The two things that I was most anxious about was Assassin’s Creed and Battlefield 3. Assassin’s Creed brought me a ton of excitement to see, as it’s now my favorite game series – having toppled CastleVania after its 20+ year streak. While the gameplay trailer looked very familiar, I did see some new things that have me excited to play this game. The trailer is also very interesting, which I’ve embedded below.

In all reality, Assassin’s Creed: Revelations is my big game of the year. If it’s going to be one game that I preorder, this is going to be it. The question is whether or not I’m going to buy it on the PC or the PS3. And below is exactly why.

Incase you didn’t see the text in the lower-right hand corner, DICE is saying that all of this is 100% gameplay footage … and it’s pretty damn impressive. Maybe it’s because I’m tailored to console gaming or because my video card isn’t very high powered, but all of the trailers that Battlefield 3 has presented has been absolutely beautiful – down to every last detail. If DICE can really promise on this, then they have just taken the top spot of the FPS world, no questions asked.

But, on the other hand – it begs the question … exactly what do you NEED to have the game run like that? There are a lot of rumors floating about, and I’m hoping they release the specs soon because I think it’s going to be a hefty investment for a lot of people. First off, almost everyone is saying this is going to be a game that runs optimally on a quad-core processor. All of the rumors floating around say that it can run on a dual-core, but ideally you’re looking at a quad-core.

The kicker is going to be the video card. The rumors are more split on this one – some say that what DICE is demoing on is roughly a $500 video card, so if you’re wanting to run it smoothly, you may have to invest in a device that could probably buy you TWO consoles. However, other people are saying that because this is merely an improvement on the Frostbite engine, that all of the optimization is really done in the engine. If that’s true – then you can probably run it on a $150 to $200 video card as opposed to a $500 one.

In my previous blog post, I questioned whether or not I was going to give up on my PS3 and invest in PC gaming. And to be 100% honest – the result will come when I see the official specs for this game. If this game can be optimized to run smoothly (that being between 30 and 60FPS) at a decent resolution and my upgrade will cost, at most, $300 – then I am pretty much sold to the PC market.

However, if I have to invest in a $500 video card, then the winner goes to the PS3. I’ve long stated that my issue with PC gaming is that it requires frequent upgrades. And it’s not 2002 anymore where you can get hardware cheap – hardware is pretty expensive now and most people can’t afford to do yearly/bi-yearly upgrades.

I understand that DICE is pushing graphics to the next level. And that’s great – and it’s also why this game is the decision game in whether I move to PC gaming – but if that leap is going to cost me at least half a grand, then DICE is unfortunately doing a huge alienation of their fanbase, in my opinion. Am I going to want to run Battlefield 3 at 1920×1080 with every setting put to high and have it run smoothly? Yes, but I know it won’t happen, and don’t expect it … but if I’m going to have to dumb it down ridiculously low, then I probably would have a more enjoyable experience playing it on my PS3.

So, to wrap everything up – let me say firstoff that DICE has done a phenomenal job with Battlefield 3 – the graphics are simply amazing. Stunning. I’m really impressed with how the game works, sounds and runs. I’d even argue it’s damn near flawless for today’s gaming environment. Let’s just hope the everyday consumer can experience what they see on the trailers on their own personal rig that’s hooked up with some fairly decent hardware.

About three years ago, I’d be saying that PC gaming is ultimately not worth my time. But here I am, actually thinking about selling my PS3, getting a new video card, a BluRay player with Netflix and going strictly PC gaming.

Why? Because of Steam. Steam has become a bit of an addiction for me. I look forward to their weekend, mid-week and sometimes week-long sales. Let’s not forget their big market of games that’s less than $20. Additionally, this almost month-long outage of the PSN has really put the dust on my PS3 as I play online games on my PC. Since then, I’ve further fallen in love with Steam, and I’d probably still be on my PS3 had it not been for Valve’s gaming hub service.

But now, the PSN is (as I’m writing this) on it’s way back into the online world. With this slow, eventual rollout, is it going to change my perception? Or am I still potentially lost to the PC world?

See, I have a bit of an OCD with gaming – I can only really contribute to one thing … I can’t balance between multiple systems, which is why I no longer have a Wii and don’t want a 360. Maybe it’s a lack of time … or maybe it’s an investment thing – but if I’m playing on one system, I feel like I should be playing on the other.

What does PC gaming have to offer? Well, the best thing is the idea that with Steam, all your games are tied to your account. You won’t lose them, documentation is online and you can easily play with your friends. It also acts like a portal (heh) to the bigger publishing companies like EA and Activision. I really like the idea of launching a gaming hub and being able to play any game I want with a mere click of the button. No physical media, easily join a game with a friend – and I’m right at a computer if I need to multi-task.

Sony’s bad reputation. Sony’s reputation is damaged for me. Throughout their time with the PS3, they’ve had bad luck – with BluRay pirating, the ApocalyPS3 and now the “It only Does Offline” scenario … Sony just does not seem to know how to protect their stuff, or they seem to half-ass it everything they do (they REALLY should have figured out that Leap Year bug). So, should I continue to invest in a company that may drop the ball again in the next six months? Or, heaven forbid, the PSN gets attacked again after nearly a month of downtime?

What does console gaming have to offer? Well, console gaming’s big benefit is the lack of having to toy around with video settings to get a nice smooth animation – it just works. Any game you put in – will work pretty smoothly. I also think console gaming is favored over PC gaming due to modding/cheating restrictions. PC gaming also has poor controller support – and I don’t care what anyone says … as controller is more comfortable than a WASD keyboard setup. Finally, consoles don’t require upgrades. You could quite possibly be upgrading your PC numerous times over the years. With a console, it’s ultimately a one-time purchase and you’re good until the next console comes out

Trophies/Achievements. I know this part sounds bad – but I love this aspect of gaming. Sony enforces it. Microsoft enforces it. Valve does not. With Steam, it’s entirely up to the discretion of the game company. It’s nice that game companies can bypass achievements if they’d like to, but I won’t lie and say that’s not something I look for in games. It offers me a reason to play the game again once I’ve cleared it. If I finish a single-player game, that’s essentially it – unless there’s a reason for me to go back … such as achievements.

