Sunday, March 6, 2011

Dead Space 2 Review

Isaac Clarke, the unluckiest space engineer of the 26th century, is more unfortunate than ever in Dead Space 2. 2008's superb Dead Space took the style of survival horror shooter action exemplified by games like Resident Evil 4 and meshed it with an atmospheric deep-space setting and some terrific, distinctly sci-fi gameplay elements, creating something that felt simultaneously familiar and unique. Dead Space 2, on the other hand, will feel thoroughly familiar to those who have played the original; its few improvements over  
       Dead Space are minor tweaks rather than game changers. But blasting the limbs off of hideous necromorphs remains tremendously satisfying, and although the pacing lags a bit during the game's middle portions, this second outing packs more than enough scares and surprises to make stepping back into Isaac Clarke's suit extremely worthwhile. In addition, a new multiplayer component successfully translates Dead Space's particular breed of dismemberment-focused combat into a pulse-pounding team-based experience that casts you as both humans and as the foul necromorphs. As long as you've got the stomach for it, Dead Space 2 is one sci-fi horror thrill ride you definitely want to take.


The first few moments of Dead Space 2 smartly accomplish a good deal in a very short amount of time. We get a glimpse into Isaac's psychological state, his psyche still tormented by the painful loss he experienced on the Ishimura during the events of the first game. We also learn that the three years since then have been little more than a blur to Isaac--he's in some kind of hospital facility, but has only the vaguest memories of his time there. And almost before you can say "necromorph outbreak," you take control of Isaac as he runs for his life from the hideous creatures who, for reasons that aren't immediately clear, have suddenly appeared and started slaughtering the human population here in the Sprawl, a vast urban area on Titan, Saturn's largest moon. Isaac, who said not a word in the original game, has a voice here, and although he's a bit bland as a character, the intensity of the action that surrounds him makes you feel invested in his desperate struggle for survival. Revealing glimpses into the world of Dead Space--such as a trek through a Unitology center that sheds light on the inner workings of the church whose activity is inextricably linked to the necromorph outbreaks--keep the momentum rolling during the early chapters. The game later falls into predictable rhythms for a while, but it picks up steam again toward the end, as the story goes to some unexpected and exciting places and puts almost as much emphasis on Isaac's struggle against his own demons of guilt and regret as on his battles against the necromorphs.
But those battles against the hideous undead mutations remain front and center, where they belong. The key to dropping necromorphs is still blasting off their often frighteningly pointy limbs, which you do with a number of repurposed mining tools and a few actual guns, all of which feel powerful and are immensely fun to use. All of the weapons from Dead Space return in this sequel, including the plasma cutter and the line gun, which fire beams of energy capable of slicing necromorph limbs clean off. Another returning weapon is the ripper, a terrific tool whose spinning blade can result in a noisy, grisly end to necromorphs who make the mistake of getting too close to you. And there are a few new weapons as well: the detonator lets you place laser-triggered trip mines to set explosive traps for approaching necromorphs, and the javelin gun fires spikes at such a tremendous velocity that any necromorph unfortunate enough to be in their path is likely to find itself impaled to a wall. Targeting the abominations and annihilating them feels great and works equally effectively whether you opt to play with a controller or with a keyboard and mouse, so you can opt for your preferred control method without suffering any disadvantage.

As you progress, you can upgrade your weapons with nodes that you collect, making them noticeably more effective at limb-ripping and laying waste to necromorphs, resulting in a satisfying sense of progression. What's more, it seems kinesis technology has seen remarkable advances in the three years since Isaac's fateful trip to the Ishimura, and it's now a much more effective offensive tool. Using this ability to pick up severed necromorph limbs or any of the sharp rods conveniently scattered across the Sprawl and hurl them at necromorphs is no substitute for a trusty plasma rifle by your side, but it works well in a pinch. There's a delicious feeling of dishing out poetic justice in turning the necromorphs' own limbs against them, and making use of this tactic is an effective way to conserve your often very limited ammo supply.
The Sprawl's pressurized environment also occasionally offers a spectacularly reckless and dramatic way to eliminate some necromorphs. Certain rooms have windows that you can easily shatter with a shot of your weapon or a hurled object. The instant you do so, everything in the room--furniture, necromorphs, and you--is rapidly pulled toward the window as the air rushes out into the vacuum of space. To save yourself, as you are being pulled toward the opening, you must quickly shoot a sensor that brings a metallic emergency door down over it. It's a risky and thrilling maneuver that brings some action-movie-style craziness to what is often a more grim and atmospheric adventure. These Hollywood set-piece moments and others that involve speeding trains, pursuits by massive necromorphs, and other surprises are great, but they're not entirely enough to keep things from falling into a predictable rhythm for much of the second half. Still, things start revving up again as you approach the conclusion, and the outrageous final moments make for an intense and truly memorable climax.

