A trip to post-apocalyptic D.C

The basis for the setting of Fallout 3 is both refreshing and depressing at the same time -- how many RPGs out there throw you in a world in which a massive nuclear fallout almost wiped out the whole population on Earth except for those lucky few who were in the vaults at the time of the fallout (& a those unlucky few who didn't die from the fallout, but underwent horrible mutations)? We have seen tons of RPGs whose plots are set in the medieval/fantasy era (Neverwinter Nights, Oblivion, Baldur's Gate) and a few good space-themed ones (Mass Effect, KOTOR); however, I believe Fallout can be considered to be in a world of its own, at least in terms of popular post apocalyptic RPG. What makes the setting of Fallout even more interesting is the fact that in the world of Fallout, technology and cultural ideologies actually came to a halt in the 1950s. Hence, the advanced technology that you see in the world of Fallout mirrors what people in the 50s had envisioned how the world would be like in the future. Computers are still stuck in monochrome, radio stations are still playing songs from The Ink Spots, and robots look nowhere as cool as the Transformers.

Then comes the depressing part -- upon setting foot out of the vault, what awaits you is not a world of lush greenery (read: Oblivion), but a vast plain of wasteland. The best one word description I have for Fallout 3 would be "brown". There are not birds chirping in the trees, no rustling of grasses due to the wind. If you set the music volume down and turn of the radio of your Pip Boy, all that you can expect is silence. That, or the distant growling of ghouls or mutants. Bethesda has succeeded in creating a genuinely believable atmosphere for Fallout 3.

Having said that, somehow I had wished Fallout 3 had been a joint production between Bethesda and Valve. In Bethesda, you have one of the best company when it comes to making an open world game that gives the player unlimited amount of freedom when it comes to choosing how they want to go about playing the game and complete their quests. And in Valve, you have arguably the best and most experienced talents when it comes to creating believable, lifelike character models that comes with their own unique emotions, and also a knack for story-telling in real time (i.e. not cutscenes).

All in all, I'm enjoying every bit of the 20 hours I've put into Fallout 3 so far. Sure, there are quite a handful of bugs and stupid AI scripting (which I find it hilarious and see it as a proof that it is a Bethesda game, as Fallout 3 shares so many of the same problems as Oblivion), and apparently there are a few game ending bugs in the ps3 version, which thankfully I've yet to encounter. One gripe though: the radio station is way too repetitive. Listening to GNR for a good ten minutes and you'll find yourself listening to the same old song and and talk from its DJ, Three Dog, whose howling every time he ends his speech started to get annoying. Well, I suppose not all games can have as brilliant a radio soundtrack as that of Vice City.

Wipeout HD!

Finally got Wipeout HD last night! The graphics is super super super gorgeous... Much more gorgeous than MGS4, I must say. SCEE Liverpool really did a good job; and most importantly, throughout my hour or so of gameplay yesterday, I did not notice any framerate drop. The game was as smooth as butter. Keep a look out at this blog in the near future, will be uploading some out of the world screenshots of the game using the in game photo mode :D

Fallout Awesomeness

This clip has just turned me into a believer. Initially I was still a bit skeptical over this game, but after watching the 5 part gameplay walkthrough, I am convinced that this game will be fun. I'm quite tempted to get the PS3 version over the PC version even though the latter will support user created mods, however, I am quite excited to play the game in HD with my future HD TV :p

Castle Crashers

Ooh this game looks so fun. Reminds me a lot of old 2D brawlers like Streets of Rage, Golden Axe etc. I sure hope the developers port it over to PSN some time in the future, minus all the serious bug issues that came with it.

An apology

I've slowly, yet reluctantly, come to accept the fact that I just can't write reviews for nuts. You may have noticed my continuous delay of reviews of MGS 4 and Oblivion. It's not that I dread writing wordy stuffs (or maybe I really do), it's just that whenever I feel like writing, my mind suddenly goes blank. I forgot what I want to write about, or how I want to go about writing it. So, an apology to all those, if there are any, who are waiting for my review of the 2 games I have mentioned above. Now on, I am going to adopt a new review system. It will be brief, with my personal list of likes and dislikes of the game (in point form) and then a 1 sentence verdict to sum up my feeling of the game (eg "Fuck Yeah!", "What a PoS", "Don't bother" etc.)

My order of Burnout Paradise for the PS3 and Castlevania: Dracula X Chronicles for the PSP from Playasia just arrived on Tuesday (The latter cost me ~SGD35, 14 bucks cheaper than the retail price in the local stores), and I am having a good time playing Burnout. The crashing of the cars seem pretty addictive, and for a racing game, the game sure has a good sense of speed. There are times I feel that my car is too fast and I'm losing control over it. Castlevania, on the other hand, is one heck of a tough game. Damn it, I really need to go find any cheats to get infiinite continues... That game is really for the hardcore players.

