I really should be off doing some more important things at the moment, but I want to take this time to present to you why I am so very satisfied with this year. Usually by the end of the year, I say to myself "Thank God a new year is starting" or "Well, last year could have gone better". For the first time in quite some time, I have to say that this year has been nothing short of fantastic for me. I'm about to get more personal than I usually get, but there's still plenty of gaming related goodness mixed within, for the first few reasons at least.
-----
Here's my top five list of personal things that have made me happy during 2008:
(5)
I'm still writing for video games! Honestly, I would have thought by now that I would have given up on guide writing and moved on to something else, but no, it simply continues to get stronger. IGN even managed to notice me again, which helped out a lot with motivation. Continuing to write for The Gamers' Temple and Cheat Happens has helped out a bunch as well.
I really look forward to writing next year also. There's a bunch of Capcom titles in the line-up for early next year... so very close in release timing. :o
Also, this is my first full year to dedicate to this site, and I'm still sticking with it!
(4)
I'm normally a complete loner most of the time both in the real world and online but this year I've made several new friends online - both readers and friends from other sites. It's been such a joy to get to know other people with the same interests as me and play a few games with them online.
If you've talked with me over Xbox LIVE, you'll know that I'm a person of few words. Hopefully I didn't annoy any of you with my quiet nature. I have to get to know a friend better before I begin to speak with that person more, regardless of online interaction. I have this same problem with friends/relatives that I haven't seen for a long time until I spend more time with them. It's kind of embarrassing. :\
(3)
Resident Evil 5 got a release date - March 13, 2009, baby, yeah! If you have me on your PSN account then you should know that date all too well each and every time you scroll by my username. Seriously, this partially made my year.
I also got the chance to sneak out of the Japanese marketplace with the region-free demo and play it online with other gamers for a few days. It was enough to hold me back from my highly anticipated Prince of Persia for quite a while. I can't wait to play with some buddies on my friends list early next year once the demo is released outside of Japan! Oh man, that's going to be a blast.
(2)
My weight loss. At the end of last year, I weighed somewhere over 300 pounds and now at the end of this year, I now weigh about 250. It's great, considering I've peaked at 320 before.
All of this weight loss started from an issue I was having with a chest muscle pain (feels like a heart attack at times but it's not [been to the ER about it and everything checked fine]); I had to start exercising more to get rid of the muscle pain. I've been exercising, laying off soft drinks and just generally moving around more and since then the muscle pain has basically ceased for the most part and I've lost a lot of weight in the process - something that was really unintended, but something that I now try to maintain. I feel so much better now than I have in a very long time!
(1)
My grandmother is still doing well. Last year, she was diagnosed with cancer and, by the doctors' words, she is not even supposed to be here with us now. Her cancer has gone into remission and she is now doing great. This Christmas and Thanksgiving, she was just like her old self again compared to last year when she was completely different thanks to the medication that she was on.
My family decided not to tell her of the severity of her condition, which I was kind of against (since we needed her feedback if a decision had to be made based on an unfortunate state), but overall, I think not telling her was the absolute best thing that could have ever happened since that would have only brought her down that much more really. I think even if she knew now, it wouldn't matter as much considering how well she has been doing, but back then, I don't know...
It's hard to sit here and type this part with a straight face out of my happiness dealing with how well this entire situation has gone. This, in and of itself, completely made my year. :)
-----
Well, there you have it - my own personal reasons for enjoying 2008! There's still one thing that I didn't do in 2008 that I'm most certainly going to do in 2009, but that's sort of personal and I'll mention it later next year once I've finally succeeded in obtaining it.
So, anyone want to chime in and tell me about your experiences for the current year? Or post it up on your own blog, whichever. :p
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Thursday, December 25, 2008
IGN FAQ Writer of the Month Dec 2008
First of all, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all visitors!
Back in 2005, IGN chose me as their FAQ Writer of the Month for July. This was about the time that I really started heavily into writing guides and that particular interview is part of the motivation that kept me writing them for the next few years up until now.
Recently, IGN interviewed me again. The results are as follows:
For this Christmas, IGN talks with our good buddy Berkserker Kev, known for his balls-to-the-wall coverage of games such as Lost Planet, Dead Space, Silent Hill Homecoming, Devil May Cry 4, Siren Blood Curse, and much more (check his FAQ list for the whole kaboodle).
FAQ Writer of the Month Dec 2008: Berserker Kev
Same shallow answers, same giddy attitude, same Spike (samurajack) shoutouts - I guess you could say, I haven't changed a bit. As for "Berserker Kev", it's my username on IGN (taken from my email address). I like to think of it as my superheroe name also.
Back in 2005, IGN chose me as their FAQ Writer of the Month for July. This was about the time that I really started heavily into writing guides and that particular interview is part of the motivation that kept me writing them for the next few years up until now.
Recently, IGN interviewed me again. The results are as follows:
For this Christmas, IGN talks with our good buddy Berkserker Kev, known for his balls-to-the-wall coverage of games such as Lost Planet, Dead Space, Silent Hill Homecoming, Devil May Cry 4, Siren Blood Curse, and much more (check his FAQ list for the whole kaboodle).
FAQ Writer of the Month Dec 2008: Berserker Kev
Same shallow answers, same giddy attitude, same Spike (samurajack) shoutouts - I guess you could say, I haven't changed a bit. As for "Berserker Kev", it's my username on IGN (taken from my email address). I like to think of it as my superheroe name also.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Donations
I've seen several FAQ authors accept donations in their guides over the years and have never really thought about doing it. I've actually said to myself that I never would since I don't expect any type of payment in return...
Well, in a way, it's time to spit that size 13 blue and black Skecher shoe out of your mouth, Kev!
Anyway, I recently made up a Paypal account so I could buy something off eBay in an auction that only accepted payment in Paypal, so, after finally signing up with Paypal, I have decided to accept donations on this blog for anyone that enjoys my work and would be willing to give. You can find the donate link below the guestbook on the column to the right. For some reason, it won't let me post the link up in this topic.
Much like an email for when you've helped someone, the thought is the main aspect that counts, even when dealing with a donation, no matter how great or how small. All donations (if any) will be used to help with this site and with my guide writing.
If you do ever donate anything, then be sure to send me an email so I can thank you personally. If you don't donate anything, then send me an email as well and give me some feedback on the current guide of mine that you're reading!
Just like my feelings in the past, I don't really expect any type of payment in return since I write for enjoyment and the love of the game most of all. The link is sort of a "there if you want to" type of feature.
Thanks for reading and, as always, continue to tear through the game!
Well, in a way, it's time to spit that size 13 blue and black Skecher shoe out of your mouth, Kev!
Anyway, I recently made up a Paypal account so I could buy something off eBay in an auction that only accepted payment in Paypal, so, after finally signing up with Paypal, I have decided to accept donations on this blog for anyone that enjoys my work and would be willing to give. You can find the donate link below the guestbook on the column to the right. For some reason, it won't let me post the link up in this topic.
Much like an email for when you've helped someone, the thought is the main aspect that counts, even when dealing with a donation, no matter how great or how small. All donations (if any) will be used to help with this site and with my guide writing.
If you do ever donate anything, then be sure to send me an email so I can thank you personally. If you don't donate anything, then send me an email as well and give me some feedback on the current guide of mine that you're reading!
Just like my feelings in the past, I don't really expect any type of payment in return since I write for enjoyment and the love of the game most of all. The link is sort of a "there if you want to" type of feature.
Thanks for reading and, as always, continue to tear through the game!
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Resident Evil 5 updates - Box Covers, etc.
Official Resident Evil 5 Cover Art
The official Resident Evil 5 North American cover art has now been released:
Full Story at Capcom Blog
The European covers for both releases of Resident Evil 5 can be viewed over at The Horror is Alive.
PlayStation 3 Europe Cover Art
Xbox 360 Europe Cover Art
Demo Release
In other news, the North American demo for the Resident Evil 5 now has a confirmed release date of "early 2009". Full story at Joystiq.com. Actually, there is a second article up now.
Major Spoilers for Resident Evil 5 on the net?
Apparently, someone has extracted information from one of the Biohazard 5 demo releases and there are plenty of potential spoilers on the various message boards of the internet now. If you want to see them then go to either one of the GameFAQs RE5 boards and search for "hack" or "spoilers". From what I have heard, these are possibly major spoilers for the full game of RE5. Just by catching a glimpse of one, I was already unhappy with what I was reading. Whether or not these are true spoilers remains to be seen and we obviously won't know until the game is released, so be on guard with what you read.
I intend to keep all major spoilers off this blog until the game's release, so don't post up these possible spoilers here please. The only reason why I mention these in this post is to give a word of warning to those that might not want the game ruined for them.
The official Resident Evil 5 North American cover art has now been released:
(Click pics for full images)
Full Story at Capcom Blog
The European covers for both releases of Resident Evil 5 can be viewed over at The Horror is Alive.
PlayStation 3 Europe Cover Art
Xbox 360 Europe Cover Art
Demo Release
In other news, the North American demo for the Resident Evil 5 now has a confirmed release date of "early 2009". Full story at Joystiq.com. Actually, there is a second article up now.
Major Spoilers for Resident Evil 5 on the net?
Apparently, someone has extracted information from one of the Biohazard 5 demo releases and there are plenty of potential spoilers on the various message boards of the internet now. If you want to see them then go to either one of the GameFAQs RE5 boards and search for "hack" or "spoilers". From what I have heard, these are possibly major spoilers for the full game of RE5. Just by catching a glimpse of one, I was already unhappy with what I was reading. Whether or not these are true spoilers remains to be seen and we obviously won't know until the game is released, so be on guard with what you read.
I intend to keep all major spoilers off this blog until the game's release, so don't post up these possible spoilers here please. The only reason why I mention these in this post is to give a word of warning to those that might not want the game ruined for them.
Friday, December 12, 2008
Out With the Old and In With the New
For about the past 12+ years I have had the same gaming setup you see below.
Kev's Old TV
The TV you see there was a 27" Sanyo SDTV. It's so old that it only had an RF input, so I had to play all my gaming systems through a VCR. For the past two months, the screen had started to get wavy after a few hours of play and I had to leave it off for a few minutes to make the wavyness stop.
Anyway, I wanted my next TV to be an HDTV, so I could actually make out my games on it without having to squint at times. If you've ever tried to play Infinite Undiscovery on an SDTV or tried to write a game script for Dead Rising while playing on one, then you know how blurry some text can get while playing a High Definition game on an SDTV.
After much asking around from friends and in-store employees, I finally settled on this 42" Panasonic VIERA Plasma 1080p HDTV. A Circuit City employee and a Best Buy employee recommended it to me after I mentioned that I want a TV for gaming, so I went ahead and went with it. Mind you, it was bought for $999 at Best Buy then I found it later at Circuit City for $899 and managed to get a price match.
Here's a few pics:
Kev's New TV 1
Kev's New TV 2
My dad helped me set it up last Saturday. My first game to experience on it was the RE5 demo. I played it the day before on my SDTV then I played it the next night on my new HDTV. In the matter of a day, I had gone from extreme fanboy excitement (playing RE5 on... anything) to pure unadulterated bliss (playing RE5 in 1080i HD). There's no way I could have timed that better!
Dead Space looks fantastic on it too, and I still have yet to try many of my older games. Need to break out Dead Rising soon also. Wii doesn't look that hot, nor do any of the older systems, but at least there's no lag associated with them like I've read about with some HDTV's.
If you look at the pics, I've also got a new 5.1 surround setup (silver speakers in new pics) in place of my old 2.1 surround setup (black speakers in old pic). It's got a lot more bass than my previous speakers... well, that's what my parents have told me anyway, haha.
Kev's Old TV
The TV you see there was a 27" Sanyo SDTV. It's so old that it only had an RF input, so I had to play all my gaming systems through a VCR. For the past two months, the screen had started to get wavy after a few hours of play and I had to leave it off for a few minutes to make the wavyness stop.
