The gaming industry has taken a lot of flak from lawyers and activists in recent years, from California's proposed warning labels, to in-game LGBT relationships, to stories of a mass murderer that just *happened* to be an avid gamer. A more recent event in this saga of mishaps could put a complete ban to Microsoft's massively-successful Xbox 360 in the United States.
The flame ignited last month, with claims of Microsoft infringing Motorola's WiFi and video codec technologies. ITC judge David Shaw is displeased, and will forbid all imports of the console's 4GB and 250GB models to the US, ergo a successful commission. Microsoft responded, pointing out the counter-productive effect the ban will inevitably have on the console market. This did not convince Shaw to hold back. That said, Microsoft officials have stated that they are confident that the case will end in their favor.
I sense a legal shitstorm, yet I am in high hopes that things don't get too messy in the end.
Hey fellas! The anniversary of one of gaming's most influential shooters has sneaked up on me! I have little time to write a giant tribute to this fantastic gem of a game, so instead, I threw together something cool (below this paragraph). Remind you of anything? Yep, I assembled a parody of the viral "Keep Calm and Carry On" phenomenon just in time as a celebration! Additionally, Wolfenstein 3D is available to play for free in your web browser, thanks to Id and BethSoft.
It's late on a Saturday night, and my hand made gaming rig is finalizing its Windows installation at last. I couldn't wait to play games like Crysis, Far Cry 2, GTA IV, and the rest of my Steam library at the highest graphical details. Complete with a GTX 560, a solid i5 processor, and 8 gigabytes of RAM (with two more free slots for a future upgrade), my new computer did just that. However, there is one unlikely application that remains pinned to my taskbar. That is OnLive; the wonderful cloud gaming service.
As many of you should know, OnLive is a way to “run” top-tier mainstream and indie titles alike on devices that lack the processing power that they demand. It's done through a cloud-based video stream, believe it or not. The button/key presses are sent to their low-latency servers and sent back to the output video on your screen. In short, it's like Netflix for video games. As a result, any modern device that is capable of streaming video has potential for implementation of an OnLive client. With all this in mind, why in the world would I need such a thing if all my Steam games look gorgeous on my system?
Well, first of all, I'll get this out of the way: OnLive is complementary to local and physical gaming, as stated numerous times by OnLive staff. Sure, some gamers have made it their primary platform for their own respectable reasons, but for those that still have a console or capable gaming PC, it's always a good idea to stay up to date. As for myself, I treat OnLive like another Steam. I play some Fallout: New Vegas or Skyrim for a while, then if I wish to play Saints Row: The Third or Just Cause 2, I start up OnLive. Sometimes it can be cumbersome to juggle two digital distribution services (I hate having to use Origin just for Mass Effect 3 when the first and second ME are on Steam), but the magic of OnLive is that it just isn't cumbersome. It's just a single, static (in a sense that streaming is all it's doing), low-power application that is my hub for access to several amazing games. On the other hand, with the combination of Steam and Origin, it's disorienting to switch between both just for Mass Effect, and a waste of ram to keep them both open. Then sometimes, I don't bother playing Mass Effect because I'm so attached to Steam and OnLive.
Secondly, it's a joy to play console-class games on my Android tablet. I'm not a fan of Apple products, but I genuinely sympathize for iPad users that still have their version of the app in approval-limbo. Hipsters, brand whores, call them what you want. I believe everyone deserves the joy of cloud gaming. Split/Second with a hipster? Sign me up! I'm kidding, relax. The point I'm trying to make is that the mobile client is rock-solid, and as close to the “real deal” of modern gaming that you can get on a tablet or smartphone. My new favorite touch based Android game is now L.A. Noire. The L.A Noire.
