shatulance

MULTI FORMAT GAMING

2009-04-12T11:54:00.002+01:00

You may have noticed I've been away awhile and this is for a couple of reasons
1). i now have a PS3 and have been trying to decide if i should continue this blog in its current state or if i should change its appearence to reflect my new outlook on gaming in general.
2). i forgot my password......i am absolutely terrible with remembering passwords to websites.i have so many to choose from and every now and then a site will demand i change my formula by asking for a new configuration of numbers/letters/dots/dashes/semaphores....this grinds my gears lol.
3).since getting my PS3 ive just been whoring trophies constantly with not really any spare time to devote to other activities such as xbox or blogging.

Yes the playstation is different and im not going to get drawn into arguments over which console is the best.I'm no fanboy and i cant be bothered by all that.All i will say is that both consoles have their strengths and weaknesses.All that can be said is that i have only had the xbox turned on because of the superior party chat in the last few months so that i can talk to friends while playing on the playstation.
The main decision for the change in focus was the fact that i was actually bored of achievements and gaming in general.Since hitting 100k gamerscore i felt there wasn't much else to do,and the achievements then turned into "just another number".This was where sony came in and offered new challenges and seeing as trophy support is still fairly new,i can be a lot more competative.
heres to gaming in general.

The quiet period

2008-10-21T01:04:00.002+01:00

As promised,after i hit the 100k mark,Ive started to take it easy on the achievement whoring,circumstances out of my control have also contributed to me not updating my blog for a while,but i have not been totally inactive.
A nice quick game appeared called LEGO:BATMAN......2 1/2 day turnaround for the full 1000 points,although i really do think the LEGO games are getting a bit stale now with this installment not being as fun to play as either the indy or starwars games.There were a few nice touches,and the whole experience was less stressful as the others although not having online co-op is a huge oversight in the current state of the gaming market.
I have also been asked by the guys at gamingladders.eu to have a look at the xbox side of their site and write some reviews and stuff to help the community out.Fear not,i will be keeping this blog in the same capacity as it is now,while providing the guys at gaming ladders with more in depth reviews.
watch this space for fable2 and the might hype machine that is gears of war 2

magic numbers

2008-08-14T16:01:00.003+01:00

I finally reached my target today of 100k gamerscore,i couldnt have done it without the help of a lot of people ive been fortunate enough to meet along the way,i wont name names cos i know some of you will get all shy and stuff.
It has been a long haul though,and i will be calming down a bit,I've been hammering the points for a while now and the stresses involved have taken its toll,not to mention the friends ive lost along the way(mainly through clashes of personality and ,my often volatile temperament).
THANK YOU! YOU'RE ALL STARS

Soul calibur 4

2008-08-02T12:43:00.002+01:00

I'm not a big fan of beat 'em ups normally,tekken bored me,virtua fighter didnt light my fire and streetfighters just went stale,but the soul caliburs have always been good to me in the past.
I was a bit hesitant in buying the game after being owned online in dead or alive and it wasnt something i wanted to go through again.The achievements looked fair and im just a sucker for games with chicks that have large breasts in.
The game itself is well done,the graphics are sweet and the onus is on fun rather than having to learn every move to get anywhere near finishing it (im lookin at you vf series).
Some of the characters are a challenge to fight against and some are practically useless to take control of,but theres a fighting style for everyone,especialy perverts that like big mammaries.
theres plenty of game modes to keep you occupied although none are anything new to the genre.The game is a must have just so that everyone can have the chance to beat the shit out of that little green b**tard that is yoda.

BIG BIG UPDATE

2008-07-26T21:30:00.003+01:00

I have been so busy in trying to beat a friend to 100k gamerscore that ive been somewhat neglecting the blog,but in an attempt to fill you all in ill just briefly note what ive been playing lately.

Prince caspian (average third person game,controls like a lego starwars game,grafix are ok and in my opinion one of the better movie tie in games=rent)
wall-e (a really fun game to play,its not going to set your world on fire but it's a real laugh=rent)
the golden compass (one of the poorer titles ive played in the past few weeks,a bland movie tie in,last gen grafix and a bore to play through =rent)
Conflict:denied ops (one of the worst games I've played so far.last gen grafix,poor controls,bad achievements and no real depth to the story.Army of Two was better=rent,but only cos its a crime to pay full price for this toss)
Turning point (better than expected,after the demo i wasnt interested,but im glad i did now,HOWEVER....online is dead=rent)
Scene it (a movie quiz party game,fun for a bit then frustrating,especially seeing as i dont get chance to watch movies now i have the xbox=buy,just for when you have parties)
Rock Band (amazing game i just wish i had a drum kit=buy)
Guitar hero:Aerosmith (the easiest GH game around=rent)

I've probably played a few more,but those are the ones i can remember the most.

Profile hacking alert

2008-06-12T09:29:00.002+01:00

just a post to let everyone know that theres another scam going on...yesterday i recieved a message from a friends profile saying that microsoft were having a promotion,and the message contained a link to a site.I'm always up for a promotion so i had a look,and the site was very basic and the home page explained that microsoft was doing poorly in the gaming sector and that as a reward to XBL users they would be giving away either 12 months gold or 1600 points,all you have to do is give them you're email address,gamertag and password (are alarm bells ringin yet?).
i tried to contact the friend and got no reply then his tag went to the account creation tool,which isn't a good sign.
Please be aware of sites like this that ask you for any details,any true microsoft site wouldnt need to ask because of the windows live id button at the top of every legit microsoft site.Also note that if you do fall for one of these scams,it is an absolute bitch to get you're tag back.