Anyway, I wanted my next TV to be an HDTV, so I could actually make out my games on it without having to squint at times. If you've ever tried to play Infinite Undiscovery on an SDTV or tried to write a game script for Dead Rising while playing on one, then you know how blurry some text can get while playing a High Definition game on an SDTV.
After much asking around from friends and in-store employees, I finally settled on this 42" Panasonic VIERA Plasma 1080p HDTV. A Circuit City employee and a Best Buy employee recommended it to me after I mentioned that I want a TV for gaming, so I went ahead and went with it. Mind you, it was bought for $999 at Best Buy then I found it later at Circuit City for $899 and managed to get a price match.
Here's a few pics:
Kev's New TV 1
Kev's New TV 2
My dad helped me set it up last Saturday. My first game to experience on it was the RE5 demo. I played it the day before on my SDTV then I played it the next night on my new HDTV. In the matter of a day, I had gone from extreme fanboy excitement (playing RE5 on... anything) to pure unadulterated bliss (playing RE5 in 1080i HD). There's no way I could have timed that better!
Dead Space looks fantastic on it too, and I still have yet to try many of my older games. Need to break out Dead Rising soon also. Wii doesn't look that hot, nor do any of the older systems, but at least there's no lag associated with them like I've read about with some HDTV's.
If you look at the pics, I've also got a new 5.1 surround setup (silver speakers in new pics) in place of my old 2.1 surround setup (black speakers in old pic). It's got a lot more bass than my previous speakers... well, that's what my parents have told me anyway, haha.
Friday, December 5, 2008
Dead Space Featured Guide
Same great text, less white background... with some pretty colors, pictures and nice extras tossed in by the talented group at Cheat Happens!
Cheat Happens Dead Space Featured Guide by Berserker
Cheat Happens always does a wonderous job with the layout of their Feature Guides, which is why I continue to write for them from time to time. Big thanks to Chris and Peter from Cheat Happens for making my Dead Space guide seem whole again.
I've still got some Impossible Mode tips to add to the main guide while on my journey through Impossible Mode then I'll lay this guide to rest and get back to more important things... like the RE5 demo - more about this in an upcoming post.
Cheat Happens Dead Space Featured Guide by Berserker
Cheat Happens always does a wonderous job with the layout of their Feature Guides, which is why I continue to write for them from time to time. Big thanks to Chris and Peter from Cheat Happens for making my Dead Space guide seem whole again.
I've still got some Impossible Mode tips to add to the main guide while on my journey through Impossible Mode then I'll lay this guide to rest and get back to more important things... like the RE5 demo - more about this in an upcoming post.
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Review Update - November 2008
Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe (Xbox 360)
--> Review
I really had my doubts about this game, especially with the new Teen rating. For an MK fan though, it really isn't that bad at all. There is more of focus on the core fighting game this time instead of adding in some lame minigames or a long drawn out story mode. They got rid of the different styles and most of the weapon combat has been taken out so each character feels more simplified now and the entire game feels more old-school with this approach if you ask me.
The game plays like the other 3-D MK's (Deadly Alliance - Armageddon) but there is much more of a focus on juggling this time instead of learning a long dial combo sequence. It feels kind of like MK3 once again. Now if Midway could evolve beyond the stiff character animations and plastic doll look, we would have one impressive MK. The fighting is quite awesome in this one though. Be sure to try it out if you're an MK fan. The lack of violence really isn't that noticeable since the developers maneuvered around it pretty well. The DC characters are really the best part of the character roster since they all feel completely new for the most part - speaking of which, all MK characters are remade for this installment, none of them are simply copy and pasted from Armageddon.
The King of Fighters The Orochi Saga Collection (PS2)
--> Review
KOF 94 - 98 all on one disc and emulated just about perfectly. What more could a KOF fan ask for. KOF '98 is still one of my personal favorites in the KOF series, so it was a pleasure to play it once again. Sasyu Kusanagi FTW!
The King of Fighters The Orochi Saga Collection (PSP)
--> Review
Oh, dear god, what happened during the porting process here? The PSP version has some bad problems loading and reading the disc as each round starts, so you're looking at near 30 second load times before a match and a bit of pausing to load thereafter. Sounds are sometimes delayed at the beginning or just about anywhere in a fight. The PSP D-pad worked pretty horrible for this game for me also. Avoid this KOF Collection version unless it is your only option.
Spider-man: Web of Shadows (PS3)
--> Review
This Spider-man really captures the way that combat should be in a Spider-man game with its impressive aerial, building (while climbing) and ground combat. It's really cool how fun an aerial fight can be with the help of the /\ button, which makes Spider-man shoot out his web at the closest enemy and pull himself toward them to hit them - you can keep repeating this while he falls in mid-air.
Have you ever played The Incredible Hulk for Xbox 360 and seen how bad that game freezes though? Web of Shadows on PS3 is just about as bad. The game froze on me five times and it has a bunch of random glitches and overall doesn't run as well as it could. Still, this title is a worthy rental for those interested in a fun combat system for a Spider-man game.
The Legend of Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon (X360)
--> Review
I came off playing Silent Hill Homecoming and Dead Space then switched over to Spyro; what a change of direction! Dawn of the Dragon was my first Spyro game out of all the ones released so far. It has some really impressive and engaging cutscenes and voice acting. The overall combat isn't too bad either though the targeting can throw you off here and there along with some slight hit detection issues. It allows you to take control of two characters and switch between them at any time, or you can play the entire game two-player. It was a little on the short side but overall it was pretty good.
--> Review
I really had my doubts about this game, especially with the new Teen rating. For an MK fan though, it really isn't that bad at all. There is more of focus on the core fighting game this time instead of adding in some lame minigames or a long drawn out story mode. They got rid of the different styles and most of the weapon combat has been taken out so each character feels more simplified now and the entire game feels more old-school with this approach if you ask me.
The game plays like the other 3-D MK's (Deadly Alliance - Armageddon) but there is much more of a focus on juggling this time instead of learning a long dial combo sequence. It feels kind of like MK3 once again. Now if Midway could evolve beyond the stiff character animations and plastic doll look, we would have one impressive MK. The fighting is quite awesome in this one though. Be sure to try it out if you're an MK fan. The lack of violence really isn't that noticeable since the developers maneuvered around it pretty well. The DC characters are really the best part of the character roster since they all feel completely new for the most part - speaking of which, all MK characters are remade for this installment, none of them are simply copy and pasted from Armageddon.
The King of Fighters The Orochi Saga Collection (PS2)
--> Review
KOF 94 - 98 all on one disc and emulated just about perfectly. What more could a KOF fan ask for. KOF '98 is still one of my personal favorites in the KOF series, so it was a pleasure to play it once again. Sasyu Kusanagi FTW!
The King of Fighters The Orochi Saga Collection (PSP)
--> Review
Oh, dear god, what happened during the porting process here? The PSP version has some bad problems loading and reading the disc as each round starts, so you're looking at near 30 second load times before a match and a bit of pausing to load thereafter. Sounds are sometimes delayed at the beginning or just about anywhere in a fight. The PSP D-pad worked pretty horrible for this game for me also. Avoid this KOF Collection version unless it is your only option.
Spider-man: Web of Shadows (PS3)
--> Review
This Spider-man really captures the way that combat should be in a Spider-man game with its impressive aerial, building (while climbing) and ground combat. It's really cool how fun an aerial fight can be with the help of the /\ button, which makes Spider-man shoot out his web at the closest enemy and pull himself toward them to hit them - you can keep repeating this while he falls in mid-air.
Have you ever played The Incredible Hulk for Xbox 360 and seen how bad that game freezes though? Web of Shadows on PS3 is just about as bad. The game froze on me five times and it has a bunch of random glitches and overall doesn't run as well as it could. Still, this title is a worthy rental for those interested in a fun combat system for a Spider-man game.
The Legend of Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon (X360)
--> Review
I came off playing Silent Hill Homecoming and Dead Space then switched over to Spyro; what a change of direction! Dawn of the Dragon was my first Spyro game out of all the ones released so far. It has some really impressive and engaging cutscenes and voice acting. The overall combat isn't too bad either though the targeting can throw you off here and there along with some slight hit detection issues. It allows you to take control of two characters and switch between them at any time, or you can play the entire game two-player. It was a little on the short side but overall it was pretty good.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Resident Evil 5 Demo and Other RE5 News
Famitsu magazing recently announced the following:
a) An RE5 (Biohazard 5) demo which covers two stages in the African town of Kijuju and has co-op play will be released on Xbox LIVE on December 5th in Japan available to gold members only. The Capcom Blog makes mention of a PSN demo for PS3 and that the North Amercian demos will arrive at a later date sometimes after the JPN demo.
b) The Japan release for RE5 has been moved up to March 5, 2009 and the rest will still remain at March 13, 2009.
c) Capcom's e-Capcom sales site in Japan will be selling a LE version of RE which includes:
Here's hoping we'll hear more on this (such as worldwide mentions of at least the demo) in the coming weeks.
Oh, and also, click here for a new Chris Redfield character rendering.
a) An RE5 (Biohazard 5) demo which covers two stages in the African town of Kijuju and has co-op play will be released on Xbox LIVE on December 5th in Japan available to gold members only. The Capcom Blog makes mention of a PSN demo for PS3 and that the North Amercian demos will arrive at a later date sometimes after the JPN demo.
b) The Japan release for RE5 has been moved up to March 5, 2009 and the rest will still remain at March 13, 2009.
c) Capcom's e-Capcom sales site in Japan will be selling a LE version of RE which includes:
- a 32-page all color art bookSource: IGN (UK), 1up
- a complete with exclusive staff commentary
- a BSAA waist pouch that's meant to look like an item Chris wears in the game
- a 2 gigabyte USB memory card shaped like an anti virus item from the game
Pics of LE
Here's hoping we'll hear more on this (such as worldwide mentions of at least the demo) in the coming weeks.
Oh, and also, click here for a new Chris Redfield character rendering.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
PS3 and Xbox 360 Friend Requests
I've been wanting to make this post for a while but I keep forgetting about it.
I've been getting a lot of random friend requests lately on both PSN and Xbox LIVE. Most people simply send a friend request without any sort of message or anything. A pet peeve of mine on Yahoo messenger is when a person adds me without any sort of message of introduction and I feel the same way with PSN and Xbox LIVE, so I'd like to say right now...
I like to have an idea of who I am adding. It wouldn't hurt to ask either. Some of my best friends on Xbox LIVE asked before I added them or either I knew them before they added me. If you're someone that I know, then remind me of who you are; usernames don't always show your identity. It wouldn't hurt if we had the same interests also besides just one game.
I just got through deleting my gamertags from all my guides yesterday and adding a note under my gamertags to the side, so there is really no excuse not to read this message.
I'm not trying to rant here at all, I just don't want my friends list filling up too fast with people that I don't know. I'm not trying to scare people off from adding me here either, just trying to share my preferences.
Thanks for understanding.
I've been getting a lot of random friend requests lately on both PSN and Xbox LIVE. Most people simply send a friend request without any sort of message or anything. A pet peeve of mine on Yahoo messenger is when a person adds me without any sort of message of introduction and I feel the same way with PSN and Xbox LIVE, so I'd like to say right now...
If you add me to your PSN or Xbox LIVE friends list then please send me a message along with the add or I'll decline you.
I like to have an idea of who I am adding. It wouldn't hurt to ask either. Some of my best friends on Xbox LIVE asked before I added them or either I knew them before they added me. If you're someone that I know, then remind me of who you are; usernames don't always show your identity. It wouldn't hurt if we had the same interests also besides just one game.
I just got through deleting my gamertags from all my guides yesterday and adding a note under my gamertags to the side, so there is really no excuse not to read this message.
I'm not trying to rant here at all, I just don't want my friends list filling up too fast with people that I don't know. I'm not trying to scare people off from adding me here either, just trying to share my preferences.
Thanks for understanding.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Dead Space Guide
Dead Space FAQ/Walkthrough by Berserker
How do the ASCII stars look? Realistic? Messy? That's the only type of design I could think of really. How does the item location format look? This was a new type of format that I decided on a few days ago and I think it looks great. You can scroll through the guide and look off to the right to search for item pickups in each chapter by watching for "Item List".
