Alex Reviews...

Star Wars: The Old Republic Beta

I'm from a distant planet...you probably haven't heard of it....

So - The Old Republic Beta testing weekend is almost over - for me anyway - and I thought I'd give some of my thoughts...

Graphics

You have no idea how frustrated I was yesterday - after all the downloading, all the waiting to get into a server, all the character creation, and I was rewarded with what must have been the laggiest game I have ever played. It was awful, I couldn't do anything which meant a lot of death and a lot of running into walls. So, like any real gamer, I rage-quit and went and had a shower to refrain me from destroying my laptop. I was this close to buying an Alienware and justifying such a purchase with 'well, I already pre-ordered the game, it would be a waste to not be able to play it, right?'.

But then I brought the graphics options waaaaayyy down in the game preferences, and everything ran fine. A lot less detailed and impressive, but at least I could actually play the game. So, to note, if you want to play the game at its best, you better have a damn good machine as my little XPS M1530 didn't stand a chance. The graphics are very noticeably worsened with lower settings, but if you have a machine with low capabilities, at least it will play and you will get enjoyment out of it. As for me, I might just wait for the magic-fairy-godmother to send me one-and-a-half grand so I can get some good kit, but for now I can play with lower specs.

Character Creation

There is a Sith species in the game...who are red

So, now that my graphical woes have been shared, I can let you know why the game, despite its merciless needs, is awesome. Mindful of time, I didn't spend too long on character creation, but I was impressed with the options available. Coming from Skyrim, there isn't a lot of customisation, but anyone who didn't feel the need to adjust the size and angle of their character's ears will be satisfied. You start by picking a faction - Republic or Imperial, which pre-empts one of the amazingly detailed cinematic cutscenes as an introduction to your faction's role in the game. Then, you pick your class; Jedi Knight, Jedi Consular, Smuggler or Trooper for the Republic, while the Imperial faction allows Sith Warrior, Sith Inquisitor, Bounty Hunter and Imperial Operative. The specifications and attributes of each class are displayed at the top of the screen so that you can have a real informed decision about the character your making, and whether you feel it suits your play style. Then, you choose your species. Some species are class specific, for example the Cyborg species is restricted to Troopers and Smugglers in the Republic faction, while the Miraluka species is restricted to Jedi Knight and Consular. Each species has a 'social ability', for example; human species can 'rally' their allies, while cyborgs can 'scan targets'. It'll be interesting to see how this can effect both combat and dialogue - it would be cool for a cyborg to be able to tell if a character is lying by scanning them for stolen goods etc.

Then, class and species picked, you move on to the aesthetic customisation of your character. You have four main body types to choose from; small and slight, the 'average' setting, the body builder, and the big ol' tub of lard. That's right - fat Jedi are in The Old Republic to stay. To be fair, the muscular version looks just as ridiculous when in scenes next to 'normal' sized players. Then, you can change the hair (including an emo style! It's sad being a Sith), the eyes, the face shape, the beards, as well as the option to give your character a tattoo or a scar - one option looking like something akin to Frankenstein's monster, and another which might have been a tribute to Han Solo's (or Harrison Ford's) scar on his chin. All neat options, with alternative customisation available to the different species and classes (for example, a Twi'lek can chose the pattern on their lekku (brain-tail thingys)

And then that's it, you pick your name and hope that it's available, and then you're sent off to start your new life in The Old Republic. Before I was forced to lower the graphical capabilities, the detail on the character models did look great. A sort of cartoonish style, but not far from the styling of Dragon Age. The hair and scars look great, it's just a shame that if your system isn't up to scratch you won't be able to appreciate it all the time.

And we're off...

So my first run through was with the Trooper class, and like with all classes you are first greeted with the traditional Star Wars scrolling yellow prologue which gives you a little bit of a back story into who your character is and where he/she comes from. This is a really nice touch and adds that level of personalisation that attaches you to your character. Then, in typical Star Wars fashion, the camera pans out to, in my case, the ship that my trooper was in on his way to whatever battle he was to be a part of. When I played through as a Sith Warrior, I was sent down to a completely different planet to meet with my overseer, while playing as a Smuggler I was sent to the same planet as the Trooper, just under different circumstances. So it would seem  that you'll sometimes be paired with a similar class during the first few levels of play, so it might be a while before you meet with the other classes who are off doing their own thing on their planet. Once on the planet, you're immediately given a mission, and in the case of the Smuggler and the Trooper, that mission involves killing enemy troops and destroying enemy equipment. It's a nice idea, and having seen the opening moments from both camps, I think it does a good job of giving your character his/her own special reason for being on the planet and for doing whatever it is you chose to do. 

