Back And Forth In Time

     I know it's been a long time since I posted on here so I figured I should probably look like I'm still committed. A lot has happened since I last posted but shhhh that's not important now, because we just have each other. Just hold me for a while.

     So I discovered about 2 months ago that this little game named Baldur's Gate had been remade and enhanced (hence the Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition title.) This game was the first PC game I had ever played and is one of the best Dungeons and Dragons based games known to man. The company that did this project is actually the remnants of the original designing company Black Isle (may they rest in peace.) The point of all this rambling is I read their goal with this was to then remake Baldur's Gate II and if both enhanced editions sold well they were going to look at making a Baldur's Gate 3. I had to call my doctor at this point because I had an erection lasting longer than 4 hours. So if you are looking for some nostalgia, or you are looking to play one of the greatest rpg's known to man (seriously Google this game, it has a huge following,) I recommend you go buy the Enhanced Edition because it's only $20. OH and the best part? It's not just for Windows now. It's on OSX, Android, and iPad I believe. I also just found out the developers are having a legal dispute with Atari about the game's development and it can only be downloaded from Steam for Windows users. I guess I just hyped this game for nothing.

     Well now I gotta improvise and reel you folks back in. I'm now going to talk about what's coming to us gamers in the future. And no it's not a new console generation. (I'm still laughing about the console wars from my elitist PC gaming throne.) I'm talking about my Elder Scrolls fanboyism with Elder Scrolls Online. I have been riding the hype train and eating it all up while I await the release day (Spring '14 be damned!) This game is going to be awesome. I saw at E3 they announced the game would also be for the new consoles to bring the game to more of their fanbase. I was first irritated by this announcement (not just because I was really grumpy in the early morning when I read it.) As my day went on I realized this was good because it was making it so the game didn't fizzle like The Old Republic did and I'm 100% ok with the game sticking around as long as WoW. My only issue right now is why they haven't announced how the fanboys are going to be paying for this game. I hope they go a Guild Wars route and make so all you have to do is buy the game. Unfortunately it's probably not going to happen. They're going to go the route of all the other MMO's and have you pay a monthly fee. Now I'm not going to go out on a tangent about how 1 is better because frankly I don't care now that the release is in 2014. I'll have a big boy job by then with a big boy income and will be able to afford the game no matter what. Also if I have to explain the Elder Scrolls, MMO's, or how awesome an Elder Scrolls MMO is I feel you are reading the wrong blog.

     So that was my trip to games from the past and future (what did you think my title was an Ocarina of Time reference? Because I could write forever about that game.) And I hope at the very least I have inspired you to check these games out for yourself.

     That's all I got for now. Maybe next time I'll talk about my next boner inducing videogame tease from E3, Star Wars Battlefield...I mean Battlefront. Battlefront 3!!

- Darth (heh, Star Wars.)

I will smite thee!

Hello again! I recently got sent some codes for an unlock for Smite and also beta access to Card Hunter. When it comes to Card Hunter, I am so over joyed with the concept of this game. It is a refreshing take on a trading card game. What it is, is you are given separate decks for each character you control. In these decks are your abilities, attacks, and even your movement. You use these cards to control your characters on a grid to eliminate the enemy. The coolest thing about this game besides the concept, is the aesthetics. This game looks like a game of table top D&D. The overall art and game play is very unique. As I said before, it is in beta and it is in the works. If you are interested in it, I highly recommend clicking on the link below.

Now there's Smite. This is Hi-Rez's take on a MOBA. What makes this game particularly special is the fact that it is a third person action game. You have more control over your movements by assigning your character to the WASD keys and a mouse to aim your attacks and your camera. Like in the traditional MOBA fashion, there is a conquest mode where you have three lanes with towers and an enemy base. On top of that though are several different modes. First there is Assault which is essentially a team death match mode which is all sorts of mother fucking mayhem. Next there is Joust. Now you can fulfill your "1v1 me bro," fantasies with a one lane one on one fight with another player. Then there is domination mode which is essentially like a game of Battlefield where you capture control points to gain points while fighting the enemy. Finally, to mix it up they have a daily game mode ranging from random heroes fight, to loot bag games, to various crazy modes.