I've just about run out of things to say, except I haven't. The last things that I have to say are not necessarily related to OnLive's functionality. The service just has sentimental value that drives me to support it. Sure, I used to have frustrations with some of OnLive's lack of communication and game release consistency in the past, but we all must realize that OnLive is a pioneer of cloud gaming, just like Steam was with digital distribution for games in general. In conclusion, I'm convinced that it will someday make it as a competitor with the big boys (aka major distributors). OnLive's CEO Steve Perlman broke the uncanny valley of computer-generated human faces with MOVA, he plans to break the uncanny valley of wireless technology with DIDO, and he has broken the uncanny valley of the accessibility of high-performance games with OnLive.
In 2007, CD Projekt RED's The Witcher
raised the bar for mature storytelling in computer games. Throwing
players into the medieval fantasy world of Polish author Andrzej
Sapkowski, The Witcher series is not the typical “happily-ever-after”
fairy tale game and is not for the faint of heart. In The Witcher, you are Geralt of
Rivia, who is, as the title suggests, a “Witcher.” Witchers are
mutants who make a living by slaying monsters, and are misconceived
as untrustworthy criminals by common folk. Themes like violence,
sexuality, politics and (especially) discrimination are very common
themes throughout your journey, and it is up to you to make organic
decisions with no definite black-and-white outcome. Your final
decision will often leave one group happy while displeasing the
other. The player's actions will leave lasting effects on the world,
and what remains of your adventure. Last year, a direct sequel released on
PC, sporting gorgeous visuals, revamped gameplay, and an even darker
plot. Meanwhile, console gamers eyed it, green with envy. Now a year
later, due to great demand from fans, A newly-enhanced version of the
game has made its console debut on the Xbox 360. CD Projekt RED has
carefully tailored the epic with numerous bug fixes, and four extra
hours of adventure. As you can expect, the graphics have been toned
down for the console, but still hold up with little compromise. As
for the original content, everything from the original game is
intact, from the uncensored sex scenes to every single piece of DLC
ever released.
This is fantastic news for Xbox
gamers, but should early adopters of The Witcher 2 feel gypped?
Certainly not, because thankfully, current owners of the PC version
will automatically receive a free upgrade to the Enhanced Edition in
the form of a patch. There are also confirmed plans for the game to
release on the OnLive cloud gaming service, so everyone is happy,
save for PS3 owners. Here's hoping that they'll get the Witcher
treatment as we did. Just...don't count on a Wii version.
Welcome to Los Angeles, where drug-related violence is rampant. Your welcome is warmed up when narcotics enforcement offices have been bombed, and you take the roleof law enforcers Ben McCall, Kimberly Evans, or Eddie Guerra, in attempt to put an end to the following felons by all means necessary. “By all means necessary” is the key phrase, as they utilize brutal and even crooked tactics in doing so.
Contrariwise to 2009's Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood's old Western scenario, The Cartel takes place in modern day, as you may have guessed. Having some knowledge of its predecessors, I was a tad confused as to why the series would take such a different direction in setting, aside from Ben McCall being related to the protagonists in previous games. Heck, he even dresses like he's from an 1800s Western flick. Despite my confusion, it interestingly differs from other recent shooters.
Before commencing the single-player campaign, you are given the option to choose between the three protagonists. This is a great idea, and it's executed well, due to the implementation of cooperative play. Disappointingly, however, the plot differs little from what character you choose, except for different voice actors and endings. This is a shame, because a lot could have been done to multiply the replay value of its sub-10 hour story. However, the beginning of each level acts as a lobby, allowing players to drop in and out of your game for cooperative play between the three characters.
The Cartel has a plethora of intense moments to experience in the campaign. You'll be ambushed by attack helicopters with limited cover, pursue a target on foot through waves of gang members, as well as sabotage a marijuana plant while making another gang take the heat. These scripted events are complimented with a “concentration mode” where the game slows down, giving the player the obvious upper-hand in precision in a firefight, and can be charged and activated by killing enemies. At first it felt like a gimmick, but it's put into good use in slow-motion room breaching sequences (a la modern Call of Duty games) later on. One gripe I had with the gameplay, however, was that explosions knock you over on your back, and it takes a few seconds to get up. It may not seem like a very big issue, but it can be very irritating when you're getting hit by several consecutive grenade explosions in the midst of an intense-enough firefight. As for controls, I have no complaints. The controls are tight with either a mouse/keyboard or gamepad setup. I personally am thankful for the subtle yet useful aim assist for gamepad users for those that prefer to hunt cartels from the convenience of a couch.
