Gamin' Watch

These Uncharted 3 videos will wet your pants

2010-12-29T23:39:00.001+08:00

Oh so wet.....

A collection of what's hot in 2011

2010-12-13T19:34:00.002+08:00

2010 is almost done and it hasn't been a great year for gamers but there seems to be light in 2011. Here are the trailers for already confirmed games coming out in 2011. Be warned, you might need a change of pants!

Uncharted 3: Drake Deception

Batman: Arkham City

Mass Effect 3

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

and of course, the customary annual release of Call of Duty and Fifa franchise always will be there next year to entertain gamers but I have almost, just almost, gotten tired of these never-ending franchise. How about you? What do you wish 2011 to be for gamers?

Starcraft 2: Wings of Liberty - Campaign Mode

2010-11-08T23:06:00.004+08:00

I do not have a deep passion for Real Time Strategy games. I hate waiting for resources to mine themselves and I loathe waiting for building to come up, but it all changes when I tried, and subsequently fell in love with Starcraft 2, the campaign at least.

Every gamers should need no introduction to the long anticipated sequel of the Korean-loved Starcraft, which came out 12 years ago. This review will be solely on the campaign mode for I have yet to find people to lose to online. Doubters who have initially played the game and complained that not much has changed in Starcraft 2 which took 12 years to perfect except for the upgraded graphic and a few mechanic tweaks. For a casual gamers who just wants to play a good game, the campaign mode of Starcraft 2 is the perfect hobby you can pick up for around 20 hours, and more.

Liked

The lack of wait time - Starcraft 2 campaign often puts you in the thick of the action with important buildings and units already up and working. Unlike other RTS games, action is fast from the start and there is rarely time for you to rest and wait for your workers to pile up enough resources and slowly build up from scratch. With the long wait for resources and building buildings somewhat gone, I rarely have time to make coffee between buildings now.

The varied mission - The 20 over missions found in the campaign are varied. Each mission usually sent you to different place to do different thing to keep the game fresh. You hardly have to do the same ol thing like mine, wait, build, wait, train, wait, rush, die, train and wait again. The missions are rarely bored and most of the time fun and exciting.

The aptly timed introduction of units - Each mission will give you a new units to play around with and each unit introduced has its own specialty and uses. It keeps the momentum of the game at a good pace and a breath of fresh air each mission. It also will have you thinking just one mission so I can try out that unit. By the time you stop thinking that, you will have to go to work and sleep.

The RPG element - You will earn credits and technology points for each mission. The credits will be used to upgrade your units on various elements which includes attack style, defense points etc. The tech points, on the other hand, may allow you to build special units or buildings. Every upgrade is interesting and really adds the usefulness of each units. You will not have enough points for every units but you will definitely have enough for your favourite units. This upgrading thingy will also keep you up because you will want to try your unit out after upgrading and promise to play just one more mission. It does not work that way.

The Last Mission - I liked the finale and how it is planned out. I lost the first time. People have been laughing at me for that but the last mission is thick in action and require your outmost concentration, attention and wit and when you did win, its a great satisfaction, much better than................

The Action - The upgraded graphic really gives more sensation during the warring moment of the game. Each encounters with the enemies units is thick, exciting and powerful. For instance, the Battlecruiser's laser beam in Starcraft seems weak and lazy sounding but seems way more powerful in Starcraft 2. A battlecruisers' war in Starcraft 2 would wreck havoc across the screen unlike children playing laser pointers in Starcraft Uno. The action scenes in Starcraft 2 will lures action lovers.

Hated

The Ending - A lot of people liked the ending and really made them anticipate the planned expansion, The Heart of The Swarm but I find the ending lacklustre with too short a cutscene. It's a straight forward storyline with an DUH twist. I find it anti-climax to fight so long and defended through thick and thin against the Zerg to be treated to less than 10 minutes of awesome cutscenes. It's like eating a hot ice-cream after a great satisfying steak but its still a good fight.

It could have been longer - I loved the campaign and I wish it can be just a bit longer but I guess the novelty of new units and varied missions would have wore off by then.

There is still a tiny wait for minerals collection - Sometimes, I did wait, for a while but the waiting became considerably less when I upgraded my command center to produce 2 SCVs at once. After that, I just piled up the SCVs and the waiting never happened again. It's not so much of an issue but just to clear up that there is a bit of waiting found in Starcraft 2 if that ever is a problem to you.

The thought of not playing Terran in the expansion - I used to like Terran but they suck. Starcraft 2 made me love Terran, especially after the almighty upgrades and would not want to switch at all. Therefore, the thought of solely playing Zerg in the next expansion had made me scared, terrified. Please, let me shoot Zerg with marines and marauders in the coming campaign.

The Bottom Line

Starcraft 2 is a great game that everyone who claims to like gaming should play. The action is thick, the storyline is well told, though a bit linear with a short, unsatisfying ending, and the last mission is spot on. Each and every mission feels fresh and I have rarely felt bored during my 20 over hours of gameplay. The Bottom Line is chances are, you will like the campaign mode of Starcraft 2

People who should play the campaign mode

- Those who love RTS, RPG and even actions games.

- Those who likes space fantasy stories

- Those who likes ordering tough looking, gun wielding people around

Gamin'shopping: September Issue

2010-09-09T23:03:00.002+08:00

It's been a while since I went game shopping. My buying option has also significantly dropped because of this

The rings that geeks hate.

I popped into the shop today not being able to see anything interesting but days ahead seems to be quite exciting. A quick search on the Google filled up my quota for September and October (and consequently sent me to a month of diet).

Click here to see the game of September, due out end of September and here for the October's. With good internet connection and a red-ringed 360, these are definitely the games to buy. Now, I just have to grind with older games till then.

Dragon Age II Announced

2010-07-09T08:49:00.006+08:00

It was recently officially announced that the sequel to one of last year's best game, Dragon Age is coming. And boy, it's coming pretty soon. March 2011 soon.

Now from what I've gathered from various gaming sites, the game will have you playing as a human character named Hawke. Of course, being a Bioware game, I have no doubt that you will be able to fully customize you character's look or even gender, but part of what made me play Dragon Age: Origins numerous times was to play it as a different race if only to see how the different NPC in the game will react to your ancestral lineage. Still, Bioware managed to make an excellent game in Mass Effect 2 despite the changes they made to the series, so I'll save my worries and reserve judgement till I actually play the game myself.

There are more details on the game's official site, or if you're just lazy to click, I've posted them here for your reading pleasure:

Experience the epic sequel to the 2009 Game of the Year from the critically acclaimed makers of Dragon Age: Origins and Mass Effect 2. You are one of the few who escaped the destruction of your home. Now, forced to fight for survival in an ever-changing world, you must gather the deadliest of allies, amass fame and fortune, and seal your place in history. This is the story of how the world changed forever. The legend of your Rise to Power begins now.

Key Features:

Embark upon an all-new adventure that takes place across an entire decade and shapes itself around every decision you make.
Determine your rise to power from a destitute refugee to the revered champion of the land.
Think like a general and fight like a Spartan with dynamic new combat mechanics that put you right in the heart of battle whether you are a mage, rogue, or warrior.
Go deeper into the world of Dragon Age with an entirely new cinematic experience that grabs hold of you from the beginning and never lets go.
Discover a whole realm rendered in stunning detail with updated graphics and a new visual style.

What to Watch - July Edition

2010-07-06T07:41:00.006+08:00

July may just be another month where we live, but it's right in the mid of summer over in the States. So what does this have to do with video games? Why, it's the Summer of Arcade season of course - Microsoft's push for some of the best download only games that has been a thing since the last couple of years. In 2008, there was Geometry Wars 2 and Braid, last year was the superb Shadow Complex and 'Splosion Man, so let's check out what this year has to offer.

Puzzle Quest 2

I'll put this out first since it's not technically a Summer of Arcade release. It has been released in the US last week, but people in countries like me will unfortunately have to wait a little longer than usual. While I initially thought that the formula in Puzzle Quest wouldn't work a second time, the developers has made some incremental changes for Puzzle Quest 2 that makes it seem different enough and that is enough to get me all excited about this game once more.

Puzzle Quest like never before

Castlevania: Harmony of Despair

A new 2D Castlevania is enough reason to celebrate, so a 2D Castlevania in HD is easily worth throwing a party over. Also in the game is a 6 player online mode which I'm curious how it'll work. Fortunately, I won't have to wait long to find out.

All this space is HD

Limbo

Though at the front it looks to be a plain 'ol side scroller in the veins of Mario, the visual style and premise of the game makes it far more interesting than it would've been had it not made this way. This game has got to be the most aesthetically interesting game I've seen in a while, but it's hard to see why in just a screenshot. So here's a video of the game in motion.

DeathSpank

Honestly, how can a game named DeathSpank not be good. But if that's not enough, DeathSpank is a dungeon crawler RPG likened to Torchlight, but funny. As this is a brainchild of famed Monkey Island co-creator Ron Gilbert, it's hard to argue on the funny part.

Spank your enemies dead!

Monday Night Combat

This is a class-based third-person shooter that seems to me like a cross between Unreal and Team Fortress. It's the game that I'm the least interested out of the bunch I listed, but only because of it's online-only nature. If competitive multiplayer is your thing though, you should probably keep an eye on Monday Night Combat.

Combat!

[edit] Correction. Monday Night Combat does have offline play via split-screen. We apologize for the mistake.

Microsoft to initiate Project Kinetic

2010-06-15T02:57:00.003+08:00

On one hand, Microsoft have a pretty awesome idea bringing gamers into a world of free movement. On the other hand, they screwed it up by naming it Kinect!! What is wrong with Project Natal? It's probably a bit of exaggeration on my part but why the change when Natal sounds cool and exotic?

Let's name is something like that, but not that.

Well, that wasn't the point of this post. The point was to show you what is in store more about Kinect (much tempted to say Kinetic). Some games, specially made for Kinect, will be out with the biggest, possibly the best game being Star Wars: something something. Other games seems negligible being aimed at short family fun kinda games. More should be exposed during E3. Here's a video some people playing without controllers with the best moment at the end of the video. Let's just say pretending to sword fight is always cool but this is cooler.

With this, ~~Project Natal~~ Kinect looks to beat Move (remember, PS3 dild....), knowing that it will be costing much less. The battle will also be determined by the choices of games available and the Xbox360 hasn't failed on the forefront of quality games. However, motion sensing games is a different gaming battle.

Jedi can Kung Fu kick, only on Kinect

Motion sensing games always seemed to fall between the categories of lame games and dumb games aimed at family fun. It's always great to play some games with your parents and siblings but put some thoughts into it, dammit. My worries seem too early but let's hope Microsoft is more thoughtful the company that made Weeeeeeeeeee.

So, what says you? Will ~~Kinetic....~~.Kinect revolutionize gaming or are controllers here to stay?

The Mortal Kombat reboot story

2010-06-09T17:34:00.008+08:00

There's a little Mortal Kombat craze being started up recently with the emergence of a totally unanticipated tease trailer spawning up on Youtube under the account MortalKombatRebirth. The news was picked up by Kotaku, which at that time, has no clue about what the video represented. Is it a game trailer, a movie reboot trailer or a fan-made trailer? All the helis, Kungfu and head-chewing seemed all too much for a fan-made movie but we did have some good stuff back in Metal Gear Philanthropy Anyway, here is this overly long teaser (which make you think if this is really a teaser?). It is definitely worth a look but it still bears the questions "What the hell is this for?"

Real Update

Sick eh? Reptile is really craaaaaazy, but anyway, actress Jeri Ryan (who played Sonia) recently just confirmed on Twitter that the long trailer was indeed a short movie made to be sold to Warner Bros. It is the director's (Kevin Tacheroen, who directed Fame remake) reimagined vision of how Mortal Kombat would be like, if ever there is a rebirth. Would you like Warner Bros to hire him for the project. Based on this short movie alone, he seemed capable of making a darn good reboot of Mortal Kombat seemingly how bad was the last two attempts. I say bring the cheque book out Warner!!

taken from here

Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening

2010-03-29T09:40:00.001+08:00

I've recently finished the expansion pack to the game which I think has got to be the game that I've played for the longest time ever. So you know, I really love me some Dragon Age. Awakening picks up right after the events of Origins, but takes place on different part of Ferelden. So, you'll be exploring a completely new map.

You can import your character from the first game or create a new warden which immediately starts at level 18. Interestingly, should you start a new character, you will be a Warden from the neighbouring country of Orlais and the locals will be a little skeptical towards you, whereas your imported character will be lauded as the Hero of Ferelden.

There be DRAGONS in this game!

Among the new additions in the expansion are an expanded set of talents for each class, a higher tier of equipments (now goes up to level 9), rune crafting, armour enchantment, and you will now have the option to re-spec your character at any time. You'll also spend the time in Amaranthine with an all new cast of companions, and 1 old one. From a gameplay perspective, the additions are standard expansion stuff. It makes the best of what already works and give a little more.

Over the last 100 hours or so, I've come to really love the gameplay, but the reason why I really love the game itself was my emotional attachment to the characters and the immersive world of Ferelden. This is where Awakening falls flat. Your new companions aren't as well defined as your old ones and nowhere near as interesting. You can't even initiate a conversation with them when the game doesn't want you to.

The story also lacks the somewhat epic feel that the original had. The choices you'll be making in Awakening feel weak compared to those in Origins. It's also a disappointment that they tie the story so little with your previous quest and worse still, the game retcons some crucial choices you made in Origins. For a game which emphasizes story as its own gameplay, its almost unforgivable.

And talking Darkspawns!

Most disappointing though is that all the new add-ons are only available in the Awakening game, which is actually a completely separate game (when you choose new game you'll have the options of Origins or Awakening). So you won't have those new skill sets if you were to start a new game of Origins. It's a real bummer since at most, Awakenings is only 20% the length of Origins. Also, it costs a good RM140, a mere RM20 cheaper than the much longer Origins.

Awakening did gave me a good time playing, but it's does little to add to the experience of Origins, which I still think is a better game. Unless you're really dying for new contents for Dragon Age, you can sit this one out till it's cheaper, or maybe just wait for a full-fledged sequel completely.

God of War III Review

2010-03-24T22:43:00.009+08:00

God of War III is a game that succeeds largely thanks to it's gorgeous visuals and the sense of scale in some of the action set pieces presented in the game. This is easily the best looking console game out there. On top of that, the game also runs at an uncompromising 60fps pretty much throughout the game. In this regard, it is truly an excellent showpiece of what the PS3 is capable of.

However, beyond the technical achievements of the game, God of War III plays no differently that the last 2 games. The combat is still as button mashy and lacks the kind of depth found in recent games like Bayonetta. The other gameplay component which is the traversal, also feels like it was ripped from its 2007 predecessor and reskinned with a new coat of paint.

It is also a shame that they felt the need to stick to the traditional locked camera angle perspectives. While this perspective arguably makes the game more cinematic, it gets in the way more often than not. I find myself dying more of falling into ledges because the camera angle makes it hard for me to measure my jumps.

Kratos, please don't be angry at me

For what it is though, it's still an enjoyable character action game. However, the mechanics of the games has surely aged. Even with a new coat of paint, no matter how good, can only take a game so far. God of War III is by no mean a bad game, but it could have been a whole lot better if the developers did not stick its age long formula by the bullet points. I can't help but to feel a little underwhelmed with Kratos' final adventure.

If you liked the rest of the series though, you'll almost certainly like this one as well. Just don't go expecting anything more from the game other than the amped up visual fidelity, which for some people is perfectly fine.

A High Definition Wii?

2010-03-11T22:44:00.003+08:00

You wish. but as reported earlier, Sony has been planning on a then-unnamed risque looking motion detector stick. It has gone through a bout of rumoured names such as wand, Gem, Arc but it seems like Sony is naming it Playstation Move once and for all. From the outset, it does looks like a ripoff of Wii's motion controller and its trailer showing off what Wii once claimed theirs can do, which is like all sorts of movement. The only problem with Wii is that its games library lacks a good number of actually playable games, for us hardcore gamers at least. With the name Playstation boosting a better pedigree with good games aimed at hardcore gamers, chances are games on the PS3 for Playstation Move may, I repeat, may be of the same reputation of, say, Final Fantasy and/or the Uncharted series,no? Whatever games they might be rolling out for this supposed next-gen gaming, be pretty sure its all in High Definition now, yeeehaaaa. Savour on this few videos on the supposed ability of Playstation Moves. Sony says it can, but can they?

Despite their probable best attempt at showing off the capability of a fighting game and Socom 4, the accuracy of Playstation move still remains to be seen. I do think that the lag between the movement of the Move and the movement of the characters' hand and the wavering crosshair in Socom 4 are things that Sony and us, gaming consumers alike should be worry about. High-def definitely bites but inaccuracy might just makes us bald very soon when I start pulling my hair out due to frustration.

That's my couple of cents, what yours?

