Monday, December 12, 2011

Saints Row 2 and 3 - Comparisons

Sidenote: I will try to keep this as spoiler free as possible

As a player of both games, I have to say I liked Saints Row 2 better than Saints Row 3 in terms of content, characters, and storyline.  Saints Row 2 had a deeper, grittier, more... impactful (yeah I tried) storyline than its counterpart.  The characters provided this go around in 3 are interesting, but nowhere near as interesting as Saints Row 2.  One character change i was very disappointed in was Shaundi. I for one hate her character this go around and it raises the question from me, what happened? Sure I understand the whole plastic surgery possibility but still though... she's less bad#*% than she used to be. Saints Row 3 has a good storyline, and if you're a stoner you'd probably be seriously laughing out loud from start to finish due to the over the top antics of your character, but it doesn't leave as much as a lasting impression or thought or thirst for revenge 3 missions later like Saints Row 2.  Fans of Saints Row 2 will probably never forget Aisha's death, and some of which probably wound up wiping the Ronin out immediately after.  Saints Row 3 didn't have that kind of impact for me except for probably two occasions.  Customization and uniqueness takes the forefront in Saints Row 3 once again but this one little thing - the different fighting styles - came up missing in this entry.  They added a lot, but they took some things away.  The environment itself in my opinion didn't really FEEL like a Saints Row game either... it felt... a bit TOO commercialized in a sense, which fits the story but it had me actually asking for more.  Side misssions are still fun and entertaing, but once again, they took more away from what we knew in Saints Row 2 in favor of the action you find in 3. Musically, I was blown away yet again, and thats coming from soneone who really doesn't listen to too much music.  After my time with Saints Row 3, I gotta say it actually made me want to play Saints Row 2 just because I felt that it offered more, but it doesn't diminish from the fact that Saints Row 3 is still a pretty solid game.

Rant - Modern Warfare 3 vs Battlefield 3

Soooo it was posted today that Modern Warfare 3 made 1 BILLION.... but which is the better game between this or Battlefield 3? Battlefield hands down.  Lets go ahead and break it down....

As gamers, we been playing Modern Lagfest running around in those hamster cages coming from Activision for a LONG time now.... you can only have so much fun doing the same thing over and over again (running on that little hamster wheel or navigating that hamster fortress) before it gets old... fast.... 4 years old at that.  From the countless cardboard boxes we haven't been able to shoot through to that inch of head we see behind cover and can't hit it but they have no problems shooting you THROUGH the cover they're behind, I genuinely can't see how and why a lot of you aren't sick of Modern Warfare. On top of that, you can't convince me that Modern Warfare 3 is realistic, so stop it.  You can't tell me I can jump off a 4 story building, live, and be able to sprint with no problem through a blown up chopper, dive, get up, and take out three people with a AK-74u (that has a ACOG scope, grenade launcher, and silencer...with pink camo might I add) a pistol, and a knife... THEN pull out a javelin and lock on a WALL and fire off a random shot in hopes that I kill someone...and reload that in less than 3 seconds.  Modern Warfare also got you all so content with playing with absurd perks that you HAVE to have a special ability of some sort before you go into a fight (not saying Battlefield or any other game doesn't do the same, but for the sake of the point, we've all run into some complete and utterly CHEAP perks.  Commando anyone? oh....) .  Then comes the guns... in MW3 you're just building a super gun. I can really put a perk on my gun to reduce kick? Thats what a foregrip is for.  I have to put yet another perk on my gun to have two attachments? Come on son... its nothing to put a red dot, silencer, grenade launcher, and laser sight on a M4A1 for the sake of realism, but they had to have some sort of balance, so I'll give that to them.  The weapons don't even do the damage they're supposed to as well. A bolt action shot to your ankle and you die? If you die of serious bleeding and bleed out or something or get put on last stand off of leg shots then thats cool for "Modern Warfare", but no. I shoot someone from this line in the paragraph to the very beginning with a shotgun (semi or pump) and you manage to live?... point proven.   Killstreaks... actually half balanced, but once a juggernaut touches the field I got to scream foul.  The predator can't even take that many damn bullets and he's a alien.  Overall, as much as I personally hate EA, I have to admit they're providing the superior product against what we've had all this time, regardless of sales.... and to the people that babble about the amount of money Modern Warfare makes, it doesn't excuse the fact that its a subpar game running on a tired system that we're TOO accustomed to.

