Games of the Generation Part 2

Last time on the blog, we had a debate about Spec Ops : The Line

-That wasn't a debate, more like a one-sided argument about why you loved Spec Ops and why you didn't pick The Last of Us as the first game on the list.

I told you why I wasn't gonna put The Last of Us on there...

Excuses Kenny, excuses...

Do you wanna clear my backlog of games for me?

Nope. But while you're making your excuses, I wanna talk about the next game on the list.

Uhh... I haven't played it yet.  Got Episode 1 free from Xbox Live and PSN.  Talk about another Telltale Game.


Like....

That will work for me.  Besides, I'm pretty sure the story choices that we made we're different.

So, The Walking Dead Season 1 is on the list?

Yeah.  I enjoyed Season 2, but overall it fell short of what Season 1 accomplished.

Like what?

Some of the characters you meet in Season 2 felt underdeveloped.  Some of the actions that you chose didn't make that much of an impact (except the end of Season 2).  The ending I chose was one of multiple endings, but the 'good' ending made much more sense in the larger picture.  I have no idea how Telltale is gonna attempt to pull that off, but whenever Season 3 is released, hopefully my save data from PS3 will carry over.

What did you like about Season 2?

Season 2 starts off with a bang and in typical Walking Dead fashion, well I won't spoil it.  It was enough to buy Season 2 when it went on sale in December, I believe.  All 5 five episodes for $14.99.  I couldn't pass that up.  I definitely like some of the members of the group, but everyone else I couldn't connect with.  At least if you bought the 400 Days DLC from Season 1, some of those characters appear in Season 2...  I see what you're trying to do, you want me to talk about Season 2 while we don't discuss Season 1.  I'm going to let you type to your hearts content about Season 1.  I'll be thinking about the next game on the list and play NBA 2K15.

You can't leave in the middle of the blog.

 Watch me.  I'm signing out and I'll catch you on the next blog.  KEN OUT!!!

*Turns on NBA 2K15 and plays MyTeam*

The Walking Dead Season 1 was a good story.  What I liked about it was some of the choices you had to make.  One I remember is do you tell Clementine that....

Uhh, Angie, aren't you forgetting something?

I thought you were playing NBA 2K?

I can multitask.  No spoilers about the game.

You spoiled some of the Batman game on a Facebook post years ago...

I had a disclaimer.  It was a major spoiler.  Plus it was a nod to something Metal Gear Solid did about 15 years ago.

KENNY, I HATE YOUR RULES.  I'M GONNA BREAK 'EM, WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT!!!  

Do whatever you want.  I don't care...


Hey, Kenny...

Like I was saying, each one of the games had different things you could do.  One was choosing to tell Clementine she was eating human or not.  Another was saving the chick who was good with the gun or the guy who could build stuff.  Both of them died eventually.  The guy, Ben.  I knew he was trying to help the group, but he was a liability.  I glad he died.  Duck was ok.  I'm glad he and Clementine were friends, but it sucks to see one of your friends die.  And poor Katja.  Lily's dad was a jerk and I was glad he died too.  I wonder if he was gonna turn.  It would've been cool to have Lee choose Lily or Kenny to save.  I would've save Lily, because screw guys like Kenny.  They're all jerks.  j/k :-p

The main character was Lee.  I liked Lee.  He might not be Clementine's real dad, he raised her like she was his.  When Lee got bite in episode 4, I felt sorry for him.  I thought he was gonna live if they cut his arm off.  At least in the T.V. when Herschel got bit, they cut his leg off.  Knowing Kenny, I bet he cut Lee's arm off thinking the same thing.  One thing I remember was this car at the end of one game.  You could choose to steal the stuff to survive or leave it alone.  In a zombie apocalypse, finders keepers, losers weepers.  Then the creepy dude in episode 5 that was Lee and Clem's stalker.  I liked how he talked about the things we did and how Lee had to explain why he did those things.  I'm glad that creep got what he deserved.  But the ending of episode 5 made me sad.  You could handcuff Lee and let him turn or kill him so he doesn't have to suffer as a zombie.  When Clem and Lee had their last talk, it reminded me of Return of the Jedi, when Luke took off his dad's mask.  All that Lee and Clem went through and it was over in a blink.  Christa and Omid were ok, they came in too late for me to get an good opinion on them.  Maybe in Season 2, they let us find out more about Christa and Omid or if they lived or died.  The biggest mystery is what happened to Kenny, not the Kenny I know, but the Kenny in the game.  Did he die? Is he alive? 

