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The Hottest Game Announcements Of 2012. It Only Gets Better.

April 25, 2012 by Raj Agrawal Leave a Comment

The year 2012 is gearing up to best 2011, as one of the best years for gaming ever. 2011 served up some great feasts for gamers with games such as Portal 2, Uncharted 3, Skyrim, all taking the gaming world by storm. Now we have an even better line up this year, and the announcements just keep on coming. So, lets talk about some of the hottest announcements of this year.

Crysis 3

Crysis 2 was a good game. But still the fans weren’t convinced of its greatness, especially given how much of a hit the first game was. The diversion of focus to consoles, loss of the open ended environment, and the loss of emphasis on game-play didn’t bode too well with the fans. And the sales testified to this. And now Crytek seems to have learnt a lesson, and are trying to woo fans again by promising a PC focused game which will take more from the original game than its successor. And if it’s even as good as the first game, if not better, then we will gladly put our social lives on halt to play it. Color us excited!

God of War : Ascension

Well well well! We did not see this one coming. Actually we did, but not the direction it would be taking. Instead of continuing from the mess that was God of War 3’s ending, we’re now being taken through an entirely new chapter in the life of the almighty Kratos, the most bad-ass God of War out there. I’m a hopeless God of War fan-boy, so i’ll accept it in whatever shape or form it arrives, so long as it arrives.

Medal of Honor : Warfighter

Expected release date – October 23, 2012

EA’s reboot of the Medal of Honor series last year was a love or hate affair for many. It had an excellent and compelling multiplayer component, but the single player lacked the quality of previous Medal of Honor titles. Now EA is having another go at its beloved franchise, and this time around, they seem to be focused on doing it right. Rather than describing a single conflict, Warfighter will be based on a multitude of issues spanning the entire globe. It’s a formula the Call of duty series has used since the beginning, and if done right, it cannot go terribly wrong.

Halo 4

Halo 3 was considered by many to be the end of Master Chief’s journey. But how could Microsoft ever sell even more copies of their beloved console without of constant barrage of the big sellers. And so we have Halo 4. The obvious difference between this Halo title and all the previous games in the series is the change of development studios. While Bungie developed the first three games, it is 343 industries who will carry the torch from here. And if they don’t deliver, a one Mr. Gordon Freeman will be waiting to strike the definite blow on the whole HL vs Halo debate. And while that may sound enticing from a sadist’s perspective, I just don’t want to play a Halo game and feel bad about it. So here’s hoping it will be another classic I will be talking for years about.

Resident Evil 6

This for me is the hottest game announcement of the year. And it topples Halo 4 mainly for one reason: I loved RE4, but I also loved the action oriented approach of RE5. So, to have a game which switches between survival horror and action definitely sounds like a good prospect. As long as they can maintain the balance, and still keep the game horror friendly, i’ll be happy. And you cannot possibly match a zombified president scaring the hell out of Leon Kennedy. Bring it on Capcom. I’m ready!

That’s it folks. These are my picks for the hottest game announcements for the year. This is not a most anticipated 2012 list, or the list would have been drastically different. The city of Columbia intrigues me more than anything else, and it’s number one on my wishlist. So lets see how that goes. So what are your most exciting announcements of the year? They may take time to be actually playable, but the hype meter does not need to be alien to their existence.

Roundup: The Best Games Of This Generation

December 23, 2011 by Raj Agrawal Leave a Comment

Every generation has its share of great games which direct and define the future of gaming. There was a time when this role was fulfilled with games like Half life, Halo, God of War, and Metal Gear Solid. That some of these games created a revolution is not the major factor of their greatness. The main reason why many of these games are considered as classics is because they created an experience which maintained its greatness throughout their playtime, and still left players wanting for more of the same.

Thankfully, this generation has also had its share of such games. So, without further ado, lets look at the best games to come out this generation for PC and Consoles.

