First Impressions

I know I said I wasn't all that interested in Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II and I meant every word I wrote. However, as you can see on the side bar of my blog here, the game is listed amongst those that I've picked up and am currently playing.

Did I turn around and cave in?!

Short answer: No.

Truth of the matter is this; I did have a couple more days left on my Blockbuster game pass and seeing the game on the shelf was just too tempting to pass up. I wanted to see for myself if this game is every bit as bad as a lot of these reviews have pegged it to be. Hell I just want to see if the game is actually better on the whole, or if my first impressions from the demo were indeed correct.

Now I could have started up on this game, but I was far too busy diving back into the world of Albion with Fable 3...

The story so far seems okay and I wish I could at least try and bash the face in of your character's older brother. But so far, the game does feel the same as Fable 2 and I haven't seen much (outside of the holding hands option) that really differs from the previous game.

The one aspect that I am curious to see for myself is the evolution of your weapons, which is apparently based on whom you kill. And that brings me to my next curiosity: Should I take the blood of innocents? Do I want a weapon that bleeds? Hmmm....

And then there is WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2011, which overall I am enjoying but am also disappointed to a certain extent. I feel like the game is only a demo, that it is missing something that is keeping it from feeling complete. What I dislike was the major changes in the game play, which have cut out the option of having more moves for your grapplers.

What I hate is the fact that there has been quite a few things taken out (besides moves) and it just feels to me like there was more taken then there was inserted...

But I think my girlfriend had a very good point about this: To get something new, you've gotta give up a thing or two in exchange.

Well said.

At Last

Finally.

After months of waiting, I am finally only minutes away from being able to play WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2011. Arguably, this purchase is one I consider my game of the year (which may or may not be sad, considering the number of games that are released per year). Hell I am actually surprised with myself, seeing as I made it through the store without going insane as I walked past Fable 3.

That isn't to say that I did not considered canceling my pre-order and just grabbing Fable 3 on the spot. I thought about it, but I think I will save that one for another day. Today I am just looking forward to smashing heads and body slamming virtual wrestlers.

And maybe what this all comes down to is this: after being hit with a string of bad titles (Final Fantasy XIII, Alpha Protocol), I am just looking for something... ANYTHING... to make up for those.

In any event, I imagine I will be occupied with this game for some time. Hell I am always occupied when it comes down to this series. So as far as getting my money's worth, these wrestling games usually keep me playing for nearly a year at a time.

And I am babbling on here, so I am out!

Finally.

Almost Afraid

As I sit awake this morning, far too early I might add, I am just thinking about how my mind has hyped the upcoming release of WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2011. It has been a long time since I've gotten so worked up about playing a game and every waking second just makes me want to go and get this thing already.

But then I realize that I've been here before.

In a sort of ironic turn of events, I happen to be listening to Leona Lewis's song, "My Hands" that was featured in Final Fantasy XIII...

And what has not been helping is the developers for this latest WWE game have been hitting up pod casts all over the place in the past several months (that I've been following anyway). The most recent one (last night) proved to shine a lot of light on a lot of questions I personally had. By all accounts, it does sound as though the game has been improved all around which can only be a good thing, right?

Like the title of this entry states, I am almost afraid to think that this game, or any game, could actually be improved that much. I am hoping that my fears are nothing true and that this game will be like Assassin's Creed II, in that it actually does look, feel and play entirely better then what came before it.

But then as I said, I've been here before and there are far too many games that have failed to live up to their own hype. What I really hope does not happen is maybe another Medal of Honor, which was being hyped up as being a CoD killer. Now I have not personally played this, but from the reviews of both fans and critics alike, it certainly did not live up to its hype.

All of this applies to another game I am interested in, that being Fable 3.

If there is one thing that I am really not liking about this console generation is all of this extra hype. Because of this madness (which I tend to fall "victim" to more often then I'd care to admit), we've seen the advent of a lot of extra content added in to new releases and that has been even more of a cause for craziness.

Anyway, the point I am getting at is October 26th is just a little under a week away, which means both games I've mentioned will be released upon us. I just hope they live up to their hype....

WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2011: 9 Days Left

I have been a fan of wrestling for a long time (I don't shy away from that fact) and I've been hooked onto the video games associated to them for nearly as long. As far as WWE games are concerned, I have been playing those since the time the games were still just being called Smackdown. And you know what? It is almost impossible to go back to play the older games (for me at least), because it always feels like the series moves ahead just that much with each passing year.

This year is absolutely no exception to this either.

As it goes, my interest in the series has spiked because the game that is about to be unleashed this year looks to be the most promising one thus far. I mean just look at the attention to detail that has been paid to the character models (pictured above is Wade Barrett, leader of the Nexus). That is what his character model looks like in the game!

I could go on, but what I am trying to say is this:

Cannot wait for this game! Looks like it may be one of those years where I am practically glued to the game...

Rest For The Weary

So after spending what felt like a fortune on Halo: Reach, I am absolutely grateful that there is absolute NOTHING that I am interested in for a good short while. My next run into spending hell will be on October 26th, when 3 games are released that I am -hoping- I will be able to afford all of.

Topping this trio? Yes, WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2011.

These past few years I have been telling myself that this one is it! No more after this! But every year I am drawn back in with the updated rosters, updated graphics, updated whatever it is that hooks my attention (and wallet). This year's game is sporting an updated physics engine, which basically allows a player to slam their opponent onto and/or through various objects and such.

But what seals the deal on capturing my interest is the WWE Universe mode, which basically makes exhibition matches and what not, feel and play like their TV show counterparts. Yes these all seem complete with #1 contenders, run ins and all the madness that is pro wrestling.

Second on my trio of interest is Fable III.

What needs to be said about Fable III? If it is anything even remotely like Fable II, then I imagine I will be hooked to the game for quite a long while here after.

But then, as I mentioned in a previous writing, I am liking this idea of being able to rise up and become King (or Queen). I am hoping there is a decent amount of freedom in this aspect, as I would absolutely love to play out being a just King and eventually a tyrant.

Lastly is Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II.

I enjoyed the hell out of the original game and I thought it controlled pretty well and the story was interesting to me for the most part. As far this sequel is concerned though, I am a little concerned with this cloning business that seems to have StarKiller (the main character from the first game) either back from the dead or is a copy of the original.

But that aside, I've read that there will be more uses for the Force this time around and maybe even a couple of new powers added to the mix. I like that. I like destruction too.

Until then, I will continue on with my newly aquired Netflix addiction which has me watching so many different TV shows and movies, I think my head is about to explode. But it is kind of nice to have this service now, as that means I now have even less (or practically no) reason left to go to those dreadfully irritating rental stores.

Oh and Borderlands is getting (I think) it's final DLC in ClapTrap's New Robot Revolution next Tuesday which has to be pure awesome in itself. I think Borderlands is probably the only game I think I've ever bought DLC where the content was actually fairly better then decent.

Speaking of Tuesday, I believe Iron Man 2 is hitting DVD on that day and I've got my eyes on Chris Jericho's biography DVD (Breaking The Code: Behind the Walls of Chris Jericho) too.

Well wouldn't you know it! I just might end up broke before October after all!