What in the world? How did you survive that?

I'm an American ninja.

Like Chris Farley?

Indeed.  I'm glad you had fun taking over my blog.  For the next topic, I'm going to your wheelhouse.  Without a doubt one of the best RPGs to be released and that's all I will say.

When did you play...

Remember Angie, we have to give the readers something to reel them back in for the next one.  If you give them too much information...

Kenny, that's boring.  Let me use one of your catchphrases.

 Go for it.

Until next, just because a zombie is down, doesn't mean it's dead...
  

Games of the Generation Part 1

Happy New Year to everyone.  These series of blogs are based on games that I completed during the 7th generation of consoles (PS3, Xbox 360, and Wii).  Normally, with lists such as these, it's impossible to cover every game that was released and I have many games on my backlog thanks in large part to PlayStation Plus and Xbox Games With Gold. A numeric list is out of the question, because some games that have made a mark are still fresh in my mind whereas others are forgotten about and maybe the details are vaguely remembered.  I decided to make a few restrictions to save my sanity and also to remind myself of how large my backlog is (around 30 or so games to complete). 


First restriction, I had to played and complete the game, (i.e. got the trophy for beating the game on a certain difficulty).  Second restriction, no HD remasters of games, ( i.e. any game that was previously released on any home console or P.C.), The final restriction, only one game per franchise ( i.e. one and only one game from a game series could be chosen).  The last restriction made some clear cut choices in some franchises others I had to think about what the sequel did different from its predecessor, either positive or negative, and how did it impact the overall enjoyment of the game.  This list will be constantly updated when I finally complete games that should be on the list.

Finally, along for the ride is a friend of mine.... Hold for just a moment, I have a phone call...

*Computer overhears conversation thanks to an app on my P.C.*

Wait, what do you mean it's not possible to collaborate with my long collaborator?!  I realize that it's been a long time since we...  I understand completely the need for fresh voices, but...  Fine, you win... If this doesn't work out, I...  Could I at least make a few...  When is my mystery guest coming?  HELLO? I can't believe this... *Hears a knock on the door along with a familiar voice*

KENNNNNNYYYYYY!!!!

*Hears voices in my head saying, "KENNY, WAKE UP SLEEPYHEAD!!!!"*


Well, ladies and gentlemen our special guest for these series of blogs is angelgirl357.  Hi, Angie.

-Angie: KENNY, why did you fall out?

-Uhh, it's an inside joke.

-Angie: Suuurrre....

-This blog has been postponed for a while so, I'm sure you've overheard the rules for this blog so let's get started.  The first game on the list is a candidate for one of the best games to be released last generation.

-Angie: Yeahhhh....

-A story that many people would say is well-thought out and carefully crafted...

-Angie: Uh-huh...

-Are you thinking what I'm thinking?

-Angie: Yep!!!

-Angie: The Last of US!!!

-Uhhh...

I was thinking more along the lines of...

(No, the pun was not intended..)



 -Angie: HUH!!!  That game looks like a rip-off of Call of Duty and Battlefield.

-I'm glad you noticed that.  What if I told you, this game is nothing like Battlefield or Call of Duty.  Instead, the game takes the things that Battlefield and Call of Duty do well (at least story wise) constantly reminding you of your actions and reinforcing to the player, every thing you do has consequences. 

-Angie: That sounds kinda interesting...

- Indeed it was. Without spoiling much of the game, which I highly recommend you (everybody that's reading this and you as well), it starts off in typical Call of Battlefield fashion.  The reason why you're in Dubai and an action segment that abruptly gets cut off.  Your character is Captain Martin Walker, voiced by Nolan North (a.k.a. Nathan Drake), and you're the leader of Delta Squad and you have command of squadmates Lt. (Alphonso) Adams and Staff Sgt. (John) Lugo.  You're able to command Adams and Lugo for additional options to defeat enemies.  They're able to flush out entrenched enemies, snipe long distance enemies, provide suppressing fire to cover your advance, or revive each other if one is downed.  The downside to having these guys as squadmates are if they die, the game is over (which makes sense) or they don't do the exact command you requested.  On easier difficulties this isn't too big of a deal, however on Suicide Mission and FUBAR, you may want to limit the times you want to use them because you will die and die a lot on both difficulties.

