Monday 22 October 2012

New Skyrim "Dragonborn" DLC

So Dawn Guard and Hearthfire have been out for a few months now with both adding several hours more Skyrim goodness to my spare time. However, due to my excessive playing and no Elder Scrolls game for at least another four years (which I will hate waiting for) DLC is a very good idea for fans. I, as a fan, would pay any amount of money to play more of Skyrim or have more varieties and differences from each of my characters. Enter Dragonborn DLC...

The main idea for this DLC is a hint from Bethesda's file names that you might be able to MOUNT DRAGONS. That's right; mount dragons. Some have said that this would kill the game as the story would not make much sense anymore but just imagine firing spells/arrows off your massive dragon as you torpedo towards an enemy. It might not make much sense anymore but it does sound pretty awesome.

Excitement for past Elder Scrolls' fans comes the idea that there are quest markers put in place that feature places in Morrowind, so a tour back to places like Solstheim, Telvanni, Castle Karstaag, Raven Rock and Miraak Temple could be on the cards. Personally, I'd like to visit Morrowind due to my lack of experience in the region which I would like to reconcile by spending several real-time days there. There's also Morrowind armour being available which would spice up dressing up characters a bit more and bring back some nostalgia for those that remember such things.

I'm certainly looking forward to the Dragonborn DLC and looking at the hints, it could be the best DLC for Skyrim yet. The price tag is still unconfirmed but I wouldn't be surprised if it was 1200-1600 MSP which can be seen as quite steep by a lot of people including me. Time will tell whether it will be worth buying but, as always, I'll be giving this blog updates on how the DLC will eventually pan out. Here's hoping it will be as good as it looks!

SkyrimAddict

Thursday 18 October 2012

Assassin's Creed: Revelations: A very late review...

For Christmas last year, one of my main presents was Assassin's Creed: Revelations (AC: R). I have always been a massive fan of the series since my obsession with the first Assassin's Creed all those years ago... Anyway, I didn't play it straight away; I had Skyrim to keep me more than occupied despite my tradition of having the first game played on my Xbox 360 after Christmas being an Assassin's Creed game. I eventually got round to playing the game and due to two months or so of playing Skyrim, I just felt underwhelmed by the whole experience... It wasn't as big or as diverse an open world as Skyrim and it felt more like a movie than a game. I played up until Ezio Auditore da Firenze gets to Constantinople for the first time and then gave up to play more Skyrim. So... What brings me back? Assassin's Creed 3. I needed to play all of them to get an idea of what's going on. So, a few days ago I tore myself away from FIFA 13, sat down and played AC: R for the first time in about ten months... What have I been missing?!

Set in Constantinople when Ezio is in his 50/60s, the master assassin's main quest is to find the five Masyaf keys scattered around the city in underground spaces that require an assassin's touch to complete. The challenges over the five keys are varied from 3D platforming puzzles to on-rails chases to just plain-old killing everyone in sight... Which is nice... As usual for an Assassin's Creed game, there's a tonne of stuff to do which will keep you occupied for a few days/weeks/months/years depending on if you get addicted to it, which is likely. There's Sofia quests to do which involves recovering books and you meet the sultans of the Ottoman empire, do their dirty work and get angry at them... Obviously... This is Ezio's last game and it is suitably tear-jerking at his last scene. I won't spoil it for you though; you'll have to play it for yourself :P

The Ezio part of the story takes up about 80-90% of the campaign and for the other parts of the story, you have to complete Ezio's storyline so as to re-live parts of Altair's life and you have to collect Animus data fragments from around Constantinople to play through Desmond's life. This is most likely Altair's last game too and as such, it ties up all the loose ends and answers all the questions that fans such as myself may have had like what happened after Assassin's Creed (1) and did Altair find anymore pieces of Eden. As with the Ezio storyline, the end of this one is equally as gut-wrenching due to the amount of my time played on AC. Desmond's is weird. His story takes place inside the Animus due to a lack of synchronisation from him and his ancestors due to AC: Brotherhood and the end of that story (you really have to play all four to get all the references). It's not as emotional but is equally as interesting as the other two are passionate.

There's also a continuation on from AC: Brotherhood's multiplayer which I've had a few hours on and it is still as fun as Brotherhood's with a larger variety of ways to kill people now but with the same core mechanics that makes the multiplayer as fun and as stressful as last time.

I put off playing this game because of Skyrim. I have had lots of chances in the past to play it again but passed on all of them. I'm glad I finally did play AC: R but I'm also glad that Ezio and Altair's stories have been finished for two reasons; 1. Ezio's had three games and was beginning to get stale. 2. There were so many unanswered questions from Altair's life and 3. AC3 is going to be completely different and I cannot wait to play it. Less than a fortnight left!

Oh, and if you're thinking about buying this game, make sure you buy all of them. It won't cost more than £45 for all 4 and most probably quite a lot less, to be honest. For this post's link under my user name, there's a Let's Play from RoosterTeeth as they play on mulitplayer... It's very funny.

SkyrimAddict

Let's Play Assassin's Creed: Revelations - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-5CmCnmbVg

Thursday 11 October 2012

FIFA Freezing

- This is just a quick update to the "review" I posted earlier today -

I've played the Career mode twice. Once for a season with West Ham United and one with Bristol Rovers. Both times during the summer transfer window of the second season, the game freezes on me. And it continues to freeze. No reaction from the controller. Nothing. Looking on the Internet, people are saying they have a similar problem and it is an absolute shame because it is a great game. But, there needs to be a fix or update for it because at the moment, it ruins the experience when you can't play the game you've put so much effort into or if think that the game you're playing will freeze on you, which has happened 100% of the time for me.

Fix it EA.

