Various Titbits #6

So, Christmas. Was fun wasn't it? Feel like I've eaten enough shit to defecate around a metric ton. Also had a bizarre red wine hangover that has constantly crept up on me all day like a fuzzy ninja pain blanket. If such a thing is possible. Been a good one though, my quizzing prowess has been (frankly) outstanding and my gullet has been well and truly pleasured. Mainly received the gift of money this year which heart-breakingly is going to go towards rent and bills. Although I did splurge out the full £39.99 on Left 4 Dead 2 which I've been plunked in front of for most of today. It's a painful thing because it certainly warrants the full game status it has in comparison to say ODST but it still is a little growth. Melee weapons are great fun, the new special infected add more to Versus mode and the tweaks on the level designs are brilliant. But the game is still pretty much the same. Hopefully we'll get some old school Valve drip feeds of free content for this one. Although knowing Microsoft I'll get my credit card out.

Christmas of course means one thing I haven't already mentioned and that is shit movies. Not seen an awful lot to be honest. Not sure how, usually some turd gravy like Over The Hedge would have me happily transfixed for a couple of hours like a simpleton toddler. But this year I couldn't do it. Not even the hilarious dubbing in the Neverending Story held my attention for more than half an hour. Although for what that film is half an hour is probably much longer than I should have been watching it for. Anyway, did watch the third in the Pirates Of The Caribbean series. First thing I should say is that I haven't seen the first two. Didn't really hurt though, I'm pretty sure it would have made as little sense if I had anyway. It was like watching a swash buckling equivalent of Transformers. Made no sense at all and just packed full of CGI and nonsensical shots. Johnny Depp was good though. So there's your silver lining. Anyway, watching the BBC's take on Day Of The Triffids later (or playing some Live depending on what my mate is doing) so will have at least one more thing to enjoy this festive period.

Gaming Tuesday

So, it goes without saying really that the majority of my time has been sunk into Blue Dragon. Since my last update I've done a quest in a "Forest Of Exile" and gone through a laser abused landscape that looked not too dissimilar from those cheese levels from the old Worms games. I realise now why people referred to JRPG as grinding slog-fest affairs. I've not even had to go through grinding up my levels to fight a boss yet. But it still feels like I've been grinding through. There's a lot of pointless cut-scenes as well, which I normally would enjoy. But when you're hunting down an elusive save point so you can go to bed or even just stop playing for a while you end up getting bogged down with a pointless array of 30 second cut-scenes with the little yellow thing screeching "LOOK A *story related item*!!! LOOOOOK THERE IT IS!!!". I'm almost paraphrasing the subtitles with that as well. Even after my criticisms though I am going to finish it. Or at least get to disc three. But then I may as well finish it? Oh dear.

Apart from careering through that monstrosity I've continued to dabble on my Newcastle managerial career on Fifa 10. Achieved promotion and in my second season in charge I'm sitting quite happily around 6th in the table. Bizarrely after my conquest of the FA Cup I'm also in Europe. What area is not specified, probably UEFA Cup though. Celtic are in it. Hopefully I can drag myself away from Blue Dragon to continue this although I've heard upon the rumour mill of glitches and bugs in the achievements for the mode. Not that I'm a big stickler for achievements (anymore) but if the patch that's coming out very soon is going to fix the niggles then is it worth waiting? Probably, saying that I've still got around 90% of the season to go anyway so by the time I get there it may well be fixed.

Finally there was even a little bit of time for ODST. Been a few weeks since I played but I had a friend how suggested Firefight and it seemed ridiculous to say no. Its great fun still, I really need to put some more time into it because it is more fun than Horde I'd say and on a similar level to World At War's zombie mode. It is intrinsically different though as well, no sacrifice to that Halo flavour we're all so accustomed to. At least I can rely on the fact that a lot of people will hold on to their copy just for a bit of that Reach beta. Still plenty of games to come.

Gaming Tuesday

The first real gaming moment of my week was getting one of the 10G achievements in ODST in Firefight. What I didn't realise however is that I spent around 4 hours doing it. 4 hours! I could have watched 2 films in that time! I could have done something that wasn't so relentlessly repetitive. Still I did it, I was proud. Had to melee two hammer guys and then a rocket launcher guy in the back. It was touch and go at times. That was the last time I played ODST as well, probably for a while as well based on that experience.

I picked up Fifa 10 as well, I don't mind paying for Fifa really. It's one of the few games you know you're going to get your money's worth on. I've been playing 09 right up until when I bought this one so they've got to be doing something right. Firstly I threw myself into manager mode as Newcastle. Playing on Professional difficulty used to be too much of a challenge for me in 09 but now I found it quite rewarding to play. Although not winning every game, getting a hard earned 1-0 win against Liverpool in the FA Cup was very satisfying, all though mystifyingly losing 4-0 at home to Bristol City was not. I decided to give online a whirl as it seemed the logical thing to do really. Squeezed in four games last night, I played as Tottenham (not sure why) in all of them. First game I led 2-0 up until the 90th minute when the other player quit out. I wasn't impressed. Second game I got beaten by Arsenal very convincingly 3-0 I think. Third game, also against Arsenal, I swiped a convincing 3-1 win. I was very happy with it to say the least. The final game I got outplayed by a resolute West Ham and lost 2-0. So, apart from the sour start I found the games very rewarding and also with absolutely no lag as well. I'll need more time with it to decide if it is the best football game I've played, but I've already ploughed more time into it than I did with ODST or Riddick (sorry, gave up and sent it back). Which means they're on to a winner for me really.

