Opinion: IGN's Dark Souls 2 First Look

(Credit: http://killscreendaily.com)

Dark Souls 2. Wow. My excitement is undeniable. The sneak peek was on the level of "oh my god" from my perspective. It is dark, it has dragons, it is gritty, oh and did I mention it has dragons... a lot of dragons.

This is currently my most anticipated release. Allow me to explain why.

Dark Souls and Demon Souls are two of my favourite RPG games. The extreme challenges that these games present to the player normally results in a thrown controller or a ragequit, however the satisfaction in completing these challenges is great.

Dark Souls 2 looks to be the same, which erases all of my previous doubts of the game.

After hearing about the "easy" mode being introduced I had some doubts, but the game seems to be darker, more aggressive and even less forgiving then the other two. The sneak peek from IGN shows some very interesting new mechanics. Let's start with what they covered.

The first new mechanic they introduced was the adaptation of enemies combat styles depending on how you fight them. I found this interesting as in Dark Souls many enemies could be defeated by simply rolling around them and this seems to bring an end to that.

The second new mechanic was the absolute pitch black some areas offer. In Dark Souls and Demon Souls, the light given off your character was almost always enough to survive with. In the preview, when the player switches out the torch, the view is very limited. This makes me believe the torch may actually be useful in this installment.

It also seems a lot of new area mechanics are being introduced which frightens me, but in the best way possible. Sen's Fortress anyone?

The enemies having the ability to break through walls was interesting and I am anxious to see what other new surprises they have in-store for us. The new death cinematics and ways to die also seem interesting enough.

Now for the things they didn't cover.

A couple things that were not mentioned within the video were lack of estus flasks and instead something called health stones. From the vast quantity carried on the player I am personally hoping he had bonfires upgraded or they heal less. The proper use of estus flasks was essential in the previous games, because it forced the player to come up with a strategy about when best to use them.

Another thing I noticed was humanity was no longer measured beside the health bar, instead it seemed to be replaced by a golden circle. This intrigues me, as I am not sure whether that is to measure humanity, or if it is something that has since replaced it.

And last but not least was the amount of weapons they cycled through and the animations of those weapons attacks. The bow now has a sight, axes now start with an under swing and the great sword now swings more like Dark Souls' great axe.

All in all my excitement is evident: I cannot wait for this game. The challenges, the anger, the monsters and the dying! All in one place! The newest trailer can be found here.

The release date has yet to be confirmed but, as more screenshots and footage continue to appear online, one can only hope for a short wait.

Praise the sun everyone. Praise the sun.

Will you be picking up a copy of Dark Souls II?

Opinion: Can EA really be the worst company in America?

EA has once again managed to unleash the anger of the Internet. (Photo Source: The Consumerist)

For the second year in a row, EA has received the dubious honour of being crowned the "worst company in America" in The Consumerist's yearly poll.

Last year, EA rode a wave of discontent that surged across the Internet in response to the ending of Mass Effect 3, among other concerns.

Among the competition that EA soundly defeated last year was the company responsible for the worst oil spill in the history of the planet. No kidding.

This year the issues are different, but the Internet's reaction is much the same. Reddit and 4chan have been hotbeds of support from the beginning, spreading the word to try to have EA regain the title.

Among the many discontents cited are Battlefield's multi-DLC model and the catastrophic launch of SimCity: a launch which, as Kotaku reports, is still in shambles.

This year the likes of Ticketmaster, Comcast and Bank of America were defeated by EA in the final rounds of the contest. While I see a big difference between dubious home foreclosures and not being able to log into a fictional city, apparently a lot of other people did not.

Perhaps Chris Matyszczyk said it best in his recent article on the topic over on Cnet:

Being voted "Worst Company in America" is really closer to being voted "The Company That People Who Are Online A Lot Hate Most," which isn't quite the same thing.

It seems clear, then, that netizens have declared EA to be the worst company in America, but I question whether this is really the case.

In fact, I contend that not only is EA not the worst company in America, but not even the worst game company.