So, what do you people think? In a rare occurrence, I’m asking feedback for people who read this blog to let me know what their console of choice is and why. Should I sell my PS3, controllers and games and go all PC gaming? Or am I just being tricked by this whole PSN debacle?

Look out for the PSN intruder! He’s climbing in your windows, snatching your information up, try’na rape ‘um …

I kid, I kid. I’m hilarious. Honestly, though, 2011 has been a terrible year for Sony’s online network. Sony has been hit with a tsunami of bad press and has probably permanently damaged the trust of many of their PSN subscribers.

I’ll even admit that I’ve been battling a PS3 vs Steam battle in my head, but ultimately I think the PS3 will win, because it’s hooked up to my bigger TV and when I try to hook up my PC, the text is all jarbled (any assistance about this in the comments would be greatly appreciated.) Plus, I’ve invested years in it with trophies, purchases and games, so completely abandoning it sounds like a stupid choice.  However, the fact that the PSN has been down for half a month and we got information that our personal data may have been compromised a week after the attack makes me wonder exactly how smart Sony is with their online network.

Of course, both Sony and [in my opinion] the hacker, Geohot are to blame for this. Sony’s crybaby fest about how all PS3′s shouldn’t be modded sparked this. In my opinion, once you buy the hardware, what you do with it is up to you – if you break the ToS, then so be it. You did it on your own accord. However, the elitist hacker Geohot opened the floodgates for Sony. On top of a massive fight between the two, Anonymous attacked Sony’s sites with DDoS attacks, pulling down most of the sites but not the PSN. And in my opinion, this attack is at the hands of some of the remaining Anonymous users who didn’t want to back down once they realized they were ultimately hurting the people they were “supporting.” And we have news reports that say that Anonymous was and was not part of this attack. And the thing about Anonymous is that there is no figurehead, no leader. It’s a band of … you got it … anonymous people all working together. So while it’s very possible that when Anonymous backed off like they said they would; it’s also possible that a band of people from that attack stuck around and plotted to do something even more drastic.

In the end though, this whole debacle would have been avoided if Geohot kept his discoveries personal AND Sony didn’t have a crybaby fest over the whole OtherOS thing.

But is Sony really to blame? Sure, and no.

And are the hackers really to blame? Sure, and no.

Why Sony is to blame.
To be perfectly honest, this started when Sony removed the OtherOS feature. Of course, this was to protect their hardware from malicious attacks and hacking. It’s a stupid practice, though, to get on people’s cases if they want to mod their system. As long as their modding is strict to that game console, then leave it alone. They – at that point – aren’t harming anyone. It can be argued that these offline modding could allow for pirating software – but let’s face it, piracy isn’t going anywhere and eventually as people get older, they will start buying stuff with their money instead of pirating it. I know many people who have gone this route.

The second, and most glaring issue, is the fact that this even happened in the first place. People are saying [it's a rumor] that even the credit card information wasn’t even encrypted, so they were easily viewable like HTML code when they received the files. This is probably my biggest concern is that if Sony isn’t even willing to go the extra mile with their security and MY credit cards, why should I trust them to even have it in the first place. While I do think some of this scenario is blown way out of proportion, maybe using PSN cards instead of my credit card is the way to go.

In the grand scheme of things, your personal information that was compromised isn’t that big of a deal. The way I see it, the big issues are if your Social Security Number and Credit Card information are stolen. Identity theft was mentioned, but you can’t apply for a credit card without supplying even more personal information that only you SHOULD know – like your yearly income, social security number and how long you’ve been employed at your job or living at home. The fact that your name, address and e-mail address are known to some other people isn’t a massive deal – especially considering people are placing their addresses and phone numbers on their public Facebook account for EVERYONE to see.

Does this excuse Sony? Absolutely not. Their lack of security is going to hurt their reputation and quite possibly their wallet. However, unless credit card information has been proven to be snagged in the attack, the information taken is probably information that is easily accessible. I mean, remember when phone books were still around? They just need to know your parent’s first and last name and they could find out where you lived. (Unless you were unlisted) Even worse, if your last name wasn’t common, they could just look up your last name and you maybe the only person listed.

Why the intruders are to blame.
If there’s one thing that irritates the hell out of me, it’s the fact that there are these people out there who just want to ruin things for other people. Anonymous’s attack on the PSN didn’t teach Sony a lesson, it just hurt the gamers. With game hacks happening and statistics being altered – it ruins the experience for people who paid money to play a game online.

And if this attack was to “put it to Sony,” they one again have missed the target. It has ultimately affected the consumer, who has been stuck not being able to play Mortal Kombat, Portal 2, Call of Duty, etc., or worst case scenario, causes them to have to change and cancel credit cards. It’s been two and a half weeks since the PSN has been down and now even I’m getting to the frustrating point where I can’t play games online. Offline games are fine, but online is an integral part of gaming now so you’re cutting out a decent chunk of the experience.

My opinion of hackers has really gone down the tube since this all happened. Like I said, hack the hell out of your PS3 if you want to. I don’t care – it’s your right to do that because you paid for it. The whole “you pay for a license” is bullshit, in my opinion – otherwise, your warranty should be unlimited because you own a license, not the product. So, if the product goes bad, why should you have to buy another license unless you purposely broke it? But, the second it’s taken online and ruined for other people, that’s when you start to lose respect of the general masses who are OK with the idea that you can do whatever you want with the product YOU bought.

