Should this review be Convicted?!
I haven’t had the chance to pick up a copy of Conviction just yet. Currently moving & lack of funds can be my excuse!
So I thought I’d get someone who’s finished it a chance to write something for a change.
So here’s I9 NinjaPirates first exclusive review:
ITS AWESOME you can punch ppl in the face and shoot them and blow them up and pretend ure a ninja…
The co op is awesome 2 its like sp but wiv another person!!!
When Company just got Bad… In a Battlefield…
Battlefield: Bad Company was different. Not just its explosive destructible environment or because it was set in modern times. It was different in a way that it had such a refreshing story. A group of regular soldiers stumble upon some gold in a few creates in the middle of a war zone and realise there’s more to this war than politics. They band together and decide “Sod the war let’s try to get rich”, just like in the movie Kelly’s Heroes.
So the story’s not really anything new, but it’s much better than the usual over done ‘Stop the End of the World’ kind of screenplay.
It was one of the single players best features that it didn’t really take it self too serious and was just full of comedy. Which in my opinion is the best way the Battlefield series should be.
Shame the same can’t be said about Bad Company’s sequel.
This time around they seemed to of taken a step back for single player. The pure lack of story around the squad is what I found most annoying.
The way the story was written was no way near the same amount of detail as the first game. Bad Company’s story had a voice over of the character you portrayed who would talk during cut scenes about his feelings about joining a new squad as a replacement. It introduced you to the squad that by the end they became your band of brothers. They were written in a way which made them seem to bond with one another which added such comradery to the squad. Just the little things like Haggard & Sweetwater would complain about events happening as they unfolded as you progressed. They would both have little rock, paper, scissor battles and Haggard would go on about when he becomes rich he’d buy a Truckasaurus Rex.
Not once in the sequel is any of this mentioned. It’s as if who ever wrote the story & script never even bothered playing the first one. Sure they have a few chuckles when giving digs at Modern Warfare 2, but it’s not on par with the production values of the first. You have to finish a battle, stand still for up to twenty seconds before your squad catches up and say anything.
Even the latest trailer seems to have more in common with Bad Company than the sequel.
During the campaign you never really feel connected to a squad. Most of the time they would not seem to be there with you or actually be two steps behind. Same can be said about the enemy AI. They would aimlessly run around the environment and just aim straight at you and fire, they didn’t seem to run for cover and just became a bullet sponge to fire at.
It seems like Battlefield is going back to its old ways of adding single player far later in the development phase. That’s not to say the multiplayer isn’t awesome, but I still love my dose of single player. Not just to pass the time and to boost achievements.
The cut scenes seem to have been an added after thought too. Many scenes seem unfinished or just unpolished. For example, many facial animations would clip through the body armour or just not look right when holding an item. Even the musical score seems added on as filler. Many scenes would have a dramatic moment and at the last second add the audio cue missing the moment entirely.
The pacing of levels would seem messed up too. You would start the level with a cut scene, then walk a few feet would then start another cut scene. It’s not just once or twice, its more or less after every cut scene and became quite tiresome.
Lack of co-op in this era is still quite frustrating. Especially that most if not all but one level of the campaign has at least another friendly.
But that’s getting too picky now.
Or is it?
I’m sure it’s not in many ways because it’s more or less the industry standard now. I think it would have added that little bit more to it. The same could have been said about Borderlands, adding co-op added more life to the game.
The multiplayer however is a totally different story.
It adds much more on top of what was already a decent online shooter. It seems much more refined and adds more depth than most shooters which is refreshing. After the usual Battlefield launch teething issues with servers (or lack of), its safe to say Bad Company 2’s multiplayer is what Dice have been working none stop around the clock to get right. Everything from the maps, vehicles & weapons, to the slow & steady pacing amount of unlock items you receive when ranking up. It’s all the little extras and refinements which makes it a much more enjoyable battlefield.
The way things are unlocked are not as fast and as common as they are on Modern Warfare. At times you would unlock too much stuff at once and not have any idea what to do with them, but on Bad Company 2 you get just the right amount of unlocks to get used to as you advance up the ranks. The multiplayer maps are well balanced too and with Frostbite Destruction 2.0 no sniper is safe for long in a building that is now fully collapse-able. It’s such a great thrill when you can’t get anywhere near the objective because the place is flooded with enemies. You just get in a tank and just blow up the building crushing all those inside!
The thing that I always come away with after playing is how much the audio really adds to the game. It’s by far one of the best I’ve heard since Half-Life 2. It seems to have such depth. It’s not just the closer the weapon, the louder it sounds. It’s the whole amount of bass from an assault rifles thunder-cracker from the other side of the map is just such shock & awesome! It adds a sort of echoing effect and ricochets all around adding much more sense of scale to the maps. With a 5.1 set-up all the channels are working overtime to allow you to hear the snap, crackle & pop as bullets fly past your head. It’s truly is fantastic!
