Battlefield 3

Yeah. Itʼs been quite a while since I posted… again. But, this time Iʼm truly sorry and I will try my best to keep you people informed with reviews whenever I find a game worth reviewing. Anyways, Iʼd just like to quickly put out of the way that this blog is now one year old, with almost 5,000 views. Iʼm not sure if thatʼs good or bad, but for me 5k views it pretty good in one year, though for some of you it may not be. Anyways, today Iʼm bringing you my view of Battlefield 3. Let me go ahead and clear the campaign and co-op out of the way, and then move on to the main experience- multiplayer.

The campaign places you in the shoes of Sgt. Henry Blackburn, a soldier who is being interrogated due to false accusations, while trying to prove his innocence. The interrogators ask him a question, and he answers it through his point of view. Sometimes, it swaps around and the interrogators are the ones telling the story.

Impressive destruction.

The campaign.. was very unexciting and stale. Not only was it short, but it wasnʼt very fun either. The story, first of all, wasnʼt even terribly exciting nor entertaining. While playing, I didnʼt really care for the main plot until the last mission, which is the only mission where something that makes the plot interesting happens. This may have also been affected by the fact that there wasnʼt too much variation in the missions. Sure, you got to drive a tank once or twice, and be the gunner of a helicopter, but most of the time you were on foot just killing enemies, mostly in urban areas. Which brings me to another point- even though this is a battlefield, the only vehicle you actually get to drive is a tank in single player; unlike Bad Company 2 which had you driving several vehicles. Not even a four wheeler. The effects were great and there were many explosions, but not very many sad emotional moments that Battlefield should have. This isnʼt a hollywood movie; itʼs a game from a great series. The story could have been a lot better. So if youʼre getting the game for the campaign then you will be very disappointed. The crude humor in Bad Company 2 and variation in vehicles, objectives and missions completely defeated this game in its campaign. Letʼs move on to co-op.

Battlefield 3 co-op.

Co-op is a new edition in Battlefield. Itʼs a few extra missions with their own modified storyline that can be played solo or with a friend online. Additional weapons for multi player can be unlocked through playing co-op as well. Co-op is nothing too memorable. It can be a good experience with a friend, but there isnʼt really much teamwork. Itʼs just missions based of the campaign that vary, and you do get to pilot a helicopter in one but other than that youʼre mainly doing the same thing you did in the campaign, except with a friend and an even less appealing story.

Now, let me cover the biggest feature in this game: the online experience. Battlefield 3 is a very visually appealing game, which you can see from the picture provided. This added to its beautiful destruction makes it even better. The new upgraded Frostbite 2.0 game engine created better sound, graphics, and destruction than Bad Company 2. Also, PC players get even sweeter graphics and a whopping 32 vs. 32 player lobbies… Consoles only get 12 vs. 12 which isnʼt too shabby but nonetheless Battlefield 3 wins in PC. To support this, the maps are also larger now. And thereʼs more of them. Rush and Conquest are better than ever with the new huge maps and added vehicles. However, Battlefield 3 created some maps and placed them on objective based game modes and they just donʼt fit for these type of game modes … Battlefield rush and conquest should be played on huge maps, with many vehicles. Maps such as Grand Bazaar are tight, and thereʼs very little ways to leave spawn and push out for attackers, thus giving defenders an easy way to spawn kill. And thereʼs only one vehicle: a tank. Which brings me to my next point: Spawn killing is much worse than Bad Company 2. Many maps allow people to enter your spawn, and camping with a tank right in the enemyʼs spawn is usually effective. But, when this doesnʼt happen then the game is quite enjoyable. I love playing on huge maps with a squad with people that play their class. Which, takes me to the next thing I want to talk about.

Hooah!

