29/12/2010

World of Keflings - Desert Kingdom

We got the final piece (I won't say how for those of you still playing) & can now travel to the Desert Kingdom. We arrived, had a look around. It seems smaller than the Forest Kingdom which will probably mean that you have not many blueprints like the Ice Kingdom which was disappointing, it was a small area & only had a handful of blueprints.

Anyhow back to the Desert Kingdom we had a little stroll around it feels like an Arabian village but our stay was brief because my daughter wanted to go back and finish off the Ice & Forest Kingdom. By finish off I mean she wants to harvest all the materials, finish all the blueprints & have everything looking nice.

We went to the Ice Kingdom first and had the majority of the keflings working on the ice blocks with a few on Ore, annoyingly you have to be present in the Kingdom otherwise the keflings sit bone idle. They do not happily work away in your absence, so we set about moving all the harvested material to the workshop. We have one blueprint left to do 'Long House' but require a burning heart which we have not yet found (Hopefully hiding underneath one of the material blocks).

Next the Forest Kingdom, we went for some easy acheivements first for emotions & kefling canon music. Still can't figure out the acheivement 25 decorative items, we easily have more than that. We took our little ice house & surrounded it with an ice wall, banner towers, pond  & some trees.

Then began the massive task of harvesting all the material, mainly wood & crystals. Luckily this uncovered some eyeballs & hearts, which we could then upgrade our abilities & get more keflings. We are nearly done on the forest kingdom & then the Desert Kingdom awaits, shame we can't fly there on a magic carpet.

New Game - Disc Drivin

A twitter post in the morning from Neil on a new turn based racing game called Disc Drivin. Turn based racing? Yes exactly that's what I thought, so I downloaded the free (ad - based) version to test with my son, after a few turns & some laughs at our failure we quickly realised that this will be a game that will be played. Carcassonne, Words & Chess with friends were all getting on a bit so we needed a new turn based game. The ads on the free version appear after every turn so we then went for the paid ad-free version. A post on UGVM, some twitter posts & by the end of the day quite a few from UGVM were playing.

If you have ever played the board game Pitch Car then you will know what to expect, you are a disc and you have to flick your way round a race track whilst using powerups.

The game does need a few more features like a friends list & a leaderboard maybe they could implement the 'Arpad Elo' system used in Carcassonne. Also it would be great if you could save the replay of your turn to a video file to show your great moves or epic failures.

New Game - Need for Speed Hot Pursuit

I did not enjoy the demo, I found it very difficult to control the cars. Yes I know it's a racing game & I'm crap at them but I'm sick of playing FPS games online all the time. Criterion done a very good job with Burnout Paradise so when I saw Hot Pursuit on sale for £23.99 it was a no brainer to buy.

You can start the game as a cop or racer and completing various events gives you experience points to level up which unlock cars & more events. The events are different types from your bog standard race to a classic chase HQ take out the racer in your cop car. I even managed to set the fastest time on some events which had my son shocked & amazed at my 'Skillz'. He then promptly spent the next hour trying to beat my score & did but oh well for that brief moment I enjoyed the notion that I was good at racing games. Your times are posted to an Autolog feature which challenges you when friends beat your time on a particular event. I have not yet tried an online race, hopefully a few on ugvm will have gotten this game over xmas so we can have a PMG in the new year.

Angry Birds Seasons XMAS - Completed

A novel take on the advent calender, Angry Birds xmas edition 'Greedings' gave you a level a day to play.

Some very challenging and some very easy. But for me it was the fun of 3 starring the level & ensuring I was on top of the leaderboard ahead of Jochta & Xexyzx.

Jochta gave up after a few days and moved over to the previous Halloween levels (I have yet to complete these) but Xexyzx continued the challenge on a daily basis & even took the lead on occassions.

I am sure he will go back and challenge to see if he can improve on some of the levels but until then I sit proudly on top of the leaderboard :)

Now to go back and challenge Jochta on the Halloween levels.

Left 4 Dead - Completed

Co-op gaming has been one of the many highlights for me this generation. This is due to two reasons firstly my co-op partner is now very good at games (if not better than me on some genres -watch his ego grow) & secondly that game developers are releasing more local co-op games.

So after having completed Halo Reach we needed another game. From the many on offer to play we opted for Left 4 Dead.

You are one of 4 survivors and the intro shows you climbing to a city building rooftop to escape the zombies.

From the rooftop you can choose your weapon be it Shotgun, Assault Rifle or stick with your trusted pistols which come with unlimited ammo. There is an achievement for finishing a scenario using just pistols but I have yet to do this because you have no choice but to use the trusted Assault Rifle to take care of the in-rushing horde of zombies.

