Tag Archives: Xbox 360

Managing Your Video Game Backlog

February 01, 2013   Zeke   No comments
Video Game Backlog

Like most of you, I have a HUGE backlog of video games that I haven’t even touched. Between work and school, I have to fight to make time for gaming. Too many games and not enough time. So there they sit on my bookshelf, neat rows of unopened games still shrink-wrapped in cellophane.

I’m embarrassed to say that I haven’t even opened Call of Duty Black Ops or L.A. Noire. I’d been meaning to, but then Skyrim got in the way. Just as I completed my last quest and was about to tackle the backlog, Farcry 3 came out. Dang! Instead of my backlog growing smaller, it grew larger. And it continues to grow. Larger. And larger…

If I don’t want my living room to be overtaken by Assassin’s Creed and Mass Effect sequels, I need to take action. Here then is my three step game plan (pun intended) on managing my video game backlog:

  1. Buying Video GamesStop buying new games. All right, this seems to be the first, necessary step I have to take in order to manage my video game backlog. Logically, I wouldn’t even have a backlog if I didn’t buy too many games in the first place (duh!). As easy as it sounds though, it’s incredibly difficult for me to go cold turkey on the purchasing front — especially if there’s a hot, critically acclaimed game thats been released or a super bargain (I can’t tell you how many awesome games I’ve scored around Black Friday for under $10). The madness must stop though, and I have control my urge to buy new games.
  2. Sell off the dogs. I’ve got a lot of great games in backlog (The Witcher 2, Gears of War 3, etc.), but I suppose I’ve collected some dogs too (Alpha Protocol, Enslaved, etc.). Granted, because I haven’t even played these games I suppose it’s unfair for me to judge their quality, but I’m going on the opinions of friends and review sites. If I only have a limited amount of time to play video games, why waste time on sub-par titles? By my reckoning, I could sell off at least a quarter of my collection, thereby getting rid of the weak sisters and whittling down the backlog. As a bonus, I’d have some extra cash too. Just have to remember step 1 above…
  3. Skyrim ElfAvoid bottlenecks. As I alluded to earlier, I’d been meaning to work my way through some of my games when Skyrim came out. I was totally stoked for Skyrim, and played the game for over six months straight. During this entire time I was never disappointed, but if I could do it over again, I’d work some other games into the rotation. Yes, I had a blast playing Skyrim, but after a month or so I could have played Alice Madness Returns or Deadspace 2, and then go back to the world of Nords and Dark Elves. This would have kept my game playing fresh, and I would have felt as though I were making good progress at working through my collection.

So how about you? Do you have a video game backlog and if so, what are you doing to manage it?

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Resident Evil 6 Release Date: 11/20/12

March 20, 2012   Zeke   2 Comments
Resident Evil 6 Release Date

Capcom is really on the roll this year as they will be releasing two new Resident Evil games in the same year. We also have the little brother, Resident Evil: Revelations, which just came out with a bit of a spelling problem in its cover :) The positive feedback gained from Resident Evil: Revelations helps enure the expansion of this intense game series.

Before continuing, I want to clear up a common misunderstanding.  Some people are mistaking Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City as Resident Evil 6. These are separate games. Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City is a standalone title. Although it was pointed out in the plot that the game is set during the events in Resident Evil 2 and 3, there is not much emphasis given on the storyline (the game is advertised as a fast-paced shooting game). Don’t get me wrong, Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City has a story, but plot is not its selling point. It’s more of a “gunning down hordes of zombies” sort of thing. On the other hand, Resident Evil 6 is the direct sequel of Resident 5.

Now that I’ve cleared that up, just a little taste of what Resident Evil 6 will have to offer. The action takes place in the Antarctic Umbrella facility where the Wesker Children Project took place. The year is 2013, and the President is going to reveal what happened during the Raccoon City Destruction Incident. The game starts as you wake up in a hidden laboratory with complete amnesia. Even with no memory, you soon come to realize that a bio-hazard incident has occurred in the facility. No place is safe anymore thanks to good-for-nothing bio-terrorists. Dead Ones, Conkers, and Sentients try to take you down, and it’s up to you to put a stop to their wrong doing and save the world and humanity. Just like Resident Evil 5 and Operation Raccoon City, Resident Evil 6 will be a horror-filled, fast-paced shooting game. Expect this game to be as scary as the previous Resident Evil titles, and look forward to a lot of interesting challenges, improved graphics, and kick-butt weapons.

