Virutal Soapbox: Call of Duty every year!?

Hey all,

Well its been about a week or so since the launch of Call of Duty: Black Ops and I thought I would toss in my two cents regarding the series and such. To begin I want to start by saying the series as a whole is great for gaming. Now more than ever there are more players getting into my favourite pass time. It's games that build bridges between gamers and well....Everyone else in society. For we gamers are a seclusive society and we need all the help we can get when interacting with others.

So why am I standing on my virtual soapbox today? Well Activision is having another Call of Duty coming out next year and there are rumours that they plan to release yearly editions of the games. Don't get me wrong it will still be a great game in a long proud line of games but when will it become stale? When will people start to groan the fact that they are gonna have to shell out $60 dollars for the same game with new character skins and similar multiplayer maps? But some of you may say "Justin people will still buy the game because it's Call of Duty. It's just like those gamers willing to dish out money for a new Madden or NHL game every year." I simply reply but the guys who buy the new sports game every year are a rare breed. They are a niche group and their game needs updates due to players coming and going on teams. Yet even some of those gamers still feel reluctant to buy purchase a new game every year. There is only so many Maddens can have in their collection before they get sick and tired of the series. The same can happen to Call of Duty.

I get that people enjoy first person shooters but they also enjoy their money. So how can developers like Activision still keep the Call of Duty buzz alive without launching a new game every year? Simple, DLC expansions baby! Just look at what it did for games like Red Dead Redemption. For around $15 you can add a zombie apocalypse to a Western and BAM! The game seems fresh and new. Companies like Bioware release new quests, story arcs and expansions to their games like Dragon Age and it drives the game. Sure Activision released map packs online, but they can do more. They can give players mission packs that are outside of the main game, like you can play a few missions from the eyes of the bad guys from the main game. This opens up the story more and can lead to some really interesting ideas and discussion. Also you could throw in what if Call of Duty was set during an alien invasion. I know not the most original idea but still, it's something.

This could be fun to play in a FPS. Now I wanna watch Starship Troopers...

So when the next Call of Duty launches next year, I hope Activision will take the series on a break and let people enjoy the game without constantly thinking about the new game on the horizon. Release expansion packs to build on an existing experience and not just give us a "new" one. I know that this article may sound like I don't like the series but trust me, to this day there is nothing that makes me smile more than hearing the wails of an 11 year old on xbox live as I snipe them from the other side of the map. Check out our review of Black Ops coming out soon from Sam.

Justin

Fallout:New Vegas Review

Fallout: New Vegas is the follow-up for 2008’s smash hit Fallout 3. The game was released on October 17, 2010 for Play station 3, Xbox 360 and PC. This review covers the 360 Version.

Xbox 360 Cover Art

Story: Fallout: New Vegas follows the typical format of a Fallout game; your main character is someone by the name of the Courier. Of course, Courier doesn’t have to be the standard name you can change it to anything you want. As well, the character can be customized to look however you want and can be male or female. The Courier basically is someone who was tasked with delivering a package he/she gets ambushed by Benny (voice by Friends Star, Matthew Perry) who promptly puts a bullet in your head, yet for some reason the courier manages to survive and basically has to track down Benny during the first part of the game after that the game offers you four different ways towards an ending, how you decide the game ends is totally up to you.