LEGO Indiana jones

2008-06-09T09:58:00.003+01:00

I could sum this game up in just one sentence........I love this game.
After getting hooked on LEGO star wars,I was waiting anxiously for this to be released and it didn't disappoint.
Although shorter than the star wars complete saga and a lot easier,this game brings gaming back from the stagnant pit of realism and physics engines,all it offers is balls out fun.The main worry was that Force powers would be missed but it's not the case,the game manages fine without it,and there are a lot more character abilities to make up for it.
Most of the cut-scenes are ROFL type funny and the missions are well planned and just playing the game is a joy,this is what gaming should be like.Don't get me wrong realism in gaming has come a long way but this has come at a price,most games take it too far and just getting through them can be a struggle at times,but LEGO indy doesn't rely on any of that,the gameplay fits the visual style,and the games puzzles aren't going to make most of you scratch you're heads,simple "fetch" puzzles and "pull and push" types are frequent.On the odd time i got a little stuck but the game is,in a round about way,logical.
Everyone must play this game,it should be LAW. :)

Lost planet : Colonies

2008-06-09T09:34:00.002+01:00

I really didn't see the point of getting a re-released version of an old game that I'd already played,but on recommendation from a friend i gave this a whirl.
It didn't start off too well seeing as my local blockbuster was charging £39.99 for it (its only a classic edition,which everywhere else is selling for around £25).
I bought it anyway as it was the only place that had any copies,but when i got home,i dropped straight into multiplayer and felt a wave of nostalgia hit me.Nothing has been changed,all the maps are here including the bonus DLC maps that were released on the original version,making a hefty 20 maps total.
To tempt buyers that have already played the original,a whole load of new game-types have been added (variations of CTF modes and modes based around the mechs and akrid instead of just elimination matches).And it works.There's enough there for it to keep old players feeling like they're getting a new experience,while new players will be able to experience the game how it should have been originally.
Single player is much the same,and this is reflected by the achievements being sparse for this mode (the bulk being in multiplayer).However new modes have been added to offer a little bit more value for money.The first mode makes you play the boss battles one after the other,and the second lets you go through each campaign mission,with everything that is destructible is given a points value.
Definitely worth a look if you liked the original and should now be reasonably priced (apart from at blockbuster) for people that missed it the first time round.

Racedriver : GRiD

2008-06-01T10:24:00.002+01:00

The 360 is definitely not short of racing games to chose from,and the qualities are strewn across a wide spectrum,with GriD sitting at the top end.
graphically its a step up from forza,with better looking tracks,better looking (although there isn't as many).The crash damage is impressive and made a little less painful by the use of the flashback feature,which allows you to rewind time a short moment away from the accident and restart the action rather than having to restart the race.
The race disciplines are varied enough to keep boredom at bay with ranges from track/street racing to a few drift events with different methods of winning,with NFS:carbon style canyon runs thrown in.The only poor event is the destruction derby class,with only 1 car to chose from and not even a handful of tracks (the only ones available are variations of the same track.)
The demo may have put people off with the poor controls,but the full game is a massive departure from what was seen in the demo,each car handles differently and some cars are blisteringly quick to the point of sheer lunacy,many races seeing me cross the finish line with very little of my car left due to the pace and aggressive AI.
The only real downside to this game is that its raced in seasons,with each season ending after 4 events,with a "bonus" opportunity offered to race in the le mans 24 hr race.These races however can be skipped if you just don't fancy it.
A definite must play game.

2008-05-19T21:50:00.000+01:00

heres a piccy a few hours later after his second feed....well chuffed :)

2008-05-19T21:27:00.001+01:00

heres a pic of kobe.born today at 2 mins past 2 pm.7 pounds and 4 ounces.he gets my goodlooks.

VIKING:battle for Asgard

2008-04-27T22:36:00.002+01:00

I had been puttin this off,even though i had heard it was a good game,i just didnt feel like playing it but i decided to bite the bullet and rent it out.
It is a good game.More fun than the Conan game,but much of the same.Its a no-brain hack and slash that has at times repetative missions,but who cares when its so much fun to hack people to bits.Achievements come in a steady stream and none are too difficult to get,although i made the mistake of playing it on normal difficulty first so had to play through again for the last 3 hard difficulty achievements and to be honest it doesnt hold up to multiple playthroughs,once you've seen it all there's nothing new to see.
I would recommend this to anyone wanting some easyish achievements but rent it instead of buying,as its pretty short (5 days for 2 playthroughs).

