Video Games

LEGO Star Wars The Complete Saga: My Three Platform Comparo (UPDATE)

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UPDATE:
I decided to have some more fun with this article and add my own Star Wars crawl with the content written before you. I’ve broken them down into three parts, thereby giving each section their own Crawl. Apologies for the lack of SW theme as I would have run into some copyright issues. So just imagine the SW theme song playing as you watch the subsequent clips. Enjoy!

Anyone who’s anyone knows that Lego not only makes awesome toys, but is associated with great games. From licenses to franchises such as DC Comics own Batman, to Indiana Jones and Lord of the Rings, Lego has aligned themselves with some heavy hitters. Another such series which has a huge following is Star Wars.

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Put Your Grandma In An MGS Game

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OK,  so not everyone would put their grandmother in an MGS  game. but with this Kinect Rig you could if you wanted to. I would! She could be in some cutscenes talking to Big Boss, nagging him during dangerous missions via Codec.

Ari Shapiro of the Institute for Creative Technologies at USC thinks doing such things Is possible. He rigged a Kinect to his 3D rendering software and had an associate stand and be captured from all sides, rendering a damn near identical likeness of him. He then fused the avatars to a 3D skeleton with preprogrammed movements, and the result is a cyberspace version of himself jumping, kicking, and downward punching as if he were literally living and breathing on the screen. Check out the link below for the video. It’s as if TRON happened in real life, only without all the neon spandex.

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This could very well prove to be an invaluable piece of tech over the next 5 to 10 years of this now current generation of gaming consoles. We could see realistic 3D renders of ourselves in a PS4 or XB1 game sooner than we think. And grandma can duck behind corners or cardboard boxes while snacking on a ration.

 

This Genius Kinect Rig Puts You Inside a Video Game in Two Minutes Flat.

The Last Days Of FOXHOUND (reissue 009 – All Psychoed Up)

[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!]

009 – All Psychoed Up

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Dong Nguyen Follows Through, ‘Flappy Bird’ Removed From the App Store | Touch Arcade

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Say it ain’t so! Well it looks like Flappy Bird has been taken down from Google Play and the iOS AppStore forever. It was fun while it lasted. Those of you who havent played and want a taste of the game will have to find other means to do so. Ces’t la vie.

Dong Nguyen Follows Through, ‘Flappy Bird’ Removed From the App Store | Touch Arcade.

WTF: What The Flap?!

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Alright, so this game, developed in Hanoi by Vietnam-based developer Nguyễn Hà Đông[3][4] and published by .GEARS Studios, a small, independent game developer, called Flappy Bird, has been making the rounds lately on Andy and Apple.

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Game Informer Gives Their MGSV Playthrough Impressions

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Game Informer is getting the ball rolling on their MGSV Ground Zeroes scoop. Tim Turi and Dan Ryckert of Game Informer took a trip to Japan where they got to spend a few hours with the near final build of MGSV GZ and gave their first impressions in video format. They talk at length about how relatively short the main campaign is, touched on the price of the game to the consumers, and even compared it to MGS2’s Tanker Mission.

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They also bring up some points about MGS Peace Walker, but nothing too spoiler filled. But if you are a bit apprehensive you can skip those parts. I always seem to stress this when PW comes up, but players who haven’t played through it yet will definitely benefit from doing so because it is directly tied to Ground Zeroes. Though the GI guys say that gamers new to MGS that will start with MGSV won’t get too lost in translation. I still say play Peace Walker because it’s just that awesome. Plus, aside from PSP, it’s on the Vita as well as for PS3 and 360, so there are no excuses.

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The video also talks about the Side Ops included in the game. You’ll also see bits and pieces of gameplay from none other than Kojima himself. The clip altogether is about 15 minutes so it’s a good watch. Also great is the fact that they, Tim and Dan, express great enthusiasm toward the game. These two are true gamers like us and it shows by their shared experiences and occasional chuckles.

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The Phantom Pain, which at this point is still sadly a ways off, is also talked about throughout the video. All I can say is, LUCKY! They got to try it before it releases this March 18th for all viable consoles. I’ll be waiting with baited breath, haha. Expect more news as it happens. Till then…

Stay classy…

Source: Game Informer

Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition Impressions [UPDATE]

Just a quick update on my progress on the Definitive Edition of  Tomb Raider.  Even though I had beaten the PS3 version (100% on the single player campaign), I still find myself enjoying Lara’s rebooted adventure.  It’s actually a bit fun now, as I’m just really toying with the NPC’s, even with Lara’s low skill level at this point in the game.  Anyway, I find the graphics to be great, and it does add another layer of challenge to the game.  Early on in the game, with the weather ravaging and slowing Lara’s progress, with blinding lightning, and rain drops filling the screen, it makes for an added element of hardship, and it makes you feel like you are there.

I mentioned before the jungle seems more livelier on this version as opposed to the PS3 or even the PC version on ultimate.  Lara’s clothes also seemed more detailed.  These are just initial findings though.  I need to catch up on the PC version to see more and do a better comparison graphically.  The few little things that they added to the PS4 version is a nice touch, like using the Dual Shock 4’s speakers for foot steps, gun fire, and other arbitrary sound effects.  It’s not much, but it somehow add’s a lot.  I notice the sound effects sound a bit better.  Once I get my capture rig going again, I’ll post more video’s of all 3 versions.  For now I leave you with some screen shots done via the PS4’s share button.  I did adjust them slightly for clarity.

 

Lighting effects are great

Lighting effects are great

Facial detail is absolutely stunning

Facial detail is absolutely stunning

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Nice textures on her hand wrap

Nice textures on her hand wrap

She really needs a day in the spa

She really needs a day in the spa