Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Gaming Tuesday

Achievements

Gamerscore Last Week: 23130
Goal: 23350
Gamerscore Now: 23620

Achievements unlocked

Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood
Brotherhood 20G
Your Wish is Granted 10G
Bang! 20G
Pincipessa in Another Castello 20G
Dust to Dust 20G
Fundraiser 20G
Forget Paris 20G
Splash! 20G
Home Improvement 20G
One-Man Wrecking Crew 20G
Bloody Sunday 20G
Vittoria Agli Assassini 20G
Requiescat In Pace 20G
A Knife to the Heart 50G
Plumber 20G
Spring Cleaning 10G
Deja Vu 20G
Tower Offense 20G
Amen 20G
Boom! 20G
Kaboom! 20G
Synchronization Established 10G
Fly Like an Eagle 10G
Show Off 20G
Perfectionist 20G

Goal for Next Week: 23800
$ for HPA: 11.95

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Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood Review

The most noticeable thing about this game is how similar it is to Assassin's Creed 2. It even feels like just an expansion pack. There aren't even the typical "learning" missions where you are taught the special moves. If you haven't played Assassin's Creed 2, you probably will have some difficulty getting acclimated to this game(-1). That being said, the fact that it is so similar to Assassin's Creed to isn't a bad thing. Much like Assassin's Creed 2, Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood is a beautiful game with an amazing plot and exciting gameplay(+20).

There are some subtle differences from Assassin's Creed 2 that do make Brotherhood a slightly better experience(+1). The combat system has not been entirely revamped, but it has changed. It is now very quick and offensive. You no longer will be stuck in long sword fights with guards, but will be able to take down enemies more quickly. That ability is counteracted by the fact that you have to face a lot more guards during battles in this game. Over all the combat system has been improved and some of the frustrating elements of prior games have been removed(+3).

Another new element is the introduction of Assassin recruits. Ezio now has trainees at his disposal to help him in battle and get rid of bothersome guards. As they help you and perform assassinations and fight beside you against hoards of guards, they will earn XP and will rank up, which allows you to improve their abilities. This is another cool feature introduced into Assassin's Creed Brotherhood and is another way to expedite combat sequences. It doesn't add something tremendous to the game, but it does improve the experience(+1.5)

The Story Mode is organized exactly like Assassin's Creed 2 was. You complete DNA sequences and there are tons of side missions. Again this isn't a drawback to the game. Assassin's Creed 2 was great and Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood is greater(+5).

The new Multiplayer mode is alright. It is not great, but it is certainly not awful either. It is definitely a brand new multiplayer experience(+2). It is all about stealth and blending in with the crowd. You are spawned into a map with other players and lots of NPCs that look like one of the user controlled characters. You are given a contract to assassinate another player and likely someone has a contract to take you out. It is most beneficial to remain hidden in the crowd to take out your target and protect you from your pursuer.

The multiplayer doesn't really allow you to do the things that make the single player so fun(-5). You can't sprint, you can't climb buildings. You have to try to make yourself look like an NPC and so running and climbing onto rooftops make you stick out. So, while the multiplayer is actually pretty fun(+2), it really seems to be lacking.

I think this game could have benefited from true Free-for-All and Team Deathmatch game modes. I really want to be able to sprint and climb around in Multiplayer. I would definitely love to see a multiplayer free-roam mode as well.

Assassin's Creed Brotherhood

78.5 Nerd Points

The review system is explained here

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Call of Duty: Black Ops' First Patch

So, the first patch is out and it actually addressed quite a few of the criticisms that I had of the multiplayer. The match-making system in both regular games and wager matches has been much improved. Nuke Town isn't in the rotation as much and more importantly they changed the voting system so that a lobby won't get stuck on that map. Also they patched footsteps, making Ninja a useful perk again.

The fact that Treyarch released a significant patch just one week into the release of a game makes me happy. Black Ops has really showed me just how awful Modern Warfare 2 was. It's like the transition from a crappy relationship to a good relationship. It not only makes you appreciate the good relationship so much more, but also makes you realize how shitty the old one was. I had always stuck up for Modern Warfare 2 when it got so much bashing, but now Black Ops has made me realize how terrible of a gaming experience MW2 was.

Seriously, I think I've been noob tubed 3 times since I've been playing this game. In fact explosive deaths have been pretty damn minimal. It is just so much better without all the bullshit that went along with MW2.

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An Announcement of an Announcement about an Announcement

I will be announcing my nominees for Game of the Year on the December 14th* edition of Gaming Tuesday. I think if you have followed this blog, I may have tipped my hand as to which games will be nominated. If you have any thoughts about what you think should be game of the year let me know in the comments of this post.

Thanks for reading and please comment.

-Michael
*There's something about that date ;)

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