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Modern Warfare 2

I’ve been playing quite a lot of Modern Warfare 2 a lot since Christmas. As has been reported in the media, the game has smashed sales records – in part, due to its addictive multiplayer mode. However, after giving the online a good playthrough and reaching the first prestige, there are some glaring problems with this sequel:

First of all, the matchmaking system is abysmal. It is downright awful. Whereas in Halo or Gears of War, you would get paired with other gamers also looking for a match, MW2′s matchmaking servers just drop you into an existing game where there’s a spare slot. So lo and behold, not only do you get put in a match halfway through, most of the time you’re on the losing team because people tend to leave when things aren’t going their way.

Also a major problem with the matchmaking is the game connection distance. If IW’s community manager is to be believed, then the game automatically picks a session with the most ‘optimal’ connection. How then, is it possible that the only games I end up in are distant matches with USA players, when I’m pretty damn sure that many gamers in the UK are also playing MW2′s multiplayer…

The second big issue I have with the multiplayer is the weapons imbalance. The secondary weapons are just too powerful at short range. What happened to the good ol’ days with a pistol, not over-powered Akimbo Model 1887 shotguns (or for any dual-wielded shotguns for that matter). The amount of people who take to camping at the top of stairs with those buggers is unbelievable.

As a gamer who paid for the game on release day (despite the high prices), I think Infinity Ward/Activision have a moral right to sort out the botch job of a matchmaking system already there. Either overhaul it completely or give us some options for it – possibly the “Local Search” option featured in Treyarch’s Call of Duty: World at War.

As far as the over-powered weapons go, I can live with that, but it’s irritating when you feel cheated out of a few kills because someone is just sitting in the corner tapping both triggers when you run through a door. Having said all this, I still think MW2 is a good game, with an enthralling (but short) single player campaign and some extra sprinklings of co-op alongside. The multiplayer just needs a bit of work so that it can live up to its predecessor

Clans

I’ve been in a clan (off and on) for almost a year now. It’s been great fun playing games with them on the Xbox and I’ve met a load of great people who I’m good friends with now. However, it has been one heck of a rollercoaster ride.

First, let me tell you about the clan. It’s called The Yakuza and has been running for around a year and a few months. There are about 30 members in the clan. Since I joined, we’ve gone through about three different leaders and eventually back to the original one. Every time a new leader comes around we have a sort of probationary period where everyone gets along, and then it all slowly turns back into an argument.

However, we’ve had our good days too – we’ve done a lot of fun games and even made a movie and some other short videos together. We’ve played tons and tons of CoD5 and now MW2, as well as the long classic GTA.

It’s safe to say I’ve had some great times being in a clan, but after the experiences of being in a clan, I don’t think I’d join another one.  :)

Upcoming Games…

There’s a ton of games coming out soon in the pre-Christmas rush – quite a few I expect will be drivel as usual, but there are a few ones I plan to buy:-

FIFA 10:- First of all, my excuse for this game is that I’ve not bought a football game in a while… as much as I hate EA for their unfair DLC practices (and this one is no exception!), if the demo is anything to go by then they’ve hit the nail on the head with this one – i’ve never played a demo so much.

Alpha Protocol:- This for me will be the one to watch – it could so drastically go either way. The previews look promising, but I will probably wait for a review for this one to help me make up my mind on if it warrants a purchase or not. The concept itself looks really good though.

Modern Warfare 2:- Of course, I’ll be getting this This should be quite good but I’m disappointed that Activision have decided to try and milk it for £55 – a price i definitely won’t be paying for a game (I hardly ever pay £45 for a game on release!) Not to mention the countless map packs etc..

GTA: The Ballad of Gay Tony:- Albeit not a game, it’s gonna be a really good add-on to Grand Theft Auto with parachutes and countless more great things. I do think it’s quite a shame it’s 360 exclusive because it’s quite unfair on PS3 owners – but there again it all comes down to business in this day and age!

Assassins Creed 2:- If it’s as repetitive as the first game, I’ll give it a miss. If anything, I’ll wait for reviews, or just wait for it to come in stores pre-owned. Mind you, Jade Raymond aside, it could be quite a good game.

I know there are quite a few I’ve left off this list, but that’s mostly cause they are 360 exclusives and I don’t want the discussion to be too weighted. I could be radically off the mark with my opinions though, as I apparently was with my music post not so long ago, so feel free to correct me

Guitar Hero Zombies?

If you’re a fan of the Nazi Zombies game mode for Call of Duty: World at War, you might know who Kevin Sherwood and Elena Siegman are. No? Well, they are the awesome people who produced the zombie songs used in the trailers and hidden inside all the DLC zombie maps. Kevin (who goes by the Twitter username @newdnewbs) has launched a joint campaign with WeTheGamerz to try and get the three zombie songs so far into the next Guitar Hero game. Now that would be cool

I’ve heard there’s a website on the way soon in support of the idea – I recommend you keep your eyes on http://www.zombiesongs.com/ and also @ZombieHeros for updates.

Jordan

Nazi Zombies!

I first off must admit that if this bonus game mode did not exist, I would have sold my copy of Call of Duty: World at War yonks ago. The game itself isn’t something I enjoyed playing – the online annoys me so much and the campaign missions are almost impossible to complete on Veteran… however the bonus Nazi Zombies game mode is so addictive to play that it has effectively saved my copy of the game from being on Game’s pre-owned shelf.