I guess that's all for now. Cya.

WotLK Opening Cinematic: full of awesomeness

I really have to take my hats off Blizzard. Once again, they have outdone themselves with the just revealed Wrath of the Lich King opening cinematic. By the end of the cinematic, I felt a tinge of sadness and pity over Arthas' corruption. It truly is an epic manner to start off a new WoW expansion pack.

Who cares about the damn emperor's heir

Apologies for the lack of update of this blog, and the much delayed MGS 4 review, as I have been hooked to a game called The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion ever since I stopped working. As of yesterday, I am approximately 75 hours into the game, and I have done only 4 of the main quests so far. Honestly, who gives a shit about finding the late emperor's heir and closing the Oblivion gates when there is so much for you to explore and do in Cyrodill? Saving the world can wait.

I refuse to review the game until I have at least completed the main quest (on a side note: I've barely touched the contents in Shivering Isles and Knights of the Nine), but so far the impression has been pretty positive. I played the game for freaking 75 hours -- I would be at least quite interested in the game to invest so much time into it, right?! The main appeal of the game is the lush environment and the sheer amount of freedom I have when it comes to exploration and completing the quests. Also, the game doesn't really force to adhere to one specific class for your character. My character's core class is a Knight, but he has no trouble dishing out magical attacks, summoning kickass Daedra and sneaking around houses and stealing stuffs. That said, the one gripe I have with the game, which kind of annoys me at certain parts of the game, is that the magnitude of freedom of the game is equaled by the stupidity of the NPCs' AI. After playing this game, it really leaves me scratching my head when I recall the game boasting realistic NPCs with its Radiant AI and daily scripted routines.

School is starting soon, I'll be in a rush to at least complete the main storyline for the game. Be sure to check out my blog for reviews on MGS 4 and Oblivion.

Sorry for the afk

After a month long hiatus, I am pleased to announce that I'm back blogging on gaming stuffs! It was an unintended break from video game blogging, as I was really busy with my part time job which had officially ended yesterday. I spent any free time I had during that period gaming hard, continuing on The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion which I had purchased through PlayAsia (my impression of this Hong Kong based gaming store has been pretty good so far -- ocassionally you may find a treasure at an unresistable price) and also replaying the three PSX Final Fantasies on my PSP. Now that I have completed MGS 4, I have been dabbling with various demos that I have downloaded from the PSN. After watching the E3 highlights I am very tempted to get the original Resistance: Fall of Man, as I am quite excited about Resistance 2 and I wish to understand the plot before Resistance 2's released. And not to forget LittleBigPlanet -- my interest for the game has only increased after watching more of it being shown on E3.

Watch out for my review of MGS 4 shortly! I may experiment blogging my reviews on the revamped Giant Bomb, and if the interface is easy I may consider linking all my future reviews through that site. Till then, cya.

Review: Grand Theft Auto IV

Every once in a while gamers get treated to a pleasant surprise where the long awaited sequel to a good/excellent game actually lives up to the hype and delivers. The best example that comes to my mind would be Half Life 2 which went through a prolonged delay but in the end still managed to deliver, perhaps even better than the original Half Life. Perhaps Team Fortress 2 could be considered as another example, though it is observed many of the original Team Fortress fans were disappointed and angered by the new direction TF2 has taken. I hope the next example would be MGS 4, but the verdict won't be out until I get to play it myself; reviews for the game are so far pretty impressive.

I'd like to think that Grand Theft Auto IV has actually went even further than just delivering the promised hype to fans of the GTA series; it has the potential to draw new audiences into the series. The near perfect gameplay, together with the massive coverage it has received in the mass media, definitely helps it achieve such status. And here is why I feel that GTA IV has improved in every aspects since San Andreas.

It doesn't take long after booting up the game for the first time to realize that the graphics has went a long way since SA. The developers have decided to take up a more realistic design for GTA IV instead of the cartoony feel GTA III, VC and SA sported. Perhaps that is what they have been striving to achieve since the start, but system limitations had forced them to stick to the cartoony graphics up until GTA IV. The change in direction of the art design definitely comes as a welcome, as I suspect that is what many GTA fans have been craving for all along -- a virtual world which closely mirrors reality with a convincing environment in which they explore freely and wreck havoc without any repercussions. The game is definitely beautiful, no doubt, even when played in a SD TV. The complaints about occasional drop in framerates and pop-ins are there, however, it is not so serious as to ruin the general experience.