UPDATE: The price of a PS Move and Eye Toy bundle is USD 99 which means somwhere around RM400 and it is slated to be released around fall which means around September. I do not know about you but RM400 for a the Move bundle seems way over the top especially when you need 2 Move controller and one sub controller for each player. Imagine if you have a party of 4 gamin session, you can probably buy one, if not two PS3 right there. Last I heard, Project Natal needs only a camera to fit four players. Hmmmmm

God of War III might endanger your relationship

2010-03-11T08:18:00.005+08:00

As with my lukewarm reception towards Final Fantasy XIII, I was initially not in the bandwagon with God of War III as well... until I saw the game in motion. And then, I was totally on board.

But if there's any reason why a husband such as me (and all of you gamers with girlfriends out there) should have second thoughts on this game, it's this testimonial.

It certainly does everything!

The old hag is 10 years old.......yesterday

2010-03-05T23:11:00.001+08:00

Consoles normally do not last past half of a dog's lifespan but PS2 has now hit the 10 years mark yesterday. Although PS2 has certainly showed its age nowadays but it is certainly no pushover. It's title of 'best selling console' may never ever be broken by another consoles as the console war is a pretty close fight these days. Anyway, anyhow, 4th of March 2010 will be remembered as a day of glory as the best selling console in the history of gaming (USD140M as of September 2009) has now reach the average lifespan of a dog. Happy belated burfday you old surviving best selling fun giving PS2. Though you are old but you are still on a great roll.

To round of a historical moment, I will look back at the most memorable game that PS2 has bestowed upon me (and us). Though I have been a big fan of the Final Fantasy series but nothing spectacular has came out since FF7. Metal Gear Solid 2 and 3 too has been fun and memorable in term of storyline and boss fights but it isn't the whole package. The most surprisingly fun game for the PS2 was none other than Shadow of Colossus. It is a fun puzzle solving game but the lack the usual gaming elements does take a bit of the feeling away. So, it isn't FF series or MGS series or Shadow of Colossus, that only means that the most memorable game of PS2 (for me of course, feel free to disagree)

of course, none other than

the best selling game in the whole lifespan of PS2, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. Selling at 17 million copies worldwide, it was definitely the memorable game on old yet obsolete PS2. I enjoyed this game thoroughly from the start to the end as it keeps throwing new things for you to explore and experiment with even after 50 hours of gameplay. The GTAs after San Andreas never really lived up to San Andreas. Beating up poor souls was fun, piloting a plane was insane but jumping out of it was the craziest of all.....or was it jetpacking around? Ah, pure fun then

Ah, the so-called best selling bad influence!!

More Jake for you!!

2010-03-02T23:20:00.001+08:00

A new, longer Prince of Persia's trailer has been released. POP The Movie does seems like a great movie judging from the trailer and Jerry Buckheimer's pedigree but we, gamers, have been fooled countless times, from the not-soo-bad-but-not-that -good-either Resident Evil to the downright-dumb Alone in the Dark. Check it out. I definitely do like a lighter version of the prince!!

More Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Videos

Darksiders Review

2010-03-02T08:56:00.004+08:00

I knew little of Darksiders before it was released and I was glad to have played it because it turned out a real pleasant surprise. This isn't a game of ingenuity. Rather the developers took some key concepts from games of different genres and cram it all into a single game. And they aren't especially subtle about it either. If you've played a lot of games, you'll easily see where this game gets each gameplay mechanic available.

The core formula is like the Zelda series to the letter but the combat is a copy of God of War. There's a whole flight sequence that might have as well been ripped from Panzer Dragon, a boss fight which I think I already had in Shadow of the Colossus, and even portal puzzles the likes of which you'll find in Portal.

The Horseman cometh!

Despite the heavy lifting, Darksiders has a tone and feel of its own. You play in a post-apocalyptic earth, now inhabited by the armies of heaven and hell, and both sides are out to get you. The visuals are really sharp, and for what is to be a destroyed earth, the environment looks spectacular. The worlds is separated to a few different areas connected by a hub location. I especially liked how vastly different of the areas looked. Much like Zelda, as you get further into your journey, you'll acquire new equipments to get you to places you couldn't get to before. Another interesting aspect of the graphics is just meticulously detailed the creature designs are. The demon Samael, for instance, has got to be the most good looking demonic creature depicted in a video game.

I couldn't get a good picture of Samael, so here's Tiamat instead

The story is another aspect that sets this game apart, without giving away too much, you're the horseman of the apocalypse, War, and you're out to set the situation right. The story starts out strong, but you'll be given almost no further exposition until very late in the game. Even so, I still think the ending was pretty satisfying. The voice is pretty good as well, although the only character whose voice I think did not do justice was War himself.

You'd think the result of all this mish mash might be junk, but Darksiders suprisingly manages to blend together all these mechanics really well, which results in a game quite unlike anything available currently available for the 360 and PS3. However, being a copy, it doesn't go to the full extent of the games it bases its design on. On a gameplay perspective, Darksiders is the dictionary definition of a jack of all trades, a pretty good one at that.

The Secret Armory of General Knoxx

2010-03-01T09:31:00.009+08:00

Borderlands is one of the game that I enjoyed most since its release last year and Gearbox has consistently pushing out new dlc's to make me keep coming back to it. The last two dlc's were a mix of good and bad, but I'm happy to say that the third and latest dlc is everything that it needed to be.

Weighing at a hefty 1.68gb, this is by far the biggest dlc offered for the game. Accordingly, it packs a substantial amount of content including an increased level-cap to up to 61, more loots, a new rarity class for items, and of course a whole bunch of new quests. And quests, there will be plenty this time around.

The new enemies in particular could potentially change the way you play this game. You'll be facing jetpack wielding lance soldiers to skang riding midgets to agile female ninjas, to name a few. That's how varied the new enemies types are. Make no mistake, this dlc ain't no pushover. If you're planning to play this add-on on the second play through all by yourself, be prepared to die. A lot. I did even with my ultra powerful level 50 siren.

To add to the replay value, there is an uber powerful secret boss that players may challenge as many times as they want for a chance to get that super illusive pearlescent grade weapons, the new grade introduced with this dlc. Be warned that you may need some help from a partner or two to face this new threat.

All told, this is a super satisfying dlc and the sweetest part of the deal is its price of 800points (roughly RM 35) which is a very generous price point for what is a really big add-on to the game.

Gearbox (secretly) hinting at Borderlands 2

2010-02-28T17:12:00.004+08:00

I'm still waist-deep into the new Borderlands dlc which I think is an excellent add-on to an already excellent game. In case you missed out, here's a trailer for said dlc.

I've got to hand to it to the guys at Gearbox. Between this and the last few they churned, they make fantastic trailers.

But here's a fun-fact that's easy to miss out. At around 00:43, highlighting the increased level cap, there is a game of hangman on the right side of the blackboard. See if you can't find out what the rest of the letters in those blanks are. Hint: a sequel to Gearbox's successful first-person role-playing game.

Mass Effect 2 Review

2010-02-16T09:14:00.008+08:00

There are many sequels that simply upped the ante with little gameplay tweaks or maybe some, the same game but with better graphics and better environment. Mass Effect 2, isn't one of those type of sequels. Instead, the gameplay changes are dramatic enough to warrant the sequel to 2007's best action-RPG as a very different type of game. I'm glad that some developers don't have that bigger and better mentality for a sequel, but are the changes for better, or for worse?

First of all, Mass Effect 2 is more technically sound than its predecassor. It looks just as good as it did in 2007, but gone are the annoying texture pop-ups and the stuttery frame-rates that plagued the first game. Bioware also did the smart thing by gutting out everything that ruined the first game, like the vehicle exploration part but they also put in an almost equally tedious planet scanning mini game.

The gameplay is the area that has received the biggest overhaul. For one thing, this isn't as RPG a game as Mass Effect 1 was. You gain experience for completing missions instead of killing enemies. There's no loot system either, so don't expect to pick up weapons or armors from fallen enemies. Rather, you merely find upgrades for your existing weapon. This means that you no longer have to look at menus sifting through your items to equip your characters. The result is a game that has a lot more faster pace than the first game was.

It's definitely more action oriented

Most surprising is that the game plays more like a shooter akin to Gears of War now. The shooting is much improved, but it's still incomparable to Gears or Uncharted. Fortunately the game still retains some of its RPG roots with character progression. Your characters can still learn abilities to increase their battle prowess similar to the first game, but a bit more simplified. Without this aspect, Mass Effect 2 surely would have been a lesser game.

The area that received the least change is the story, and given how well it worked in the original, I'm hardly surprised. The addition of interruption is a neat one, but ultimately limited in scope.

The game has an option to import your Mass Effect 1 character into the second game, which carries not only your character but also the decisions you make in the first game. By importing your data, your actions in the first game will directly affect some of the things in Mass Effect 2 and will likely influence events in Mass Effect 3 as well. Without importing your character, the game defines the events of the first game by itself, so playing it without character import leaves the experience a bit hollow.

But the drama is still what the game's about

Mass Effect 2 is a really good game and it gets significantly better towards the end. For me, the best thing about it is its make your own adventure interactive movie nature. The gameplay could have been improved further, but in the grand scheme of things, it can take a back seat.

What We Will Do During CNY's Holiday

2010-02-14T11:42:00.002+08:00

Besides visiting relatives, eating and getting fat of course

Facebook gets FPS action

2010-02-08T17:27:00.001+08:00

Yes, you read it right. Facebookers will soon be able to play a full fledged 3D first person shooter game on the social networking site, the first of its kind to hit the facebook's gaming scene. So instead of READING that your mafia killed another mafia, it is time to do the dirty job yourself.......on Facebook.

Created by 3G studios, the game is called 'Brave Arms'(apparently some PS3 project by Namco/Project Aces for Facebook is also of the same name and for the same ~~console~~ Facebook). Facebookers/players can create and customize their own avatars and spend points earn from playing in an in-game stores. Players can play against and/or with fellow friends and the latter is what got me excited. The graphic looks good but whether your internet can support such graphic rendering online, it's your own headache. Here are some released screenshots.

Check them out at their fan page here. All you can do now is reserve your screen name and wait for the BETA testing. Kudos to Facebook for being on the way to become a console. Xbox, PS, Nintendo and now Facebook?

Modern Warfare 2's Impact In Malaysia!!

2009-11-13T12:18:00.011+08:00

Can I get one. Just one?
*picture(s) taken from kotaku.com

New PS3 controller. Sweet!!

2009-11-13T12:09:00.003+08:00

It's a Modern Warfare 2 PS3 controller. Whatever game it is based on, PS3 needs a new controller to brush up the FPS experience and this controller fixes my core concern, the lack of a trigger button on the PS3 controller. It does now thanks to this new MW2 PS3 controller

hmmmm.........can't rid the tiny feeling of plagiarism....

*picture(s) taken from kotaku.com

The best boycotters in the world

2009-11-13T11:59:00.004+08:00

Gamers do make the best boycotters in the world.Click the image above and see for yourself why gamers are the best.

Resistance is futile!!

*picture(s) taken from kotaku.com

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 Review: The Solo Journey

2009-11-10T23:43:00.009+08:00

Don't we sometimes ever dream of shooting webs out of our hands, fly across the sky wearing a modern war suit, or have a retractable claw? Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 lets you do all that again, for the second time!! Let's roll Spidey

Graphic

The Level

MUA 2's environment is pretty bland. You will feel that it's the same place over and over again. The only place that feels different was the rooftop level but even the prison 42 did not help me to enjoy my stay longer. The level's design bleeds out quickly and fussy gamers might complain about it longer, I, have other reason to love this game.

The Wardrobe

Marvel Characters looks great but that is how they are supposed to look like anyway. My main complaint is the lack of awesome looking secondary outfits. Each characters have only one alternate outfits, unlike the previous MUA where a characters have up to four. To make matter worst, most alternate outfits looks more like Paris Hilton's wardrobe. It is either fashionable ugly or just too horribly ugly. Even my PJs look much better.

From left to right: Deadpool, Daredevil, Iceman and Gambit. Seriously? These are the whackjob alternate suits they gave us?

The Powers

With great powers comes dreaming about using those powers on helpless goons. Marvel characters have awesome powers but if the graphic does not help to translate those powers as incredibly destructive and cool looking, the MUA 2 would have suck, big time. Fortunately, I enjoyed playing most characters in MUA2 just because they unleashed cool looking, destructive powers. Whether I was torching, slamming, psychic-ing, slashing or just shooting, I felt a wave of euphoria as I mow down a battalion of enemies. Solo journey too can be gratifying if your powers looks cool and powerful.......except for Mr Fantastic. It's hard not to mistaken him for a clown with flexible body.

Cool looking powers indeed

Storyline

Good Vs Good

MUA's 2 storyline is more serious as compared to the fantasy of MUA1. In MUA2, the storyline is taken from the Civil period in Marvel timeline. As the Superheroes actions are being questioned following various disasters caused by superpowers, the United States government has laid down Superhumans Registration Act (SRA) that requires people with superpowers to register and work with the government to fight crimes. SRA splits the superheroes into two factions, those that register and those that opposes and eventually being hunted down by those that register. I like MUA2 storyline's as compared to MUA1. For once, in a superheroes game, it got me thinking who will actually win the war (Yes, I did not read the comic).I enjoyed my ride across this topsy turvy marvel superheroes civil war.

Good vs......umm...good!!

The Briefing

This is the part that I dislike. I prefer to see some superheroes characters performing the real briefing instead of some crappy PowerPoint presentation. Bad decision from Vicarious Vision. Minus point for you. More CG would be good for my Marvel souls.

Gameplay

Genre?

We could not make out what genre would MUA2 falls into. Some says its an action RPG, some says its a button mashing game, some says its a party game and I says its a Marvel Superheroes games where you can obliterate an entire platoon of army with awesome looking powers. Why? Read On

RPG?

MUA 2 truncates its power lists. You have only four powers for each characters and each powers is map to a face button. Each level you gain, you obtain one skill points that are used to increase the power of your powers. You also gets points to to be put into passive boosts by destroying boxes. You can readjust any points anytime you want, even during boss fight when you find out the 'clearing' power you are using is ineffective against the bosses. Each power can only be powered up to a certain extent until you reach the required level to power up further and this makes it easy to have 2 out of 4 powers at its maximum potential most of the time. The lack of punishment for lack of judgement during levelling up makes MUA2 less of an RPG. It is up to you to decide whether its actually a problem for you. For me, I just enjoy obliterating foes with my favourite power and I appreciate having my power at full blast. However, deep inside me, I do wish to play a marvel superheroes game, oblivion style. Someday, but not today.

Just a cool picture, ain't it?

The Decision

Yes, at some point, you will have to choose which side to choose, to support or oppose. I supported initially and opposed for a little while. I found both side of the coin to be rather similar. The differences lie only in the briefing and objectives. Plus, only only 3 characters (which I do not mind losing) were so adamant to choose a side that they are locked for the other side. Ironman, Mr Fantastic and Songbird supported the RSA while Captain America, Luke Cage and Ironfist chose otherwise. Trust me, you won't miss any of them.

Characters

How good is MUA2 may be down to character selection. The current lineups has quite a few powerhouse and likeable characters with Wolverine, Gambit, Spiderman, Jean Grey, Human Torch, Iceman, and of course Deadpool leading the line of characters we love. Plus, each and everyone of them is nice to use in a way. Characters that we don't care like Luke Cage, Ironfist, Songbird are also in. It didn't make much difference if they are in or not but we do hope that more known and loved characters are in instead of these stooges. We would like to see War Machine, Bishop, Cable (all these in the story but unplayable), Cyclops, Nightcrawler, The Punisher, Magneto (DLC content not counted). More famous characters will make this a much better game.

Part of the party but we do not care about flexible boy

Even the bad guys joined our party. We do not know how to differentiate superheroes from supervillians nowadays anymore

Fusion Powers

The game claimed to have over 200 fusion powers but truth be told, most looks the same and have the same effects. However, that doesn't detract the fusion powers are actually the plus points of MUA2. There are 3 distinct types of fusion powers that have 3 different effects. Clearing: to clear a large amounts of enemies that are simultaneously kicking your arse. Guided: to guide 2 heroes to destroy everything in a guided path. Targeted: to cause massive damage to a single enemies. The fusion powers are a great addition to the game and the is nonetheless cool and destructive, just not as varied as they claimed.

Teamwork never feels so cool....or hot

Enemies

Enemies is a disappointing department. There isn't a whole deal of variety. It's always the same robots and/or goons. However, they sometimes comes in a large group and combining various powers and fusion powers to blast them to oblivion is oh so satisfying. Boss fights, on the other hands are good fights, some memorable with the last boss being the best and hardest. There is a whole lot of boss fights as lots of characters are involved in this civil war. So get ready to kick lots of marvel arses.

Glitches

Yes, I found some glitches and they are downright annoying because it caused me to restart from previous checkpoints which is quite a distant.

Instant 1, an NPC refused to open a gate for me. Darn it, open the damn thing. I replayed from previous checkpoints and she did answered my prayers and open the damn thing for me

Instant 2, the boss disappeared and I fought waves and waves of goons spending almost half an hour. In reward for my patients, I found him stuck behind a wall. No idea how he got out of the sealed room but my powers were able to penetrate wall without destroying them. If I restarted from the previous checkpoint, I would have choke the person beside me

Instant 3, the game freezes but this might be caused by my Xbox. Box oh Box, never die on me, please!!

