tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57427205625444568092024-03-06T03:01:41.093+00:00Super Game FighterAttempting to K.O. my games collection, one game at a time.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger114125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742720562544456809.post-16735184724480214962013-11-28T14:46:00.000+00:002013-11-28T14:46:34.569+00:00Crash Bandicoot 2: Cortex Strikes Back - Snow Go + Hang EightSo, err, seven months ago I started this....I've been, like, super busy (he lied). Let's forget about all that for now and head right into part two of my adventures to finally beat the first ever Playstation game I ever played: Crash Bandicoot 2.<br />
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We had just found the first crystal for Cortex. Now it was time for...<br />
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<u><b>Level 2 - Snow Go</b></u></div>
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I must say, I was very surprised when I found out that "Snow Go" did not turn out to be a volcano level. Still, right off the bat the level throws in something new - the Nitro crate. Unlike the TNT crate - Nitro's blow up instantly. Don't touch them.</div>
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Ice physics make their introduction to the series. It's same as any other game - as soon as you touch ice you lose a little bit of control as Crash continues sliding in a certain direction. It's not too annoying in this level, thankfully.</div>
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Like the previous game, there will be side-scrolling sections within the actual levels. And much like the previous game, half the enemies are just innocent animals doing their own thing - like this penguin. It just walks back and forth - spins in place, then starts walking again.<br /><br />They can be annoying little buggers in small spaces though and have caused more than a couple of deaths in the past.</div>
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Anyone who kills these fellas will not receive my "Seal of approval". They also just go back and forth. Easy enough to ignore. Just beyond that is a pillar that will close as you walk past it. Unless you dawdle, you shouldn't get caught in it.</div>
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These ones, on the other hand, are timed. Much like a great philosopher once said "All you need is a little patience". And who would dare argue with Axl Rose?</div>
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That's really about it for the level - it's otherwise a bog standard level. Unlike...</div>
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<b><u>Level 3 - Hang Eight</u></b></div>
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Honestly, I thought the original Hang trilogy was good but I wasn't fan of Hang's 4-7. So how does Hang Eight compare?</div>
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Well it's a water level - similar to levels seen in the original game. Here we can see a piranha having a jolly good time, but remember this advice: "Always avoid partying piranahas!". </div>
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This is a Venus Fly Trap (apparently). We see it as a oversized monstrous plant - it sees us as a marsupial snack. Spin into it before it eats you.</div>
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What's this?</div>
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AAAAND WE'RE OFF! Crash Bandicoot making his first appearance in the Aboriginal Extreme Sports Tournament and he is off to a great start! He successfully avoids the first set of mines...</div>
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...and he's careful not to get caught in the whirlpools. Get too close to them and you'll be sucked in to a dark void never to be seen again. Crash is on course for a great position as long as he doesn't...crash.</div>
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We're onto the foot section of the course and now Crash must jump on the Hippo to get to the other side.</div>
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He picks up the crystal! Just two more Hippos to jump on and then...</div>
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YES! He's back on the jetski! And he's found the boost button! That is a face of a bandicoot who is loving life right now!</div>
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But sadly all good things have to come to an end...so how well did Crash do in his first round?</div>
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He seems happy enough! </div>
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But what did the judges think...?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE4DkpJ1hyphenhyphenVXGKgvd3hpnvaJX9NVOLzEh3gOdDnBH3yMML1ReC2T-r-5Pi6c8JAArYrLkZmZkFUu9koOcZ3ONXIhR9y71QBjUqMiVnQmlh_8jGeHQ3vh3s-FkZrwvtmmgzd-aYlS1JfKm3/s1600/Crash+Bandicoot+2-+Cortex.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE4DkpJ1hyphenhyphenVXGKgvd3hpnvaJX9NVOLzEh3gOdDnBH3yMML1ReC2T-r-5Pi6c8JAArYrLkZmZkFUu9koOcZ3ONXIhR9y71QBjUqMiVnQmlh_8jGeHQ3vh3s-FkZrwvtmmgzd-aYlS1JfKm3/s640/Crash+Bandicoot+2-+Cortex.bmp" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Cortex: </b><i>"Three crystals? Not bad. I see you are getting the hang of it. I
need to conserve power. I will communicate with you again after you
retrieve the fifth crystal."</i></div>
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<i>Next time: We retrieve the fifth crystal. YEAH! </i></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742720562544456809.post-1224113989277485832013-11-23T22:22:00.001+00:002013-11-23T22:22:15.524+00:00Quick Review: NarcoGuerra (GameTheNews)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisJjDtHwPc5iLuY0ukEdZ98plNsuORMmjForpp45ub223N2l-MnXZuCRq_n2Ydh4vlpUtBYTmsr3gRLSALrwsA-lmb9D6ye3wI0JuKo5EFowPgALysPrzoqvgkUcOslyQcSviC_DvrkqjQ/s1600/NarcoGuerra+2013-11-23+20-41-14-76.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="473" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisJjDtHwPc5iLuY0ukEdZ98plNsuORMmjForpp45ub223N2l-MnXZuCRq_n2Ydh4vlpUtBYTmsr3gRLSALrwsA-lmb9D6ye3wI0JuKo5EFowPgALysPrzoqvgkUcOslyQcSviC_DvrkqjQ/s640/NarcoGuerra+2013-11-23+20-41-14-76.bmp" width="640" /></a></div>
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I study Journalism at uni. So naturally the thought of blending journalism and gaming together is incredibly intriguing to me. That is exactly what GameTheNews does - using its games as a platform to teach players a little something about the real world. NarcoGuerra aims to educate us about the war on drugs that is ongoing right now in Mexico. So just how successful was GameTheNews in their mission?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghks0HqRCmkp9OdtOEc7gwvGK8feWMT_C8g8EaHEiXXDlTCgst2Yv75qhl_FJ0fYtZDC0B6aEGmP6ATZErLthLYEnMobqzBgvPmSFGOEAn90ZKuxMh_l6b-xtm5N4BKvVAJyARU_I1Gb8b/s1600/NarcoGuerra+2013-11-23+20-47-05-41.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="474" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghks0HqRCmkp9OdtOEc7gwvGK8feWMT_C8g8EaHEiXXDlTCgst2Yv75qhl_FJ0fYtZDC0B6aEGmP6ATZErLthLYEnMobqzBgvPmSFGOEAn90ZKuxMh_l6b-xtm5N4BKvVAJyARU_I1Gb8b/s640/NarcoGuerra+2013-11-23+20-47-05-41.bmp" width="640" /></a></div>
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I'll start by explaining the game. We play as the Chief of Police - apparently our jurisdiction is all of Mexico - as we try to force the various drug cartels out of existence.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1TjbE8do5Vk2doe1KGp0_cwsMUihwoK-xh3Z2j8UwOR6ahNXPoCQNpyOWuDE1a8h0AYdDLREUu7a-_xgjb2FsO7TDP6gmOOw6Q6F1_bcI3q5ULuEKNgYy1vZPozZY91Suvki9VQNd9FfZ/s1600/NarcoGuerra+2013-11-23+20-47-22-67.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="474" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1TjbE8do5Vk2doe1KGp0_cwsMUihwoK-xh3Z2j8UwOR6ahNXPoCQNpyOWuDE1a8h0AYdDLREUu7a-_xgjb2FsO7TDP6gmOOw6Q6F1_bcI3q5ULuEKNgYy1vZPozZY91Suvki9VQNd9FfZ/s640/NarcoGuerra+2013-11-23+20-47-22-67.bmp" width="640" /></a></div>
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The police controlled regions are in blue. Any other colour represent another cartel. The number in each region specifies how much units are currently situated there. There are two stages of play - the first is the Support Stage. The menu on the right shows what you can do in this stage - (from top to bottom) Recruit more units, transfer units to another region, Internal Affairs (which will lower corruption in the force) and Intel which you can use on any cartel region with a question mark.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinwkvacQMCzNUcT1gjoNrv9VzEX-mazkJ8a5_c2tNTbctWPQZohddQP9xouJniT4n3OmODseUW4Ec0RG6ihPARHN7uXwqYWrdsTWBcE4pj9DJWRgtwZkLdW_yIcVzpd6XN6QgnM77ekvvr/s1600/NarcoGuerra+2013-11-23+20-49-16-17.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="474" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinwkvacQMCzNUcT1gjoNrv9VzEX-mazkJ8a5_c2tNTbctWPQZohddQP9xouJniT4n3OmODseUW4Ec0RG6ihPARHN7uXwqYWrdsTWBcE4pj9DJWRgtwZkLdW_yIcVzpd6XN6QgnM77ekvvr/s640/NarcoGuerra+2013-11-23+20-49-16-17.bmp" width="640" /></a></div>
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The Attack Phase is where you unleash your attacks. You click on one of your regions which will inform you of where you can attack. Once you've chose your target, just click it and then a battle will commence.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHix8U_xBAK05FoHg_vPYWN65gVaJ7wxp1HmfQ-W3h83spmBzXFFfQfAWNQbLxn9FkmuuTxnYaTXfnWiMGCFASgA95qIaFooQ5XE0LV8V62tBaPVUI6kUI1t6VnU6H_HPZSqbzoCSjfm1w/s1600/NarcoGuerra+2013-11-23+20-49-27-62.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="474" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHix8U_xBAK05FoHg_vPYWN65gVaJ7wxp1HmfQ-W3h83spmBzXFFfQfAWNQbLxn9FkmuuTxnYaTXfnWiMGCFASgA95qIaFooQ5XE0LV8V62tBaPVUI6kUI1t6VnU6H_HPZSqbzoCSjfm1w/s640/NarcoGuerra+2013-11-23+20-49-27-62.bmp" width="640" /></a></div>
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This is what a battle looks like. Three units from the attacker against up to two units from the defender. The attacks are decided by dice rolls - which leads me to my first issue with the game. Battles are luck-based. Whoever rolls the highest wins, unless it's a draw in which case the defence wins. I'm not a big fan of games in which luck is the major obstacle to success - though I can understand that this game is clearly influenced by board games such as Risk so perhaps board game fans could forgive them a little more for this.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBXRIuY0mSBrtO3S1hG80dTjt2EznmXLoqeKFcN07gOON3minadM3ASX2vpq9IrwLTKh6A4MlwmLWlLTfpXRxhgvUzJhyphenhyphenjZ2HUKhsR8LemHT5Su7iTkWQl3_GtRfSXhXNQzaCQbdmaOt7t/s1600/NarcoGuerra+2013-11-23+20-50-23-04.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="474" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBXRIuY0mSBrtO3S1hG80dTjt2EznmXLoqeKFcN07gOON3minadM3ASX2vpq9IrwLTKh6A4MlwmLWlLTfpXRxhgvUzJhyphenhyphenjZ2HUKhsR8LemHT5Su7iTkWQl3_GtRfSXhXNQzaCQbdmaOt7t/s640/NarcoGuerra+2013-11-23+20-50-23-04.bmp" width="640" /></a></div>
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Once your attack phase is over it's time for the Cartel to do their thing. They will recruit units and attack other regions just like anyone else. This represents the very real violence that happens in the Mexican Drug Wars - at least 60,000 people have died since December 2006 when the military joined in an attempt to break up the major cartels.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi96XKOouWlwySgYHqqF9xGHNZq9ADKo0oxlUyDRR7kzw4K3_MLhb0YOqUk423FUY3EA1kK2ZjNZNsD6KnIdvbP4UNsgdQjYtLXTxD6FhAk8POm3ThVqs4RaE-kGJPwaOQeO00S4CzORhg_/s1600/NarcoGuerra+2013-11-23+20-53-11-65.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="474" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi96XKOouWlwySgYHqqF9xGHNZq9ADKo0oxlUyDRR7kzw4K3_MLhb0YOqUk423FUY3EA1kK2ZjNZNsD6KnIdvbP4UNsgdQjYtLXTxD6FhAk8POm3ThVqs4RaE-kGJPwaOQeO00S4CzORhg_/s640/NarcoGuerra+2013-11-23+20-53-11-65.bmp" width="640" /></a></div>
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At the end of some turns there are these reports. Some are story based - such as updates on the elections that take place every five turns.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkYsuwVN3Ds5TdeMrLqQWeGXW6SlSXMosKlsRnCURn0crvIa6dqFJRqygf28f0JS2zni6we99GP0iwF5HdOnWmZMyMGOLex1aO2CwOjJbEg6gacZtA_94K-CrCHLcSi66no_bhsnJ1446p/s1600/NarcoGuerra+2013-11-23+21-00-00-94.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="474" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkYsuwVN3Ds5TdeMrLqQWeGXW6SlSXMosKlsRnCURn0crvIa6dqFJRqygf28f0JS2zni6we99GP0iwF5HdOnWmZMyMGOLex1aO2CwOjJbEg6gacZtA_94K-CrCHLcSi66no_bhsnJ1446p/s640/NarcoGuerra+2013-11-23+21-00-00-94.bmp" width="640" /></a></div>
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Some are random reports that can have benefits - such as a cash boost or a boost to attack power - or have a negative impact as shown in the image. We can even get optional missions for some extra cash.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjC5qyJPJrcnynHYxDu6qrlz8uVw8O07WxmJ6WQtNavf0AAzyl4-WWAdjY2mnOQbZUUSFRO96s_8Wy_eDMWVpswMqqxxrgENxqdd9wggTqJxB_x5tIGcQV60nYa7B4btjQ5bHqxM0uZX5-/s1600/NarcoGuerra+2013-11-23+21-23-20-25.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="474" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjC5qyJPJrcnynHYxDu6qrlz8uVw8O07WxmJ6WQtNavf0AAzyl4-WWAdjY2mnOQbZUUSFRO96s_8Wy_eDMWVpswMqqxxrgENxqdd9wggTqJxB_x5tIGcQV60nYa7B4btjQ5bHqxM0uZX5-/s640/NarcoGuerra+2013-11-23+21-23-20-25.bmp" width="640" /></a></div>
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As mentioned, every five turns there is an election. Herrera starts the game in charge and is in full support of the war on drugs. Moralas would rather reduce the street price of drugs by legalising them. You can pledge money to either candidate which will sway the votes.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNUd7qI2wcCnf5QUev7bUiIkA8B-Dw3RO6eONTBpS7CdoGOcYa3sp7r8zDYwSES4no2TUHnxCB8vJWFJFmKaA5AXChKvaVqVSSCwASnYU8IhcXA8Kp8r0o3KyhOybBMU0BX8fI4EgWan0s/s1600/NarcoGuerra+2013-11-23+21-25-34-47.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="474" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNUd7qI2wcCnf5QUev7bUiIkA8B-Dw3RO6eONTBpS7CdoGOcYa3sp7r8zDYwSES4no2TUHnxCB8vJWFJFmKaA5AXChKvaVqVSSCwASnYU8IhcXA8Kp8r0o3KyhOybBMU0BX8fI4EgWan0s/s640/NarcoGuerra+2013-11-23+21-25-34-47.bmp" width="640" /></a></div>
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So, the question remains...was GameTheNews successful in blending news with games? To be honest - yes! Yes they were. The game, although not to my particular tastes, is rather fun - though brutally hard in my experience (which again can be pinned on the fact I don't normally play games like this). The main success of the game however came after I stopped playing. The first thing I did was to look up more information about the war on drugs in Mexico - it will also be the first thing I do once I finish writing this review. GameTheNews apparently mirrored real life events within the story and random events in the game and I'm interested to see the parallels.<br />
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It's definitely a unique way of delivering the news. Would I recommend to everyone? Nope. If you are interested in world events, journalism or even just want a fun Risk-style game to play - then this would be a game you'd be interested in.<br />
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NarcoGuerra is available on both iOS and Android devices (for 69p) as well as a few digital distributors (cheapest I see is <a href="http://www.gamersgate.co.uk/DD-GUERRA/narco-guerra">Gamersgate</a> where it's 59p). If you are reading this before the 27th of November 2013 - NarcoGuerra is also available in the current <a href="http://www.indieroyale.com/">Indie Royale bundle</a>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742720562544456809.post-52591236838835482432013-11-16T23:47:00.002+00:002013-11-16T23:47:42.074+00:00Quick Indie Game Review: Gravi (Hashbang Games)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>Quick Indie Game reviews are when I play an indie game, usually one that's part of a bundle of some sort, for roughly an hour and decide if it's worth playing on or not.</i></div>
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<i> </i></div>
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<i>With that said let's look at...</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipOFJ4dB-vJvU_YvYIarZWghKC7CUc20jHSIER-vfPUBE4bRw14WFC_PUW0_MTdTO-h_GR9Z1Fl1as4JoF5PFrIEnhAjx5JsDeOJY1sikglIup5Wo1Orj9Uwe7ICy0ZKc-b863r8T_3AWR/s1600/Gravi_Steam_v1+2013-11-16+22-01-13-46.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipOFJ4dB-vJvU_YvYIarZWghKC7CUc20jHSIER-vfPUBE4bRw14WFC_PUW0_MTdTO-h_GR9Z1Fl1as4JoF5PFrIEnhAjx5JsDeOJY1sikglIup5Wo1Orj9Uwe7ICy0ZKc-b863r8T_3AWR/s640/Gravi_Steam_v1+2013-11-16+22-01-13-46.bmp" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i> </i></div>
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Gravi is a fun game. I could end the review there but that'd be rather lazy on my part so let me tell you more about it. You play a little blue orb who has the ability to move right AND the ability to move left. Oh it can also shoot balls of gravitational energy which Gravi will be pulled towards if he is close enough. It's a physics based puzzle platformer but it is incredible easy to pick up and play...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeojrDX5a3_tfkZeEiFdsG326DvbfffJcsRKdqqYjrAxOajPVHvfNwL11GtNTGXaZIirFTg1cgkiHfzvY_4leZPilNx9n3WnwHw5BBumcs4gWuLpytdV1792DX2e_2ntcxA1FFt8WXrzhD/s1600/Gravi_Steam_v1+2013-11-16+22-11-16-49.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeojrDX5a3_tfkZeEiFdsG326DvbfffJcsRKdqqYjrAxOajPVHvfNwL11GtNTGXaZIirFTg1cgkiHfzvY_4leZPilNx9n3WnwHw5BBumcs4gWuLpytdV1792DX2e_2ntcxA1FFt8WXrzhD/s640/Gravi_Steam_v1+2013-11-16+22-11-16-49.bmp" width="640" /></a></div>
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...but not quite as easy to succeed in. There is a reason there is a deaths counter - as you get further into the game it starts to get very hard. It definitely takes some inspiration from Super Meat Boy - difficult but mostly fair. It's trial and error gameplay, but it treats death as no more than a minor inconvenience - you respawn again in no time at all - so it at least has realism on it's side.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrdtrpJOGvUFAL1FaQfxLx5nGWIKRqultPITBb6w1Mk9FWMF9yriVXT1n9FmUTiYUVuMKa3gvoFIet9vhZJP8bpMIghQCsvsMaedGClg0qayKetVJ4yW5VJl0LkDCZFTgWo1lYu89-mQ4a/s1600/Gravi_Steam_v1+2013-11-16+22-16-30-59.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrdtrpJOGvUFAL1FaQfxLx5nGWIKRqultPITBb6w1Mk9FWMF9yriVXT1n9FmUTiYUVuMKa3gvoFIet9vhZJP8bpMIghQCsvsMaedGClg0qayKetVJ4yW5VJl0LkDCZFTgWo1lYu89-mQ4a/s640/Gravi_Steam_v1+2013-11-16+22-16-30-59.bmp" width="640" /></a></div>
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Expect to be burned, electrocuted and impaled on spikes many, many times on your journey. There is a collectable to attain in every level if you want to give yourself an extra challenge. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8-a7Y7SIAQ_aOU4-kR320LMyHOAByKBohnynHwSCD4WqGccsfuiGvtEH5lK_B9-q_VZE5HqBllr-gsqSGAAsmDv9AvzLlddPhTy2qfctRGo2qrTQx1mEUkyklKwCKZUd11HHWsgbYzpkN/s1600/Gravi_Steam_v1+2013-11-16+22-21-19-97.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8-a7Y7SIAQ_aOU4-kR320LMyHOAByKBohnynHwSCD4WqGccsfuiGvtEH5lK_B9-q_VZE5HqBllr-gsqSGAAsmDv9AvzLlddPhTy2qfctRGo2qrTQx1mEUkyklKwCKZUd11HHWsgbYzpkN/s640/Gravi_Steam_v1+2013-11-16+22-21-19-97.bmp" width="640" /></a></div>
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The second chapter introduces these gravity pipes - they really do not want to be your friend as they are quite happy to send you straight into all sorts of traps.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXv2Io_W8_4QHNIYNu_3EzFcZkVQ-02IBPH0AJMk8_3pb1sgTr8db4s6sYBcKxuAPNZaW4x1bcQfFbcd79ejHi3YRImtXyg0WV6rbZq-3xe6k35jVs3NP8rgb2A1-yIL5hxWW1O_LzaEER/s1600/Gravi_Steam_v1+2013-11-16+22-37-48-74.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXv2Io_W8_4QHNIYNu_3EzFcZkVQ-02IBPH0AJMk8_3pb1sgTr8db4s6sYBcKxuAPNZaW4x1bcQfFbcd79ejHi3YRImtXyg0WV6rbZq-3xe6k35jVs3NP8rgb2A1-yIL5hxWW1O_LzaEER/s640/Gravi_Steam_v1+2013-11-16+22-37-48-74.bmp" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
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At the end of the level you get this screen telling you how well you've done, or in this case, to allow the death counter to mock you with how badly you (or I...) did. </div>
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In 45 minutes I managed to get to level 20 - which is the halfway point in the game - there are 40 levels. It is an "Early Release" though, so more features will be added in the future.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRopgQCMqrwdNdPHP6JIrKRw9HIzvtXFjpNvY5amTOwocLXwL5Tpe8H_8fMpcqO0HzrXmw7bo-2eP30HwEBBAFhWbP7xuGWftFfK9gF32Uj_hB-7d9RoB43sVJZNlF1WfxZD31jubghVX_/s1600/Gravi_Steam_v1+2013-11-16+22-22-31-79.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRopgQCMqrwdNdPHP6JIrKRw9HIzvtXFjpNvY5amTOwocLXwL5Tpe8H_8fMpcqO0HzrXmw7bo-2eP30HwEBBAFhWbP7xuGWftFfK9gF32Uj_hB-7d9RoB43sVJZNlF1WfxZD31jubghVX_/s640/Gravi_Steam_v1+2013-11-16+22-22-31-79.bmp" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some features have already been added, such as achievements, which are always nice.</td></tr>
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So...will I be playing on? Most definitely. This is a fun, challenging puzzle platformer - the levels are short enough that you can pick-up and play if you don't have a lot of spare time. It is clear a lot of effort went into its visuals and the soundtrack is very good too.</div>
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If you like the sound of this game then you can pick it up in the <a href="http://www.indieroyale.com/">Indie Royale's 'Sigma Bundle' </a>for as little as £3.63 (for this and at least six other games), or your region's equivalent price. If the bundle is finished then you can get it off Steam for £6.99 or $9.99.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742720562544456809.post-36798190957232399082013-11-05T22:37:00.000+00:002013-11-05T22:37:19.500+00:00Quick Review: ChiracChirac was a game developed in 48 hours for the 'Art Game Weekend' in France. You play as a six-legged goat - yes, that old cliché again - who has to eat, chew, repel and doom its way to victory. The whole game takes no more than two minutes to complete, it's free and completely browser based - in fact it's <a href="http://www.arnaudvannier.com/Chirac/Chirac.html">right here</a>!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6yBGV8eExleeWiUdu5qTJGWwBij2VP27PKxMcKWjYmjk-ZRJVZBDdndQOcswXt_TKhhtFUTUH6ZU6etUwr4S4_IbpCANDu1dE6GQEMaXCJyWKRuSUxFB2yX0FydTxHX1qO_gXjBrzY_hF/s1600/Chirac+1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="142" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6yBGV8eExleeWiUdu5qTJGWwBij2VP27PKxMcKWjYmjk-ZRJVZBDdndQOcswXt_TKhhtFUTUH6ZU6etUwr4S4_IbpCANDu1dE6GQEMaXCJyWKRuSUxFB2yX0FydTxHX1qO_gXjBrzY_hF/s320/Chirac+1.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is all the story you get. It's all you need.</td></tr>