Despite your powerful and satisfying arsenal, you still feel as if you're in constant danger, and that's never more the case than when you're faced with a few of the terrifying new types of necromorphs that make their debuts here. One new variety, called the pack, resembles a twisted version of a human toddler. Individually very weak, these terrors run at you in groups, emitting bloodcurdling shrieks all the while, and if one manages to leap up onto you, it can cause tremendous damage. The other new standout necromorph type is called a stalker. These hunters display an intelligence previously unseen in necromorphs, making use of cover to try to stay hidden from you until they decide to strike, charging at you with incredible speed. It's particularly satisfying to hit one of these charging beasts with your very useful stasis ability, stopping it in its tracks before blasting it to bits. On the other hand, these creatures are so speedy and so prone to charge at you when your back is turned that Isaac's slow turning ability can at times become less a source of tension than a source of frustration.

Monday, February 28, 2011

Gears of War 3 Beta Preview

Now that you've already marked your calendar for the September 20 release of Gears of War 3, you can join in on the multiplayer beta in April on dedicated servers. No date has been set just yet, but if you've already purchased your Epic Edition copy of Bulletstorm, you're guaranteed in, and you also get an exclusive flaming lancer. At the Gears of War 3 preview event in San Francisco, executive producer Rod Fergusson announced that an exclusive gold lancer would be available via the beta and that it would be yours to keep if you meet the requirement of 90 matches played and 100 kills. For those looking to run around in Cole's thrashball outfit, it can also be yours to own when the retail game comes out if you play 83 matches (70 to unlock, 13 more for yours to keep).



If you haven't read the latest hands-on update on the game, where we got to play through all the new modes and maps, as well as toy around with the weapons, you can do so right here. But for the beta, there will be three of the six multiplayer modes to play across four maps, which haven't been determined yet. The supermarket level Checkout and the Thrashball stadium map are definitely included, but Epic Games is leaving it up to you to vote for the other two maps that will be included in the beta. These include Mercy, Old Town, and Overpass and Trenches. You can check out the official Gears of War 3 Facebook page to vote. Below is a rundown of what to expect.
Modes included in the beta:
King of the Hill - Now, it should be obvious how this one is played, but this time around, the mode has been combined with Annex and given a clearer rule set. The UI has also been simplified, so determining where and who your targets are will be easier. The ring moves around the map as well, to keep you on your toes.
Capture the Leader - This mode is a combination of Guardian and Submission, with some tweaks. Depending on whose side you're on, you will either aim to capture Chairman Prescott or Queen Myrrah and then hold on to him or her as long as you can. Everyone here is armed with one smoke grenade, which forces your opponent to drop the meat shield that he or she is holding, so use it wisely. The leader isn't useless either; he or she can see through walls to help coordinate his or her teammates. You can now use the left stick to spot enemies, which helps tremendously.

Team Deathmatch - While all the modes are fairly intense, Team Deathmatch can get really hairy once you start to run out of respawns. Each team is assigned 15 respawns, and if your team is the one eating those up, the next time you spawn, you'll likely appear next to a teammate so that hopefully you won't die as quickly.
Fergusson also mentioned some gameplay changes that might help you avoid picking up a weapon when you're really trying to raise your teammate. By tapping the X button, you will be able to help your buddy, but now, you have to hold X a little longer for a circle to appear to grab a weapon. The same mechanic has been applied to the Y button where a tap is a good old-fashioned curb-stomp, and if you hold it, you'll get to pull off a long execution (assuming you've unlocked it for that particular weapon).
New/modified weapons:
One-Shot - If you can get someone in your line of sight, all that's going to be left of him is a red mist. It's not very discreet, so once you hear the sound, you better find something to hide behind.
Sawed-off Shotgun - The shotgun tends to be a favorite among players, and the new double-barreled gun can not only take out a single opponent in one shot, but it can also take out up to three if they are clustered together. You have to get close--like up close and personal close--for this to work. Otherwise, it wouldn't be fair, right?
Incendiary Grenade - Aah, grenades are always good in a pinch. Especially the ones that explode on impact.
Digger Launcher - The "nom nom nom" weapon fires a digger that burrows underground and eventually jumps out at its target, like a really fast and vicious mole.

