One thing you can’t say about the staff here TheSixthAxis is that we all play the same bunch of games. Individuals one and all, you’ll find here a motley fusion of shooters, retro games, sports (of every kind) and even quiz shows (while on the move no less). We truly are Ambassadors of Gaming Diversity. Now that we’ve managed to climb down off this pedestal of self-aggrandisement, here’s what we actually played last week.
cc_star:
This week despite having less time than ever I’ve found the time for a spot of gaming. First up I downloaded the demos of MLB10 The Show and MLB:2K10, and immediately set to work on The Show. Unfortunately thats where the trouble started; I just couldn’t get on the game at all. When I was pitching I just couldn’t get anyone out, and I had zero chance of hitting the ball when batting. Still, I put up a good fight and made a close game of it narrowly losing 31-0 in the end. MLB2K10 was a different kettle of fish, with a massively improved bowling mechanic over its rival (IMO), I restricted the opposing team to relative few runs and I even managed a couple of my own, although I went down 5-3. Love the game, the graphics where as good as the much hyped The Show, and the commentary seemed far less repetitive so I think I’ll be making a purchase as soon as my funds are looking brighter.
I powered up Flower for a late night relax as I often do, and I ended up on ThatGameCompany’s website and downloading their first project, a relatively basic PC game called Cloud. The basic premise is similar to Flower, except you gather clouds up and have to make patterns in the sky. If you like FlOw and Flower you’ll love Cloud, sadly I’ve not played too much of it, but I’m keen to return. Oh, and did I mention it was free?!
Tuffcub:
Buzz TV – I discovered last weekend that that six months of being locked up in a studio every evening and not having time to cook, therefore living off KFC and Pizza Hut is not a good thing. Solution: Moved the treadmill in to the bedroom and now spend the evenings jogging whilst playing Buzz online, I discovered trying to run and use a Sixaxis is not a good idea but the Buzz controller you can use with one hand.
F1 2010 – Had a quick play at the preview event, it’s far from being completed and could be very good.
Lost Planet 2 – Hands on at the launch party on Friday, I think this is going to be a day one purchase for me. A decent, weighty shooter with some ridiculous ‘vehicles’ to play in.
Killzone 2 – The usual very enjoyable TSA Monday boot camps.
Captain Murdo:
I’ve not played much this week apart from Battlefield Bad Company 2. The story is very funny and the online is great. My favourite moment so far must be sniping a pilot and having the helicopter come crashing down in front of me. It was like something out of a movie.
The Modern Warfare 2 Master competition was last Tuesday as well. I came third and had a great time.
djhsecondnature:
This week has all been about split-screen gaming. I’ve had many, many sessions on FIFA 10, enticing me back to Manager mode. Some wondrous goals were scored, but the best moment of all was the own goals scored by my mate which trickled in off the back of his defender.
Games of Motorstorm: Pacific Rift and Street Fighter IV were dotted around, but the other major session was on Modern Warfare 2: Spec Ops. I had forgotten how much fun Spec Ops is and just helps solidify the importance of split-screen additions in major releases. It was for this reason that Modern Warfare 2 saw more time this week than Battlefield: Bad Company 2, which I am now about halfway through the campaign.
Zuler:
I’ve been playing a very healthy mix of God of War III, Battlefield: Bad Company 2 and Final Fantasy XIII. God of War III continues to prove its magnificence, and I can already easily call it my best game ever. If I were to go into detail, it would probably be a spoiler, so I’ll refrain. Battlefield: Bad Company 2 is pretty sweet, though I can tell I’m starting to get bored of shooters now, since I’m just not enjoying them as much as I used to. I hope you come through for me, Bodycount.
Final Fantasy XIII is simply stunning. The cutscenes are out of this world, and the battle system is really fun to use. Being a complete RPG newbie, I was so thankful that the game eased me into it. I can’t wait to play more of all three games, I’ll be doing that for a while…
Watchful:
It will not come as a surprise to anyone to hear that I have been playing Dragon Age: Origins, Borderlands and Plants vs. Zombies again this last week. I must make an effort to play something different.
ColinBarr66:
This big news from me is that this past Saturday I purchased God of War III and God of War: Chains of Olympus. I haven’t played a God of War before but thought I knew what I was getting into so to ease myself into it I started off with God of War III on normal difficulty. It is awesome. Action packed and challenging, I had intended on making this a rental but am glad I bought it. I haven’t tried Chains of Olympus yet but will start that very soon.
I got the chance to try out Battlefield: Bad Company 2 at Murdo’s this week but I’m still undecided about it. The very little I played was good but not amazing. Plus my skills online were less than impressive but I’m putting that down to being half asleep at the time. I will probably pick it up at some point during the week however.
My excitement for WrestleMania XXVI and Steve Austin’s appearance on Raw has forced me to return to WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2010 and relive some of my favourite matches. Definitely the best game in the series for a long time. Finally got round to trying some of the new and improved create modes for the first time and was impressed. They aren’t perfect but a very good starting point.
Apart from a few quick games on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, FIFA 10 and Killzone 2, that’s it for me.
Nofi:
This week I’ve had the usual dose of PSP goodness (in the regular form of VectorTD, of course) but I’ve also broken out the Wii again. Previously hidden away in a box in the loft, the Wii now takes pride of place next to the TV in the living room and has played host to several multiplayer bouts of Mario Kart (still amazing), a few goes on SSX Blur (nasty controls) and a smattering of wonderful retro flashbacks like Super Mario 64 and Ocarina of Time. Nobody makes games like Nintendo, and that’s a fact.
Michael:
Battlefield Bad Company 2 – I’ve been enjoying some time with Bad Company this week. It’s a nice enough FPS, not spectacular like most of Killzone 2, but then not dull like most of Modern Warfare 2. Some lovely firefights though, punctuated by the (in my view) unnecessary interruptions such as taking down choppers with RPGs: just stick to the shooting of humans, guys – I won’t get bored!
Kovacs:
The time I spent with Heavy Rain last week is still too raw to discuss. Not that the game was so spectacularly awesome that I’m still reeling in shock (though it is damn good). No; more the torturous events that transpired before allowing me to actually be in a position to physically finish it. Without boring you with my personal woes, let’s just say that after five re-installs and an interesting call to Sony Support (which didn’t help a bit I might add), I finally managed to tame the unruly beast and drag my discordant save game over the line.
Focusing on the actual game experience rather than its myriad of technical issues, I still feel that it’s a groundbreaking piece of media. Riddled with bugs, plot holes and some questionable design decisions at times, just like that flawed woodwork project your child bestows upon you, it might be wonky and completely impractical in certain areas, but it’s still personal and quite poignant. I just hope Cage and Co. can learn from this adventure and make an even better interactive media experience next time.
I’ve also managed to ween myself off Angry Birds this week, deciding instead to spend more time with my terminally depressing book while commuting on the bus. Trust be told, I’d rather be murdering fowl.