Library of Games

Byrd's Nest #9: How Sports and iTouch games saved my gaming life.

2010-10-25T20:18:00.004-05:00

When school started this year realized something. My daily habit of killing aliens, Nazi's and other generic polygon inhabited foes would be disrupted by a minor annoyance called homework. Alas my horrendous foes would be playing second bannana to triangle therom proofs and the crafting of a literary analysis. And as the school year has progressed into October I realized something. I have not an alien and/or Nazi since August. I have simply been too tired/busy to continue that art for the time being. What have I been doing with that time? Playing Madden and Doodle Jump.

These games are the perfect solution to any gamers bust schedule. Doodle Jump is maybe the most addicting thing mankind has invented since the invention of illegal narcotics. My precious seconds of no homework are squandered on the perfecting of platform jumping and alien killing. Doodle Jump is just a perfect game for you busy gamers.

Secondly when I actually get a chance to play a console game. I will usually put in my most coveted game (at the moment) Madden 11 (review coming shortly). Madden's shockingly improved gameplay which makes playing an exhibition match as quick as possible, along with the fact that I am a sports fan has allowed me to waste away weekend hours simply scoring touchdown after touchdown while taking bragging rights from my father.

I know what you're going to say. I'm not a "true gamer" beceause I'm only playing "casual" Madden and Doodle Jump and if I was a true gamer I would put games before grades. Blah Blah Blah. Yada Yada Yada. You know what? I don't give a crap. I love games but simply don't have the time to play traditional shooters and action games. I still love video games and am currently enjoying games that allow me to quickly play an enjoyable game before I go back to my busy schedule. And who knows. I might have some time to kill Nazis soon.

-Matthew Byrd Gamertag: ColonelByrd95

iTunes GameCenter Review

2010-10-05T21:15:00.006-05:00

Itunes's GameCenter is a good idea executed poorly. GameCenter is basically Xbox Live for the iTouch/iPhone. You have a username, freinds, games and achievements all controlled from a central hub. This is controlled by Apple. Think of it as an Apple sanctioned Open Feint. The games on it, although limited, are great ranging from favorites Angry Birds and Tetris to newcomers like Plunderland and UFO on Tape.

Now there are a lot of bad things about GameCenter. It activates very weirdly as it only activates when you start a game and it only does that periodically. Achievements are not officially sanctioned by Apple so games achievement number, achievement points and value vary wildly from game to game making it very annoying to keep track of achievements. Also for all you iTouch owners GameCenter only works with an internet connection so unless you're at home you'll probably lose achievements if you decide to game outside the house.

Despite the difficulties, GameCenter is a great concept that if fixed could bloom into a great gaming interface for all Apple mobile devices.

Written by Matthew Byrd: Gamertag: ColonelByrd95

Weekly Update 9/6/10 "Ugh" edition

2010-09-12T20:28:00.004-05:00

2. Assassin's Creed Brotherhood multiplayer beta dated

The Assassin's Creed Brotherhood multiplayer beta which is a PS3 exclusive was dated this week. Aspiring assassin's will be able to test out the multiplayer on October 4th. Beta invites will only be given to people who have pre-ordered the game.

1. Apple launches gamecenter

This week Apple launched the Appe GameCenter- a hub for all the games for the ITouch and IPhone. The gamecenter includes social networking, leaderboards and for the first time, achievements. Although only a few games are available for gamecenter now- more will be added soon. IPad owners (like LOG's Taylor Bayless) can expect gamecenter at some point in November.

You'll probably notice only two news items this week. That's beceause as fall begins there will be less news items and more games coming out so expect more shorthanded weekly updates in the coming weeks.

Mean Streets: Mafia II review

2010-09-06T13:54:00.003-05:00

I love Mafia movies. If you told me you would be watching Goodfellas at yopur house, you should expect me to show up on your doorstep with a bowl of pasta. As much as I love Mafia stories, I haven't played, or for that matter found, a really good Mafia game. Mafia II has changed that.

Mafia II tells the story of Italian American WWII vet Vito Scaletta and the rise and fall of his Mafia career. The story is pitch perfect in it's tone, mood and pacing. Long, well-written dialogue scenes are followed by gritty gun fights which set the tone for a realistic Mafia tale. This game is more Goodfellas then it is the Godfather as it's set in small scale operations and shows how the mob really operates. Also the way the missions play out is pitch perfect. When things are going smoothly, the missions play out nice and easy and when they go downhill the pace gets frantic and fast paced.

Empire Bay is one of the greatest game settings I've ever seen. I would put it up with Rapture as the city is astounding it it's detail and integration. Slum areas and nice neighborhoods give the city and identity, instead of being just one big bland city. People look different in different neighborhoods and the music ties it all together. The radio blasts the sounds of Bobby Darin, John Lee Hooker, Buddy Holly, Muddy Waters, The Cadillacs and many more, giving the city an authentic feel. Music changes as the years go by and really make you feel that your in a certain time and place.

Gunplay is astounding too but in a different way. Instead of having all powerful weapons, you have effective, realistic weapons which are all different, unlike other games. Machine guns riddle down people while shotguns blow them against the wall. The weapons handle perfectly and add to the overall experience.

Now a few things keep this game from being perfect. The checkpoint system is atrocious and the distance between checkpoints is very annoying. I once had to start a mission all over again that I had completed and gotten the achievement for the mission and had quit. However since the checkpoint does not coincide with the end of the mission, I had to start the whole mission over again. This and smaller annoyances keep this game from perfection.

Pure and simple this game is a masterpiece. It is the culmination of excellent writing, great gameplay and a wonderful enviorment. Any gamer would be proud to have this game as part of their collecetion. This game is up there with Mean Streets and Goodfellas as one of the greatest Mafia tales ever told. This game is a work of art.

Weekly Update 8/30/10 "Duke Nukem" edition

2010-09-03T22:00:00.005-05:00

5. Dead Space 2 multiplayer announced

Dead Space 2 developer Visceral games announced this week that the highly anticipated (mostly by me) game will feature multiplayer mode. While no further details were given, it can be assumed that the inevitable, soldiers vs. necromorphs mode will be available. Rumors are persisting that the multiplayer will be Left 4 Dead esque. More details to come.