The classes are more tactical and team-based than ever. Recons get spawn devices as well as gadgets that engineers can use to lock on vehicles. The Support class gets machine guns with ammo boxes, like classic Battlefield. Medics get assault rifles now, and engineers still use submachine guns. This just creates a game that even adds more teamwork and tactical gameplay, and if you have a good team that communicates with people that play their part, then this game can be amazing! Whenever you need something you can go over to someone with the right class and ask them for ammo using an in-game feature. You can also spot enemies and vehicles, allowing your team mates to help you take them down. However… If youʼre not playing with people you know then most idiots will never help you. Just in example, Iʼm a colonel (Reached level 45) and I only recall about getting ammo from supports about ten times. The game suffers when this happens, but if you play with mature trustworthy people then this can easily be avoided. Oh yes, bigger and better destruction/maps means more vehicles. Additional vehicles have been added, such as jets (yes, jets!) more tanks, and more transport vehicles. Apart from that, vehicles can receive unlock able stat upgrades. Driving/piloting mechanics are a bit more challenging now, but this is better because it makes a more challenging game.

A jet in action.

The last thing Iʼd like to mention is thereʼs more guns than ever. Not only do you unlock guns by leveling up your player or class, you can also unlock guns by completing separate assignments. Thereʼs dozens of attachments for each weapon and on many the firing mode can be changed (semi-auto, automatic, burst). To sum it all up, Battlefield 3 is strong in its multi player. My experience on it so far has been mixed. While rush and conquest were great playing with people I knew, with strangers it usually isnʼt as good as it could be. Anyways, I had and still do have loads of fun while playing multi player. The huge maps with several vehicles, epic destruction and tactical team-based gameplay is just the perfect combination for a good game. Itʼs very fun to play games while unlocking new things to push your game up to the limit. It fails in the campaign and co-op isnʼt too great either but overall itʼs worth it. I just donʼt like how you need to buy the game new or else youʼll need to pay for an online pass. Here’s some multi-player gameplay I captured straight from my new capture card.

Infinty Ward removes Favela from Modern Warfare 2

Modern Warfare 2 has offended many, many people. It even made Russia ban it from its store shelves. But yet, the terrorist mission wasn’t the only thing Infinity Ward added that they knew might prove to be offensive. This time, it was something in the map Favela.

Have you noticed that you weren’t able to play on Favela for nearly three weeks now? That’s because someone from the Muslim community noticed something in one of the bathrooms of Favela. It was a picture, and on its frames it had writing in Arabic that is related to the Muslim religion. And, in the Muslim religion, you supposedly cannot place anything related to their religion in a place as ‘disrespectful’ as a restroom. Either Infinity Ward was extremely stupid, or just went ahead and did this knowing that it would eventually be found.

But, to see this writing the video maker had to use the sniper scope to zoom in and read it. Why would he be doing that in a game in the first place- reading portraits on the walls in toilets? I don’t know, but either way Infinity Ward was just reckless in making Modern Warfare 2. They removed the map from public servers, and added a patch to the Islams that were offended where the portrait border was now in black. I just don’t know what else to say about this.

Hilarious IGN Parody!

Have you wondered about how IGN gave Modern Warfare 3 a whole nine out of ten stars rating? Well, it’s pretty obvious- they were bribed because Infinity Ward realized that they didn’t put any effort or thought into their game, and just copy/pasted it from Modern Warfare 2’s engine. So, they just use some of their money that they wipe their butts with and used it to bribe good ol’ IGN. Their review talks about the game like an advertisement would. Here’s a hilarious parody on the review I found off YouTube created by TheUnbaisedGamer. If you haven’t seen the original one, watch it- this video will be a lot funnier afterwards. Remember, don’t listen to those ‘reviewers’.

If I worked at IGN, I’d make a video about it with this verdict:
– Multiplayer is extremely similar; game engine was copy & pasted

– Campaign barely has any emotional effect and is all mindless explosions. Very boring and forgettable experience

– Spec Ops is unoriginal, and barely provides any fun

– Nothing new at all except for a new pretty look

– Infinity Ward tried to bribe us

+ May entertain little children

0.5- Terrible-  Use the disc as a Frisbee outside

Fallout 3 [Point Lookout]

Hello there, gamers. I’m back! Once again, I’m sorry for being gone for such a while. School has been open for nearly four weeks now, and I’ve been piled with assignments. However, I’ve cut out some time so that I could write a review on some Fallout 3 downloadable content. I’ve purchased the game of the year edition, so I am able to review each of the add-ons whenever I feel up to it.  After playing through all five, I’ll begin by reviewing my favorite, called ‘Point Lookout’.