You can also hear players shouting orders & reconnaissance when they spot enemies. Even hearing the enemy’s last yelp in the distance as you hit them with a sniper rifle. It’s all portrayed perfectly.
To sum things up Bad Company 2 is a great in-depth multiplayer experience which is a must have for any shooter fans or previous battlefield veterans alike. Just don’t expect the 6 hour or so single player campaign to make you keep going back for more, its defiantly a multiplayer orientated game.
So overall Battlefield: Bad Company 2 is a fantastic addition to the franchise and narrows the gap between consoles and Pc because it’s nearly, if not as fantastic as Battlefield 2 was back in the day. It’s defiantly one of the best multiplayer games of this generation and will hopefully only be a glimpse of what Battlefield 3 has to offer.
There’s More Gold in them there Hills!
DICE have just released a new Cinematic for Battlefield: Bad Company 2.
It shows more Snow and more of the usual Battlefield Hectic Action! It also shows the defibrillators are back for Medics and Black Hawks from Battlefield 2 and also.
This is one of them trailers you show a friend, all the carnage and fun there is in a Battlefield game.
Battlefield: Bad Company 2 is due for release this fall on Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and finally for the PC.
Snow seems to be the new Modern Warfare Battleground!
Imagine if thes games crossed! Geo Mod Golf: Guerrilla!
Xbox LIVE Marketplace has just released two new demos.
Red Faction: Guerrilla Multiplayer Demo, and Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2010 Demo.
Red Faction:
In the Red Faction: Guerrilla Multiplayer Demo, put your demolition skills to the test with up to 10 players in Damage Control, a multiplayer mode unique to Red Faction: Guerrilla. Two teams fight for control over three targets. Destroy enemy targets and then rebuild them with your Reconstructor to score points. Wreak havoc with 9 futuristic weapons and 5 backpacks using guerrilla tactics and strategic destruction in this revolutionary third-person shooter.
Tiger Woods:
The Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 demo will let the user play on two holes on both the Bethpage-Black and Turnberry courses. This is intended to let them experience the new in-game features we are implementing. They will also be allowed to take part in a two hole practice round at these two courses. In Tournament Challenge they will be allowed to participate in a single challenge from this feature in order to get a preview of the mode. There will also be a number of feature preview screens that allow the player to read about the rest of the upcoming features in Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10.
Red Faction: Guerrilla is due for release on 5th June. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2010 is Due in early July.
FOORRE! *KABLAM!*
Will anything ever take over Halo 3 before Modern Warfare 2?
6 weeks have past since Halo 3 reclaimed the top spot over Call of Duty: World at War.
My prediction for Fable 2 was correct! It’s back in the chart and replaced Resident Evil 5 because of the new DLC addition for Fable 2.
Not much else has changed on the list, GTA has swapped with the UFC 2009 Demo.
The Arcade List see’s a title thats hardly ever even got close to becoming on the list, Brain Challenge! Although it was on offer for 400 points, 50% off the usual 800 points.
Xbox 360 Top Live Titles
1 Halo 3
2 Call of Duty: WaW
3 Call of Duty 4
4 Gears of War 2
5 GTA IV
6 UFC 2009 Undisputed Demo
7 FIFA 09
8 Left 4 Dead
9 Fallout 3
10 Fable II
Top Arcade Titles (Full Versions purchased)
1 Brain Challenge
2 Castle Crashers
3 Star Trek: D•A•C
4 Hasbro Family Game Night
5 Peggle
6 Worms
7 Space Invaders Extreme
8 UNO
9 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 1989 Classic Arcade
10 ARKANOID Live!
The above arcade list is based on full versions purchased.
Next Week Bionic Commando?
Hunter, Survivor, Prey… Which will you be?!….The one in the corner peeing their pants!
Sega has officially announced some details on Rebellion’s Aliens vs. Predator.
The game will feature 3 Campaign stories featuring 1 for each species, Alien, Predator and UNSC Human Colonial Marine. All 3 stories are going to be intertwined with one another in someway.
The game is also going to feature 3 way species multiplayer battles.
Which will you be? Well here’s a run down on the story to help you decide!
The Single player is set on planet BG-386, where a colonist mining group discovers an ancient pyramid containing a dark and horrible secret. Across the stars a race of warriors is alerted to the discovery of their pyramid and a hunting party is dispatched to ensure that it remains sealed at all costs, whilst deep inside the ruined pyramid a malevolent intelligence awakes from centuries of dormancy.