Another superior advantage GTA holds over many of its imitators is the variety of characters, together with excellent voiceovers, and the simple but engaging plot it sports. The same goes for GTA IV, where the main protagonist, Niko Bellic, is sure to be well liked alongside with the other main characters of the GTA series (Claude, Tommy, CJ etc.). Niko plays the brooding anti hero who was forced to commit crimes/acts against his will, and there are certain missions and instances where players would feel for him. In a way, he is kind of similar to CJ, who was constantly threatened by Tenpenny to oblige to his biddings. However, there are also certain occasions when you'd feel the plot inconsistencies with regards to Niko being an unwilling criminal. An example, as brought up in the 1UP Yours podcast, would be the mission Three Leaf Clover, where Niko, together with Packie and his family, pulled a bank heist. By the time the player does that mission, Niko should have been quite well-off (in this game, seldom do you worry about not having enough cash), and there was no reason why he should agree to rob a bank -- it's not like he must do it to survive. It is moments like these that kind of spoil the setting of the plot.

As for the other characters, the developers have done a good job in fleshing out the individual personalities. Roman, though may seem detestable initially and brushed off as a good for nothing lusty loser, soon won a place in my heart by the time I was done with the missions in Broker. Brucie, the steroid-pumped internet buddy of Roman, is a weird one; he is a indeed a good friend, but his self obsession sometimes may freak you out. Then there is Little Jacob, the Rastafarian whose accent is so thick and near incomprehensible that I frequently have to refer to the subtitles to understand what he is talking about (the Rastafarian language doesn't help too); LJ would prove to be a loyal and useful friend throughout the game. The mission characters are not neglected either; the first guy who gave you your first paid mission, Vlad, is an absolute dickhead, and you can feel for Niko when he is forced to do errands for him so as to erase Roman's debt to Vlad. No words can describe the (spolier-tagged!) satisfaction when Niko popped Vlad in the head eventually; that is how much you'll hate Vlad. You'll soon encounter another big fucking dickhead, who would prove to be the turning point of the plot and also play a very big role in a twist near the end of the game if you made certain choices, which I will not spoil for you. Throughout the game, you'll meet tons of colorful characters, some of which you will take a liking to, some whom you wish you can just shoot them in the head once and for all.

With so much painstaking efforts in the graphics and plot/character department, it would be an injustice if the gameplay were mediocre. Fortunately, GTA IV is far from that; the gameplay is epic. Liberty City may feel smaller than SA, however, do note that SA was composed of vast areas of empty wasteland/grassland. Also, Liberty City is definitely more interactive, and the NPCs are more believable. Pedestrians react accordingly to your various actions, drivers drive in a more realistic manner than those in SA (those fucking mad drivers are no longer a worry). Next, the combat control definitely took a huge improvement over the past GTA installments. The cover system is a welcome, and aiming is much better this time around, although there are still some sheer annoying moments where the gun is locked on to the wrong target at the most crucial moments. However, so long as you take covers and refrain from fighting in the open, you'd seldom die. Missions are also no longer as irritating as in the past. Gone are the near impossible flying missions, hard to control RC missions etc. Throughout the main campaign, I've only encountered two or three annoying missions, in which I also took at most 5-6 tries. Side missions are still around, however it feels much lesser than the previous games. The staple taxi and police missions are still there, except this time round you can't just trigger them with the L3 button; you'd actually have to call Roman to get taxi missions for him (Roman runs a taxi company) and police missions are accessed through the police network. Then there is also the standard car delivery (read: theft) missions and stunt jumps; all these are required for 100% completion. The package collection is replaced with killing flying rats (pigeons) in GTA IV, however, the reward (a helicopter, which is quite troublesome to access, plus the fact you can get it through other means easily) isn't as appealing as that in SA (infinite supply of ammo in your various safehouses).

The various subtle humor Rockstar has put into the game is much appreciated too. You can actually watch television shows within the game, and the programs are actually parodies of real life programs, such as ridiculous reality shows and over sensationalized news programs (come to think of it, they are actually on par with FOX news). And the mini internet portal you can access in the numerous internet cafes is pretty interesting too. Finally, the radio stations are still as solid as ever (though I still think VC had the best music), with the occasional hilarious talk shows and commercials.

