8-bit Masterpiece

Those who know me would tell you that I hate Minecraft with a burning passion, that the idea makes me angry and the gameplay is confusing. I was a fool.

Yesterday, our anti-gamer invited me to his Minecraft server to try the game out. I was reluctant, but I gave it a go. I bought and downloaded Minecraft, thinking I had probably just wasted £16.95 of my hard-earned money. I was so wrong. So very, very wrong.

Minecraft is amazing. I've never been against 8-bit gaming, I just found the whole concept to be somewhat stupid. However, when the anti-gamer showed me the world he, Devinity and co had created my mind was changed. In Minecraft anything is possible, any structure can be built. It's just a world of possibility, limited only by your own imagination.

I said before that I found gameplay confusing. That was just me being a n00b. I just hadn't received the proper instruction. After around 15 minutes of me being generally n00bish, I got the hang of how to work the game and I was chopping down trees and crafting materials - it was fantastic. After killing Devinity's cows and getting my revenge on the anti-gamer for setting a load of monsters on me, I realized what I'd been missing out on every time I had declined a request to play Minecraft. It's a great social and creative game.

Not my creation - Fraps didn't save my screens. But it shows you what you can do. 

Once the multiplayer server had been turned off for the evening, I decided to go solo for a while and see what I could do with my new favourite game. I played for a couple of hours, messing around with the tools and materials, until I eventually built a house. It may not be the greatest house, but I was quite proud of myself. I built it on the cliff facing the sea for that scenic look and outside I built two pens - one for my pack of wolves and one to house my cow and sheep.

There are several game modes that the anti-gamer showed me during my lesson on how to play Minecraft, all of which were very interesting. Survival mode was terrifying - mainly because he released a whole bunch of monsters and set them on me. I decided that mode was a little much for now as I was killed instantly by the creepers and zombies that were mauling me. Creative mode was definitely better, being able to fly and such made travel easier, and the full inventory was useful, even if it did take from the fun of mining for materials. Of course, if you want to play for free then Classic is available - it just isn't updated anymore.

Minecraft is a great game, and I honestly don't know why I hated it so much before. You haven't gamed until you've sat down on Mincecraft. You can get it for PC and XBOX so don't hesitate, visit minecraft.net now.

There are those who were ashamed of me for converting to Minecraft, but I can only say they haven't yet seen the light. I found my newest addiction.

Valhalla

I Like to Move it Move it... Like a Jedi?

  Today marks an important day in the development of a Galaxy Far Far Away. For today is not only the 94th day of the year (don't say we never teach you anything) but it is also the day that Kinect Star Wars is released, something I feel many people will have been waiting for, for many years.

  The idea of being able to Use The Force whilst wielding a lightsaber excites the inner child in me, and indeed my adult ultimate fantasy. (On another note my dedication to the Star Wars world is show by the fact that 'lightsaber' isn't even corrected by spell check any more...)

  The most common case with Kinect games is that they are made up of several different 'mini-game' modes, but this one seems to have a sightly bigger campaign mode to work towards. The research I have done on trials of the game seem to indicate that the kinetic technology ultimately slightly lets down the whole ambiance of the game, but it is important to remember that while your fingers on a controller only have a few centimeters to move in a second on a controller it takes a full arm a few more seconds to conduct the movement required. 

  It seems generally speaking that the game has been a success although it has features which may aggravate the inpatient, it seems to have redeemed itself with its racing mini games. Ahh yes dear reader, for they have not only allowed us to fight like a Jedi, but also to acquire the perks of one, I'm talking pod racing, droid control, and a choice of ship. The game also has an option to join forces with friends in a co-op or duel mode, ensuring that friends can easily jump in and out of the action. 

  In all, there is much to be excited about over this game, but the platform its designed for is just not doing it justice, but there is one thing we can be certain of, this game has been predicted to be a success, and for good reason, there's is a lot that will appeal to any faithful member of the Republic (or indeed the Sith). I mean who wouldn't want to work out like Obi Wan Kenobi?

News so big I was blasted into space...

We have a recurring theme at the moment. The theme is Star Wars - it was big last year and this year it seems to be growing in size and popularity. It's classic set of films, and the games that go with it are absolutely fantastic, explaining the history behind the films and forcing us to set out on epic adventures. It has brought both young and old together as they sit down on a Saturday night and watch one of the Star Wars films or battle the evil Sith in one of the many, many games. It is this year, 2012, that Star Wars will be returning to us. You thought TOR was good (I certainly did), but you haven't yet seen what's coming to your local games store in April this year. Yes, it's a new game, but there's more to it than that. Far more. Take a look for yourself...

