Review Of Red Dead Redemption - A Wild Time In The Wild West
Aug 5, 2010 Articles Recommend|95views
Let’s face it, cowboy Western video games are few and far between on any consol but when one does come out it gets much attention. A soon as I saw “Red Dead Redemption” come out in May 2010, I knew I had to grab it. The game was developed by Rockstar San Diego and published through Rockstar Games, my favorite game developer. The game continues where it 2004 predecessor “Red Dead Revolver” left off. The storyline follows main character John Marston through 1911 American Old West territory settings and delivers plenty of “Wild West” excitement one would expect from the genre.
The Story
Marston is a reformed outlaw which is faced to bring his former gang to justice. He becomes forced to be on the right side of the law when the government takes his family and forces him into an exchange for the services of bounty hunting the fugitives. With all other options exhausted Martson must ride through the Wild West in search of his three former gang members and bring them to justice in order to be reunited with his family.
Gameplay
Red Dead Redemption is my kind of game and will be for anyone who loves wide-open environments with tons of interaction. Typical of this style game there are larger objectives, which follow the storyline to be accomplished along with mini-games and adventure, which stray from the main plot. The player is moving through the environment using a map to locate the major objectives while being able to play mini-games such as “five finger filet”, “Texas Hold ‘em Poker” or just grabbing a drink from the town’s saloon. The mode of transportation is on horseback and players will be involved with random shootouts and combat along the way. Much of how the player interacts will determine the style of game play, in other words, players can be aggressive, mean or friendly, and it will affect how the game progresses. Other notable highlights of the game play include public town hangings, ambushes, pleas for assistance, stranger encounters, drive-by shootings, and vicious animal attacks.
Red Dead Redemption has received high praise from the biggest online sites and magazines. Popular review aggregate websites Metacritic and GameRankings have the average score at 95% which shows universal critical acclaim for the game. It has become a huge success for both the Playstation 3 and the Xbox 360 mainly for its visuals, the open world environment, and the story. This is not only one of the best games for 2010, but it stands up to be one of the best games ever within its limited genre.
As of now “Red Dead Redemption has sold over 2 million copies with no slowing down in sight. The game includes online abilities such as multiplayer action with up to 16 people in a single environment (free-for-all and team play) as well as the downloadable content “Outlaws to the End,” which adds six new cooperative side missions. The free downloadable content also adds to the multiplayer experience with fresh challenges, trophies and achievements. Red Dead Redemption’s soundtrack is fun and fitting, and it provides some great adult humor throughout it’s narrative. It really is difficult to say one negative thing about this game so if looking for something a bit off the beaten path of slaughtering aliens or throwing long bombs down the sidelines Red Dead Redemption is well with its price of admission.
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Tags: Red Dead Redemption, Review
TLBB review
May 17, 2010 TLBB|325views
TLBB: Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils is an in-house developed free MMORPG adapted from the popular Chinese novel named “Tian Long Ba Bu” by Jin Yong. TLBB provides a variety of exciting quests and in-game activities for game players to develop a personalized experience and foster virtual social relationships, which appeal to game players with diverse interests. Game players choose from nine classes of team-based identities with distinct skill sets and quests, and have the ability to engage in numerous virtual social activities, such as making friends, getting married, learning skills or completing other quests. The game is set in ancient China during the time of the Song Dynasty in 960 AD. The story behind TLBB revolves around an elaborate saga of complex, troubled relationships among numerous characters from various kingdoms and sects during China’s Northern Song Dynasty. The warring empires involved in the story are those of Song, Liao, Dali, Western Xia, and Tubo. The struggles the characters experience within their combating factions affect the bonds between themselves and their families, societies, ethnic groups, and countries. As a result, strife and conflict abound, and each player will find himself/herself quickly pulled in to the fray, striving to evolve and leave his/her mark. Part of this evolution involves choosing one of the nine martial arts classes.
The Martial Arts MMORPG TLBB from the ancient China finally comes to Europe! ChangYou is delighted to announce the official unveiling of the TLBB website. You could find all the information about the game and the latest news here, you could also post your views and expectations about TLBB on our official forum and communities such as Facebook. This game has already launched and started its Pre-Closed Beta in North America, with named Dragon Oath. Players from North America can visit our NA official website for more information.
The Pre-Closed Beta of TLBB will begin in the near future, and all players from Europe will have chances to experience TLBB infinite glamour and the upsurge of martial arts. We will launch the English version in the first stage, and you will see versions in other language later in succession.
TLBB is looking forward to your attention and participation!
The official website of TLBB EU: http://tlbb.eu.changyou.com
About ChangYou.com (US) Inc.
ChangYou.com (US)Inc. is a subsidiary of Changyou.com (NASDAQ: CYOU), a leading developer and operator of online games in China. Our leading in-house technology platform includes an advanced 3D graphics engine, a uniform game development platform, effective anti-cheating and anti-hacking technologies, proprietary cross-networking technology and advanced data protection technology.