Deadpool, baby

A paragraph has to credited to this insane guy who thinks he is in a video game. Can anyone doubt him? His smart mouth and wisecracks makes playing solo more bearable and fun.He is the cracker of the party. We should have him in every game!!

Bahahahahahaha......I have no idea why I laughed

The Verdicts

I like Marvel Ultimate Alliance, 2 a lot and I daresay more than the first just because the powers looks more destructive and cool. My other partner in crime dislike the step back Vicarious Vision took in chucking out the optional costumes with different perks system and truncating the power list but I look this as more of a action game rather than RPG. That being said, both of us did enjoy playing the game, even on the solo journey and we believe you will too. Roll on the power, baby. Boom, Kapow

What you will need to like to like this:
Superpowers
Marvel characters
Action games
Optional but maximum happiness if you have 3 other friends who likes those things stated above

How Xbox 360 Stole From Its Rival

2009-11-09T15:46:00.001+08:00

Microsoft hit a snag when they released the big bulky original xbox back in 2001. Besides a few credible games, that big black box can't hold itself together against the best console of all time, the PS2. However, with seemingly unlimited funds, Microsoft never knows the meaning of the word 'quit' or 'give up'. Hence, they came back stronger than ever by releasing Xbox360 and potentially kicking Sony's newest generation console off the pedestal.

With Xbox360, Microsoft stayed on top of PS3 in the race to be crowned the king of next generation console for a long time. But, did Microsoft do it without any external help? A credible source shows that Microsoft used Sony's greatest weapon against them. How? Take a look.....

PS3 or Xbox 360 - Which console is for you

2009-11-02T11:14:00.008+08:00

The PS3 and Xbox 360 have been out for years now but there are still a lot of people out there who still have neither, and probably wouldn't want to spend their cash on both. So here's a quick primer that , if you're looking to get a console, might help you make your choice a little easier this coming holiday season.

Graphics
Both are amazing, but the PS3 has the edge on this one. You will see stuff like Uncharted 2 and Killzone 2 on the PS3 that even the finest looking 360 games couldn't match. Multiplatform games though usually don't differ much between platforms.

Games
As most games, including the old heavy-hitters such as Final Fantasy and Tekken, are multiplatform now, you'd get to play most games on either platform. The deciding factor is are you a Halo or a Killzone person. A Forza or a Gran Turismo fan. Of course, I'd go with both.

You might also bear in mind though that PS3 games are a good RM30 (and above) more expensive than their 360 counterpart.

Online
As I have never played a PS3 online since Resistance 1, I can't tell much about the PS3's online play. I will say though that while Xbox Live is an awesome online service, you'll have to pay a subscription fee (which totals to RM 170 annually) to play online whereas the PS3 offers it for free.

Price-point
Currently, you could get a PS3 slim with a 120gb hard drive and a 120gb Xbox 360 Elite at the same price of RM1299.

Value
Since the PS3 has a built-in blu-ray drive as well as wi-fi (which the 360 doesn't) it can be argued that you get more for the PS3 now that they're price-points are equal.

Ending Comments
The PS3 and 360 are as good as equals. What the PS3 lacks, to me, is the addictive achievement system on the 360 that keeps me playing a game more than I would on a PS3. Yes, the PS3 has a similar trophy system, but somehow that just didn't do it for me. That's the prime reason why I have more games on the 360 rather than the PS3 even when I have both.

Whatever choices you make, I don't think you could go wrong with either. Or maybe you just wanted to buy a wii. Or upgrade you PC. In those cases, I just can't help you.

Now that's how you make a group photo

2009-10-29T07:46:00.006+08:00

Take a look at the picture below and pick a guess. Is it from a drama? A movie? or maybe even from a record album?

The answer is none of the above. Actually, this is a company photo of Kojima Productions, the company, well known for their stylistic over the top presentation in video games that gives Holywood a run for its money (think: Metal Gear Solid) and its look they're just as stylish in the real world. This pretty much makes them the best game developers in my book.

That, or maybe they're just auditioning for the Japanese version of Heroes.

Are you hardcore enough for Borderlands?

2009-10-25T10:40:00.003+08:00

The guys at IGN put up this pretty awesome video recently. Watch it and decide for yourself.

So, think you're up for Borderlands?

Note: That's not really Randy Pitchford up there and as far as I know, the Gearbox guys has nothing to do with this video.

(Our review copy is still pending for delivery from Play-Asia.com. What's taking them so long?!)

Video courtesy of Ign.com

The annual Fifa vs PES match

2009-10-05T21:01:00.011+08:00

Fifa and PES will fight it out every single year to claim new supporters and win the old ones over. This year, both Fifa and PES have each released a demo to allow Gamers to test out which franchise ticks their bones. I have downloaded both demos through PS Store. Having played both, I have decided which one is the eventual winner. The decision is clear and it did not take long for me to decide. This year, Fifa 10 has emerged the winner, at least the on the pitch gameplay department.

Fifa's footballing skill has changed a lot since the last time I played it and I believed it was around 2 years ago. The on the pitch gameplay now seems smooth and fast paced unlike the 2008 and before iterations. The players' movement seems real and believable. Their tackle seems powerful and precise. The players now shoot with a purpose and connects with the ball nicely. The game does not seems slow at all now. It is fast paced and players move very fluidly.

So what about PES. Well, it feels like PES. It feels unchanged and the same ol same ol game. PES has improved in the graphic department and it was improved superbly. PES's graphic is now on par with Fifa, if not better. However, their decision not to fine tune the gameplay will surely causes Konami to lose out to EA. The only thing that I like more about PES was how the field looks. I like the darker pitch in PES but does that really matter?

PES 2010's graphic has really improved, a lot.

PES' unpredictability was one of the factor that makes PES so nice to play. Now, Fifa's matches are also unpredictable. The ball moves unpredictably. It's direction changes with the slightest touch and/or deflection. Now, the keepers do not punch the ball in the same direction, the ball moves in different direction following a tackle. The tackling game, the fluid movement and the fast-paced game all make up a game that plays better and more importantly feels more exciting than PES.

Fifa's on the pitch gameplay seems like a wake up call for Konami to buck up as Fifa has now matured. As of now, Fifa 10 has been reviewed and it has received more than good reviews across various game sites. PES has yet to be released. If the gameplay was to be the same as the demo, my money will be on Fifa 10, literally.

10 reasons why we will hate PSP GO

2009-10-02T22:21:00.012+08:00

Sony has just recently launched PSP Go and it is just a redesign of the PSP. This means that there is no novel way of playing games and no better graphic. It is definitely slicker, lighter and smaller than the PSP by half. It is cool but do we like it? No. Plus, we have 10 reasons why we should save our money.

10 - We do not care if it slides PSP can slides. WOW. We don't care. We just wanna have good ol fun and not worry about the screen slides back and forth.

9- No touch screen
Good on-the-go games needs touch screen and Sony does not understand this after so long.

This is how it looks unslided. It's cool but really, we don't care!

8 - No UMD
PSP is the first handheld console to have digital distribution but really, do we really have to sacrifice the good ol disc? Sometimes, we like to touch the covers, read the labels, and be excited with the booklets but its all gone now.

7 - No conversion from UMD to software game
Due to various problems, somehow, Sony cannot help those that have ol gamers to convert their already bought UMD to the software version of the game. This is a preposterous treatment for early PSP owners.

6 - Positioning of the hand is worse
Just look at the picture. Would you like to be holding your handheld like that? The owners of medium to big sized hand will suffer. I will suffer.

That is probably a little boys' hands

5 - Poor battery life
PSP Go's battery life sucks. Playing games can lasts for 3 to 4 hours and playing videos can only last up to 4 to 5 hours. How is it the latest version of PSP can be inferior to the past versions?

4- Battery can't be replaced by yourself
Poor battery life is one thing. Not allowing you to replace it yourself is a blasphemy. There is even a warranty void sticker to prevent your from replacing it. Why such decision, Sony?

3- Difficulty with analog button is not solved
I like FPS games but I hate playing it on the PSP as my thumb struggle with the analog button. New design, same problem. What is the point of making a new version then?

2 - USD 250
The price of Xbox 360 and PS3 ia USD 299. Wii's price has dropped to USD 199. Except for being lighter and smaller, which isn't much of an issue since PSP-2000, PSP Go has more issues compared to its predecessors. Now, PSP Go is even more expensive than Wii. Seriously, what does Sony takes us for? Idiota?

The price of PSP Go is ridiculous. With such price, buying a console would be better off. The price being the most ridiculous part of this new handheld, what else can top the reasons we hate PSP Go

1 - We still love the DS

The biggest selling point of a console is the availability of good games. While DS games might not be superior in the graphic department, neither is PSP Go. At the end of the day, PSP Go is a handheld console and the games have to be good while on the train, during lunch time or while waiting for that old bus. However, PSP GO's games are neither good enough for on-the-go gaming or on the TV. Therefore, if we want a quick game during lunch time, we still prefer the DS. And for this, we will stay clear from PSP Go

We love you on the bus

Shadow Complex Review

2009-10-02T10:26:00.007+08:00

Do not be fooled by Shadow Complex being a labeled as a downloadable arcade game. This is a game that might as well have been a full retail game, and an extremely exciting one at that.

Story

A group of technologically advanced militia is planning a coup one the USA, and Jason (that's you) and your date just happened to wander right into their cavern base. The girl gets captured right away and just like any good hero would, it's your job to rescue her from certain doom. As you progress, the story gets a little less personal. The story element is pretty light but not entirely without merit.

He should've listened to his dad

Gameplay

Shadow Complex plays like a 2D adventure game in the veins of Castlevania and the old Metroid Games. You start off as an almost helpless individual with meager equipments but you will quickly pick up weapons and power-ups along the game, giving you new abilities to explore places you couldn't reach before and. By the time you reach the later part of the game, Jason will be a force to be a reckoned with. However, this also means the earlier part of the game harder than the later.

He can jump!

Besides running and jumping around, Jason can also handle firearms. You aim you gun using the left stick, and is indicated by a laser sight from the gun. The shooting mechanic works really well and is a lot of fun. Jason also is also a hand-to-hand combatant worthy of praise. Get near an enemy and you can take him out with a single button push. The hand-to-hand sequence isn't only effective, it looks really good too, even if there aren't a lot of variation to the moves you'll see.

He knows kung-fu..or maybe karate...or whatever

Presentation

For an XBLA game, Shadow Complex looks stellar. I'd even go as far as saying it looks better than some disc games. The game might be viewed in a 2D perspective but everything is rendered in 3D, as you will see in some instances where the camera switches into third person. Shadow Complex is easily the best looking game of its type. It'a also amazing that the game does not stop to load when you move in and out of a room or even between cutscenes. It's a completely seamless gameplay experience.

The complex is gigantic, and its yours to explore

The Final Verdict
Shadow Complex is a fun, amazing game from start to finish, and chances are you'll want to play it again even after you have. I clocked the game in 7 hours at 83% so it's safe to assume that it'll take anywhere between 8 or 9 hours to get the full 100%. That's the about the same lenght you'll get in a full priced game, and this 800mb game costs only around RM50! Way to show that neat things does not necessarily come in big packages. Play this game.

I don't really put gameplay videos in my review, but I believe this is one game you'll have to see.

Latest (and best) Final Fantasy 13 Trailer

2009-09-30T22:37:00.003+08:00

A new trailer for ~~Neverending~~ Final Fantasy 13 was released during the Tokyo Game Show 2009. This trailer shows us more of the good stuffs from Final Fantasy 13 (the cute girls, really) and a little details on the direction of the storyline. For those that really want to be kept in the dark about the story, don't load the trailer but if you are even a bit curious, like me, take a look. I like it. Do you?

December for Japan, spring 2010 for the rest of the world. Can't wait to see if this tops FF7.........NOT!!!

The current console price points

2009-09-30T11:15:00.004+08:00

I've been asking around the local video games stores lately on the consoles' prices. It seems that the recent price drops indeed made their way into our piracy-ridden market.

The PS3 slim is now priced at RM1300, while the Xbox360 (Elite model) is surprisingly RM100 more expensive than the PS3. The normal pro bundle should be much cheaper, but I couldn't find it anywhere. As for the wii, it seems it's price drop has yet to take effect here.

The price drop isn't as much as it should have really been, but it's still a very significant drop, so if you've been holding back to get one, now's as good a time as any to make a purchase especially considering the wave of games to be released in the next few months.

Dragon Age: Origins: Demo Videos

2009-09-17T22:57:00.005+08:00

Pardon my ignorance but I did not know about this game until Najibu puts this up on our 'games that we want to play so much' list. Therefore, I hit a youtube search and saw the potential of Dragon Age. EA posted 4 videos narrating the features of Dragon Age as the narrator played through the demo. I saw, I heard, I want to play. See for yourself if this upcoming medieval RPG checks all your boxes. It did mine except for one box. If only there is an option for co-op multiplayer! Here are the videos

Dragon Age is due out on the 3rd of Novemeber for Xbox 360 and the PC. PS3 version of the game will be out a bit later in the same month. Something to play during the long year end holiday.

Gamer: Review

2009-09-16T15:33:00.009+08:00

Although Gamer is a movie, we would still like to review Gamer because not only Gamer has gaming as its core storyline, it sends a out a strong, ostentatious and provocative message strung to the stereotype of a gamer. For the last time, we are not wheelchair-ridden obese people. At least not all of us!

Storyline

The storyline of Gamer is utterly crap. Not only it is crap, it is ridiculous, senseless, farcical, and absurd. Why so? Gamer's story is based on 2 games created by an eccentric tycoon. First off is 'Society'. Imagine playstation home but instead of controlling an avatar, a gamer can sit back in his comfortable living room and control a real living multi-organism human in a special sexual-oriented space. Yes! There is now apparently a job more morally degrading than prostituting. People are paid to be controlled by socially-dysfunctional gamers.

This is not cosplay, this is what they wear, in 'Society'

The second game in Gamer is worse and defies all moral values know to mankind. Named 'Slayers', gamers will take control of a a real prisoner and take him into a warzone. Imagine Massive Action Games but instead of controlling customised characters, gamers are controlling prisoners in their flesh and blood. If he dies, he dies and somehow, cruelly. Their reward is freedom but that is only if they win 30 battles without dying.

We, gamers sometimes define a game through its polygons and pixels. We marvel at top notch high definition graphic with lifelike movements. However, we, gamers have not and will not ever think of controlling another human being in their flesh and blood. What's more ridiculous is that there seems to be no resistance to such sick gaming concept. Even the government consented such ridiculous, morally degrading concept. The movie did not highlight any such sickness or any conspiracies behind the approval of such immoral games but rather how people enjoy such deranged games. Are we, human, really that low and have no sympathy and/or empathy?

He can dance and probably provide the only entertainment in the movie

Presentation
The cinematography of this movie is another negative point. As a matter of fact, it is a lot of negative points. The way the camera moves (or jumps) and the constant sense of 'signal failing' images (imagine your TV channels losing signal every now and then) do not create that sense of gaming, at all. As a matter of facts, games do not have signal failing on us,. We just go through lags.

The cinematography is confusing, annoying and puke-inducing making the actions scenes a punishment to watch. Actions are blurred and cut around too often. I am so much annoyed that I did not enjoy the shooting and the fighting at all. The only good action was the dancing and singing. Yes, there are dancing and singing amidst all the crazy shooting. Its a good moment too, ironically. The cinematography makes no effort to help people to enjoy the actions. It only intends to make you puke. I once have to close my eyes when the camera follows the back tyre of a bike while the background fades with speeds. Cinematography arts is one thing. Making us annoyed and sick is another.

This is a scene of how the controller controls the controlee. Project Natal?

I am a person who would go through a movie no matter how boring or ridiculous it may be. However, Gamer has crossed that fine line that separates the maybe and downright not going to happen, at all. The ridiculous storyline could be made sense if huge, deep-lying conspiracies are explored but since no such thing were done, we assumed Neveldine and Taylor just want to shove it into us that gamers are ridiculous and would do anything for such things called entertainment. We, gamers, have never thought of being such low-life and find enjoyment through such morally unacceptable method. It is hoped that any future movie that will depict the hobby of gaming will have more sensible concepts or at least more thoughts put into it before laying the movies for us to enjoy. Gamer has certainly not and finally killed us with annoying cinematography.

Verdict: 1 out of 5

ps: the cinematography is so confusing and annoying that the Malaysian Board of Censorship failed to notice a couple of seconds of boobs shots here and there. That still does not make Gamer watchable. Stay away at all cost.

Play it with Virtual Tailor Swift.

2009-09-16T09:19:00.007+08:00

Beyonce Knowles might have the best video ever, but Taylor Swift is in a video game!