EA is a massive company with a large market share. They have made games which have received critical acclaim right alongside the ones which became the crucibles of the Internet's rage.

Of course, the failures stand out the most, especially when they happen on a scale like the recent SimCity troubles or when they mean that your 300 million dollar flagship MMO is, in your own words, "a disappointment".

They do not have a perfect track record, but then no game company which has been around as long as they have does.

And in fairness to EA, they have tried to fix their mistakes when possible. Even if amending their entire business strategy to fit the whims of the Internet wasn't possible, they did try to respond to complaints about individual products.

The new Mass Effect 3 ending DLC came out, it was free, and it tried to resolve players' concerns. It may not have been perfect, but there was a response.

Am I saying EA is a great company? No, I'm not.

Their current sales strategies are woefully unpopular with the savvy gamer (pile on that DLC!), they have had several botched launches in recent memory and they have a frightening habit of snatching up small developers.

Origin remains a pale shadow of the competitor it is trying to emulate, regardless of the registered users that EA claims.

Those numbers, by the way, seem a bit disingenuous when a lot of your games can only be played on that platform: they're not using Origin for the features it offers, but because you have literally given PC gamers no other option.

But the worst company in America?

I don't see it. Maybe I need my hyperbole-vision goggles.

Dark Souls PC Review - Let's go to hell and back

(Photo Credit: http://thecontrolleronline.com/)

INTRODUCTION

This is a review of the PC release of Dark Souls: Prepare To Die edition. Throughout this review I cover everything from my first impressions to delving deep into the gameplay.

First Impressions:

Being an avid fan of the Xbox 360 version I had this game pre-ordered well before release, I was quite excited to get my hands on a PC copy that could really dish out some of the beautiful graphics that had been designed for the game. After the pre-download I waited eagerly for it to unlock, once I did I was disappointed. I had to wait another half an hour for Games for Windows to install--Not a good sign. My next bad sign was the blurriness--Even the first couple of messages about auto-saving were blurry I headed straight to options and went to graphics and disappointingly only found 3 settings to change. Doing what I could, I chose the highest resolution and got reborn as an undead.

After that it was downhill for first impressions. I got in and found a texture lock in-game. What is a texture lock you ask? The in-game resolution of a port is stuck at 1025--Period. The next was the game was a direct port from console. That’s right a direct port. Scary words to describe any PC game but this takes the cake. Without an actual controller plugged in the message still tells you “Press A to read message.” 

Steam Deals, Weekend of April 5th

Another weekend, another set of Steam weekend deals!

Red Orchestra 2: Heroes of Stalingrad

A Soviet sniper hunts for targets. (Photo Credit: Steam)

This weekend: $2.99, with a free weekend (normally $19.99)

Josh: Tripwire is one of my favourite developers of all time, and while Red Orchestra 2 didn't get the same critical reception as its predecessor, it's worth checking out. 

The shooting in this game is tight, the physics are realistic, and I can't think of another FPS out there that makes hitting someone such a thrill. Hitting an enemy with a bolt-action rifle at 160+ meters will make you feel like a boss. Being hit will make you curse, and possibly startle you as you retreat into cover to bandage your wound(s). 

Other interesting features in this game include music that changes based on how your side is doing on the current map. This can, of course, be toggled off... but I'd argue that the tension of a last-ditch defense is heightened by it.

Another interesting feature was the addition of a stick-to-cover system. You're still in first person when sticking to cover, but you can pop over ledges and aim down the sights a bit more realistically now instead of just "uncrouching". It also makes a leaning system unneeded. 

The game does have a crude leveling system, but none of the unlocks are very game-changing, and the ones with the most significant impact tend to be easily accessible (like the bayonet for the bolt-action rifles) so you're not going to be left in the dust.

At $3.00, you're not risking much. Give it a shot!

Torchlight II

It's easy to get surrounded in Torchlight II. (Photo Credit: Steam)

This weekend: $9.99 (normally $19.99)

Josh: I confess I have played far less Torchlight II than I should have. With the right partner(s), I could have gone all the way. 

