Just Cause 2 + YouTube = Win

A Wired blog post recently covered an awesome new feature in Square Enix’s anticipated title, Just Cause 2. How many times have you had an amazing “Holy shit! Did you see that?” moment while gaming and had nobody to share it with? Well according to the Wired post, your days of lonesome awe are nearing an end.

Just Cause 2 will have a feature that allows users to record and upload video clips of their game directly to YouTube. The only catch here is that the feature won’t be available on the Xbox 360 version of the game. Hell yes, I say. It’s about time Sony was able to offer a feature that Microsoft couldn’t. The hardware on the PS3 is superior – that’s hard to argue against. The only gap then is the software features, and this feature inches them that much closer to an advantage in the market. The only thing we PS3 owners can hope for now is more of the same.

Burnout: Paradise

I have spent more late night hours on this game than any other. It’s ability to make me laugh out of the sheer ridiculousness of what happens, as well as the never-ending stream of objectives and trophies make it almost impossible to  be “done with,” so pick it up and you’ll rarely find your console lacking in things to do.

On that note, it’s bedtime.

5 Games I’d Buy Remastered

Since I’ve moved in with my roommate, he has discovered many gaps in my gaming experience. As any enthusiast in anything will tell you, there are certain basic experiences you must have in the field before you can enjoy the finer points of it. This is just as true with gaming, so along side Political Science 137 and Philosophy 001, I’ve been taking Gaming 101. It’s been really cool to go back and play some of the classics that helped shape the games I play now. Never was this more true than with God of War.
I bought the God of War Collection when it launched with a recommendation from my roommate. The cool part about this set was that is was a pair of PS2 games that had been remastered in HD for the PS3. While the graphics aren’t completely redone, the edges are sharp and the aspect ratio is right on. My only complaint about this concept is that it hasn’t been done more.
While there’d probably be a market for just about any old game remastered in HD (and especially these ones) for new-generation consoles, there are my 5 top picks. Keep in mind, I’ll probably miss a few essentials since I haven’t played all of the classics. Here are my picks…

1. 007 Nightfire – This was probably the most fun multiplayer game I ever played on the PS2. The campaign was definitely awesome, though not mind-blowing. Seeing maps re-done in HD and having online multiplayer would open a whole new can o’ whoop-ass, and I’d definitely lay down some green for it.
2. Grand Theft Auto Collection – As Santa Monica Studios did with God of War, Rockstar games could definitely double-dip Grand Theft Auto III and Vice City in a re-release with HD remastering or (if they were feeling ambitious) a complete graphical reworking.
3. Shadow of the Colossus – Though I’ve never played it, watching my roommate play back through this game was one of the most visually unique experiences I’ve had with gaming. It seemed before its time with vast, stretching landscapes, massive cliffs, and extremely intricate collosi. With visuals like that, it’s just begging to be reworked and put on today’s screens with a whole new sharpness. Getting a few more copies into circulation wouldn’t hurt either, as the game is somewhat hard to find these days.
4. Splinter Cell Collection – I know these games weren’t popular with everyone, but the people (like me) who liked them loved them. I’d love to see all of the Splinter Cell games re-released in HD for another play through with some badass trophies/achievements.
5. Hitman Collection – I bought this collection on Steam for my gaming PC back when I was into that, but the graphics for the first game were still old, and there were no achievements. Giving the Hitman games a fresh coat ‘o paint and some trophy support would definitely make for a cool addition to my collection.

Modern Warfare 2

The game has been out for almost two weeks now, I know. I’m not trying to sell this game, I’m just here to announce to the world my absolute love for this game. As soon as I put in the game, I saw the intro movie and then made my way to the menu. The simple, wonderful, three-part opening screen which said “Special Ops,” “Campaign,” and “Multiplayer,” spurred me to promise myself not to write a blog post until the progress percentages underneath each section said 100%. So here it is.

I love this game. My first holy-shit-I-love-this experience with Call of Duty didn’t happen until December 27, 2008. I got home from Blockbuster (too broke to buy a game after laying down all of my christmas money for my new PS3) and slid Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare into the machine. The campaign took me the rest of that night and the first part of the next day to beat. The whole experience was essentially a stretched out loss of my gaming virginity: As it happened, I was too amazed to focus on anything else. I had so much fun with it that it ended quickly, and when the credits were done rolling, I sat there stunned and satisfied, but wishing it hadn’t ended.

Then, gazing longingly at the main menu, I noticed “Multiplayer.” At this point I had two weeks left in my winter recess, and in those two weeks, I fell in love with console gaming all over again.

Needless to say, when I heard about Modern Warfare 2, I freaked out. I spent hours on YouTube looking for gameplay clips and watching trailers. Nothing prepared me for this though. It’s SO fun and SO deep. From having to use trigger buttons to climb ice walls to defending my teammate (roommate) on the ground with an AC-130 gunship to ranking through the online challenges on a variety of very cool maps, I feel – as I put it to my girlfriend – like a little kid at christmas time. It’s awesome

Based on the opening sales, anyone who cares about the game already has it, so I won’t bore you with details. I probably would, but I have a Search and Destroy mission to get to.