In the coming weeks, I'm going to try to get this one on par with my Resident Evil 4 FAQ. The thing about RE4 is that I had already been playing for the past two years it was out before finally writing a guide for it, so I knew the game exremely well, unlike Dead Space, which I'm just now starting my third playthrough in.
This one covers both the PS3 and Xbox 360 version. I've gone through both of them and can confirm the slight differences listed in the guide (controller configuration and extra accomplishment [trophy] on PS3). Both button inputs are listed whenever a button command is mentioned. I listed it as PS3 up on GameFAQ since that was the first version that I played through.
This might be my last FAQ for this year. I'm really looking forward to Rygar: The Battle of Argus, Dead Rising: Chop Till You Drop, Bionic Commando, Street Fighter IV, and of course, Resident Evil 5, so I'll probably do something with one or two of those. I don't really think I'd have enough skill to write a fighting game guide (the way I'd want to), so I'll most likely leave Street Fighter alone.
Update (11/10) - Added the rest of the files for Chapter 12. Few minor errors were corrected. A tip was added to the room with boulders in Chapter 7. Proofreading process starts next - what fun! :\
Update (11/11) - Proofread Chapters 1, 2 and 3! A few other minor little extras were added here and there and the weapons section in Basics has been filled out more.
Update (11/14) - Proofread Chapters 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9. A few item pickups were added here and there and I finally added an objective description in Chapter 11 that I had been lacking.
Update (11/17) - Proofread the remainder of the document! The "Tentacle" was added under the enemy section under Basics and some tips were added for the "Don't get cocky, kid" accomplishment that can be obtained in Chapter 4. A few item pickups were added here and there as well. This might be the last update for a while.
Update (12/15) -
Added:
a) a very well hidden random credit pickup in the Mining Hallway of Chapter 7
b) a random ammo pickup for the Mess Hall area of Chapter 10
c) a better Line Gun strategy for the Spawner
d) a mention of the Force Gun when Isaac first enters the Mining Administration Hallway in Chapter 4
e) some additional tips for shooting the asteroids in the ADS Cannon Room of Chapter 4
f) an additional tip for fighting the Leviathan
g) a new Text File Transcripts section under the Lists section
h) a new Impossible Mode Tips section under the Lists section
i) a mention of my Cheat Happens Featured Guide for Dead Space at the top of the guide and bottom of the guide
Update (12/24)
a) Added a Random Ammo pickup to the Machine Shop area in Chapter 3.
b) Added a Random Credit pickup in the Refueling Chamber after the gondola
ride, near the part where a Slasher busts through a vent to retreat into the
nearby wall in Chapter 3.
c) Added an extra tip about zero-g jumping up to the walls of the Outside
Access Walkway of Chapter 4 (before the cannon room) was added.
d) Added a random ammo pickup in the East Grow Chamber of Chapter 6.
e) Corrected the tip for the Mineral Processing Room in Chapter 7.
f) Added an extra tip to the Mining Bay room of Chapter 7 that deals with the
asteroid beacon placement.
g) Added a random ammo pickup to the Repair Room in Chapter 7.
h) Added an Armor Glitch mention below the Cheats section of the Extra section.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Berserker's Top 10 Horror Games
I'm the type of person that truly makes a meal out of every horror game that I play. I crave them and I get all swept up in the mood by playing them in the dark with my surround sound up to a high volume. I guess my likeness for them spawns from the horror movies that I used to watch when I was younger - Hellraiser, Dawn of the Dead and such.
Anyway, since it is close to Halloween, I thought, why not make up a top 10 list of my favorites up to this day. Please keep in mind that this is a list of all that I have played through completely so far. I never have been able to make it too far in the original Clock Tower and I still haven't played the latest Alone in the Dark.
10) Haunting Ground
Haunting Ground is quite an underrated survival horror if you ask me. It plays much like Clock Tower 3 but takes a much more serious approach overall. The game emphasizes running and hiding, though it does have a few interesting puzzle-like boss battles. When Fiona (the main character) is scared too badly she will run in a manner that you have little control over and if she hits a wall then she will stumble or fall to the ground - this really increased the level of tension when an enemy suddenly appears similar to the way it did in Clock Tower 3.
The dog companion was a nice touch also. Rule of Rose is the only other horror game that comes to mind that used a dog companion but Haunting Ground was the first to do so. Haunting Ground felt very epic also. The twist and turns that Fiona's adventure takes made for a surprisingly much longer and satisfying game than I first imagined.
9) Resident Evil: Code Veronica X
Alexia and Alfred Ashford are some of the most disturbing characters in the RE universe and when it comes to character aspects, I love crazy characters since they are so unpredictable which makes for an all around exciting story full of surprises. CVX is my personal favorite Resident Evil game in the series mainly because of its story and overall graphical look that it carries. The characters almost look anime inspired in a way instead of realistic. I also look back it for its 3-D camera and 3-D backgrounds that made it to where the game didn't have to pause when your character ran through an area.
The return of Wesker was also an exciting twist since he was long believed to have been dead since the Mansion Incident yet he resurfaces with new powers that make for some very cool cutscene fights between him and Chris. If you ask me, his appearance in the Resident Evil universe doesn't have the same special appeal as it used to ever sense his constant need to emerge ever since CVX, but I still enjoy Mr. Shades all the same.
Also, I'm a Chris fan, he's my personal favorite character, and CVX is the Redfield game of the Resident Evil series. It's the story of the Redfields vs the Ashfords and it will always remain my favorite RE because of that. Why am I a Chris fan? Read on and you might find out.
8) Silent Hill 3
To me, Silent Hill 3 is memorable because it has the best dialogue and cutscenes out of the series. I really enjoyed the lead villain, Claudia and her overall cold nature displayed throughout the game. Her saying of "I'll be waiting where all begins... in the town of Silent Hill" still is one of the most memorable and chilling quotes of the entire series for me.
Then there's Valtiel - what a mystery he is. He's like another Pyramid Head-type creature that we know even less about. The connection to the first game was interesting also. Altogether, it brings some meaningful closure to the whole Alessa saga.
7) Siren: Blood Curse
Siren Blood Curse is wicked, demented, and overall evil all combined together. This game wants to throw some of the most disturbing stuff your way to where you'll never want to venture out into the dark again. The atmosphere is so extremely well done in this game. Characters that you might play as in one chapter might just die off in a later chapter and this game carries one very interesting twist that increases its length in a very nice way that I don't want to spoil. The overall story is pretty deep.
In all honesty, the frustrating gameplay kept me from fully enjoying the original Siren. I played for the story and atmosphere and that was it. I literally felt like I was forcing myself to play through it at times just for those aspects. Thankfully, Blood Curse's gameplay is quite good with only minimal control complaints every now and then.
6) Eternal Darkness
Sanity effects! Such an interesting way to build up tension or just plain screw with your head! Having enemies suddenly spawn on the screen when your health is low and then running away only to find that they are illusions - this sanity effect was one of my personal favorites. Also, my memory card is corrupted!? For a first time player to this game, I would actually recommend keeping your sanity gauge low throughout the majority of the game - that's where the party's at!
Besides the sanity feature, the overall setup with the way the story was told was engaging. The main character would dig up information on her ancestors and then the player would take control of that character and live out the tale of the ancestor to the conclusion. It was a great setup and the overall superb voice acting really helped to bring each character to life. The combat was cool also. Appendages could be chopped off of enemies and you had to finish each one with a finishing blow.
5) Condemned: Criminal Origins
Ah, Agent Thomas. What frightening images you can concoct in that mind of yours, dear sir!
The first Condemned does a remarkable job of playing with your head at key points and scaring you very badly at other points. It has good pacing throughout the story in terms of enemies and overall story also Enemies start out as mainly crazy homeless people then the game slowly switches over to some disturbing looking supernatural enemies.
Both Ethan and Rosa compose a great team as well. I felt as if they both contributed quite a bit to the story by the end of the game and both characters were very likeable in their own way. It's too bad that so many changes were made in Condemned 2. Not that Condemned 2 completely ruined the story, but I didn't really like the new direction that it took or the way that it changed the characters' looks so much.
4) Silent Hill 2
Silent Hill 2 is the most complete Silent Hill experience, if you ask me. The psychological story to this game is a brilliant horror side story for the series. Everything fits so well together and the whole game left me with a sense of completeness once I had finished it. This is the first and only Silent Hill where I haven't had to dig out a plot analysis to fully enjoy its story.
Maria was an awesome touch to James' story. Not to spoil anything, but her appearance really makes the overall story much more appealing through her actions and overall goal by the end of the game. Then there's Pyramid Head, who is now one of the most recognized Silent Hill creatures of them all. His appearances are all so memorable in this game - like that scene between him and the nurse or the hallway chase.
Angela is probably my most favorite character in the game however. Her overall story is delivered in just enough fragments to keep her interesting. I also really liked her sudden mood changes followed by apologies - it really gives her a unique attitude very fitting for Silent Hill.
Overall Silent Hill 2 was the main game in the series that made me like Silent Hill. I always look forward to side story games now because of this one. The Alessa saga is important to Silent Hill and all, but I like to have breaks from her at times.
3) Resident Evil (PSX)
1996... *sigh* I'll never forget it. It was the year that the horror game where those grisly murders took place in the Arkley Mountains of Raccoon City was first released... and I didn't have a PSX at that time to enjoy the experience that followed because I bought a Sega Saturn to enjoy Virtua Fighter 2. I practically had the whole story ruined for me by watching a friend play it on his PSX but I eventually bought it nearly a year later when it was released for Sega Saturn.
The first time I saw the opening movie and overall introduction cutscenes to Resident Evil, I couldn't believe how the game captured such an incredibly close feeling to that of a horror movie. Sure the voice acting was cheesy, but the overall feel was so very memorable. The first Resident Evil still carries a special tensity to it that the remake didn't capture if you ask me. The Alpha Hunters in the original game are still some of the scariest enemies I have faced in any survival horror. Dear god, those things are so very unpredictable and tough in the original game.
If you read the CVX description above, then you'll know that Chris Redfield is my personal favorite RE character and my likeness of him spawns from this game. It was so greatly entertaining to play through with his less ammo filled adventure when compared to Jill's game. His game was much more about survival to me, literally having to take zombies on with a knife at times because of lack of ammo, when compared to Jill's game where she actually gets ammo handed to her at times and she has control over the grenade launcher/bazooka which helps out greatly for Hunters.
2) Resident Evil (GC)
I still look at this game as an extremely major highlight of all my gaming years. A remake of the first game in my most favorite game series!
The atmosphere from the original game was intensified so very greatly with the power of the Gamecube. Some areas were given facelifts while other areas were given complete makeovers. The Aqua Ring area felt much more fitting this time around and the music that plays inside of it is still my all time favorite track from the game series.
The addition of Lisa added a lot to the backstory of George Trevor and the entire Spencer Estate as well. The game provided quite a bit more backstory on Ozwell E. Spencer though still managed to keep him as elusive as we have come to expect in the RE universe. I start to wonder how Capcom will eventually show him to us and if they ever will...? Or have they already?
1) Fatal Frame series
Yeah that's right. Fatal Frame, Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly and Fatal Frame III: The Tormented all for number 1. I can't differentiate between them since they are all equal to me. Out of all the survival horrors that I have played, Fatal Frame 1 is the first game to actually scare me to where I had to stop playing it one night. Seriously, a ghost scared the living daylights out of me and I just said, "Ok, that is enough for the tonight." It was the first time ever and first time since then that I have ever done that. It felt good.
Fatal Frame completely nails the most important part of a survival horror experience to me - the sound. Fatal Frames makes me not even want to walk into a room because of a slight bell ringing or a sudden thumping sound. Besides the sound, the timing and unexpected placement for some its scares are the main aspects of the game that startle me. Fatal Frame can startle me so unexpectedly that I literally stare blankly at the screen during a scare sequence before responding because I was so unprepared for the scare and I haven't had time to react just yet. That probably didn't make sense, but it's a hard feeling to describe. It's like I'm jumping on the inside while the outside is still motionless.
