Now that we’ve looked forward to the year ahead, it’s time to look back and remember the best gaming moments of the last ten years. And yes, we do know that we’re about to open a can of worms, because ten games over ten years means that some one will get annoyed that we missed out the best game ever, or included the worst game ever. Sigh. Read the rest of this entry »
2010 is looking to be a bit of a cracker year as far as gaming goes, so rather than do our usual what’s hot this month, we figured we’d do a what’s going to make this year so damn awesome list. But a couple of things to think about before we let you start reading. First, and this should be obvious to any gamer by now, release dates are never set in stone. Second, this is not an exclusive list, there are other games out there that may be worthy of being on this list, it’s just that we didn’t think of them when we were typing this list. Sorry. Read the rest of this entry »
Dear Infinity Ward
We love you. We really do. You gave us two years of joy with Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. In fact we’d happily still be playing it if you only gave us some more maps.
But that’s not going to happen, because you’ve created a new game, understandably named Modern Warfare 2. It has the ability to be better than Modern Warfare, but it’s not there yet.
Like Microsoft trying to stay ahead of Apple, you’ve released the game too early, without enough testing. We’re not sure why you decided not to go the way of public beta testing, but apparently you figured you were too smart to need Joe public’s help in ironing out the bugs.
In hindsight this may have been a little mistake.
What I loved about Modern Warfare was the ability to jump on (to steal a Microsoft phrase) and play with a group of friends. Party chat was great, because it meant our gaming experience wasn’t ruined by trash talking ten-year-olds.
But with Modern Warfare 2, party chat is disabled in all but a couple of modes. You say it’s to stop people cheating, we say there must have been other options (we can think of a few).
But party chat isn’t the biggest problem when it comes to party dynamics, getting into a game is. It’s bloody frustrating when you spend half the night just trying to get everyone in the same game, when Modern Warfare 2 randomly kicks half your party into an empty lobby, instead of allowing them into the game you’re about to start. Though some nights this never happens, it’s a big enough problem to piss people off.
And then there are the glitches. I’ve discovered – quite by accident (I’m not one of those people that go round trying to find game winning glitches) a couple of glitches, one that helped me out, and two that had the potential to totally ruin my game.
In Favela I discovered that whilst standing under power lines, a Harrier could hover above me, all guns blazing, but was unable to hit me. This was quite surprising, as Harriers and such usually have the superhuman ability to hit me whilst I’m hiding in the corner of a building on the other side of the map. Just not through power lines.
I’ve also discovered two glitches that will trap you, leaving you unable to move, one on Skidrow and one on Afghan – needless to say, these were both annoying to find, leaving me helpless until killed by the enemy.
These are in addition to all the glitches that you’ve so far fixed, including the still bloody annoying akimbo 1887 shotguns. Do you really think that soldiers in modern combat are really going to run around dual wielding guns?
I’m hoping that 2010 will be the year that Modern Warfare 2 finally gets fixed – at least the online side, it’s probably too late to fix the blandness and oh too short single player campaign – but with twelve months in a year, I’m worried that Modern Warfare 2 won’t really become the game it has the ability to be, before you’ve made some more money through a new map pack and some more DLC missions.
But that gives me an idea, as a way of saying sorry for releasing a half baked game, and then taking your time to iron out all the issues, why not give the Modern Warfare community something back. Why not make the first map pack free?
Four free new maps, along with another update that irons out a few more glitches would go along way to making 2010 the year we fall back in love with Infinity Ward.
Cheers
GameGuide
According to Engadget there is only one gaming console worth mentioning over the last ten years, and it brings joy to my little XBox obsessed heart that they chose the 360. Read the rest of this entry »
As games get more cinematic, the trailers are becoming more and more elaborate. 2009 saw game trailers that rivaled Hollywood’s finest film trailers. Here are four of our favourite trailers from last year. Read the rest of this entry »
Some gamers have a special place in their hearts for Duke Nukem 3D. Some think that The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time represents the pinnacle of gaming. And some pine for the good ol’ days of Lucas Arts adventure games. For me though, Baldur’s Gate 2 is the game that will never be bettered. I will always remember the glory days of isometric, story-driven RPG’s with fondness.
So, why all this waxing lyrical?
It’s because, with Dragon Age: Origins, Bioware (the makers of the Baldur’s Gate series) has produced a game the stands proudly in the lineage of those old RPG’s. This game is old-school, and I couldn’t be happier. Read the rest of this entry »
Shadow Complex is an Xbox Live Arcade game set in the near future, with you playing an everyman who accidentally stumbles across a terrorist base (American terrorists, for a change), and then goes about saving the world. It’s a game which I’ve been meaning to play for a while now. The fact that it has made it onto many “Best of 2009” lists, not to mention “Best Xbox 360 Game of All Time” lists had me intrigued.
Shadow Complex is without a doubt the most technically ambitious thing available on Xbox Live. While it’s not quite retail release quality (it could use some extra texture work, not to mention being about twice as long), it’s definitely worth the money. Read the rest of this entry »
I have to say, when it comes to racing games I prefer to stick to tarmac. My absolute preference would be the Aussie V8’s, but there are no real options for this on the current gen consoles. GRID and Forza 3 are the two best road-racing games available, and DIRT2 puts forward a pretty insane game for four wheel off road racing. But I’ve never played a game where you only have two wheels.
So when it came to reviewing the latest in the MX vs ATV game, MX vs ATV Reflex, I was in virgin territory. Not that this was a bad thing, for one I wasn’t approaching the game with any baggage, negative feelings or over the top expectations. Read the rest of this entry »
Whist strictly not my first foray into the world of XBox Lives Arcade gaming – my first being the free copy of Call of Duty that came with the Hardened Edition of Modern Warfare 2 – Alien Breed was my first time shopping for a game. Finding myself with only 800 MS Points did limit my choices however, as there seemed to be two price points, with 800 being the lower option. Alien Breed Episode 1 however seemed like a good choice, especially seeing it’s history.
I’ve been playing video games since the original Space Invaders in the late seventies, but it wasn’t until a decade later when I took my gaming addiction from seedy arcades to my bedroom, with the arrival of the mighty Amega 1000. Read the rest of this entry »
I really wanted to pick Batman, I really did but something was nagging at me about the choice. Despite its well crafted, dedicated single player story and the pure fact that the sequel will command one of my precious days of annual leave I couldn’t look past the lack of replay value. Two run throughs and an honest crack at all the challenges and there’s not much left in it. The Challenges, whilst being fun, are not DLC worthy by itself.
I have to eat my words about MW2, the match making is getting ridiculous and WTF were they thinking Akimbo Shotguns which make noob-tubes look like the choice of the elite. I knew it wasn’t going to take game of the year because despite being almost everything I want in a FPS they didn’t break the mold like with COD4. Read the rest of this entry »