Yes, it's an XBOX 360 based on R2 D2 with C3P0 controllers! A joke, you say? No, I promise you that this is real. It's very real indeed. Not only this, but it also comes with a white Kinect and a Star Wars game that is for Kinect. Now you can be a real Jedi, wielding your lightsaber and using the force on weak minded scum. The console should come with 320GB, a wired headset, white Linect, Star Wars game and Kinect Adventures. The price? well, we haven't been given an exact price just yet, but the estimate it between £250 - £300. It's actually quite a good deal for such a unique bundle. The force is strong in this console...

We asked a few of our readers to tell us what they thought of the new console and asked whether or not they were excited by its release. So, they sent us short clips of themselves telling us exactly what they thought so that we could stick it up on our YouTube channel and blog. Check it out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KPGZ0Q3XB0

We're always interested in your opinion, and so we would like to invite you all to share your opinions on games and consoles with us. If we like them, we'll put them on our YouTube channel and here on the blog for other readers to take a look at. don;t be shy, send your videos to titusvalhalla@gmail.com and tell us what you think.

- Valhalla

Guest Blogger!

Merry Christmas, readers, today we have a guest blogger! Take a look, we quite like him.


Hey, Tanky here. I guess a good opener would be to explain who I am (I'll try to sound as if I don’t love myself too much). I’m the latest competition winner Nathan Davidson and I thought that as these guys have rewarded me for merely following their concise adventures into the electronic world of gaming (wasn't really that hard, the trick is too be a closet nerd like myself who cant openly talk about these things with college friends without getting funny looks).

Tanky

So, I'm going to go into depth about my recent influx of overly enjoyed gaming since I started again a few months back, kick started by one of the most anticipated games of 2011!, (yes, you've probably already guessed it by now) SKYRIM!

With merely a few hours before release my girlfriend announces that “I don’t want you to have to wait until Christmas to play Skyrim”, Which to any gamer, Is like a dream come true, So never the less I began my adventures and in no less than 48 hours the main quest, the dark brotherhood and the thieves guild were finished. Due to an added feature known as ‘Shouts’ and the fact all games are becoming ever more user friendly (known to us gamers as ‘being easier’), I found my adventures in Skyrim more fluid and there was very little in the way (other than a few puzzles that anyone with the cognitive strength of a slug could figure out). But, I would like to continue this post by adding the many aspects of the game I have enjoyed…

Lycanthropy
(the werewolf curse)

(best bonus) Immunity to disease including the most annoying of the Elder Scrolls universe Sanguinare Vampiris (the vampire curse).
(Bonuses while in beast form) Increased melee damage with a range of +5 to +60 when in beast form depending on level.
Increased dexterity with the opportunity to run on all fours in beast form.


Shouts
(the utterance of words of power and the resulting effect)

On completion of the game you now get to use 2 very useful shouts when in a stcky situation such as being cornered…
Call Dragon- Od (snow) – Ah (Hunter) – Viing (Wing) “Odahviing! Hear my voice and come forth. I summon you in my time of need.” This summons the dragon Odahviing (aka Alduin’s sidekick) to help you in battle.
Call Of Valor- Hun (Hero) – Kaal (Champion) – Zoor (Legend) Each level of this shouts summons a different hero of Sovngarde (The ones that banished Alduin into the future). Hun – Gormlaith Golden-Hilt (who wields bows/sword/shields and shouts) Hun, Kaal – Felldir The Old (Who wields a Great sword and a number of damage inflicting shouts) Hun, Kaal, Zoor – Hakon One-Eye (who wields a Battle Axe and uses Melee Shouts)

Mining

Although this may seem like a pointless nod of appreciation to other fantasy veterans such as the ever popular but underrated Runescape or the classic and the modern MMORPG versions of Warcraft. Mining has become a useful tool in Skyrim due to two simple facts, The mines are everywhere and Pickaxes are light to carry (Which basically makes this like finding a ten pound note on your way to earn money. A HAPPY BONUS). This was the contributing factor to why I was probably one of the first people I know to achieve the 100,000 gold achievement on my Xbox 360. Along with this goes the ability to smelt your ore into bars, and in turn create items to sell for a higher price. Your patience really does pay off in Skyrim.

