If you were a fan of the first game then be warned that this follow up loses all the charm early on. The accidental heroes of the first game are now legit - "the go to guys". Sure there is still the banter between the crew, but it's all superficial now. Take out the chatter and what you have is Call of Duty Modern Warfare 1.4. This leaves pretty much any player chemistry feeling more one dimensional than being essential to the story line.
Now about that story line....
I'm inclined to believe that Dice spent 4-5 months making game assets and 3 weeks cobbling the story together. Somebody on the story team threw out "The Japanese had a secret weapon in WWII". Then someone else said, Yeah and it makes like a Godzilla sound when it gets ready to go. From there on, the story becomes non essential. A majority of the cinematic characters both foe and friend are generic at best with the exception of just one. The talks between missions become filler stuffed between the various set pieces.
Something went real bad somewhere
I'm really getting the feeling the single game development was cut way short. There are some solid action pieces with nice construct, but there are just as many generic corridor shooter passages. I'll note the Satellite recovery mission - One minute you and your team are in a level plane environment and by missions conclusion you find yourself lost on a very high hill....literally freezing your ass off. You are tasked with running hut to hut to keep from freezing of exposure while taking out enemies. It screams Filler level.
Frostbite - What exactly was improved?
I expected more from the new Frostbite engine. As I mentioned, there are seemingly more generic corridor missions. The first game may not have had as much destruction capacity but there was more free ranging allowed than in this game. Just when you think you can flank the enemy in current game, a trail cuts out and you are either out of bounds or an invisible wall prevents you from moving on.
Even though you will find yourself in varied locales as in the first game, the scale of the areas and set pieces are decidedly smaller. The missions are also allot less varied. You will be subject to straight forward run and shoot for a majority of the game. The challenge is that foes just get more and more bullet resistant. Thankfully head shots do matter. There are the occasional target spotting and vehicle gunnery, but the experiences there are welcome but not exceptional.
Back to that Story line again
By the time you realize you are on the last mission the events unfold in such an anticlimactic way. The choice of going guns blazing as well as the end solution result in a hollow victory up to the very last shot fired.
It wouldn't be hard to suggest the Bad Company 2 team are fans of Modern Warfare. I'm sure it's coincidence that a Russian invasion factors into both stories. Coincidence or not, the originality of Bad Company is lost and simply stands in the cold shadow of Modern Warfare. Had they stayed and developed the over the top direction of the original game, it's personality could have saved the day.
Sunday, March 07, 2010
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Bioshock 2 - Deja Vu Rules to the end
I finished Bioshock 2 and there is little there in sense of real accomplishment as there was in the first game. As I wrote in my "half way through" review, this game follows close, almost too close to the original title.
Towards the games conclusion the direction and story line felt more like going through the motions than unraveling a mystery and worthwhile cause. Injecting Andrew Ryan's voice recordings seem to be the only way of validating Sofia Lamb where he clearly notes their differences. A handful of voice recordings from other characters voicing their own agendas and positions on Ryan and Rapture are more or less fodder than substance.
Given that the characters aren't anywhere near as compelling as those in the first game makes this games dramatic disclosures that much more muted. Sofia Lamb's purpose, motivations, and speeches aren't gripping so the revelations that unfold in the game are allot less meaningful.
As mentioned in my previous post, the feeling of Deja Vu is prevalent. Almost on rails, familiarity plays out up to the final animated sequence. Since I saved all the little sisters in the first game, I'm treated to a similar warm purposeful ending.
It's like 2K Marin said, "if it aint broke, don't fix it". Unfortunately they followed the first games player progression so closely that its easy to compare where Bioshock 2 comes up short. There are differences, but they aren't enough of them to knock the ball out of the park. It's like riding a haunted amusement park for the 2nd time, it's not as exciting the second time around. There are no attempts of meaningful story twists and the Big Sisters really are just a new enemy class type.
What the Game Does Right
Midway through the game, updated weapons and Plasmids can really lay on the punishment. Toward the end, given your Plasmid and Weapon upgrades compliment each other, you can be a dual wielding master of pain.
I found that Electrobolt 3 and Shotgun using Phosphorous Buck was enough to bring down some biggies very quickly. The fully upgraded launcher is devastating throwing grenades that cause secondary explosions. Watching Alphas and Brutes writhing helplessly getting loads of Electrobolt and shots of Buck before going down is viscerally rewarding.
I found Cyclone Trap 3 amusing. It's almost like a Jedi's Force Pull. Any enemy not too heavy could be hurled into walls allowing you to finish them off with cheaper ammo. It uses less Eve than other Plasmids so setting multiple traps makes allot of sense when little sisters collect Adam.
Overall, the weapons and Plasmids are the benefactors in Bioshock 2. Most of them are effective and give a level of strategy to use when taking on specific enemy types.
Summation
If you have never played the original Bioshock then you really wouldn't know what you're missing in Bioshock 2. If you like the idea of building up and customizing your characters offensive/defensive capacities accompanied by an OK storyline that's a plus. For anyone who enjoyed the story as much as the action in the original, you should park your expectations on story and look forward to the updated Weapons/Plasmid game play.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Bioshock 2 - Deja Vu
Somehow ... some way Bioshock 2 reminds me allot of a game I played. Almost exactly....
Hmm. Wait a minute. That would be ... the original game - Bioshock from 2007.
Really, as much as I am liking some of the polished game mechanics so far, (really liked the original) the story line is far less inspired. It's less of a driving force. Beyond the story line, it's how the game elements unfold. It follows the same pattern as the first game. I'll go so far as to say one could "Cut & Paste" the current character Delta with that of the first game and call this Bioshock 2.0.
I would say that the battles with the Big Sisters have not added much weight to the overall story beyond wear on the D-Pad to heal in my fighting encounters. The method by which collecting Adam has changed, giving the game a more frenetic and strategic angle. Fending off Splicers and others while your Little Sister extracts Adam can be fun. By mid game I have traps, plasmids, and turrets that make these encounters more intense/enjoyable. I just don't know if these components offer enough to merit purchasing a brand new game.
Less Inspired Story - So far
Spoilers Alert if you haven't played the first or second game.
In the original Bioshock you start off in crashing in a airplane into the sea. You happen upon Rapture by complete accident - or so it would seem.
The beauty of the first game is the story driven plot. You find out that the airline crash you survived and virtually all events leading to the climax have been staged. That you are a pawn, an assassin sent to kill Ryan. The story unfolds in narrative and game play very well. The game elements don't make the game, they support the story.
Right now in Bioshock 2 the game elements are more interesting than the story. Where Andrew Ryan was iconic Sofia Lamb is not. Her purpose, motivations, and reasons (as of right now) are coming off as weak and bland. Ryan built Rapture, she's simply trying to take over and enforce some ill conceived socialist will on his lifes work.
Learning how Big Daddies and Little Sisters came to have a symbiotic relationship is really the only driving force right now. I'm sure at stories end I'll find out why Delta (your character) was considered a failure and was done in by Sofia. Given that the opening sequence has Sofia put a gun to your head and her surprise and intent to kill you (again), gives little mystery of why you are on this mission. Unless some serious story twist awaits, the ending is a forgone conclusion. So I think I'm more than halfway finished and Sofia's cause isn't making much of a case for herself. If I get the opportunity to take her out I'm betting I will.
Hmm. Wait a minute. That would be ... the original game - Bioshock from 2007.
Really, as much as I am liking some of the polished game mechanics so far, (really liked the original) the story line is far less inspired. It's less of a driving force. Beyond the story line, it's how the game elements unfold. It follows the same pattern as the first game. I'll go so far as to say one could "Cut & Paste" the current character Delta with that of the first game and call this Bioshock 2.0.
I would say that the battles with the Big Sisters have not added much weight to the overall story beyond wear on the D-Pad to heal in my fighting encounters. The method by which collecting Adam has changed, giving the game a more frenetic and strategic angle. Fending off Splicers and others while your Little Sister extracts Adam can be fun. By mid game I have traps, plasmids, and turrets that make these encounters more intense/enjoyable. I just don't know if these components offer enough to merit purchasing a brand new game.