With great gameplay comes a solid multiplayer component. In Cartel's multiplayer, you choose to be a law enforcer or a criminal, whose sides have varying weapons and even different game lobbies depending on what team you choose. The lobbies even have practice shooting ranges, too! When the match finally begins, the game is split up into basic team deathmatch, and capture-the-flag-esque modes. Concentration mode is replaced with the ability to call in air support, and there's a partner system, in which players can pick a partner that will give and receive combat bonuses for being close to each other. On the downside, there's no host migration, so once the host of the game disconnects, the entire match ends. This is a small complaint, because overall, it is a fine addition for when it gets lonely playing single-player.
The Cartel is a fun game, but I'll admit, it takes a blow in the presentation and graphics department. Texture quality is unappealing, everything in the world has an ugly yellow tint, and as much as the gunplay feels good, the visual feedback from firing a weapon is stiff and less than desirable. On top of that, the HUD is very pixelated like something out of a classic PlayStation game, as if deliberately unappealing. The game doesn't look horrible, just don't expect awesome visuals. When it comes to sound, the voice acting is top-notch, believable, and engrossing. However, the game is also loaded with nasty F-bombs in nearly every other sentence in the dialogue. Excessive swearing usually doesn't bother me, but the profanity is so frequent that it sounds forced at times.
On a final note, I played through this game on OnLive, a cloud gaming service that allows you to stream video games from high-powered servers to play on any PC, Mac, TV, tablet, or smartphone. I haven't found any issues with the OnLive version of Call of Juarez. I highly recommend playing it on OnLive over any console or PC if you plan to pick this up.
It's no secret that this year is
chock-full of new and upcoming game releases. Games such as Counter
Strike: Global Offensive, Max Payne 3, and the newly announced
Assassin's Creed III are searing with anticipation, and they won't go
easy on your wallet. Read on to discover the latest and greatest
free-to-play games that will give your wallet a little mercy.
Rusty Hearts – Perfect World –
Available Now
Launching in late 2011, Rusty Hearts
is not your average MMORPG. It actually adopts the style of a
beat-em-up, putting you in the arsenal of one of four (more of which
are available for purchase at the in-game store) characters with
unique fighting styles. Frantz specializes in swords and battle-axes,
Angela is a witch with many devestating spells at her disposal,
Natasha is a gun-toting warrior that conquers her foes with revolvers
and muskets, and Tude uses hand-to-hand combat with deadly gauntlets.
During my still-going time with Rusty
Hearts, I played as Tude, and enjoyed its Devil May Cry-style of
attacking enemies to build up combos and acquiring increasingly
better items along the way. Everything is done in real-time, making
for some intense player-vs-player and player-versus-environment
opportunities alike. Interestingly, the different characters will
even include their own dialog during quests and conversation. I can
easily recommend this game to those who are searching for the most
action-oriented MMO there is.
The most popular shooters from the
late 90s to early '00s almost never attempted to capture realism like
games of today. Competitive multiplayer franchises like Quake and
Unreal Tournament adopted a sci-fi setting, and, even in their latest
editions, require swift reflexes with a mouse and keyboard.
In recent years, quite a few titles
tried to capture the nostalgic feel of classic shooter gameplay, such
as Duke Nukem: Forever, and the Serious Sam HD remakes. Tribes:
Ascend will continue the classic shooter tradition with a few unique
gameplay mechanics thrown into the same blender. One of them is
flying with a jetpack, which is typical for a sci-fi setting, yet
essential for outmaneuvering foes. Another addition is “skiing,”
which you activate to gain speed and/or momentum for your jetpack by
sliding on the game's vast and open maps.
Many gamers (such as myself) express
deep sentiment about the twitch-shooter gameplay from years past.
