Wednesday, July 27, 2005

When Fifty Players Just Isn't Enough

Ever since the beginning of Xbox LIVE, most subscribers have dreamed of having an FPS with as many players as a PC game. Over the years, games have tried going above and beyond the usual 16. The previous record was 32, set by an update of Star Wars: Battlefront, but to get so many in a room, everyone needed an uber-connection or it would become quite laggy. Then, the hype began. Novalogic announced that a port of it's PC classic, Delta Force: Black Hawk Down, would feature 50 players over Xbox LIVE. Needless to say, gamers were thrilled. Never before had a number so high been attempted in online console gaming. How would it fair for them?

Prospective release dates kept coming, and changing, until finally on July 27th the game saw release. Was it all it was hyped to be? Well, let's see. Are there 50 player games online? Yes. That's pretty much where the hype ends, and the disappointment begins. After playing the Battlefield 2: Modern Combat online demo, this game pales in comparison. The vehicles are on rails, which wouldn't be such a bad thing if they were a bit more interesting and faster. Basically, getting into a vehicle on this game almost ensures your death, as you are a slow-moving target in a huge shooting gallery. The aiming on the game is a joke; the guns just don't feel correct and never seem to hit what has been targeted. Also, if you're expecting high-resolution graphics, you don't realize you are playing a three-year-old PC game. Character models are choppy while online, which looks like lag even in small games. This, again, doesn't help aiming. The controls are far different than other games in the FPS genre on the Xbox, and will take some getting-used-to before you master them.

Needless to say, I'm quite pleased that I only rented this game, as I'd hate to be stuck with it for too long and be out of so much money. If you want a first-person Socom-esque game, perhaps this is for you. If you want some innovative game types, again, this may be the game for you. If you want to try 50 people on Xbox LIVE, this may be the game for you (of course, finding a 50-man server is far from easy). If you want an FPS with a lot of players, fun gameplay, driveable vehicles, comfortable controls, the ability to switch teams, proper voice chat, my how the list goes on, then stick to Battlefield 2: MC. This game doesn't contain any of those features.

The verdict: D+
Much could have been done better, this game just fails to cash the check it's hype wrote.
Review of Black Hawk Down coming later...but for now I need sleep...and more time with the game... The outlook is grim...

Saturday, July 23, 2005

The Sega Dreamcast and It's Successor

For many months after getting my Xbox back at launch, I had a sticker over the logo on the disc tray that read "Sega Dreamcast 2". Most of my friends thought it was just a joke, but it was more than that. It was an observation. Owning every Sega console since the Master System, yes EVERY, I am what you may call a huge Sega "fanboy". Service Games was always a company that could "do no wrong", in my mind. Sure, I enjoyed the NES and N64, but my heart was with Sonic, not Mario. I played Genesis while most of my friends played SNES. I played the Saturn while most played the Playstation. Hell, I even had a 32X CD system. All of these were my babies.

Then the day came. September 9th, 1999; A.K.A. 9.9.99. I came home from school excited, ready for my mom to come home and take me to pick up my Dreamcast at Kaybee Toys. When I got it back home, I popped in the Sonic Adventure disc, and sat there amazed. Sure, Super Mario 64 was awesome when I first played it, but this was a whole new level. Sonic Adventure was a fast-paced, 128-bit graphical extravaganza. And, no, it wasn't just the graphics that blew me away, the gameplay was great. Though it didn't last long, the Dreamcast is probably my favorite system of all time. With great games like Sonic, the innovative Seaman, and the Shenmue series, there weren't many dull moments. Since I'd missed out on most previous titles in the series, I had to play Resident Evil: Code Veronica. Though I had the import version, I knew the basic menu setup and the dialogue was in English, so I soon beat that game, enjoying it thoroughly.

Then, it happened. Sony's hype machine had kept many from buying the Dreamcast, in favor of the POS2. If that wasn't enough of a blow to Sega, an internet group by the name of Echelon began releasing self-booting game images through Usenet and IRC. Piracy, Sony, and the lack of developers willing to work with the hardware had led to the end of the Dreamcast. The main problem this caused for me was that the sequel to Shenmue was NOT to be released in the United States. I badly wanted to finish the series, and, after reading up a bit on the subject, learned about a new system from Microsoft that would become the new home of the series. I was thrilled, but what else would this console have to offer? Would it be as good as the Sega systems I'd loved in the past? Only time would tell. Oh, and about Shenmue II, I actually downloaded the European version of the game and completed it before the Xbox launch.