I've managed to unlock some of the more difficult achievements like Man vs Tank in which you have to take down a tank single handly.

Each scenario can be completed in about an hour. So it's a short game that you can complete in about 4 to 5 hours. It offers replay in that you can replay the levels with online 4 player play & other online modes which I have not really played. It's a UGVM PMG game so I will no doubt be playing in 2011

26/12/2010

New Logo - Gears of War 3

World of Keflings has been released so it's time for a new logo, there are quite a few games being released in the first few months of 2011 that interest me like Bulletstorm, Brink, Dungeon Siege 3 & Deus Ex - Human Revolution. But these are all maybe purchases but Gears of War 3 released on the 8th April 2011 will be a must buy because the previous 2 games have been easily the best co-op games released on the 360.

New Game - World of Keflings

The sequel to Kingdom for Keflings brings with it co-op play. It's essentialy the same tried & tested gameplay. Get resources & build your blueprints to develop new buildings. You now have three kingdoms you can travel through Ice, Desert & Forest.

I have been playing for 5 hours with my daughter on local co-op, we have now completed the ice kingdom & are working on the forest kingdom. We lost a corrupted 7 hour gameplay save so had to reload an older save.

You can level up your characters by using eyeballs to increase your weight carrying or speed ability. We also have 4 mystery gifts but I am not sure what to do with these?
It's 800 MS points which made it an instant purchase, to be honest I think I would have purchased it at 1200 because we have been anticipating it's release but don't tell Microsoft.

We need to find the final gate piece (Reminds me of Stargate - great sci-fi TV) to be able to warp to the Desert Kingdom - Not sure how you get that maybe by completing a quest in the Forest Kingdom?

But before that we will need to replay the time that we have lost due to the corrupted save.

Halo Reach - completed

I purchased the game on release & we (Abbas & I) have only just completed the campaign on local co-op. No we are not that bad that it takes us 3 months to complete a 10 hour campaign but I was distracted by Fallout New Vegas & Abbas by Assassins Creed Brotherhood.

Halo Reach campaign just could not compete with the single player experience of those AAA titles (albeit FNV is buggy)

SPOILERS-IF YOU HAVE NOT PLAYED THE CAMPAIGN DO NOT READ AHEAD

Maybe if it had been a Master Chief title, we would not have neglected it, anyhow 3 months after release we completed the campaign

It's strange playing this game because you already know how it is going to end. Let me correct that you know how it is going to end if you have played Halo.

It is also Bungie's last Halo game. They have now moved on to pastures new teaming up with Sequelvision (Sorry Activision)

Back to the game, the story then does not surprise much. You are Noble 6 a Spartan and the newest member of Noble Team.

You are on planet Reach & are sent to investigate a nearby disturbance only to discover that the covenant have arrived. From here begins the inevitable destruction of Reach along the way you will fight Grunts, Hunters, Elites, Ghosts, Wraiths & in SPACE

Yes in SPACE, easily the most memorable level in the game you are flying in space piloting a sabre & fight off covenant forces. This level instantly reminded me of two games I have played in my younger days. Starfox (SNES) & Star Wars (N64) I was just waiting for Fox & his crew to turn up to provide support.

Near the end of the game you are introduced to Cortana and must transport her to the Pillar of Autumn. Your next moments of play become somber because you realise how the story will now move onto Halo and that this will be the last Bungie produced Halo game you will play

After you have delivered Cortana to the Pillar of Autumn & they safely leave Reach.

What follows is one of the most memorable moments in video-gaming for me.

The last stand Noble 6 vs the Covenant
How long can you survive?

Eventually the inevitable will happen & you will die. Your helmet falls to the ground and Reach is being destroyed in the background. Years pass & the planet begins to live again.

Looking forward to seeing what Bungie will do next. But more importantly what Microsoft will do now with Halo?

Rumours of a Halo 10 year anniversary release next year? What will happen to Master Chief? Is it not time now for Halo 4?

Whatever happens Halo Reach was the fond farewell from Bungie & deserved to be played without interruptions from any other games. For that I can only apologise & for punishment I will go and play Halo ODST Nnnnnooooooo !!!

21/12/2010

Hardware Update - Bye Bye PS3 & Wii


 
The Wii – A novelty console, I had it for 3 years & have never completed a game. The only games I ever played was Mario Party 8 or Wii Sports with the kids. Yes it has Mario, Zelda & Umm What Else? I just could not get the hang of motion gaming, it was not me I just wanted a controller & an analogue stick to move my character & buttons to perform actions.

