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2013 is nearing an end and what a year it has been. There have been some really amazing games released this year plus the launch of the Xbox One and PS4, the industry is booming. Now I did not play ANY console exclusive releases this year so that means my list may lack a few important titles but I do believe at the very least, I should give honorable mentions to the following:
The Last of Us (PS3)
Super Mario World 3D (WiiU)
Zelda: A link between worlds (3DS)
Grand Theft Auto V (Xbox 360, PS3)
Hopefully next year I will be able to play GTA V, The Last of Us and Zelda (I recently bought a PS4 which has plans to bring PS3 games over next year using their Gaikai system and I also got a 3DS) so I can comment further and experience some of the top games I missed. Anyway, back to business. The time has come to reveal my list for Game of the Year!
10. Hammerwatch
Insanely addicting game that brings me back to the days of the original Gauntlet for NES. I have gotten tons of enjoyment out of this simple hack/slash game released in August. The game is very straightforward and very easy to get into. I made my first Let's Play video to this game and finally got around to playing the game multiplayer last night which adds a whole new level of crazy fun to the game. Hammerwatch further proved to me that you don't need a AAA budget with state of the art graphical fidelity to create one of the best games of the year.
9. Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon
While not exactly a fully released game, Blood Dragon was an expandalone title following Far Cry 3 from last year. To me, Blood Dragon was what Duke Nukem Forever wanted to be. Incredibly fun and overall an enjoyable experience. The game itself is a bit on the short side but what do want from a $15 DLC that you don't even need the original game to run? Blood Dragon captured everything I love about 80's culture. The soundtrack, the futuristic setting, the voice acting, the story, all incredibly cheesy but in a fun, nostalgic way.
8. Monaco
Simply, one of the best Co-Op experiences ever. Monaco is a game in which up to 4 players work together to get through each level pulling off various heists. The more players, the more chaos, the more fun! The sound design is great and the visual elements in the game are beautiful. The gameplay is very very simple and really lets the player focus on the heist at hand instead of fumbling around the keys to perform specific actions to get to the next stage. The one flaw I have with the game is that the single player while good, is not great. It is a great way to learn the game but other than that it is rather boring alone so pick it up and bring friends!
7. ARMA III
Pushing graphics to the next level, ARMA III may melt your machine but its SO WORTH IT! A lot of people prefer Call of Duty or Battlefield because they are more accessible to the average gamer but ARMA III is hands down the best modern war experience of the year. The engine is truly the next step up and the immersion factor cannot be denied. And with the full release out now, next year I expect to see mods mods and more mods created by the community. ARMA III, while flying under the radar with major reviewers this year, is the best military experience in a game to date.
6. Don't Starve
This quirky rogue-like game brought me great enjoyment. I usually don't really like rogue-like games but this one stuck with me. The art direction and the oddly satisfying sounds were a nice touch to this game of survival. The crafting system is easy to use and the game has a very high replay factor. The Tim Burton-esque style of this game is what first caught my eye and after playing for a while I can firmly state that Don't Starve was one of the years best. If you are looking for a good challenge while still able to relax and enjoy a game on your own, go grab it.
5. Tomb Raider
I never played any Tomb Raider games prior to this installment and to say this was a delight was an understatement. This being my first introduction to the Tomb Raider franchise blew my mind. Great overall story, great graphics, great gameplay. Tomb Raider had it all for me. The survival aspects that were woven into the game really played well and the grim setting was perfect for the game. The overall level design really helped this game for me. There were no repetitive tombs and the combat was fluid and memorable for me. And how could I go on and on and not mention the VOICE ACTING! Everyone did such a great job on this and I am looking forward to the next installment and I am eager to get into the backlog of the franchise. Square Enix handled the game very well and they deserve all the praise in the world for reviving a stale franchise. (Oh and HAIR PHYSICS!!!)
4. Bioshock Infinite
I love the original Bioshock, it is one of my favorite games of all time and was one of the very few "life changing" games I have ever played. I must say that my expectations were not incredibly high for Infinite just because of how good the original was and then how underwhelming (Note* Not Bad!) Bioshock 2 was. Playing through Infinite brought back some of the nostalgia of the original for me in that the world was vibrant and full of interesting nuances so that was a plus. While the overall combat system was a bit flawed, the story 100% made up for that. In my opinion the story of Infinite is the second best of the year (first is coming up soon!) and the world of Colombia was everything I wanted it to be and more. Elizabeth, while a sort of handicap during combat, was an incredible character and really made the game a triumph. The voice acting in general was AMAZING (Troy Baker deserves all the praise in the world for the year he had) and really pushed the game over the edge in terms of making it a memorable game. Bioshock Infinite, while not as good as the original, was one of the most immersive and visually impressive games of the year.
3. Starcraft 2: Heart of the Swarm
This is my biased choice. Sorry, I love Starcraft and Heart of the Swarm pushed the game further in terms of gameplay and competitiveness. While the campaign lacked a bit of charm, the game really shines in Multiplayer. I follow the Starcraft e-sports scene very closely and the innovations (haha get it?) that HOTS brought to the table really showed this year in tournaments. When Wings of Liberty was getting stale towards the end of last year and the beginning of this year, HOTS really stepped up and gave new life into the game. The balance patches continue to be churned out and Blizzard is really stepping up and listening to community feedback and it showed in HOTS. I cannot wait to see what Legacy of the Void brings to the table and how the scene will grow next year but right now, Starcraft is the most skillful e-sport out there. I said that correct. While I enjoy DOTA and respect the immensely popular League of Legends, when it comes to skill, Starcraft outshines any MOBA game. One on one, mind vs mind, Starcraft is our generations chess.
2. Path of Exile
What Diablo III should have been. That's the first line I always give when someone asks me about Path of Exile. At first glance, the Free to Play tag may scare some people away who might think that there are tons of micro-transactions within the game that make it more of a "Pay to Win" title. This is 100% not the case. The developer, Grinding Gear Games, implements what they call "ethical micro-transactions" meaning anything you can buy in game does not actually affect the gameplay (ex. all transactions are purely cosmetic). Grinding Gear Games developers put their all into creating this and it shows. The passion that the development team had made me as a player feel comfortable enough to trust them and they delivered on their product and then some. PoE was everything I wanted in Diablo III and more. The skill tree is MASSIVE and the gameplay brought me right back to the much loved Diablo II days. While I keep mentioning Diablo, don't confuse that with me trying to say this is a clone of the game, PoE is not a clone, it is its own entity that adds new elements to the Action RPG genre. Go pick it up on Steam if you don't have it yet and I guarantee you will fall in love with it if you are a fan of Action RPGs. Go get it now and I will see you out on Wraeclast.
GOTY. Metro: Last Light
One of the most immersive experiences I have ever had in a game to date. Metro: Last Light is a hauntingly beautiful game that is hands down the best of the year. In a year filled with tons of heavy hitting titles, Metro comes out on top for me because I felt like I was part of the world throughout the entire game. The gameplay feels perfect and the graphics are (in my opinion) the years best. I had such a great time playing through and I do expect I will be returning soon to play through again. The original Metro 2033 was a good game when I played it but that's it, just a good game. Last Light expanded on the world of Metro and the developers over at 4A Games really stepped up and put their all to deliver. With all that said I must give all the praise in the world to 4A Games. What they had to endure during the development cycle and then put out a game as amazing as this really shows their passion for the game. It was stated by former THQ president Jason Rubin that the development team faced extremely difficult working conditions, "From unreasonable budget demands, to literally freezing office working conditions due to frequent power failures, to having to smuggle computer equipment into the offices to avoid corrupt customs officials. Rubin goes on to say, “If you care about the art of making games then you have to care about more than the final product,” and “The struggle and the journey becomes part of the story. Like sport, you cheer when the underdog comes from behind, and triumphs in the face of incredible odds."" And boy, did 4A Games triumph with this masterpiece. I suggest you all go out and experience the beauty that is Metro: Last Light and you will see why it is my pick for Game of the Year and why it deserves that title.
Wow! So many amazing games this year and I only could choose 10 to include on the list! I cannot wait to see what next year holds in store for us with the next gen console releases, that means more quality games are coming our way. Right now I can say the big titles on my list for next year are: Titanfall, Destiny, Metal Gear Solid, Watch_Dogs, Dark Souls II, Infamous: Second Son, and The Division. Here's to next year and I hope to see everyone out in the wasteland!
Thanks for reading and until next time:
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www.Hypersmash.com
Sunday, December 22, 2013
Monday, December 16, 2013
Let's Play! Hammerwatch
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Over this past weekend while I was waiting out the snow storm that hit CT, I put together my first Let's Play video! I choose the game Hammerwatch from my long list of games frankly because it is relaxing and nostalgic for me and the day called for a very laid back, lazy playthrough that I could mindlessly drone through. That in no way means that I think Hammerwatch is a bad game, in fact, it is up there with one of the best games of the year for me! Sure its not story driven and it doesn't have "OMG NEXT GEN GRAPHICS!", like i said, it is a nostalgic trip back to when I was growing up and playing NES games. Hammerwatch is a throwback to the old hack n slash games such as Gauntlet which I spent hours playing as a child. The boss fights are very enjoyable and the game itself is extremely enjoyable with friends. Go grab it on Steam and check out my Let's Play below.
Overall the gameplay is straight forward and the classes are pretty self explainitory. Playing the game singleplayer is sort of dull but I enjoyed it and playing with friends is a blast. Grab Hammerwatch here.
7/10
Thanks for reading and until next time:
Like it: https://www.facebook.com/TheOnlySurvivor
Watch it: http://www.youtube.com/user/theonlysurvivordan
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Hyper Smash
Over this past weekend while I was waiting out the snow storm that hit CT, I put together my first Let's Play video! I choose the game Hammerwatch from my long list of games frankly because it is relaxing and nostalgic for me and the day called for a very laid back, lazy playthrough that I could mindlessly drone through. That in no way means that I think Hammerwatch is a bad game, in fact, it is up there with one of the best games of the year for me! Sure its not story driven and it doesn't have "OMG NEXT GEN GRAPHICS!", like i said, it is a nostalgic trip back to when I was growing up and playing NES games. Hammerwatch is a throwback to the old hack n slash games such as Gauntlet which I spent hours playing as a child. The boss fights are very enjoyable and the game itself is extremely enjoyable with friends. Go grab it on Steam and check out my Let's Play below.
Overall the gameplay is straight forward and the classes are pretty self explainitory. Playing the game singleplayer is sort of dull but I enjoyed it and playing with friends is a blast. Grab Hammerwatch here.
7/10
Thanks for reading and until next time:
Like it: https://www.facebook.com/TheOnlySurvivor
Watch it: http://www.youtube.com/user/theonlysurvivordan
Follow it: Follow @IMxGONNAxDIE
Hyper Smash
Friday, December 13, 2013
Back on Track with the Week in Review!
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In case you missed it, here is my video from last week detailing my return and what has been going on in the past few weeks:
Basically, I finally moved and now have plenty of time to stream and record gameplay! Contests will be coming soon and I am thinking next week I will make a video for my top 10 games from this year. For now, its time to get back to business as usual with the week in review
Steam OS released along with the 300 beta Steam Machines
Today Valve is releasing their first version of the Steam OS to the general public. Gamers around the world rejoice! But, Valve has issues a statement that "unless you’re an intrepid Linux hacker already, we’re going to recommend that you wait until later in 2014 to try it out." So I am still on the fence on whether I should get this right away. I know a little bit of Linux but not enough to be a master so I think at the very least I will wait until the more experienced users write up some reviews and work out the initial kinks in the system before I boot up. A little while longer is not a big deal to me. I have plenty of other things that need to be done. With all that said though, I am starting to count down the days I have left using Windows and I will be happy to convert over once the time is right. Valve also has shipped out its 300 beta Steam Machines to those lucky enough to have been selected. I will be trying to stay as up to date as I can with all the information about the machines and if any of you readers were one of the 300, I would be thrilled if I could score an interview with you detailing your experiences with the device so contact me if you would like.
Multiple sources reporting Fallout 4 does exist and is on the way
So while I took some time off to move I missed a ton of stuff in that month. One of the big stories of the month was thesurvivor2299.com. It was a countdown page with the fallout vault logo and morse code in the backround that had people scrambling to decode every bit of information and lead people on the believe that a Fallout 4 announcement was days away. In the end Bethesda confirmed it was all a very elaborate (and fun) hoax which really felt like a punch in the gut to the whole Fallout community. Earlier this week however, Kotaku released an article stating they have received leak documents confirming the existence of much anticipated title. Whether you want to believe it or not is up to you. I know I was truly heartbroken when thesurvivor2299.com turned out to be a fake and I really really want to believe that Fallout 4 is coming but only time will tell and we can all hope there will be something, anything at all, coming from Bethesda shortly to confirm. Tunnel Snakes Rule!
VGX wrap-up
Last Sunday, Spike hosted the VGX awards. While the event itself was not great, some cool announcements did come out of it. Telltale seemed like the big hitter of the night announcing a new Game of Thrones game as well as a team up with Gearbox to deliver a new game set in the Borderlands world titled Tales from the Borderlands. A dark horse appeared in a game called No Man's Sky which is being developed by 4 guys and seems to be quite an ambitious task. The trailer looks amazing and I cannot wait to hear more about that one. Bungie announced a release date for the much anticipated Destiny for September 9, 2014 and CD Projekt Red released yet another trailer for The Witcher 3. Last but not least, Tomb Raider is getting an upgrade. The latest title in the franchise is getting a face lift for the PS4 and Xbox One and should be out early next year. Overall, as I said before, the show was very dull but the announcements kept my interest.
Elder Scrolls Online gets a release date
After many closed beta tests and much posturing in the community, a release date of April 4, 2014 was announced this week. I was involved with some of the beta testing for the game and while I can't say much due to the NDA, it does look impressive. Just follow along with all the gameplay and preview trailers that Bethesda has released and you can see how its shaping up. I'm sure an open beta is right around the corner and more information will become available shortly. The only big question left is will this really be the mythical WoW killer? Only time will tell.
That's all I have for this week. I will be making a video highlighting these points again and talking about other stories in the industry (Youtube copyright is HUGE right now) so be sure to check that out this weekend. I plan on recording some gameplay tonight of probably Hammerwatch or Don't Starve so that should be fun. And as I stated in the beginning, I am getting together my game of the year list and will be doing a huge post about that next week! Stay tuned and spread the word so I can get some contests running!