   

So I didn't really get far enough to play any of the actual 'flashpoints' that are available, but I did take on a few quests on my own which was met with satisfying dialogue options with pretty good voice acting. But, then I figured out how to ask other players running around me to join my group, and after many rejected attempts, my Smuggler character finally was joined by a burly Trooper (Gnubb I think...) who was surprisingly more than happy to follow me on my quests, as I too was happy to follow him on his. This led up to one of the main selling points of The Old Republic - multiplayer missions, and more specifically, multiplayer dialogue. In some cases, I could take the role of a spectator in the integral story quests that the Gnubb had to fulfil - this meant that I was able to see the cutscenes that the Gnubb was taking part in, and follow how his own personal story is setting out. I loved this, as it meant that I could tell what sort of character this stranger was, and how he was choosing to play the game. While my Smuggler was on board with the whole 'anti-hero' vibe, Gnubb was a straigh-laced soldier who followed orders and strove to help the helpless. Then, in some of the side-missions, we were given the option to approach dialogue together - with both characters interacting at the same time. For those of you who don't already know this, both players will be given the opportunity to respond to the character that they are talking to as a group, and based on a rolled score, both will be given the chance to have their character respond to the quest-giver in the way that they have chosen. If you decide that you want to be a smart-ass to the NPC, then you chose that option, and if Gnubb wanted to be more forgiving, he would chose his option. Then the scores would be calculated, and the higher number would create the character response - sometimes with devastating effects. This is an interesting one, as it really allows each person to have their own say in the story, while still playing in a group - the action and events aren't dictated by one person, and it is entirely possible to change the way the mission plays out just by making a choice that differs from your fellow player, or players. It'll be particularly amusing when you are faced with having a character's life in your hands, and decide that actually - your Jedi Knight is toying with the darkside, and you have the character killed, while the Trooper that you've been playing with can only watch in horror. 

And then...

...my game crashed - again probably because my little ol' laptop can't keep up. But I did actually have a lot of fun fulfilling quests and watching a story line develop. I've never played a MMORPG before, so I don't really know how well this holds up to competition, but coming from a background of RPG's that focus on storytelling, I really enjoyed being able to chose how to enjoy the game despite it being a multiplayer experience, and I look forward to the full release next month. I've had a taste of Smuggler, Trooper and Sith Warrior, and if possible I will try some of the other classes before the beta finishes, but at the same time, I don't want to ruin it. It's obviously possible to have multiple characters, but I'll want to focus on one character at first before I go back and develop another. 

If anyone else tried the beta and is somehow by amazing coincidence on this blog, let me know how you found it. Also, if anyone want to give me money for that Alienware.....if only!

May the Force be with you

Incoming...

Star Wars: The Old Republic

So, most people who pre-ordered The Old Republic way back when pre-orders were announced, which all true Star Wars and Bioware fans obviously have done, will have this week been rewarded for their loyalty and excitement with an invitation to Beta test the game. One of those people being me. So, my weekend is pretty much sorted and I can wholly guarantee that I won't be contributing to my degree for those two days. If possible, I will upload some thoughts and pictures/videos/whatever from my impressions of the game so far - so eyes peeled if you want any information on that.

That is, of course, unless my University accommodation's server allows such gaming...oh god I might cry...

Alex Reviews...

Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Essentially, all my free time at the moment has been spent playing Skyrim, and I really don't feel like that time has been wasted. However, having waited eagerly for so long, I am in no rush to finish it (not that that would be an easy feat) so this isn't so much a review, but more a little description of just some of the things that I've liked so far about this game - things people may already know, but as I like to stay away from spoiler-news, a lot of this is new to me, and also, a lot of this may not be exciting at all to you.

