Update

I haven't posted in a while since I was on vacation and upon my return, very busy playing lots of games.  I should be putting up impressions of Assassin's Creed, Rock Band and Uncharted: Drake's Fortune soon.  I also have Mass Effect still shrink wrapped waiting for me to play it.  But I will not open it until I am done with the others.  I want to give it my full attention.  I still am holding on to the illusion that I will read the prequel novel before starting the game as well, since I hear it greatly enriches the experience.

 

I might actually have time, since I should be pretty busy with the aforementioned games for a while (plus Final Fantasy Tactics AND CoD 4 multiplayer!).

 

Hopefully I'll have impressions up later today.

 

CoD4 further impressions . . .

I beat CoD4.  The campaign is a bit shorter than I would have liked, but Infinity Ward packed it with so many amazing moments that all is forgiven.  This has been the best FPS experience I have had in a while.  I enjoyed it more than Halo 3, Rainbow 6, and even Half-Life 2.  Sure, it is hard to compare a game like CoD4 with Half-Life 2, since they play vastly different and aim for completely different experiences, but I am coming from a pure enjoyment standpoint.  CoD4 kicked my @$$!  It is a roller coaster ride from start to finish.

 

It does basically everything right.  It is a technical marvel, actually has an interesting story that had me interested in what was going on (unlike previous CoD games), teammates you actually begin to care for, fantastic audio, great voice acting, perfect controls . . . the total package.

 

I'm trying to beat it on Veteran difficulty now, which is going to be brutal and I can now begin to sink my teeth into its fantastic multiplayer.  Looks like I won't be playing as much Halo 3 as I thought I would be, since I can see myself entertained with CoD4 for quite some time . . .

 

CoD4

Quick impressions.

 

I played four single-player levels and I jumped into about four multiplayer matches yesterday.

 

The thing that jumps out the most is just how gorgeous this game is.  It really is quite a sight.  The opening level on the tanker is a showcase of particle effects (torrential rain, waves crashing over the side of the ship), impressive lighting, and terrific textures.  Not only that, but the game runs lightning fast.  A solid 60 fps with no dips (none that I noticed anyway).  And the controls are extremely polished and feel great.

 

Another thing that jumped out at me is the animation.  Watching your teammates scramble from cover to cover, using hand signals, opening doors - this might be the best character animation I have seen in a FPS yet.  Very lifelike, very smooth.

 

The singleplayer so far has done a good job of mixing fast paced levels (and I mean, really fast paced, chaotic action that gets your adrenaline pumping) with other more covert operations that have you sneaking form spot to spot and engaging in smaller skirmishes.  I actually like the steathy levels more.  Great stuff.

 

In just the few levels I have tried I have had many "wow" moments, including the ending of the first level that had me on the edge of my seat.  I was laughing at the end because of what a great rush it gave me.

 

As I mentioned in my Beta Impressions, the multiplayer is fantastic.  The game ships with 16 multiplayer maps, which is a huge number.  I can see myself playing a lot more CoD4 multiplayer than Halo 3 multiplayer.  CoD is just more my style.

 

Rock Band demo kits

Looks like many Best Buys have Rock Band demo kits up for people to try.  Looks like I will have to swing by mine and hope they have one too.

 

November 20th is going to be insane.  Now I just have to figure what I am going to do when I get home from Gamestop that morning.  Play Rock Band . . . or Mass Effect.  I know once I start one I am not going to want to stop for a while.  And that is if I am not still totally addicted to CoD4 or Assassin's Creed.  =(

 

Guitar Hero III

I picked up GH III this past Sunday.  Some impressions:

 

- This being Neversoft's first stab at the franchise and them having to build the engine from scratch, they've done a great job and I do not notice any difference in the timing of the notes.  Actually, there is a difference in that the window of error is actually larger, so it makes the game a bit easier in that regard.  To compensate, the game overall seems to be harder, as some songs on Hard could probably pass for Expert songs in Guitar Hero II.  If you are someone who does not really use pull-offs or hammer-ons, you probably can't get by like you could in the previous games.  You MUST learn to use them (they work great though).

 

- The song selection is great.  A lot of master tracks this time around.  Unfortunately, three of my favorite songs to play are all covers.  Black Magic Woman, La Grange and Pride and Joy.  They are still fun, but they would have been insane as master tracks.

 

- The Boss Battles, which have been covered a lot, don't add much to the game in my opinion.  I beat the game on Hard the other night and there were a total of 3 Boss Battles.  I actually beat them all on my first try so maybe that is why I am so indifferent to them.  If they would have given me a hard time I'd probably be complaining right now.

 

- I really like the note counter that lets you know what your current note streak is.  You also get a pop-up on screen after you hit certain streak numbers.  Some find this distracting, but it does not bother me and I like it actually.

 

- Playing over Xbox Live is a lot of fun.  Since I only own one 360 GH controller I haven't been able to play competitively before (I did not buy the GHIII pack that came with the guitar since I will be getting Rock Band in a few weeks and don't want to have 5 plastic guitars laying around; I have two already for the PS2).  My online experience has been great so far.  I do not like the online "Battles" very much though, since they can be over very fast and you usually spend more time looking for a match than playing the actual battle.  Pro Face-Off is great!

 

- I've been enjoying the game but this being the 4th Guitar Hero game I play in 3 years (if you count me playing through part 2 twice on PS2/360) the series has lost some of its initial magic.  The game is still fun, but it is no longer as new and fresh as it used to be.  The Career mode is really starting to show its age, especially after reading about Band World Tour mode in Rock Band (which sounds a million times deeper).

 

So, bottom line, if you are a fan of the series, there is no reason why you wouldn't enjoy this one.  Many great tracks on here.  But if Guitar Hero 4 doesn't do something to change the formula drastically (like Rock Band is doing), I do not know how much longer this series will last.