Saturday, October 23, 2010

Lost Horizon

He almost dyed!.... Get it?... No?... oh.

Fantastic adventure games have suddenly become hard to come by. Usually, all you had to do to acquire one was to look upon the "PC Games" isle at a local, inconspicuous department store. Rare and precious, like rectangular-shaped gems, these little boxes hid amongst the many other "regular titles" that you'd grown to ignore. Unfortunately, that is no longer the case. Upon visiting the desperately out-dated "PC Games" isle, the most you'll find is a brand new copy of Norton Anti-Virus 2002 or one of those ridiculously stupid hidden object titles that I will always continue to refuse as real adventure games for as long as they exist. Considering that the base mechanic of hidden objects titles is an exploitation of a problem that plagues adventure games, I can only concur that anyone who enjoys playing them also enjoys watching paint dry. To my delight, however, Lost Horizon was not one of those horrible abominations associated with the genre of adventure gaming... or a cleverly repackaged Norton Anti-Virus 2002 CD. Lost Horizon, was actually, in many ways, the great real adventure game I had wanted for a long time.

Friday, October 22, 2010

Fable III?



Hmm.... Looks interesting, but I'm still not biting. I refuse to believe that this will be awesome solely because of Peter Molyneux's involvement. However, it would be nice to have a good singleplayer game to absorb my attention for a while.

Section 8: Prejudice and an Update!


Even if you have never even heard of the first one, I would definitely not waste an opportunity to be able to test Section 8: Prejudice. Section 8 featured incredibly addicting multiplayer combat and an awesome PC community. Sign up here: Section 8: Prejudice Beta Signup! In other news, I've been incredibly lazy lately, go figure. Anyway, I should hopefully be writing a review for Lost Horizon this weekend as well as posting something Halo: Reach related... That's a maybe on the latter. If nothing else, there should be at least an update this weekend on some awesome gaming related news... I can feel it in the frigid air. 

Monday, October 11, 2010

Awkward Silence and Lost Horizon


 Hmm... It seems like every time I take a break from writing stuff on this site, I take longer to get back into the mix of things.  Hopefully my predisposed laziness doesn't get in the way of things next week, which unfortunately will be busy. After a large amount of tests and thumb-twiddling sessions, I've used up a large amount of time this weekend playing and completing Lost Horizon, which happens to be an excellent adventure game. Expect a review about the game sometime this week, perhaps this weekend. That's all, Bosco out.

Saturday, September 25, 2010

Pizza, Halo: Reach, and Coca-Cola


After a hard week of tests, it's nice to finally have a chance to wind down to some of my favorite junk foods and some Halo: Reach, which as you probably already know, came out sometime last week. This is just a quick little update to say that we're alive, or at least I am for however long my body can endure this terrible regiment of unhealthy foods and irresistible soft drink. Pretty soon we should have some sort of a review of Halo: Reach up since Jepjr is basically finished writing it. I feel kind of bad for not finding pictures for the article like he kindly asked me to, but I can explain. Obviously, if you're reading this, I know there can only be a few reasons why you're here: me, my tired attempts at appearing ridiculously narcissistic, or my baseless opinions. So, after reading through what he wrote, I feel as though I would have to disagree with some of it. Hopefully when he gets back I'll be able to persuade him to help me make a cooperative article which will display both of our opinions on particular topics pertaining to the game should we choose to disagree. It'll be interesting to say the least; somewhat confusing to say the most. Oh, and before I go, I thought I might as well post this video of a crazy bug me and Jepjr had in Vindictus. To be honest, I'm not sure which is funnier: the bug itself or his awkward, stupid-looking character.

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Want a Vindictus Early Access Open Beta Key?

Leave a comment with your email address below on why you think you should get the key. Depending on a couple factors, I'll decide when the competition ends, so don't hesitate to leave a comment for a chance to get into Vindictus. I might have some more keys on the way, but right now I only have one available to me. Stay tuned for more information and good luck!

Edit: Because I would feel really bad choosing one person over another, especially seeing as I have been in the position many times of trying really hard to get a beta key, I have decided that the winner will be chosen by random. Congrats to the winner, and I'm sorry to you guys that didn't win.

Amnesia: The Dark Descent Review

It's been such a long time, perhaps a week or so, since the release of Amnesia: The Dark Descent. I have to say, I feel quite disappointed in myself for not posting a review sooner, but with school starting, it's hard to keep myself writing back on here. Nonetheless, Amnesia: The Dark Descent is a game that is truly deserving of a good review. While I'm not entirely sure my writing skill is at the point where I can convey my thoughts the way that they appear in my delusional mind, there is just too much good to be said about this game. Here goes:

That's one heck of a wishing well.