Cooking

Throughout my journeys in Skyrim, I discovered my favourite recipes for a useful item and through the most un-used skill at my disposal, Cooking. The Two I would like to share with you are:

Elswyr Fondue
(Ale,Eidar Cheese Wheel, Moon Sugar) Which fortifies magicka 100/12m and regenerates magicka 25%/12m
Horker Stew
(Garlic, Horker Meat, Lavender, Tomato) Which restores 15 health and 15 stamina and also regenerates health 1/12m


Now for a little summary of the ever popular and my favourite aspect of the elder scrolls games, The Dark Brotherhood. again filled with deception, plot twists and this time …. brace yourself… YOU MEET THE NIGHT MOTHER AND WORK DIRECTLY FOR HER!
For those of you that wish to seek this quest line the first meeting that may occur is by a small farm North of Whiterun, The meeting is strange your are confronted on your journey by a weird man, who talks like a psychopath and is dressed accordingly in a medieval court jesters apparel and his carriage (WHICH HARBOURS THE NIGHT MOTHERS BODY).

That is all for today.

PEACE

Fable 1

Fable I

I’m a huge fantasy fan and I also have a strange adoration for the period that this game was set in despite my hatred of history (for someone who hates history there is a weird amount of time periods which fascinate me).

This game is one of the most anticipated games on the market. Who doesn’t love a bit of sword play, fantasy, heroism and ale drinking?

Fable is a third person action RPG based around 1 main character and his dog which follows him everywhere, the character is called ‘The Hero of Oakvale’. The cool thing is, your character can either be good or evil depending on your actions. The game is set in Albion which is a patchwork collection of towns and cities that used to be called the Old Kingdom (you’d thing that would come later rather than sooner) when it lived in prosperity but as time went on the ruler became corrupt and now the hero lives in a lawless, country that is slowly deteriorating.

The Hero is sent on quests, some further the plot and some are merely for entertainment value and for gain. Some quests allow the player to pick which side they wish to help, good or evil, these choices lead to the characters over all popularity and reputation. If a player accepts a quest then they can boast and can have bets like doing the whole quest naked or without getting hurt they can then increase the money they get from the quest if this challenge is overcome (I think that’s pretty cool, how many games dare you to do a quest naked?).

Renown is the most important thing the hero needs. To get this they can boast about winnings and trophies, they can use gold from quests to buy it but they also need the gold to buy better weapons to make harder quests achievable which also gets them Renown.

Weapons range (see what I did there? I make myself laugh sometimes. Someone has to...laugh that is) from swords and maces to bows and arrows and that even includes magic. To increase magical ability the hero must kill enemies and collect their orbs. Different colours mean different things; there is general, strength, skill and will. General can be used to modify groups of attributes, strength is good for toughness, health etc, Skill, for speed and accuracy and such and Will is for upgrading your spells. Each spell upgrade will tell you how much of which one it needs.

The Fable map is riddled with towns and cities, full of life and activities for the hero. I good way to get gold is to buy houses and rent them out(if you are feeling malevolent you can raise the rent or even, if you are feeling extra vicious, kick our your tenants for new ones). If you want, although if you ask me it’s a bit strange, you can find a woman, or man (you can even be gay) and get married (I should warn you, all the towns folk are really ugly) and have children (unless you are in a gay relationship in which case you can’t have children).

A note on alignment

I mentioned this earlier. Your character has the ability to become good or evil based on actions you choose to take. Well here is a bit more about that.

I think most gamers like the evil looking ones (it might just be me and my weird observation) like me and Valhalla. Some I suppose may like being good, well this game takes them to the extreme. The good ones get halo’s and end up looking a bit like prince charming (retch) and butterfly’s follow them around and it’s all pretty and such and the evil ones grow horns and get red eyes and give of a glowing red aura as a warning to any who approach.

Other things that affect the hero

If you eat too much or drink too much you become irreversibly fat it can also make you throw up.

Clothes can make you appear scary or protect you in battle and they can also affect your alignment. Bright colours will make the townspeople like you and dark colours will make them fear you.

You can change your hair, facial features and even get tattoos. Attributes also affect aesthetics such as your strength increases brawn, skill affects your height, and spells make celestial patterns on your skin.

Plot

As a child the hero’s family is killed, on his sister’s birthday. The hero joins ‘The Hero’s Guild’ and trains to become a champion. The hero begins a journey to find out why his family were killed and eventually a friend tells him that there is a blind seeress in a bandit camp nearby who may be able to help. So the hero travels to find her and discovers that it is his sister and that she was taken by the bandit leader who the hero challenges.  The hero can choose to let him live or kill him which marks the beginning of his choice of alignment.

