Bottom Line:
Magnacarta 2 is an console action RPG where you primarily play as a character who doesn't remember his past - until it comes back to haunt him. i know, groundbreaking for an RPG. Magnacarta 2 is actually a RPG that leans heavily on RPG conventions - but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. You are thrown into one side of a civil war as certain events traspire. But is everything as it seems? You can switch between characters in battle using the direction pad (and it is necessary for some types of attacks - like battle chains) or the battle menu. As a character attacks they lose stamina, when that happens enough they can't attack until they "cool down" - unless battle chains are used.
There are a variety of skills to learn (kind of a skill tree scenario), unfortunately some skills are only available based off of what weapon type the character is using. Each character has two weapon styles (ex. Juto has 2 Handed sword or 1 Handed sword), which has different associated skills. Battle skills can be launched with the B button (provided they have saved up enough Kan to use them). Oh yeah, as a character attacks or is attacked they build up Kan which can then be used for special skills.
There is also DLC that costs 400 points that adds 240 gamerscore points and a weapon (in each style) for each of the 6 characters. The weapons are a little overpowered (especially early on).
Grade: C+
What to Expect:
* Numerous side quests (over 100)
* Fighting monsters and humans in a party of 3 (user selectable, though some might not be able to be used at certain times)
* Decent length for an RPG, i think this was designed for 2 playthroughs.
* Action combat with the semi-frequent need to switch characters
* Some relatively difficult enemies
* Relatively standard RPG faire
* Battle system that may take a little while to become proficient in
How i Played:
Difficulty: Default
Play Time: 40 hours (probably another 30+ on 2nd playthrough)
Achievements: 38/46 (with DLC), 1,000/1,240 gamerscore
Bad Tips: Rue (Katana) is a good leader to use when you get her as she has an instant kill ability that you can use sometimes - well it would be if you didn't need to use so many Battle Chains for the achievements.
Achievements:
i will get 1,240 eventually, but i only have 1,000 now. Basically the achievements are for stuff like: finishing all of the side quest (some are easily missable), doing X Chain Breaks, Story Related, Mastering Weapon Styles, etc. The DLC is for watching brief videos and collecting all weapons for the 6 characters.
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Dview: DeathSpank (Xbox 360, XBLA)
Bottom Line:
DeathSpank is kind of a loot based hack-n-slash action RPG that relies heavily on quests. You play as a relatively dim-witted hero of the downtrodden named DeathSpank. This isn't a game that takes itself seriously - there are a bunch of off-the-wall quests and lines of dialog. Basically the combat consists of using the face buttons (A,B,X,Y). In the end, DeathSpank succeeds in vanquishing the forces of evil - well at least until the sequel (i wish i would have bought that when it was on sale). i actually spent longer on a playthrough of this than i did BioShock
Grade: B
What to Expect:
* Fighting a bunch of enemies with the face buttons
* Using potions and food to heal (and you will actually need these)
* A bunch of quests - many are of the fetch or kill monster x variety. Much of the time you will be on some quest or other.
* Numerous outhouses to discover - used for quick travel or resurrecting the character
* A decent length XBLA title
* Thankfully, not much of a penalty for dying
* Some action game elements (talking about Monkey Island type action games)
* Fortune Cookies - you can find these scattered around, they can be used to get hints about how to complete quests.
* Some sort of strange characters, quests and dialog
How i Played:Difficulty: Easy (Still died a lot, you probably would want to play at harder level to get more XP)
Time Spent: About 13-15 hours (it is annoying to get to level 20)
Achievements: 12/12 or 200/200
Achievements:
The achievements here are attainable at any difficulty level. One tip, termites eat the outer rim of a wooden wheel so it can be used as a gear. The achievements are for story events, killing enemies, side quests, reaching the maximum level, and even one for doing something specific in the menu.
DeathSpank is kind of a loot based hack-n-slash action RPG that relies heavily on quests. You play as a relatively dim-witted hero of the downtrodden named DeathSpank. This isn't a game that takes itself seriously - there are a bunch of off-the-wall quests and lines of dialog. Basically the combat consists of using the face buttons (A,B,X,Y). In the end, DeathSpank succeeds in vanquishing the forces of evil - well at least until the sequel (i wish i would have bought that when it was on sale). i actually spent longer on a playthrough of this than i did BioShock
Grade: B
What to Expect:
* Fighting a bunch of enemies with the face buttons
* Using potions and food to heal (and you will actually need these)
* A bunch of quests - many are of the fetch or kill monster x variety. Much of the time you will be on some quest or other.
* Numerous outhouses to discover - used for quick travel or resurrecting the character
* A decent length XBLA title
* Thankfully, not much of a penalty for dying
* Some action game elements (talking about Monkey Island type action games)
* Fortune Cookies - you can find these scattered around, they can be used to get hints about how to complete quests.
* Some sort of strange characters, quests and dialog
How i Played:Difficulty: Easy (Still died a lot, you probably would want to play at harder level to get more XP)
Time Spent: About 13-15 hours (it is annoying to get to level 20)
Achievements: 12/12 or 200/200
Achievements:
The achievements here are attainable at any difficulty level. One tip, termites eat the outer rim of a wooden wheel so it can be used as a gear. The achievements are for story events, killing enemies, side quests, reaching the maximum level, and even one for doing something specific in the menu.
Dview: BioShock (Xbox 360)
Bottom Line:
BioShock was one of the most immersive and impressive games i have played - on the first playthrough. The well placed period music and the unique environment of Rapture (a Capitalist utopia turned dystopia) make it an interesting game. However, the game seems somehow different in subsequent playthroughs. Basically it is a first person shooter with light RPG elements (like leveling up weapons, acquiring tonics to augment the character and also plasmids - which are like magic spells, sort of).
Somehow, the Dream of Andrew Ryan went wrong. Living in isolation and the discovery of Adam led to a different society. New advances were possible (especially in regards to genetic manipulation). Unfortunately, there were forces on Rapture that hastened its demise as the idealistic paradise. Unfortunately, he let people into his Utopia that he shouldn't have.
Grade:
B+
What to Expect:
* A first person shooters with limited enemy types, mostly Splicers (people who abused Adam). This seems to be focused slightly more on exploration than most "shooters".