Condemned 2

2008-04-21T00:45:00.002+01:00

Lets cut to the chase shall we?This game is not for the weak hearted,it will scare the pants off you.On numerous occasions i found myself having to feel at the back of my trousers just to make sure I'd not had an accidental release of mammoth proportions.I have played the original and that was at times scary but in a different way,the first game made you feel on edge all the way through and threw little shocks at you throughout the game,however the second game lulls you into a false sense of security,with times of peace and then hits you when you let your guard down.Even on the second playthrough i found myself jumping out my skin a few times.
The single player is brilliant,carrying on after events in the first game,the main protagonist is a broken man,haunted by the events that took place during the first game,this story explains why you are linked to events taking place over both games.Locations are nicely designed but very linear,so don't expect to get lost while playing.Do however expect to be squinting at the screen trying to see a little bit further into the darkness as this game is very very dark,even with the flashlight its often still a struggle to see past your gun.
Multi-player was a disappointment,often laggy,but mostly just dull.variations of your basic match types.There's deathmatch and team deathmatch,which no multi-player game should be without and Crime scene,which is a "capture the flag" type mode where the "flags" are hidden by one team and found by the other,then there's bumrush,which is a cross between deathmatch and teamdeathmatch(where 2 SCU's are pitted against a lot of infected).
Achievements are nicely spread between easy and time consuming,needing at least 2 playthroughs of the single player to gain all the story based achieves,and the there's enough to keep the average person busy for a couple of weeks with the multi player achieves.
In my opinion this is a must play game though,unless of course you have a heart condition or weak bowels.

BULLY:SCHOLARSHIP EDITION

2008-04-07T17:15:00.002+01:00

To be honest i wasn't that bothered about playing this game,because of all the reports of bugs and glitches,but i had also heard that there has been a patch released to fix some of the major issues,so i bit the bullet and borrowed it of a mate at work and i really am glad i did.
The rockstar boys really have done a great job of porting this over to the 360 and have created a game that reminds me of the gta series,in the way the missions are set out and the whole feel of the game.Although it plays very similar to the gta games,this one is not as punishing to the gamer,the difficulty is high enough to keep you going but not too difficult to make you throw tantrums.Its not a long game,taking about 30 hours to complete.
The humour is dark but clever and funny,especially the relationships between the rival cliques,but the true genius is the amount of pranks you can pull on people.....I tell you know wedgies do not grow old and throwing bangers in toilets is a must do especially when there is someone in another cubicle.
I hope there will be a sequel to this as i really enjoyed myself playing this and i would rather play another bully than most new games that are out now.

LOST ODYSSEY

2008-03-30T12:26:00.002+01:00

This game is huge! hitting you right from opening the box,hitting you with its four discs,its obvious that getting to the end is going to take time,and lots of it.
Cut scenes are plentiful with you not being able to walk 10 minutes without seeing some sort of cutscene or text heavy dream sequence,but these just fill out the main story.the characters are likable and the story is dramatic and often emotional.for the first half of the game the story is on rails but hit the fourth disc and the whole map is open to you.grinding the levels is a must as is the same with most rpg's but certain areas make it easier to level up.
easily passable as a contender for the final fantasy crown and definately the best rpg on the 360.
If you do choose to take this game up,make sure you have plenty of time on you're hands.

RAINBOW SIX VEGAS2

2008-03-23T20:56:00.002Z

I wasn't even going to bother with this one after seeing videos,mainly because the graphics aint any improvement on the last installment and it didn't look like it was offering anything new,but to my surprise it turns out to be a bigger improvement than it first looks.
single player is easier than the last,although it is short and the new sprint function makes the time spent going through the levels much quicker.theres a few sections where you have to defend a location but none are as hard as the theater section in the first game.The co op function is a lot more functional this time round,although its better to let someone else host if you're going through realistic difficulty for the achievement.
the ranking system is better in my opinion though as exp gained in single player is added to a grand total,so with enough playing you could get to elite without ever touching multiplayer.
A lot of people are unhappy with the multiplayer side of the game,mainly because theres a lot of spawn camping,but to be fair i'm enjoying it in much the same way as i enjoy call of duty 4.
The achievements are glitched though,so the full 1000 is gonna be a little tricky until an update,but don't let this put you off..It is a good game even though it doesn't feel like a new game,and you don't actually spend a lot of time in casino's.

Army of two

2008-03-10T15:01:00.002Z

one word sums this up.....short.
the campaign is way too short,in a rental period i had completed it 3 times(once on each difficulty)and was left feeling cheated.This is a big disappointment because it is such a good game,the single player can be a bit frustrating mainly because the AI is quite basic,but get a partner in co-op and it s a whole new ball game.working as a team feels natural,the controls are fluid,and the gameplay is a lot more fun than gears of war.The difficulty levels are hard in places but with a decent strategy it doesnt seem too bad and after a few tries at some sections.
If they decide to release a sequel i just hope it lasts a lot longer.
Multiplayer is ok,nothing outstanding,but coupled with the fact that theres not a lot of people playing this online,it all makes a refreshing change to not have to wory about other teams too much cos the objectives are where the money is and theres plenty for everyone.
As soon as there is copies available i will be buying this just because its so fun to play.

LOST:VIA DOMUS

2008-03-01T12:51:00.002Z

I went out and bought this one mainly because im a big fan of the lost series and from what id seen prior to release looked ok.After 2 sessions id completed the game and was left with a feeling of disappointment,dont get me wrong it a good game but it is way too short.the achievements are easy if you know what to look for,but the puzzles(although only 3 or so types)are quite frustrating at times especially towards the end.It is nice however to play a more sedately paced game after the month or so of frantic cod4 playing.
my advice is to rent this though rather than buy.