Less Inspired Story - So far
Spoilers Alert if you haven't played the first or second game.
In the original Bioshock you start off in crashing in a airplane into the sea. You happen upon Rapture by complete accident - or so it would seem.
The beauty of the first game is the story driven plot. You find out that the airline crash you survived and virtually all events leading to the climax have been staged. That you are a pawn, an assassin sent to kill Ryan. The story unfolds in narrative and game play very well. The game elements don't make the game, they support the story.
Right now in Bioshock 2 the game elements are more interesting than the story. Where Andrew Ryan was iconic Sofia Lamb is not. Her purpose, motivations, and reasons (as of right now) are coming off as weak and bland. Ryan built Rapture, she's simply trying to take over and enforce some ill conceived socialist will on his lifes work.
Learning how Big Daddies and Little Sisters came to have a symbiotic relationship is really the only driving force right now. I'm sure at stories end I'll find out why Delta (your character) was considered a failure and was done in by Sofia. Given that the opening sequence has Sofia put a gun to your head and her surprise and intent to kill you (again), gives little mystery of why you are on this mission. Unless some serious story twist awaits, the ending is a forgone conclusion. So I think I'm more than halfway finished and Sofia's cause isn't making much of a case for herself. If I get the opportunity to take her out I'm betting I will.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Bioshock 2 - A few hours in
Ok now onto what the new game gets right and wrong so far.
I'll start with something noted by reviewers and the concept of being a Big Daddy. The games sound and huge drill motion really befits a huge lumbering character. You'll here huge thumps stepping down from high places and hear water spilling over your helmet and suit - very nice audio details. Despite this you are unnervingly vulnerable to simple melee attacks. I mention this because one would imagine a wooden bat would not crack your skull in four swings by a splicer. Makes one wonder what exactly your suit is made of. I'll get into what 2K should have done in a minute, but I'll get into some of the changes that are better.
Hacking of defenses and dispensers is a welcome game mechanic. Doing it just right rewards the player with added benefits. The Plasmid powers seem to have a bit more punch and the environment welcomes well placed shock and fire usage. Laying a bolt in water or fireball in an oil slick is adds a level of strategy that you can lure enemies into. The opportunities here are more than there were in the first title and help to balance the soft helmet you appear to be wearing.
As mentioned earlier - What's with your suits vulnerability?
It doesn't give much away to say that you are a humanoid character in this suit. An early in game animated sequence in the game has your character put his suit on from a 1st person view.
What would better have made the vulnerability easier to play would have been if your character were to acquire his suit as he made his way through Rapture. Far easier to explain getting struck on the head with a stick three times and being killed. Since the first game treated Plasmids as a transformation on the human level, the suit would have been an easy build up process.
Instead, like the first game you are soft and your powers and durability are enhanced as you progress through the game. Being a Big Daddy is not as bad ass as it could have been. Having a large drill and deep sea diving suit is a visual and less functional. I guess being an early prototype Big Daddy explains it, but had it been a gradual build up of the suit it would have made much more sense and possibly more rewarding.
I'm only a few hours in and the game and it still has my attention for now. It's hard to ignore some story line decisions. It's less compelling this time around, but the game play has some marked improvements from the first game. When I finish I'll do a follow up recap.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Mass Effect 2 - 3 hours in
The change sin Mass Effect 2 are not subtle. If you've played the original Mass Effect a number of times, there are some nuances in fire fights that may feel a bit simplified.
Before it starts sounding like I'm knocking the changes outright, I'll note that some of the changes are very welcome. The Inventory management was a bear to deal with in the first game. You could easily end up with ridiculous counts of the same items. There was no multiple select so purges had to be done one at a time which chewed up allot of time.
Inventory Scrap
In ME2 the inventory is scrapped altogether. This is somewhat welcome but the changes in ammo load outs, weapons types, and armor types are now dealt with entirely differently.
Armor and Weapon changes are done at the appropriate Station bays on the Normandy or while in mission. Weapons types are now upgraded through investment of materials found during missions and ammo types are limited to character class. Your ammo type is tied to your class type and its capacity for damage is raised by applying experience points to it.
The good part about this approach is that you don't need to open your cluttered inventory to make weapons, ammo type, and armor changes, but at least in ME1 it could be done on the fly. Now that level of customization and control feels a bit more minimized. In a way it frees the player up to concentrate on the mission. As mentioned earlier you'll be putting hard earned experience points into the different ammo types to make them more effective. Although this approach does take the guess work out of which ammo type to use against which enemy, it's a notable change when deciding how to disperse your points.
Ammo types are now selected via the visual selection wheel that once only displayed Biotic/Tech powers. Depending on your class you'll see the ammo attributes there as well. This added ease is welcome as it keeps the player in the fight without long pauses going through the old inventory list.
For right the game feels balanced. For every change that simplifies choice, there are welcome game play additions that add depth.
More on the differences between ME1 and ME2 later
Mass Effect 2 Collector's Edition
| Mass Effect 2
Before it starts sounding like I'm knocking the changes outright, I'll note that some of the changes are very welcome. The Inventory management was a bear to deal with in the first game. You could easily end up with ridiculous counts of the same items. There was no multiple select so purges had to be done one at a time which chewed up allot of time.
Inventory Scrap
In ME2 the inventory is scrapped altogether. This is somewhat welcome but the changes in ammo load outs, weapons types, and armor types are now dealt with entirely differently.
Armor and Weapon changes are done at the appropriate Station bays on the Normandy or while in mission. Weapons types are now upgraded through investment of materials found during missions and ammo types are limited to character class. Your ammo type is tied to your class type and its capacity for damage is raised by applying experience points to it.
The good part about this approach is that you don't need to open your cluttered inventory to make weapons, ammo type, and armor changes, but at least in ME1 it could be done on the fly. Now that level of customization and control feels a bit more minimized. In a way it frees the player up to concentrate on the mission. As mentioned earlier you'll be putting hard earned experience points into the different ammo types to make them more effective. Although this approach does take the guess work out of which ammo type to use against which enemy, it's a notable change when deciding how to disperse your points.
Ammo types are now selected via the visual selection wheel that once only displayed Biotic/Tech powers. Depending on your class you'll see the ammo attributes there as well. This added ease is welcome as it keeps the player in the fight without long pauses going through the old inventory list.
For right the game feels balanced. For every change that simplifies choice, there are welcome game play additions that add depth.
More on the differences between ME1 and ME2 later
Mass Effect 2 Collector's Edition
| Mass Effect 2
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Mass Effect 2 - Character Animation
In Mass Effect 2, it's clear that Bioware has really made better use of the Unreal engine, but there are a few details that stand out in the various videos released to date.
One is the facial animation. I know that there is allot being talked about the improved eye and facial animation, but to be frank, some of the very examples they show remind me of the original. Where intense dialogue is spoke and the jawline & mouth barely notes it. Yes a bit of a nit pick, but it's not looking leaps and bounds over the original. For a game that plays allot on character, that is something that has stood out (for me) in many of the videos released.
Second is a bit bigger concern. In virtually all of the videos released showing combat, the enemies are practically static targets. Few if any appear to be able to or willing to take cover, instead firing from the open as player characters pick them to pieces from behind cover.
I'm left wondering if this is something Bioware has rigged for video demo purposes. Meaning that in order to show weapon and character class traits - it's better to have the enemies out in the open instead of hunkered down behind obstacles. In the original game enemies did run in the open, but they did a fair job of being moving targets that could use the environment for cover to some degree. Whatever the case, I hope the game balances out well giving the enemy realistic options for preservation in combat.
Bioshock 2
BioShock 2 Special Edition
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Conviction Limited Edition
One is the facial animation. I know that there is allot being talked about the improved eye and facial animation, but to be frank, some of the very examples they show remind me of the original. Where intense dialogue is spoke and the jawline & mouth barely notes it. Yes a bit of a nit pick, but it's not looking leaps and bounds over the original. For a game that plays allot on character, that is something that has stood out (for me) in many of the videos released.
