The deluge of triple-A video game titles kicked off with Deus Ex and Madden, and there are at least six more games coming out in the next two months that are must buys. I don't know where I'll find the time!
Deus Ex: Human Revolution Xbox 360, $59.99
Having never played the first Deus Ex, released in 2000, I wasn't sure what to expect from Deus Ex: Human Revolution. Human Revolution starts out in the near future of Detriot, where your character, Adam Jensen, is the head of security for a big company that produces cybernetic augmentations. The company is attacked and Jensen barely survives and is implanted with a bunch of these augmentations. The meat of the game has Jensen looking into the mystery of who was behind the attack and why.
I was initially disappointed, as I was expecting more of a shooter and the controls are a bit clunky. I immediately had flashbacks of the first Mass Effect, which everyone raved about but I hated, simply for it's poor shooter mechanics.* But once I got over that and delved deeper into the game, I really got into the stealth mechanics and the various augmentations you can upgrade yourself with, which give you different physical skills or allow you to hack devices or charm people in conversations.
The game is mostly linear but gives the illusion of an open world game by basing each chapter of the game in different city hubs, where you can go on side quests and find hidden areas and loot. On top of that, there are multiple ways to go about accomplishing missions, whether by stealth, force, or conversation. And even then, the various augments and weapons provide you with a lot of options for executing your plan of attack.
Just chillin' at the crib with my robot arms.
The most annoying part of Human Revolution are the occasional boss battles. Because there are so many augmentation and weapon options, it's easy to find yourself missing something in the boss battles that would have come in handy. At one point I was so stuck on the second boss that I started over from the beginning.
Still, despite its quirks, Human Revolution is a pretty solid game with an interesting (if not entirely original) premise. It's part Metal Gear, part Mass Effect and part Blade Runner. Not a bad combination at all.
* I get it if your game is going for something more RPG-like, but if you're going to have shooter elements or driving elements, they should not completely suck. To it's credit, Mass Effect 2 improved on the first one tremendously.
Madden NFL 12 Xbox 360, $59.99
Another year, another Madden. Ever since signing an exclusive licensing deal with the NFL, Madden has had no competition in the football sim genre. As great as the Madden franchise is, I get so frustrated with EA Sports. As with many of their titles, each year they add some new features to try and grow their user base, but fail to address flaws in the gameplay at the heart of Madden. This year is really no different, but after 20 some years of playing Madden, I'm just conditioned to automatically buy the new version the day it comes out.
The graphics and presentation have gotten an upgrade in Madden NFL 12, though the annoying Gus Johnson still has the play-by-play and manages to mispronounce at least three Bears names for the second year in a row. The tackling improvements from NCAA Football 12, which eliminated the "suction" of offensive players into defenders, really opens up the running game and provides for some great looking tackle and broken tackle animations. There are also some improvements to the long-neglected Franchise mode, with expanded 75-man rosters in the preseason and free agent bidding in the offseason.
Another mode carried over from last year, Madden Ultimate Team, starts you off with a random assortment of second and third string players and lets you buy packs of cards to add new players to your team, including top-rated players and NFL legends. Each player has a "contract" for a set number of games, which can be extended with a special card. As you play games with your Ultimate Team, you can earn coins to buy new packs. You can also trade cards online or auction them off to the highest bidder. There are a number of collections you can place cards in to earn bonus coins and rare cards as well. It's a really cool concept but somewhat flawed in its execution. Not to mention a blatant cash grab by EA by offering packs of cards in exchange for real money, as if the $60 I paid for the game wasn't enough.
While only a minor improvement over last year's version, Madden NFL 12 is still the best (if only) football sim out there, and a must have for football fans.
Dropbox
For the longest time I've been carrying my files around on a USB drive so that I can have access to them from work, home, and anywhere else I might find myself. Recently though, I've had a bad run of luck with USB drives failing every other month. So I looked into Dropbox, which is a really convenient way to sync files across devices.
