Battlefield 3 sports more than 57 unique weapons, including a knives, pistols, revolvers, hand grenades, shotguns, machine guns, sub-machine guns, assault rifles, and sniper rifles, as well as mortar-, grenade- and rocket launchers.
So lately I have been disappointed by the new release of games that has come oozing out onto my lap from my computer, however never let it be said that I am a quitter....
I have had a large amount of hope invested in GW2, what with DIII being a load of old cobswoddle and most of my other favorite releases not out yet, I needed a game to pick up the slack of my now voluminous free time.
So here comes GW2 with promises of redemption and euphoria, gaming at its best in a nutshell, however I always take these claims with a pinch of salt. That is not to say I expected GW2 to fail, just to not be as amazing as it claims to be.
From the get go everything was smooth and reminded me how online game launches should be taking place. I of course had a 1-day headstart to all the rest of you folks out there (apart from the 3-day headstarters) and I could honestly not have asked the game to launch better than it did.
However there are some irritating nit-picks that I should be making, one of them is the apparent lack of concern for people who have capped connections to the internet. The other is the supposed law that now allowed game devs to release games that are not finished and get away with it.
Lets tackle the internet one first since it applies to me as well...
This game is currently (2013/08/12) 15.2GB which is to be expected of a MMORPG of this depth and quality.
However from day one I have had to download updates everyday that range between 40MB and 100MB, now for those of you jolly people with uncapped this is not a problem for you however for me who has a cap of 2GB pm this is a rather large issue.
Or at least it wouldn't be if the game did not use so much data while playing it.
The game uses on average 40MB per hour played, that is to say compared to WoW which uses roughly 10MB per hour, even worse compared to EVE which uses the least at 3MB per hour.
Update:(2013/02/07)
Now as an update to this article, the game is now (2013/02/07) 15GB with me downloading roughly 3.6GBs worth of updates between the last time I took stock of this and now. Once again solidifying the thought that people can get away with releasing a half-finished game.
Update:(2013/08/12)
Today I decided to update once again and found myself downloading 1GBs worth of updates from the last time I played. once again showing that they are not really being considerate of the people who do not have uncapped internet accounts.
Now in all fairness I do not raise objection at the gameplay usage amount, however the updates usage I do object to, since if you did a once a week update I am sure that we could cut down on the amount needed to re-download everyday.
However even with that measure in place it still raises my biggest objection which we will tackle now.
How can devs (Game Developers) be allowed to release games that are not completed?
This game has so many bugs in it I feel like I am a entomologist who has come to study his favorite library of bugs. It is just ridiculous how many I found within the first 10min of play. Not to mention that the Action House (or whatever you wish to call it) still doesn't work, even 8 days after launch?? You see this smacks of a typical problem with games now days that I like to call the 'we want people to keep playing so we finish the game slowly while they are playing it and make sure that they want to stay to see all the features of the game working at once' syndrome, which someone should come up with a shorter name for. Now before all you fan-boys of the game close this webpage in disgust let me state that GW2 is by no means a 'bad' game, in fact I LOVE THIS GAME, however just because I enjoy a game it doesn't mean that it can get away with stuff like this. In all fairness compared to other games recently *cough* diablo *cough* it is an amazing piece of art and should be consider by all gamers out there. Now that I have finished with my critic lets move onto the nicer parts about the game.
Guild Wars 2 is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game by ArenaNet. Set in the fantasy
world of Tyria, the game follows the re-emergence of Destiny's Edge, a
disbanded guild dedicated to fighting the Elder Dragons, a Lovecraftian species that has seized control of Tyria in the time since the original Guild Wars. The game takes place in a persistent world with a story that progresses in instanced environments. Guild Wars 2 claims to be unique in the genre by featuring a storyline that is responsive to player actions, something which is common in single player role-playing games but rarely seen in multiplayer ones. A dynamic event system replaces traditional questing, utilising the ripple effect
to allow players to approach quests in different ways as part of a
persistent world. Also of note is the combat system, which aims to be
more dynamic than its predecessor by promoting synergy between
professions and using the environment as a weapon, as well as reducing the complexity of the Magic-style skill system of the original game. As a sequel to Guild Wars, Guild Wars 2 features the same lack of subscription fees
that distinguished its predecessor from other commercially developed
online games of the time, though a purchase is still required to install
the game.