4. Killzone 3 gets a release date

The highly anticipated (and hated by LOG's Kaillif Ammen) shooter got a release date this week at PAX. Fans will be slaughtering Helghast's on Febuary 22nd 2011.

3. Call of Duty Black Ops adds currency system

Treyarch seems to be adding something new to the established Call of Duty multiplayer mode. A new currency system is added, meaning as players move up, instead of getting perks and guns atomatically you will get money for you to buy new perks and weapons. We'll see in the coming weeks if this angers or pleases the hardcore Call of Duty fanbase.

2. Metroid: Other M divides gamers

The highly anticipated Metroid: Other M was released this week to very divisive reviews. G4 and Game Informer gave Other M extremely low reviews while other publications like Wired and IGN praised the game. Our review will be coming in the next few days.

1. Duke Nukem Forever is actually coming out

After a nearly 15 year wait, Duke Nukem Forever is finally coming out. It was announced at PAX this week that 2K games gave the game to Borderlands dev Gearbox studios and a playable demo was released at PAX. The infamously delayed game will be released next year for the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC

Byrd's Nest #8: What Environment means for a game

2010-09-01T23:35:00.008-05:00

When BioShock: Infinite was announced I became increasingly guilty that I had never finished the first BioShock. So last week I went back and finished it. And when I did, I came to a realization. A realization that along with graphics and gameplay, environment is one of the most important things about a game. Not only does it keep the player excited about the game, it sets the mood and tone of the game. But instead of droning on on the importance of environment, I will give you three examples of how environment is important in the game.

1. USG Ishimura (Dead Space)

When Issac Clarke first arrives on the derelict, Necromorph infested planet cracker, the USG Ishimura, he is met with a stunningly eerie sight. A darkly lit place with pools of blood and garbage across the floor. You hear metal shifting in the pressurized ship and above you chains rattle, suggesting you are not alone in this room. This immediately sets the mood for this excellent sci-fi survival horror game. As the game chugs along you realize that only half the scares come from the actual Necromorph's. The other half comes from the ship itself. Dark corridors and blood stained walls set a creepy atmosphere. Creaking metal and rolling air tanks create an almost unbearable sense of paranoia which causes a scream when the Necromorph finally pops out. The environment sets up the big scare by creating a series of little scares to heighten tension. This is an example of an environment lending itself to the experience and enhancing the game by helping create an environment which helps to make the experience of the video game more enjoyable.

2. Rapture (BioShock)

Rapture is not a simple environment. It is a character within itself. It's walls hold many mysteries. What makes Rapture truly great is not it's creepy rooms, blood stained walls of flooded corridors. But instead what it stands for. Rapture is a metaphor. It is a metaphor for the danger of pure philosophy. It is a warning that pure philosophy will always fail when implemented in real life. The art deco and Greek symbols and names represent Ayn Rand's dream of a Objectivist utopia and the blood and dark rooms represent how that dream is doomed to fail. By creating an environment which in itself offers political commentary, helps elevate the game the environment is in, to a work of art.

3. Empire Bay (Mafia II)

Empire Bay is not great simply because of it's pure graphical beauty. It's great because of it's shocking realism. Empire Bay is completely real. Take the neighborhood diversity for examples. You get slum areas like Little Italy and Sand Island, and then the beautiful neighborhood's of Greenfield and West Side. This diversity along with realistic AI, great graphics and detail it helps the experience. By the seeing the slum areas where your character grew up, you see their motivations for joining the Mafia. By giving us this wonderful environment for the story to play out in, Mafia II helps to create a gritty realistic mob tale that the environment complements. The environment helps to make the game a realistic and satisfying experience.

Weekly Update 8/23/10 "Dog Days and Playboys" edition

2010-08-27T15:12:00.014-05:00

5. First Bioshock 2 single player DLC detailed/dated

The first single player DLC for 2K's Bioshock 2 was detailed and dated earlier this week. Minerva's Den has the player control a new Big Daddy who works alongside Dr. Tenenbaum to defeat Rapture's evil computing system in Minerva's Den. The DLC will feature new weapons, plasmids and a new Big Daddy type. The DLC will release on August 31st for PSN and XBLA for $1o on PSN and 800 Microsoft Points on XBLA

4. DeathSpank sequel announced

Merely a month after the first DeathSpank was released, the sequel was announced by developer Hothead studios. DeathSpank II: The Thongs of Virtue will include new co-op characters, bosses and weapons with a more modern/sci-fi campaign then the first one. DeathSpank II releases next month for PSN and XBLA.

3. More Red Dead DLC details

The fouth out of five known Red Dead Redemption DLC packs, the Liars and Cheats pack was detailed earlier this week by Rockstar. The pack will offer online Poker, Liars Dice and Horse racing games. It will also include a new rifle, the Explosive rifle, 7 new gang hideouts, 4 new hunting grounds and a tower defense-likemultiplayer mode. The pack will be bundled with the Free Roam pack for free. The pack releases on September 21st costs 800 microsoft points and costs 9.99 on PSN. The fifth DLC pack, Undead Nightmare was also detailed. It will be a single player DLC with John Marston fighting zombie animals and humans. No release date or price point were announced.

2. More Realtime Worlds drama

The bankrupt developer behind APB and Crackdown has even more drama surrounding it. According to Game Informer and G4, sources inside the company are saying that Realtime Worlds heads lied to APB publisher EA on things like game costs and development problems. On top of that ex-employees are apparently not recieving any form of royalties that were guaranteed in their contracts if they were fired. We will bring you more Realtime coverage as it unfolds.

1. Playboy launches game label.

Notorious men's magazine Playboy has announced that they will launch a game label which creates and distributes game through Playboy's website. Their first game is Poisonville, an action-MMO in the style of APB which apparently dosen't suck. The name of the label is shocker... Playboy games.

Written by Matthew Byrd: Gamertag: ColonelByrd95

The votes are in! "What are YOU getting this Holiday?"