So, how do I think this isn’t the hackers’ fault? Well, it’s simple – if Sony’s infrastructure had been better built, they wouldn’t have been able to get in. It’s one thing for them to try to get in … it’s another thing for Sony to have such a poor or outdated security system that they CAN get in. Rumors state that the PSN was on an outdated version of Apache with no firewall. If this is true, then one can merely read up on where the exploits are and mosey on in. Sony’s biggest problem was that their security was so crappy. Had they had the best of the best and the hackers still got in, Sony may have not gone under the bad press that they have. It’s their laziness and confidence that they wouldn’t be hacked that is causing them all this grief.

The end result of all this isn’t going to be pretty. This is probably going to create an aftershock that is going to affect all future online communities like the PSN. I’d almost guarantee that while Microsoft is happy that it didn’t hit their networks, but they probably are fine-tuning it in the background to make sure things are good. Additionally, this will be more of a reason for Nintendo to stick to their Friend Code system, and not a universal network.

In the end …
Sony has a lot of work ahead of them to show that they have learned from this mess. Sony has had an overall bad track record when things go south. Generally, when they do, they go catastrophically south. Remember when we couldn’t even launch our PS3′s because of the Leap Year Bug? How does that pass R&D? And now Sony has been hit with this … followed by a hack on the SOE servers were credit cards were actually stolen. Am I going to ditch my PS3 and go with Steam? Most likely not – but is my credit card information and personal information going to be on their servers? Nope. Anything I buy in the future from them will be via a PSN card. But, that’s only because I’ve invested years in the system that I just can’t degrade it to a Netflix machine.

However, I won’t lie, with X-Box rumored to be announcing their new console at E3, I’m not 100% against jumping ship to the new console if Sony can’t show that they’ve learned their lesson and done all they can to prevent this, or any other attacks in the future, from happening again. And, I guess it depends if it’ll be a BluRay player … but I doubt it will … since it’s competition.

Enslaved – Odyssey to the West, from what I recall, got great reviews. Unfortunately, I just don’t agree with them. I think Ninja Theory have done some great things – but ultimately the combat is what destroys it for me. I was eager to finish the game – because the storyline, dialogue and presentation got me interested, but the combat alone is what made me throw in the towel – it’s just piss poorly done.

• Cutscenes are great – Facial animations are exceptional and voice acting doesn’t seem overdone, either. This was the game company that made Heavenly Sword and it appears this company pays particular attention to facial detail. I ultimately did care for the characters at the end of my playtime.
• Platforming is enjoyable – if you know where to go, then you can easily maneuver yourself to your next location. I wish more platforming games followed their style – of course, with the idea of the main character being a primal creature, it kinda’ fits.
• The game is pretty – and it’s cool to see what appears to be city landmarks in ruins (the imagery of the two bridges in New York) come to mind.

• The combat is terrible. I didn’t care for it in the beginning but hoped it would improve. The attacks feel clunky – and when you’re being swamped with enemies, you feel like you’re just moving too slowly – which is ironic for someone who can jump around like they’re a superhuman acrobat. Each attack seems like it has a little lag before you see it executed, making this a button-mashing game when it probably didn’t have to be. When being bumrushed, unless you do a ranged sweep attack to prevent the droids from getting close to you, your [already slow] attacks will be interrupted.
• Targeting with your staff for ranged “gun” shots is also terrible. Many times I’ve pointed the crosshair right at an enemy in front of me and it just seems to pass right by them. I then get attacked and killed.
• The areas where you had to maneuver through patrols without the assistance of Trip was more of a nuisance than a challenge – especially considering the shield doesn’t last long … even when maxed out.
• I did not enjoy the jerky camerawork. The best way to describe it is that if the camera were controlled by a mouse, the sensitivity would be at around 90 out of 100. And it would often switch to a “viewpoint” style, where you could just move the camera to look around you … which is actually a bit frustrating when you’re trying to find out which platform to jump to so you can activate a switch.

Positive Points: 3  |  Negative Points: 4  |  Final Score: -1

I gave the game a few days of so that my review wasn’t based on frustrations, but ultimately in the end, I felt like it was pointless because the same problem was always there. As stated before, I found myself button mashing when I ultimately didn’t have to. And I wasn’t button mashing to continue a chain attack, I was button mashing to make sure my sweep attack hit.

I have no doubt that had the combat system been designed and executed more properly, the my review would have turned out much different and much more positive. Unfortunately, it wasn’t – so it is what it is.

Little Big Planet 2 is a coin toss for me. While I do like the additions that have been made to the game … I still ultimately feel like there was nothing extremely new brought to the table. Of course, when you see people creating levels that imitate first person shooters, you realize that the functionality of the game has expanded greatly. Kudos are in order to those who can utilize the creativity and once you watch some tutorials and see some user-created levels, you will be amazed at what you see.

• There are much more flashy effects in this game. Suits have a bit more style and uniqueness to them. The disco outfit comes to mind.
• The various new items are a welcome addition. Grappling hooks, Creatinator, amongst other items help bring variety to the game.
• Having created another level, the things you can do once you figure everything out are amazing. You can even create Sackbots that will have their own attitude, conditions, etc. Again, when you get a good understanding of creating levels, you’ll realize that outside of maybe specific development tools, levels created by Media Molecule could have been made in their level generator.
• New mode styles – versus mode, movies, linked levels add a nice touch to the game. People can now literally tell stories that link from one level to another as well as create movies, now.
• I have seen first-hand that this game has the tendency to rope in people who otherwise may not be completely interested in video games. And in an era where video games may be overwhelming to learn, that’s quite a feat.

• The game still feels and moves the same. Honestly, I think this game could have been released as a variety of expansion packs.
• It’s still very difficult to get your level seen. Even selecting newly published levels are hidden amongst a variety of choices. I really with Media Molecule would have come up with a new tiered setup for helping get new levels published. After a five minute window, your level could be thrown into obscurity fast.
• I wish there were more levels made by Media Molecule. While there are some really unique levels created by people, MM are the experts with level creation.