Retro Lancer - While you can't use a chainsaw to halve your enemies with this, you can definitely surprise enemies by skewering them in the back. You have to charge first though, so it's easy enough to dodge in close-quartered combat. But if someone's not paying attention…
Hammerburst - Iron sights have been added to the hammerburst, so you can use the right stick to get a better view.
If you've been itching to play some Gears of War 3, you will get a chance to once the beta begins in mid-April. The game will ship on September 20, exclusively on the Xbox 360.

Friday, February 25, 2011

GTA Episodes from Liberty City

If you've already played through 2008's Grand Theft Auto IV, you have a pretty good idea of what to expect in the formerly Xbox-360-exclusive Episodes from Liberty City. The included episodes--The Lost and Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony--take place concurrently with the original game's storyline, and while each introduces a handful of new features, the core gameplay remains largely unchanged. Also unchanged on the PC, sadly, are the frame rate issues that--like those in the PC release of GTAIV--are apparent even on rigs that exceed the recommended system specifications. Regardless, if you enjoyed GTAIV you're sure to enjoy these additional episodes as well, and even if you passed on original protagonist Niko Bellic's adventure completely, there's no reason you can't have a great time with new boys Johnny Klebitz and Luis Lopez. You definitely get more from these episodes if you play GTAIV beforehand though, because nods and winks to that game are scattered liberally throughout.

Unlike Niko, Johnny can shoot from the saddle.

For the same reason, you'd do well to hold off on playing The Ballad of Gay Tony until after you've beaten or at least spent a good amount of time with The Lost and Damned. The two episodes have been released simultaneously on the PC, but on the Xbox 360, The Lost and Damned was available as a download some eight months earlier. In that episode, you assume the role of Johnny Klebitz--a high-ranking member of the Lost biker gang who regularly disagrees with its trigger-happy leader, Billy Grey. Klebitz, who isn't a particularly likable protagonist, sees no need for the gang to go to war with rivals The Angels of Death, but anytime the two gangs clash, you end up doing most of the killing anyway. New weapons added to the existing GTAIV arsenal in The Lost and Damned include a grenade launcher, pipe bombs, and shotguns, which come in both sawed-off and assault flavors. These weapons are very much in keeping with both the episode's subject matter and its gameplay. And because Klebitz spends so much time riding motorcycles, you can use some of them while in the saddle--which wasn't possible in GTAIV.

Another neat feature introduced in The Lost and Damned, which also made it into The Ballad of Gay Tony, is a mission checkpoint system. Some of the missions take a long time to beat, and a good number of them involve riding or driving to locations that might be a good distance away before the action really gets under way. In GTAIV it could be frustrating to fail these missions, because doing so meant restarting them from the beginning, but the checkpoint system addresses that problem by giving you the option to restart from the last checkpoint that you made it through successfully. Unlike the more inventive and varied missions in The Ballad of Gay Tony, the missions in The Lost and Damned rarely deviate from the original GTAIV formula. You get to ride alongside your gang brothers occasionally, and you can call for backup from them during certain missions, but playing as Klebitz feels a lot like playing as Bellic for the most part.

Roman and Brucie from GTAIV make an early cameo in The Ballad of Gay Tony.

If you've played through a good portion of GTAIV, it should come as no surprise that Klebitz's and Bellic's paths cross occasionally. Sometimes it's as subtle as the pair simply having a mutual acquaintance, but in one mission the two characters briefly work alongside each other, and if you remember said mission from the original game, it's great to see the events unfold from a second perspective. The Ballad of Gay Tony does an even better job of referencing characters and content from previous Liberty City outings and actually kicks off with a cutscene set during one of Bellic's most memorable missions. Lopez has a very different group of friends and acquaintances than the other two protagonists, but he's a killer-for-hire and he dabbles in drug-dealing, so he inevitably ends up moving in some of the same circles--or at least looking at them down the barrel of a gun. Again, you get to see a handful of missions play out from a second or even third perspective, and given Lopez's penchant for parachutes and the prominence of helicopters in his episode, his view is often very different.