Naming weapons

Not actually the blade I'm talking about...

So, I only just got a weapon that actually looks pretty darn badass and suits my playing style (sword and shield, never fails) and while I was mucking about trying to add some kickass enchantments to it (you can give your weapons and armour certain magical effects, such as fire damage or increasing the amount of health you have) I spied the option to 'Rename item'. What? I can rename my sword? It's a little perk, but every real fantasy lover knows that a sword just isn't a sword unless it has a name; see Aragorn's Anduril or Eddard Stark's Ice. So for people who really like to get into the whole role-playing aspect of these games, you'll appreciate the chance to ride off killing dragons with your mighty sword; Mr. Stabby! Or something else...

Bookcases

I also managed to purchase my first house in one of the towns of Skyrim, because I am an honoured guest or something. It wasn't much to begin with, but by investing some gold I was able to add some furnishings to make it seem more homely. Being a fan of the Sims franchise, I like the idea of being able to customise houses for your characters, so I set to work leaving things on tables and such, but then I saw that interacting with a bookcase allowed me to store the books that I had pilfered on my journey in a neat stack. I love that, and it actually made me more likely to pick up otherwise useless tomes to make my character seem like the well red sort. I don't even know if this was or was not an option in Oblivion, but it was a nice surprise for me.

Followers

You will either love or hate Lydia...

Having an extra sword to follow you around and carry your heavy items isn't a new thing in Bethesda games - there were options for that in Oblivion and the Fallout games, but in Skyrim you can recruit a heck of a lot more. You can only really have one follow you around at one time, but, for example, I recently became head of a certain guild (not planning on ruining anything here, don't worry) and once in this position, I could walk into the headquarters and just pick one of the warriors to come with me at the drop of a hat. I'm not sure if there are any substantial differences between the vast amount of characters you can have accompany you, but generally you will have them be the first rushing into battle to save your skin. The only aggravating thing is when they bar your way, but this is easily remedied, as there is a new 'control' function where you can directly tell your follower to do interact with a certain part of the environment, which can come in handy when you are suspicious about walking into a dark room, but not suspicious enough to not send your hapless friend in there first.

Children

To be honest, it isn't a big deal when children aren't present in these sort of games, but I really noticed it in Oblivion as there was one side-mission where a woman, who didn't seem that elderly, sent me off to rescue her daughter, who turned out to be a fully grown woman. Children in Skyrim will come up to you, spout annoying crap now and then, but generally just add to the realism of the world, sometimes commenting about how they work with their mother, or admiring the fact that you walk around with such glorious armour. One little thing that I enjoyed partaking in was when a small boy invited me to play tag with him and his friends. Why the hell not? He chased and I chased and...wow...I'm sure you wouldn't get away with that in a modern day game...

Procrastinating

The animations when crafting items is another plus to Skyrim

As I said before, I am in no rush to finish this game, I intend to enjoy it to the fullest. In this sense, Skyrim has made every effort to allow you to completely ignore quests and still do something productive. There are skills that you can pursue, such as cooking, smithery, alchemy and so on, and you might be pleasantly surprised that you can actually see your character carrying out these tasks - it isn't a simple menu-based interaction like in Fallout 3 when you wanted to repair your weapon, this time you will actually see your character crouch down to sharpen his sword at a grindstone. You can scour the land for flowers and insects to use in Alchemy, a perk which levels like most other talents in the game, to create potions and poisons. I like the idea that you, at first, don't actually know what the ingredients you've collected will do, so in order to find out their effects you have to be your own guinea-pig and consume them. You can pick up a pickaxe and mine deposits for iron ore, which you can then smelt into ingots, which then in turn can be forged into weapons and armour. This is definitely something worth putting time and effort into, as the top of the perk-tree for the Blacksmith skill is being able to create dragon armour...duh! It just adds to the character you want to create - yes he is Dragonborn and sure he probably has some major role in turn of events, but what if he wasn't? I like the idea that my character could have been a blacksmith, a cook, an alchemist, a hunter, a farmer, whatever, before he was thrown into the world of dragons. I might be alone in this,but if you like roleplaying, being able to develop your character in any way is always exciting.