Band Hero, a more family friendly spin-off to the wildly successful Guitar Hero franchise doesn't seem all that bad. The featured songs are catchy pop songs that just about everybody could have fun playing it but it just doesn't make much sense. It could have just as easily been a 'pop music pack' DLC for Guitar Hero 5 so you don't have to buy 2 separate but actually very similar games. The fact that it isn't goes to show how much Activision is trying to milk profit out of the 'Hero' games. Shame on them. And shame on me for having a fleeting evil thought of actually wanting to buy this game.

Oh by the way, Beyonce deserve to be in this game, because she got like the best video ever!

How to make your Gamer says YES

2009-09-14T23:47:00.004+08:00

What would you do if you want to propose and too chicken to propose at a game (and by game, i means those outdoors sports, really) and your other half (possibly, maybe, hopefully) is really really into games?(and this time, I mean those games that make people fat) Maybe you can try to make/request for a mod to make a new level in a game so that you can stun your gamer when the character (which looks like you, of course) in the game suddenly gets down on his/her knees and ask you to marry him/her. Cool? Romantic?

This is exactly what a girl did when she proposed to her Gamer. This level is a mod for Fallout 3. One would have thought maybe a proposal should be in a more romantic setting as compared to a post-apocalyptic, mutant-ridden world. However, this doesn't seem to matter to them as they start they journey of matrimony in a post nuclear war world. How sweet. So in what game would like to propose to your gamer? Or, repropose for those already married!!

Just as romantic a propose as those in stadiums

This is when he says 'ummm, no thanks'

Old faces, new Alliances

2009-09-14T11:55:00.005+08:00

The old alliance crumbles. New ones arise. Which side will you be on?

Video Games | Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2 | Launch Trailer

XBox 360 | Playstation 3 | Nintendo Wii

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 is just a single day away from hitting stores and we can't help but to feel excited.

(note: I will personally save this for year end, when I could savor it with my pals)

Batman: Arkham Asylum Review

2009-09-13T11:20:00.006+08:00

Guiness World Record gimmick aside, Arkham Asylum supercedes my every expectation of how awesome a superhero game could be. This is a game that fans of the caped crusader would definitely love, and even non-fans would certainly appreciate. Batman: Arkham Asylum isn't just an awesome superhero game, it is an awesome game.

Licensed games have had a really bad track record and superhero games in particular didn't fare much better. Yet, Arkham Asylum comes out seemingly out of nowhere and smashes that stigma. Developed by the equally obscure Rocksteady studios, Batman: Arkham Asylum sets the bar on how a proper licensed game should be made.

The game begins with Batman capturing the Joker, and he intends to hold his eternal nemesis in the supposedly safe walls of Arkham Asylum, the madhouse which houses some of the most notorious supervillains in the Batman universe. As it turns out, this had been the Joker's plan all along. Without giving too much away, he immediately escapes custody and it is up to you as the Batman to stop whatever nefarious plans he has cooking.

The Bat has brought some fun toys with him

There are three main elements in the game - exploration, combat, and stealh - and all three of them are executed extremely well. For the most part, you will be roaming around the vast land of Arkham Island. Ths island is separated into 4 different areas and each area gives you access to at least one of the asylum's many facilities. This isn't a free roaming game as you aren't exactly free to go about anywhere you please. Rather, the story will dictate where you have to move next. This makes the game somewhat linear, but it makes for a much more interesting pacing than open world games do.

It is also fortunate that the story is worth following. Besides the standard cutscene to highlight important events, the story is moved by videos on the screens, or announcements from the speakers littered all over the facilities, as well as audio recordings, much like the story telling method employed in Bioshock. The announcements though tend to repeat itself too much over a period of time that it gets a little annoying, but that's just nitpicking.

The Joker is literally on screen

As you play the game, you will come across areas which you won't be able to access...at first, but as you progress through the game, the Dark Knight will have much more gadgets in his arsenal. These gadgets not only open up new areas but most of them are also interesting gameplay additions in the game's combat and stealth aspect.

The combat, to me, is easily one of the most noteworthy aspect of the game. Dubbed the Freeflow combat system, it really is just an improvement over Prince of Persia's Freeform combat (see, even the names are similar!) but what a world of difference the improvements make. The combat isn't just a dumb 'hit the strike button repeatedly till the enemy dies'. It's really easy to learn and get into, yet has a layer of depth that makes it pretty hard to master. Arkham Asylum is a thinking man's action game and the combat show this fact well.

With proper skills, the Bat can even take out over a dozen of these goons without breaking a sweat

Regardless of how good you get at the combat though, Batman animates really well during combat, the various strikes and counter moves are just really nice to look at, even if you'll be seeing those moves again and again throughout the game. As good as the combat feels, it's neat that combat isn't all there is to the game.

Occasionally, you'll run into enemies with guns. Despite being armed to the teeth, even Batman wouldn't last long in a head-on confrontation against assault rifles .This is where stealth kicks in. Batman can use his state-of-the art cowl to go into detective mode which allows him to detect his enemies no matter where they are. The stealth gameplay requires you to silently dispose of your enemies one by one. There are always more than a single way to do this, so it's up to you to experiment ways that best suit your liking.

You'll almost always be safe and unspotted if you hang around one the gargoyles looming in the stealth sections. It's indeed a bit stupid that the enemies can't seem to spot you there, but it eliminates most of the frustration found in other stealth games. Perhaps the best thing that can be said about the stealth element is that unlike other stealth games, you don't feel vulnerable at all. Batman is completely in control of the situation. You'll hardly be in a position where you worry too much about getting spotted. Instead, it is you who instill fear in your enemies.

Even in stealh, the Bat is still a badass

The game would have been awesome anyways with such well polished gameplay, but the impressive visual brings everything to a new height. The game runs on the Unreal Engine 3, which powers last year's Gears of War. In terms of graphics, Arkham Asylum is about on par with Gears. That statement is more praise than anything I could say about it. (Note: The characters in Arkham Asylum is also as burly as those in Gears).

The game is also satisfyingly long. Even if you just want to bust through the story, it should take you anywhere between 13-15 hours. If you're into full completion, solving all the Riddler challenges should add a good amount of gameplay time. And then there's the challenge mode which focuses on combat and stealth. It actually is just taking key moments in the story and put it out of context, but it is a welcome addition, especially if you're the type to climb your way to the top of the leaderboards.

I think I've made my point clear on just how exactly awesome this Batman game is, and if you still haven't figured it out, I just said it. Batman: Arkham Asylum is an amazing superhero game. The game's crowning achievement though, is that even if you take Batman out of the equation, it would still be an amazing game.

MAG: Update

2009-09-07T21:46:00.002+08:00

MAG, massive action game. The name says it all. Now the action of 256 soldiers online shooting at each other. 256 players. This is OMGIARMAG

OMGIARMAG

oh my god, it's a really massive action game

Uncharted 2: Trailer and Gameplay footage

2009-09-07T21:17:00.002+08:00

I like Nathan Drake. Uncharted would be half the fun without this wise-cracking Indiana Jones wannabe. Apart from that, the trailer for the sequel of the first Uncharted is quite awesome looking. I love how games trailer is looking more and more like a movie trailer. If you used to like Indiana Jones and/or National Treasure with more explosion, have fun with the trailer. The gameplay action looks intense too. One guy against a chopter and bunch of ak-47 wielding honcos? What are the odds of winning?

Movie Trailer

One guy, a chopter and a bunch of gun wielding honcos

Update on PS3's Motion Controller

2009-08-29T15:23:00.002+08:00

It's been a while that Sony has announced that PS3 will have its own iteration of a motion controller. The Playstation Blog has just released a video that shows us behind the scenes of the research and development of the motion controller (a shorter name, please). Take a look for yourself as I deem this stick-with-a-ping-pong-ball-stuck-to-one-end an interesting gaming tool when it does come out albeit its weird shape. If you do look closely, it does look like something else......hmmmm. Good for lonely gaming??

One have to wonder how different would it be from the wiimote?

Arkham Asylum

2009-08-29T00:33:00.008+08:00

Batman: Arkham Asylum is now out and truthfully, I was not that excited (due to a history of crap from superhero games) until I start reading some positive stuff about the game which got me excited (really really excited) to take on the role of the darknight. I got my own copy of the game. Najibu will be getting his Batman xbox style while I be playing through Arkham Asylum the PS3 style, except that I left my PS3 back in a place far far away but by next week, I should be able to crack some goons. Here are some narcistic shot of my copy of Batman. wooohoooooo.

I kinda like the Darknight's costume better

Be patient, only by Monday can I test that baby

As you can see, Joker is once again the mastermind of evil

Waiting is killing me

Too lazy to walk? Look right and get yours there

OFFICIAL NEWS

Personal sensation aside, there are a couple of stuff about this game which might make interesting news and/or way of promotion

Firstly, there is an actual website about arkham asylum (the place, not the game) made. There is a footnote which said 'For Entertainment Purpose Only' which indicate this website is made just to bring a sense or realism for the game (much like the tweeting duo of Raccoon City) and it is quite interesting to see how the Gotham citizens view the asylum (I am becoming a chronic fanatic). Join the fanaticism by checking this website: http://www.arkhamcare.com/

Secondly, the Guinness World Records actually acknowledges this game. WTH, you might say? Yup, Gunness is bestowing Batman: Arkham Asylum the title of 'Most critically Acclaimed Superhero Game Ever'. So it is supposedly the best of the best superhero games based on reviews written across the world. So there isn't a _______est ________ anymore??? Anyway, I guess that is reason enough for you to get a copy. Now go get yours now! You might end up in the Guinness World Records for being the 1275231 person to buy the game.

Twitter in Raccoon City?

2009-08-27T00:01:00.005+08:00

It admit to fantasizing myself as the hero of a very cool game once in a while or maybe, most of the time but it just gets out of hand when characters try to be real even on Twitter. Ladies and Gentleman, you are welcomed to fantasized about running over zombies in Racoon City as Leon Kennedy, and Claire Redfield qho are currently twitting about their daily lives in Raccoon City. You can join them as they discovered weirder and stranger looking zombies and survived to tweet about it.

Here is their twitter site

Leon Kennedy (somehow known as Leon Darkside)
http://twitter.com/Leon_Darkside

Claire Redfield (inexplicably known as Claire Darkside too)
http://twitter.com/Claire_Darkside

Have fun. Raccoon City is real.......or maybe not.

Leon: I shoot like 10 zombies at around 1pm
Claire: I almost mistaken Ada for a zombie!!

When Dragonball gets crazier and weirder

2009-08-26T21:54:00.002+08:00

and along came Dragonball Online. After being treated to the clown party called Dragonball Evolution, now we will have to endure Dragonball Online, that if we choose to but why not since all of us either still or used to love Akira Toriyama's legendary creation (not very much after destroying it thanks to Evolution). Set 200 years after the manga ends, we gets to choose to be the overly-strong Saiyan, Green namek or the weak Human. The choices are definitely tough but we get to start off as a cute kids and grow up to adults. Whatever it is, I can't shake of the feeling of Dragonball Online being created just to appease the fans and whenever something is made just to appease the fans, us, gamers will be left dissapointed. Here is the trailer if you ever care. You get to see some anime chicks in bikini!!

Trailer

Resonance of Fate Trailer and Crazy Gameplay

2009-08-26T19:15:00.002+08:00

Resonance of Fate (known as End of Eternity in Japan) is a RPG game with Matrix style shooting stuff. Unlike Borderlands, Resonance of Fate is more of an RPG rather than a shooter. The gameplay video sure seems awesome with crazy Matrix style shooting and jumping and evading bullets. Resonance of Fate battles work in a modernize turn based system much like Eternal Sonata's turn based battle system with crazy shooting scenes. Check out the videos to see if this game ticks your box but it has certainly made me curious.

Trailer

Matrix rereloaded

No co-op has been announced, so we can just keep our finger crossed and still be excited about borderlands. woooohoooo

Crossing the Borders of RPG and FPS

2009-08-24T09:23:00.010+08:00

With a lot of major games like Modern Warfare 2, Assassin's Creed 2 and Forza 3 to look forward to in the coming months, Q4 this year looks to be a promising gaming season. For my money, there is one new IP that manages to stand out despite fierce competition from the established names.

That game is Borderlands. Gearbox's upcoming FPS-RPG hybrid. The short way to describe is it's Diablo made as a first-person shooter with a unique visual flair but set in a sci-fi wild west setting. The description? Well, let's just say there are four distinct classes to select from, you do quests, waste monsters and bandits, level up, learn new abilities, upgrade your skills, and pick loot, all in a vast open world of distant planet Pandora. And did I mention it has 4 person co-op? Sounds awesome doesn' t it? Really, those descriptions should easily sold you on the game. If you still aren't a believer, then I believe you owe it to yourself to look at this very brief trailer. Go on, you know you want to.

I'm sold on completely everything this game has shown so far. Well. except for the lame boxart which I think really does the game no justice

Uhm...

Borderlands is set to hit the PS3. PC and X360 on October 20th.

Guild War 2: Trailer

2009-08-21T13:09:00.003+08:00

I have an unrequited passion towards Guild War. I love online game but until now, my guild war character is still moving like a slideshow during most intense situation. Crap, my character die more times than me being bitten by mosquitoes. Anyway, I still love Guild War and Guild War 2's trailer is now making me wet my pa.....no, appetite. Watching this trailer only makes me wishes to play an awesome online game with all my gaming friends all around the world. Oh wait, I have to wish that my internet speeds up x10 right now first.

I want, I want

PS3 Slim in action

2009-08-20T22:33:00.003+08:00

Yes, PS 3 is in action. This video will show you whether PS 3 can stands up on its own, literally. Can slim things stand? The phat one stands with no problem but that is because it is freaking phat but can the slim version holds its own. Take a look!

Can it? Can it?

Alan Wake: Awesome Trailer and even Awesomer Gameplay Videos

2009-08-20T22:07:00.002+08:00

The title is no joke. I like the trailer and I love the gameplay footage even more. The trailer seems like a movie trailer and I like the ending (of the trailer). Not spoiling anything, you should see it for yourself. I like the gameplay video even more not only it shows me how the game's physiologically thrilling moment can be played out, it tells me about it too. Every gameplay video should be done in similar fashion, minus the Scandinavian accent. Or was it done purposely to enhance the suspense?

note: If you have no idea what is Alan Wake, it is something like silent hill with less crazy nurses and probably a better storyline.

Trailer

Gameplay

Final Fantasy 14 Gameplay

2009-08-20T21:53:00.003+08:00

Yes, final fantasy 14 is showing off their online gameplay while I am still awaiting sweet 13 to come along. While waiting for lightning to come, gameplay footages of the Final Fantasy 14, which is an online game are out. These gameplay videos show ranger, a melee character and a magical midget (makes me wonder if there is a more appealling taller version). Can't say that I am too excited after watching these videos as it really did not show much about the awesomenesss of a certain magic power or how rangers can shoot 10 magical arrows at once or how a melee dude can do some cool action twist and turn before laying the plow on the enemies. No, nothing on that, just some lame running around but still worth a watch just to see the magical midget for yourself.

The Ranger's gameplay

The Mid...Magic and Melee characters gameplay

The Gamer's Girl

2009-08-19T22:33:00.003+08:00

While surfing aimlessly around the world wide web, I happened upon this interesting blog. It is every gamers' wish that his other half would be able to share his passion. However, girls are more down to earth as compare to male gamer (disclaimer: this is a most but not all situation) and thus may be less enthusiastic to spend more time in the fake world rather than the real world, unlike their male counterpart.

Anyway, the author(s) of this blog is sharing their experience as the life (probably,hopefully) partner of a gamer. They have gave some useful tips and advices on how to deal with a boyfriend/hubby who is a die hard gamer. Some advices might also be useful for gamers who appreciates their other half. In a nutshell, have a read if you want to know how to keep a sweet relationship sweeter everyday eventhough one of you or better still, both of you are game enthusiast.

http://thegamersgirl.blogspot.com/

Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker Trailer and Gameplay

2009-08-19T22:21:00.003+08:00

If it is up to me,I would give Hideo Kojima the award of 'Telling not too much nor too little using a trailer'. This trailer will be able to satisfy your curiosity on how co-op might pan out in MGSPW but did not tell me anything revealing about what the hell is going on. I mean, 4 snakes, OMGWTFBBQ

Fable 3 Teaser

2009-08-19T21:29:00.005+08:00

Yup, Fable 3 has been announced. As announced, Fable 3 will take a very different route this time but still using the same concept of live by your decisions, much like my concept of life. Anyway, this time around, you get to have followers, gain more followers, unite factions and more of those medieval thingy. So, instead of small brat to a hero, you are now growing from a brat son of the ruler of a faction in Albion to well, the ruler of a certain part of Albion. Cool, huh?

This time around, you still can choose to be evil as hell or good as an angel but there are more sub categories. Choices include poverty, greed, tyranny, compassion, progress, and tradition. Your choices in how you treat your citizens, followers, king and queen will affect you and your land. Every choices may change a part of the land you own.

Apparently we will be able to scoop our hand into Fable 3 in 2010. Till then, let us be teased by this teaser.