When the hero is stronger he is invited to a battle arena where he meets Jack of Blades who challenges the hero to fight Whisper, a friend and rival. He then has to decide whether to kill or spare his friend.

The hero discovers that Jack of Blades is the one who killed his family and the whole of Oakvale (the hero’s childhood home). The hero tracks down his mother who has been a prisoner of Jack of Blades since ever since.  The hero is captured and when he escapes and takes his mother the hero once again searches for Jack. The hero’s friend is revealed to be a traitor and kidnaps the hero’s sister when the hero defeats his friend he gets to fight Jack where is mother is killed.

It is discovered that the hero and his sister are the only remaining decedents of the king and so the only ones who can wield the sword. After killing Jack the hero can either keep the sword and kill his sister or cast away the sword (it’s kind of like Achilles’ decision in mythology where he had to decide between living a short and heroic life or a long and boring one).

There are 4 possible endings, you must decide.

There is a special edition where the story continues but I will leave you to discover that.

Have fun.

Btw this is a great game and I give it high ratings GGGGGGGGG (9/10 gamer points) because it is original and has interesting interpretation of storyline.

Valhalla's adventures in Skyrim

Valhalla's awesome Skyrim hat. Yeah, totally awesome

Yesterday, before work, I picked up my own copy of Skyrim on PC so that I could play it all day today. That plan didn’t quite work as I accepted an all day shift and so was only able to play tonight (which is alright as work is enjoyable). Sadly, I didn’t get to play the Elder Scrolls games as they came out and only bought Oblivion on Wednesday – making me the n00b in this fantastic world. I will post relatively frequently about my epic adventures in Skyrim and my progression through the game (hopefully Titus will be joining in with this) so that you can enjoy the game with me. I’ve been taking screen shots like a psychotic Orc Berserker.

When I got home I was quick to start up my gaming laptop and get the game installed. You see, at work today a very tall man came and complained to my colleague and me about how Skyrim for PC had to be downloaded through Steam and because of this it took five hours to install. Upon hearing this I was afraid I wouldn’t get a post up tonight, but had this been the case you wouldn’t be reading this right now. For me, it took under twenty minutes to fully install through Steam and so I was more than pleased with this. Finally, my epic journey could begin...

Prisoner

I started out in a bumpy wooden cart on my way to an unknown destination. All around me was frightened chatter and something about an execution (everyone around me (in real life) was talking, it was hard to hear). I was mildly curious as to what the people in the cart were talking about but was more interested in my surroundings and looking out for our destination. After a short while I saw it right in front of me and already knew this wasn’t going to be pleasant. Helgen wasn’t the most reassuring of names either.

Once the carriage stopped in the little town, me and the other prisoners on the cart were forced off and made to line up so that our names could be called. Apparently, all these guys were rebels and I had managed to get mixed in with the wrong crowd. My name wasn’t called and so I was forced to introduce myself (no opportunity to do an Odysseus and call myself No-one). Here, I created my character, Kirith the Wood Elf, and even though my name wasn’t on the list that evil chick in the shiny armour wanted me dead. She’s racist towards Elves, I know it.

First guy down

One of my fellow prisoners was beheaded, and it was as I was shoved onto the chopping block that a massive dragon appeared from nowhere, sweeping through the skies and destroying all in its path. That saved my life. Totally freaked by the appearance of this beast I was quick to scurry to my feet, only to be met by Hadvar, the soldier who didn’t want me to die. 

Telling me to follow him the two of us began a journey underground in order to escape the dragon. We came across a few twists and turns, some nasty enemies and some decent weaponry – the journey was a breeze. The slow-mo combat when you give a critical hit is quite epic, I must say. I frequently got lost and fell off mini bridges as I kept forgetting which controls to use, and it was rather comical and I’m sure Hadvar must have been irritated by how slow I was...

We made our way back to the surface of Skyrim in good time, despite the various accidents, and my new friend led me along the cobbled path towards our next destination – Riverwood. There, we met the Smithy, Alvor, who was warm and welcoming towards me and Hadvar (I figure they’re good friends). We told him about the dragon that had started destroying everything, and how it was making its way towards Riverwood. Shocked and afraid, Alvor asked me to go to Whiterun where I should speak with the Jarl and request that he send troops to Riverwood for protection. I agreed (as I’m a helpful Elf), and bought a bunch of supplies from the smithy. On top of this, Hadvar told me that I should join the Imperial Legion, despite the fact that they attempted to kill me. As he had helped to save my life I told him I would think about it (I’ll be taking a different route).