2010-08-26T13:00:00.004-05:00

The 3 week long poll has finally come to an end! We asked what highly anticipated video game YOU were getting this Holiday season, and the votes are in! Guess who got the most votes? I'm telling you right now, it wasn't Just Dance 2.

8 votes-

Halo: Reach

7 votes-

3DS
Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood

6 votes-

Rock Band 3
Call of Duty: Black Ops
Metroid: Other M

5 votes-

Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep
Kirby's Epic Yarn

4 votes-

LittleBigPlanet 2
Epic Mickey

3 votes-

Sonic Colors

2 votes-

Medal of Honor
Mafia 2
Fable 3
Final Fantasy XIV
Sonic 4: Episode 1
Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit
World of Warcraft: Cataclysm

1 vote-

Kinect
Fallout: New Vegas
Dead Rising 2
Michael Jackson: The Experience
Killzone 3

I'm not surprised at Halo's position on the list, but I didn't know there was that much anticipation for Assassin's Creed Brotherhood! Maybe I'm the only one not excited for it. And the 3DS is getting all the attention it deserves.

Rock Band 3 is getting some good attention with Call of Duty, but once again, I'm surprised by the excitement behind Other M. I'm not hearing a lot about it and it's coming in just mere days! Bad PR?

Once again, everyone except me seems to be excited for Kirby's Epic Yarn. And I know most die-hard Kingdom Hearts fans already got their hands on the Japanese version of Birth By Sleep.

I'm kind of shocked that LittleBigPlanet 2 isn't higher on the list! It stands right next to Epic Mickey, which doesn't seem to have any hype behind it at all (not saying I'm not interested in it!)

I still haven't seen a single thing for Sonic Colors, and I never will unless there are good reviews for it. Seems people want it, though! There must be something in those gameplay videos...

Medal of Honor has been getting some pretty lackluster reception for it's beta, but it seems that people will still be goin' out to get it. Mafia 2 is the first of all these games to come out and has been getting some really mixed reviews, so I recommend you check out the demo or rent it. Fable 3 surprisingly doesn't seem to be getting much attention from the general public and neither is FFXIV. I'm surprised people still voted for Sonic 4: Episode 1 (as you can see, I'm a Sonic Skeptic) and Need for Speed seems to have some unexpected attention. Shocked that WoW: Cataclysm didn't get more votes than it did.

And with one vote comes Kinect. Hey, that's 1 more vote than Move got. I would say wait for a price drop, but if you reallllly want it by this Holiday, go ahead! A shock that Fallout: New Vegas is this low on the polls, but Dead Rising 2 doesn't seem to be getting any attention at all. For the Michael Jackson fan who is also getting Kinect, have fun! And I f******* hated Killzone 2, so I'm happy Killzone 3 only got a single vote.

That's it for that poll! Now comment and vote on our newest one that will affect the YouMedia space directly: "What songs should we get for Rock Band?"

Dark Chambers: Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light review

2010-08-25T17:12:00.005-05:00

I am not a Lara Croft fan. I never played a game and never saw one of the two movies. So I was jumping into the Lara Croft world for the first time with this XBLA title from developer Square Enix. This game takes place in some Central American ruins were Lara Croft finds "The Mirror of Smoke". An ancient artifact which holds the soul of Xolotol, the keeper of darkness. When Vasco, the local warlord, steals the Mirror, Xolotol is set free as is his archnemesis, Totec, The Guardian of Light. Now Lara Croft must defeat Xolotol and return the Mirror of Smoke to it's shrine before sunrise or the world will drown in the blood of Xolotol's empire.

This is an arcade style game with an isometric camera view. The camera is perfectly placed and I found no unneccesary difficluties resulting from the camera view. Gunplay is also pulled off perfectly. The mechanics are flawless and easy to pick up. Action-packed moments when your are surrounded by enemies are thrilling and fun. This and awesome weaponry like Lara's Pistols, automatic rifles and rocket launchers add an action-packed experience which gives off the atmosphere of a summer blockbuster.

The enviorments are gorgeous. I found no visual hiccups in the game and the enviorments are incredibly realistic. The trees shake in the wind, walls are dirty and grimy and fire is extremely realistic. Lara's weapons are fully realized on screen and decimated enemies are schredded apart on screen in a fantastically visceral and fun way. This game sets a new standard for XBLA and PSN graphics.

Exploration and puzzles are some of the trademarks of the Lara Croft universe. So naturally fears arose when an arcade-style, gun play heavy game was announced. But don't worry Lara fans, this game dosen't throw away it's roots as there are plenty of artifacts, relics, weapons and red skulls for you to find throughout the game. The physics-based puzzles in finding these collectables are awesome. You will feel like a true explorer after completeing these aweome puzzles. Exploration is extremely fun and is highly reccommended. You will find many fun and hidden collectables that help make the game last.

Now for the bad. The game has poor pacing difficulty wise as the last 4 level amp up the difficulty to 11. You will be screaming and yelling at your television for about the last hour of the game and a controller toss isn't out of the question. Although the voice acting of Lara is superb the other two characters, Totec and Xolotol who are supposed to be Mayan are voiced by American actors which takes away from the immersiveness of the game.

Co-Op also adds tons of replayabillity to the game. Lot's of teamwork is involved as Lara and Totec must use each other to get across areas and solve puzzles. This adds a great buddy experience to the game as well as adding hours of fun to an already great game.

This game is a thrill ride. With a perfect mixture gunplay and physics-based puzzles along with thrilling chases and bossfights, Lara Croft and The Guardian of Light is a can't miss arcade title evokes a well made summer blockbuster movie. This is a can't miss title and will certainly make the wait for your favorite fall games much more enjoyable.

Written by Matthew Byrd: Gamertag: ColonelByrd95

Byrd's Nest #7: How Rock Band 3 will save the Music Industry

2010-08-24T01:29:00.009-05:00

It it undeniably that the Rock Band franchise has changed the music industry. Several songs on the Rock Band Network have outsold the song on iTunes. Older Bands can reconnect their music to a younger generation and indie bands can try to go mainstream by releasing songs in Rock Band. Rock Band is already shaping up to be a revolutionary game. With new peripherals, new songs and endless importing, Rock Band 3 is primed and ready to be one of the defining games of it's generation. But it will also change the world in another way. It will save the music industry.