SkyrimAddict

FIFA 13

There is a massive craze for FIFA games amongst my peers. Being 17 years old kind of makes me the prime target for EA and their annual release schedule but I don't mind it. About half of my "friends" on Xbox Live got the game the day it came out... as did I. I've been following the brand for about six years now with my first game on my Xbox 360 being FIFA 09... Good times :')

Throughout the years, there has been a pattern in which one year there's a massive change or "revolution" of how the game is played and the next year is an improvement in which the game is refined or "evolved". This year is an "evolution" year. But don't be put off by that though; it's for the better.

The main new features of this game includes the use of variability of first time touches of the ball, Match Day mode and skill games...

First time touches - Changing this was a good idea; not all players can sponge the power of a shot as easily as Xavi or Messi and, depending on the power, angle, person passing and person receiving, the first time touch can be extremely erratic. I have played as Bristol Rovers, for example, and the way that balls fly everywhere when you try to play a clever pass, unlike division 1 teams, definitely adds to the realism of the game which can only be a good thing, right?

Match Day mode - Attempting to blur the gap between real football and simulated games comes Match Day mode; a game type where you can play current fixtures using current teams that have their ratings adjusted due to how they have been playing in real life. Playing as West Ham United, several players had their ratings adjusted with several defenders having their stats boosted due to a good defencive game the last time they turned out, whereas the injured footballers (Collision, O'Neil etc.) has their overall rating slashed due to a lack of "form" or at least, playing time. I played a few matches using this mode and it does feel good to have beaten the team that last thrashed your favourite side or to add to the victories. In all fairness though, it's not addictive and isn't essential to enjoying the game.

Skill games - Replacing the practise arena comes skill games; the new way that will make you addicted to FIFA for a few hours. Described as "helping beginners improve their game", EA has brought in an assortment of mini challenges that progress from Bronze to Silver to Gold and then to Skill Challenge in which getting Legendary status is what's required. The skill games are based on the basic attributes of players; shooting, short passing, lobbing, penalties etc. And at the point of writing, I have completed all skill games on Gold with one Skill Challenge on Legendary. They are great to waste a bit of time on when you find yet another match tedious but I have completed them quite easily, so maybe more to come? DLC?

In terms of the modes, there's FIFA Ultimate Team (FUT), that allows you to relive some nostalgia due to its collector cards format, Seasons, that lets you play a series of games online against real people to progress to higher leagues and, of course, Career mode.

Career mode has always been my first port of call, as it were. When I a new FIFA game, I play about 50 hours on the Career mode before attempting other modes, just so that I can get used to the game. This time, however, I think I will probably spend more time due to an addition of several new features including internationals, different transfers, more interaction with your "team", the press and scouting.

The internationals part lets you play as an international side if you do well during the previous season. I, for example, played a season at West Ham. I won the league and the FA Cup and was offered to come and manage Peru, Bolivia or Chile... I'm not saying you start big but you don't have to give up your domestic side to manage your international team and I heartily recommend it.

The difference in transfers is not massive but it didn't need to be, anyway. The only real difference is the clubs won't let their star players go without some serious dosh laid out in front of them which can actually lead you to look elsewhere at lesser teams or future stars. This year you can also add players to a bid to secure a new player by offering them as part of the deal which is good for when your money is tight and nobody wants to buy that player anyway.

This FIFA also includes a considerable amount of more interaction and reaction from your players. During the transfer part, you have to say how the player will be used in the squad (crucial 1st team player all the way down to reserve team player) and if you don't keep your promises then the player will get really pissy with you. I bought two strikers due an injury problem. The two that were injured came back from injury. The two that I bought were in form and I enjoyed playing with them and so didn't change the strikers back. The two previously injured attackers got incredibly pissed off and demanded that they be transferred during the transfer period due to a lack of games. I can imagine that's what a real manager's life must be like and if so; I pity you managers because it is very frustrating.

The press is different this time in that rumours spread like wildfire and they seem to have an opinion on anything and everything you as the manager does. A player not scored in the last five games? Must be on the way out. A player refusing a contract? Disloyal. Refusing to take another job? Saint. Very much like real life, most of it is crap. Tread carefully.

Scouting is actually very similar to last year but I wanted to include it as I find it a great way of finding a new generation of stars. Definitely use it at the start of your career if you're planning long term.

The reviews for FIFA 13 are great. The game is, of course, great. If you like football/soccer then it's very, very good with only one negative of a career save that doesn't work due to freezing but it seems like an isolated incident so buy it anyway. Oh, and below my username is some more propaganda for you if you have some free time.

Enjoy.

SkyrimAddict

FIFA 13 propaganda - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KTWk2raYh8

Monday 24 September 2012

Looking Back...:The Last Stand

I'm not a massive fan of computer gaming. Browser-based gaming has never been part of my gaming routine and has ceased to enthral me despite purchases of newer and better computers on my part with faster Internet connections, also. But, just like if you're not too keen on The Beatles, you have to respect it/them for their impact of their avenue of media. The Beatles revolutionised the way music turned out by creating (a) new genre(s). Browser gaming changed the way we spend/waste our time at school/work... And I respect it for that.

I first heard about The Last Stand (TLS) when I was shown it when I was round a friend's house.Having spent the night there for a sleepover, we were both tired and bloody bored, too. Having played a couple of games on his Xbox 360, he moved onto his computer and surfed the net for a bit. He then showed me TLS and I loved it. I don't know whether it was the fact that I was 11 or that I liked a bit of violence at the time but killing zombies appealed to me immediately and immensely.

The game is a third person shooter where you are behind "cover" and you have to kill zombies to stop them from reaching you and eating your brains (once the cover is destroyed then it's usually over as the zombies quickly descend upon you). The rest of the game is spent finding survivors to help you kill the zombies or looking for weapons. You can have up to seven survivors, including yourself, with the seventh survivor always brandishing a hunting rifle which can take out a zombie in one shot, so my advice would be to gather survivors as quickly as possible in your daylight hours so as to quickly obtain this asset.