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Reasons Why I Don't Want Call of Duty: Black Ops

For the most part, I would consider myself a COD-type of FPS player. While I'm not amazing, it's usually pretty easy for me to rack up the kills on multiplayer matches and have fun. In fact, Call of Duty 2 was the first game that really brought me into the world of multiplayer. It was in those days where matches weren't always about who won, rather how much fun you had playing. It didn't matter that nobody had a microphone; you didn't need one. The team dynamic was instilled through the gameplay itself. And since it was on the PC, it meant that you could play with up to 64 players. While others may disagree about its awesomeness, I found it extremely addictive; you just can't match how hectic and exciting games are with that many players. That's obviously not the only reason why I loved it. Looking back, I find even more reasons that explain my love for the game, especially its simplicity. I also find more reasons for why I'm starting to hate every new release in the series:


Monday, September 6, 2010

Fun with Minecraft!

I have always had a love for legos and terraforming. So, much to my happiness, I discovered a game called Minecraft on youtube. You've probably already heard of it or maybe even played it, but if you haven't I suggest you do. While there are two different versions of the game, the one you pay for allows you to play a survival mode where you must build a lodging to defend yourself against creatures of the dark. You'll find yourself mostly foraging for resources and crafting items and objects to use or deploy. It's great fun, even on the free, watered down version I played on. Be sure to check it out:





Check out their main site here!

FireFall

The word MMO makes me a bit hesitant, for all the right reasons. It's undeniable that there are few MMOs that succeed at providing a consistently good experience for the player with quests that aren't always grindfests. However, shooter MMOs like APB and Huxley are undoubtedly plagued with even more issues. Horrible balance issues, lag, bugs and glitches, and terrible gameplay mechanics often diminish any of the awesomeness the game has. As pessimistic as I am, the new PAX gameplay video for a game called FireFall has got me somewhat excited, or at least interested. Check it out, and be sure to leave a comment of what you think.
                                                        



Be sure to sign up at the FireFall Forum to be entered in a chance to join the beta!

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Sam and Max: Season 3 Review

           It was quite a while ago that I first laid my hands upon a retail copy of Sam and Max Season One on the cold, metal rack that was hidden within the depths of an unfamiliar Gamestop. I picked up the shiny cardboard case and wondered to myself how good the game could actually be. After all, I had never heard of this "Telltale" company or any of its games. Nevertheless, I was surprised at the checkout when a dog in a suit and a sociopathic-looking bunny convinced me to buy it.

Hey, look! It's a....a..Oh.. It's just a giant ape head spaceship.

Looking Back: Sam and Max Season 2 Review

Before I gave birth to The Bosconator, I was humbly posting all my ramblings on GameSpot under the username shawnyboy12, under which I have multiple reviews. So, since I am posting the review for Season 3 soon, I figured I might as well show you my thoughts on Season 2. This is most likely helpful to those who are not yet fans of Sam and Max and are thinking about jumping on the bandwagon. Although I don't refer to the first season often, feel confident that Telltale is extremely consistent the the quality of their titles.


Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Decreasing Quality of RPGs


Playing through recent RPG's has become tedious to me for some reason, and the more I think about it, the more I can pinpoint the reasons. I never want to be wherever I am. "Puzzle"-ridden castles/dungeons that have me going in circles fighting the same enemies for 3 hours straight with a battle system that requires me to press the action button until the battle ends is just unimaginative. And by puzzles I mean don't get lost looking for all four buttons that open the door at the end. RPG's have become less and less worthy of my dollar over the years. Battle systems that require no effort to win battles, or are just time consuming to use are also a considerable issue. The attack button shouldn't be the only button you press during a battle. Attack, attack, attack, heal, repeat doesn't exactly cut it either.

Monday, August 30, 2010

MMOs: The Right Way


      Many MMORPG's have released, only to flop. You may think to yourself, other, more popular games are to blame. [sarcasm] (Not talking about WoW) [/sarcasm] Forgive me, but I'll be referencing WoW several times in this article. Truth be told, games like WoW aren't hurting other MMO's but more than likely helping them.  How many newer gamers without any MMO experience, would pick up a subscription based game without any previous experience? WoW provides a way for newer online players to experience an MMO that's done properly. It touches on a lot of areas players enjoy, such as dungeons, socializing, uniqueness, custom events, and polish.