The PS3 Slim coming

2009-08-19T10:04:00.012+08:00

We all saw it coming sooner or later, but Sony has just now made it official that the PS3 Slim is indeed coming soon. Like, in a couple of weeks soon! Here are some comparison shot of the new Slim line and its Phatter big brother.

According to SCE President Kaz Hirai, the new SKU is "32% smaller, 36% lighter, and sports 34% less power consumption. Inside, there’s a 120gb hard drive."

Sounds attractive right there, but easily the best news is that the PS3 Slim's price tag of $299. By comparison, the PS3 Phat originally retailed for $599. As to how much it will cost it MYR, we will keep you posted the second we get our info on it. The Slim is currently slated to hit shelves by the first week of September.

[Update]: The old PS3 has now been given a price cut to $299 as well and will be phased out with the Slim, though I have my doubts that the new price tag will be applied in most of out country's shops that sell games (because they aren't game shops!).

[More update] : If you want to know everything there is to know about the new model. Check out Sony's official press release.

Prototype Review

2009-08-18T10:44:00.009+08:00

Prototype is a game that just screams potential but never fully realized. The result is a game that is a jack of all trade but master of none. Regardless, the game is still a lot of fun to play and there's just a breadth of content that players are bound to find something to like in it. [Variety] should've been the name of the game.

Prototype, starts off at a morgue with you supposedly dead, but then you suddenly wake up and realize that you've got these crazy super powers but no recollection of your past. So begins Alex Mercer's quest to discover what happened to him, who did it and most importantly, make them pay.

The game opens up quick. Perhaps too quick. You will start off with your core abilities of superhuman strength and agility which allows you to lift cars easily, run faster than road runner and the gravity-defying act of running up buildings. The game also doesn't hold back on the enemies that will be thrown at you. You'll face contingents of soldiers, armored vehicles, helicopters as well as grotesque monters very early on in the game. Unfortunately for them, Alex Mercer is well 'armed'.

Of course he could run vertically

Aside from his super-human physical abilites, Alex's most potent power is his ability to transform his limbs into weapons. None of them are really all that imaginative. Here are the names of the powers and see if you can't figure out what they do - Claws, Musclemass, Whipfist, Hammerfist and Blade. However, they all very distinct that you'll find most if not all of them them useful in certain situations. There is no shortage on ways to dispose of your enemies in this game.

You start off with this...

Alex can also consume humanoid creatures. This not only replenishes his health but also allows him to shape-shift into the person he consumed and learning everything that was stored in the person's dome. Don't know how to fly a helicopter, then consume a soldier, infiltrate a military base, find a pilot, and consume that guy. Voila, you are now skilled in the art of piloting a helicopter!

...and will eventually get something like this

There is a lot of variety in the main missions and perhaps the thing I like most about prototype is how the game allows you tackle the missions in any way you want. For instance, in one mission you are tasked to assault a military base. Sure, you can use your standard powers but you can also hijack a tank or heli, or even assume the identity of a military personnel to order a mortar blast on the base.

Unfortunately, the game's 31 main missions are pretty short. They'll rarely go more than 30 minutes each and if you're just doing those, you can burn through the game in about 10-12 hours . There are plenty of side missions to do but except for one mission type, they are all skill based, like killing X numbers of enemies with a given power. Worst of all there are are no context in those missions making it feeling rather disjointed from the game's story. On the upside, the sheer options available for the main missions at least makes up for it.

From ground warefare...

Speaking about the story, it is pretty interesting. The problem is that how you play the game determines how much of the story you'll get. The story itself is mostly a recount by Alex Mercer to a shadowy guy and there's just lots and lots of gaping holes in between. By consuming some select individuals, you'll learn more about the incident that is taking place, what exactly happened to Alex Mercer and the event that leads to the current situation which goes back almost half-a century from the current game time. It's all so intriguing that you'll want to find out what is really going on. You'll then have to piece the information you gather for yourself. So if you just want to blaze through the game, you'll be missing a lot on the story.

In the grand scheme of things, Prototype ends up feeling a little too gamey, which to me is the game's greatest downfall. Enemy soldiers are on the hunt for you, but even if they saw you jumping sky high, they won't be alarmed until a threat meter is full. The second most disturbing thing about the game is how the bustling isle of Manhattan is filled with people who don't act like people. The citizens don't react much to your existence. You'll even see them walking off the wharf into the sea!

...to aerial combat. This game has got it all

Graphically, Prototype is sufficient though it definitely is no match for Infamous, a game that it could easily be compared to (though in my expert opinion, they can't be more different) . There are some jarring texture popups in the environment when you take a heli far up and then dive down. These don't distract from the experience too much and to its credit, the frame rate holds up really well even when the action get intense.

The long short of it, there is just a lot of stuff crammed into Prototype. Heck, I think the game covers just about every aspect you could name in action games. It's a free-roaming game with melee combat, shooting, vehicular combat, helicoters, and even stealth! As such, it is hard to get into the specifics of this game. But I'll just say that while every aspect of the game feels good, it just doesn't hit perfection as a game that has a better sense of focus. But don't let that undermine the fact that this is a totally great game to play.

'Splosion Man Review

2009-08-10T07:29:00.007+08:00

Had it been release during the 16-bit era, 'Splosion Man would probably rival Sonic or Mario, but while its gameplay may be a blast from the past, it is bright enough to shine even in this day and age.

There isn't a whole lot to talk about the mechanics of 'Splosion Man. The man...or thing.. doesn't jump. He doesn't have a jump attack. He doesn't do anything else but 'splode.You move left or right with the analog and every other face buttons make him 'splode.. and make no mistake, you'll be 'sploding throughout the game.

All hail the 'splode king!

'Sploding causes you to propel yourself and you can 'splode up to three times before you'll need to touch any surface for a while to recharge your 'splosive ability. You can also 'splode against walls to do what is essentiall a wall jump, and 'splode near barrels to propel yourself even further. Of course, 'sploding near scientists will turn them into chunks of steak, naturally.

The single player portion has 50 levels with 3 boss fights which, while not the best around, has a really good sense of personality to it. There is also additional 50 levels for co-op which you can play with up to three other players. From what little I've played of it, co-op is very different from the single player experience as it focuses more on working together to get to places rather than getting through challenges quickly in the single player.

You'll be doing jumps like these... a lot.

As for the single player, the game starts around pretty simple when you progress through the game's 50 levels, they will get longer and much more challenging to finish.You'll also find yourself in the situation where you WILL die because there's just no way to anticipate what deathtrap you'll have to 'splode through next and the error margin you get is extremely small.

In this regard, the game really feels like a game of the early 90's where the only way to successfully beat a level is through repetition and rote memorization of the path you'll have to take. However, the game is pretty forgiving in its checkpoint. Rarely are you forced to play for more than a few seconds from where you died and best of all, there are no death screens so you'll be right back in the game in a snap.

Getting to the end of a level is often easier said than done.

While some may criticise the game for its gameplay that demands more memorization, timing, and sometimes a little bit of luck over pure platforming skills, I find myself entirely satisfied to get through a particularly tough level. 'Splosion will take you anywhere between 4-5 hours to beat if you're the average player which isn't too bad for a game that costs about RM50. That, or you might even stop playing totally because of frustration. Be warned, 'Splosion Man is a really good game to play, but it might just not be enjoyable for everyone

Infamous Review

2009-07-03T22:06:00.015+08:00

Infamous is electrifying-literally. If I you like the combination of GTA, Crackdown and Prince of Persia and shooting lightning instead of bullets, then this game is for you. Infamous too has moral dillemas and decisions. It is a good solid game, one that you should not miss if you have PS3

Although ain't mind blowing, Infamous stays a rock solid good entertaining game. I like Infamous, but not love though. The game throws you into a mayhem created by a blast in the middle of Empire City. Throughout the game, you will gain electrifying power, very much depending on moral choices. The good power let you do minimal collateral damage while the evil power will send you on a destruction path destroying everything in between you and your objectives.The power is satisfying- the evil one at least. As you progress through the game, you will get more and more awesome powers. New powers always become important the moment you found them and most of them are satisfying, if not great and powerful to use. Collecting blast shards around the city also increases your capability to use the awesome powers longer.

Oh so evil!!

Electric is one part of your power. What caught me by surprise is the hero/infamous is the descendant of the prince of persia. He can climb and oh can he climb. He can scale all of the buildings in the game (not that I climb all of the buildings). with ease All you have to do is press the x button and Cole will try to hang onto the nearest hangable stuff. Since he can climb, exploring the city is oh so stylish and cool. However, you cannot drive but that does not slow you down as you can skid on the wires, a fast way to travel. Plus, there are enough wires to speed up your journey.

Monkey Island

Line Grinder

Missions are good and tense. It requires a good amount of skills to get through some tense sequence and once you completely obliterated the opposing force, you will feel a sense of achievement. Do play in the harder setting though as normal can be quite a walk in the park especially if you are a bad boy. Hard will give you a sense of difficulty and sometimes shit but eventually, you will achieve that sense of success. Further, unlike the earlier GTA, you can spawn back at the nearest checkpoints in case you are killed despite your electrifying powers (water makes you purr like a cat though).

and the winner is......

Infamous has a good solid storyline too. However, some twist seems unimportant but at the end of the day, you will feel 'wat the hell' in a good way. I enjoyed the story and, not to spoil any thing, there might just be Infamous 2, and it will be interesting in a weird way. Further, collecting dead drops all around the city gives a good background story to the one that is already there to be explored.

However, main storyline is brought out using comic book style. This is either you like it or you do not approach and for me, I do not buy the idea as much. Original it is but I still like the conventional over the top action-ful animations in between climbing and electrifying stuff.

Comical Drawing

Graphic is okay. It is definitely much worse as compare to Killzone 2 or Gears of War but since Infamous has 3 huge city in 3 different islands connected by bridges all loaded at one time with not much of loading time in between, the drop in sharpness and details is definitely permissible. However, Empire City is beautifully destroyed, filled with rubbles and has a sense of evil lurking around. Plus, if you go the evil path, like I did, destruction and explosion seem all so satisfying. KABOOOM

I am evil.... No, infamous is evil because it might just take all your time away from normal social life and cast you to live an electrifying bastard killing innocent (or maybe that is just me). What is good? The storyline, awesome powers and good development of powers and the city is believebly is destroyed. What I do not like? Saved games are not carried forward to the new games. This means that you have to find all those shards again in order to sustain the using of the powers longer. Other than that, you will feel that some sub-mission tends to repeat themselves although the amount of repetition is still bearable (not when you start a new game).Should you buy this game? DUH!!!Electrifying baby!!!

Bionic Commando Review

2009-07-01T11:00:00.005+08:00

Bionic Commando has a lot of little blemishes but they are detrimental to the whole experience because the core gameplay mechanic is so immensely fun and satisfying.

The Good:
- Awesome swing mechanic gives the game a unique gameplay mechanic not found in any other game.

- Great use of the bionic arm, like throwing cars at dudes and tossing dudes onto other dudes.

- Awesome visuals throughout the game with a framerate that is constantly locked at 60fps

- A lot of variety in the environment.

- Built-in challenge meta game that, well, challenges players to perform some challenging stuff.

- Very replayable because of the way the game is set up.

- The story is kinda meh, but by the end of the game, I was all "what the hell??"

- It's just really fun to play. I'm on my third playthrough!

The Bad:
- If you don't like swinging, you'll hate this game.

- Weak shooting mechanic. Weak guns.

- Framerate takes a drop at a couple of major boss battles, though it doesn't get in the way at all.

- The story little more than people smack talking to each other from start to finish.

- It is replayable, but unless you're playing just for fun, there isn't much incentives to do so.

Comments:
- This game could have been an awesome Spiderman game.

IT'S A SALE

2009-06-02T21:59:00.004+08:00

I just learnt recently that Gamer's Hideout is having a sale for a few selected games, and the prices they offer is ridiculous, at least on this side of the planet. They're RM50 a pop! It doesn't get any cheaper than this and the titles offered aren't half bad either. Here are some of the games that I can recall from the top of my head are

Dead Space
FarCry 2
PURE
Lego Batman
Skate 2
RacePro (X360 0nly)

The bad news is, most of these games are already sold out by the time I got there, so you probably won't be able to find them there either. But dude, Dead Space. 50 fricking bucks? It's criminal not to snatch one! If you haven't played these game already, there isn't a better time to play them than now.

I feel this a step in the right direction for the growth of our video game retail scene and hopefully, we'll be seeing more of this in the future.

You should probably know this..

2009-06-02T21:29:00.002+08:00

...E3 is currently on, and if you're interested in games, you should at least know it's the biggest video game convention on the planet. While we would LOVE to cover the event, none of us could possibly there, and reporting on what somebody else reported in a live event is kinda lame, so if you're interested (and I think you should), check out the coverage by GiantBomb, or Kotaku, or GameSpot or whatever.

A few for the highlight reel:

Assassin's Creed 2 trailer shows no gameplay footage!

Forza 3 first screenshots revealed! Seriously excited about this game.

Halo 3 ODST's protagonist is called 'The Rookie'! Gotta love the name, Bungie.

Modern Warfare 2! That in itself is worth mentioning.

Metal Gear Solid : Rising is a Lighting Bolt Action game! What the hell is that? I dunno

Dragon Age : Origins looked good before, and it still looks good!

Crysis 2 going multiplatform! Will this game's graphics be as rad on the consoles? we say it won't. You heard that here first!

June Grocery List

2009-05-29T02:16:00.003+08:00

It's just a few days till June, and we at Gamin' Watch (finally) have some bones to spare. That means we can finally buy those games we've always wished we had our paws on!

Here's a list of games that are in consideration (in order of what I think of first) :

Bionic Commando
F.E.A.R 2- Project Origin
Halo Wars
Prince of Persia
Red Alert 3
Star Ocean : The Last Hope

...and maybe some other games that catches my eye at the store. Expect some reviews to pour in soon.

I am Alive, phew, thankfully

2009-05-13T22:11:00.003+08:00

Ubisoft is releasing a game titled I am ~~Legend~~ Alive. While scouring the Youtube for an interesting game trailer, I came across this trailer and it seems like it has an interesting story. The premise of the storyline too seems novel and might turn out to be a good game with new mechanics and goals/objectives.

I am alive is set in a post 10.3-magnitude-earthquake Chicago. the protagonist of the game, Adam Collins was caught in the middle of Chicago during the earthquake, which shatters the city of Chicago. At the sae time, the whole world is under a water crisis. As the rescue team fails to arrive. Adam gets caught in the middle of a crisis that gets worse by the hour. The player, you of course, will need to find resources, organize survivors, and at the same time search for your missing beloved girlfriends. You have to survive for seven days while building a refugee camp in the ruins of Chicago.

This game is a first person shooter game and it seems like it will not be a shooter, or a horror game, just survival. Maybe people will have to shoot people to survive. Maybe a T-virus will spread and turn this into a horror game. Maybe I should stop talking about it now and show you the trailer. Behold this actio, first person, survival game.

Make new Star Wars game, we must!!

2009-05-13T22:09:00.003+08:00

Well, annual release of a Star War game is happening not too far in the future. 4 months from now and we can again, use the force to bring peace to the Republic. Play the game, we must!!

Modern Warfare 2

2009-05-13T21:56:00.003+08:00

Modern Warfare 2 (NOT Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare 2) has a new teaser. A short teaser which show not much of the gameplay or probable storyline (although storyline is probably not important in a COD spin-off). What can be seen may be the location where the game will take place and it seems it may be fought on an aircraft carrier and/or Ala lost planet snowfield. Whatever it is, Modern Warfare 2 will always be anticipated as a super-duper great game. Also rumuored rumour

Looks neat?

The millionth word in English Language

2009-05-13T21:39:00.002+08:00

The Global Language Monitor (GLM), who tracks the English Language declares a new word once it has been uttered for 25, 000 times by media outlets, social networking websites and in other public sources. However, it may not appear in the OXFORD dictionary instantly. What is the word?

Being in a game blog, of course the words have something to do with gaming. However, this word may not be the best word to hear said to you in an online game. It is definitely not the unpleasant words that will probably appear here as #@!*%$. The millionth word in English Language as identified by GLM is 'noob'. Yes, noob. And I am sure those that read this blog know what 'noob' means and I am also sure that you have either said it or being said to.

And here we should celebrate because GLM acknowledges the gaming world as part of the English Language, a languages that is quite important for all of the writers (ex or current) here as are teaching a bunch of noobs (in English Language). Let us be unnoob the noobs.

ps: noob, as defined by Urban Dictionary, means 'someone who is new to a game, or website, or online game or something'

Hey, here comes another Guitar Hero...or 2

2009-05-01T22:31:00.006+08:00

It wasn't really that long since GH: Metallica was released and we're already hearing about TWO more games in the Guitar Hero line. The first of which is rumored to be Van Halen based. However, it was the other that got my attention - GH: Smash Hits. The new game will be a compilation of the some of the best songs to ever grace the Guitar Hero games, only that they are now given a full band experience update. To be honest, I can't help but to feel like Activision is trying to milk the series as much as possible at this point but a glance at the set list got me hypnotized.