Second is a bit bigger concern. In virtually all of the videos released showing combat, the enemies are practically static targets. Few if any appear to be able to or willing to take cover, instead firing from the open as player characters pick them to pieces from behind cover.
I'm left wondering if this is something Bioware has rigged for video demo purposes. Meaning that in order to show weapon and character class traits - it's better to have the enemies out in the open instead of hunkered down behind obstacles. In the original game enemies did run in the open, but they did a fair job of being moving targets that could use the environment for cover to some degree. Whatever the case, I hope the game balances out well giving the enemy realistic options for preservation in combat.
Bioshock 2
BioShock 2 Special Edition Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Conviction Limited Edition
Friday, January 15, 2010
Games Left Undone
Games that were started but for reasons explained, are left undone
Console games
GTA IV
Simple - Even though I liked the game and was over 60% through with it, the game save mechanics ruined it for me. Fail a mission repeat every sequence from the beginning and try again.
Maybe it's my PC gaming background that dictates "Save and Save often". Come think of it I do the same thing in applications.
Crackdown
Excellent game but I'm dealing with the Asian mobs and the vertical (literally) challenges are way hard. I have my character pretty maxed out but I get gunned down in the number of scenarios I found myself in. The game is great I was hooked for quite a while but the level of difficulty put it on the back burner.
If there's a game I think about firing up often to finish it, Crackdown is #1 on the list.
PC games
Crysis Warhead
The game looks awesome even today but the game as a whole lacks the story line to merit the finish. Dull story + Repetitive action + increased difficulty curve = no interest to finish
I must say the Multiplayer component is very capable but the number of online players dropped too much to continue looking for servers.
FarCry 2
Two words - Console Port. There is no excuse to take the engine that looks so good on the PC and filter them down to Console use; only to port that downgrade to the PC version. Bad, just bad.
______________________________________
A Game you can be sure will get played through to the end
Mass Effect 2 or Mass Effect 2 Collector's Edition
Console games
GTA IV
Simple - Even though I liked the game and was over 60% through with it, the game save mechanics ruined it for me. Fail a mission repeat every sequence from the beginning and try again.
Maybe it's my PC gaming background that dictates "Save and Save often". Come think of it I do the same thing in applications.
Crackdown
Excellent game but I'm dealing with the Asian mobs and the vertical (literally) challenges are way hard. I have my character pretty maxed out but I get gunned down in the number of scenarios I found myself in. The game is great I was hooked for quite a while but the level of difficulty put it on the back burner.
If there's a game I think about firing up often to finish it, Crackdown is #1 on the list.
PC games
Crysis Warhead
The game looks awesome even today but the game as a whole lacks the story line to merit the finish. Dull story + Repetitive action + increased difficulty curve = no interest to finish
I must say the Multiplayer component is very capable but the number of online players dropped too much to continue looking for servers.
FarCry 2
Two words - Console Port. There is no excuse to take the engine that looks so good on the PC and filter them down to Console use; only to port that downgrade to the PC version. Bad, just bad.
______________________________________
A Game you can be sure will get played through to the end
Mass Effect 2
or Mass Effect 2 Collector's Edition
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Mass Effect 2: Soldier Class
Christine Norman Lead game designer for Mass Effect 2 talks about the Soldier Class
Monday, January 11, 2010
Mass Effect 2 - and Cerberus
I'm in the process of finishing my 2nd play through as an Infiltrator and Cerberus is a pretty shady operation. As shady as any of the other companies/corporation/organizations in the game. Seeing how the side quest missions add up.
There is an interesting point in the game where you are asked to hand over the files on Cerberus. You have the option to decline or hand them over for a significant pay day. It will be interesting to see how this decision is handled in ME2. If you sold the info, is the organization compromised? And if so, what are the ramifications in game.
Since it appears you'll be playing a part with Cerberus this time out, I wonder how the whole good vs. evil scale will be achieved. There appears to be an emphasis on a dim and dark underscore and since Cerberus isn't a moral guided operation, will it be a measure of lesser of two, three, four evils to make decisions on?
Mass Effect 2 - What a way to start (Spoiler Alert)
The link here will explain how the game deals with transition of players from the original Mass Effect
Hands On: Mass Effect 2, The Ultimate Do-Over
There is an interesting point in the game where you are asked to hand over the files on Cerberus. You have the option to decline or hand them over for a significant pay day. It will be interesting to see how this decision is handled in ME2. If you sold the info, is the organization compromised? And if so, what are the ramifications in game.
Since it appears you'll be playing a part with Cerberus this time out, I wonder how the whole good vs. evil scale will be achieved. There appears to be an emphasis on a dim and dark underscore and since Cerberus isn't a moral guided operation, will it be a measure of lesser of two, three, four evils to make decisions on?
Mass Effect 2 - What a way to start (Spoiler Alert)
The link here will explain how the game deals with transition of players from the original Mass Effect
Hands On: Mass Effect 2, The Ultimate Do-Over
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Dr. Pepper DLC Promotion Detailed
Here's the details provided for the Dr. Pepper DLC promotions
- In Mass Effect 2, there are three unique pieces of armor: two helmets and a visor.
- In Battlefield: Bad Company 2 four kit upgrades allow you to become a unique Special Activities soldier, with new camouflage and a modified weapon. Kit upgrades also contain new awards and an additional achievement.
- In Battlefield Heroes, there are four sets of unique character clothing, and consumers get a pair of outfits per download, one for each side.
- In Spore, a dozen Cyborg-themed body parts - such as eyes, heads and arms - can be redeemed and used in the Spore Creature Creator. These parts allow players to mix robot and organic creature body parts to design their own Cyborg creatures. The exclusive Cyborg parts will be usable by all owners of the Spore PC game and anyone who downloads the free Spore Creature Creator Trial Edition
Friday, January 08, 2010
Half Life 2 Gets a Reworked with Engine Update
Half Life 2 gets an engine Upgrade to the Orange Box Standards
See the side by side video Old vs. New - Very Nice
See the side by side video Old vs. New - Very Nice
Most Underrated Game of 2009
Shadow Complex - Digital Download available on XBox live
The side scrolling game play not the game play style I'm fond of these days, Shadow Complex delivers. If you've never heard of it or forgot about - you should look into it. A very immersive game at a very nice price.
The side scrolling game play not the game play style I'm fond of these days, Shadow Complex delivers. If you've never heard of it or forgot about - you should look into it. A very immersive game at a very nice price.
Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Latest Trailer
One of 2010's most awaited games. Battlefield: Bad Company 2 looks to give Modern Warfare 2 a run for its money. Destructible environments ala Frostbite engine in teh first game was amazing. Should be over the top in BFBC 2
Using Steam - 1st Simple Tip - Transfer files
At some point you may for some reason or another want/need to move your gigabytes of Steam games from one PC to lets say, maybe a New faster PC. The last thing you should consider is to re-download all those games again.
Fortunately for you, your Steam folders are self contained. Meaning, you can literally copy and paste from one PC to another. The program and games will all transfer over.
Now there are a number of ways to transfer files between two or more PC’s. Your best bet would be to utilize a home network or wireless network. Being that just a few Steam games add up to allot of gigabytes, multiple flash drives or DVD’s could be a long arduous process.
Before we get too far into this - make sure you know your Steam account username and password. Without those, you really won’t get too far.
Once you get a complete transfer, you’ll need to follow these easy steps.
1. Click to access your Steam directory. You should see a variety of folders and files.
2. Find the Clientregistry.blob
3. delete it
4. in that same directory is your Steam.exe . Double Click on it to launch it.
5. This will create a new Clientregistry.blob file that will acknowledge your files new location and games on the drive.
6. Once the Clientregistry.blob is finished, you should get the username and password prompt. Fill them in.
7. You should get all the titles you own listed.
8. You’ll note that if you had games listed as Favorites, they will need to be assigned again.
9. You’ll also notice that most of the games will be listed as Download Paused. By Right clicking on them you can change them to Resume Updating.
