Overrated?

We're only a few weeks away from the video game lover's draft pick that happens annually around the first of the Summer. This event of course is, E3. Well, I'm not going to post anything about it until I see the press conferences. Today I'm talking about shooters (to follow up in my line of blogs talking about different video game genres).

Shooters come in a wide variety. You have your big seller, First Person Shooters. Then you have Third Person Shooters. You even have the less popular Arcade Shooter (over the head). This genre is, of course, the big money maker. Series like Call of Duty, Gears of War, and Halo have seen to that. Let's talk about gameplay in shooters...

Gameplay can vary in many ways when it comes to shooters. You have your team based (has an RPG aspect to it), run-and-gun blow shit ups, and even puzzle type. Team based shooters can be any game where you have classes, such as: Ghost Recon, Team Fortress, Brink. These games all require teamwork (whether it be AI or actual players). For the most part, this can be a fun experience. With these games, there usually is an objective rather than just Team Deathmatch, when playing competitively. Single player usually can drag on with them (mainly because your AI usually are idiots). Team Fortress 2 is a big hit for this type of gameplay. All in all, this type is very underrated. People need to expand their gameplay a bit. Yes, it can be slower at times, but when you play as a team, you can get shit done.

Let's move on to run-and-gun blow-shit-ups... This is, by far, the most overrated type of gameplay in shooters. I'm not saying some of these games aren't fun, but this is the type of game you see mindless idiots playing on PSN or XBL (less on PC, but then you have more hackers and modders). This is one thing that gives video games a bad name. Who hasn't hopped on Halo or Gears just to hear some 12 year old kid screaming his lungs out that he fuckin' owns your shit bitch? I'm not going to lie, I play these games. And they definitely get competitive. Frustrating even. But come on, if this is the only video game you will play... Ever. One, don't say you're a hardcore gamer, because your not. And two, try something else. You'll have fun. Open up your mind, dude. I also like to call this genre "arcade shooters" even though it isn't really an arcade shooter. The reason I do this is because of Unreal and Quake and even the newer games feel more "arcade-ish" when played online (because of the scoring system and competitiveness). Especially with newer games giving you not only score, but points.

Let's move on. The other types of games in this genre are much less popular, but still equally fun. Arcade Shooters (for you younger gamers, like the secret zombie shooter in Call of Duty: Black Ops) are not so popular anymore, but can be a blast. Usually these games are up to 4 players and are pretty mindless. Just run around and kill shit. You'll usually see older games that have this playstyle. You also see it in a lot of DLC games (easier to design, I guess). If you haven't played one for a while, I recommend you find one, and try it out. I really don't want to recommend anything, they are all basically the same.

Let's cover two more types of shooters. One being fairly new and the other hardly used anymore at all. The new type of shooter is "puzzle shooters," as I like to call it. This includes games like Portal. Portal is a great gaming concept. Its a puzzle game disguised as a shooter with a great story and humorous dialogue. I'm not writing a Portal review, but it is probably the best example of this type I know. I could venture to say even games like Half Life 2 seem to fit this category (Valve testing out new technology allowing you to use items to figure out how to get to the next part of the level). The older type of shooter mentioned before is a very underrated game type. It was popular in its time, but has recently declined (due to the "need" for amazing graphics in games, lately). This type is side-scrolling shooters. Everyone enjoys Contra and Metal Slug. This again is pretty much mindless gameplay, but at the same time takes a certain amount of skill. I, personally, would like to see more game companies work on games like these. With the technology of today, I'm sure one of these games would blow up and be awesome. I wouldn't venture to say the next Halo, but a great DLC game for PSN and XBL.

Well, I'll conclude. After all of this information being thrown at you, I guess what I was trying to get at was this: Open your mind to new gameplay. Don't be trapped in CoD or Gears or Halo while not giving other games a chance. I've listed some great games with good gameplay in this blog that you should try out. I mean, if you really want to shoot shit... That doesn't mean you can't try other stuff out, too. But if you want to shoot shit, have some class. Play a team based game. Try an old school arcade or side-scrolling shooter. And, for the love of gaming, quit pretending like you are a gaming legend because you are better than someone at Black Ops. You, sir, are just an idiot.

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Speed Demon

So I've decided not to talk about any video game news this week. There are pleanty of other websites for that. I'm just going to talk about a subject that I plan on covering in multiple different blog posts. Genres of video games and the best/worst games of those genres. The first of which is a genre that you're likely not to see me playing that often, but I still have a good time with it. This genre is the racing genre.

