Raj Agrawal

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Retrospect – Lucrative Game Deals Of The Past Few Years

June 29, 2012 by Raj Agrawal Leave a Comment

Gaming is a very expensive hobby. Most games today sell for $60, and most of these games last for 10 hours. Earlier too gaming was expensive, but the games were longer, and provided more value for money. These days, most games are shortened under the pretext of providing the ultimate experience, which completely manages to hide itself while playing the actual games. Hence, it is important to appreciate those companies which try to pack in more in the development of their games, so that spending 60$ on a Dvd seems worth it. So these are some of the best deals to have been released in the past few years.

Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory

Splinter Cell Chaos Theory

I got this game for 40$, and this is the one game that I would never like to sell. It features what is probably the best Splinter Cell campaign, along with an awesome co-op mode and a versus mode. The campaign is an amazing mix of tense action and a good story. It lasts for a good 12-14 hours, and provides plenty of great set pieces. The versus mode features soldier vs spy action which builds up tension no matter what side you play on. But the star of the show is the co-op mode. The co-op mode features a number of unique missions which encourage co-operation and group thought rather than random traversal of the map. The co-op missions last for a good 6 hours, and combined with the single player campaign and the versus mode make up for an awesome package.

The Uncharted Series

Uncharted Trilogy Pack

The Uncharted series is undoubtedly one of the best game series ever created. Featuring edge of the seat action, brilliant set pieces, top of the line graphics, and great dialog, they make for experiences that Michael Bay can only dream of creating. All games in the trilogy have been widely praised and have become instant classics. As such, a pack which combines all three and sells for 60$ is a must buy and probably provides more value than any other deal out there.

Metal Gear Solid

Metal Gear Solid HD collection

Metal Gear Solid is probably the best stealth action franchise out there. It features great stories, outrageous characters, funny dialog, a legendary protagonist, and unforgettable boss battles, some of which can last for hours. The HD collection, available for the PS Vita, Xbox 360, and the PS3 is probably my favorite game collection of the lot. The Xbox 360 and the PS3 versions contain MGS2, MSG3, and MGS: Peace Walker, whereas the Vita version replaces Peace Walker with the original Metal Gear Solid. The transition from the previous generation of consoles to the current consoles is mostly bug free, and works pretty well. Overall a great deal for anyone wanting to play one of the best videogame series of all time.

The Orange Box

The Orange Box

No best deals list is ever going to be complete without the Orange Box. Valve have the tendency to outdo themselves, and they really outdid everybody’s expectations with the Orange Box. Containing Half Life 2, Half Life 2 : Episode 1 and 2, Team Fortress 2, and the critically acclaimed Portal, this will go down for many as the best deal of all time. Team Fortress 2 is considered by many to be the best multiplayer game out there, and Portal has become a brand in itself. That is the quality of games packed into just one 49$ box. I’m convinced – Valve can do no wrong.

The God Of War Series

God of War collection

Kratos has always been in my top protagonists list. He is more ‘gray’ than any protagonist i’ve seen, and this “I’m flawed because I am human” attitude of his combined with his rage is what makes him awesome. The original God of War introduced him to the world, while the sequel expanded upton the first game with some awesome set pieces. Packing these two games for the PS3 is probably the best chance one will have to experience these two gems. So if you have a PS3, and if you haven’t played these games before, buy this deal as soon as you can. It’s worth it and will set you up perfectly for God of War 3.

Unless Square Enix decide to pack all Final Fantasy’s into one box, I don’t think many deals out there will surpass the ones mentioned above. But hey, that’s just me. I’m sure I must have missed so many others, that many of you might have played.

Filed Under: Gameology Tagged With: god of war, half life, metal gear solid, portal, uncharted, valve

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 3
Expected release date : 2013

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

Expected release date – 2013

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 4
Expected release date – November 6, 2012

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

Resident Evil 6
Expected release date – October 2, 2012

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.

Filed Under: Gameology Tagged With: Crysis, god of war, halo, portal, resident evil, skyrim, uncharted

Can Video Game Storytelling Ever Match A Good Movie?