Fatal Frame - I skipped out on this game for quite a while after its release until I finally decided to check it out due to the positive comments I had read about it. I would usually think to myself "Using a camera to battle ghost? Ok?" By god, was I ever wrong to think that. The concept of using a camera and having to switch to a first person view intensifies each battle so greatly!
Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly - In a way, I don't remember much of this game since I have only played through it one time. It was just as good as the others but there were so many other good games out around its time. I do remember that creepy Falling Woman ghost though and the main ghost in this game was incredibly frightening.
Fatal Frame III: The Tormented - Part 3 brings such good closure to the PS2 trilogy. I like the fact that it brings the other two games together by having a few areas and characters from them while attempting to tell its own story. The return of Miku and a continuation of her story was really memorable for me since I liked the first game so much. Tormented was the first game that ever inspired me to write a guide for a survival horror game and is one of the main reasons why I continue to do so today.
Honorable Mentions
Silent Hill - Tell you the truth, I didn't really appreciate this game until I played through Silent Hill 3. Silent Hill 3 made me return to the original and play it a bit more thanks to its connection. The original Silent Hill still scares me the most out of any of the games in the series. The random noises that play so suddenly in some rooms of the game really startle the hell out of me sometimes.
Resident Evil 2 - RE2 is quite the memorable game but the change in location made the atmosphere feel less scary. Don't get me wrong, I jumped quite a few times with this game, and still do. To this day, it is probably my most played RE title out of all of them - sometimes I think that is why I don't really care to come back to it. I probably have overplayed it. Why did I play it so much? Have you ever checked to see how many different version of RE2 have been released? I have to own them all, you know. :p
Resident Evil 3 - RE3 brought in a unique fear with the stalking tough-as-nails Nemesis that I would love to see repeated again in a horror game some day. RE4's Verdugo brought that same feel for a while, but it was too short. Resident Evil 3 can also be the hardest RE of them all if you try to actually fight Nemesis every single time. It makes for a very fun survival playthrough.
Illbleed - LOL, wut? Have you ever played it? Illbleed still stands as one of the most unique horror games that I have played. It's corny at times but it sure isn't afraid to scare you quite badly with sudden noises when traps are set off. Also, you gotta love the geysers of blood that come from character and enemies when they are hit.
Rule of Rose - This is a strange game. It is basically played for story and that is it. The combat is horrible and the overall gameplay is mediocre but the story is quite good and deep... pretty cruel too.
Dead Space - EA's new horror game has really, really impressed me much more than I was expecting. The atmosphere and overall sound design is done so very well in this game.
Onimusha - The first Onimusha game reminds me a lot of Resident Evil with swords. It captures a horror feel much better than the later games in the series. That's not to say that it's my favorite however. Dawn of Dreams is still my pick.
Anyway, since it is close to Halloween, I thought, why not make up a top 10 list of my favorites up to this day. Please keep in mind that this is a list of all that I have played through completely so far. I never have been able to make it too far in the original Clock Tower and I still haven't played the latest Alone in the Dark.
10) Haunting Ground
Haunting Ground is quite an underrated survival horror if you ask me. It plays much like Clock Tower 3 but takes a much more serious approach overall. The game emphasizes running and hiding, though it does have a few interesting puzzle-like boss battles. When Fiona (the main character) is scared too badly she will run in a manner that you have little control over and if she hits a wall then she will stumble or fall to the ground - this really increased the level of tension when an enemy suddenly appears similar to the way it did in Clock Tower 3.
The dog companion was a nice touch also. Rule of Rose is the only other horror game that comes to mind that used a dog companion but Haunting Ground was the first to do so. Haunting Ground felt very epic also. The twist and turns that Fiona's adventure takes made for a surprisingly much longer and satisfying game than I first imagined.
9) Resident Evil: Code Veronica X
Alexia and Alfred Ashford are some of the most disturbing characters in the RE universe and when it comes to character aspects, I love crazy characters since they are so unpredictable which makes for an all around exciting story full of surprises. CVX is my personal favorite Resident Evil game in the series mainly because of its story and overall graphical look that it carries. The characters almost look anime inspired in a way instead of realistic. I also look back it for its 3-D camera and 3-D backgrounds that made it to where the game didn't have to pause when your character ran through an area.
The return of Wesker was also an exciting twist since he was long believed to have been dead since the Mansion Incident yet he resurfaces with new powers that make for some very cool cutscene fights between him and Chris. If you ask me, his appearance in the Resident Evil universe doesn't have the same special appeal as it used to ever sense his constant need to emerge ever since CVX, but I still enjoy Mr. Shades all the same.
Also, I'm a Chris fan, he's my personal favorite character, and CVX is the Redfield game of the Resident Evil series. It's the story of the Redfields vs the Ashfords and it will always remain my favorite RE because of that. Why am I a Chris fan? Read on and you might find out.
8) Silent Hill 3
To me, Silent Hill 3 is memorable because it has the best dialogue and cutscenes out of the series. I really enjoyed the lead villain, Claudia and her overall cold nature displayed throughout the game. Her saying of "I'll be waiting where all begins... in the town of Silent Hill" still is one of the most memorable and chilling quotes of the entire series for me.
Then there's Valtiel - what a mystery he is. He's like another Pyramid Head-type creature that we know even less about. The connection to the first game was interesting also. Altogether, it brings some meaningful closure to the whole Alessa saga.
7) Siren: Blood Curse
Siren Blood Curse is wicked, demented, and overall evil all combined together. This game wants to throw some of the most disturbing stuff your way to where you'll never want to venture out into the dark again. The atmosphere is so extremely well done in this game. Characters that you might play as in one chapter might just die off in a later chapter and this game carries one very interesting twist that increases its length in a very nice way that I don't want to spoil. The overall story is pretty deep.
In all honesty, the frustrating gameplay kept me from fully enjoying the original Siren. I played for the story and atmosphere and that was it. I literally felt like I was forcing myself to play through it at times just for those aspects. Thankfully, Blood Curse's gameplay is quite good with only minimal control complaints every now and then.
6) Eternal Darkness
Sanity effects! Such an interesting way to build up tension or just plain screw with your head! Having enemies suddenly spawn on the screen when your health is low and then running away only to find that they are illusions - this sanity effect was one of my personal favorites. Also, my memory card is corrupted!? For a first time player to this game, I would actually recommend keeping your sanity gauge low throughout the majority of the game - that's where the party's at!
Besides the sanity feature, the overall setup with the way the story was told was engaging. The main character would dig up information on her ancestors and then the player would take control of that character and live out the tale of the ancestor to the conclusion. It was a great setup and the overall superb voice acting really helped to bring each character to life. The combat was cool also. Appendages could be chopped off of enemies and you had to finish each one with a finishing blow.
5) Condemned: Criminal Origins
Ah, Agent Thomas. What frightening images you can concoct in that mind of yours, dear sir!
The first Condemned does a remarkable job of playing with your head at key points and scaring you very badly at other points. It has good pacing throughout the story in terms of enemies and overall story also Enemies start out as mainly crazy homeless people then the game slowly switches over to some disturbing looking supernatural enemies.
Both Ethan and Rosa compose a great team as well. I felt as if they both contributed quite a bit to the story by the end of the game and both characters were very likeable in their own way. It's too bad that so many changes were made in Condemned 2. Not that Condemned 2 completely ruined the story, but I didn't really like the new direction that it took or the way that it changed the characters' looks so much.
4) Silent Hill 2
Silent Hill 2 is the most complete Silent Hill experience, if you ask me. The psychological story to this game is a brilliant horror side story for the series. Everything fits so well together and the whole game left me with a sense of completeness once I had finished it. This is the first and only Silent Hill where I haven't had to dig out a plot analysis to fully enjoy its story.
Maria was an awesome touch to James' story. Not to spoil anything, but her appearance really makes the overall story much more appealing through her actions and overall goal by the end of the game. Then there's Pyramid Head, who is now one of the most recognized Silent Hill creatures of them all. His appearances are all so memorable in this game - like that scene between him and the nurse or the hallway chase.
Angela is probably my most favorite character in the game however. Her overall story is delivered in just enough fragments to keep her interesting. I also really liked her sudden mood changes followed by apologies - it really gives her a unique attitude very fitting for Silent Hill.
Overall Silent Hill 2 was the main game in the series that made me like Silent Hill. I always look forward to side story games now because of this one. The Alessa saga is important to Silent Hill and all, but I like to have breaks from her at times.
3) Resident Evil (PSX)
1996... *sigh* I'll never forget it. It was the year that the horror game where those grisly murders took place in the Arkley Mountains of Raccoon City was first released... and I didn't have a PSX at that time to enjoy the experience that followed because I bought a Sega Saturn to enjoy Virtua Fighter 2. I practically had the whole story ruined for me by watching a friend play it on his PSX but I eventually bought it nearly a year later when it was released for Sega Saturn.
The first time I saw the opening movie and overall introduction cutscenes to Resident Evil, I couldn't believe how the game captured such an incredibly close feeling to that of a horror movie. Sure the voice acting was cheesy, but the overall feel was so very memorable. The first Resident Evil still carries a special tensity to it that the remake didn't capture if you ask me. The Alpha Hunters in the original game are still some of the scariest enemies I have faced in any survival horror. Dear god, those things are so very unpredictable and tough in the original game.
If you read the CVX description above, then you'll know that Chris Redfield is my personal favorite RE character and my likeness of him spawns from this game. It was so greatly entertaining to play through with his less ammo filled adventure when compared to Jill's game. His game was much more about survival to me, literally having to take zombies on with a knife at times because of lack of ammo, when compared to Jill's game where she actually gets ammo handed to her at times and she has control over the grenade launcher/bazooka which helps out greatly for Hunters.
2) Resident Evil (GC)
I still look at this game as an extremely major highlight of all my gaming years. A remake of the first game in my most favorite game series!
The atmosphere from the original game was intensified so very greatly with the power of the Gamecube. Some areas were given facelifts while other areas were given complete makeovers. The Aqua Ring area felt much more fitting this time around and the music that plays inside of it is still my all time favorite track from the game series.
The addition of Lisa added a lot to the backstory of George Trevor and the entire Spencer Estate as well. The game provided quite a bit more backstory on Ozwell E. Spencer though still managed to keep him as elusive as we have come to expect in the RE universe. I start to wonder how Capcom will eventually show him to us and if they ever will...? Or have they already?
1) Fatal Frame series
Yeah that's right. Fatal Frame, Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly and Fatal Frame III: The Tormented all for number 1. I can't differentiate between them since they are all equal to me. Out of all the survival horrors that I have played, Fatal Frame 1 is the first game to actually scare me to where I had to stop playing it one night. Seriously, a ghost scared the living daylights out of me and I just said, "Ok, that is enough for the tonight." It was the first time ever and first time since then that I have ever done that. It felt good.
Fatal Frame completely nails the most important part of a survival horror experience to me - the sound. Fatal Frames makes me not even want to walk into a room because of a slight bell ringing or a sudden thumping sound. Besides the sound, the timing and unexpected placement for some its scares are the main aspects of the game that startle me. Fatal Frame can startle me so unexpectedly that I literally stare blankly at the screen during a scare sequence before responding because I was so unprepared for the scare and I haven't had time to react just yet. That probably didn't make sense, but it's a hard feeling to describe. It's like I'm jumping on the inside while the outside is still motionless.
Fatal Frame - I skipped out on this game for quite a while after its release until I finally decided to check it out due to the positive comments I had read about it. I would usually think to myself "Using a camera to battle ghost? Ok?" By god, was I ever wrong to think that. The concept of using a camera and having to switch to a first person view intensifies each battle so greatly!
Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly - In a way, I don't remember much of this game since I have only played through it one time. It was just as good as the others but there were so many other good games out around its time. I do remember that creepy Falling Woman ghost though and the main ghost in this game was incredibly frightening.