In terms of weapons, there isn't a massive variety for your wall but it's big enough so as to keep you satisfied. There's standard pistols then it moves onto shotguns then machine guns with quirky weapons such as the chainsaw adding a little bit of "ommph".

To be honest, it's one of only a few browser games which I play occasionally. I have always adored it and my love affair has continued with The Last Stand 2 being released and 3 having its trailer on YouTube. It's free. The link's below. Have a go. :)

SkyrimAddict

The Last Stand -  http://armorgames.com/play/269/the-last-stand

Saturday 8 September 2012

Grand Theft Auto IV: A very late review... UPDATE

*As seen via other posts, I have "reviewed" GTA 4 despite only playing about six hours on it at the time. This post is an update for the review using the opinion I have gathered through rigorous playing*

I've played about 60% of story now and I have to say that it's top-notch stuff. The plots come thick and fast not depending on which person you choose to help/get employment from. And it's an interesting, grabbing story that makes you want to plow through it and see out Niko's adventure in Liberty City. A highlight was robbing a bank with the McRearys with the action, emotion and adrenaline of being chased by the cops, and other things besides, it makes you see through Niko's eyes... I even got to the point, after a six hour gaming session on this game, that I started thinking in Niko Bellic's voice. I'm not knocking it, the Russian accent is up there as one of the best, but it's alarming to think how attached you get to a fictional character.

An update of the game play includes that the buttons become second nature and do not feel unresponsive after playing it for such a long time. I am better at driving despite not being in complete control of the vehicle at all times... Yet the variety of cars is something that should definitely be commended (pick up trucks, family saloons, fire engines, police cars, ambulances, lorries, rubbish truck, convertibles, muscle cars and, obviously my favourites, sports cars) with the option to steal pretty much any vehicle... with a bit of an aversion due to the police liking to chase you for a few minutes if they see you committing the crime, leading to bumps, scrapes and (in extreme circumstances) the vehicle blowing up and killing anyone in a ten metre radius.

The array of weapons at my disposal soon increased after my last "review" and I had fun with automatic and semi-automatic machine guns, grenades, sniper rifles, rocket launchers and, of course, my trusty pistol. Due to it's accuracy, the pistol has always been my favourite since I first compared it to other guns. It's also easy to find ammunition with most of the police officers using the same make of pistol (luckily enough). I still listen to Liberty Rock Radio with their classics but I may use other stations if I forget to change it to LRR when I commit grand theft auto.

The criticisms that I wrote in the last "review" were somewhat harsh to GTA IV; "the camera angles when driving are always too far or too near... A middle ground would be nice. You can die really easily which sucks at the start when you have to pay to get healed up. It's a bit unrealistic when you date girls and they say it's been an OK date despite the fact that you've totalled her car... Also, when I try to cross a bridge there's always a police barricade there and they always kill me as I go past... Is that normal for the start of the game?"

There are retorts to each one with driving getting easier due to the amount of time spent cruising around in vehicles plus the use of pressing B giving a cinematic look to driving. You can indeed die easily at the start of the game, but as it progresses you learn to buy/obtain body armour... Not to mention that the cover system allows you to not get shot as much *face palm*. The date/totalling car part is still true... But hey, it makes it a  bit easier to "hook up", as someone like me wouldn't say. And the police barricades are usually only there so that you unlock islands as the story progresses yet there are make-shift police barricades that are used in an attempt to stop you/slow you down during police chases, however these are not permanent.

And now for a final conclusion; 10/10 definitely. I couldn't rate it highly enough and even if I could, it probably wouldn't be enough. On a par with Skyrim too. And that's the highest honour I can bestow upon GTA IV.

SkyrimAddict

Monday 3 September 2012

Cool YouTube Users: officialxboxmag

I bought my first Xbox 360 magazine when I was first interested in Guitar Hero: World Tour. I bought the magazine with the glossy cover and Guitar Hero on the front despite the fact that it wasn't "official". I was, indeed, susceptible to anything that looked good so at the time I bought games depending on their trailers or cover art or what a friend owned. Then, about a year and a half after my first purchase, a member of my family offered to buy my magazine for me. Not knowing which one I usually purchased, they bought the Official Xbox Magazine (OXM) as it was the most expensive of the solely Xbox 360 magazines. Having read the magazine and used its disc, I was certain that I could only buy this magazine in the future months to come... And I still do.

As with most businesses/brands, they have their own Facebook and Twitter pages along with a very extensive website which is run by some top people (as is most of the things they do :S). The most recent of their uses of popular "social" websites is their use of YouTube.

Despite not having a lot of time to do YouTube videos (they have to work for their actual jobs), there is a large variety of videos that make up their uploaded videos section.In the last month or two it has, admittedly, been a lot about Minecraft due to the immense popularity of it on XBLA. However, even one game can bring about a diverse selection of different videos from an introduction, to gameplay to OXM Land which is basically their world and they let 100 people onto it to build whatever they want... The results are quite staggering and impressive.

That's not to say that it's just Minecraft. Their most popular videos have come from Matt Lees (AKA OXMJamSponge or "the guy with the weird hair-do") and his ability to make any game sound quite exciting. An example of this is Dragon's Dogma. Not an extremely successful game, by any means of imagination, but Matt has made introductions to different types of systems found in the video game including the Pawn system, level system and the different classes, though he's only shown us a few in his videos. :'(.

