Please Valve, do not release Left 4 Dead 3 in 2010!
With cmfl3x and me going on a blogging holiday break starting tomorrow, this entry will be our last post for 2009! Similar to cmfl3x, I also several holiday wishes for 2010 but I’ve narrowed it down to three possible wishes that would make me a happy gamer next year and they all relate to sequels: BioShock 2, Starcraft 2, and Left 4 Dead 3 (well, Left 4 Dead 2, to be more exact).
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One of the highlights of Halo 3: ODST was the ability to unlock free gear for your Avatar
Although 2009 wasn’t as awesome as 2008, it was still a great year for gamers. Looking back, I’ve enjoyed all the titles I’ve gotten to play and am really looking forward to next year. There were some new things we saw this year that I hope will continue in 2010. Hit the jump to find out what!
When Tekken 6 originally released, I ended up picking up the Tekken 6 special edition that was bundled with the wireless arcade stick. This bundle was originally priced at $150, but apparently it didn’t sell very well so Amazon is now selling it for only $76 – practically half the price. The game itself is also seeing many sales – ranging from $20-$40 discounts on its original $60 price tag. Is there any reason for this? Maybe it’s not selling as well as anticipated? In any case, hit the jump for my conclusive thoughts on the game.
World of Warcraft & Team Fortress 2 continue to give PC gamers updates
It’s interesting for me to see the “evolution” of the PC gaming landscape. Growing up on Doom, Quake, and Duke Nukem, I’ve lived through the rise and decline of the PC gaming scene, from the introduction of first person shooters, real-time strategy games, online multiplayer, 4X strategy games, and now MMORPGs. If you’ve also grown up with fond memories of Doom & Quake, I highly recommend checking out the book, Masters of Doom. It’s a well-written book that chronicles how John Romero and John Carmack met, formed id Software, and completely shook up the gaming industry. Having said that, today’s entry will contain my more general thoughts on the PC gaming landscape, and why I’m still excited for its present and future.
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Spitter + dimly lit area = problem
I originally set out to write about how Left 4 Dead 2 is too hard to enjoy (it still kind of is sometimes), but now I am enjoying myself so much I want to write about that too! I think the tipping point came when I was playing through the Hard Rain campaign, which is an amazing gaming experience that is not to be missed. In a clever level design, you make your way out to a fuel station only to return with fuel on your back for your boat. The problem is, it’s dusk when you start, dark by the second stage and by the end you are in a raging maelstrom. The weather effects are awesome and for the first time in a long time, I was scared because zombies I couldn’t see were popping up right in front of my face. Kudos to Valve for thinking of such an awesome level.
On Monday I recounted my impressions from playing the retail version of Demigod, the first of many DotA successors on the PC. For today, I will share my impressions on League of Legends, another successor that actually ends up not only being quite enjoyable and similar to the DotA-Allstars Warcraft III custom mod, but it’s also free by being supported with microtransactions. Hit the jump for my detailed impressions that compares League of Legends with Demigod and DotA-Allstars.
Did you know that the Terminator is featured in Modern Warfare 2?
I’m sure there are a lot of conflicting views about this, but I feel compelled to write about it: I absolutely HATE the double shotgun build in Modern Warfare 2. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the build (although at this point if you’ve played enough multiplayer that’s impossible), it goes something like this:
1. Level up to 67.
2. Unlock Model 1887 shotgun.
3. Use Akimbo, Stopping Power, and Steady Aim
4. Kill everyone with 20 yards of you.
5. LOL out loud to yourself.
I haven’t been on the 360 as much in the last few weeks due to several games I’ve been trying out on the PC as of late. Having enjoyed both Sins of a Solar Empire and still in the middle of Galactic Civilizations II, I have to say I’m a newly converted Stardock fan. Taking my wife to Target recently I discovered Stardock’s newest game, Demigod, on clearance so I chose to pick it up and complete my contemporary “Stardock” gaming collection.
Demigod is Stardock’s most recently released PC game, based on the popular Defense of the Ancients mod in Warcraft III. The game was originally released in mid-April, so my recent impressions of this game will also indicate how it is faring half a year later.
We’ve finally reached the last day of our 2009 Xbox 360 Awards & Holiday Shopping Guide, culminating in our Game of the Year. For those following the awards throughout the week, you may have a good guess as to what game will be our game of the year. Is it the same as your pick?
In any case, please remember that while we’ve chosen only one winner from each category, all games nominated within each category are all worth considering, depending on how much you enjoy that category. This week’s feature has doubled as a shopping guide as well as an awards “ceremony”. With that, let’s draw back the curtains for the finale…
In Part 4 of the Awards/Shopping Guide, Leveling Down will be tackling some of the more controversial categories: Best Story, Best Value, and Most Overrated. Admittedly, these categories are VERY subjective and are only our opinions, and on some counts even espion4ge and I don’t see *exactly* eye to eye. Nonetheless, controversy is a lot of fun, so might as well give it a shot!