Positive Points: 5  |  Negative Points: 3  |  Final Score: 2

Game of The Year: Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood
Game companies, if you want to know how to continue to keep a series successful, do what Ubisoft Montreal does. Every year, the company has come out with an Assassin’s Creed game, and each game has triumphed over the other one. Even keeping the same engine, character and weapons – the game was able to tackle the industry and impress yet again. It’s the only series where commenters at various forums say, “If Ubisoft will continue to create the games they’re creating, I don’t care if they come out every year,” and that’s saying something – most people don’t like yearly releases of games. AC:B is able to take a era not used by many games (the renaissance) and incorporate a GTA theme to it – in the sense that there is just a lot of stuff you can do. The game’s multiplayer – while heavily flawed in my opinion – is a breath of fresh air for the multiplayer genre. Instead of zerg rushes and capture the flag, it’s a game of cat-and-mouse that lets you know that you could die at any second while you stalk your prey. Multiplayer gets frustrating in the later levels unfortunately with the skills you get – but when first starting out and you have nothing, it’s really fun to play the guessing game.

Best Multiplayer: Battlefield – Bad Company 2
If there’s one multiplayer game I’ll look back at fondly – it’s Battlefield:  Bad Company 2. I love games that require teamwork, and Battlefield’s setup was perfect. With vehicles and four different classes (that each contribute), Battlefield offers a unique multiplayer that places emphasis on vehicle use and not just rush/zerging enemies, but helping replenish ammo, repair vehicles, scout for enemies or revive team-mates. I’ve logged roughly 120 hours in on the game and don’t really regret it. Is there a reason I’m not playing today? Sure – because unfortunately the leveling plateaus, so you find earning the big-point awards far and few inbetween. I was hoping the recently released Vietnam expansion pack would bring in new big-point awards to gain, but that doesn’t happen. Will I still pop it in every once in awhile? Sure, and I’ll have fun – but I’ll often find it going back into my library. Here’s hoping Battlefield: Bad Company 3 is just as good as Bad Company 2.

Biggest Disappointment: Medal of Honor
A game reboot that not only was gloating to be the Call of Duty competitor, but also had the developers behind Battlefield fueling the multiplayer. I was excited that this game really could have been a good competitor for Call of Duty. Unfortunately, what I got with multiplayer was Battlefield Easy Mode. Things were just too simple and compared to Bad Company 2, it felt empty. The storyline wasn’t the most memorable either, but after reading what the developers were trying to do with it, I can admire it.  As stated in my review, I didn’t hate the game – but I didn’t love it, which was really unfortunate. I was really behind this game when it was being advertised, but it unfortunately fell short on me and made me glad I didn’t preorder it.

Biggest Surprise of 2010: Just Cause 2
If there’s one game that took me by surprise, it was Just Cause 2. A game that didn’t have much press – to my knowledge – was an insanely fun game to play. Using the grappling hook and an endless supply of parachutes, there was just an insane amount of stuff to do. The story line and presentation was deliberately cheesy, which just made the game that much better. Was it repetitive – sure; but it was still fun to go around and blow up massive structures and cause chaos all over the place. My only hope is that with Just Cause 3, they give us more opportunity to blow things up.

Biggest Letdown of 2010: CastleVania – Lords of Shadow
I should explain this one in more detail – I don’t think this is a bad game by a longshot. I really enjoyed the game, the graphics, the mood and atmosphere of the game. Why is it the biggest let down? Because of the ending and the direction they look to be taking the story. People though the ending was amazing – I though it was disappointing. The direction they look to want to take the series will pull me right out of the lore of the game. I can accept that they are looking to re-invent the series, but the direction they’re going to (as hinted in the ending) doesn’t bode well for me.

That roughly sums up 2010 for me. The game had a lot of good games and a lot of letdowns. While this review is rather short – you do have to realize that this year was pretty much a year of sequels. Not to contradict what I said in my opening paragraph, but when all you are looking forward to are sequels with a new IP here and there, there’s not much to write about.

Enjoy the rest of 2010, kids. While you’re out doing whatever you young hooligans do, I’ll most likely be playing Assassins’ Creed … or Call of Duty.

Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood manages to do two things. The first is to take the top spot of my favorite gaming series (which was a big chore considering it was CastleVania for the past 15 years) but it also manages to improve on a game that also improved on the original. While it doesn’t fix everything – Ubisoft deserves massive credit for being able to step up the series yet again and improve on an already great game. And it also introduces a new style of multiplayer. Flawed, but still fun and addictive.

• The game is massive. You have a lot of stuff to do. When you clear all of the main missions, you’re a mere 50% of full completion.
• The game adapts a Grand Theft Auto mindset – meaning that there is a large variety of things to do. Whether virtual training, helping out your various factions or renovating the area or playing the main missions … AC:B offers a lot of variety.
• The music is astounding. Assassin’s Creed and Jesper Kyd have been able to pull off an amazing and emotional soundtrack. Guaranteed, if it’s not bought off my wishlist, I’ll own all three game albums by 2011.
• The structure of the game feels solid. That sounds weird, but it’s a living, breathing world and Ezio is handled [for the most part] with relative ease. I also love the detail put into his outfits and love the fact that every weapon has a place on his suit. (He doesn’t just pull a dagger out of nowhere … it’s next to his sword.)
• Multiplayer brings a new mode that I’ve never encountered before … essentially cat-and-mouse where you are hunting someone, while being hunted at the same time. The game also has two other modes … alliance, pitting three groups of two against each other (Group 1 is to kill Group 2; Group 2 is to kill Group 3; and Group 3 is to kill Group 1) and Manhunt, where you play two rounds – one as the attackers and the other with you blending into the crowd to try and not be killed.
• Ubisoft has been able to pull off fast-paced platforming with relatively low frustration. It’s not 100% perfect, but there are many objects for you to choose from that lets you jump from place to place with relative ease.
• Fighting has been improved. You now have the option to do numerous executions back to back instead if beating someone down or playing the “block/kill” game with five enemies. And given your large arsenal of weapons, the deaths are creative.
• The idea that the story is blended into real-life events is a fun take on the era – an era that wasn’t really touched in gaming until the second installment of the series. The fact that you talk to Leonardo da Vinci and Machiovelli is just kinda’ cool. And the idea of conspiracy and whatnot makes it fun. While Ezio may not have existed, the Borgia family did. And the main antagonist, Cesare Borgia is portrayed in the game as he was portrayed in real life.

