November 28, 2012Comments Off on Serious Fun In Third "Serious Sam"
I can seriously say that I have not been able to play any of the past Serious Sam games. However I found Serious Sam 3: BFE to bring me back to old-style gaming like Doom, Duke Nukem, and everything else in-between. It’s like they brought back the simplistic shooter with better graphics and some funny one-liners.
So if you’re wondering what “BFE” means, it’s Before First Encounter, meaning this is a prequel to the original game Serious Sam: First Encounter. With getting started it explains that the planet had run out of the fossil fuels. Somehow while digging out under the Egyptian Pyramids they had found an ancient energy source that was able to bring humanity back to where it was going. After the activation of this equipment it sends out a beacon that calls the alien enemy to earth, causing the earth to end up near-extinction and the aliens taking over most of the world. The humans believe if they can activate this time machine, they can send in Serious Sam to take care of the aliens.
Serious Sam 3 is fun, but it’s also a bit janky. What I mean to say there are some choppy parts in the game where you try to go to the next part, but it won’t load. I’ve had a bit of issues with the moving on from checkpoint to checkpoint. After spending a lot of time trying to kill the monster that took over my helicopter, I found myself walking around for a bit until I finally hit the checkpoint that started the cinema for the next part. I’m not sure if that was the intention of the people who designed the game, because this game is like a retro update of Duke Nukem 3D (except much better graphics).
I really feel that this game was designed more on the aspect of playing on the computer instead of a console. I think that it’s much easier on the keyboard and mouse setup to play this game, as I found it to be a pain in the ass to figure out the control scheme to switch between weapons. They do have a memory switch on them, so when you go between two weapons you just press Y and it will get you back to the other weapon. To pick the one you want you have to go through the D-pad, which makes it hard because the weaponry is like wrapped around that scheme, where it’s not just up and down but on the diagonal part of the D-Pad. It does make it hard to try and grab the guns when these waves of aliens are coming at you, especially when the suicide bombers come after you. (I can’t help but laugh when they come running at you. This is all you hear!)
FINAL THOUGHTS:
Serious Sam 3: BFE isn’t a letdown, but it has been hard to gauge how to give the whole perspective of the game. It uses a lot of the same aliens with the same skins, and they seem to be on a direct path towards you. The other thing is with the aiming, where you basically have to point in the area of the aliens and hold the trigger down. It’s really not too challenging when your using guns. Next to that you have to take into aspect the use of closed quarters weapons like the sledgehammer, which gives the game a good challenge. Melee is a good option, too, for closed quarters.
With that all said, I think what would be best is what suits you. If you go to the arcade on Xbox Live I say download it and give it a try, and if you feel it’s worth it then put the money down for the whole game. With me I would have to take a look at the bank account and say, is this game worth it? In most places the game is worth it, but I have to leave this one up to you, readers.
FINAL GRADE: 7.8 (out of ten)
Game: Serious Sam 3: BFE Developer:Croteam Publisher: Devolver Digital Platforms: PC, Mac and Xbox 360 Genre: First-person shooter
November 13, 2012Comments Off on Instant Game Collection For Vita Next Tuesday
Next week, prepare to check one more item off the list of things that you’ve to been waiting to happen on the Vita. You’re guessed it, next Tuesday PlayStation Plus is going go into full effect on Sony’s handheld system. An impressive list of six games will be available to download for free if you’re […]
November 8, 2012Comments Off on Take A Nostalgic Trip Down To "Retro City"
The road to Retro City Rampage‘s release has been a long and strenuous one. Originally supposed to be a de-make of the Grand Theft Auto series called “Grand Theftendo” Brian Provinciano’s brainchild started taking another form after he wanted to make it more original, not just a parody of Rockstar’s beloved series. Instead he took elements from games, cartoons, and movies he loved as a child and inserted them into the main storyline. What was just a mere send-up of a modern-day classic was now a super-parody, filled with jokes found in every crevice of the game. Retro City Rampage is also one of the best love letters to gamers since Polytron’s Fez.
In Retro City Rampage players take control of Player, a guy who’s the opposite of a goodie little two-shoes that helps the evil Jester pull off a massive bank heist. After the Jester accidentally blows up the bus with the loot, Player finds himself being chased by every hero and police officer in town. Soon he steals a time machine, kills Michael J. Fox, and meets Doc, who is tricked by Player into fixing the time machine for his own personal gain.