Point Lookout is set inside a small swampland several miles away from the Capital Wasteland on the coast of Maryland. Being a rural area, it wasn’t affected as hard as the Capital Wasteland was after the bombs fell. However, radiation has leaked out, and the island’s creatures mutated just like they did in the Washington.

Welcome to Point Lookout!

As soon as you begin entering the Point Lookout on your riverboat, you’ll see that it was once a center tourist attraction, with a board walk, ferris wheel, and several shops. However, all that remains of the place overall is a foggy swamp. Naturally, the first thing I did was begin to explore, despite the fact that there are missions ready to be completed. Point Lookout is a true Fallout 3 DLC. Unlike other Fallout 3 downloadable content such as Operation Anchorage which require you to do one thing, with nothing else to do, Point Lookout has it all. There’s a huge island ready to be explored, as well as side quests and main ones.

Throughout the island, there are several buildings to run into, some long abandoned, some still inhabited by the many mutated humans who aren’t willing to be friends with you. And even furthermore, some areas are a complete mystery, such as caves, evil sacrifice temples, and sunken submarines. Exploration is not only extremely entertaining in Point Lookout, it can also be extremely rewarding. It’s even possible to to turn on the broken lighthouse if you explore and find out where the hidden lightbulb is.

Mutated Hillbillies. One word- awesome.

Being an area were several soldiers met their fate after the Civil War, there are several weapons and items you won’t find anywhere else. From Confederate hats, to double barrel shotguns, there are several unique items. Scavenging and exploring therefore, can be especially rewarding in Point Lookout.

The main mission, however, isn’t really enticing. It doesn’t have anything to do with the Fallout 3 storyline, and simply stars two enemies, giving you a choice for which you want to side with. It does require you to explore and see some cool, creepy areas, and it does make you question about what’s going on occasionally- but overall, the box of ammunition/money you receive as an award just doesn’t make up for the slightly-boring and deceiving main story. Promises were made that I’d find out anything I wanted about Fallout 3, but not kept. All I got was a ton of ammo. The side quests are much more interesting, and rewards your mental stomach and itch for exploration.

What could this mansion have in store for you?

There is one downsize, though. Occasionally, lag and freezing would just crash onto me. It would get so bad I’d have to restart the game. Lag wasn’t extremely common, but when it hit it was bad. This is almost the only bad thing about Point Lookout.

To sum it all up, Point Lookout is mainly for exploration throughout the many rundown buildings, caves, and question-raising creepy areas. The side quests aren’t very rewarding with in-game items as much as the main story is, but it’s alot richer in climax. I enjoyed traveling this swampy lagoon, exploring the many areas of interest, and playing through the side quests. Point Lookout is extremely entertaining in the exploration sense, and side missions.

Pro’s:

• Huge swampland, with alot of areas to explore

• Enticing side missions

• Has the Fallout 3 feel to it

Con’s:

• Boring main mission

• Occasionally lags brutally

Point Lookout is available for download for only ten dollars, or in the cheap twenty dollar Game of The Year Edition. I highly recommend getting it if you love Fallout 3 for what it is.

Prepare for videos!

I’d just like to begin with apologizing for being inactive for a decent amount of time. It’s just that I’ve been busy with school, and then forget about writing reviews. Yes, I must confess! But not to worry, I have a surprise for you guys that just might make up for some of the long time waiting! I’m very excited to announce that I just ordered a High Definition Capture Card, the AVerMedia Capture Card HD. I’ve decided that, along with each review, I’ll add some game play of that game/Downloadable Content being reviewed! This may take a day longer to create and publish reviews, but I hope you guys will agree with me that it will be worth it. Shipping claims I will receive it in five-seven days, so I ask you to please wait a little bit longer. This cost me one hundred and twenty dollars, so I hope you guys will enjoy the videos. Thank You for your time and patience.

 

8/23/12 Edit: I’m sorry, quality isn’t good right now, videos will have to be delayed for a little.