Mad Max was one of the pleasant surprises from E3 this year. Avalanche Studios is bringing the Aussie post-apocalyptic hero to next-gen in 2014 and today they released the first gameplay trailer which, as you can guess, involves car combat, sawed-off shotguns and a lot of broken bones.
I, for one, am excited as hell that we are getting a game based on Mad Max. Just be sure and keep anyone resembling Tina Turner far, far away.
In my previous MGS post, I spoke about my excitement for the Metal Gear Solid Legacy Collection, and how it sparked the thought to start this trip through the series. So before I get started writing about the original Metal Gear – which I have, in truth never gotten to play before now – I thought it might be worthwhile to describe just what this PS3-exclusive bundle of joy includes. The rough breakdown is as follows:
Now, if you’re like me, bulleted lists are great for conveying general information, but don’t really get at the heart of the matter. For instance, Metal Gear was a NES title that has been ported numerous times to other consoles, so what version do we have here? How many of these games are on each disc, and how many discs are there? What the heck is a “motion comic,” and is it worth my time?
The rough breakdown of the content is two discs and a download token. The download token is for digital versions of MGS and MGS: VR Missions from the Playstation Store. I think the smoothing and resolution for bigger screens is marginally better than using an original PS1 disc, but these aren’t “HD” by any means. I know that these games not being on-disc was a “deal breaker” for a lot of people online, or so they claimed; I personally wasn’t bothered too much by it.
The two discs are essentially the MGS HD Collection and MGS 4, respectively. The motion comics have been added to the first disc; MGS 4 is the “Trophy Edition” that includes, well, trophies and gets rid of some of the original version’s installation requirements. Again, this garnered rage from the internet forum crowd, who claim that Konami was just throwing together two existing discs in a “cash grab.”
As someone who already owned all of the included content except the motion comics and the 100-page mini art book that’s packaged with the game, I’m still perfectly pleased with the final product. The art book is really high-quality, all things considered, and if you expanded it to the size of most art books I have a feeling it could fetch $30 easy from fans. My response to anyone griping that they “already own all of this” would be easy: Don’t *@$#ing buy this new set! It’s not like Kojima has a gun to your head; if you feel it’s a rip-off, say so with your wallet.
All that said, this collection isn’t perfect, and the biggest flaw mirrors and issue that I had with the previous HD Collection release, and highlights a recent trend in gaming. You see, the instruction manual for this thing is an absolute joke. It includes basic controls for MGS 2-4 that run for about three pages, and then those three pages are repeated in five languages. While I have nothing against multi-lingual instructions, I do have an issue with the fact that NOWHERE in this little book is info on how to access Metal Gear / Metal Gear 2 or the motion comics. This is especially baffling considering that this content was apparently important enough to list on the back of the box and on the cover of the first disc.
With a little luck, you might accidentally stumble across the motion comics; with the disc in your PS3, a new option to play them pops up under the “Video” tab on the home screen. The first two games, however, are nested so deeply that you could miss them entirely. You see, from the launch screen of the HD Collection disc, you can pick between MGS 2, 3, and Peace Walker. What most people don’t know (I certainly didn’t) is that the versions of 2 & 3 included are actually the Substance and Subsistence versions, respectively.
After each of those games was released on the PS2, they were also re-released with special editions on that console and the original Xbox. These editions contained a bunch of special features and a few small additions to the games. On the MGS 3: Subsistence disc, for example, were ports of the first two Metal Gear games. If you’ve been following me so far, the end result is that in order to play these titles, you have to put in the HD Collection disc, launch MGS 3 HD, and then find Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2 in its extras menu. If you didn’t follow me, that’s completely understandable, as it was mostly nonsense gibberish that I had to look up online while trying to get this all figured out last night.
In the end, I am very pleased with my purchase of this collection, even though I realize it’s not for everyone. If you already have the HD Collection and MGS 4, I could understand just paying to get MGS from the PSN Store, and VR Missions isn’t exactly a crucial experience. For real fans of the series, though, I don’t think $50 is too steep an asking price; and for anyone who’s never gotten to play these games, it’s an absolute win in every department.
The [amazon_link id=”B00CTKHXFO” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Metal Gear Solid Legacy Collection[/amazon_link] is a Playstation 3 exclusive. Check out the trailer below!
