Battlefield 3 released overseas (USA release is the 25th) to stellar critic reviews, as expected. While the MP is where it's at, the COOP and SP received mediocre feedback...not great, but not too bad. Looking forward to playing all modes as soon as my Newegg pre-order shows up! NFO only supports ranked BF3 servers (meaning public-only) right now, and the game is too costly and over-large map-wise for most of us anyway. So I don't expect us to be playing it anytime soon. That said, if anyone does buy it, I'd be up for trying out the 2-player COOP. Plus it sounds like the TDM maps may be smaller than other modes, tho' "small" in BF is likely still huge.
Speaking of NFO, since we never play "Crysis 2" anymore I dropped the server. We can still play on my test server if/when. I don't expect to be renting any more game servers from NFO for the foreseeable future since we just don't use them enough to justify the cost. My home net speeds are plenty fast these days for what we play. And I would still have a little ping either way. lol
In other FFC news... Gonz and I have been check'n out GRAW2 (Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter 2) when we have time. Fuzzy has the game also but has been too busy with the job to do more than install it. I've also been playing the SP missions a bit and it's kinda fun in a R6:V2 retro manner; guiding Huey, Luey & Dewey around and letting them "take one for the team". Maps are again a bit large, but it has a nice grid map feature so when playing DM/TDM we find each other using that ("I'm in zone E3, moving to E4"). With only 2 of us in there that can still take awhile tho' might not be too bad with 4+ players. Here is the Steam link: http://store.steampowered.com/app/13510/
Pros:
Cheap (<$10)
Prone, lean, slide, dive, run crouched, NO jump so NO bunnyhop'n
Dated but decent graphics (with tweak'n)
Tactical (for a change)
Various MP modes (COOP, Campaign, usual TDM, DM, etc)
Dedicated server (I already have that working)
Custom content (custom maps, mods, etc)
Few remaining bugs (last patch was 1.05)
Modding/support community slow but alive
Low hardware requirements
Cons:
Ubisoft game (ugh..)
NO melee (not too surprising)
Limited grenades (but has M203 option)
Limited or NO health recovery (again, not too surprising)
GameSpy sign-in required (not a big deal)
Maps can be large
Drab graphics on some maps
SP can be too difficult (if anyone cares)
COOP AI is a challenge
No redirect download for maps/mods (manual, like L4D series)
Recently we upgraded to the full 1.0 version of "Galactic Warfare", the COD4 "Star Wars" mod from the German mod team The Black Monkeys. We've played the beta releases in the past, but the final product is much more polished and includes a few new maps. A really spectacular release, and hey it's free...what more can I say?
In similar fashion, the French mod team MediaPixel is finalizing a CryTek SciFi mod called "StarCry" that should be out in beta by year-end. It's a free mod based on the earlier CryEngine 2 SDK so will require the original "Crysis" game. From the video on their site, looks like a mix of SF influences...I recognize models from "Halo", "Star Wars", & "Stargate"....maybe a few more. Will keep an eye on this one to see if it's worthy of shell'n out a few coins for the older "Crysis" which Steam has on sale periodically. Looks a bit "blocky" to me right now compared to C2 and the newer CE3 gameplay.
Speaking of Crysis, there are still several C2 MP maps in progress (WIP) that I'm watching and a couple early releases that we'll try out soon. I know it's taking awhile for new content to show-up but the SDK was just released this summer and it's slow-going while the mappers learn the new tools. Definitely plenty of potential for more free fun maps & mods into next year.
And for those of you (like me) who couldn't resist the upcoming BF3 title, there are several new trailers out. As of yesterday, the open beta is now available; I hope to check it out this weekend. Official game release date is Oct. 25th....I pre-ordered mine via Newegg back in August.
Finally, if you've been under a rock and not following MS news then here's a peek into Windows 8. The dev release has been getting rave reviews from you-and-me type testers, especially if you have a tablet or other touch-screen device. I recently purchased an Acer Iconia Tab for Tess and have been tempted to install it. But the dev release still has a few quirks and a limited life so I've resisted temptation. Definitely will load up Win 8 (or whatever the final name is) on the tablet after RTM release....mega-kewl!
Now that our CCG II "Gatherin" event is over, time to get back into the gaming groove. BTW, for those not on the Forum, here's a link to the event pictures.
I was really looking forward to "F.3.A.R." but from the reviews, sounds like it's much better in COOP and MP play than for SP. Maybe we'll look at it for a L4D series replacement when it hits the bargain bin, since it sounds like it has similar modes.
"Bulletstorm" pricing has dropped finally, but not quite to an affordable level considering that the COOP only supports 4 players. Still a ton o'fun and one of my favorite games so will keep an eye on the bargain bin.
There are several E3 vids over on FPSVG showcasing the upcoming BF3 release. Looking really good, if overlarge of course and would likely require me to finally upgrade/replace my current gaming system. Not quite ready for that yet, maybe over the Xmas downtime.
Still waiting on Crysis 2 prices to drop....again, maybe by year end. NFO server prices are pretty cheap for that one, and it's one of the few newer games that they support and that is small enough map-wise for us. So it's looking like the best choice for a hosted game right now. Speaking of NFO, unless I hear reasons otherwise then I'm dropping MOH this weekend. We seldom play it anymore, ....not enough to justify the monthly expense. It was fun but a PITA to administer both for game control and keep'n the pub idiots off our server. I'll have to research to see if Crysis 2 will be any better in that regard.