* Big Daddies to kill - sort of an iconic creature in the game, Little Sisters to harvest or save
* A story line that finds you entering in a war torn rapture and maybe a little deception
* 100 diary tape entries that give you some of the back story
* Numerous tonics and plasmids to find/buy
* Limited penalty for death (for most of the game)
* A main character that seem like a throw-away
* A kind of annoying camera "weapon" used to research enemies that allows for bonus damage or reward tonics
* A kind of interesting under water place called Rapture - which is really the star of this game.
How i Played:
Difficulty: Casual
Time Spent: 10-12 hours (second playthrough getting all diaries 10-12 hours)
Achievements: 49/51 for 960/1,100 points (didn't get the Hardest difficulty ones)
Achievements:
There are two difficulty based achievements in this game - one is for just beating the game on Hard (the whole game not just the boss), the other one is for beating the game on Hard without dying and turning the Vita Chambers off. Other than that you have: story related, collectible, upgrade, dealing with Little Sisters, researching enemies, hacking and miscellaneous side tasks. Most of them can be done in under 20 hours. However, you may want to use a guide to find all of the weapon upgrade stations (one tricky) and audio diaries.
BioShock was one of the most immersive and impressive games i have played - on the first playthrough. The well placed period music and the unique environment of Rapture (a Capitalist utopia turned dystopia) make it an interesting game. However, the game seems somehow different in subsequent playthroughs. Basically it is a first person shooter with light RPG elements (like leveling up weapons, acquiring tonics to augment the character and also plasmids - which are like magic spells, sort of).
Somehow, the Dream of Andrew Ryan went wrong. Living in isolation and the discovery of Adam led to a different society. New advances were possible (especially in regards to genetic manipulation). Unfortunately, there were forces on Rapture that hastened its demise as the idealistic paradise. Unfortunately, he let people into his Utopia that he shouldn't have.
Grade:
B+
What to Expect:
* A first person shooters with limited enemy types, mostly Splicers (people who abused Adam). This seems to be focused slightly more on exploration than most "shooters".
* Big Daddies to kill - sort of an iconic creature in the game, Little Sisters to harvest or save
* A story line that finds you entering in a war torn rapture and maybe a little deception
* 100 diary tape entries that give you some of the back story
* Numerous tonics and plasmids to find/buy
* Limited penalty for death (for most of the game)
* A main character that seem like a throw-away
* A kind of annoying camera "weapon" used to research enemies that allows for bonus damage or reward tonics
* A kind of interesting under water place called Rapture - which is really the star of this game.
How i Played:
Difficulty: Casual
Time Spent: 10-12 hours (second playthrough getting all diaries 10-12 hours)
Achievements: 49/51 for 960/1,100 points (didn't get the Hardest difficulty ones)
Achievements:
There are two difficulty based achievements in this game - one is for just beating the game on Hard (the whole game not just the boss), the other one is for beating the game on Hard without dying and turning the Vita Chambers off. Other than that you have: story related, collectible, upgrade, dealing with Little Sisters, researching enemies, hacking and miscellaneous side tasks. Most of them can be done in under 20 hours. However, you may want to use a guide to find all of the weapon upgrade stations (one tricky) and audio diaries.
Friday, June 17, 2011
Duke Nukem Forever and Reviews
First, off let me say that i have not played Duke Nukem Forever (nor do i plan to). In fact the only exposure i have to the series is playing some of the early adventure (shareware) games and a little Duke Nukem 3D (my roommate used this for LAN parties a lot). So, to me, Duke Nukem seems to have played a big part in what was eventually to become online gaming (like XBL). In fact that was one of the reasons i was not interested in this title - i view it more as a multiplayer game (i have problems in general with shooters too). This is more of a reaction to what i have seen in the video game press.
The review scores i have seen in the press for Duke Nukem Forever are largely indefensible. What i am really getting at here is that the video game reviewers are showing a distinct lack of professionalism with their reviews for this game (unjustifiably harsh scoring). They are showing a distinct lack of any objectivity. Actually that is a major problems with reviews themselves - they are too subjective - they give some games 9.0s that don't deserve it and are way to harsh on other games. The way i see it, if a game works technically (not a lot of game crashing/killing bugs, playable) it deserves a 5.0 base score. Some points can be taken off for specific problems. Load screens are annoying, but not a real technical problem.
Sure, i never expected this game to be a work of art, but i'm sure it is better than some games which scored much higher. One of the problems is that Gearbox stayed remarkably close to the original intent of the game (which finally got off the vaporware list). The long/troubled development cycle is another strike against it. However, the complaint i find most egregious is the editorializing about the character and morality of the game. It is not a real game journalist's place to use a review as a bully pulpit. This game is getting slammed for offending some feminist sentimentalities (i'm not going to get into how intellectually dishonest feminism actually is here). Who cares is Duke comes off as sexist or misogynistic. That can actually be seen as some of the charm of a game (in this non-offensive vanilla climate).
Now, if Gearbox wanted to do something interesting... release all of the Duke Nukem games on XBL and PSN as downloadable content that launches from the full commercial game. i could go for some of the really early Duke Nukem games. So use the catalog as a value added proposition for the retail game.
The review scores i have seen in the press for Duke Nukem Forever are largely indefensible. What i am really getting at here is that the video game reviewers are showing a distinct lack of professionalism with their reviews for this game (unjustifiably harsh scoring). They are showing a distinct lack of any objectivity. Actually that is a major problems with reviews themselves - they are too subjective - they give some games 9.0s that don't deserve it and are way to harsh on other games. The way i see it, if a game works technically (not a lot of game crashing/killing bugs, playable) it deserves a 5.0 base score. Some points can be taken off for specific problems. Load screens are annoying, but not a real technical problem.
Sure, i never expected this game to be a work of art, but i'm sure it is better than some games which scored much higher. One of the problems is that Gearbox stayed remarkably close to the original intent of the game (which finally got off the vaporware list). The long/troubled development cycle is another strike against it. However, the complaint i find most egregious is the editorializing about the character and morality of the game. It is not a real game journalist's place to use a review as a bully pulpit. This game is getting slammed for offending some feminist sentimentalities (i'm not going to get into how intellectually dishonest feminism actually is here). Who cares is Duke comes off as sexist or misogynistic. That can actually be seen as some of the charm of a game (in this non-offensive vanilla climate).
Now, if Gearbox wanted to do something interesting... release all of the Duke Nukem games on XBL and PSN as downloadable content that launches from the full commercial game. i could go for some of the really early Duke Nukem games. So use the catalog as a value added proposition for the retail game.
i Do Not Like the New Xbox.com Forums
So, i was looking at the Official Xbox forums (xbox.com).
