Blogging the experience of gameplayhttps://www.gamelog.cl/gamers/GamerPage.php?idgamer=237https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=1472Last weekend I was at my friend’s house with nothing to do and I am not a playstation owner but he is and I started playing Soul Caliber 3, which I have wanted to play for a while now. The first thing that I noticed that this game is almost identical to Soul Caliber 2 is most regards besides the “chronicles of the sword” single player mode. I started off playing in Arcade Mode, which is suppose to emulate an arcade experience by pitting you against around 8 opponents in the most generic, pointless story possible from this genre of games. The computer AI seemed to be much more distinctive per character than Soul Caliber 2, with characters attacking based off their moves rather than just a universal computer attack plan. Also, with the final boss excluded, the AI seemed significantly “fairer” than what I experienced playing Soul Caliber 2. By this I mean that in SC2 the computer had a universal, yet universally cheap AI program that would just annihilate you at higher difficulties and just stand there and pick its nose on lower difficulties. In this Soul Caliber I had fun playing against hard opponents because all the deadly combos the computer unleashes on you are actually blockable by using the block button. My biggest pet peeve about SC2 was how bad the hardest mode computer would kill me at times regardless of how I blocked or dodged. Playing through the single player modes was actually like a sigh of relief that the developers had finally polished the game into such a quality game engine.Fri, 23 Feb 2007 21:38:03 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=1472&iddiary=3097https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=1275When I first started playing the controls were very hard to get used to and literally every button is used, sometimes in multiple ways. For the first 2 hours I had a lot of trouble trying to get my character to do what I wanted him to do but after a few levels I had the controls down. The most common tactics used are basically hiding around corners and using your teammates to draw out enemies or throwing a smoke grenade on enemies, yourself, or both and then use your thermal vision to kill enemies while they are blind. One of the best feature of GRAW that really sets the game apart from other Tom Clancy games is the targeting system that outlines all enemies and vehicles. This can be used to headshot enemies completely covered in smoke or behind foliage or other odd cover. This is also combined with another amazing Ghost Recon feature: high enough power anti-snipers can pierce thin walls. This means that enemies hiding on the other side of thin walls or sandbags or mesh fences can be shot through walls if you can see their outline. This is one thing I will never get bored of is shooting hidden enemies though tents and walls.Fri, 09 Feb 2007 20:22:29 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=1275&iddiary=2729https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=1275The main character is Sgt. Scott Mitchell, stereotypical Tom Clancy squad leader. Although he is a very stereotypical, he is really a very badass character who just looks so cool taking out squads of Mexican Special Forces. You get squad-mates for about two-thirds of the game who are easy easily stereotypical as the main character, but without the coolness factor or the attachment. You also get commandable vehicles that assist you in parts of the game. The AI on these guys is better than most but there is still much to be sought after. Your squad mates and vehicle friends all seem to need explicit orders to attack vehicles, which gets very annoying when you are pinned down and can’t move without instantly dying. Speaking of dying easily, this is one of the hardest games I have ever played. There is a normal mode and “realistic” mode, where every particle can kill you. This game is probably the closest to real life fighting as I have ever seen, in respect to how easy you die. The story mode being too easy has never once entered my mind. I finished playing on normal mode after playing for about a day and I thought it was a challenging, yet fun enough story to where you didn’t have to play flawlessly to win. However, unforgiving is the only way that can describe realistic mode. This is so hard that it reminds me of the days of Castlevania 4 where you couldn’t walk twenty pixels without dying. There have been times where I have died less than 3 seconds after restarting by an enemy hundreds of yards away in a bush. I have definitely restarted some checkpoints 30 times without completing a section. This is surley a game to get if you enjoy a challenge.Fri, 09 Feb 2007 19:54:27 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=1275&iddiary=2726https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=1275Ghost Recon starts off with an impressive movie that looks more like an action movie than a game you could play. The story behind this game is that it is year 2010 and there is about to be a monumental North American security agreement between the USA, Mexico, and Canada. The Mexican Army is against the treaty and a rouge military commander, Carlos Ontiveros, has killed the Canadian PM and has the US president hostage. You fight through Nicaragua from a training level to a ruined US embassy. This game came out around the same time as the Xbox 360 console and the graphics in the game are simply amazing. While I was playing this game a large number of people commented on how good the graphics look. The vehicle explosions are particularly impressive and are probably the most realistic I have ever seen in a video game. All the camouflage and body armor is incredible detailed and you can even see the texture on the fabric of the clothes.Fri, 09 Feb 2007 19:50:26 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=1275&iddiary=2725https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=856As a final word, this is one of the best games I've ever played. There are literally over 100 hours of things to do in this game. I did everything from driving 16-wheelers to pimping out hoes to intercepting countryside messengers on dirt bikes. There is something in this game that is appealing to anyone of either sex. Although there has been some debate over the appropriateness of this game, I think it should generally be considered a standand for any "gamer".Wed, 31 Jan 2007 20:12:39 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=856&iddiary=2390https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=1074When you play this game on 00 agent this game is really unforgiving and me and anyone else who is playing often spend almost half and hour trying to beat a level in some instances. I like how logical and clear the story and game play is. Although it makes it difficult sometimes I really enjoy all these time trials and extra objectives. I am trying to unlock the Aztec level right now, which is the first of two secret levels that can be unlocked. To find out how to unlock most of these extras I rely mainly on online guides for information because some of them are very hard to find. My favorite weapons for multiplayer are proximity mines and pistols. With these weapons there seems to be the most social interaction, with pistol fights drawing much more oh’s than the standard game. The multiplayer aspect is one of the things that made this game as good as it is and as revolutionary as it was.Wed, 