You should be up and running.
On occasion Steam may request that it be reinstalled. It will update itself and relaunch.
Also there is the rare occasion where after you log in you get errors. Or even if you do log in, games are not listed that you own.
To remedy most of these issues, deleting your ClientRegistry.blob should get things up and running again.
Fortunately for you, your Steam folders are self contained. Meaning, you can literally copy and paste from one PC to another. The program and games will all transfer over.
Now there are a number of ways to transfer files between two or more PC’s. Your best bet would be to utilize a home network or wireless network. Being that just a few Steam games add up to allot of gigabytes, multiple flash drives or DVD’s could be a long arduous process.
Before we get too far into this - make sure you know your Steam account username and password. Without those, you really won’t get too far.
Once you get a complete transfer, you’ll need to follow these easy steps.
1. Click to access your Steam directory. You should see a variety of folders and files.
2. Find the Clientregistry.blob
3. delete it
4. in that same directory is your Steam.exe . Double Click on it to launch it.
5. This will create a new Clientregistry.blob file that will acknowledge your files new location and games on the drive.
6. Once the Clientregistry.blob is finished, you should get the username and password prompt. Fill them in.
7. You should get all the titles you own listed.
8. You’ll note that if you had games listed as Favorites, they will need to be assigned again.
9. You’ll also notice that most of the games will be listed as Download Paused. By Right clicking on them you can change them to Resume Updating.
You should be up and running.
On occasion Steam may request that it be reinstalled. It will update itself and relaunch.
Also there is the rare occasion where after you log in you get errors. Or even if you do log in, games are not listed that you own.
To remedy most of these issues, deleting your ClientRegistry.blob should get things up and running again.
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Crytek Crysis Single Player Demo Review
Graphically: Solid A Step Above
Well it's out and barely a few hours old and I put some time into this long awaited FPS game for the PC.
Having enjoyed Far Cry on a number of levels visual, level design and game play) I was trying to minimize my expectations for Crysis. Partly because of the developers focus on the game engine for the past two years.
Taking on the enemy in the brush does elicit the shrub, branch and tree cutting we've seen in all the demos. Although I was able to take note, I was spending time scrambling to stay alive in the process.
Gameplay: Fun but Predictable
Unlike Far Cry you start out as part of a team. This doesn't really play into an NPC group as you soon find yourself going solo with the occasional team rendezvous.
Your "super powers" enabled by your suit never feel over empowering so there's a balance of tactical planning involved in knowing when and when not to use them. The tone is set by your squad leader at the start. Much as in Far Cry your stealth is key in staying alive which isn't a bad thing as you can flank enemies and decide to whether raise raise some hell. Getting the upper hand on the enemy and dispatching in creative ways is what Crysis looks to bring to the table.
In this way game play in this demo is in the tried and true mode of stealth or Guns- O -Blazin that has existed in previous FPS titles. Getting too aggressive with the enemy will get you pretty messed up and as your squad leader is ever so careful to remind you - the enemy will call in those reinforcements.
The game (DEMO) has its quirks. Being that you're a super soldier, the enemy at times can spot you at great distance. Getting peppered from off the coast by a gunboat I could barely see was one instance. Meanwhile the enemy at 5 paces didn't alert to fire in the brush where I was in a prone position. This is a demo and not the full game, but this is syndrome that happens in many FPS games and it happens in Crysis.
Some Welcome Addition and Some Omisions
OK I know this is not a sequel to Far Cry, but many of the ideas and objectives remain the same. Some ideas are new and another returns sans full implementation.
The quick key to alter your suit attributes is ideal in this game and is very easy to trigger. It has just the right amount of options without getting overwhelming in a tight situation. It's clear in this demo and how you decide to ultimately play the game that you will be jumping between modes often to accomplish your objectives.
Although it doesn't get contrived in the demo, I'm hoping it doesn't turn into a puzzle affair in the final release. Cloak - 20 steps - Super jump next 2 steps - Max Armor next yard - Cloak next yard etc. There's a difference in knowing when to use and being forced to use. Why this concern? Where Far Cry started out as an open ended adventure with multiple ways to approach or evade the enemy, the last levels ultimately turned into an on rails shooter
On the omision's side its a little more subtle. The zoomed binocular view in Far Cry to enable an audio feed of enemies at great distances. The things enemies were saying was often worth a good laugh and added a level of humor and even tactical advantage when enemies were aware of your presence. This is all gone and the binoculars are more straight forward. Your HUD now gives colored symbols to ascertain enemy awareness of your presence.
System Specs: 3 GHz Core 2Duo - 3 Gigs RAM ATI x1950
The game defaults to Medium settings at 1024x768 on my rig. The visuals aren't stellar by screen shot standards but hold their own against other fps titles out there. That being said I did experiment with increasing the resolution, and various settings above med only to get noticeably slower frame rates. So noticeable, its clear that the demos Crytek ran with were most likely run on Quad Cores like those mentioned in the Intel ad at the start of the demo. This is a bit of a let down as I know few people who game at 1280x1024 let alone 1024x768 which is where single core users may well be relegated to.
It's worth noting that STALKER held some promise with its real time effects and was able to maintain smother frame rates at higher resolutions than Crysis, but it's not entirely fair to compare the two engines. Crysis does offer vast levels of details in close areas where as STALKER was more open spaces.
Where is High End PC Gaming Heading?
It remains to be see how well Crysis does in sales. Crysis has a steep system requirement for PC gaming and PC gaming isn't what it used to be. Although Crytek is firm in their belief (now) in the high end PC market I'm sure they will be anxious to watch their financial returns.
Far Cry ended up becoming a PC benchmark favorite and a year after its release was bundles with hardware to showcase video competence. It's not hard to imagine that one or two years out that Crysis will be a benchmark favorite, but that isn't really what a game is meant to be.
Just like Epic, Id, and now Valve, the console market is exceedingly hard to ignore. High end PC gaming has always been niche and is suspect in supporting the financial requirements for next gen developers. PC gamings future for now is a majority of console game ports.
Demo Showcases a Good Game not the Greatest
The Crysis demo is a good solid game but not the best FPS game I've played. Visuals and hardware requirements aside there is not allot more that hasn't been brought to the table in other FPS games.
It should be interesting to see what the full game brings to the table.
Well it's out and barely a few hours old and I put some time into this long awaited FPS game for the PC.
Having enjoyed Far Cry on a number of levels visual, level design and game play) I was trying to minimize my expectations for Crysis. Partly because of the developers focus on the game engine for the past two years.
Taking on the enemy in the brush does elicit the shrub, branch and tree cutting we've seen in all the demos. Although I was able to take note, I was spending time scrambling to stay alive in the process.
Gameplay: Fun but Predictable
Unlike Far Cry you start out as part of a team. This doesn't really play into an NPC group as you soon find yourself going solo with the occasional team rendezvous.
Your "super powers" enabled by your suit never feel over empowering so there's a balance of tactical planning involved in knowing when and when not to use them. The tone is set by your squad leader at the start. Much as in Far Cry your stealth is key in staying alive which isn't a bad thing as you can flank enemies and decide to whether raise raise some hell. Getting the upper hand on the enemy and dispatching in creative ways is what Crysis looks to bring to the table.
In this way game play in this demo is in the tried and true mode of stealth or Guns- O -Blazin that has existed in previous FPS titles. Getting too aggressive with the enemy will get you pretty messed up and as your squad leader is ever so careful to remind you - the enemy will call in those reinforcements.
The game (DEMO) has its quirks. Being that you're a super soldier, the enemy at times can spot you at great distance. Getting peppered from off the coast by a gunboat I could barely see was one instance. Meanwhile the enemy at 5 paces didn't alert to fire in the brush where I was in a prone position. This is a demo and not the full game, but this is syndrome that happens in many FPS games and it happens in Crysis.
Some Welcome Addition and Some Omisions
OK I know this is not a sequel to Far Cry, but many of the ideas and objectives remain the same. Some ideas are new and another returns sans full implementation.