Sunday, August 29, 2010

Final Fantasy XIV: The Making of


    As you may know, Final Fantasy XIV is coming out next month, as a previous player of Final Fantasy XI, news of this release was nothing short of exciting. My largest concerns about FFXI were the lack of quests, and large amounts of time it took to do even the smallest things, considering the battle and movement speeds. I remember trying to do one quest with a fellow linkshell member that literally took all day, and even after putting so much time into it, we still didn't manage to complete it. But not to worry, from the looks of the newest Final Fantasy, my problems should be alleviated, from the faster, stamina based battle system, to the guildleves supplying more quests instead of large amounts of grinding. With any luck, I should be able to get you a preview sometime soon.

If you're interested in the developer's journals, you can find links below to hold you over until that preview finally arrives.

The Making of a Realm 1: Character Customization
The Making of a Realm 2: Monsters
The Making of a Realm 3: Equipment
The Making of a Realm 4: Background Concepts
The Making of a Realm 5: Cutscenes

Saturday, August 28, 2010

Mafia 2: An Unorthodox Review


 Let's get it out of the way: fictional mafias are cool, especially in games. The sense of entitlement to do bad things and still be considered prestigious is a quality that makes an irresistible narrative and good gameplay all the better. If you've been reading other content I've released about Mafia 2, then you know I've been totally excited for it's release. It's dedication to a detailed story in a mission-based world is a refreshing spin on the average sandbox title. While it did have more things to be excited about than you can shake a cannoli at, there were a few things I wasn't too happy about.

Friday, August 27, 2010

Cthulhu Godzilla Rabbity-thing!



So far, the new season of Sam and Max is turning out just as I would have hoped. On August 30th (Monday), Telltale will release this season's final episode to complete the madness. There's only one gripe I have with the season so far: its lack of Bosco. Anyway, if you haven't already, checkout Telltale for some demos to try the season out, I'm sure you'll like it. Stay tuned for a review of the season, unless Max destroys the earth in a fit of monstrous rage first, but if that's the case, at least we can rub it in the faces of the people preaching that the world end in 2012.

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Site Changes and Some News

After a long trial of switching the sidebar left and right, I think it's safe to say I jimmy-rigged the site good enough so that it's no longer noticeable to the casual reader.... whoever that may be. Anyway, be sure to check back often, because I'm sure to be tinkering away at the site and improving it with awesome new and shiny features. In fact, I plan to put one of those news feature slider things on the front page, so that you'll have an aesthetic way to access all the latest from The Bosconator.

Also worth mentioning, I have just recently finished Mafia 2. I'm not exactly sure as to what I will do with my experience with it, but I'm sure I'll post some type of unorthodox review of some sort. One more thing, keep on the look out for some opinions coming your way about some of the stuff shown over there in Germany's Gamescon 2010 (Witcher 2, I got my eye on you!). Here's some stuff to keep you interested, now don't cause too much trouble while I'm busy:



I remember back in the day..

Back when game developers were required to complete games before they released them. Back when if they left a glitch in the game when they released the game, it stayed that way. Back when developer's took time to finish making the game before putting the game on shelves. Many people would say that the cultivation of the internet is one of man's greatest triumphs, but in this regard, it most certainly is not. Nowadays company's are just pushing games out as soon as they can to start making money, figuring they can just patch whatever needs to be fixed later. And it's a shame, because when you buy a game, you buy it to play it, not to get stuck 30 minutes in because of a simple overlooked trigger failure, ultimately causing you to wait a week for them to release a patch for it.

 Elemental - War of Magic is the golden example of how bad this has gotten. This game was released in a condition where it would crash every 5-30 minutes. Even when it's not crashing, the framerate is extremely choppy considering how poor the graphics are. The campaign isn't very user friendly, and half the time doesn't tell you where you're going. There are also other smaller bugs that could have easily been addressed. They didn't even bother to put their multiplayer servers online for release.

Monday, August 16, 2010

Editorial : Adventure Horror Games?

When you think horror games, you usually think of games like F.E.A.R. or Doom, right? If so, you're probably familiar with traversing unusually dark and claustrophobic corridors peering out the sight of your scope. Perhaps you just enjoy the survival side of things, like having to preserve your holy water so you don't get overrun by zombies. Or maybe you fancy those spontaneous frights or just enjoy fighting off scary beasts. For me, none of that stuff gets the job done.