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There are four levels: Eat - where you have to run around and eat the various human/horse hybrids that you see. Chew - where you...chew. Repel has you swatting away flying beasties with your tail. Doom - where you have to mash a certain section of your keyboard (though it's not designed with QWERTY in mind, just a heads up).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh704ge0k5C6tepoS8Rh4M-R-GFFq3f3OdnnHiJH9zvsyGSYmhFCwQD2e9Da00RocmupihSNinqvUc6bGW2Gxz1BE2ICp3ghsO6btcH6HCf-a7TwvHgFYHUX5QuesQ-gaoJjcfl6mE7wPph/s1600/Chirac+2.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="142" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh704ge0k5C6tepoS8Rh4M-R-GFFq3f3OdnnHiJH9zvsyGSYmhFCwQD2e9Da00RocmupihSNinqvUc6bGW2Gxz1BE2ICp3ghsO6btcH6HCf-a7TwvHgFYHUX5QuesQ-gaoJjcfl6mE7wPph/s320/Chirac+2.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the Chew level. Much like in real life you use one side of the keyboard to control one side of your teeth.</td></tr>
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So why am I bothering to talk about Chirac - a game that is so short that I could have played it three times in the time it's taken me to write this so far. Well I'll tell you why - because it's awesome. The graphics are absolutely wonderful - very colourful and cartoony. The music is a fast-paced, thumping tune that matches what it going on-screen perfectly.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyhw3MLMm_rrU_eNMc7vDNmxGZryqEEv1qO_81vbVZPPYbWTbhoIzlPtPV-m9mKT5gjpggcn-DrnSAfNoEsp83DM-nXBzzlEH-Zlzour9B2VhJ8AHmdAEZWZibIW50rYrNcHA4eK6nkRsa/s1600/Chirac+3.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="142" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyhw3MLMm_rrU_eNMc7vDNmxGZryqEEv1qO_81vbVZPPYbWTbhoIzlPtPV-m9mKT5gjpggcn-DrnSAfNoEsp83DM-nXBzzlEH-Zlzour9B2VhJ8AHmdAEZWZibIW50rYrNcHA4eK6nkRsa/s320/Chirac+3.PNG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Well...I'm not sure ANYTHING could match what is going on-screen right now...</td></tr>
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If you're going to play any free browser-based French art game made in 48 hours that only takes about a minute to play today, make sure it's Chirac. It's an...experience, to say the least.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742720562544456809.post-2256228016784104652013-10-28T15:10:00.001+00:002013-10-28T15:10:11.095+00:00My Top Five "Horror" Gaming MomentsHalloween. For many people it's their favourite day of the year - a chance to dress up as scarily as possible (or at least show a scary lack of imagination) or watch movies that make them jump out of their skin. For me, personally, as much as I like Halloween I'm not a huge fan of "horror" movies or such. Despite this, as a gamer I have found myself being scared, creeped out or simply unsettled by what I am playing. So, in celebration of Halloween I am going to recount my top five gaming "horror" moments.<br />
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Now, first of all this is a personal list and thus you may disagree that some of these even count as "scary". Second of all, as I mentioned I'm not a huge fan of horror so most of these are from non-horror games - as such, they are probably scarier for me within the context of the game. Now, without further adieu, let the horror commence!<br />
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<i>There will be spoilers...</i> <br />
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<u><b>5) Spider-Man - Monster-Ock</b></u></div>
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Picture this, you've just defeated Doc Ock and Carnage back-to-back. Spider-Man poses heroically as he begins his "it's all over" monologue when suddenly...</div>
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<u><b><img alt="http://i500.listal.com/image/2492897/500full.jpg" class="decoded" height="300" src="http://i500.listal.com/image/2492897/500full.jpg" width="400" /> </b></u></div>
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The result of Carnage's symbiote attaching itself to Doc Ock, turning him into Monster Ock. However, instead of fighting you have to run away from him as Ock's lab starts exploding. What follows is a very tense run (and swing) for your life, as Monster Ock chases you screaming such lovely things as "DIEEEEEEE". A part of the scariness of this boss is being constantly chased and knowing that if Ock catches up - you're dead. Although this section did go on slightly too long, it was for the most part a thrilling way to end one of Spider-Man's greatest video game adventures.</div>
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<b><u>4) Heavy Rain - The Lizard</u></b></div>
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Heavy Rain revolved around the story of Ethan Mars and how far he would go to save his son. Many of his tasks involve a little sacrifice or risk of death. The Lizard, however, is the one everyone who plays it will remember. You're asked by the origami killer to cut off the top section of one of your fingers, on camera, in order to get the next clue to your son's location. You're given a wide variety of tools to help you do it...</div>
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<img alt="http://guides.gamepressure.com/heavyrain/gfx/word/959218937.jpg" class="decoded" src="http://guides.gamepressure.com/heavyrain/gfx/word/959218937.jpg" /> </div>
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It's one of the hardest to watch scenes in gaming history. It's made worse by the fact that you have to do it yourself (or at least, move the analogue stick to perform the action). It's not "horror" in the traditional sense but there are very few scenes in video games that are more unsettling.</div>
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<u><b>3) Resident Evil 2 - Start of the Game</b></u></div>
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I'll be honest, I've not played a lot of RE2. Despite this, I still remember the very start of the game and how tense that was. After the opening cinematic, you're left to fend for yourself. The game isn't saved, you have no healing items and very little ammo. You have to run from most of the zombies, but they are relentless.</div>
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Through narrow alleyways, buildings and even an abandoned bus you will have to decide whether to fight or flee the hoarde of zombies. Try to fight them all you'll run out of ammo. Run away from them all and you might miss some useful items. Nowhere is safe until you reach the police station and with it, the first save point of the game. Horror games love to remind you how powerless you are at the beginning of the game, but RE 2 did it better than any other.</div>
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<u><b></b></u> <b><u>2) Metal Gear Solid 2 - Arsenal Gear</u></b></div>
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This one is definitely a personal moment. I was eleven years old when I first played Metal Gear Solid 2 and I was loving it. It was my first entryway into the Metal Gear series and it was quickly becoming one of my all time favourites. Then I got to Arsenal Gear. Running around as a naked Raiden was funny at first but then I started getting codec (MGS' version of the radio) calls like this:</div>
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<img alt="http://www.vgzero.com/game-news-image-2012-12eae722e7239bfd9fbea6339c99d122.jpg" class="decoded" src="http://www.vgzero.com/game-news-image-2012-12eae722e7239bfd9fbea6339c99d122.jpg" /> </div>
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Being a rather idiotic eleven year old who did not quite understand the whole "fourth-wall" thing, I did. Embarrassingly, I then had nightmares about this - though the specifics of them I do not remember. Young me simply was not ready for crazy Colonel Campbell and when I did find the courage to play on it didn't get any easier until, as always, Solid Snake showed up to save the day. Even today, I am a little unsettled at this whole section as an aftermath of the effect this had on eleven-year-old me. But ten years on I am a braver man now and I'm not gonna let some silly video game scare me int...</div>
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AHHHH.</div>
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<b><u>1) Alan Wake</u></b></div>
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This one is a bit odd because it's not a particular moment that was the scariest. You see, the main gimmick of Alan Wake was that the darkness is unsafe. Enemies are essentially shadows until you shine your torch on them and make then vulnerable to death. The only times you are safe is when you're in light. So, the reason this is number one is due to the psychological effect this game had on me every time I stopped playing. I tend to play games at the dead of night, just before going to bed. I played Alan Wake every night for a week. I would then go to bed. In the dark. After spending a couple of hours training my brain to fear the dark, it would take me a while to switch back to reality.</div>
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<img alt="http://mutantville.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/alan-wake-wallpaper-61.png" class="shrinkToFit decoded" height="250" src="http://mutantville.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/alan-wake-wallpaper-61.png" width="400" /> </div>
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Alan Wake is a really good game, but isn't that scary. The game itself calls itself a "Psychological Action Thriller" which is a fair description. However it does a brilliant job in conditioning your brain into fearing the dark and that is why it's my number one "horror" gaming moments - because the rest of the list may have been scary within the context of the game, Alan Wake was the only one (bar MGS 2, which can be explained by me being a child when I played it) that truly affected me out of the game. Kudos, Remedy. </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742720562544456809.post-7504587198708939022013-10-20T12:32:00.001+01:002013-10-20T12:32:56.089+01:00In Defense of: Wonder Trading (Pokémon X/Y)The new Pokémon games are bloody fantastic, in my opinion the best since Gold/Silver. However, one of my personal favourite features is also one of the stupidest, silliest and easily-exploitable things in the game. I am, of course talking about the wonderful world of Wonder Trading.<br />
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For those who have yet to play it, Wonder Trade is when you put up a Pokémon up for trade and the game will find a random trainer to trade with you. You don't know what you're going to get until you get it. You can probably already see why this would potentially be terrible - there is nothing to stop people from putting in their level 2 scrubs in the hopes of getting something awesome. Most of the time they will get...a level 2 scrub right back (though I've found that I actually get a fairly small amount of low level Bunnelby's and the like).<br />
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Wonder Trade can, however, be exploited very easily - there's no limit on how much you can Wonder Trade and this means that if you get something you already have? You can immediately trade it away again in the hopes of something new. If you are patient enough, you will get something decent - or at the very least, something new you've not got yet. It's perfect for collectionists such as myself - but if you're looking for good, strong Pokémon, then perhaps it's not for you (saying that, I've got a few that were around level 50, so it can happen). Chances are you will end up with a fair amount of just hatched out of the egg, level 1 Pokémon, but even these can be beautiful sometimes - I've had a level 1 Bulbasaur and two Charmanders - the second of which I traded for a Froakie - but this isn't really a problem with the Exp Share, you can easily level up your critters without needing to stick them into battle.<br />
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The point is, Wonder Trade is a wonderful tool if you want to fill out your Pokédex. If you dislike the randomness of it all, there's always the GTS or even your own friend. It even gives you an insane amount of Poké Miles, which you can use to buy items from a man in the Poké Centre in South Lumiose City - which basically means it's a way to get almost unlimited Ultra Balls and certain other items. It breaks the game if used to it's fullest potential - and that's why I love it! Because it's completely ridiculous in every way possible, yet it's completely optional. It does, however, take away the satisfaction of catching your own Pokémon, especially if you get something from an area beyond where you are. Thus I'm going to stop myself from using it until the end-game and I'm ready to complete my Pokédex. So yeah, Wonder Trading is a completely broken thing, but with enough patience it can be YOUR completely broken thing. <br />
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It's also weirdly funny to send random people Slowpoke's with supremely Scottish names. I wonder how Hamish is doing in Japan?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742720562544456809.post-28849971791374753792013-10-04T17:04:00.000+01:002013-10-04T17:04:18.537+01:00GTA Online - My Diary<div style="text-align: center;">
<u><b>1st of October 2013</b></u></div>
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<i>15:00</i><u><b> </b></u></div>
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I woke up at nine in the morning. It wasn't noon yet, so I went back to bed. The next time I woke it was 1 in the afternoon. It was past noon now, so I got up. I turned on my Playstation 3 so it could update, but I had to get some shopping. It was around two o'clock when I got back to my flat - I turned on the PS3 and it told me that it had updated Grand Theft Auto V. Finally, over a week after finishing the story mode, I could sink my teeth into Online. I'll be honest, I wasn't really expecting to be able to get on, not right away, but what harm is there in trying?</div>
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<i>19:00</i></div>
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Well, I've tried multiple times now, but still no dice. That's okay, I just bought Kingdom Hearts HD so really, not being able to get onto GTA Online really did me a favour. Time to revisit one of my favourite games from my early teen years!</div>
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<i>23:00</i></div>
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I'm sure once I'm out of Wonderland Kingdom Hearts gets good, right? Anyway, I have university tomorrow, so I better go to sleep.</div>
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<u><b>2nd of October 2013</b></u></div>
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<i>13:00</i></div>
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I got somewhere! After creating my fourth character, I finally got into Online sort of! At least I got to see the intro cutscene! That's progress! And hey, there's Lamar, I love that guy! Granted, it kicked me out as soon as I tried to play the first race, but surely this is a sign that I'm close!</div>
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<i>14:00</i></div>
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Okay, this isn't working. Perhaps I just need to go away and come back later and maybe I will finally get on!</div>
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<i>18:30</i></div>
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<i> </i>Huh, it still didn't save my character. But why? I got into the intro cutscene! Now I have to create ANOTHER character. And by create, I mean spam the "Random" button until I get a character who looks less like he's just snorted his body weight in cocaine. </div>
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<i>20:00</i></div>
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Well, another day, another failure to connect. But hey, I wanted to play more Kingdom Hearts anyway, I'm sure tomorrow will be the day I finally get in!</div>
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<i>23:00</i></div>
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I'm sure once I'm out of Tarzan's Jungle, Kingdom Hearts gets good, right?</div>
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<u><b>3rd of October 2013</b></u></div>
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<i>11:00</i></div>
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This is the day! I feel it in my bones! I will finally get into GTA Online! I can't wait to do all the stuff I can do in singleplayer, but online! Today will be a good day!</div>
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<i>12:00</i></div>
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The internet is off in this building. I don't know what to do. How did people cope before the internet age? Help me. I<i> </i>suppose I could go outside? But it's so...outsidey out there! I might get assaulted! I might catch the sniffles! I might get carjacked! I mean, I don't drive - I don't even have a car - but it could still happen! I think I'll just stay inside and stare at the wall until the internet is back up. It'll only take a half hour, surely? </div>
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<i>19:00</i></div>
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<i> </i>It's back up! Time to try again! Clearly my time is now! Yes? Yes!</div>
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<i>19:20</i></div>
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No. I'm still being denied my GTA Online. I've seen the intro cutscene three times now. Lamar's still cool, I guess. I guess I should just be patient, this is the first time Rockstar have done an Online launch of this magnitude. I'll try one more time, and if it doesn't work, then oh well, I won't be angry.</div>
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<i>19:21</i></div>
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WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON I JUST WANT TO PLAY A FUCKING GAME IS THAT TOO MUCH TO ASK FOR ROCKSTAR YOU FUCKS FUCK FUCK FUCK FUUUUUUUCCCCCKKKKK!</div>
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<i>19:22</i></div>
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I'm not sure what happened there, but I apologise. I'm sure once Rockstar release their patch tomorrow it will all be okay.<i> </i>I guess I could go back to Kingdom Hearts and try again tomorrow.</div>
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<i>21:00</i></div>
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I'm sure once I'm finished with Kingdom Hearts, Kingdom Hearts gets good, right?</div>
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<u><b>4th of October 2013</b></u></div>
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<i>13:00</i></div>
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The patch is downloaded! This should fix it! I forgive Rockstar, it's clearly not their fault - there was just too many people trying to get on. But now that's settled a bit and the patch is live, surely it's time for me, no?</div>
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<i>13:30</i></div>
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Really? Another bloody character? Why won't it save the ones I've made. This stupid cutscene AGAIN. SHUT THE FUCK UP LAMAR, YOU FUCKING SUCK AND I HATE YOU AND I HOPE YOU DIE.</div>
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<i>14:00</i></div>
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Failed to join activity. Please return to GTA Online. There has been an error joining a session, please return to Grand Theft Auto V. Could not play Grand Theft Auto V, please return to reality. There has been an error joining reality, please return to your own fractured subconscious. Waiting for other players......................................</div>
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Failed to join your own fractured subconscious, please return to GTA Online.</div>
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<i>14:23</i></div>
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I'll try one more time.......Nope.</div>
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I'll try one more time.......Nope.</div>
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I'll try one more time.......Nope.</div>
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I'll try one more time.......Nope.</div>
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<i>15:01 </i></div>
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It's just a game, they tell me. Just a game. That's all it is. A game. A GAME! But it won't let me play. And no play means no game. And if there's no game, then what is it? What is real and what is fantasy? Maybe this is a dream and when I go to sleep is when I live my real life. Woah, I've just figured out life! Since this is a dream, there is no consequences, because I'd just wake up and it will all have happened in my head. Yeah, I can do anything! So, what will I do now that I live a life without consequences? Hmm...</div>
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<i>15:02</i></div>