Now, I'm the last person you'd think to be talking about racing games. Well with Motorstorm: Apocolypse coming out and another Need for Speed recently announced, I figured I would touch base with it. Now, I'm not completely against the genre, just many of the games associated with it. Need for Speed has always been the genres household name. The early games were the best... Then they came out with these "tuner" games and went all to shit. All the wiggers say WHAAAT. Fuck those games. Recently, EA brought them back to their roots with Hot Pursuit. That's what needed to happen.

Racing games shouldn't have to all be one type to make them successful. You have those of us who could care less about fly rims and tinted windows. The Forza series keeps the fans that enjoy realistic street racing, not fake underground Fast and Furious racing. Then you have the off-road racing games, which the Motorstorm series has taken to the next level, and then even a level after that with Apocolypse. Even NASCAR fans have a new game.

All of these types fit into the racing genre. There is no reason you can't find at least one of these games/types that are fun. If you must, pick a theme (end of the world, Mario universe, etc) and go with the corosponding game. Yeah, that's right, Mario Kart is a racing game. You forgot that, huh?

Let's not say there are different tiers when it comes to racing games, they are all (for the most part) different. You can't say Forza is better than Motorstorm because its a better racing game. That's not really an easy comparison. You wouldn't compare that Sonic (*clears throat* Mario Kart ripoff) racing game that came out last year or whatever to Forza, would you?

Well really, all I'm trying to say is, lay off racing games. They can be fun. Some people live by them. Now, that that is said, let's add this: Quit making games about the Fast and the Furious. Ever since that movie came out, there are still tuner car games. I'm tired of them. The first one was ok (like, NFS: Underground or something), but they still exist and still come out. Hell, ZOO even made one for the Wii in like 2009 (what an awful company). I've never played Shift, but I think it is that type of game. If I'm going to street race, I want it to be like the classics... Exotic cars, realistic areas (or real places, for that matter) - or exotic places, like places normally you wouldn't see racing, REAL cars (not the Falcon or the Lightningbird), and maybe even a little crashing. Cruisin' USA and World had it right. Need for Speed had it right, early on. Now its alright if you wanna throw a tuner or two in there, but don't cut the selection down for it (I liked Sega GT 2004 or whatever it was called for Xbox). If I want something different, I'll go to a more exotic/themed game like Motorstorm.

Okay, in conclusion, I think you should go out and play a racing game. If you want suggestions I say Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit for 360 or PS3, Motorstorm for PS3, or Mario Kart, of course, for the Wii. Wanna go classic? Cruisin' USA (or World) for N64 or arcade, RUSH for the same systems, Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit for PC (I dunno whether it came out for other systems), Super Mario Kart or Mario Kart 64, or even Diddy Kong Racing for N64. DO IT!

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Big Week

If you follow video game news at all, you will know this has been a very eventful week.  Well, past couple of weeks.  There have been so many top news stories to fill the video game news websites it’s hard to keep track of them all.  It all started with Sony being threatened by the hacker group Anonomys earlier this month to crash the Playstation Network.  Rumors of a new Nintendo system had been floating around the internet already, including what features it may have (and it sounded awesome).  Then on the 18^th of this month, Epic released the beta of Gears of War 3 to the public (for those of us who had bought Bulletstorm: Epic Edition).  The following day, three of the most anticipated games of the year would be released (Mortal Kombat, Portal 2, and SOCOM 4).

Before I address any of this, I want to let you all know; I am not biased to any one system.  All systems have their own “perks” that others do not.  I own all of the current systems and play them equally.  My statements below do not reflect a “like” or “dislike” of any system over one another.

Well, I’ll start with my thoughts on the Sony issue.  Well the story has been beat to death, but basically a hacker got into the Playstation Network system.  He accessed personal data, including name, location, email address, and possibly even credit card number and date.  The ideal thought on everyone’s mind was that this was Anon.  Well, it wasn’t.  Just take it at that, Anon denied any involvement.  This is also not Anon’s style.  They don’t “hack,” their attacks are more like “overloads.”  This week, MSNBC stated that a group of “cybercriminals” had posted an ad somewhere for 2.2 million credit card numbers they said Sony would not buy back from them.  A hoax?  I think so, but it’s always better to be safe then sorry.  I have received an “apology” email from Sony regarding the security breach, also explaining what I should do.  Well, I know what to do already…  Personally, and in retrospect, I would have loved to see an email earlier (especially since my credit card information may have been accessed).  The press had the information before the public did, by a few days.  That was my major “beef” with the whole issue.  The first actual thought I had when I had heard the PSN had went down is, “those poor guys who bought SOCOM 4 won’t be able to play online.”  That’s like telling a Gears of War player they cannot play online, just single player.  Haha!  Well the issue is still going on.  Sony has stated we will receive compensation (which I feel we are entitled to) that will include at least 30 days of PlaystationPlus for free.  I feel we deserve a little more, especially since Sony has said the Store may not be up for about a month.  I mean, why would I want 30 days of PS+ if I can’t buy anything for that month…?  Anyway, it’s still ongoing, so we will just have to wait it out.  Sony has stated the PSN should be back up for PS3 and PSP users within the week and Qriocity and the Playstation Store should be up within about a month.