Alright, now that you have the low-down taken straight from Wikipedia, I can continue to the class reviews:
Engineer
Now this class was an instant attraction to me since it features the all new turret system, which to me was an irresistible offer since giving me the ability to shoot at things and not be beaten up for it was something I could not resist, however there are some problems with this class.
Firstly you can only wield a a few weapons compared to the rest of the classes, these being guns.
Only guns....... nothing else.....
Now that doesn't make this class bad I just feel like I have been somewhat limited by my attack combinations. (not a bad thing in retrospect)
Masters of mechanical mayhem, engineers love to tinker with explosives,
elixirs, and all manner of hazardous gadgets. They can take control of
an area by placing turrets, support their allies with alchemic weaponry,
or lay waste to foes with a wide array of mines, bombs, and grenades.
Elementalist
Here is the old favorite of many people in MMO games, the elemen..... Lets just call it mage since that's what it is.
Now I don't know if you know but the mage is normally my starting character since as Yahtzee said "half the spells are for blowing up the enemies in the next town, and the other half are for apologizing and running away" now that is why I think the mage is a good starter class to any game.
Things get off to a flying start as you realise that you have a MASSIVE amount of combos at your disposal, since unlike the Engineer you can wield almost every weapon apart from the bow, 2-handed sword, horn, gun, rifle and dildo......anyway
Point is you have a wide variety of things to choose from and that means you can really get to know which fighting style you enjoy best.
However this does mean that when you have gotten used to using (say) the staff, then when you decide to start using your trusty long sword then you are the noob again with all the other people laughing at you since you cannot remember how all the combos work.
Elementalists are multi-faceted spellcasters that channel elemental
forces, making fire, air, earth, and water do their bidding. What they
lack in physical toughness, they make up in versatility and the ability
to inflict massive damage in a single attack.
Ranger
The hunter for all those WoW players reading this is now called the ranger, personally I like to call him The Deer Rapist... because at the end of the day he is actually the Veterinarian....
Now this is a wonderful class to solo with, not such a great class in groups since seen one wolf seen them all kinda leads to embarrassing moments when your mates are attacking your pet without realising it :P I joke obviously....
This is the only class which I quit early on with because to me there is no fun in playing the Vet if you cannot choose your own animals that are the same level as you, hence the new system of getting animals which I am not mad about.
As with the normal Vet deal you can wield Bows, Guns and almost everything else, but to be honest with you I found that the 2-handed sword kept me in a good way since while the enemy was chewing on my dog I would just run up behind him and stick-em-with-the-pointy-end.
Rangers rely on a keen eye, a steady hand, and the power of nature
itself. Unparalleled archers, rangers are capable of bringing down foes
from a distance with their bows. With traps, nature spirits, and a
stable of loyal pets at their command, rangers can adapt to any
situation.
Most of you are asking now about the traps that rangers can set but honestly I never found that I had time in mid-battle to place a trap, so I preferred the whack-whack dog-bite approach.
Mesmer
Now this was actually the first class I played since when I heard of a character like a mage but with mind reading-psychology-hypnosis I thought WOW I need to get me some of that!
This character is difficult to describe since I found that I lacked the firepower of the mage (no pun intended) and the health regeneration of the necromancer, while still having enough spells to make it an interesting class I think this class is a bit of a flop as a solo class. In groups its amazing but if you want a starter character go with the mage or necromancer.
Mesmers are magical duelists who wield deception as a weapon. Using
powerful illusions, clones, and phantasmal magic to confuse and distract
their foes, mesmers make sure every fight is balanced in their favor
and their opponents can’t believe their eyes.