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I'll try one more time.......Nope.<i> </i></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742720562544456809.post-17021481590097138622013-09-30T23:54:00.001+01:002013-09-30T23:54:07.704+01:00GTA V and The Great Female Protagonist DebateGrand Theft Auto V was the most anticipated game of all time. This isn't hyperbole, there is a damn good reason why it became <a href="http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013-09-23-gta5-sells-more-in-first-week-than-launch-weeks-of-all-other-gtas-combined">the fastest selling game of all time </a>, earning more than a billion dollars in just three days. The 16th of September, the day before GTA's release, at 15:00 UK time - the reviews came pouring in. It was near unanimous - GTA V was absolutely brilliant in almost every way. A Metacritic score of "97" doesn't lie. One particular review called it "...outrageous, exhilarating..." while stating that it "...pushes open-world game design forward...". The reviewer gave it a 9 out of 10. That's a brilliant score. So naturally...she got attacked by anonymous idiots in the comment sections. Why? She had the nerve to say that the game<a href="http://uk.gamespot.com/grand-theft-auto-v/reviews/grand-theft-auto-v-review-6414475/"> featured a fair amount of misogyny</a>. How dare she!<br />
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The problem being that the game IS rather misogynistic. From stripper mini-games to the lack of a strong, major woman in the story. In fact, there is not many strong minor female characters in the game. There are maybe two or three off the top of my head (Taliana - the getaway driver you meet during a random event - being the best example). Most others are either there as sex objects or are purposely super-annoying (i.e. Franklin's aunt). Now, there had been a big debate on whether or not GTA V should have had a female protagonist and I'm all for more strong female protagonists in the vein of FemShep in Mass Effect or Lara Croft in the rebooted Tomb Raider. Would I want one in GTA? Of course! In GTA V? That's what I'm not sure about.<br />
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The issue is not so much that I would be against a female character in the vein of any of the male protagonists we've had over the years. She would be a horrible woman, but all the male protagonists are horrible people themselves. Sure, CJ and Niko were slightly more sympathetic anti-heroes...but they still killed thousands of people on their way to the top of the criminal pile. So, I have to wonder whether or not a female character in that mould would be accepted as much as the male ones. I fear that if there was a female protagonist in GTA, she would be reacted to strongly as a "bitch". If there was a hint of sexuality in her, she'd be a "slutty bitch". Because as that Gamespot reviewer found out - a loud minority of male gamers are misogynistic idiots who, under the guise of anonymity, think nothing of attacking someone based on their gender. It's a very real problem in gaming.<br />
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On the other hand, if they were to dilute the female protagonist, then that would dilute the effectiveness of having such a character in the game. If Rockstar were to go through with it, they would need to write her in the same way they'd write their male protagonists. I would love to see a GTA game with a female protagonist reacting to the misogyny in the game itself, because it will probably still be in there by GTA VI.<br />
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Dan Houser has said he would happily <a href="http://uk.gamespot.com/news/rockstar-says-of-course-it-could-make-game-with-female-lead-6414615">write a game with a female protagonist </a>but that "But for GTA V, this was the organic thing that came up, these were the
characters what [sic] would display the themes we wanted to think
about."- in reference to the all-male protagonists. That's a very important point - Rockstar should absolutely not force themselves to write in a female protagonist if one doesn't come to them naturally. That would be the worst thing they could probably do. It has to come to them - whether it's in GTA VI or some other Rockstar game - they need to write what they feel comfortable with and what they want to write. Otherwise it's a half-assed effort that, again, would diminish the impact of the female protagonist.<br />
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Hopefully, though, the day will come when a Rockstar game features a strong, well-written or even just a fun female playable character. The sooner, the better - because if one of the biggest gaming companies in the world creates such a character, you can bet your life that many other companies would follow suit. <br />
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I am curious to hear other people's opinions and thoughts on this topic. It is an important one to discuss in regards of gaming. Please, if you disagree with me, tell me why I'm wrong. Did I miss anything important, tell me. If you agree, tell me why you do so. If you want to say something unrelated...I guess you can! Leave a comment, tweet me (<a href="https://twitter.com/SuperGameFight">@SuperGameFight</a>) or link me to your blog if you've talked about it. I want to know! Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742720562544456809.post-12641440145415671892013-07-31T20:00:00.000+01:002013-07-31T20:00:00.490+01:00XCOM: Enemy Unknown Part 7 - Operation Lone Fear<div>
<i>I lost a little bit of video, which included two missions. I was able to re-record a bit of the second, but the first is lost forever.</i></div>
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While I was, ahem, inebriated, I apparently was shouting about getting more "party people up in this bitch". And right enough, five new soldiers arrived a few days later. But that was not the only new arrival at XCOM...<div>
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During a routine "rescue the important dude" mission, I had sent a rookie out with the new Arc Thrower. Sq. Hunter weakened the Sectoid and Rk. Ghalib went in for the stun...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgijBlTUqwT5zZsB6YbgkB1IQWkhtqBaQdrXRbLvOYXj0zmuJbLMmEJAqEK1j5eWIMUxjI_mWAG1CrBkxT8lJOlU4PgiRj70sh175J46A0358HAgOcPfpyo7RSy24W1DOh2L7U8teRL4-xB/s1600/XCOM+Enemy+Unknown+U7+%25289%2529.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgijBlTUqwT5zZsB6YbgkB1IQWkhtqBaQdrXRbLvOYXj0zmuJbLMmEJAqEK1j5eWIMUxjI_mWAG1CrBkxT8lJOlU4PgiRj70sh175J46A0358HAgOcPfpyo7RSy24W1DOh2L7U8teRL4-xB/s640/XCOM+Enemy+Unknown+U7+%25289%2529.bmp" width="640" /></a></div>
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...and now Dr. Vahlen has a new plaything at HQ. </div>
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A few days later Bradford and I caught up with her.</div>
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For some reason her useage of the word "expired" is a lot more creepy than if she had just said "died". </div>
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Bradford commented we had seen this before, but sadly I have no recollection (<i>video loss)</i><br />
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This I do remember seeing. You see, when we had shot down the UFO this fella showed up. And then disappeared. Now, Dr. Vahlen wants us to capture it too.</div>
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The interrogation came with it a second success - BEAM WEAPONS.</div>
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I, naturally, set the research team to figure out a way we can make BEAM WEAPONS. Finally, the blaster from Star Wars is a little closer to reality. At this rate I could even have a lightsaber before I d...I'm digressing.</div>
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We also have the ability to manufacture S.C.O.P.E.s. This handy device gives our soldiers better aim. Naturally, our Snipers will get this. Speaking of...after the mission where we captured the alien...</div>
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Both Vargas and Roux made it to Sergeant rank. For some reason, they were assigned nicknames at this point. Sgt. Roux is now known as Warlock - because what he can do with his rifle is nothing less than magical.</div>
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Sgt. Vargas is known as Diesel because...err...it's a bad ass name?</div>
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Towards the end of the month we received more word of abductions. Unlike last time though - we had three different locations to choose from.</div>
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Australia, Argentina and Nigeria. I made the decision to go to Australia, as the panic there was higher than anywhere else.</div>
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I left Vargas back in HQ, it wouldn't be fair on him to fight in Australia while his home country is being attacked. Rk. White however was Australian - my thought process was that she would feel more focussed on defending her country. That was a mistake.</div>
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Now, since capturing the Sectoid, Sq. Ghalib had been training in the Heavy class. But of course, that didn't mean that he had to go about shooting his rocket launcher everywhere...</div>
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...but explosions are always cool. However, a certain someone was less than impressed...</div>
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God, it's like being scolded by my Mother. Except Vahlen's much younger and has a German accent.</div>
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I also found a new thing our soldiers will do - panic. If they get too low on health, like ol' Warlock here, they may panic and run off to a random location. This could have been very dangerous. He wasn't the only one. The last alien left gave us a lot of trouble. Ghalib, Verhoeven and White all failed to hit the alien (Ghalib couldn't even get into position to fire at it, so I had to settle with keeping him out of position). Sadly, this had lethal consequences...</div>
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That's the third soldier I've lost and it's not getting any easier. Luckily Sgt. Roux snuck up on the Sectoid from the other side and headshotted the bastard to Hell.</div>
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This was ridiculous - one death, three wounded (one gravely). I learned I would have to be more careful in the future.</div>
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Lieutenant Roux could barely speak on his hospital bed, but we got just enough to figure out he wanted to take the 'Disabling Shot' training when he was clear for duty. This would give him a shot that will effectively break the target's weapon - could be useful in a pinch.</div>
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WE HAVE LASERS! Now we can play laser tag with the aliens...DEADLY LASER TAG. Sadly, we didn't have enough engineers to build the rifle, but we did get a couple of Laser Pistols.</div>
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I gave it to Roux as an apology for almost killing him in the last mission.</div>
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A couple of days later, our new Workshop was built - bringing with it extra engineers. </div>
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Sadly, the realisation that I could now build Laser Rifles wouldn't come to me until the 1st of April. Talk about an April's Fool.</div>
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I decided to give us an extra level to play with, so I ordered the building of a new Access Lift.</div>
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Now, at the end of each month I will be evaluated on my performance. I will also get extra rewards and such. This month...</div>
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GRADE A, SUCKA. HAH, if only Ms. Clark could see me now "You'll never be a grade A student blah-di-blah blah". SCREW YOU, I'm a Grade A Commander of AWESOME ALIEN KILLINGNESS!</div>
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And then I'd show her my giant gun. </div>
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That's not a euphemism, we really did build a big gun...</div>
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The aliens should just go home right now.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742720562544456809.post-18029418985603034932013-07-27T13:08:00.000+01:002013-07-27T13:18:53.584+01:00XCOM: Enemy Unknown - Part 6 - Operation Hidden Druid<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Alejandro Vargas, despite lying in a hospital bed in our medical bay, was awarded the corporal badge - the first XCOM soldier to do so. It wouldn't surprise me to see him be the first colonel.</div>
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He chose to learn the 'Bullet Swarm' skill, allowing him an extra action if his first action was to fire his weapon.<br />
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Sq. Verhoeven decided to specialise in the support class. Thus she gets training in how to efficiently use a smoke grenade. At time of writing, I've yet to see her actually use it.<br />
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The council stuck true with their word and rewarded us with some credits and some scientists.<br />
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In addition, we received an extra satellite. Bradford suggested we deploy it right away. I wasn't in the mood to argue.<br />
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Right now, the only satellite we have operational is over our HQ in Germany. Each country we launch a satellite in will pay us an extra bonus at the end of the month. In addition, the more satellites we have operational in a continent will mean bonus rewards (as you can see, Europe is giving us an extra 2 scientists a month). Launching a satellite will also decrease the panic of that country. Taking all of this into account...<br />
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...I decided to launch the new one in China. This was pretty much my apology to them for leaving them to fend for themselves as I protected USA a few days earlier.<br />
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I immediately ordered an Interceptor to be transferred to China. Once I had finished this task, I came across Bradford having a fairly heated discussion with Dr. Vahlen.<br />
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To this day, I still have not received this trophy. I had even built a shelf for them and everything. Of course, I needed Shen's help to set it up - damn IKEA.<br />
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Oh yeah, and Vahlen wanted us to capture an alien alive, but that's not the important thing here. <span style="font-size: xx-small;">I want my trophy.</span><br />
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While Bradford still wasn't too sure, Shen managed to convince him.<br />
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If we learn how to communicate with it, we can interrogate it and hopefully find out why they are attacking us and from where they are from.<br />
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So it was agreed, we must try and capture a live alien. We'll start with the Sectoid. First we have to build an alien containment facility...<br />
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...and then officially order Vahlen's team to research the 'Arc Thrower', which will stun weakened aliens into unconsciousness. Hopefully. If it doesn't...I don't want to think about it.<br />
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However, the action wasn't just happening at HQ...some of it was happening in our own backyard...<br />
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Our satellite over Germany picked up an alien craft. Time for our interceptor, Raven-1, to get to work...<br />
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This was my view. I pretty much had to order the Raven to attack the UFO while having the option to abort if they got too damaged. That didn't need to happen, as 0.2 seconds later...<br />
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It was the strike team's turn to get down there.<br />
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While Vargas was cleared for duty, I decided to keep him at base and give a new Rookie a chance - Rk. Andersen from Norway.<br />
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The main goal for this mission was to see what kind of technology powers the alien craft as well as the material it used - and hopefully one day we can reverse-engineer it for our own purposes.<br />
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Other than that it was a fairly uneventful mission. Did everyone survive?<br />
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There was Norway everyone survived.<br />
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I feel awful now.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><u>Mission Stats</u></b></div>
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<b><u><br /></u></b></div>
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<b>Rk. Jorgen Andersen - </b><i>1 Kill - KIA</i></div>
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<b>Sq. Victor Roux - </b><i>2 Kills</i></div>
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<b>Sq. Amber Verhoeven </b><i>- 0 Kills</i></div>
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<b>Rk. Scottie Hunter</b><i> - 2 Kills - Wounded</i></div>
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Roux is quickly becoming our most efficient killer - it helps that he can shoot from a long distance. He decided to go the "Squadsight" route with his promotion - he can now shoot at any target that another soldier has eyes on.</div>
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Verhoeven's new skill is "Covering Fire", which is a very useful skill with Overwatch - instead of attacking when her target is moving, she will also retaliate if someone attacks her while she's in Overwatch. She didn't manage any kills in this mission, so I'm not sure why she was promo...</div>
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Err...Amber?</div>
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AHHHHHHHHHHHHHMBER, I'M SORRY.</div>
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Moving on from the horror show, my fellow countryman also earned himself a promotion. He decided to specialise in the assault class - or as he put it - "I want to do what they do in Call of Duty". He learned the Run & Gun skill, basically letting him have one extra action after Dashing. It could be useful in certain situations.</div>
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Lots of great loot, hopefully some of this will come in handy. It's been a long fortnight, so a couple of the soldiers organised a little party. As Commander, I feel it is my duty to remain sober.</div>
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[<i>Editor's Note - The next paragraph is almost intelligible. The words "party hard" and "vodka" seem to come up a lot though...</i></div>
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<i>...the next day though...]</i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
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Ugggh, my head. It feels like I've got a rave going on in my head. And for crying out loud Vargas managed to be sick all over my desk. That's the last party we're ever going to have at HQ.</div>
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[<i>Editor's Note - It wasn't].</i></div>
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Some joker also changed my computer's background. My eyes are still adjusting so I cannot see what it is at the moAHHHHHHHHHHH</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742720562544456809.post-34026308550919741362013-07-24T20:17:00.001+01:002013-07-24T20:17:48.495+01:00XCOM: Enemy Unknown - Part 5 - Mission 3 - Vengeful Paramour<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
A civilian actually managed to escape from alien captivity. It was decided that Miss Sing could end up holding vital information about her captives. We had to bring her in immediately, at all costs.<br />
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Straight after entering the battlefield we were met with a new kind of alien - we would go on to dub it the 'Thin Man'<br />
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An infiltration unit? This was meant to look human? Well, I have to admire them for trying - but this does confirm that this isn't a random attack on Earth - they have been preparing for this war.<br />
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Dr. Vahlen then went on to recommend that we capture the damn thing. Except we have no safe way of doing that and I am not losing my squad just to capture Stretch Armstrong here, so I ignored her advice. For now.<br />
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The Thin Man seems to have the same sort of combat abilities as the Sectoids, minus the mind control but with a lot of added nimbleness. When it moves, it reminds me more of a snake than a human.<br />
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Amber Verhoeven scored the first kill of the battle with a fantastic shot that took down the Thin Man in one.<br />
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Of course the Sectoids were there as well, this one getting a surprise shot on the veteran of the group - Squaddie Vargas. I thought that was it for the Argentine, but somehow he kept on going...<br />
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...and naturally getting revenge. The poor Sectoid had no chance.<br />
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More aliens were scattered across the battleground, but Verhoeven kept up her impressive performance...<br />
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This is what you end up with when you mess with Amber Verhoeven. I'd hate to be any of her ex-boyfriends.<br />
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It was Rookie Verhoeven who saw Sing first - thus it was her duty to make sure Sing got back to the extraction point.<br />
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Sing was understandably a mixture of appreciative and panicked - she knew she wasn't safe just yet. We were only half-way done.<br />
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I suggested to Miss Sing that she should make gradual advancements to the extraction point and keep her head down. Almost as soon as I said that, another Thin Man showed up.<br />
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Rk. Ilyushin fired at the Thin Man and thought he had him killed...</div>
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...sadly that was not the case and the Thin Man retaliated by shooting back at the Russian. The kid never stood a chance.<br />
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Sq. Roux got himself a couple of kills - this one he showed off his new ability - the Headshot. At this range he would be guaranteed a critical hit just by making sure he hit his target.<br />