-Angie: Is it difficult like Battlefield on the highest setting?

-In certain sections, it will cause you to question why you tortured yourself on playing the highest setting.  FREEBIRD MOVE IN!!!!

-Angie: So, if I did play it, try it on the normal setting?

-I'd recommend the easiest setting Walk in the Park.  That way the story is in the front of your mind and not how many times you died, unless you want to hear "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" when you die and that's pretty creepy.

-Angie: What the hell Kenny?!

-To be honest, that's not the creepiest thing in Spec Ops.  The game may or may not question why you play modern shooters or at least gives civilians a sense of what some soldiers in the military that have PTSD struggle with.  For me, this game kinda made me stop playing games like Battlefield, which glorify war in a sense.  Spec Ops can be heavy-handed, but so was Metal Gear Solid 2.  At first, I didn't understand what message both games were sending, but after multiply playthroughs and reading developer diaries, I have a greater appreciation for what the team at Yager Development tried to accomplish and the fact 2K Games at least gave the game to be published.  It may not receive the critical praise of The Last of Us or Bioshock Infinite, but if you appreciate storytelling and having your expectations challenged, this is up there with the previous two games I mentioned.

-Angie: Hmm...  Where did you play it?

-From PlayStation Plus.  I was going to buy it, but found out it was coming to Plus the day after I was about to buy it.  Right now, it's about $21 on Amazon.  There's worse things you can spend 21 bucks on video game wise, but this isn't one of them.  The multiplayer is lackluster and not even worth playing.  Even the developers admitted it was something they didn't want to do.

-Angie: So why do it then?

-Well, every other shooter has a multiplayer, that's the reason I understood it to be.

-Angie: You think it'll be remade on PS4?

-I highly doubt it.  As much as I enjoyed Spec Ops, I don't think many people would buy it, unless extra content was created for it and even then, the market for shooters is congested.  Unfortunately, Yager is working on a new title and the lead writer of Spec Ops isn't working on video game projects anytime soon.   Spec Ops came out at the best time it could.  Any later in 2012 and it would've been forgotten.

Angie: Soooo.... What's the next game on our list?

-Well, here's a teaser.  Next time, a Telltale Games game will be on the list.

-Angie: Is it what I think it is?

-Tell me on the next blog, we have to give the readers an incentive to continue reading.  You can't give the entire list away.

-Angie: Fine...

-Until next time, to quote a loading screen from Spec Ops:

The Hardest (Flash) Video Game Ever

A few months ago when I first got my laptop, I was browsing NeoGaf (this will be a common theme on this blog) and I stumbled upon a thread that interested me entitled "The Hardest Flash Game Ever."  I consider myself a pretty knowledgeable person when it comes to video games, but I never heard about this title.

Winnie the Pooh Baseball

I'm pretty sure there's a few laughs at the title, but when the game is played, I guarantee frustration will set in.  Even though the game is in Japanese, a few instructions are needed for a degree of success.  The left mouse button is used to swing.  Winnie can be moved using the mouse.  Finally, the outline of the bat with the green sweet spot is what gives the best chance to hit home runs.  Eeyore is easy once you understand how he pitches.  After him, the only thing I can wish is luck.  Piglet is a cheater and the final boss is just unfair.  Have fun, MrKENnedDY has signed out....

The Deuxcision

I'm not just a video game enthusiast, I enjoy watching sports, specifically basketball.  Something that's currently having the basketball world captivated is LeBron James' decision in Miami (or as NeoGaf calls it 'The Deuxcision').  I've been asked by a few people about what I think LeBron should do basketball related.  I can't be critical about his game, the Spurs did a fantastic dismantling the Heat.  It's not a template that many teams can recreate.  After that lose, I can understand why he would have second thoughts about rejoining the Heat.  With some reports of him wanting the maximum amount of money that he wants as a Free Agent.  So what that caveat, there's quite a few teams that can afford his services.