"Bark at the Moon"	Ozzy Osbourne	1 Guitar Hero
"Barracuda"	Heart	4 Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock
"Beast and the Harlot"	Avenged Sevenfold	2 Guitar Hero II
"Carry On Wayward Son"	Kansas	2 Guitar Hero II
"Cherry Pie"	Warrant	2 Guitar Hero II
"Cowboys from Hell" (Live)	Pantera	1 Guitar Hero
"Cult of Personality"	Living Colour	4 Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock
"Freya"	Sword The Sword	2 Guitar Hero II
"Free Bird"	Lynyrd Skynyrd	2 Guitar Hero II
"Godzilla"	Blue Öyster Cult	1 Guitar Hero
"Heart-Shaped Box"	Nirvana	2 Guitar Hero II
"Hey You"	Exies The Exies	1 Guitar Hero
"Hit Me with Your Best Shot"	Pat Benatar	4 Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock
"I Love Rock 'n Roll"	Joan Jett and the Blackhearts	1 Guitar Hero
"I Wanna Rock"	Twisted Sister	3 Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s
"Killer Queen"	Queen	1 Guitar Hero
"Killing in the Name"	Rage Against the Machine	2 Guitar Hero II
"Laid to Rest"	Lamb of God	2 Guitar Hero II
"Lay Down"	Priestess	4 Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock
"Message in a Bottle"	Police The Police	2 Guitar Hero II
"Miss Murder"	AFI	4 Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock
"Monkey Wrench"	Foo Fighters	2 Guitar Hero II
"More Than a Feeling"	Boston	1 Guitar Hero
"Mother"	Danzig	2 Guitar Hero II
"No One Knows"	Queens of the Stone Age	1 Guitar Hero
"Nothin' but a Good Time"	Poison	3 Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s
"Psychobilly Freakout"	Reverend Horton Heat	2 Guitar Hero II
"Raining Blood"	Slayer	4 Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock
"Rock and Roll All Nite"	Kiss	4 Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock
"Shout at the Devil"	Mötley Crüe	2 Guitar Hero II
"Smoke on the Water"	Deep Purple	1 Guitar Hero
"Stellar"	Incubus	1 Guitar Hero
"Stop!"	Jane's Addiction	2 Guitar Hero II
"Take it Off"	Donnas The Donnas	1 Guitar Hero
"Take Me Out"	Franz Ferdinand	1 Guitar Hero
"Them Bones"	Alice in Chains	2 Guitar Hero II
"Through the Fire and Flames"	DragonForce	4 Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock
"Thunder Kiss '65"	White Zombie	1 Guitar Hero
"Trippin' on a Hole in a Paper Heart"	Stone Temple Pilots	2 Guitar Hero II
"Trooper" "The Trooper"	Iron Maiden	2 Guitar Hero II
"Unsung" (Live)	Helmet	1 Guitar Hero
"Woman"	Wolfmother	2 Guitar Hero II
"YYZ"	Rush	2 Guitar Hero II

So how's that. The Trooper, Carry on My Wayward Son, Free Bird, Beast and the Harlot! Ok, I'll just stop there before I retype the entire set list. Easily the best list in any rhythm games to date no? Now, if only I could get my old crew back together...

And dude, Through the Fire and Flames! Sold.

set list source : wikipedia.org

More Kratos' violence

2009-04-22T20:42:00.004+08:00

Kratos is back to entice us to play God of War 3 as soon as it's released. This newly released trailer has only one description. AWESOME. This trailer is kinda generous for some of Kratos' movesets and weapons that might be found in the upcoming game (and setting too to a certain extent). Another one letter word to describe this trailer would definitely be 'gory'. Definitely not for underage kids, pregnant ladies and/or low violence-tolerant babies. ENJOY

and I can't wait for more!!!

Killzone 2 Review

2009-04-18T22:28:00.012+08:00

Not many people cared about Killzone 1 (me included). Therefore, why should we be excited about Killzone 2? The answer is, A LOT. Killzone 2 is a great game albeit with some minor flaws which we can can see past quite easily. As soon I started playing the game, I can't shake off the feeling of playing a futuristic, space-travelling Call of Duty 4. However, it turned out that its similarities with Call of Duty 4 is not a bad thing at all for it is an exciting, gruelling, thrilling and epic battle between ISA and the Helghan.

The Story
Being the first point of any game I scrutinised, the storyline of any game remains my main concern. To be truthful, Killzone 's storyline is either lame or typical. Lame because the game will just throw you onto the battlefield, required you to fight and later throw you onto the next level without any effort to tell you a story until later part of the game. Main talking point is how the game never properly introduced you the backstory of the war (except if you played Killzone 1 or read the manual) or the 4 main characters that will be part of your group for almost the entire game. The game never makes you care about the characters or the storyline until further into the game where you do not care anymore and just care to shoot the crap out of the increasing waves of Helghan. The storyline is typical because, well, you just fight your way up to the final boss, like many awesome shooter game nowadays. For those that are in the dark, Helghast attacked Vekta. ISA fought back. You are Sev of ISA and in Killzone 2, ISA finds Helghast in Helghan(Helghast's planet) to give them a piece of ISA's mind. By the way, both teams are human no matter how alien Helghast looked. There, the typical backstory of Killzone.

Does the storyline matters that much. For me, it does to some extent. However, at the end of the day, I am still willing to look past some twistless and emotionless storyline (much like Gears of War and of course Call of Duty 4) if it does delivers some thrilling and fun gameplay.

Albeit some typical storyline, I do somehow like the ending of Killzone 2. It is nothing special but it does provide some interesting event and maybe a bit, just a bit of twist to an otherwise typical good guys win kinda ending. Let's just say that we should start anticipating Killzone 3.

The gameplay
Like I said, Killzone 2 plays like Call of Duty 4. However, Killzone 2 does have some fresh feeling as it is set in the future rather than modern. In addition, some guns were kinda interesting to hold and use. Like Call of Duty 4, you can sprint, have an epic battle happening alongside your solo effort, and have a gun that has a red dot sight.

Sprinting, like COD 4

One of the aspect that I like about Killzone 2 is the atmosphere surrounding the battle that takes place. The ever dirty-looking sky, smokes, never-ending gunshots sounds all help provide a suiting atmosphere for an epic battle. You will get the feeling that you are a part of a much greater battle. Most of the time, you will fight with a partner named Rico. Some of the time, you will have 3 other partners shooting alongside you and some of other time, you have a large scale battle happening and everyone plays their role in taking down the Helghan armies. Your fellow comrades usually can hold their own and do not give much problem. The atmosphere of an epic battle in Helghast plays a pivotal role in making this game a thrilling, satisfying game.

Epic, epic battle, with everyone.

Killzone 2 has its fair share of bosses. Though not the wacky bosses found in Metal Gear Series, the bosses do provide some fun distraction. However, the bosses can be more interesting. Once you figure out the pattern, it is just the same rinse and repeat in order to beat them. It can be seen that not much thought were given on the types of bosses. The last boss was also MEH. However, the last battle leading to the last boss was nothing short of epicness. The battle on the Helghan is epic but certainly not the bosses. It is just something different after fighting hordes of the same Helghast over and over again.

You will see him, ALOT!!

The other important part of a shooter is of course the guns. In most shooter games I played, I usually stick to one gun throughout the whole game. In Killzone 2, I still have a favourite gun (of course the one with the dot sight, duh). However, once in a while, Killzone 2 does throw you a gun that you will feel useful during that time. Flamethrower, though useless at long range, do makes you feel like Human Torch creating pyro chaos. There is also an electric gun that provide awesome electrocution power but can only be found in one level. However, you will feel crap when you are stuck with the Helghast's machine gun that doesn't have the dot sight. Dank

However, I do have my complaints about the game. First off is why the hell I am only able to pick up and use one averagely heavy gun. I am a person that like to carry a sniper and a machine gun but Killzone 2 HAS to make me choose. I can't choose. I like to switch on the fly so that I can deal with those bozo that somehow got to me at near range thanks to Rico efficiency in covering me and also switch back on the fly so that I can pick up the annoying Rocketeer. Such is the last moments of the game and you have no idea how many times I retried just because I can freaking carry 2 averagely heavy gun. I despise this. Next game that does this shall be shot

Last level.....did I give away too much?

Also, I despise game that do not have co-op gameplay although most of the time, Rico follows me around and orders me around. If it is not for the thrilling battle, I would have treated this game like its predecessor.

Presentation
I have no complaint with regards to the graphic and sound department. Everything seems so real and awesome. The sky is dirty and smoky depicting a war torn battlefield. The guns firing through the land with a striking sound starts the adrenaline running once heard. Everything seems to blend in to create a thrilling, believable, satisfying and epic battlefield where war is not only the land of smoke, dust and gunfire but also the land of survival and cooperation. Shooting your way out is the only option.

To sum it all up. Killzone 2 is great and epic battle but it only allows you to carry one averagely heavy weapon at a time and has no co-op mode at all. The length of the campaign ieels appropriate for an FPS. After you finished with the campaign, it feels fun and exciting just to go through it again. On the second time around, you may wanna try to hit some stuff and collect some notes just to get some trophies. Otherwise, just focusing on going through the battle the second time still feels thrilling and good fun. I tried the online mode for a couple of game before my internet died on me. It seems like the online gameplay is interesting and has some level up thingy (much like COD 4 again). Should you or should you not buy? If you like shooter or even play shooter (in this case FPS) once in a while, buy.....BUUUUUUUUUUUUY

Oooh, easy headshot. If only they were in.

Resident Evil 5 Review

2009-04-06T00:19:00.007+08:00

Resident Evil 4 is arguably THE game that revolutionized the third-person action/shooter genre. Were it not for the game, games like Gears of War and Dead Space probably would not have been the way they are now. Suffice to say, expectations for a follow-up to a revolutionary game is almost insurmountably high. In my opinion, Resident Evil 5 didn't make as big a splash in video game history as the previous game did, but really, it doesn't have to because it is still one hell of a game.

The game puts you back in the boots of Chris Redfield, one of the 2 protagonists of the original Resident Evil. For the first time in the series, the game is set in Africa, where supposedly some shady deal involving BOWs (Biorgenic Weapons) is taking place. You're obviously there to put a stop on the vile activity but as the story progresses, it starts to get a bit more personal.

The story didn't do much for me. However, the game does boast some of the most impressive visuals I've seen and some of the cutscenes are just great to watch. Characters animate really well and facial expression and lip-synching is top of the class. It's a shame that the same can't be said about the dialogues. They just feel cheesy and uninspired. It just feels very Japanese, and delivering Japanese lines in English doesn't quite cut it.

She's much more lovely when she keeps her mouth shut

This time around, you won't be doing it alone. Right off the bat you'll be introduced to your new partner, Sheva Alomar. Get used to her. You'll be stuck with her through thick and thin from the beginning to the very end of the game. Or at least till death do you part, in which case you have to restart at the nearest checkpoint.

...or till this guy rips you apart

As an AI partner, Sheva is an invaluable asset to you. Her shots are mostly accurate, she picks up stuff that you might have overlooked and, acts a a mobile treasure chest, heals you when you're injured and on top of that, she looks pretty darn good. I mean, what more can you ask for in a partner right. The only problem is she can get a bit too trigger happy. But then again, rarely do I find myself in a position where I'm completely dry on ammo. On tougher difficulties though, she becomes a bit more of a liability.

Fortunately, another player can join your crusade and play as Sheva at any point during the game. Considering that this is the first time a co-op feature is introduced in a Resident Evil game, it works surprisingly well. I think one of the small touches of the game that makes the co-op stand out from games like, say, Gears of War is that you can swap items like ammo and hebrs (accept your guns) from your inventory, just like how it should be. So theres none of the moments where you shout to your partner, "Hey, I found an ammo crate!" and he/she has to then get to wherever you are on the map. Co-op is playable online as well as offline through system link or split screen. Split screen looks a bit weird as it doesn't utilize the full screen, but it's still very playable.

Perhaps the feature that I appreciate most in Resident Evil 5 is that everything is played out in real-time now. That means no more pausing the game to go to the menus to heal or change weapons. Instead, pressing Y or Triangle will open up your inventory. Placing an item into any one of the four grids (up, down, left and right) in you inventory will assign it to a corresponding direction on the d-pad so you can pretty much change weapons on the fly - something that you'll want to do becase the game never pauses.

Its no Dead Space, but the new inventory is much more user-friendly

The new inventory system does away with the annoying item arranging mini game of sorts of the previous Resident Evil games, but on the other hand, you are very limited to what you can carry. Then again, you don't need to carry all that much item anyways. If anything, it serves to balance the game, keeping you from being a walking armory.

The game is also a lot better in terms of variety. Each of the 6 chapters have very distinct settings and most of the time the enemies you'll be facing changes along with it, even if some of them are just mere change of skin. There are also more gameplay variety here than the previous games combined. In one chapter, on of you will be driving a hovercraft while the other shoots and in another, the game becomes a rail shooter. Variety especially applies to the many larger than life bosses you'll encounter throughout the game, where many of them require more than just a shoot to kill approach. That said, many of the boss fights didn't particularly wow me, but it is a good change of pace from the more common enemies.

You've never seen Resident Evil like this

Now I understand that many argue about the control scheme of not being able to move and shoot feeling somewhat antiquated now that games like Gears and Dead Space have surfaced. I'm not going to go against that, as I think it would have been a welcome update, but it isn't exactly a necessary one either. I was bummed with the controls too... for the first 5 minutes or so. And then I started realizing that it works perfectly fine for the premise of the game. The one big complain I have is that towards the end of the game, you'll start encountering gun totting zombies, and the controls really doesn't lend itself for heavy gun fighting. Fortunately for us, zombies aren't too smart with guns. It not the sort of thing that breaks the game, but I can't help but to feel that it is a poor design decision.

The campaign will take you anywhere between 10 to 12 hours to finish on the normal difficulty. If you decide to play it with a buddy though, normal might be too much of a cake walk so put that into consideration. Even when you're done with the campaign, there's just a breadth of content to explore. There's plenty of unlockables to unlock, medals to be hunt and of course, mercenaries mode. For the Resident Evil buffs, there are even a 42-page worth of text citing the history of the Resident Evil series as well as some rather lengthy character background. But really, even if you're just looking for a well polished, fast-paced, heart pounding action adventure game, you'll be hard pressed to find a better game than Resident Evil 5 this year. Definitely an early contender for game of the year.

Street Fighter 4 Review

2009-04-04T20:06:00.007+08:00

Street Fighter 4's minor gameplay tweak to the age-old series may not break new grounds, but that doesn't stop it from being a ground-breaking game in its own right.

Let me get the fact straight first. I have always been a fighting game nut so bear in mind that this review is written by someone who loves fighting games. (Come to think of it, the only games that I don't love are sports games). Now that that's out of the way, lets get talking about the game all proper like.

First of all, Street Fighter 4 is a very beautiful game. It is a faithful reconstruction of the signature Street Fighter visual style, but this time in full 3D. The change from 2D to 3D however, has no bearing to the gameplay. You still trade punches, kicks and fireballs with another dude on a 2D plane. This definitely feels and plays like a Street Fighter game should.

Hadokens have never been this pretty

That means that if you've played any Street Fighter games before this than you'll be right at home with this one, though, there are some minor tweaks and changes here and there. The most significant in my opinion is that jumping got dangerous again. If you're like me and have played the Alpha series extensively, you're going to need some time to readjust your mental schema that you can no longer air-block in Street Fighter 4.

Parrying is also tossed aside for a brand new mechanic- the focus attacks. Basically, focus attacks allows players to absorb and a single attack and unleash a quick counter attack if you time it right. More advanced players will find more use with the focus attack as it can also be used to cancel a normal or special attack which then sets up for a chance to deal more devastating combos to the opponent. As useful as it is, you could play the game just fine without using it, but just having it at your disposal adds a new dimension to the fighting mechanic.

Another newly introduced mechanic are the ultra combos which are the most damaging attacks in the game. You can unleash an ultra combo once your revenge meter at the bottom is at least half full. The more your revenge meter is filled, the more damaging the ultra combo will be. The catch here is that the revenge meter only fills up as you take damage, and it doesn't carry over to the next round. The ultra combo is a good way to even out the playing field and is a welcomed mechanic. Besides just dealing a whopping amount of damage to your opponent, the ultra combos are also mostly great to look at as the cameras cuts to a more cinematic angle as you lay the smack down on your foe.

The ultra attacks are always fun to watch, unless you're on the receiveing end

The biggest game-changer overall has to be the inclusion of a very functional online versus mode, though, you might want to get a good internet connection to make the most of it (but then again, this applies to about every online enabled games out there). I'll happily admit that even though I think myself as a seasoned Street Fighter player, I've been mostly duking it out with AI controlled opponents. Fighting against another human however, is a very different experience. If you want to seriously get better at the game, this is the way to go.