Monday, August 2, 2010

Just Cause 2 Review

Hi, thanks for taking interest in my blog. I had played and finished Just Cause 2 main game and now playing in Mercenary mode.

    In mercenary mode we have to complete all side missions and recover all hidden stuffs like drugs crates, blackboxes, sacred skulls. Including the above things, you have to discover and complete all locations in the game's world.
    Most enjoyable feature of this game is its huge, ultra realistic game world containing ice covered mountains, dense jungles, lakes, rivers and desert. It is about 1000 Square Kilometers in area and contains a lot of different locations like army bases, air bases, airport, harbors, cities and villages. Due to DirectX 10, game also shows realistic weather effects.
    Other feature that makes it enjoyable is its destruction orientedness i.e main aim of our player is to create chaos among the local government in the game by destroying government properties.

    Protagonist of the game is an Agent named Scorpio. Game is based on a fictional east-asian country Panau and contains mainly two types of missions - Agency Missions and Faction Missions.  Agency missions are those given by the Agency for which Scorpio works and are necessary to complete the main game. Whereas, Faction missions are provided by Factions residing in the game world fighting against a common enemy i.e Panauan government. Factions are Ular boys, Roaches and Reapers.

    Game do not have cheat codes but it contains a similar "get item on demand" feature called Blackmarket. You have to press a button to call blackmarket helicopter and then buy any affordable weapon and vehicle. Later in the game, it also provides a third option called Extraction, using which you can teleport to any discovered location through out the game world instantly.
   Game also contains various land, air and sea vehicles ranging from quadbike to fighter jet plane. It also have an improved stunt system due to which player can perform various stunts on a vehicles.

   Player can carry 1 Primary weapon like a bazooka or an assault rifle, 2 secondary weapons like sub machine gun or pistol and either grenade or remote controlled explosives. Other exciting feature is that player now have an additional rope like item which can be thrown against appropriate targets to pull them or yourself against them. You can also use it to join two items like a running vehicle to the earth to stop it with a jerk or a statue to to your vehicle to fall it on the ground. By experimenting you can also find more of its uses. By using this rope you can even hijack a helicopter in the air.

   Main negative point of the game is that it runs only on Windows Vista and Windows 7 and do not support previous Windows Versions like Windows XP. But thats doesn't affect the joy it provides.
   Conclusion is that, if you have Windows Vista or later and a decent DirectX 10 video card then you should must buy it.

Monday, April 6, 2009

Tips for playing games on Low configuration PCs
You can see that my PC configuration is very lower than current generation PCs but soon I will upgrade my PC. I had played following games on PC:
GTA : Vice City, GTA : San Andreas, Cricket 2004 & 2007, Delta Force series up to Black Hawk Down, Harry Potter & the chamber of secrets, Jurassic Park : Operation Genesis, Operation Flashpoint : Cold War Crisis, Tomb Raider : The Angel Of Darkness, Tomb Raider : Anniversary, Tomb Raider : Legend, Scratches, Tony Hawk Pro Skater 4, Midtown Madness 1 & 2, Sims 2, Gothic 2, Need For Speed : Underground 2, Need For Speed : Most Wanted, Age of Empires III & two expansions, Call of Duty, Medal Of Honor, Project Eden, Spiderman 2, The Hulk, Trackmania United Forever and Freedom Fighters.
Some of the above games (like Gothic 2, Sims 2) may run very slow or take a lot of time to load because of insufficient RAM.
So, here are the tips to improve your performance:
1. First, try to set lower values to graphics settings like texture resolution or quality, draw distance and disable some features like water effects, reflections, lighting, fog, smoke, decals etc. It will improve performance in many games.
2. Secondly, try to change screen resolution e.g. if your screen’s resolution is 1024 X 768, then set it to 800 X 600 or lower.
Using above steps you can get most out of your low configuration PC. Thanks for showing interest in my blog.
Blog’s Aim
I am opening this blog for every PC gamer who need any information or help related to PC games. I also want to unite Indian gamers to achieve a good position in International Gaming Tournaments e.g. WCG.
This blog is also for whom who want to be a Game Developer.