The Xbox's launch day came in November of 2001, and there I was with the console and no games. I rushed out to Blockbuster and picked up Project Gotham Racing and Halo, two of the best looking games I could find in the small lineup. Halo was alright, but I really didn't get very far into it. PGR offered hours of fun, and was a great follow-up to the fun I'd had with Test Drive 6 on the DC. However, neither of these games offered the fun I so desperately wanted from gaming. I purchased and rented many games over the next year, none of which were too interesting. I'd almost given up hope by 2003 until I found it. I had recently moved to cable internet and heard about Xbox LIVE. I had some money saved up, and headed to Funcoland for the LIVE starter kit and a game I'd been reading about...Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon. Now, Halo was the last FPS I'd played, and was quite let down by it, but GR completely changed my outlook on the genre. This military shooter took hours of my time, made me stay up all night to play online...causing me to nearly fall asleep during college classes...and made me love online gaming. Now, this wasn't my first online gaming experience; that honor was taken by Quake III Arena on the Dreamcast. However, I met many great people on Ghost Recon that I still play with today; of course we've moved on through other games since, but it's still pretty much the same group.

You may be asking yourself, "what is your point?". Well, I had intended to discuss the similarities of the Dreamcast and the Xbox, my two favorite console gaming systems of all time. Sadly, I got a bit sidetracked. Give me a break, it's 9 AM and I haven't slept. Anyway, on to the similarities. The controllers are very much alike; i.e. button layout, triggers, and left side stick and d-pad placement. Both systems use a Windows OS to operate. Both set the mark for online gaming right out of the box. Both were overlooked by many and underrated by most.

Now...I think it's off to sleep. Just thought I needed to make an entry. Sorry for all the reminiscing, but the thoughts just kept coming.

Saturday, July 16, 2005

The Must-Have Accessories of the HD-era Gamer

In the old days, even if you had a black and white TV you could enjoy gaming. It didn't even matter if you had a RF hookup or those "little prong things". Now, gaming can NOT be fully enjoyed unless you have the proper equipment. I'd like to cover some of the necessities in this article.

Audio
Ah, the days of mono TV audio are over. Welcome to the age of digital surround sound. If you're a PS2 or Gamecube gamer, you should invest in a sound system that uses Dolby ProLogic II, as most games on those systems are optimized for this type of surround sound. If you're an Xbox gamer, then you have the distinct honor of being able to use real-time encoded Dolby Digital 5.1. A while back, I finally got enough money to blow on a DD5.1 system, and I'll NEVER game without it. Playing an FPS and hearing someone walk up behind you, or hearing which direction the bullets are originating are just a few of the perks to this system. Also, being encoded in real-time allows the sound to change around you as you move. This adds a whole new element to the gameplay, and allows the experience to become that much more immersive. So remember, if you're thinking of upgrading your home theater system, pick up one that supports Dolby Digital, Dolby Pro-Logic II, and even DTS if you can.

Visuals
If you haven't already moved up, it's about time to get rid of your TV that only supports RF. Hell, composite video isn't even enough anymore. At the very least, I'd recommend using at least S-Video, but component with HDTV would be most recommended. I am currently using component on a standard definition TV, and it's a huge step up from composite. I can't imagine going back to anything lower. I hope to move up to an HDTV, and even more hopefully one supporting 16:9, and I'd recommend the same to all the other gamers out there.

So as the HD era begins, make sure you are prepared for all gaming has to throw at you.

Friday, July 15, 2005

Battlefield 2: Modern Combat Demo Review (Xbox)

Well, it's been a few hours and I decided to give the game another chance. I can only say this: WOW! This game is all I expected it to be. Sure I got the little game crash problem, but what I did play was worth it. So, how about a mini-review? Here goes.

Graphics:
For an Xbox game, this looks great. The visuals are a bit better than Ghost Recon 2, and that's really saying something. The grass seemed more realistic, and behaved like it should. Watching an airstrike pour down upon you is just awe-inspiring, but perhaps that's because you know you'll be dead in a matter of seconds. All in all, this game should please all the graphics whores out there, but it's really not about the visuals.