Thanks for reading and until next time:
Like it: https://www.facebook.com/TheOnlySurvivor
Watch it: http://www.youtube.com/user/theonlysurvivordan
Follow it: Follow @IMxGONNAxDIE
www.hypersmash.com
In case you missed it, here is my video from last week detailing my return and what has been going on in the past few weeks:
Basically, I finally moved and now have plenty of time to stream and record gameplay! Contests will be coming soon and I am thinking next week I will make a video for my top 10 games from this year. For now, its time to get back to business as usual with the week in review
Steam OS released along with the 300 beta Steam Machines
Today Valve is releasing their first version of the Steam OS to the general public. Gamers around the world rejoice! But, Valve has issues a statement that "unless you’re an intrepid Linux hacker already, we’re going to recommend that you wait until later in 2014 to try it out." So I am still on the fence on whether I should get this right away. I know a little bit of Linux but not enough to be a master so I think at the very least I will wait until the more experienced users write up some reviews and work out the initial kinks in the system before I boot up. A little while longer is not a big deal to me. I have plenty of other things that need to be done. With all that said though, I am starting to count down the days I have left using Windows and I will be happy to convert over once the time is right. Valve also has shipped out its 300 beta Steam Machines to those lucky enough to have been selected. I will be trying to stay as up to date as I can with all the information about the machines and if any of you readers were one of the 300, I would be thrilled if I could score an interview with you detailing your experiences with the device so contact me if you would like.
Multiple sources reporting Fallout 4 does exist and is on the way
So while I took some time off to move I missed a ton of stuff in that month. One of the big stories of the month was thesurvivor2299.com. It was a countdown page with the fallout vault logo and morse code in the backround that had people scrambling to decode every bit of information and lead people on the believe that a Fallout 4 announcement was days away. In the end Bethesda confirmed it was all a very elaborate (and fun) hoax which really felt like a punch in the gut to the whole Fallout community. Earlier this week however, Kotaku released an article stating they have received leak documents confirming the existence of much anticipated title. Whether you want to believe it or not is up to you. I know I was truly heartbroken when thesurvivor2299.com turned out to be a fake and I really really want to believe that Fallout 4 is coming but only time will tell and we can all hope there will be something, anything at all, coming from Bethesda shortly to confirm. Tunnel Snakes Rule!
VGX wrap-up
Last Sunday, Spike hosted the VGX awards. While the event itself was not great, some cool announcements did come out of it. Telltale seemed like the big hitter of the night announcing a new Game of Thrones game as well as a team up with Gearbox to deliver a new game set in the Borderlands world titled Tales from the Borderlands. A dark horse appeared in a game called No Man's Sky which is being developed by 4 guys and seems to be quite an ambitious task. The trailer looks amazing and I cannot wait to hear more about that one. Bungie announced a release date for the much anticipated Destiny for September 9, 2014 and CD Projekt Red released yet another trailer for The Witcher 3. Last but not least, Tomb Raider is getting an upgrade. The latest title in the franchise is getting a face lift for the PS4 and Xbox One and should be out early next year. Overall, as I said before, the show was very dull but the announcements kept my interest.
Elder Scrolls Online gets a release date
After many closed beta tests and much posturing in the community, a release date of April 4, 2014 was announced this week. I was involved with some of the beta testing for the game and while I can't say much due to the NDA, it does look impressive. Just follow along with all the gameplay and preview trailers that Bethesda has released and you can see how its shaping up. I'm sure an open beta is right around the corner and more information will become available shortly. The only big question left is will this really be the mythical WoW killer? Only time will tell.
That's all I have for this week. I will be making a video highlighting these points again and talking about other stories in the industry (Youtube copyright is HUGE right now) so be sure to check that out this weekend. I plan on recording some gameplay tonight of probably Hammerwatch or Don't Starve so that should be fun. And as I stated in the beginning, I am getting together my game of the year list and will be doing a huge post about that next week! Stay tuned and spread the word so I can get some contests running!
Thanks for reading and until next time:
Like it: https://www.facebook.com/TheOnlySurvivor
Watch it: http://www.youtube.com/user/theonlysurvivordan
Follow it: Follow @IMxGONNAxDIE
www.hypersmash.com
Friday, October 25, 2013
Week in Review - 10/25/2013
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Another week gone by. I am still behind on getting content out (My girlfriend and I are apartment hunting so I really have no time for gaming but once we are settled in I will be stepping it up BIG TIME) but I hope to stay on track with the weekly reviews. This week we see a few new releases, some drama with devs and I got lucky and was able to pre-order a PS4 launch bundle through Amazon. Lets get right to it:
TotalBiscuit's "WTF is Day One: Garry's Incident" drama with the devs
If you don't know who TotalBiscuit is, he is one of the largest game critics on Youtube and he has a first look series called WTF is... This week, his series took a look at a game called Day One: Garry's Incident. Now TotalBiscuit is brutally honest in all his reviews and is well respected (I weigh his opinion more than most other reviewers) in the community by most. He has given negative reviews before and he will in the future. Where the drama comes in with the WTF is Day One: Garry's Incident is that after the negative review and the popularity of his channel making it the highest viewed review of the game, the head of WildGamesStudio had the video marked for copyright infringement and removed. The TL/DR was posted by TotalBiscuit on his Twitter account. A few days after the incident and the video made by TotalBiscuit explaining the story and slamming Youtubes copyright policy, the devs over at WildGamesStudio had the video put back up and issued a hasty appology and short explanation. Even if it really was a sincere appology from WildGamesStudio, they come out of this looking extremely bad. People do criticize TotalBiscuit all the time but I think it is safe to say that everyone can agree on his points he made about this drama. I will be writing a full article soon detailing my thoughts on the matter and the subject of Youtubes copyright policy so be on the look out for that. Also if you don't now, go follow TotalBiscuit on Twitter and watch his videos, he is a great community figure and puts out quality stuff.
Path of Exile officially launches on Steam
Did Diablo III dissapoint you? Did you like Torchlight but still left wanting the gritty feeling of Diablo II? If you answered yes to these, go on Steam right now and add Path of Exile. The game came out of beta this week and released as a Free2Play game on Steam. Now I usually do not like the F2P model as most of the time is is Pay2Win rather than Free2Play but Path of Exile is truly a F2P game. All the in game purchases are meerly cosmetic and do not have any affect on the gameplay. Path of Exile is a really awesome dungeon crawler and in my opinion it is truly what Diablo III should have been. Go grab it and tell me what you think! I will probably make a quick gameplay video sometime soon to show it off so keep checking for that.
Titanfall release date is March 11, 2014
One of the most anticipated next-gen games got its release date! I am very excited to play this game on release on PC and the more content that comes out, the more excited I get. Respawn seems to be right on the ball when it comes to Titanfall. The gameplay looks fluid and interesting (I love fast shooters) and it seems like the game is gearing up to try and overtake the Call of Duty/Battlefield market of competitive shooters. Only time will tell on how it will play out but early playable demos at cons and the tons of content Respawn is releasing look extremely promising. The real question is do I want to dish out eh $250 for the collectors edition????
Bioshock Infinite DLC coming on November 12
Announced earlier this morning, players can get excited about returning to Rapture on November 12 when Burial at Sea: Part 1 is released. I love this series, I love Infinite, and this DLC comes out 4 days before the PS4 is released in the US which gives players a few days with it before the heavy hitters come out. Smart move by 2K and Irrational considering this DLC would probably get buried (no pun intended) if it was released after the consoles release. 4 days should be plenty to complete what is said to be between 4-6 hours of gameplay back in Rapture. I will see you all back where there are no gods or kings, only man.
Thats all for today guys. Like I said above, there was a small release of more PS4 launch bundles from Amazon and I was lucky enough to pick one up. This weekend is the WCS Season 3 finals for Starcraft II which I will be watching closely and Batman: Arkham Origins was released today but I will be waiting a little bit to pick that up and review.
Thanks for reading and until next time:
Like it: https://www.facebook.com/TheOnlySurvivor
Watch it: http://www.youtube.com/user/theonlysurvivordan
Follow it: Follow @IMxGONNAxDIE
www.hypersmash.com
Another week gone by. I am still behind on getting content out (My girlfriend and I are apartment hunting so I really have no time for gaming but once we are settled in I will be stepping it up BIG TIME) but I hope to stay on track with the weekly reviews. This week we see a few new releases, some drama with devs and I got lucky and was able to pre-order a PS4 launch bundle through Amazon. Lets get right to it:
TotalBiscuit's "WTF is Day One: Garry's Incident" drama with the devs
If you don't know who TotalBiscuit is, he is one of the largest game critics on Youtube and he has a first look series called WTF is... This week, his series took a look at a game called Day One: Garry's Incident. Now TotalBiscuit is brutally honest in all his reviews and is well respected (I weigh his opinion more than most other reviewers) in the community by most. He has given negative reviews before and he will in the future. Where the drama comes in with the WTF is Day One: Garry's Incident is that after the negative review and the popularity of his channel making it the highest viewed review of the game, the head of WildGamesStudio had the video marked for copyright infringement and removed. The TL/DR was posted by TotalBiscuit on his Twitter account. A few days after the incident and the video made by TotalBiscuit explaining the story and slamming Youtubes copyright policy, the devs over at WildGamesStudio had the video put back up and issued a hasty appology and short explanation. Even if it really was a sincere appology from WildGamesStudio, they come out of this looking extremely bad. People do criticize TotalBiscuit all the time but I think it is safe to say that everyone can agree on his points he made about this drama. I will be writing a full article soon detailing my thoughts on the matter and the subject of Youtubes copyright policy so be on the look out for that. Also if you don't now, go follow TotalBiscuit on Twitter and watch his videos, he is a great community figure and puts out quality stuff.
Path of Exile officially launches on Steam
Did Diablo III dissapoint you? Did you like Torchlight but still left wanting the gritty feeling of Diablo II? If you answered yes to these, go on Steam right now and add Path of Exile. The game came out of beta this week and released as a Free2Play game on Steam. Now I usually do not like the F2P model as most of the time is is Pay2Win rather than Free2Play but Path of Exile is truly a F2P game. All the in game purchases are meerly cosmetic and do not have any affect on the gameplay. Path of Exile is a really awesome dungeon crawler and in my opinion it is truly what Diablo III should have been. Go grab it and tell me what you think! I will probably make a quick gameplay video sometime soon to show it off so keep checking for that.
Titanfall release date is March 11, 2014
One of the most anticipated next-gen games got its release date! I am very excited to play this game on release on PC and the more content that comes out, the more excited I get. Respawn seems to be right on the ball when it comes to Titanfall. The gameplay looks fluid and interesting (I love fast shooters) and it seems like the game is gearing up to try and overtake the Call of Duty/Battlefield market of competitive shooters. Only time will tell on how it will play out but early playable demos at cons and the tons of content Respawn is releasing look extremely promising. The real question is do I want to dish out eh $250 for the collectors edition????
Bioshock Infinite DLC coming on November 12
Announced earlier this morning, players can get excited about returning to Rapture on November 12 when Burial at Sea: Part 1 is released. I love this series, I love Infinite, and this DLC comes out 4 days before the PS4 is released in the US which gives players a few days with it before the heavy hitters come out. Smart move by 2K and Irrational considering this DLC would probably get buried (no pun intended) if it was released after the consoles release. 4 days should be plenty to complete what is said to be between 4-6 hours of gameplay back in Rapture. I will see you all back where there are no gods or kings, only man.
Thats all for today guys. Like I said above, there was a small release of more PS4 launch bundles from Amazon and I was lucky enough to pick one up. This weekend is the WCS Season 3 finals for Starcraft II which I will be watching closely and Batman: Arkham Origins was released today but I will be waiting a little bit to pick that up and review.
Thanks for reading and until next time:
Like it: https://www.facebook.com/TheOnlySurvivor
Watch it: http://www.youtube.com/user/theonlysurvivordan
Follow it: Follow @IMxGONNAxDIE
www.hypersmash.com
Saturday, October 19, 2013
Week in Review - 10/19/2013
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Back on track this week after last weekends Comic Con in New York! Some big news came out during the week and it is inching closer and closer to the holiday season (we are just about a month away from the launch of the PS4 and Xbox One!) So without dragging this on lets get right to it:
Watch Dogs delayed until Spring 2014
In what came as a shock to most, Ubisoft announced that they will be delaying the release of Watch Dogs until Spring of 2014. Ubisoft stated they want to make sure they release the best possible game and at this time they still need to work more on the development. I actually applaud Ubisoft for this move, I mean sure, I hate that its delayed and I was really really looking forward to playing it in November but I can wait a little longer if it means a more polished and stable product.
Valve shows off Steam Controller
Valve released a 5 min video this week showing off their Steam Controller being used. They showed how the controller worked with games like Portal 2, Civilization V, Counterstrike GO and Papers Please. While the video was short, it did answer some questions and gave a brief look at the controller in action. While I felt like it worked well with Portal, I didn’t like the trackpad feel for Civilization V though everything is configurable so it might just be due to the configuration they choose to use for that game. Counterstrike didn’t look fluid at all compared to a keyboard and mouse combo but that could be due to having to get used to the controller over time. For FPS games you need to be fast and the precision showed off was there just not the speed but like I said, that could be due to the user not being 100% comfortable yet with the controller. The setup they used for Papers Please did look fluid for that game. All in all, I left the video feeling that the controller has great potential but its just not quite there yet. Maybe in time and with some small tweaks here and there it will become better.
GFWL removed from Batman: Arkham Asylum and Arkham City
First Bioshock now Batman! The death of Games for Windows Live is getting closer and many are rejoicing. As I have said many times before, I HATE GFWL!!! I love both the Arkham games but the problem for me was once I beat the games I had no desire to go back and play all the side missions and a main reason for that was because of GFWL. Now with it removed you can be damn sure I will be diving back into both games and getting all the rest of the stuff that I missed done.
Blizzard presents: Heroes of the Storm
That’s right, another HotS! Formerly known as Blizzard All-Stars, Heroes of the Storm is Blizzards entry back into the MOBA scene. Do they have what it takes to take on the likes of League of Legends and DOTA 2? Only time will tell but I would keep my eye close on this considering who it is. I mean when Blizzard release the first Starcraft they re-defined the RTS genre and then later when World of Warcraft came out, they re-invented the MMO so it is very exciting to see them try a MOBA and possible re-shape the industry once again.
That’s all for this week guys. Like I said, sorry for the delays in getting this out, and for missing last week because of New York Comic Con but I am back on track now and I have plenty in the works especially with the holiday season almost here and the end of the year awards.
Thanks for reading and until next time:
Like it: https://www.facebook.com/TheOnlySurvivor
Watch it: http://www.youtube.com/user/theonlysurvivordan
Follow it:Follow @IMxGONNAxDIE
www.HyperSmash.com
Back on track this week after last weekends Comic Con in New York! Some big news came out during the week and it is inching closer and closer to the holiday season (we are just about a month away from the launch of the PS4 and Xbox One!) So without dragging this on lets get right to it:
Watch Dogs delayed until Spring 2014
In what came as a shock to most, Ubisoft announced that they will be delaying the release of Watch Dogs until Spring of 2014. Ubisoft stated they want to make sure they release the best possible game and at this time they still need to work more on the development. I actually applaud Ubisoft for this move, I mean sure, I hate that its delayed and I was really really looking forward to playing it in November but I can wait a little longer if it means a more polished and stable product.