Fatal Frame III: The Tormented - Part 3 brings such good closure to the PS2 trilogy. I like the fact that it brings the other two games together by having a few areas and characters from them while attempting to tell its own story. The return of Miku and a continuation of her story was really memorable for me since I liked the first game so much. Tormented was the first game that ever inspired me to write a guide for a survival horror game and is one of the main reasons why I continue to do so today.
Honorable Mentions
Silent Hill - Tell you the truth, I didn't really appreciate this game until I played through Silent Hill 3. Silent Hill 3 made me return to the original and play it a bit more thanks to its connection. The original Silent Hill still scares me the most out of any of the games in the series. The random noises that play so suddenly in some rooms of the game really startle the hell out of me sometimes.
Resident Evil 2 - RE2 is quite the memorable game but the change in location made the atmosphere feel less scary. Don't get me wrong, I jumped quite a few times with this game, and still do. To this day, it is probably my most played RE title out of all of them - sometimes I think that is why I don't really care to come back to it. I probably have overplayed it. Why did I play it so much? Have you ever checked to see how many different version of RE2 have been released? I have to own them all, you know. :p
Resident Evil 3 - RE3 brought in a unique fear with the stalking tough-as-nails Nemesis that I would love to see repeated again in a horror game some day. RE4's Verdugo brought that same feel for a while, but it was too short. Resident Evil 3 can also be the hardest RE of them all if you try to actually fight Nemesis every single time. It makes for a very fun survival playthrough.
Illbleed - LOL, wut? Have you ever played it? Illbleed still stands as one of the most unique horror games that I have played. It's corny at times but it sure isn't afraid to scare you quite badly with sudden noises when traps are set off. Also, you gotta love the geysers of blood that come from character and enemies when they are hit.
Rule of Rose - This is a strange game. It is basically played for story and that is it. The combat is horrible and the overall gameplay is mediocre but the story is quite good and deep... pretty cruel too.
Dead Space - EA's new horror game has really, really impressed me much more than I was expecting. The atmosphere and overall sound design is done so very well in this game.
Onimusha - The first Onimusha game reminds me a lot of Resident Evil with swords. It captures a horror feel much better than the later games in the series. That's not to say that it's my favorite however. Dawn of Dreams is still my pick.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Dead Space is Fantastic!
Yeah, you heard that right. The game is quite excellent. Don't believe me, well then read what I have to say about the PS3 version:
Dead Space Review
I also typed up a review for Silent Hill Homecoming if anyone is interested. Really I think the Homecoming review reads better even though I spent much longer on the Dead Space review. I've spent MUCH more time playing Homecoming than Dead Space at the moment.
I'm also trying to write up a guide for Dead Space but this one's going to take quite a while. I really should have done this on my first time through like I did with SH: Homecoming, since I was much more involved then. I'm using both the 360 and PS3 version to write different parts. Hopefully, I'll have the motivation to continue.
I'll be receiving Far Cry 2 soon, so I don't know if I'll have the willpower to stay focused on Dead Space for the next few weeks.
UPDATE: Just as an extra, check out this Silent Hill Homecoming video review made by a good friend from a forum that I frequent from time to time.
Dead Space Review
I also typed up a review for Silent Hill Homecoming if anyone is interested. Really I think the Homecoming review reads better even though I spent much longer on the Dead Space review. I've spent MUCH more time playing Homecoming than Dead Space at the moment.
I'm also trying to write up a guide for Dead Space but this one's going to take quite a while. I really should have done this on my first time through like I did with SH: Homecoming, since I was much more involved then. I'm using both the 360 and PS3 version to write different parts. Hopefully, I'll have the motivation to continue.
I'll be receiving Far Cry 2 soon, so I don't know if I'll have the willpower to stay focused on Dead Space for the next few weeks.
UPDATE: Just as an extra, check out this Silent Hill Homecoming video review made by a good friend from a forum that I frequent from time to time.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Silent Hill Homecoming Guide
Silent Hill Homecoming FAQ/Walkthrough by Berserker
I started up on this guide after playing it for about 10 minutes. I always feel that I do a better job on survival horrors while typing up the walkthrough portion on my first time through. I like to showcase my tension and feelings for the game in my writing and I think it works out much better on my first time through. This is not to say that the strategies are based on my first time through. I've been through it a second time and actually used my guide on guidance - that's a first!
If you're looking for this on GameFAQs then I probably won't post it up there until later this week. I want to have time to correct a few areas before it goes up on there.
What else, what else...
Oh yeah, new reviews are up for Infinite Undiscovery and Mega Man 9 if anyone is interested. Also, more importantly, I now only have 7 more challenge rooms left in Bionic Commando Rearmed. Oooo, it's getting so hard now!
Silent Hill Homecoming FAQ updates:
Update (10/16) - A new save point list was added to the List section. Many of the sections were beefed up quite a bit. The intro was redone a bit to match the survival horror mood I was in yesterday after beating the game for the fourth time. This should be up on GameFAQs later today also - just submitted it. Only the walkthrough and a few other sections are proofread so there are still plenty of typos in the guide I'm sure.
That about wraps it up. Other updates should be minor. I wouldn't count on an item list or game script this time around like I did with Origins. A game script would be kind of fun though.
Update (10/17) - A Weapon list is now up in the list section. A few typos have been destroyed and reborn as actual words and phrases also. Some typos still linger though, so email me if you notice one.
Update (10/20) - Ending 1 requirements were revised thanks to a reader. Squashed many of the typos in the Enemies section. The List section still has typos, I know, but I don't know when or if I'll get around to looking over it. Proofreading my own work is so very hard and boring. :(
Update (10/22) - All sections have been proofread, so all the typos are gone, no doubt. If not... I'll stretch the typo words until they break and all the little characters drain out.
Siam knife finisher description was added also. I only have a few finisher moves descriptions left to add now.
Update (11/03) - This update has been sitting on my comp for the past week really... Anyway, Siam knife finisher revised. A few glitch warnings added, one in the Sewers right before Siam fight and another in the Church before the plate puzzle.
Update (11/12) - Added a note about an image of Alex's father that can be seen through the cloth sheet in the basement before cutting the sheet - see added "Special Note" in the walkthrough during the first arrival in the basement of the Shepherd House for more info. Also added the finishing move for the Feral while equipped with the axe. A tip was added to the fight with the three Needlers and the Siam in the Main Drain Chamber of the Sewers. Another note was added to the Scarlet fight before the second battle with her.
If anyone can describe the Combat Knife/Ceremonial Dagger finishing move when fighting a Smog then please email me. It is the ONLY little detail left that I want to add for a complete guide.
Update (11/18) - Corrected a few mistakes here and these thanks to Rob. A new valuable health tip is now listed under the Health section in Basics. The Smog now has a Combat Knife/Ceremonial Dagger finisher description now as well thanks to a reader. I now dub Silent Hill Homecoming FAQ/Walkthrough by Berserker as finished! I'm still accepting additions though.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Resident Evil 5 TGS '08 trailer!
Don't. Play. ^That. Click on the link. Go to Gametrailers. Watch it in the highest resolution possible - oh, what the hell, just click here (HD) or here (SD). Have the volume up as high as it will go. If you're avoiding spoilers then don't watch it at all. Just know that it made my day.
There are times where I wish I could reach through my monitor and somehow grab a game and play it early no matter how much of a beta form it still is in. This game goes beyond that though... I just... wow.
March needs to here quickly. ...and I REALLY need to get an HDTV before then.[/RE fanboy explosion]
The Official North American RE5 Site is updated quite a bit also with new downloads, character profiles, etc.
UPDATE 1
There is also an Alternate Trailer on GameTrailers:
Alternate Trailer SD
Alternate Trailer HD
Thanks to Brian for pointing this out.
UPDATE 2
A New Resident Evil Degeneration trailer is now up!
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Berserker is Coming Home!
I have been hot and heavy on Silent Hill Homecoming ever since its release last Wednesday and I must say, the game is much better than what I was expecting. While playing through my first time I have actually typed out a full walkthrough for it. I decided to start one up at the last second since I was highly entertained by the opening sequences. I have finished it in less than a week! A new record! But now I have to go back through and correct a lot of things so I probably won't have it up until sometimes next week hopefully. I'm still missing some of the Child's Drawings, Serums, and Photos at this point.This is the first time I have ever had my own guide handy while going back through the game for a second playthrough, so hopefully this one will read very well! I am sort of forced into doing this since I didn't think the first time enemy strategies were that great. I've inserted more humor than normal but still didn't go overboard because I don't like it myself when guides do that.
Anyway, expect a guide with detailed combat explanations, enemy attack lists, dialogue choice lists and many other extra portions in the weeks to come. It should be like my Silent Hill Origins guide - I'm actually using it as a template. I probably won't do a game script this time. My VCR is broke... and sort of jammed too really... hasn't been used in a long time. Haha.
But anyway, yeah, I beat Homecoming yesterday and I'm quite surprised with how good the game was. There are a few areas that I didn't like, such as the boring Otherworld Hell Descent and the super aggressive enemies on the streets that I have difficulty running from, among a few other things, but overall, it's a real good addition to the Silent Hill franchise I think. It's interesting how they have managed to blend in elements from the movie with the game and not go overboard like I expected them to. Pyramid Head wasn't overused and the movie Nurses and other enemies seem to match the game well. Combat is pretty good too, but when trying to dodge, it's sort of hard to tell when an enemy is going to attack sometimes. They don't always give off a smooth warning signs before an attack. The Feral is a perfect example of this. I'm having problems going over his moves in the guide.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
BC Rearmed and Vampire Rain:AS reviews
Bionic Commando Rearmed (Xbox 360) review
There is a copy of the review for the PS3 version on Gamers' Temple as well since the review compares them. They were scored the same since they both have their ups and down and come out about equal in my eyes.
I still play BCR all the time no matter how many times I grind my teeth at the difficulty. The overall polished gameplay keeps me coming back to it so very often no matter how much trial and error I go through. I really hope that the same level of commitment that went into this game is displayed in Bionic Commando for the next-gen systems. I'm really looking forward to that future title.
Has anyone finished all the challenge rooms? Mentally, I can only take about 2-4 per night with how difficult they get as I advance. I've finished up to around 25 so far last time I tried them. As indigo said in my last BCR post, they're quite addicting. Even though I am now up to the point where simply completing them is a major task, the thought to go back and try for a five-star ranking still lingers after each completion.
Vampire Rain: Altered Species review
Now this game surprised me. Based on all the reviews I had read, I was expecting one craptacular experience here, but I was pleasantly surprised to find an alright stealth game hidden within. The main flaw that I found to the game is the absurd violent reaction of the enemies. Once they spot your character, if you can't defeat them before they reach you then the game is over. Period. Nearly no redemption.
The game was overall mediocre, but I still think its worth a try if you're curious. The first few stages seemed the worst to me. Once I actually got some better weapons that helped me to actually defeat enemies the game got a bit better.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Resident Evil Fanart and Fan Videos
You might remember that, quite a while back, a long-time artist friend of mine, by the name of Spike, drew up some RE fanart as a request for my RE: Umbrella Chronicles guide. If you don't, well then humor me and pretend to remember.
Anyway, Spike now has up some colored pics of the panels for the poster on his deviant page.
Panel 1 - Chris, Jill and Rebecca VS Tyrant
Panel 2 - Billy and Rebecca VS Leeches
Panel 3 - HUNK's Escape
Panel 4 - Ada's Escape
Panel 5 - Jill and Carlos VS Nemesis
Panel 6 - Wesker VS Sergei
Also, if you want a sneak peak of the main story for Resident Evil 5 then view the video below by ShadowLeggy. I think it tosses in some good theories myself and the background music totally matches. :D
Be sure to check out the brilliance of this user's Resident Evil Excited REmake! also, as well as this person's other videos!
Anyway, Spike now has up some colored pics of the panels for the poster on his deviant page.