For as long as gaming consoles and PCs have existed, there has been tension between hardcore users of either medium. The general argument centers around the idea that consoles are less powerful and malleable, with more expensive games and a need for physical media, but are easier to acquire, use and maintain; PCs run at higher levels and allow for modification, and there are numerous ways to get great deals on games, but parts are more expensive, performance is not guaranteed, and it can require a larger knowledge base to get games to even function properly.
I played a lot of PC games in my youth, from Commander Keen to Half-Life, and had several custom rigs I built with my dad over the years. Inevitably something would be released that the machine just couldn’t handle, and we would use that as a starting point for the next one; MechCommander, Homeworld, and F.E.A.R. all launched new computers, as I recall.
Then school, work, money, time and life happened, and the ease of using a console started to matter more; this was further reinforced as I began to game socially, and most of my friends had 360s. My PC became more of a work and media device, with gaming coming in small spurts as Steam sales offered little indie gems or great bargains on the occasional RTS bundle. These were things that didn’t exactly tax my system, at least not on the basic settings required to simply enjoy playing them, and provided me with fun during the summer dry spells for console games.
It was during this time that the tension between worlds became something more akin to an actual dispute, though it seemed rather one-sided. From what I can tell, console fanboys became more concerned with arguing amongst manufacturers, while the term “PC Master Race” came into use regarding the tendency of some users (and even developers) to look down their nose at console owners. I personally can’t recall ever coming down heavily on either side; both camps had their pros and cons, and the cons for PC gaming directly affected me more.
This year, however, my mind changed as it slowly became obvious that I needed a new desktop in general; my existing one had gotten me through grad school, but was pushing five years of use, and had the wear and tear of numerous location changes. In talking with my dad about building a new one, I decided to go ahead and shoot for a substantial gaming rig in the process; my point-of-reference consisted of the high-end recommendations for running Far Cry 3.
The end results are, in a word, phenomenal. The last two weeks have seen me giving a LOT of free time to optimizing various games, and features for games, and mods for games, etc. If I was friends with me, I’d be sick to death of hearing about my new rig, or seeing screenshots of me running this-or-that, or trying to get me to do something social. The start of the Steam summer sale has only intensified this reaction, but it has also given me more food for thought on the console / PC split.
I own Fallout 3, Fallout New Vegas, and Skyrim on my 360, including all of the dlc for the Fallouts. I put around 20-30 hours into Skyrim before it lost me; I’ve never played New Vegas, and in nearly five years I’ve put probably 100+ hours into FO3 with ever actually getting very far in the story. My biggest issues were undeniably console-centric: Long load times, ungainly controls, and frustrating UI chief among them.
I had always heard about how much better their PC counterparts ran, and so last night I took advantage of the sale to pick up the all-inclusive versions of each one on Steam. I followed that up with several hours of modding, and the end results are pretty fantastic; I genuinely feel like I’m playing entirely new experiences, and I can’t wait to put more time in with each one. This comes on top of recent play / mod sessions with STALKER: Shadow of Chernobyl and Torchlight II that yielded similar enjoyment.
I’ve also grabbed a few high-end Free 2 Play titles that have been on my radar for a while, like Hawken and Warframe. Though they are designed as multiplayer titles, most of my play sessions are just me jumping into matches and playing at my own pace. This works better than it would in something like League of Legends or World of Warcraft, because the matchmaking and game types don’t rely heavily on teamwork.
With that said, I am already starting to notice that my PC gaming trends will probably run more toward single player experiences; the reasons for this are varied, but the most noticeable one is that I’m simply lacking the core group of friends that has been established on my 360. Games where the main draw is co-op / team play with an established party don’t really hold much appeal without my brother, best friend and girlfriend on board. There are also hardware differentials, connection issues, keyboard / voice chat and a number of other things to get used to that Xbox live does for me.
For instance, last night one of the flash deals would have let me pick up ALL of Borderlands 2 for $30. It was really hard to resist – I’ve heard that the game looks phenomenal on PC, and has some cool mods – but in the end I just couldn’t justify a purchase like that on a game I have NEVER played without co-op. The same thing happened with Defiance, which several of my fellows have on the 360; it was $13 but doesn’t support cross-platform play, and the console version didn’t go down any in price, Steam sale or no. I did pick up Dark Souls, which I already had on 360, because mods allow you to essentially give the game true co-op, and my roommate really wants to play through it together. Also, it was $7, which is less than just the dlc price on 360.