On my own

So, Hadvar decided not to continue travelling with me – obviously feasting with the Smithy and his family was far more interesting than my Epic quest – and so I was forced to continue my journey alone. With my iron mace strapped to my back and my nice, thick leather armour clinging to my body I marched on to Whiterun, eager to complete my quest. I didn’t encounter many enemies along the way, a couple of wild animals, but that was about it. I was feeling pretty powerful by this point.

It wasn’t long before I arrived at the outskirts of Whiterun, the stables standing alone before me. As I crept towards it, a horse stood out of its stall, just begging for me to steal it. But no, I am a righteous Elf and respect the law, so I left it alone. Instead, I broke into the stable house and was arrested by the guard (went back on my own word there). Yeah, smart move for me. Being a bit of a wimp when it come to dirty prison cells (we Elves are very clean), I decided to pay my bounty instead of do my time. Thank the gods I had enough coin. I decided it was best not to break into houses anymore.

Once the guard let me go, I set out to find the Jarl in his mighty palace. It wasn’t hard to find (cough) as he was right on top of a hill. Barging through his doors, I was unimpressed by the woman who decided to confront me, demanding that I tell her what I had been asked to tell the Jarl. I avoided her questions until she relented and allowed me to pass. Once I was in front of the Jarl I told him everything that had happened, and he was eager to send troops to Riverwood to protect them from the dragon. Once I was done with him, I was sent to see his sorcerer in the other room so that I could help him learn more about dragons. He asked me to retrieve the dragon stone from the mountains nearby. I decided to go, even though the horse and carriage wouldn’t take me and I had no money to buy a horse.

I made my way up the mountain, cursing and grumbling about the weather, until I reached a little settlement filled with angry bandits. Irritated by their determination to kill me, I proceeded to slaughter them relentlessly, ensuring that they were all satisfactorily dead. Serves them right for attempting to slay me. It was then that I caught sight of my destination, where the dragon stone was kept.

Bleak Falls Temple...the beginning

I’m tired tonight; I didn’t have the energy to go any further than I did. So, I’m splitting this bit into two parts, and you’ll find out what happened next Skyrim update.

After slaying the bandits, I entered the Bleak Falls Temple where I knew the dragon stone was. There were quite a few bandits in there, but I had no trouble taking care of them. After all, I’m a strong and powerful Wood Elf who so far hasn’t died once (I’m just that good).

I made my way through the long and winding tunnel that led to my loot. I followed the map and my instinct towards what I thought was where I was supposed to be. I was wrong. I reached a small room with a portcullis-type gate and a lever just before it. After killing the single guy in the room, I pulled the lever to see what would happen. Shards of light rushed past me, but nothing else occurred. Confused, I messed around with the stones in the room and still, nothing happened. By this point I was becoming irritated, especially as my brain was tired and so I took a moment to retrace my footsteps. A while back there had been an extra path, it looked like I would have to turn around and go that way rather than have an easy route. Which is fine, tomorrow I’ll be adventuring again and back to the path I previously ignored.

There’s still a long way to go in the temple and so I’ll be sure to tell you what happens next as I continue on my quest to find the dragon stone. I’m not rushing through this game, I plan to enjoy it. It deserves thorough enjoyment and to be taken at a steady pace.

Have any of you guys played Skyrim yet? If so, tell us what you think so far. Just to let you know, if you want to send in a video sharing your thoughts on any game for our YouTube channel then feel free to send them in at titusvalhalla@gmail.com.

Below, are a few places where you can buy Skyrim if you don’t already own a copy.

Skyrim - GAME

Skyrim - Amazon

Skyrim - Play.com

It's time for us to announce the winner!

You guys have been awesome, retweeting, following out blog and chatting on our Facebook page. Now, it's time for us to announce the winner of our competition to win a copy of Skyrim.

The winner is James Wright - a massive congratulations to him! Thank you to everyone who took part, and I hope to see you all again for our next competition which will be revealed very soon - watch this space! James, please contact us at titusvalhalla@gmail.com to claim your prize.

Tomorrow's blog post is on Skyrim, so do be sure to visit our blog for the beginning of Valhalla's great journey (it will be updated as he gets through the game).

Thank you to everyone for participating, we hope to see you soon.

Valhalla and Titus Proxima

Games Based on Movies

Okay, hear me out guys.