The quick key to alter your suit attributes is ideal in this game and is very easy to trigger. It has just the right amount of options without getting overwhelming in a tight situation. It's clear in this demo and how you decide to ultimately play the game that you will be jumping between modes often to accomplish your objectives.
Although it doesn't get contrived in the demo, I'm hoping it doesn't turn into a puzzle affair in the final release. Cloak - 20 steps - Super jump next 2 steps - Max Armor next yard - Cloak next yard etc. There's a difference in knowing when to use and being forced to use. Why this concern? Where Far Cry started out as an open ended adventure with multiple ways to approach or evade the enemy, the last levels ultimately turned into an on rails shooter
On the omision's side its a little more subtle. The zoomed binocular view in Far Cry to enable an audio feed of enemies at great distances. The things enemies were saying was often worth a good laugh and added a level of humor and even tactical advantage when enemies were aware of your presence. This is all gone and the binoculars are more straight forward. Your HUD now gives colored symbols to ascertain enemy awareness of your presence.
System Specs: 3 GHz Core 2Duo - 3 Gigs RAM ATI x1950
The game defaults to Medium settings at 1024x768 on my rig. The visuals aren't stellar by screen shot standards but hold their own against other fps titles out there. That being said I did experiment with increasing the resolution, and various settings above med only to get noticeably slower frame rates. So noticeable, its clear that the demos Crytek ran with were most likely run on Quad Cores like those mentioned in the Intel ad at the start of the demo. This is a bit of a let down as I know few people who game at 1280x1024 let alone 1024x768 which is where single core users may well be relegated to.
It's worth noting that STALKER held some promise with its real time effects and was able to maintain smother frame rates at higher resolutions than Crysis, but it's not entirely fair to compare the two engines. Crysis does offer vast levels of details in close areas where as STALKER was more open spaces.
Where is High End PC Gaming Heading?
It remains to be see how well Crysis does in sales. Crysis has a steep system requirement for PC gaming and PC gaming isn't what it used to be. Although Crytek is firm in their belief (now) in the high end PC market I'm sure they will be anxious to watch their financial returns.
Far Cry ended up becoming a PC benchmark favorite and a year after its release was bundles with hardware to showcase video competence. It's not hard to imagine that one or two years out that Crysis will be a benchmark favorite, but that isn't really what a game is meant to be.
Just like Epic, Id, and now Valve, the console market is exceedingly hard to ignore. High end PC gaming has always been niche and is suspect in supporting the financial requirements for next gen developers. PC gamings future for now is a majority of console game ports.
Demo Showcases a Good Game not the Greatest
The Crysis demo is a good solid game but not the best FPS game I've played. Visuals and hardware requirements aside there is not allot more that hasn't been brought to the table in other FPS games.
It should be interesting to see what the full game brings to the table.
Friday, October 26, 2007
First Person Nirvana
There is No Better Time to Enjoy First Person Shooters (FPS)
The last two months have seen a steady supply of FPS style games enter the market.
PC gaming was once the dominant domain for this game design type...no longer. The consoles have come of age and are now featuring the same level of detail in HD LCD or Plasma screens.
Some if not most of the games are using the tried and true formulas, but there are one or two with a unique approach. Next is a short list of games or demos out now that are worth looking into.
Team Fortress 2 (Console and PC)
Team Fortress 2 is an instant classic. This much delayed game has almost joined Duke Nukem Forever on most vaporware lists.
What's amazing about this title is that fact that Valve has included this game as well as other key titles in one box. The Orange Box (PC) has TF2, Half-Life 2, Half-Life2 Episode 1 and 2 as well as Portal. Half of these are more than worth the price of admission. Consoles get less (Half-Life 2: Episode Two, Team Fortress 2, and Portal) but its a still a solid deal.
Now TF2 is an online multi-player title. This is not a story driven title like the other titles mentioned. What's important to note is that TF2 takes game play and visual concepts to a whole new level. The game is the first PC FPS that looks and plays like a Warner Brothers cartoon on roids. The individual taunts are a must see. It's clear the development team did their animation homework.
The character classes are artistically rendered and animated. What's more important is that Valve took the time to balance each character with a unique group of weapons. One thing that gets old in online FPS games is that a certain class ends up dominating online play. Valve has taken the time to not only balance characters but to score each for what they do best. Of course kills are there, but assists are there as well. Medics are no longer the sacrificial lamb. Matched with the Heavy, the two are a very potent force. A very welcome change.
There is no Team Death Match or Death Match here, but TF2 is the first FPS that is above that formula. Interesting enough - it is about TEAM. In most if not all matches I've played online, the team that works together, gets the most wins.
If you're in the market for one, two, or three games for the price of one, it's hard if not impossible to pass up on the Orange Box.
Bioshock (Console and PC)
Bioshock is more original than most as its not cut from the same formula that most FPS titles are produced from. This is one title that actually tells a deeper story that unfolds as the player journeys through the ornate detailed levels.
The writing and voice acting in Bioshock are top notch. Coupled with the open ended combat in which weapons are customized, it doesn't take long before you are taken deep by the plot line. An added benefit is the fact that modifications and their effects will not be the same for two different players. Everyone will make different choices here, and be sure to experience and dispatch enemies differently.
There is also the twist in which you are faced with a moral dilemma. The story branches according to your decisions in how you deal with the Little Sisters. The game is not heavy handed here as it does not judge one way or the other. It simply allows the player to justify and
pursue the path that suits them.
So if you are looking for atmosphere and deep story line this title is one you should look into as it's heads above the rest from many other FPS titles.
Medal of Honor: Airborne (Console and PC )
This is a game that helps bring back the MOH franchise to some form of respectability.
Since the half baked MOH Pacific Assault was unleashed on unsuspecting gamers, no one expected to see the MOH franchise recover. Not so.
With MOH:A, EA manages to actually reinvent the fun of the original series while adding a creative open ended combat style.
Unlike other FPS titles, MOH:A actually lets you decide where you'll take the fight. Each level starts you dropping in chutes with your comrades and you guide yourself to a number of zones behind or withing enemy lines. This feature definitely is a huge step away from the "fighting on rails" detraction most often associated with FPS games.
While the rest of the game is more or less formula, the ability to fight on your terms adds a strategic value that makes this title one to look into.
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption (Wii )
Of all the games, this is one that needs to be played to appreciate what Nintendo has done with interactivity. This game is a key example of what the Wii controllers can do to reinvent the FPS genre.
As you can imagine, the reticle on screen is controlled by your hand movement. You are hold the weapon in your hand as opposed to pulling on a joystick. It is a seamless experience of hand motion and on screen action.
There are a number of uses of hand motions that mimic real world actions and the game never feels contrived in its use of these motions. Inserting key (push forward), Turn key (rotate wrist). It's amazing how intuitive and straight forward these actions become.
The only thing that I was lost on was the games use of jumping puzzles. This is something not in line with the interactive controllers. Right or wrong, the franchise and the platform (Nintendo) has a long history of gaming in which jumping is key. Being a FPS player since Wolfenstein 3D, the idea of jumping like a Mario Brother felt way out of place.
Beyond that detraction, the game delivers in interaction and visuals that do not disappoint. If Jumping solutions are an essential part in your gaming experience, then Metroid Prime 3: Corruption is a game you should look into.
Unreal Tournament 3 (Console and PC Demo)
One of the most hotly anticipated FPS games for 2007 is the long awaited Unreal Tournament 3.
This is one of a few titles that can trace its follow up success based on solid game releases in the past. This does not even cover the fact that the UT3 engine has been licensed by numerous game developers because of its solid pedigree.
Because the game has only recently been released in a limited demo, it's still a little early to call it, but what can be seen so far is solid game play reminiscent of the original UT title from 1999. Epic has really done justice to the franchise by bringing back the play style that launched the title to success.
