Tag: Video Game Articles (Page 4 of 8)

      Gaming’s Greatest Hidden Weapons

      March 15, 2013 /

      Ever since I bumped Mario’s head into an invisible block in “Super Mario Bros.,” I’ve been a fan of secrets in gaming.

      When you consider the amount of work put into making a complete game even functional, it’s amazing that game developers have the time to create some of the coolest objects in the game, and hide them places where they may never be found. Yet ever since some hidden credits in “Adventure,” video games and secrets have gone hand and hand.

      Of these secrets, the best are the hidden weapons. Often maniacally tucked away and requiring a great deal of luck and effort to ever wield, they usually serve as unopposed killing machines worth every ounce of time and energy used to harness them, though the journey to do so is often more difficult than the game ever would have been if you’d chosen not to seek them out.

      I love them though for their holy grail like status in many of the titles they are featured in, and these are five of my favorites.

      The Sword of Kings – “EarthBound”

      Any day I get to mention “EarthBound” is a good day.

      My favorite game of all time has a series of items that you only have a 1 out of 128 chance of acquiring after beating certain enemies in specific spots. Of those items, the most sought after may be the Sword of Kings.

      While not the most powerful of the 1/128 items, it is the only weapon that one of your characters can use in the game, giving him a significant offensive boost. It also must be unlocked against a very tough enemy at a point where, if you haven’t been level grinding, you are lucky enough to survive a battle with, much less play the odds of defeating enough to find the fabled sword.

      To this day I’ve never unlocked the Sword of Kings, though I regularly try.

      The MIRV – “Fallout 3”

      There is a weapon in “Fallout 3” called the Fat Man that shoots a mini-nuclear warhead that nothing in the game can withstand. The MIRV shoots 8 of those warheads at once.

      To unlock it, you must find five transcripts from the Keller family spread throughout the world. Unless you’re cheating, these are not easy to just run across, and even doing so yields no guarantee you know what the hell they lead to. Piece it all together though, and you’d find your way to a hidden section of the national guard depo where the most powerful, and unnecessary, weapon ever in a video game lies.

      Even in a world built upon, and still teeming with, nuclear atrocities, the MIRV might just be the greatest war crime ever constructed. It’s also happens to be fun as hell.

      Biggoron’s Sword – “Ocarina of Time”

      A gaming secret in a major release that few people knew about? There was a pre-internet time when such a thing was possible.

      You may think there is no greater sword in “Ocarina of Time” than the Master Sword, but you would be wrong. To get it though, you have to complete a VERY lengthy quest of which there are very few hints of its existence, or where to go next during it. Make it through this hellacious and confusing journey though, and you’ll be rewarded with a two handed sword that does twice the damage as the Master Sword, and looks 10x as intimidating.

      Finding the Biggoron’s Sword without the step by step instructions was a truly rewarding experience back in the day. Even with the walkthrough, it is still one of Link’s greatest all time weapons.

      Scarab Gun (Main Location)- “Halo 2”

      The Scarab Gun is like the lost Ark of the Covenant in that it may be something man was never meant to find, and is face meltingly powerful.

      Whoever discovered this gun in the game, and the sequence to get it, is an obsessive compulsive evil genius. The Scarab was clearly not meant to be found by 99.9% of the people who played “Halo 2,” as the commonly accepted process to acquire it demands tremendous skill, potential hours upon hours of patience, and a split second moment of reaction thats absence negates the previous two requirements.

      Your reward is a normal looking gun floating above a warning marker in a seemingly unreachable part of the level, that just so happens to pack the firepower of a tank, and will obliterate any single obstacle in your path. The gun only lasts one level, but the thrill of acquiring it is forever.

      Excalibur II – “Final Fantasy IX”

      Though I’m sure this isn’t factually true, from my personal knowledge and experience, this is as hard of a hidden weapon to unlock as exists.

      See, if you play “Final Fantasy IX” the normal way (beat the main game, do a few side quests, enjoy yourself) it takes you about 45-50 hours to complete. To unlock the Excalibur II, you’ll need to get to this 4-disc adventure’s final boss in under 12 hours.

      Yikes.

      It’s not a challenge any sane individual would ever undertake, and requires all of your powers and efforts to complete. Manage to do so though, and you are rewarded with a sword that can deal the series’ 9999 damage max to even the most powerful of enemies at will, not to mention more hardcore nerd bragging rights than you could acquire even through sex with an actual un-paid human.