There is not much detail about the game modes in Resident Evil 6, but the possibility of having online play and cooperative mode is very likely when you look at the offerings of Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City. The game is set to release on November 20, 2012 for the PS3 and Xbox 360. Microsoft Windows will have to wait as there’s no specific date mentioned yet.

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First Look At Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Future Soldiers

March 10, 2012   Zeke   No comments
Tom Clancy

Hello there TPS fans! Are you running out of shooter games to play? Are you getting tired of shooters taking place in the modern day period or shooters that take place in a World War II setting? Frankly, I’m tired of shooters simulating the events that just happened recently, like the war against Iraq. Why don’t game publishers step up and think of something new and fresh? All right — now that my rant is over, there is actually a shooting game that is on my radar and at first blush looks like a total winner: Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Future Soldiers.

Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Future Soldiers was initially titled as Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon 4 (it’s actually the 4th game in the series if you exclude the expansions) and was going to be released in March 2012. However, Ubisoft is delaying the release until May in order to fine tune the game. For those who are not familiar with the series, it is a third-person shooter game. Ghost Recon: Future Soldiers takes place in a futuristic setting of Russia which is currently engaged in a grueling war. The entire mission includes visiting places such as Pakistan, Zambia, Russia and Norway. The Ghosts will be deployed in different missions in order to defeat and neutralize the ultra-nationalist force that took over Russia and are currently invading neighboring countries.

Ghost Recon: Future Soldiers is mostly a third-person shooter, but some instances (such as shooting with the aim sight) require the player to switch to first-person for more accurate targeting and aiming. The player will have to control four Ghosts with different expertise — a sniper weapon expert, a commando, a Ghost lead, and a reconnaissance expert. You will have to be strategic with the positioning of your Ghosts so that you will succeed in your missions. In my opinion, strategic shooters are best and offer a challenge to serious gamers, as opposed to shooters that any button-masher can master.

Since the game is set in the future, you will be armed with some amazing futuristic weaponry and equipment. My favorite is “optical camouflage” which will basically allow your Ghosts to become invisible. Optical camouflage will be extremely limited so that players will not be able to rely heavily on the tech to accomplish missions. The optical camouflage is designed to automatically turn off if the Ghosts move too fast, fire weapons, or are being shot. I have to mention another neat feature of the game that I like — Gunsmith. With Gunsmith, you can customize your weapons. The customization is very deep as it includes tweaking every part of the gun. Good news for Xbox 360 users, as the game allows the use of the Kinect. Customization will be done through hand gestures and even voice commands.

Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Future Soldiers is set to release in May 2012. The game will be coming to PS3, Xbox 360 and Windows. Look for it at your favorite game store — the future is now!

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Max Payne 3 for PS3, Xbox 360 and PC

March 07, 2012   Zeke   No comments
Max Payne 3 Release Date

I’m sure that some of you are getting tired of shooter games. I feel the same way too. The consoles are flooded with generic military shooters which are recycled almost every year and marketed as a new game for a quick cash in. They are basically milking the franchise. It is not that I hate shooting games. What I hate is the fact that the consoles are flooded with games that are a complete rip off of each other. Don’t get me wrong, I love shooting bad guys in the virtual world, but I’m looking for games that let me shoot bad guys while following a great story line. Speaking of shooters, I have good news for you. Max Payne 3 is coming out. I say good news because this game has actually a decent story line in comparison to your typical military shooter filled only with blood and gore.

Max Payne 3 is the upcoming sequel of the Max Payne series. It is coming to both consoles, the Xbox 360 and the PS3. PC owners need not worry because you are not being left out as Max Payne 3 is also coming to Windows. It was published by Rockstar Games. The writer of Max Payne 3 is Dan Houser who is also the lead writer of Grand Theft Auto series as well as the Red Dead Redemption. So if you enjoyed the way the story is handled in these particular games, then you might like Max Payne 3 too.

Max Payne 3 is a third person shooter in case you are not familiar with the Max Payne series. You take on the role of Max Payne. Max Payne 3 is set eight years after the 2nd game. Max Payne now works for the wealthy Rodrigo Blanco in Sao Paolo, Brazil after getting double-crossed. The kidnapping of Rodrigo’s wife will require Max to shoot many people once again.

Max Payne 3 will be using the Euphoria Physics Engine which will make shooting and killing enemies more realistic. The game retains the shoot and dodge mechanic of the previous games. “Bullet time” feature allows you to see the bullet as it goes through the body of your enemies. Another addition is the “last man standing” mechanic which allows Max to recover from a wounding shot by killing the enemy who inflicted it. The game will also feature online multiplayer which includes different game modes.

Max Payne 3 is slated for a May 2012 release.

 

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