Look at the setlist for Rock Band 3. How many songs from 2000 and on do you see? No that many. What you will see a lot of is songs from anywhere between the 60's and the 90's. A mixture of Classic Rock bands like Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Ramones, The Who and Whitesnake and New Wave bands like Tears for Fears, Devo and The Cure. Crunching the numbers it appears the average song come from somewhere between 1975 and 1988. So why are there so many classic songs instead of modern songs. Because most modern songs suck.

Whether it's Ke$ha, Lady Gaga or Katy Perry. Music has reached an oversaturation of shallow, materialistic, 3-minute ballads on clothes, parties and drinking. Music used to mean something. It was an art form. Now it's bargain bin trash. And no one bothers looking back at all the great songs of past generations. I have asked several of my peers who the bands listed above were and I was met with either confusion or talking about how bad and lame they were. It's a shame. However, as corny as this sounds, Rock Band 3 is here to save the day.

With it's awesome retro soundtrack, Rock Band 3 could help popularize good music. The Beatles: Rock Band sparked a new interest in The Beatles among a younger generation. Why can't this game do the same except on a broader scale. It could get people thinking. Why should I listen to this modern pop crap when I can play/listen to these awesome Rock Band tracks. It could completely change how the music industry thinks. Instead of a pop focused industry, it could be a rock focused industry. Think about it. It's not that crazy.

Written by Matthew Byrd: Gamerag: ColonelByrd95

Rock Band DLC Extrabonanza!

2010-08-23T11:24:00.001-05:00

Listen up folks! If you guys are on this website but have never even heard of YouMedia before, than this might get you interested in visiting!
As most of you people who go to YouMedia know, we have the full Rock Band set there, and we have games Rock Band 1 & 2, The Beatles & Green Day Rock Band, and soon to be getting Rock Band 3.
Now, we also have $20, and we want YOU (that's right, you!) to tell us how to spend it! Now, I have this list of DLC, and I want you to tell me which songs to buy!
With around $20, we can get around 10 songs, so vote wisely!

Queen -
Killer Queen
Somebody to Love
Fat Bottomed Girls

David Bowie-
Queen Bitch

Nine Inch Nails -

The Collector

Burn

Nirvana -

Smells Like Teen Spirit

Breed

Jimi Hendrix -

Spanish Castle Magic

No Doubt -

Hella Good

Spiderwebs

The White Stripes-

Girl, You Have No Faith In Medicine,

Fell In Love With A Girl

The Who -

Baba O'Riley

Kiss -

Calling Dr. Love

Gorillaz -

Clint Eastwood

Journey -

Don't Stop Believing

Avenged Sevenfold -

Afterlife

Ozzy Osbourne -

No More Tears

Foo Fighters -

The Pretender

This Is A Call

All My Life

DOA

AFI-

Miss Murder

Joe Satriani -

Satch Boogie

3 Doors Down-

Kryptonite

Iron Maiden-

Run to the Hills (Original Version)

Red Hot Chili Peppers -

Suck My Kiss

Independent Pixel 2 - Cave Story

2010-08-22T14:33:00.013-05:00

For the second special of Independent Pixel, I'd like to bring in a special gem, and not to much surprise, it's a rather well-known cult-classic of a game. This game is Cave Story by Studio Pixel (haha, similar name!), and it gathers much inspiration from classic platformers such as Metroid and Castlevania, but has many special bits that make it a wholly new experience.

^A difficult boss battle halfway through the game (Screenshot of the Wii version of the game) ^

Cave Story starts out giving you absolutely no idea of what is happening, or what you should do. In fact, the game doesn't even give you a weapon to start with! However, as things quickly progress, you come across the rabbitlike Mimiga people, who are being terrorized by some sort of Doctor, and you realize that you're needed immediately for help. the story quickly gathers speed from there, but gameplay also evolves, requiring you to understand better of what to do. while the game is extremely short (4-5 hours), there some other twists that help remedy the feeling of a quick game.

^An important point of the game. What is Egg No. 00? (Original PC graphics of the game) ^

During the course of the game, you'll come across many choices which are extremely hard to pass up. In fact, the difficulty of the game skyrockets if you make a certain choice. Even still, these choices can be extremely rewarding, including increasing the length of the game, and revealing even more of the increasingly curious story.

As for the gameplay, everything progresses in a linear fashion. You will acquire different weapons throughout the game, each of them with a similar quality: the ability to level up to a more powerful state. However, taking damage will reduce the strength of your currently equipped weapon. Other gameplay interests are quests that will keep you in a specific area for a while, hunting for key items and whatnot (i.e. components for a bomb, lost puppies, etc)

^The graphical difference between the PC and Wii versions of the game^

As for the graphics, well, it really matters whether or not you're playing the PC version or the Wii version. Even still, both games feature a nice "cel-shaded" effect that is visually pleasing and looks very nice in motion. Even more differences are apparent in the Wii version, which has an option to return to the original music and graphics of the PC game, and features a boss attack, a timed run through the hardest level of the game, and a game mode where you can play as a female NPC from the story: Curly Brace.

Platform: PC/Wii
Rating (ESRB) : E10+
Price: PC = FREE, Wii = 1200 Nintendo Points ($12)
Unofficial English PC Site / Official Wii Site

-Final Words-

Whether you play the PC version or Wii version is up to you, but when it comes to better quality and playability, the Wii version is best. Even though the PC version is free, it can only be found as a fan-translation (The original game is Japanese). But either way, the game and story is extremely compelling, and you may leave wondering if, sometimes, you made the right choices in your playthrough.

~8bit_Ghost

Weekly Update 8/16/10 "Gamescom and Bankruptcy" Edition

2010-08-22T11:42:00.010-05:00

5. Mass Effect 2 is coming to the PS3

Microsoft exclusivity was struck a crushing blow on Tuesday when Bioware announced at Gamescom that Mass Effect 2 will be available for the PlayStation 3 in January 2011. Microsoft might be struck an even more crushing blow in the months to come as it was rumored that since you could transfer your character from one installment to the next, the heavily anticipated Mass Effect 3 might be on the PS3 as well.