Panel 1 - Chris, Jill and Rebecca VS Tyrant
Panel 2 - Billy and Rebecca VS Leeches
Panel 3 - HUNK's Escape
Panel 4 - Ada's Escape
Panel 5 - Jill and Carlos VS Nemesis
Panel 6 - Wesker VS Sergei
Also, if you want a sneak peak of the main story for Resident Evil 5 then view the video below by ShadowLeggy. I think it tosses in some good theories myself and the background music totally matches. :D
Be sure to check out the brilliance of this user's Resident Evil Excited REmake! also, as well as this person's other videos!
Monday, September 8, 2008
Soul Calbur IV review and a few updates
I don't want the review stretching the page tremendously, so I'm not going to post it here.
Soul Calibur IV review (Xbox 360)
Soul Calibur IV review (PS3)
They both read the exact same since it's a comparison review but the scores are slightly different. I felt that the Xbox 360 version was a bit better because of the less network errors and less overall lag while playing online. Both versions can be just as faulty while being played online however.
I forgot to mention in the review that the PS3 version has an extra install option that helps to reduce load times very slightly. When compared to each other, the PS3 loads just a bit faster. The install option for the PS3 is completely optional unlike some other games that I have played.
And last but not least, besides the SW: The Force Unleashed demo guide update, as mentioned below, I have also updated the following guides of mine: (the updates should appear on the linked sites later today)
Obscure: The Aftermath - New hacking puzzle added to chapter 2 (right after the first puzzle)
Soul Calibur Achievement Guide - New Voldo tactic for the Conqueror achievement.
Dead Rising Infinity Mode FAQ - this one's been needing an update for a LONG time, got tons of backed up email on it. More psychopath and survivor locations were added along with an extra shoutout to a person that typed out the .xls documents on IGN FAQs - be sure to check them out if you're interested.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed Demo Guide
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed Demo Guide (PS3 version)
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed Demo Guide (Xbox 360 version)
Ok, so I actually like The Force Unleashed better than I initially thought. The game actually shares a few similarities to Advent Rising gameplaywise, based off some of the moves presented in the demo and a few other aspects from the trailers that I have seen. If you didn't know, Advent Rising and I were close at one time until the trilogy was basically canned and forgotten.
Anyway, I typed up a full move list for Starkiller based on my findings in the guide. To my surprise, he actually has a parry move that can be used against physical attacks, but I can't find a real good use for it. Surely in the full game, Starkiller will have some sort of saber slash counter or a type of retaliation attack to perform after the parry.
And with that said, Dante and Nero can finally retire to the bottom of the right column. I've kept them there since last March, so they've had their fair share of time in the spotlight.
UPDATE (8/29): Added details about the hidden Clone Helmet easter egg. Big thanks to PerfctWeapon and many GameFAQs users!
--> Hidden Clone Helmet Easter Egg
Location: Outside Walkway - Above the tunnel in the back of the walkway
Before hopping over the gap to the side along the walkway where the TIE fighters swoop by, if you want to see a hidden helmet easter egg, then use force grip to stack up a few crates next to the rooftop of the tunnel at the end of the first walkway then leap up to the rooftop of that tunnel. It is best to stack a cylindrical crate on its side (standing up) then stack another cylindrical crate on top of it or stack two rectangular crates on top of the cylindrical crate. Position them with the left analog then set them down lightly by using the right analog to lower them before letting go. Either way, make sure the crates are stacked right below the rooftop then hop on top of them and double jump to the rooftop. Use the force dash (LB) to help gain some extra air time during the double jump if needed. It is best to attempt this on the easiest mode since the TIE fighters will be swooping by and firing at Starkiller the entire time from the left side.
The helmet will be at the end of the rooftop. It can't be collected. Stare in amazement then drop down and get back to the situation at hand.
UPDATE (9/1): Wow! I am absolutely amazed at some of the responses and extra tips that I am already receiving dealing with this demo guide. Very cool.
Anyway, I added an Experience Bonus section under basics and two alternate ways to get to the helmet and two alternate ways to defeat the AT-ST boss. I also simply renamed the Walker the AT-ST in all areas of my guide. I see that I'm going to have research Star Wars a bit more if I actually do write a full guide for SW: The Force Unleashed, which there's a high chance that I will.
UPDATE (9/8): Added the extra tips as noted in the comments section of this post. Thanks to both anonymous users!
Monday, August 25, 2008
SIREN: Blood Curse Guide
Wow, what a time I have had with this guide! I almost delayed it a few days so I could proofread over it, but I went the extra mile today - spent the entire weekend on it really - and proofread through the entire walkthrough portion. By the time many of you read this, then it should already be up on the gaming sites that I usually post my work up on. But if anybody happens upon this post tonight then here it is:
SIREN: Blood Curse FAQ/Walkthrough by Berserker
SIREN: Blood Curse will definitely stand out as a memorable guide for me in more ways than one. It has been an extremely fun guide to work on and it has actually cost me the most out of any guide that I have done. It almost fell victim to an error with my computer but thankfully it was recovered. If it wasn't for that, I would have probably ended it right then and there. This guide really stands out as a lesson to me to back up my files to something as I work on them, instead of simply relying on my comp.
I'm so glad that I can finally post it up now. If you'll excuse me, I'm going to spend the rest of the night playing Xbox 360 now, so my eyes can quit bleeding from staring at this comp screen so much. >_>
UPDATE (9/3): Added a technique for knocking out the maggot shibito early in Episode 11, Chapter 2 thanks to Cor! One chapter mistake was corrected for an archive item and I found one minor typo while scanning through the guide.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Leipzig RE5 trailer
Pick your poison.
IGN video version
Youtube.com version
It's really nothing new aside from a few extra clips that Capcom is teasing us with, all the rest is simply rehashed scenes from other trailers. It is interesting to actually see more of the blonde character however.
...
...fingers crossed for a demo toward the end of this year!
Also, Siren: Blood Curse guide = 80% complete. (3 more chapters + full ASCII work + 1 full proofread = FINISHED!) It'll probably be up sometimes next week.
That is all.
IGN video version
Youtube.com version
It's really nothing new aside from a few extra clips that Capcom is teasing us with, all the rest is simply rehashed scenes from other trailers. It is interesting to actually see more of the blonde character however.
...
...fingers crossed for a demo toward the end of this year!
Also, Siren: Blood Curse guide = 80% complete. (3 more chapters + full ASCII work + 1 full proofread = FINISHED!) It'll probably be up sometimes next week.
That is all.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Bionic Commando: Rearmed Impressions
The bionic arm takes just as much technique to work with much like the original BC. I have this habit of panicking when I go to swing that still leads me to my death a bunch but I think I'm getting the hang of it more this time. This one has an optional tutorial level that teaches you the basics of the game along with some advanced techniques. The overhead encounters play out much like they did before and still provide a good break from the 2-D style platforming.
So far, each stage looks to have its own boss fight. The ones that I have gone through so far require a bit of thought instead of a complete action approach which helps to make each boss fight feel refreshing. I was stumped on the first boss for about 10 minutes until I realized the method in which to beat him. From what I've seen, the dialogue before a boss fight is very well handled - along with the character expressions in the drawings, Spencer's wiseass remarks make the conversations quite entertaining.
I'll probably be blasting my way through this one a bit more later tonight.
For those that want to see it in action, take a look at the IGN Video Review.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
A Small Note on Reviews
I've been thinking this over for a while now, and I think I might just link to any review that I do from now on instead of posting it here. The posts for them really take up too much room.
You can find the links below the set of In-Depth guide links. I mainly review games for The Gamers' Temple, so just about all links will lead to their site. I might still post up my own reviews that I write from enjoyment for this site however.
When it comes to a review, it may seem funny, but I usually don't put that much value into another person's opinion on a game while scanning through one unless I've played the game myself - I'm not saying that I'm on some high horse and that I don't respect opinions but I like to try a game out for myself rather than make up my mind based on a review - so whenever I write a review myself, I try to take the reader on a semi-walkthrough of the game and provide some slight opinions here and there rather than persuade the reader one way or the other. At the end of a review, I lay out my full opinion, but I usually don't tell a person to just avoid a game, since I feel that some gamers might find interest in it, even if I didn't like it.
Alright, the review explanation wasn't really needed, but I decided to throw it out there anyway. Hopefully that made sense.
You can find the links below the set of In-Depth guide links. I mainly review games for The Gamers' Temple, so just about all links will lead to their site. I might still post up my own reviews that I write from enjoyment for this site however.
When it comes to a review, it may seem funny, but I usually don't put that much value into another person's opinion on a game while scanning through one unless I've played the game myself - I'm not saying that I'm on some high horse and that I don't respect opinions but I like to try a game out for myself rather than make up my mind based on a review - so whenever I write a review myself, I try to take the reader on a semi-walkthrough of the game and provide some slight opinions here and there rather than persuade the reader one way or the other. At the end of a review, I lay out my full opinion, but I usually don't tell a person to just avoid a game, since I feel that some gamers might find interest in it, even if I didn't like it.
Alright, the review explanation wasn't really needed, but I decided to throw it out there anyway. Hopefully that made sense.
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Resident Evil: Degeneration - New Trailer
New Resident Evil Degeneration trailer
High Quality screenshots
Release Dates:
JP: October 18, 2008
NA: TBA
EU: TBA
"Today at the San Diego Comic Con, fans were treated to the first footage from the Capcom / Sony Pictures Entertainment collaboration, Resident Evil: Degeneration. Making its theatrical debut this fall in Japan and coming to DVD and Blu-ray in North America later in 2008, this spectacular, all-CGI animated feature takes the zombie action to a whole new level with its ground-breaking visual effects and thrilling new storyline.Source: IGN
The "Umbrella Incident" that took place in Raccoon City ended with a missile attack ordered by the government intended to wipe out the deadly zombie virus. Following this catastrophe, the Umbrella Corporation's stock plummeted. This serious blow to the business giant resulted in its complete dissolution. Seven years later, at an airport somewhere in the United States, on an ordinary autumn afternoon, a zombie is unleashed. Now, in an airport beginning to fill with the undead, the horrific disaster is about to repeat itself... Claire Redfield, now a member of an NGO supporting victims of bioterrorism and medical disasters, happens to be in the airport while Leon S. Kennedy comes to the site on a mission to take care of the incident.
Paul Mercier and Alyson Court reprise their roles as Leona and Claire, respectively."
A little late, but I've been having trouble 'resisting the call' for the past few days, so not much internet time here.
I sure do hope this is released around the same time in all regions. When it comes to these CG movies, I don't think it is fair when one area gets it way before another since it is always then distributed to the internet for download during that waiting period. It kind ruins the excitement for those of us that have to wait in that case. Kind of like with the Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children release.
Since RE: Degeneration appears to be already dubbed in English much like the Japanese RE games, hopefully the other regions won't have too wait long.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Siren release and FAQ updates
As already mentioned in a post below, the full version of Siren: Blood Curse will be released in a few more hours in North America on the PlayStation store.
Full details from PlayStation.Blog
Been spot checking the PlayStation store throughout the day and Siren hasn't shown up yet. It will most likely appear around 5:00pm CST. I'm expecting one hell of a file size from this since it is actually like downloading a full PS3 game. I sure hope the game isn't extremely dark in some of the night areas like on some of the trailers - I'm a little worried about the game's appearance on my 27" SDTV that is nearly on the verge of death. The trailer on that blog page actually looks dark even on this 22" HD monitor of mine, so I know the dark appearance isn't all having to do with my SDTV.
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Anyway, in other news, both versions of the DMC4 guide are updated with a few new strategies for Dante and one comment about Nero's Red Queen Combo D thanks to FiOth and the Soul Calibur Achievement guide has now been finalized, I think.
I'm also considering posting up links to the MP3s from the DMC4 bonus disc, though I don't really know if I'd get in trouble for that or not from Capcom - I really doubt it, but you never know. The bonus disc isn't exactly freely available anymore.
The tracks from the bonus disc are:
"Sworn Through Swords"
"Into the Darkness"
"Shall Never Surrender"
"Lock and Load"
"Time Has Come"
"Time Has Come" is basically just the beginning of "Shall Never Surrender", so I might not even post that up. Posting them up would definitely eat up the bandwidth of the free account that I'll be using depending on the number of downloads so they won't be working all the time.
