Category: Games

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Why Can’t We All Get Along?!

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Image via shirtoid.com, and you can get it on a shirt!

As long as there has been more than one gaming platform, there has always been the argument that one reigns supreme over the others, but instead of discussing it like mature adults, we like to rage against one another on forums.  The sad fact is that now more than ever the platforms are very similar to one another, so all this rage is mostly meaningless.  Why is it that we can’t all just get along?

I think it all comes down to money.  Gaming can be an expensive hobby.  By the time people get the hardware, the peripherals, and the games, you can be several hundred dollars, if not thousands, in the hole.  A person just wants to feel justified in their purchase, so when someone makes a different choice then them it is like they are saying “you were wrong”.  Buying a console or PC is not a test.  There is no wrong answer.  Are you having fun on the platform you purchased? Yes?  Good you made the right choice.  That is all there is too it.  People are reading in to the current console hardware sales, and trying to use them to prove that one console is better than the other, but the console race will last for years to come.

Plus we do not really want a winner.  If there was only one platform, there would be no competition, so games would cost even more, and the lone console would be pretty crappy.  For those of you that are old enough, look what happened to the Atari.  The Atari 2600 came out, and it was the only game in town, so when they made a follow up, the 5200, it was a giant pile of dung.  It was so bad it almost destroyed video games, but luckily the Nintendo Entertainment System saved the day.

The new consoles are all selling well, and there is a resurgence in the PC market due to the rise in indie development.  We as gamers should all be happy about that.  As an Xbox One owner, I want the PS4 to do well, and as a PC owner, I want there to be strength in the console market.  We are all part of the same hobby, and it is something we enjoy greatly, so we should be happy for one another.  Though I am sure we can all agree that mobile gaming is the WORST! 😉

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Battlefield 4 Is Worth The Perseverance!

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Battlefield 4 is a first person shooter developed by EA’s DICE studio.  If you have not heard about Battlefield by now, that means you have been living under a rock somewhere.  It is one of the most recognizable brands in the video game world.  It has been a rocky start for the game, but it is still fun, and worth a look.

Much like the last game, Battlefield 4 features a single-player campaign, and in it you take the role of Sgt. Daniel “Reck” Recker.  He is part of an elite squad called “Tombstone”.  You have been called in to stop a Chinese general from starting World War III, and to do that you pretty much have to shoot everyone in China.

The whole elite squad thing is kind of a misnomer since they can’t seem to shoot anything until you tell them too, and you can only tell them to shoot stuff that you are looking at and shooting anyway, but it is fun to be part of a group instead of all by yourself.  The campaign was really fun, and I was almost done with it when Battlefield 4 destroyed my save game file.  This apparently is a widespread problem, and an inexcusable one.  There have been game saves for as long as there have been video games, so to not be able to keep them from getting lost or corrupted is crazy.

All that being said the reason you will get Battlefield 4 is for the multiplayer, and that is still fantastic.  There is nothing more fun than flying a helicopter, having it almost blow up on you, so you parachute down to a skyscraper, and then having the skyscraper collapse.  You parachute down to the ground and grab a tank, and then lay waste to all that oppose you.  These sorts of moments make this game great, and they happen a lot.  Sadly EA is having trouble with its matchmaking, so getting in to games can be a little rough at the moment, but it is worth the trouble.

This game feels like it was rushed to the market to be in time for Christmas and the new console launches, and it is a shame.  If it were to have come out next month, I bet it would have been a smoother launch.  Still when you can play it, Battlefield 4 is one of the best things going right now, but I would wait another few weeks before picking it up, or just be like me and use the perseverance to build character.

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Top Five Video Games For 2014!

With the new generation of consoles here, 2014 will be the year that we finally get the games we have been waiting for.  This is good for PC gamers as well, since the console ports will not look like trash.  Here are the top five video games I am looking forward to in 2014:

5: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

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I only played the first two Witchers a little, but they always interested me.  It looks like number three will finally be the one that gets my full attention.  It features a massive world, and crazy good graphics.  This will probably be the fantasy RPG that I buy next year.

4: Destiny

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A new FPS by the people that made Halo? Yes please!  Destiny looks to combine a little of everything to make a totally new shooter experience, and I can’t wait to play it.