Visually the demo is too early to call. Although it is clear that there is a graphics and geometry increase, the demo's download size contributes to the lower resolution textures. So game play is the call on this one. This is a demo that is more than worth the download to get a glimpse as to what to expect when the full game is released.
The last two months have seen a steady supply of FPS style games enter the market.
PC gaming was once the dominant domain for this game design type...no longer. The consoles have come of age and are now featuring the same level of detail in HD LCD or Plasma screens.
Some if not most of the games are using the tried and true formulas, but there are one or two with a unique approach. Next is a short list of games or demos out now that are worth looking into.
Team Fortress 2 (Console and PC)
Team Fortress 2 is an instant classic. This much delayed game has almost joined Duke Nukem Forever on most vaporware lists.
What's amazing about this title is that fact that Valve has included this game as well as other key titles in one box. The Orange Box (PC) has TF2, Half-Life 2, Half-Life2 Episode 1 and 2 as well as Portal. Half of these are more than worth the price of admission. Consoles get less (Half-Life 2: Episode Two, Team Fortress 2, and Portal) but its a still a solid deal.
Now TF2 is an online multi-player title. This is not a story driven title like the other titles mentioned. What's important to note is that TF2 takes game play and visual concepts to a whole new level. The game is the first PC FPS that looks and plays like a Warner Brothers cartoon on roids. The individual taunts are a must see. It's clear the development team did their animation homework.
The character classes are artistically rendered and animated. What's more important is that Valve took the time to balance each character with a unique group of weapons. One thing that gets old in online FPS games is that a certain class ends up dominating online play. Valve has taken the time to not only balance characters but to score each for what they do best. Of course kills are there, but assists are there as well. Medics are no longer the sacrificial lamb. Matched with the Heavy, the two are a very potent force. A very welcome change.
There is no Team Death Match or Death Match here, but TF2 is the first FPS that is above that formula. Interesting enough - it is about TEAM. In most if not all matches I've played online, the team that works together, gets the most wins.
If you're in the market for one, two, or three games for the price of one, it's hard if not impossible to pass up on the Orange Box.
Bioshock (Console and PC)
Bioshock is more original than most as its not cut from the same formula that most FPS titles are produced from. This is one title that actually tells a deeper story that unfolds as the player journeys through the ornate detailed levels.
The writing and voice acting in Bioshock are top notch. Coupled with the open ended combat in which weapons are customized, it doesn't take long before you are taken deep by the plot line. An added benefit is the fact that modifications and their effects will not be the same for two different players. Everyone will make different choices here, and be sure to experience and dispatch enemies differently.
There is also the twist in which you are faced with a moral dilemma. The story branches according to your decisions in how you deal with the Little Sisters. The game is not heavy handed here as it does not judge one way or the other. It simply allows the player to justify and
pursue the path that suits them.
So if you are looking for atmosphere and deep story line this title is one you should look into as it's heads above the rest from many other FPS titles.
Medal of Honor: Airborne (Console and PC )
This is a game that helps bring back the MOH franchise to some form of respectability.
Since the half baked MOH Pacific Assault was unleashed on unsuspecting gamers, no one expected to see the MOH franchise recover. Not so.
With MOH:A, EA manages to actually reinvent the fun of the original series while adding a creative open ended combat style.
Unlike other FPS titles, MOH:A actually lets you decide where you'll take the fight. Each level starts you dropping in chutes with your comrades and you guide yourself to a number of zones behind or withing enemy lines. This feature definitely is a huge step away from the "fighting on rails" detraction most often associated with FPS games.
While the rest of the game is more or less formula, the ability to fight on your terms adds a strategic value that makes this title one to look into.
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption (Wii )
Of all the games, this is one that needs to be played to appreciate what Nintendo has done with interactivity. This game is a key example of what the Wii controllers can do to reinvent the FPS genre.
As you can imagine, the reticle on screen is controlled by your hand movement. You are hold the weapon in your hand as opposed to pulling on a joystick. It is a seamless experience of hand motion and on screen action.
There are a number of uses of hand motions that mimic real world actions and the game never feels contrived in its use of these motions. Inserting key (push forward), Turn key (rotate wrist). It's amazing how intuitive and straight forward these actions become.
The only thing that I was lost on was the games use of jumping puzzles. This is something not in line with the interactive controllers. Right or wrong, the franchise and the platform (Nintendo) has a long history of gaming in which jumping is key. Being a FPS player since Wolfenstein 3D, the idea of jumping like a Mario Brother felt way out of place.
Beyond that detraction, the game delivers in interaction and visuals that do not disappoint. If Jumping solutions are an essential part in your gaming experience, then Metroid Prime 3: Corruption is a game you should look into.
Unreal Tournament 3 (Console and PC Demo)
One of the most hotly anticipated FPS games for 2007 is the long awaited Unreal Tournament 3.
This is one of a few titles that can trace its follow up success based on solid game releases in the past. This does not even cover the fact that the UT3 engine has been licensed by numerous game developers because of its solid pedigree.
Because the game has only recently been released in a limited demo, it's still a little early to call it, but what can be seen so far is solid game play reminiscent of the original UT title from 1999. Epic has really done justice to the franchise by bringing back the play style that launched the title to success.
Visually the demo is too early to call. Although it is clear that there is a graphics and geometry increase, the demo's download size contributes to the lower resolution textures. So game play is the call on this one. This is a demo that is more than worth the download to get a glimpse as to what to expect when the full game is released.
Saturday, August 26, 2006
Fear Combat : Time Played
Less is More - Or Less is Less = An OK Game
Ok I put better then 12 hours into Team Death Match (TDM) since the release of FEAR: Combat. I'll note that despite my take the number of servers and players has increased quite a bit. With that my feelings from my initial review are about the same if a bit lessened. The game is pure action, and that in my view is a part of its waning appeal. After a week the l33t skills of hopping like a rabbit and getting multiple "Unarmed Attack" kills has settled in.
There is no real reward for taking a knee and iron sighting your target. That really just makes you a clay pidgeon. I'll note that today I resited from doing so and simply ran and gunned my way through corridors throwing greneades and mines to good effect. I also saw a great many (what had to be new players) crouching and aiming then getting mowed down like blades of grass by hopping oponents. Not a pretty picture.
Bad Level Design
I thought it would take a while to get used to FEARs level design. Primarily corridors with very few areas for open space fighting. Well I have to say I didn't. Most levels while looking nice are a mish mash of winding corridors that run into each other.
Because of this a majority of action takes place in tight quarters with grenades, rockets, and gunfire going off taking out 3 to 4 people indescrimently. If there's a saving grace about these levels its that it commits players to work together, but that's about as strategic as it gets. There are generaly 3 to 4 men groups running in packs that run into one another.
There is one level I like better then most and that is the Cafeteria. This one actually does create skirmish points and choke points where teams try to advance on one another. I've been in some real great heated battles here as this level keeps teams trying to take the perrimeter while others dare to take the central corridor. Alas, that is the only level that feels strategic.
Achilles Heal
The smallest of details detracts from the overall possibilities of this game and that is the armor and health power ups. I can get into the action side of this game as I can get into Counter Strike: Source, but the Armor power ups steal away the whole ballance of weaponary in this game. I really like the fact that you have to stay on your toes to avoid getting shot. You spawn into the game with regular armor and 100% health. It takes a minimal amount of rounds from most any weapon to take you down.
Unfortunately the Armor power ups reduce the weapon ballance to such a degree that skiled/veteran players know exactly where these are and will always run through less advanced players. Of course the ensuing "You XXXXXXX Cheat" or "Haxor" remarks fly.
Limited Time
FEAR:Combat is fun but its long term appeal is limited. having gone to the official forums, it looks like the mod teams are having their own issues designing new levels. Without much a of a Mod or Map making following, even this Free download doesn't look to last very long on my hard drive.
Ok I put better then 12 hours into Team Death Match (TDM) since the release of FEAR: Combat. I'll note that despite my take the number of servers and players has increased quite a bit. With that my feelings from my initial review are about the same if a bit lessened. The game is pure action, and that in my view is a part of its waning appeal. After a week the l33t skills of hopping like a rabbit and getting multiple "Unarmed Attack" kills has settled in.