Valve shows off Steam Controller
Valve released a 5 min video this week showing off their Steam Controller being used. They showed how the controller worked with games like Portal 2, Civilization V, Counterstrike GO and Papers Please. While the video was short, it did answer some questions and gave a brief look at the controller in action. While I felt like it worked well with Portal, I didn’t like the trackpad feel for Civilization V though everything is configurable so it might just be due to the configuration they choose to use for that game. Counterstrike didn’t look fluid at all compared to a keyboard and mouse combo but that could be due to having to get used to the controller over time. For FPS games you need to be fast and the precision showed off was there just not the speed but like I said, that could be due to the user not being 100% comfortable yet with the controller. The setup they used for Papers Please did look fluid for that game. All in all, I left the video feeling that the controller has great potential but its just not quite there yet. Maybe in time and with some small tweaks here and there it will become better.
GFWL removed from Batman: Arkham Asylum and Arkham City
First Bioshock now Batman! The death of Games for Windows Live is getting closer and many are rejoicing. As I have said many times before, I HATE GFWL!!! I love both the Arkham games but the problem for me was once I beat the games I had no desire to go back and play all the side missions and a main reason for that was because of GFWL. Now with it removed you can be damn sure I will be diving back into both games and getting all the rest of the stuff that I missed done.
Blizzard presents: Heroes of the Storm
That’s right, another HotS! Formerly known as Blizzard All-Stars, Heroes of the Storm is Blizzards entry back into the MOBA scene. Do they have what it takes to take on the likes of League of Legends and DOTA 2? Only time will tell but I would keep my eye close on this considering who it is. I mean when Blizzard release the first Starcraft they re-defined the RTS genre and then later when World of Warcraft came out, they re-invented the MMO so it is very exciting to see them try a MOBA and possible re-shape the industry once again.
That’s all for this week guys. Like I said, sorry for the delays in getting this out, and for missing last week because of New York Comic Con but I am back on track now and I have plenty in the works especially with the holiday season almost here and the end of the year awards.
Thanks for reading and until next time:
Like it: https://www.facebook.com/TheOnlySurvivor
Watch it: http://www.youtube.com/user/theonlysurvivordan
Follow it:Follow @IMxGONNAxDIE
www.HyperSmash.com
Thursday, October 17, 2013
New York Comic Con
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Hey all! Now that I have had a few days to recover I figured it was way past due for me to share my experiences with you about New York Comic Con last weekend. What an amazing event! My girlfriend and I had a blast for 3 days and got to experience tons of amazing things there. I'll go day by day through this so bare with me, there is A LOT!
Friday
Our first day we arrived relatively early (doors opened at 10 we got there around 11) and once there immediately jumped in line for the Game of Thrones panel with Jerome Flynn (Bronn). Now before I go any further into the story I will say that this is my first MAJOR con. I have been to smaller ones in CT (ComicConn) and other small ones here and there. NYCC is HUGE! If you have ever been to the Javits Center you know how big it really is. Tons of people everywhere and I must say I would be lying if I told you I wasn't a bit overwhelmed and intimidated. This was the first ever con for my girlfriend and she had no idea what she was walking into. Anyway, while waiting in line we got to take in the site of all the cosplayers (we stood right behind a kid dressed as Jon Snow and his father who was Clark Kent) and we tried to settle into the crowd. Finally we got into the panel room and waited a bit for Jerome to get there. Once there he was awesome! Such a nice guy and very entertaining to listen to. He discussed some of the happenings that we are to expect on the next season of Game of Thrones (Which is currently mine and my girlfriends favorite show on TV).
After that panel we grabbed a quick lunch and then rushed all the way across the convention center to the Empire stage (second biggest stage) and planted ourselves in the front of the line for The Walking Dead 10 Year Anniversary panel. I love The Walking Dead, it is my favorite running book right now and to get to see Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard talk about it was the highlight of the con for me hands down! It was a pleasure to sit down and hear Rob and Charlie talk about their craft and really appreciate their fans the way they did, they were Awesome!
At this point it was about 4 and we still had yet to see the show floor!!!!! (Yeah this con is HUGE!) We finally made our way up the escalators to the show floor and at that moment I thought "so this is what it felt like when Niel Armstrong took his first steps on the Moon!" No but really it was amazing to see everything (Sensory overload!). But there was no time to waltz around, I had to get to a signing! We made our way over to the middle section of the show floor where Claudio Sanchez (writer of The Amory Wars, singer/guitarist of Coheed and Cambria) was signing and meeting with fans. So while we were rushing over there we were passing the Image! comics booth and right in front of me was ROBERT FUCKING KIRKMAN! He was finishing up an interview and I watched him as he completed it then started to an impromptu signing. I quickly grabbed what I could from my backpack and got him to sign my Thief of Thieves #1!!!!!! I was ecstatic (My girlfriend said I had the look of a kid in a candy store when he signed my book). Rob didn't stay very long so that was the only book I got signed from him which is more than fine with me!
Anyway, we finally got in line for Claudio and waited and waited and waited some more while talking with people in line and just taking in the atmosphere of the con. It was a good time although some people got a bit annoying (no offense but I don't care about you seeing Daft Punk or the Green Power Ranger, whatever his name is, earlier). I got to Claudio and had him sign my Amory Wars book and talked to him briefly. He was there with his wife Chondra and they both couldn't have been any nicer. He was amazing and so friendly, it just made me love Coheed even more.
After that we walked around the show floor for a bit more and I got to see a game over at the Intel Extreme Masters area where they had Starcraft II (I saw FLASH!!!!@#!@#@!#@) which was awesome. I love e-sports events (I had gone to MLG a couple of years ago in Providence, RI and it was amazing). We then when back downstairs to the conference rooms to grab dinner and then wait for the final panel of the day for us, Bob's Burgers.
We got back the Empire stage a bit early and were able to get right in while the panel for Nickelodeon's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was going on. That was pretty cool and unexpected, they showed the whole season premier to the audience and did some Q and A with the fans. Finally we moved up to the front section and had a blast with the cast from Bob's Burgers (currently our favorite animated show, it really is wonderful and we love it so much we went a couple of weeks ago to the premier in Brooklyn with the cast, if you have not seen it GO WATCH IT! It's on Netflix).
And with that, we went back to Grand Central and took the train home and passed out so we would be ready to go for day 2...
Saturday
When we woke up on Saturday, to say we were exhausted is an understatement. Friday took soooooo much out of us that we ended up leaving later. It wasn't a big deal, we decided to take it easy that day and we ended up back at the con around noon. Although I missed the Stan Lee signing that day it didn't bother me. Saturday was to be a day of relaxing and taking in what the show floor had to offer. We stopped by everything! Capcom, Ubisoft, Nintendo, Marvel, DC, Image, Dark Horse just to name a few. It was nice to not have to be rushing to anything early on so we got to enjoy the floor. That was when my girlfriend and I decided that we will 100% be coming back next year!
Anyway at around 4:00 Charlie Adlard (artist for The Walking Dead) had a signing and I got right at the front for him. He ended up doing 5 sketches before signing which sucked but was awesome at the same time. It sucked because it took an hour and a half but it was awesome because I got to see him work and he is amazing! Anyway, once again when I got to him he was as nice as anyone could be and really a great great guy in general.
After that we headed downstairs to try to get into The Walking Dead show panel which ended up being overly full already (damn) so we went back up to the show floor and bought a few things and checked out some more IEM before heading back home. Overall the day was awesome again but I do wish we did a few more panels but oh well, there is next year. Saturday wasn't as action packed as Friday but that is also due to us being so drained and not being prepared. We made it home early and made sure to get right to bed so Sunday would be a blast.
Sunday
We woke up early and felt a lot better than we did on Saturday so we were 100% prepared to take on anything! We got there at around 10:30 and immediately went to Artist Alley which we had not been the past 2 days. There were tons of comic artists and writers. I got to see a few of my favorites like Jim Zub and Jonathan Hickman which was pretty cool then we went downstairs and got in line for R.L. Stine.
Mr Stine was an amazing presenter, for 70 years old, he is still as sharp as a tack and his talk was inspiring. Goosebumps was a favorite of mine growing up and to see the man who created it all was incredible. He was surprisingly very funny and so grateful for all his fans. He is a legend in my book and I was honored to be in his presence.
After R.L. Stine we headed over the Empire stage once again to see The Following panel. That was pretty cool to see Kevin Bacon and James Purefoy up on stage talking about the upcoming season, I have to admit, I was a bit starstruck once Kevin Bacon took the stage. Finally, we made one last round on the show floor and picked up a few things before leaving.
All in all, this was an AMAZING weekend and my girlfriend and I had tons of fun. There were a few things that I thought the organizers could have done better (BETTER INFORMATION ABOUT THE SHUTTLES!!!!!!) but in the end it was negligible. You can be damn sure that we will be coming back next year and now that this one is over we have the knowledge to better prepare. As for some games on display, there were playable demos for Assassin's Creed IV, Dark Souls II and an Alpha version of Dungeon Defenders II just to name a few. Now its back to business for me, tomorrow I will have the week in review and I have been working on some more posts for the next coming weeks. That holiday season is only a few weeks away now and I have been gathering my thoughts on how I should go about making a Game of the Year post so be sure to check back around early/mid December for that (maybe by that time I will set up a contest to go along with it for some game codes).
Thanks for reading and until next time:
Like it: https://www.facebook.com/TheOnlySurvivor
Watch it: http://www.youtube.com/user/theonlysurvivordan
Follow it: Follow @IMxGONNAxDIE
HyperSmash.com
Hey all! Now that I have had a few days to recover I figured it was way past due for me to share my experiences with you about New York Comic Con last weekend. What an amazing event! My girlfriend and I had a blast for 3 days and got to experience tons of amazing things there. I'll go day by day through this so bare with me, there is A LOT!
Friday
Our first day we arrived relatively early (doors opened at 10 we got there around 11) and once there immediately jumped in line for the Game of Thrones panel with Jerome Flynn (Bronn). Now before I go any further into the story I will say that this is my first MAJOR con. I have been to smaller ones in CT (ComicConn) and other small ones here and there. NYCC is HUGE! If you have ever been to the Javits Center you know how big it really is. Tons of people everywhere and I must say I would be lying if I told you I wasn't a bit overwhelmed and intimidated. This was the first ever con for my girlfriend and she had no idea what she was walking into. Anyway, while waiting in line we got to take in the site of all the cosplayers (we stood right behind a kid dressed as Jon Snow and his father who was Clark Kent) and we tried to settle into the crowd. Finally we got into the panel room and waited a bit for Jerome to get there. Once there he was awesome! Such a nice guy and very entertaining to listen to. He discussed some of the happenings that we are to expect on the next season of Game of Thrones (Which is currently mine and my girlfriends favorite show on TV).
After that panel we grabbed a quick lunch and then rushed all the way across the convention center to the Empire stage (second biggest stage) and planted ourselves in the front of the line for The Walking Dead 10 Year Anniversary panel. I love The Walking Dead, it is my favorite running book right now and to get to see Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard talk about it was the highlight of the con for me hands down! It was a pleasure to sit down and hear Rob and Charlie talk about their craft and really appreciate their fans the way they did, they were Awesome!
At this point it was about 4 and we still had yet to see the show floor!!!!! (Yeah this con is HUGE!) We finally made our way up the escalators to the show floor and at that moment I thought "so this is what it felt like when Niel Armstrong took his first steps on the Moon!" No but really it was amazing to see everything (Sensory overload!). But there was no time to waltz around, I had to get to a signing! We made our way over to the middle section of the show floor where Claudio Sanchez (writer of The Amory Wars, singer/guitarist of Coheed and Cambria) was signing and meeting with fans. So while we were rushing over there we were passing the Image! comics booth and right in front of me was ROBERT FUCKING KIRKMAN! He was finishing up an interview and I watched him as he completed it then started to an impromptu signing. I quickly grabbed what I could from my backpack and got him to sign my Thief of Thieves #1!!!!!! I was ecstatic (My girlfriend said I had the look of a kid in a candy store when he signed my book). Rob didn't stay very long so that was the only book I got signed from him which is more than fine with me!
Anyway, we finally got in line for Claudio and waited and waited and waited some more while talking with people in line and just taking in the atmosphere of the con. It was a good time although some people got a bit annoying (no offense but I don't care about you seeing Daft Punk or the Green Power Ranger, whatever his name is, earlier). I got to Claudio and had him sign my Amory Wars book and talked to him briefly. He was there with his wife Chondra and they both couldn't have been any nicer. He was amazing and so friendly, it just made me love Coheed even more.
After that we walked around the show floor for a bit more and I got to see a game over at the Intel Extreme Masters area where they had Starcraft II (I saw FLASH!!!!@#!@#@!#@) which was awesome. I love e-sports events (I had gone to MLG a couple of years ago in Providence, RI and it was amazing). We then when back downstairs to the conference rooms to grab dinner and then wait for the final panel of the day for us, Bob's Burgers.
We got back the Empire stage a bit early and were able to get right in while the panel for Nickelodeon's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was going on. That was pretty cool and unexpected, they showed the whole season premier to the audience and did some Q and A with the fans. Finally we moved up to the front section and had a blast with the cast from Bob's Burgers (currently our favorite animated show, it really is wonderful and we love it so much we went a couple of weeks ago to the premier in Brooklyn with the cast, if you have not seen it GO WATCH IT! It's on Netflix).
And with that, we went back to Grand Central and took the train home and passed out so we would be ready to go for day 2...
Saturday
When we woke up on Saturday, to say we were exhausted is an understatement. Friday took soooooo much out of us that we ended up leaving later. It wasn't a big deal, we decided to take it easy that day and we ended up back at the con around noon. Although I missed the Stan Lee signing that day it didn't bother me. Saturday was to be a day of relaxing and taking in what the show floor had to offer. We stopped by everything! Capcom, Ubisoft, Nintendo, Marvel, DC, Image, Dark Horse just to name a few. It was nice to not have to be rushing to anything early on so we got to enjoy the floor. That was when my girlfriend and I decided that we will 100% be coming back next year!
Anyway at around 4:00 Charlie Adlard (artist for The Walking Dead) had a signing and I got right at the front for him. He ended up doing 5 sketches before signing which sucked but was awesome at the same time. It sucked because it took an hour and a half but it was awesome because I got to see him work and he is amazing! Anyway, once again when I got to him he was as nice as anyone could be and really a great great guy in general.