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We successfully got Sing back to the Skyranger without much more action. All we needed to do now was to eliminate any remaining hosti---<br />
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Which Verhoeven had already taken care of.<br />
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The death of Ilyushin was the only negative to take away from this mission. We can't get too sad every time one of us dies - casualties are to be expected - but I will be a happy man if I never have to get used to my soldiers dying on me.<br />
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One more thing - Vargas took the full brunt of an Sectoid attack and he was back at work in seven days. The guy's a bad-ass, and thoroughly deserves his promotion. Verhoeven was simply immense, her three kills proving herself to be an efficient killer - though she has decided to take more of a Support role on the field.</div>
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<i>From now on missions will no longer have their own update, unless something major happens in one.</i></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742720562544456809.post-4420421041750004392013-07-20T22:06:00.001+01:002013-07-20T22:06:53.251+01:00XCOM: Enemy Unknown - Part 4<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhds9Dcqphg8-0dqa2xcLUjfP3bF9nUTJFLgr1yxqGXoea_xqtX4JSbo40iI4D11nfxD9msvA4Ho_YmiWMu9gDHhOD6W552IAXhT0f15Q2QHkKRvKT2GiNd1O1aoL3vSr8-838BTfRyq53j/s1600/vlc+2013-06-22+13-11-33-23.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhds9Dcqphg8-0dqa2xcLUjfP3bF9nUTJFLgr1yxqGXoea_xqtX4JSbo40iI4D11nfxD9msvA4Ho_YmiWMu9gDHhOD6W552IAXhT0f15Q2QHkKRvKT2GiNd1O1aoL3vSr8-838BTfRyq53j/s640/vlc+2013-06-22+13-11-33-23.bmp" width="640" /></a></div>
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By being the second person to kill a 'Sectoid' and return alive, Rookie Roux is now the less amusingly named Squaddie Roux. He chose to specialise in the Sniper class.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvsbriNH788cF-yXNKyI3bXSTZJ7v_9OV76TaBXuk6skGhbXHEH1F-StpZJ1oy_zTBCxacxsiLzPajsorwwe6pocIWrbDyx1WIFy-oueD5X5kxkIM2bVFAk0HQn5Ze6uD0dKvf3U479VnE/s1600/vlc+2013-06-22+13-15-45-15.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvsbriNH788cF-yXNKyI3bXSTZJ7v_9OV76TaBXuk6skGhbXHEH1F-StpZJ1oy_zTBCxacxsiLzPajsorwwe6pocIWrbDyx1WIFy-oueD5X5kxkIM2bVFAk0HQn5Ze6uD0dKvf3U479VnE/s640/vlc+2013-06-22+13-15-45-15.bmp" width="640" /></a></div>
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He learned a new skill - he now knows how to shoot his target in the head. A useful skill when you're a sniper.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Mrbz9ugUXmU7L6Q-HWkuLkU0zJw0VDkfZzwmac2ZbDbueFb2mJTn2poQv0QgbvQzxXa0fBjiu-8MvuiN5rtiublP-7MqzdWUzt_ZwtL1HFNCZeJpkMDieVNHsGQeca8b81yRg8ufhiEf/s1600/vlc+2013-06-22+13-16-10-27.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Mrbz9ugUXmU7L6Q-HWkuLkU0zJw0VDkfZzwmac2ZbDbueFb2mJTn2poQv0QgbvQzxXa0fBjiu-8MvuiN5rtiublP-7MqzdWUzt_ZwtL1HFNCZeJpkMDieVNHsGQeca8b81yRg8ufhiEf/s640/vlc+2013-06-22+13-16-10-27.bmp" width="640" /></a></div>
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We recovered two corpses of the extra-terrestrials we've been fighting - assigned the name 'Sectoid'. Every time we kill one however, their weapons explode into fragments. The fragments are still useful, but sadly it means we cannot use their weapons against them.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCv4fDriYdCOVyTF_rl8tdw0Le1hi9JTb_52eUh5oier1qP6UvxEli6ICZdDvoFLGII-4UC-FyPA_w69GXLqrAMgf_722vhTA9hNEhECyzkrTIvO1PFttmZ-Fnrlh1MtVJCFy1rAqeYJ8D/s1600/vlc+2013-06-22+13-16-47-65.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCv4fDriYdCOVyTF_rl8tdw0Le1hi9JTb_52eUh5oier1qP6UvxEli6ICZdDvoFLGII-4UC-FyPA_w69GXLqrAMgf_722vhTA9hNEhECyzkrTIvO1PFttmZ-Fnrlh1MtVJCFy1rAqeYJ8D/s640/vlc+2013-06-22+13-16-47-65.bmp" width="640" /></a></div>
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There is something about him that makes me uncomfortable. I think it's the baldness.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOqYHwlN91nGM8ekz626EJa-OjhtiF73UCmcBK78hHG9vgj35AgrvHBPRhT1iMk3tyqNVgZVeEwSNkjqmH_3ep_Q3IhpNVM73faJn6lxpO59HGRl8sXaLzGCjQHdRAl_QdVaASlSAyBoIp/s1600/vlc+2013-06-22+13-17-42-28.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOqYHwlN91nGM8ekz626EJa-OjhtiF73UCmcBK78hHG9vgj35AgrvHBPRhT1iMk3tyqNVgZVeEwSNkjqmH_3ep_Q3IhpNVM73faJn6lxpO59HGRl8sXaLzGCjQHdRAl_QdVaASlSAyBoIp/s640/vlc+2013-06-22+13-17-42-28.bmp" width="640" /></a></div>
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Our four American scientists arrived swiftly. Sadly so did the panic in Asia. We won't be able to ignore them next time. The key will be to make sure panic doesn't get too strong in any one continent if we can help it - we need all the funding we can get.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBMlV3M_UFO_wyryKsFA_IRFS_MBsAy2WfOgmPvT_EvPtGATg29W12lWFR3YYnw283cBDOi2dzqQMMG7ONJFe4hovhNav8CF0mCDWuPP5Rq6pZInYhAkvNZhQTlqD_XE-L5ZIb_ysYWRok/s1600/vlc+2013-06-22+13-18-12-48.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBMlV3M_UFO_wyryKsFA_IRFS_MBsAy2WfOgmPvT_EvPtGATg29W12lWFR3YYnw283cBDOi2dzqQMMG7ONJFe4hovhNav8CF0mCDWuPP5Rq6pZInYhAkvNZhQTlqD_XE-L5ZIb_ysYWRok/s640/vlc+2013-06-22+13-18-12-48.bmp" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUQ2CdRMuzK1em3z6Ob7lUbP3OAykNZOv5ftX4Nx_eltwMnWrug8d7Rn5s8TA4aleT9Z-3D4hNo0_PgC9y4YeMNJMf-w2Cct8dt4QW22pGfZlcRl0auBD20rLhDBQTgnzmpZDOlETXdMGd/s1600/vlc+2013-06-22+13-18-34-92.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUQ2CdRMuzK1em3z6Ob7lUbP3OAykNZOv5ftX4Nx_eltwMnWrug8d7Rn5s8TA4aleT9Z-3D4hNo0_PgC9y4YeMNJMf-w2Cct8dt4QW22pGfZlcRl0auBD20rLhDBQTgnzmpZDOlETXdMGd/s640/vlc+2013-06-22+13-18-34-92.bmp" width="640" /></a></div>
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China is already half way to pulling its funding. We'll need to get back into their good books immediately.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmlEtf2DaarutHqeI4qL8Eq-FY1CJ1FOJOhy2Q0D6vG83DiCVm4RChaUiwr6mOgqLm7C32EhyphenhyphenqHaw1T9blQ4gWU2bwHBZ24CLORelNMUzaYb45os42TCJ0Z1M0R2FbYPCEXksVdexSUNi1/s1600/vlc+2013-06-22+13-19-18-61.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmlEtf2DaarutHqeI4qL8Eq-FY1CJ1FOJOhy2Q0D6vG83DiCVm4RChaUiwr6mOgqLm7C32EhyphenhyphenqHaw1T9blQ4gWU2bwHBZ24CLORelNMUzaYb45os42TCJ0Z1M0R2FbYPCEXksVdexSUNi1/s640/vlc+2013-06-22+13-19-18-61.bmp" width="640" /></a></div>
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Five very quiet days passed, but then Dr. Vahlen had an update for me: her team had finished researching Alien Materials.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9QD2xVX1jN267h_9_N2y3wXAspgDn7ZG5YKDqhNzH4G6f0oNUYwYhCEZlC5A2Tf3dshAI_HtyBBo8IECtoPcJ-HADAoAcfIHKai8hDySEJ3U29WX7t9-FBAp1fxGM1xOwSOIJZi9vIJ0P/s1600/vlc+2013-06-22+13-19-42-51.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9QD2xVX1jN267h_9_N2y3wXAspgDn7ZG5YKDqhNzH4G6f0oNUYwYhCEZlC5A2Tf3dshAI_HtyBBo8IECtoPcJ-HADAoAcfIHKai8hDySEJ3U29WX7t9-FBAp1fxGM1xOwSOIJZi9vIJ0P/s640/vlc+2013-06-22+13-19-42-51.bmp" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitoBLK3JDJv2B4zMRAo0j9NynFfHsoVNnIYIqxz3syjpRNRhWCnxQLoSW4kmAINJ-jk6qQCFfKfwU-D9Q4agOHoKp0gtQPiUxZr5LPOSO4mk7ULphrKGcdpoMUAM3r_gvuM6pG42m313NY/s1600/vlc+2013-06-22+13-20-15-20.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitoBLK3JDJv2B4zMRAo0j9NynFfHsoVNnIYIqxz3syjpRNRhWCnxQLoSW4kmAINJ-jk6qQCFfKfwU-D9Q4agOHoKp0gtQPiUxZr5LPOSO4mk7ULphrKGcdpoMUAM3r_gvuM6pG42m313NY/s640/vlc+2013-06-22+13-20-15-20.bmp" width="640" /></a></div>
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She then insisted we perform an autopsy on the Sectoids. Hopefully they find something useful - like a spot in their heads that when we shoot it, it explodes.<br />
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Our meeting was cut short by loud noises coming from elsewhere in the base...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicE-4lijwjy6xjVCxlieSKeoOPUFqHoqUAZtetrQKGGEggMNn9ur-yMii-GLA40WbhVTRzQuci5Mt9_SvRMSTPp6Md-zkk4mn6KzY9-ysZx6oYwh1u1uIgysDSvjTxsHlLHwZHenHB0QEj/s1600/vlc+2013-06-22+13-20-39-41.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicE-4lijwjy6xjVCxlieSKeoOPUFqHoqUAZtetrQKGGEggMNn9ur-yMii-GLA40WbhVTRzQuci5Mt9_SvRMSTPp6Md-zkk4mn6KzY9-ysZx6oYwh1u1uIgysDSvjTxsHlLHwZHenHB0QEj/s640/vlc+2013-06-22+13-20-39-41.bmp" width="640" /></a></div>
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GREAT! Let's go visit!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcBB44Lxk142w6-RN5wnziNDLRfsS9Sr_ptdg_h5h47E3uPF_DBJXw6f21t_U3kHxNEQ2u54PaG3c2cVxYMNBFyYGFwnItyRgImJF70a4a4aVBLp1esa2oPi0_XOGO_abmZjzfufHo7JnT/s1600/vlc+2013-06-22+13-20-56-45.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcBB44Lxk142w6-RN5wnziNDLRfsS9Sr_ptdg_h5h47E3uPF_DBJXw6f21t_U3kHxNEQ2u54PaG3c2cVxYMNBFyYGFwnItyRgImJF70a4a4aVBLp1esa2oPi0_XOGO_abmZjzfufHo7JnT/s640/vlc+2013-06-22+13-20-56-45.bmp" width="640" /></a></div>
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Grandpa Shen's workshop is where we can put what the research team's findings to practical use. They can build weapons, armour, grenades and much more once we research it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga6shyphenhyphennzNQfUH5JoISniVvWLOsn2-Tl4zA7bFKdAA9-8BEqpzZ-nzIODqX-iB4-HwS_2Ev7IKAI76imXQoR6-dSU5zgr79C3rEMjp0djlsELRU_sA-8sUEeUUk2eeOedgOqLnkReDtcaDX/s1600/vlc+2013-06-22+13-21-20-66.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga6shyphenhyphennzNQfUH5JoISniVvWLOsn2-Tl4zA7bFKdAA9-8BEqpzZ-nzIODqX-iB4-HwS_2Ev7IKAI76imXQoR6-dSU5zgr79C3rEMjp0djlsELRU_sA-8sUEeUUk2eeOedgOqLnkReDtcaDX/s640/vlc+2013-06-22+13-21-20-66.bmp" width="640" /></a></div>
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I buy a few nano-fiber vests for my team.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXDqQI6lUm63ge8E_Z6mH1o6RJPNF4rcWJfiQtuPsr1wbObuBpOxwpaWcTPWq-VpTWdoAy1WG-q3qxEMMH-UhYg_j4nPmzi0MZO6MEqjcSmsF358-TMnfy81Oe0IobMrra8YWbFeUqWVfZ/s1600/vlc+2013-06-22+13-22-32-02.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXDqQI6lUm63ge8E_Z6mH1o6RJPNF4rcWJfiQtuPsr1wbObuBpOxwpaWcTPWq-VpTWdoAy1WG-q3qxEMMH-UhYg_j4nPmzi0MZO6MEqjcSmsF358-TMnfy81Oe0IobMrra8YWbFeUqWVfZ/s640/vlc+2013-06-22+13-22-32-02.bmp" width="640" /></a></div>
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Here is Squaddie Vargas modelling this season's best, a fetching number that adds some extra health. For the most part, my soldiers will be wearing these unless we need to bring a specific item into battle.</div>
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Not long after this Creepy Man sends another message to me, this time asking me for assistance directly.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmipQQwxktyMWVitDoaugvzEmBTUN5OB9fqf8gG9Z1UzjuPQoXFOm3gsSU0YvABVZ__mzg-J0LulKvlv9SBiMt4HWP1C5BvfN1jD2g2cEV3ulxA60DUmhkRSi-qhxCOkwutE9Mijd3pJOH/s1600/vlc+2013-06-22+13-23-36-66.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmipQQwxktyMWVitDoaugvzEmBTUN5OB9fqf8gG9Z1UzjuPQoXFOm3gsSU0YvABVZ__mzg-J0LulKvlv9SBiMt4HWP1C5BvfN1jD2g2cEV3ulxA60DUmhkRSi-qhxCOkwutE9Mijd3pJOH/s640/vlc+2013-06-22+13-23-36-66.bmp" width="640" /></a></div>
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Jesus Christ, man, we're trying to save the world here - it is no time for being cryptic. Still though, this guy represents my bosses, so I better do what he says.<br />
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A good amount of credits, plus more researchers is a worthy prize though. We immediately get into mission mode.<br />
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<br />
Of course I won't. Dick.<br />
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I really hope he never sees these messages.<br />
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(<i>Editor's Note: Oops).</i><br />
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<i><br /></i>
I decided to keep Scottie Hunter out of this mission - mainly because he's the only other Scot here apart from me. So, I decided we should crack open a few cans of Irn Bru while Rookie Ilyushin takes his place. He was actually very enthusiastic about getting a chance to impress.<br />
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Which made it all the more tragic...<br />
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<i>Next: Mission 3</i><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742720562544456809.post-15148755105880069532013-06-21T20:00:00.000+01:002013-06-21T20:00:01.325+01:00XCOM: Enemy Unknown - Mission 2 - Operation Burning Smoke<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We landed in Miami at nearly three in the morning. This should mean that civilians are in bed, blissfully unaware of what is going on in their town. There, thankfully, won't be any chance of civilian casualties. </div>
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Basically, our objectives were: kill all aliens, come home.<br />
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Bradford still held my hand for the first half of the mission. He first sent my fellow Scot, Rookie Hunter, into that building.<br />
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This method of opening doors may be quieter, and thus preventing the enemy from knowing where we are, but it's nowhere near as fun as kicking doors in. Sadly, this is a time of war, not for play.<br />
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Another piece of advice Bradford gave me was to send certain soldiers onto elevated surfaces.<br />
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Not only did it help us scout out the area and find two future corpses, but it gave Squaddie Vargas some combat benefits...<br />
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This alien made the mistake of firing at Vargas. It made the even bigger mistake of missing. This is how Vargas deals with this level of stupidity...<br />
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One alien down.<br />
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Rookie Hunter here showed off one of the abilities available to all soldiers, regardless of class - Hunker Down. This is a defensive ability that will turn a "half-shield" of cover into a full shield - with the added bonus of critical hits being completely nulled. It can be very useful if a soldier is near death, it could give them a better chance of coming back alive.<br />
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I had almost ordered Hunter to do this, but Roux got the honour of throwing a grenade at the alien - granting him his first kill.<br />
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After a few more rounds, our Belgian, Rookie Verhoeven, catches sight of our next target...<br />
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Sadly, it's way out of firing range.<br />
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Alas, moving closer spooked the aliens into hiding into this building. This easily collapsible building. If only we had a rocket...<br />
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The aliens did something weird here, Dr. Vahlen suggested that the two aliens merged their minds or something? I'm still not sure, but it did make the target of the merge more powerful.<br />
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Thankfully, it didn't make it any more accurate. Not a single shot from one of these fellas hit any of our soldiers. The latter two images do show off the "Overwatch" ability - anyone that runs into their line of sight will be subjected to a round of fire. Our soldiers can use it too - it is very useful when defending a certain area. It is less accurate than usual, but it can be devastating to our enemies if luck is on our side.<br />
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As I mentioned in the last entry, Alejandro Vargas' promotion means he can now carry a rocket launcher. So it's time to perform an experiment - what happens to aliens when a rocket hits them?</div>
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Huh, they die. Well, I think that test was very conclusive, but I think we need to run more tests. Maybe, one or two or eighty more?<br />
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Easy enough mission, though I don't expect the rest of them to be this easy. Still, I think our squad has earned a few day's break.<br />
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<b><u>Mission Stats</u></b></div>
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<i>Alejandro Vargas - 3 kills (2 missions, 4 kills)</i></div>
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<i>Victor Roux - 1 kill (1 mission, 1 kill)</i></div>
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<i>Scottie Hunter - 0 kills (1 mission, 0 kills)</i></div>
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<i>Amber Verhoeven - 0 kills</i></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742720562544456809.post-42589464829786539362013-06-19T18:36:00.000+01:002013-06-19T18:36:13.060+01:00XCOM: Enemy Unknown - Part 2 - Headquarters <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><u>1/3/2015 - Meeting the Crew</u></b></div>
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Our lone survivor - Alejandro Vargas - returned to HQ in the early hours of the morning. It wasn't quite the triumphant return he had hoped for, honestly I think he was happy just to be alive. We were caught by surprise, but I vowed that would never happen again.</div>
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Naturally, it happened again. But more on that later.</div>
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Officer Bradford and Dr. Vahlen were watching back some of the footage, when the German doctor asked a very important question...</div>
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That's what was on everyone's mind. XCOM had been founded to tackle this sort of threat, but we really had no clue who we were facing, why they were attacking Earth, how many there were, what did they want, where did they come from etc etc the questions kept piling up.</div>
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The old man is Dr. Shen - our chief engineer. His and Dr. Vahlen's work are closely related - Vahlen and her team of scientists will do a lot of researching - into our enemy, their technologies and how we can apply them for our own use. Dr. Shen can then use that research to develop weapons, armour, ships among other things. This will be the only good side of fighting this war - humanity will go through a great deal of technological progress. We'll have the best team of engineers and scientists by the end of the war.</div>
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Talk about an understatement. Still, I had faith in them. If we are going to beat the aliens, these two will play a crucial role in doing so.</div>
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Officer Bradford formally introduces himself to me and explains his role in XCOM - namely, all the little things that are not important enough for me to deal with, as well as offering advice to me. His first piece of advice was to suggest giving Vargas a promotion. Honestly, surviving the first mission is more than enough reason to get promoted - he is, after all, the only soldier with experience against the aliens.</div>
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Once a soldier gets promoted from being a Rookie to a Squaddie, they are given one of five classes to specialise in, depending on what they show potential in. Vargas is a big strong man, and thus is perfect for the Heavy class - machine guns, rocket launchers, need I say more? They are basically walking tanks.</div>
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Here I can check out each soldier's stats -</div>
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<ul>
<li>HP = Health Points = How much health a soldier has. They run out - they die. </li>
<li>Defense = How much they can withstand attacks.</li>
<li>Will = Not too sure how this relates, though Vahlen mentioned something about being less susceptible to alien psi-attacks, as well as less likely to panic. A higher will, in essence, will prevent them becoming like that German recon guy.</li>
<li>Aim = Does what it says on the tin - a higher Aim means more accurate shots.</li>
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Loadout is where I change a soldier's equipment - his weapon, side-weapon, armour and an added item of equipment (a frag grenade as default).</div>
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Customize allows me to change just about everything about a soldier, including his voice and race. I will most likely not be using this often, unless I get some really ugly dude - I want the most beautiful army in the universe!</div>
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...that was a joke, for the record.</div>
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The higher in rank a soldier gets, they get access to a number of extra abilities. Most ranks will give me a choice of one to give them - in this case, however, only one is available for Heavy Squaddies - the ability to carry a rocket launcher. We can test that out in the next mission.</div>
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After I finish promoting Vargas, I am called to the Research Laboratory.</div>
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I am introduced to Dr. Vahlen. Don't let her age fool you, she may be young but she's one of the brightest people on this planet. She, like myself, wants to see the human race come out of this war with a plethora of new technologies. She gives me the choice of what to research first...</div>
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We don't have enough supplies to got for Xeno-Biology - however, the fragments of the alien's weapons could help us eventually building our own, while the Alien Materials can be used to improve armour. Naturally, I choose the latter. </div>
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<div>
Unfortunately our little research meeting was cut short as I am called to Mission Control. It turns out the aliens are on the attack again.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIm4AOOXphesDWRgfprwJA4DhZFoFKxK9FJX9iz3RCC7pwfNzLszhOBNUrpK-g7oSUhv2HrxGAxCLocP2zL9vpYc2eSDcR22SsMqd9YmQzEb0YW5fEBDUbXnFklrgolnK5fBiMqgIUoGFm/s1600/XCOM+Update+2+%252823%2529.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIm4AOOXphesDWRgfprwJA4DhZFoFKxK9FJX9iz3RCC7pwfNzLszhOBNUrpK-g7oSUhv2HrxGAxCLocP2zL9vpYc2eSDcR22SsMqd9YmQzEb0YW5fEBDUbXnFklrgolnK5fBiMqgIUoGFm/s640/XCOM+Update+2+%252823%2529.bmp" width="640" /></a></div>