3: Titanfall

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I don’t play a lot of first person shooters, yet here is another one on my list.  It is being made by the people who created Call of Duty.  I am ready to see what else besides military shooters that they can make.  Plus it has giant mechs, and I love giant mechs!

2: Thief

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Formally called Thief 4, we a finally get to play as Garrett again.  Sneaking around a steam-punk based world and shooting people with trick arrows is one of the best things in video games, so a new full length game sounds wonderful!

1: The Division

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When I saw this game during the 2013 E3 coverage my jaw dropped.  A large modern open world RPG that you can play with your friends? Yes, yes, yes!  I hope that this game turns out because I am drooling right now thinking about it.

There you go, that is my list!  There are a lot of good games coming out next year, and I would love to hear what you are waiting to play.

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My Five Favorite Video Games Of 2013!

I did not play a lot of new games in 2013 since I was saving up for my Xbox One.  Maybe next year I will be able to play more (oh wait, I am having a kid so I guess not).  Of the ones I did play, here are my five favorites in reverse order:

5: The Cave

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The Cave was fairly simple, and it didn’t have the most creative puzzles ever, but it was incredibly charming.  It made me smile the whole time I played it, so for that it makes the list at number five.

4: Shadowrun Returns

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I played a lot of the pen and paper role playing game Shadowrun in 2013, so to be able to play it on the computer was great.  This crowd-funded indie’s major flaw was that it was lacking a save anywhere system, but it looks like they are going to fix that in early 2014, so it is only going to get better.

3: State of Decay

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2013 was the year that indie games really took off with them filling two of my top five slots, and State of Decay was one of the best.  It combined rouge-like gameplay with zombie survival.  Microsoft was very smart when they locked this title up for themselves for a few months.

2: Assassins Creed 4

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I have not done a proper review of this game since I just started playing it on my Xbox One, but of what I have played, I have been very happy.  I am only in the early going, but it is far more engaging than Assassin’s Creed 3, and I am guessing it has to do with having my own boat and sailing the ocean blue!

This game is awesome.  I have never felt more like a pirate in any game I have ever played.  Sid Meier’s Pirates finally has some competition!  Got a new Xbox One and need a game to play?  Look no further.

1: Peggle 2

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Oh man I love this game!  It makes me happy to play it, and in the end that is what games are supposed to do.  If you want to play a game celebrates your success as much if not more than you do, than this should be on the top of your list.

So what were your favorite games this year, or why is my list completely wrong?  Leave a comment below and let the world know.

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Get In Shape With Xbox Fitness!

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I am not going to lie, I got my Xbox One so I could sit on the couch and play video games.  When I heard that it was coming with an App called Xbox Fitness that was free with Xbox Live Gold, I just thought it would be an added benefit that I would never use, but since I have decided to get in better shape, I gave it a try.  It has kicked my butt, but in the best possible way.

The App is basically a mixture of workout videos and those ever popular dancing video games, but with the new tech in the Kinect 2.0 it can truly see how well you are doing by monitoring your heart rate, and by seeing if the desired area of your body is heating up or not.  The first time you use the App you enter your age, weight, and height, that way it can tell how many calories you are burning, and then you select the workout video you want to do.

Once in the workout video the Kinect will watch and see if you are properly mimicking the trainer on screen, and if you are doing the moves with the proper vigor.  If you are, it gives you points and achievements; If you are not, it tells you to work harder, and you earn nothing.  It also displays how far through the video you are, and how much longer the current exercise will last.  Getting more points is a surprisingly good motivational tool, and even more so when they start to compare your scores with averages for people in your age and fitness levels.  I always want to get my score above average.

The biggest downside to this App is that most of the workout videos are in the same genre of exercise, and if you want something else, you will have to pay to add it to your library.  If you just want general aerobic circuit training workouts though, the free videos should have you covered.

Xbox Fitness is a good idea, and one that adds value to the purchase of an Xbox One.  Provided that you use it of course, but it is a little something extra to make the Xbox Live Gold subscription look like a better deal.  If you have an Xbox One and Live Gold, and you want something to help you get or stay in shape, Xbox Fitness is worth downloading and checking out.