The best thing about this game for me is of course the fact that it isn't Dota or LoL. I've gotten so close to throwing these games out the window and never touching them again. The new perspective, interesting take on enemies, are breathing new life into the MOBA genre. Oh yeah, did I mention all of the characters are based on mythology? Roman, Greek, Mayan, Egyptian, Hindu, Chinese, and the Norse gods are all represented in this game and are great sources for characters.  I encourage all of you to give it a chance and see for yourself that it' not just another MOBA.

-Smi13y out

http://www.cardhunter.com/
http://www.hirezstudios.com/smitegame/home

Hyperbolic

It has been quite a while since my last post. So I feel that a week after E3 has passed and all of the DRM follies of the Xbox One have now been silenced, there is no better time than now to write something up.

This E3 seems to be the most cut throat and exciting E3 since I heard of its existence. So what I want to do with this post is not to determine a victor, but rather analyze what each major company has to do to pull ahead.

I guess I'll start with Sony. To say Sony came on stage and said fuck you Microsoft then dropped the mic and walked off casually while putting on sunglasses is probably an understatement. With the echo chamber that the gaming community is, you would have thought Sony cured cancer while riding a velociraptor. But in all honesty, I couldn't have cared less about their incoming lineup. So far every game I am interested I are basically multi-platform. The one exception to this is, "The Witness."  But maybe for now, that is enough to tide me over. I mean I have fallen in love with the indie game community and Sony seems to be going in the right direction with this and I'm quite frankly hopefully optimistic.

One thing I found interesting though, is the fact that they have seemed to abandon all support for the playstation move. Maybe this is to cut the pricepoint by $100 that made everyone excited by the $399.99 price. Regardless, Sony hasn't found a way to interest me in this technology in any way.

Sony also announced that Playstation Plus will now be required in order to play multiplayer. For me this isn't a big deal because I'm already used to paying such a price through XBL, without the bonus games they throw in here and there. Basically what I am saying is that it seems that Sony as of right now has double downed on the hardcore gamers by promising more games from both AAA titles to indie titles and essentially are bending over backwards to please this crowd.

Now we are on Microsoft. What a clusterfuck of an E3 for them. Every time they opened their mouth they pissed off the gaming community more and more. From Don Mattrick snide remarks for those who aren't able to connect online to the failure to clarify why their new direction is something we want. The things they should have emphasized, like family sharing, weren't clear and the things they addressed left me with a bad taste in my mouth. Their failure was totally in their PR. Instead of promoting the awesome new technology of the cloud and what it will do for developers and your gaming experience, they struggled with their harsh DRM policies and misinformation.

Where Microsoft did shine, was in their game line up. From Titanfall to Project Spark left many, including me, speechless. The only thing that left me wary was the kinect.

First let me say, the kinect 2.0 technology, if it work is a great leap for video games with regards to motion controls. I will not bash on this piece of tech because its pretty damn impressive.  With that said, I'm still unsure if who this is for. Early adopters of any console usually could give two shits regarding kinect controls. On top of this, if the current gen kinect software is any indication of what is to come, I have no hopes for the device.

Now, you notice how I didn't start with the privacy settings. People were flipping out that the kinect was going to watch you like the fucking NSA. Microsoft has come out and said that you can turn off any feature that makes you uncomfortable. In that sense there is no reason to bitch.

This post is getting really long and I promise it is coming to an end. I didn't say anything about Nintendo. The reason for this isn't because of a lack of fondness to them, but more or less they are not building a console that interests me. There is always room in my heart for Nintendo, but frankly I am getting sick of newer renditions of old ip's.  They did a great job at E3 in all honesty, but for now they will be in the back of my mind.

Finally, I have been a part of the hate echo chamber that was reddit in outrage over all the news surrounding E3. I have taken some time and reflected on this and I have come to this conclusion. I will not be getting either console at launch. The plan is to sit back and watch what the second year holds then move forward. If you had to put a gun to my head and ask me what one I would get, I would lean towards Sony. It  come down to three things. The first is the community. I love multiplayer and and the people I play with and leaving them behind will be difficult for me if I make the jump. The second is the direction of new and old ip's. And lastly, the controller.  Frankly, I love the current Xbox controller and will have to see what they both feel like at some stores.  

Well, this post was way too long so I'm done.

-Smiley out