October 2007
Big Mistake? Nah...
by Shabbir on Thursday, 18th October 2007
So I took the plunge into replaying an old classic, a game that I keep putting off due to its length. Neverwinter Nights. Beleive it or not, I never completed the game, but always got far into it before some turn of events would mean my gaming time is minimised to barely playing Pac-Man.
But oh well, it must be done. I found I have a Mac copy lying around so I decided to give it a go and play through it. So far I've played it for a couple of hours on and off, but am thoroughly enjoying it. Being an old game, the art style and graphics for its time are pretty amazing. I really like the style of gameplay, the camera angles are quite nice too. I've played Baldur's Gate, and this seems like the most logical way to improve on the already working system.
Besides that, there's been a few big pieces of news. The Orange Box has been released in USA, and is being released here in the UK during this week. I've got it on preorder for the XBox 360, and from what I've heard from a few sources over here, all the games are of great quality - including HL2 and Episode 1. They now have been redone so the graphics are much better, demanding a replay.
Manhunt 2 was again banned despite Rockstar redoing parts of the game and submitting it for a second time to the BBFC for age rating. It will however be released in some other countries, but it seems like we won't ever be seeing it on shelves in stores.
Electronic Arts opened up their wallet and bought Pandemic and Bioware. This is massive news, and it will be interesting to see what will happen with the companies and how they may change their games to suit a possible new producer for them.
And finally, the archives aren't working for some reason but I'll try get that sorted this week. For now, I'm off to continue my ongoing work.
PES 2008 Demo all the way!
by Shabbir on Saturday, 6th October 2007
So uni is getting very hectic indeed, and has cut down the gaming time and just general free time by almost 100%! I've got tons of programming to be doing especially with some big projects that count big towards my course.
The only game that I've been playing has been the Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 demo that was released about two weeks ago. It's a demo that I can just load up and play for a short burst time and again. I just never get bored of it. Since I've got tons of work to do, I'll probably not bother actually buying the full game, simply because I know it will eat away at my work - so instead I can stay satisfied by just playing the demo!
Halo 3 came out about a week ago now and while it was a big release, it's a release that I can ignore. Most of you probably already know, but I'm not a big Halo fan. As I've said to countless people, I started out as a PC gamer, and on PC we've got amazing FPS games such as Half-Life that Halo just does not seem good in any way when compared.
So having missed out on Halo 3, I'm eagerly looking forward to Mass Effect next month. The Orange Box comes out on October 10th, but I'm not sure if I'll be purchasing it since I need to conserve my money and be pretty picky with the games that I pick. I've been playing Team Fortress Classic a bit now and then since I've got it on my Steam account, but I don't see myself going to get it since I won't be able to invest the time in it.
And besides that, I've got a few titles on my DS that I need to try, such as Hotel Dusk Room 215, Drawn to Life and Tiger Woods 2008.
No more CoD 4, but Cromartie!
by Shabbir on Tuesday, 2nd October 2007
So the CoD 4 Beta has officially closed now, and we'll have to wait until November before we get to play again once the game has been released. This is a great disappointment for me since I got on the beta so late, and didn't really get a full chance to play around with it nearly as much as I would have loved to. Unfortunately, I can't do anything about that now, so I'll have to sit back and just enjoy the games that I have.
Last week's hype has been Halo 3. I'm not a big Halo fan and before I get hatemail, I just never really saw the attraction since I was primarily a PC gamer, and we had greats such as Half-Life. Halo is nothing compared to Half-Life, hence why bother.
And keep your eyes out for a few games coming up: Mass Effect, Orange Box including Team Fortress 2, Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass.
And I have Cromartie High School on DVD. ADV Films were selling some anime titles for ridiculous cheap prices, and I picked up three volumes of the four volume series for a grand total of £6! I've seen the series before but it's so great that I had to own it on DVD. For those who don't know, Cromartie High School is an anime series where a normal student somehow ends up in a school full of delinquits and weird people to say the least. It's a weird but great comedy and must be watched at all costs!