So what I’ve basically just said is that there’s no reason not to play games like Skyrim exclusively on PC, right? Wrong. While it will certainly be my preferred method of play from here on, I spent at least six hours last night just downloading, installing, modding, tweaking, launching, crashing, re-tweaking, and generally fiddling with things. Even with longer load times and digging thru menus, the first six hours I spent with Fallout 3 on my 360 got me a fair amount further into the game. Hell, I spent one solid hour trying to get a mod suite to work without crashing before I said “Fuck it” and just uninstalled the whole thing.
What have I learned from all of this? That having an awesome rig that can run crazy graphics and mods is deeply satisfying, if you have the patience for it. It does not, however, supplant the ease of use that comes with consoles, especially in terms of multiplayer accessibility. Does fiddling with the command line for twenty minutes in order to make the texture on some rocks look slightly better constitute a “master race”? Probably not, but then neither does listening to prepubescent douchebags curse poorly in a Halo or Gears match. I’m excited about how these games look on my PC, sure, but the real joy comes from feeling like I can finally play these games and talk about them with people.
That’s my biggest gripe with any fan-generated turf wars, really, is that it just fosters this culture of dissent in the gaming community. I’m not saying that discussion of performance has no place in the dialogue; if a game runs like shit on this platform but is stable on another, I’d like to know. Just don’t tell me that I haven’t really played Far Cry 3 if I don’t have full the komodo dragon droppings texture pack enabled, because I guarantee you I took out more bases without being detected than you did. Remember: “Small people talk about other people’s set-up, average people talk about processors, great people talk about adding a “Total Recall” mod that includes the chick with three tits.”
The good Brits at Access Playstation have posted a video of 20 facts about the Playstation 4 that you may or may not know about. Even if you know most of the features, isn’t it just nice to watch the system in action? It’s all we have until this fall so watch all you can.
If you are going to San Diego Comic-Con next week, your trip just got a bit better. Sony has announced that the Playstation 4 will be playable at the SDCC at their booth (301). They will also be giving away PS Vitas in giveaways all week long. If you happen to win one you get an upgrade from “lucky bastard” to “really lucky bastard”.
Check out the list of games that will be playable in Sony’s booth at SDCC:
PS4- Knack, Driveclub, Octodad
PS3- Beyond:Two Souls, Gran Turismo 6, Diablo 3, Batman: Arkham Origins, Puppeteer
Vita- Killzone: Mercenary, The Walking Dead, Tearaway, Dragon’s Crown, Spelunky, Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate
Here is the shiny box art for the upcoming LEGO Marvel Superheroes. Nothing to really surprise you with except the flat-chested Black Widow, but that is just the boobie-loving part of me venting. Of course, it probably speaks volumes about me that I am even thinking about boobs on a LEGO figure.
[amazon_link id=”B00B98HBTA” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]LEGO Marvel Superheroes[/amazon_link] releases this fall on every system imaginable. They may even have a 3DO version coming.
Just because the PS4 is coming out this fall does not mean the PS3 does not have plenty of life left in it!
Insomniac has announced Ratchet & Clank: Into the Nexus for a fall release on the PS3. The title will be a follow-up to the amazing Tools of Destruction and A Crack in Time and looks to be just as beautiful and engaging as those titles. There will be all-new crazy weapons as we have come to expect from the Ratchet series. Also, for the first time, Ratchet will be going Zero-G for some segments of the game. Ratchet & Clank is still one of the premiere platforming/adventure franchises out there and a new game is more than welcome.
The best news of all? Ratchet & Clank: Into the Nexus will be releasing this fall for only $30!
Even if you are not a big fan of hockey, if you grew up in the 80’s and early 90’s, chances are you played (and loved) NHL 94. It was the best hockey game of the 16-bit era and was a source of many late nights for friends around the world.
Now to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the classic, EA Sports is re-releasing NHL 94…sort of.
When you purchase a copy of NHL 14 you will be able to play the game in the style of NHL 94 complete with retro soundtrack, old-school star indicators under players and even helmets popping off the players heads. The game will be running on the NHL 14 engine, but will give a classic view to capture the essence of the game. Glass will shatter from pucks and hits and if you really, really have a goalie you dislike just smash his face in.
This is a great addition to NHL 14 and may have some people thinking about purchasing the game that normally would not (raises hand).
[amazon_link id=”B00CEGPXM8″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]NHL 14 [/amazon_link] releases on September 10th.
http://youtu.be/c8pLV4-RImk
Holy Sweet Baby Jesus do I want Rambo: The Video Game.
Why?