They really did a hatchet job on the site. Basically, every time they change it they seem to make things worse. Whehter it is game pages disappearing or something else. Basically, existing forums disappeared and they actually made it more difficult to find the forum you wanted. For some reason they like the mouse hover over method of loading a list interface. i would prefer launching it from its own page.
Maybe they will be rolling out more forums for individual games. However, it doesn't look good. It seems if you actually find a forum for a game you are interested in that they increased the font size and listed fewer threads per page. The next button will be clicked a lot with this format. i guess i don't like the green link text either.
i'm sure they have a reason for changing things around (that make sense to someone else). However, i'm not a fan.
Now for some bonus: Things i don't like about the Xbox 360 S
* Touch sensitive buttons - these are annoyingly easy to hit when you don't want to (especially if you are doing anything with the rear USB ports. i also hate the annoying chime they make when you hit them. i play a lot at late night (when i don't want to hear the sounds)
* The USB seem to be a little loose. i bought a 4GB slim (i have since added a hard drive). However, when i was using a 16GB USB flash drive, i had to kind of pin it in the front two slots or the console wouldn't read it. Why can't they put USB ports on the sides where they are easier to access?
They really did a hatchet job on the site. Basically, every time they change it they seem to make things worse. Whehter it is game pages disappearing or something else. Basically, existing forums disappeared and they actually made it more difficult to find the forum you wanted. For some reason they like the mouse hover over method of loading a list interface. i would prefer launching it from its own page.
Maybe they will be rolling out more forums for individual games. However, it doesn't look good. It seems if you actually find a forum for a game you are interested in that they increased the font size and listed fewer threads per page. The next button will be clicked a lot with this format. i guess i don't like the green link text either.
i'm sure they have a reason for changing things around (that make sense to someone else). However, i'm not a fan.
Now for some bonus: Things i don't like about the Xbox 360 S
* Touch sensitive buttons - these are annoyingly easy to hit when you don't want to (especially if you are doing anything with the rear USB ports. i also hate the annoying chime they make when you hit them. i play a lot at late night (when i don't want to hear the sounds)
* The USB seem to be a little loose. i bought a 4GB slim (i have since added a hard drive). However, when i was using a 16GB USB flash drive, i had to kind of pin it in the front two slots or the console wouldn't read it. Why can't they put USB ports on the sides where they are easier to access?
Dview: Karaoke Revolution (Xbox 360) US Version
The Bottom Line:
Karaoke Revolution is a singing game. i know that may be a real shocker. i really liked Lips, but i decided to try this when it got cheaper. The experience is a little different than something like Lips or SingStar (if they released it for the 360 i would get it) in that the main part of the game is the career mode - consisting of a series of "gigs". Yes, you can fail gigs (though Easy mode really, really is forgiving). Karaoke Revolution has the videos for the songs, but i have to ask myself why? Couldn't they have just added another 10 songs instead? i further question their decision to include Spanish language tracks in the US release (5 of them). Unfortunately, Konami decided to stop supporting this game fairly soon after launch (very limited DLC). This is a nice compliment / a little something different than other singing games. This is for the US version of the game.
Grade: C+
Karaoke Revolution is a singing game. i know that may be a real shocker. i really liked Lips, but i decided to try this when it got cheaper. The experience is a little different than something like Lips or SingStar (if they released it for the 360 i would get it) in that the main part of the game is the career mode - consisting of a series of "gigs". Yes, you can fail gigs (though Easy mode really, really is forgiving). Karaoke Revolution has the videos for the songs, but i have to ask myself why? Couldn't they have just added another 10 songs instead? i further question their decision to include Spanish language tracks in the US release (5 of them). Unfortunately, Konami decided to stop supporting this game fairly soon after launch (very limited DLC). This is a nice compliment / a little something different than other singing games. This is for the US version of the game.
Grade: C+
Dview: Marvel Ultimate Alliance (Xbox 360)
The Bottom Line:
Marvel Ultimate Alliance is sort of an action RPG. In the game you play as a team of 4 super heroes ranging from Spider-Man to Ms. Marvel. Yes, some are more obscure than others. There originally was a Heroes and Villians pack available as DLC, but has supposedly been pulled. If you want the complete experience go with the Gold Edition. The game really seems to be middling in every way.
Grade: C
What to Expect:
* Beating up a stream of enemies (mostly robots of some type)
* Leveling up - can set to auto
* Collectibles to find: Comic Discs (unlock missions for hero skins), Action Figures (unlock Daredevil or Black Panther) and Sketch Books (concept art)
* QTE (Quick Time Events) - basically button pressing at specific times. The most annoying of these are the comic book missions for Storm and Spider-Man.
* A bunch of heros to play as. Some seem eerily similar to others though (especially the DLC ones). i think it is 33 with the DLC.
* Defeating enemies can unlock additional skins for the characters
* Combat system - light attack, heavy attack, x is grab (for throws), the triggers can be used to launch a power (it and the corresponding face button) and select tactic.
* Some boss fights
My Play:
Difficulty: Easy
Time: 20-30 hours (with almost everything)
Achievements: 46/58 (1030/1,)250
Achievments:
Achievements in this game are for things like unlocking all available character skins (especially DLC), Throwing X people off ledges, defeating X enemies, story events, unlocking playable characters, answering trivia questions, etc. Unfortunately, there are also some for playing co-op. Some are more of a chore than others.
Marvel Ultimate Alliance is sort of an action RPG. In the game you play as a team of 4 super heroes ranging from Spider-Man to Ms. Marvel. Yes, some are more obscure than others. There originally was a Heroes and Villians pack available as DLC, but has supposedly been pulled. If you want the complete experience go with the Gold Edition. The game really seems to be middling in every way.
Grade: C
What to Expect:
* Beating up a stream of enemies (mostly robots of some type)
* Leveling up - can set to auto
* Collectibles to find: Comic Discs (unlock missions for hero skins), Action Figures (unlock Daredevil or Black Panther) and Sketch Books (concept art)
* QTE (Quick Time Events) - basically button pressing at specific times. The most annoying of these are the comic book missions for Storm and Spider-Man.
* A bunch of heros to play as. Some seem eerily similar to others though (especially the DLC ones). i think it is 33 with the DLC.
* Defeating enemies can unlock additional skins for the characters
* Combat system - light attack, heavy attack, x is grab (for throws), the triggers can be used to launch a power (it and the corresponding face button) and select tactic.