Dropbox creates a folder on your computer which syncs to their website whenever you add, delete or update a file. Any other computer you install Dropbox onto will download the most current versions of the files from the website. You can also access your files directly from the website or using their handy iPhone app. I've only been using it for a couple of days, but it's really convenient and works as well as the USB drive (though I'm not sure I could run software from it). You get an ample 2 GB of space for free, which is upgradable through their referral program. Or you can pay monthly to increase your quota to 50 or 100 GB. Hurray for no more faulty USB drives!
It's been awhile. Second City has been keeping me busy, so I haven't had as much time to obsess over things. But here's a few worth checking out.
Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions iOS, $15.99
Sixteen bucks for an iPhone app, you ask? That's what I said, too. And I've never been a fan of Final Fantasy games. But Final Fantasy Tactics is a bit different from the rest of the games in the series. It's a turn-based strategy game that reminds me a lot of X-COM. (Yes, I really love that game!) It's more of a medieval RPG version though. You assemble a team that you can train in various career paths - mostly variations of warriors and mages - and as you progress, you can unlock new careers and skills.
The game is actually a port of an old PS1 (and later, PSP) game, and not a lot of corrections were made to make it more touch-screen friendly. I also find myself skipping through all of the story elements, which are frequent and tedious. Each battle, however, is a lot of fun and extremely challenging. I've probably poured more time into this game in one week than I have any other iPhone app ever.
A Clash of Kings Paperback, $8.99
Mid-way through watching Game of Thrones on HBO, I was so hooked that I ordered the set of four books the series was based on. (Author George R.R. Martin has since released the fifth of what is supposed to be a seven book series.) A Clash of Kings is the second book in the A Song of Fire and Ice series, and it picks up right where the TV show left off. One of the coolest aspects of the books is that each chapter is told from a different character's perspective. While it's a little slow to build, the twists and turns get more and more interesting as the book goes on. I can't wait to see how the book is adapted to the screen.
Don't make Walt angry. You wouldn't like him when he's angry.
Breaking Bad Sundays, AMC
Breaking Bad is considered by many critics to be the best series on television. The acting, writing and directing is all top-notch. Now in it's fourth season, Breaking Bad finds its protagonist, Walter White (Bryan Cranston), continuing his transformation from mild-mannered chemistry teacher to cold-blooded drug kingpin. His partner, Jesse (Aaron Paul), is shell-shocked from the events of last season and Walt's wife, Skyler (Anna Gunn), is now in on Walt's secret and helping him with the business end of things. Breaking Bad creates so much tension with silent moments and throws in some dark humor to keep things from getting too bleak. There's really no other drama on right now that comes as close to perfection.
The Indoor Kids Podcast
There are a ton of video game podcasts out there, but there are very few that are as enjoyable to listen to as The Indoor Kids. Hosted by comedian Kumail Nanjiani and Ali Baker, The Indoor Kids takes a more casual approach to video games than most other podcasts, and often digresses into nostalgic tales of growing up as a gamer. Each week features a different guest and offers some interesting and humorous discussions about gaming. Definitely a nice break from the more hard-core gaming podcasts out there that take themselves a bit too seriously.
Magic: Duels of the Plainswalkers 2012 XBLA/PC, $10.00
Many moons ago, when I was a freshman at U of I, my friend Brian introduced me to a card game called Magic: The Gathering. Cards came in booster packs like football cards, and with them, you could create a unique deck of creatures, spells and items to play against your friends. It was incredibly addicting and ridiculously expensive. Eventually, I moved on to other hobbies, but I always had a soft spot in my heart for Magic.
There have been several attempts to make a digital version of the card game, but none as fun and close to the feeling of playing the real thing as Duels of the Plainswalkers 2012. DotP 2012 features ten pre-built decks that you can unlock by beating various opponents in one-on-one play. You can also unlock additional cards for these decks which you can swap with existing cards.
A new feature of the game called Archenemy has you team with two other players to take down a powerful fourth player with double the usual hit points and a separate deck of Archenemy cards which vary the gameplay every turn. DotP 2012 also features online and local multiplayer. Short of offering the full set of Magic cards and allowing you to create your own decks from scratch, DotP 2012 gives you all of the fun of Magic for the cost of just a few booster packs.