GTA IV is what I call a complete package; the main story campaign is just part of the massive gameplay. There are things for everyone to do. Feel like playing Driving: The Simulation? Sure, just get a car and drive lawfully like what you'd do in real life. Feel like going on a rampage? Sure, buy yourself some ammo from the gun shops (which are now seedy underground shops unlike the much publicized Ammunation in the past games, which I consider to be less realistic) or just activate the weapons cheat and have fun wrecking havoc in the city.

PS: I won't touch on the multiplayer aspects of the game as 1. It definitely seems to be a last minute addition to the game, as the interface is so fucking awful and getting into a game with your friend is so troublesome. I am not going to consider this into the final review score as I personally believe GTA IV is mainly a single player experience. 2. I haven't delve much into the MP to give it a justified impression.

The good: The sheer freedom you have, engaging plot and characters, beautiful graphics
The bad: Some inconsistencies in the plot, character models look awkward during close up cut scenes, occasional pop in and framerate drops
Score: 10/10 (The good way overwhelms the bad; all in all, it is a near perfect game)

Bizarre stuffs to do in GTA IV

Call the girlfriend, take her out with a helicopter, eject from the heli while on top of the sea (so as not to get yourself killed), and then wait for a while. Next you'll see that your girlfriend has died; apparently the heli crashed without anyone manning it. Don't save the game though, the effect is permanent; trying calling her number.

GTA 4, completed

The story of the game, that is. It is almost impossible for me to hit 100% completion for the game; I have never done so for the past GTA games. I just have to say, I am totally satisfied with the game, and I do not regret one bit buying the PS3 for GTA 4. Review will be up shortly, but in the mean time, I shall head back to Liberty City to hunt down the remaining 100+ pigeons (the secret package rendition in GTA 4).

I'm so sorry I overlooked you

I've got to be honest with you - I was never familiar with the Playstation 3-exclusive title, LittleBigPlanet, prior to last Friday. I only knew it generated a lot of interest and went through a lot of delays since it was first unveiled in GDC 2007. It was only until I saw the few developer's walkthrough (courtesy of gametrailers) during Sony Gamers' Day 08 that the game started to attract my attention. My interest in the game grew over the course of the few minutes of walkthrough, and I started to dig out previous trailers of the game. That's when I chanced upon this 18 minute long introduction of the game during last year's GDC, and after watching it, all I can say is: I can't wait for October to come! It simply is that mind blowing. The only way to justify my reaction is to watch the clip for yourself. It's that good. Take note, when this clip was made, the game was only about 9 months into production, or so Media Molecule (the developer) claimed. Pretty impressive huh :)

Lost in translation

Happened to come across this article at Kotaku while I was taking a break from GTA IV. The author of the post, Ashcraft, was obviously displeased with Kojima's latest comments about the media distorting his words during interviews, and some of the examples Kojima mentioned seemed to be directed at Kotaku.

First I have to admit that I like Kojima, for his personality and also the fact that without him there will be no MGS. That said, I do not think I am biased when I say that Ashcraft's article has exactly illustrated Kojima's point. First, look at the title of the post: "Americans Brag, PS3 No Letdown, Kotaku is Wrong". Hmm, sounds pretty much like a sensationalized heading, isn't it? Next, the translation of the interview he has based his source on, came from a user of the Playstation board. Hmm, ever consider that what Kojima had said was not accurately translated in the first place? After all, the translator himself already stated clearly that the translation of the interview was not a complete one. So, Mr. Ashcraft, I ask you, did you even consider that? Did you make sure that that is exactly what Kojima had intended to say before posting it in Kotaku? At least you could have put a disclaimer together with your post stating that the translation may not be 100% accurate, right?

Grand Theft Auto IV: Afterthoughts

I shan't call this a review, since I am not even close to finishing the main story of GTA IV. However, I feel I have played enough to give a decent impression of the game, how it stands as compared to the previous GTAs.

First, I've got to state that I was playing the game on a SD TV (I need to make more money before I can get a HD TV, damn it!), but I'm still very impressed with what I saw. The graphics of GTA IV are obviously a notch above the previous installations. The big difference is that GTA 3, VC and SA had all sported cartoony graphics, whereas in GTA IV, the producers are clearly going for a more realistic look. Perhaps it's because of the new direction (realism) the game is heading, even the missions are less "insane" as compared to the past games. So far, I've yet to encounter any zany missions such as bombing/chasing stuffs with RC choppers, and the mission NPCs are more believable. Even the driving mechanic was tweaked to make it feel more realistic, as it is now more difficult to maneuver corners at high speeds.