Playstation 3

Demons Souls/Dark Souls

The people at FROM software are masochists, but in a good way. To make not one but two games that are such a pain to play, but at the same time are so enjoyable; it’s a rare combination and somehow they have been able to pull it off. These games really do not care about how or where you go. They just drop you into their world. From there you’re on your own.

Uncharted 2 : Among thieves

Drakes fortune and Drakes deception are both really really good games, but it’s the second one in the series that takes the cake. Combining heart-throbbing action with good set pieces and good story telling, this is a game which will never outstay it’s welcome and will always leave you wanting more. Couple with that some of the best visuals ever made, and you have quality that rivals the best of Hollywood action movies. Michael Bay, now here is one game which you can learn something from.

God of War 3

Concluding a series with such a huge scope isn’t an easy thing. But SCE Santa Monica managed to pull it off. Although it’s not considered to be as good as it’s predecessors, still as a game it’s an amazing experience and one that should not be missed. Kratos, you will be sorely missed.

Metal Gear Solid 4

This isn’t just a game. It’s a game/movie, and this is what many people don’t realize. The most harsh criticisms levelled at this game stem from the “redundant” cut-scenes that this game has. But, longstanding fans will know that they’re as much a part of the game as the gameplay itself, and frankly I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Killzone 2

This game turned a lot of heads when it came out, and turned out to be an amazing first person shooter. The sense of scale on display over here is hardly matched by other games in the genre. Plus the graphics and the awesome multiplayer only added to the experience.

Batman: Arkham City

Simply put, the best superhero game ever made!

XBOX 360

Gears of War 1, 2 & 3

The Gears of War series has always been a favorite on the 360 and for good reason. Combining solid third person mechanics, good graphics, and a great story, it’s no wonder that the series has been received so well by critics and gamers alike.

Forza series

The PS3 might have Gran Turismo, but that does not mean the 360 does not at least attempt to answer its challenge. The Forza series is the premier racing series on the 360, and unlike the NFS series, it manages to get better with every iteration.

Mass Effect 1/2

Although the game is also there on PC, it’s the 360 version that has made this game so popular. With interaction sequences that manage to wow people even today, solid combat, and a huge world, it is one of the best action RPG’s ever created.

Red Dead Redemption

Another exception as this game is on the PS3 as well. But if any game deserves to be in a best of list, it’s this one. Never have Western games been this good; Rockstar delivered with the one of the best stories in gaming. Also John Marston is one amazing character. Missing out on this game is blasphemy.

The Elders Scroll : Skyrim

skyrim elders scrolls — The elders scrolls

Okay, another exception. But anyone who’s played an Elders Scroll game on the PC will agree that the experience on PC is vastly superior to the console experience, and for one single reason – Mods. Mods have made Oblivion a totally different game than what it was when it released, and the same seems to be the case with Skyrim. The game itself needs no commendations; it’s an experience unlike any other.

Civilization 5

No PC best of list will ever be complete without a mention of the Civilization series. Strategy has always been an ace in the hole for the PC, and no game does it better in that department than a Civilization game.

The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings

This is the game that should have won the award for best graphics. But it wasn’t even nominated for the VGA awards. But that’s not important. What’s important is that it’s one of the best rpgs out there and is not an experience that should be missed.

Shogun 2 : Total War

Another strategy game that is hugely popular on the PC. Rome : Total War still stands tall as the best strategy game ever, but Shogun 2 gives it stiff competition.

Bioshock

Story is an important aspect of gaming, and no game proves this more than Bioshock. The solid combat and spooky atmosphere only add to the sense of amazement and complement the story perfectly. And this is the one game where you can safely use the term big daddy without referring to a sexual innuendo.

Starcraft 2 : Wings of Liberty

Anything I can say has also been said too many times before. All I can say is if ever there is a strategy game that can be as popular as COD or Halo, it’s Starcraft.

