http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/blog.php A current listing of cheap video games, video game sales and video game deals: CAG en Thu, 23 May 2013 18:19:01 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/images/misc/rss.jpg http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/blog.php http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/blog.php?b=25345 Thu, 14 Mar 2013 22:23:15 GMT Yes, ladies and gents, I finally spotted someone in public (besides myself) with...*gasp*...a vita.... Yes, ladies and gents, I finally spotted someone in public (besides myself) with...*gasp*...a vita. Seems sort of lame that I would even take the time to share this with anyone, but this monumental occassion truly deserves an audience. Ahhhh, it's surreal...like being apart of a clandestine brotherhood that no one can even begin to understand. I seriously thought to grab a photo, but there were children around and I'm not sure what my therapist would think of it.

So, yeah, I just stared a this dude for a minute or so...in disbelief. I then ever so gently removed my, uh, vita from the bag, and proceeded to open the "near" app. I'm not sure who you are or why we were destined to meet, @avenng12, but I'm glad we did. They say the first encounter is always the most memorable. ]]> breakfuss http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/blog.php?b=25345 http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/blog.php?b=25122 Mon, 14 Jan 2013 21:25:49 GMT I thought it best to actually finish The Walking Dead before discussing its merits. I'm one of the few who remained unconvinced the game was deserving of its countless "GOTY" accolades. Now that I've cleaned up the rest of the episodes, I can confidently say...The Walking Dead still doesn't feel like GOTY for 2012, or any year before it. That's to say nothing, however, of the game's quality or my enjoyment of it. For what it's worth, I mostly liked it, and very much thought it was worth the money. I just have a difficult time comparing it to games that, mechanically speaking, are more congruent with traditional standards.

Now, some will argue that in TWD, the story is the game. Your choices determine who lives, who dies and how the characters react to you. Again, that's...neat, and I enjoyed it, but can we really compare that to something like Borderlands or Sleeping Dogs? Frankly, playing The Walking Dead felt like riding in a mine cart while I pulled on levers to switch tracks ahead. There's little to no player agency involved.

I guess I'm just wondering if a game with limited intractability (to say nothing of challenge) truly exemplifies the medium as a whole? Does it really deserve to be called Game of The Year? When did gameplay take a backseat as the defining feature of...gaming, lol? ]]> breakfuss http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/blog.php?b=25122 http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/blog.php?b=24878 Fri, 16 Nov 2012 19:18:05 GMT "The paint may be drying out, but it's hard to fault the artist." - Gametrailers

The above is the most astute comment I've read or heard from any review. It's true. As I'm playing through it, I can't help but feel a tad fatigued by the formula. Still, I don't know that any FPS brings all the elements together quite as well as COD. Hate it or love it, it's just fun to play. The MP is still a bit frantic and twitchy, but more importantly accessible. The plot may be derviative, but nonetheless predicatably solid (ahem, bond...james...bond).

Definitely showing signs of aging (notably in its graphics and engine), but it gets so many things right that you can hardly fault it. I like how they've retooled the MP loadout and perk options. I don't think I can fairly give a review of the maps because I'm not familiar with them yet, but I did especially enjoy the cargo and night club stages (possibly because I won?). None of the guns I've used feel overpowered, and unlike earlier entries, I can't simply Jason Bourne someone with an SMG all the way across the map. I've had no connection issues and noticable lag -- something the PS3 iterations are always plagued with. I don't have a composite review score to give, but so far, I like this game more than MW3, MW2 and BO1.

Until another franchise comes even remotely close to capturing the audience they have, why should Activision push the envelope further? I know that's the very definition of mediocrity, but it's also the modus operandi for most businesses. Maybe they should reconsider the annual release cycle. I think they'll be forced to next gen if they don't want risk going the way of Tony Hawk or Rock Band. Possibly smaller, cheaper, and more incrimental patches seem ideal. Wonder how much profit there is in that, though?

One last notion people continuously fail to acknowledge -- COD (and other wildly successful gaming enigmas) democratize the industry. Not many things can bring this many people from this many corners of the world togehter simultaneously. I know it's vexing for some to consider video games (COD, no less) in these terms, but it's a feat that shouldn't be overlooked. ]]> breakfuss http://www.cheapassgamer.com/forums/blog.php?b=24878