After that we headed downstairs to try to get into The Walking Dead show panel which ended up being overly full already (damn) so we went back up to the show floor and bought a few things and checked out some more IEM before heading back home. Overall the day was awesome again but I do wish we did a few more panels but oh well, there is next year. Saturday wasn't as action packed as Friday but that is also due to us being so drained and not being prepared. We made it home early and made sure to get right to bed so Sunday would be a blast.
Sunday
We woke up early and felt a lot better than we did on Saturday so we were 100% prepared to take on anything! We got there at around 10:30 and immediately went to Artist Alley which we had not been the past 2 days. There were tons of comic artists and writers. I got to see a few of my favorites like Jim Zub and Jonathan Hickman which was pretty cool then we went downstairs and got in line for R.L. Stine.
Mr Stine was an amazing presenter, for 70 years old, he is still as sharp as a tack and his talk was inspiring. Goosebumps was a favorite of mine growing up and to see the man who created it all was incredible. He was surprisingly very funny and so grateful for all his fans. He is a legend in my book and I was honored to be in his presence.
After R.L. Stine we headed over the Empire stage once again to see The Following panel. That was pretty cool to see Kevin Bacon and James Purefoy up on stage talking about the upcoming season, I have to admit, I was a bit starstruck once Kevin Bacon took the stage. Finally, we made one last round on the show floor and picked up a few things before leaving.
All in all, this was an AMAZING weekend and my girlfriend and I had tons of fun. There were a few things that I thought the organizers could have done better (BETTER INFORMATION ABOUT THE SHUTTLES!!!!!!) but in the end it was negligible. You can be damn sure that we will be coming back next year and now that this one is over we have the knowledge to better prepare. As for some games on display, there were playable demos for Assassin's Creed IV, Dark Souls II and an Alpha version of Dungeon Defenders II just to name a few. Now its back to business for me, tomorrow I will have the week in review and I have been working on some more posts for the next coming weeks. That holiday season is only a few weeks away now and I have been gathering my thoughts on how I should go about making a Game of the Year post so be sure to check back around early/mid December for that (maybe by that time I will set up a contest to go along with it for some game codes).
Thanks for reading and until next time:
Like it: https://www.facebook.com/TheOnlySurvivor
Watch it: http://www.youtube.com/user/theonlysurvivordan
Follow it: Follow @IMxGONNAxDIE
HyperSmash.com
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
First Impressions: Battlefield 4
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Battlefield 4 is set to launch on October 29 but, starting last Friday, the game has gone into open beta and I had the chance to try it out for myself last night. As far as my involvement with the Battlefield series goes, I have drifted away. I loved Battlefield: 1942, I even remember getting it on release day in 2002 and my friends and I spent hours upon hours playing Battlefield 2 later down the road. I'll be honest, I did not get into Battlefield 3 when it was released and only recently played it for a bit. I never saw the hype with that one and I guess I felt more like between the Battlefield series and the Call of Duty games, military FPS's were becoming stale and repetitive. No game was bringing anything new to the table besides updated graphics and a few minor tweaks here and there.
So last night I downloaded the beta for Battlefield 4 because why not? It's free and is essentially a demo to try out until the launch of the proper title. I joined a game and while it was loading I thought to myself that its just going to be more of the same and boring and after the beta expires I will just crawl my way back to ARMA III to get my military fix. So the game loaded and I was on the deploy screen and took a few minutes to go through my settings and max out everything to really try and get the most out of the experience. When I deployed and entered the game I was immediately BLOWN AWAY by how amazing everything looked. Just because of the sheer size of the map I thought the graphical increases would be minor at best over Battlefield 3 but with all the action and destruction going on around me on a 64 player map, I was totally not expecting the game to look THAT good (don't get me wrong, it is in no way THE BEST graphics ever, but they are really amazing, this is of course on a PC running everything at max).
I have read a few peoples first reactions to the beta and what surprised me was a lot of people complaining about performance issues such as FPS drops and stutters, to having to lower graphics because of how taxing it is on their system. This was not the case for me though. I had a smooth 60 FPS throughout the majority of my playtime and I believe the lowest it ever dropped to was 45 FPS and that was only when I jumped off the skyscraper and was parachuting down to the ground. I did hit a rather nasty bug towards the end of my play which was a VRAM leak which crashed the game but as of right now I have no problem with that, it is beta after all and I was not expecting a totally bug free experience, but hopefully DICE is aware of the issue and will patch that bug before the retail release.
All in all, it was a really enjoyable experience and just by having the risk free hands on experience with the game made me really consider grabbing it at release. The map was wonderful and interesting, the frostbite engine is really impressive and the gameplay was more refined than Battlefield 3. I truly believe that from what I experienced, 4 will be the installment in the series that really takes that next step to distance itself from other FPS franchises, namely Call of Duty. Now I can't say much for the Call of Duty release basically because I am tired of that franchise but if CoD doesn't step it up majorly with Ghosts then Battlefield will reign supreme and I believe it will only get stronger from here.
Thanks for reading and until next time:
Like it: https://www.facebook.com/TheOnlySurvivor
Watch it: http://www.youtube.com/user/theonlysurvivordan
Follow it: Follow @IMxGONNAxDIE
HyperSmash
Battlefield 4 is set to launch on October 29 but, starting last Friday, the game has gone into open beta and I had the chance to try it out for myself last night. As far as my involvement with the Battlefield series goes, I have drifted away. I loved Battlefield: 1942, I even remember getting it on release day in 2002 and my friends and I spent hours upon hours playing Battlefield 2 later down the road. I'll be honest, I did not get into Battlefield 3 when it was released and only recently played it for a bit. I never saw the hype with that one and I guess I felt more like between the Battlefield series and the Call of Duty games, military FPS's were becoming stale and repetitive. No game was bringing anything new to the table besides updated graphics and a few minor tweaks here and there.
So last night I downloaded the beta for Battlefield 4 because why not? It's free and is essentially a demo to try out until the launch of the proper title. I joined a game and while it was loading I thought to myself that its just going to be more of the same and boring and after the beta expires I will just crawl my way back to ARMA III to get my military fix. So the game loaded and I was on the deploy screen and took a few minutes to go through my settings and max out everything to really try and get the most out of the experience. When I deployed and entered the game I was immediately BLOWN AWAY by how amazing everything looked. Just because of the sheer size of the map I thought the graphical increases would be minor at best over Battlefield 3 but with all the action and destruction going on around me on a 64 player map, I was totally not expecting the game to look THAT good (don't get me wrong, it is in no way THE BEST graphics ever, but they are really amazing, this is of course on a PC running everything at max).
I have read a few peoples first reactions to the beta and what surprised me was a lot of people complaining about performance issues such as FPS drops and stutters, to having to lower graphics because of how taxing it is on their system. This was not the case for me though. I had a smooth 60 FPS throughout the majority of my playtime and I believe the lowest it ever dropped to was 45 FPS and that was only when I jumped off the skyscraper and was parachuting down to the ground. I did hit a rather nasty bug towards the end of my play which was a VRAM leak which crashed the game but as of right now I have no problem with that, it is beta after all and I was not expecting a totally bug free experience, but hopefully DICE is aware of the issue and will patch that bug before the retail release.
All in all, it was a really enjoyable experience and just by having the risk free hands on experience with the game made me really consider grabbing it at release. The map was wonderful and interesting, the frostbite engine is really impressive and the gameplay was more refined than Battlefield 3. I truly believe that from what I experienced, 4 will be the installment in the series that really takes that next step to distance itself from other FPS franchises, namely Call of Duty. Now I can't say much for the Call of Duty release basically because I am tired of that franchise but if CoD doesn't step it up majorly with Ghosts then Battlefield will reign supreme and I believe it will only get stronger from here.
Thanks for reading and until next time:
Like it: https://www.facebook.com/TheOnlySurvivor
Watch it: http://www.youtube.com/user/theonlysurvivordan
Follow it: Follow @IMxGONNAxDIE
HyperSmash
Friday, October 4, 2013
Week in Review 10/4/2013
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Well October is here! This year has flown by and the holiday season is knocking at the door. So many great things in the next couple of months are coming out and I will be right there giving my thoughts on the projects. In other news from me, I am getting closer and closer to actually having the time to set up a weekly stream and I am working on a few reviews. Next weekend I will be attending New York Comic Con and I will be reporting on that as well. Lots of big names there in the world of gaming and entertainment and comics (Ubisoft, Microsoft, The Walking Dead, Marvel, and DC to name just a few!). Phil is currently attending the grand finals of the League of Legends World Championship in LA and should have a full report in the next week on the event. Also, I was thinking about doing a new write up retrospective series with the first being a look back at one of my favorite 90s FPS games, Hexen: Beyond Heretic. So be on the look out for that and let me know if that is something you are interested in reading. And now lets jump into this weeks best:
Valve files trademark for Half-Life 3
It's happening! No but seriously this is really the first big step towards confirmation of the legendary title. Along with a leaked list of developers working on the project, I can see Valve using HL3 to push their new OS and Steam Machines. It makes perfect sense for Valve to do so, I mean how else will they get people on board SteamOS or Steam Machines without an exclusive title that will MAKE people want to make the transition. I know I will 100% be making the switch to SteamOS but for others it may be a tough decision to let go of what they are used to and Valve needs something this big to sell people on the idea that making the switch is a good choice. We will see what happens in the coming year but my fingers are crossed and my hopes are higher than ever that we will finally see HL3 or at least news of Source Engine 2 soon.
Terraria 2 announced
So this is what Andrew Spinks was talking about when he left Terraria to work on a bigger and better mystery project. Fans of Terraria will be pleased with the news that another game is on the way. I played a bit of Terraria and pleasantly enjoyed my time spent on it. It was a solid indie game and with the implementation of new features and possibly better gameplay, I will have to take another visit. With the latest patch (1.2) being released earlier this week, that should hold players interest for enough time for development of Terraria 2 to take place. I expect to hear a lot more about the scope of the project in the coming months.
GTA V Online launched
After the playerbase has had a couple of weeks with the story mode, GTA V launched its online mode... and as usual with online implementations, it was a complete disaster! Players had a hard time accessing the online portion and Rockstar's servers were in meltdown mode. It always seems to happen with big titles going online, it happened with a ton of heavy hitters: WoW, Star Wars Galaxies, Final Fantasy XIV, and the latest SimCity all had atrocious launch days. While it is known that launch days are always horrendous for huge titles, I feel Rockstar could have done a little bit better given the time they had in between the release of the game and online mode. I mean surely they had an at least estimated number on how many people would be jumping on the servers to prepare accordingly. Anyway, it is not all doom and gloom, Rockstar will clean it up and things will start flowing smoothly very soon and all will be forgiven. Just another title to be hit with the online launch curse and it most certainly won't be the last.
Path of Exile comes out of BETA and officially launches Oct. 23
If you LOVED Diablo II but HATED Diablo III, then Get On This Game! Path of Exile is EVERYTHING I wanted Diablo III to be. The loot and trade system is great, the hardcore mode is great, everything is great about Path of Exile. It is great news that it is finally seeing a proper release so be sure to grab this when it comes out proper. Not much else I can say except that this game is the true successor to Diablo II in my eyes.
Tom Clancy dies at age 66
It is with great sadness that the world said goodbye to one of, if not the greatest military writers of all time. Tom Clancy's books inspired a generation of great games including Rainbow Six, Ghost Recon and Splinter Cell. With Ubisoft's The Division coming soon, I hope it does Clancy's name justice as a sort of last hurrah for the acclaimed author. I remember way back in 1998 playing the first Rainbow Six game and being blown away, then later in 2001 playing through one of my favorite shooters of all time: Ghost Recon. Clancy's name has been tied to some of the most successful military franchises in the world and his legacy will live on. My condolences go out to all his friends and family, the world has lost a legend.
Those are the heavy hitters of the week. We are all still awaiting more news on the SteamOS (I believe it was promised to us soon?) and the rumor mill is churning with new information on the story DLC for Bioshock Infinite (already there was a small write up by Polygon and Kevin Levine has said that info is on the way very soon). Anyway that is all hopefully for next week. I hope to get some more content out next week as well, as I said earlier, Phil should have a write up on the LoL worlds and I am working on a retrospective of Hexen and a few other reviews (Tomb Raider, Don't Starve, and Deadlight). So with that, I will see you all soon!
Thanks for reading and until next time:
Like it: https://www.facebook.com/TheOnlySurvivor
Watch it: http://www.youtube.com/user/theonlysurvivordan
Follow it: Follow @IMxGONNAxDIE
www.hypersmash.com
Well October is here! This year has flown by and the holiday season is knocking at the door. So many great things in the next couple of months are coming out and I will be right there giving my thoughts on the projects. In other news from me, I am getting closer and closer to actually having the time to set up a weekly stream and I am working on a few reviews. Next weekend I will be attending New York Comic Con and I will be reporting on that as well. Lots of big names there in the world of gaming and entertainment and comics (Ubisoft, Microsoft, The Walking Dead, Marvel, and DC to name just a few!). Phil is currently attending the grand finals of the League of Legends World Championship in LA and should have a full report in the next week on the event. Also, I was thinking about doing a new write up retrospective series with the first being a look back at one of my favorite 90s FPS games, Hexen: Beyond Heretic. So be on the look out for that and let me know if that is something you are interested in reading. And now lets jump into this weeks best:
Valve files trademark for Half-Life 3
It's happening! No but seriously this is really the first big step towards confirmation of the legendary title. Along with a leaked list of developers working on the project, I can see Valve using HL3 to push their new OS and Steam Machines. It makes perfect sense for Valve to do so, I mean how else will they get people on board SteamOS or Steam Machines without an exclusive title that will MAKE people want to make the transition. I know I will 100% be making the switch to SteamOS but for others it may be a tough decision to let go of what they are used to and Valve needs something this big to sell people on the idea that making the switch is a good choice. We will see what happens in the coming year but my fingers are crossed and my hopes are higher than ever that we will finally see HL3 or at least news of Source Engine 2 soon.
Terraria 2 announced
So this is what Andrew Spinks was talking about when he left Terraria to work on a bigger and better mystery project. Fans of Terraria will be pleased with the news that another game is on the way. I played a bit of Terraria and pleasantly enjoyed my time spent on it. It was a solid indie game and with the implementation of new features and possibly better gameplay, I will have to take another visit. With the latest patch (1.2) being released earlier this week, that should hold players interest for enough time for development of Terraria 2 to take place. I expect to hear a lot more about the scope of the project in the coming months.