Next up, on the main character, Niko Bellic. I'd say Niko is pretty likeable person, and personally I rank him second, just below Tommy Vercetti, whom I still feel is the best protagonist. I find myself agreeing with most of the reviewers when they said they are more emotionally attached to Niko, as he forced under circumstances to commit acts he is reluctant to do. However, there are some inconsistencies, as people who play the game will notice the fact that during some missions Niko seem more than willing to do dirty work for the sake of money. That said, all in all, Niko can be considered to be a "good" guy and I'm sure most GTA fans will not be disappointed as him being the main character of the game.

Finally, let me touch on the plot abit. I will try not to reveal too much spoilers, but man, is the plot good. Remember the last mission of SA when CJ chased Tenpenny down and indirectly killed him? The satisfaction you get when seeing that dickhead die? Well, I experienced satisfaction arguably of equal intensity as that as early as the first 5 hours into GTA IV. That is how good the plot is. It may be a tad similar to those typical Hollywood shows, but who cares so long the Hollywood shows that it is similar to are those of the AAA quality.

I shall give more insight to the game once I proceed further into the storyline and the gameplay. Till then, cya.

There are many parodies of real life in the game


I just love the subtle humor the producers put into the game


What is GTA without the flashy cool cars?

Wrath of the Lich King Preview

The guys over at MMO Champion have consolidated tons of information on the next World of Warcraft expansion, Wrath of the Lich King. There will be lots of stuffs for those of you who are eagerly anticipating WotLK's release to read. Be sure to check out the 10 minute trailer of the game embedded below!

Wrath of the Lich King 10 Minutes Trailer from Boubouille on Vimeo.

Believe the hype

Unless you do not have internet access (then how would you be viewing my blog?), you probably would have noticed the biggest gaming news of the year so far -- the release of the long awaited game Grand Theft Auto IV. The game has gotten lots of coverage on both major gaming sites, and also in the mainstream news. Even Hollywood took notice of the game, for fear that the release of the game would affect the box office sales of the Iron Man movie which was out on the same week as the game. Even I got myself a Playstation 3 for this game.

Now that my exams have ended (this morning :D), I've started to play GTA 4, and my thoughts on the game so far? All I can say is, believe the hype. It is really that good. Review to come once I've played the game a bit more.

Half time

Bringing you gaming news during exams HT! (Actually it's more of 4/5 time, as I am left with only 1 more paper on Tuesday). I've succumbed to temptation and finally purchased what would complete my Playstation consoles collection yesterday. I proudly present you, the Playstation 3!



Finally! My Sony consoles collection is complete... for now!



Move up, ladies


That means I owe you guys 2 reviews now -- CC and GTA 4. This holiday is sure a busy one!

I'll be back

Soon, that is. Tomorrow's the start of my final exam for Year 2, and it'll last all the way till the 5th of May. After which I'd have nearly 3 months of freedom. That means 3 whole months of pure gaming, woot! Anyway, the Crisis Core review that I had promised has to wait, as I've yet to play the game much. Though I can assure all Final Fantasy VII fans out there that it is definitely a must buy for them.

Wish me luck for my exams! Till then, cya :)

April Fools!

Sorry for the late post, but once again, various gaming communities have struck on the day of April Fools, releasing bogus news that probably surprised some fans, only to break their hearts later. Joystiq and Shacknews have compiled lists of April Fools pranks pulled by various gaming sites/companies, be sure to check them out!

Welcoming a new member

to my family of gaming consoles, that is. Now I proudly introduce you my very own white PSP Slim. I was pretty hesitant about buying the PSP initially, as I intend to get a PS3 for myself this coming holiday, but alas, the recent release of Crisis Core for the English audience finally convinced me to fork out S$400+ for the portable console.

I must admit, the PSP is indeed a very neat gadget with tons of cool features, both gaming and non-gaming. The recent firmware update had incorporated Skype into the system, allowing one to engage in wireless voice communication through the PSP. And, together with the right tools, which I will go into details in my future posts, you can do other neat stuffs, such as getting your PSX games to work in the the PSP, or play user-made games.

And I must say I wasn't disappointed in CC, though the price tag was pretty hefty, at approximately S$70. I've recently got used to the S$40-50 price tags of PC games, with some bargain titles going as low as 9 bucks. But, that's not to say I don't think CC isn't worth the money; I think I'm right to say for all Final Fantasy VII fans that CC is worth every single cent it cost. The familiar music that greeted me at the start screen, the CGI opening that paid an obvious homage to the original FF7 franchise, and the likeable lead character who bore a striking resemblance to the popular spikey hair Cloud; I really felt that I was returning to Midgar again. Be sure to check out my blog soon for the review of CC. And, you probably would have guessed by now, that the score definitely won't go below 8 :).

Till then, tata.