So there are these two totally awesome dudes, the so very strong and very just Valhalla and the amazingly wise Titus Proxima. Together they embark on a journey of discovery and trial. 3 times weekly they must provide their loyal followers with witty, banter filled adventures that they have and/or plan to embark on! On this particular day the wise Titus had this totally awesome idea to tell them the story of tasks they were set that they felt had been done before and so were disappointed in, and this is how that story went...(I’m not sure what this is but go with the flow)

Lara Croft Tomb Raider Legend

Yeah I know, don’t judge. I was a cool kid, ok? Plus... you can’t tell me she isn’t a little bit hot. Right?

So, I don’t know if you saw the movie (only like a zillion times) but the game is NOTHING like it (when is it ever).

The game starts with a bang (literally) as a plane with Lara and her mum are in crashes and they are the only two survivors. They find themselves in a tomb with a sword which Lara’s mum pulls out of a stone and she disappears (kind of like a weird take on Excalibur).

Bolivia: Back in real time Lara travels to Bolivia where there is a stone dais that her friend Anaya mentioned. Along the way she encounters mercenaries and wild animals that try to kill her. Upon reaching the dais she meets Rutland who holds a strange piece of sword, mentions a dead friend and then sets his mercenaries on her, but she’s Lara croft so no problem.

So from here Lara goes through a series of countries including Peru, Japan, Ghana, Kazakhstan, Great Britain and Nepal (she gets around a lot), finds out some awful truths, spares some lives and ends with a plan for the future.

So yeah it’s like pretty much every other movie game out there (I really want to use some big words here like infantile and menial that will impress but I think that that ruins the whole colloquial thing we have going on).

As much as I want to say ‘yeah, totally loved it 10/10’ I really can’t. Honestly there are few perks except a little Angelina Jolie and some nice gun action it’s really quite poor, even the graphics are weak. So GGGG(4/10) is the best I can give.

Bleach: The shattered blade

On Wii! Yes, I play this game on the Wii. Should I be ashamed? Some say so, but I would disagree. The Wii is generally seen as a family console, and whilst this is mostly true, it doesn’t mean you can’t play anything other than family based games on it. Anyway, I play Bleach: The shattered blade on Wii and I’m going to tell you a little bit about it.

The game is based shortly after (anime series spoiler) Ichigo rescues Rukia from her execution at Sōkyoku Hill. Now an accepted soul reaper (shinigami), he is able to help defend soul society from their newly formed enemy – the Espada/arrancar. The power that Ichigo used at Sōkyoku Hill was so great that it broke the seal that imprisoned an arrancar named Arturo Plateado. He is a highly dangerous, self-made arrancar that attempted to destroy the whole of soul society, but was captured and then sealed beneath the city. Now that he had been released, it is his goal to seek revenge. He is able to take on the form of any member of soul society, whether it is squad captains, vice captains or other team members. It is your goal to stop and defeat Arturo before it’s too late.

You can play as loads of different characters in this game, and I’ve completed it on nearly every single one. It’s actually pretty easy once you get the hang of it. Each character begins the game with different reasoning, but they all end the same way – confronting Arturo. As every character has different skills and varying forms and powers with their zanpaktou the game becomes more interesting. I wish they had been able to include Hisagi’s bankai. It rocks. It really does.

Multiplayer is pretty repetitive. You and a friend can battle characters (either the same character or different ones) in different ‘arenas’ and through that determine a winner. It’s simple and there isn’t much to it. Just a bit of mindless fun you might say.

The controls are simple to use and get the hang of. It requires the Wii remote and the nun chuck to play. The individual buttons on each remote release special moves such as the bankai form or various spells.

Compared to the anime/manga...

So, this is Arturo. You look...familiar.

Here’s the thing that really bugs me. This new arrancar, Arturo, looks almost exactly like Grimmjow with the slightly longer hair/bone remains on his face. I wonder why they couldn’t just design a different arrancar that didn’t bear such a heavy resemblance to one that already exists. It’s so irritating when the character seems to lack any form of creativity and the creators feel as though they have re-use a former character template.

Of course, it’s not part of the anime

All the characters are pretty good at remaining in the same mind set as they would if they were in the anime series and so I can say that everything in this game was pretty well done when comparing it to the original series.

In conclusion...

The storyline is lacking, and it gets a bit samey after a while. The clear lack of creativity when it comes to the actual main antagonist is rather appalling if not disappointing. If you’re looking for a mindless game that requires little skill and concentration then I would highly recommend this one to you. If you want something action packed and filled with variety and twists in the plot then this really, really is not the game you’re looking for.