Where Ubisoft Got It Wrong With The PC

December 17, 2011 by Raj Agrawal 2 Comments

Ubisoft has been one of the prominent game publishers in the market for years. With franchises such as Ghost Recon, Rainbow Six, and the new but popular Assassins Creed, they have made a name for themselves as one of the biggest names in the publishing industry. They have always been able to showcase their games well, with great quality and a good sense of marketing, but one area of the industry they haven’t been able to penetrate is the PC.

Brand Logo

Almost all of Ubisoft’s games have always been available for the PC. Those that haven’t released alongside the consoles have made it to the PC eventually. But off late there seems to be a change in their strategy regarding the platform. As time passes by, they seem to be getting more hostile towards it. Just recently they revealed Ghost Recon online for the PC. A good prospect, but it comes at the price of the cancellation of Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter. Also I am Alive is being averted on the platform. And this just seems like a sign of things to come in the near future. I’m pretty sure that the other Ubisoft properties such as Rainbow six and Assassins Creed will follow the same route.

The main reason why Ubisoft seem to hate the platform is piracy. And its not entirely untrue that piracy does hurt the gaming industry. The Witcher 2 was downloaded over 4.5 million times according to the developer CDprojekt. Other games such as the Call of Duty series, Starcraft 2, Crysis have all experienced humongous rates of piracy and have been affected by the losses incurred. The developer for I am Alive said that ” If only 50,000 people buy the game, then it’s not worth it”. In today’s world, where game development is becoming more and more expensive, piracy is becoming a major problem. And with the state of the economy being so whimsical, it puts further pressure on game companies to make games that they know will sell. So when you make an excellent game, and it gets downloaded for free, it can be a huge kick in the n&*s. So then is Ubisofts stand justified???

No, it’s not. And I won’t be giving personal opinions on why they’ve got their strategy wrong. Rather, lets just look at the facts. I talked about how the Witcher 2 was pirated over 5 million times. But at the same time, it sold more than a million copies in three months; the same feat took its predecessor over two years to achieve. Now I don’t know how many more copies it would have sold had it not been pirated. But what I do know is that I know a lot of people, who would rather just play something else if they can’t play a particular game for free. And the developers themselves were happy with these numbers. Other games such as the Call of Duty series, Starcraft 2, and Crysis have all sold handsomely on the PC despite having high piracy rates. Crytek, which whined a lot about the PC platform, managed to sell over 3 million copies of Crysis. 2011 was an especially good year for the pc. Battlefield 3 and Skyrim have both penetrated the million mark on the PC at retail, and are supposedly selling very well digitally. Why then has Ubisoft not been able to capitalize on the PC market? Do their games not appeal to the PC crowd?

The answer again is no. There is a very simple rule to life when it comes to interactions – If you treat others well, then they will treat you well as well. This is something Ubisoft just haven’t learnt. Constant disregard for the platform, delayed releases, buggy ports, hefty use of DRM have all created a dislike for their games in the minds of the PC gamers. Games released by companies like Blizzard and Bioware are called “labors of love”, but you cannot say the same about Ubisoft games from a PC gamers perspective. Skyrim was released with a shitload of bugs, but it still sold well, because Bethesda care for their PC fanbase, and have been constantly trying to address every problem out there. It just takes a little bit of dedication and trust in your fanbase, and they will support you. And the one difference about games released on the PC and those released on the consoles is that PC games may be poor starters when it comes to sales, but they have great legs; they keep selling at a steady pace. You just need a good understanding of the platform to achieve success.

Where then does this bitter relationship go from here? My money is on Ubisoft abandoning the platform entirely in the near future, and then jumping the bandwagon again after a few years. But, if they actually understand their mistakes and try to make amends with their diminishing PC fanbase, then maybe they will see some positive results. And then finally we won’t need to do things like “go to settings.ini and change the values of consolification and pc explosion to zero to go from 5 FPS to 6 FPS” to rectify a buggy port for a game released 10 months after its release on the consoles.