       

      So I’m very curious to know what your favorite hidden weapons are, and which are the most difficult you’ve ever personally found. Be sure to let me know in the comments below.

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      The New “Payday” Looks Great…But Not Quite Ready to Steal the Show

      March 12, 2013 /

      While the original “Payday: The Heist” was a fun game, you wouldn’t be blamed for just remembering it as a particularly well made “Left 4 Dead” mod, even if it wasn’t.

      The 4 player FPS co-op style was a big cause of this, but it was more the fact that each level played out like the “heist gone wrong” part of the story, and required you to shoot your way through waves of enemies to escape with the loot. It was more smash and grab than the perfect crime.

      The details on the sequel (known only as “Payday 2”) are starting to emerge, and it’s obvious that the change of ownership (Starbreeze acquired “PayDay” developer Overkill) isn’t the only thing new in the series as there is a change in philosophy as well. This is evident through the early information, which points to a smarter game, and one not shoehonrned completely into the action genre.

      Among the ideas contributing to this are new character classes like the “ghost” class, and varied approach and execution options which will allow for a level to theoretically be completed with minimal violence, assuming you are able to craft and execute the perfect plan for a job. Standing in your way is the usual security and alarm systems, made all the more cumbersome by the introduction of random elements which will change the location of guards, traps, and even the loot on multiple playthroughs.

      It’s an exciting step in the right direction, and should still result in an entertaining game, but it’s still not the heist game I’ve been dreaming of.

      No, the ideal heist game doesn’t skip to the shootout like so many others, but rather looks to the unappreciated strategy element. The perfect heist game would be 80% planning and strategy, and the rest left to execution, with action only as a last resort. This doesn’t mean that it has to abandon the FPS genre, but rather take the influence away from “Left 4 Dead” and closer to the original “Rainbow Six” games, which required precise planning and loadout selections, as well as effective on the job group management, to even have a chance of surviving a mission, much less flawlessly executing it.

      There are other ways to go of course. A “Syndicate” style pure strategy game, an isometric original “Fallout” or “Baulder’s Gate” RPG sort, an “XCOM: Enemy Unknown” simplified grid based game, or even a “Dishonored” or “Deus Ex” think on your feet multiple approach for each problem type would be great.

      Honestly though I’d just like to see more attempts at the genre until someone gets it right. Heist games are among the rarest in video games, and ones that approach it with anything more than a shoot first mentality are even more-so. A real shame too considering the inherit potential in the genre.

      Not all hope is lost though, as the “Payday” series can still continually evolve, and “Grand Theft Auto V” promises more heist missions than ever. Plus let’s not forget that another “can’t miss” genre, the western, took almost 30 years to do right.

      And That Was Well Worth It…

      News

      A New “Assassin’s Creed” or: When 3 and 4 Don’t Add Up

      March 4, 2013 /

      So before my mind spins out of control, let me make sure everyone is on the same page.

      As previously rumored, there will be an “Assassin’s Creed IV”. It is officially called “Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag,” and it sees you taking control of renowned pirate Captain Edward Kenway, who will be your assassin this evening.

      In it, you’ll wield up to four guns, captain your own ship (complete with upgrades), spend almost half of the game at sea, lead daring attacks on enemy ships, survive storms, engage in multiplayer, meet historical pirate figures, somehow “play as yourself” in the new modern day segments, harpoon whales (which PETA is already having issues with), and fulfill your land lover duties in cities ranging from pirate havens to Havana, Cuba and 50 overall various locations.

      One would assume you’ll also assassinate a templar or two, unless this series has decided that it’s now yo ho ho, a bottle of rum, and the pirates life for it.

      Now how is all of this, and more, known in roughly just 24 hours’ time? Because Ubisoft told us of course. They released the details, concept art, and even a trailer, which, in typical “Assassin’s Creed” fashion, is jaw dropping.

      Oh, and there is one other thing. It’s coming out this year. As in the 2013 calendar year.

      Ubisoft is insisting though that this is not a quick cash in attempt, and instead a true continuation of the series. You may have gathered this by that spiffy IV in the title, which sources tell me usually numerically follows the III seen in the previous “Assasin’s Creed” game, thus confirming Ubi’s claims,but the real evidence comes from the fact that Ubisoft has reported this game has been in development since 2011.