* Some boss fights
My Play:
Difficulty: Easy
Time: 20-30 hours (with almost everything)
Achievements: 46/58 (1030/1,)250
Achievments:
Achievements in this game are for things like unlocking all available character skins (especially DLC), Throwing X people off ledges, defeating X enemies, story events, unlocking playable characters, answering trivia questions, etc. Unfortunately, there are also some for playing co-op. Some are more of a chore than others.
Game Room - Predictions Through July 15, 2011
Here i am back again with another prediction thread about Game Room's leaderboards. Hold your excitement, really hold it. i know it won't be easy. This will be my predictions through July 15th (give or take a few/several days). So here we go again with my odd predictions...
My estimated leaderboard total for today (when i used the irr method) are a cumulative total of estimated leaderboards at 505,752. That is quite possibly a little high (if i was +/- 10% i would be sort of ok with it). So, if you follow through and estimate sales of ranked games based off of a bad estimate of leaderboard numbers, you would get 442,533 game sales (obviously ranked only). Remember these are based off of the numbers i have "estimated" only.
Predicted Increases:
* Beamrider: to 700
* Circus Atari: to 900
* Cosmic Commuter: to 500
* Demons to Diamonds: to 900
* Jungler: to 10,000
* Millipede (2600): to 9,000
* Missile Command: to 6,000
* Rack 'Em Up: to 5,000
* River Raid: to 6,000
* Scramble: to 10,000
* Space Armada: to 9,000 (doubtful)
* Star Strike: to 100
* Submarine Commander: to 100
* Super Breakout: to 10,000
* Time Pilot: to 7,000
* Tower of Doom: to 900
* Tutankham: to 9,000 (doubtful)
* Vectron: to 70
Possible Other Increases:
* Battlezone: to 6,000 (not likely)
* Dodge 'Em; to 600
* Keystone Kapers: to 4,000
* Millipede: to 4,000
* Road Fighter: to 30,000
* Shao-lin's Road: to 30,000
My estimated leaderboard total for today (when i used the irr method) are a cumulative total of estimated leaderboards at 505,752. That is quite possibly a little high (if i was +/- 10% i would be sort of ok with it). So, if you follow through and estimate sales of ranked games based off of a bad estimate of leaderboard numbers, you would get 442,533 game sales (obviously ranked only). Remember these are based off of the numbers i have "estimated" only.
Predicted Increases:
* Beamrider: to 700
* Circus Atari: to 900
* Cosmic Commuter: to 500
* Demons to Diamonds: to 900
* Jungler: to 10,000
* Millipede (2600): to 9,000
* Missile Command: to 6,000
* Rack 'Em Up: to 5,000
* River Raid: to 6,000
* Scramble: to 10,000
* Space Armada: to 9,000 (doubtful)
* Star Strike: to 100
* Submarine Commander: to 100
* Super Breakout: to 10,000
* Time Pilot: to 7,000
* Tower of Doom: to 900
* Tutankham: to 9,000 (doubtful)
* Vectron: to 70
Possible Other Increases:
* Battlezone: to 6,000 (not likely)
* Dodge 'Em; to 600
* Keystone Kapers: to 4,000
* Millipede: to 4,000
* Road Fighter: to 30,000
* Shao-lin's Road: to 30,000
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Game Room - The June 2011 Report
i decided to do my first monthly installment of Game Room's leaderboard check. i tried unsuccessfully on my Xbox 360 four times (once leaderboards were down, 3 hard freezes). i would strongly recommend using the PC version if you can (as the Xbox version is highly unstable). The PC version will still crash on exit 100% of the time. Well i guess it is June, so here is my report
The data is from leaderboard checks on June 11th and 13th (i think). My last check before then was May 9th. i will try to do another check sometime in (early or mid) July. i'm not sure if i'll put up a prediction post for July.
Observed Increases:
* Asteroids: 6,000 (+1K)
* Asteroids Deluxe: 30,000 (+10K Windows Phone 7 impact?) P
* Battlezone: 5,000 (+1K) P
* Beamrider: 600 (+100) P
* Breakout (2600): 700 (+100)
* Foodfight: 2,000 (+1K)
* Galactic Warriors: 600 (+100)
* Missile Command (2600): 600 (+100)
* Off the Wall: 200 (+100)
* Plaque Attack: 600 (+100)
* Stampede: 2,000 (+1K)
* Submarine Commander: 90 (+10) P
* Thin Ice: 700 (+100)
* Tower of Doom; 800 (+100) P
* TwinBee: 2,000 (+1K)
* Yar's Revenge: 10,000 (+1K) P
* Gravitar: 3,000 (+1k) P
* Missile Command: 5,000 (+1K) P
* Space Armada: 8,000 (+1K) P
* Tutankham: 8,000 (+1K) P
The total observed increase (based off leaderboards displayed only) for the one month plus period was 20 games for 20,810. That doesn't strike me as overall very good, but it is if you consider the state Game Room is in. Maybe the Windows phone version is spurring sales on the Xbox/PC side (or maybe the games were close to increases anyway).
My predictions were at about the usual level. i missed half of the increases and 15 of my 25 predictions may have been premature (10 weren't, even though some of them were repeats). The bold "P" denotes a game that i said might increase in the period (see my prediction post).
The data is from leaderboard checks on June 11th and 13th (i think). My last check before then was May 9th. i will try to do another check sometime in (early or mid) July. i'm not sure if i'll put up a prediction post for July.
Observed Increases:
* Asteroids: 6,000 (+1K)
* Asteroids Deluxe: 30,000 (+10K Windows Phone 7 impact?) P
* Battlezone: 5,000 (+1K) P
* Beamrider: 600 (+100) P
* Breakout (2600): 700 (+100)
* Foodfight: 2,000 (+1K)
* Galactic Warriors: 600 (+100)
* Missile Command (2600): 600 (+100)
* Off the Wall: 200 (+100)
* Plaque Attack: 600 (+100)
* Stampede: 2,000 (+1K)
* Submarine Commander: 90 (+10) P
* Thin Ice: 700 (+100)
* Tower of Doom; 800 (+100) P
* TwinBee: 2,000 (+1K)
* Yar's Revenge: 10,000 (+1K) P
* Gravitar: 3,000 (+1k) P
* Missile Command: 5,000 (+1K) P
* Space Armada: 8,000 (+1K) P
* Tutankham: 8,000 (+1K) P
The total observed increase (based off leaderboards displayed only) for the one month plus period was 20 games for 20,810. That doesn't strike me as overall very good, but it is if you consider the state Game Room is in. Maybe the Windows phone version is spurring sales on the Xbox/PC side (or maybe the games were close to increases anyway).