31 Jan 2007 19:23:47 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=1074&iddiary=2383https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=1074After playing this game for more than four hours I really have been getting frustrated by the N64 controller. The dual stick controls of almost all shooter games nowadays really are easier, in my opinion, than the one-stick controls and the 4 cardinal C buttons. In single-player mode the controller difficulties aren't too impeding but when you get to the multi-player mode I was getting really frustrated. In the Temple I would always come around corners and get completely shredded by someone who I couldn’t even see until I could turn and shoot them.Wed, 31 Jan 2007 19:10:20 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=1074&iddiary=2374https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=1074Goldeneye 007 was a game I spent a good deal of time playing in middle school but I haven’t touched it in years. As soon as I started playing the game again and got to running across the dam shooting locks off doors I wondered why I stopped playing this for so long. Although using the N64 controller was weird at first after playing Xbox for so long it wasn’t long before I was comfortable with the controls again. Although the graphics are not the best by today’s standards, the characters all seem very personable. This may be because of the movie that this game was based on already gave all the characters such distinct personalities. I really like the story in the game because it roughly follows the story of the movie but the movie related parts of the game don’t take away from the design of the levels at all. My favorite part is going through the jungle to kill Natalya. The level is so suspenseful and well made that I always look forward to that stage. Also, the final stage against Alex Trevelyan is one of the most intense, challenging boss fights on the N64. Playing this game made me have so many flashbacks of beating levels on 00-Agent. This game brought so much to first person shooter with dual function weapons, dual wielding weapons, proximity mines and so much more. The game is also just packed with secrets and easter eggs and new levels to unlock. The levels on the game are really challenging and the difficulty of the harder game modes makes it have very good replayability. Right now I am stuck on the St. Petersburg level but I am making progress.Wed, 31 Jan 2007 16:56:19 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=1074&iddiary=2307https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=639Well, I just finished the game on two modes, only infinite mode is left where your goal is simply to survive as long as possible. The first mode, "72 hour mode", is the story of Frank in the mall until the helicopter comes 72 game hours after the start of the game. After beating this mode with the best possible ending you get an achievment for unlocking the "ture ending". No, that isn't a typo. This makes you wonder and stick around after the credits. The next mode, which is unlocked by getting the best of the 5 possible endings, is called "overtime mode", which is after the helicopter comes to the mall and Frank discovers he will soon be a zombie unless a serum is made, which is one of the main objectives of this mode. After that your concern is escaping from the mall and the special forces that are trying to kill you. The final boss is an enormous tank that is piloted by the most intense and stereotypical millitary commander, with a bald head and multiple scars all over his face. After beating the somewhat easy tank you have to fight the guy inside on a zombie-surrounded tank with only your bare hands and most likley in your underwere. This guy is one of the hardest bosses I've faced of the recent video games, with the end boss in Gears of War on insane mode barely coming in first. I definetley stood up and yelled when I beat this guy but that only unlocked "Infinite mode". Doh! I've found that the best strategy is to find bookstores and pick up books which give you increased stats on your experience points or weapon durability. These books can be combined, for example: one boss drops a handheld chainsaw (which is one of the best weapons in the game) and you can pick up 3 books: criminal biographies, entertainment, and construction with a 3 times durability bonus each for a total of 27 original durability. This game is very difficult and requires a good amount of problem solving to survive easily.Mon, 22 Jan 2007 15:38:03 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=639&iddiary=1941https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=856You have many choices when you begin the game. Following the main story generally unlocks more and more features of the game but there are many other side quests to do. In each city there are hidden tokens, which are challenging to find. I used an online guide and I still had trouble sleuthing through the Grand Theft Auto world but finding a complete set of tokens (fifty of them) unlocks weapons at main save points and I spent quite a few hours finding these things. There is also a list of wanted cars to export, which I enjoyed doing very much. There are three sets of 10 cars to find and you need to go all over the world map to find these cars. After completing the car finding mission I was very wealthy and I had enough money to go all over and buy houses and real estate. There are even missions in vehicles, much as pimping missions if you can find an old pimp mobile caddy-ish car. It is all the little intricacies and details that really make this game so great. The main story is very, very long and takes you through more than just three massive cities. You begin the game with being framed by a pair of crooked cops and then dropped in hostile gang territory with no possessions. Each city has a main storyline that generally involves gang related violence and you move away from the familiarity of the ghettos into big city gangs and crazy casinos. Your family is a big theme in this because the death of CJ’s mother is what made him return to Los Santos after leaving in shame. Your gang family and your sister are very important motive and betrayal is a very sensitive subject with characters in the game. The story is easy to follow and also easy to get into. After playing with CJ for hours and hours you definitely start to feel an emotional attachment to the characters. The story, while goofy at times, is well done and entertaining. The missions in this game are easy if you come with the right equipment but some can be frustrating without finding good weapons ahead of time. There is a star rating for police wanted level, which makes things difficult sometimes. With one star a cop will chase you if he sees you but won’t come after you otherwise. With two stars cop cars will actively pursue you and makes things crappy for you. This can be fatal for the novice player as cop AI isn’t the best but it still is enough to do you in. With three stars the FBI sends detective cars against you and a helicopter and four stars calls in the swat teams. Five and six stars are unattainable for more than a minute or two at a time because basically the US army is on top of you, which is always fun to do before you go out fighting. In general this game is one of my favorites and is amazing because it can appeal to such a broad audience and still have so many hours of fun game play.Fri, 19 Jan 2007 19:18:15 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=856&iddiary=1899