GTA V Online launched
After the playerbase has had a couple of weeks with the story mode, GTA V launched its online mode... and as usual with online implementations, it was a complete disaster! Players had a hard time accessing the online portion and Rockstar's servers were in meltdown mode. It always seems to happen with big titles going online, it happened with a ton of heavy hitters: WoW, Star Wars Galaxies, Final Fantasy XIV, and the latest SimCity all had atrocious launch days. While it is known that launch days are always horrendous for huge titles, I feel Rockstar could have done a little bit better given the time they had in between the release of the game and online mode. I mean surely they had an at least estimated number on how many people would be jumping on the servers to prepare accordingly. Anyway, it is not all doom and gloom, Rockstar will clean it up and things will start flowing smoothly very soon and all will be forgiven. Just another title to be hit with the online launch curse and it most certainly won't be the last.
Path of Exile comes out of BETA and officially launches Oct. 23
If you LOVED Diablo II but HATED Diablo III, then Get On This Game! Path of Exile is EVERYTHING I wanted Diablo III to be. The loot and trade system is great, the hardcore mode is great, everything is great about Path of Exile. It is great news that it is finally seeing a proper release so be sure to grab this when it comes out proper. Not much else I can say except that this game is the true successor to Diablo II in my eyes.
Tom Clancy dies at age 66
It is with great sadness that the world said goodbye to one of, if not the greatest military writers of all time. Tom Clancy's books inspired a generation of great games including Rainbow Six, Ghost Recon and Splinter Cell. With Ubisoft's The Division coming soon, I hope it does Clancy's name justice as a sort of last hurrah for the acclaimed author. I remember way back in 1998 playing the first Rainbow Six game and being blown away, then later in 2001 playing through one of my favorite shooters of all time: Ghost Recon. Clancy's name has been tied to some of the most successful military franchises in the world and his legacy will live on. My condolences go out to all his friends and family, the world has lost a legend.
Those are the heavy hitters of the week. We are all still awaiting more news on the SteamOS (I believe it was promised to us soon?) and the rumor mill is churning with new information on the story DLC for Bioshock Infinite (already there was a small write up by Polygon and Kevin Levine has said that info is on the way very soon). Anyway that is all hopefully for next week. I hope to get some more content out next week as well, as I said earlier, Phil should have a write up on the LoL worlds and I am working on a retrospective of Hexen and a few other reviews (Tomb Raider, Don't Starve, and Deadlight). So with that, I will see you all soon!
Thanks for reading and until next time:
Like it: https://www.facebook.com/TheOnlySurvivor
Watch it: http://www.youtube.com/user/theonlysurvivordan
Follow it: Follow @IMxGONNAxDIE
www.hypersmash.com
Friday, September 27, 2013
Week in Review
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I haven't updated anything this week and I did that on purpose. Valve had my attention this whole week and I was waiting for the all of their 3 part announcement before I put in my 2 cents. Now that all 3 announcements have been made I feel comfortable in talking about everything. So my first 3 points will talk about each individual announcement then I will throw in some other big stories and end with a wrap up paragraph or two.
SteamOS
The first of the 3. "Available soon as a free operating system designed for the TV and the living room." Looks like a standalone OS designed to be installed as an alternative to Windows.
The OS will have "significant performance increases in graphics processing", and Valve is working on "audio performance and reductions in input latency at the operating system level". It sounds as if they plan to release this as open source software, allowing other users to change it - they state "Users can alter or replace any part of the software or hardware they want." This implies that SteamOS will be built on Linux, supported more by the recent push into Linux that Valve has been doing. Great great news for PC gamers and I know I will be jumping on board once this hits. I have been waiting for years for an alternative to Windows and now I can finally make the change.
Steam Machines
As opposed to the popular "Steambox" name given by users on the forums. Valve is working with multiple hardware partners to put out Steam Machines that will come in a variety of options, all of which will be running SteamOS. Valve is taking an interesting approach to this by using multiple manufacturers. Not a whole lot more info was given other than a few FAQs and a guide as how to enter in the random BETA testing giveaway (Valve said they will be shipping out 300 units to BETA testers later this year)
Steam Controller
And finally as announced today, the Steam controller was unveiled. Speculation has been circling the idea of input peripherals for a while and Valve was known to be working on a gamepad that would mimic keyboard and mouse inputs in games. Designed to work with all Steam games (past and present), the controller will be able to emulate keyboard/mouse input allowing any game on Steam to be played. The controller was built with high precision and low latency in mind. Anything that bridges the gap between PC and console gamers is good for the community and this controller will attempt just that. It is well known that no matter who you are, a keyboard and mouse game player will always out play a gamer using a gamepad, that's just the nature of things. It will be nice for me to be able to stream my PC gameplay to my television and be able to sit on the couch and play a game with the controller while still having (speculatively) the same amount of precision I would have if I were sitting at my desk with a mouse and keyboard.
Nvidia pledges help on open source drivers
Possibly a reaction to the Valve announcements and the SteamOS being open source, Nvidia has said they will support open source drivers. Great news for everyone as we need these companies all to be on the same page to advance the industry further.
AMD announces Mantle
Keeping with the open source theme, AMD at their new GPU line reveal, also reveal Mantle which is a new low-level, multiplatform API developed by AMD and DICE. It was then announced that it will be used in Battlefield 4 instead of the traditional DirectX. It was an interesting announcement to say the least and I will be on the lookout for how it performs once released.
GTA V online microtransactions revealed
Really Rockstar? You really need MORE money after surpassing a billion dollars in sales of GTA V in 3 days!? Microtransactions in online gaming is really getting out of hand. Sure I can see them being implemented for free to play games or even games that cost $5 to $10 to buy, but not a $60 blockbuster! As much praise as Rockstar has been getting lately, I feel like this is a black spot (albeit a small one) on them. I would like to know how the community feels about this and if people really are on board with all these microtransactions in games.
That's it for this week. Valve's announcements are really looking to push gaming to the next level in terms of accessibility and gameplay. I think we can all say we are a little bit disappointing that one of these announcements was not the legendary Half-Life 3 or even just the announcement of the Source 2 engine but I feel we will get them not too much farther down the line. I am looking at from a perspective of, Valve just announced all these great things but what really is my incentive to go turn to SteamOS or get myself a Steam machine (even though SteamOS for me is a no brainer it might not be for others)? Valve needs something to sell to get people over to the new OS and what better IP to sell than their Half-Life series showcasing the new Source 2 engine with Left 4 Dead 3 and Portal 3 on its heels. Such an exciting week and I cannot wait for more information about the OS and the steam machines (ok the controller does look awesome too).
Thanks for reading and until next time:
Like it: https://www.facebook.com/TheOnlySurvivor
Watch it: http://www.youtube.com/user/theonlysurvivordan
Follow it: Follow @IMxGONNAxDIE
www.hypersmash.com
I haven't updated anything this week and I did that on purpose. Valve had my attention this whole week and I was waiting for the all of their 3 part announcement before I put in my 2 cents. Now that all 3 announcements have been made I feel comfortable in talking about everything. So my first 3 points will talk about each individual announcement then I will throw in some other big stories and end with a wrap up paragraph or two.
SteamOS
The first of the 3. "Available soon as a free operating system designed for the TV and the living room." Looks like a standalone OS designed to be installed as an alternative to Windows.
The OS will have "significant performance increases in graphics processing", and Valve is working on "audio performance and reductions in input latency at the operating system level". It sounds as if they plan to release this as open source software, allowing other users to change it - they state "Users can alter or replace any part of the software or hardware they want." This implies that SteamOS will be built on Linux, supported more by the recent push into Linux that Valve has been doing. Great great news for PC gamers and I know I will be jumping on board once this hits. I have been waiting for years for an alternative to Windows and now I can finally make the change.
Steam Machines
As opposed to the popular "Steambox" name given by users on the forums. Valve is working with multiple hardware partners to put out Steam Machines that will come in a variety of options, all of which will be running SteamOS. Valve is taking an interesting approach to this by using multiple manufacturers. Not a whole lot more info was given other than a few FAQs and a guide as how to enter in the random BETA testing giveaway (Valve said they will be shipping out 300 units to BETA testers later this year)
Steam Controller
And finally as announced today, the Steam controller was unveiled. Speculation has been circling the idea of input peripherals for a while and Valve was known to be working on a gamepad that would mimic keyboard and mouse inputs in games. Designed to work with all Steam games (past and present), the controller will be able to emulate keyboard/mouse input allowing any game on Steam to be played. The controller was built with high precision and low latency in mind. Anything that bridges the gap between PC and console gamers is good for the community and this controller will attempt just that. It is well known that no matter who you are, a keyboard and mouse game player will always out play a gamer using a gamepad, that's just the nature of things. It will be nice for me to be able to stream my PC gameplay to my television and be able to sit on the couch and play a game with the controller while still having (speculatively) the same amount of precision I would have if I were sitting at my desk with a mouse and keyboard.
Nvidia pledges help on open source drivers
Possibly a reaction to the Valve announcements and the SteamOS being open source, Nvidia has said they will support open source drivers. Great news for everyone as we need these companies all to be on the same page to advance the industry further.
AMD announces Mantle
Keeping with the open source theme, AMD at their new GPU line reveal, also reveal Mantle which is a new low-level, multiplatform API developed by AMD and DICE. It was then announced that it will be used in Battlefield 4 instead of the traditional DirectX. It was an interesting announcement to say the least and I will be on the lookout for how it performs once released.
GTA V online microtransactions revealed
Really Rockstar? You really need MORE money after surpassing a billion dollars in sales of GTA V in 3 days!? Microtransactions in online gaming is really getting out of hand. Sure I can see them being implemented for free to play games or even games that cost $5 to $10 to buy, but not a $60 blockbuster! As much praise as Rockstar has been getting lately, I feel like this is a black spot (albeit a small one) on them. I would like to know how the community feels about this and if people really are on board with all these microtransactions in games.
That's it for this week. Valve's announcements are really looking to push gaming to the next level in terms of accessibility and gameplay. I think we can all say we are a little bit disappointing that one of these announcements was not the legendary Half-Life 3 or even just the announcement of the Source 2 engine but I feel we will get them not too much farther down the line. I am looking at from a perspective of, Valve just announced all these great things but what really is my incentive to go turn to SteamOS or get myself a Steam machine (even though SteamOS for me is a no brainer it might not be for others)? Valve needs something to sell to get people over to the new OS and what better IP to sell than their Half-Life series showcasing the new Source 2 engine with Left 4 Dead 3 and Portal 3 on its heels. Such an exciting week and I cannot wait for more information about the OS and the steam machines (ok the controller does look awesome too).
Thanks for reading and until next time:
Like it: https://www.facebook.com/TheOnlySurvivor
Watch it: http://www.youtube.com/user/theonlysurvivordan
Follow it: Follow @IMxGONNAxDIE
www.hypersmash.com
Friday, September 20, 2013
Week in Review 9/20/2013
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This week has been fairly quiet since everyone has locked themselves in their places to burn through GTA V which came out on Tuesday. So far reviews have been very positive and it is looking to be a serious contender for Game of the Year. We will see where is really stands once the initial hype dies down (which may not be soon because of the delayed release of multiplayer coming out in a week and a half which everyone is looking forward to). Other than that here are this weeks big stories:
Former Nintendo President Hiroshi Yamauchi dies at the age of 85
I posted about this yesterday. Mr Yamauchi was an visionary and with him at the head of Nintendo, helped to revolutionize the gaming industry with his interest in taking a small time card company in Japan and steering it towards electronic gaming in the 1980's. He was a bright icon in the industry and the cultural impact he had on the world will never be forgotten.
Grand Theft Auto V makes $800 million in one day
The single biggest opening for a video game of all time. GTA V's first day sales SHATTERED the record that was held by Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 last year which was $500 million. You can read my review roundup for GTA V here. I can see the game reaching the $1 billion mark by next week and all praise goes to Rockstar who has shown that they have the ability to keep the franchise fresh and interesting. I had my doubts about this installment but it seems Rockstar delivered and has re-invigorated their series and raised the bar on open-world games.
Blizzard to shut down Diablo III auction house on 3/18/2013
A step in the right direction for the game that may have been a success when you look at the numbers sold but ultimately was a failure when it came to the gameplay and design of the game. The big dissapointment of Diablo III to me was the auction house which basically made you pay to get to the end game / high level play. It was next to impossible to advance through Hell difficulty without using the auction house and while Blizzards intentions were to make a little extra money off of the playerbase, it ultimately broke the game to where there was a huge drop off after players completed the game once (like me). With the new expansion and the removal of the auction house, Blizzard is looking to bring back the charm and lasting value that was seen in Diablo II. Will it work? Is it too late? Who knows, but it is 100% the right move by the company.
DOTA 2 adds LAN support
Bold move by Valve but the right one. Huge news for DOTA as an e-sport because now it is the only MOBA game to feature LAN support which means a better and infinitely more reliable tournament setup. Valve is proving once again they are the big dog in town and they will continue to further their brand and games to give gamers the best possible experience.
PS4 supports HDMI video capture
Excellent news to hear from Sony. Now capturing video from the PS4 will be 100% high quality without having to jump through hoops to do so like users had to do with the PS3 and still could not get any higher than 720P. More high quality streams will pop up and hopefully the PS4's streaming capabilities will help the community grow. I look forward to seeing tons of content from the playerbase.
That's all for this week. In other news from me, if you have not heard, my best friend Phil has joined me and has started to contribute his own articles. He wrote up a few updates on the League Of Legends World Championship, his trip to Baltimore Comic Con and his experiences with LoL. Later on he will be attending the LoL World Championship finals in LA so be on the look out for something from him on that. I had some free time yesterday and tried to work out some more kinks in my stream to no luck. I promise I will work hard to try and bring it to you guys in the next few weeks. I played a little more through Tomb Raider, I started Sleeping Dogs, and I am looking forward to Watch Dogs later in November. I have been following people streaming GTA V and it is diving me crazy that I cannot play it. Hopefully the PC version will be announced sooner rather than later. Other than that, I am probably going to have a quiet weekend and then get back to it on Monday. We will see what the days ahead bring!
Thanks for reading and until next time:
Like it: https://www.facebook.com/TheOnlySurvivor
Watch it: http://www.youtube.com/user/theonlysurvivordan
Follow it: Follow @IMxGONNAxDIE
www.hypersmash.com
This week has been fairly quiet since everyone has locked themselves in their places to burn through GTA V which came out on Tuesday. So far reviews have been very positive and it is looking to be a serious contender for Game of the Year. We will see where is really stands once the initial hype dies down (which may not be soon because of the delayed release of multiplayer coming out in a week and a half which everyone is looking forward to). Other than that here are this weeks big stories:
Former Nintendo President Hiroshi Yamauchi dies at the age of 85
I posted about this yesterday. Mr Yamauchi was an visionary and with him at the head of Nintendo, helped to revolutionize the gaming industry with his interest in taking a small time card company in Japan and steering it towards electronic gaming in the 1980's. He was a bright icon in the industry and the cultural impact he had on the world will never be forgotten.