My predictions were at about the usual level. i missed half of the increases and 15 of my 25 predictions may have been premature (10 weren't, even though some of them were repeats). The bold "P" denotes a game that i said might increase in the period (see my prediction post).
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Portable Gaming: My problems and $250, really?
i have been thinking about portable gaming recently. No, i have not decided to purchase a PSP, a Vita or a 3DS. i guess it is just that E3 put a spotlight on these devices.
i was kind of wondering about the prices (especially Vita and 3DS)... Basically a portable gaming system has pretty much always been the weaker sibling of the home console. The Game Boy was a weaker SNES, the Game Gear a weaker Genesis, etc. So now, how is it that portable systems are actually more expensive than their console counterparts (while offering less functionality)?
i know this is the age of the smart phone (another trend i don't get), but should portability cost extra - especially when you get less for your money? It is not like these portables are such super advanced multi-function devices. i get that these companies have R&D costs to recover. However, $250 seems kind of steep.
i was kind of wondering about the prices (especially Vita and 3DS)... Basically a portable gaming system has pretty much always been the weaker sibling of the home console. The Game Boy was a weaker SNES, the Game Gear a weaker Genesis, etc. So now, how is it that portable systems are actually more expensive than their console counterparts (while offering less functionality)?
i know this is the age of the smart phone (another trend i don't get), but should portability cost extra - especially when you get less for your money? It is not like these portables are such super advanced multi-function devices. i get that these companies have R&D costs to recover. However, $250 seems kind of steep.
My Week in Video Games - Through June 11, 2011
This week was a busy one for the video game sector. E3 happened with all of the various announcements and demos, etc. So what have i been thinking about this week?
E3
As i mentioned E3 was this week. E3 has changed a lot from the "golden age" in the 90s and early 2000s. Now it seems to be targeted more to the mainstream press than a bunch of narrow interest sites. E3 was also a little better when people didn't have 1,000+ outlets to leak information. Apparently people don't respect non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) anymore.
Nintendo announced the Wii U (which is a really stupid name). Basically, they will likely advertise it as the Wii for You (you being the more "hardcore" gamer). The release date is still a ways off. The one strange thing about this console is the ridiculously large controller. It kind of sounds a little like a much advanced version of the Dreamcast VMU. Personally, i am not a fan of touch interfaces - so i have already written off the conosle (plus its Nintendo).
E3
As i mentioned E3 was this week. E3 has changed a lot from the "golden age" in the 90s and early 2000s. Now it seems to be targeted more to the mainstream press than a bunch of narrow interest sites. E3 was also a little better when people didn't have 1,000+ outlets to leak information. Apparently people don't respect non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) anymore.
Nintendo announced the Wii U (which is a really stupid name). Basically, they will likely advertise it as the Wii for You (you being the more "hardcore" gamer). The release date is still a ways off. The one strange thing about this console is the ridiculously large controller. It kind of sounds a little like a much advanced version of the Dreamcast VMU. Personally, i am not a fan of touch interfaces - so i have already written off the conosle (plus its Nintendo).
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Kinect: In Defense of Kinect
Well, i have seen the ravenous ire of the self-professed "hard core gamer" coming out of E3. Yes, i get it, some of you would never accept Kinect if it had the best game ever released. Yes, the early going has been somewhat rough, but here is why i don't agree with the doubters.
i do have a Kinect that i haven't played in a while (outside the recent Kinect Fun Lab stuff). One of the reasons is the game selection. A bigger reason may be that it makes me sore in some way every time i use it. Now for some random points. i do believe that Kinect should see a $25-$50 price cut at TGS or PAX Prime (ahead of the holiday rush).
1) Lag: lag in some games is more noticeable than others. i really don't notice it that much in the 5 games i currently have. There is some kind of lag already in every video game ever released. A big part of the problem with apparent Kinect lag is that one of the biggest potential lags here is the player. A game like Kinect Adventures (or Kinect Sports) may appear to some to have a greater lag, because it has to prompt players a little earlier for certain events.
2) No Controller: this is a paradigm that some people can't get their heads around. Basically, the controller itself is an abstraction. You have various buttons perform in game actions. The Kinect is basically using a punch instead of the B-button. So, it really isn't that different (in theory) from a regular controller. Yes, there are numerous potential ways to actually move without a thumb stick.
My favorite potential method would be having a center base region with no movement - a step forward past a line of demarcation would be equivalent to moving the thumb stick forward. i don't see why you couldn't just stay moving forward as long as you are forward of the center mark (holding the stick if you will). In other words just standing forward of the line would be constant movement. The same could be done with backward motion. i guess the problem with this scenario is that people tend to shift around a lot while playing.
3) The Games are Too "Kiddie": the simplified game (like mini-game collections) are one of the best ways for companies to get acquainted with the new technology. Eventually, you will see companies expand and improve what they can do (it may take several waves of game to do so). We're not there yet motion controls are still a relatively young paradigm. The Kinect method is younger still and less abstract than the Move or Wii (basically, those two have less demands on them). There are a lot of cool things that can and will be done with Kinect in the future. i would love a Too Human Kinect or RPG game, or even a decent platformer. There are ways to play "hard core" games with this type of control mechanism. Ironically, i think i might be able to target enemies in shooters better if i didn't have to use the thumbstick to do it.
4) The Software Will Improve: there is a difference of opinion among some on how much the Kinect can actually be improved over time. This may deal with a greater emphasis on "guessing" movements (to reduce lag), increased functionalities (like finger tracking), even may reducing distance needed. i believe there will eventually be a better responding Kinect 2, but the current model can be improved (regardless of real specifications). There are real limitations (but there is for everything else too).
5) Video Games Are Getting Stale: for me this is one of the factors why i was interested in Kinect. Basically, the video game market seems to be devolving into Hollywood - where everything feels like a rehashed sequel (well in Hollywood, almost everything is). How many shooters can they release in a year? Kinect is a place where developers can experiment a little with new mechanics, newer ("non-blockbuster") story lines, etc. Couple Kinect with XBLA and Indie games and you could see some really interesting stuff - it won't sell millions, but it will be a value added proposition for the console as a whole.
