Month: March 2014

Snake Gets ARTSY FARTSY

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During episode 2 of Kojima Station, Sean Eyestone and company were talking shop about Ground Zeroes methods of completing missions, GZ sound design, and also another MGS related site that has to do with fan art. On this site you see what MGS fans have created and you can literally view up to 4 canvases being utilized at the same time. In each canvas is a live action representation of site members busting out their ILL SKILLZ. And as Sean Eyestone mentioned in the 2nd episode, the best piece gets chosen and will win a cool prize, such at the Ground Zeroes PUMA jacket that was supplied during the Boot Camp a few weeks ago to attendees. I really want one of those jackets myself! Check out the site and maybe you can add something of your own creation. Who knows? You might win the jacket! And then I’ll be jealous of you…

Source: ArtStudio.MetalGearSolid.com

DXHR Mini Flick. Yes, I ASKED FOR THIS!

Who doesn’t like Deus Ex? I think we can all agree that we as gamers enjoy Deus Ex on some level. For me, I love it enough to figure out ways to run its PC version on my Macbook. The same goes with Invisible War and it’s prequel conterpart in Human Revolution, and so forth with The Fall on both my Android and iOS handset. Hell, I have Icarus Effect sitting in my ebook reader app, to boot. There were talks in the past about an official Deus Ex live action movie. While that only seems like a dream at this point, a fan movie has actually been talked about and has now gone live. I guess some of us LOVE Deus Ex more than we thought. Above you’ll find the full Deus Ex movie short set in the Human Revolution timeline with protagonist Adam Jensen about to crack some skulls. Check it out.

HAR HAR HAR: Remember Me ‘Half Assed Review’

[Let’s face it. Time is just something not a lot of us have on our side. Especially when it comes to gaming. It’s difficult to squeeze in a nice chunk of time to properly give a typical review, but Something is better than nothing. AMIRITE?? This is where HAR HAR HAR comes in. Or rather, “Half Assed Reviews.” It’s our version of a review, only, um, Half Assed. Enjoy!]

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If the title of this game were posed as a question then I’d answer with a big YES, I DO REMEMBER! Release in June 2013 by DONTNOD, I recollect Remember Me well. I was looking forward to this title for a few reasons. Firstly, it’s a new IP from a company that I’m not all too familiar with. I like giving new games a chance if they appeal to me. Secondly, it’s set in a futuristic Paris in 2084. I enjoy cyberpunk anything. Thirdly, it’s a 3PV (third person view) style game with a female protagonists. I feel the world would be just that much better with more games about cyberpunky things who have strong female characters causing a ruckus. Now come the bullet points.

– Visuals look good

– Gameplay is reminiscent of Uncharted fame, though more closely resemble Enslaved

– Movement is OK, it’s more derivative of a typical 3PV

– Platforming sections remind me of Uncharted as mentioned, as well as Tomb Raider, though slightly less smooth

– The world is beautiful and rich but too many invisible walls prevent substantial exploration

– the NPCs are plentiful but don’t offer much interaction which would be great for acquiring more information about the game world

– Combat is customizable which is a nice touch since you are in control of how to take out baddies you come across. Group battles are akin to Batman Arkham “add title here” although not as solid as Bats

– Story wise it’s got your main female protagonists trying to fight to get her memories back which were taken from her while erasing, or more specifically REMIXING the memories of those who did this to her along the way

– The real meat of Remember Me is that REMIXING capability which I JUST got to

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I had to cut it short here but will resume at a later time. But initially, the game seems fun. Well fun enough to get me to put together a Half Assed Review on it. I acquired this game for dirt cheap at a flash sale but it’s also available to PLAYSTATION PLUS subscribers for F R E E. If any of you are strapped for cash and are a PS+ user like me then I suggest you give this title a go. Won’t cost you a cent.*

Metamoris 3 – Eddie Bravo vs Royler Gracie

Its been a long while since I’ve posted anything outside of videogames. Every now and again I like to make some room for some of my other favorites things in life, one of which is MMA. The particular clip above is a BJJ (Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu) match between two very well-known competitors in the BJJ world. Sometimes it’s good to put down the controller and do something different for a change. Enjoy.

An MGS Game About THE BOSS Would Be, Um, BAWS!

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So I got to thinking about the next MGS game Kojima would be making after Ground Zeroes and The Phantom Pain and recalled an interview Hideo did with Eurogamer around the time Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance was being produced by Platinum Games.He talked about envisioning an MGS game starring The Boss. Kojima says:

We’ve talked previously about a game featuring The Boss as a main character. This is something I’d really love to make.

Just from that quote alone I began to think about the possibilities of an actual MGS game which would finally star a Female protagonist other than every form of Snake. The Boss would be the PERFECT character to use. First of all, she is deemed The Mother of Special Forces, is a Legendary Soldier, and is true to her mission, even at the cost of her life. What if the next MGS game actually went about her beginnings in detail? We can find out who HER mentor was, if at all, perhaps see how she meets Naked Snake, and essentially how she became who she is/was. Perhaps she commanded a unit that preceded her famous Cobra Unit. Maybe we could get to do what we’ve been able to do since Portable Ops, which is form our own Squad.

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Is there such a thing as an absolute, timeless enemy? There is no such thing, and never has been. And the reason is that our enemies are human beings like us. They can only be our enemies in relative terms. The world must be made whole again. The Philosophers must be reunited.
— The Boss

I for one, would LOVE to know how she came to be so philosophical and go through the same experiences IN-GAME that she did when she was also just “green.” I mean, what MGS fan wouldn’t want to play THAT GAME?!