Gaming Tuesday (On Wednesday)

Been a quiet week's gaming for me this week. Which is not a common occurence for me, I'd go as far as saying its been under 10 hours. Which more says how much I usually squeeze into the average week. Anyway, did manage to finish ODST in that amount of time though. Which goes some way to agree with most people's sentiment that's been floating round the net. It really is too short. Although the single player is still fantastic. Its usual Halo fare, only this time from a different angle. Kind of like re-watching your favourite film to show it to a friend, they see all the little things that you take for granted in your repeated viewings. I'm aware of the stretching on that metaphor but the point is there. Playing as an ODST feels so similar to the old MC yet so different. There's the health packs although if you're good enough you won't lose your shields and you can't dual wield but I personally stopped that after Halo 2 anyway. In many ways its just a greatest hits of Halo set-pieces but who wouldn't want that? A fool that's who. Multiplayer wise Firefight is awesome, although no match-making (!) and also if you didn't already have the maps, you'd be in luck with the bonus disc. Still, its managed to distract me from Riddick (which I feel I have to complete before I can return it to get Arkham Asylum) so that counts as a thumbs up for me.

Probably a good job I posted this today as yesterday saw the release of that knee jerk piece of DLC for Left 4 Dead. Crash Course is only two chapters long (albeit action packed) for a start. This is for shortened games of Versus apparently, which I believe although I haven't got round to playing it on that mode yet. I tried to play through it online with whoever Live paired me up with. This proved a bad idea when none of us knew where we going and spent 10 minutes wandering round the the same area looking for the way through. Twice. We then got slaughtered at the finale, I can proudly say I was the last to die though. For the price of 560 points (just over £4) I'm happy to get more Left 4 Dead as its easily one of the games of the generation. Here's hoping Left 4 Dead 2 can carry on the trend.

Gaming Tuesday

Had about a month away from the 360 so came back quite excited about gaming. Especially as I thought Swapgame were going to send me Batman Arkham Asylum. But, alas, on my doorstep was Chronicles Of Riddick. I gave it a few spins, playing through the original Butcher Bay game. Quite enjoyable in fact, although doing mini missions in the prison was a chore. The game does give a good sense of tension, lingering in the shadows, doing a quick neck-break and then hiding in a corner palpitating as some massive robot juggernaut wanders around blindly calling your name. I haven't finished Butcher Bay, but I have a feeling I'm about three quarters of the way through. Still got the extra Dark Athena game to go through yet but so far it's a good laugh. I'll make sure I take my time over it.

Apart from that I've squeezed in a few rounds of Left 4 Dead, still as great fun as when I first picked it up. Which was around 9 months ago I think? Crazy. Fair bit of Fifa 09 as well, although I rarely dabble online in that. My concentration can never last the full 90 minutes and I'll roll the ball out to their oncoming striker gifting victory. I prefer just playing alone, at least the AI isn't as wise to these mistakes. Picked up ODST at midnight launch as well. Got my Sgt. Johnson character pre-order and all. Haven't had much time with it but gave Firefight a roll with my brother and I was suitably impressed. Although no matchmaking for it? Seems a missed opportunity. The single player is good too, great soundtrack so far. Very eerie. Probably finish it up before next week and get a full idea of it but so far I'm impressed. Although I feel a little bit short-changed for £34.99. Maybe a little gift for those of us who had already splashed out on the Mythic map pack? Na, its Microsoft isn't it.

Dead Snow

Nazi zombies. Is there anything better? More stereotypically evil? Racist sharks? Dinosaur paedophiles? Who knows. The plot of Dead Snow is simple. There's some kids going to a cabin, there's Nazi zombies who want their gold. Kids find the gold. Zombies kick off. I'm a big fan of zombies personally so I'm very familiar with the formula. Although this spits in the face of zombie lore. For me this doesn't help though, logical thought and squad tactics are not something I think should be associated with the decaying shamblers. Making them run in 28 Days Later was change enough. Ignoring the aversion to zombie rules the film is pretty fun. Even if the director does have a bit of an obsession with Peter Jackson splatter fest Braindead, which is apparent in both the cheap gore and one of the character's t-shirts. The lawnmower finale in that tops any of the heroics in this film though. Also Smithy (of Gavin and Stacey fame) has a long lost brother who does have a very unlikely sexual encounter in an outside loo. This is more puzzling than anything else in the film. Is that how romance works in Norway? Is that a normal coupling? I get the feeling I'd do well there if so. So overall best stick to Call Of Duty for the Nazi zombies.

In game related tones placed my pre-order for ODST today. Only 48 hours before it's released. I doubt any game could sell out here in Cornwall but who can resist the opportunity to play as cigar chomping Sgt. Johnson. Swapgame have treated me to Chronicles Of Riddick this month as well, I'll post my thoughts when/if I finish it.