6) Voice Recognition: this was one of the things i liked about Kinect. The ability (expanding) to navigate the console with voice commands. The Bing search is a big plus in that direction. i also like the idea of using voice commands to help play the game. If it can reduce button presses maybe the controllers will last longer.
7) Hybrid Games: using certain Kinect functionality with a controller is an ineteresting concept. However, this will likely be utilized mostly for moving the camera and voice commands. i, for one, hope that this potential camera implementation will be better than the disappointing camera schemes i have seen so many of this generation. Basically moving camera up to 120°. It would be kind of nice to limit the dual thumbstick movement.
8) Misc.: No Virginia, Kinect games do not have to be on-rails. However, i would like to see more games that are. Revisiting lost genres and mechanics is also one of the potential benefits to Kinect. i could really go for a Spyro-ish (the Insomniac version) platformer for Kinect. There needs to be at least one "lightgun" style game released for this. i know i am getting kind of tired of the sandbox for sandbox sake games. Sure Oblivion was "huge" and there was a lot to see, but most of it was pretty worthless (virtually identical caves with little real purpose). i would much rather have a game on-rails with a better story than a sandbox game (with a weak story). Come on MSFT give me a100 hour turn based RPG for Kinect.
i do have a Kinect that i haven't played in a while (outside the recent Kinect Fun Lab stuff). One of the reasons is the game selection. A bigger reason may be that it makes me sore in some way every time i use it. Now for some random points. i do believe that Kinect should see a $25-$50 price cut at TGS or PAX Prime (ahead of the holiday rush).
1) Lag: lag in some games is more noticeable than others. i really don't notice it that much in the 5 games i currently have. There is some kind of lag already in every video game ever released. A big part of the problem with apparent Kinect lag is that one of the biggest potential lags here is the player. A game like Kinect Adventures (or Kinect Sports) may appear to some to have a greater lag, because it has to prompt players a little earlier for certain events.
2) No Controller: this is a paradigm that some people can't get their heads around. Basically, the controller itself is an abstraction. You have various buttons perform in game actions. The Kinect is basically using a punch instead of the B-button. So, it really isn't that different (in theory) from a regular controller. Yes, there are numerous potential ways to actually move without a thumb stick.
My favorite potential method would be having a center base region with no movement - a step forward past a line of demarcation would be equivalent to moving the thumb stick forward. i don't see why you couldn't just stay moving forward as long as you are forward of the center mark (holding the stick if you will). In other words just standing forward of the line would be constant movement. The same could be done with backward motion. i guess the problem with this scenario is that people tend to shift around a lot while playing.
3) The Games are Too "Kiddie": the simplified game (like mini-game collections) are one of the best ways for companies to get acquainted with the new technology. Eventually, you will see companies expand and improve what they can do (it may take several waves of game to do so). We're not there yet motion controls are still a relatively young paradigm. The Kinect method is younger still and less abstract than the Move or Wii (basically, those two have less demands on them). There are a lot of cool things that can and will be done with Kinect in the future. i would love a Too Human Kinect or RPG game, or even a decent platformer. There are ways to play "hard core" games with this type of control mechanism. Ironically, i think i might be able to target enemies in shooters better if i didn't have to use the thumbstick to do it.
4) The Software Will Improve: there is a difference of opinion among some on how much the Kinect can actually be improved over time. This may deal with a greater emphasis on "guessing" movements (to reduce lag), increased functionalities (like finger tracking), even may reducing distance needed. i believe there will eventually be a better responding Kinect 2, but the current model can be improved (regardless of real specifications). There are real limitations (but there is for everything else too).
5) Video Games Are Getting Stale: for me this is one of the factors why i was interested in Kinect. Basically, the video game market seems to be devolving into Hollywood - where everything feels like a rehashed sequel (well in Hollywood, almost everything is). How many shooters can they release in a year? Kinect is a place where developers can experiment a little with new mechanics, newer ("non-blockbuster") story lines, etc. Couple Kinect with XBLA and Indie games and you could see some really interesting stuff - it won't sell millions, but it will be a value added proposition for the console as a whole.
6) Voice Recognition: this was one of the things i liked about Kinect. The ability (expanding) to navigate the console with voice commands. The Bing search is a big plus in that direction. i also like the idea of using voice commands to help play the game. If it can reduce button presses maybe the controllers will last longer.
7) Hybrid Games: using certain Kinect functionality with a controller is an ineteresting concept. However, this will likely be utilized mostly for moving the camera and voice commands. i, for one, hope that this potential camera implementation will be better than the disappointing camera schemes i have seen so many of this generation. Basically moving camera up to 120°. It would be kind of nice to limit the dual thumbstick movement.
8) Misc.: No Virginia, Kinect games do not have to be on-rails. However, i would like to see more games that are. Revisiting lost genres and mechanics is also one of the potential benefits to Kinect. i could really go for a Spyro-ish (the Insomniac version) platformer for Kinect. There needs to be at least one "lightgun" style game released for this. i know i am getting kind of tired of the sandbox for sandbox sake games. Sure Oblivion was "huge" and there was a lot to see, but most of it was pretty worthless (virtually identical caves with little real purpose). i would much rather have a game on-rails with a better story than a sandbox game (with a weak story). Come on MSFT give me a100 hour turn based RPG for Kinect.
Monday, June 6, 2011
E3 2011: Microsoft Briefing Impressions
Microsoft had its big E3 presser today (i watched on TV).
i know the self-professed "hard core" gamer will decry this as one of the worst E3 press conferences ever. However, despite their delusion, they are not the target audience for much of what is coming out. Basically, the era of the old E3 (massive announcements) is over. Now it is service the "hard core" - which MSFT did with Gears of War 3, Call of Duty Modern Warfare, Tomb Raider,etc. Who cares if those titles have already been announced - E3 is now about more than the "fan" press. Gaming has achieved more mainstream status and the press conferences had to adapt (to more of a portfolio approach - show off a bit of everything). That said, the only real impact announcement i saw was Halo 4 (also 5 and 6 confirmed).
Much of the story for me with the MSFT presser was what wasn't there. There was no Gunstringer, no Rare (BigPark apparently is doing Kinect Sports Season 2) and how many of the rumors turned out to be not ready for prime time. Though that does not mean some of them aren't true. i have to think they have more going on that was announced. Voice commands were one of the things i wanted to see expand with Kinect - it looks like i'm getting my wish.