Kids will love it, so will those who just don’t feel like thinking for a night (we’ve all been there). However, for its poor development, gameplay and lack of creativity I reward it a mere 5/10. Sorry, Bleach , you disappointed me

As a side note, readers, please don't forget that tomorrow the winner of a copy of Skyrim will be announced! Watch this space, it's coming quickly. 

Dead Space

A third person shooter survival game, Dead Space was developed by EA Games for PC, PS3 and XBOX. So far, there are two games in the series (the third of which is yet to be released), and since the release of the first Dead Space game in 2008, its popularity has only risen. Battling against a virus that transforms humans into grotesque and horrifying monsters known as Necromorphs, it's up to you to save the world and what remains of the human race.

Dead Space


Don't deny it, you want to shoot some Aliens! Who wouldn't with the hype Americans make over them, crop circles and anything they can possibly relate to the humanoid beings that have stumbled upon our decaying planet and have landed on it in the hope that they will find the chance to conquer it and take it back to their alien over-lord a a gift! (Try saying that in one breath, I dare you)


The USG Ishimuru's communiation with earth is cut off as the ship encounters an alien object!
Isaak Clarke, an engineer, arrives to repair the damage done and finds the ship, a hollow, lifeless, blood covered pit infected by aliens and totally devoid of human life.
The engineer becomes a survivor, tasked with returning the object to it's planet.

Gameplay


One of the first things you notice about Dead Space is the fact that is has a totally different UI to other games. Instead of player information being along the edges of the screens, things like the health bar and ammunition count are built into the weapons and armour, saving space. It actually looks rather good. if you wish to check the maps and other features, you just use one of the various holograms that float around your character.


In order to kill Necromorphs you must remove all of their limbs as you shoot them, thus introducing a new form of combat. Just shooting an enemy in the head won't finish him in this game. 


As your character is an engineer, a majority of his tools and weapons are made from old parts like saws and flamethrowers. This certainly adds a sense of realism to the game, in my opinion as the tools and weapons used are more realistic due to the fact that you built a lot of them yourself using your engineering skills. 


From what I've seen and read, the controls are easy enough to understand and the graphics used in this game are more than half decent. Certainly one to pick up if you don't already own it (like me). 

Dead Space 2


Isaaks back (I think that has a nice ring to it) but it's not just about surviving this time.
He awakes froma a coma (I really wanted to make a dead joke here) in an alien city called 'The Sprawl' (you can imagine the positive energy all over this place)!
He is the sole survivor of an alien infestation and the government want him. On top of that he's having nightmares about is dead girlfriend (I can only imagine).
He will do anything to live and him and his arsenal put the ace in space (I couldn't resist, you can punish me for it later).


Gameplay


Released in January of this year, the gameplay for Dead Space 2 is almost exactly the same as its predecessor. The UI is the same as before as well as combat and the character you play as. However, this title has multiplayer, something its ancestor did not possess. 

Differences to Dead Space


There are FIVE difficulty levels in this game. They are: Casual, Normal, Survivalist, Zealot and Hardcore. Each level is more difficult than the last, with Hardcore as the most extreme. Unlocked after completing the game, you can only play from a fresh start, are allowed no more than three saves and will struggle to find ammunition, food and other vital supplies. The monsters are relentless and it is a seriously hard level to complete. Anyone who has finished this level...I salute you. 




Multiplayer


Two teams of four, one human, one Necromorph. The human's goal is to try and complete the given task whilst the Necromorphs attempt to stop them from finishing. Each player has two weapons and as you progress through multiplayer new weapons and abilities will be unlocked for both sides. It could be a long and relentless battle if you have two very good teams pitted against each other. Being able to play as both the good guy and the bad guy is an added bonus to the experience of multiplayer mode.

Dead Space 3


I bet your thinking 'Jeeze, how long can one guy survive an alien invasion on his own (...without a towel...Douglas Adams fans, that was or your benefit)!
So now I suppose you'll want me to tell you all about it!!
You'll just have to wait like rest of us, or go and get hired for the production.




Dead Space is a popular game that has received high ratings from pretty much every critic out there. Thank you to Watcher (Michael) for voting this game as our next post and we hope you enjoyed it. Below is a little Dead Space 2 video. 