The most recent video of interest is a Star Wars 1313 gameplay video, with Matt asking someone from the development team about LucasArts' CGI effects team (which recently worked on The Avengers) while showing off the latest of gameplay shown by the developers. It looks really good, but I wouldn't be surprised to see it be for the next generation of consoles. However, it's Matt being there that consoles any worries about it and I'm sure it will be great whichever generation it comes out in.

I've been subscribed for about seven months and I always look forward to seeing an OXM video pop up in the subscriber's box... Maybe you should too.

SkyrimAddict

Star Wars 1313 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbhcsrYnW1c
Dragon's Dogma - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_c8krHCKHDI&feature=relmfu
Minecraft introduction - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jt9dHr0Veo

Friday 31 August 2012

Skyrim: new Hearthfire DLC

More DLC for the second best game of all time? Yes please! Skyrim Hearthfire looks a lot like Bethesda has looked at The Sims or Minecraft and gone "Yes. We need some of that in Skyrim. Make it done." This 400 MSP pack comes with the ability to buy a plot of land, get materials and then build your own home which you then maintain and add with furnishings and more and more rooms... Wow.

When I first saw rumours of this a few weeks back, I thought it was going to be a rip off and that I wouldn't need it. Then I saw the trailer... Yeah, it looks awesome with making your own rooms, being able to use fallen foes as trophies... And there's mounted mud-crabs obviously.

I hope the way it's laid out onto the controller makes it easy to make majestic houses and I do yearn for something in Skyrim to be glitch-free... Hopefully, this can deliver and rival The Sims in house making.

And if not? It's only 400 MSP.

SkyrimAddict

Trailer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Vb9NiZohcw

Thursday 30 August 2012

Cool YouTube Users: OfficialNerdCubed

I initially found this YouTube channel when I was searching for Bully (video game made by RockStar) and I found a "Let's Play" by Nerd³. Needless to say, I was quite hooked just with that first video. Featuring the leader of the Procrastinators (the subscribers are the Procrastinators :S) he basically just does Let's Plays of various games. Of course, the person that plays the game has to be entertaining in his commentary and our leader is, indeed, very funny. Maybe it's because he gives out tonnes of random British culture references (he's British, funnily enough) but his humour is certain to cause anything from a giggle to ROFL or even get to the point of LMAO, though I'm quite sure that doesn't happen in real life... quite sure.

The video games he picks are also part of the entertainment. Games played include AAA titles such as Sleeping Dogs, Spec Ops: The Line and LA Noire, hints at his childhood with Hard Time, Robot Wars and I Wanna Be The Guy: Gaiden and just random fun games such as Sims 3, Red Faction: Guerrilla and Spore. There's also a kind-of obsession with simulators with Bus, Garbage Truck and Farming simulators... Boring games there but our leader is great at making them entertaining by failing miserably, speeding and parking a tractor on top of a car! Hilarity ensures.

I am quite a new Procrastinator and I haven't even watched a quarter of his videos but, when I get the time, I really do hope to; he makes any game have personality and fun. Except Tom Clancy: H.A.W.K 2... That game didn't deserve it apparently xD

Oh and below my user name is my favourite Let's Play by NerdCubed; it's nearly 50 minutes of pure laughter.

SkyrimAddict

Nerd³ Plays... London 2012: The Official Video Game of the Olympic Games -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dJipUiJ9wY&feature=plcp

Monday 27 August 2012

GTA 5

I haven't played San Andreas. I'm not a third through the story of GTA 4. I haven't got the expansion packs/DLC for GTA 4. In this respect, I shouldn't be that excited by GTA 5 due to my lack of knowledge of the series. But I am VERY excited. Looking through a few released screen shots of the game-in-progress, it is hard not to have great anticipation for a game that's been nearly four years in the making and looks stunning. The cars look amazing with better graphics and better control and I can't wait to have a go.

Grand Theft Auto 5 will be set in the city of Los Santos with it's sandy beaches, tall skyscrapers and poor slums that make the whole place sound like a juxtaposition. Of course, there's more than just the city this time with mountains, farmlands and a sea to explore. It really does look breath-taking and it is said that Los Santos by itself will be bigger than San Andreas and Liberty City combined... Yes, please.

With great graphics comes the speculation that this game will be for a next generation console. If this is the case then I have at least one reason to buy a new games console. xD

SkyrimAddict

Screenshot - http://cdn.medialib.oxm.co.uk/screens/screenshot_30958.jpg
Trailer -  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkkoHAzjnUs

Friday 24 August 2012

Grand Theft Auto IV... A very late review

Having strict parents is somewhat a burden when it comes to what I can and can't do. An example is that I wasn't allowed to stay up later than 10 pm on weekdays when I was a bit younger and, until very recently, I've had to follow the PEGI system of age ratings. I'm 17 and all the way through my life I have only played 3s, 12s and 16s with a few BBFC age ratings of 15 too. After seeing that I'm actually quite mature, my parents have finally allowed me to buy and play age 18 rated games. By looking through to the back of my Official Xbox Magazine, I realise that about a quarter of the games are age 18 rated. One of the 10/10s has always been Grand Theft Auto IV (GTA IV) and, due to this recommendation and all my friends having played it, I have always wanted to see what Liberty City is like to play in.

I got the game from Amazon.co.uk for about £15 and I've played about 6 hours so far. GTAs have always been open world games that allow you to do whatever you want with a hint of story of reaching the top of the pile of criminals. The game play feels a bit weird as the buttons aren't as responsive as I would have liked but GTA IV makes up for this with the feeling of awesomeness as you commit grand theft auto/hijacking a car. A simple press of the Y button does this and the following police chase is a lot of fun, even if I am really bad a driving and I almost always crash into the back of a fellow motorist. So far I've used my fists, a knife, a baseball bat and a pistol for weapons with my favourite being the baseball bat... It's just fun to use, I swear!