About Dragon Oath
Dragon Oath is a Massively Multiplayer Online Game set in ancient China during the time of the Song Dynasty in 960 AD. The main storyline of Dragon Oath is based upon the mythology of the eight races of non-human deities described in Buddhist cosmology. Dragon Oath allows players to engage themselves in ancient Chinese lore and take part in captivating quests that tell the tale of warriors and diplomats from this time period. Dragon Oath has a large emphasis on teamwork and community within its game-play mechanics. Marriage, guilds, and blood relation play a huge role in the overall experience of the game. There are currently about 30 million active players in Asia. (In Asia, known as “TLBB”)
“TLBB” is a Chinese martial arts MMORPG, with a great in-game world structure adapted from the popular Chinese novel named Tian Long Ba BU which is written by the most famous martial arts writer Mr. Jin Yong. Developed by Sohu-ChangYou, the dragon spirit attracts so many hardcore players, ranked the 3rd in Chinese MMORPG market.
The scenario is developed around based on the lives of heroes like Xiao Feng, Duan Yu, Xu Zhu, etc. and uncovers the gratitude and grudge among nine classes gradually. With the core concept of Buddhist errantry in the original work, “TLBB” offers a virtual world full of good and evil, love and hatred. Nine classes make a rich story in a certain ancient background. Royalty, Lotus Order, Beggars Alliance, Pyromancer, Shaolin, Assassin, Taoist, Minstrel, and Voodoo with their own advantages play different roles in the “TLBB world”, and each role could have a touch with the spirit of classical martial arts.
With outstanding art design, a large number of quests and instances, plentiful life skills, and intelligent pet system, “TLBB” creates a perfect community of emprise.
Aika-5 Minute Review
Mar 3, 2010 Articles Recommend|745views
Face it, Aika is great on paper, but the game is FAR from being ready-even for closed beta testing. I played for FIVE minutes. I know that many of you will start criticizing me for only playing for that long, but hey, those that do so are blatantly showing their inability to read everything.
Now, I’ve only played for five minutes and I have already seen way too many fundamental flaws with this game. These are not things like slow leveling, slow killing speeds, typos, or whatnot. These are the things that make or break games.
1. Incredibly easy to bug up the WASD controls. In 5 minutes of playing, I’ve had my character perform a walking animation on the spot on several occasions. Besides that, the rendering of your character’s orientation is off-you will start walking in one direction while facing another. Movement in general is very buggy.
2. Cannot jump off a wall. You may laugh at this, but hey, it’s pretty basic.
3. Wallhacks. Well, not through the walls, but through other doodads. I’m quite used to running through small fences and such; being able to run through entire rocks is a whole other matter. Some rocks let you walk halfway through them then magically teleport you above them.
4. Textures. The camera seems to close in at a fixed rate, causing many texture render bugs.
5. EZ-mode. This is a two-way topic, but the quests pretty much hold your hand through everything. Where’s the adventure?
I’ll say this now: the only good part about this game is the graphics, and even at that, they’re not exactly the best (even compared to only F2Ps). I suppose the lolis are another big plus, but only if you’re into that sort of thing, and face it, 99% of the people playing Aika are playing for the lolis.
So, to sum up my 5-minute-review: Aika Online has some great concepts behind it, but it really is NOT ready for closed beta testing.
Tags: Aika, Review, Textures, WASD controls
Nintendo DSi XL Review: Super Size Me
Feb 28, 2010 Articles Recommend|348views
The Nintendo DSi LL, (DSi XL in the West) is the latest addition to the hugely successful Nintendo platform. “LL” is the Japanese equivalent of “XL”, or “extra large”. But is bigger really better?
Released in Japan in late November, the Nintendo DSi XL features 4.2 inch screens that are 93 percent larger than the DS Lite’s screens. It is also bundled with an extra (and larger) 5 inch touch pen. The redesign comes at the request of customers who said they wanted a larger screen — however, the pixel count is the same. Nintendo claims that the bigger screens make it easier to watch others play.
The DSi XL is available in three colors: Dark Brown, Wine Red and Natural White. While the handheld has been announced for The West, the colors have not yet been announced. The Japanese version is also packed with three DSiWare titles pre-installed: Two brain training games (one for humanities, the other for sciences) and DS Easy Dictionary.
Loved
The Big Screens: Even though Nintendo is touting the DS XL’s screen as making it easier to watch others play, the most refreshing about the new, bigger screens is how they breathe life into old titles. While the graphics are the same, old favorites like Mario Kart look wonderful (and not blown out) running on the XL’s screens. The extra size both adds to the experience and creates an entirely new experience. The screen size is also well-suited to younger players who often stare over each other’s shoulders when watching a friend play. Brain Age also feels surprisingly fresh on the XL — a larger touch screen means a larger space to write. That, certainly, is a welcome addition.
The Big Pen: The XL’s new Touch Pen feels like, well, a pen. The DS Stylus, traditionally, has been on the small size — not so great for games that require writing. To overcome this issue, players have, in the past, had to find third party solutions. For those looking for a larger pen that’s easier to grip, the XL has that. But if you are happy with the traditional DS Stylus, the portable is bundled with that as well. The smaller stylus slides into the DSi XL’s body, while the larger pen does not.