Gameplay: To put it simply the game feels a little more linear this time, there are some side-quests that will earn you achievements but what’s most interesting is that there are so many ways you can go about ending the game, will you side with Mr. House? The NCR? Caesar’s Legion? Or will you perhaps go your own way. The game play this time around has very little difference from Fallout 3, except there are more locations and a much bigger map to play with so you will definitely be putting some hours into this game. There are a couple new add-ons, the addition of Hardcore Mode, I admit I didn’t choose this mode because it sounded Very Hard but if your able to complete the game on this difficulty my hats off to you. The other add-on is that you are now working on a faction system, every mission you do won’t just have an effect on your karma but it will also have an effect of where you stand with Opposing factions meaning trying to do everything in One play-through may be impossible, However that is why the Game Gods invented the save option, so you can save multiple files. One place this game loses marks on is the glitching, it’s still a very glitchy game, and I’ve seen the hilarious: dead enemies twitching like crazy and the infuriating: whatever you do, resist the urge to jump to the top level of a bunk bed! You will never get down and likely will have to restart from the auto save position, which is not completely bad since it would likely be only the last place you entered the room, still nothing is as frustrating as it is waiting for this game to load. The loading screens in this game are painful, sometimes it feels as if it's taking an hour to load, Bethesda seriously needs to fix this it's completely irritating.

Visuals: Of course, this is the Fallout series major strength, its visuals are downright beautiful, but how can you call a game that sets you into an apocalyptic world beautiful? It's pretty much the minor touches that really make this game standout, The most amazing moment in this game for a lot of players will be when you reach the Vegas Strip, as soon as you step into the Vegas Strip you feel like a million dollars, I admit I felt like a little kid at Christmas when I got to this place, I couldn't wait to gamble.

Re-playability: This is why Fallout ranks among some of the Best Video Game series of all time, you can easily spend over 60 hours on this game, to get all the achievements you really need to do at least two playthroughs or at least save at the appropriate time.
With 4 different endings that require you to please different factions, you will definitely be putting in a lot of time on this one.

Last Thoughts: Overall, Fallout New Vegas is a real Kick in the Head (as Dean Martin would say), it does suffer from some poor programming at certain times but that is why God invented Patches, There is a patch that came out for the game to fix all sorts of errors just a few days after launch. However, do not let this deter you, this is still an A+ game and even really good games have glitches.

Rating: If you play fast like me you can rent it and easily get two of the four Endings, but to truly get everything this game has to offer I recommend you buy this one.

Jack

We got a Guest Writer!

Hi Everyone,

I'm thrilled to be joining Justin and Sam on the blog, I have been gaming for about 16 years, It started when I was 6 with Legend of Zelda for the NES, I've played mostly great games, I've played some bad ones to be honest as well but I have managed to stay away from a lot of the stinkers out there. I honestly can't give a definitive answer to what my all time favorite game is. I think one of my favorites was Final Fantasy X, I remembered that I spent quite a lot of time on that game and I still remember it fondly. I will be sharing reviews both classic and new on this blog and I hope you will enjoy it because your going to see my first review very soon.

Jack

Black Ops is Out!

Hey everyone,

Call of Duty: Black Ops just launched today, at midnight to be exact. Many fans waited outside, just to get their hands on the game. Later this week we will post more about the game, depending if we get time for a review. Though I will be sure to post about the Gamestop that got robbed of over 100 copies of the game. Anywho we have a new writer who will introduce themselves later in the week as well. Stay tuned and be sure to visit the blog during multiplayer breaks.

Justin

Top 5 Playstation 2 Games

Last Week was the 10th anniversary of the Playstation 2. So we here thought it was fitting to list off our top 5 PS2 games. Keep in mind these are our opinions and let us know in the comment section your thoughts.  All of these you should be able to find with ease and get your bang for your buck. So let us begin!

5) Ratchet and Clank: Going Commando – What do you get when add platforming action and out of this world weapons? You get Ratchet and Clank. You play as a man…dog…cat…thing and as a robot attempting to save the galaxy one planet at a time. With such weapons the sheep ray gun (turn your foes into sheep that blow up), how can this series not be an instant classic?

4) Okami – With a game so rich with Japanese mythology, people were curious to see how well it did out of Japan. Well when the game launched it was very quiet even though it received great reviews. It now is a cult classic and has a sequel coming for the Nintendo DS next year. This is an adventure game similar to the Legend of Zelda series but it’s art style and the source material that the story is based on really sets it apart. Thanks to its beautiful cell shaded graphics and the fact you play as a god makes sure this game is on our top 5 list.