      Let’s go back to those numbers for a second shall we? “Assassin’s Creed III” came out in 2012, and “Assassin’s Creed IV” has been in development since 2011, also known as the same year  “Assassin’s Creed: Revelations” came out.

      That’s three “Assassin’s Creed” games in 3 years, not counting mobile ports, two of which are claiming to be full fledged sequels, all of which were logically at some point in the works at the same time, which even if they were being handled by different staff and teams, is a hell of a lot of different manpower spread thin over a short period of time on one franchise.

      Something smells rotten here, and it’s not a case of scurvy.

      I wouldn’t normally be upset at this much “Assassin’s Creed” but, “Assassin’s Creed III” is only a handful of months old, and the promotional blitzkrieg of advertisements that preceded it, as well as the amazing sales figures that it resulted in is still very fresh. I also remember buying into the hype, and buying the game as well.

      What I especially can’t forget though is the distinct impression that I was playing half of a game. “Assassin’s Creed III” was filled with incomplete ideas and half assed execution to spare, chocking the life out of the things that made it genuinely impressive and creatively exciting. I remember the distinct feeling that I was playing a game that peaked early in the concept stages, and slacked off for the rest of its development time. For the life of me though, I couldn’t understand how it happened.

      It’s all a little clearer now though, and a hell of a lot more disturbing. “Assassin’s Creed III” didn’t feel like the game it should have been, and now we’re already gearing up for “Assassin’s Creed IV.” So what was “Assassin’s Creed III” then?

      Was it a preview of what was to come as the surprisingly expansive naval aspects suggested?

      Was it an enhanced spin off masquerading as a full-fledged sequel for higher sales figures?

      And what does that make “Assassin’s Creed IV”? Is it an apology? The true sequel all along? Or was it in fact originally the spinoff now taking the mantle as a sequel because it got the true development attention during all this time?

      I hate to have to ask these questions, but when you’re dealing with such questionable practices what else could there be?

      I’m left with nothing but questions as to why Ubisoft is releasing “Assassin’s Creed” installments like they are Madden titles. How can they release a clearly half finished “Assassin’s Creed III” and then expect everyone to keep a straight face while having to swallow a game that is at best an apology or the “real sequel”, and at worst a cash in attempt to milk both the massive user bases of the current gen consoles as well as attack the eager wallets of the soon to be early adopters of the next generation as well when this game hits PS4?

      Like I said, none of this would matter had “Assassin’s Creed III” felt like everything it could be, and a game that got the full attention it deserved. It didn’t in either case.

      So while, everything shown so far about “Assassin’s Creed IV” shows a great looking game, and is one that is certainly exciting based on early impressions alone, considering those were my exact feelings about “Assassin’s Creed III” , which only left me feeling half full, should I prepare to drop another $60 on “Assassin’s Creed IV” to chance filling that void?

      Nah. At this rate I’ll just wait for “Assassin’s Creed V”, no doubt under way now and scheduled for 2014.

      News

      Five Video Games that Need Sequels

      March 1, 2013 /

      LL Cool J warned us all to not call it a comeback, but he never said to not ask for one.

      And in the world of video games, sometimes a comeback is just what’s needed. Even in a gaming world where franchise attempts spawn from even the most unremarkable of titles, some games never get the second (or third, or fourth, or fifth) chance they richly deserved. It’s a shame to, as I can think of at least five titles that deserve a sequel.

      S.W.A.T.

      While technically predating it, the “S.W.A.T.” series is a tactical team based FPS that bears a strong resemblance to “Rainbow Six.” The difference of course being that “Rainbow Six” has you playing a squad of elite globe-trotting operatives, while “S.W.A.T.” has you playing as…well a S.W.A.T. team.

      You may think that would be a step down, but the key difference lies in the mission design, as some truly creative scenarios and missions were crafted for this series that were beyond the usual international terrorism intrigue. A great example is a mission in “S.W.A.T. 4” where you have to make your way into a suburban house where a deranged serial killer lives with his mother. Everything looks normal, until you make your way into the basement which doubles as a twisted den of horror. It, along with the well implemented preference towards non-violent solutions when possible, represents what this series does so well even over similar titles.

      This license is as cold as it comes, and not a whisper of the series continuing exists anywhere, which is unfortunate as there’s still a lot of potential here.