Call of duty 4

2008-02-18T22:06:00.002Z

Yes i know its an old one,but with funds being tight at the moment games are slow coming into my possession.
I have been pleasantly surprised by both the gameplay and graphics.The multiplayer aspect of this game is absolutely cracking,with no achievements to worry about its all down to having.....whats the word?....oh yeah fun!!The unlockable challenges more than make up for it.Game modes are standard fare but solid,and maps are varied enough to cater for everyones taste.
Single player is challenging on the harder difficulties,which leads us to the only bad point of the game which is the very unfair constantly spawning enemies.These were a pain in the other call of duties but in this one it kicks it in to overdrive.
Not one for hardcore boosters but if you want a game thats gonna last some time and have a great time in multiplayer then this is a must have game

All this hate?

2008-02-13T15:05:00.002Z

Right lets set the records straight,unlike the "quick" list that matty so kindly left in the last post about my achievement whoring,i'll tell you how it is.
i dont lie to people about my gamerscore,or how i got the points,bare in mind that nearly all the people that are/have been on my friends list has helped me boost most of the online achieves,so i wouldnt be able to tell people that i got them all legit now could i?
it is true that i havent done avatar,fusion frenzy,any of the NBA games(apart from street homecourt) or surfs up.
now just run through my list and pick out all the single player only games that i have done myself and got either full points or near enough..........done it?i count 31 games that i have decent points on that i haven't boosted on.
i may have quite a few online achieves but im not bothered by that,why should it bother other people?its because a certain few miss out on boosting sessions,sometimes they even help me get my achievements and then disappear and then blame me because they don't stick around.I will always try and help the people that help me but i dont want to be stretching achievement sessions out over a couple of days,if you want them dont leave the game till you get them...
There are people out there that have played twice as many games and have half my score and even if they turned up to the boosting and got most of the online achieves that everyone else got,it wouldnt matter because they still suck at playing the single player aspect of the games.
I also know someone that calls me now for letting someone recover my tag and do a few games,but that same person used to moan that noone would recover his.....funny that is innit?
I like getting achievements but at the end of the day its my choice,i didnt judge a certain loudmouthed londoner just because he sleeps with men and women so people should just let me get my achieves the way i want,and all the friends that are left on my list are more than welcome to join me for some cod4 action without worrying about achieves.

The dark side

2008-02-07T15:08:00.000Z

I dont know what it's all about but there seems to be a sudden rise in bad behavior patterns on xbox live recently,I myself have started to get slightly depressed with the whole achievements/gaming lifestyle.Dont get me wrong theres still nothing better than hearing those achievements pop but it seems that some people will stoop to the lowest level to attain them these days.Now usually im more than happy to help people on my friends list get achievements although its not always possible due to me not keeping games for very long,but i'm finding a few people who never seem to want to join rooms especially if they already have the achievements we're going after.I have a small circle of friends who i can rely on for boosting sessions but games are now increasing the amount of players needed to unlock achievements,burnout paradise being one of those.Even though i have plenty of people on my list who have the game,most are reluctant to join when boosting.
All this has led to my decision to start deleting people off my friends list.
I have also been witness to the effects of "achievement envy"where some are so busy trying to catch my gamerscore that they start to see me as the enemy.....I'm not too fussed if people get ahead,I'm even happy to help them on their way,but this also leads to them not wanting to help because they dont want me to get achievements that they have.Please dont take it out on me because you're gaming skills are inadequate enough to get more than 5 points on most game you play though(you know who you are!)
Xbox live is a great social hub for me,it lets me talk to people that i would never even approach let alone talk to if I was to meet them at random in the streets,so i can't understand why some feel the need to be sometimes quite abusive while playing...come on people enrich your lives and show the same respect to your fellow gamers that you would have them do the same,you can always learn something from anybody with a little respect and good manners.

turning point demo

2008-01-23T18:10:00.000Z

I was really looking forward to this one an despite certain friends telling me it was rubbish.I was willing to give it a fair go,so i downloaded the demo and boy was i dissapointed.buggy graphics and the usual fps gameplay.The 360 is not short of a few fps's so in order to stand out against the likes of cod4 this had to offer somethin more than it does.
In short im not even sure i want the retail version anymore.

The club

2008-01-08T14:06:00.000Z

Just downloaded the demo of The Cub today.First impressions were not good as i watched through the tutorial video,I found myself thinking "this isn't gonna be one of my types of game".
After playing the 2 single player modes on offer I found myself enjoying it.Now I was only on casual so it was gonna be easy but its also fun,sure the harder difficulties are gonna be nails but hey ho.
the first game type I played was your standard make it to the exit after scoring enough points style,it is fun though and after a few plays familiarity will be key to big combos.
The second was a kill people while doing a set number of laps affair.Now my problem is im not to keen on timed stuff,but The club is generous with extra time pickups and you get an extra 3 secs for poppin a bad guy.
My opinion on this game has already changed in just the short time i spent with this demo.I am however not totally convinced so I'll sit on the fence with this,and will probably rent it out rather than buy it.

Man.....have i been away for a while!!