The scariest games I've ever played are often the ones that are the most low-tech and made by companies far from the reach of the spotlight. It's a shame, really. It should be the other way around. Unfortunately, our fetish with pretty graphics and insane action normally gets in the way. Don't get me wrong, I'm certainly not saying that those games aren't enjoyable, because they can be, but I have strict standards for what makes a good horror game. To me, the less you can interact with the horror, the better the scares will be. For this reason, adventure games usually make the best horror games. Here's a list of, what I think, are the most important features/qualities of an adventure horror game that make it a good one. Be sure to leave a comment below telling me why I'm wrong or right, but preferably the latter.

An ominous hallway in Penumbra: the Black Plague.

Friday, August 13, 2010

A Day in the Life: Mafia II Demo


With all the articles posted about the demo already, I figured making a post solely filled with my oblivious opinions would be quite useless, since, as it is, there are already so many scattered across the plethora of forums on the net. So instead, I decided to make a short documentary on one of my tours throughout the demo. After countless successful completions you would think I would able to complete it flawlessly, but then you'd also be wrong. Without further ado, here it is:

The Opening

Sunday, August 8, 2010

Mafia II

          
  Despite their substantial differences, there's something about games like Grand Theft Auto and Mafia that collectively keep me hungry for more. Perhaps I just enjoy the action aspect entailed by their premises, or perhaps I'm just a homicidal maniac who enjoys using his vehicle to clear the sidewalks of pedestrians with the excuse of furthering the cause of natural selection. As well as both of the previous statements, I prefer to believe that what makes these games so interesting and so addicting is the story bundled with them. I wholeheartedly adored  the story of Grand Theft Auto as much as one can love a murderous immigrant in search of the American dream. That being said, I think you'll know why I think I'll love Mafia 2.

         

Friday, June 18, 2010

If Borderlands and Gears of War had a baby.........


It'd most likely turn out like Bulletstorm; a crazy shoot-em-up that's all about creative ways to kill stuff... What more could you ask for? What it lacks in a concrete story it seems to make up for in insane bad-asteriskness.


                         
For more on Bulletstorm, check out their website here.      

Assassin's Creed Brotherhood!?!

The one thing I thought couldn't be done is now being attempted: an Assassin's Creed game with a multiplayer component. So far it looks pretty awesome, especially based on this video here:



However, I'm not entirely sold on the multiplayer just yet. Here's a brief, narrated video of the multiplayer:



So what do you guys think? Be sure to share your thoughts below in the comments!

For more on Assassin's Creed Brotherhood, check out their website here.

Monday, June 14, 2010

E3!

         
   It's that time of year again! Don't worry, it's not some important date relating to a close loved one or partner.... unless it is; in which case be sure to purchase lots and lots of flowers and chocolates! Anyway, E3 is finally back! I'll be sure to post some of the most exciting news!

Also, I just picked up Darkness Within 2, so be sure to check out The Bosconator's Youtube channel on the right side to see if I put up some gameplay videos! If you're interested in purchasing it, check out The Adventure Shop who is have a 50% off sale for the entire week.

Saturday, June 12, 2010

Nehrim is here!

After four years of development, Nehrim has finally hit the net! This awesome German mod for Oblivion is free to download and offers over 50 hours of gameplay. Here's a gameplay video I made for you guys, be sure to rate and comment if you want me to make some more; I promise, I'll try to look like even more of a fool trying to decipher mission objectives!:





Check here for more information on Nehrim.

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

The Cake is a Lie!



It was only until a couple weeks back when I was first able to to play Portal, and although it was short, it certainly did not lack in quality. there's just so much fun to be had with a portal gun and cute little turret drones, which is mainly why I'm so happy to hear about Portal 2 coming out........ in 2011! Well, to compensate for this long wait, I've posted the download link to Portal: Prelude which is one of the best mods for Portal, so play it! (there's cake I promise*):

http://www.moddb.com/mods/portal-prelude

* Not really any cake.

Monday, June 7, 2010

Red Dead Redemption Cinematic

Check out this new short film about Red Dead Redemption directed by John Hillcoat. Although a lot of it is basically cinematics from the main story, it's still pretty fun to watch:


Friday, May 28, 2010

Red Dead Redemption

       If you've been waiting for a good open world game then Red Dead Redemption is for you and if you haven't been persuaded by what you've already seen then you're either not a fan of open world games or don't have a pulse.