Full details from PlayStation.Blog
Been spot checking the PlayStation store throughout the day and Siren hasn't shown up yet. It will most likely appear around 5:00pm CST. I'm expecting one hell of a file size from this since it is actually like downloading a full PS3 game. I sure hope the game isn't extremely dark in some of the night areas like on some of the trailers - I'm a little worried about the game's appearance on my 27" SDTV that is nearly on the verge of death. The trailer on that blog page actually looks dark even on this 22" HD monitor of mine, so I know the dark appearance isn't all having to do with my SDTV.
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Anyway, in other news, both versions of the DMC4 guide are updated with a few new strategies for Dante and one comment about Nero's Red Queen Combo D thanks to FiOth and the Soul Calibur Achievement guide has now been finalized, I think.
I'm also considering posting up links to the MP3s from the DMC4 bonus disc, though I don't really know if I'd get in trouble for that or not from Capcom - I really doubt it, but you never know. The bonus disc isn't exactly freely available anymore.
The tracks from the bonus disc are:
"Sworn Through Swords"
"Into the Darkness"
"Shall Never Surrender"
"Lock and Load"
"Time Has Come"
"Time Has Come" is basically just the beginning of "Shall Never Surrender", so I might not even post that up. Posting them up would definitely eat up the bandwidth of the free account that I'll be using depending on the number of downloads so they won't be working all the time.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Poll #9 - Results
When playing an Xbox 360 game, how important are each game's Achievements to you?
No Xbox 360? A PlayStation 3 or Wii perhaps, or no next-gen? I thought I'd have more achievement whores than that also with the achievement boosting threads that I see on GameFAQs. ;p In a way, choices two and three have about the same mind-set really... Should have just placed them together.
I'll have a new poll soon - can't think of a creative poll at the moment.
Very important, I'm an Achievement whore! Achievement boosting FTW!
5 (5%)
I try to get as many as I can but I don't let my friends help me out. Either I get them fair and square or I just don't get them.
18 (18%)
I will try to get all of the Achievements for a game that I really like but I don't play a game just for Achievements.
23 (23%)
Achievements are not even a factor whenever I play an X360 game. If I get one then "Oh well... yay?"
18 (18%)
I don't have an Xbox 360, so it doesn't matter...
32 (33%)
Total Votes = 96
No Xbox 360? A PlayStation 3 or Wii perhaps, or no next-gen? I thought I'd have more achievement whores than that also with the achievement boosting threads that I see on GameFAQs. ;p In a way, choices two and three have about the same mind-set really... Should have just placed them together.
I'll have a new poll soon - can't think of a creative poll at the moment.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Biohazard Ø, PSN and Uncharted trophies
Biohazard Ø (Wii)
Back when Biohazard Ø was first announced for the Wii, I was a bit excited to try it. After hearing it was only to be released in Japan, I considered importing it but really the Wii Freeloader is a bit too unpredictable with how the newer versions of Wii system updates basically make it useless (from what I hear). Anyway, I ran across this review of the game just a few hours ago on IGN.
Biohazard Ø IGN review
I must say, I am very glad that I didn't try to import it now. I can't really believe that Capcom actually released it without any sort of improvements or motion controls. The whole purpose to buy a port on the Wii is usually for something different involving the Wii-mote and nunchuk setup (ie. motion controls), right? The fact that it is available on the GC and can be played with Wii backwards compatibility really makes this version nearly pointless in my eyes. Even though this doesn't concern me, since it is not being released outside Japan, I felt the need to rant a bit here.
PSN Gamercard
Last week, Sony announced on their site that you can now link your PSN account with your PlayStation Underground account and show off your Sony gamer card on your own site. I actually found that I have had a PlayStation Underground account since 1998 - had no idea. Well, anyway, here is what the gamercard looks like:
Notice the extremely bare and plain appearance. The "Resident Evil fantatic" portion is actually what I typed out on my "About Me" line under my profile - they only allow about 20 characters. The background and overall design of the card is not bad at all but they should really add what games you are playing, or maybe your current game, or trophies... something. Really I don't think the "About Me" portion even needs to be on there in the first place - I might just delete that off my profile for the time being, would make it look better. If you look really closely, you can see some grainyness around the words and pictures also. Also, if you happen to click on these gamercards (any user cards) you'll be taken to this page instead of a profile page. I suppose Sony hasn't readied the profile pages either.
Hopefully, Sony will touch these up a bit within the coming months. I don't really feel that they are a bad design, but the appearance is rather boring.
You can see what other gamers think of their PSN gamercards in this thread on PlayStation's official site.
Take a look at these third party cards that I made up after visiting that thread on Sony's site.
![Berserker_Kev[] - brought to you by TripleTags.com](http://www.tripletags.com/uploads/B/Berserker_Kev200100023.jpg)
![Berserker_Kev[] - brought to you by TripleTags.com](http://www.tripletags.com/uploads/B/Berserker_Kev480100025.jpg)
Now those look pretty awesome to me, especially that last one, though a bit too big for my site. The only main problem is that, being third party, they are not directly linked to your PSN account, so you have to update the details on them manually via the TripleTags site.
Uncharted Trophies
This portion is no rant and this is really nothing that big but Naughty Dog has announced that Uncharted: Drake's Fortune will be receiving a patch for unlockable PS3 trophies. Uncharted was a real enjoyable game for me, so I might go through it again eventually, though not right now.
Uncharted Trophies article
If anyone is interested, you can see what I thought of Uncharted in my full review.
Now (DMC4) if (DMC4) only (DMC4) a (DMC4) certain (DMC4) other (DMC4) game (DMC4) would (DMC4) follow.
Sign the DMC petition for trophies in my PS3 guide if you haven't. Come on, even Xbox 360 owners - PS3 people have love for you too, honestly.
Back when Biohazard Ø was first announced for the Wii, I was a bit excited to try it. After hearing it was only to be released in Japan, I considered importing it but really the Wii Freeloader is a bit too unpredictable with how the newer versions of Wii system updates basically make it useless (from what I hear). Anyway, I ran across this review of the game just a few hours ago on IGN.
Biohazard Ø IGN review
I must say, I am very glad that I didn't try to import it now. I can't really believe that Capcom actually released it without any sort of improvements or motion controls. The whole purpose to buy a port on the Wii is usually for something different involving the Wii-mote and nunchuk setup (ie. motion controls), right? The fact that it is available on the GC and can be played with Wii backwards compatibility really makes this version nearly pointless in my eyes. Even though this doesn't concern me, since it is not being released outside Japan, I felt the need to rant a bit here.
PSN Gamercard
Last week, Sony announced on their site that you can now link your PSN account with your PlayStation Underground account and show off your Sony gamer card on your own site. I actually found that I have had a PlayStation Underground account since 1998 - had no idea. Well, anyway, here is what the gamercard looks like:
Notice the extremely bare and plain appearance. The "Resident Evil fantatic" portion is actually what I typed out on my "About Me" line under my profile - they only allow about 20 characters. The background and overall design of the card is not bad at all but they should really add what games you are playing, or maybe your current game, or trophies... something. Really I don't think the "About Me" portion even needs to be on there in the first place - I might just delete that off my profile for the time being, would make it look better. If you look really closely, you can see some grainyness around the words and pictures also. Also, if you happen to click on these gamercards (any user cards) you'll be taken to this page instead of a profile page. I suppose Sony hasn't readied the profile pages either.
Hopefully, Sony will touch these up a bit within the coming months. I don't really feel that they are a bad design, but the appearance is rather boring.
You can see what other gamers think of their PSN gamercards in this thread on PlayStation's official site.
Take a look at these third party cards that I made up after visiting that thread on Sony's site.
Now those look pretty awesome to me, especially that last one, though a bit too big for my site. The only main problem is that, being third party, they are not directly linked to your PSN account, so you have to update the details on them manually via the TripleTags site.
Uncharted Trophies
This portion is no rant and this is really nothing that big but Naughty Dog has announced that Uncharted: Drake's Fortune will be receiving a patch for unlockable PS3 trophies. Uncharted was a real enjoyable game for me, so I might go through it again eventually, though not right now.
Uncharted Trophies article
If anyone is interested, you can see what I thought of Uncharted in my full review.
Now (DMC4) if (DMC4) only (DMC4) a (DMC4) certain (DMC4) other (DMC4) game (DMC4) would (DMC4) follow.
Sign the DMC petition for trophies in my PS3 guide if you haven't. Come on, even Xbox 360 owners - PS3 people have love for you too, honestly.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Two Things - Siren Blood Curse Demo Guide and Ninja Gaiden II Move List
Siren: Blood Curse
I have a feeling that this game is not going to get much exposure partly because it is being released on PSN and partly because the fall games are going to be moving out soon. Regardless, it sure does appear to be one fantastic survival horror experience! Dare you to look.
The full game (all three episodes) is supposed to be released this Thursday (7/24) on PSN for either $14.99 each episode or $39.99 for the whole bundle.
You can find the release info here.
I spent about three days with this guide. One thing I love about having a demo to work with is that I can easily come up with the format for a full guide (if I go ahead with it). That step right there is sometimes the hardest part of starting.
Siren Blood Curse Demo Guide by Berserker
If the game pleases me enough then I will definitely continue ^that all the way since the game is very easy to write for with how involved I get.
Ninja Gaiden II
Back in June, I was working on a full guide for Ninja Gaiden II, but I was running into so many problems while working on it (no official enemy names, no area names) and MGS4 was released only a week after it, so that sort of ruined things. In all honesty, I don't feel that the main game really needs a walkthrough for strategies against normal enemies since you basically just have to learn your own strategies - this was another thing that I was struggling with while writing for it. To me, there are no clear cut ways to beat normal enemies like there were in DMC4. Now with bosses, that's different.
Anway, I decided to just copy and paste some of the information in my guide to make up a move list for all the weapons in the game for anyone that might want it. It's really nothing, but at least it beats throwing away some of the portions that I typed up.
Ninja Gaiden II Move List
Hopefully that will beat looking them up on the menu everytime you want to see them - I know that I get tired of having to do that.
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One more thing that is totally seperate from all of this and really deserves it's own post but I'm posting it here anyway so as not to spam the blog with posts today:
Resident Evil 5 will have a collector's edition on both PS3 and Xbox 360 and it is expected to be $89.99.
Full story
Notice how the article mentions a price yet no news whatsoever about the contents. I found that somewhat amusing.
Another interesting quote from that article:
Capcom is promising that it will be the "hardest and scariest" Resident Evil yet.
Let's hope so.
Friday, July 18, 2008
My E3 '08 Game Picks
This is a list of games at E3 '08 that caught my attention. Some of them I only found slightly interesting and don't plan to buy, but anyway here is the full list of games that caught my eye:
Warning: There are quite a lot of them.
Special Note: R******* E*** 5 is not mentioned directly anywhere in this post since it was covered in the post below this one. Anyone that visits this blog regulary knows my feelings for that game.
- Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse
Trailer
Interesting Japanese Commercial Videos
It really doesn't look to be anything new, but the Wii controls might be interesting. I'm still psyched for a new Fatal Frame though!
- Dark Void
Gameplay demonstration (13 minutes!)
I really like that jetpack and the freedom it appears to give the player gameplaywise. The shooting while climbing and flying upwards looks unique too.
- Prince of Persia
Trailer
Producer Interview
Flashy gameplay and platforming, breathtaking visuals, unique partner system... this is my pick of the show. I simply love the way the trailer was put together also.
- Bionic Commando
Trailer w/gameplay
G4 showed a walkthrough of a demo for this game but I can't find it at the moment. The gameplay mechanics involving the grapple look very awesome. Can't wait to try this one out this winter.
- Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
I'm not a big fan of Star Wars games at all, but this game really stunned me when I first saw it sometimes last year. The gameplay looks to incorporate a bit of Psi-Ops and God of War from what I have seen so far.
Force Powers
A whole bunch of other videos
- Dead Space
Too many videos available!