There is no real reward for taking a knee and iron sighting your target. That really just makes you a clay pidgeon. I'll note that today I resited from doing so and simply ran and gunned my way through corridors throwing greneades and mines to good effect. I also saw a great many (what had to be new players) crouching and aiming then getting mowed down like blades of grass by hopping oponents. Not a pretty picture.
Bad Level Design
I thought it would take a while to get used to FEARs level design. Primarily corridors with very few areas for open space fighting. Well I have to say I didn't. Most levels while looking nice are a mish mash of winding corridors that run into each other.
Because of this a majority of action takes place in tight quarters with grenades, rockets, and gunfire going off taking out 3 to 4 people indescrimently. If there's a saving grace about these levels its that it commits players to work together, but that's about as strategic as it gets. There are generaly 3 to 4 men groups running in packs that run into one another.
There is one level I like better then most and that is the Cafeteria. This one actually does create skirmish points and choke points where teams try to advance on one another. I've been in some real great heated battles here as this level keeps teams trying to take the perrimeter while others dare to take the central corridor. Alas, that is the only level that feels strategic.
Achilles Heal
The smallest of details detracts from the overall possibilities of this game and that is the armor and health power ups. I can get into the action side of this game as I can get into Counter Strike: Source, but the Armor power ups steal away the whole ballance of weaponary in this game. I really like the fact that you have to stay on your toes to avoid getting shot. You spawn into the game with regular armor and 100% health. It takes a minimal amount of rounds from most any weapon to take you down.
Unfortunately the Armor power ups reduce the weapon ballance to such a degree that skiled/veteran players know exactly where these are and will always run through less advanced players. Of course the ensuing "You XXXXXXX Cheat" or "Haxor" remarks fly.
Limited Time
FEAR:Combat is fun but its long term appeal is limited. having gone to the official forums, it looks like the mod teams are having their own issues designing new levels. Without much a of a Mod or Map making following, even this Free download doesn't look to last very long on my hard drive.
Sunday, August 20, 2006
FEAR: Combat - Full Free MP Download
Download - Install - And Play
Sierra and Monolith have made the complete multiplayer portion of FEAR Combat available for free.
http://www.joinfear.com/
Here's what you get in the complete (1.8 gigabytes)download
F.E.A.R. Combat features:
- 10 Multiplayer Game modes.
- 19 Multiplayer Maps.
- 12 different weapons.
- Punkbuster support for anti cheat support.
- The capability to download user generated content.
OK - How Does This Play?
In a nutshell - FEAR Combat is fun. Or can be fun.
FEAR is not a pretentious FPS simulation by any stretch of the imagination. A may look like Rainbow 6, but is far from it. Anyone looking for realism had better look elsewhere.
What FEAR does offer is a straight forward "gun and run" fun. That's right - Gun and Run. That's right - There's little penalty for being at full sprint or strafing and firing of multiple rounds. This is more like Counter Strike on Steroids. There are conventional weapons and then there are sci-fi weapons like the Plasma gun which will remind many of the Quake 2 Rail gun. The Penetrator is more like a souped up Nail gun that shoots steel bolts that pin the target to nearby walls like poster art.
Although I was not able to figure out how, there are hand or better foot to head combat moves that I received more than once. Pretty lethal in close quarters.
Although my mind is more into crouching and iron site my target, it tends to leave you vulnerable to a strafing combatant that's firing and can lob a grenade. Its better to keep your mind open to bolt/strafe and grenade an area with your team mates.
Yes, team mates. One of the shining graces that makes FEAR stand out is its encouragement of team play.
Team Combat
Fear excels in allowing the player to review where his team mates are and what condition they are in. Well - when they are alive and dead. You see floating icons on the screen. These are the positions of your team relative to you. When you men go down you will see Skull and Crossbone icon giving you the warning to proceed with caution.
So FEAR may be less realistic but it offers very useful simple icons to aid in team play. To be sure, there were plenty of times I faced large groups of combatants. Its hard to argue the effectiveness of this icon system to weed out fractured units and lone gunmen. The barrage of bullets sparking and splintering wood along with grenade shockwaves are enough to make you fall back and find some others. You can easily give a command and pinpoint the enemy position which will show a red marker on all your teams screen.
Looks Good and Looks Can Kill
FEAR is for the most part balanced. An action game with unique multiple weaponry and varied game modes, and it doesn't skimp in the visual department. Now here is where FEAR might strike fear into potential players. It as pretty high system requirements. Not as steep as the single player demo but High none the less. I tested the MP on a OC'd AMD @ 2.2 with 1 Gig of 3200 Ram - Radeon 9800 XT and Audigy 2. I was able to get smooth play in 800x600 with medium settings. Using an AMD64 FX53 Radeon X800PRO Audigy 2 ZS with settings just above my OC'd unit.
So if your running anything under 2.0 GHz and a lower range video card you may need to forego many of the nice effects FEAR MP offers. I know I didn't even consider buying FEAR after playing the SP demo simply because it brought my highest end system to its knees.
It was a bold move by Sierra in deciding to offer MP for free. A game I and others had otherwise written off. I am sure there are thousands of first time players like myself that are impressed with this offering. Now many may consider buying the full game now to give the SP a run.
MP Maps
In closing I thought I'd comment on the MP maps. Better put, the TDM maps as I played more TDM than anything else. The maps look nice but may be more winding than is necessary. You really have to play the maps allot to get your bearings. Most are indoors with multiple levels. Getting to where your guys are can get tricky. This uneeded complexity in corridors minimizes skirmish or choke points that can make TDM so much fun. Only one or two maps are designed to bring on a focused firefight on multiple levels.
It's up to the modders and mappers to build complimentary maps that highlight FEARs strategic team potential. With this free offering, theres a real good chance that will happen now.
I give the FEAR Free download a solid 4 of 5 stars
Sierra and Monolith have made the complete multiplayer portion of FEAR Combat available for free.
http://www.joinfear.com/
Here's what you get in the complete (1.8 gigabytes)download
F.E.A.R. Combat features:
- 10 Multiplayer Game modes.
- 19 Multiplayer Maps.
- 12 different weapons.
- Punkbuster support for anti cheat support.
- The capability to download user generated content.
OK - How Does This Play?
In a nutshell - FEAR Combat is fun. Or can be fun.
FEAR is not a pretentious FPS simulation by any stretch of the imagination. A may look like Rainbow 6, but is far from it. Anyone looking for realism had better look elsewhere.
What FEAR does offer is a straight forward "gun and run" fun. That's right - Gun and Run. That's right - There's little penalty for being at full sprint or strafing and firing of multiple rounds. This is more like Counter Strike on Steroids. There are conventional weapons and then there are sci-fi weapons like the Plasma gun which will remind many of the Quake 2 Rail gun. The Penetrator is more like a souped up Nail gun that shoots steel bolts that pin the target to nearby walls like poster art.
Although I was not able to figure out how, there are hand or better foot to head combat moves that I received more than once. Pretty lethal in close quarters.
Although my mind is more into crouching and iron site my target, it tends to leave you vulnerable to a strafing combatant that's firing and can lob a grenade. Its better to keep your mind open to bolt/strafe and grenade an area with your team mates.
Yes, team mates. One of the shining graces that makes FEAR stand out is its encouragement of team play.
Team Combat
Fear excels in allowing the player to review where his team mates are and what condition they are in. Well - when they are alive and dead. You see floating icons on the screen. These are the positions of your team relative to you. When you men go down you will see Skull and Crossbone icon giving you the warning to proceed with caution.
So FEAR may be less realistic but it offers very useful simple icons to aid in team play. To be sure, there were plenty of times I faced large groups of combatants. Its hard to argue the effectiveness of this icon system to weed out fractured units and lone gunmen. The barrage of bullets sparking and splintering wood along with grenade shockwaves are enough to make you fall back and find some others. You can easily give a command and pinpoint the enemy position which will show a red marker on all your teams screen.