• As stated before, Ubisoft – for the most part – gets fast-paced platforming done well. However, when you’re in a chase or when you really need the platforming to be spot-on, it seems to fail and you often find yourself missing that jump that you KNOW you should have made.
• The game’s “tutorials” are done poorly. For the most part, I found that I was told what to do in certain situations in the heat of the moment. If games are going to insist on in-game tutorials, they need to be taught when you have time to practice … not when you’re running after someone.
• While the concept of the multiplayer is great … it seems that the backend of it isn’t. I will often time find my target beneath me, but I’m unable to do an aerial kill … yet when in the same situation – just reversed – I am easily killed. So I avoid aerial kills when necessary because they’re unreliable. Getting a game going is a huge pain. It’s bad enough that it takes forever just to find a full group – but the game doesn’t force players to select their preset attacks via a countdown – meaning someone can be away from the game and everyone else will be waiting on just one person. I really, really hope this gets patched soon.
• Load times aren’t that great – and a hefty install doesn’t make it any better. When the game is running on the open-world, the initial loads from starting a major quest or major sidequests is a bit too much.

Positive Points: 8  |  Negative Points: 4  |  Final Score: +4

Again, considering the grand scope of the game – this is still a very impressive game in my opinion. Ubisoft was able to come through again and take the series and improve on it instead of just sitting where it was at. Don’t get me wrong – most game controls and graphics remain the same … but they have essentially taken everything and improved on it. Personally, I think this game deserves to be Game of the Year.

It’s argued that Ubisoft is taking the Activision route and making yearly installments of the game and not giving the series some breathing room. But like most commentors have said … if Ubisoft continues to improve on the games like they have with AC2 and AC:B, then I welcome yearly games from this series with open arms.

Luckily, another game has already been announced.

If there’s one way to sum up Medal of Honor, it’s to unfortunately say it takes too long to do short things. It’s also a game that seems to have put in exactly 50% of what both campaign and multiplayer are capable of. The biggest disappointment is the multiplayer, in my opinion. If you have played Battlefield: Bad Company 2, you know what DICE is capable of in terms of multiplayer. Unfortunately, Medal of Honor is Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Express.

• The story of the game is rather bland … but I understand that Medal of Honor tries to tell the story of how war is more accurately portrayed. You won’t always be the hero in the midst of a conspiracy or anything. Instead, you are a different number of soldiers who intermingle with each other throughout the campaign. In that aspect, it’s pretty neat and the ending is rather somber and the tribute at the end is nice.
• Multiplayer’s game options are nice – you can choose between six different multiplayer modes. What it doesn’t do is rotate them between games, though, so that was disappointing. I like variety, and the option should be there to play the six different modes without having to leave the game.

• The game loads times are terrible. You have initial load, then campaign/multiplayer load, and then more loading after that and it’s more noticeable than other FPS games. I’m not sure why this game takes so much time to load with a 2.5GB hard-drive install. I’ve also had “freeze” on me by trying to load a multiplayer game. Sure, the game doesn’t actually freeze, but you’re stuck at a loading screen where your only option is to quit the game.
• If you’ve played Battlefield: Bad Company 2 – you’ll feel at home here, to an extent. Throw in some Modern Warfare, and you have Medal of Honor. The reason why this is a negative point is because if you have played Bad Company 2, you’re left with a rather “meh” feeling. After seeing what DICE did with Battlefield: Bad Company, you know they could have done a lot more. Perhaps they’re secretly sabotaging the game so that more will flock to Bad Company 2: Vietnam and the inevitable Battlefield: Bad Company 3. Medals and ribbons here are too easy and few to earn compared to Bad Company 2. While I hate comparing this to Bad Company 2, veteran Battlefield players know that DICE could have done a lot more.

Positive Points: 2  |  Negative Points: 2  |  Final Review: 0

I really wish I could write more about Medal of Honor, but I can’t … it’s an unfortunate “meh” game – I kinda’ want to play it, but I kinda’ don’t because there is better out there. It’s too bad, too, because I was anxiously awaiting the game being released. I had thought it may be a hefty competitor to Modern Warfare 2, but unfortunately that’s just not the case. The campaign mode is worth going through and the multiplayer has two endings. If you’ve played Bad Company 2, Medal of Honor will have you wanting to play it again … and if you like Medal of Honor’s multiplayer, then you’re missing out on a much more immersive multiplayer with Bad Company 2.

Sidenote: My online stats for the game can be found here.

Being a PlayStation Plus member (whether you think it’s a waste of money or not) has given me access to the Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood multiplayer game. It was a genuine surprise to me when I logged into the PSN and saw that it was available for ALL members – originally only a select few would have it. Either Ubisoft gave in, or Sony gave them some money.

I’m always a bit iffy about games that are normally single-player but then add on multiplayer later on in the game series. It normally seems as if they are forced into it. I personally think games like CastleVania and Assassin’s Creed should be single-player only … because the story – most of the time – has no real way to make sense of it.

But not only was Ubisoft able to successfully make a multiplayer that makes sense [as in, not having five Nathan Drakes running around], but I think they be onto something with their unique game modes.