There's a lot of awesomeness in other aspects of the game too; I, for one, love the radio stations in the car. I always listen to "Liberty Rock" radio station and occasionally Evil Woman by ELO or Mamma by Genesis plays and it feels genuinely great to cruise around, and smashing into things, while one of your favourite songs is being played in-game. I also love Niko Bellic and his attitude to most things; kick the living shit out of your problems and they will go away. Yay.

Criticisms of a 10/10 games seem to be in supply however; the camera angles when driving are always too far or too near... A middle ground would be nice. You can die really easily which sucks at the start when you have to pay to get healed up. It's a bit unrealistic when you date girls and they say it's been an OK date despite the fact that you've totalled her car... Also, when I try to cross a bridge there's always a police barricade there and they always kill me as I go past... Is that normal for the start of the game?

Conclusions to be made include that it's a great game to play (good game play, story and freedom) but whether it's a 10/10 game... It will have to pull out all the stops to get that status. :P

SkyrimAddict

Sunday 19 August 2012

Looking Back...: Star Wars: The Force Unleashed

Having loved the Star Wars franchise since my discovery of it when I was about 6/7 years old, I have gone on to buy each of the six films with my favourite being Attack of the Clones. Because of my early obsession with the brand, I have always been interested in Star Wars-esque video-games that come out with several for the DS and Game Boy Advance being among a small collection. The Force Unleashed was a re-boot to the franchise... and one that was badly needed. Coming out in 2008, three years after the Revenge of the Sith film, the whole idea of Star Wars needed to be shaken up and changed and that's what Lucas Arts tried to do with this.

It follows the tidings of the secret apprentice of none other than Darth Vader (you play as Vader during the tutorial, if you're interested) and his struggle to find a place by Vader's side. The main idea is that "Starkiller" (as he is affectionately known by others) has to go around after the devastating Order 66 and mop up the last remaining Jedi that are still kicking around and causing a bit of trouble for Vader and the Emperor. Not to give too much away but there are few decisions you to make that ultimately swings which way the story goes and whether you will stay with the Dark Side of the Force but it's not completely your choice.

The game play is practical and an arsenal of Force powers are at your disposal as the game progresses with force pushes, grips on objects, lightning and chokes all making appearances in the game. There's a number of enemies too from the classic Storm troopers (Starkiller is meant to be secret so no-one's allowed to see him, even if they are on his side :S), Wookies and, of course, Jedi. There are also a few rudimentary puzzles that need "cracking" as it were, but they're not strenuous and happily fit the BBFC's 12 age rating due to their simplicity.

All in all, I've always had a blast playing this game even if there are a few things that can be boring such as the loading times, similar enemy types and it can get a bit too easy if you master basic combos. However, these factors shouldn't stop you from playing such a great new direction in the Star Wars franchise. If you haven't played it, pick up a copy... it's dirt cheap these days. If you have, then pick up Force Unleashed 2 which is basically more of the same... Which can only be good, right?

SkyrimAddict

Thursday 16 August 2012

Looking Back...: 007 Quantum of Solace

When I was younger, I didn't get much money to spend on weekends due to a meagre £5 a week in pocket money from my parents. Because of this, I couldn't buy the newest games for my new Xbox 360 due to being quite impatient and saving up two months of money didn't see like a good investment. Because of this, I bought my games from Virgin/Zavvi/Head, or whatever it's called these days, and they consisted of small, unpopular titles that didn't sell well in the market. One of the first games I bought from this little selection of games was James Bond's Quantum of Solace.

Following the non-release of a Casino Royale game, the makers decided to put both of the Daniel Craig films into one game and just name it after the second film. It's result is a great story (obviously :S), Gears of War-esque cover shooting and the awesomeness that comes with being 007. It was ranked as a 12 by the BBFC and you can see why with no gore and takedowns that results in just being punched in the face... Still, at the time I was captivated by the gameplay, gadgets and just shooting people, to be honest, and it certainly laid a path for my love for other shooters such as Halo and BF/BF2/BF3 etc.

All in all, it was one of the first "proper" games I played that wasn't football (soccer if you're American/foreign) and I'm glad I did as it set the tone for the rest of my gaming "career"... But it's not as good as Skyrim :P

SkyrimAddict

Wednesday 15 August 2012

Plague Inc.

After seeing a few pictures on random websites about a mobile game called Plague Inc. I really wanted to try it. The concept is basically using the idea of you being a disease and evolving to infect as many people as possible and eventually cause the extinction of the human race. It's essentially a strategy game and, as past posts show, I have a bit of a soft spot for strategy whether it's on PC, console or, as is this case, mobile.

I say mobile but it's just my iPod and I don't use it much. Plague Inc. has changed that however with a lot of game time going into trying to unlock new types of diseases such as fungus and biochemicals. It is fun to play and unlocks the mad scientist in all of us... A little bit anyway.

I must be off; the world needs me to cause its doom.

SkyrimAddict

Sunday 12 August 2012

The Sorcerer's Apprentice for DS

On holiday I had my birthday. On my birthday people gave me presents. I got one video game and it was from my sister. She knew that the only console I could bring was my DS and so she had bought me The Sorcerer's Apprentice for DS. As with most DS games (outside of Mario, Pokémon etc.) it was mainly complied of mini games. The main idea of the game is to go around, using spells and killing inanimate objects brought back to life by an evil sorcerer who's trying to bring back the sorcerer that killed Merlin. Sounds awesome in theory... but as with most DS games, it's ambition is stopped by the DS's power (or lack of it) and there aren't even any cut scenes... just pictures. The use of the touch screen was for choosing different spells and yes, there was some fun to be had by firing off projectiles at "evil" plastic bags but (for me) the DS is just for Mario and Pokémon and this game just implements my position even further. 