2008-01-05T21:40:00.000Z

Yep.xmas has passed,even the new year,its been a while since i last updated and ive been doing quite a lot of kickin ass.....Kane and Lynch crumbled before my gaming awesomeness and to be fair,waqs a better game than i thought it would be.Blacksit also didnt put up much of a struggle,but that also ended up being better than i though it would be.
Yet my crowning glory of achievements is the behemoth that is Mass Effect,its also been a HUGE pain in the ass.The game is huge..split between main story missions and optional sidequests this game has stolen my life away.The achievements come in a slow and steady stream that require multiple playthroughs (i did mine in 8 playthroughs).This is the only major downside to the game,the first 2 plays were good,there were different ways through the story,different options in dialogue were enough to keep the game fresh,even the 3rd play i was still finding stuff that id missed,then things get stale.To eke out the last few achievements is a struggle(and not because theyre hard,cos they aint).but because the ally achievements are a little vague but basically mean you have to complete nearly all the missions available without changing your teammates.around 170 hours of highs and lows...im sure its possible to do it in less time and less tries but i fell foul of not paying attention on my skills then having the whole thing collapse around my ears.
Although it is a brilliant game i'm hoping that no extra achievements are added to it,i would rather wait for the next game thank you.

Assassins creed

2007-11-25T19:09:00.000Z

this game ROCKS.......I rented this out and completed the main story within the period,but its one of the only games that i want back!!
graphics are amazing,and to go along with the high level of detail the controls are extremely fluid and the control over your character is above par.
I will have to get this back though as im still quite a few collectibles short,but with a good guide these shouldn't be a problem.
The game isn't overly short,it took me a good 20+ hours,the only thing that lets it down is that the ending is poor,now i know that theres going to be more games in the series,but leaving the game so open is lazy...the story just ends,its worse than those stupid medal of honor endings (cos at least they say "well at least the war ended".

I AM A ROCK GOD

2007-11-25T17:06:00.000Z

well almost :)
After being fucked about by blockbuster(the dick behind the counter sold my pre order) I finally got my hands on a copy of guitar hero3,and it is a dream to play,the new guitar just feels a lot better in the hands and the buttons are less harsh on the fingertips.
game wise there's not a drastic change except in the battle modes and co op,and these are a benefit to the game.My only gripe with this game is that there are some extreme achievements which to the average gamer will be out of reach (me included) and the difficulty curve is just as steep as the last instalment.
For all its problems its a great game though,and its just so fun to play.

Timeshift

2007-11-10T15:00:00.000Z

After playing the demo for this a while back,my anticipation for this game was lessened for a while,but i decided to get it anyway just for something to do.
While the game has some interesting ideas,it doesn't seem to be able to use them to make a "great" game,so what we end up with is a fairly solid fps with a few nice touches but nothing to make it stand out.the story is somewhat confusing the cut scenes not really explaining much,and no details as to why you're doing what you're doing given while playing.The ending is a bit anticlimactic too,not nearly as the "why the f**k did i bother "endings of the medal of honor series,but still piss poor.
Graphics are strange,with everything seeming too sharp and clear,destroying the depth of perception and when spinning round there is little or no motion blur which just ruins the whole feeling of being the character.This is one of those things that you eventually get used to though.
The weapons are interesting,and only being able to carry 3 at a time is no problem,especially as if you need a certain weapon for a given task,you will always find one nearby.
I cant comment on multi player because i haven't played it yet.
I would recommend renting this out first because it isn't going to be everyones cup of tea.

Like an old friend

2007-10-31T20:16:00.000Z

You know the ones that you don't see for years and then they just suddenly turn up and you just spend days and days catching up and wondering why you lost touch in the first place...
That's what this Tomb raider:anniversary is like.right from the start the nostalgic in me was in tears as to the familiarity of what was in front of me,but to my surprise instead of just a lazy conversion of the original Eidos have taken what was an iconic game and given it more than just a lick of paint,the levels still have the wow factor the original had and at a quick glance some of the main puzzle areas look exactly the same,but try and play the same as before and you will die.to go with the upgraded controls comes new methods of solving puzzles and its enough to make the game feel new to old school gamers.I absolutely love this game,even the quick time events from TR:Legends are present and despite reservations they added a certain dynamic to an already solid game.
achievements are a little tough but careful saving will get yo through most of them and then all you have is the time trials.
You must all play this game before you die....it is the law.

toss

2007-10-28T11:16:00.000Z

Well,when i say toss what i mean is Clive Barkers:Jericho,because this is by far one of the worst games i have ever played,I have been looking forward to this game for quite some time now and all it did was dissapoint me at every turn,the squad mechanics are poor to say the least,with team mates constantly dying because the AI is thick as fuck.graphics are bog standard,dark in places but thats to be expected.
my advice=download the demo then shit in your hands,this will be the same feeling that you get if you were to buy the full version.

