Fresh Ideas...
So for the New Year I decided I would write far more often about my gaming. I always have opinions and ideas about gaming and have been told by many that I should write this crap down. So, for every game that I beat, or at least finish playing because it wasn't worth completing, I will write about it. I know I have many different types of gamers here reading this, so I will inform you of the types of things I will be writing about so you can decide if you just wanna skip over this or maybe give it a look.
I like all types of games from RPG's to FPS's. If I had a console of choice it would be 360, however I own all current generation consoles and also have possession of a PS2 (which I almost never touch). Because of my 360 fondness I am FAR more likely to write about the games on that system, however I do have some old PS2 games in the wings, am currently playing Mario Galaxy and the Metroid Prime Trilogy, and am soon going to rent both the Uncharted games following all the rave reviews. At some point I hope everyone here has something to read that interests their gaming, because I really do play just about anything that comes across as remotely interesting.
That being said I'm surprised it's taken 11 days for me to complete a game this year. I've been playing a ton of Left 4 Dead 2 with my roommates (LAN party is the best way to play) and have been slowly grinding through Star Ocean: The Last Hope (I'm at the final boss!) which has taken nearly 45 hours of my life which I won't ever get back.
In between all of this, I have completed Hitman: Blood Money for the Xbox 360 (also on PC, Xbox, and PS2). I played this demo a long time ago and enjoyed it, but didn't pick it up until recently finding it in the bargain bin about a month ago. Since that time, a movie has been made about this series (and was horribly reviewed), which consists of 4 games. This game is the most recent and thusly, I assume, the most intuitive of the 4.
If you are unaware of what type of game this is, I would call it an open level stealth game. You are dropped into levels that are very non-linear with a contract to kill anywhere from 1 - 4 people without being killed. You only have a certain number of saves, limited resources, and little knowledge of the world you are entering. When you die the level either starts from where you saved or from the beginning. You cannot make mistakes and you cannot mess around because you will die quickly.
I should start off by saying that this game is NOT easy, but it is VERY rewarding. You accept missions and as you slowly work through them (and probably have died multiple times), you feel a sense of great accomplishment with every positive step you take towards your goal. When you accomplish your goal, you are given large sums of cash as reward. This money can be used towards upgrading weapons, getting better body armor, or speeding up your skills such as lock picking. With every mission you feel more dangerous.
And yes, you do get guns. But the shooting mechanics in this game are frustrating and difficult. Shooting your gun will almost always lead to guards running to your location to investigate the noise. Using your gun is truly a last resort option. Many areas you won't be able to stealthily carry your guns on you anyways, because of security checks. Most of the time it's just better to use your guns in the missions you know you'll need them.
But that's what makes this game so difficult. Studying a security guards walking patterns and figuring out the best time to use your fiber wire to strangle him from behind. You then quickly change into the guards uniform and find a place to stash the body hoping not to get caught. It's a sudden and fast rush and it feels very nice when the deed is done.
That's also the problem with the game. This sort of stealth feels very stale. I've played this type of game many times, and while Hitman does everything very well, it doesn't do much differently. The controls are not always as responsive as I want them to be, and too many times I'm standing behind a guy and hit the 'kill him' button, and my Hitman stands there and does nothing but punch my target in the back of the head. Said target will then turn around and see me and freak out and warn all the guards and blow my cover and the mission is screwed...back to the beginning I go.
This game is rewarding, fun, and can be completed by anyone (not without frustration). The problem is that the game fucks me a little too often and the game really doesn't do much different from games I played 5 or 6 years ago. Definitely worth a play through if you find it in the bargain bin...but paying full price is too steep for a game that feels like it could have been done on the N64.
I like all types of games from RPG's to FPS's. If I had a console of choice it would be 360, however I own all current generation consoles and also have possession of a PS2 (which I almost never touch). Because of my 360 fondness I am FAR more likely to write about the games on that system, however I do have some old PS2 games in the wings, am currently playing Mario Galaxy and the Metroid Prime Trilogy, and am soon going to rent both the Uncharted games following all the rave reviews. At some point I hope everyone here has something to read that interests their gaming, because I really do play just about anything that comes across as remotely interesting.
That being said I'm surprised it's taken 11 days for me to complete a game this year. I've been playing a ton of Left 4 Dead 2 with my roommates (LAN party is the best way to play) and have been slowly grinding through Star Ocean: The Last Hope (I'm at the final boss!) which has taken nearly 45 hours of my life which I won't ever get back.
In between all of this, I have completed Hitman: Blood Money for the Xbox 360 (also on PC, Xbox, and PS2). I played this demo a long time ago and enjoyed it, but didn't pick it up until recently finding it in the bargain bin about a month ago. Since that time, a movie has been made about this series (and was horribly reviewed), which consists of 4 games. This game is the most recent and thusly, I assume, the most intuitive of the 4.
If you are unaware of what type of game this is, I would call it an open level stealth game. You are dropped into levels that are very non-linear with a contract to kill anywhere from 1 - 4 people without being killed. You only have a certain number of saves, limited resources, and little knowledge of the world you are entering. When you die the level either starts from where you saved or from the beginning. You cannot make mistakes and you cannot mess around because you will die quickly.
I should start off by saying that this game is NOT easy, but it is VERY rewarding. You accept missions and as you slowly work through them (and probably have died multiple times), you feel a sense of great accomplishment with every positive step you take towards your goal. When you accomplish your goal, you are given large sums of cash as reward. This money can be used towards upgrading weapons, getting better body armor, or speeding up your skills such as lock picking. With every mission you feel more dangerous.
And yes, you do get guns. But the shooting mechanics in this game are frustrating and difficult. Shooting your gun will almost always lead to guards running to your location to investigate the noise. Using your gun is truly a last resort option. Many areas you won't be able to stealthily carry your guns on you anyways, because of security checks. Most of the time it's just better to use your guns in the missions you know you'll need them.
But that's what makes this game so difficult. Studying a security guards walking patterns and figuring out the best time to use your fiber wire to strangle him from behind. You then quickly change into the guards uniform and find a place to stash the body hoping not to get caught. It's a sudden and fast rush and it feels very nice when the deed is done.
That's also the problem with the game. This sort of stealth feels very stale. I've played this type of game many times, and while Hitman does everything very well, it doesn't do much differently. The controls are not always as responsive as I want them to be, and too many times I'm standing behind a guy and hit the 'kill him' button, and my Hitman stands there and does nothing but punch my target in the back of the head. Said target will then turn around and see me and freak out and warn all the guards and blow my cover and the mission is screwed...back to the beginning I go.
This game is rewarding, fun, and can be completed by anyone (not without frustration). The problem is that the game fucks me a little too often and the game really doesn't do much different from games I played 5 or 6 years ago. Definitely worth a play through if you find it in the bargain bin...but paying full price is too steep for a game that feels like it could have been done on the N64.