Disappointments:
* Kinect Star Wars - much of the disappointment i have with the title is that it has so many references to the prequels. i prefer to think the prequels never happened. i know demos have issues (particularly on big stages with motion sensitive games), but this really didn't look that good. Sure, this had control issues and seemed kind of bland, but it should sell well (with a little more polish and decent marketing).
Indifferent (not my "cup of tea"):
* Gears of War 3
* Modern Warfare 3
* Tomb Raider - i don't like the button press prompts
* EA Sports Stuff
* Ghost Recon Future Solider - gunsmith mode looked interesting
* YouTube - i guess it is sort of cool
* UFC service - i like the interactivity component, UFC itself - not so much
* Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary
* Minecraft Kinect
* Kinect Disneyland Adventures - looks somewhat like a Disneyfied version of Kinect Adventures (not a bad thing).
* Sesame Street: Once Upon a Monster - this is unapologetically aimed at the younger demographic.
* Dance Central 2: The first game was decent except the song selection kind of sucks. This version adds two player dance battles, campaign mode, the ability to import all songs from the first game and some other stuff. Why do "dance" songs have to be so bad?
Could Be Interesting:
* Mass Effect 3 - i kind of like the way the implemented Kinect voice commands into this one. However, i didn't really like the combat in the second game (generic 3rd person shooter).
* Bing voice search - voice activated search for all thing XBL, sound cool if implemented across basically everything
* New Xbox interface - hopefully it will be a lot faster than the current glacial New Xbox Experience.
* Live television - it isn't exactly the XBL Platinum rumored, but it could be interesting
* Ryse (previously Codename Kingdoms) - this game actually looks interesting to me. It seems to be a Kinect Brawler. This is definitely on my list of games to watch for. However, who knows when it will release.
* Forza 4 - i have owned all of the Forza games so far. However, i am not sure if i will get this one. i liked that Forza 3 was forgiving, i'm not sure 4 will have the same level of accessibility.
* Fable: The Journey - this looks way different from previous Fable games. i am curious how this one will turn out. The demo they showed was not great, but they have a while to nail things down (2012 release) - this is the first openly 2012 title i will be keeping my eyes on.
* Kinect Fun Labs - Apps for Kinect, the big question here is how much support will this actually see. Also where are they ultimately going with this?
* Kinect Sports: The Second Season - This is the sequel to the multi-million selling Kinect Sports. Apparently this is being developed by BigPark (what exactly is Rare doing?). This is basically eerily similar to Wii Sports. Games are scheduled to include Baseball (awesome), Tennis, Golf, Skiing, Football (US version) and Darts (is that really a sport?).
Edit: Apparently, Kinect Sports: The Second Season is being developed by Rare and BigPark
i know the self-professed "hard core" gamer will decry this as one of the worst E3 press conferences ever. However, despite their delusion, they are not the target audience for much of what is coming out. Basically, the era of the old E3 (massive announcements) is over. Now it is service the "hard core" - which MSFT did with Gears of War 3, Call of Duty Modern Warfare, Tomb Raider,etc. Who cares if those titles have already been announced - E3 is now about more than the "fan" press. Gaming has achieved more mainstream status and the press conferences had to adapt (to more of a portfolio approach - show off a bit of everything). That said, the only real impact announcement i saw was Halo 4 (also 5 and 6 confirmed).
Much of the story for me with the MSFT presser was what wasn't there. There was no Gunstringer, no Rare (BigPark apparently is doing Kinect Sports Season 2) and how many of the rumors turned out to be not ready for prime time. Though that does not mean some of them aren't true. i have to think they have more going on that was announced. Voice commands were one of the things i wanted to see expand with Kinect - it looks like i'm getting my wish.
Disappointments:
* Kinect Star Wars - much of the disappointment i have with the title is that it has so many references to the prequels. i prefer to think the prequels never happened. i know demos have issues (particularly on big stages with motion sensitive games), but this really didn't look that good. Sure, this had control issues and seemed kind of bland, but it should sell well (with a little more polish and decent marketing).
Indifferent (not my "cup of tea"):
* Gears of War 3
* Modern Warfare 3
* Tomb Raider - i don't like the button press prompts
* EA Sports Stuff
* Ghost Recon Future Solider - gunsmith mode looked interesting
* YouTube - i guess it is sort of cool
* UFC service - i like the interactivity component, UFC itself - not so much
* Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary
* Minecraft Kinect
* Kinect Disneyland Adventures - looks somewhat like a Disneyfied version of Kinect Adventures (not a bad thing).
* Sesame Street: Once Upon a Monster - this is unapologetically aimed at the younger demographic.
* Dance Central 2: The first game was decent except the song selection kind of sucks. This version adds two player dance battles, campaign mode, the ability to import all songs from the first game and some other stuff. Why do "dance" songs have to be so bad?
Could Be Interesting:
* Mass Effect 3 - i kind of like the way the implemented Kinect voice commands into this one. However, i didn't really like the combat in the second game (generic 3rd person shooter).
* Bing voice search - voice activated search for all thing XBL, sound cool if implemented across basically everything
* New Xbox interface - hopefully it will be a lot faster than the current glacial New Xbox Experience.
* Live television - it isn't exactly the XBL Platinum rumored, but it could be interesting
* Ryse (previously Codename Kingdoms) - this game actually looks interesting to me. It seems to be a Kinect Brawler. This is definitely on my list of games to watch for. However, who knows when it will release.
* Forza 4 - i have owned all of the Forza games so far. However, i am not sure if i will get this one. i liked that Forza 3 was forgiving, i'm not sure 4 will have the same level of accessibility.
* Fable: The Journey - this looks way different from previous Fable games. i am curious how this one will turn out. The demo they showed was not great, but they have a while to nail things down (2012 release) - this is the first openly 2012 title i will be keeping my eyes on.
* Kinect Fun Labs - Apps for Kinect, the big question here is how much support will this actually see. Also where are they ultimately going with this?
* Kinect Sports: The Second Season - This is the sequel to the multi-million selling Kinect Sports. Apparently this is being developed by BigPark (what exactly is Rare doing?). This is basically eerily similar to Wii Sports. Games are scheduled to include Baseball (awesome), Tennis, Golf, Skiing, Football (US version) and Darts (is that really a sport?).
Edit: Apparently, Kinect Sports: The Second Season is being developed by Rare and BigPark
E3 2011: Microsoft - Kinect Fun Labs
So, Microsoft had their big E3 briefing today (which i decided to watch on Spike). One of the things that came out today was Kinect Fun Labs.