However, whatever frags your fancy, Tribes is a unique and enjoyable
experience, that is certainly worth a try. Best of all, it won't cost
you a dime to jump in.
Blacklight: Retribution – Perfect
World – In Open Beta
Speaking of sci-fi shooters, another
noteworthy frag-fest is Perfect World's Blacklight Retribution.
Gameplay-wise, Retribution is relatively similar to Call of Duty,
with its fast-paced combat and loads of tight corridors for camping
your opponents. On the other hand, the game attempts to combat
camping tactics, giving each player the ability to see through walls
for a limited time. This way, players can flank their enemies, or
even spot an incoming enemy ambush. Any player could be using this
special view style at any time, so mindful players should always stay
on their toes, especially when players score enough kills to summon a
giant combat mech.
Blacklight's arsenal is quite
remarkable, even in its Beta phase. A plethora of additional assault
rifles, shotguns, and side arms can be at your disposal. That is,
assuming you plan on using Perfect World's 'Zen' currency system,
which is acquired with real money. You may be left out of some
weapons if you don't wish yo pay real money, but, to be fair, it's
how the fellas at Perfect World pay the bills.
Aion: Ascension – Ncsoft – Going
F2P on April 11th
I'll put it short and to the point;
Aion is gorgeous. Launching in 2009, the game puts players into the
celestial world of Atreia. As a winged Daeva, you must serve the
good-spirited Elyos or the dark-hearted Asmodians in an ongoing
battle on your homeland, or the strictly PvP Abyss area. The game
runs on a modified version of the CryEngine, which powered beautiful
first-person shooters such as Crysis. It certainly shows, too, with
its amazingly detailed zones.
Aion is filled with juicy content for
thirsty fans to sink their teeth into. Enemies and NPCs sport vividly
unique style and personality, PvP and PvE combat alike is intense and
keeps things interesting, the quest dialog fills the world with life
and lore, and I'll say it; you're dead inside if Aion's magnificent
musical score doesn't melt your heart.
I was not paid to write all this (I
prefer to keep my soul as a video game journalist). I speak so
passionately about Aion due to the fact that it's been around for a
long while, and has had much time to grown and improve over the
years. I'll keep a close watch on the other games in this article,
and keep you all posted on how they grow and expand. Until then,
check these games out! You may find yourself a new addiction.
It's an understatement that the launch concluding BioWare's Mass Effect trilogy had fantastic hype behind it. With festivities such as midnight store openings, launch parties and even early copies being launched into space, Mass Effect veterans and newcomers alike were ecstatic to "Take Earth Back." For the most part, gamers and critics were raving over its intense combat, gripping story, and massive attention to detail in its universe. That is, until it had to end.
The issues players had were not so much that it ended, but how it ended. At the end of the game, Shepard is given a few choices, none of which change the generally analogous outcome of the conclusion. To elude from spoilers, that's everything that can be said. This left gamers heavily disappointed, and even perplexed about the fate of the player's accomplices. “Fans of the Mass Effect trilogy have put far too much time, effort, and money into the game to be abandoned with such a fate,” wrote the Facebook page for Retake Mass Effect 3 campaign. “Bioware desperately needs to resolve this issue.” Meanwhile, Internet stars, including YouTube's dcigs (also known as the “Angry Black Man”), have taken a comedic approach to the subject matter.
As popular as the demand is for an improved ending, some people believe that doing so would “deface the beauty of maintaining an artist's intended content.” In defense, fans noted the possibility of the new ending taking the form of an optional DLC, and players wouldn't be required to alter the original ending if they didn't so choose.
As of March 21st, BioWare has announced that development for a new ending is underway. However, the Retake ME3 campaign is far from finished. The fans plan to productively pressure the Mass Effect team (in ways that are not inflammatory) into making sure the incoming ending is worthwhile for their dedication.
So, what do YOU think? Sound-off in the comments below. As the administrator of Gamer's Respite, I respect all opinions, and so should everyone else.