long overdue update

2007-10-26T13:07:00.000+01:00

Lately I've had a lot of things going on in the real world so posting a blog has been the least of my priorities,but i now have a quiet period in which to reflect on what I've done lately.
pgr4 came and got itself rented and in the rental time i managed to get most of the achievements,which were neither too easy or too hard,graphics were nice,online is a right barrel of laughs and overall is a far superior game than its predecessor.
Next came the behemoth that is the orange box package with an astounding 5 games on one disc,all of which are solid fps games,portal being the true star of the show though,even if it is only a couple of hours long,it shows that some games developers are still thinking about new ideas to make gamers think about what theyre doing.
Still waiting for the dashboard update though,I'm really hoping for a multichat function mostly(anything else would just be a bonus),but its so frustrating to have to pick and choose between friends that i'm talking to.
Come on Micro$oft pull you're shit together.

superman returns

2007-10-11T23:00:00.000+01:00

Yes,i know its an old one,but seeing as i was bored and there was nothing new to play i though i might as well.
lets just say that 2 similar games both are a lot better,its like they took crackdown and removed everything that made it fun,and spiderman just blows this out the water in terms of playability and user interface,only get this if you really want the points(some are time consuming though)but they are easy.
if you have the choice get crackdown instead,this is absolute toss.

PGR4 demo

2007-10-09T22:05:00.000+01:00

To be honest,I wasn't a big fan of number 3 so i wasn't expecting much when i booted up this demo,and i wasnt surprised by what i was greeted with.
The weather effects are really nice but thats about it,i got half way round a circuit before i realized the bikes are shite.The cars are slightly better but test drive did everything this does but better and bigger...
The kudos system seems a little more forgiving this time through though,the achievements look worse than the last game too.
This is one game i think i will pass by.

csi:hard evidence

2007-10-08T22:30:00.000+01:00

What looks on paper like a super easy 1000 points turns out to be one of the most boring games ever played...the character models are awful in terms of bot movement and likeness to the people they are supposed to portray.
The pc games were so much better than this,the controls are slow and there is so much backtracking that it soon becomes a chore going back and forth navigating various menus just to get to new areas to investigate.
with a guide your pain will be lessened and after 5 minutes i guarantee that you'll be searching the options to turn the damn music off...

conan

2007-10-07T19:19:00.000+01:00

Now as a big fan of the films and books,i was really pleased to find that not 1 but 2 conan games were coming to 360,the first of which is THQ's conan.
I have heard of comparisons between this and God of war but as i havent played it i cant comment.
on its own this isn't a bad game,camera can be a bit tricky,but the animations are nice especially some of the gorier finishing moves.
In my opinion its old school hack and slash at it's best,i'm loving every minute of it.
single player only and this conan doesn't look anything like arnie are my only gripes with this game sofar.

halo3

2007-09-27T23:10:00.000+01:00

Now that we've all had time to take in the wonders that the new halo throws at us,i feel its now about time i get to share my views on what could be considered the most overhyped game in history.
10 hours is roughly all you need to complete the story first time through(that is based on 3 of us doing co-op on legendary)and to be honest the game should have been longer,this is probably my only gripe with the game even though most reviews slate halo for graphics that are just hi res halo2 graphics,but in all fairness,the average goy such as myself should be more than impressed by the small details that are waiting for you to find.
the weapons are nicely balanced,each with their own advantages and disadvantages,and the flood are still around just to make life difficult,nice inclusions such as the flamethrower just add icing to an already nice cake.
Struggling finding the skulls?just check youtube,theres some good vids of all the locations and how to get them.
online is something i'm not willing to comment on for now as i've not really gotten in to it yet,we're going through campaign again on legendary to find some more stuff that we missed the first time round and to picke up some achieves we missed because a certain jollyju forgot to turn scoring on the first time through.

Army of 2 opening cinematic

2007-09-19T21:01:00.000+01:00

Stranglehold 1000/1000

2007-09-19T20:41:00.000+01:00

Finally beat probably one of the most stressfull games ive played in a long while second only to call of duty 2.
A big shout out to xxmatt1987xx and jollyju who helped with some multiplayer achieves,but let it be noted that i got my ranked match achieves legit.
Even though hardboiled totally stressed me out,i have enjoyed the experience and it has left me feeling like ive achieved something,which is what its all about innit?

deepest sympathies

2007-09-16T16:04:00.000+01:00

Our thoughts go out to the relatives of Colin McRae,who died in a helicopter crash this weekend.

----EDIT----
codemasters have set up a rememberence page up for Colin and his family if you wanna leave comments click here

Like father like son

2007-09-16T14:23:00.000+01:00

Just set my little boy a gamertag up,hes only five but he knows all about the achievement system and has a grand total of 15 gamerscore (which excited him no end)it will be a long time before we let him loose on the live community.

Stranglehold

2007-09-14T19:58:00.001+01:00

I thought i might as well get this seeing as halo is still a couple of weeks away,and i did enjoy the demo....Well the demo is just about all the game has to offer,don't get me wrong its a nice looking game but max payne had everything this game has and in my opinion did it better.
The multiplayer mode is nothing special either offering only deathmatch and team deathmatch,although more might unlock later,and there's not many people online with it so waiting times are high for matches but this might also make it easier to boost the achievements.
its a solid effort but dont expect anything really special.
If john woo cant make a superb action game lets hope clive barker can deliver with jericho.....I've got spare pants ready for that one.....