4. Insomniac announces next two titles

Although singing a deal with EA to make multiplatform games, developer Insomniac announced 2 sequels to their PS3 exclusive franchises. Resistance 3 was announced for a 2011 release at Gamescom on Tuesday. A live action trailer revealed little except for possible game locations. St. Louis, Missouri and New York, New York. Ratchet and Clank: All 4 One was announced at Gamescom on Tuesday for a Q4 2011 release. New features include four player co-op and a new story for all those Ratchet and Clank fans out there.

3. Release Dates Galore!

Several games were given release dates at Gamescom this week. Portal 2 will be releasing on February 9th 2011. DJ Hero 2 will be releasing October 19th 2010 and Michael Jackson: The Experience will be releasing on November 18th 201o.

2. Setlists for Fall Music games announced (Or Leaked!!!!)

This fall's big Music game releases, Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock, Michael Jackson: The Experience and Rock Band 3 have had some or all of their setlists released (or in Harmonix's case leaked) *This will be discussed in greater detail in tomorrow's podcast*

1. Developer Realtime Worlds goes bankrupt

Crackdown and APB developer filed for the British equivalent of Bankruptcy on Tuesday. The bankruptcy has been cited as caused by APB's, Realtime's GTA style MMO, financial failure. After several cutbacks in the wake of APB's disaster the company finally gave up and filed for bankruptcy. Activision is currently meeting with Realtime employees and it is rumored that a buyout may occur soon.

Written by Matthew Byrd: Gamertag: ColonelByrd95

Independent Pixel 1 - Rhythm Games

2010-08-21T19:09:00.018-05:00

So, for the first special of Independent Pixel, I have two games of extremely similar style to show you. The first game is BIT.TRIP RUNNER, a videogame made exclusively for WiiWare by Gaijin Games.

BIT.TRIP RUNNER's premise is simple. You never stop running, you always run at the same pace, and you'll stay in the same part of the screen during the entire level. However, you must hit the proper commands to jump, duck, kick, spring and block in order to make it to the end of the level, or you will have to restart the whole thing over again. With each level filled with gold and point-multiplying powerups to nab, each level will keep on challenging you even after you've beat the game. Collecting all the gold in a level will grant you a bonus challenge at the end, and if all gold is collected there, then you might just get a perfect if all possible points have been collected. Also, doing actions correctly adds to the music and beat of the level, and the song will evolve when you nab a score multiplier. With 36 levels, a soundtrack that will stick to your brain, guest tracks by Anamanaguchi, and colorfully sharp visuals, this game will keep you busy for a good long time.

Platform: Wii
Price: 800 Nintendo Ponits ($8)
Rating (ESRB) : E
Official Website

The second game is an even more independent experience, programmed by only one person. This game is Ninjammin Beat-jitsu by 9BIT Studios, a game that falls under similar qualities of BIT.TRIP RUNNER, but has its own unique quirks.

In Ninjammin Beat-jitsu, you control, well, a ninja. Kinda. He also will keep on running, but there are some new things that make this game different. First of all, you'll come across "notes" to press to activate certain abilities, such as jumping off of walls or sliding across zip-lines, you'll also come across bonus notes, which will increase your score, and enemies as well, in which you must slash away at them in quick-time sequences. While this game can be rather punishing like BIT.TRIP RUNNER, it has checkpoints in each level, and missing a note won't always mean instant restart. In fact, deliberately missing a note may lead to a secret area, which in turn might win you a bonus if you're lucky. With sharp silhouetted graphics, an amazingly fun original soundtrack, secrets to find, and a goofy storyline, this game will also keep you coming for more. Best of all, it's free! So why not check it out?

Platform: Windows OS
Price: FREE
Rating (By Guesswork) : T
Try it out now!

-Final Words-

Both games are extremely unique in their own way, and can be fun as well, but both have their problems. Often, the flail for the correct button will get you restarted, and sometimes, you'll have a "why didn't that work right" moment. Beyond those problems, however, both games are equally exhilarating and fun, and will keep you occupied for good moments to come.

(Note: Ninjammin Beat-jitsu can be downloaded and played on a PSP. try it out!)

~8bit_Ghost

Independent Pixel - Special by 8bit_Ghost

2010-08-21T17:23:00.012-05:00

Hello to all of those gamers out there now! Possibly on this site! Maybe....

.....Hello, thin air!

Anyways, Here is a good question. What IS Independent Pixel? Well, instead of you hearing about the newest Nintendo, Sony or Microsoft release and all of its huge glory, you'll be hearing more about the back-aisle releases, ones you'll find to be much more unique and adventurous than what you'll usually see. The games that maybe only a few people worked hard on to entertain you, unafraid to make massive risks that no other game publisher would dare make. The software called an Independent Game.

You'll find them everywhere, such as on the Xbox Indy Section, or deep in the depths of the Wii Shop Channel, and very often, all over the internet. My duty is to find the gems in those areas and dig em up, so that you can see how maybe a small handful of people decided to make something amazing.

I'll try to host reviews and previews of indy games whenever I can, so stay around for a unique gem each time!

~8bit_Ghost

He's Got Open Field: NCAA Football 11 Review

2010-08-16T10:08:00.013-05:00

Before I start, let me explain something. I'm a hardcore football fan and hardcore sports gamer that fell off the bandwagon a few years ago. Every year I would rent, or if I had the money, buy the latest Madden or NCAA title. Between the two, I always preferred Madden. But with the release of EA Sports and Tiburon's new title NCAA Football 11, that might change.

The newest feature this year is the Locomotion Running Engine, which makes the running game much more fluid and realistic than it has been in the past. For example, in past NCAA titles, if you were at the goal line and you ran just past the end zone line, you suddenly stopped, somehow breaking Newton's first law of physics. Now when you run past the line you slow down and stop. This adds more realism and less eye rolling for the player. Locomotion improves the offensive lines' blocking as there are more holes than in previous games and the blocking is much more realistic. I found myself running more than in any previous NCAA title.