It goes without question that I really enjoy Street Fighter 4, but its not a game that I don't have any gripes about either. For starters, gamepads are probably not best input method for the game. However, unless you're willing to spend a few hundred bucks on an arcade stick, the regular gamepads will have to do. Its certainly functional, but it far from delivering the true Street Fighter experince.

I hate this guy...

My other big gripe comes from the last boss, Seth. That dude's too overpowered that at points feels down right cheap. His move set is a combination of souped up special attacks from various characters, enabling him to dish out damage from any range. I literally spend hours on my first try to get him dead. Once I've fought him enough though, I found out that he may very well be the easiest enemy to defeat, but I'd have to resort to the ungraceful fighting style of jump, kick and sweep over and over again. Not the most fitting finish to what is supposed to be the most epic fight in the game.

Minor issues aside, Street Fighter 4 is an excellent fighting game that veterans of the series should automatically like but at the same time, should be accessable enough for even newcomers to the series to get into. You're guaranteed to get some level of enjoyment, granted you play it against someone of a similiar skill level. This is one fighting game that anybody with a passing fancy on the 2D fighting game genre should not pass up.

God of War 3 gameplay

2009-03-26T22:50:00.003+08:00

Now, Sony has disallowed filming of the gameplay of God of War 3 at the GDC but some dude were able to film and post it on Youtube for those that are in wait to begin the end. Enjoy

There, just a short scene where Kratos controlled the troll to fight for him. Something new I guess but nothing to 'wow' about yet!! I guess we still have to wait to begin the end.

Posting this video up is not illegal, is it?

Modern Warfare 2 Teaser

2009-03-26T22:35:00.002+08:00

EA really lives up to their annual release of Call of Duty games. A teaser of a new Call of Duty game is now out. Take a look here

Due on the 11th of October 2009, it seems Call of Duty is going back to modern warfare after a year of break. However, the 'Call of Duty' name cannot be seen anywhere in the video. Does that means that Modern Warfare may become a series by itself? Only time will tell. For now, we will just have to play COD 4-playalike Killzone 2 while waiting.

ps: I don't really like this teaser at all!! Did not tease me at all except the word Modern Warfare 2. Do you?

Onlive Revolution

2009-03-26T21:08:00.006+08:00

The world of gaming has come to love the ever advancing of the consoles and for the past 20 years, computer generated graphics has gone through massive evolution and various generations of consoles have come and gone as the consoles try to keep up with the changing of demand for better, much sharper and beautiful graphic. This time around, the word 'evolution' would not be able to describe the change that might or might not happen for a new gaming concept (forget VR) is now upon us. It is going to be a revolution. The rules are going to change but it still needs more than just promotion to get the gamers to hope onto the revolution boat. What is it? It's name is Onlive, the future of video games, maybe.

Onlive is, well, a service. With Onlive, you will be able to play your game by using a console, the size of your palm. So, where do I insert the disc? You don't. The concept of Onlive is based on streaming. This means that when you want to play a game, just on your Onlive console, plug in the ethernet cable, get connected to internet and stream your game. It is like streaming a movie. Difference is that you can control the movie with the Onlive controllers or mouse and keyboard. besides the small Onlive console, you can stream the games too by using your trusty ol' lappie (emphasising the OLD part) instead of the small console.

Pictures taken from kotaku.com
The Onlive 'small' console

By streaming game, we no longer need to worry about games' requirement, scratchy DVDs, , installations, which consoles to buy, overheating consoles (cough x cough box) etc etc etc. The servers over at the Onlive will be the one handling all these. Promising? From the outsets, it does looks like a very promising revolution with the possibility of graphic demanding game playing over a computer that has Intel chipset for a graphic card. Imagine playing Crysis over your Intel Celeron computer!!That is just whack!!! However, there seems to be one problem that I have in mind. How fast does the internet has to be?

Picture taken from kotaku.com

According to reports, an internet speed of 1mbps will be able to get you to stream a standard definition game without lag and a 5mbps, a high defintion game. If you are in America or Japan, this might not be a problem, or at least not a problem where a little extra money can't solve but in Malaysia, the speed of the internet is not really at the level of good. Internet usually runs at most 1/5 of the speed of the plan you applied for. If we are to jump onto the revolution boat, we would have to put up with slideshow games. Definitely not pretty!!!

Onlive has already developed a partnership with EA, Take Two, Ubisoft, THQ, WB games, Eidos, Atari, Codemasters, 2D Boy and Gears of Wars' creator, Epic Games. Beta for Onlive may run startin the middle of the year and may start their service for real at the end of the year. However, with Malaysian's turtle speed, Onlive most probably wouldn't hit Malaysian shores just yet. What interest me in this revolution is how Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo is going to response to this revolution? An interesting battle may soon ensue and GaminWatch will definitely keep a close eye as it unfolds.

Current gamelist:
Burnout Paradise
The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena
HAWX
Fear 2: Project Origin
Frontlines: Fuel of War
Tomb Raider: Underworld
Crysis Warhead
Lego Batman
Unreal Tournament 3
GRID
World of Goo
Major League Baseball 2k9
Wheelman
Mirror's Edge
Bioshock
Prince of Persia

Mass Effect 2 Review

2009-03-20T13:25:00.003+08:00

NOOOOOOOT

A teaser of MASS EFFECT 2 has been released by BioWare. Appropriately named as teaser because this teaser trailer is successful in teasing you into wanting to know just what the hell is happening in the world of Mass Effect 2'. Here is the teaser

Commander Shepperd, the first human spectre, the antagonist in Mass Effect 1, the one that has saved the universe, has been KILLED IN ACTION. TRUE? MAYBE? CONSPIRACY? I guess we have to wait till early 2010 before we can find out the truth.

PS: Do not delete your saved game as there are news stating that Mass Effect 1's saved game may give you something extra in your second journey through the universe of Mass Effect.

Reviews Forthcoming!

2009-03-03T16:22:00.007+08:00

Brethren, now that the gaming maestro (that's me, in case you can't figure that out..)has finally had his paws on a fully functional console once again, I can now return to my usual job as a video game enthusiast/critic.

Along with the brand new 60gb xbox360 I bought, I also got a copy of my long desired Street Fighter 4. I still need to spend more time on that one before I can make make a final impression, but so far, it's looking pretty good.

I also received 3 games (for free, might I add) with the new box which are Lego Indiana Jones, Kung Fu Panda and Fracture - 3 games that I'd probably never play under normal circumstances. I'd probably give 'em all a try since I already have 'em and then decide whether they're worth writing about. Besides, free gamerscores so I'm not complaining either way.

There are also a bunch of other games that are out that I really can't wait to play such as F.E.A.R 2 and Halo Wars but the words 'insufficient funds' echoed in my brain when I wanted to make the purchase so those will have to wait till April at the most or if you really can't wait for it, I strongly recommend that you buy me a review copy.

Stay tuned!

Najibu

Halo Wars Exclusive Review!

2009-02-17T16:38:00.004+08:00

I played Halo Wars and it was totally awesome. A 5 verdict!

Granted, the playing part took place inside my head, when I was fast asleep. Hopefully the game turns out as awesome so I can confirm that it wasn't just a dream; twas a vision, a premonition, a revelation, whatever you wanna call it.

Turnabout Capcom

2009-01-31T22:31:00.005+08:00

In 2006, I bought 2 games from Capcom; Dead Rising and Lost Planet for the 360.

In 2007, I also bought 2; Ookami for the PS2 and Phoenix Wright for the DS.

In 2008, not even one.

In 2009, I will probably buy more than all 3 years combined. Capcom's line up for the year looks really solid, with classic revivals like Bionic Commando and Street Fighter 4. The sequel to one of the best shooter of all time; Resident Evil 5. There's the new IP, Dark Void. And finally, the recently announced sequel to fan-favourite Dead Rising and Lost Planet, also scheduled for release some time this year. I have a good feeling for all of these games and will likely end up buying all of them and I expect most video game enthusiasts worth their salt would too. Thats' exactly half a dozen games folks! Thank god I have a job.

Capcom, you've totally done it this time.

The next Assassin's Creed.

2009-01-28T22:27:00.002+08:00

Last week, Ubisoft announced that several of its flagship series will be making a return between mid 2009-2010. Assassin's Creed, Ubi's sleeper hit of 2007 happens to be one of those games (so are Ghost Recon and Splinter Cell, among others). There's been a lot of rumors flying around about the direction of the sequel. Some claim that it will be set in French, during the French Revolution Era. They definitely go that direction using the same animus-simulation situation from the original. Interesting, but if it were really the case, I can't help but to feel a little bit dissapointed.

In my opinion, continuing the story of Desmond would be the way to go. Right at the end of the first game, Desmond acquired Altair's eagle vision, so it'd be nice to have Desmond go parkour and scale tall buildings in a modern city setting. And I really hope Ubi Montreal do something about the gameplay. I mean, I like the original game, but it sure does get repetitive for a while. The combat needs a little more depth and the missions need a lot more variations. But really now, the only thing that everyone else care is Jade Raymond as producer again, right...

Want to be StarCraft master? Here's your chance!

2009-01-28T09:53:00.004+08:00

Good news for StarCraft fans. UC Berkeley is now offering a course on StarCraft. Let me just say that again in case you think I'm bluffing - UC Berkeley is now offering a course on StarCraft.

The course runs for two hours at night on Thursdays between 7:00 to 9:00 pm . There is also a 5 hour long discussion between 12:00 to 5:00p.m. Attendance is optional. And here is UC Berkeley's in depth description of the course syllabus...

UC Berkeley students with an interest in real-time strategy games and the competitive gaming landscape are encouraged to participate in this class.
This course will go in-depth in the theory of how war is conducted within the confines of the game Starcraft. There will be lecture on various aspects of the game, from the viewpoint of pure theory to the more computational aspects of how exactly battles are conducted. Calculus and Differential Equations are highly recommended for full understanding of the course. Furthermore, the class will take the theoretical into the practical world by analyzing games and replays to reinforce decision-making skills and advanced Starcraft theory.
Class will start with lecture and usually include a special discussion topic having to do with the day’s lecture to inspire new and original thought. At the end of lecture, there may be time to analyze student-submitted replays to illustrate a point or to improve analysis. Homework will be assigned at the end of each class and is due at the beginning of each lecture.

In case you're interested, here are the course requirements

Students should be familiar with all units and some basic StarCraft strategy. All students should of course enter the class with an open and analytic mind.
Starcraft: Brood War

Each week, students must submit 2 replays of games they played and are willing to analyze in depth. Students are expected to explain the flow of the game, identify the time of several positive and negative moves, and show an understanding of how to overcome mistakes in these replays. Some replays will be reviewed by the class together.

Mind blowing.

We are the StarCraft masters!!

source : neoseeker.com
picture source : lifesciences.byu.edu

Heres a console RTS that looks like it could be good

2009-01-28T09:22:00.008+08:00

In keeping up with the tradition of anything Halo,Bungie...er..I mean, Ensemble released a vidoc of prior to release. Remember that the game has gone gold so whatever you see in this video will be what you will get in the retail version.

If I didn't know what Halo was, I swear I could've taken it for an expansion for Command & Conquer 3. The vidoc also says that the game is focused on combat. That is definitely a step in the right direction for a console RTS because without a mouse and keyboard, you can't expect a player to be able to micromanage stuff like they would in a game like, say, Warcraft.

The vidoc did what it was supposed to do; Halo Wars has got me interested. Still, I worry that like most console RTS, the controls could hold the experience back (points at SupCom and Universe at War). However, unlike those games, Halo wars was built with the Xbox360 controllers in mind so it'll be interesting to see how it turns up to be. Expect to see a review for Halo Wars some time in March.

Also, Spartan jacking looks totally rad.

"PS3 is the official leader of the industry"

2009-01-27T17:26:00.007+08:00

During a keynote by Sony Computer Entertainment President Kaz Hirai, he announced that "the PS3 is the official leader of the industry"

Oh really now? A quick news for those not in the know, recent sales reports has indicated that the PS3 has sold about the same amount that the Gamecube did within the same time frame. Wow, Sony is the new Nintendo people! There is one big difference between them - Nintendo made a profit for every Gamecube they sold whereas Sony is still in the red for every PS3 they sell.

The PS3 can barely catch up with the 360 in terms of install base, let alone compared to the sales he insanely popular Wii. So, in what terms exactly is the PS3 in the lead, Mr Hirai?

Lost Planet Going To The Big Screen

2009-01-25T09:22:00.003+08:00

Remember Lost Planet? Capcom's third-person shooter from 3 years ago. I rather enjoyed the game blasting away at the Akrids and the intense boss fights, but if there's anything forgettable about the game is its disjointed story.

This game!

..and now they're making a movie out of the game. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I can't really recall there being any good movie being made out of a game. Ever. So considering Lost Planet's weak storyline and the track record of game turn movies, I don't have high hopes on this one, but Comingsoon.net's interview with Capcom's Toshihiro Tokumaru revealed some stuff that might prove my worries wrong. Here's the gist of it :

The movie will be under the wings of Warner Bros.
The producer will be Avi Arad, the dude who produced the Spider-man movies. Those movies were pretty darn good.
David Hayter, of Solid Snake's fame, is the writer for the movie. Last movie I remembered that he co-wrote was the first X-Men.
The movie has a budget of "between 150 000 000 to 200 000 000". That's a lot of zeroes.

Fare Thee Well, Come Back Anytime

2009-01-16T20:27:00.003+08:00

Today, one of our authors decided to pull off of our blog thingy now that he has a better and decidedly more permanent job. Okay, maybe 'better' might not be the right word, but whatever..

Anyways, its truly going to be a loss on our part as he was supposed to be our PC author, given that the rest of the crew aren't really up to snuff where PC gaming is concerned. Ah Kam Koko bro, here's hoping that you'll make a return one day. We'll always have a seat reserved for you.

"I'll be back" (Arnold Schwarzenegger style)

Guess we might be able to play FFXIII in 2009 afterall..

2009-01-16T11:32:00.004+08:00

I had little faith that I would have the chance to lay my palms on the fabled Final Fantasy XIII this year, given the series' equally fabled long development cycles. I guess I was wrong, because it is now a fact that you can indeed play the game some time this year, if you know Japanese that is!

Currently, the Japanese-only version of FFXIII which is slated to release in 2009 will be released only in Japan (duh) and only for the PS3. Those who don't know Japanese (or very little of it like me) might have to wait for it's English counterpart, which according to the sources at Kotaku, should be released around April 2010 for both the PS3 and XBOX 360.

We won't be seeing her standing up this year either

A Peek Into 2009

2009-01-07T11:41:00.010+08:00

It's 2009 and the good news is, people are still making video games! Here are some of the games that I believe should be kept in radar as well as a brief description if you really have no idea what the game's about.

Alpha Protocol (PC, PS3, XBOX360)
Mass Effect minus space and aliens + James Bond (the old Bond, not the new one)

Bionic Commando (PC, PS3, XBOX360)
Swing like a monkey and shoot like a bee with your bionic arm in this action shooter.

Bioshock 2 : Sea of Dreams (PC, PS3, XBOX360)
A prequel of sorts to Bioshock, from what I've heard.

Dante's Inferno (PS3, XBOX360)
Made by Redwood Shores, the guys behind Dead Space

Dark Void (PC, PS3, XBOX360)
Gears of War + jump jets and flying saucers.

F.E.A.R 2 : Project Origin (PC, PS3, XBOX360)

Get reacquainted with Alma in the real sequel to Monolith's fantastic shooter.

Halo Wars (XBOX360)

Haloverse's first foray into RTS format is also Ensembles Studio's swansong.

inFAMOUS (PS3)
Become a superhero or a supervillain who has...er...superpowers.

Killzone 2 (PS3)
Supposedly 'Sony's Halo'

Resident Evil 5 (PS3, XBOX360)
Shoot mutated creatures again...only this time with a friend.

Star Ocean : The Last Hope (XBOX360)
Tri-Ace's popular action RPG series makes its debut on the 360.

Street Fighter IV (PS3, XBOX360)
Street Fighter II for the new generation.

And here are some games that have no release window just yet, but I'm hoping to see in 2009

Final Fantasy XIII (PS3)

God of War III (PS3)

Starcraft 2 (PC)

Uncharted : Among Thieves (PS3)

These are all the games that have been announced so far but as always, there might be some games that just pop up out of nowhere and turn out to be good. You can expect to see coverage on most of these games throughout the year.

Gamin' Watch's Games of 2008!

2009-01-03T20:43:00.005+08:00

Let's get the fact straight. We at Gamin' Watch don't just like playing games; we love them.Throughout 2008 there has been a lot of games released. Some good, some not too good, some totally awesome, and some that we never even got to play. And as such, we are proud to present to you Gamin' Watch's first ever yearly award, consisting of what we believe are some of the most note-worthy games of the year. The limitation - it has to be games that at least one of our authors have played (save for one category). Here's a list, in alphabetical order, of games that we had played during the course of 2008.

