26 Aug 2013

On TitanFall

by | posted in: Game News | 0

A lot has been said about Respawn Entertainment and Electronic Arts’s TitanFall. Many were impressed with the game’s opening reveal at this year’s E3 and continued to be impressed with what was shown at Gamescom.

I count myself amongst those who were impressed but I also recognize it could very well end up being nothing more than Call of Duty with mechs.

Will you use a Titan?

I have learned to not trust any of these staged multiplayer videos. Call of Duty titles, in particular, are notoriously more frantic and faster paced than these videos. With that in mind, I foresee many issues facing the Titans.

Hopping into a Titan seems like a poor life choice. Infantry are much more nimble and have the ability to oust a Titan pilot by getting on top of it or just bombard it from rooftops.

Just like a tank in Battlefield, a Titan’s survivability appears to be tied to the teammates who are around it. Will anyone actually hop on the back of a Titan to take pot shots at enemies? Or will snipers discourage that?

So many mysteries

I am very curious to see how Respawn will balance Titanfall. Impressive walkthroughs and mock ups are one thing but I remember Modern Warfare 2’s multiplayer reveal and what we ended up with in the final game. I sincerely hope history doesn’t repeat itself.

PlayStation 4 release?

If I were a betting man, I’d put chips down on a PlayStation 4 release in the fall of 2014.

14 Aug 2013

Call of Duty: Ghosts is a Call of Duty game

by | posted in: Game News | 1

Every year I look forward to the multiplayer reveal of Call of Duty games. I don’t know why I do. I’m not a huge Call of Duty fan. In fact, I would consider myself a fan of Treyarch’s efforts and that’s about it. Infinity Ward hasn’t been the same since they sent this franchise into a storm of killstreaks and air support.

This trailer doesn’t do the game many favors. Unlike with Battlefield 4, it’s not immediately evident that this is a next generation title. They also fail to give context to many of the game’s new features. Speaking with my brother who watched the “event”, it sounds like Infinity Ward is building upon what Black Ops 2 established.

“Does this game feature Gun Game?”

That is the most important question. It’s not going to stop me from picking it up but it will determine how long I hold onto it. I was very close to passing on it until Treyarch’s year but I thought to myself: I’ve purchased all the Call of Duty titles thus far, why stop now?

12 Mar 2013

Battlefield 3 PS3 MP Report #4

by | posted in: Reviews | 0

I haven’t played Battlefield 3’s multiplayer for quite some time. It’s not because it is inherently a bad game but there are some key design and polish issues that keep it from having the longevity and vibrancy that I saw in Battlefield: Bad Company 2’s multiplayer.

The lack of full fledged destruction affects replay value but it is the framerate that I find a bit off putting. It’s not quite 30 FPS at all times and after playing Black Ops II, the difference in consistent smoothness is noticeable. I can still play and if there was any reason to drop in and play a few rounds, I can do it and will play well. I just choose not to.

It is also wildly inconsistent with its visual make up unlike Bad Company 2. Certain textures looked incredibly muddy up close while others were fine. Again the lack of consistency hurts the overall product.

These complaints of consistency were always there but with the advent of new consoles and Battlefield 4. I can finally look forward to a superior Battlefield experience. With that in mind, I think it’s time to trade it in.

27 Feb 2013

Next-Generation F.A.Q

by | posted in: Editorials & Features | 0

question-blockI thought it would be a good idea to answer some of the hot topic questions people have been raising after the PlayStation 4 reveal. Many of these questions aren’t new and I’ve shared my opinions on some of them already but it would be a good idea to consolidate it all in one post.

 

1. How much would you pay for a PlayStation 4 and the next Xbox?

$499.99 CAD. I’ve paid over $599.99 CAD for a PlayStation 3 because I saw value with the backward compatibility but that was then. I don’t regret it per se but I don’t want to pay that much for a console again.

2. What is your stance on backwards compatibility?

Nice to have but not essential. I wouldn’t mind having the a premium version of a console with the old hardware chips included but if it means we can have more complex next generation systems at a lower cost, I am willing to give it up.

3. Would you pay $69.99 for next generation games?

No I wouldn’t but I also wouldn’t switch platforms or stop gaming because of that price point. All it means is that I will be further behind the curve while I wait for the price to drop to a number I’m willing to pay.Canadians already paid that price early in the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 days so that price point isn’t completely foreign to us.

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