Fallout 3 (Xbox 360)

Welcome to my review of fallout 3.

First things first. I have already spoken on the matter of
this game freezing. Some people may encounter it on a daily basis.
With others it may not freezee at all, although that is unconfirmed
I suppose. The game does have an autosave feature, but if the game freezes
expect many a frustrating moment. Especially for sauch a vast game like this.
With that said, let us move on to the game itself.

The plot of the game revolves around a rather grim world in which everything
has been contaminated with radiation. It's upto the players to find out how
to survive in this world. It may be easy, or hard. It eventually falls upon the player.
I will not delve into the plot any further, since I do not wish to spoil it.

Gameplay is actually freeform. You can do whatever you want, whenever you want.
Survival will take top priority, and it may lead to selfish decisions within the
game. However, this is upto the player. The world itself is massive. Few games are
of this scope in the next gen arena. You can go exploring and forget about the
main quest altogether, but beware the wastelands are not a friendly place. Always
be prepared for encounters that will test your wit and skill. Feel like you're
cornered? Run away from battle! Not everything is expected in this game, so be
prepared to make tactical choices that will benefit you. The world also has a
vast number of NPC's to interact with. Some are good, some are bad. How you interact
with them is completely upto you. This is a true next gen game.

Graphics are nice, but don't expect much to look at. This is a wasteland after all.
Don't expect the vast open landscapes of oblivion. Expect garbage, and lots of it.
It is fun to look at, and the level of detail is astounding. Also, I have yet to
see another game of this scope.

The sound is one of this games highpoints. It is very well done, and sometimes when
you're out exploring, you may hear a distant gunshot, or explosion. At first I thought
this was some sort of pre-programmed effect, but I soon found out that these were actual
battles occurring within the game world. Expect a good audio experience.

To sum it up, this is the game is in a leage of its own. Sadly, the only thing wrong
with it was the freezing. It may turn away gamers. Some may even be daunted by the
massive game world. Even with its oddball flaws, the game remains a masterpiece.
Bethseda would be smart to make sure that the next fallout game is not in any way
glitchy.

The infamous Fallout 3 freeze.

This is my first encounter with this strange glitch.
I have now seen that many people have experienced the
same issue across all platforms, and I have tried to come up
with a solution to the problem, and I have found out some facts.
Please note, thats these facts are actually my opinion, due to personal
tinkering with the game itself.

1) I have first encountered this freezeglitch at the Shalebridge anthill.
Upon entering the anthill, I can leave and re-enter with no problem. HOWEVER,
upon traveling deeper into the anthill, I notice several actions within the game that
will trigger freezing. They are as follow. A) Two invader ants fighting with the docile ants.
B) There is an ant researcher that seems to fall into a radioactive puddle. C) A blotch of
red animated blood appears. It is in mid-air, and repeats its animation, over and over.

With that being seen, I left the cave and re-entered. Upon re-entering the game will freeze
while loading. It would seem that the problem is within the game itself. IT IS NOT A DISC PROBLEM.
IT IS NOT A HARD-DRIVE ISSUE. IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH CLEARING THE CACHE. IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE HARDWARE AT ALL.
It simply has to do
with the game not being scoped out completely for bugs. Thus, some bugs remained. This is
my personal opinion, and honestly I think that others will come to the same conclusion.
I would have to say that there are many other bugs like this within the game, at several
locations. How the bugs occurs is unknown at this moment.

Resident Evil 5 (Xbox 360)

One of the greatest co-op experiences in the current gen of consoles.

Resident Evil 5 sees you take the role as Chris Redfield, as he investigates reports of bioweapons in Africa. There he meets up with Sheva Alomar, and they become partners.

You can choose to play with the CPU as your partner, but it really is a great experience to hook up on Xbox live, and go at it with a friend. You can also grab another controller, and fight in splitscreen. It's a blast. Any fan of co-op has to pick up this title.

The graphics are incredible. They take advantage of the current gen of consoles. Expect alot of eye-candy.

The sound is fanastic. Expect nothing less.

Gameplay is top-notch. You'll have alot of fun, and there's alot of replay value.

Quite possibly, the best title of this current gen. Pick it up, if your going online, my personal advice is that you use Xbox Live. Have fun!

Fable 3 (Xbox 360)

After the stunning success that Fable 2 has enjoyed with the RPG community...it would not be a surprise if Fable 3 is announced at E3 2009.


Although Lionhead studios has expressed an interest in creating Fable 3, 4, and 5...nothing has officially been announced by Lionhead.