I'm one of those players who feels that the action RPG genre is best enjoyed with friends and, in the absence of someone willing to work around my lately-chaotic schedule, I haven't been able to pick it back up.

What I've played, I liked. Combat feels fun, and the classes feel unique and interesting. On higher difficulty settings, the game is challenging and forces you to weigh risks before running into a huge pile of enemies.

I actually prefer the gameplay to Diablo III, and given that this game is a fraction of the cost, it's a great value alternative. The game also offers some quality of life improvements, like having a pet who can run back to town for you to sell items.

Possible downsides: the graphics, which are aligned more to colourful animation than Diablo III's gritty gothic fantasy looks. The online portion, which requires you to create an account and sign in when you want to play.

Tripwire Interactive Bundle (Killing Floor + DLC, Red Orchestra 1 + 2, Dwarfs!?)

So many games, we couldn't choose just one to feature on this banner! (Photo Credit: Steam)

This weekend: $8.99 (normally $72.11 for everything)

Josh: I've already discussed RO2, but another great reason to buy this pack is for Killing Floor, which I consider to be a heavily underrated game and which will normally cost you more than twice the cost of the sale price of this pack.

Again, a game best enjoyed with friends. The FPS is billed as "co-operative survival horror" and while I'm sure that things are trying to kill me in the game, I'm not quite as sure that it means the game is "survival horror".

Especially when you can use a crossbow that fires buzzsaw blades.

The game is great fun, and trying to co-ordinate a defense in the heat of battle can quickly become chaotic.

"GET THAT SCRAKE! FLESH POUND, FLESH POUND!"

The game does a good job of making you hole up in different places on the map or, at least, move during the wave by having the weapon vendor move randomly about the map between rounds.

As a Tripwire game, Killing Floor has benefited from their constant stream of content releases. And while some of the content has been DLC, a lot of it has also been free content. 

Dwarfs!? has not seen too much playtime from myself but what I've seen was enjoyable. It plays like a shorter game of lemmings with more aspects to manage.

I like that the idea of a "high score" is being brought back in the game's arcade mode, though. 

This bundle is easily worth your money, so consider giving Tripwire some of it.

Review: Dragonborn

You are approached by a group of masked people. They are not friendly of course, as this is Skyrim.

These people are cultists, devotees of Lord Miraak. He is the Dragonborn, so they say, and according to them you are a phony. That's right. A big fat phony. If you are like me you might be tempted to say "I never asked for this," like Adam Jensen would.

Lord Miraak, wannabe ruler of Solstheim. (Photo credit: http://elderscrolls.wikia.com)

Dispatch them before they rid themselves of you. Upon closer inspection one of them is carrying a note with instructions to kill you. Another mystery and adventure awaits.

Your destination is Solstheim, which may be a bit of fan-service for the Morrowind expansion Bloodmoon, which took place there.

World: A nice change of pace from the snow of Skyrim. It also made the world feel a bit more connected, being in one place and being so focused on Skyrim can make the world feel shut off.

Weapons/Armour: Good stuff here, some new sets of armour and new weapons. Bonemold makes a return.

Quests: The quests range from simple (could you get my rare pickaxe out of that mine please?) to creepy (the main quest and another which I won’t spoil but involves a Daedric lord). There are some neat rewards for some of the quests too.

Story: The story is interesting and refreshingly makes your character feel a little less above everyone else. It also has an epic feel to it, a clash of titans type of thing. Nobody and everybody seem to know about your adversary. The name is familiar to them but everything else is out of reach for some reason. What is with the chanting? These are the things you want to get to the bottom of.

Conclusion: Dragonborn is a fine addition to the base game of Skyrim. You get to go to a different area and explore it, which for me at least, is one of the most appealing things about The Elder Scrolls series. New monsters keep things interesting and you get away from being surrounded by Nords and their mead all the time. Instead you get some Dark Elves which were scarce in vanilla Skyrim. Overall it adds some more variety and gives a different flavour of the world to enjoy. The amount of content within is also satisfying with plenty of areas and quests for any DLC. I should also mention you can ride dragons with Dragonborn, though you cannot directly control them as you would a horse.