The two frontrunners that most people have been reporting on are the Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers.  If the reports are true, they have Cleveland getting LeBron's talents once again.  I was thinking that it would be a good fit, but now I'm not so sure.  I'm a frequent listener of Dan LeBatard's show (Weekdays at 3 p.m. EST/ 2 p.m. CST) .  It's a good show with a unbiased point of view.  The point that Dan makes and I agree with is why would you go back to team, city, and owner that disrespected you, all because 'your boys' don't have the influence they had in Cleveland.  However, I can understand the redemption factor after winning two championships in Miami.  I can see why an individual can be torn (if that were the case, but I don't know).

If I were him, I'd sign with Cleveland with the hope that Dan Gilbert gets Kevin Love (preferably with an extension).  The ceiling for that team is pretty high.  Miami doesn't have that much flexibility.  (They are operating as if they are at the salary cap threshold, meaning some expensive Free Agents would be out of reach, unless the player or players would take a salary cut.   Some are willing to take a salary cut, but others have said they will not take a cut.)  Also, with 3 players taking over (under the assumption) $10 million in restructured salary, the Heat will be perpetually looking for people willing the play in Miami for the veteran's minimum, mid-level exception, or other creative salary cap benefits for teams either reaching the cap.  Here's some links explaining the salary cap situation a bit better and what all options the Heat have.  Wikipedia's Salary Cap Explaination and Salary Cap FAQs

With those restrictions in place, it will be tougher to acquire some of those expensive pieces, but as I mentioned, there will be players who won't mind playing for lower salaries in the hopes of getting a ring.  In 2012, those odds looked very good.  2015, I'm not so sure Miami would be the best place to get a ring, but the odds of getting out the Eastern Conference is very high.

Why Cleveland then, you ask?  The young talent they have can learn from LeBron the sacrifices on what it takes to win a championship.  Younger legs, means LeBron can take a few games off and the team has enough players to win a few games without him.  He has a point guard that can score when necessary and make plays without making too many costly mistakes in key situations.  Assuming the Cavs make the necessary trades to get Kevin Love or not, the team does have enough pieces to make a run in the playoffs (whether they make it to the Conference Finals, even with LeBron, I'm not to sure unless they make a few trades and sign players that fit the new system).

Just a few thoughts about Free Agency.  I've been glued to NBA.com, Reddit, and NeoGaf since Free Agency started.  I can't wait to find out where Carmelo goes, whether the Heat re-up for another Finals runs, or if the dream is done.  Silently, the Spurs have the reassembling their team and if Patty Mills is healthy for the start of the season or around Christmas, I don't see why San Antonio makes another deep run in the Western (barring injury).  Sometime next week I plan on starting something special video game wise involving the previous console generation.  Until then, peace, love, and hugs.

The (slight) Return of the Blog

I can't believe it's been about 4 1/2 years since I last blogged.  A lot of things have changed since I last logged in. A believe a brief recap is in order.  As I last posted in August 2010, I got my PS3 back about a few weeks before Christmas.  I didn't buy Rock Band 1, Resident Evil 5, Dead Rising 2, Gran Turismo 5, Medal of Honor, or Rock Band 3 (more on why I didn't buy all those games in a moment).  However I did get NBA 2K11.

2011, Sony got attacked and PSN was down for a few weeks.  Seemed longer than that.  Got four of the five games out the deal.  Before that, I bought the Mortal Kombat reboot.  I enjoyed that a whole lot.  I also became a fan of Borderlands, bought Batman: Arkham City, and received NBA 2K12 as a Christmas gift.

2012, we had a few deaths in the family.  One of those things, we all have to face.  I got MLB 12: The Show, the 1st baseball game I bought in 3 years.  I also bought Borderlands 2, Red Dead Redemption, Hitman: Absolution, WWE '13, and the Metal Gear Solid HD Collection.  On my birthday, I became a member of PlayStation Plus.  I'll probably remain a member of Plus for as long as I own a PlayStation console.  I finally put my 60 gig PS3 to rest and got a Super Slim for Christmas.

