Recently in First take Category
The Inquisitor looked at me expectantly, hoping to see what nugget of information I would pry loose from the victim strapped to the table. The man coolly went about his business while my prey writhed in fear of what was to come. But after a few words of calm and a promise of help, his will melted before this unexpected kindness. And I kept my word, seeing that he would leave Korriban's tombs and its Academy politic far behind him.
Playing the BF3 beta was a little confusing. The game is due out in a few weeks, so putting it into beta this close to release seemed bizarre. It covers only one multiplayer map, Metro, which takes place in a subway tunnel in France along with a little above-ground action for plenty of close quarters shooting. It's also objective based meaning players will be switching roles between defense and offense. It also means that it's a map with no vehicles which can be a bit disappointing to some.
Technically, beta tests are handled a few months in advance of finalizing the code for release so that if anything critical crops up, it can be fixed before hitting retail. At least that's how it's ideally supposed to go. Though in today's world of "0-day" patches and broadband speeds, that probably doesn't mean a hell of a lot.
Likely, the "beta" for BF3 was to test multiplayer stress on the network to better prepare for when it goes prime time on October 25th. On that count, it seems to be doing okay even with the occasional 128-player hack floating around in PC Land.
I also hope that some of the other issues won't show up in the final game such as prone clipping, or falling through the map and getting stuck leaving suicide the only escape. I was killed on one map by someone trapped this way because they were able to shoot me from below the objective I was attacking.
One thing that stuck with me was how familiar it felt. Coming off of Bad Company 2, BF3's beta felt like I was heading back for more of the same with a new set of maps. That's not entirely a bad thing, especially if you couldn't get enough of the game. And I'll admit that I had some fun while shooting through Metro's wrecked venue.
The demo also cuts loose with a large number of unlocks and, from what I could see, no level ceiling, so if anything, it's a nice, free multiplayer shooter. Some players have also really taken to it - I've seen a few leveled into their twenties and thirties already though I doubt any of that will carry over into the full game.
If I weren't a fan of the series before I doubt this would have convinced me as much as the trailers had worked so well to, but I'm sure that the full game - with actual vehicles - will be a lot more exciting when everything comes together near the end of this month.
The game, its full title is "Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds" appears to be based on the belief that wackier is better. Capcom's "Super Street Fighter IV" wasn't exactly an exercise in subtlety, but to play MvC3 is to play an electronic equivalent of a caffeine rush. Remember Jolt Cola? This game is like a six-pack of the stuff, so this writer is going to crack open an imaginary bottle and get to work.
Details after the jump:
Fans had a chance to try out Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds and "Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition. I'll have a more detailed write-up as soon as I can take care of my non-polygon related duties for the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin and The Sun.
It wouldn't be a Capcom party without cosplay. "Chun-Li," "X-23" and "Dark Phoenix" pose for the cameras.
More after the jump ...
Verizon's announcement during CES 2011 was all about 4G LTE. LTE, short for Long Term Evolution, was rolled out on December 5, 2010 in 38 markets and by the end of 2011 they hope to be in 175 markets. After today's announcement they will roll out with ten new 4G LTE devises, 4 cell phone, 2 mobile hotspots, 2 LTE enabled laptops and 2 tablets.
Verizon plans to release these products starting in Q1 of this year.
Unfortunatly no iPhone announcement yet, maybe we'll hear more on this room come Macworld 2011 later this month.
Armchair aces can rejoice: Namco Bandai announced today that they're coming out with a new Ace Combat for the PS3 and the Xbox 360 due out next year. According to Gamespot, the game will again sport single and multiplayer modes just as Ace Combat 6: Fires of Liberation did in '07. It also marks the first Ace Combat to debut on the PS3, though the series has come out on the PSP.
The trailer suggests that this is going to be a rebirth for the series, a "game changer" as another hint points out at the start and it looks to this fan that it's going to follow the cue of Joint Assault, Ace Combat's upcoming entry for the PSP. Previous Ace Combats on consoles and portables had taken place in a fictional world analogous to our own with licensed jets. This time, as you can hear the pilot mention Miami in the trailer after the global graphic, it sounds like it's going to take place in our own backyard.
The Ace Combat series has always prided itself on being an arcade flier's fantasy with lead rounds and gobs of missiles writing explosive poetry against impossible odds that only Michael Bay could dream of. The series might not have the kind of hardcore realism that IL-Sturmovik had brought to the table with its console debut, but it can always be just as fun sending multimillion dollars' worth of scrap to the ground by the squadron, Hollywood-style.
Can't wait to see more. For now, here's the trailer below.
When I heard about the slimmed-down, redesigned Xbox 360's unveiling at last week's E3 in Los Angeles, one question came to mind -- does a new design mean I won't have to worry about it suddenly dying on me, like its predecessor?
Both critics and devout fanboys of the original 360 would acknowledge that the engineering of Microsoft's vaunted console has always been an source of dynamic discussion, the kind that brings out sentiment ranging from typical nuts-and-bolts talk to the passionate (though sometimes wayward) deconstruction of Western and Eastern design philosophies. By now, even casual gamers or people asking about the Big Three systems (Wii, 360 and PS3) have heard about the 360's famed "Red Ring of Death," it's penchant for overheating, the "towel trick" and other tales.
The new 360, armed with a few extras, is hoping to change some of that. So, as a shopper or a new gamer, you have a choice to make. If you're looking to break in the family's first game system, is this the time the 360 separates itself a bit more from the pack?
I'm going to share some of what I've seen in the new 360, and hopefully it'll make that choice a little easier for you.