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On my first day on the job and I'm already given an incredibly hard choice. With our limited capabilities, we can only respond to one of the two simultaneous attacks. Both are council members, and both are offering separate rewards for protecting them -</div>
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The United States will donate four more Scientists for Dr. Vahlen's team if we choose to go to Miami.</div>
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China will give us 200 credits - which is actually a good amount - if we choose Hong Kong.</div>
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It was difficult, but eventually I made my choice. We flew to Miami right away.</div>
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Bradford chose the team, which included our "veteran" Alejandro Vargas...</div>
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Also on the team were...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizbk08Ouog0pmu6nf6P9XEQqK7uynKIasW_UHU0FxPU0YPIe7piXILLJi7oYTelAylquHSabZRaG2RPG-3ZirWr4n_Glwwpglq40ASQtgo6-6WWnPWNfXW0k5POkJkQNJMLqQo1OMmryls/s1600/XCOM+Update+2+%252828%2529.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizbk08Ouog0pmu6nf6P9XEQqK7uynKIasW_UHU0FxPU0YPIe7piXILLJi7oYTelAylquHSabZRaG2RPG-3ZirWr4n_Glwwpglq40ASQtgo6-6WWnPWNfXW0k5POkJkQNJMLqQo1OMmryls/s640/XCOM+Update+2+%252828%2529.bmp" width="640" /></a></div>
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Scottie Hunter - I have a fondness for this fella, probably because we are both Scottish.</div>
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Amber Verhoeven of Belgium.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXqRrpA06beJx4YT0jTPzMmq7ZeBaniUD4v0ihtgNzb1_zycM4Rj-lxZ6gnYIJf4Blqv_rI3DukeRfOXAAr26F0ISo5O-34XIztVeoDUuLtHpEAI0ASBsCp8YwBljFbwnsYFuxfv-k9ALc/s1600/XCOM+Update+2+%252830%2529.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXqRrpA06beJx4YT0jTPzMmq7ZeBaniUD4v0ihtgNzb1_zycM4Rj-lxZ6gnYIJf4Blqv_rI3DukeRfOXAAr26F0ISo5O-34XIztVeoDUuLtHpEAI0ASBsCp8YwBljFbwnsYFuxfv-k9ALc/s640/XCOM+Update+2+%252830%2529.bmp" width="640" /></a></div>
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And Victor Roux of France. </div>
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Unlike the last mission, we are far more prepared.</div>
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Unlike the last mission, I WILL bring everyone back alive.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742720562544456809.post-2800428420271875512013-06-15T23:55:00.001+01:002013-06-22T13:14:21.357+01:00XCOM Solider Stats<table border="1">
<tbody>
<tr>
<th>Name</th>
<th>Country</th>
<th>Rank</th>
<th>Missions</th>
<th>Kills</th>
<th>Current Status</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Alejandro Vargas</td>
<td>Argentina</td>
<td>Squaddie</td>
<td>2</td>
<td>5</td>
<td>Active</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Scottie Hunter</td>
<td>Scotland</td>
<td>Rookie</td>
<td>1</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>Active</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Victor Roux</td>
<td>France</td>
<td>Squaddie</td>
<td>1</td>
<td>1</td>
<td>Active</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Amber Verhoeven</td>
<td>Belgium</td>
<td>Rookie</td>
<td>1</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>Active</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Nick Crawford</td>
<td>USA</td>
<td>Rookie</td>
<td>1</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>KIA</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Vasily Semyenov</td>
<td>Russia</td>
<td>Rookie</td>
<td>1</td>
<td>0</td>
<td>KIA</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Akemi Hayashi</td>
<td>Japan</td>
<td>Rookie</td>
<td>1</td>
<td>1</td>
<td>KIA</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742720562544456809.post-16439385314678152282013-06-15T23:40:00.004+01:002013-06-15T23:40:41.954+01:00XCOM Enemy Unknown - Intro + Mission 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<i>Much has been written about the mysterious, almost-mythical organisation known as XCOM. Completely shrouded in secrecy, the only thing people truly know about it is that it was them who fought against the alien forces during the First Contact War. However, the video diary of the still-anonymous Commander of the operation has become declassified along, and with it an avalanche of information about the now-defunct organisation. Over the next few weeks we will be sharing what we have uncovered.</i></div>
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<b><u>1/3/2015 - First Contact</u></b></div>
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We weren't ready.<br />
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They came, falling from the heavens in a fiery rage. Hmph, they might have fallen from the heavens, but they were a gift from Hell itself.<br />
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It's been the subject of many films, games and books - what would happen when they made contact? Would they come in peace? Or...<br />
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...would it be an act of war? </div>
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We didn't have to wait for an answer.<br />
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This was the first act in what would be known as the First Contact War. The human race vs the extraterrestrial threat.<br />
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<i>Hello, Commander. In light of the recent extraterrestrial incursion, this council of nations has convened to approve the activation of the XCOM project. You have been chosen to lead this initiative: to oversee our first and last line of defense. Your efforts will have considerable influence on this planet's future. We urge you to keep that in mind as you proceed.</i><br />
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Suddenly I was the one directly responsible for the protection of this entire planet. I was chosen to lead XCOM (eXtraterrestrial COMbat Unit) and fend off the aliens. As to why I was chosen...well, we'll get to that. I didn't get a chance to ease into my new job however, by the time I arrived in XCOM headquarters in Germany we already had a team flying out to Berlin.<br />
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I didn't even get a chance to introduce myself to this guy (he's Central Officer Bradford, I saw a lot of him during my time at XCOM). As I arrived he was busy listening to a "mayday!" transmission and before long was debriefing the Delta squad as they approached Berlin.<br />
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<i>You are being deployed to Germany. At 1900 hours Zulu, several unidentified objects fell to Earth. After ruling out the possibility of a downed satellite, we now believe these objects be extraterrestrial in nature. Shortly after impact, German officials received reports of mass hysteria and freak weather around one of the impact zones. Then things went dark. At 2100 hours, a chopper carrying a German military recon team went down in the area after they reported being fired upon. As you know, Germany is a member of the Council, and they have requested our assistance. Our mission is to assess the situation on the ground, ascertain the current status of the German recon team, and investigate the extraterrestrial objects. Central out.</i><br />
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Bradford took control of the mission, to give me an idea of how missions generally work.<br />
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This is the Delta squad Bradford is leading. From left to right: Neil Crawford (USA), Akemi Hayashi (Japan), Vasily Semyenov (Russia) and Alejandro Vargas (Argentina). Four soldiers from four different countries, united to tackle the greatest threat humanity has ever known.</div>
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This part of Berlin, the nation's capital, was completely empty, save for a few abandoned cars. </div>
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Bradford was very clear in pointing out that finding cover should be a soldier's first priority on the battlefield. That was something I would need to keep in mind when I get full control of the battle.<br />
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Of course, some things offer better defense than others. If you look at Vargas' status, you'll see a half-shield. This means that he is still somewhat exposed, though it's still better than no cover. Where Bradford is moving him, the statue, will offer him full cover - making him incredibly difficult to hit from that direction.<br />
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Rookie Semyenov found something moving, so Bradford sent Rookie Hayashi to check it out.<br />
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Well...we found one of the recon team. Sadly there was nothing we could do. At that moment however, we were interrupted by an incoming message.<br />
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Dr. Vahlen pointed out that the message was coming from inside that building. That would be our next destination.<br />
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However, Rookie Vargas spotted an excess of blood on the ground. When he checked it out, none of us could have expected what he was about to find...<br />
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Horrific. Dr. Vahlen said that the cause of death was something exploding out of his stomach. I refused to believe it, this wasn't some sci-fi b-movie. A few months later I would have believed anything she said.<br />
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Semyenov checked out a strange object just outside the building, but we still had little clue as to what it actually was. Bradford decided to proceed forward to the building.<br />
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We found the recon team member responsible for the earlier message just...standing there. As if in a daze - holding a shotgun in one hand and a grenade in the other.<br />
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Semyenov moved closer to try and disarm him when he made a discovery...<br />
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The alien was somehow controlling the poor man. But at that moment we were caught by surprise...<br />
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He shot and killed Semyenov then blew himself up - no doubt the work of the alien's mind-control. Suddenly, more threats came into view...<br />
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Crawford, the American, was next to go. The other two soldiers were flanked by the aliens, but Bradford refused to panic.<br />
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Alejandro Vargas marked the first extraterrestrial kill of the war. This helped to open up Hayashi to move to a different cover.<br />
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It's good to know that exterrestrial life blow up just as well as anything else. However, we were not yet clear...<br />
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An alien had snuck up behind Hayashi and fired at her. She didn't have a chance to survive. Vargas was all that was left of the Delta squad...<br />
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Thankfully, Hayashi's killer was the last of the alien force in this area. Vargas took care of it rather easily.<br />
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The mission was technically a success, but three casualties in a normal scenario is simply unacceptable. However, this wasn't a normal scenario and Bradford did as well as he could. But from now on it's all up to me. All these men and women who have voluntarily signed up to take on an unknown threat - I'm now responsible for the lot of them, as well as the team of scientists and engineers at HQ. Not to mention, the leaders of all the Council nations. I almost literally had the entire world on my shoulders. This wasn't going to be an easy task.<br />
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<i>Mission Summary</i><br />
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Nick Crawford (USA) - Killed (1 mission, 0 kills)<br />
Alejandro Vargas (ARG) - 2 kills (1 mission, 2 kills)<br />
Vasily Semyenov (RUS) - Killed (1 mission, 0 kills)<br />
Akemi Hayashi (JAP) - 1 Kill, Killed (1 mission, 1 kill)<br />
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<b>OOC: </b>This is the tutorial mission, as such it is scripted. There is nothing you can do to save the three casualties. Not all the updates will be this long - I tried to give as much of a feel of the gameplay as possible (the next mission will give a better look at that...).Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742720562544456809.post-56381217196008523952013-04-17T20:00:00.000+01:002013-04-18T00:22:47.766+01:00Crash Bandicoot 2 - Intro + Turtle Woods<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
You know, there are some games that I'll play for Super Game Fighter that mean something extra to me. This is one of those games.</div>
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Just imagine being five years old. Your gaming experiences beforehand had been 8-bit Sonic games for the Master System and the Super Mario Land games for the Game Boy.</div>
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Then your older sister gets a Playstation for her birthday. You barely know what a Playstation is, but everyone's super excited about it for some reason. Being five, you get a little bit excitable too.<br />
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They put the disc in, you hear that iconic opening jingle for the first time. You look over at your sister, holding the controller in her hands - it had so many buttons! And then you turn back to the television to see this...<br />
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Just imagine being that little boy, about to play the Playstation for the very first time. Going from the games of old, to this - it is something I'll never experience again.<br />
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Ladies and Gentlemen, this was it. The first Playstation game I ever played, and possibly the reason I'm here as a gamer today. I had always liked games, but Crash Bandicoot 2 was just so amazing looking compared to anything else I had ever played. To a five-year old mind, this was as close to real as it got. Over time I commandeered my sister's Playstation and adopted it as my own. By this point she had managed to accidentally break this game, so I never could play it until a few years ago when it became available on the Playstation Network.<br />
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But this game put me on the path of becoming a gamer, much before Pokémon and Final Fantasy entered my life. It will be a hell of an experience playing through this game and finally, sixteen years later, beating it. But if there's one thing I can guarantee, is that we're going to have some fun.<br />
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Unlike the previous game, there is a fair amount of story and dialogue in the game - though never more than a minute or two at a time. I'll transcribe what they say on here for the meantime, but I am playing with the idea of including all the cutscenes and dialogue in a video at the end of updates. We'll see. For now...let's get to it.<br />
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We see what happens to Cortex immediately after the events of Crash Bandicoot 1, falling to his inevitable and painful death...pah, as if! Crash Bandicoot works on cartoon physics and as such, a fall from above the clouds is merely an inconvenience to Dr. Cortex. In fact, crash lands inside a cave where he finds...<br />
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*Cue Cortex's evil laugh* ...the Master Crystal!<br />
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We go aboard Cortex's space station, where he's joined by a new character...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBqXXNHnwAXt4PQLjgsg4otWeH7xw-86lzIH6LbeTllmPmk7QW2KIl6XoBS8gMqnv9LPymIPZ463S8-cFzx1g1N77XCUXrk4lIUAVOFOyqLoYZIH8sMpjvq_TnUnz6tRa9Chtf-gelv-f2/s1600/Crash+Bandicoot+2+-+U1+%252812%2529.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBqXXNHnwAXt4PQLjgsg4otWeH7xw-86lzIH6LbeTllmPmk7QW2KIl6XoBS8gMqnv9LPymIPZ463S8-cFzx1g1N77XCUXrk4lIUAVOFOyqLoYZIH8sMpjvq_TnUnz6tRa9Chtf-gelv-f2/s320/Crash+Bandicoot+2+-+U1+%252812%2529.bmp" width="320" /></a></div>
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Meet Doctor N. Gin!<br />
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<i>"But Doctor Cortex, to reach full power, we need not
only your Master Crystal, but also the remaining 25 Slave Crystals on the
surface. How do you expect to retrieve them when we don't have any earthbound
operatives left?"</i></div>
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<b>Cortex: </b><i>"You fool! Do you think I'm unaware of the situation?!
If we don't have any friends left on the surface, then we'll need to find... an
enemy..."</i></div>
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I wonder who he could mean...surely not...</div>
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Here we see the elusive Bandicoots in their natural states. It is a little known fact that Bandicoots are found either sleeping, or typing away at a laptop. Isn't nature awesome?</div>
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Meet Crash's sister Coco. </div>
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<b>Coco: </b><i>"Crash? Crash! Crash, my battery's fried. Make yourself
useful, big brother, and bring an extra battery for me."</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT4trz9cqIOn4_sZMlm1TP-i7jXkIZ-bP58EbHKe1WGexh0TTSO1rA1cQcyd26By1jwNXu0J19klJRfYfBxPjFdhBTLkFAx-UNbL_B-_4DqXkDui-9os_LpKfhuEOwV9LvwSBfhh66CZSf/s1600/Crash+Bandicoot+2+-+U1+%252816%2529.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT4trz9cqIOn4_sZMlm1TP-i7jXkIZ-bP58EbHKe1WGexh0TTSO1rA1cQcyd26By1jwNXu0J19klJRfYfBxPjFdhBTLkFAx-UNbL_B-_4DqXkDui-9os_LpKfhuEOwV9LvwSBfhh66CZSf/s320/Crash+Bandicoot+2+-+U1+%252816%2529.bmp" width="320" /></a></div>
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This seems just a little familiar. Welcome to Crash Bandicoot 2: Quest for the Battery. I guess the Outback is full of laptop batteries? I wonder if they grow on trees? Regardless, it's time for an adventure! Crash can still do all the stuff he could before like run, jump...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiExGRUrvd71nF4K5W2ivOMkwdtv8ItYIZp7_S7T6_m8IVOQw41NyE-OoK_sanG2yPwDQEbu2SP7FPbioOyVWMsK6sILatz1hRF3H2cnURz0A47O47vw7XwPJhVjcuYa1Tmw_0bldvZRrUZ/s1600/Crash+Bandicoot+2+-+U1+%252817%2529.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiExGRUrvd71nF4K5W2ivOMkwdtv8ItYIZp7_S7T6_m8IVOQw41NyE-OoK_sanG2yPwDQEbu2SP7FPbioOyVWMsK6sILatz1hRF3H2cnURz0A47O47vw7XwPJhVjcuYa1Tmw_0bldvZRrUZ/s320/Crash+Bandicoot+2+-+U1+%252817%2529.bmp" width="320" /></a></div>
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...bouncy crates still hold ten Wumpa Fruits.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIo_3OtjSzKXnLkL4rS70ylilhdeWJZXAD1pIby_UPhj99ToK9kVQNJcE4QjkEny2wS5gXcrkkDyJID7FiPE9ul0hXPI7ElvCPQ0GZtaqDLzB1OT-hHyBFpUTxfonj4v9AVgM_Xcm4KJjd/s1600/Crash+Bandicoot+2+-+U1+%252818%2529.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIo_3OtjSzKXnLkL4rS70ylilhdeWJZXAD1pIby_UPhj99ToK9kVQNJcE4QjkEny2wS5gXcrkkDyJID7FiPE9ul0hXPI7ElvCPQ0GZtaqDLzB1OT-hHyBFpUTxfonj4v9AVgM_Xcm4KJjd/s320/Crash+Bandicoot+2+-+U1+%252818%2529.bmp" width="320" /></a></div>
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The Aku-Aku masks also make a return - they grant Crash an extra hit he can take before he dies. Collecting two grants him a second extra hit and a third will make him invincible for a short duration of time.</div>
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The game still throws lives at you, though with one little improvement - your life counter is also saved when you save the game, meaning you won't lose your lives every time you leave the game. This is rather handy. In fact, you could say it is a...LIFESAVER.</div>
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Crash clearly didn't appreciate that joke and is currently banging his head off the ground in reaction. No, wait, this is just showing off a new move in Crash's arsenal, the bodyslam. Just jump, press the circle button and he'll slam himself to the ground, breaking boxes in his path. In fact, there is a new box we'll see soon that can only be destroyed with bodyslams.</div>
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Hey, what's this?</div>
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What is going on?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwBJ-BndJ6frri00oPAK8uDKyRAF5yCVjES5c7feri5vyMUiajCdQLFX_u4-_LcP-UAv0XBi6uo_PoPiPhHVPXK0OC29UesHWqKWHvK024g6aVsgs02gMjI9DMmXAqGIWlt7Y1OAIs7iM7/s1600/Crash+Bandicoot+2+-+U1+%252823%2529.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwBJ-BndJ6frri00oPAK8uDKyRAF5yCVjES5c7feri5vyMUiajCdQLFX_u4-_LcP-UAv0XBi6uo_PoPiPhHVPXK0OC29UesHWqKWHvK024g6aVsgs02gMjI9DMmXAqGIWlt7Y1OAIs7iM7/s320/Crash+Bandicoot+2+-+U1+%252823%2529.bmp" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaMqySDQ9icW2AsnhO2PbOb-keujVpJMT9CZrOIEk4LVVTaBeJtXfoJWlbTI5NVRgsQvHRkyKcd16LBM_jlV9fAD5SZnb6A2PFAOhqC5aTcMyIQ_EDKSshzYJgOrzwANxOQkFuP8avbmNT/s1600/Crash+Bandicoot+2+-+U1+%252824%2529.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaMqySDQ9icW2AsnhO2PbOb-keujVpJMT9CZrOIEk4LVVTaBeJtXfoJWlbTI5NVRgsQvHRkyKcd16LBM_jlV9fAD5SZnb6A2PFAOhqC5aTcMyIQ_EDKSshzYJgOrzwANxOQkFuP8avbmNT/s320/Crash+Bandicoot+2+-+U1+%252824%2529.bmp" width="320" /></a></div>
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This place looks odd...like a room of portals. Hmm...I wonder who's behind this?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWNNZTsjDBhwOADCulihIcsIIhHb_80Xj1u5Tiv1VdRuoZY4rq6nn0C3nNW7akVdQ95UbVGA8YJSuFfzIhyiQ7W_A4gSWxxOpjft-5UTubcAmgCA2HbUKW-M_GCGAf1cWZM8W0UeceeGt6/s1600/Crash+Bandicoot+2+-+U1+%252825%2529.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWNNZTsjDBhwOADCulihIcsIIhHb_80Xj1u5Tiv1VdRuoZY4rq6nn0C3nNW7akVdQ95UbVGA8YJSuFfzIhyiQ7W_A4gSWxxOpjft-5UTubcAmgCA2HbUKW-M_GCGAf1cWZM8W0UeceeGt6/s320/Crash+Bandicoot+2+-+U1+%252825%2529.bmp" width="320" /></a></div>
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ARGH, IT'S THE GHOSTLY HEAD OF CORTEX!</div>
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<b>Cortex: </b><i>"Well, well, well. If it isn't Crash Bandicoot.