The presentation is also superb. The graphics are some of the most realistic I've ever seen in a sports game despite the occasional hiccup during touchdown celebrations. Shadows, realistic weather effects and player interaction are all great graphical additions to the game.

The two other modes, besides straight up exhibition play, are the Dynasty and Road to Glory modes. In Dynasty mode you’re the head coach of a team for an unlimited amount of seasons. This mode is incredibly addictive. Whether you are reading news stories on the season progression, recruiting or just plain playing the game, Dynasty mode is a fun experience which will take up hours of your playing time (in a good way). Road to Glory mode is a bit of a step down. This mode allows you to play as a player from the High School playoffs through your Senior year of College. While it is fun it's less addictive and fulfilling than Dynasty mode and only needs to be played once.

Now for some of the negatives. The commentary is getting very old. I could've sworn I heard the same bits of commentary in the 2006 edition. The pass blocking is atrocious and you will often find yourself surrounded by two or three defensive linemen about to sack you. Receiver magnet catches still exist and cornerbacks are extremely overpowered. It seems as if every receiver is double covered. It appears as if this was the year of the run. Hopefully next year they can fix some of the passing problems of this years' installment.

NCAA Football 11 is a great game. The new running mechanics and graphics add more realistic and fun and add to the football gaming experience. Dynasty mode will keep you hooked for hours and you'll be trying to school your buddies for months to come. NCAA Football 11 is a solid title with minor flaws. If you’re a football fan and a gamer, you must pick this title up.

Written by Matthew Byrd: Gamertag: ColonelByrd95

Byrd's Nest #6: The Tragedy of NFL 2K5 (and what it means for all of gaming)

2010-08-15T13:08:00.014-05:00

When a sports gamer hears the words NFL 2K5, they have a bittersweet reaction. Sweet because, despite coming out six years ago, the game is still regarded as one of the greatest sport video games ever made and bitter, because of the aftermath of the critical success of 2K5. This aftermath has had repercussions that extend to this day not only in the sports gaming world but also to video games as a whole. This is the tragedy of ESPN NFL 2K5.

NFL 2K5 was released in August of 2004 as the next installment of the NFL 2K series. At this time Madden was still king of the NFL game world so NFL 2K5 was considered just another launch trying to challenge Madden's throne. However, this game was different. The commentary was the most fluid most gamers (myself included) had ever heard in a sports game and is still one of the best commentaries I've ever heard. The gameplay was astounding and the graphics were mind-blowing at the time. The ESPN presentation has yet to be matched in modern gaming as SportsCenter shows in Franchise Mode have yet to debut on Madden. The Crib mode allowed you to customize your own mansion with sports memorabilia, in-game bobblehead trophies, and for the first time in a game, actual achievements were unlocked in game. For these and many other reasons, NFL 2K5 is still lauded to this day as the greatest sports video game ever made and for a launch price of only $20 it out sold the $50 Madden that year. Gamers and critics alike couldn't wait for the next installment. But they were about to get a rude awakening.

Madden publisher EA and developer Tiburon were shocked at the success of 2K5. They immediately signed an exclusivity deal with the NFL and NFLPA (NFL Player's Association). This meant only EA could make NFL games. Because of this, the only option sports gamers have in terms of football games is Madden and as of recent years Madden games are downgrading in quality. Why? Because they don't have to improve. They have a monopoly on licensed football games. Hockey, basketball, college football, and baseball don't have any of these deals except for football. It's an illegal monopoly.

Now, there is hope. 2K sports, the developer of the NFL 2K series is currently challenging EA in court for the reasons stated above. If they win there could be future NFL 2K games which means an increase in quality of both Madden and 2K games. Now if 2K wins this could set a new standard for all of gaming. It means non-IP licenses given only to a single company will not happen. So for example the US Army can't sign a contract with Activision saying that US Army soldiers can only appear in Activison games.

So in conclusion, NFL 2K5 represents the best a sports game can be, but also represent something much more meaningful - the future of video game licensing of non-IPs. 2K5 is a landmark game for many reasons, but this may be its most important contribution to gaming.

Written by Matthew Byrd: Gamertag: ColonelByrd95

Weekly Update - 8/9/10 - "Sounds Like a Call of Duty Release Date" Edition

2010-08-13T17:00:00.008-05:00

5. Batman: Arkham City revealed

The sequel to British studio Rocksteady's surprise hit, Batman: Arkham Asylum was "announced" in the September issue of Game Informer (a trailer was shown at the Spike VGA's last December), but new details emerged this week including the cast confirmation of Two-Face, Joker, Harley Quinn and Catwoman, amped up Riddler challenges, rivaling gang factions for Batman to beat up and a bigger, darker and better environment for all those little Batnuts. The release date was set for Fall 2011.

4. Crysis 2 delayed

The sequel to the popular 2007 PC shooter was delayed this week in the continuing trend of delayed video games. The new release date has been confirmed as March 22nd, 2011 in North America and March 25th everywhere else.

3. Red Dead Redemption Legend and Killers pack released

The first of 4 new Red Dead DLC packs was released this Tuesday. The Legends and Killers pack allows gamers to wield the deadly tomahawk as a weapon in single and multiplayer. 9 new multiplayer locations including Thieves Landing and Blackwater and 8 new multiplayer characters. The DLC costs 800 Microsoft points or $10 on PSN.

2. Tropico 4 announced

The game which took so many hours out of so many people's lives (most notably LOG's Kaillif Ammen) Tropico 3 is getting a sequel. Tropico 4 was announced. Developer Haemimont games announced the 4th installment in the city building franchise. New features announced included negotiating factions within your citizens, a third superpower peer pressuring you, and new depth for many gameplay mechanics. Tropico 3 has been announced for a Q2 2011 release date.

1. BioShock Infinite announced

Irrational Games announced their next project this week. A BioShock "spin-off" of sorts. BioShock Infinite will take place in 1912 on a steam-punk airship called Columbia the player takes control of Booker Dewitt. A detective who is sent to the secret flying city to find a women named Elizabeth. Although there are almost no similarities between the first two Bioshock titles and this one are apparent it is still being labeled a BioShock game. It will be released in 2012 for the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC.

