Portal 2 Preview

Hey portal fans check out the cool video for  Portal 2 link.  If this doesn't get you excited for its release next year I don't know what will. 

Do you think the cake is a lie? Tell us what you think.

Split-screen... Is it worthwhile?

Remember yesteryear, when a night of gaming meant eight freinds in a dark basement yelling profanities at each others mothers? How about LAN parties at the your rich friends house, remember those?

Zambies!!!!

The answer for most gamers is a resounding yes. It is because of this fact that I pose yet another question. Why then in this era of onile multiplayer has the industry abandoned splitscreen. The majority of multiplayer games now require each person to have their own console, disc, and gamertag in order to play one another.

worst split screen ever.

Don't get me wrong, I love being able to play online with my friends any time regardless of where they might be. The real issue I have is, what happens when we all get together at one home for some game mania? Are we expected to lug around tv's, a console, games, and controllers every time we get together?

The answer: no. This is a misconception that the industry has. They believe that if we are forced to by our own copy of said game in order to play with friends it will rake in more money. What they don't realize is that this actually limits their audience and can often discourage people from buying the game in question.

How so? Consider this, would you rather A: sit and watch others play, or B: join in and play with them? Any sane person would go with option B.

Making players "sit and watch" is punishment if not pure torture. This turns the prospective buyer off because they arn't allowed instant access. It also makes said game the last choice for a party, ensuring that no one who comes to your house will get to experience it.

On the flipside if four friends can all play at once this is a "reward" or positive. If you want to go one step further there should be play online fourplayer split-screen. This method ensures that your game not only receives the target audience, but also their friends as well.

Mongoose mania

Split-screen online co-op is the method bungie has chosen and is one of the reasons they have been so successful. Bungie has created a way for players to experience a full Game demo by simply having fun at their buds house.

So why then does the industry as a whole adopt the one player per disc option? Well, companies don't want to spend the extra time it takes to make a game split-screen compatible; it's much easier to just have an online option. There isn't enough space for co-op. They think more sales will result in forcing everyone to buy a copy.

Whatever the reason may be it hurts both the industry and the consumer. They say online gaming is bringing us together by keeping us in our own basements cursing into a headset. Surely this would not be the case. Wait, it is if you play CoD or Bad Company 2.

So I ask of you game developers to make split-screen options for your games. This will bring us the players together (face to face), act as it's own marketing device, expand the target audience, and create a positive feeling towards your game.

Finish The Fight

Call me a Halo fanboy, but I am in love with the newest installment of the Halo empire, Halo Reach. It integrates all the things that made all the other games great, the soundtrack, the engaging storyline, and game mechanics are all an integral part of the Halo experience. What really makes the series however, is the rich multiplayer experience. The balancing of the weapons is superb, the addition of the armor abilities and assassinations is an amazing feature I wouldn't stray away from in future installments.


My only grudge against the gameplay is the balancing between the Spartan vs. Elite Invasion Slayer mode. The covenant's plasma weapons are no match for the UNSC standard issue guns. The addition of precision weapons to the opening loadouts would be a vast improvement. While this complaint is a valid one, it pales in comparison to my aggravation caused by the Halo Reach community. While I can handle the Halo-humping and the childish, immature trash-talking, the thing that bugs me most is the unnecessary quitting during matchmaking. I've never understood the whole mindset behind protection of your ranking, whether it be your KDR or your Win/Lose ratio in games, your ratios should reflect your skill, not your ability to pad them. Recently I played a matchmaking game where over half the players quit and it ended up being two players on each team. At the first sign of losing, player turn tale and leave game. Since when are stats the most important thing in the game? I remember back in Halo: Combat Evolved where we played for fun, and honestly that's the most fun I've had playing a video game. It's what made the franchise so great. So people, remember, if you're playing Halo Reach, Finish the Fight. Stats should have no bearing on whether you stick with a game or not. If you're taking the time to join a game, don't quit just because you'd get a better stat rating or more credits. Have integrity with what you do and just have fun.

Mass Effect 3 Wishlist

Here is a list of the top seven things we at Game Outpost feel are needed in Mass Effect 3 (ME). 

Why seven? Because it just felt right.

Stay on target!

7:   Customizable weapons.

This was well done in the first game with things like different bullets, stabilizers, and cool downs. This doesn’t mean that Bioware should go back to the over-heat system. An easy way to accomplish this would be to make scopes interchangeable, allow color customization, and ammo upgrades.

6:   Planetary exploration

Even though this is already present in many games it still needs refinement. I felt confined to a small area of seemingly gigantic worlds in Mass Effect 2. There needs to be more worlds that require vehicular exploration with side quests that can only be found by scanning the planet or via message once orbiting the planet. Also I would like to see exploration of more alien homeworlds, like the Krogan planet from ME 2.

Calling Major Tom

5: Load Times

Although, load times were greatly reduced in the ME 2 by switching to load screens, the game lost some uniqueness because of it. Yes the unending elevators of doom did go on forever; however, I enjoyed hearing the banter of my teammates while awaiting the next confrontation. A switch back to elevators with reduced load times would improve gameplay immersion. Also this would allow you time to gauge your teams allegiance by hearing their opinion of your choices while waiting to arrive at the next stop. 