Now for Battlefield... I still feel its the superior product of the two.  It sounds GREAT, it handles well, and its balanced...until EA starts going into their whole tweak session they're infamous for.  The damage each gun dealt at various ranges were pretty balanced until lately, but it could be just me (doubt it). You can find a gun and a class you're comfortable with, stick with it, and be rewarded for it with attachments and extra perks within that class. Be a dedicated medic, you get better assault gear. Be a dedicated sniper, you can finally get a DECENT sniper rifle.  Give out ammo and lay down suppression fire as support? You'll have access to C4 and mortars later.  The more you play the more relevant and rewarding the experience is unlike MW3 (the extra perks and things you get actively and passively play into it, and as you level up it will soon be spread across your squad). I say that because you can unlock this cool killstreak but if you can't get the kills for it, its closer to useless and you'd have access to it only on the luckiest of days (and I dare someone to say people can't get them because they "suck").  On top of that you run into more realistic situations in Battlefield. A person is laying down a lot of fire? Your vision gets blurry and you start shooting less accurately, and you won't just be able to run out there and quick scope them.  You got to make a 774 meter headshot (or even a mid range headshot with any weapon)? You have to take into consideration the rifle you're using, distance, gravity, and that person's movements (Yes, its possible. I've done it). You want to knife someone? In 90% of the instances you have to sneak up on them to get the knife kill, which is so much more rewarding than MW3. Even Section 8 prejudice had the right concept with their knifing by incorporating fatalities, which is a far cry from *swipe* *instant kill*.  You hide in a building or behind a wall? You better have a back up plan, because most of the buildings and walls in Battlefield are destructible, so that little building you like to camp out in can be subject to a lot of rocket fire or tank shells... oh and yes, the maps ARE bigger and incorporate vehicles - not like those hamster cages I was referring to earlier.

(sidenote: and backtracking a bit. Early Recon is by far the worst experience I had with this game.  Its so bad that in order to get points, you'd have to play as recon with a shotgun or a smg just to get points so you can actually HAVE a good sniper rifle, which is a bolt action for this game, because the semi-auto snipes are the weakest, most inaccurate sniper rifles I've ever used in a game that I can remember right now, and I love sniping)

Now for the bad... flashlights, laser sights..... stop the friggin madness yo.... I have a infared scope on my gun how and why am I still being blinded by a flashlight? Second, why could... and WOULD you, as a sniper, put a laser sight or a flashlight on your sniper rifle? Why is that even a option? Third - 4 out of 5 times you would probably run into a team thats FILLED with people trying to play Battlefield like its Call of Duty. Stop... that... s#&%.  Against a group of Battlefield veterans you basically the fish in the barrel.

Both games does have connection issues, and they both have a great sound score; however, the point I'm trying to make is, Battlefield is the better route to go. You looking for a change of pace in the FPS genre and something more teamwork oriented and is more rewarding? In my opinion, look no further.

Metal Gear Solid - Where Do We Go From Here

Shadow Moses. Big Shell. The Boss. Big Boss. Solid Snake. Solidius. Big Mama. Liquid. Sniper Wolf. Psycho Mantis. The End. The Fury. FOXHOUND. Drebin. La-Lei-Lu-Lei-Lo. The Patriots. Cambell. The DARPA Chief. Master Miller. The Virtuous Mission. Ocelot.  Sunny and her catchy tune. Naomi. Raiden. Fortune. Fatman. Vulcan Raven. Otacon.  EVA. Mei Ling. Frank Jaeger. Olga. The Philosopher's Legacy.... FoxDie.

These characters and concepts all hold a place near and dear to longtime (albeit recent.... it goes even further back involving systems I seldom touched) fans of the Metal Gear Solid series, and with the HD remake of Metal Gear Solid 2, Snake Eater, and Peace Walker being released, it touches a nostalgic note with those of us that can still remember where to find this weapon and that easter egg, or how to navigate this situation or evade that problem, and provides a VERY shaky and unstable entry point to those interested in the series as well.... but with word that Metal Gear Solid: Rising switched hands to the creators of Vanquish (which was a awesome game might I add) and was DEAD ON ARRIVAL prior to them even getting it, its raises two things. One - what direction is Metal Gear Solid going to take if there will be future titles carrying the Metal Gear name? And two - What the hell is Kojima doing? Are they going to take a approach of scrapping the 50+ year story we've grown to (finally) understand and instead turn "Tactical Espionage Action" into a hybrid Bayonetta - Splinter Cell (pre-conviction) mashup?  (had to say Bayonetta cause its Raiden for crying out loud... all thanks to the person all those years ago that said they didn't want to play with a grizzled old man or something like that via fan mail. That emo pretty boy Raiden was the result... thanks lady -_-)

Or can we actually hope that Hideo will wake up and realize that any and all Metal Gear Solid entries should rest in his hands and his hands alone?  Change isn't always good, and it was ridiculous and a slap in the face to THIS fan (and maybe some others) to see Metal Gear Solid go in the direction it was heading prior to this recent turn of events.

Personal Take - Section 8 Prejudice

The game itself was a pretty good game.  I have it for both the 360 and the PC and I enjoyed my time with the game.  The intricate upgrade system and modifications you can make with your guns are what I liked the most about the game.  The gameplay is solid, DLC added some life to the game, but the community for both the 360 and the PC will probably suffer from having a DEDICATED fan base with little to no newcomers.  For that price though, you can't beat the content you're getting.

First things first.... *revised*

Hello all. First things first, I'm a cynical guy still pushing through life. I'll mostly say what I want, when I want, and how I want. Sure theres a filter, but I'll need a new one soon.  Videos, various commentary, game information, and thoughts / opinions will probably be here. If you're following, then I will let you know now that you are greatly appreciated and I do appreciate the fact that you're here. Lets get started.