Warining: launching Kinect Fun Labs without the Kinect sensor on is a bad idea. It kept giving me error messages that i couldn't bypass, even the guide button was not working to get out.
Kinect Fun Labs is basically a series of bite sized proof of concept "apps". They range from things like object scanning to person scanning. Really there are about 4 or so up currently (all free, all with 50 gamerscore each). This currently consists of Googly Eyes, Kinect Me, Build a Buddy and BobbleHead. Sparkler was shown at E3, but not up yet. Maybe i will try and post a few pictures if Kinectshare.com is still working. No, you cannot use the Kinect Me version as your avatar.
So, i've tried out all the available "games"... Basically this is a 770+ MB file (with other files to be downloaded at 200+ MB). The interface is kind of slow (can be launched from the Community section or Kinect Dashboard).
This mostly comes from the people at Good Science (Kinect Adventures, i wish they would have announced a sequel instead).
Edit: Here is a picture from one of them (too bad Blogger doesn't seem to be an easy way to embed WMV files - if there is it is really, really slow)
BobbleHead (not a very good scan result, they are both supposed to be me). It is kind of annoying in this and Kinect Me to line up for "scans" of your face. The glasses are a generic addition. i hope that isn't supposed to be the Space Needle in the background (if it is that is kind of pathetic).
Warining: launching Kinect Fun Labs without the Kinect sensor on is a bad idea. It kept giving me error messages that i couldn't bypass, even the guide button was not working to get out.
Kinect Fun Labs is basically a series of bite sized proof of concept "apps". They range from things like object scanning to person scanning. Really there are about 4 or so up currently (all free, all with 50 gamerscore each). This currently consists of Googly Eyes, Kinect Me, Build a Buddy and BobbleHead. Sparkler was shown at E3, but not up yet. Maybe i will try and post a few pictures if Kinectshare.com is still working. No, you cannot use the Kinect Me version as your avatar.
So, i've tried out all the available "games"... Basically this is a 770+ MB file (with other files to be downloaded at 200+ MB). The interface is kind of slow (can be launched from the Community section or Kinect Dashboard).
This mostly comes from the people at Good Science (Kinect Adventures, i wish they would have announced a sequel instead).
Edit: Here is a picture from one of them (too bad Blogger doesn't seem to be an easy way to embed WMV files - if there is it is really, really slow)
BobbleHead (not a very good scan result, they are both supposed to be me). It is kind of annoying in this and Kinect Me to line up for "scans" of your face. The glasses are a generic addition. i hope that isn't supposed to be the Space Needle in the background (if it is that is kind of pathetic).
Friday, June 3, 2011
Dview: BioShock 2 (Xbox 360)
The Bottom Line:
BioShock 2 is a shooter that finds us going back to the magical undersea base called Rapture. This game takes place years after the first game. So, the question might be - is this game as good as the first one? i would say not even close. The BioShock game (which i have to re-beat... eventually) had a certain element where the environment/ambiance was far superior (especially the first play). Also, Andrew Ryan was a much, much better character than Dr. Lamb. They both wanted a kind of utopia, but on opposite ends of the spectrum. The sequel did add Big Sisters (which are mostly annoying) and changed the way hacking was done. BioShock 2 has a shorter story and added multi-player. If you played the first BioShock, you know what to expect (just a slightly shorter and worse version). If you haven't played the first game, it is basically a shooter with plasmids (kind of like magic) and a little bit of RPG elements. Ultimately, the star of the game was Rapture itself.
Apparently there are 3 add-ons that i do not have (at least ones with achievements). They are: Rapture Metro Pack, The Protector Trials and Minerva's Den.
Grade: C+
What to Expect:
* More Big Daddies to fight
* Little Sisters to rescue or not
* Splicers (enemies) to attack - they might respawn at certain points
* A bunch of plasmids and tonics to use (some of questionable usefulness) to find or buy
* 100 Audio Tapes scattered throughout Rapture to find (give a little bit backstory)
* Upgradable (three levels) weapons
* Kind of a short main story
How i Played:
* Difficulty: Casual
* Play Time: 10-11 hours (beat it in two days) - story only, no online
* Achievements: 25 (for 535 Gamerscore)
* Verdict: Rent or Buy Cheap
Achievements:
There are 50 achievements available in the game (18 more with all the DLC). They are for things like: upgrading weapons, hacking, researching, dealing with Little Sisters and story related events. There are also multi-player achievements (unfortunately). 12 of the 50 achievements for the base game fall into that category (about 210/1,000).
BioShock 2 is a shooter that finds us going back to the magical undersea base called Rapture. This game takes place years after the first game. So, the question might be - is this game as good as the first one? i would say not even close. The BioShock game (which i have to re-beat... eventually) had a certain element where the environment/ambiance was far superior (especially the first play). Also, Andrew Ryan was a much, much better character than Dr. Lamb. They both wanted a kind of utopia, but on opposite ends of the spectrum. The sequel did add Big Sisters (which are mostly annoying) and changed the way hacking was done. BioShock 2 has a shorter story and added multi-player. If you played the first BioShock, you know what to expect (just a slightly shorter and worse version). If you haven't played the first game, it is basically a shooter with plasmids (kind of like magic) and a little bit of RPG elements. Ultimately, the star of the game was Rapture itself.
Apparently there are 3 add-ons that i do not have (at least ones with achievements). They are: Rapture Metro Pack, The Protector Trials and Minerva's Den.
Grade: C+
What to Expect:
* More Big Daddies to fight
* Little Sisters to rescue or not
* Splicers (enemies) to attack - they might respawn at certain points
* A bunch of plasmids and tonics to use (some of questionable usefulness) to find or buy
* 100 Audio Tapes scattered throughout Rapture to find (give a little bit backstory)
* Upgradable (three levels) weapons
* Kind of a short main story
How i Played:
* Difficulty: Casual
* Play Time: 10-11 hours (beat it in two days) - story only, no online
* Achievements: 25 (for 535 Gamerscore)
* Verdict: Rent or Buy Cheap
Achievements:
There are 50 achievements available in the game (18 more with all the DLC). They are for things like: upgrading weapons, hacking, researching, dealing with Little Sisters and story related events. There are also multi-player achievements (unfortunately). 12 of the 50 achievements for the base game fall into that category (about 210/1,000).
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