Beasts and baddies

Oh god oh god oh god

The fast-travel function is back in Skyrim, which is good when you don't have much time to spare, but if you do feel like taking in the scenery, walking across the land is always good fun. Good fun, and dangerous. The beasts and bandits are all over Skyrim, some that are more an annoyance than a real threat, and others that will have you sprinting for help. What is nice is that you don't find the same old enemies everywhere you travel; while walking across the grassy plains you'll see deer grazing, and foxes scampering around, before you're set upon by wolves. But, when you traverse to the icy realms you'll start to encounter what look like walruses, and ice trolls. You'll also be bumping into groups of bandits and rogue mages, except they don't always rush in to fight you. There have  been many times where I have accidentally stumbled in on a couple of bandits who are simply sitting around eating, and although swords were immediately drawn, there was a moment of a stand-off. Instead of charging in, I was 'warned' to back away. It was only when I stubbornly strode forward towards them that they decided a fight was unavoidable and went for me; I could have easily turned and left them well alone. Again, a dimension of realism in the characters - bandits are bad sure enough, but maybe they aren't always in the mood to fight, and maybe there will be times when they'll try to avoid it because they really aren't in the mood. 

The one slightly strange thing about the beasts and such, is that there are some beasts that you will dread to walk into as, early on at least, fighting one is a real hassle. Yet, when a dragon soars down, it isn't that hard in comparison. It might just be because dragons are huge targets that don't move so fast, but I would rather take on a dragon than a troll or a bear, because despite being half my size, with no wings, and no fire-breath, a bear can kill me quite easily. I suppose since the dragons are unscripted and can just fly in on you at whatever point, it wouldn't make sense to make them too hard as it would create way too many rage-quits, it's just an oddity is all.

I'm sure my comments on this game will develop over the next month or so, so this will most likely not be the only post about my epic journey across Skyrim.

Alex Reviews...

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3

It's here, or really, it's been here for about four days now seeing as Amazon didn't manage to get it to me until yesterday (though I can't complain, they got Skyrim to me a day early!) but the final Modern Warfare game has hit shelves for the whole of three seconds before somebody snatches them down to cradle them home to their PS3 or Xbox360. Now, I live in university accommodation at the moment so the server connecting to the immensely popular multiplayer has been blocked, which means I can't really sample the main appeal of this game. But, Call of Duty has by now means forgotten about the offline content for its games, and fans of the series will be yearning to find out where the campaign takes the story in order to end this heart-racing saga. 

Now, I hate spoiling the plot of games and films because everything is always so much better when it surprises you, but it will surprise no fans of the series that you'll be seeing the hard duo Soap and Captain Price jetting across the world in their mission to kick the dastardly Makarov's arse. But, from teaser trailers and press releases, you'll already know that not all the action is following Soap and Price, but also covers the breakout of 'World War 3' across America and Europe. As is popular in games and films these days, prepare to see mass destruction of famous landmarks and buildings crashing down around you between intense gunfire and explosions. The campaign isn't particularly long, but it is exciting throughout with the intense battles and use of the extremely effective armoury at your disposal. The action sequences sometimes border silly (in fact, this happens a lot) but they keep you feeling like the most bad-ass soldier to grace this virtual world, be it by breaching a room full of enemy soldiers and taking them each out single handedly, or sliding at break-neck speed down the side of a collapsing building with only seconds to steer your fall out of deaths way. The controls easy to use and you'll be taking out the opposition with ease after the first few minutes of play. The enemy AI good, sometimes you'll be scoffing at how easily they managed to shoot you from across the battlefield, but then you'll peg three soldiers in quick succession and remember that the game has to keep up with what is effectively a super-soldier. The graphics seem great on the PS3, nothing ground breaking and it is hard to really appreciate it when you're chasing an objective, but you'll easily find yourself immersed in play. Some of the upgrades to the weapons that you use are the very definition of 'cool' - being able to switch between a long range and short range scope with a simple flick of the hand is pure genius, and everything from the look of the gun to the view down the sights reminds you of the sheer power of these tools to cause mayhem. 