The PS3 – GT5 oh! Where art thou GT5? I got bored of waiting & picked up Need for Speed Hot Pursuit on the 360 instead. It’s a great machine, shame about the controller but I never turned it on, any multi-format release I would always buy for the 360. There are games on the system I would love to play like Uncharted, God of War, Metal Gear Solid but will I ever get the time?

The games that time forgot list is calling me & I plan to start with the Mass Effect games.

I have over 500+ games on my iTunes account, admittedly the majority are probably crap but even if 10% of those are decent purchases that’s a fair few game to play on the iPod. Going back down to the one console will make it easier for deciding what to play & purchase.

With the snow settling in for the winter I plan to get down & cosy with my 360 & ipod touch.

06/12/2010

Fallout New Vegas - Completed

It's done, there is nothing else for me to do in the Mojave desert, no more quests or alternative endings. I completed the NCR & Caesar's Legion end game quests over the weekend. Total game time 140+ hours, a good healthy dose of enjoyable gaming. Yes there have been the bugs & console lock-ups along the way, none of which I have experienced in the last 50 odd hours of gameplay.

I hate the fast-travel system that does not really take you to the location you want to go. Example Caesar's Legion camp takes you to the front gate & you have to then walk all the way to his tent. Why is there no fast travel location for Lucky 38 but you have to go to freeside & then go through another 3 loading screens before you can get to your room. I hate the way companions will go charging off into the distance to attack the enemies whilst you are sitting back waiting to take a shot with your sniper rifle. You then need to go charging in after them so they don't end up dying (hardcore mode only). But equally I love the gameplay, the VATS, the levelling up perks (wish you could get them every level). I love the scary vaults & the way the game makes me jump when an unexpected enemy attacks.

I love the factions, choose your side, who do you want to go with? NCR, Yes Man, Mr House or Caesar's Legion? The sub-factions like Brotherhood, Boomers, Kings etc keep them happy or piss them off like I did the Powder Gangers.

But is is not just Fallout 3 DLC? Yes it looks the same and plays the same with slight changes but so is every sequel. The Assassins Creed games all play the same & it's the story that makes the difference. Fallout 3 story was a life experience, you are born, live childhood in the vault & then venture out. In New Vegas your a courier whose been shot & survive, what will you do?

If you have not played it yet I would say maybe wait until the bugs have been creased out, there are some issues with this game especially on the PS3 it seems (UGVM), even on the 360 I have had 3 or 4 game lock-ups & numerous graphic glitches but because I was enjoying the game I forgave these issues to continue playing.

On Fallout 3 I made the mistake of buying the DLC's straight away & by the last few I was sick of the game. So for New Vegas I will wait until the game of the year edition is released to play them or if they are reduced on a XBLA sale.


The game engine is old, used for Oblivion I think originally & then Fallout 3 onto New Vegas. Hopefully the new engine being worked for I assume the next Elder Scrolls game will be much improved & bug-free. I look forward to the next Fallout game which will hopefully include Vehicles, (surely everyone cannot walk everywhere?) & maybe even some element of co-op or on-line play. A cross between Borderlands & Fallout with some Rage thrown in would be great.

Now onto my list of unfinished games Halo Reach local co-op I think I'll start with you first.

03/12/2010

New Game - Game Dev Story

It’s not FREE (or 59p) it’s £2.39 which in terms of iOS games is the equivalent of buying a Limited Edition console game. It has the one ingredient that most games don’t it is ADDICTIVE !!

Manage your own game company. Hire your employees, train them to develop better skills in programming, writing, graphics or sound. Take out contract work to develop tools of complete jobs. When you are ready develop your own game, choose a machine, a genre & game type & away you go !!



‘gospvg’ was born, I hired a few employees, trained them and after a few contracts to get some cashflow decided to develop my first PC game a pirate adventure. You then have to wait for your staff to complete the process of developing the game, choosing the graphics artist & sound engineer. Iron out all the bugs. Then the dreaded reviews, have you just made a stinker or the start of a potential hit. 18/40 came the result, ok not bad time to release it the game. Then just sit back and wait for the first week sale figures. I sold 16,547 and came in 37th, a few weeks later and total sales figures came in at 58,212 a bit disappointing for a first game but I did make a slight profit.

It’s time for GameDex – the annual computer show. I decide to give it a miss I want to save my money. Back to contracts to get some quick money & time to buy a console licence to develop a game for a wider audience. It’s Pirates 2 the sequel to my mediocre selling adventure game. This time the reviews are slightly better 22/40 and first week sales figures are 41,621 with total sales coming in at 127,421. Now it’s the global game awards, my Pirates game wins nothing. When you train your staff you can unlock different genres & game types. After a few years of developing for various consoles with a few million selling games I finally unlock shooter & war.