More "testing"

2007-09-13T20:16:00.000+01:00

Well, I've now had a bit more time with the COD 4 beta and surprisingly I'm loving it.Even when I'm getting my ass handed to me its OK mainly because the games are just the right duration so as not to be frustrating if your losing,the weapon selection is still a bit restrictive but once you start ranking up the unlockables make things a bit better.
I've not noticed any major bugs in the game either which is a bonus (unlike the halo3 beta) there's a bit of a lag issue in some games and it is quite annoying when simple tasks such as getting through doors become frustrating even standing still your screen jumps all over the place,this however is forgivable only because it doesn't happen often (2 games in 2 days).
The maps are just about the right size too,accommodating both close quarters and sniper styles and everything in between.Overall this is a game thats going on my definate buy list and i might even keep it if the multiplayer is just as fun as this beta is...I've also got my team more or less sorted after a few rounds with some friends (you know who you are).
Trust me this is going to be one hell of a ride.

Call of duty 4 beta

2007-09-12T21:43:00.000+01:00

Thanks to my good friend of mine im playing the beta test now and i can honestly say im impressed.If this is what the finished product is gonna look like then the single player should be even better and that thought just makes my pants rise.......
I would prefer to be able to carry every weapon around with me at all times but thats just not real is it? so its going to take me a while to get used to different classes,but at the moment im prefering the shotty unlike in shadowrun!!!

New achievement lists

2007-09-11T19:50:00.000+01:00

PGR4 achieves now out and most look crazy,it will be a game that will take some time complete.also halflife2:the orange box achieves now out....all 99 of them!!!.A lot of 5 pointers and yes i know its over 5 games but they still only total 1000 points but i will still be getting it just for the portal game.

Two World first impressions

2007-09-07T18:52:00.000+01:00

I've been playin this for a few hours now and i can honestly say that this is a big disappointment.
I wasn't expecting an oblivion beater but i was expecting a lot more,the controls are awkward and the user interface is quite confusing at times,with it taking a lot of effort just to find out where to go.There is a huge playable are to explore though but this comes with loading pauses at regular intervals.Expect graphical glitches like mountains just poping into view while stood next to them and animals floating in mid air.Only get on the horses once for the achieve though as the movement is quite wierd and the only way ive found of getting off the damn things is dying...if any one knows how to get off without getting myself killed let me know
----UPDATE----
I have just spent the last 2 hours completing all sorts of missions and the game froze,i havent saved in ages.....i am sooo pissed off right now

guitar hero 3 preview

2007-09-03T17:59:00.000+01:00

Heres a nice little preview on an early build of the game,and it looks sweet as f**k.

Cars

2007-09-02T23:05:00.000+01:00

One phrase is all it takes to sum up this game.......EASY points...For anyone looking to boost their gamerscore should look no further.Rent this though because i've had a solid afternoon playing through for the full 1000,somehow the whole experience has made me feel dirty though....
The graphics are no more than you would expect from a movie tie-in,the controls leave a lot to be desired,with the powerslide button being my biggest complaint,I found it only worked every so often and to different degrees.
Don't get this expecting it to change your life because it wont,it will frustrate you at points but stick with it and you cant take it back to the rental store early and beat the guy behind the counter with it.

Blue Dragon update

2007-08-31T22:18:00.000+01:00

Now,after about 30 hours i've finaly reached disc 3,i'm ready for a break now so im gonna stick guitar hero on.

Timeshift demo

2007-08-31T19:21:00.000+01:00

This is now on marketplace,so i tried it.Its not bad at all,the only thing is,i think from now on a lot of good fps's are going to get overlooked because the market is flooded with them,once halo3 comes out it wont matter if it lives up to the hype or not it's going to be the game of choice for a lot of people.Timeshift could be one of the unlucky ones which would be a shame because if the demo's anything to go by,it's gonna be a solid fps.

Bioshock help

2007-08-30T21:39:00.000+01:00

for anyone having trouble finding all the audio diaries check this out,it what i used,check off what you got with the list on page 1 then goto page 3 for descriptions on where to find the ones you're missing.

More Blue Dragon

2007-08-29T19:02:00.000+01:00

Just finished disc 1 after about 17 hours,so far its been easy....all that needs remembering is to make sure you're levelled up niceley.

Blue Dragon

2007-08-27T18:58:00.000+01:00

I wasn't sure if i wanted this game or not,but i am a big fan of japanese rpg's so i gave it the benefit of the doubt and after around 6 hours of gaming i'm still not sure if it was a good idea.
The graphics are nice but i like my jap animation in gundam style rather than dragonball flavour.
the camera can be annoying even changing the settings didn't help but that could just be my preferences that are not catered for.The story is moving along at a steady point with plenty of checkpoints as well as save locations,and weighing in at 3 discs this game could go on for a decent amount of time,the achievements are not easy to come by either.
All in all this game should keep me going in the spaces between better game releases(halo3 and mass effect for example).

-----UPDATE-----
for anyone finding it hard to get achievements though heres a guide....

Bioshock

2007-08-25T12:50:00.000+01:00

There isn't a lot to say about this really,the graphics are nice but i feel the game has been severely overhyped.
With the game having no online modes i thought that the game overall would be longer than it was,it's taken about 15 hours to compete with 800+ points.
With good maps this game would only be good for renting,but for the time being a lot of extra time will be spent searching for missed collectables.
The game does have loads of atmosphere though and it did give me a scare every now and then,but generally i think its just another bog standard fps.