Every time I see this game it keeps looking better and better. The story appears to be interesting and the gameplay looks quite addicting, especially for a survival horror.
- Mirror's Edge
Trailer
This game is simply gorgeous both in immersiveness and style! View some more videos of it here.
- Far Cry 2
Gameplay demonstration
Trailer
The trailer doesn't look near as interesting as the actual gameplay if you ask me. The feral powers in Far Cry Instincts were the main draw to the game for me, but I have to admit that Far Cry 2 still looks like a really good single player experience. It still seems as if stealth is hard to maintain for extended periods however judging by that demo. In the first Far Cry, the enemies could see you so very easy, and it basically ruined any steal oppurtunities.
- God of War III
In the end...
there will be only chaos!
Yeah, it's only a teaser, but just the announcement of the game had me psyched during the Sony conference. At least they made mention of it this year.
- Mega Man 9
If you have not seen this in action yet then watch the trailer below before reading on.
Trailer
Honestly, only Mega Man and a few other franchises could have a game like this and get away with it. The way I see it, the game could go either way. It could be just as memorable as Mega Man 2 or 3 or it could be just another boring trudge through 8-bit Mega Man territory like Mega Man 4, 5 or 6. Even if it does turn out to be like the latter, 4, 5 and 6 were still fun to me.
- Street Fighter IV
Trailer
The gameplay looks quite awesome in this new Street Fighter, but some of the character models don't look that great from up close. I still have faith that I'll be happily enjoying it soon however.
- Sonic Unleashed
Trailer
Interview
It doesn't look bad from the previews. Were-hog Sonic though? Eh, you never know, it might actually be interesting. Hopefully this isn't just another Sonic that looks better on video that actual gameplay.
- Soul Calibur IV
Seong Mi-na vs. Nightmare Gameplay match
Sorry, had to pick a video with at least Seong Mi-na. Only about one and a half weeks left!
- Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe
No-no-no-no-no-no... don't leave my blog just yet-
Interview and Gameplay Demo
let me explain...
The idea of MK characters fighting DC characters is not very amusing to me, but I do like some of the flashy moves incorporated. Even though I feel that the characters shouldn't look like plastic dolls and they shouldn't remain so stiff in their normal stances on a next-gen system, this game sort of looks interesting, so I might try it out on launch. It might end up being another guilty pleasure for me.
- Silent Hill: Homecoming
G4 gameplay demo
In all honesty, this doesn't look anything like the Silent Hill that I usually play and that thought continues to grow as a I see more and more of this game. It incorporates tons of ideas of ideas from the movie and just doesn't look scary. The thought of having the plane shift to Otherworld in real time is really cool (much like it was in the movie) but Otherworld doesn't look near as creepy in this one. Also, I don't like the emphasis on action - looks much more like RE4. Eh, I'll probably still pick it up, but my expectations are low.
- Tomb Raider: Underworld
Developers Interview
I really don't get that excited about about a new Tomb Raider game until weeks before its launch or when I'm actually playing it. From what I've seen so far, the long underwater sequences in this game look awesome.
- Final Fantasy XIII
Trailer
I am still completely shocked that Microsoft managed to get this for a North American and Europe release. In all honesty, I probably won't like it as much as Final Fantasy XII from the looks of it, but I'll still be gladly picking it up when it releases.
- I Am Alive
Teaser/Trailer
We're not really shown anything apart from prerendered material, but the setup looks interesting here.
- Wii Remote MotionPlus
Hopefully some third party developers will make use of this within the coming months and I'd like to see if it makes the experience on any older Wii games any better. Really, I was completely disappointed with Nintendo's press conference except for this announcement. Didn't really care about the software showcasing this new enhancement either.
- Siren: Blood Curse
Trailer
This game looks to be like an absolutely fantastic survival horror game. The demo on PSN is really good but there is no sight-jacking available on that version, which I'd really like to try. I found the first Siren to have some very frustrating gameplay due to the stealth gameplay and sight-jacking but from what I have seen, this one looks to change all of that. It will be first be released on PSN next week (7/24).
- Banjo Kazooie
One of the developers announced that the original Banjo Kazooie would be released on Xbox LIVE Arcade shortly before the release of Banjo Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts. I honestly have never played the original but have always wanted to.
- Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia
Gameplay Video
In all honesty, I don't really look forward to 2-D Castlevanias that much anymore. I would like another 3-D Castlevania actually. The character design looks much more stylish in this one than some of the previous handheld Castlevanias though.
- Dead Rising (Wii version)
This was not announced at E3, but I wanted to throw it in here anyway, since I'll more than likely pick it up with how much I enjoyed DR on Xbox 360. It's probably going to be toned down graphicswise somewhat for the Wii console but the Wii controls might make up for it.
THIA posted up some scans of it here and the release date is sometimes this winter.
I think it's awesome that Capcom keeps rereleasing games for the Wii (maybe not in the case of that Biohazard 0 version, but I haven't played it so I don't know what it's like). Sure they aren't very different, but I enjoy playing the game with different controls. I'm sure a bunch of Sony and Microsoft fanboys would strike me down for saying this but that game that I said that I wouldn't mention anywhere in this post is a very likely contender for a Wii release, even if it has to be watered down quite a bit for the console, and if it is released, the more the merrier. :D
----
Well, that's it. Those are the games that caught my eye during E3 '08. I'm definitely not saying that I have plans to buy all of them (oh, hell no - I'm not that wealthy), but they did catch my attention in some form or another.
Warning: There are quite a lot of them.
Special Note: R******* E*** 5 is not mentioned directly anywhere in this post since it was covered in the post below this one. Anyone that visits this blog regulary knows my feelings for that game.
- Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse
Trailer
Interesting Japanese Commercial Videos
It really doesn't look to be anything new, but the Wii controls might be interesting. I'm still psyched for a new Fatal Frame though!
- Dark Void
Gameplay demonstration (13 minutes!)
I really like that jetpack and the freedom it appears to give the player gameplaywise. The shooting while climbing and flying upwards looks unique too.
- Prince of Persia
Trailer
Producer Interview
Flashy gameplay and platforming, breathtaking visuals, unique partner system... this is my pick of the show. I simply love the way the trailer was put together also.
- Bionic Commando
Trailer w/gameplay
G4 showed a walkthrough of a demo for this game but I can't find it at the moment. The gameplay mechanics involving the grapple look very awesome. Can't wait to try this one out this winter.
- Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
I'm not a big fan of Star Wars games at all, but this game really stunned me when I first saw it sometimes last year. The gameplay looks to incorporate a bit of Psi-Ops and God of War from what I have seen so far.
Force Powers
A whole bunch of other videos
- Dead Space
Too many videos available!
Every time I see this game it keeps looking better and better. The story appears to be interesting and the gameplay looks quite addicting, especially for a survival horror.
- Mirror's Edge
Trailer
This game is simply gorgeous both in immersiveness and style! View some more videos of it here.
- Far Cry 2
Gameplay demonstration
Trailer
The trailer doesn't look near as interesting as the actual gameplay if you ask me. The feral powers in Far Cry Instincts were the main draw to the game for me, but I have to admit that Far Cry 2 still looks like a really good single player experience. It still seems as if stealth is hard to maintain for extended periods however judging by that demo. In the first Far Cry, the enemies could see you so very easy, and it basically ruined any steal oppurtunities.
- God of War III
In the end...
there will be only chaos!
Yeah, it's only a teaser, but just the announcement of the game had me psyched during the Sony conference. At least they made mention of it this year.
- Mega Man 9
If you have not seen this in action yet then watch the trailer below before reading on.
Trailer
Honestly, only Mega Man and a few other franchises could have a game like this and get away with it. The way I see it, the game could go either way. It could be just as memorable as Mega Man 2 or 3 or it could be just another boring trudge through 8-bit Mega Man territory like Mega Man 4, 5 or 6. Even if it does turn out to be like the latter, 4, 5 and 6 were still fun to me.
- Street Fighter IV
Trailer
The gameplay looks quite awesome in this new Street Fighter, but some of the character models don't look that great from up close. I still have faith that I'll be happily enjoying it soon however.
- Sonic Unleashed
Trailer
Interview
It doesn't look bad from the previews. Were-hog Sonic though? Eh, you never know, it might actually be interesting. Hopefully this isn't just another Sonic that looks better on video that actual gameplay.
- Soul Calibur IV
Seong Mi-na vs. Nightmare Gameplay match
Sorry, had to pick a video with at least Seong Mi-na. Only about one and a half weeks left!
- Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe
No-no-no-no-no-no... don't leave my blog just yet-
Interview and Gameplay Demo
let me explain...
The idea of MK characters fighting DC characters is not very amusing to me, but I do like some of the flashy moves incorporated. Even though I feel that the characters shouldn't look like plastic dolls and they shouldn't remain so stiff in their normal stances on a next-gen system, this game sort of looks interesting, so I might try it out on launch. It might end up being another guilty pleasure for me.
- Silent Hill: Homecoming
G4 gameplay demo
In all honesty, this doesn't look anything like the Silent Hill that I usually play and that thought continues to grow as a I see more and more of this game. It incorporates tons of ideas of ideas from the movie and just doesn't look scary. The thought of having the plane shift to Otherworld in real time is really cool (much like it was in the movie) but Otherworld doesn't look near as creepy in this one. Also, I don't like the emphasis on action - looks much more like RE4. Eh, I'll probably still pick it up, but my expectations are low.
- Tomb Raider: Underworld
Developers Interview
I really don't get that excited about about a new Tomb Raider game until weeks before its launch or when I'm actually playing it. From what I've seen so far, the long underwater sequences in this game look awesome.
- Final Fantasy XIII
Trailer
I am still completely shocked that Microsoft managed to get this for a North American and Europe release. In all honesty, I probably won't like it as much as Final Fantasy XII from the looks of it, but I'll still be gladly picking it up when it releases.
- I Am Alive
Teaser/Trailer
We're not really shown anything apart from prerendered material, but the setup looks interesting here.
- Wii Remote MotionPlus
Hopefully some third party developers will make use of this within the coming months and I'd like to see if it makes the experience on any older Wii games any better. Really, I was completely disappointed with Nintendo's press conference except for this announcement. Didn't really care about the software showcasing this new enhancement either.
- Siren: Blood Curse
Trailer
This game looks to be like an absolutely fantastic survival horror game. The demo on PSN is really good but there is no sight-jacking available on that version, which I'd really like to try. I found the first Siren to have some very frustrating gameplay due to the stealth gameplay and sight-jacking but from what I have seen, this one looks to change all of that. It will be first be released on PSN next week (7/24).
- Banjo Kazooie
One of the developers announced that the original Banjo Kazooie would be released on Xbox LIVE Arcade shortly before the release of Banjo Kazooie: Nuts and Bolts. I honestly have never played the original but have always wanted to.
- Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia
Gameplay Video
In all honesty, I don't really look forward to 2-D Castlevanias that much anymore. I would like another 3-D Castlevania actually. The character design looks much more stylish in this one than some of the previous handheld Castlevanias though.
- Dead Rising (Wii version)
This was not announced at E3, but I wanted to throw it in here anyway, since I'll more than likely pick it up with how much I enjoyed DR on Xbox 360. It's probably going to be toned down graphicswise somewhat for the Wii console but the Wii controls might make up for it.
THIA posted up some scans of it here and the release date is sometimes this winter.
I think it's awesome that Capcom keeps rereleasing games for the Wii (maybe not in the case of that Biohazard 0 version, but I haven't played it so I don't know what it's like). Sure they aren't very different, but I enjoy playing the game with different controls. I'm sure a bunch of Sony and Microsoft fanboys would strike me down for saying this but that game that I said that I wouldn't mention anywhere in this post is a very likely contender for a Wii release, even if it has to be watered down quite a bit for the console, and if it is released, the more the merrier. :D
----
Well, that's it. Those are the games that caught my eye during E3 '08. I'm definitely not saying that I have plans to buy all of them (oh, hell no - I'm not that wealthy), but they did catch my attention in some form or another.
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