What Ubisoft did with the E3 2010 trailer [below] is introduce an aspect of teamwork into the single-player mode. A smart move, because of people who like stories to make sense (even if they are far fetched) and not ditch common sense just to do multiplayer by having multiple copies of the same character, this allowed multiplayer to be believable – and it looks like they’re keeping Ezio out of it completely.

To even further that point – games in the Assassin’s Creed multiplayer are limited to roughly 8 people – and you have to choose your favorite quickly, because if someone else does, you can’t play that character during that round. So it looks like there are no duplicates in the characters you play (even though they are duplicated via NPCs)

As you start out, you are given a target – simple enough, right? Well, your first chore is hunting that person down, and that won’t necessarily be easy because THEY will be hunting someone else. On top of that, each player has a sensitivity meter, so if you blatantly run up to kill them, they’ll be notified and will bolt – so doing things in stealth is the best way to do it … and you also get bonus points for it.

It does really give a feeling of urgency when you’re in an area with a bunch of NPCs and you see your target moving away from you and then just bolting to their target. It’s actually difficult to resist just running up to them and killing them, but this game rewards you for being patient. And the way it works, doing any action by pressing the right shoulder button (which makes you run, long jumps, etc.) is what will trigger your opponents sensitivity. So you have to kinda’ learn to be patient – which is nice, because patience isn’t really used in multiplayer … it’s usually “GoGoGoKill!”

In that sense, I think Assassin’s Creed pulls off a stealth multiplayer pretty well.

But while the primary objective for you is to kill a specific target, it will be another players’ objective to kill you as well. So you always have to keep it in the back of your mind that YOU are possibly being hunted as well. So, it’s never really safe to just sit on a rooftop and wait for your prey to get in the vicinity, because while you’re waiting, your opponent can quietly come up and kill you.

To make matters worse, the game makes it hard for you to keep the top three spots. Why? Because if you’re in first place, you have up to FOUR people who are on the lookout to kill you. It’s an interesting way to make a person really have to fight to keep their “top spot” positions because while you’re looking for one person, essentially half of the people playing are hunting you down.

And to add to that, if your target is the person in the number 1 spot on the leaderboard, then you’re most likely racing to kill your target before the others get to him/her first. So, a lot of things are in play here and have a tendency to give you a sense of urgency – both to kill and to make sure you’re inconspicuous so you aren’t killed yourself.

And did I mention addons to your characters? You can select various tools to help you out in your quest. Whether it be a disguise or a temporary boost in speed, you’ll eventually have to pick and choose what perks, streak bonuses and other enhancements you’ll want to use. If you HAVE to chase someone down, why not use your sprint to catch up to them and kill them?

Or, if you’re being pursued, why not just use a disguise after turning the corner?

There are also environmental tools to help out. You have doors that will close and lock after you pass it – forcing the person chasing you to find an alternate way to find you as well as other gadgets that can be used for distractions. I haven’t really toyed around with those yet, though.

I’m only level 5 at the moment, but as the beta continues on, I’m guessing this is the basics of what we’ll experience.

Overall, I think this is a pretty unique way that multiplayer is done. You’re not looking for anyone to kill – you’re looking for a specific person. And vice-versa. You’re not at the mercy of anyone – you’re at the mercy of one … up to possibly four people. As Joystiq said on a multiplayer preview, it’s not a shooter – there’s no fighting … it’s strictly a cat-and-mouse game. And after games like Modern Warfare and Battlefield, it’s a nice change of pace in my eyes.

Here’s the problem though – after a few matches, it starts to lose its luster. I’ve played about four games and I’m not running to play it again like I did with Battlefield. Don’t get me wrong, I WILL play it again because it IS a fun and enjoyable. The urgency of killing your target while knowing that your target is after you creates a sense of anxiety. You want to hurry up and get the kill before the person targeting you gets the jump on you. But you may not be heading back into the game as much as you may hope.

And there may be different types of matches – maybe a 4 against 4 where teams can opt to stay in groups or spread out for the kill? Clearly, Ubisoft could give benefits for those teams that opt to separate but use teamwork? I mean, it’d be great teamwork if one player could chase an enemy into an alley where another team member is waiting for the kill? And then the entire team gets the credit?

The game comes out in roughly a month, so I’ll be interested to see how it all pans out. I think the multiplayer has a unique style to it, which may make it successful – I’m just worried about the longevity of it. I think if the game has different modes to play, then this will be a successful run. Otherwise, I think it’ll be a good idea that may have needed to be executed better – but, it’ll pave the way for this form of mutliplayer in the future.

And if that game mode is copied by other games – then you’ve essentially won in that aspect.

I’ve been waiting for tomorrow to come since CastleVania: Lords of Shadow was officially announced. Honestly, though, I’ve been waiting for this day to come since roughly 2000. For nearly 11 years have I been waiting for this type of CastleVania game to be released on a major console. All the other major console games were considered failures but it looks like Mercury Steam has almost everything right.

I’m an old-school CastleVania fan. I was hooked when the first one came out on the Nintendo – too young to completely understand, but liked what I played. I immediately fell in love with CastleVania 2 and damn-near married CastleVania 3. I was the kid who was amazed when I found out I could whip in all eight directions in Super CastleVania 4. And I played that game so much, that I can boast clearing the game in an hour, no lives lost and not even get hit until I entered the first stage of CastleVania.

And to this day, I can’t understand why the women didn’t flock to me.

Unfortunately, that would be the last CastleVania game that I would really enjoy on that level – a Belmont traversing through Transylvania for a decent amount of levels, then having another decent amount of levels in a Castle. And you have your trusty Vampire Killer and another subweapon – and that was it. CastleVania: Dracula X was pretty good – but it didn’t have the gothic charm that the old games had. And from that point forward, we were given characters that separated from the Belmont legacy. Yes, Alucard was a badass – and he was a beautifully designed sprite – but, he wasn’t a Belmont, and he didn’t use a whip.