Guitar Hero 3 achievements

2007-08-23T15:37:00.000+01:00

Now these look crazy,i have no doubt in my mind that i wont get anywhere near the full points,but at least its got online co-op so it might keep me goin till Rock Band comes out.

Not happy

2007-08-21T14:54:00.000+01:00

3 red lights.just gettin ready for a long talk with microsoft customer services.

-----UPDATE-----
just got off the phone with microsoft,have got to send the console off for repair again (she said i would get some compensation as well :) )
on a lighter note,big thanks goes out to gothic rebel who is lending me his xbox (again!!),so im not at a total loss.

----UPDATE----
Microsoft have just called back to tell me what compensation ill get.......A free game...a choice from some of the classics so i've gone for kameo as it was the only one i'd not played.
This crisis has made us come to the decision that it might be worth getting a spare core system just for occasions like this.so we've put an order in but thats gonna take 3 weeks to be shipped to us :(

Phantasy star universe

2007-08-18T18:32:00.000+01:00

Another game rented from blockbuster for a week,and jury is still out on if i can get the full 1000 in that time.8 achievements overall,every one of them for defeating bosses at various points in the game.All the forums say its not too difficult but i never got very far with phantasy star online on the dreamcast back in the day.i guess we'll just have to wait and see im getting too confident after beating call of duty 2 on veteran.

halo 3 nightmare

2007-08-17T20:44:00.000+01:00

could this be true?its a new list of achievements for halo3.......i hope it aint true because the original list looked so much better.

100% Just Cause

2007-08-17T18:08:00.000+01:00

Thats it,I've done it within the rental period of 1 week.Overall its been an easy game with only 1 part being difficult but not impossible.Tips? Theres none needed to be fair,just complete the story first then round up all the extra stuff bit by bit.The collectables are easy because they show on the map and everything else just takes time.You need a lot of patience though because it does get boring after a few hours of doing the same thing over and over as theres no variation in the missions,just get to checkpoint A. then kill/collect target then go to checkpoint B. to finish the mission.

Two worlds achievements

2007-08-16T15:18:00.000+01:00

achievements are now here.Getting quite excited about this one,and the achieves don't look that bad

Juiced 2:hot import nights

2007-08-14T14:04:00.000+01:00

achievements now up for Juiced 2:HIN here .A grand total of 60 achievements which will probably take us achievement whores a bit longer to get.

Bioshock demo revisited

2007-08-13T22:28:00.000+01:00

Well after a 7 hour wait i finally managed to play the demo and i can honestly say that I'm impressed.the graphics are sweet,theres a whole load of atmosphere going on all the way through the demo.screen grabs and videos don't do this game justice.This could quite possibly be the best single player fps to come out this year,and i dont think it should take anything away from the game with it only being single player,a bold move in todays multiplayer gaming community but it's going to be nice to play a game where the achieves are going to have to be earned rather than boosted.

Somethin to check out

2007-08-13T20:29:00.000+01:00

Just added a link to evilknights myspace,worthwhile having a look at if you want game reviews from an American viewpoint.the site is easy to navigate and makes my site look noobie,but im only a beginner lol

Bioshock

2007-08-13T20:15:00.001+01:00

The demo is now out on marketplace and my first impressions?Now thats the thing....I've been downloading it since 2:00 pm (gmt),its now 8:22 pm and its still not finished downloading.
I really don't understand how it can take so long to download when if i was downloading it on pc it would be done in a far shorter period.It seem microsoft are quite happy to take my £40 a year but when it comes to providing a service that can compete with other console(i wont mention any names here)it sadly falls short.I don't mind paying the fee if it gives me more than competitors who provide the service free of charge.In my eyes its one of the only things that lets the 360 down(apart from reliability issues).
I will update on bioshock when it finally finishes downloading

just cause

2007-08-12T22:56:00.000+01:00

Now this is one huge game...its got everything in it,massive explorable areas,tons of collectables and gta style carjackings,what more could a man want?
Well for a start the gameplay is boring and samey,progress is slow due to the size of the areas and if you get stuck without a vehicle you are in for a long walk.The areas you will be spending the most time in are tropical woodland type areas that are nowhere near the beauty of farcry instincts.
I've spent a couple of hours with this game so far and all the missions have been more or less the same,go here kill/collect target then come back even the side missions offer no variation.
Overall a poor effort that promises so much but fails to deliver,i recommend renting this,you may not get all the points but you wont feel like you've been ripped of by a cheap hooker

A new home and shat is running the show.

2007-08-12T15:38:00.000+01:00

Hi all,hopefully this will be the last move for my blog as now i have been forced to take matters into my own hands.I have full control over this blog so i don't have to worry about it being shut down because someone else is having a bad day.
A brief introduction is in order for anyone that doesn't know me already.my name is Matt but im more widely known as shatulance (or just shat),this is mainly because all my spare time is spent on my xbox360 and shatulance is my gamertag.Im always ready to help anyone out with any problems with games,because i play so many that chances are ive already done the bits they're struggling with.
Aside from my gaming life Im 27 years old,live with my partner(gamertag jollyju)and i have a 5 year old son who is yet to have a gamertag,but one day he will have.