Video Games

Is Defiance worth $2.50?

Posted on by GumballsPlaysGames

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Right now Defiance is available on PS3 for $2.50 for PS+ subscribers, but I’m wondering if it’s even worth half the price of a Starbucks coffee. I mean if a game drops to $57.50 in its first year there must me something wrong. It has a score of 59 for PS3 via Metacritic which isn’t horrible, but I’ve heard many people say a lot of bad things about the game.

Would you recommend picking it up? I have $5 and change in PSN credit, and I’m debating whether to just drop it on Defiance or save it until something else comes along. What do you think I should do? I should note I’m not that into Sci-Fi and have no interest in the TV show.

Twitch Streaming: Beyond Two Souls

Posted on by GumballsPlaysGames

I finished Beyond Two Souls earlier today and streamed most of the final part of the game on Twitch. I’m in the process of copying all of the videos over to YouTube but until then you can view the videos on my Twitch channel.

Here is the last hour of the game if you’re interested in viewing it:

http://www.twitch.tv/jdh5153/b/484334012

(there’s the Twitch stream on Youtube. I might eventually upload the actual capture file because it should be of better quality).

I enjoyed the conclusion of the game, but honestly the final third of the game is a little strange. It takes a strange turn, and at times it’s difficult to understand what any particular chapter has to do with any other (especially the chapter with the Native American family in the middle of the game). Anyway, I’m going to end up trading Beyond Two Souls in toward Gran Turismo 6.

Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag Sequence 2

Posted on by GumballsPlaysGames

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I’ve never been much into the Assassin’s Creed games. I’ve played a bit of the first, second and third numbered games (haven’t played Revelations or Brotherhood) and they all failed to hold my attention. Assassin’s Creed III seemed cool, but for whatever reason I only played the first twenty minutes or so and never got into the game.

So far Assassin’s Creed IV is holding my attention a bit better. I just finished sequence 2 tonight and I have to say I enjoyed it. I’m really liking Edward as a character and so far the game has been fun to play. That said I almost returned the game to GameFly and never progressed any further after failing the mission where you chase the sage five times in a row. I hate missions where you have to chase someone. These missions really show off just how bad the controls in Assassin’s Creed games can be. While trying to chase after the guy I was constantly getting stuck on ledges where Edward would grab onto a ledge and just not move, or at times he’d fall the wrong way or jump into a pile of hay when I didn’t want him to.

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The climax and conclusion to sequence 2 at sea was a thrilling experience. I’m looking forward to getting into sequence 3 possibly tomorrow.

Gumballs Plays: Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag (PS3) 001

Posted on by GumballsPlaysGames

I started playing Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag last night. The only Assassin’s Creed games I’ve played are the first one (got bored after the third assassination), the second (made it a handful of hours before not playing anymore) and Assassin’s Creed III (which I played until you arrive in Boston and didn’t get interested in).

Hopefully this game will hold my attention longer. So far it seems pretty good. I like the environment and piloting ships seems like it’ll be pretty cool. I don’t really like the part where you come out of the Animus though. I know all of the games switch between the real world and the Animus, but I wish the game would just take place entirely in the past. I don’t care for whatever story they’re making up to explain everything, and I don’t care for the characters or environment in the present either. Maybe if I had played the other games I’d understand more, but all I want to do is play as Edward Kenway.

Gumballs Plays: Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen (PS3) 001

Posted on by GumballsPlaysGames

Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen is one of the recent free games available via Playstation Plus so I decided to give it a try. I tend not to like Japanese games and upon seeing the Capcom logo I knew I probably wouldn’t like this  game. I played about the first 30 minutes and so far it’s not horrible but I can’t get over the Japan-ness of the game. What I mean is mainly the UI. It’s absolutely ugly. I hate the way the numbers look (and that they’re even there) and the flatness of everything. It reminds me of Devil May Cry, another game I might have liked if it weren’t for the UI (and horrible anime acting). It also looks a bit like Dark Souls which also has one of the ugliest UI’s of any game I’ve ever played.

Lastly I’ll just add that the game looks quite ugly at some points. I don’t remember games like Dragon Age looking as ugly as this game does (mainly the character models). The voice acting and story are also remind me of some sort of anime. I mean a dragon rips your heart out and essentially tells you ‘come at me bro’ and now you’re on some epic quest to get your heart back….really?

So I might keep playing, but if you can’t tell I hate Capcom and just about any game designed by a Japanese developer.

I really, really suck at New Super Mario Bros. Wii

Posted on by GumballsPlaysGames

So I’ve never beaten the first dungeon / castle in New Super Mario Bros. Wii. That’s right, I’ve never seen anything beyond the first world. I find it frustratingly difficult, and to date it (and Super Mario Bros 3 in which I’ve also never passed the first world) is the only game that makes me want to toss controllers around the room. After the first couple of lives I waste in the dungeon my palms start to sweat and I start to make the same mistakes over and over again. What frustrates me is the most important part of the game is jumping, something that should be so simple and yet I can’t master it. Again and again I plunge Mario into the lava. I haven’t played New Super Mario Bros. Wii in about 4 months and tonight I thought I’d give it another shot. As you can see in the video below I made it no further than I ever have. I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to master Mario.

PS4 delayed (at AAFES BX)

Posted on by GumballsPlaysGames

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The Bx was supposed to start handing out tickets to buy the PS4 tomorrow, however it appears the console will not be shipping to the Bx in the near future. I’m not sure if it’s just Mountain Home or if other bases are having this problem as well. I knew a few people who wanted to try to buy a PS4 tomorrow, but it looks like they’ll be out of luck.

I’m still leaning toward an Xbox One, however I won’t be getting either for awhile yet. So far it seems the PS4 launch has been a bit rocky as many users are reporting bricked consoles (for those who got theirs early via Taco Bell or other venues that shipped early). We’ll have to wait and see what happens tomorrow.