The game mode itself is simple: you’re stranded in a building and you need to stop the zombies from getting in. If they kill you, you can be revived. If you’re all killed, the game ends. However, you can earn points by killing zombies, which you must spend on new weapons, perks and rooms to keep yourself alive and see whether you can get to the next level. The game never ends, it becomes harder each level and soon you’ll find that the zombies quadruple in number and gradually become immune to your weapons.

I really don’t know why it’s so addictive, but it is. My highscore on the original map is to level 14, however I’m sure with a bit of effort I can beat that! Treyarch, the makers of the game (not to be confused with Infinity Ward, who make its predecessor Call of Duty 4 and the upcoming Modern Warfare 2), realised that the mode was taking the gaming world by storm, and so they made it available to everyone – previously you could only play it if you completed the game. They also added a new zombie map called Verrukt, an abandoned German asylum, as part of their best-selling Map Pack 1. Nazi Zombies must be now one of the most popular online co-op game modes of any Xbox 360 game.

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Burnout Paradise Island

I can safely say that Criterion seem to be the only part of EA that I can tolerate, the rest resorting to shoddy DLC practices! However a lot of Criterion’s DLC for Burnout Paradise has actually been free, and the paid-for downloadable content they released has actually been worth it for the most parts. Burnout Paradise has been a game I’ve thoroughly enjoyed playing over the last year and a half, but I’m actually quite ashamed to say I haven’t fully completed it (:

However, the most anticipated DLC for the game has long been the Island. In fact, it was one of the first pieces of DLC to be announced, albeit the last to be released. On Friday they released a trailer which looks immense, and also gave us the release date of June 9th 11th!

Are there any games due for release soon which could be worth buying? (either console) Last game I bought was Saints Row 2 about a month and a half ago, but that is a fantastic game nevertheless.

Update: Got the release date wrong. It is actually June 11th (not the 9th). Apologies! (:

The DLC Row – Part 2

I blogged a while back about EA’s rip-off DLC with Need for Speed: Undercover, and it looks like they’ve done it again. The Godfather II is going to be released soon (albeit delayed for “marketing reasons”) and I was looking forward to buying it. However, news emerged that less than two weeks after the game is released, 3 DLC packs will be released for the game, at a total of 800MSP if you buy all of them.

The DLC includes two new maps, a new character, and a pack of ‘Level 4′ weapons. These are the most powerful in the game and can only be obtained through this DLC. They will also be allowed for use online. This is another sell-out of their gamers by EA, as if they hadn’t already done it enough.

The first problem with this DLC is that it is being released so soon after the game launched. This is content which otherwise would have been included into the main game, and so holding it back and selling it on the game’s release is unfair on the gamer and begs the question whether or not this game should be bought in the first place. Also, is this content actually included on the disk, and just ‘unlocked’ with a small file when the DLC is bought?

The second problem is that these ‘Level 4′ weapons are making the game completely unfair online. Suppose I am someone who doesn’t want to buy the DLC, does that mean I should be at a disadvantage if I play the game I bought online? DLC should just enhance the gameplay and add new things – it should be optional to the gamer whether it is bought or not.

The game itself looks great, but I don’t think it’s right that the gamer is being exploited again. Who knows how much else EA are going to milk it for? If I buy this game, will I be forced to cough up every time they bring out a new level of weapons just so I can play on a level playing field online? What do you think?

Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned

The Lost and Damned episode pack was released for Xbox 360 two weeks ago tomorrow, and I’ve just finished the story. I think it’s definately worth buying for 1600 points.

The story is fascinating, albeit rather short, and the way it ties in with Niko’s story from the original game is very ingenious. The game will take you well over 10 hours to complete with all the oddjobs such as bike thefts and gang wars.

The online play is pretty good too. The new weapons online feel fairer and better to use, and the new game modes are pretty cool. All in all, I think the add-on is fantastic, but I would have appreciated a longer storyline.

Need for Speed: Sellout

The games industry is now as important as movies when it comes to money made from releases. Grand Theft Auto IV, for instance, made $310 million on its first day in sales alone. However, there are some companies (*cough* EA *cough*) who are monetizing games far beyond new items and mission packs.

I’m in particular pointing the finger at the latest Need For Speed game – Need for Speed: Undercover. Browsing through the Xbox LIve Marketplace today I saw that you could purchase “the ability to buy upgrades without having to unlock them”. So that means that I can purchase something for 200 Microsoft Points which I could unlock quite easily with a few hours of playing time in the game.

In my opinion, that is a step too far. I can understand why they want to release new cars and race packs, but letting you pay EA to skip ahead in part of the game? Now that’s just exploitation of the gamer.

Well that’s done it for me EA. I’m no longer going to buy your new NfS game or the rip-off DLC that you’re selling with it. Done.

Far Cry 2

Well, it’s been a great week off for me, and what better way to end it than to get a fantastic new game! As usual, here’s a review…

Far Cry 2 is a game set in a fictional un-named African country, with a stunning varied landscape and a storyline which can go in many different ways. It comes from Ubisoft Montreal, the same guys who brought us Assassins Creed and Rainbow Six, both great games in their own right.

The open world is truly endless, original and varied. I’ve been through savannah, jungle and a whole lot more and that’s just the beginning. The realism of the game is much more than any other. For example, if you pick up an old gun off the floor and use it a lot, it’ll get jammed. You can unjam it and continue using it. However if you keep using it, you risk it blowing up in your hands.

You can also set off forest fires, which is pretty funny. Blow up a car, use a flamethrower or throw a molotov into trees and before long you’ll have a fire burning, and spreading rapidly too! (more…)