Welcome. I apologize for the crude means used to bring you here, but I'd rather
expect a written invitation to be turned down. I need your help. Surrounding you
are a series of five doors. Through each door lies a well-hidden Crystal. The
Crystals look like this."</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6WxFegpG4MjSxd9iNxeYUmW_9u1VkxLpabv_XFEgJrfSEJO0cfrwFAazyz6HJQVLcOEPdFe-9fUz5fJH0JCcpe8Whkq63fJSDzoNW6-nvVlxcUbhy3LWC9UgeRfxzMFjGL4HuBQpvc_9C/s1600/Crash+Bandicoot+2+-+U1+%252826%2529.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6WxFegpG4MjSxd9iNxeYUmW_9u1VkxLpabv_XFEgJrfSEJO0cfrwFAazyz6HJQVLcOEPdFe-9fUz5fJH0JCcpe8Whkq63fJSDzoNW6-nvVlxcUbhy3LWC9UgeRfxzMFjGL4HuBQpvc_9C/s320/Crash+Bandicoot+2+-+U1+%252826%2529.bmp" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i>"Bring me the crystals, Crash. That is all I can say
for now. We will speak again."</i></div>
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Well he seems trustworthy! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq82avOYKP5N67WeP2C2afqz7E7fSER3wKWj0DmN15Get8Bil1T__vqo5STs1U8k4xWDmscxDv_Nn2Go1zvoBwmdgnejH5figyXw2pvpnP-SbcosF2i7BY6YaqMCrxLArIikVm2PNLfmo-/s1600/Crash+Bandicoot+2+-+U1+%252827%2529.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq82avOYKP5N67WeP2C2afqz7E7fSER3wKWj0DmN15Get8Bil1T__vqo5STs1U8k4xWDmscxDv_Nn2Go1zvoBwmdgnejH5figyXw2pvpnP-SbcosF2i7BY6YaqMCrxLArIikVm2PNLfmo-/s320/Crash+Bandicoot+2+-+U1+%252827%2529.bmp" width="320" /></a></div>
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I just cannot wait to help this kind man who tried to kill us a year ago! We'll start with level 1, it seems like a good place to start! (though you can do any of the five levels on this floor in any order).</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrmEed076P3XGmZj3G1miJALxx0lCpJUpcxwXFuGDfcwXrLrGlhoAvWvp2wep86Jk1A_gFJFaJr3UioHa8H_ThQ6AJhSYj4jeW8EKuhXvUPg8vztp9zODUGWnuD0AyvNez_RLLsgOf2rrb/s1600/Crash+Bandicoot+2+-+U1+%252828%2529.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrmEed076P3XGmZj3G1miJALxx0lCpJUpcxwXFuGDfcwXrLrGlhoAvWvp2wep86Jk1A_gFJFaJr3UioHa8H_ThQ6AJhSYj4jeW8EKuhXvUPg8vztp9zODUGWnuD0AyvNez_RLLsgOf2rrb/s320/Crash+Bandicoot+2+-+U1+%252828%2529.bmp" width="320" /></a></div>
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Each level will start with us being beamed in like this. It is a little known fact that Crash Bandicoot was initially considered for a role in the recent Star Trek films, but sadly lost the role of Spock to someone else. Shame, I definitely get the sense that Crash is a wise, intelligent man.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixfqZxnNg9vJl291zsZtVLlLx41ZgZRnbVXeTaUxXeoV6CuaGL4zquRm9fHSfWdjTGa1-wmU2Po62GsDGSSMnYlCy55zN87iZSHin_M4g65Cqv5iXXogSybSKsdT8whWUIosp6SfIBwZo7/s1600/Crash+Bandicoot+2+-+U1+%252830%2529.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixfqZxnNg9vJl291zsZtVLlLx41ZgZRnbVXeTaUxXeoV6CuaGL4zquRm9fHSfWdjTGa1-wmU2Po62GsDGSSMnYlCy55zN87iZSHin_M4g65Cqv5iXXogSybSKsdT8whWUIosp6SfIBwZo7/s320/Crash+Bandicoot+2+-+U1+%252830%2529.bmp" width="320" /></a></div>
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This is like the level we were abducted from, except it is raining. Now on the ground there is an access to a special type of bonus stage. I ignored it. I'm terrible at them. It's like regular bonus stages, but harder. If you're going for the clear gem in this level, you need to go through this to destroy all the crates. I'm not going after all the gems because I guarantee I'd still be here six months from now trying to find every bloody crate.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpbXI-dDMl5hyBatY0oFaDkA1NJHOqsGpi49vSKhzR6M1Y80tzXoGxeSXOY0zAMVwlQfyuolvKUO3spVAnV8XqOeUH3T7aQosv762hZfXdEj39Z0BFpy07kCavHDjYbVFetu6o9SbmOe17/s1600/Crash+Bandicoot+2+-+U1+%252831%2529.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpbXI-dDMl5hyBatY0oFaDkA1NJHOqsGpi49vSKhzR6M1Y80tzXoGxeSXOY0zAMVwlQfyuolvKUO3spVAnV8XqOeUH3T7aQosv762hZfXdEj39Z0BFpy07kCavHDjYbVFetu6o9SbmOe17/s320/Crash+Bandicoot+2+-+U1+%252831%2529.bmp" width="320" /></a></div>
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These bonus stages are okay with me though.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwY9sMbwJAUVeLHOPqQzq8DLRttteiq9Xa2maDWkPdnUijPWmDs05OIy0NDxIrmM3RXqVQCapiWbw9jWHjQbKFR28KmnAuaoAoxnkftC7t6Jk1ZmELm1jGSGR25jTPcsdniZphXJe8n6jj/s1600/Crash+Bandicoot+2+-+U1+%252833%2529.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwY9sMbwJAUVeLHOPqQzq8DLRttteiq9Xa2maDWkPdnUijPWmDs05OIy0NDxIrmM3RXqVQCapiWbw9jWHjQbKFR28KmnAuaoAoxnkftC7t6Jk1ZmELm1jGSGR25jTPcsdniZphXJe8n6jj/s320/Crash+Bandicoot+2+-+U1+%252833%2529.bmp" width="320" /></a></div>
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It's a return to the side-scrolling platforming seen in the original game's bonus stages. Just break all the crates, collect all the fruits and you'll normally get a good two or three lives out of it.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvKNK7BVw1elPtABQeeztYfifh-jYWHpUgKxEPc8cbcrDiaNZxlB_oRw_xyX-SAoy4YZnsXCVSSGkMJviOQn5MW0K3qJVDDHqjllpX2xUIKIbjBz9pWViM9wan2Wto7Ho7GVE5iDhxgbAY/s1600/Crash+Bandicoot+2+-+U1+%252834%2529.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvKNK7BVw1elPtABQeeztYfifh-jYWHpUgKxEPc8cbcrDiaNZxlB_oRw_xyX-SAoy4YZnsXCVSSGkMJviOQn5MW0K3qJVDDHqjllpX2xUIKIbjBz9pWViM9wan2Wto7Ho7GVE5iDhxgbAY/s320/Crash+Bandicoot+2+-+U1+%252834%2529.bmp" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg32n0EXiBbKzleJRsF54FEpVZzi-6DHyVfqGvqga1jSgAuq6qXK5TNnAD-wJfYDl0RxNqNc204p7JVpxhnfJn2rJSCIHvON1Jr9U_nkHW3TKBT1JYSrpL9CHaDgk8IIPuna7sKeXPN1KRN/s1600/Crash+Bandicoot+2+-+U1+%252835%2529.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg32n0EXiBbKzleJRsF54FEpVZzi-6DHyVfqGvqga1jSgAuq6qXK5TNnAD-wJfYDl0RxNqNc204p7JVpxhnfJn2rJSCIHvON1Jr9U_nkHW3TKBT1JYSrpL9CHaDgk8IIPuna7sKeXPN1KRN/s320/Crash+Bandicoot+2+-+U1+%252835%2529.bmp" width="320" /></a></div>
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Reach the end and the platform will take you back to the level, while your loot gets absorbed into your totals.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNFcHMq0sj6tOJY4IafXYXwYYKe5fJSrk-yFzK0kfcT9pxnjCvAqyAbhlm6UbWewO1LccYkXAfdVmAxnyioN9h_8Znk3saThc0NHjtX4rlIgCg3FHyeKYFblHR2SGfwrJde1NUzx-Rqn1p/s1600/Crash+Bandicoot+2+-+U1+%252836%2529.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNFcHMq0sj6tOJY4IafXYXwYYKe5fJSrk-yFzK0kfcT9pxnjCvAqyAbhlm6UbWewO1LccYkXAfdVmAxnyioN9h_8Znk3saThc0NHjtX4rlIgCg3FHyeKYFblHR2SGfwrJde1NUzx-Rqn1p/s320/Crash+Bandicoot+2+-+U1+%252836%2529.bmp" width="320" /></a></div>
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Mud is annoying, especially when there is crates in it. The mud takes away a lot of your momentum and speed, and for some reason I find it very hard to jump on top of the crates to break 'em.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs4Nxwt5Xe2qm8jM-ew5gT9T5opAYMn1sxxzX_Em37TjXuCT4w1MJhmnteXsFizBGOiHWnbrG8WCdw3yoVBG6ozScwBTVoMJ2sRSwRn_nrlZe3ikH8Y0qcg2AZ7c74_msp6BLLEPlBBQ8K/s1600/Crash+Bandicoot+2+-+U1+%252837%2529.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs4Nxwt5Xe2qm8jM-ew5gT9T5opAYMn1sxxzX_Em37TjXuCT4w1MJhmnteXsFizBGOiHWnbrG8WCdw3yoVBG6ozScwBTVoMJ2sRSwRn_nrlZe3ikH8Y0qcg2AZ7c74_msp6BLLEPlBBQ8K/s320/Crash+Bandicoot+2+-+U1+%252837%2529.bmp" width="320" /></a></div>
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I always feel a bit offended when I play Crash games...I feel like the developers are telling me "Hey, nerd, get a life!". But why do I need to get a life? I HAVE NINE! I'm like a cat!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibWCGTete8rGMHVY0NAl-KMAdPHpwWMLh72NvGxvVJZDqRq9e9t8P1DLJNAjmF3NgDUHcLuCeQ7A6t1G2_xzwbqSXkRR5nHAICsoWRtLOHxwsaOCgn8cvA674qDfC-XGfXb8BnRYJnGQuN/s1600/Crash+Bandicoot+2+-+U1+%252839%2529.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibWCGTete8rGMHVY0NAl-KMAdPHpwWMLh72NvGxvVJZDqRq9e9t8P1DLJNAjmF3NgDUHcLuCeQ7A6t1G2_xzwbqSXkRR5nHAICsoWRtLOHxwsaOCgn8cvA674qDfC-XGfXb8BnRYJnGQuN/s320/Crash+Bandicoot+2+-+U1+%252839%2529.bmp" width="320" /></a></div>
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These pits are easy enough to deal with. I have a triple Aku-Aku mask on in this image, but my usual technique is to spam the spin button.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAj7dZICVJAVis321TIGUazluYzyB1yFAYG0dMhaDAaeHKI3qeKSljhCrZDfR66lz_Gr1JyOJ3JB4fUFo_tAAlrcVWwFq3ZNZKj8PtPFRZTfXqotXmU0NE9rzhfqkkdIqtHcUu_5NxSW6M/s1600/Crash+Bandicoot+2+-+U1+%252840%2529.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAj7dZICVJAVis321TIGUazluYzyB1yFAYG0dMhaDAaeHKI3qeKSljhCrZDfR66lz_Gr1JyOJ3JB4fUFo_tAAlrcVWwFq3ZNZKj8PtPFRZTfXqotXmU0NE9rzhfqkkdIqtHcUu_5NxSW6M/s320/Crash+Bandicoot+2+-+U1+%252840%2529.bmp" width="320" /></a></div>
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Get close and spin as they come out of the ground and they won't be an issue.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibK2DwNSKCW_LkeQIZzEzF64MgiV-Xiu3Pu-3wBpVyqACTDinuuPtw84n5ySjhKrZA0qVBbBg4_MwaC0Xlc-XVsN2suci8skQ3y-AOKsXj_Y8sBAP4a2QTGKpucaSODTsb2GedOLPLej3T/s1600/Crash+Bandicoot+2+-+U1+%252841%2529.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibK2DwNSKCW_LkeQIZzEzF64MgiV-Xiu3Pu-3wBpVyqACTDinuuPtw84n5ySjhKrZA0qVBbBg4_MwaC0Xlc-XVsN2suci8skQ3y-AOKsXj_Y8sBAP4a2QTGKpucaSODTsb2GedOLPLej3T/s320/Crash+Bandicoot+2+-+U1+%252841%2529.bmp" width="320" /></a></div>
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The crystal will always in the level, which means it is possible to complete the level without collecting the crystal. However, remember when Cortex said "Through each door is a well-hidden crystal"? Yeah, he's lying, the crystals are pretty much always in plain sight. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg832KUosLT3RwJUGZTlqGwbvU6NChmqD1dZQSQU3xaCGc8l04_CMzhVaTiE4DI2cEzhA2a80HDwS1JN93Nesl-ZrNGXVgD8GGP3jbiXJUsNAxB5jWoVT7ZYnW-EYjskWpqLvCtCw8irD90/s1600/Crash+Bandicoot+2+-+U1+%252842%2529.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg832KUosLT3RwJUGZTlqGwbvU6NChmqD1dZQSQU3xaCGc8l04_CMzhVaTiE4DI2cEzhA2a80HDwS1JN93Nesl-ZrNGXVgD8GGP3jbiXJUsNAxB5jWoVT7ZYnW-EYjskWpqLvCtCw8irD90/s320/Crash+Bandicoot+2+-+U1+%252842%2529.bmp" width="320" /></a></div>
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The iron gate symbolises the end of the level!</div>
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If you break all the boxes in the level you will find your gem here. But for the first level, there is a second gem you can get. Apparently the way to get it is to finish the level without breaking any crates. That will grant you the blue gem.</div>
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Look how triumphant he looks! Crash is as elegant as always.</div>
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The rooms getting darker, Crash is looking confused, Aku-Aku hasn't got a character yet...it can only mean one thing...</div>
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HOLOGRAM TIME.</div>
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<b>Cortex: </b><i>"Well done, Crash. I knew I could rely on you. Now
listen carefully. These holograms are hard to maintain. During the course of my
intellectual pursuits, I have come across a force that threatens to destroy the
world. Crystals are the only means of containing it. The fate of the world is
at stake. It is imperative therefore that you bring them to me!"</i></div>
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Coco interrupts...</div>
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<b>Coco:</b><i> "Are you there Crash? Crash? Crash? Are you there Crash? ... Are you there Crash?"</i></div>
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No, he isn't. He's taking a break and so am I! See you next time, where we'll beat the rest of the warp room.</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742720562544456809.post-49602754490392025562013-04-16T20:00:00.000+01:002013-04-16T20:00:03.533+01:0052-Week Challenge - Game #3 - Dr Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine<div style="text-align: center;">
<img height="320" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/c/c2/Sonic_Mean_Bean_Machine.jpg/252px-Sonic_Mean_Bean_Machine.jpg" width="222" /></div>
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<b><u>Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine</u></b></div>
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Developers: <i>Compile, SEGA</i></div>
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Publisher: <i>SEGA</i></div>
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Released: <i>December 1993</i></div>
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Console: <i>SEGA Mega-Drive (Genesis)</i></div>
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When this game popped up as the next one for the challenge, I must admit I was absolutely dreading it. I've tried to play this game before and I struggled majorly - I'd never gotten past the third level of Scenario Mode. How on earth was I going to beat all 13 levels? Well...as it turns out...I'm very good at doing the same over and over until I get the results I want. But first, the game itself. It was a reskin of Puyo-Puyo for North American SEGA consoles, it was released on the Genesis as well as the Master System and Game Gear consoles. The characters were based on the early 90s 'Adventures of Sonic The Hedgehog' cartoon.While it is featured in many Sonic compilations, it does not feature Sonic anywhere in the game. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwEohlc4H_6TA4_44_VIIlNUScBYcEE9xVD0UWZiBapNmc8nWdTdGaZzYlZeA5whbifE3LUQmjmkZUFPrc7b4l0n7cjWUOvV5luIePqN8wVw_Oqm8G83whBALX9tgijPYMGLZesOda8azG/s1600/Robotnik%2527s+Mean+Bean+Machine+%25281%2529.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwEohlc4H_6TA4_44_VIIlNUScBYcEE9xVD0UWZiBapNmc8nWdTdGaZzYlZeA5whbifE3LUQmjmkZUFPrc7b4l0n7cjWUOvV5luIePqN8wVw_Oqm8G83whBALX9tgijPYMGLZesOda8azG/s320/Robotnik%2527s+Mean+Bean+Machine+%25281%2529.bmp" width="320" /></a></div>
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I'll be playing the 'SEGA Mega Drive Ultimate Collection' version on the PS3, which is a straight-up emulation of the Mega Drive game (this is why the following images have borders). There is no extra to be earned, but merely beating the game is worth a gold trophy. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggFzUZrCt5RfYJKdovM1zU4GM4lrfEBV1imnJH8zlC6FbzNIJOBg0jLo32HbV-qup1T7-dr0ngLUJIWQeVPlIFx3smLSVVKaSKL0R5gcGggXpK1xzttf6XMad7DE8naMsOTn1o9we79Il8/s1600/Robotnik%2527s+Mean+Bean+Machine+%25285%2529.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggFzUZrCt5RfYJKdovM1zU4GM4lrfEBV1imnJH8zlC6FbzNIJOBg0jLo32HbV-qup1T7-dr0ngLUJIWQeVPlIFx3smLSVVKaSKL0R5gcGggXpK1xzttf6XMad7DE8naMsOTn1o9we79Il8/s320/Robotnik%2527s+Mean+Bean+Machine+%25285%2529.bmp" width="320" /></a></div>
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The story is as follows: Robotnik has kidnapped the citizens of Beanville and is turning them into robots, because that's what he does. It is up to us (yes, US!) to destroy his Mean Bean Machine and free the beans! In order to do this, we must defeat his twelve lackeys.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqQjnXxaMvqMw3jEsR_ngjBcxNk8xv8Ir8zgwP4eMTQK9Hl6II6nhasLiCExEHI8txVu2f7_r_tm2E8wPG4Y1rtbf4kREUKuCLx-cMhqEgKjQ8SXe7yVy3SuoGde8B0GPTs1Y28VRhdS6p/s1600/Robotnik%2527s+Mean+Bean+Machine+%25286%2529.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqQjnXxaMvqMw3jEsR_ngjBcxNk8xv8Ir8zgwP4eMTQK9Hl6II6nhasLiCExEHI8txVu2f7_r_tm2E8wPG4Y1rtbf4kREUKuCLx-cMhqEgKjQ8SXe7yVy3SuoGde8B0GPTs1Y28VRhdS6p/s320/Robotnik%2527s+Mean+Bean+Machine+%25286%2529.bmp" width="320" /></a></div>
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I would say this is a fun multiplayer game, though it's been years since I have played against a human. Exercise mode is basically training and options is self-explanatory. What we're interested in here is the Scenario Mode. This is where we'll play against the computer and pray for a win.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-WD5oPYuYh-O5qSv_g7dVxY8H83A_vfO4ckB8g4Kaurb30STUJEPfRTgUsR8_Ugmq0QCtXRYDWpYuduyoUiADFVvn_lN1Z0C52QQOVBS58GMvL5kRAzkBPpFgurXhjWq4_8DQVOUwpngX/s1600/Robotnik%2527s+Mean+Bean+Machine+%25287%2529.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-WD5oPYuYh-O5qSv_g7dVxY8H83A_vfO4ckB8g4Kaurb30STUJEPfRTgUsR8_Ugmq0QCtXRYDWpYuduyoUiADFVvn_lN1Z0C52QQOVBS58GMvL5kRAzkBPpFgurXhjWq4_8DQVOUwpngX/s320/Robotnik%2527s+Mean+Bean+Machine+%25287%2529.bmp" width="320" /></a></div>
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The first stage is against 'Arms' here. He is too easy, you really shouldn't fail against him.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV56z8LCkLk2REL79WWfH65svB2Th4TeFAcFsSfMVwiWAQ9snQqHeZHWyxk3Nc1Oci0x4O_b7aSGIEIsNPdesAZvvU1Ke6hNWALywf4OZsWldrwKns4fJ2KLyt2X4qi9khMXj8LZV4k4qE/s1600/Robotnik%2527s+Mean+Bean+Machine+%25288%2529.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV56z8LCkLk2REL79WWfH65svB2Th4TeFAcFsSfMVwiWAQ9snQqHeZHWyxk3Nc1Oci0x4O_b7aSGIEIsNPdesAZvvU1Ke6hNWALywf4OZsWldrwKns4fJ2KLyt2X4qi9khMXj8LZV4k4qE/s320/Robotnik%2527s+Mean+Bean+Machine+%25288%2529.bmp" width="320" /></a></div>
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This is what the board looks like. If you've played Tetris before, you'll know that you absolutely do not want to the beans to overflow out of the top. That is Game Over. You want to bunch together four of the same coloured beans...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDxvyaVirB39IIZICNVcbUwiDkiZq2rK8rs3s-BLAupvAUUDN1IB2C2O26s3XLE7w3J4THYXLEl54cwlKD6vlLtUzWryzedosmaxdJwF6CpO-W0EJPHw4n39TXfZnUDrwJ0va85QpcgJAP/s1600/Robotnik%2527s+Mean+Bean+Machine+%25289%2529.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDxvyaVirB39IIZICNVcbUwiDkiZq2rK8rs3s-BLAupvAUUDN1IB2C2O26s3XLE7w3J4THYXLEl54cwlKD6vlLtUzWryzedosmaxdJwF6CpO-W0EJPHw4n39TXfZnUDrwJ0va85QpcgJAP/s320/Robotnik%2527s+Mean+Bean+Machine+%25289%2529.bmp" width="320" /></a></div>
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...which causes THIS to happen...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF4QQgCNynRgi7W9BcdWLGs_PgAQmtJFvvGYysQ8ZH5UGLLXzlg-Kb04JJr8hMwCo8REVoXhAEVBXdNeAgS3QZEnnkSPofUfJi1RAhvqHoW33AAZZwAcbQMtxXsNUxnwkzbBrWIVGJzq4w/s1600/Robotnik%2527s+Mean+Bean+Machine+%252810%2529.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF4QQgCNynRgi7W9BcdWLGs_PgAQmtJFvvGYysQ8ZH5UGLLXzlg-Kb04JJr8hMwCo8REVoXhAEVBXdNeAgS3QZEnnkSPofUfJi1RAhvqHoW33AAZZwAcbQMtxXsNUxnwkzbBrWIVGJzq4w/s320/Robotnik%2527s+Mean+Bean+Machine+%252810%2529.bmp" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg60CSvykUw0jsU6yw8rbghETq_ulN26VbFsCxX6MnwjaclTZziVZwgD2ddTRajWRKQCaBaBbxh0mNaO1MWOwT53nYxcHRw_rtc8TwDjtxKbi3W0h1Xt5tOmLx-12BBPDL9I3t4KZ4klSF2/s1600/Robotnik%2527s+Mean+Bean+Machine+%252811%2529.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg60CSvykUw0jsU6yw8rbghETq_ulN26VbFsCxX6MnwjaclTZziVZwgD2ddTRajWRKQCaBaBbxh0mNaO1MWOwT53nYxcHRw_rtc8TwDjtxKbi3W0h1Xt5tOmLx-12BBPDL9I3t4KZ4klSF2/s320/Robotnik%2527s+Mean+Bean+Machine+%252811%2529.bmp" width="320" /></a></div>
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Now, you'll learn pretty quickly that this won't be enough to beat most of the levels. Setting up combos, or a bunching together a higher number of beans, will be the key to beating the game. Why? Well, other than getting you extra points, it also does something to your opponent's board...</div>
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See those clear beans? They will drop onto your opponent's board when you bunch together beans. If you just clear four beans, you will only occasionally get one clear bean. A combo of two groups can give you roughly a whole line of clear beans, while a combo of four or five will cause three or even four lines of clear beans onto your enemy - most times this alone will grant you a victory. </div>
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If your opponent reaches the top of their board before you do, then you will win, be given a bonus depending on the time it took to win and you move on,</div>
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This is Frankly, and he can be rather tough if you're not experienced with this game. I had forgotten about nearly everything, so it took me an embarrassingly long time to win. </div>
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This was only the second level, but these images tell the story of my general experience playing this game - almost constant failure. I had to learn quickly the various tricks and I had to learn how to create combos, or else I would never finish the game.</div>
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It still wasn't enough. By the last few bosses, the speed the beans drop is insane. I don't have the reflexes to keep up...the computer does. My one tip for the level 10-13 bosses is simply to NOT go for combos, and just try to survive. Eventually, an opportunity will arise to get a decent combo. It's all about luck and that really frustrated me near the end. I'm sure a skilled player would be able to manage, or at least one with great reflexes, but I am neither. Still...I managed to EVENTUALLY get to the final boss who is...of course...</div>
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Dr. Robotnik, or Dr. Eggman as he is called these days. This is insanely difficult, and it was a stroke of luck that granted me the victory here...</div>
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You can get rid of the clear beans by clearing a group of beans next to it. Sometimes this will accidentally set up a combo for you. In this case, it set off a chain reaction of four groups, and victory was inevitable.</div>
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The beans are free, and so am I of this game. It was hard, but I'm a stubborn bastard and I kept going until I won. Games where I have to rely on luck really frustrate me, but I will happily play this game against another human one day. Not only that, it gave me a shiny gold trophy for my efforts.</div>
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Now, when Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine started to frustrate me, I decided I would start on the next game of the challenge, just in case I couldn't beat it. I was expecting something equally as frustrating, or something as long as New Vegas. But for once, the Fortune Cookie feature on Backloggery was incredibly kind to me - giving me a nice relaxing game of...</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742720562544456809.post-4780858329073496712013-04-10T20:00:00.000+01:002013-04-10T20:00:00.499+01:0052-Week Challenge - Game #2 - Fallout: New Vegas<div style="text-align: center;">