Grand Theft Auto V makes $800 million in one day
The single biggest opening for a video game of all time. GTA V's first day sales SHATTERED the record that was held by Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 last year which was $500 million. You can read my review roundup for GTA V here. I can see the game reaching the $1 billion mark by next week and all praise goes to Rockstar who has shown that they have the ability to keep the franchise fresh and interesting. I had my doubts about this installment but it seems Rockstar delivered and has re-invigorated their series and raised the bar on open-world games.
Blizzard to shut down Diablo III auction house on 3/18/2013
A step in the right direction for the game that may have been a success when you look at the numbers sold but ultimately was a failure when it came to the gameplay and design of the game. The big dissapointment of Diablo III to me was the auction house which basically made you pay to get to the end game / high level play. It was next to impossible to advance through Hell difficulty without using the auction house and while Blizzards intentions were to make a little extra money off of the playerbase, it ultimately broke the game to where there was a huge drop off after players completed the game once (like me). With the new expansion and the removal of the auction house, Blizzard is looking to bring back the charm and lasting value that was seen in Diablo II. Will it work? Is it too late? Who knows, but it is 100% the right move by the company.
DOTA 2 adds LAN support
Bold move by Valve but the right one. Huge news for DOTA as an e-sport because now it is the only MOBA game to feature LAN support which means a better and infinitely more reliable tournament setup. Valve is proving once again they are the big dog in town and they will continue to further their brand and games to give gamers the best possible experience.
PS4 supports HDMI video capture
Excellent news to hear from Sony. Now capturing video from the PS4 will be 100% high quality without having to jump through hoops to do so like users had to do with the PS3 and still could not get any higher than 720P. More high quality streams will pop up and hopefully the PS4's streaming capabilities will help the community grow. I look forward to seeing tons of content from the playerbase.
That's all for this week. In other news from me, if you have not heard, my best friend Phil has joined me and has started to contribute his own articles. He wrote up a few updates on the League Of Legends World Championship, his trip to Baltimore Comic Con and his experiences with LoL. Later on he will be attending the LoL World Championship finals in LA so be on the look out for something from him on that. I had some free time yesterday and tried to work out some more kinks in my stream to no luck. I promise I will work hard to try and bring it to you guys in the next few weeks. I played a little more through Tomb Raider, I started Sleeping Dogs, and I am looking forward to Watch Dogs later in November. I have been following people streaming GTA V and it is diving me crazy that I cannot play it. Hopefully the PC version will be announced sooner rather than later. Other than that, I am probably going to have a quiet weekend and then get back to it on Monday. We will see what the days ahead bring!
Thanks for reading and until next time:
Like it: https://www.facebook.com/TheOnlySurvivor
Watch it: http://www.youtube.com/user/theonlysurvivordan
Follow it: Follow @IMxGONNAxDIE
www.hypersmash.com
Thursday, September 19, 2013
Hiroshi Yamauchi passes away at the age of 85
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I don't remember the exact year I first played the Nintendo Entertainment System but I do remember the day and the setting in which it happened. I remember my family was at my grandparents house for a get together (probably Christmas eve as is the tradition in my family) and set up in the den on the old 13" TV was a brand new NES. The whole family (cousins, aunt and uncle, my parents, and my grandparents) were all crowded into the small room as I picked up the controller and powered up Super Mario Bros. Everyone was in awe at the device and EVERYONE wanted to play. I remember taking turns, and passing the controller around to my parents and cousins and other family members and just being totally blown away by what was on the screen. The NES that year brought the whole family together on one solid ground to enjoy our time together and watch in amazement at technology literally changing the way we all viewed the world and I will never, ever forget that day because it also changed me at such a young age and steered me towards what has become my ultimate passion and that is video games.
To say that the NES changed my life is an understatement because at that point I was only a small child with no real grasp on the world. The NES inspired me to embrace technology and that is why I took the news of Hiroshi Yamauchi's passing earlier today so hard. Mr. Yamauchi is one of the most influential if not THE most influential person in the entire gaming industry. He single-handedly took a small trading card company in Japan and built it into one of the most recognizable and successful video game companies today. Ian Livingstone, co-founder of Games Workshop and former chairman of publisher Eidos, said it perfectly today: ""He understood the social value of play, and economic potential of electronic gaming. Most importantly he steered Nintendo on its own course and was unconcerned by the actions of his competitors. He was a true visionary."
Mr. Yamauchi changed the world and inspired so many along the way. Nintendo will always have a place in my head for what it accomplished and how it affected my life. Without Mr. Yamauchi I may never have started this blog, I may have never taken an interest in video games, I may never have learned to appreciate the visual arts that are presented in games. Mr. Yamauchi is solely responsible for getting me started in the world of gaming and is THE iconic figure that the world will sorely miss. Even though he stepped down from his presidency at Nintendo in 2002 and then from the executive board in 2005, Mr. Yamauchi created a video game empire and was responsible for bringing some of the most iconic characters in all forms of entertainment to the masses to embrace and love. Today is a day of mourning all around the industry as one of its brightest lights has been extinguished.
Thank you Hiroshi Yamauchi for everything you have done for the industry and thank you for letting me play.
Thanks for reading and until next time:
Like it: https://www.facebook.com/TheOnlySurvivor
Watch it: http://www.youtube.com/user/theonlysurvivordan
Follow it: Follow @IMxGONNAxDIE
HyperSmash.com
I don't remember the exact year I first played the Nintendo Entertainment System but I do remember the day and the setting in which it happened. I remember my family was at my grandparents house for a get together (probably Christmas eve as is the tradition in my family) and set up in the den on the old 13" TV was a brand new NES. The whole family (cousins, aunt and uncle, my parents, and my grandparents) were all crowded into the small room as I picked up the controller and powered up Super Mario Bros. Everyone was in awe at the device and EVERYONE wanted to play. I remember taking turns, and passing the controller around to my parents and cousins and other family members and just being totally blown away by what was on the screen. The NES that year brought the whole family together on one solid ground to enjoy our time together and watch in amazement at technology literally changing the way we all viewed the world and I will never, ever forget that day because it also changed me at such a young age and steered me towards what has become my ultimate passion and that is video games.
To say that the NES changed my life is an understatement because at that point I was only a small child with no real grasp on the world. The NES inspired me to embrace technology and that is why I took the news of Hiroshi Yamauchi's passing earlier today so hard. Mr. Yamauchi is one of the most influential if not THE most influential person in the entire gaming industry. He single-handedly took a small trading card company in Japan and built it into one of the most recognizable and successful video game companies today. Ian Livingstone, co-founder of Games Workshop and former chairman of publisher Eidos, said it perfectly today: ""He understood the social value of play, and economic potential of electronic gaming. Most importantly he steered Nintendo on its own course and was unconcerned by the actions of his competitors. He was a true visionary."
Mr. Yamauchi changed the world and inspired so many along the way. Nintendo will always have a place in my head for what it accomplished and how it affected my life. Without Mr. Yamauchi I may never have started this blog, I may have never taken an interest in video games, I may never have learned to appreciate the visual arts that are presented in games. Mr. Yamauchi is solely responsible for getting me started in the world of gaming and is THE iconic figure that the world will sorely miss. Even though he stepped down from his presidency at Nintendo in 2002 and then from the executive board in 2005, Mr. Yamauchi created a video game empire and was responsible for bringing some of the most iconic characters in all forms of entertainment to the masses to embrace and love. Today is a day of mourning all around the industry as one of its brightest lights has been extinguished.
Thank you Hiroshi Yamauchi for everything you have done for the industry and thank you for letting me play.
Thanks for reading and until next time:
Like it: https://www.facebook.com/TheOnlySurvivor
Watch it: http://www.youtube.com/user/theonlysurvivordan
Follow it: Follow @IMxGONNAxDIE
HyperSmash.com
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
GTA V Reactions
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Grand Theft Auto V hit the shelves around the world last night and tons of people were lined up to get their hands on a copy at midnight releases. While I am a PC gamer and do not have access to a console to play GTAV I have still been following the release and seeing what the reactions have been. The critics have been overly positive around this release and the fans seem to be enjoying the game as well. I cannot wait for the PC release of this after reading many reviews and watching gameplay videos. Rockstar seemingly has revitalized what I saw as a stagnant series and really stepped it up with V. Below are some of the big hitting reviews so you can keep up with what everyone is saying. If you haven't been convinced to get GTAV yet, read and watch these and I'm sure you will make up your mind by the end.
Rev3Games 5/5
IGN 10/10
"Grand Theft Auto V is not only a preposterously enjoyable video game, but also an intelligent and sharp-tongued satire of contemporary America. It represents a refinement of everything that GTA IV brought to the table five years ago. It’s technically more accomplished in every conceivable way, but it’s also tremendously ambitious in its own right. No other world in video games comes close to this in size or scope, and there is sharp intelligence behind its sense of humour and gift for mayhem. It tells a compelling, unpredictable, and provocative story without ever letting it get in the way of your own self-directed adventures through San Andreas.
It is one of the very best video games ever made."
Gamespot 9/10
"GTA V is an imperfect yet astounding game that has great characters and an innovative and exciting narrative structure, even if the story it uses that structure to tell is hobbled at times by inconsistent character behavior, muddled political messages and rampant misogyny. It also raises the bar for open-world mission design in a big way and has one of the most beautiful, lively, diverse and stimulating worlds ever seen in a game. Your time in Los Santos may leave you with a few psychological scars, but you shouldn’t let that stop you from visiting."
Gametrailers 9.8/10
"Grand Theft Auto V is an almost unbelievable achievement. It's not a perfect game, as open world oddities are inevitable and the story is a bit scattered. There's no 100% guarantee of a good time, all the time, and it may only feel like a real challenge in its most important moments. But GTA5 always seems to give you something new to experience, and when you complete the campaign you'll realize the game only asked you to engage with around half of it. If you like GTA, you own it already. If you don't, you're missing out on a brilliant gem of a game."
So there you have it. 9's and 10's all around. Welcome GTAV as another contender for Game of the Year in what has been an INCREDIBLE year for gaming! Once I get my hands on GTAV I will have to reflect on the years best to see where this falls alsongisde the likes of Bioshock Infinite, The Last of Us, Tomb Raider, Dead Space 3, Crysis 3, and my frontrunner, Metro: Last Light. And also to think that this year isn't over yet! We still have Watch Dogs, Battlefield 4 AND Call of Duty: Ghost still to come before the years end! Expect plenty more from me on all these games. I am going to have a really tough time ranking this years best in December when I put together my GOTY list. Now get out there and hopefully I will see you all in San Andreas very soon!
Thanks for reading and until next time:
Like it: https://www.facebook.com/TheOnlySurvivor
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HyperSmash
Grand Theft Auto V hit the shelves around the world last night and tons of people were lined up to get their hands on a copy at midnight releases. While I am a PC gamer and do not have access to a console to play GTAV I have still been following the release and seeing what the reactions have been. The critics have been overly positive around this release and the fans seem to be enjoying the game as well. I cannot wait for the PC release of this after reading many reviews and watching gameplay videos. Rockstar seemingly has revitalized what I saw as a stagnant series and really stepped it up with V. Below are some of the big hitting reviews so you can keep up with what everyone is saying. If you haven't been convinced to get GTAV yet, read and watch these and I'm sure you will make up your mind by the end.
Rev3Games 5/5
IGN 10/10
"Grand Theft Auto V is not only a preposterously enjoyable video game, but also an intelligent and sharp-tongued satire of contemporary America. It represents a refinement of everything that GTA IV brought to the table five years ago. It’s technically more accomplished in every conceivable way, but it’s also tremendously ambitious in its own right. No other world in video games comes close to this in size or scope, and there is sharp intelligence behind its sense of humour and gift for mayhem. It tells a compelling, unpredictable, and provocative story without ever letting it get in the way of your own self-directed adventures through San Andreas.
It is one of the very best video games ever made."
Gamespot 9/10
"GTA V is an imperfect yet astounding game that has great characters and an innovative and exciting narrative structure, even if the story it uses that structure to tell is hobbled at times by inconsistent character behavior, muddled political messages and rampant misogyny. It also raises the bar for open-world mission design in a big way and has one of the most beautiful, lively, diverse and stimulating worlds ever seen in a game. Your time in Los Santos may leave you with a few psychological scars, but you shouldn’t let that stop you from visiting."
Gametrailers 9.8/10
"Grand Theft Auto V is an almost unbelievable achievement. It's not a perfect game, as open world oddities are inevitable and the story is a bit scattered. There's no 100% guarantee of a good time, all the time, and it may only feel like a real challenge in its most important moments. But GTA5 always seems to give you something new to experience, and when you complete the campaign you'll realize the game only asked you to engage with around half of it. If you like GTA, you own it already. If you don't, you're missing out on a brilliant gem of a game."
So there you have it. 9's and 10's all around. Welcome GTAV as another contender for Game of the Year in what has been an INCREDIBLE year for gaming! Once I get my hands on GTAV I will have to reflect on the years best to see where this falls alsongisde the likes of Bioshock Infinite, The Last of Us, Tomb Raider, Dead Space 3, Crysis 3, and my frontrunner, Metro: Last Light. And also to think that this year isn't over yet! We still have Watch Dogs, Battlefield 4 AND Call of Duty: Ghost still to come before the years end! Expect plenty more from me on all these games. I am going to have a really tough time ranking this years best in December when I put together my GOTY list. Now get out there and hopefully I will see you all in San Andreas very soon!
Thanks for reading and until next time:
Like it: https://www.facebook.com/TheOnlySurvivor
Watch it: http://www.youtube.com/user/theonlysurvivordan
Follow it: Follow @IMxGONNAxDIE
HyperSmash
Teamwork OP
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I've been playing LoL for a little over a year now (as BrackenThrorn) and one of the most intriguing aspects of Riot's take on gaming is their concern with player interaction and community. The Tribunal system allows players to not only see the toxic behavior of their peers, but also to decide if they should or should not be punished for their behavior (Riot decides the sentence). On top of this innovative method of educated their players while punishing those that contribute to a negative atmosphere, Riot also makes certain it informs the community of how being a good teammate will help them. Essentially, the gamification of being a good person while gaming. For instance, "Teamwork OP:"
Obviously, the intention is that Riot hopes that players will be good players because they are being good people, but frames the material in a way any gamer can see an obvious gain from; by being a better teammate and a friendlier teammate, you can win more games.
When it comes down to it, I don't care why people choose to be nicer in LoL, as long as they stop being toxic. Anyone that's played LoL can tell you that Solo que can drive you nuts. You will lose games due to bad team comps or players refusing to adhere to a standard meta. But really, I can handle that as long as everyone is trying to have fun and be decent humans beings to each other.