       Much like Grand Theft Auto 4, Red Dead Redemption has a very long and immersive campaign. After about 15 hours of playtime I managed to get 68% of what the game had to offer, yet it felt as though I had just completed a behemoth of gaming awesomeness. The epic story is complemented by its huge map, which spans from a huge southern area including New Mexico to Mexico itself with plenty of things to do. Gun play couldn't be better; with a simple crosshair interface and aiming that locks on slightly so you're not sifting through pixels trying to triangulate an enemy's body. As I said before, the aiming system is almost identical to that of Grand Theft Auto 4, so there's no need to worry about it oversimplifying a good gunfight; you'll still need to guide the crosshairs to the enemy's protruding head if you want the extra advantage. There's also a wide variety of weapons, which was quite a relief. Whether you feel like hog-tying an enemy so they can't move or mowing them down with a rifle or pistol there are plenty tools o' destruction to get the job done like:

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Having Trouble Downloading Bad Company 2 Beta?



Try here:

 http://www.bigdownload.com/games/battlefield-bad-company-2/pc/battlefield-bad-company-2-beta-client/

It allowed me to download it within 11 minutes. Your welcome. And yes, the beta is pretty awesome. :) Be sure to check EA's twitter for Battlefield Bad Company 2 Beta Key Giveaways: http://twitter.com/EA

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Wallpapers Galore!

I'm primarily making this post for a  Section 8 wallpaper I made, but if I make any more gaming-related wallpapers I'll be sure to post them here:
                                                     

Friday, January 22, 2010

The Lollipop Prince!

Have any of you ever seen some of this guy's videos? They're hilarious! Check these out and don't be afraid to post some comments on what you think and if you enjoyed them be sure to subscribe to his channel!



Sunday, January 17, 2010

Just Cause 2 deserves more hype!

Seriously, have you seen any of the new trailers or other videos for this game? It looks amazing. If your a bit skeptical because of the first in the series, I'm sure these videos will change your mind:



  
If you're interested, be sure to check out their site: justcause.com and this informative fan-site: panauisland.com

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Dragon Age: Origins

To be honest, I wasn't sure if  Dragon Age: Origins was going to be as good as the other Bioware games I had played so long ago. I fondly remember being the good jedi in Knights of the Old Republic and all the tough decisions that I had to make that would influence the story for better or for worse. The idea of the player controlling the story soon caught my interest, and before I knew it I was hooked. Although that was the main element that drew me to Dragon Age, I found so much more to admire.


 Dragon Age: Origins is an RPG party-combat game. It has a convenient pause function that allows you to stop battle and issue commands to one of your 4 members and commence on your command. Although you can only have 3 party members with your character at a time, you can have far more in the group you can choose from. One thing that I really enjoyed was the party inventory that all the characters shared so that you could equip them easier and faster. The races include elves, humans, and dwarves. You can either start off as a mage, warrior, or rogue and then eventually specialize into specific roles in your class.


For me, the greatest part of the game is how the player can affect the story through even the smallest of decisions. Like previous Bioware titles, there's so many ways to influence the people around you to cause surprising events that otherwise could not be possible. This could range from different quests to having different party members. Even the type of character you make in the beginning of the game can completely change how it starts off, and even how other people view you later in the game. Another thing that really caught my attention was the detail to relationships in the game. When in camp, you can talk to any of your party members that often branch off into interesting conversations that may even lead to new quests.


The action is great. Most of the time gameplay is really hectic, but in a good way that keeps you on your feet. Since you can control any character at a time, its almost certain that you're going to have to take advantage of it. For instance, I made my character a strict DPS (Damage Per Second) dual-wielding warrior that didn't have much health. I often had to take control of my healing mage and make sure that I kept my main character alive while he did the most of the damage. While most of the battles seem quite normal, there are some that are quite epic in scale, or so they seem. Overall, the gameplay mechanics are quite enjoyable.


Even though it has great graphics on the PC, places like the eleven forest and Denerim are most notable for having an unfinished feeling about them and poor texturing. However, it's not such an eyesore that would draw you away from a lot of the great things the game has to offer.


 If there's anything that Bioware is known for, it's for making quality RPG's, and Dragon Age: Origins is no exception.

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Been a long time.....

It's been way too long since I've last posted here, and this blog is in dire need of some gaming awesomeness. Over my long vacation from the blog I've ventured into the lands of Dragon Age: Origins, contracted a new love for the M4A1 (With FMJ and Extra Damage)in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, became a beast ninja in Assassin's Creed 2, and resurrected the old World of Warcraft DVD sitting on my shelf. Once the weekend is here I plan to write far more into detail, so stay tuned!