January 19, 2012 by Raj Agrawal Leave a Comment

Games are not often considered the best medium to tell a good story. Whenever you, irrespective of whether you’re a gamer or not, think of a good story, it usually stems from a favorite book or movie. It is often the case that when we play games, we hardly pay attention to the world, the history of the game world, and how you fit in into all of it. Stories stem from the mind’s ability to create a situation where there is a prologue, an epilogue, a start, an end, and everything in between. When you think of a game, you think about graphics, sound, action, interaction and then the story, which sadly for the majority of games out there is an afterthought.

A good story doesn’t necessarily ensure a good game, but it does serve as a time well spent when other mechanics may fail. Not many games have been able to mix story and gameplay into a good gaming experience, but those that have, have become masterpieces. And that is what separates great games from masterpieces most of the time – the story. Below is a list of games I have played which have blended a good gaming experience with a good story. Most of these games will be known to the majority, for obvious reasons.


Bioshock

bioshock
Bioshock

This is the first name that came to my mind when i thought of writing this article. Bioshock is one of the few games which has its entire game mechanics built around the story. The big daddies and their relationships with the little sisters, the underwater dystopia, the civil war over the fight of adam, all talk of a fantastic idea gone tragically wrong. And this is what brings out feelings of sadness as you explore the world, feelings which are seldom experienced while playing games.

Metal Gear Solid

metalgear-solid
Metalgear Solid

Okay, anyone who has ever owned a Playstation console will agree with this one. The metal gear series is one of the few series of games which has blended fantasy and tactical action with a gritty and gripping story, and blended them so well. A testimony to the greatness of this series are the cut-scenes, some of which can last for an hour. But you don’t see many people complaining about them, do you?

Half life

half life
Half Life

Out of all the game characters I love, the one I pity the most has to be Gordon Freeman. The guy almost brought the world to an end, and although it was more of an accident, he now has to shoulder the responsibility to free it of the combine. And what primary weapon does he get to meet this task? – a crowbar! And the poor bloke doesn’t ever complain about it. It’s not a very original story; alien invasion stories stopped being original a long time back. But its told very well; so well in fact that you will start empathizing with the characters and feel bad about them as the story progresses.

Portal

portal
Portal

Valve is addicted to making characters that find themselves in hopeless situations but don’t ever utter a word to show their discontent, and portal is another shining example of this. Portal has one of the most unique stories ever told in any medium of entertainment. What starts as a puzzle game will probably end up shocking you and leaving you disturbed. The second game loses its shock factor, but makes up for it for an even better story, which provides us with a better insight of the world of Aperture Science. For all the unique puzzle mechanics that this game boasts of, it’s the story that has made it the masterpiece that it is.


These are just a few examples of video games which can tell a good story. Games such as the Zelda series, GTA series, heavy rain, grim fandango, planetscape: torment, Baldurs gate, all have amazing stories which up the immersion factor by several notches. Which brings us back to the all important question – Can video game story telling match its movie counterpart? I would say not yet. Movies have had that 100-150 years head-start in which they have evolved in the way stories are told and characters are portrayed. Movies like Schindlers list, the Shawshank Redemption, the godfather all exemplify great stories with great acting, something which games haven’t achieved yet.

Videogames have characters, yes, but none of them are as fleshed out as characters in movies. We haven’t seen a videogame counterpart of heath ledger’s joker or hannibal lecter in a video game; such characters make the story come to life, and videogames just haven’t reached there yet. But they’re getting there, that’s for sure. With games like L.A. Noire and Mass Effect, which have changed the way people have conversations in video games, we’re getting to the point where conversations and cut-scenes will have as much of an effect on the player as blowing up the town of Megaton in Fallout 3 has. Stories are an important part of video games, but only when stories and characters occupy a more pivotal role in video game design, only then can we make a fair comparison. And with games like Uncharted doing exactly so, I don’t think that time is far off.

Filed Under: Gameology Tagged With: Fallout, half life, mass effect, metal gear solid, portal, uncharted, zelda

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