GC: General Discussion

Tando wrote:

Just heard about this APB Reloaded

Me too - I got an email.

You know what though? I'm not even gonna bother

Lunarwolf wrote:

Is this no good? http://www.meekeo.com/PC-manuals_mass-effect

Thanks Mr. Wolf!

No worries - was there a ME2 one as well? I didn't check :S

I didn't check to be honest as I've just started the original game.

Just ordered DCUO!! Expect a full review soon.

It's about time, boss!

Well I was waiting for a good word about it before I paid up some cash and according to my mate Jim it's the shizzle, so thats good enough for me!

Don't know about Jim but my friend Larna said in early december:

Quote :

As to gaming, DCUO will be out in early January and that will be earlier then SWTOR comes out. They will have separate pvp servers and at any rate, pvp will be consentual. Yes, I know what I’m talking about, I have the inside scoop there J The game does look pretty fun, fast-paced and lots of interesting dynamics to the gameplay. How it pans out, only time will tell. At any rate, your guild can give it a go for a few months while they continue to wait for SWTOR to make it’s appearance. (I hear it’s been delayed again but might be out first quarter of 2011).

Side notes: her son works for SOE and she managed to play a beta version on the PS3. ^^' But shhh I didn't said anything.

Played Dead Space 2 and beat it here is my review ^^

Fear:

DS2 was more traumatic than it was frightening, not to say that it wasn't frightening as well. Now that you're put in the middle of the outbreak you actually see people die. Not just the lone poor souls of the ishimura who were so insane they didn't realise what was happening but families that were living normal lives all of a sudden forced to face the scythe of a raging necromorph. I always try to help people as much as i can in games even if they're just npcs. Its hard to come to terms with the fact that there is just nothing you can do to help these people. You hear the crowds scream and see people being chased on different levels of the station and at most can only waste a few shots to tell yourself that you helped. Weather its the screams on the other side of a locked door or the distant echoing cries of a baby left alone the game constantly tugs at your heart until the station is dead like the ishimura. suddenly the necromorphs aren't just monsters roaming a derelict ship but rather the people you couldn't save. DS2 doesn't give you the same primal fear through out the game as the first one did and many of the "ambushes" are well known tricks you've experienced and know how to deal with. There are still moments though when you're alone in the dark walking down a blood soaked hallway that you begin to wonder weather that scratching in the vents or that slow tapping behind you is just ambience or a necromorph ready to pounce. Plus there is an old friend waiting for you in the depths of the sprawl.

Isac and Nicole:

In DS2 you really get a feel for Isac, especially with his voice added to the game he becomes less of an avatar and more of a character. Nicole is also with you again and constantly reminds Isac that though he faced so many necromorphs that there was one face in the crowd of monsters that he did not see. Isac still carries the weight of her last video with him and this time their is a new video that sheds light on how she came to be on the ishimura. Nicole's part to play is hard to figure out but very critical to the story and DS2 really helps you see the relationship between the two characters.

The Story: (No spoilers)

DS2 really improves on the story. Planet cracking, the marker, unitology and even the necromorphs in general. For me at the end of DS1 there were alot of unanswered questions however by the time you reach the end game most of those questions are answered and you gain a new understanding of this terrible universe. There are some aspects of the story that are very predictable or at least were for me (its not like i'm einstein so should be pretty obvious) however the game manages to make some last second twists that really add to the story.

Gear:

Honestly just went through with plasma cutter, there are some great armor sets and some interesting new weapons but why fix it if its not broken? All in all I feel if a game will let you beat it with one weapon whats the point of even looking at the others. If they can't put in the work to make situations harder without a certain type of weapon there is no need for you to put in the effort to try anything new they put in. Sure it might be a little easier to do this or that but at the end of the day the plasma cutter is all the weapon you need.

Multiplayer: (PC)

Terrible. The multiplayer could easily have been made better, the games are small, 8 person max, and the teams are terribly unbalanced. As a necromorph you are one of 4 basic types, the swarm the tentacle baby a puker or a varient of the slicer that can spit a charged weapon. even all four of the varients teamed against one human can be easily put down. The human team gains better weapons better stasis and even better armor however the necromorphs must contend with the same 4 types with only minor upgrades. Necromorphs drop ammo, stasis charges, and even med packs. the only hope that the necros have is swarming the humans and when you drop health on death this just makes it impossible to contend. Not to mention many people are in the upper levels or already maxed this means they have better weapons upgrades for those weapons a large pool of stasis and better armor. Some people have even figured out some cheats including god mode infinit clip size infinite ammo and increased damage. All in all the only hope the necro team has is to execute lock a human and have allies attack him at the same time which becomes impossible when there are as little as 2 humans and can even be a challenge when there is just one considering all they have to do is shoot stasis at their feet. Executes also do not work as they do in single player, the necromorph does X amount of damage that is not capable of killing the human then automatically dies unles the human is killed by the execution before they do the auto pull of animation that results in an instant death for necromorphs reguardless of health. The multiplayer is a terrible bland addition that could have been a great addition to an otherwise awesome game.

Final Though:

DS2 remains a great addition to the franchise where the franchise first made its mark - a single player horror game. If the multiplayer was the only attractive aspect of DS2 for you then do not buy it, it will dissappoint you. However the single player though it is not as frightening is really great and can still deliver that same fear in a pinch, as well the story has really evolved in a good way and though the multiplayer is a tremendous let down it can be ok with the right group just hope the humans split up and are level 1. Given the decision again i would deffinately buy DS2 ^^

It looks like an excellent game but I couldn't even play the demo on the xbox - I kept getting heart palputations (not palpatines ) - a combination of expecting it to make me jump and playing it in the dark on my own!

I want to play the first one first though, to get the best out of the story. I recently watched Dead Space: Downfal and really loved that though

yeah its great DS2 even has a vid that sums up the major events from the first one but there are certain spots in the 2nd that just wouldn't be as great if you didn't play the first

Another LA Noire video and damn, its still looking sh1t-hot!

AND, now it looks like John Noble* is in it? OH MY STARS I am so getting this!



*John Noble is, if you don't know him, famous for many films and TV series; most recently as Denethos in Lord of the Rings: Return of the King and Dr. Walter Bishop in Fringe.