After watching the trailer you may begin to think I have lost my ability for cognitive thought and you may not be far off from the truth, but dammit, as bad as this game looks I want to play this. This game that looks like it was developed eight years ago and gives Rambo the most insanely wonderful, yet sh**y hair ever put in code.
I can hear your judgmental thoughts and I am fine with it. We all love some sh**. Why did I pay money to go see The Scorpion King in theaters? Hell, I don’t know, but I did.
Just remember, “they drew first blood, not me”.
In the early hours between Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in 1998, I awoke as usual and snuck upstairs to peer at what Santa had left under the tree, careful not to wake my grandfather as he slept and “kept watch” on the couch. As I crept back to my room in the basement from my recon, I felt a twinge of disappointment; my most anticipated gift was nowhere to be seen. I knew Santa and his parental helpers should be aware of what I had wanted, since I hadn’t shut up about it for months after reading about it in OPM (or maybe PSM?). As I crawled back into bed, though, a glint of plastic caught my eye next to my Playstation. Sitting there, as they sit now not five feet from me, were Metal Gear Solid and the official strategy guide. I managed not to open it up and start playing immediately, but only just barely.
I like telling that story, and I’ve always been grateful to whoever decided to put that particular gift directly in my room, as it was a unique start to what I can only describe as my biggest love affair with gaming. I mean, I had always liked games, and had been slowly drawn to more complex and story-driven titles, but MGS was a total game change, and to this day I will name it as my favorite game of all time without a moment’s hesitation. I was thrilled when the sequel was announced, and as wounded as anyone by the end result, to the point where I waited to pick up MGS 3 until months after its release. Thankfully, it signaled a return to form along with our first look and Big Boss’s past, and even I will admit that it’s probably the best storyline in the series.
Metal Gear Solid 4 was the entire reason I bought a PS3, to the point that I actually didn’t buy one until that launch bundle came out; and while I’ll admit that it has flashes of MGS-2-level pomposity, the finale of Solid Snake’s tale was a sight to behold. I’ll admit that the series kind of faded from my mind after that, since Hideo Kojima himself had claimed he was done exploring that universe. The trailer for “Metal Gear Rising” caught my eye, at first, but my interest faded as Kojima distanced himself from the project, and I honestly think I made the right choice there…
The announcement of “Ground Zeroes” got my attention, and that first trailer had me enthralled with its Kojima-only levels of intrigue. Of course, watching this past year’s VGAs stirred up all those same feelings when the trailer for “The Phantom Pain” kicked things off. My very first thought was “That looks a lot like Big Boss,” and by a few hours later my suspicions were all but confirmed that a new MGS was in the works. At this point, of course, Metal Gear Solid V has been revealed in all of its open-world glory, and I’m super excited to get another Big Boss tale.
About two months ago, Scott put up his article about a little thing called the Metal Gear Solid Legacy Collection, and my friends can confirm: I lost my shit. The mere thought of that much MGS in one package kind of undid me, and the news that it would be released ON MY BIRTHDAY made me nigh ravenous. Thankfully, my kick-ass younger brother confirmed that he would be getting it for me, and I managed to reign in my excitement for a few weeks.
UNTIL NOW! I finally have the Legacy Collection in my hands, and it’s awesome, and I’ll talk all about it, but that’s not actually the point of this post! This post is about an idea that I hatched when the Legacy Collection was announced, and mulled over with friends until it became the title you read above: The Tactical Espionage Analysis project. You see, I’ve spent a lot of time with Metal Gear over the years, and I think the launch of this collection is the perfect time to go back through and take a long, hard look at “why.” Of course, I get to play through my favorite games ever in the process, so everyone wins!
My plan is to start at the very beginning with Metal Gear (which is awesomely included with the HD and Legacy Collections) and follow Snake, Big Boss, et al down whatever paths they may lead me. I’ve spent a long time gathering resources, and I think I have what it takes to tackle this objective. My next post will look at what’s included in the Legacy set, and from there I hope top proceed as follows:
The graphic novel was done by Ashley Wood and is based on MGS / MGS 2, and Legacy includes fully-voiced motion comics of both stories that run about two hours each. MGS Saga consists of two bonus DVDs that were available with the launch of MGS 4 and Peace Walker, and contains a large number of supplemental materials.
Twenty-five years of gaming history is laid out before me, and I truly hope I can bring at least some enjoyment to you as I work my way through it. For now, I’ll leave you with some pictures of my credentials for this task.
