Killzone 2 tomorrow (tonight?)

I received the call from Gamestop that I can pick up Killzone 2 tonight at midnight. I am thinking about it. I don't work tomorrow, so it would be perfect actually.

Very tempting . . .

Weekend notes . . .

- Now that I have my 360 back, I played some CoD4 this weekend.  I jumped right in and was playing very well.  In my first 4 or 5 matches on Sunday I was doing great.  I even went 22-6 in one match, my best game in a while.  Then all of a sudden, I started stinking.  I went back to back matches with only 3 kills and then 5 kills.  It is funny how quickly you can go from 20+ kills to barely even making a dent.  lol. 

 

- I foresee me leaving a lot of games half done.  All the games I was playing prior to my 360 dying (Fallout 3, Prince of Persia, Far Cry 2) will be put on hold come this Friday, since I really don't think I'll be playing anything besides Killzone 2 for a while.  FEAR 2 will also be put on hold.  I don't think I have ever owned so many games that I have yet to finish.  What is wrong with me?

 

- I started a new file on Dead Space on the game's hardest difficulty.  Man, I just love this game!!!  I am still constantly impressed by the level of polish this title has.

 

- Saw the Oscars last night.  I wish Mickey would have won best actor, but it looks like Sean deserved it just as much.  I am happy Danny Boyle won best director.

 

- Jack Black's bit about how he makes money by making an animated movie with Dreamworks and then bets all his money on Pixar come Oscar time was freakin' HILARIOUS!!!!  Love that guy!

 

Flower

For those PS3 owners that want to try something completely different, give Flower a try.  From the same folks that brought us the simple yet elegant flOw, a relaxing game with no real goal nor end, Flower takes that concept to the next level.

 

Flower is not really a game.  At least, not in the normal sense of the word.  You cannot lose in Flower.  There is no score.  No lives.  No time limit.  There is no real "story", but there are certainly themes and ideas.  You play the entire game by pressing just one button (and tilting the controller).  Yet even with all that, it is one of the most unique gaming experiences I've had in a while.  The game is beautiful.  Both visually and spiritually (Ok, yes, I just made myself sick by writing that).  Some may find the game boring.  Or pretentious.  But there is no doubt that it is a great escape.  After a long day in the office and a long drive home in traffic, Flower could be seen as therapy.  The visuals and music are fantastic and guiding Flower pedals with the wind is suprisingly engaging, thanks to perfect six-axis controls.

 

Flower definitely is not for everyone.  It is a very short game.  But it is quite an experience.  I recommend it.

 

Dexter

I started watching Dexter a few weeks ago.  I am completely hooked.  The show is phenomenal!  Excellent writing and a great cast!  I've now seen the first 2 seasons and am out of luck because season 3 is not out on dvd yet (been watching the series from Netflix).

 

I even bought the 1st season on Bluray this weekend because I enjoyed it so much.  If you haven't seen this show yet, I highly recommend it.

 

Killzone 2 Demo

After much anticipation we finally got a taste of Killzone 2, thanks to the demo that was released last week for Gamestop pre-order customers or those with a European PSN account.  My impressions:

 

- You know, after so much hype and anticipation, watching videos and screenshots, when the demo finally started I was a bit disappointed with the visuals.  They seemed a little drab, muted colors, and generally grey and non-vibrant.  Now, that was during my first playthrough.  I have now played the demo over 10 times and let me say this: The visuals are AMAZING!  Seriously, it is funny how much hype and anticipation can affect your judgement (I was disappointed with The Fellowship of the Ring the first time I saw it since I was looking forward to it so much.  Since that first viewing it is my favorite of the trilogy and I absolutely love it).

 

- I found the controls very strange during my first couple of sessions.  They react slower than I am used to (CoD, Halo) and I just didn't feel very comfortable.  Like any other game though, after a while it all began to click and I can now breeze through the demo, taking cover, getting headshots, and loving every minute of it.

 

- The demo is too short!!!  What a tease!  Just when you are getting into it the screen goes to black and it is over.  I wish the demo had multiplayer.

 

The wait for 2/27 just got a lot longer.