Over and out.

Rally Madness Part 2 & Google Chrome for Mac (but not yet)

Well since yesterday’s post, I have been on YouTube some more watching Ken Block videos with my jaw on the floor (and drooling onto my keyboard cover). I won’t go into the drawn out details of my newest idol, but I will say that he’s the face of the upcoming racing sequel, DiRT 2 (Game Site). He hints to new features built onto the previous rally racing game such as jump events, and maybe even some trick driving (see yesterday’s post). I will definitely be checking that one out (and by checking out I mean pre-ordering and waiting outside for the mailman).

In other news, Google Chrome is yet to be released for mac. The browser has been out since last year on PCs, but Google’s only hint at the mac version is that it’s “coming along nicely,” according to the tech news blog. Come on, Google. We know we can’t get any of the best games, but at least let us have the best browser!

I Take it Back: BF:BC is FUN

Mortar Targeting in Battlefield: Bad Company

A few months ago, I posted a negative review of Battlefield: Bad Company. I had only played through the first part of the game, and obviously judged it before I had a good idea what it was about. I complained about unsatisfying headshots, an obnoxiously stupid squad, an unrealistic enemy, and how getting kills isn’t even fun.

The headshots still don’t take heads clean off, the squad is as stupid as ever, and the enemy is still unrealistic. So why am I writing this post? It’s more a realization I made as I played along (I picked the game back up over the weekend, again sick of Call of Duty 4). This game isn’t about any specific war. It doesn’t care what flag you fly or what your morals are, this game for lack of a better phrase, is war. This game is about the combined efforts of a team to complete objectives and eliminate enemies.

WTF, TPS? Third-Person Shooters Taking Over

A small few of us remember the epic, mindblowing, constant explosion that was Red Faction II. If you’re like me, the first “Nano” was not an MP3 player, but a bright orange, semi-automatic death launcher (that screenshot makes my heart swell with joy). The first two installments of the Red Faction series were classic, story-based, first-person shooters which could very well have provided some idea-fuel for the booming Killzone franchise (Red Faction II was released two years before Killzone) with their propaganda-dishing totalitarian enemies and sci-fi-bordering-on-realistic weapon sets. When trying to convince friends to pick it up, I often used the comparison “It’s like halo for the PS2, except you can explode walls.”

Killzone 2: Coming Soon to My Collection

So as a huge fan of FPS (First-Person Shooters), I naturally felt like a kid in a candy shop when Killzone 2 was announced. The game came out on February 27, so as I post this in late March, you may wonder why I haven’t been raving about the game daily for the past month. Well one sign of addiction is when you allow the vice (in this case: games) to effect your relationships (negatively). It just so happened that I also had an important anniversary with my girlfriend in that time period. In my ever-lasting quest to avoid all-out addiction while constantly bordering it, I decided to leave my reserved copy of Killzone on the shelves to gather dust long after everyone had come and bought theirs in the Killing frenzy that was Killzone 2’s opening weekend. I won’t share what I spend the money on instead, as most loyal gamers would never forgive me. Sorry, loyal gamers, but the lovely lady in my life takes priority.

Anyways, knowing that I had set aside the purchase of Killzone to buy her a gift, my girlfriend graciously picked it up for me for the same occasion. A super-win! She’s happy, I’m killing, everything’s okay. So now, as I return to school with this new FPS (and two mid-terms this week), the true test begins. Can any game beat Call of Duty 4? I’m open to the idea. More to come…

Modern Warfare 2

Amidst the crazy reports of Game Developers Conference 2009 on my twitter feed, wired news, and elsewhere on the internet, one report caught my attention more than others. Infinity Ward announced and premiered a teaser for the game today. Modern Warfare 2, unlike its predecessor, will not come under the Call of Duty brand. This could open the door for a long and hassle-free line of very cool games. (Having to co-create with Call of Duty producer Activision after a beef between the two producers regarding the World at War vs. Modern Warfare rivalry would just be awkward.)

The only thing you could add to Modern Warfare to make those two words better is that single number: 2. Release date is announced as November 10, 2009. I think it’s safe to say I won’t be posting that day.

Social Gaming

CoD 4 Split Screen

So – believe it or not, I’m not a complete shut-in. I do have friends (and even a girlfriend!) and videogames is not all I do every day. However, recently I’ve been mixing the two, and with great success. Once the Playstation 3 was discovered by my friends in the residence hall here, there’s a steady flow of people coming in for “one round [of Call of Duty] before class” or a lazy night of gaming after homework. With this addition to the daily jumble that is college, I have been reminded of the fun of split-screen gaming. Sure, my 24″ monitor has been reduced to the puny 12″ section in the top left (Yes, I do demand to be player 1. What o f it?) but it’s a blast! As usual, Call of Duty 4 floats my boat just fine, but I’ve also had quite a blast with Gears of War 2 (Horde, anyone?), Guitar Hero 3, and Little Big Planet.