Written by Matthew Byrd: Gamertag: ColonelByrd95

Library of Games Podcast: Kinect Edition

2010-08-12T22:08:00.004-05:00

We went to Navy Pier and got to get a hands-on experience of Kinect, the new motion control attachment from Microsoft for the Xbox 360 that you don’t need a controller for! We got to play Harmonix’s Dance Central and Kinect Sports’ Track and Field mini-game! Listen to what we think of it now!

Intro and Outro: "The Four of Us Are Dying" by Nine Inch Nails

Hosted by Stanley Ng, Kaillif Ammen, Matthew Byrd, and Taylor Bayless

[iTunes] Subscribe to the Library of Games Podcast via iTunes (iTunes must be installed on your computer)
[RSS] Add the Library of Games Podcast to your RSS aggregator (what's RSS?)
[MP3] Download the MP3 directly (right click and click 'save link as')

Well, how da ya like me NOW!?!?!

2010-08-11T22:30:00.001-05:00

UPDATE: I removed the file, so the player doesn't work anymore, but expect the actual podcast episodes to be up soon!
This is fantastic news! I might actually be brought to upload the podcasts now! I know absolutely NO ONE listens to the podcast because of how hard it is to just take a listen to it. I've been trying to remedy that by uploading to PodBean, but it never seemed to work out very well. Now, I realize that you have to upload the podcast first, then make the post about it later (Because if you try uploading while making the post, there is a high chance that the upload will fail).

Okay. Don't get so hyped up right now. I've only got it to work with a really simple upload (it was episode 10.5), but if it works with the other episodes, expect MUCH more coming from my end! Here! Have an EASY listen to episode 10.5 without downloading it!

My Interpretation of LIMBO

2010-08-10T13:54:00.004-05:00

WARNING: THIS ARTICLE IS FILLED WITH SPOILERS!!!!! IF YOU WANT TO PLAY LIMBO WITHOUT SPOILERS DO NOT READ!!!!!

LIMBO as LOG member Kaillif Ammen says if very vague with little description and back story. For this reason LIMBO is up for a lot of interpretation. The following is my interpretation of the story of LIMBO.

As I described at the beginning of my review, Limbo is in Catholic theology Purgatory. From the title I feel the boy is traveling through purgatory which composes of the two evils of Earth. The dark scary forest filled with dangerous life forms and the cold, solitary city filled with dangerous machines and no life. It is the two sides of Earth - Nature and City. Purgatory is representative of the evils of earth. Now why would a little boy and his sister be in purgatory? Well continuing with the Catholicism, a lot of Purgatory's residents are un-baptized babies and children. Children not baptized by the Catholic Church are doomed to Purgatory. So most likely the boy and his sister were raised in a non-Catholic household, most likely Protestants, Atheists, Jews, Muslims etc.

Now as for the enemies you encounter in the forest. There has been some speculation by LOG members Taylor and Kaillif that you provoked the spider and children enemies by simple walking towards them. I disagree. The spider is ten times your sides and could probably kill most of the inhabitants of Purgatory. The spider is a monster which tried to kill you and which the Boy must kill in order to survive. The other children are also non-Catholic inhabitants of Purgatory and have, in my opinion been driven insane by the sheer terror of living there lives in Purgatory. So in their madness they have banded together to destroy any living thing in Purgatory that they sense as a threat. The Boy is the threat. The last living creature is the mosquito. The mosquito was in your way to finding your sister. Your sister meant more to the Boy then the mosquito so using the mosquito is his only option to find his sister. It had to lose its leg.

Now the big one, the ending. In my opinion the Boy and his Sister died in some sort of accident, probably a car accident and they are now stuck in Purgatory. The ladder to heaven is too high for either of them to reach. They are now stuck in Purgatory together and in my opinion will be driven insane by Purgatory and join the other children in killing newcomers to Purgatory.

LIMBO is an incredibly deep, sophisticated and stunning game. This is simply my interpretation of the events of LIMBO. There are numerous different interpretations you can put on it and this is only one of them. The fact that so many interpretations can be put on it is a testament to why this is a must play game and a definite masterpiece.

Written by Matthew Byrd: Gamertag: ColonelByrd95

Byrd's Nest #5: Why Kinect Will Fail [UPDATED]

2010-08-03T23:07:00.006-05:00

[UPDATE: Price corrected]

Microsoft has put everything behind Kinect, it's new motion control device releasing this fall. They've treated it like a new console launch with launch titles, super hype at E3 and Comic-Con and a ton of build up. However it is all in vain. Kinect is has been doomed from the moment it was debuted at E3 2009. Now before I sound like a cynic, let me outline three fundamental reasons why Kinect will never connect with gamers, casual and hardcore alike.

1. Ninetendo already took Kinect's audience.

Microsoft has made it no secret that Kinect is designed for casual gamers with it's advertising and slew of family friendly launch titles. However that audience might not be there anymore. It's been three years since Ninetendo gobbled up gamers with there family friendly Wii. Basically everyone and there brother has bought a Wii. Ninetendo owns the casual market. No one with a Wii will cough up $150 dollars in a recession for something they already basically have. So Kinect will not sell since it's target audience is already satisfied.

2. The Launch Titles Suck

When Microsoft unveiled the Launch titles at this years E3 one thing jumped off the page. Most of them were bad. Kinect sports is a blatant Wii rip off. Kinectamals although cute looks unappealing. Kinect Racing is seemingly clunky and the rest are truly forgettable. The only intriguing titles are Harmonix's Dance Central and Kinect Adventures but neither would make me shell out ~~$270~~ $250(~~$60~~ $49 a game) for them. All the Motion Control in the world is nothing without good games for that Motion Control.

3. Lack of Advertising

While most hardcore gamers have heard of Kinect there have been no attempts at mainstream advertising of the device. I've talked to some of my non gaming and casual gaming friends (Microsoft's core audience) and most have no idea what it is. With only two months to release date this is perplexing. In an age where Red Dead Redemption and Call of Duty have advertising on network TV it is unacceptable for Microsoft to have no mainstream advertising. Without enough hype Kinect won't sell. Heck, nothing can sell without hype.