Well, since Xbox 360 fanboys have so much to rejoice this week with a new beta and exclusive online console play of Mortal Kombat and Portal 2, let me talk about the Gears of War 3 beta now.  First off, let me say, the Gears franchise has always been an “up-close and personal” kind of game.  It is a cover-based shooter, meaning battles are supposed to be “firefights,” usually face-to-face.  It also was always about the violence, explosions, and all of that junk as well.  That being said, shotguns make sense as well as the other “ranged” weapons.  However, shotguns don’t have to push the boundaries of “instant-kill” like the Sawed-Off.  The Gnasher has always made sense in Gears, and is acceptable.  You need an up-close weapon, but that doesn’t mean you need a gun that, unless you miss, will down you or kill you instantly.  I’m not just bitching, I have a solution.  Cliff Bleszinski describes it as a certain type of skill, but if you have a Gnasher and I have a Sawed-Off, either we are going to trade kills, or I will (as long as I nail the shot).  However, according to a tidbit I had heard on G4’s “TheFeed,” Bleszinski had claimed at some point he had put the new shotgun in because he couldn’t get kills with the Gnasher.  I still see how that shows a certain type of skill, but it would be much different if you had to aim it, not just blind fire.  My solution is to have this weapon as a power weapon, but not like the One Shot or the Mortar, more like the power-pistols.  Have it spawn in multiple areas as a pick-up would give access to it, but not allow everyone to have it.  That all being said, I’m not really sure how Epic will handle it.  More than likely, they won’t do anything.  Epic isn’t the kind of company to just nerf a weapon like that.  They have done it in the Gears franchise before, but not without good reasoning.  We’ll see.  The rest of the beta is a whole bunch of fun.  I’m not a pro, by any means.  I may get better, but I’m not giving my life to this thing like some people obviously do.  I play for fun.  I will play single player/co-op and then online play for fun every now and then.  I play with the Retro Lance, which I enjoy a lot.  I rarely use the bayonet, but it requires more aiming if you want to get a down.  The whole leveling system is cool.  I like the medals and the unlockables.  All in all, it’s a fun game.  I’m excited to see how Epic will handle the beta and what changes they may or may not make.  We’re heading into CTL week (along with mine and my wife’s anniversary on Monday – Happy anniversary baby), we’ll see how that goes.  Okay, now that I’m done with my thoughts on this beta, go ahead and call me a bitch for not liking the Sawed-Off.

Okay, so we’ve covered a Playstation story and an Xbox story, who’s next…?  Oh, right, Nintendo!  Well, this will be a shorter story, because there isn’t as much that we know about it.  The E3 convention is going to be held June 7-9 this year.  I cannot wait for the information overload about the upcoming games of the next few years.  We already have a little taste of what Nintendo will be showing, though.  They have stated that there will be a playable demonstration of their new system available throughout the convention.  A new Nintendo system?  Sweet!  The rumors have already circled around the internet about this system.  I’ll mention a few of them.  Supposedly, the system itself will be more powerful then a PS3.  No surprise, really, Nintendo needs this.  The controller is the most interesting rumor going around.  From what the internet has told me (reliable, I know), the controller will be designed like a GameCube or Xbox 360 controller, but with one slight difference: A touch screen in the middle.  The controller supposedly can have games transported to it via the system and can then be used on its own as a handheld system.  Being the leader in handheld gaming, this just makes so much sense for Nintendo.  The innovation is there, too.  Is it too early for a new Nintendo system to come out?  Sony and Microsoft have been said to not want to release new systems until 2014.  Well why should Nintendo care what they do?  Nintendo has released a system just about every 5 years since the NES in 1985 (SNES, 1991; N64, 1996; GC, 2001; Wii, 2006), so it’s about time for a new system.  I’m not going to start any rumors nor support any rumors, they all seem plausible.  To find out, though, we are going to have to watch closely at E3.  Nintendo says this system will be released in 2012.  I, for one, will own it.  Nintendo has yet to fail me.  And then all the Xbox and PS fanboys say, “rabble, rabble, rabble, Wii sucks.”  You suck, bud.

Well, I’m not going to mess around with any information regarding the three games I mentioned before; they are old news and have been reviewed.  They are fun, though!  Now you have been filled in with everything that was on my mind regarding video game news this week.  Everything involves us waiting to see how it all turns out, but that is the gaming industry for you.