No dedicated servers? No thanks!
In an interesting move on Infinity Ward's part they have decided to simplify the process of online PC matchmaking for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. If you've ever played the first Modern Warfare on any console then you know what the system is like. It's a very basic streamlined service. You pick the game you want to play and it either puts you in a lobby or you join a game hosted by another player. The host is chosen (roughly) by whoever has the best latency in the lobby. This is replacing the standard dedicated server system that most online PC games use now where a third party computer continuously hosts a server for a particular game and players connect to the server to play manually.
It's a great system and it works great for console's, but as Infinity Ward is finding out it is not what the PC gaming community is looking for. The ability to join a dedicated server with modifications and massive numbers of players is just about the only perk left for PC gaming. In a continually dwindling market, this trend will only make things worse. It's too bad because I'm awful at FPS's on console controllers.
Infamous
Infamous
Have you ever thought about grind your way across power lines while shooting people lightning bolts up people's asses? Me neither, but somewhere out there is going to be totally fulfilled by playing Infamous!
You play as Cole, a messenger caught in a vast conspiracy after an explosion gives him super powers. You then travel around Empire City dishing out street justice like the swift hand Zeus while trying to find a mysterious object know as "The Ray Sphere". The city is well mapped and generally fun to cruise around. Most of the time you can get to your destination by either the ground route or by leaping from roof to roof. The building climbing is similar to Assassin's Creed, but with a little bit more skip in it's step by letting you run up walls and jump higher while you're climbing.
Combat in Infamous lets you unleash hell on your opponents with a variety of lightning based attacks. You can throw electricity grenades, shoot missles, launch thugs with shockwaves or use "precision mode" which is basically lightning sniping. Can't hit the broad side of a barn? That's ok, because if you hit something that conducts electricity you might still zap your intended target. Just watch out for those civilians!
The game lets you choose your way through moral dilemmas to drive the story. You can be the hero post apocalyptic Empire City needs, or the nemesis looking to take over the world. The choices range from simple things, like helping out a woman whose purse has been stolen, or more life altering things, like whether you save someone close to you over saving a group of doctors that can save thousands. The path you choose alters your powers slightly, but it's not really anything drastic or game changing.
I really enjoyed my romp through Infamous. The story was engaging and entertaining. There was a lot to put together to get the whole story, but it really just brought you more into the world of Cole. The comic style cut scenes added a nice tough to the games overall style. The characters had depth and feeling despite only talking to them over the phone most of the game. There was a good variety of enemies and some very challenging missions that kept the game interesting.
On the negative side, sometimes there were just too many enemies on screen. Cole is very fragile and dying comes very quick when you're overwhelmed. It seemed like being swarmed with an platoon of baddies at once was a regular occurrence throughout the game. Even after upgrading your damage resistance skills it doesn't take a whole lot to quell our lightning infused hero. While a minor problem, making Cole a little bit tougher might have cut back on mission re-do's and made the game less frustrating.
Overall, this is an awesome game. Rarely does a game come out that keeps me interested through the entire story line. Right up to the end I was engaged in everything that was going on around me. This is a must buy for PS3 owners. You won't regret !
Welcome!
So here it is. My first real shot at personal blogging. My dream has been to try my hand at video game journalism and I've been told that this is where to start. I'll start reviewing games, talking about game news and, what the hell, maybe some tid bits about life in general that I find interesting. I think I'm currently getting the swine flu, so I'm gonna cut this short for now.
God speed.