From that point on, as the series had gone down the path of Japanese lore – with every game [outside of three] being worded with some musical theme – Rondo of Blood, Symphony of the Night, Aria of Sorrow, Harmony of Dissonance –  the game became labeled as a Metroidvania game … a game where the exploration followed Super Metroid.

Now, this wasn’t a bad thing by any means – Symphony of the Night, Portrait of Ruin and Aria of Sorrow are all great games – but, the formula became predictable and hence, every game felt like it was a rehash of the same thing. The games before the Western Civilization split did offer unique differences. CastleVania 1 was a strict side-scroller. CastleVania 2 was an RPG. CastleVania 3 offered multiple paths and multiple characters. CastleVania 4 offered whipping in multiple directions and stair jumping. [Okay, that wasn't a monumental change, but it did kill a lot of time!]

One could argue that the newer games did the same thing – they offered something different but still were the same. And I get that – but it just wasn’t the same for me, who grew up loving the original four games in the series. The gothic feeling of the series was gone and the fact that they later would eliminate Dracula’s presence from the games bothered me. I don’t care what they say – EVERY game needs to have a fight with Dracula or somehow involve him. Having a cult try to resurrect him doesn’t work – there has to be interaction with the man himself.

It also didn’t help that every attempt at a 3D CastleVania was scoffed at and essentially torn apart before it even came out. Personally, I loved CastleVania 64, Lament of Innocence and Curse of Darkness. I’m not sure why it was so poorly reviewed. Curse of Darkness tried a weapons forging style and Lament of Innocence cemented the origins of the series [despite Iga's decision to kill some games from the official storyline]. And I think the problem was that people who saw Ayami Kojima’s artwork immediately associated the game with the portable games … and were frustrated when it wasn’t a 3D version of Symphony of the Night.

I grew so tired of the Metroidvania style that I never even picked up Order of Ecclesia. Sure, I didn’t have a DS … but I bought a PSP to play Dracula X: Chronicles … so I clearly have no problem buying a system for a CastleVania game.

Then, last year came and I saw news of a CastleVania game being shown at E3 …

… and as soon as I heard Patrick Stewart say, “These are dark times.” I was sold. But, as expected – there was a tear between the fans. You had the die-hard fans cursing Konami for breaking the traditional style and going 3D and you had other die-hard fans glad that changes were going to be made.

And if you haven’t been able to tell already – I’m glad they’re making this change.

It’s nice to see this game go back to what I consider its true roots. David Cox, from MercurySteam who has been the go-to guy when talking about his game [and he and I exchanged a few words via Twitter, too], has said that not only was this originally meant to be a remake of the original CastleVania but that Super CastleVania 4 was by far his favorite CastleVania game. I really liked hearing that, because I knew that this potential reboot was going to try to return the series to that style of gameplay.

No longer will the game start in CastleVania and you are just exploring the castle – this game actually has you explore outside of the castle – towns, woods, mountain ranges, frozen lakes, etc. And the architecture and style of the Castle is absolutely amazing as well. And from what I’ve seen, everything looks downright beautiful – and this game has received a lot of credit for the quality of graphics.

And as I stated earlier, I’ve asked Dave Cox [via @CastlevaniaLOS] various questions – with some replies. Despite MercurySteam developing a brand new “universe” of the series, they are keeping some of the core elements. The music that helped make the CastleVania series will apparently be there, we have a Belmont with a whip as the lead character … and remember when you defeated a boss in the old games, and a red orb appeared to the sound of a heartbeat? Apparently, there’s even a variation of that as well.

Unfortunately, Gamestop and IGN reviews tell me a different story. They say there is NO familiar music in the game whatsoever. No Vampire Killer, Bloody Tears, etc. However, listening to various songs that are out on YouTube, I can say that I do pickup some hints of older songs – the main theme has three familiar notes that is heard at the beginning of Vampire Killer. At the same time, the music that I’ve heard so far was great – so I think that even if this game doesn’t have blatant remixes of old music, the music will still be memorable. To help prove my point, here is the apparent main theme for the game:

Music is a key element in the franchise and I think CastleVania has the best record of memorable music out of almost any series. The music I’ve heard from the trailers are great. It’s orchestrated and feels very impactful – something that is necessary for a game like this. Silent music in the background is a waste. Music that is powerful leaves a more memorable mark to the gamers … but an acknowledgement of older games via old tunes would also be nice – even if it’s quietly in the credits.

And while I’m happy they’re including a whip – I really wish it would have been the Vampire Killer. That is a staple of the series and every game that doesn’t have it bothers me. I’m sorry, but that specific whip needs to be in every CastleVania game. Not a variation … it needs to be THE Vampire Killer. I’m not 100% sold on the Combat Cross, but I suppose that’s because I grew up with the traditional leather whip … what magically turned into a morning star … and sometimes a flame whip.

Overall, after the first E3 trailer, things went quiet, until E3 2010 – when another trailer was released …

… and while it didn’t build the hype like the last one did, to me – it made me realize that MercurySteam hit the atmosphere of the game right on the head. THIS is what the old CastleVania games would have looked like if they had the technology. It’s not a overly-colorful game with vibrant colors – it’s an overall gloomy game. It’s a dark game. It’s a gothic game. Sure, there are colorful waterfalls, but most of the game has a old, grey, worn feeling to it, which I think fits the series well.

I mean, I love what Koji Igarashi has done for the series since Rondo of Blood [even though he seems a bit cocky to me]. Ayami Kojima’s artwork is some of the best in the series and Michiru Yamane has composed great soundtracks towards the CastleVania series, but since Symphony of the Night – I’ve missed the outside exploration, and the old gothic feel of the game. I missed travelling through dark forests, haunted graveyards, swampy ruins and haunted towers. And outside of a game or two, that’s something we haven’t been able to do in quite some time. [And I don't count Portrait of Ruin]

As for combat, does it bother me that this may be a “God of War clone?” Not at all – God of War’s mechanics have been used by other developers so much that it’s pretty much standard. And I remember people saying that the God of War mechanics would fit perfectly with a CastleVania game. Well, we got what we asked for.