My only despair with the campaign mode is that it didn't seem very long, but in earnest it was cursed with the 'just one more level' effect, so its lack of longevity is partially my fault. The thing is, Modern Warfare 3 keeps you excited all the way through, because the likelihood is you'll never experience such action in real life. So it is only natural that you finish wanting more, and then, of course, you are left with what will most likely be a highly addictive and competitive online multiplayer, and the return of Spec-Ops to test your skills with friends in well thought out challenge modes.

So what will happen with Call of Duty next? Is this really the end of Modern Warfare? Can they even surpass the excitement of this game, or will they wait until the arrival of the next generation of consoles to bring a new frenzy of bullets and fire? Only time will tell.

Incoming...

Just two days until Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 hits the shelves and this pretty cool live-action ad gets us pumped. Starring a pretty slim looking Jonah Hill (Superbad, Get Him to the Greek) and buff as always Sam Worthington (Terminator:Salvation, Avatar). Looking forward to it!

Incoming...

Star Wars: The Old Republic

Just a quick update video from Bioware showing how the Imperial Agent class would play out in their ambitious MMORPG out late this year - I hear that both this and the Smuggler class have been the least likely to be played as in testing so far...it sure would be cool to act as a sniper, albeit infuriating for opposition players, but I still think the Bounty Hunter is going to be more tempting in the long run.

Alex Reviews...

The Help

I've been pretty lazy when it's come to The Help; I saw the book on shelves, my mother bought the book, I said I would read it but I never got round to it. Then I heard that there was a film adaptation, so I decided I could ingest it that way instead. I don't know if I'll ever get round to reading the book, especially now, because the film did a damn fine job and I don't see what else I'd need to get from the story. That being said, if you have read the book, see the film, because even without any real knowledge about the story I was gripped.

The Help follows an aspiring author Eugenia 'Skeeter' Phelan (Emma Stone) in the early 1960's who returns home to Jackson after four years of university. She is welcomed back by the typical 'stepford wives' of the town, but in her pursuit to become a fully fledged journalist she opts to come to know the African American maids who work in each and every white household, cooking the food, cleaning the floors and most importantly, raising the kids. The two main protagonists are Aibileen (Viola Davis) and Minny (Octavia Spencer), maids who take the risk of anonymously telling their stories of life as a maid to Skeeter, putting their lives on the line to give a perspective that nobody has heard, and nobody wants known. Cue emotional tales, revulsion at the behaviour of the heads of the houses, and tear-jerking moments of either sadness or pride in the underdog making a stand. There are a few comedic moments that will have you chuckling, but it's a nice and heartfelt piece with stellar acting despite a lack of big names attached to the bill.

It's the type of film that can sadden you when you think of how life used to be in these parts of the world, but it is a heart-warming film that throws up the themes of bravery and courage in standing up to what society deems to be normal, and although there aren't really any 'jump out of your chair and cheer' moments, you will be glad to have seen it.

Alex Reviews...

The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn

I never really was a fan of Tintin - I don't know if it was just because it was before my time, if I didn't like the artwork, didn't like gingers (joking, joking) or just wasn't really introduced to it, but I wasn't too excited about this film. Leaving the cinema, I'm still not particularly a fan of Tintin, but I definitely enjoyed the work that was put into a superbly directed and exquisitely animated film following the young investigative reporter Tintin on his adventures with his loyal pup Snowy. Although I am sure that fans of the comics will get much more out of the film than I will, I doubt anyone will see the film and feel that their time has been wasted.

The most striking thing about this adaptation is the CGI, and again how far it has come in the past decade. Yes, the film maintains a certain cartoonish quality with its characters, but the environments and character motions are exemplary. I saw it in 2D but I think this is probably the only film that I felt I should have paid the extra few quid to see in three-dimensions with the graphics as good as they are, but with Spielberg and Peter Jackson behind it you should expect no less. 

The characters are fun, if not somewhat annoying if you are a stranger to the material, but in any case keep the story flowing at an amusing pace. The action is the highlight however, with any restraints that may occur with live-action films being tossed out the window to allow one particularly exciting car-chase through a populated town and a ridiculous aeroplane journey across a desert. It ends with the possibility for a sequel, and if the technical prowess of the film is anything to go by; this can only be a good thing.