Just returned from our Florida vacation...ahhh...beach sun & fun! But now that I've shaken all the sand outta my shorts, I'm very ready to get back into the gaming spirit!
Rather than babble on about various game news items, I'm just gonna point you to one of my favorite gaming news sites, FPSVideogamer. I like what I see on there about "Rage". Probably just another SP candidate given the scale, but as with "Bulletstorm", it could be worth a look anyway. There's also news/vids about various other upcoming games that I've talked about in the past so check it out when you have time.
This weekend I'm looking more closely at "Crysis 2". I played the open MP beta a bit back when, and am now exploring the SP part of the game. The graphics are excellent, and the environment very dynamic and detailed. Reminds me of Half-Life 2 but with modern graphics and sound. Gameplay is smoooth even at 1280x1024; as has been rumored, the best DX9 graphics you'll find! As with MOH this could be a worthy purchase for us down the road when the price drops providing that the MP maps aren't too large.
Let's see....we've pretty much abandoned "Breach" but then so have a lot of other players. Great potential with this game but serious performance issues and also with their so-called dedicated server. Will Atomic release updates to salvage the game? Maybe...their forum was all but abandoned for awhile but they are posting once more and responding to users. Too little too late?....most likely. At least the game was priced cheap enough.
"Medal Of Honor" (aka MOH...like Larry, Curly and MOH ;) is working out really well for us. Graphics are great, sound is decent, gameplay is smooth, and the price was right...finally. I do wish there was more server control but as I've stated before, the days of mods/tweaks/control and public dedicated server files seem to have passed on by. All the AAA title pub houses have moved to the same "we are in control" backend network model. What we used to laugh at in the old days (remember NovaLogic/NovaWorld?) is now the norm. Sucks (as in that $ucking $ound you hear from your wallet) but 'tis out of our control. The word is that there will be a MOH sequel, and one can only hope it uses the Frostbite 2 engine that looks so great in the "Battlefield 3" vids. But BF3 is gonna be HUGE map-wise...64 player support...waaaay outta our league. BTW, BF3 is rumored to be out early November this year.
"Crysis 2": I played the MP demo a bit and while the game isn't revolutionary, from the demo it appears to be a solid shooter with the best DX9 graphics you'll likely find. Again, the Big Brother control network model is a PITA, but it remains to be seen how well that will work once the game releases on March 22nd. Might be another one to keep an eye on for us when it hits the bargain bin.
"Homefront": LOTS of buzz about this one, tho' again, over the top for us size-wise in similar fashion to the Battlefield series....32 player support. Rumor is there's a leaked copy on most platforms already....I'm thinking from a "single-player worthy" frame of mind. Release date is the 15th.
"F.3.A.R": Not much info on the MP aspect of this game yet. The SP should be awesome, tho' it remains to be seen if it (or any game) can top the scare/fright factor of the original. I'm hoping for a great MP version but too early to tell yet. Release is sometime in May.
I'm not going to talk much about "Deadspace 2", as it's 3rd person and the MP is L4Dish (humans vs mutants). Very good SP game, but I don't care for those MP styles.
Lastly, it's good to see "Bulletstorm" riding in the Top 10 this week. I wish it were less console-ish and the MP was actual MP instead of just COOP, as we'd have a ton o'fun with this one and it's fresh "kill with skill" scoring model. I've watched a few vids of the COOP MP and it seems kinda chaotic since you have to actually cooperate to get the best scores. Maybe the sequel will include a more traditional team vs team model. But the SP is great and I play it almost daily. Another one to watch for bargain bin status.
ATVI continues to spew repeats of COD:MW (MW2, BO, BO2?) on an annual cycle (used to be semi-annual, with a lot more polish) and rake in the $. But many players have turned to other games for more variety. Games like BF:BC2 and the MOH reboot didn't fare quite as well, as it's pretty hard to out-imitate the reigning in-house imitator.
Meanwhile, other more diverse mil-tec/SF games such as "RO:HOS", "Homefront", "Bulletstorm", "F.3.A.R." and "Breach" are attracting a lot of attention from those of us who are tired of the formulaic retreads that the money-grubbers keep pumping out. Edit: And I DO have to note that "The Duke" may finally be making his long awaited return this year...after 12 f'n years...in "Duke Nukem Forever". If the reviews are decent, will be a must-buy item for moi'...the original was my first experience with LAN multiplayer gaming...been hooked every since!
I'm particularly excited about "Breach" since it has so much potential to create a different style of play given it's extenstively destructible environment. I was looking forward to that capability in BF:BC2 but it didn't live up to expectations. That game also had over-large maps, was pricey, and lacked a dedicated server piece, while "Breach" should be ~$20, looks more CQB map-wise, and does include a dedi server.
For now we'll continue with ye olde classic COD versions, our occasional rounds of L4D and KF, and the very fun if often flawed R6V2. But I'll be buying "Breach" as soon as it's available for purchase and keep my fingers crossed that it'll be a solid winner for us. I'll report once I've given it a workout and evaluated the dedi server.
Here's a somewhat comical "Breach" fan preview vid:
