which provides you with 50+ quests.  Along with other bonus content, a membership promises you many more hours of enjoyment.

Runescape is the perfect solution for those that need their MMO itch scratched, and it also provides a “free” alternative so that anyone who hasn’t played an MMO can try out the genre before plunking down the cash for a commercially released title with all the bells and whistles.

War Rock

At first it seemed K2 Network had hit one out of the park with their online tactical-shooter, War Rock. You really can’t beat the price of free, and the game actually provides enough quality FPS action to scratch the itchy trigger finger of any gamer. Sure, it can be very buggy at times, with planes regularly getting stuck in mid-air. A not-so consistent frame rate hampers the experience every now and then, but once again the phrase “not bad for free” pops into the mind. That’s about the time when K2 Network hits the player in the face with a sock full of nickels! Read more

MLB 2K7

Stripped of its spot-on visuals and excellent sports commentary, MLB 2K7 would only be a technically sound game. Amazingly, when those things are thrown back into the mix, the game goes from simply being the player’s seasonal scheduled purchase of a baseball sim to a purchase of one of the greatest baseball games that has ever been made! No, the game is not perfect. It does have its flaws, but the level of immersion attained while playing is second to none. Read more

David Perry’s TOP SECRET Project

What happened to the good ol’ days when one or two guys would seclude themselves away in their parents basement for 2-3 months at a time coding video games? Even some of today’s larger development teams (often staffed by 100’s of employees) are currently dwarfed by what industry veteran David Perry is attempting to accomplish with a development team of 26,000+! Read more