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<b><u>Fallout: New Vegas</u></b></div>
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<i>Developer: Obsidian</i></div>
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<i>Publisher: Bethesda</i></div>
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<i>Year: 2010</i></div>
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<i>Systems: 360, PC, PS3</i></div>
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As soon as Backloggery picked this game for me to play next, my first thought was "No. AGAIN!". Not because I dislike the game, in fact quite the opposite - I really liked this game when I first got it. The problem is, even without the downloadable content this game is massive. I'm a completionist. I had a week to beat it. This meant either missing out on a lot of the game's content or spend an ungodly amount of time playing it. In the end I played 37 hours of this game in eight days. I enjoyed the game for the first six days, but the last two was full of problems and a lack of patience from yours truly.</div>
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Bethesda games, particularly the Fallouts and Elder Scrolls, contain absolutely massive worlds. The downside to this is that they tend to be incredibly buggy. Sometimes the games will just crash for seemingly no reason. This happened a lot towards the end of the game in New Vegas. A particular favourite was when I spent a good portion of an hour repeatedly dying in the same area before finally getting through to the goal, accidentally clicking on a bed and the whole game froze. Classic Bethesda! But, like always, I kept coming back. And in the end, I enjoyed this game a lot.</div>
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In fact, I would class it above Fallout 3. I think the setting sealed it with me. For the first act of the game, you can actually see your goal - New Vegas - shining bright on the horizon. It's almost like a beacon, a place where you can escape the hardships of life and get drunk and lose all your money. It's Vegas, and it is a welcome diversion to the ravaged towns, being attacked by savage gangs and the seemingly endless desert. </div>
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Earlier I mentioned it took my eight days, even though I specifically said seven days is my target. The crashes helped with that, but I had another problem - indecisiveness. You see, there are at least four ways to end the game - helping either the New California Republic or Caesar's Legion to hold, or take, Hoover Dam, or to help the mysterious ruler of New Vegas - Mr. House, or taking over New Vegas yourself. I was torn between the last two, and I kept changing my mind. Eventually I calculated what would be the quickest course of action and so in the end I helped Mr. House. From being shot in the face and left for dead by <strike>Chandler Bing</strike> Benny, to holding the entire future of the Mojave wasteland in your hands. In conclusion...it's a Bethesda game - though it is developed by Obsidian (who are made up for a fair amount of the crew from the Fallout 1 + 2 days) who I am a fan of.</div>
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I will happily go back to New Vegas in couple of years or so, but having to rush a game leaves little room to properly enjoy it. It's a great game, perfect for anyone who loves the sense of freedom in their games and I do recommend picking it up - I've seen it as low as £10 and for the amount of content you get in the vanilla game, it is definitely worth the money.</div>
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So, two down, fifty to go. So, yet again, I go to backloggery to pick a game for me at random. And yet again, it cackles as it gives me my next assignment...</div>
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I really gotta stop letting these things go to chance...</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742720562544456809.post-64696812215619934792013-04-03T20:00:00.000+01:002013-04-03T20:00:03.490+01:00The 52-Week Challenge - Game 1 - Sleeping DogsThe 52-Week Challenge is something I came up with when thinking of a new way to update this little blog. The way I was doing things before took a fair amount of work and time that I cannot spare so much anymore. The challenge is simply to beat 52 games in 52 weeks, ending on 1st April 2014. Each game will be given a quick 'review', though I will probably post anything interesting I think of while playing the game. I have other ideas, but they can wait for now. So, let's begin.<br />
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<b><u>Sleeping Dogs</u></b></div>
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<i>Developers: United Front Games</i></div>
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<i>Publisher: Square-Enix</i></div>
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<i>Year Released: 2012</i></div>
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<i>Console: PS3, 360, PC</i></div>
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Sleeping Dogs almost never happened. Playing through the game I simply cannot see how Activision had pulled the plug. The story was that it was going to be a new entry in the True Crime series, but Activision didn't think it would bring in a big enough profit. Square-Enix stepped in, helped to complete the game and then published it. It sold nearly 1.75 million copies. It should be more than that because this game is absolutely fantastic.<br />
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I actually bought the game when it first came out, played it for a couple of hours and while I liked it, I barely touched it and eventually traded it in. A couple of months ago it was one of the free games on Playstation Plus, so I decided I might as well download it. It took another month for me to give it another try, and this time I was hooked. This game is easily one of the best open-world games of this generation. It found a nice balance between the bleakness of GTA IV and the silliness of Saint's Row so it never delves too far in either direction. Another Square-Enix published game you could compare it to would be Just Cause 2 which was fun as hell - though the map was too massive which made trying to 100% it a near impossibility. Sleeping Dogs has a good variety of activities to do while having a good sized map that you can easily navigate. It helps that the reconstructed Hong Kong is so visually stunning, especially at night, that driving place to place rarely feels like a chore.<br />
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The driving is fun too, some of the developers were former employees of Black Box, who have made several Need for Speed games, so the high quality of the driving is no real surprise. Motorbikes in Sleeping Dogs are a joy to ride, I never seem to be forced off them as much as I do in other games.<br />
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However, the bread and butter of the game comes from the combat and it is awesome. It is the only game I can think of where being forced into a firefight is a disappointment, as the melee combat is one of the best in any game I've ever played. It is similar to the Batman: Arkham games, but with the addition of environmental attacks. If you grapple someone, some objects will glow red. Just drag them over and you can perform an, often brutal, attack that immediately knocks them out. Some of them are enough to make even the most desensitised gamer wince. Gunfights are good, but it is a lot more satisfying to beat them up and throw their head into a fan or a pallet of swordfish heads.<br />
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The story of the game is rather good too, it was designed to be a tribute to Asian crime films. You are Wei Shen, an undercover cop infiltrating the triad group 'Sun On Yee', which seems to be heading towards a civil war due to tensions rising between a couple of the 'red poles' (leaders). The characters are pretty well written and they do well to make you almost sympathise with some of the Triads - one character, Jackie Ma, you're left rooting for by the end of the game.<br />
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Do I recommend getting this game? Yes, definitely. It's probably available for fairly cheap these days, and on it's occasionally on sale on Steam (it's PC version is meant to be pretty good). It is worth every penny.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img height="168" src="http://images.wikia.com/sleepingdogs/images/5/52/Screen_Shot_2012-07-29_at_10.21.20_AM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://sleepingdogs.wikia.com/wiki/Sleeping_Dogs_Wiki">Taken From: Sleeping Dogs Wiki</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Now, like all things, I don't like making decisions myself. So, I went to my trusty <a href="http://www.backloggery.com/superlemons">Backloggery</a> to pick the next game for me. It picked well...if I didn't have to try completing it in a week...</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742720562544456809.post-45889129616851077282013-02-25T20:05:00.002+00:002013-02-25T20:05:46.034+00:00Deus Ex - Episode 1.2 - More Training at UNATCO<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The last time we were here we had just completed basic training with Dr. Reyes. We now know how to move, how to use keys and bash wooden crates with a crowbar to goodies. But we can't counter terrorism with our new-found piñata-bashing skills, we need guns. Luckily, a kind German man will teach us how to use them. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQekIoghpWexq3h0ca1vJidBTlPtqEcpmVv98HW6NzHiNKwAkA5Ipnpg5pWkJfDk6lk-X5cSs370brpkOsXMc8M7VG7ObatdK7bGap8aBDPm-xINd5o4dFeXHNRCuimVY_6SB6PTmDi3V3/s1600/DeusEx+2013-02-23+14-39-56-34.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQekIoghpWexq3h0ca1vJidBTlPtqEcpmVv98HW6NzHiNKwAkA5Ipnpg5pWkJfDk6lk-X5cSs370brpkOsXMc8M7VG7ObatdK7bGap8aBDPm-xINd5o4dFeXHNRCuimVY_6SB6PTmDi3V3/s400/DeusEx+2013-02-23+14-39-56-34.bmp" width="400" /></a></div>
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Say hello to Gunther Hermann, probably one of my favourite characters in the early-game. His voice alone wins me over every time.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD3YLNbEZx301f5jprL5wPJUGivX0YRak3KFMsVgUvQuCveAvflec_4oq-F_BhQw3U4NYa3MlFmXYbEReawg2d0kYIede_mCmsuf2oLk-9wagTVtNWgfY3AJNMrhrvq4F_8olT5X2YanE6/s1600/DeusEx+2013-02-23+14-40-11-51.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD3YLNbEZx301f5jprL5wPJUGivX0YRak3KFMsVgUvQuCveAvflec_4oq-F_BhQw3U4NYa3MlFmXYbEReawg2d0kYIede_mCmsuf2oLk-9wagTVtNWgfY3AJNMrhrvq4F_8olT5X2YanE6/s320/DeusEx+2013-02-23+14-40-11-51.bmp" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih85ox_Zpn_utHNw6XzJrOjMK8xieaGrUYkXfBi9qXh7z352RSRIwZqDljSsnb9ZDNykt_suqMhbROP1ZD6ob8jVOOLPCrIuizx3PqejhUVBl951vv4Zx85MpFUJ6UBvA6gWNZhuDPv_oj/s1600/DeusEx+2013-02-23+14-40-24-23.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih85ox_Zpn_utHNw6XzJrOjMK8xieaGrUYkXfBi9qXh7z352RSRIwZqDljSsnb9ZDNykt_suqMhbROP1ZD6ob8jVOOLPCrIuizx3PqejhUVBl951vv4Zx85MpFUJ6UBvA6gWNZhuDPv_oj/s320/DeusEx+2013-02-23+14-40-24-23.bmp" width="320" /></a></div>
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Pistols, as you would expect, are our basic gun in the game. Once upgraded with mods they can actually become incredibly useful, especially with the scope (basically turns it into a sniper rifle making headshots so much easier). For now just take a gun, release a target and...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsVe_kgdpV305sCn1znsDAYd-CEw6SopslCnwkvCvajdaAE4rp0P5ioMsedxckr3XtE0DfTz5BzBiZ4ZUhffr-L_0Apkfny1kBboFa_t0EQznGdBQpPr0Wcd0jmlqHjASkn1iaxAVDazMF/s1600/DeusEx+2013-02-23+14-41-05-99.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsVe_kgdpV305sCn1znsDAYd-CEw6SopslCnwkvCvajdaAE4rp0P5ioMsedxckr3XtE0DfTz5BzBiZ4ZUhffr-L_0Apkfny1kBboFa_t0EQznGdBQpPr0Wcd0jmlqHjASkn1iaxAVDazMF/s320/DeusEx+2013-02-23+14-41-05-99.bmp" width="320" /></a></div>
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...just take my word for it, a glass pane with a target man on it comes forward. With the pistol, the aiming reticle will shrink if you're aiming at something while sitting still for a few seconds. The littler the reticle, the more accurate your shot will be. After a second glass-pane man (from now on, I'll refer to him as Max. Max Pane.) gets shot, we're off to the next section.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid0UUL83nJHJ_S4xg3E44BVlPSFReAnKhmBfdNGBW4sLy12vRfz9PVzXiLNkHbS_Tq4mexVNwXtBQcz_3BJNWG2p7h0trWvNzmKm5Y2IvFhmPLRILQCLyIioEATg5ZCHBRjDxHn2vuvVaP/s1600/DeusEx+2013-02-23+14-41-53-06.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid0UUL83nJHJ_S4xg3E44BVlPSFReAnKhmBfdNGBW4sLy12vRfz9PVzXiLNkHbS_Tq4mexVNwXtBQcz_3BJNWG2p7h0trWvNzmKm5Y2IvFhmPLRILQCLyIioEATg5ZCHBRjDxHn2vuvVaP/s320/DeusEx+2013-02-23+14-41-53-06.bmp" width="320" /></a></div>
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Oh, sniper rifles! Here he's going to show us not only how to use the scope (press the '[' button) but also how skill can affect our performance. But first...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4lW9oj3mjPipavRwlFpZJ-Kz5r51_RoAXvqzDAceYcsIQRDOkFxX8HL2cU-a2AI-ahfOOfv6R07Xs8VhSOFM-csa-rAGsMJ9sqjwYtfpbVMbj7o6YXP_EeDNG1eAzw8KGgjjsBoqoNuxu/s1600/DeusEx+2013-02-23+14-42-27-90.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4lW9oj3mjPipavRwlFpZJ-Kz5r51_RoAXvqzDAceYcsIQRDOkFxX8HL2cU-a2AI-ahfOOfv6R07Xs8VhSOFM-csa-rAGsMJ9sqjwYtfpbVMbj7o6YXP_EeDNG1eAzw8KGgjjsBoqoNuxu/s320/DeusEx+2013-02-23+14-42-27-90.bmp" width="320" /></a></div>
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You can't tell through a still image, but with no training in Rifles, JC does not have a steady aim, instead the rifle moves about like he is trying to conduct an orchestra. This makes it rather difficult to hit Max here.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjArlQMUQlr6b38gS60FJDUUrG65Vtj2azVg66gMPYUAtIdTAcDVbMxiUBeLhsgcDfq0TsVZ9cC6_sax5ryySpMxrj0_dkCVlON2rM4K8gcwoSF_Fe7UcxEjJAMjhfEJHbtiFtF_AXje0F8/s1600/DeusEx+2013-02-23+14-43-07-85.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjArlQMUQlr6b38gS60FJDUUrG65Vtj2azVg66gMPYUAtIdTAcDVbMxiUBeLhsgcDfq0TsVZ9cC6_sax5ryySpMxrj0_dkCVlON2rM4K8gcwoSF_Fe7UcxEjJAMjhfEJHbtiFtF_AXje0F8/s400/DeusEx+2013-02-23+14-43-07-85.bmp" width="400" /></a></div>
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Gunther somehow makes us a Rifle Master, meaning...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQwRuKSZXn7jZyBad5co06GHc3so3oAQgNo7ONXBnoa8Sdvyf_tn7ApEHEvj93_mtqptP5QLLaOKaRDsa5zN9eQqAcOe9Ds_sosVpq30u0ReOq9DVtLPRDn0nNLqb1MTz_zZV7N64ChMAC/s1600/DeusEx+2013-02-23+14-42-47-01.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQwRuKSZXn7jZyBad5co06GHc3so3oAQgNo7ONXBnoa8Sdvyf_tn7ApEHEvj93_mtqptP5QLLaOKaRDsa5zN9eQqAcOe9Ds_sosVpq30u0ReOq9DVtLPRDn0nNLqb1MTz_zZV7N64ChMAC/s320/DeusEx+2013-02-23+14-42-47-01.bmp" width="320" /></a></div>
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...the picture was rather unnecessary but now JC has a steady aim, making it incredibly easy to hit Max here. That's all for guns. Now is it time to make things go boom? </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh81ttofut1NzWkueDxs_fLqVbn3WngOgDbWJusS6VX1yo49GKsuSsIA2eB_L0wPzOXfj1RUD3ZrYw8DgydsMoi2XXEpY4_bgeW588qBnJgYVwm79xdZXEOlbLXinVFSYCVdwiOsON4T3DY/s1600/DeusEx+2013-02-23+14-43-30-47.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh81ttofut1NzWkueDxs_fLqVbn3WngOgDbWJusS6VX1yo49GKsuSsIA2eB_L0wPzOXfj1RUD3ZrYw8DgydsMoi2XXEpY4_bgeW588qBnJgYVwm79xdZXEOlbLXinVFSYCVdwiOsON4T3DY/s320/DeusEx+2013-02-23+14-43-30-47.bmp" width="320" /></a></div>
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IT IS TIME TO MAKE THINGS GO BOOM!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrv-LSz2PdizyGmcKKKm9sOQcvAAWq-dQ55VJCdbxxI2_zRhKX6bMtHqUFxIPCkcvBUVfmlQRS2F6-tDG_p0yuGKRBr_9EzERuW4oLNkJ5pMtL5pNULLXAa4C0-Uilp_QTMi4ZYqbEvZri/s1600/DeusEx+2013-02-23+14-43-37-43.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrv-LSz2PdizyGmcKKKm9sOQcvAAWq-dQ55VJCdbxxI2_zRhKX6bMtHqUFxIPCkcvBUVfmlQRS2F6-tDG_p0yuGKRBr_9EzERuW4oLNkJ5pMtL5pNULLXAa4C0-Uilp_QTMi4ZYqbEvZri/s400/DeusEx+2013-02-23+14-43-37-43.bmp" width="400" /></a></div>
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See the dot on the middle of the target there? That is a LAM. Here it is being used as a mine. Gunther asked us to press a button to send a robot to its doom.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj75U89_y-QF9JD8YZwHIrZng47mtCt3TcJxVy918s4Na02sY0s9Vs5gEOAAzkukumGGyii6EGdgzWBCSt3paxJu-43rU1MSFMPvPNL6F5yAcapdZ90KgsfypDQIWMj48alBAmavqmWzIXP/s1600/DeusEx+2013-02-23+14-43-48-12.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj75U89_y-QF9JD8YZwHIrZng47mtCt3TcJxVy918s4Na02sY0s9Vs5gEOAAzkukumGGyii6EGdgzWBCSt3paxJu-43rU1MSFMPvPNL6F5yAcapdZ90KgsfypDQIWMj48alBAmavqmWzIXP/s320/DeusEx+2013-02-23+14-43-48-12.bmp" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4ocn-0gMvqXqv9IA3-aamxg736_gDexGwaLjLkE8EFddyM1-UiuLcIdC1tBOdQnKXtC86PzKjO4IwaHb_CFF-xZGFEleu7gk1XlDYz3vNk9JSumdXNjCz2iEf1eB0D-G5E3VP5Kj3tP1O/s1600/DeusEx+2013-02-23+14-43-56-80.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4ocn-0gMvqXqv9IA3-aamxg736_gDexGwaLjLkE8EFddyM1-UiuLcIdC1tBOdQnKXtC86PzKjO4IwaHb_CFF-xZGFEleu7gk1XlDYz3vNk9JSumdXNjCz2iEf1eB0D-G5E3VP5Kj3tP1O/s320/DeusEx+2013-02-23+14-43-56-80.bmp" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiULqT8zDpEo4zLiJFqku725f6VohyphenhyphenXUGjPYBKOT_HtUlq-4WjdvVlPy4Q3PP5uIcdAWuEcwcne3BcipgrqYmkaUjfD2q9ltfK9sofzJoYxZ1HW_jyb-yfX2wRMnTrUzW0KIKx28l8tPFqA/s1600/DeusEx+2013-02-23+14-43-59-26.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiULqT8zDpEo4zLiJFqku725f6VohyphenhyphenXUGjPYBKOT_HtUlq-4WjdvVlPy4Q3PP5uIcdAWuEcwcne3BcipgrqYmkaUjfD2q9ltfK9sofzJoYxZ1HW_jyb-yfX2wRMnTrUzW0KIKx28l8tPFqA/s320/DeusEx+2013-02-23+14-43-59-26.bmp" width="320" /></a></div>
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BOOOM! MUHAHAHAHAH! AGAIN! AGAIN! Well, actually Gunther does ask us to place our own LAM mine, and it goes the same as the last three images, so just re-look at them for effect. LAM's are not just mines though...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4ZNJPvpSme8AwcjDLonDvFi8xEyAjHaM-CH_GjHFU3THwBFX2qK3jmuSl7Tmr0A9mp1Zill_Qx1mGBNFBlbPICKERfvsrj040mdWAQ8r3cdxtdtoj9so3UKdsps1i6RsMo__tt6RRxd25/s1600/DeusEx+2013-02-23+14-45-29-66.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4ZNJPvpSme8AwcjDLonDvFi8xEyAjHaM-CH_GjHFU3THwBFX2qK3jmuSl7Tmr0A9mp1Zill_Qx1mGBNFBlbPICKERfvsrj040mdWAQ8r3cdxtdtoj9so3UKdsps1i6RsMo__tt6RRxd25/s320/DeusEx+2013-02-23+14-45-29-66.bmp" width="320" /></a></div>
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...they are also grenades. There are three doors in this room. Two cannot be breached, but one is made out of wood. This is where the 'Door Str' comes into play from last part. If the 'Door Str' is less than INF. then it can be destroyed with some explosives. I've already thrown one into the room, so...</div>
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The door is in pieces. Grenades can also help blow up cracked walls.</div>
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However, we are not the only ones who can set up LAMs like mines, the enemy bases will occasionally be booby trapped with them, but there is a way to disarm them. You can run into them and let them blow you up. </div>
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Thus ends Deus Ex.</div>
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...oh, okay, you can also double right click on them.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwS-wNjLUsgayv90pksPrOKDkPOnqbo8_W7DlknKw1N-DMvXGTfXGz7bmCVT8vWFbtIcT5BlzDHWWX7m4ghyea30AH3GkosfEpRZ-kXIwPTOFhPJ1kY6HIh1KHv90hc4yjbqKAVa32UPSg/s1600/DeusEx+2013-02-23+14-46-54-77.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwS-wNjLUsgayv90pksPrOKDkPOnqbo8_W7DlknKw1N-DMvXGTfXGz7bmCVT8vWFbtIcT5BlzDHWWX7m4ghyea30AH3GkosfEpRZ-kXIwPTOFhPJ1kY6HIh1KHv90hc4yjbqKAVa32UPSg/s320/DeusEx+2013-02-23+14-46-54-77.bmp" width="320" /></a></div>
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Clicking once disarms it and clicking it again puts it in your pockets. It's usually nice to have a few of these on your hand, they only take one inventory space anyway. That's the end of Gunther's training session. Now is it time to meet accent #2 as we go to...</div>
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Covert training! This is where we learn how to be a ninja! </div>
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Anna Navarre is Russian, so you can already form an idea on how her accent goes. Yes, a big part of this game is that if you prefer you can be a sneaky snake and sneak your way through levels. You can also be stealthy yet kill everyone at the same time, if that appeals to you.</div>
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We get Tech Goggles. I never used it, so I could be misremembering, but I think they are similar to night vision goggles? The data cube just contains the instruction manual for the goggles. I'll be putting all the DataCubes at the end of updates in case anyone wants to read them.</div>
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This is actually really easy. It's also very easy to accidentally get caught. One person patrols one side, the other patrols the other. There are crates to hide behind, crouch behind one and just wait until one passes you (their peripheral vision is very bad) and make a run for it. </div>
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There is also this camo which pretty much turns you invisible for a short period of time.</div>
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We have one last test, we have to use everything we know to get to the exit.</div>
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It's literally a case of find the code behind some barrels, avoid the patrolling robot (it sees you and it will shoot) and get to the bridge. You'd have to be an idiot to get caught by the robot though.</div>
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...I got caught that's why there's no pictures of the rest of the course because I was panicking. This is just the training mission. This won't end well.</div>
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When we make it to the end we get a chance to learn a bit more about the Deus Ex world.</div>