4: The Mako (M)

Love it or hate the Mako is an iconic symbol for ME. There was nothing greater than climbing up cliff-sides in the M “bringing the rain” to your enemies below. A little tweaking is needed so the M no longer gets stuck on barriers or mountain tops.  If done this would be a welcome addition in ME 3 and could aid in planetary exploration.

3: Factions

Their needs to be more consequences to the decisions you make in ME 3. Choosing to take down a gang or military leader should cause an uprising of the members. Choosing to help out or abandon an outpost should make it harder/easier to buy items from them. 

2: More Races… Duh

ME has done a fantastic job of adding new alien races into the fray without making them seem out of place. I am sure this will be done; however, Bioware should also add more hostile wildlife into the mix as well.

1: Squad Management

The final mission in ME 2 had you assign tasks to all your squad mates. This mission showed how ME shines. Hearing the radio chatter from your second team trying to complete tasks or waiting for you to complete yours helped convey the sense of urgency.  I enjoyed every second of the final mission wondering if my team would complete their tasks or die trying. Putting in more missions like the final ME 2 one will add more strategy and concern for your squad mates.  

I said flank left!

Whether or not these seven ideas make it into to the game one thing is guaranteed… Bioware’s Mass Effect 3 will be one epic sci-fi thriller for the ages.

What are your Ideas 

Do you agree? Feel free to post your top seven ideas or comment below.

Fable III Review

By now we all know that Peter Molyneux has a nasty habit of over-promising and under achieving.With that said we can can leave behind the "dream persona"  Molyneux has created and talk about what Fable III actually does.

concept art

Open World:

Fable has done an excellent job of making the world of Albion a living breathing character; from the hustle and bustle of Bowerstone to the hills and valleys of Mistpeak. The world now has more trees and focused paths to follow as apposed to the open fields of yesterday. This is not a drawback, rather it encourages the player to take paths less traveled and overgrown. Throughout the world there are remnants of the events that took place in Fable II. One such remnant is the spire which is visible in the ocean of the area called Driftwood.

Each city has its own unique feel ranging from country village to industrial mecca. The villagers have a unique visual style depending on the town they live in. The citizens of Albion call out to the player according to his/ her play style. If you decide to be evil they will fear and loath you, if you decide to be good they adore you.

Aww the dog looks lost.

Story:

Unlike the previous games you start off as an adult under the rule of your malevolent brother. The country is on the verge of a revolution. With low wages, run down homes and the constant fear of death if citizens fail to show up for work, Albion has never been more volatile. This is the setup for what the player faces as the hero of Albion.

The first half of the game is comprised of the players rise to power and the overthrow of a tyrannical dictator. It is during this that the hero will go on quests that are seen throughout RPG's. The player will gain the favor of the people and amass an army of rebels to help him/ her take the thrown. Along the way you will have to make promises to the people of Albion that won't surface until the second half of the game.

In the second half of the game the player is tasked with running the kingdom of Albion. This is done by choosing to keep or break your promises to the people. It is up to the player whether or not they wish to create a kingdom of renaissance or one in shambles. To find out what happens at the end of the game you will simply have to play it yourself.

For Narnia!!! Oh wait??

Gameplay:

There have been a few changes to the play style since Fable II. Combat still works the same; blue for melee, yellow for firepower, red for magic. Whats different is the complete deletion of  charge slots for spells. Now the player can wear two gauntlets that have different powers allowing you to combine different spells together. For those players who loved to spam the time and summons spells they have now been turned into potions.

Another deletion is the emotions Wheel. The wheel has been swapped for random interactions assigned to buttons. The downside is that instead of truly being random the player is forced to use the dance action for almost every character they meet. Also there are still several bugs in Fable III that plagued Fable II, some of them have been fixed in the patch which was released this week.

On the plus side overall gameplay has been improved. Players can now take their own heroes into their friends games. Each player has their own camera in co-op and is able to make gold/ get new weapons. The weapons upgrade as you play and each one has its own challenges that will give the perks once completed.

The menu system is completely gone. Instead there is a hideout called "The Sanctuary." This is where you will change weapons, clothes, join friends, view stats, and buy items over Xbox live. The sanctuary acts like the villa from Assassins Creed II by displaying all of your weapons and clothes on stands in different rooms. It also has a mini map where you can manage all of the houses and shops you own as well as use it to fast travel.

The bat cave now has swords 

I found that axing the menu system for the bat cave like hideout was a nice way to keep the player immersed in the game.

Sound:

Voice acting is top notch with actors John Cleese and Simon Pegg. The villagers in Albion also have a wide variety of dialog as well as the side quests. The music does tend to get repetitive; however, it flows well with the gameplay adding to the overall effect.

What ya aiming at Tex?

Summary:

Gameplay: The third installment of the game has improved upon the seconds shortcomings while adding some new aspects to the RPG genre. The menu system while unique is innovative and easy to use. Multiple playthroughs are encouraged as there several choices that can only be done by playing twice. The sound quality in the game is spot on. Graphics are improved since Fable II and add to the overall experience. There are several bugs in the system; however, they are a minor hindrance.

Overall Rating:

4 of  5 stars.