Oh, by the way, I'm back! Yeah, I've been on Deus Ex: Human Revolution most of the time since I got back and I'm actually starting to feel like a badass on it, which is good. I'm 26 hours in and I have no idea how much of the story I've completed... Oh well!

SkyrimAddict

Monday 23 July 2012

Cool YouTube Users: Maxmoefoe

As I'm going away on holiday tomorrow, there won't be many posts over the next two weeks. On the plus side; Maxmoefoe! This YouTuber's speciality is prank calls "every f**ing thursday" with a mail show on Sundays, and as of today, Mondays. I was brought the attention of Max and his pranks when one of his videos was posted on Facebook and I subscribed a few days later due to the quality of the trolling he does. One of the videos includes him claiming he had bought a diet coke and someone had "jizzed" in it... Yeah...

The main reason I like him thought is that he's very down to earth. He knows he's not incredibly famous on YouTube and yet he still replies often on videos and takes comments from viewers as ideas for pranks... It's cool that he does it.

Still, no YouTube for a couple of weeks. :(

SkyrimAddict

Saturday 21 July 2012

Deus Ex: Human Revolution

Having played Pokémon to the point at which I'm happy that I have a head start during my holiday, I've started to play Deus Ex: Human Revolution again. I say again as I got it for Christmas, played it for an hour, thought it wasn't for me and left it to gather dust with dozens of other games. I got it out a couple of days ago and started again with an intention of getting as far as possible before the holiday; and I bloody love it!

If I was to use some sort of comparison, think Skyrim meets Blade Runner with the a bit of Splinter Cell: Conviction thrown in for good measure... and it works too. It's story is based on "augmentations" that you, the main character, uses to "level up" and get stronger. Using augmentations is the controversial issue of the day with 1950s' USA style segregation of "AUGS ENTER FROM THE BACK" and just a general air of racism towards people who have altered their bodies. The plot is that you're a security guard following orders from the CEO of the company that makes the augmentations and you're trying to get information (and eventually justice) about an attack on the company 6 months ago.

The great thing about Deus Ex is that there is no set path; you can choose your way through the game. Your attack style and augmentations are all up to you to decide from stealthy and unseen (taking enemies out with melee while cloaked) to gun-toting and headstrong (rushing in and killing everyone before they know what hit them)... I'm the latter.

It's certainly very enjoyable and I long to play as much as possible. Also, it's dirt-cheap these days and I would heartily recommend it to anyone that enjoyed the freedom of Skyrim or the sci-fi/punk feel of Blade Runner.

As with most of Deus Ex: Human Revolution; it's up to you.

SkyrimAddict

Thursday 19 July 2012

Pokémon

I never liked Pokémon cards... I just didn't get round to collecting them as I was always surrounded by people who adored Yu-Gi-Oh and so (as with most things) I followed suit and became a collector of the other side of useless tat that was trading cards. Still, my cousin (who still loves it now) was the first to bring Pokémon video games to my attention with Pokémon Fire Red on Gameboy Advance capturing my thoughts on a holiday to Turkey; needless to say, as soon as I got back home I got myself a copy. I must have played several hundred hours on it, collecting all the Pokémon and trading for the ones that only Leaf Green had; I was obsessed as was most of the generation.

From then on, each new Pokémon game was quickly purchased upon release from Fire Red to Emerald to Diamond to Soul Silver, with Diamond being one of the most noteworthy due to the contrast of moving the franchise to 3D on the DS. The reason I give you this background information is due to the arrival of Pokémon White on DS that came today in the post from Amazon. I haven't played it yet (due to it's sole purpose of keeping me entertained on holiday) yet I hope to enjoy it as fully as I have with the other games on the same handheld console - my trusty first generation DS which will be celebrating it's 7th birthday as I celebrate my 17th... I can't believe it's survived thus far, to be quite honest.

I just look forward to the long, potentially boring, stretches of time that make up sitting next to the pool, travelling in hired cars and watching the adults play cards, and the moment of my DS being opened and dozens of hours being used to fulfil my need of nostalgia and entertainment.

Bring it on.

SkyrimAddict

Wednesday 18 July 2012

Looking Back...: Age of Empires

Having the summer off can bring times of severe boredom and having gotten bored of all the "new" games I own (despite not having played at least 5...) which led me to the conclusion that I play an older game that I haven't played in years. Looking through my PC collection, I realise that I had a good gaming upbringing with such hits as LOTR: Battle for Middle Earth 2 and Rome: Total War (I was a violent child, it would seem). The game that caught my eye was Age of Empires. I have the first game and it's expansion pack in a single disc and it was my first PC game and quite possibly one of my first video games. :') Playing it brings a sense of nostalgia as I remember the day of just starting a death match and spending the whole game deforesting the trees on the map... Simple times.

From the perspective of my present self, I feel that the core game play is still top-notch and I am very sad that Ensemble Studios (the developer) went bankrupt; I love(d) 2 and 3 too.

Still; I have forests to chop down ;)

SkyrimAddict

Tuesday 17 July 2012

Cool Youtube Users: PewDiePie

Unlike the other two Cool Youtube Users I've mentioned, I have only just become aware of PewDiePie's existance... And that was due to my fascination with Happy Wheels. In any case, I found PewDiePie and have become a "Bro" due to the clicking of the "subscribe" button and with that comes great responsibility to sit through about 30 minutes of videos from the youtuber... And I love it!