Here's a few things I am obsessing over this week.
Curb Your Enthusiasm Sundays, HBO
Larry is back! It's been almost two years since Curb Your Enthusiasm reunited the cast of Seinfeld for what felt like a proper finale. Now that it's over, Larry finds himself getting divorced and, in the first episode, explaining to a girl scout how to use a tampon. Classic, awkward, Curb.
It's hard being an Illini fan.
NCAA Football 2012 Xbox 360, $59.99
While Madden usually gets all the publicity, NCAA Football has always been more enjoyable for me. There's something about the college experience and the in-depth recruiting mode that is really satisfying. This year's Road to Glory mode lets you take your own custom character through your entire senior year of high school while getting recruited by colleges for both offense and defense. Tackling has been improved tremendously, eliminating the feeling of "suction" during animations and freeing up the running game. Finally, the Coaching Carousel raises the stakes in Dynasty mode, giving you several goals to accomplish if you want to keep your job.
Turntable.fm
I'm a little late to the party on this one, I guess. Turntable.fm is like a social version of Pandora. You create or join a room with up to five other DJs, and each DJ takes turns playing a track. Other people in the room can just enjoy the tunes and vote songs up or down while chatting away. It's a great way to discover new music and kill any sort of productivity you hoped to achieve.
Here's a few things I am obsessing over this week.
Louie, obviously
Louie Thursdays, FX
Louis C.K. is back for season two of his excellent comedy on FX. In the latest episode, Louie witnesses a homeless man get decapitated by a garbage truck on his way to a date and, in another vignette, is propositioned for casual sex by a woman with daddy issues. In typical Louie fashion, it doesn't end well.
Frozen Synapse PC, $24.99
One of my favorite games of all time is X-COM, a turn-based strategy game where you equip a small squad of soliders against an invading horde of aliens. Frozen Synapse is similar in many respects, but it takes the tactical element up a notch. In it, you plot waypoints and pretty much every minute detail of your solider's movement. The difference here is instead of alternating turns, both side's turns are resolved at the same time, making things far more interesting — and difficult. The single-player campaign is quite lengthy, and the game also has multiplayer support. Purchasing the game gives you two copies so you can share with a friend.
Atom Zombie Smasher PC, $9.99
Have we had enough of zombies yet? Apparently not. This addictive indie game has you evacuating citizens via helicopter while holding off incoming swarms of zombies with a variety of mercenaries. Each citizen rescued or zombified goes toward your overall score or the zombies'. Whichever side gets to the point cap first, wins. Each section of the city is randomly generated, making Atom Zombie Smasher endlessly replayable.
Tiny Tower iOS, Free
Fuck this game. No, seriously. Fuck. This. Game. This "free" iPhone app in the vein of Farmville has you clicking on various things and then waiting around to click on them some more. In Tiny Tower, you're building a skyscraper floor by floor, putting residents to work in various shops, while also moonlighting as an elevator operator. If it sounds stupid, it's because it is. But it's also cripplingly addictive. Must. Stop. Clicking.
Google+
Remember the feeling you had when you dumped MySpace for Facebook? "Oooh, lookie here! So much cleaner!" That's how I felt going from Facebook to Google+, Google's latest (and greatest?) attempt at a social network. (Remember Orkut? Wave? Buzz?) While MySpace was visually cluttered, Facebook is informationally cluttered — filled with event invites and quizzes and endless updates about who "likes" Justin Bieber and who is now friends with someone you don't know. Google+ eliminates all that noise. Mostly by restricting the ability to invite your friends. Still, it looks promising and I'm hoping enough of my friends and family get into it to make it my new default social network.
Dabbling with the old website again. Not sure why I bother, other than to keep my skills sharp. It seems that Facebook and Twitter have made blogging irrelevant. I find most of the things I want to share are easily summed up in 140 characters. Still, I keep wanting to have something here where I can share all of the nerdy stuff I'm obsessed with on a weekly basis.
