Orange Box

I've been playing The Orange Box since it was released.  I never was able to play Half-Life 2 when it came out, so I am making my way through that one first.  So far it is great.  Graphics might have aged a bit in the last two years but I hear Episode 2 looks a lot better.  I'm probably about ½ through.

 

I've only been able to play a few quick matches of Team Fortress 2.  A few of them were plague by pretty bad lag.  I hear Valve already has a patch ready to go to fix the problem, but it is still going through Microsoft's long certification process.  The game seems like a lot of fun.  The visuals are stunning.  The frame rate is fast and smooth.  The various classes play significantly different from one another.  Like I said, I think I might have played only a total of four matches.  The only negative that jumped out at me (aside from the lag) was that the environments are completely static and you cannot interact with it aside from putting bullet holes in the walls.  Maybe that aspect just jumped out at me because I have been playing so much HL2 and using the gravity gun to interact with everything I see.  So, when I shoot an object in TF2 I expected it to go flying off the shelf.  But it doesn't.  Oh well.

 

And then of course, there is Portal.  Portal is just fantastic.  It is the best game in the entire set (this coming from someone that hasn't even gotten to Episode 1 or 2 yet, so I am judging before trying it all).  The game is fun, challenging and down right funny.  Yes, funny.  I wasn't expecting to laugh out loud constantly while playing it, yet the game has a fantastically dark sense of humor thanks to the female computer voice with guides you through the levels, and it had me in stiches most of the time.  Really, really clever writing.  And perfect execution.

 

As far as the whole concept and puzzle elements go, the game is top notch.  Throw in the "story line" and the game jumps another notch.  Then, mix in the final level (which is great and different from the previous ones) and the best ending song ever and you have yourself a very satisfying experience.  My only complaint is that I want more!!!!  I beat the game in one sitting (maybe around 2 - 3 hours).  I want PLENTY more Portal Valve!  I hope you have the DL content just lined up, because I am ready to buy!

 

The Orange Box has got to be one of the best values in gaming.  In an age when we compain about games' $60 pricetags and being nickled and dimed to death with DL content that we feel should be for free, it is refreshing to see a company release a game that I actually feel I underpaid for (don't tell that to Valve).  If you haven't already done so, buy this game now!!!!

 

Marketplace Round-up

Lots of new game demos on the marketplace:

 

Conan - Played through this one once.  It was ok.  On one hand, the graphics look pretty bland.  The water looks laughably bad.  As in PSone quality.  Seriously, I guess after having just played through Halo 3 and Bioshock, I have been spoiled by some impressive looking water.  The water in Conan looks like they didn't even try.  The one thing the game does very well is the animation.  The animation was fantastic.  The lip-syncing during cutscenes was better than I expected as well.

 

F.E.A.R. (Files?  F.E.A.R. 2?  Can't remember the name) - A semi-sequel or expansion pack to F.E.A.R..  I played it only for about 5 minutes, died, and did not feel like trying it again.  The game looked and felt extremely dated.  Again, maybe it is because I am coming off Halo 3 and Bioshock, but this game just looked terrible.  I shouldn't be so harsh on a demo, but it did not hold my interest.

 

Thrillville - I enjoyed playing the one mini-game where you are on a dirt bike and can do stunts.  All the others ones were boring.  Not impressed.

 

Crash of the Titans - Terrible.  Seemed like a very generic, by the numbers platformer.  Did not have any fun playing it.

 

The Simpsons Game - I played this one on the PS3 (it came out before the Marketplace one).  I went in not expecting much and came away pleasantly surprised.  The graphics are very faithful to the show and the writing and dialogue are perfect.  I laughed out loud several times.  I am a huge Simpsons fan, so that helped.  The gameplay seems pretty shallow and it will get boring quickly, but I had a good time with the demo.

 

Jericho - Graphics are pretty impressive (although maybe a bit too dark, adjust the gamma in options).  Gameplay was ok and changing to each character on the fly was unique.  The "Quick Time Event" in the demo, where you need to press controller buttons as they appear on the screen, was way unexpected.  If they are all going to be like that in the game I see players dying the first time, every time.  Gotta be a better way to do it.  Can't say this game is in my purchase radar at the moment, but it looks nice.

 

PGR4 - Downloaded it, but I have not tried it yet.  I really enjoyed PGR3 so I am hoping for the best.

 

Some game from Koei - This is a huge demo, almost a 2 gig download.  And I did not find it entertaining at all.  Of course, these types of games aren't my "thing".

 

There have a been a few more, but I have long since deleted those and cannot remember what they were.  Couldn't have been any good or I would have remembered them.  =)

Halo impressions

I beat the single-player campaign on Heroic this weekend.  I immediately started a new one on Legendary.  That is a pretty good sign that I had a great time.  Impressions below, outlining what I liked and didn't.