      Jade Empire

      In 2003 Bioware stopped the video game presses with their release of “Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic.” While a watered down version of their earlier PC games in many respects, “KOTOR” blew away nearly everyone that played it, and would change gaming by popularizing the idea of good and bad choices.

      For their next big release, Bioware planned on taking that same mechanic, and applying it to a world of their own based heavily on Chinese mythology. “Jade Empire” was the result of that creation, and its seamless blend of ancient China design with just enough mythological elements mixed in, resulted in a game world with few creative peers. There was also a fun, if very simple, combat system based around the use of several martial arts, combined with magic attacks, that helped tie the game together.

      Truthfully “Jade Empire” had a lot of flaws, but the groundwork was there for something truly great. It’d be incredible if Bioware would take another stab at getting it all to come together, as by all rights this should have been a franchise.

      Hunter: The Reckoning

      Okay, so this game did get a sequel, but that’s not my point.

      My point is that the horror genre is unfairly shoehorned into only a couple of gameplay ideas, and “Hunter: The Reckoning” puts it into the multiplayer action realm where it so rarely gets to venture. You and three friends take the role of some classic horror movie charchter archetypes and fight your way through a gothic horror world filled with wolves, vampires, zombies, and even giant evil teddy bears and Santa Clauses. No horror stone is left unturned, and getting to shoot and slash your way through it with three friends is an experience not found in many games.

      Whether as a retail release or downloadable title, considering the brave new online world we live in, now is the time for a new “Hunter” game, and sooner is definitely better.

      Stuntman

      Here’s another series that got a sequel, but just not enough of them.

      “Stuntman” for the Playstation 2 was a gem of a racing title that had you play the role of a movie stuntman, as you perform dangerous driving scenes through various films. Due entirely to its trial and error gameplay which required pinpoint actions at a moment’s notice, “Stuntman” was a brutally challenging game that was constantly frustrating, but always rewarding, and exhibited creative uses of its film based concept, including splicing in your stunts into a trailer for the fake movies you were shooting at the end of each level.

      “Dark Souls” and “Demon’s Souls” proved there is still a market for impossibly difficult games, and with its unique concept and fresh approach to the stagnate driving genre, it would be great if someone could put it all together and make the quality of game the series is capable of.

      Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge

      Sometimes you have to admit defeat and move on with your life, but in the case of “Crimson Skies,” I just can’t do that.

      I will never, ever understand how this game didn’t get a sequel.  It takes place in an alternate 1930s where America has taken to the skies instead of the road, and gangs of air pirates rule the day (it’s even cooler than it sounds). As famed air pirate Nathan Zachary, you’re on a quest that sees you run amok of every gang in the country, and engage in incredible aerial battles all the while.

      From the great graphics, perfectly implemented arcade style controls, variety of awesome planes, weapons, and characters, insanely inventive world, “Indiana Jones” style plot, intense zeppelin fights, gameplay variety, roaring soundtrack, and still fun to this day (and incredibly welcome at the time) Xbox Live multiplayer, “Crimson Skies” did everything right and is still one of my favorite games of all time. There is really nothing quite like it, which is why it has aged so well and remains enjoyable while other games from the era waste away.

      How the game never got a sequel is far beyond me, as it must be stuck in some serious licensing hell. It may not break sales records, but even with minimal efforts, a proper “Crimson Skies” sequel would almost be impossible to ruin considering the wealth of material to work from.

      News

      Gaming’s Most Evil Religious Figures

      February 13, 2013 /

      With the pope announcing his surprising retirement, the Catholic church and its followers are abuzz not just about the incident, but about who will take the position next.

      With a wealth of candidates available though, there shouldn’t be much problem finding a suitable replacement, which is more than can be said about the spiritual world in video games where paragons of holy virtue and guidance are few and far between. In fact it’s quite the opposite as some of gaming’s greatest villains derive from the world of religion.

      To show you how bad the problem is, here are a few of gaming’s most despicable religious leaders.

      Important Note: This is in no way shape or form a commentary on any real religion or religious figures including, but not limited to, the pope or the Catholic church. This is just for fun.

      Oh and spoilers. Spoilers are ahead.

      Allegro Rasputin of the First Church of LeChuck – “Escape From Monkey Island”

      The exact doctrines, words, and many basic day to day functions of the First Church of LeChuck are a mystery to many. It’s origins, however, are very clear as priest Allegro Rasputin was murdered by the ghost pirate LeChuck, and even made to view his still beating pancreas prior to death, while out at sea. Initially upset, the priest came to respect LeChuck for his capabilities and founded a church in his honor.