2013, I got another laptop of Christmas.  Bought Grand Theft Auto 5, Battlefield 4, and the Last of Us, and Gran Turismo 6.  Bought quite a few games digitally from the PlayStation Store (thanks to the Plus discounts).  Played a bunch of games from Plus and I need to complete my backlog.

Fast forward to the present, I bought MLB 14: The Show, played Metal Gear Solid : Ground Zeroes, and downloaded games to our Xbox 360.  Started listening to several wrestling podcasts and finally started transitioning to playing PC games.  It's going pretty slow, but I'm enjoying it.

As to why I didn't buy the titles I previously had wanted in 2010.  Resident Evil 5 came to PlayStation Plus so that saved me money.  Dead Rising 2 was given to Xbox 360 users for free, along side Dead Rising 2: Case Zero.  Medal of Honor, I wasn't feeling after the demo.  Rock Band 1 and 3 I forgot about.  Gran Turismo 5 had a large install and with me only having 60 gigs, I couldn't prioritize the space on my hard drive.  Plus, the 60 gig PS3 had known issues with GT5.

I'll be regularly blogging on here instead of Facebook.  It isn't that great for what exactly I want to do, but I'll have regular posts on both.   Glad to be back blogging and hopefully it will be a more rewarding experience. 

Games I'm Looking Forward to Sept - Dec

It's me again. This time with some bad news, I got YLOD AGAIN. But at least this time I'm not alone. As I'm typing my clan leader D. Clownz, McCoy, and Jango got hit with YLOD doing what we do best and that's gaming. Don't know when I'll be back probably sometime before September (maybe even October, if I decide to send the PS3 back to Sony.) But in the meantime, I got a small list of games that I'm looking forward to starting from September and ending at December. If there's any other games coming out by then, I will keep all of you posted.

September Games

(IF Sony doesn't send back my UFC 2010 I may have to push a game or two back until next year and I rebuy Rock Band 1 for all my DLC). There's only one game that I'm REALLY looking forward to and that's Dead Rising 2.

I didn't play the original Dead Rising (mostly because it was an exclusive 360 title). However with DR2 coming to PS3, I'll get to slay zombies, something that Resident Evil 5 didn't offer. You can create your own weapons from the hundreds of options available to you. Don't be surprised to see me, D.Clownz, and McCoy playing this ALOT!!!

October Games

Outside of Medal of Honor, which I must get because of Clan Rules, the only game that I'm looking forward to is Rock Band 3. As many of you know, I love playing plastic guitar, but this time everything is gonna be realistic. Real guitars, drums, and a freakin keyboard. YES A KEYBOARD!!! Add vocal harmonies from Green Day and the Beatles Rock Band, plus ALL your songs are exportable to RB3 and I can imagine people having a ROCKING time.

November Games

There is ONLY ONE GAME that requires 100% focus to and that's Gran Turismo 5. Add Ferrari's, realistic car damage (FINALLY!!!) and maybe some of the most intense endurance races that will probably YLOD a PS3. Expect me to play this game until I platinum it.

December Games

Hopefully, by December I'll be a level 50 on Bad Company 2 because clan is coming back to wreck havoc in Vietnam. Details about it have been few, but we're looking at a winter release date. So that could be anytime from November to January (or maybe February.) EVERYONE is amped for this expansion and are trying to figure out what DICE has up their sleeves. Whatever they have, it's gonna be fun.

This is primarily what I'm looking forward to. I forgot about NBA 2K11, but I'll get that for Christmas. Kennedy Out and remember: The YLOD means you're a prisoner of war.

Metal Gear Solid 3's Influence

Dang, it's been over three months since I've blogged and there's been some good reasons why I haven't. Mainly, I'm playing BC2 with my clan -UGL- and I haven't had any ideas until today. This topic is a game from the last console generation that I enjoyed and probably will play today which is Metal Gear Solid 3.

If you've never played any Metal Gear games, I suggest that you download from the PlayStation Store the original Metal Gear Solid. Many people will tell you that MGS1 is one of the best games to ever be released. Normally, I'd post a photo of the game in question, but I'm lazy and listening to Chris Rock's Never Scared.