Necromancer
Now this is a fun class to get into, its not a starter class for sure but once you realise how to use your spells and when you dodge then this class is almost invincible as a solo character.
When you get into a group then equip a staff and get to casting because then this character becomes a helpful ally to your mates and a great play all around.
I found this character so far to be the most enjoyable and well balanced. However I must say that its spells are not that varied, you basically have 5 spells that revolve around the same standards. So if you are one of those people who likes variation then you're better off with a Mage.
Practitioners of the dark arts, necromancers summon the dead, wield the
power of lost souls, and literally suck the life force from the enemy.
Necromancers feed on life force, which they can use to bring allies back
from the brink or cheat death itself.
So what is EVE Online, no its not a game involving Adam and some apples.
However what this game is best described as is a universe controlled by a bunch of nerds (or the politically correct term 'Computer Inclined Persons') who can destroy, make alliances, farm planets, farm people, explore endless space, mine asteroids, mine moons, create space stations, destroy space stations, create armadas that rival a 10 year game of Civilization II and basically do almost anything you want to as long as its about space and trading.
If you have ever though that you want to find a game that would consume your life and take you the span of a human life to play then EVE is for you.
Not only is this game a very rare breed of genre that allows the players to do almost anything to each other it also will take a long time to play regardless of how much you play and how much money you spend on it.
But before we dive right in lets take a look at what Wikipedia has to say about it:
Eve Online is a video game by CCP Games. It is a player-driven, persistent-world MMORPG set in a science fiction space setting. Characters pilot customizable ships through a galaxy of over 7,500 star systems.Most star systems are connected to one or more other star systems by means of stargates. The star systems can contain moons, planets, stations, wormholes, asteroid belts and complexes.
Players of Eve Online can participate in a number of in-game professions and activities, including mining, piracy, manufacturing, trading, exploration, and combat (both player versus environment and player versus player). The character advancement system is based upon training skills in real time, even while not logged into the game. Eve Online was released in North America and Europe in May 2003. It was published from May to December 2003 by Simon & Schuster Interactive,after which CCP purchased the rights and began to self-publish via a digital distribution scheme.On January 22, 2008, it was announced that Eve Online would be distributed via Steam. On March 10, 2009, the game was again made available in boxed form in stores, released by Atari. The current version of Eve Online is Odyssey, released June 4, 2013. In February 2013, EVE Online reached over 500,000 subscribers.
To give you a example of how huge for instance the EVE universe is take a look here
Now each one of those dots is a solar system with people, planets and stations in it.
I think you start to realise just how huge this game is, however the real kicker of this universe it that nowhere is safe, so if you like to play alone and do not enjoy teaming up for survival reasons then this game is not for you.
Now onto more mundane information, there are 5 NPC factions in the EVE universe. The first being the Amarr then the Caldari, lets not forget the Gallente Federation and joining them is the everpresent Jove and lastly its the Minmatar.
So lets start with the Amarr:
The largest of the empires in the world of EVE, Amarr spans
40% of the inhabited solar systems. The Amarr Emperor is the head of a
ritualistic, authoritarian imperial state, and below him are the Five
Heirs, the heads of the five royal families from which a new Emperor is
chosen. The Emperor's authority is unquestioned and absolute, but the
archaic and bureaucratic system of government makes it difficult for him
to exert his rule unless directly in person. Otherwise, the Five Heirs
rule in his name, dividing the huge empire between them.
