Busy Times

It has been quite a task, formulating these words for this writing today. I've been meaning to write a little something sooner, but I have just been far too occupied to do so. I would like to say that I have been busy working and enjoying that type of busy, but that is a lie. I've been growing miserable at work again and I guess having that second job kept me away enough to where it didn't bother me so much.

But I won't get into that so called "problem" here. I am grateful to even have a job at this point, all things considered, and so I will just make due with what I have for the time being.

Onto what I seem to fixate over more often then not, video games.

I've been fairly hooked onto Assassin's Creed II, so much so that I haven't really even touched Dragon Age Origins lately. And to say Assassin's Creed II is an improvement over the original would easily be an understatement. It truly is the type of game that the first should have been. It is a rare thing to play a sequel that thoroughly outdoes its predecessor.

Dragon Age is still a point of interest to me, but I am waiting to hear more about the next DLC for it. Apparently it will allows players to return to Ostagar to exact revenge, reclaim the armor of the fallen King and even add a second dog to your party? Hmm...

To top this all off, I just recently picked up LittleBigPlanet: Game of the Year Edition and have slowly begun to relearn what little I knew in the first place. Someday I will unleash my creations unto the world! Until then though... how do you make a three way switch work properly without having the skateboard it is attached to rocket away?

Some might think I am a little jumpy when it comes to games, that I never finish what I start. I am nearing the end for both Dragon Age and Assassin's Creed 2. As for Borderlands, eh... that is more of a co-op thing between me and my girlfriend, so that gets playtime whenever we get the chance.

Anyway, that is that for me and I guess my brain has hit an overload of gaming lately. Perhaps that is the cause of my lack of motivation? Wait, no. I don't lack motivation, I just feel like I am in a rut right now. I'll elaborate later, maybe.

Last One For The Road

It has been a long, yet equally fast paced year this 2009. But that, as I said, is quickly becoming the past and it seems it is usually best to look forward and not back, yes? And really, how can anyone look back at 2009 when there is a great deal to come in 2010?

But before I can leave 2009 behind once and for all, there is a little matter of unfinished business yet to attend to. With that in mind, at long last I have come to what is to be the last game I buy this year: Assassin's Creed II.

Truthfully, the more I hear and read and watch about this, the more I am convinced that the game has been greatly improved over the original. Yes that is the purpose of these many promotional videos and what not, but they are just what it took to turn my distrust into pure anticipation.

Mercifully, the entire missions structure has been redone. Ubisoft says they've added new mission types, which I hope equals to saying there won't be anymore of those boring investigations and the like. Personally, I hope these missions are a little more action oriented.

And of course there are even more ways to dispatch your enemies this time around. Surely the double hidden blades are nice, but the arm gun is a nice addition as well. I wonder if my favorite weapon, the throwing knives, will be back as well? Long range, silent and deadly they were. I can't imagine they'd be left out!

But what fun would it be to kill the same dull old enemies? I am liking this addition of smarter enemies, who will actually poke around and search at places where you can hide yourself. That will make escaping the city guards quite a bit more challenging, or so I am hoping.

As for the story itself, it is one of revenge as far as I've come to know it. What helps paint a better picture is the series of live action videos called "Assassin's Creed Lineage." They tell the tale of Assassin's Creed II main character, Enzo's, father. He, too, was an assassin. What fate awaits Enzo's father and his family? Well I have my ideas, but I haven't watched the last two episodes of the video.

To me, this is one of the few games where I have to believe the sequel will surpass it's predecessor. Yeah Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 was a pretty big deal and all, but this is the game I truly have been waiting for. I am hoping the story is good, though I think it'll be hard pressed to get my full attention after Dragon Age Origins. Still, I am more then willing to give this game a chance. Hopefully I'll see the ending of this game, unlike the original...

Random, Useless Knowledge...

Wow, I'm a little shocked by this late discovery... I had no idea that Kristen Bell (from Heroes, Veronica Mars) was in the original Assassin's Creed! When exactly did this happen? I didn't even... wow.

What's more, she has returned to her role as "Lucy" (the Animus tech, pictured below) for Assassin's Creed II. I suppose that means she will continue to talk to Desmond throughout the course of the game. When I first saw the posting of this, I thought maybe she would be voicing a new character in the game or something.

Huh.

I guess I should have paid more attention to this Lucy character after all...

Alpha FAIL

I would be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed in the slightest at the apparent delay of Alpha Protocol, from the makers of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2. How or why would I be disappointed by the delay of a game that was set for release on October 6th, which is now set for sometime in the summer of 2010? Because it surely appears as though everyone is running away to 2010 (rumor has it, it is all because of Modern Warfare 2), which isn't all that entirely bad considering how these games will be a little more spaced apart.