The Buttons: As with the regular DSi, the buttons are clicky — in a good way. They’re responsive and certainly don’t feel mushy.
The Finish: The top of part of the DSi XL’s clamshell has a glossy, smart finish. Looks great. However, the rest of the portable has a matte finish, making it practical. It’s easy to hold and isn’t a fingerprint magnet. The contrast works well, too.
Hated
Not So Portable: Yes, yes. The DSi XL is big. That’s the point! And while it works great playing it at your kitchen table or sitting on the sofa, it’s heavy and less great to lug it around outside of the house.
Nintendo, it often seems, makes reiteration after reiteration of its products. The DSi XL might simply be that — the latest iteration until the next one comes along. As customers, it’s hard not to feel that we are directly involved in Nintendo R&D process (more so than with other companies), that the company sometimes releases products just to see if they catch on with consumers (ditto). In Japan, the DSi XL does seem to be catching on as the product posted strong initial sales. The extra large DSi could very well be here to stay — which means that this must be one of the first examples in which a Japanese company has released a bigger version of its products to commercial success.
The larger screens are great. If only Nintendo could shave a bit off the DSi XL’s thickness, making a slightly slimmer and lighter DSi XL, if only. DSi XL Slim anyone?
The DSi XL was released in Japan on November 22 for ¥20,000 (US$222). It is scheduled to be released abroad in early 2010.
Dragon Oath Review: A Female Perspective
Jan 10, 2010 Articles Recommend|258views
Dacchei, a 19-year-old college student, brings us this in-depth look into the popular martial arts fantasy F2P MMORPG Dragon Oath. Check out why thousands of female gamers are addicted to this game!
Being an avid gamer, I’ve played many, many free MMORPGs. Recently it’s been easier for me to jump from game to game, seeing basically the same content everywhere I went. But then I ran into a game that actually caught my eye and made me unable to quit playing it.
The first feature that caught my eye about Dragon Oath was its nine classes. These include classes that are commonly known in many games such as Taoist and Assassin, but then there were some classes I had never heard of before like Lotus Order and Pyromancer. Then, the next feature that I was attracted to was the Pet System. The Pet system on this game offered many different types of pets and also allowed pets to be much more than just an attractive sidekick. With pets, players are able to have another body to tank for them, attack with them or even heal them. Finally, the most unique feature of this game (for me) was the 24/7 events. Many of the events are called Intruders and Thieves. In these events you join a party and fight on an instance map for experience and items. These monsters give much more experience than the normal ones, and the events are quite enjoyable to do (in my opinion) because of the interaction with other players.
Recently Dragon Oath released its Christmas Events, much to everyone’s excitement. Some of the main items that people were looking forward to included the new level cap, new map, and new Christmas items. After logging in on the 17th, I was very impressed with the changes to Luo Yang. The snow made the game seem much more festive. Then I ran to see the new map, Silver Snowfield, that had just been opened to the public. This map was much like the other caves I had been to, however it was unique because it offered the new Penguin pet. Also, this map offered a new drop called ‘Monster Diary’ that would allow players to get their much sought after 2nd Class Fashion after collecting 20 diaries. After I was done exploring the new map and ringing the ‘Bell of Happiness’ (another new feature promoted by the mallet drops), I decided to check out the Token Shop. I have to say, I was incredibly impressed by the look of everything in the shop. All the new mounts and fashions looked amazing. However, what didn’t impress me were the prices. Being a broke college student, I knew I wouldn’t be able to buy anything in the shop. Still, one can’t help but hope that these items might be up for grabs one day as event prizes. : ) Some other disappointments that came along with this update were the low drop rates of a lot of the items, the level requirements for most of the activities were biased toward higher levels, and there were not enough new stuff/areas. Even though I enjoyed spending some time at snow field, within a few hours, I was back to my routine of doing rebels and thieves every hour. Also, it was odd that the only city to get a new wintery look was Luo Yang. Regardless though, the update did help bring a new “Christmassy†feel to the game and provide the first step into parts of Dragon Oath that have yet been added into the game.
Ultimately, Dragon Oath still has much more growing to do, but then again it also has a lot more content that has not been released in the US version yet. The community gradually increases every day, yet it’s still small enough to easily make friends with people from partying with them over and over again. In my opinion, it’s a good size because there are always more people to meet, yet after playing for a while you begin to recognize other people’s names. If you haven’t tried playing Dragon Oath yet, I highly recommend it. It offers enjoyable game play with tons of things to keep you busy, including raising pets, improving your life skills (crafting, mining, planting, fishing, etc.), and PvP events. PvP is a huge part of Dragon Oath and should inspire people to level faster or work harder on getting their equipment stronger. All the maps allow PvP, though some not without penalty. There are certain maps that do allow PvP without penalties, and there are also events, such as the Class Martial Battle, that allow you to test your strength against others. In the end, no matter how you decide to play your character, I believe that as long as you do what you enjoy doing, you will find this game to be an enjoyable way to spend your free time!
Screenshot of Dacchei on her new Snow Wings mount and her cute Polar Bear pet
~Dacchei
Tags: Dragon Oath, Female, Perspective, Review