It’s now time for a FPS game, WAR is born. I release it on the Playstation and it goes on to sell nearly 9 million copies. I have now become a sequel whorehouse alternating between MECH my robot adventure game & WAR my million selling FPS game. It did not take me long to turn into Activision : (

WAR 5 lands me the Best Game award & WAR X gives me my highest review score or 39/40
You have 20 years to manage your company at which point the game will tally up your total. You can continue further but this will not add to your final game score. I ended up making 68 games & selling 523 million games !! with MECH being my highest seller at 33 Million copies.


It is one of those games that once you pick it up & start playing you will find it very difficult to put down, after a while it does become a bit boring because once you are use to the cycle of developing & releasing a game it then becomes a bit of a chore but 20 years is just enough for this to end it on. I’m now on my 2nd play where I will be only releasing PC games and nothing else.

World of Keflings - Release Date

Yes World of Keflings gets a release date !!

Finally took them long enough !!

December 22nd 800 MS Points only on Xbox XBLA

Words with Friends - Beating the unbeatable

There are two players on words with friends that I have never beaten DBSnappa & Jochta. I came close to beating DBSnappa in the ugvm quarter-final game but lost out by a few points. Jochta I have never beaten until now :)


Words with Friends UGVM Tournament Final

The FINAL

Curiosity vs DBSnappa

Good luck !!

RESULT - DBSnappa won  509 to 310

Well done David you are the 1st UGVM Words with Friends champion. There will be another tournament in the new year possibly even a UGVM vs BETEO if we can get enough players.

Fallout New Vegas - Give me my 100g with SPEED !!

END GAME SPOILERS DO NOT READ

It’s been just over 2 weeks since my last FNV (Fallout New Vegas) post. It was time to decide who to go with so I went for Mr House which instantly upset the Legion. After finishing off a few loose ends in New Vegas which also made me hit the lvl30 limit it was time to go to Hoover Dam. An alert pops up warning you that there is no turning back from Hoover Dam. You are now on the end game path, after a few sequences it was the Legion vs NCR battle which I let them fight it out & took out the leftovers. The last fight sequence has you fighting one of the Legion’s general but my speech was at 100 so I just beat him on a speech challenge & game over. Watching the end sequence waiting for my 100g hardcore achievement to pop up. WHAT !! nothing, no 100g? Is it bugged? Annoyed I turn the 360 off in disgust and hit the Bethesda forums  and read ‘DO NOT LOOK AT GAME SETTINGS OR CHANGE LEVEL DIFFICULTY’ oh CRAP !! I remember showing my son how to turn Hardcore mode on/off. By looking at the setting and changing the values to show my son it turned off that achievement.

AArgh !!!

Yes Man Speed Run
I WANT my 100g so time for a speed run, The YES Man quest is the quickest path to take for a speedrun. I started with a female character & put all my special points on agility & luck, picked up a stealth boy from the school. Got the snowglobe from the graveyard and went North for New Vegas to get Benny. I used the stealth boy to get past the Deathclaw area, before I got to Vegas I levelled up & chose the Black Widow perk. Then to the Topps and a meeting with Benny, the Black Widow perk gives you a few more speech options which allowed me to kill Benny in his sleep. Along the way I had also picked up the snowglobes , sold them to the robot at Mr House & purchased Naughty Nightwear which gives you +1 luck. With this on I went gambling at the casino’s on Blackjack and won nearly every game. I ended up getting banned from all the casino’s which unlocks an achievement and walked away with approx. 80k in caps. Then I went and purchased the implants & back to Yes Man. To save time I ignored all the factions & told Yes Man that the President can die. Then over to a substation to install a mod & on to Hoover Dam. On any level up I had along the way I took my speech up to max & by now it was at 100. I got past the last guy on a 100 speech check and unlocked my 100g Hardcore achievement. Total time played approx. 9 hours.

I then reloaded my DECISION TIME save point and completed the quests around Jacobstown & Black Rock. I also picked up the last two followers to unlock another achievement. The last few days I have been completing the damage challenges & healing challenges to unlock those achievements. I’ve now got those bar the heal 10K with food. I now have the NCR or Legion quests to complete & the followers side quests. At level 20 I got the wasteland explorer perk which shows me all the locations so even if I 1000g the game OCD will kick in and I will need to visit all locations inc a couple of vaults.

‘Dead Money’ dlc is released on the 21st December for 800 MS Points it takes you to a place called Sierra Madre an extravagant resort which has the greatest casino in the world. You also encounter the ghost people who live around this casino. I’m not going to be buying any dlc for this game instead I will wait till the game of the year edition is released next year to play all the released dlc.

Until then back to the Mojave to help the NCR kick the legion’s arse !!