Plus, Kratos’s blades remind me a lot of a variation of the whip. So I often wonder if they got the idea for that weapon from CastleVania – since it’s still one of the only series to use a whip as a weapon. Not many other games have a character who brandishes a whip.

Now, I’m not completely sold on the overall storyline. Instead of hunting down an evil – like we do in all the other games – we are essentially looking for a mask. On top of that, Gabriel Belmont is actually looking to revive his dead wife. What this does is eliminate the formula that Belmonts were destined to fight Dracula. This is now a more personal quest rather than a “I have to defeat Dracula.” In the older games, that idea was basically tied into the Belmont family. Each Belmont knew that when Dracula rose every 100 years, it was their duty to fight him.

In this universe, this doesn’t seem to be the case.

And our only hint of Dracula is a man enveloped in shadows. It’s very possible that is ISN’T Dracula and that with this new universe, Dracula may not be involved whatsoever. This would be a shame. Regardless of how old the whole “Gotta’ kill Dracula” theme may be – it’s been the base of most CastleVania games, so it’d be weird to take that away.

On the other side of the coin, though, MercurySteam was able to nab some good actors to portray the characters and help tell the story. I’m really looking forward to Patrick Stewarts’ and Jason Isaacs’ voices being in this game. I love Patrick Stewarts voice, and I love Jason Isaacs as an actor in general. It’ll be great if he plays an antagonist in the game – because I believe Isaacs is at his best when he plays the villain.

*Potential Spoiler Alert – Highlight to Read*
And if his IMDB profile is correct – then not only will he play an antagonist, but he is providing the voice of Dracula.

For those of you who don’t know, he was Hook in the latest adaptation of Peter Pan, he was the antagonist in the Patriot and is Lucius Malfoy in the Harry Potter series.

Another concern is that some of the enemies in the game seem a bit far fetched … the titan battles, for one … seem like a direct steal from God of War and Shadows of the Colossus. CastleVania is a game that revolves around the dead and mythical lore. The only titan I recall facing in the previous games was the Stone Golem from CastleVania 4. Is this a deal-breaker for me? No. But I am left wondering if they’re really proper for this world that MercurySteam created. It’s kinda’ like giving War a gun in Darksiders. It DOESN’T fit, considering all of his other weapons are blades [outside of the metal fist].

But hopefully these will be answered in-game.

And if there is any wonder if this game was influenced by the old CastleVania games, all you need to do is hear the first few minutes of this trailer …

… where the song for the first two minutes is the intro to Super CastleVania 4 as well as the short level you play before entering the Castle.

And how do the reviews so far fare? Well, for a game that has so much hype – IGN gave it a 7.5. Now, I don’t take those reviews too seriously. They often hype games that don’t deserve the hype – Grand Theft Auto, Super Mario – while giving mediocre ratings to great games like Darksiders, Just Cause 2, etc. This is why I’ll always trust smaller, personal blogs for reviews rather than major gaming sites that may receive … well … other reasons for giving a game a high rating.

What numerous websites say, though, is that CastleVania appears to have lost its identity. I have yet to judge but I hope this isn’t true … because without the identity from previous games … this is just a game with the CastleVania stamp on it. Now, at the same time, I wonder if they compare this game to the Koji Igarashi games and not the ones before that? In that case, they may be a bit misleading. Thankfully, I’ll be able to judge for myself in roughly 12 hours. As a CastleVania nerd, though, I’m worried I’ll be playing a good game but thinking, “This ISN’T CastleVania.”

On the other hand – I may be completely sold on the rebirth of the series. I mean, I wasn’t too enthused with the direction CastleVania: Rondo of Blood took the series, but it paved the way for Symphony of the Night, which almost every CastleVania game for the next ten years followed. [Even the 3D ones]

The reviews also state that there isn’t much room for exploration and that it’s quite linear. This is perfectly fine. Many games are too explorative. Games that require a lot of exploration wear out the fun of the game when you’re having to look over and over for one item. I find nothing wrong with a Point A to Point B system with enemies and puzzles thrown in. It’s a nice split from the traditional style of games.

All in all – I’m excited for this game. Other games are coming out that I’m looking forward to … but I’m genuinely excited about playing this game. I am worried that some of the staples of the series will be yanked, but I also respect what MercurySteam is trying to do – they’re trying to take the game in a new direction and open up the series to new fans who haven’t played a lot of the previous games.

And let’s face it, when a game has a long, established storyline, it’s not only hard for some people to follow along … but it’s also hard for companies to come up with a story that can fit into that storyline.

I guess my final concern is that if this game does do well … all the credit will go to Hideo Kojima’s studios since his name is plastered on it. (And let’s face it, a lot of early comments were that this game will be an instant success since Kojima’s name is on the project)

Nope.

MercurySteam deserves almost all of the credit. If this game becomes acknowledged as the first great 3D CastleVania game, I hope the credit goes to MercuryStream – because they deserve it. They appear to be a lesser-known studio, and with what they’ve done, I hope this puts them on the map.

I really do applaud what MercurySteam has done. They’ve rebooted the franchise, [hopefully have] kept core elements of the game so that it’s not completely different, and appears to have captured the atmosphere that the CastleVania games of old had. It’s just now in 3D and with HD graphics.

They’ve possibly done what Konami has failed to do since 1997, bring CastleVania successfully into the 3D world. I think the other games were shot down before they were given a fair chance … well, this game has been put directly in the spotlight, so it has a good chance to succeed.

We’ll find out in a few months if they did it or not.