Looks Good and Looks Can Kill
FEAR is for the most part balanced. An action game with unique multiple weaponry and varied game modes, and it doesn't skimp in the visual department. Now here is where FEAR might strike fear into potential players. It as pretty high system requirements. Not as steep as the single player demo but High none the less. I tested the MP on a OC'd AMD @ 2.2 with 1 Gig of 3200 Ram - Radeon 9800 XT and Audigy 2. I was able to get smooth play in 800x600 with medium settings. Using an AMD64 FX53 Radeon X800PRO Audigy 2 ZS with settings just above my OC'd unit.
So if your running anything under 2.0 GHz and a lower range video card you may need to forego many of the nice effects FEAR MP offers. I know I didn't even consider buying FEAR after playing the SP demo simply because it brought my highest end system to its knees.
It was a bold move by Sierra in deciding to offer MP for free. A game I and others had otherwise written off. I am sure there are thousands of first time players like myself that are impressed with this offering. Now many may consider buying the full game now to give the SP a run.
MP Maps
In closing I thought I'd comment on the MP maps. Better put, the TDM maps as I played more TDM than anything else. The maps look nice but may be more winding than is necessary. You really have to play the maps allot to get your bearings. Most are indoors with multiple levels. Getting to where your guys are can get tricky. This uneeded complexity in corridors minimizes skirmish or choke points that can make TDM so much fun. Only one or two maps are designed to bring on a focused firefight on multiple levels.
It's up to the modders and mappers to build complimentary maps that highlight FEARs strategic team potential. With this free offering, theres a real good chance that will happen now.
I give the FEAR Free download a solid 4 of 5 stars
Friday, August 18, 2006
What's Wrong ID and the FPS
Back to the Future Past
As a gamer for more years than are worth going into say that I remember downloading the official release of DOOM 1 via my 9600 Baud modem from a popular BBS.
Like many people who were taken by Doom into all day/all night stints glued to their CRT's, I had more than a casual interest in DOOM 3. I like many others had found our first immersive gaming with the original, so the anticipation was very high.
Without going into a long drawn out hi and low story, Doom 3 was a new low water mark for a title released from Carmack and company. Aside from being pitch dark this iteration lacked all the suspense and induced head peering of the original. Subtle as those points were, they were all but gone in Doom 3. With the exception of a few real horror moments, the game brought nothing new to the table.
FPS gaming has matured to a new level and ID seems to have invested in visuals. These high visuals and technical achievement which ultimately detracted from the game.
With the maturation of FPS tiles came new gaming conventions. Most of which Doom 3 sidelined. The game was much too linear and in the end too predictable. The annoyances of having beastlies pop out from hidden doors behind the player became too much.
Did Something Right and No one Noticed
OK - so enough with that. Doom 3 was a let down. But why? I'll make this next observation quicker. Return to Castle Wolfenstein. The single player in RTCW was not much more advanced than its previous offering but its Multiplayer had definitely matured. I was amazed at the effort. Class based MP that was actually fun and balanced. Then BAM - A month later Electronic Arts released Medal of Honor. A simpler Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, Objective based WWII FPS. For whatever reason, the RTCW servers drained. Its not that ID didn't do a great job, in fact I can't really explain the desertion. Some have claimed it was out of their expertise and should have stuck to the formula that made the company a splash in the first place.
The Last Hurrah
ID's real last hurrah was Quake 3 and some might argue that even Quake 3 came short of the mark in many ways. People were divided between Q1, Q2, and now Q3 game play. There were three camps of favorites all of which detracted from the last offering.
Then came Unreal which wowed players with its storyline and ultimately Unreal Tournament was released. It was everything that Quake series wasn't. Not only did it build on the existing FPS MP mechanics, it offered unique and most importantly fun new MP game types. This made Quake 3 Deathmatch look like a Wooly Mammoth in a tar pit.
I remember firing up Q3 sometime in 1998 after playing my share of UT. I was almost aghast at the limited feel of it. How could I play this - I shut it down and uninstalled it.
Quake 4 - More an Aftershock?
I don't know what ID and Raven were thinking but this is really a mix of things not to do. I knew the Quake following was fragmented. That Quake players had and were playing UT games. Somehow somewhere someone said lets make Q4 MP play like Q3 MP.
I recently purchased Q4 and fired up the game up for online play. There was that weird tear in gut. That smirk on face that would probably look like it was brought on by pain. Aghast at what looked like regressive game play. It felt like 1998 all over again.
Greener Pastures Ahead?
ID has the chance to redeem itself again. Quake Wars: Enemy Territory looks to be a winner. More in the lines of an improved RTCW. COuld they pull it off - or will the vaunted company that unleashed the FPS game phenomenon on the world be dealt another blow. DICE/Electronic Arts are working on a very similar themed title. Battlefield 2142. Both titles have similar release schedules. This could be deal breaker for the gurus at ID.
As a gamer for more years than are worth going into say that I remember downloading the official release of DOOM 1 via my 9600 Baud modem from a popular BBS.
Like many people who were taken by Doom into all day/all night stints glued to their CRT's, I had more than a casual interest in DOOM 3. I like many others had found our first immersive gaming with the original, so the anticipation was very high.
Without going into a long drawn out hi and low story, Doom 3 was a new low water mark for a title released from Carmack and company. Aside from being pitch dark this iteration lacked all the suspense and induced head peering of the original. Subtle as those points were, they were all but gone in Doom 3. With the exception of a few real horror moments, the game brought nothing new to the table.
FPS gaming has matured to a new level and ID seems to have invested in visuals. These high visuals and technical achievement which ultimately detracted from the game.
With the maturation of FPS tiles came new gaming conventions. Most of which Doom 3 sidelined. The game was much too linear and in the end too predictable. The annoyances of having beastlies pop out from hidden doors behind the player became too much.
Did Something Right and No one Noticed
OK - so enough with that. Doom 3 was a let down. But why? I'll make this next observation quicker. Return to Castle Wolfenstein. The single player in RTCW was not much more advanced than its previous offering but its Multiplayer had definitely matured. I was amazed at the effort. Class based MP that was actually fun and balanced. Then BAM - A month later Electronic Arts released Medal of Honor. A simpler Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, Objective based WWII FPS. For whatever reason, the RTCW servers drained. Its not that ID didn't do a great job, in fact I can't really explain the desertion. Some have claimed it was out of their expertise and should have stuck to the formula that made the company a splash in the first place.
The Last Hurrah
ID's real last hurrah was Quake 3 and some might argue that even Quake 3 came short of the mark in many ways. People were divided between Q1, Q2, and now Q3 game play. There were three camps of favorites all of which detracted from the last offering.
Then came Unreal which wowed players with its storyline and ultimately Unreal Tournament was released. It was everything that Quake series wasn't. Not only did it build on the existing FPS MP mechanics, it offered unique and most importantly fun new MP game types. This made Quake 3 Deathmatch look like a Wooly Mammoth in a tar pit.
I remember firing up Q3 sometime in 1998 after playing my share of UT. I was almost aghast at the limited feel of it. How could I play this - I shut it down and uninstalled it.
Quake 4 - More an Aftershock?
I don't know what ID and Raven were thinking but this is really a mix of things not to do. I knew the Quake following was fragmented. That Quake players had and were playing UT games. Somehow somewhere someone said lets make Q4 MP play like Q3 MP.
I recently purchased Q4 and fired up the game up for online play. There was that weird tear in gut. That smirk on face that would probably look like it was brought on by pain. Aghast at what looked like regressive game play. It felt like 1998 all over again.
Greener Pastures Ahead?
ID has the chance to redeem itself again. Quake Wars: Enemy Territory looks to be a winner. More in the lines of an improved RTCW. COuld they pull it off - or will the vaunted company that unleashed the FPS game phenomenon on the world be dealt another blow. DICE/Electronic Arts are working on a very similar themed title. Battlefield 2142. Both titles have similar release schedules. This could be deal breaker for the gurus at ID.
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