From a narrative POV it makes sense as a part of the MGS Canon. Everything centers around The Boss if you think about it. Not just being Big Boss’ mentor, but the fact that both Snake and Zero , thru the fallout of their relationship, try to recreate the will of The Boss in their own way, yet fail miserably. Every MGS game touches on this subject to some degree so why not go to the source, leading all the way up chronologically where MGS4 takes place in 2014? At the end of GOTP Big Boss explains to Solid Snake that The Boss’ intentions were to just leave the world the way it is, to just leave it alone. And just as every MGS game starring Big Boss tries to explain in great detail how he was first a normal soldier who became a mercenary leading his own army into battles, and then becoming the “evil villain” we first encounter in Metal Gear (MSX 1987), this next MGS game can take advantage of a similar plot structure and show us how and why The Boss gets her title.

From a gameplay standpoint, all the CQC that Snake learns from The Boss can actually be expanded further past MGSV. There could be somewhat of a leveling system that is essential to the story. As in, maybe The Boss won’t know every single CQC technique yet until she progresses thru her missions and story, almost like unlocking them. That could be one way to show her transition into a badass.

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The thing I enjoyed about Snake Eater, and all MGS games preceding GOTP is the codec system. You had someone such as Sigint who would clue you in on the various types of weapons and items available to you on missions. Perhaps she could have her own host of new characters to support her in her missions. I get excited just thinking about these things.

Story wise it would be possible to see a younger Major Zero, how he got to know The Boss, and we could better understand any he was so adamant about carrying out her will, or rather his representation of that will. All of the cutscenes and dialogue that was expounded upon in the prequel games (MGS3, MPO, MPW) about The Boss are just that. Dialogue. I’d would just be amazing to actually PLAY those events that took place IN A GAME.

The possibilities are endless, and The Boss is an untapped resource at this point in time. Just as how Solid Snake’s story came to a close in MGS4, we too will see Big Boss’ story arc come full circle at a later date if not in The Phantom Pain. The Boss could very well fill in that gap, or dare I say VOID, that all MGS fans such as myself will feel if in fact this series comes to a close forever. Till then I still have high hopes for a never ending chain of stories yet to be spun and told for us to behold. And to see this game on the FOX ENGINE? SOLD!!

Oh, and I’d title the game METAL GEAR SOLID VI: WARLORDS. Why Warlords? Among her other names, The Joy, Mother Of Special Forces, Legendary Soldier, she was also called Voyevoda (Russian for Warlord).

Hideo Kojima DOES Have To Keep Making Metal Gear Solid!

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Remember when Hideo Kojima explicitly expressed a desire to leave the MGS franchise ever since MGS2? Then expressed this same sentiment in every forthcoming MGS title, thereafter? Yea, he’s said it over and over and yet we all have MGSV: Ground Zeroes, and hopefully next year would be The Phantom Pain. Dual Shockers reiterated an interview with Kojima on the site 4gamer.net about whether there will actually be another MGS game after Ground Zeroes/The Phantom Pain. Dual Shockers said:

Kojima-san mentioned that the series has always depicted an era in which America was at the top of its strength, but he feels that this idea of a “strong America” is changing. In this sense, he also feels that this (Metal Gear Solid V) is not the end of his own Metal Gear Solid, but the next one may have a different theme.

I’m always up for a new MGS title so this is always good news. As to who will be directing it remains to be seen. I will be expecting Kojima to once again take the reigns to lead his team.

Source: DualShockers – 4gamer as translated by Google

The Last Days Of FOXHOUND (reissue 016 – Late Night With Decoy Octopus)

[The Last Days of FOXHOUND is a fan made comic that I stumbled upon a few years ago while perusing the Internetz as an MGS fan. This strip, created by a fellow MGS fan named Chris Douchette, ran this comic from 2003-2008. I was lucky enough to run into all 500 completed pages and wanted to share them with all of you readers. I’ll try to reiterate each and every consecutive page as time goes on. Most of the humor stems from the going on throughout the MGS series, so those who aren’t too familiar may find themselves slightly lost. My solution: play the MGS games. You guys wouldn’t be here anyways if you haven’t at least played MGS1. Anywho, enjoy!]

016 – Late Night With Decoy Octopus

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Calvin & Hobbes (1985-1986 Reissue 007)

[Calvin &  Hobbes is one of the best comic strips to have come into existence in the latter part of the 20th century. This strip, created by the awesome Bill Watterson, ran for a decade, from November 18, 1985 to December 31, 1995. As a kid I discovered the first ever collection of strips in book form self titled Calvin & Hobbes in a local bookstore. As I glanced through the first few pages I became instantly hooked. It centers on a 6 year old boy Calvin, and his stuffed toy aka best friend come to imaginary life Hobbes, and their adventures about life. It’s a truly remarkable series that I’d like to share with you boys and girls. As that sharing goes, I’ll do my best to pepper in a strip as time goes on. Enjoy!]

1985-1986 Reissue 007

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Kojima Station – Episode 2

It seems that Kojima Station will be replacing the Kojima Productions Podcast, as was stated during the last episode by host by Sean Eyestone, also former host of KJP Podcast. The format will obviously be episodic so I will do my best to reiterate them for you boys and girls. The first English episode can be found here.