Skyrim is on sale for Xbox 360’s spring sale, so now would be a good time to grab it.

Review: Dawnguard

The eyes of a vampire post-Dawnguard. (Photo credit: http://bethsoft.com)

With the PlayStation 3 finally receiving the DLC for Skyrim the add-ons Dawnguard and Dragonborn will be played by many owners of the console. The question is if they are worth the price tag.

Dawnguard was the first DLC for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. I held out for a while and picked it up during the Christmas sale on Xbox Live for 800 points (half off of the original 1600.)

If you don't know what that is in dollars it is $10 and $20 respectively. Dawnguard is worth the $10 easily in my opinion, however a friend of mine was not so sure he wanted it.

Let's look at some of the factors in deciding it's worth to you.

Need: You love Skyrim. You love it so much, in fact, that you have conquered it and seen all or most of what it has to offer. The problem is you still want more. If this is you, then it is safe to say it will be worth it to you at full price.

Content: Dawnguard all in all lasts about as long as a faction quest-line. Bethesda has said as much. The thing is sometimes that can go by awfully quickly. Luckily Dawnguard offers more than quests. New shouts, armour, weapons and a new follower help this as they enhance and add to the full game.

Story: Vampires. You like them? Well they have been made cooler. They attack Holds randomly (especially if you fast-travel). You can be a Vampire Lord (cool powers, hovering, wings.) The thing is they want to blot out the sun so they can run wild on Skyrim. Helping or preventing them, as usual, is up to you.

Dawnguard is a solid add-on to Skyrim. It adds some more flavour to the overall game especially now that playing Werewolf or Vampire is more appealing than before. The quest-line is fun and engaging throughout too. Dawnguard simply gives you more. More quest, weapons, shouts and enemies. If you are looking for more Skyrim content this should not disappoint.

Review: Borderlands 2

Yeah, I'll take it. (Photo credit: http://www.borderlands2.com)

In 2009 Borderlands was released and I picked it up for the price of $40. I had trust in the developers and things I had heard and seen about the game to know it was going to be a very enjoyable experience. Unbeknownst to me that $40 price point was more of move to try and get a innovative, original IP to fly, rather than a cool thing from the publisher.

That isn't the point though, the point is that Borderlands was a huge hit and was received very well by critics as well as the gaming community at large. The risk paid off. Now we are here in 2012, Borderlands 2 is another huge hit and this time at $59.99.

The Story: The story is a little like the first one in some superficial ways. There are four characters/classes as before to choose from. There is a vault you are after once again. Fun and vibrant characters colour your journey. Those similarities serve to show us we are in the same world and universe. The reset button has not been hit, instead we are truly playing in the world after the events of Borderlands.

The main villain this time around is best described as a charismatic, silly, overtly evil, murderer-tyrant. His name is Handsome Jack and he enjoys telling you how much he wants to destroy you as much as does attempting to. The story is simple enough, you trying to stop him from getting to a vault by getting there first if you can.

Multiplayer: The great multiplayer that made Borderlands a hit has not been messed with in any significant way. There is a neat lobby when you are waiting to start playing but other than that it remains unchanged in all important aspects.

Guns and guns: Weaponry has been improved this time around with more variety and aspects to the weapons themselves. The money system has also been re-balanced and the amounts made smaller. Grenades for example have many more properties available to them this time around such as pulling enemies closer to them before exploding. Cool stuff.

Humour: Much more of it this time around and it was used to great effect. I don't want to go into specifics, but think equally zany and dark.

Final Say: If you liked Borderlands you should enjoy Borderlands 2 just as much. They did not re-write the book or turn the game inside out. They made a true sequel and delivered a great game with a lot of replayability and multiplayer fun. Having more fun solo in this than the first iteration is likely.

Have you played Borderlands 2? What are your impressions of the game and the new DLC?