Audio:
Ever since I moved to Dolby Digital, I've loved to play games that made full use of the 5.1 channels. This is one of those games. You can hear the choppers and cars as they race by you. The footstep sounds also add a lot to the action, and allow you to hear someone sneaking up on you. When you've got the sound cranked up, you'll swear you're fighting on an actual battlefield at times. Guns sound good, and powerful, as they should. The clear announcing of which flags have been taken also help guide you along your path.

Gameplay and Controls:
Ah, here's where it gets interesting. If I wasn't so tired right now, I'd still be playing this game. The only thing that could have made my first play more fun would be to have friends in the game with me, because I'd rather talk to those I know than complete strangers. Though PC has been doing it for a while now, and I believe Battlefront has topped the number as well, 24 people on Xbox LIVE is insanely fun. With the maps being as big as they are, you'll still almost always find yourself running into enemies, or having a run in with an enemy vehicle. Each class plays as it should, and the controls are solid, though it may take a bit more playing for me to get the hang of the driving.

Quick run-down:
Maps=big
Guns=good
Vehicles=fun
Action=intense
Fun-Factor=VERY HIGH

I can't wait to play some more of this, perhaps with some friends. The only thing that will really suck about this game is waiting until November to play the full game. I might just have to go buy a new video card so I can play Battlefield 2 on the PC until then.

Battlefield 2: Modern Combat XBOX Demo
5/5 MUST PLAY

If you like shooters of any kind, I recommend you check out this game. Though it has it's shortcomings, it IS an early demo of the game and those problems will most likely be fixed by the time of the retail release. Until then, I'll see you on the demo.
"Battlefield" Betrayal

Ah, Electronic Arts. I remember the days when I would boot up a new NHL game and hear "EA SPORTS: It's in the game." and be overjoyed. These were the glory days of the company, the 16-bit era. In recent years, EA has become a much larger company, eating up as many profitable companies as they could, and turning some of those developers' best franchises into pure crap. They've also made a point to buy exclusive rights to all sports leagues so their competitors, which made better and more innovative games year-after-year I might add, were forced out of business. Being the FPS fan that I am, I have enjoyed one thing from EA...that being the Battlefield series.


At the beginning of the summer, I moved from a 500 mhz Pentium III computer to a 3.06ghz P4 MONSTER. I immediately downloaded as many games as I could find to try out the beast. One of the games that I really enjoyed was the Battlefield 1942 demo. I have yet to purchase the full version because I never spend my money wisely. Perhaps one day I'll buy it. About a month ago, as many of you may know, the Battlefield 2 demo for PC was released and I downloaded it immediately. Sadly, my integrated video card is nowhere near powerful enough for the game, hell, it won't even BOOT! I planned to buy a new video card, though my choices are limited to PCI only, when I got some money to blow...until tonight. I was browsing around the local CVS at about 12.30 am when I came across the newest OXM. As I picked it up, I saw:

"Go to war!
Battlefield 2
Modern Combat
Invade Xbox Live in the ultimate combat shootout"

I knew I had to buy this demo NOW! So, naturally, I did. On the trip back, which is less than a mile, I was swerving all over the road trying to open the wrapper, never quite succeeding and eventually deciding to just wait until I got home so as to avoid drunk driving accusations. I get home, pop in the disc, immediately proceed to the B2MC demo only to find that NO SERVERS ARE WORKING! What the hell? How can EA, king of small company shopping, not have functioning servers? Why can't this company invest in their enjoyable franchises rather than trying to buy everyone else's? Oh, but this is just the beginning the "betrayal" with the demo. Apparently, even if I can get into a server, I might not be able to stay long. It seems that the demo freezes up, leaving your Xbox making an insane buzzing, grinding sound and forces you to restart the machine.

Now, I just spent 10 bucks on the magazine JUST to play this demo, and I find out that it's an unfinished plastic turd-doughnut. THANK YOU EA AND OXM FOR SCREWING ME OUT OF TEN BUCKS! If I can't get this game to work in the next few days, I will be much less tempted to purchase an EA product in the future.

Moral: If the game don't play, in development it stays.