Army of Two ( ps3, xbox360)

Battlefield : Bad Company (ps3, xbox360)

Burnout Paradise (pc ver. soon, ps3, xbox360)

Castle Crashers (XBLA)

Dead Space (pc, ps3, xbox360)

Devil May Cry 4 (pc, ps3, xbox360)

Fallout 3 (pc, ps3, xbox360)

Gears of War 2 (xbox360)

Geometry Wars 2 (XBLA)

Grand Theft Auto 4 (pc, ps3, xbox360)

GRID (pc, ps3, xbox360)

Guitar Hero World Tour (ps3, xbox360)

Fable 2 (xbox360)

Lost Odyssey (xbox360)

Metal Gear Solid 4 ( ps3)

Ninja Gaiden 2 (xbox360)

Patapon (psp)

Rock Band ( ps3, xbox360)

Soul Calibur 4 ( ps3, xbox360)

Star Wars : the Force Unleashed ( ps3, xbox360)

Tales of Vesperia (xbox360)

Viva Pinata : Trouble in Paradise (xbox360)

Check out the our awards in the posts below or for a quick navigation, use the archive on the right to instantly hop to the category you want to read. Do leave comment and tell us what you think.

Cheers!
The guys at Gamin' Watch

5 Games We Had the Most Fun Playing

2009-01-03T20:39:00.004+08:00

This list of games are those games that got us hooked to the screen for hours on end. Many a sleepless nights were had thanks to the sheer amount of fun we could milk from these games before we eventually got tired of them.

1. Rock Band

Sure, the game was released last year, you say, but then it only made it to Malaysian shores early this year. Rock Band is a blast to play with 3 other friends and the setlist the game packs is rockin' solid. The price tag might turn the average Joe off but if you can afford it and have other buddies to rock along, it's a price well justified.

2. Gears of War 2
It's easy to dismiss Gears of War 2 to be Gears of War 1 again, and then some but that couldn't be more further than the truth. Horde mode had proven to be the limelight of the game with it's action heavy 5 player co-op against a whole swarm of Locust army. We only managed to tackle Horde with 4 players but it was still some of the most intense yet fun gaming session we ever had all year round.

3. Dead Space
Dead Space is like a rojak, formed by throwing pieces from different stuff in a single bowl. The result is a game that is truly phenomenal. Dead Space not may not reinvent the action-shooter genre, but its winning combination and improvements upon the formula which it was based on has certainly set a new standard for 3rd person action games with. We don't think any 3rd person action game has ever been this horrifyingly fun.

4. Metal Gear Solid 4
A game with as much cutscenes as MGS4 shouldn't be this much fun but for some magical reasons, it just is. The gameplay was a significant improvement over the last-gen MGS games, which were more fun to watch than to actually play. MGS4's gameplay may have not managed to be more fun than watching its cutscenes, but it is EQUALLY nice. This kind of balance is extremely rare in video games - we had fun playing the game and also eating popcorn as that half and hour cutscene rolls.

5. Castle Crashers
Some might question this decision as it is just a hack and slash with a cutesy artwork. Well, that's your answer. The game is just STUPID fun. Playing with 3 other pals is a complete joy-ride from start to finish. It also helps that the game keeps throwing ridiculously funny stuff at you, keeping the game fresh and entertaining at all time. And of course, the occasional rivalry for the princesses had never been anything but pure fun.

prepared by najibu

3 Games That Should Be Played Alone

2009-01-03T20:36:00.008+08:00

Human are social animals, and whenever we are playing games, we like to have our buddy either watching us or tagging along. But these games are the game that will immerse us into their world and make us forget that we need friends. These are the games that we do not mind playing alone, in the dark or not.

3. Fable 2
Fable 2 casts you in Albion where you can buy and sell properties and this is what we do till we, for a long time until we bought up everything in Albion. If you have a friend watching you buy and sell, he would have been sleeping 5 minutes into the game.

2) Fallout 3
Washington D.C in Fallout 3 is a really really big world with lots of places with different environment to explore: different yet the same as the post-apocalyptic world in Fallout 3 is so depressing and believable. We can spend hours and hours exploring the vast vicinity of wasteland and make our friends sleepy and angry.

1) Grand Theft Auto 4
The crooked world of Liberty city is well, crooked, dirty and immersive as we can date and wreak havoc at the same time. Plus, exploring is fun in the believable remodeled and renamed New York City as we explore with car, motorcycle and helicopter. Who needs friends when we can shoot whoever we like, wherever we like, in Liberty City.

prepared by ahseng

3 Games We Like Looking at Most

2009-01-03T20:32:00.002+08:00

Games are getting more real and more beautiful with each passing time. 2008 has seen games with beautiful graphic, awesome cutscenes and artistic presentation being developed. These category will have 3 games that we do not mind putting it on every single day just to look at it.

3) Fallout 3
The post-apocalyptic Washington D.C is a depressing place and lifeless. Yet, that is the beauty of this game as the imaginary world looks so depressingly real that it brings out a gloomy and sad emotion everytime we take a stroll in Fallout 3.

2) Devil May Cry 4
Between is action packed levels, Devil May Cry 4 is full of beautifully choreographed fighting scenes that spells C.O.O.L. These fighting scenes are Super Sick Stylish-ly over the top that we don't mind watching it over and over again, and then watch it some more.

1) Metal Gear Solid 4
Half of this game is made out of cutscenes which make this half a movie. Good thing is, it is beautifully rendered and the scenes are very much believable and over the top. Fighting scenes between Raiden and Vamp, Raiden and Chicken Walker, Solid Snake and Liquid Ocelot, REX and RAY and others have been memorably beautiful and awesome. Battle scenes, Mr and Mrs Smith-esque love scene, boss scenes, and all the other scenes are worth a watch every single day.

prepared by ahseng

3 Games You Shouldn't Waste Your Money On

2009-01-03T20:30:00.001+08:00

We don't know how good a game is before we play it. Some games make it feel like worth buying thanks to the hype machine, and some for being linked to famous franchises. Games are not cheap, especially in Malaysia. Human beings are sometimes idiots. See the connection there? Sometimes, we make mistakes by buying games that we have no idea why on earth we would spend well over 150 Ringgits for. These are the games we curse ourselves for buying.

3) Star Wars : The Force Unleashed

We were quite skeptical about The Force Unleashed but our soft spot for Star Wars, and the fact that the game is a bridge for Episode III and IV had us somewhat curious. Remember this well, curiosity won't just kill your cat, it steals your cash too.

2) Need for Speed Undercover

We actually didn't buy this game. A friend of ours did. We're glad we didn't. You probably shouldn't. 'Nuff said.

1) Army of Two – Ahseng says, "I did not even bother to finish the game as there is no one stupid enough to tag along". Money well wasted.

prepared by ahseng

3 Games That Made Us Wish We Had More Money

2009-01-03T20:28:00.001+08:00

There were lot of heavy hitters this year, but there were also a rather large volume of low profile games which somehow turned out to generate quite a stir in the gaming community. We, however, are just 3 dudes with limited resource (a.k.a money) so there were some games that we had to let it slip. We do hope that we could someday play these 3 games,. That is, once we have the money to. Caution : we are unsure of the quality of these games ourselves

3. Prince of Persia

Most of us at Gamin' Watch are fans of the Sands of Time trilogy, so when a new Prince of Persia game announced, we were thrilled. The franchise seems to have gone through a complete overhaul, so we can't tell wether the new prince has substance to match its new style. Regardless, we wish we could play it.

2. Call of Duty : World at War

It's a well known fact - it's probably impossible to turn back to world war 2 after Call of Duty 4, but the inclusion of 4 player co-op in the campaign and zombie defense is tempting enough to make us want to try it for ourselves.

1. Rock Band 2

We like us some Rock Band. And Rock Band 2 is the next installment of Rock Band. Needless to say, we really really wish we could play Rock Band 2. With over 80 new song and the ability to import the songs from Rock Band 1 to the second game, we're sold. Ironically, we just couldn't afford it yet.

prepared by najibu

3 Games That Gives the Most Bang for Your Bucks

2009-01-03T20:07:00.003+08:00

Video games aren't cheap. That’s why we had the previous categories. The following games are the games that we feel have the most potential to justify every penny you put down for that game in terms of content and longevity.

3. Geometry Wars Retro Evolved 2
This is a game that proves that simple fun can take you a loooong way; a quick reminder of the non-linear gameplay associated with games of yore. The arcade nature of Geometry Wars allow you to play the game in short-bursts at any given time and with 6 different modes to choose from, co-op and competitive play, there is no short of variety in this small game. Best of all, its costs only a quarter of a standard game.

2. Fallout 3
The wastelands of Fallout 3 is a vast world, with many places to explore and objects to gather in almost every nook and cranny of the game. Yes, you can breeze through the main plot if you want, but those of you who prefer to take it slow always have the option to undertake the numerous quests and researches the citizens of a destroyed Washington D.C have to offer.

1. Burnout Paradise
This racing game is actually more than just a racing game. The overworld, Paradise City is one huge playground that you and your buddies can either just tear around town at breakneck speed or get involved in the more interesting challenges. But this isn't why it made the list. Developer Criterion put out add-ons at regular intervals throughout the year. These add-ons includes minor updates like a new makeover for the menus, to the more substantial in-game contents such as a day and night cycle, new challenges, and even lets you cruise Paradise City on a bike. Oh, did I mention the price for these add-ons? They're all free.

prepared by najibu

Gamin' Watch's 2008 Game of the Year

2009-01-03T17:47:00.014+08:00

The authors of Gamin' Watch have very different tastes when its comes to video game. So rather than having to to go through a brawl and cause someone to lose a teeth or two to decide on a single Game of The Year, we decided to let each author pick his favourite.

Najibu's 2008 Game of the Year goes to...

Dead Space is an amazing game which just screams perfection in every aspect. Its great graphics and spectacular sound design really brings the creepy atmosphere to a new level in action games. But even more compelling than that, to me, is the extremely well done gameplay. Sure, Dead Space is a horror action shooter which should make you want to scream and run a way at the first sign danger, but the white-knuckle, in your face action had me glued to the controller. Even with other great games like Gears 2 , Fallout and Metal Gear Solid 4 out in the same year, Dead Space is an easy pick for my Game of the Year.

Ahseng's 2008 Game of the Year goes to...

I am a co-op junkie and I love to shout, scream and laugh with a bunch of friends and we shouted, screamed and laughed the loudest and the most while playing Gears of Wars 2, especially during the time when the got swarmed by all sort of Locusts in Horde mode. Having the opportunity to play through the campaign and horde mode with a bunch of mates, I had the most fun playing Gears of War 2 as compared to other contenders of 2008's game of the year. Other than this, GOW2 has successfully delivered an emotional and adrenaline-filled journey through the rubble of Sera. The combats were exciting , as always, and the storyline had made us sympathize Dom and at the same time curious towards the consequences of their actions. And for this, I can't wait for the third installments.

Ah Kam Koko's 2008 Game of The Year goes to...

I will have to say the best game I have played from 2008 would be Dead Space. Although the game is somewhat repetitive & enemy types are limited, this game has managed to keep me at the edge of my seat throughout the game! The inadequate weapons, the lack of health & armour, adds a sense of realism & scare into the story. The effective combination of sound, music & lights makes you shiver from cold sweat. My stomach get upset with fear every time I hear a creature's cry. It was so scary that I didn't even dare to play it at night when no one was around!
It was a truly memorable experience!

The Devil Goes To PJ

2008-12-28T22:23:00.007+08:00

My fiancee had just informed me that she had read on lowyat.net that Gamer's Hideout - that video game store selling 100% original games, consoles and peripherals - are expanding (phew, that was a long one...). Ever since, I stepped foot on Malaysian shores again, Gamer's Hideout had always been my number 1 choice for buying games. It's the closest thing to EBgames in Malaysia. And just like EBgames, some might argue that it maybe a tad more expensive than those shady shops in Sg. Wang but Gamer's Hideout offer stuff that those shop doesn't, like pre-order offers, shwawgs, freebies, tournaments, etc.

The devil's second outing!

This is a wonderful development for our local gaming scene. Let's hope that as the scene grows bigger, companies like Microsoft will acknowledge that we, Malaysians are serious about gaming (and hopefully make the 360 warranty apply for us as well!). Best of all, if publishers can publish games directly in Malaysia instead of importing them from, games can be sold at a more affordable price. If we want to have shops like EB, Gamestop or JB hi-fi around here, this is the way to go!

So I'm saying, support the local industry. You'll be doing yourself a favor.

The new branch will be operating in Tropicana City Mall, Petaling Jaya some time soon-ish.

*pics courtesy of marauderz

OH MY...GEARS

2008-12-24T12:12:00.006+08:00

Epic, the studio behind the epically successful Gears of War games has officially announced Gears of War 3. Actually, totally not a surprise there as it was as clear as day for anybody who played Gears 2 that there were still a ton of questions left unanswered.

The official Gears 3 logo (not). You saw it here first!

But wait, here's the showstopper. The game is currently slated to release in Q4 2010, which I take that to mean mid-November-ish, if Gears 1 and 2 were any indication. But that's not all. Gears 3 will....wait for it... allow players to play through the entire campaign with 4 other dudes! Fellow Gears of War fans, our prayers have finally been answered.

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Review

2008-12-23T23:09:00.016+08:00

Final Fantasy 7 would be the first game that brings me into the world of RPG which I came to love and live. Thus, I have a very high expectation of this game. In a way, this game is both an enjoyment as well as disappointment to me in various ways. One thing for sure is this game is definitely a must play for FF7 enthusiast.

Storyline
The ending of Crisis Core is very much known to those that played Final Fantasy 7. It is how the game brought me to the ending that satisfies my need for a good story. The storyline moves at an appropriate pace while springing a few twists and surprises here and there. It never felt draggy and sometimes the story makes me think who is right and who is wrong. Another aspect of the storyline that is definitely be of interest to Final Fantasy 7 enthusiast is the sense of nostalgic. Players will have the opportunity to visit areas that have been significance in Final Fantasy 7. Other than that, flashbacks that happened in Final Fantasy 7 have been cleverly inserted in Crisis Core to up the sense of nostalgia and connect both Crisis Core and Final Fantasy 7. As I played through Crisis Core, I definitely felt a sense of reminiscence which satisfy my love of the Final Fantasy 7’s troubled world.

Everyone loves Aerith

Gameplay
Crisis Core takes on the modern RPG gameplay by throwing out the Final Fantasy style turn based RPG and incorporated the modern action RPG’s battle system. You can control Zack movements during battle. You need to press X to give order to Zack to either attack, use magic, use skill or use item. What type of actions is available depend on the Materia placed in available slots. Action may not be as instantaneous as an action game because there is a break between actions. I find the change of pace in the battle system sets it apart from Final Fantasy 7. It is not a bad system but I do not welcome such change because the change did not translate well into the Final Fantasy series. Plus, the battle system gets tedious and mundane when all you do is slash (only single style slash) and evade. Although there are other actions, you will normally disregards these skills as your slash attack is just as powerful and to select these skills, such as magic, will be tedious and open yourself to enemy attacks.

Beautiful graphics, boring battle system

Another aspect of the battle that deserves a mention is the reel used to determine leveling up, limit break (super attack for non-ff7 enthusiasts) and summons. There is actually an embedded point system but as I can’t see how far Zack is from leveling up and can’t control Zack’s usage of summons and limit break, I felt different and cheated. I want to be able to see when I am leveling up and determine which creatures should suffer my summons attack and limit break. Most of the time, the summons and limit break will come at an appropriate time but there are times when you will feel helpless as none of the superpowers came to aid me when I needed them most. It’s definitely a system that I do not like to see a return

The Casino's Advocate

The game is pretty straightforward. The game pushed me to travel from point A to point B without much confusion and these is very much what I do to get through the game. Travelling is disabled in Crisis Core. Albeit all the sense of nostalgic, I am unable to revisit any of the places once I passed it. However, the place is not worth revisiting too as the game did not add anything worthwhile to do once I passed it. The inability to travel from one place to another makes this RPG not so much of an RPG. Once I have gone through an area, I did not find something worthwhile to do. The linearity of Crisis Core is certainly a disappointment to me as it set itself further and further away from an RPG game and Final Fantasy 7.

Presentation
The presentation of this game excels for me. I like what I have seen, heard and felt throughout Zack’s journey. The graphic is excellent on a PSP with beautifully rendered cutscenes. The epic battle between Sephiroth, Angeal and the other guy (I forgot his name) is definitely a must-rewatch. The ending was well brought out. The voice acting is good and the dialogues are meaningful. The city such as Midgar and Nibelheim are beautifully recreated and will definitely bring back nostalgic memory. Music plays a part too in bringing back the sweet memory of Final Fantasy 7 lovers.

The Epic Battle

Bleak yet beautiful Midgar

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 is certainly a must buy for those that played and loved Final Fantasy 7. However, this game will leave much to be desired for newcomers. The beautiful sense of reminiscence means nothing to newcomers and the gameplay will not be able to convince them that this game is worth a buy. That being said, Final Fantasy 7’s world is still a beautiful world filled with troubles created by Shinra. Is a world with stories that will charm you but Crisis Core is definitely not where you should start.