 

Pros:

 

- Graphics.  I found the visuals to be pretty fantastic.  They do tend to fluctuate though.  Some moments they look ok, but for the most part they are gorgeous.  The environments, lighting, colors, and the huge scale of everything is what ultimately makes you overlook some questionable textures and weak player models (humans mostly, not the Chief, who looks amazing).  This game probably has the best use of HDR lighting to date (the effect used to recreate what happens when you go from a dark area to a bright area and vice-versa).  I always judge a game's graphics with whether or not they made me stop playing and just admire them.  I can safely say that I stopped to admire the visuals MANY times and I said quite a few "wow's" in the process.

 

There is talk now that the game does not run in true HD, that it is rendered at 640p and upscaled to 720p (mostly as a result of them implementing the aforementioned HDR lighting).  That being the case, if someone wouldn't have sat there are counted pixels, I would never have noticed.  It is a shame that Halo 3 will now get plenty of criticism for this, because I really think it is a great looking game.

 

- Audio.  Halo's soundtrack has always been great and this third instalment is no different.  Fantastic compositions that kick in at just the right moments.   Weapon fire and dialogue is also as solid as ever.

 

- Gameplay is typical Halo.  Same great feel.  If you played the previous games, you can jump right in, all you need to do is adjust to the reload/action button being relocated to the right bumper.  The new usable items are cool . . . except I would always forget to use them.  I am trying to remember they are there during my Legendary play through.

 

- Lots of big, open levels that have you driving Warthogs or other vehicles.  I LOVE these type of levels.  Halo 3 does not disappoint in this regard.

 

- Co-op play over Live is an absolute blast.  I have yet to try it with more than one friend, but I can see myself having a lot of fun with this.

 

- Saved Films is an absolutely awesome addition that I will be using extensively.  It was a great choice to add this and I am sure it was not the easiest thing to do.  Having your last 25 matches automatically save is great!  I have already used this feature many, many times.  Shame that many Halo 3 players who rip the game open and just go to matchmaking will never even know it is there.

 

- On a similar note, the File Share option is also great.  Not only can you save these great films of the game (or screen shots) but you can share them with your friends or post them on Bungie.net.  Simply awesome.

 

- In the limited time I have spent with it, multiplayer still looks to be what keeps this game at the top of Live's list until the 360 is no more.  The amount of options has increased and the entire interface Bungie has built is unmatched.  The ease of use (once you learn how to navigate the menus) is great.  Forge will keep you entertained and the levels fresh, and being able to share your levels or game types with File Share is just another example on how much work Bungie put into multiplayer.  Once again, Halo will be the standard by which other game's multiplayer is measured.

 

Cons:

 

- As much as I enjoyed the single-player campaign (the best overall of the 3 Halo games) I felt the last two missions let me down a bit.  Mission 8 is just awful.  It cannot take the title of "Worst Halo level ever" because no one can take that away from "The Library" level in the original Halo, but it is a sure fire runner-up.  The level is just so different from the others, it seems out of place.  Most of all, the level is frustrating and not fun at all.

 

- The Flood.  I know they are a big part of the Halo storyline.  A necessary evil.  And I like their "role" in the story, I just don't fully enjoy fighting them.  In moderation they are ok.  A change of pace from your regular Covenant encounters.  They require a completely different approach . . . mostly because they use no tactics and just rush you as soon as they spot you.  The first few Flood levels in every Halo game has been fine with me.  Their very first appearance in Halo 1 was fantastic.  As is their first level in Halo 3.  After a while though, Bungie always seems to overdo it.  I already mentioned the 8th level.  So annoying.  Some advice for Bungie, in any future Halo games that might contain the Flood (hopefully none, I think we are done with them), please limit them to one or two levels max.  That is about all I can take of them before I begin cursing.

 

- Like I mentioned, I love the Saved Films feature.  A few things bother me though.  My main gripe is that it fast-forwards WAY too slow.  There is probably a technical reason for this (it is not an actual video you are viewing after all, the 360 is actually generating a replay of your session on the fly), but it is very annoying if what you want to get to is towards the end of the film, especially if it is a campaign video, since those can be over an hour long!!!!

 

Speaking of campaign films, you cannot record or rewind campaign films (only take screen shots).  I find this disappointing since I would have probably enjoyed saving clips from single-player even more than multiplayer.  The fact that you cannot even rewind is also a huge disappointment, especially if you just spent 10 minutes holding down the right-trigger to fast forward to a specific part to take a screen shot and you missed your perfect shot by a few frames.  No way to go back.  Ugh!

 

I also wish that when you view the film in slow motion that it would adjust the frame-rate accordingly (like watching a replay in APF or Madden), so that it looks smooth and you can really enjoy the animation.  As it is, viewing something in slow motion is unbelievably choppy and doesn't look good at all.  It is best to view it at regular speed.  Shame.