GLHF
-Phil
Thanks for reading and until next time:
Like it: https://www.facebook.com/TheOnlySurvivor
Watch it: http://www.youtube.com/user/theonlysurvivordan
Follow it: Follow @IMxGONNAxDIE
HyperSmash
I've been playing LoL for a little over a year now (as BrackenThrorn) and one of the most intriguing aspects of Riot's take on gaming is their concern with player interaction and community. The Tribunal system allows players to not only see the toxic behavior of their peers, but also to decide if they should or should not be punished for their behavior (Riot decides the sentence). On top of this innovative method of educated their players while punishing those that contribute to a negative atmosphere, Riot also makes certain it informs the community of how being a good teammate will help them. Essentially, the gamification of being a good person while gaming. For instance, "Teamwork OP:"
Obviously, the intention is that Riot hopes that players will be good players because they are being good people, but frames the material in a way any gamer can see an obvious gain from; by being a better teammate and a friendlier teammate, you can win more games.
When it comes down to it, I don't care why people choose to be nicer in LoL, as long as they stop being toxic. Anyone that's played LoL can tell you that Solo que can drive you nuts. You will lose games due to bad team comps or players refusing to adhere to a standard meta. But really, I can handle that as long as everyone is trying to have fun and be decent humans beings to each other.
GLHF
-Phil
Thanks for reading and until next time:
Like it: https://www.facebook.com/TheOnlySurvivor
Watch it: http://www.youtube.com/user/theonlysurvivordan
Follow it: Follow @IMxGONNAxDIE
HyperSmash
League of Legends World Championship update
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Phil has provided another recap of what went on at the League of Legends World Championship yesterday. The tournament is starting to heat up and pretty soon we will be getting to the bracket stage.
Team Mineski vs Samsung Ozone
Ozone was favored going into this match, based on their previous day's play. Sure enough, they took the initiative, taking out the first ward Mineski put out and then changed the lanes to a 1-2-1, putting the AD carry (Imp on Ezrael) in the mid lane. They managed to win all the early duels and made all of Mineski's initiatives backfire and cause uneven swaps. Additionally, Dade had a complete control of the top lane during the first 10 minutes, including working with DanDy to get an early tower dive and gank on Snoy on Reneketon, something not easy to do at level 2. While Mineski did have a flash of brilliance when they won a huge team fight for the Ace in the jungle while 10k down in gold, it just wasn't enough to solve Ozone's constant pressure.
The real winner of the match was whoever brought the whiteboard and used it to have a Lee Sin fly between the play-by-play announcers.
Vulcan TechBargins vs Gambit BenQ
Vulcan just got greedy in their game and attempted to get things like first blood and a dragon steal (both attempts by Xmithie) that resulted in deaths without a trade. Diamond counter jungled frequently and held vision control by destroying wards.
With these matches and Fnatic's decisive win over Samsung Ozone, Gambit BenQ leads Group B with Ozone and Fnatic tied behind them.
Keep cheering those ward kills!
Another post is incoming from Phil about his experiences with LoL and the community.
Thanks for reading and until next time:
Like it: https://www.facebook.com/TheOnlySurvivor
Watch it: http://www.youtube.com/user/theonlysurvivordan
Follow it: Follow @IMxGONNAxDIE
Phil has provided another recap of what went on at the League of Legends World Championship yesterday. The tournament is starting to heat up and pretty soon we will be getting to the bracket stage.
Team Mineski vs Samsung Ozone
Ozone was favored going into this match, based on their previous day's play. Sure enough, they took the initiative, taking out the first ward Mineski put out and then changed the lanes to a 1-2-1, putting the AD carry (Imp on Ezrael) in the mid lane. They managed to win all the early duels and made all of Mineski's initiatives backfire and cause uneven swaps. Additionally, Dade had a complete control of the top lane during the first 10 minutes, including working with DanDy to get an early tower dive and gank on Snoy on Reneketon, something not easy to do at level 2. While Mineski did have a flash of brilliance when they won a huge team fight for the Ace in the jungle while 10k down in gold, it just wasn't enough to solve Ozone's constant pressure.
The real winner of the match was whoever brought the whiteboard and used it to have a Lee Sin fly between the play-by-play announcers.
Vulcan TechBargins vs Gambit BenQ
Vulcan just got greedy in their game and attempted to get things like first blood and a dragon steal (both attempts by Xmithie) that resulted in deaths without a trade. Diamond counter jungled frequently and held vision control by destroying wards.
With these matches and Fnatic's decisive win over Samsung Ozone, Gambit BenQ leads Group B with Ozone and Fnatic tied behind them.
Keep cheering those ward kills!
Another post is incoming from Phil about his experiences with LoL and the community.
Thanks for reading and until next time:
Like it: https://www.facebook.com/TheOnlySurvivor
Watch it: http://www.youtube.com/user/theonlysurvivordan
Follow it: Follow @IMxGONNAxDIE
Monday, September 16, 2013
League of Legends World Championship
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I love e-sports! I have touched on a couple of tournaments in my reviews such as Blizzards WCS for Starcraft and Valve's The International for DOTA2. E-sports is constantly growing and gaining ground in the mainstream and is being legitimized and recognized all around the world. The Season 3 World Championship for League of Legends just started and Phil has written up a nice overview of the first day of the tournament. I am thinking of doing a sort of e-sports round up so let me know what you think about that idea. Anyway, below is Phil's first impressions of the Season 3 League of Legends World Championship:
Season 3 World Championship:
First things first, it's World Championship time for League of Legends! Right now, things are in the group stages in Los Angeles, with 10 teams in two groups looking to come out on top during a double round robin (best of one). Every team will play the other teams in their group twice during the week with the top two teams in each group heading to the Quarterfinals and meeting four teams that are already in the next stage, due to coming in first in the regional qualifiers.
Group 1:
- OMG
- SK Telecom T1
- Lemondogs
- TeamSoloMid Snapdragon
- Gaming Gear.EU
Group 2:
- Samsung Ozone
- Team Mineski
- Gambit BenQ
- Fnatic
- Vulcan TechBargins
Bye:
- Royal Club
- Cloud 9 HyperX
- Gamania Bears
- NaJin Black Sword
Catch the current standings of the group stage here.
ONG vs. SK Telecom T1
In addition to the run-down, I managed to catch two of the group play games, starting with OMG vs. SKT T1.
Sure enough, the big players were Cool (OMG) versus Faker (SKT S1) in the mid lane. While OMG was able to take the match, Faker was the MVP of the match. As Gragas, his lane phase was high pressured and his ultimate usage was superb, constantly knocking Cool or others into turrets and managing to Flash himself away from danger over walls.
What took OMG over the top was their strategic command of objectives, surgically cutting them down as the match went on. GoGoing was able to maintain an uncontested dominance in the top lane, allowing vision and jungle control for LoveLin.
Vulcan TechBargins Vs. Fnatic
While the original projections and polls favored Fnatic, the choice of Yorick and some early game give-ups by Fnatic allowed Vulcan to take control of the map and gold in a way that made it impossible for Fnatic to come back. Vulcan's Zuna on Corki was impressive, with a highlight being blocking a Caitlin ultimate to save Xmithie during a teamfight by skill shotting in the way. Fnatic's xPeke just couldn't be the deciding factor they needed in mid to take back control. Additionally, late game Orianna controlled by mancloud allowed for total control of team fights and an unmatched dueling ability for the North American team. Vulcan answered the critics questions about their late game positional in this first game.
Riot has done an amazing job at promoting and helping the League of Legends community grow and grow. LoL is by far the top e-sport out there right now and the games shown at Worlds are only going to get better and better. Much more will come from us on the tournament and e-sports in general. So while you wait for the next write up, go check some out and sit back and enjoy watching the top tier teams battle it out for a chance at $1 million!
Thanks for reading and until next time:
Like it: https://www.facebook.com/TheOnlySurvivor
Watch it: http://www.youtube.com/user/theonlysurvivordan
Follow it: Follow @IMxGONNAxDIE
Hyper Smash
I love e-sports! I have touched on a couple of tournaments in my reviews such as Blizzards WCS for Starcraft and Valve's The International for DOTA2. E-sports is constantly growing and gaining ground in the mainstream and is being legitimized and recognized all around the world. The Season 3 World Championship for League of Legends just started and Phil has written up a nice overview of the first day of the tournament. I am thinking of doing a sort of e-sports round up so let me know what you think about that idea. Anyway, below is Phil's first impressions of the Season 3 League of Legends World Championship:
Season 3 World Championship:
First things first, it's World Championship time for League of Legends! Right now, things are in the group stages in Los Angeles, with 10 teams in two groups looking to come out on top during a double round robin (best of one). Every team will play the other teams in their group twice during the week with the top two teams in each group heading to the Quarterfinals and meeting four teams that are already in the next stage, due to coming in first in the regional qualifiers.
Group 1:
- OMG
- SK Telecom T1
- Lemondogs
- TeamSoloMid Snapdragon
- Gaming Gear.EU
Group 2:
- Samsung Ozone
- Team Mineski
- Gambit BenQ
- Fnatic
- Vulcan TechBargins
Bye:
- Royal Club
- Cloud 9 HyperX
- Gamania Bears
- NaJin Black Sword
Catch the current standings of the group stage here.
ONG vs. SK Telecom T1
In addition to the run-down, I managed to catch two of the group play games, starting with OMG vs. SKT T1.
Sure enough, the big players were Cool (OMG) versus Faker (SKT S1) in the mid lane. While OMG was able to take the match, Faker was the MVP of the match. As Gragas, his lane phase was high pressured and his ultimate usage was superb, constantly knocking Cool or others into turrets and managing to Flash himself away from danger over walls.
What took OMG over the top was their strategic command of objectives, surgically cutting them down as the match went on. GoGoing was able to maintain an uncontested dominance in the top lane, allowing vision and jungle control for LoveLin.
Vulcan TechBargins Vs. Fnatic
While the original projections and polls favored Fnatic, the choice of Yorick and some early game give-ups by Fnatic allowed Vulcan to take control of the map and gold in a way that made it impossible for Fnatic to come back. Vulcan's Zuna on Corki was impressive, with a highlight being blocking a Caitlin ultimate to save Xmithie during a teamfight by skill shotting in the way. Fnatic's xPeke just couldn't be the deciding factor they needed in mid to take back control. Additionally, late game Orianna controlled by mancloud allowed for total control of team fights and an unmatched dueling ability for the North American team. Vulcan answered the critics questions about their late game positional in this first game.
Riot has done an amazing job at promoting and helping the League of Legends community grow and grow. LoL is by far the top e-sport out there right now and the games shown at Worlds are only going to get better and better. Much more will come from us on the tournament and e-sports in general. So while you wait for the next write up, go check some out and sit back and enjoy watching the top tier teams battle it out for a chance at $1 million!
Thanks for reading and until next time:
Like it: https://www.facebook.com/TheOnlySurvivor
Watch it: http://www.youtube.com/user/theonlysurvivordan
Follow it: Follow @IMxGONNAxDIE
Hyper Smash
Friday, September 13, 2013
Week in Review 9/13/2013
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We are back on track with the weekly review! This has been a slow week from me since I have been kept pretty busy in the real world. My best friend Phil wrote a nice piece about last weekends Baltimore Comic Con which you can find here and welcome him to the team, but for now, lets take a look at the week that was.
Steam announce family sharing
Finally! This has been a long time coming. This announcement is really cool to see and will further PC gaming in general. Your family list doesn't necessarily have to be family, it can be friends which is nice to know since my family doesn't play games but ALL MY FRIENDS DO! To be able to share my library with them and vice versa and having a cloud save for all games so we aren't getting in each others way in the same games is very nice. The security policies seem good, if you own the game in your library you always have the priority to play it no matter what. Developers can rest at ease because if they do not want this option they do not have to include it (though I don't know why they wouldn't want others essentially having access to demos of their games). All in all, a nice feature that is long overdue. I will be trying to get access into the Beta but I am not holding my breath as Valve has stated that the initial Beta test will only be 1000 users.
Vin Diesel brings ex-Starbreeze developers in for a new Riddick game
Vin Diesel is right up there with some of my most favorite actors. Not because of Fast and the Furious, not because of xXx, but because of his personality and his amazing performance as Riddick. Pitch Black and Chronicles of Riddick (I have not seen the new Riddick yet) have been some of the best Sci-Fi movies in recent times and Vin Diesel is one of the biggest nerds in the movie industry. That's right, Vin Diesel is a HUGE nerd (He has publicly stated many times he is a big Dungeons and Dragons player!) and is responsible for the 2004 game The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay which was fantastic and developed by Tigon Studios which was founded by him! So when it was announced that he got the developers responsible for Escape from Butcher Bay back together to start on a new Riddick game it was met with much praise. Cannot wait to hear more on the project!
Activision geared up to fight 'violent video games' bill
Normally lobbying by the gaming industry as a whole is fairly common but to see one company do it by themselves is very rare. The bill on the table is the Violent Content Research Act of 2013 has been looked at by many as the 'Violent Video Games' bill and was introduced in January by Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) in the aftermath of the school shooting in Newtown, CT. To see a company like this stand up for themselves is inspiring to see in the industry and I hope more companies follow Activision to fight this. You know my opinion on violent video games and its time the industry stood up for itself and fought back the ridiculous claims that the mainstream media and the government would like for you to believe. Good on you Activision for standing up and defending yourself!
Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon sells over 1 million copies
While 1 million copies isn't an ENORMOUS amount by any means in today's economy and looking at other titles that sell well over that number, I feel this is a big deal because of what Blood Dragon was. Blood Dragon was an expandalone title that, while marked with the Far Cry 3 name, did not require the $60 to play. The story was shot but sweet and the gameplay was great considering it was basically a re-skin of Far Cry 3 but the real deal was the price. At a much reduced price, you get an ~8 hour AAA game which was incredible. This could be the start of a great future of DLC where there are short stories released that have the feel of a AAA giant but at a fraction of the price.
There you have it once again folks. Quiet week in general, not much going on as everyone is starting to gear up for the holiday season (wow this year is flying by!) so I am sure there will be some more big revelations as we get closer to the next gen console launches. As I stated before, now that I brought Phil on board, we will be trying to get some streams together and pump out more content for everyone so stay tuned for that. Hopefully in the near future (probably a few months from now) I would like to set up a charity steamathon where I will play for 36 hours straight and all the money I get will go to a great cause.
Also, if you have not done so, click the follow button for me on twitter, the more followers I get, the sooner I will start doing contests and giving out some great games!
Thanks for reading and until next time:
Like it: https://www.facebook.com/TheOnlySurvivor
Watch it: http://www.youtube.com/user/theonlysurvivordan
Follow it: Follow @IMxGONNAxDIE
www.hypersmash.com
We are back on track with the weekly review! This has been a slow week from me since I have been kept pretty busy in the real world. My best friend Phil wrote a nice piece about last weekends Baltimore Comic Con which you can find here and welcome him to the team, but for now, lets take a look at the week that was.