October 26, 2012Comments Off on Frobisher Says! I’m Weird and Free
Say what you’d like about the PS Vita, but there are a few upcoming games that I’ve been expecting to excite me. One game that seemed to pop up quite suddenly that I was not expecting is Frobisher Says! by developer Honeyslug. The game popped up as an exclusive free download on the PS Vita this past […]
October 24, 2012Comments Off on Improvements In New "Counter Strike" Are Only Seen Slightly
Okay, you know I like Counter Strike as much as the next first-person shooter gamer, but Global Offensive is basically a minor revamping to the other Counter Strike installments. Don’t get me wrong: I love running around and laying waste to enemies, but I’m not sure if this is just another baby step taken by Valve.
With watching the video, it makes the game look even more interesting; almost like if I was watching that Deadliest Warrior episode with the SWAT vs. GSG9 or IRA vs. Taliban. However I feel with playing the new Counter Strike they have only done little tweaks here and there from the original game. They have upgraded the graphics, brought it onto the console, and have given and taken away certain attributes of the original title. Seeing that this game is originally PC-based they didn’t do it that way. From my understanding they took it, developed it for the consoles, and then reversed to the PC (instead of the other way around). That sucks for the concept of the PC user, due to the fact they have different movement schemes and way more buttons to push then just any old game controller.
GAMEPLAY:
Let’s start off with Arms Race, where you have to go through a round on a five-against-five setup on only two maps, which is a disappointment. However it’s one hell of a challenge. The setup to have either five people or bots playing in one map is great, but the fun part of it all is that you start with submachine guns and work your way through the set gun list until you get to the golden knife, which if you can stab someone with it the round will automatically end. The fun part about Arms Race is trying to get the kills before the other people on your team, so you keep getting the edge on the weapons. Usually when I’m on this game I just simply wreck a lot of the competition, or get a good rival on so it makes it one great challenge. This may frustrate other people who haven’t gotten used to play this style of game. It’s almost like playing the old Quake, but in a less bunny hopping around the whole map in two seconds deal sort of way. If you decide to hop or — as I like to call it– Halo jump you lose a lot of accuracy, so it’s better to be crouched or standing to take out opponents.
Another game mode is Demolition, where they have terrorists run to plant a bomb at a specific site, and the Counter-Terrorists have to take out all of the terrorists before the bomb’s placed or defuse the bomb to win. Next to that there is just Classic Casual, which has the Demolition and Hostage Rescue for this mode. They have it set at best-of-ten rounds, and friendly fire is off so your teammates can’t kill you. Just remember: when you go into the custom matchmaking, be sure to switch the map selection after choosing. Finally there is Classic Competitive, which has no big differences besides friendly fire being on and it now being a best-of-thirty rounds.
Besides the new Arms Race add-on, I don’t really see any new maps they put on. Basically they polished this game and slapped it on the system to keep the game’s name alive. This gives me a bit of hope that Valve may have put this franchise on the back burner, bur has some plans in the future for it to be another ultimate game to build off of. I’m not sure how you can change the simplicity of this game to make it that more amazing, but I feel this is a nostalgic throwback to about twelve years ago when the game originally came out.
This also makes me believe that whenever they come out with the next installment of Half-Life it will be a bit better. When the first one came out it had these games as attachments, such as Team Fortress Classic, Counter Strike, Blue Shift, and all the other goodies they gave us. The issue that I have with Valve is that they haven’t done any real updates that I’ve seen for the console version Orange Box. I know they have come out with a ton of updates on Steam, but they have not done it for the Xbox 360 or PS3. It makes me think they have neglected the console realm, but I have not lost hope for Steam to help out, even though it’s not usually one of their first go-to places to release a game.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
All in all I think Counter Strike: Global Offensive is a great throwback to the original. It’s all polished up and ready to go, but I’m not expecting any great leaps and bounds with this game regarding updates and the such. It’s just a way to hop on a game, relieve some stress, and leave it at that. This game has a high replay value due to the competitiveness of the game from the past twelve years, acting like one of those time vampires in a similar vein to World of Warcraft. Still I love playing Counter Strike, especially now with the Arms Race as I seem to be really good at laying waste to people and winning a few rounds in a row. If you got a couple Xbox Live/PSN points I say go for it. Have some fun, damn it, and that’s an order!!!
PROS:
Updated graphics
Counter Strike finally on a console!
Added taser, which is cool if you can hit anybody with it
Arms Race is FUN!