 

- I wish there were more "sandbox" levels, like The Silent Cartographer" in the original Halo.  It will make the game feel a bit more organic.  Don't know why Bungie has never been able to create another level like that.

 

And that is about it as far as cons go.  I think Halo 3 delivered.  Sure, I would have preferred a different direction with the last few levels, but overall, it is a fitting end to this great trilogy.  Now, to complete Legendary and find all the skulls!

Update: I am an idiot

The title says it all.  I am an idiot.

 

After speaking to Microsoft today for the 3rd time in four days, they advise me that they cannot send me a replacement disc if the disc was never in the case to begin with, that it is up to the retailer to give me another copy (why the first two guys couldn't tell me this is beyond me).  So, I call Gamestop back, tell them what Microsoft told me and they advised me to bring it back with my receipt, but that the Limited Edition was released, well, in limited quantities, and if they ran out of copies I would be out of luck.  Since I had something to do today after work and probably not be able to make it to Gamestop until tomorrow, I did not want to risk it and used my lunch hour to go home and grab my game and return it.

 

When I get home I decide to give it all one more good look over, so that I don't embarrass myself.  As it turns out . . . the back of the Limited Edition case opens up to reveal - wait for it - the Limited Edition Bonus Disc!  Duh!

 

Ok, in my defense, I mentioned in the previous post how the bottom of the metal case is bent.  Because of this, the rear flap was very, very difficult to open.  In fact, when I first noticed that the bonus disc was missing, I "attempted" to open the rear of the case and since it did not budge I figured that section did not open.  I do not like the look and feel of this metal case either.  Halo 2's Limited Edition casing was much nicer.  So was Perfect Dark's.  This one feels kinda cheap.

 

Anyway, enough babbling, I am still an idiot.  Impressions of the actual game to follow shortly.

Halo 3 launch . . .

I arrived at my local Gamestop on Monday night, around 10:50pm and there were already about 40 people in line.  Great.  Luckily I brought my PSP.  Gamespot employees began taking everyone in to pay off their copies so that once 12:00am came around, you just had to present your receipt, ID, and you were out of there.

 

It worked out great because I was in my car driving back home at 12:10am.  Not bad considering my place in line.  If I remember correctly, it took me more than ½ an hour to get Halo 2.

 

I had it all planned out.  I would get home and play some multiplayer with my friend (who was also getting at midnight) and then concentrate on the single-player the next day.  While I am far more interested in Halo's single-player campaign (I am one of the few people who enjoy it more than multiplayer), it was late, my girlfriend was sleeping and I am going to need my first experience with the campaign to be with the surround-sound volume on 11.

 

So, I tear open the game (I bought the Limited Edition) and get with the Slaying.  Fun times.  I go to bed at 5am.  Not a big problem since I did not work the following day.

 

I get about five hours of sleep, wake up at 10am and get ready for a whole day of Halo 3 single-player.  But first, I take a look at all the goodies that came with the Limited Edition Set (in my haste to play last night, I didn't give it a second glance).

 

I see an instruction booklet, a poster, a few flyers, a nice hard cover art book, a bonus disc . . . wait, where is my bonus disc?!

 

Turns out, my copy of the Limited Edition HAD NO BONUS DISC!

 

Just my luck.  I probably got the only copy of the game from Gamestop that had no bonus disc.  Upon close inspection, my Limited Edition is all messed up.  The bottom of the tin casing is bent in, no bonus disc, and of course, like many others who got this edition, when I opened the case last night my game disc was dislodged from the holder and flapping all around the case.  It has a few small scratches but nothing too severe.  It is playing fine.

 

So, after playing a good amount of the solo campaign (impressions will be added to another post) I call Gamestop to see what the deal is with my missing bonus disc.  They advise me that it is a Microsoft issue and there is nothing they could do.  Great.  I dread calling Microsoft support.

 

I bite the bullet and call Microsoft.  After going through a ton of options, I manage to speak to a live operator.  He is very friendly, yet has to put me on hold every 30 seconds (for about 5 minutes each time) because he has to find out information about what to do.  After about ½ an hour, he advises that they can send me a copy of the bonus disc, but that their computers are going crazy so he has to give me a reference number and tells me that he put all of my notes in the system and that if I call back in 2 days they will be able to finish the transaction.

 

So, 2 days later I call, speak to someone else, give them my reference number, and get put on hold again for about 10 minutes.  The guy comes back, gives me a new reference number, mumbles something that I barely understand, says something about calling back with this new number, and the conversation ends.  I do not know if I have to call with this new number if I don't receive the bonus disc, or if I have to call again today to do something else, I am in the dark (my fault for not inquiring further, but this guy was definitely not as friendly as the one I spoke to previously).

 

Anyway, Halo 3 is awesome, I just wish something didn't always have to go wrong!!!  Argh!  I want my bonus disc!