The Emperor and the Five Heirs can expect to live for at least
500 years. Extensive cyber-implants keep their frail bodies alive, even
when their organs begin to fail. These cyber-enhancements date back many
millennia, and have become a symbol of royal divinity in the eyes of
the Amarrians. READ MORE
Now lets see what the Caldari has to offer:
The Caldari are a proud race built on
the tenets of patriotism and capitalism but they are the embittered
enemy of the Gallente Federation.The traditions held by their ancestors
through hardships on an inhospitable homeworld, is still carried on
today. The Caldari have a corporate dictatorship, led by leaders who are
determined to see the return to the meritocratic ideals of their
ancestors. They are ruthless and efficient in the boardroom as well as
on the battlefield, the Caldari are living emblems of strength,
persistence, and dignity. READ MORE
Lets not forget about the Gallente Federation:
The Gallenteans. Self-righteous, meddling, pompous and tiresome, or
virile liberalists and defenders of the free world. Love them or hate
them, you simply can't ignore them. Everybody has an opinion on the
Gallente Federation, it all depends from which side of the table you
view them. For many, it is the Promised Land, where any dream can become
a reality. Descendants of Tau Ceti, the Gallenteans remain strong
believers in free will and human rights, despite numerous setbacks in
their long history. READ MORE
Now lets see what the Jove are about:
The most mysterious and elusive of all the peoples of New Eden, the Jove
number only a fraction of any of their neighbors, but their
technological superiority makes them powerful beyond all proportion. READ MORE
Lastly but not any less important is the Minmatar (or Green Peace of space):
A tough, no-nonsense race, the Minmatars
are a determined and independent people. Their home planet of Matar is a
natural paradise, although centuries of abuse have taken much from its
beauty. READ MORE
Now that you have the low down on whos-who in the universe lets take a look at character progression. Unlike other MMOs, player characters in EVE
advance continuously over time by training skills, a passive process
that occurs in real world time so that the learning process continues
even if the player is not logged in. The skill training queue allows skills to be scheduled to start
training up to 24 hours in the future. Some skills require more time to
train than others - for example the skill to fly a Titan takes 8 times
as long to train as the skill to fly a frigate.
To give you a more apt example as to why I said this game take a human lifespan to play, in order to train all the skills in EVE it would take you roughly 21.5 years to do. Now I do not mean to complain but HOLY **** that is a long time just to be able to have fun.
But as I said from the start this game is a time commitment. If you do not like that then go play something else since this game is not for you then.
Moving onto more fun things relating to this game, as I said you can wage wars and such but the real fun of waging wars is to do so in a huge alliance like this one:
Or perhaps you like expanding your alliance and jumping through wormholes then maybe you should join these guys:
Or maybe you just want to mine planets and such then you should be looking towards watching this video:
However what is most important in EVE is that you realise that it is a slow paced yet fun game, do not give up when you loose since you will most lightly loose a lot at the start.
However once you finally get into the game then things can start to become quite fun, such as doing mining operations with your corporation or alliance. Or if you prefer PVE then why not go and start doing Incursions with your alliance or corporation.
Some of the best videos on EVE I have seen are cataloged here so feel free to look:
Dragon Age: Inquisition is the third installment of the Dragon Age series and put the player in an inquisitors shoes, hands them a sword/staff/dagger and says "Go get em mate!"
We all have high hopes for this game and I am sure it will be one of the favorites in 2015.
The Game
The epic role-playing series from BioWare takes a thrilling leap forward with the power of Frostbite 3. Beautiful vistas and incredible new possibilities await you. Ready yourself for Dragon Age: Inquisition.
A cataclysmic event plunges the land of Thedas into turmoil. Dragons darken the sky, casting a shadow over lands on the brink of chaos. Mages break into all-out war against the oppressive templars. Nations rise against one another. It falls to you and your allies to restore order as you lead the Inquisition and hunt down the agents of chaos.
BioWare’s latest action-adventure delivers an unparalleled story set in a vast, changeable landscape. Explore hidden caves, defeat truly monumental creatures, and shape the world around you based on your unique play style.
Explore, lead, and battle: Tough choices define your experience, and even one decision can change the course of what's to come.
As part of creating your Inquisitor, you will be able to choose between
gender, one of four races, and three distinct classes. Each class comes
with a unique set of abilities, weaponry, special moves, and even
class-reactive story content. Further, as your Inquisitor grows in
power, you will be able to select a specialization. These advanced
classes introduce entirely new abilities to your combat repertoire.