But why this one? Why an RPG? I suppose I should reserve any judgment until maybe there is a reason or something to explain this. But in all likelihood, the game is delayed and I guess I just have to pull my reservation off of this and put it elsewhere. Perhaps Borderlands (which I have absolutely no idea what the game is about) or maybe even the big, bad Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2? The only game I am certain to try and pick up is Assassin's Creed 2...

Either way, it looks like my RPG playing fun is all but over for this year. After playing through and finishing Infinite Undiscovery and Mass Effect, I was hopeful to continue onto Alpha Protocol. So much for that one! Meh.

Too Much Game

I don't even know where to begin to write about all of these seemingly good games that will be released from now to the ending of the year. I mean there are just some great looking games in every genre that it is just outright insane!

But one thing that has changed for me, unlike it was last year, is I am definitely going to be more cautious on which of the many games I'll actually get this time around. What prompts this change (besides the hurting for money) is just that a lot of the games ended up being not that great (Prince of Persia! Inhuman! Blah!).

Top of my list is WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2010, which I wasn't entirely sure of until I read and watched what they announced about this year's installment. Let me put it this way: They had me sold from the moment they said YOU are in control. But what does that mean?

So unlike in the past games of the series, this year you get a lot more control over damn near everything. Rather then just playing and/or making the matches (As it was in the GM Mode from 07-08), you can put together the ENTIRE show yourself. You control the matches made, what is said and just everything.

Does that make sense?

Factor in that the create-a-wrestler has *hopefully* gotten a overhaul and the create-a-finisher has been improved as well.

Now it would be nice if you could make a little more in-depth factions, rather then the lame ones up until now. I don't know how to explain what I'm thinking right now, but when I get that stuff sorted out, I shall return here and yack, yack away.

Now it all doesn't sound like a big deal, but I am a fiend when it comes to creating and I have been hooked into wrestling games for years just on the fact that you are given a lot of freedom in creating what you like.

Another game I am getting a little hyped up over is Assassin's Creed II, which looks like it has solved a number of issues that was present in the original. I am surely hoping that the second time around brings out the full (or at least more) of the ideas that this game had in it.

Then of course there is Final Fantasy XIII, though that seems certain to not be out until some time next year. And no demo loving for us folks in the US. Ouch. So why did I even bother to mention it? I don't know to be quite honest...

One thing I do know is that I like to just throw the name back out there, just to keep it fresh in the mind. Whatever that means...?

Really though, it is looking like it is shaping up to being a pretty good game. But as it was before, my real interest at this point isn't in FFXIII, but rather Final Fantasy Versus XIII. Now when is that going to be released here in the states? 2012? UGH.

Now I won't say much about Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 other then I enjoyed the first Modern Warfare quite a bit. I'm expecting to enjoy this newest game as well. What is there not to enjoy? It is uncommon to see a FPS set more to modern times, rather then having to shoot up aliens or something outwordly like that.

And truth be told, I didn't really care for World at War. But then that wasn't made by the same guys, so that is a whole different story anyway.

The Watch List: Here are the games that LOOKED interesting to me, but presently I am just not that sold on 'em.

The Way of the Samurai 3: I've only played one of the games in this series and it wasn't all that bad. I am hoping since it is on a new generation of consoles, it'll be much improved over the past games. Why can't they do that for Dynasty Warriors?

Halo 3 ODST: Truthfully, I am actually strongly considering this game and yet I have my doubts. I think I had more fun with FPS games like Call of Duty, Gears of War and even Rainbow Six.

Katamari Forever: Its a Katamari game! What isn't there to love? Actually, after the last game I played from this series (can't remember the exact name, but it was on the XBox 360), it left a bitter taste in my mouth. I am hoping this goes back to what made it weird and fun. Can't beat the original!

Kingdom Hearts 358/2: I haven't actually played a lot of these offshoot games (like Chain of Memories), so this is actually more for my girlfriend then anything. She loves this series and I would love it more if, maybe, there was a Kingdom Hearts 3? Hmm...

Dissidia Final Fantasy: Yes it is a Final Fantasy, but after playing the demo I will simply say this about it: I'm not sold. I haven't been since they announced the roster of fighters. When I thought of a fighting game based on the FF Series, I thought it'd be more of a free for all. You know, EVERYONE verses EVERYONE. Oh well.

Scribblenauts: I don't know all that much about this game. But from what I can recall, it surely looked like a different and fun game. Maybe different isn't the right choice of words. Unique? Sounds a little better, don't it?

Army of Two: The 40th Day: Improved co-op? I'm almost sold right there! But I still haven't heard all that much about this game yet, so I'm reserving judgment on this until there is more info. Looks fun though. I want my gold and shiny AK-47 back! Enemies the world over were mesmerized by its radiant glow of awesomeness!