MGS3 had the most straightforward (at least for MGS games) stories that people could follow. In typical MGS fashion there's twists and turns and things that you don't expect (if you've never played a MGS game). This blog is somewhat spoilerish, but I'll try to keep when exactly in the game you meet certain characters and plot devices to a minimum.

INFLUENCE #1

A gamer can complete Metal Gear Solid 3 in various ways. For instance, should you want to run and gun, you can do that (well in 4 you can because there's a little consequence should you do that). The first playthrough you can do whatever you want, but afterward try to play it using stealth. While MGS3 isn't completely a sandbox style game (i.e. any game that allows you to do what you want when you want ala Grand Theft Auto), but you have some unique tricks in your disposal. Any animal that you catch and be used on a enemy and causes some side effect to them.

Another thing that you can do is destroy guard shacks to prevent from chasing you down and also if you're caught reinforcements may not arrive. One other thing in MGS3 that you can do is skip an entire boss fight, if you so choose to.

INFLUENCE #2

In most games, the cinematics don't allow for any zooming in or out of the character models. This was present in MGS2, but not to the degree that 3 did. During the game, Naked Snake gets various injuries, that you can cure manually, not playing the game for a few days, or by not treating them at all. This fits into the jungle vibe that MGS3 has. The more serious the injury the less life you can regenerate from your stamina bar. MGS3 has regenerative health recovery, but not like Halo, Gears of War, and Uncharted. Instead, any damage that you take, you can hide in a place and in 10 minutes, maybe less, you'll be back to full health. Back to the original point I was trying to make. You are able to see the game from Snake's point of view, during select cutscenes, especially toward the end of MGS3. During various cutscenes, there will be a prompt for you to press the L1 (I think that was the button, haven't played it years) and you're able to see what Snake sees, good, bad, or ugly.

The two other gameplay elements that should be used in more games is a backpack and secret items. The backpack holds items that you don't use. The more heavier items you equip the faster your stamina depletes. This is true on higher difficulties where supplies are limited. All items that you collect throughout the game are located in the backpack and can be used only if they're equipped. For instance, if you wish to use the M60, by all means, but you need to equip it to use it. MGS4 has this same exact mechanic so nothing has changed.

The secret items (aka Kerotan frogs) are something like the treasures from Uncharted and the skulls from Halo. While Uncharted's were for show, Halo's altered gameplay. Each time a frog is shot, it makes a sound which can be used to distract guards, also to let the game know you've collected that frog. When all 64 are shot, you gain a secret weapon that helps you through the game, but your rank is severely punished for using that item. You can also collect all the animals in the game and use them as bait for your enemies. Especially, if you wait a few days and blow their supply shacks.

INFLUENCE #3

All good video games have characters that leave their mark on you. Whether it's Mario, Link, Samus, or Master Chief, MGS3 holds true to that as well. MGS3 has quite the cast, but the person who steals the show is the Major of the Ocelot Army. Every time he appears something bad ends up happening. Again, I can't reveal who his parents are, but both of them helped Snake during his mission.

This influence is sorta short, because of the potential spoilers so I'll leave it at that. Finally the last influence.

INFLUENCE #4

Multiplayer was commonplace for PC gamers for the better part of 10 years. Xbox Live and Halo took it to another level. The rerelease of MGS3 was entitled Subsistence and had a bunch of goodies. First, the remastering of Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake for audiences who never played the 'original' versions of either title. MG1 was released in the United States, but it was gimped. If you've played both versions on MG1, you can tell the difference. MG2 on the other hand never saw release into the North American market, as the MSX was not as popular here was it was abroad. Diehard MGS fans want to see MG1 and 2 remade on PS3 or whatever next-gen console is coming out.

Back to the multiplayer aspect, it was unheard of for a release of a game to have a multiplayer built around the core game. This is something I commend Kojima Productions in doing. The MP is 100% Metal Gear and it was fun. However MGO, the game bundled with MGS4, wasn't that good. It needed more polish and plus I only played it one. I don't feel like reinstalling MGS4 and I don't remember my password or username for Konami's webpage.

Hopefully you've enjoyed my take on the influence of MGS3 on the gaming world, wish this could have been more carefully crafted, but when there's no paper or pencil around, ideas tend to fly around and you forget what you wanted to type. Kennedy out and remember, It wasn't my fault!!!