A bit of background info would not go amiss, perhaps; PewDiePie is a Swedish guy living in Italy and he releases gaming videos of him playing (mainly) horror games with other video games coming in to lighten the mood. Despite the use of horror video games, PewDiePie always makes me laugh in his videos with his amazing reactions to anything scary (escpecially Slender XD) and his constant stream of obsenities in his wacky accent that just makes the whole experience very enjoyable. It's not just that though; his gf plays in some videos with the comments full of "THEY MAKES SUCH A GREAT COUPLE <3" etc. and they do seem to feed off each other (in the comedy sense)

As mentioned before, he has played a horror game called Slender about 10 times over all in 5/6 videos... The link below is for his first Slender video and it's the one that got me hooked on the Swedish youtuber... Tread carefully :P

Skyrim Addict

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZMBG4Pn3Sg&feature=relmfu

Saturday 14 July 2012

BF2

About 6 months ago I bought BF2 after thoroughly enjoying BF: Bad Company but I didn't really play it that much; just completing the campaign and getting to about level 5 in multi-player. After a bit of stressful week, I decided that a release would be good in the form of BF2. The reason for this is that it fuels adrenaline rushes that I hardly experience and it feels so good to "kill" an @$$&**£ that has been sniping me for the last 15 minutes. The result is that I'm quite addicted to it with several hours everyday being dedicated to being awesome at the Engineer class or trying to level up the other classes. Either way, I usually have a lot of fun playing and may even get BF3 at some point in the future... I am really behind the times. xD

SkyrimAddict

Thursday 12 July 2012

Wow...

Yep, it's been quite a while. No excuses for it either... I just didn't feel like writing as it turns out. Lots has happened in that that time too; I've mined diamonds in Minecraft, been shredding guitar on Guitar Hero III etc. but the most exciting thing has been the introduction of Skyrim's new expansion pack/DLC... Dawnguard. Set in the normal world but with a whole host of new things to do/fight/collect/use, it really has added several 10s of hours to the game. At the moment my character has levelled up on the Vampire Perk tree and has several of the perks available that allow it to use daemonic powers that can suck the very soul out of enemies... NICE. It's just added something new and fresh and it was well worth the 1600 MSP.

If you have Skyrim, have played it to the brink of exhaustion and thought that it was time to put it away for a few weeks/months/years... well, you'd be wrong. :P

SkyrimAddict

Tuesday 22 May 2012

Ignoring Past Excuses

As the title suggests, I have ignored the rule of not buying and playing Minecraft and I now play it often... and it's great! Really, really good and I can't believe how good it is... The way that the map you play on is randomly generated (mine's called "Brave New World"), the fact that you can do anything you want with no constraints and that your friends can come into your world and help you build that amazing skyscraper you had plans to build or you could go into their world and blow their house up by inviting some creepers to stay ;)

So far, I have built a mine-shack that is next to a mine I have dug with the finding of iron, coal, gold and redstone being one of the best experiences in gaming. Near to this is my main house in the middle of a body of water with a bridge of sand joining from all directions at the front of the house... and I'm proud of it! That's why Minecraft is so great; it takes the idea of crafting and if you put the effort in, you can create some truly amazing pieces of art/architecture.

I must go, "Brave New World" calls me.

SkyrimAddict

Monday 7 May 2012

Sorry

I haven't been doing this blog for about a week now thanks to exams :( and just generally chilling when I'm not. The main news is that Minecraft comes out on Xbox Live this week and it looks awesome!! I've never played Minecraft on the PC but my friends have and they're all addicted so I can't wait. Plus, there's a lot of Internet culture surrounding the game with Newgrounds, YouTube and Reddit full of Minecraft videos, articles and references... many of which I don't understand but I hope to soon!

SkyrimAddict

Monday 30 April 2012

Cool Youtube Users: freddiew

As you probably know, I enjoy playing video games and I like watching videos on YouTube to do with videogames so when someone comes around who uses games as their inspiration for their videos then it just seems natural that I become a massive fan of theirs. Freddiew is one of those people with videos that include real life Mario Kart, GTA and a first person Mario Bros. video that I just love as they are based on video games but also very original, also.

The newest and my most favourite video is that of "Skyrim Badass" that is basically being an @$$ in Skyrim in real life. With the life-like graphics and the sword-fighting choreography, I love this video and I have watched it many times already...

...and it's not just because I love Skyrim!

SkyrimAddict

Sunday 29 April 2012

Cool Youtube Users: RoosterTeeth

After being on Youtube for several years, I was shown by a friend the marvels of the channel of RoosterTeeth. Set in Texas, USA the Youtube gaming channel releases dozens of videos every week that are extremely entertaining due to the people that narrate/play the video.

Jack, Geoff and Michael all have their strengths ( Jack - badass at games, Geoff - has a laugh that can cure cancer and Michael is funny to listen to) and weaknesses (Jack - boring, Geoff - not that good at videogames and Michael - rages and swears at almost anything) but my favourite RoosterTooth has to be Gavin (from the Slow Mo Guys). Gavin is British (+1 already!) and is the troller of the team with a mission to take the piss out of Michael and to beat Jack. He's also great at videogames such as AC:R and Trials: Evolution and has a bromance with Geoff.

The reason I love their videos is due to the fact that I can have never played the game they are talking about yet I find the video entertaining... it is a skill that many other Youtubers have tried and failed to accomplish.

They're also as funny as hell.

SkyrimAddict

Saturday 28 April 2012

Exams

Examinations are coming up in May that just adds to the frustration as games such as Minecraft and Dragon's Dogma are coming out in the same month. With five AS exams to do and only two and a half weeks until the first exam, gaming time is in short supply...

My exams end on the 25th of May so that will be the day that gaming becomes key again but it really sucks that a month has to be waited to play some of the best games coming out this year. Plus, my friends don't have the same work ethic as me and so when I go to join them they will be 10x the level I will be.

I hope the 25th of May comes around soon!

SkyrimAddict

Friday 27 April 2012

Crossbows for Skyrim!!!