3) God of War – When you think of Sony, you instantly think of murderous “hero” Kratos from God of War. This is where his journey of revenge and rage begins. Before the game came out we have never really seen any game like this. For example besides very obscure adult games we have never seen sex mini games. Sure they are graphic but they just had to the hilarity of the game. Also never before have players tackled a Minotaur and proceeded to stab the ever loving snot out of it. With a easy to learn and hard to master combat system and a story that takes Greek mythology and shows it on a larger darker scale, it is easy to see why still to do this day people play this game. Be sure to pick up Ghost of Sparta for the PSP to get even more information on the back-story of Kratos.

2) SSX- Up to the point of the PS2 launch, snowboarding games were few and far between. They were fun but they lacked the graphics to really hook someone. Well along game the PS2 and EA Big’s SSX. This game provided the outrageous gameplay that we love and backed it up with amazing graphics. Every rider was different from each other due to their country of origin and their preferred style of boarding. This game always tossed curve balls at you while played. One minute you could be grinding off a pole and the next minute you are off a jump and soaring 100ft in the air with fireworks going off everywhere. Not only did this game have deep single player modes but it also had split screen multiplayer. Where you and a buddy can race to the end or see who can pull of the most tricks. Still to this day Justin finds himself cracking this game out for when him and his buddies get together.

1) Twisted Metal Black: It is a time of chaos and Calypso is back with his Twisted Metal games. Players pick a contestant of their choice and blow cars, buildings and anything else up to become the champion and get their wish granted…Though be careful what you wish for. Calypso takes joy in screwing you over. You get various drivers like the Grimm Reaper on a tricked out motorcycle or a psychotic clown named Sweet Tooth and his missile launching ice cream truck. Gamers first experienced this series in on the Playstation, now with a graphic overhaul and more drivers. This game got catapulted to classic hit. If chaos and explosions is your thing, you need to pick up this game! Just know you can run but you can’t hide from Sweet Tooth…He will always get you…

Say hi to Sweet Tooth kids...

So there is our list for your gaming pleasure. Pick up any of these games and your shall be pleased. Heck pick up any PS2 game and you will have a great time. Thanks to a huge game library you are sure to stumble upon something that you love to play, even if that is Barbie’s Horse Adventures. It is a classic system that shall always been seen as a treasure to everyone here at Student Gamers.

PS3 Move Breakdown

Trying to decide what to pick up this weekend? Well, we've got the new Ps3 move In Town!

It's probably wise for Sony to have been cooking PlayStation Move slowly since its introduction 15 months ago to become with such thing so accurate. Many people who have been played the Wii since its release and knowing that it is the most successful games system to combine fitness and gaming, we knew the Wii system would be hard to beat. The PS3 has something for everyone. Although, PS3 has Blu-ray movies, and with playing the latest games, and now working out while gaming at the same time. Why shouldn\t Sony have that  feature as well!? Something that could attract the hardcore gamer, and we believe PS3 Move is that accessory for the job!

Technically the PS3 Move controller also comes with a camera combination as well that lets the player do things the Wii could only dream about!

One of the Games released for PS3 move was:


Resident Evil 5: Gold Edition was much more involved and took some time to get used to the controls, and certainly not something for the kids. After some practice this showed a game with graphics not possible on a Wii, and controls that took things that much further. After an hour of game time I decided that a normal controller far suited this game, which may not be the case for everyone.

I also bought move was quite excited about it, and I can say it's amazing, so accurate, colourfully and fits snugly in the hand, plus the camera is the future of motion control!!

Have you had time with PlayStation Move yet? What are your first impressions?

Sam

Shout out for PS3 CoD: Black Op Players

Hey guys,

The game is around 10 days away and we here at Student Gamers are spreading the word of the game. So Sam is hitting the ground running and wants to play multiplayer on launch day. So add dodoo1989 on your PSN and let the gun fights begin.

Justin