Udder Talk » video games

Enter GTA IV

dnyce — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 05:40:16 +0000

So I didn’t make it to the midnight release of GTA IV over at my local GameStop, but I did get my hands on it during my lunch break today. All i can is…well worth it.

Enter the world of Liberty City, an almost exact replica of New York City. Your character this time around is Niko Bellic. Along with your cousin you will get into constant trouble, make some money, and smash/grab/punch your way to the top in this nitty gritty city.

As far as game play goes I can only say that Rockstar has outdone themselves this time. Although it takes place in one City, Liberty City appears to be the most expansive GTA world to date. Not to mention the various activities that you can engage in, like dating. One of the best new features I’ve found in this one is the GPS. It tells me where to go and how to get there in the most appropriate fashion. Along the technology lines, I’m also loving the cell phone. It adds a nice touch to this installment of the series.

On the flip side, I feel like something is lacking in terms of the graphics. After all of the hype I expected to look at the characters and feel as if they were true to life, but it almost feels like we’ve taken a small step backwards. Of course, the details more than make up for the slight down turn on the graphical front and I’m sure that the longer I get to know this game, the more I will grow to love it.

I give GTA IV an 8.5 out of 10. Were it not for the graphics, it would get the full 10. However, as my girlfriend so proudly pointed out, comparing this long awaited title to the likes of Dark Sector, Timeshift, and even Heavenly Sword, I would say that the graphics are falling lower on the totem pole. That said, I highly recommend this game to just about everyone, except for the kids of course; Put them to bed for this one.

Gran Turismo 5: Prologue

dnyce — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 05:01:10 +0000

In the beginning God created man. Some few thousand years later man created Gran Turismo… a few strides in the right direction and we now have before us Gran Turismo 5: Prologue.

When I first sit down to this game I am reminded of my friends back in Boston. We would all huddle around Austin’s television and challenge one another to a good ole fashioned race. The stakes were really high, maie pride and bragging rights for the next year or so. At last check, Jorge was standing in the lead, but I do recall him practicing on a few Friday Nights (Sorry Jorga ). Now back to review at hand.

Right off the bat I am astounded by the great graphics this game has to offer. The introductory cut scene looks as real to me one of those import movies I have sitting in my book shelf. You can see the emblems on each car and swear that you were watching it all in person. I am absolutely pleased with the graphics to say the least.

The game play stays true to it’s lineage and the controls should be familiar to all the GT fan boys out there. You start off with 35k creds in your account, just enough to purchase one of the lower end vehicles in the game, I went with the RX8, all about bang for my buck. All in all, I am definitely pleased with this title and I deem it worthy of the 9 out of 10. Now in the famous words of Dominic Totteto in Fast and the Furious, Go “Smoke’m”!

Week in Review

dnyce — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 16:31:28 +0000

by: OpenSourceObscure

This week seems to have flown by. A lot has happened in the land of video games, technology, and all things cool. Now let’s take a quick trip and sum it all up.

Thanks to Engadget:

The boys and girls over at Engadget never cease to amaze me with their slew of gadgets. This week, I came across two items that really sparked my interest and made me drool…

1) The Optimus Maximus Keyboard from Art. Lebedev Studio lets you program each key individually. It makes use of tiny leds to deliver a new experience for the everyday geek. What will they think of next?

2) Wait, I spoke to soon. This is what they will think of next. Ladies and Gentleman let me introduce you to the XOS exoskeleton. Yes, you read that right, the XOS is a new exoskeleton, the first of it’s kind. Just think, some day we’ll all be sporting exoskeletons just to get our daily jobs done.

Now we move from there to Kotaku:

The biggest news I found there was the new trailer for Resistance 2.

Check it out and enjoy!

Final Fantasy Crisis Core

dnyce — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 20:28:06 +0000

I finally got my grubby little mitts on Final Fantasy VII Crisis Core for my PSP. I must say, the game was worth the wait and it’s brought back some memories.

Final Fantasy VII Crisis Core is the perfect PSP game, in my opinion. Well, perfect in the sense that you get an action packed game, in a small package. Think back to the days of Cloud, Aeris, and the rest of the motley crew from Final Fantasy VII. This game serves as the ground work for that title, and when you dive in, you’ll immediately be taken back only to be pushed forward with your knowledge.

The combat system is similar to many hack and slash games found on the market. You can access your spells, items, etc… in battle using the right and left shoulder buttons. You will also be equipped with your “DMW”, or Digital Mind Wave, allows you to execute punishing limit breaks, decrease the effect of status ailments, increase your strength, or even level up. Square nailed this one when it came to combat. It may take a little getting used to but with enough practice you won’t be in crisis for too long.

All in all, I give this game a 9 out of 10. The only fault I can give is the inability to skip through the CG cut screens. I believe that this should be standard in any title these days, but other than that, the game is greeeaaaat.

Step into Dark Sector

dnyce — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 00:40:31 +0000

I can still remember the Cutscene. A bio-mech of a human infiltrates a space station. He is able to sneak past multiple guards to reach his final destination. The only thing between him and victory is a giant, mechanical robot, armed with a hell of a turret gun. He makes quick work of the giant, proceeds back to his rendezvous point, and leaves the debris of the space station behind. This was the Dark Sector I remember; The same game that prompted me to buy the PS3 in the first place. Aside from Heavenly Sword, this was my guiding light in those early days. Of course, Dark Sector was changed back in 2006. The question is, was it for the better or the worse?

The game I am reviewing today is stretch from its previous design. The creators cited changes in the industry as the reasoning behind the changes. Instead of an entire suit of bio-mech armor, you play as Hayden Tenno with a bio-arm that’s been infected. Thanks to your new adaptation, you now possess the glaive, think boomerang but 5 times cooler. The glaive is handy for making short work of your foes. It also provides you with some cool in – game cutscenes. The game is well versed in the art of gore, and I must say it plays out nicely. However, I believe this new adaptation falls short of my original expectations. Perhaps it was my over hyped view from above, perhaps it was the time it took to hit the market, or perhaps it was the fact that Hayden looks more human now than mech in his past life. In any event, I don’t feel the love from Dark Sector. It almost feels like Gears of War, but in this day and age, you want to carve your own niche, make your own way.

I give the game a 7 out of 10. Great graphics, seemingly interesting storyline, but something is definitely missing.

UPDATE: I decided to revisit the land of Darkness in Dark Sector and I must say the plot is interesting. I am stepping my previous ranking up to an 8 out of 10.