Steam announce family sharing
Finally! This has been a long time coming. This announcement is really cool to see and will further PC gaming in general. Your family list doesn't necessarily have to be family, it can be friends which is nice to know since my family doesn't play games but ALL MY FRIENDS DO! To be able to share my library with them and vice versa and having a cloud save for all games so we aren't getting in each others way in the same games is very nice. The security policies seem good, if you own the game in your library you always have the priority to play it no matter what. Developers can rest at ease because if they do not want this option they do not have to include it (though I don't know why they wouldn't want others essentially having access to demos of their games). All in all, a nice feature that is long overdue. I will be trying to get access into the Beta but I am not holding my breath as Valve has stated that the initial Beta test will only be 1000 users.
Vin Diesel brings ex-Starbreeze developers in for a new Riddick game
Vin Diesel is right up there with some of my most favorite actors. Not because of Fast and the Furious, not because of xXx, but because of his personality and his amazing performance as Riddick. Pitch Black and Chronicles of Riddick (I have not seen the new Riddick yet) have been some of the best Sci-Fi movies in recent times and Vin Diesel is one of the biggest nerds in the movie industry. That's right, Vin Diesel is a HUGE nerd (He has publicly stated many times he is a big Dungeons and Dragons player!) and is responsible for the 2004 game The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay which was fantastic and developed by Tigon Studios which was founded by him! So when it was announced that he got the developers responsible for Escape from Butcher Bay back together to start on a new Riddick game it was met with much praise. Cannot wait to hear more on the project!
Activision geared up to fight 'violent video games' bill
Normally lobbying by the gaming industry as a whole is fairly common but to see one company do it by themselves is very rare. The bill on the table is the Violent Content Research Act of 2013 has been looked at by many as the 'Violent Video Games' bill and was introduced in January by Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) in the aftermath of the school shooting in Newtown, CT. To see a company like this stand up for themselves is inspiring to see in the industry and I hope more companies follow Activision to fight this. You know my opinion on violent video games and its time the industry stood up for itself and fought back the ridiculous claims that the mainstream media and the government would like for you to believe. Good on you Activision for standing up and defending yourself!
Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon sells over 1 million copies
While 1 million copies isn't an ENORMOUS amount by any means in today's economy and looking at other titles that sell well over that number, I feel this is a big deal because of what Blood Dragon was. Blood Dragon was an expandalone title that, while marked with the Far Cry 3 name, did not require the $60 to play. The story was shot but sweet and the gameplay was great considering it was basically a re-skin of Far Cry 3 but the real deal was the price. At a much reduced price, you get an ~8 hour AAA game which was incredible. This could be the start of a great future of DLC where there are short stories released that have the feel of a AAA giant but at a fraction of the price.
There you have it once again folks. Quiet week in general, not much going on as everyone is starting to gear up for the holiday season (wow this year is flying by!) so I am sure there will be some more big revelations as we get closer to the next gen console launches. As I stated before, now that I brought Phil on board, we will be trying to get some streams together and pump out more content for everyone so stay tuned for that. Hopefully in the near future (probably a few months from now) I would like to set up a charity steamathon where I will play for 36 hours straight and all the money I get will go to a great cause.
Also, if you have not done so, click the follow button for me on twitter, the more followers I get, the sooner I will start doing contests and giving out some great games!
Thanks for reading and until next time:
Like it: https://www.facebook.com/TheOnlySurvivor
Watch it: http://www.youtube.com/user/theonlysurvivordan
Follow it: Follow @IMxGONNAxDIE
www.hypersmash.com
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
Baltimore Comic Con
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Since I first started this blog, all I have been focused on is video games. While I will always put them first and foremost I have enlisted the help of my best friend Phil to help contribute with more content. Phil and I are both HUGE comic book fans and this past weekend, Phil went to Baltimore Comic Con (He lives in DC) and he wrote up a nice piece about his experience at the event. In my never ending attempt of creating content, I thought his first article for BCC would be a great way to branch off in other directions. Next month I will be at New York Comic Con so I will 100% be reporting on that and what better way to start new content than with my best friend coming on board to help me out. In the future, Phil and I will be creating a lot more content together and we will be streaming and gaming (This piece that he wrote is not indicating any major shifts by me to different content sources. I assure you there will still be plenty of video games, this is just another passion that I share with Phil that we would like to report on). So, with all that said, welcome Phil and enjoy his write up on Baltimore Comic Con!
BALTIMORE COMIC CON
While Baltimore is one of the our least favorite places on Dan & my list of anywhere on the Earth, I ventured north of DC to check out the Baltimore Comic-Con this past Saturday and am very glad I did.
The convention was was in a great location in Baltimore (yes, that's a thing) and lines were quick to get in during the morning rush. As you enter the convention floor, you're engulfed by the sheer volume of back issues and slabs to delve through. I made a beeline to the Artist's Alley, since I knew it would be pretty empty as it was on the opposite side of the floor from the doors.
That was a great call, as Mike Mignola's (Hellboy) table had only a 5 person line for signatures. After that, I stopped by the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund booth and was able to get The Massive and have it signed by Brian Wood (DMZ, Northlanders). Dan and I had seen him at MoCCA Fest about 5 years ago, so it was great to see how much more popular he's gotten since then.
After that, I began wandering around the convention. I had shown up to the con because a friend had suggested it, but hadn't poured over the list of guests. I was impressed by the amount of talent there, especially writers/artists I regularly read. Pretty soon my bag (which originally had three TPBs to be signed), was about to burst with signed trades, variant covers, and hardcovers. Needless to say, I had to hit up the ATM.
Highlight: Valiant Comics, Road to Unity panel.
This was informative, full of humor, and even had a luge suit. It was really the whole package. Unity will be Valiant's super-team (think Avengers). It will fit in the continuity while adding to it. The basic concept, how do you go after X-O Manowar? Build a group that includes Toyo Harada, Ninjak, Livewire, and the Eternal Warrior. The big selling point for shop owners: Issue #1 of the comic is 100% returnable and is a great intro for anyone into the Valiant Universe.
Best Booth: (Tie) Th3rd World Studios & Valiant Comics
Th3rd World had someone dressed as Harlequin from The Stuff of Legend, games to play, carpets, big signs, and cocktail displays with their books. There was a ton of interaction and if you wanted to buy a book, they'd get it signed quick!
Valiant seemed like the belle of the ball, with their towering booth, constant signings, Unity panel, and a huge display of merchandise. The kicker: CEO Dinesh Samdasani was there to sell you books, answer questions, and show you brand new, unpublished pages on his iPad.
Creators I Met:
Jim Zub (Skullkickers): I actually hadn't read any of his comics before the con, but I had read through his blog on creating comics. Its excellent advice for anyone looking to break into the industry. I'm glad I picked up Skullkickers and am looking forward to seeing his work for Valiant.
Rob Venditti (Green Lantern, X-O Manowar): His run on X-O Manowar is going strong and is matched well with the Cary Nord art. Look for some more great barbarian filled stories from him.
Bryan J.L. Glass III (Mice Templar): His Mice Templar is filled with mythology and cultures of a heavy back story. While you may think that fantasy mice tales are silly, this is full of dark twists and a rich history. Plus, his wife is super nice to you while you're waiting to get things signed. Look for his new superhero comic, Furious, coming out from Dark Horse early next year.
David Peterson (Mouse Guard): Speaking of fantasy mice tales and rich back story, Mouse Guard is utterly amazing. The art, lettering, and story are impressive and even more so when you realize that its just David Peterson doing it all. I'll gladly wait for each issue. His stuff is a great intro point for non-comic readers that may have liked Redwall.
Mike Carey (The Unwritten, Hellblazer, Lucifer): A very nice, soft-spoken Brit, Mike was presenting his new comic from Boom!, Suicide Risk. Its a new take on superheroes from the writer that's doing a great job on The Unwritten. If you like Harry Potter or are a huge literature nerd, check out The Unwritten.
Stan Saki (Usagi Yojimbo): Somehow I got to his booth with no one there. This guy is legendary. His characters and lettering are mind blowing. Read his stuff if you want to see comics done right. And yes, that is the samurai rabbit from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Books to Read:
Eternal Warrior: Issue 1 (Valiant): Gilad Anni-Padda is back and tearing his way through history as the Fist and Steel of the Earth.
Kill Shakespeare: Volume 3 (IDW): What if all of Shakespeare's characters lived in a shared world? Hint: They'd all try to kill each other.
Mouse Guard: The Black Axe (Archaia): David Peterson never stops impressing with his art or story.
Skullkickers (Image): I think you can figure out the general theme based on the name. Great art and hilarity ensue.
The Stuff of Legend: Volume 3 (Th3rd World Studios): The art and dark story are captivating.
X-O Manowar: Read all of it. The Cary Nord (Conan) pencils are superb and Rob Venditti does a great job showing us what would happen if a Visigoth got the galaxy's more powerful suit of armor.
Regrets:
I should have taken more pictures. There was some very good cosplay and some great creators there. Not to mention the awesome booths.
Dan goes to New York Comic Con next month! Very Jealous.
Thanks for reading and until next time:
Like it
Watch it
Follow it: Dan
Phil
Hypersmash.com
Since I first started this blog, all I have been focused on is video games. While I will always put them first and foremost I have enlisted the help of my best friend Phil to help contribute with more content. Phil and I are both HUGE comic book fans and this past weekend, Phil went to Baltimore Comic Con (He lives in DC) and he wrote up a nice piece about his experience at the event. In my never ending attempt of creating content, I thought his first article for BCC would be a great way to branch off in other directions. Next month I will be at New York Comic Con so I will 100% be reporting on that and what better way to start new content than with my best friend coming on board to help me out. In the future, Phil and I will be creating a lot more content together and we will be streaming and gaming (This piece that he wrote is not indicating any major shifts by me to different content sources. I assure you there will still be plenty of video games, this is just another passion that I share with Phil that we would like to report on). So, with all that said, welcome Phil and enjoy his write up on Baltimore Comic Con!
BALTIMORE COMIC CON
While Baltimore is one of the our least favorite places on Dan & my list of anywhere on the Earth, I ventured north of DC to check out the Baltimore Comic-Con this past Saturday and am very glad I did.
The convention was was in a great location in Baltimore (yes, that's a thing) and lines were quick to get in during the morning rush. As you enter the convention floor, you're engulfed by the sheer volume of back issues and slabs to delve through. I made a beeline to the Artist's Alley, since I knew it would be pretty empty as it was on the opposite side of the floor from the doors.
That was a great call, as Mike Mignola's (Hellboy) table had only a 5 person line for signatures. After that, I stopped by the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund booth and was able to get The Massive and have it signed by Brian Wood (DMZ, Northlanders). Dan and I had seen him at MoCCA Fest about 5 years ago, so it was great to see how much more popular he's gotten since then.
After that, I began wandering around the convention. I had shown up to the con because a friend had suggested it, but hadn't poured over the list of guests. I was impressed by the amount of talent there, especially writers/artists I regularly read. Pretty soon my bag (which originally had three TPBs to be signed), was about to burst with signed trades, variant covers, and hardcovers. Needless to say, I had to hit up the ATM.
Highlight: Valiant Comics, Road to Unity panel.
This was informative, full of humor, and even had a luge suit. It was really the whole package. Unity will be Valiant's super-team (think Avengers). It will fit in the continuity while adding to it. The basic concept, how do you go after X-O Manowar? Build a group that includes Toyo Harada, Ninjak, Livewire, and the Eternal Warrior. The big selling point for shop owners: Issue #1 of the comic is 100% returnable and is a great intro for anyone into the Valiant Universe.
Best Booth: (Tie) Th3rd World Studios & Valiant Comics
Th3rd World had someone dressed as Harlequin from The Stuff of Legend, games to play, carpets, big signs, and cocktail displays with their books. There was a ton of interaction and if you wanted to buy a book, they'd get it signed quick!
Valiant seemed like the belle of the ball, with their towering booth, constant signings, Unity panel, and a huge display of merchandise. The kicker: CEO Dinesh Samdasani was there to sell you books, answer questions, and show you brand new, unpublished pages on his iPad.
Creators I Met:
Jim Zub (Skullkickers): I actually hadn't read any of his comics before the con, but I had read through his blog on creating comics. Its excellent advice for anyone looking to break into the industry. I'm glad I picked up Skullkickers and am looking forward to seeing his work for Valiant.
Rob Venditti (Green Lantern, X-O Manowar): His run on X-O Manowar is going strong and is matched well with the Cary Nord art. Look for some more great barbarian filled stories from him.
Bryan J.L. Glass III (Mice Templar): His Mice Templar is filled with mythology and cultures of a heavy back story. While you may think that fantasy mice tales are silly, this is full of dark twists and a rich history. Plus, his wife is super nice to you while you're waiting to get things signed. Look for his new superhero comic, Furious, coming out from Dark Horse early next year.
David Peterson (Mouse Guard): Speaking of fantasy mice tales and rich back story, Mouse Guard is utterly amazing. The art, lettering, and story are impressive and even more so when you realize that its just David Peterson doing it all. I'll gladly wait for each issue. His stuff is a great intro point for non-comic readers that may have liked Redwall.
Mike Carey (The Unwritten, Hellblazer, Lucifer): A very nice, soft-spoken Brit, Mike was presenting his new comic from Boom!, Suicide Risk. Its a new take on superheroes from the writer that's doing a great job on The Unwritten. If you like Harry Potter or are a huge literature nerd, check out The Unwritten.
Stan Saki (Usagi Yojimbo): Somehow I got to his booth with no one there. This guy is legendary. His characters and lettering are mind blowing. Read his stuff if you want to see comics done right. And yes, that is the samurai rabbit from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Books to Read:
Eternal Warrior: Issue 1 (Valiant): Gilad Anni-Padda is back and tearing his way through history as the Fist and Steel of the Earth.
Kill Shakespeare: Volume 3 (IDW): What if all of Shakespeare's characters lived in a shared world? Hint: They'd all try to kill each other.
Mouse Guard: The Black Axe (Archaia): David Peterson never stops impressing with his art or story.
Skullkickers (Image): I think you can figure out the general theme based on the name. Great art and hilarity ensue.
The Stuff of Legend: Volume 3 (Th3rd World Studios): The art and dark story are captivating.
X-O Manowar: Read all of it. The Cary Nord (Conan) pencils are superb and Rob Venditti does a great job showing us what would happen if a Visigoth got the galaxy's more powerful suit of armor.
Regrets:
I should have taken more pictures. There was some very good cosplay and some great creators there. Not to mention the awesome booths.
Dan goes to New York Comic Con next month! Very Jealous.
Thanks for reading and until next time:
Like it
Watch it
Follow it: Dan
Phil
Hypersmash.com
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