Battlefield 3

One of the most anticipated first person shooters of this year, EA games will be releasing Battlefield 3 in the EU tomorrow. It’s the eleventh instalment in the Battlefield series, and if you want the PC version you’ll have to sign up with EA’s Origin (a lot like Steam, sign up and download the games straight to your PC). It looks like it’s going to be good, and people are wondering if it will overtake Modern Warfare 3 in both sales and popularity this year. We’ll have to wait and see what happens with that one – it’s sure to be an interesting result.

Let’s take a look at the plot

2014, SSgt Blackburn leads a five-man squad on a mission to locate and return a US squad that’s investigating a potential chemical weapons site which was last controlled by the hostile PLR. Later, Blackburn and his squad are sent to Tehran to apprehend a valuable target known as As-Bashir. Whilst investigating an underground vault in a local bank, Blackburn and his team discover that PLR had access to portable nuclear devices that had been made by the Russians (it’s always the Russians with these games, isn’t it? Always seems to be an American protagonist too). They then realize that two of these devices are missing. Suddenly overrun by enemies, they request backup and an M1 Abrahams convoy led by Corporal Miller is sent to aid Blackburn’s team. However, Miller ends up being captured whilst waiting for a Quick Reaction Force to arrive. Miller is then executed by Solomon and Al-Bashir and the execution is recorded.

As this is occurring, Blackburn and his squad track down and find a wounded Al-Bashir who reveals Solomon’s plans to detonate the missing weapons in Paris and New York. They also discover who the arms dealer is (a Russian named Kaffarov). It’s a race to find Solomon and stop him before he is able to detonate the missiles. Not only that, but a second team is tracking the arms dealer. It is vital that the terrorists are stopped, and time is running out...

Gameplay

“Battlefield 3 features the maximalist combined arms battles that made the series popular across single-player, co-operative and multiplayer modes. It reintroduces several elements absent from the Bad Company games, including fighter jets, the prone position and 64-player battles on PC.” -Wikipedia

EA stated in Game Informer magazine that Commander Mode will likely be taken out of the game, which is disappointing to hear as many players really enjoyed this feature (including us).
A lot of the game will take place in urban areas, mainly cities, streets and downtown, although there will be some open landscapes for vehicle combat and the like (can you imagine trying to get a bulky vehicle through narrow city streets?).
If you want to play with friends, you can now use the ‘Battlelog’ which has a built-in text messaging service as well as the ability to communicate through speech. You can join a game that your friend is already playing and vice versa, but you do have to be on the same console (as would be expected).

Multiplayer mode


In Battlefield 3 you can take on one of four roles: Assault, Support, Engineer and Recon. Each class have their own unique abilities and features, as can be seen listed below.
-       Assault: equip defibrillators and medical kits. Like the healers of the game.
-       Engineer: is able to use a flashlight to blind other players (handy weapon, in my opinion).
-       Recon: can place a radio beacon anywhere on the map so that all squad members are able to respawn there.




The following game modes have been announced for multiplayer mode.
-       - Conquest
-       - Rush
-       - Deathmatch
-       - Squad Rush
-       - Team Deathmatch (Like Battlefield 1942)

Weapons Guide

We went on to the EA website to look for the weapons that can be found in Battlefield 3 so that you don’t have to. Here’s a list of all of them.

Sniper Rifles

M39 EMR

M40A5

M98B

MK11 M0D0

SKS

SV98

SVD

Shotguns

DA0-12

M1014

870MCS

SAIGA 12K

USAS-12

M26 MASS

Personal Defence Weapons

AS VAL

PDW-R

MP7

P90

PP-2000

UMP-45

Machine Guns

M27 1AR

M60E4

M240B

M249

PKP PECHENEG

RPK-74M

TYPE 88 LMG

Carbines

G36C

SCAR-H

M4A1

SG553

Pistols

G17C

G18

M9

93R

M1911

MP412 REX

.44 MAGNUM

Rocket/Grenade Launchers

FGM-148 JAVELIN

M320

SA-18 IGLA

RPG-7V2

FIM-92 STINGER

SMAW

Assault rifles

AEK-971

AK-74M

AN-94

M416

G3A3

Sadly, I can't get information on gear and equipment as EA has not yet put it up on their website, which is a shame as it would have been good to give you guys that kind of information. However, I can give you a little bit of information on the kind of vehicles available to you in play. 

Vehicles

- Jets

- Tanks

- Helicopters

- Naval Transport

- Fast Transport

- Armoured Transport

Here's a video from EA that shows you a little more on the vehicles available to you.