The Marine’s story is an incredible fight against the odds, and the horrors lurking in the dark. Beset on all sides yet armed to the teeth, the Colonial Marine represents humanity’s last stand with the firepower to fight back.
As the Alien, players will discover what it’s like to be the most murderous and lethal creature in the universe, with the ability to traverse any surface with awesome agility in order to get close enough to unleash its deadly teeth and claws.
A master of the hunt, the Predator grants the player a suite of exotic weaponry and equipment with which to stalk its unknowing prey. Earn the greatest honour by ambushing prey up-close and butchering them for a gory trophy kill.
Jason Kingsley, CEO and Creative Director at Rebellion:
The original Aliens vs. Predator game was a landmark title for Rebellion, and we are both proud and excited to be revisiting the license with SEGA and Fox L&M.
Our new technology will enable us to produce a truly terrifying and visceral experience.
Also speaking about the franchise, Gary Rosenfeld, Senior Vice President, New Media for Fox Licensing:
Aliens vs. Predator is a powerful franchise for Fox and provides endless possibilities in the interactive space.
SEGA and Rebellion have created an excellent gaming experience that will help this legacy live on.
Here’s the announcement trailer you’ve been waiting for:
Expect to see more info at E3, hopefully lots of in game action too!
Alien Vs. Predator is scheduled for release on Xbox 360, Playstation3 and PC in early 2010.
let the battle of the species begin!
This is SPARTA…NS!
Halo Wars has just received its first taste of DLC.
The new add-on pack called ‘Strategic Options’ contains 3 new game modes to help expand the games Multiplayer.
The new modes include:
This Add-on pack is now available on Xbox LIVE Marketplace for 800 Microsoft Points (£6.30).
So go play with the Mini Spartans!
Whats going on with Exclusives these days?
Activision just announced that Tony Hawk RIDE is to be an Xbox 360 exclusive in the UK.
The details are hardly spoken about, so we don’t yet know if its a timed exclusive, or an actual EXCLUSIVE. Als don’t know how much Microsoft have paid for it, or it could even be that Activision wont have made enough boards to cover all versions at launch and will slowly release the other versions.
I’m sure all will be revealed soon.
Its only for the UK, so Europe and the rest of the world are going to get all versions for now.
-UPDATE-: Activision have just replied that its still scheduled for all formats, whilst an exclusivity deal with Microsoft is currently in the works, the contract has not yet been finalised.
So its still for all formats until (if) they make the right contract with Microsoft for their 2009 Line Up.
Tony Hawks RIDE was announced last week to contain a new skateboard peripheral, and its going to be released this Fall.
Exclusive or not Exclusive?…That is the question!
Finally Ps3 owners can get past Level 20!
Bethesda have announced that all previous DLC will becoming to the Playstation 3 starting in June. There is also 2 new DLC Packs announced for all versions of Fallout 3.
The rumored Point Lookout, and the all newly announced Mothership Zeta.
Bethesda have made sure that all their content will be in working order for the Ps3 and will kick off with a new update before the expansions are released.
Bethesda Software:
We have been working on implementing it for a while and look forward to bringing it to PS3 gamers via the PlayStation Network. Operation: Anchorage will be released for PS3 in late June, followed by the release of The Pitt and Broken Steel 4-6 weeks apart. Release dates will be forthcoming.
In addition, a new update will be released for PS3 that will allow users to download and play the new DLC. The release date for that update will be announced at a later date.
Info on the new DLCs planned for all three platforms.
Bethesda have also announced new Fallout3 products to hit retail later this year, including a Game of the Year Edition.
Fallout 3 Game Add-on Pack #1 includes The Pitt and Operation: Anchorage on a disc and will be available for Xbox 360 and PC on May 26th.
The Fallout 3 Game Add-on Pack #2 includes Broken Steel and Point Lookout on a disc and will be available for Xbox 360 and PC in August.
Retail versions of the game add-on packs for PS3 are not possible and the DLC will only be available for download online via PlayStation Network.
A Fallout 3 Game of the Year edition will be available in October. It will include the original game plus all five add-ons for $59.99 for Xbox 360 and PS3, and $49.99 for PC.
Fallout 3 is like an Energizer Bunny, It goes on and on and on…
The E3 Hype Train Keeps on Rolling!
BioWare have just released the following video for there upcoming sequel Mass Effect 2.
They talk about how the game’s shaping up and how E3 will reveal all about Commander Sheppards supposed death.
Prelude to E3:
Mass Effect 2 is scheduled for release in March 2010 on Xbox 360 and Pc.
Finally New Weapons instead of just re-coloured ones!
VIP0R's Blog... 