      And what a church it is. Built into a volcano, and resembling a skull castle, the church has a river of lava flowing through it used in weddings so couples can become ghosts, and live together eternally, at the end of the journey. The rest of the church is a none too subtle tribute to LeChuck himself, and Rasputin’s primary goal is stopping the enemy of his deity, Guybrush Threepwood.

      While not gaming’s deepest religion, for sheer tenacity, dedication, and even style, the Church of LeChuck is one of gaming’s most memorable religious institutions, and Rasputin’s devoutness to stopping our hero is equal to his faith

      The Prophet of Truth of the Covenant Religion – “Halo”

      It was “Halo 2” where gamers discovered that the hard fighting and no-nonsense alien enemies known as the Covenant were actually a deeply religious society with a strong sense of organization and hierarchy.

      Atop that hierarchy are a series of prophets, and amongst those prophets is the clear leader, the Prophet of Truth. His mission is to lead his people in seeking out and activating the halo installations of the ancient, yet far advanced, people known as the forerunners. They believe that once the rings are activated, they will achieve a form of ascension and become eternal. They are actually aware, that while they have a slim chance of elevation, that completing this mission will more or less result in the complete destruction of every known thing.

      Being a real fanatic is both the reason behind the rise to power, and the fall of the Prophet of Truth. While many villains have promised the end of the world or universe, few did it with the smug sense of satisfaction, and feeling of purpose as the Prophet of Truth.

      Craig Markoff of Unitology –“Dead Space”

      While the Church of Unitology’s primary figure is Michael Altman, one of the true spearheads of the movement is military man Craig Markoff.

      A cleverly veiled allusion to Scientology in many ways, the Church of Unitology plays an integral role in the “Dead Space” series, and revolves around the fabled markers, which are artifacts of mysterious power. Formed in a time of dwindling religious beliefs, the church promoted a message of harmony and peace which caught on quickly and turned them into a real power. One of their principle ideas is not burying the dead, and instead keeping their bodies on spaceships waiting to be re-born. In reality, they are aware of the limited power of the marker to grant new and eternal life, though it often results in creating unspeakable atrocities. These incidents were written off as anomalies with manageable spiritual factors contributing to them.

      A true and horrible evil in every way, Markoff is one of gaming’s great villains. He cleverly used  Altman as a figurehead of virtue shielding him from the many, many atrocities he would commit, and his tenacity in refusing to waiver from his claims, is nearly unprecedented.

      Morpheus of the Children of the Cathedral – “Fallout”

      “Fallout” is full of religions, and while the nuclear bomb worshiping Children of the Atom get all of the attention, it is the leader of the Children of the Cathedral that gets my nod.

      A servant of The Master (a downright terrifying mutant, human, computer hybrid), Morpheus is an old styled southern preacher who is clever, extremely charismatic, and downright volatile. Morpheus doesn’t believe The Master to be a god as others in the church do, but he has no qualms with using the influence of the church for his own means, and is a loyal servant of him all the same.

      Much like Markoff, Morpheus is a pure evil as it gets, as his short temper and selfish ambitions only further his insatiable ego. It’s one thing to take advantage of people’s spiritual beliefs to further your own causes, but to do so at the end of world when all other hope has gone? Damn.

      Sergius XVII of the Ormus Religion – “Xenosaga”

      One of gaming’s greatest and most complex universes is that of the “Xenosaga” games. Fittingly, it also contains one of the deepest and most complex religions in all of gaming, the Ormus religion.

      It would be impossible to sum up the religion entirely here, but it is spearheaded by the patriarch Sergius XVII and is actually an evolutionary offshoot of modern day Christianity. Their main objective is to recover the mysterious Zohar artifact, and use it to defeat the equally mysterious, and troublesome, Gnosis. Sergius XVII, also has personal ambitions to use this event to further the Ormus’s reach and influence, which is already considerable as the religion has power in nearly every meaningful aspect of society.

      A victim of absolute power, it’s easy to write off Sergius XVII as simply “evil”, but his motives and intentions are instead a mix of the blindingly noble and the sadistically misguided. Because of this, he stands as one of the deepest, most influential, and in many ways the most realistically flawed of all of gaming’s evil religious figures, making him more memorable than the usual snarling types.

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