...and what of the "secret" project? Personally, it should be B.C. or perhaps a Black and White sequel. I know nothing about Dimitri, and maybe that project should be on hold.


That is just my opinion.

N3 II Ninety Nine Nights 2 (Xbox 360)

Although the original title recieved mixed reviews...ninety nine nights was easy to pick up, and play.

The characters are also cool. In the process it gained a following, and ultimately this could have lead to the announcement of its sequel.

There are alot of things that needs work on this title, but Phantagram has the advantage of working closely with Microsoft.

If everything falls into place...who knows? We may have a top-notch title on our hands.

A call to co-op!

I picked up a game called Dead rising, and I realized how great it would of been if it was co-op.

Why is it that some companies refuse to admit that co-op rocks?

Atleast Resident Evil 5 is co-op...

Maybe Capcom will make it that way with Dead Rising 2?


We will see.

Monster Hunter Freedom 2 (PSP)

This game was originally launched in Japan, and later in North America to a small audience.
Although, that may be changing, it is actually quite deserving of attention for many reasons.

Gameplay: The gameplay in itself consists of several factors, such as gathering, slaying, and most importantly hunting. Although some might find the controls on the psp to be cumbersome, to me it is genius. Considering that there are limited buttons to work with on the psp. Gathering will have the player running about the gorgeous locations in search of resources. In example: honey, bones, and hides. Such items can the be used to make, armor, swords, bow, guns, and even its ammunition.


Slaying consists of the player battling a number of enemies.

Hunting is the real agenda of this game. Usually, players must not only bring their item for these quests, but also their skills, in order to defeat massive boss characters, such as Yian-kut-ku, Khezu, and the feared Tigrex. Hunting will test the skill of any gamer, and may go on to the very last minutes. (You are given a set amount of time to complet missions, usually fifty minutes.) This can lead to climactic battles of epic proportions.


Graphics: The graphics in this game are easily the best that are seen on the psp. I have yet to see better than this on the psp. Not only that, but the locations in which the player will traverse are just beautiful to look at.

Sound: The sound in this game is ambient. Such as birds chirping, a noisy forest, or the deep rumblings within a volcano. It is nicely done, and one should listen to a great battle occurring within a cave, it will give you an idea of how good the sound is.

If you own a psp, then this is a must have title for the handheld, and is yet to be beat by any other.


Gameplay: 10 out of 10
Graphics: 10 out of 10
Sound: 10 out of 10

LG Rumor2 (Sprint)

Pros: The new design is cooler. Changeable backplates, now has Bluetooth stereo, 4x more memory cap, and comes in two trims.

Cons: The front key pad is cramped. Camera is plainly for on the spot moments.

Summary: I think the CNET article is wrong when it says that there were no improvements. There were many. The first is the improved QWERTY keypad. It now has an extra row for numbers, a directional pad and a quick emoticon key, that I find I use much more than I should.

It also has Bluetooth Stereo (I have a bluetooth stereo headphones and speakers) so that is well needed.

It also has 16 GB max mem capacity, which means I can store alot more songs....when I upgrade my mem card.

It has threaded SMS, a good Sprint navigator (which got me around LA) that doesn't require EVDO and I find it to be a good messaging device. I don't websurf or use alot of multimedia features, so why would I need EVDO?

I'm sure LG was looking for a lower cost device in these times to fight the higher spec'd SS Rant. The good thing about this phone is that is has a better feel and look than the cheap looking Rant. And the writer is wrong. LG does have a QWERTY device with EVDO and better camera.......it's called the LG LOTUS, a much better device.

Battle Vixens Volume 2 (paperback)

Hakufu runs into Ryomou, one of the most powerful Toushi at her school, with disastrous results. Girl-on-girl action has never been so vicious! Hakufu is a fighter who won’t ever back down from a challenge—but clearly no match for Ryomou, she takes quite a pounding. Will her stubbornness mean the end of her fighting career...and her life? Or will she be able to turn it around and come out on top?

 

Playstation Portable 2 (PSP2)

Many a people believe that the next sony handheld will ship in 2010. The original started strong, but is severly lacking in third-party support. Where are the big publishers? This must be the first priority with their next handheld. If not then it could spell certain doom for their handheld sector.

Specs (?)
15 Gigabyte mini blu-ray UMD
1.5 GHz core
Built-in flashdrive
Two-analog sticks
HD-screen

These specs are not 100 percent confirmed, and are likely to change.