I nearly forgot to tell you about my christmas. For me a christmas without videogames isn't a christmas. Not that I am a big christmas fan, to be honest, the atmosphere and everything just don't stick with me anymore. It gets more commercial from year to year and it's like a contest. A contest in making and recieving presents. I have neither money nor time for this anymore since I am a student.
But anyway, videogames are always great! My christmas present was a nice and uncut UK version of the RPG of the Year: Fallout 3. If I hadn't mention before, I have two younger brothers and a younger sister and you know what? We're all videogame addicted!
So, I'm starting with my little sister, 7 years old. Her platform of choice is the Nintendo DS and I educated her not to play non games. Now she's a big Spyro fan, haha. She got the new Spyro game, Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon. This is completely multiplat and I tried to make her wish it for Wii (due to the fact that my 360 is usually with me in my flat in Osnabrueck, where I study) because the Wii version is at least a little bit like the Next Gen versions for 360 and PS3 which look fun. But don't even try discussing with a seven year old Spyro DS maniac... So now she's playing her 2D Spyro. It's a classic jump'n'run platformer, not even an average one in my opinion. Sometimes there are levels where you have to fly. Then it's kind of 3D. Imagine it like Starwing, only in bad.
My present for her (making presents for gamers is always easy) is a DS version of Worms 2. After trying it out I have to say that it is not as good as the PSP port which somehow looks better and benefits from the 16:9 panel. Well, Worms are great, anyway.
Her last game related present came from my grandmother: The Simpsons Game for DS. I played it with my sister a short time ago on 360 and we both loved it. It's a good port I have to say. Sure, everything is 2D but there are the same voice clips and same videos after finishing the level. It's her favorite of the three games and mine as well.
My 13 year old brother got Command and Conquer: Red Alert 3 for christmas. We decided to rent a second one and played the cooperative campaign and multiplayer. I personally don't like Real Time Strategy on consoles. Back in the Playstation One days it was great and simple: Just draw the window to select your units. Nowadays the handling is too complicated with pressing hundred buttons at the same time to move your army 5 meters. Well, Red Alert 3 lets you select your units better than it's predecessor: You can select them with your pointer turning in a circle. At least a little better. Game is okay, I'd say. The story is funny but gameplay is nothing for me. Personally I think that Command and Conquer was at it's best with Generals, which was perfectly balanced. It was the Call of Duty 4 of the C&C franchise you could say.
Next game - my present for him was a copy of Burnout Paradise which won several prices this year. For example Best Racing Game and Best Multiplayer. We only played short that evening, but I know that he needs to lend me this game as soon as I have time for it!
Now it gets big. My other brother, 21 year olds, decided to get a Playstation 3 - 80GbB - Dual Shock 3 - Resistance 2 - Edition for his 107 cm Full HD Plasma TV. Yep, right. It's a fat setup, even surpasses mine. I am known for being an Xbot even in real life and of course told him to get a 360 Elite but the deciding point for him were Blu Ray movies. Well, I don't hate the PS3. I think it has some really great exclusive games. And I will make him buy them, haha. Good thing is that we have now every console at home: The dustcollector Wii (revives with the next Zelda), the Xbox 360 and the PS3.
We rented Little Big Planet, Call of Duty 5 and a second controller over christmas to try this giant sandwichtoaster out. Little Big Planet is great. The humor, the platforming, the creativity. I like this game very much and I hope that my brother will buy it ASAP!
Call of Duty 5 sucks. I just don't like it. The coop campaign is a joke. How fucked up can a splitscreen be? Splitted vertical and two little boxes that are not even on the same level of height. This gotta be a joke. Ever heard of Gears of War? That's how a splitscreen has to look. Well, my brother played the multiplayer a lot. Seems to be better. But still World War II, which is the reason I won't play this game.
Resistance 2 seems to be a good ego shooter. Can't say anything bad about this game.
And we rented a very special Blu Ray to try his setup: Rambo IV Uncut. Okay, this movie is so cruel, but the action is godlike. It's so sharp and colourful on 1080p and the Plasma somehow makes every movie more real life like. The motions are so much smoother. And the explosions - just awesome. Just yesterday we watched Predator with Arnold Schwarzenegger. Blu Rays are over the top. Did I mention we have the whole season of Planet Earth on Blu Ray here? Oh, Lord, let's get back to videogames!
And I am currently addicted to my christmas game: Fallout 3. I was skeptical before, fearing it would feel like Oblivion, which I disliked. But the exact opposite is the fact. Fallout 3 feels great, isn't annoying and has an impressive weaponry.
I am very much a fan of good stories and the whole theme of Fallout - apocalypse and the struggle of survival - amazes me. This is because I read Stephen King's excellent novel The Stand back in the summer.
The game begins with your birth in Vault 101, where no one ever enters and no one ever leaves. Your mother dies during the process and you are raised by your father. You grow up in the vault and make decisions that affect your character's stats and class. Then one night when you are 19 years old, your father suddenly has left the Vault and you need to follow him. Being banned from the cushy security of the heavy bunkered vault you face a giant open world full of stranded humans, wild animals and super mutants.
You can play the game just like you want. I heard this since the game was announced but I never could really imagine what that means. Your decisions have bigger consequences than in Mass Effect, one of my all time favorites. On the other hand the dialogue is not as over the top as those virtual actors in Mass Effect, but I think you really shouldn't compare these two games. Both are must haves. My only critisiscm on Fallout 3 is the character animations. They look not that good, but after a few hours in this game this doesn't matter shit anymore. I prefer playing in First Person. But I figured out that you can zoom in Third Person View until you have a real fine looking Resident Evil 4like point of view. Just press the left bumper and zoom in or out with the right analog stick.
The combat system really shows you that Fallout 3 is a RPG and not a shooter. VATS is so much fun, I love decapitating super mutants heads with my hunting rifle - it's PURE FUN! Speaking of these things: This game is one of the goriest and brutal games I have played. On the same level with Dead Space, I'd say. (Hmmm, when I think about it, most games I play are brutal... And that with me being a friendly and peaceful kind of character?)
I really have to stop now. I could go on talking about this game for eternities. It feels like a good novel you read. It is full of adventure and greatness. It is one of the most impressive games you will ever play. Fuck, just go and buy it. Now go!
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