Cache of Weapons
CONS:
Almost the same game as before
Went console-to-PC instead of the other way around
Got rid of shield and pistol
Only two maps for Arms Race
GAME:Counter Strike: Global Offensive DEVELOPER: Valve PLATFORM: Steam (PC), XBLA, PSN FINAL GRADE: 8.6 (out of ten)
October 18, 2012Comments Off on Revamped “Warlords” Makes Things More Complicated
Over thirty years ago the Atari 2600 released a game that was one of the first four-player co-op titles to be put out for a home console: Warlords. In it you and your friends had to protect your forts from one another via a movable shield while a Pong-like ball flew towards your area. Now in 2012 Atari has remade the game for the PSN and Xbox Live Arcade, having it take place in medieval times and adding a few extras to the gameplay.
The main name of the game remains the same: protect your fort from barreling objects, while at the same time eliminate your opponent’s domain. Instead of regular balls we find the main hazard being one made of fire and shot out from the throat of a dragon. As the game goes on you can earn special power-ups (such as slowing or reversing shields and making your fort invincible for a short period of time) that can make things more difficult for the other players. In order to collect said power-ups you will need to use your special minions to stand on the power-up circle long enough to grab them, although the other players can make things more difficult by having your minions attack yours at the same time.
October 16, 2012Comments Off on Episode CLVII: Seven Psychopaths And A Cemetery Equals Great Ending!
Like a crossbow arrow going through a guy’s neck, here zooms in the Bastards with another fun-filled episode!
This week the B3 crew show nothing but praise for the recent Middle East concert featuring Peelander-Z, Electric Eel Shock, Math the Band, and Sam Mulligan, as they convince you why you need to go out and support these acts. The new Martin McDonagh film Seven Psychopaths is reviewed, as KBD and Blueonic try to find a good way to truly explain this crazed dark comedy without spoiling it. Finally the guys look at the demos for XCOM: Enemy Unknown, Forza Horizon, Retro City Rampage, and Naughty Bear: Panic In Paradise, with some conflicting views from both sides regarding two of the titles in the spotlight.
October 9, 2012Comments Off on Episode CLVI: Side Effects May Include Motion Sickness
Take some Dramamine, because it’s time for another episode with the Bastards!
This week King Baby Duck and Blueonic talk about the gripes of having swarms of tourists around the Salem area, and wonder if and when they’ll start getting used to having movies being made around the area. KBD reviews the first episode of Hayate the Combat Butler: Can’t Take My Eyes Off You, and discusses its non-canon elements that make it different from the other anime seasons. The recent film End of Watch is talked about, and Blueonic goes gun crazy with the beta for Medal of Honor: Warfighter. Finally the recent HD remasters of Sonic Adventure 2, Jet Set Radio, and NiGHTS into dreams… are looked at, and Blueonic explains why that spiky blue hedgehog is making him literally feel ill.
October 5, 2012Comments Off on Sega Classics "Jet Set Radio," "NiGHTS" Return In HD Fashion
When one looks back at the games of yore many memories of fun, bedazzlement, and hearty feelings tend to rush through their minds. Once in a great while we as gamers are given the chance to relive some of those great titles of our youth, sometimes with a nice fresh coat of paint. Sega has been one of those game developers out there who has listened to the call of the fanbase, and for about roughly 72% of the time they respond back with something everyone can clamor over about.
Within these past couple months they have given Sega fans the chance to return to two beloved classics: Jet Set Radio and NiGHTS into Dreams…, with giving players a beacon of hope that the success of these rereleases will drive forward a return to these franchises with new games in the future. Restored in glorious HD both games give a reminder to older fans of how far along we’ve come since their first release, as well as showcase to newcomers where the gaming revolution first started. Unfortunately despite being classics, we are also reintroduced to some of the flaws of these titles, but more on that later.
October 2, 2012Comments Off on Episode CLV: Damn Those Funky Chiptune Monkeys!
A musician of the simian kind joins the Bastards in an all-new episode.
This week the B3 crew welcomes James from BR1GHT PR1MATE, as he talks about the band’s origins, his views on the chiptune/nerdcore scene, and his work outside the duo (including a plug about the new game LiquidSketch). King Baby Duck and Teg look at the new Joseph Gordon-Levitt/Bruce Willis sci-fi flick Looper, and do everything they can to not spoil anything about it! Finally the demos for Double Dragon Neon and Marvel’s Avengers: Battle For Earth are reviewed, and Teg gives his initial thoughts on Borderlands 2.