And one last mention before I end this and while it was just announced and who knows when it'll be released, but....

FABLE 3?!

Magic and the Sequels

Wait, we're already in the month of July?! When did that pesky month sneak up in here anyhow? It is nothing short of staggering to me to know that these months have not slowed down in their passing. I could have sworn it was January the other day. It is scary to think that life is just blazing by and before long old age will have set in and I will be an old man, sharing tales of how life was so different 'back in the old days.'

Speaking of the old days, I had a little trip down memory lane recently. You see, Magic The Gathering has a new game out on Xbox Live (Magic The Gathering: Duels of the Planeswalkers) and I just could not help myself. I had to play it!

And it plays exactly as the card game would play, nothing changed and nothing special about it. To be honest, maybe that was what drew me into the game in the first place and what kept me liking it over the years. It was not like other games, in that this game was fairly easy to pick up and it was always a bitch to try and master. Hell, I don't think anyone has yet. Surely there are good players and then there are the great ones too. But there is just way too much going on for any one player to have picked it all up. Or maybe...?

Oops, I've gone and went off the deep end again huh? Sorry.

Still, it is fun and it brought back a lot of memories of my days in middle and high school. My friends and I played damn near every chance we got, back in those days. The heated matches were always the best, especially when we'd hit up games of four players. Yes, insanity ensued. Those were the days alright... that game held it's own with us all for years, until we discovered Counter-Strike and all of that good stuff, but that's another story for another day.

A couple of other quick thoughts; it would seem that a great many games this year are going to be sequels. Two games of note (for me) would be Assassin's Creed II and Overlord II. Both look interesting and Overlord II was very much so, with what little I played in its demo.

Assassin's Creed II stands out because it looks like the developers have taken the stuff that people complained about and have taken it to heart. What I'm hoping the future holds is a demo for this game, because I'd love to see how all these new game mechanics fit into the grander scheme. Maybe it'll be more interesting then the original, which I never have finished even to this day.

But maybe that is the plight of these open world games? It is just too open and too vast to hold enough interesting stuff to hold the attention of a player. Hell I know I have issues in keeping my interest in a game like these. More recently, I've been playing through InFamous, but now I find myself feeling burnt out and uninterested. Sadly this feeling (or lack thereof) has even extended to Prototype, which I had only recently bought.

Its my hope that future games will fare better then those in the past, especially with so many sequels hitting stores this year. I enjoy these types of games and a lot of others too, but the enjoyment never lasts for me. It is so truly rare to come across any game that can hold my interest and my attention long enough to see it's ending.

So again, here's hoping games like Assassin's Creed II and Overlord II have learned from the past.

Assassin's Creed II

It is officially safe to say that I am now falling back into the "hype" of things. Even while knowing that falling for such hype can be a double edged sword, in that there is a chance that the game in question cannot live up to what it was made out to be. I just cannot help myself...

And yet here I go again, drooling over a sequel that promises the world. This time I am falling to the hype that is Assassin's Creed 2.

I will make this fact no secret to the world: I enjoyed the heck out of the first game. Surely it was far from being perfect, but the freedom to move and kill as you pleased was far too alluring for me to ignore.

No, I am not crazed murder freak. I simply appreciated the sheer scale of the world, not to mention the fact that there was a pretty good and mysterious story throughout (the main character in modern times was a little odd though). The only pitfall to the game, at least for me, came in due part because of the lack of variety. My interest eventually fell off because the missions repeat themselves after the first city and really, the only side quest stuff you could do was find a crazy number of flags or hunt down the Templar knights. The latter becomes boring later on, when Altair gets more abilities because the field is more then leveled.

Well, the promise here is major expansion on what made the original so good and I am falling for it, hook, line and sinker.

One interesting change is the addition of a second "hidden" blade. I assume that means you can now assassinate twice as many people. Or maybe there will be some new and unique ways to utilize both? Hmmm...

Along the same subject, now you don't even have to select the blade to assassinate someone. Just find a unsuspecting victim and ta-da! Dead. Easy, no?

What gets my interest more so is the fact that the many nuisances that plagued the first game are being addressed here. More missions, more ways to assassinate, more weapons to choose from and just more of everything really!

Funny note: This time, the assassin can swim (unlike the first game, where you fall into the water and it's game over. Made me wonder why these "bad guys" didn't just jump on a boat and float out to sea...) and at least you have more ways of cutting down your notoriety in the cities rather then just assassinate, run and hide.

Okay, now I may not have made the best sense just then, but believe me when I say that I am already counting down the days until November 17 comes. That is the day when I become an assassin again!

Er, well... sort of.