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UNATCO are an arm of the United Nations. If any peace needs to be kept then it up to us. These are the generic UNATCO trooper we'll see quite a lot of.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghk-OH0CAzHDYroyf56CHAgd_fHC0wqBj709Cs7t0v79NC3phAd2WTQU3pn7QVp-_Hq-48zkrQY_-3LhyEYOsMQvtaZ-EVab6_JfM_n5AAEj_UJttW6LKjXjYmFwz49UgDdSNuzM3YkeB6/s1600/DeusEx+2013-02-23+14-54-06-04.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghk-OH0CAzHDYroyf56CHAgd_fHC0wqBj709Cs7t0v79NC3phAd2WTQU3pn7QVp-_Hq-48zkrQY_-3LhyEYOsMQvtaZ-EVab6_JfM_n5AAEj_UJttW6LKjXjYmFwz49UgDdSNuzM3YkeB6/s400/DeusEx+2013-02-23+14-54-06-04.bmp" width="400" /></a></div>
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The NSF are our main baddies, at least at the start of the game. You will see, and potentially shoot, a lot of these generic soldiers. However, this game wants you to stealth for a reason - even a couple of these can potentially overwhelm you. They usually have simple enough patrol routes though.</div>
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This is the bastard who shot at me earlier. They will generally patrol an area and will shoot any enemy that enters its sight. Useful if they're on your side. Deadly if they're against.</div>
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These are the robots we'll most likely see early in the game. A rocket would blow these up easily. Again though, stay out of the sights of these, even the baby ones can wreck you big time.</div>
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High-level UNATCO soldiers, like Anna and Gunther are basically half machine, with very visible machine parts. However this is the old technology. WE are the new technology.</div>
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This is our bro, Paul Denton. He is the first of the new augmented agents with no wires sticking out of him. JC is the second. Paul is however very human, many people at UNATCO are constantly disappointed in his insistence in not killing people, an idea far beyond the intelligence of most UNATCO troopers. That's all the holograms for now. Well...except one. Meet Mr. I'm Totally Not Evil - BOB!</div>
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Thanks Bobby! Finally, it's time to get a taste of some actual field experience! See you next time where we kill a bunch of people instead Lady Liberty!</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742720562544456809.post-515877191377516692013-02-24T16:40:00.000+00:002013-02-24T18:07:05.759+00:00Deus Ex - Episode 1.1 - Training at UNATCO Part 1 - The Basics<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwHpvXvZpm4NvB9kcsHmzES5GiuEBoe1AOi-7Z6k0PNAuw2lCrK0m80Dsi1GY2eKkeLXenZ2tmi56IwP38B8lcFR6xtI9lTN9MpFNapYPxllNc1_lvWqGUmXZR1ea-MQLdmSLzEassdp0l/s1600/DeusEx+2013-02-23+14-31-53-43.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwHpvXvZpm4NvB9kcsHmzES5GiuEBoe1AOi-7Z6k0PNAuw2lCrK0m80Dsi1GY2eKkeLXenZ2tmi56IwP38B8lcFR6xtI9lTN9MpFNapYPxllNc1_lvWqGUmXZR1ea-MQLdmSLzEassdp0l/s320/DeusEx+2013-02-23+14-31-53-43.bmp" width="320" /></a></div>
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We're here at the lovely state of Continental, USA (I think it's near California?) to put JC Denton through his training. Here we will learn the three basic S's of the game: shooting, sneaking and, most importantly, 'splosions. But before any of that...<br />
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This is how mission support staff will communicate with you, directly in your ear. They will talk to you to provide mission objectives, gameplay hints, story exposition and when they're feeling lonely.<br />
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Our friend here, Jaime Reyes, is watching us through these windows. He'll follow us through all the rooms. Beside him is a <i style="font-weight: bold;">MYSTERIOUS MAN. </i>Perhaps we'll meet him again...<br />
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The first thing we learn is how to pick up objects. Just left-click on it and you pick it up. Nano-Keys go straight into your 'Key Ring'.<br />
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With the key ring equipped, you can open a door you have a key for. In the first screen notice the 'Lock Str' and 'Door Str'. We'll get to that eventually...<br />
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Well...we all know what the main use of a crowbar is, surely?<br />
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SMASH!<br />
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LOOT! Lockpicks help you pick locks. I'm an infinite source of knowledge.<br />
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Metal crates cannot be smashed, no matter how many BANGS and THWACKS and other onomatopoeias you throw at it.<br />
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DataCubes usually contains either codes/passwords or provide extra story-fluff. This one is a code for the next door...<br />
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This is what a keypad looks like for all you keypad-lovers out there.<br />
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Multitools are like lockpicks but for electronics instead. Their main functions is to open electronic locks, but they can also disable cameras and such. You want lots of these.<br />
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After each training section, all of your items will be confiscated. Probably for the best he took the knife away from us for the next section...<br />
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According to Jaime, this fella 'volunteered' to be knocked out. If only I still had my knife...<br />
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If you click on his body once you search him, he gives you a key. Click on him again and...<br />
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...you can pick him up and throw him about. This is more useful for hiding enemy bodies in the main game, but now we'll use it to tuck UNATCO Soldier into bed. Sadly there is no button to make JC Denton sing him a lullaby (someone get to work on that mod).<br />
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Now, JC Denton is not your old school agent like your Grandmother used to make, oh no. He is nano-augmented. This means that throughout the game he can be upgraded and can do more stuff normal humans cannot. For instance...<br />
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Pressing F12 makes you a shine a light. It also allows Denton to take a Steam snapshot every time he turns on his light. *Sarcasm mode* Man, I can't wait to share this shot of a dark room with all my frien..<br />
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...touché.<br />
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Repair bots replenish your bioelectric energy, that green bar beside the green man in the top left corner. There are items that do the same thing but it also recharges (slowly) by itself.<br />
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These are cameras. You'll find that 2050 terrorists do not do a good job of making these cameras subtle. I say that, but I guarantee they will be my worst nightmare in the game. Destroying them sounds an alarm. Getting caught by them sounds an alarm. You either need to hack it with a multitool, or hack into a nearby computer and switch them off - we'll get to that in the main game though.<br />
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Platforming. It's never complicated, mainly just ducking or jumping, but being in first person can make it rather awkward sometimes.<br />
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Metal cubes are portable platforming devices. You can lift them and place them where you need them to be in order to act like a step to a higher place. They don't offer any companionship though, so they're only second in my all time favourite video game cubes.<br />
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Ladders. You walk into them and look up. Much like in real life.<br />
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Hazmat Suit. I don't know if Mat haz suit but I shall ask him later. For now, just know that Hazmat Suits only absorb SOME of the damage done by toxic water.<br />
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You can't see very well, but it says 25% absorb on the left hand side there. That's right, new recruits at UNACTO are expected to swim through radioactive water, suffering a great amount of health loss as a result...as part of their training. Surely, that's not ethical?<br />
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Luckily, this is THE FUTURE! And thus we can just press a button and a machine makes us all well again. Look at the left-leg though, and that's WITH the 25% absorb. Naturally, if your legs or arms lose all their health you will struggle to move or use items (I think, I've never been at 0 arm health).<br />
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This actually ends the first part of the training. The next two are a lot shorter and thus I will put them in their own update next. What will we learn? Just remember the 3 S's: Shooting. Sneaking. And...<br />
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'SPLOSIONS!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742720562544456809.post-36389529618738661832013-02-23T20:00:00.000+00:002013-02-23T20:00:04.074+00:00Deus Ex - Introduction<div style="text-align: center;">
<img height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiunde63p7j9mZQ2sa03pEtT9OtECJrVcg8KGTtMrqSrtoI6pGuuLA-TIm77qiFqy4LiGhlyy3QqNKJnbsvI9wVNDHKvuOAo_XRRVAuKpfbWwsWTSvNELA5JZ-Jh1PKblwLwkDtvEUt6ud/s320/deus_ex.jpg" width="320" /></div>
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Deus Ex</div>
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Developed By: ION Storm</div>
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Published By: Eidos Interactive</div>
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Released: 2000 (PC)</div>
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2002 (PS2)</div>
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Widely considered to be one of the greatest PC games of all time, Deus Ex blended a first person shooter with RPG and stealth elements to create what would become one of the most influential games of its era. The game's development was headed by Warren Spector, who was previously involved with System Shock and briefly with the game that would become Thief. </div>
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Much like System Shock, Deus Ex has a cyberpunk theme, taking place in the 2050s in a world riddled with disease and terrorism. You are JC Denton, an agent for UNATCO (United Nations' Anti-Terrorist Coalition). The entire world is plagued with the disease 'Grey Death', and while there is a cure, 'Ambrosia', developing and distributing it has proved to be a slow process. However, the NSF (National Secessionist Force) believe that secret organisations are holding back the cure. The game is heavy with conspiracies and it will take us on a little trip around the world, from New York to Hong Kong to Paris...along side a couple of extra little places that I won't spoil...</div>
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For my own experiences of the game, I've owned this game since 2004 and I did almost beat it once...but that was with cheats. I'll start up a game every year, get so far and then get distracted by something else, but not this time. This time I WILL finish it. If you're familiar with Deus Ex then come see just how bad I am. If you're not, well, you are in for a treat! And if you don't like Deus Ex? </div>
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What a shame.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742720562544456809.post-31777290889387977512013-02-08T20:00:00.000+00:002013-02-08T20:00:00.898+00:00Serial Killer: Legend of Zelda #1 - THE Legend of ZeldaThe Legend of Zelda. One of the greatest game franchises in history, it has sold nearly 70 million copies over the past 26 years. Many gamers have grown up playing Zelda games, including yours truly, but I do have one little issue with the series. I have never beaten a Zelda game. I usually get so far and then...stop. For no real reason. I figured it was time I did something about this. So, naturally, I decided to play the entire series; from the original Nintendo's Legend of Zelda to Skyward Sword for the Wii. I own just about every one of the main games, with the exception of the Oracle games and Spirit Tracks (which will be rectified by the end of this...). I'm either going to have a new found love for the series...or have an irrational fear of green tunics.<br />
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Well let's get to it then. It's time to go back in time, to the land of 8-bits, the Nintendo Entertainment System...<br />
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Despite owning this game twice (a physical NES copy and the free 3DS digital copy I got), I had only played this for a total of about ten minutes before starting this. So let's get right to it then...<br />
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Quick Note: As this game probably has the least to talk about, I've used this opportunity to explain more about the general idea of how the game works. Expect future updates to be less 'dry'.<br />
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Story</h3>
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The story of the game is simple, Zelda has been imprisoned by 'The Prince of Darkness' Ganon. Ganon plans to use the Triforce, three powerful artifacts (Wisdom, Power and Courage), to rule the world with fear! Before being imprisoned, Zelda split her Triforce of Wisdom into eight pieces and scattered them across the land. It is up to Link to collect all the pieces in order to have enough power to defeat Ganon and save Hyrule once and for all. Our adventure starts when we meet an old man in a cave...</div>
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We grab his wooden sword (easy, now) and be on our way!</div>
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Gameplay</h3>
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You spend most of your time exploring the 'overworld', travelling from dungeon to dungeon. The overworld is a 16x8 grid, it's not exactly small, but it's not dauntingly massive either. However there is much more to do than just travel. For instance, you can kill. There are so many enemies to kill and they like to drop goodies after you viciously murder them. This is a good way to collect Rupees, the games currency, early on as well as hearts for healing and bombs to blow stuff up. Bombs are infinitely useful, not only can they be used to blow up enemies, but they can be used to blow up some walls and uncover secrets. What's that? What is the secret? Now, it wouldn't be a secret if I told you what you can find. It is a secret for nobody!</div>
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Ugh, fine, or for everybody I guess. There are several hidden spots in certain maps where you can find this generous Moblin, who will share his Rupee stash. Sometimes it's not much, like shown, but there is at least one where he will give you 100, which is incredibly handy. The game hands you rupees like they're flyers, so don't be shy in spending. There are shops where you can buy a variety of items including bombs, a better shield, arrows (you just need to buy it once, and then each arrow automatically used a rupee) and later on, the blue ring (which changes the colour of your tunic somehow, and also halves the damage you take). You can also buy potions if you find the old man with the blue letter and show it to the old woman (that's their actual names...). Speaking of the Old Man...<br />
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He is everywhere in this game. He's in numerous caves, offering you advice, new swords, health upgrades (shown above. Always pick the heart...) and even a chance to play a little gambling game to get more rupees.<br />
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Sometimes you can find useful items that you need to progress the game with in the overworld, including the power bracelet (lets you push certain objects). However, most of your items come from the dungeons.<br />
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There are nine dungeons in the game, the first eight all contain a piece of the triforce while the ninth is where Ganon is. Each dungeon is a series of rooms, most of which have enemies to stab in the face. Sometimes you need to murder them all to progress, sometimes you need to find keys to unlock doors. There is the occasional room where the only way to unlock the staircase is by pushing a block out of the way, or into the right place. The puzzles never get any harder than that.<br />
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Most dungeons have an item to collect, usually quite useful ones such as the bow, the stepladder (to walk over one-square wide bodies of water) and the magic wand (like the bow + arrow, but doesn't cost rupees to use). Some are only useful around once in the game, like the whistle (used to beat one boss and to get to a dungeon).<br />
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Every dungeon map is in the shape of something; level 1 is in the shape of an eagle, level 2 is the moon, level 3 is a swastikahhhh...<br />
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I mean, err, it's a Manji. Yes that's what it is. See what you think it is? Forget that, it's not that. Besides, the boss of the dungeon is a 'Manhandla', not Hitler in a robot suit...though that'd be better...<br />
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Each dungeon ends in a boss. They usually range from really easy (this one takes two bombs to kill, a later boss takes one arrow to the eye) to kinda easy (the three headed dragon that shoots fireballs at you gave me a little trouble). Some bosses have a specific weakness, but there's usually an Old Man giving you a vague, badly translated hint on how to beat them. The Old Man shows up in the dungeons to give you some sweet tips like..<br />
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Cheers for the advice, Gramps. What he is TRYING to tell us is to bomb the wall to the left, but it just comes across as this vague nonsense.<br />
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But I digress, back to the bosses. Each one drops a Heart Container, granting Link an extra heart of health, while defeating them opens up the final room, where the triforce piece is.<br />
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Do this eight times and you will have the triforce of wisdom, which is the only way to get into the final dungeon and meet the final boss..<br />
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Ganon. He's a bit of a pain, but by this point if you have all the heart containers and the red ring (1/4 damage) it shouldn't be too hard. He'll turn invisible and shoot at you from different areas of the room. Just swing your sword at where he's shooting from and you can hit him. Hit him four times he will turn brown, then all it takes is a silver arrow to the face and he is dead and we've saved Zelda.<br />
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There is a Second Quest (same game, dungeon layout is different, enemies are harder etc), but that's simply for those looking for additional challenge. I have thirteen more games in this series to play, so I cannot delay.<br />
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Things I Like</h3>
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It's still fun to explore and that chime that plays whenever you collect an item (as well as the one whenever you discover a secret, or the way forward) is satisfying even in 8-bit. The game can be challenging, but it is never unfair (unless there is a room of god damn Wizzrobes. I can only assume Satan himself programmed them into the game...) and it's not too long, you could complete it in just a few hours even on your first try. There's a reason few Zelda games stray from the same formula set up in this game, it worked then and it continues to work now.</div>
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Things I Don't Like</h3>
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There's nothing wrong with the game per se, but it has definitely aged. Sequels took the formula of the game and made it better and in comparison the original does not hold up great. There's also around four music tracks in-game. This isn't a problem unless you're me who gets lost all the time. The main theme of Zelda maybe legendary, but even it gets grating when you're getting frustrated at being lost.<br />
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Conclusion</h3>
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So, there can be no denying that the game is very dated now. Dated, but a whole load of fun none-the-less. It's best to look back at this game as the foundations in which the series built upon the legendary games of the future. It's a good thing, then, that they didn't do something stupid like make the sequel completely different, like a sidescroller RPG or whatever, you already know the punchline here:<br />
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<i>Next Time: We adventure with Link as he gets lost inside a Castlevania game.</i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5742720562544456809.post-52042160655097677932013-01-06T01:55:00.002+00:002013-01-06T01:55:23.098+00:002013 List of Games I've PlayedThis post is more for me, though I'll likely give it more fanfare by the end of the year. This is my list of all the games I've played (and beaten) this year.<br />
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
Xbox 360</h3>
<div>
Halo 4 (Not Beaten)</div>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
Playstation 2</h3>
<div>
GTA: San Andreas (Beaten before, going for 100% - not yet achieved)</div>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
PC</h3>
<div>
To The Moon (Beaten - Review Pending)</div>
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
NES</h3>
<div>
The Legend of Zelda (Beaten - Article Pending)</div>
<div>
Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (Not Beaten)</div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0