The Skyrim DLC rumours come thick and fast every day with new ones sounding more awesome and outrageous than their forefathers. The new word on the Internet with considerably reliable evidence comes the rumours that there will be crossbows, Snow Elves and new vampire animations! *girlish scream*

The evidence is a folder found in the PC update which contains these kind of ideas. The Snow Elves are essentially the Falmer who were thought to be extinct but have little back story... so Bethesda could do so much with it!

My favourite idea is crossbows as my character at the moment is an assassin/thief/archer and that would add a whole new dimension to an already packed-full inventory I possess.

I am looking really forward to this...

SkyrimAddict

Thursday 26 April 2012

Minecraft for 360

The news that Minecraft was branching out to different gaming consoles was of no surprise to me as it was the most popular game on the computer over the last few years and the owners were looking for new revenue streams. Minecraft will get it's release as an Xbox Live Arcade game where people can do as they do on the computer; namely mining, crafting and fighting with creepers. You can basically do what the computer guys are doing minus the regular packs and updates that the computer game gets.

When I first saw Minecraft I thought it would be a fad and one that would be over quickly due to its block-y graphics and its weird game play. But then it turned out to be a long-running, extensive gaming experience that most people I know have played or are playing.

The release is welcome and I for one will be buying it... little pickaxes and beds here I come!

SkyrimAddict

Tuesday 24 April 2012

Euro 2012

With Euro 2012 just around the corner at the beginning of June, EA have published another tournament game that convinces most football fans with the title: "UEFA Euro 2012".

 I, being a massive football fan, have always loved watching the world cup and the euros with anticipation and worry for England's football team as they never do as well as they should. The chance of playing as England and winning such a prestigious event with other countries such as Spain and the Netherlands playing would be amazing and a lot of fun, I would imagine.

According to Amazon, the game this year does not have a plastic box surrounding it, but rather a DLC Microsoft points card attached instead. For £15 to £18 you can add another mode to FIFA 12 and play as whatever team takes your fancy; I'll probably take Macedonia...

I look forward to playing the game alongside the tournament and hopefully England can win... in real life or the video game! I don't mind either way!

SkyrimAddict

Monday 23 April 2012

Halo 4

So, moving away from Skyrim and RPGs in general I would like to write about Halo 4 and how it's shaping up to be "Game of the Year" already. The trailer was released several months ago and showed the audience Master Chief floating through a spaceship on a jet pack with Cortana giving orders. The trailer looked good with subtle hints about what was to happen in the future.

Halo 4 will be the start of a new trilogy for Master Chief with worlds such as the exotic jungle planet of Requiem to play on and co-op missions that allow you to get to know your Chief better. The multiplayer also looks good with the whole Red vs Blue situation finally being unveiled as a proper story rather than just what-it-is.

The design for the Chief and his enemies has been radically overhauled with the only things remaining including the general shape of the characters and the helmet that Master Chief wears.

I loved Halo: Reach and at first I was hesitant at what 343 Industries could bring to the table in terms of Halo but so far it all looks good. I can't wait to play it later this year.

SkyrimAddict

Sunday 22 April 2012

RPGs

Skyrim was undoubtedly my favourite game of last year and one of my favourite of all time, too. After putting in over 350 hours on Skyrim, I have decided that I need a new RPG for this year. And so far they have been coming thick and fast. So far there has been The Witcher 2 and Kingdoms of Amular which look alright but the one I have been anticipating as this year's RPG is Dragon's Dogma.

Set in a world quite a bit smaller than Skyrim but with a whole lot of charm, it oozes reasons to buy it. The Pawn system looks great (basically Skyrim followers but with a lot more customisation) and the combat looks cool with new ideas that look fun to play.

Come May 25th, it will be the game I'll be playing and I'll put a review on here, too. I look forward to it.

SkyrimAddict

Saturday 21 April 2012

Kinect for Skyrim?!

Kinect as an add-on to the Xbox 360 is controversial and there's no way around it. I have Kinect to the point where I play fitness games after Christmas and when guests come to stay... but why should it stop there. Many developers have seen this new technology as a stepping stone for extra profit with poorly made games that shouldn't really be called video games as is their annoyance.

So when I heard that Skyrim was to incorporate Kinect in a new update, I was sceptical to say the least. I thought Bethesda had given in to the mass market and were strangers to core players. Then I realised how awesome it could be. The new update won't only allow you to FUS RO DAH your enemies using your own voice but it allows you to equip items without moving your thumbs and even lets you sort your items by worth or damage.

I look forward to the update and I hope it lives up to my expectations.

SkyrimAddict

Friday 20 April 2012

Skyrim Demographics

According to Bethesda, it is rare for people to spend less than 80 hours playing Skyrim. I've been playing Skyrim since the day after it came out and I have 350+ hours playing such a great game. It's not really suprising that this is the case as it takes 80 hours just to complete the main story and a few side quests... Then there's wanting to finish everything, making different types of characters and getting all the achievements/trophies.

There's also Skyrim DLC on the horizon to try and further that game time even further. Personally, I would like to see different types of dungeons (rather than just the generic daedric dungeon that's great the first 100 times but gets annoying after that) and more weapons too; different types of arrows would be good and there's even talk to spears! Make it happen, Bethesda.

SkyrimAddict

Thursday 19 April 2012

Introductions

Hi. First post and what a one it is. Introductions are generic for blogs so here's mine: I'm 16, living in England and I love to play video games... so much so that a blog is appropriate. Xbox games are the main staple of my gaming diet (so to speak) but I do like to play a free online game now and again and the DS and PSP are good for travelling.

What I'll be writing about will be my thoughts on the latest news in gaming, the games I look forward to get and ideas I have come up with. Feel free to comment if that is your wish.

Enjoy,

SkyrimAddict