So there you have it. The three reasons why Microsoft's appeal to the Casual will be in my opinion, one of the biggest busts of this gaming generation.

Stanley's Tactics And Strategy (STAS) [Left4Dead2]

2010-08-03T16:24:00.013-05:00

Boomer

Boomer Strategy

The boomer is a slow and very fragile special infected, but its a very crucial and powerful special infected. Its primary attack is to vomit bile onto the survivors and attract hordes of common infected onto the soiled survivors, the bile will also temporary blind the survivors. Its special attack is when the boomer is deprived of all its health it will explode bile out, the explosion will also stun the survivors.

Since the boomer is a slow infected most times you have to spawn ahead of the survivors, you can try to find a sharp corner the survivors have to go through or you can jump off a ledge, jumping off a ledge onto the survivors will delay the vomit attack,but the survivors might shoot you from the surprise and trigger your bile explosion.

The boomer is a powerful infected, but it alone is not that strong even if it vomits on all 4 survivors. Working together with other special infected is the best option for boomer users. What the boomer does it causes confusion amongst the survivors and more importantly it creates a great opening for other special infected to kill each survivor off individually.

The boomer has a very noticeable growl and can be easily identified. That is why its very advantageous to spawn at your ambush spot at the last second.

Survivor Counter-Attack!!!

Since the boomer can vomit on multiple survivors at once its best to keep a little bit of distance between each other, but not too much since the boomer is not the only special infected out there. One very important thing is pay attention to sharp corners if u see a boomer arm do not go after it you can try to shoot through the wall of aim the its arm (it is very low on health after all).

When you see a boomer and you know its not going to vomit soon the most crucial thing to do is shove it off and back away for a clean shot at it. Doing this will save other survivors from being caught in the bile explosion. Doing this before or after it vomits are both great, but preferably before it even has a chance to vomit.

When vomited on the best thing to do is throw a pipe bomb as it will attract most of the horde away from the survivors and give the survivors time to regroup. Never throw a bile bomb after vomited on, the survivors that have been vomited on will be the primary targets for the common infected. Another way is if no one has a pipe bomb go crouch in a corner and pul out a melee weapon, this will thin out the horde, save you some health, and you will eventually get you sight back.

One last but very important thing is teamwork. The boomer becomes one of the strongest special infected when put together with other special infected and the survivors become a lot more aggressive then they can breeze past.

VOTE ON WHAT YOU ARE GETTING THIS HOLIDAY

2010-08-02T11:11:00.005-05:00

You see that huge white box at the right of the screen? That is probably the largest poll of all time.

Okay, probably not.

But still, that whole list took me about half an hour to compile, and I want EVERYONE you and I know to VOTE ON IT! Use this post to comment on what YOU are getting, or mention something I DIDN'T SOMEHOW PUT ON THE LIST! Here are the current choices...

Kinect (Novermber 4)
Move (September 19)
Halo: Reach (September 14th)
Rock Band 3 (October 26)
3DS
Gran Turismo 5
LittleBigPlanet 2
Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep
Call of Duty: Black Ops (November 9)
Medal of Honor
Fallout: New Vegas (October 19)
Metroid: Other M (August 31)
Dead Rising 2 (September 28)
Mafia 2 (August 24)
Fable 3 (October 26)
F.E.A.R. 3 (October 20)
Tron: Evolution (November 1st)
Sid Meier's Civilization 5 (September 21)
Crysis 2 (Q3 2010)
Assassin's Creed Brotherhood (November 16)
Sonic Colors (December 7th)
Final Fantasy 14
Kirby's Epic Yarn
Space Invaders Infinity Gene (Console Version)
World of Warcraft: Cataclysm
The Agency
Michael Jackson: The Experience
!!!!! JUST DANCE 2 !!!!!
Killzone 3
Split/Second
Sonic 4: Episode 1
Epic Mickey
Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit
Or SOMETHING THAT I SOMEHOW DIDN'T PUT ON THIS LIST!

Once someone puts ONE vote in, I can't change any of the answers, so VOTE!

Also, if you have already voted, use the scrollbar at the bottom of the widget to see the results!

Another Point of View: Limbo

2010-08-01T13:30:00.009-05:00

This is another review of the XBLA game Limbo. To see the main review by Byrdie, click here.

Limbo is REALLY open to interpretation. So open that it would probably piss a lot of people off. The story telling in the game is so vague, that you would probably miss the fact that "you are looking for your sister" up until the very end of the game (halfway through if you REALLY pay attention) unless you read the game summary. The open end-edness of the game is one of the largest selling points of the game, so if you want a story that is concretely there, don't get this game (I'm pretty sure that the only word that ever appears in that game is HOTEL. No spoken dialogue. Heck, no vocal sound effects whatsoever).

You'll also have to put that together with the world of the game. The game world itself is rather empty as well. The game has a really chilling vibe that is actually very appealing. The world is full of death (your own and the deaths of others) and other things that would make you cringe (spikes, electric boards, and brain-sucking leeches). There's also a weird satisfaction to the game when you overcome the things trying to impede your progress throughout the game. I say this because most hindrances in the game meet some gruesome deaths.

The game has fairly difficult puzzles and the game explains its mechanics pretty well (after a LOT of trial and error, though). This difficulty then SPIKES about 2/3rds into the game and will drive you pretty close to the edge and you may have to look at a walkthrough if you are not a usual puzzle gamer. The game is REALLY short (about 3 hours at least) but the puzzles near the end can get you stuck for a pretty long amount of time (not including optional puzzles that will gain you the achievements in the game).

FINAL VERDICT: If you are really into the "deeper meaning" kind of games, this is definitely for you. If you've wanted a different gaming experience, this is also for you. This game is fairly reminiscent of Braid in that it's a puzzle-platformer with a vague underlying story, but it doesn't have the brilliant impression that Braid gave me. To me, this game is trying to be really smart, but fails to give you even a hint of what the game wants to mean. It was a nice experience, but I don't think it's worth the $15 price point. To call it a masterpiece is really a bit of an overstatement.

Written by Kaillif Ammen, Gamertag: Gloqwi

Stuck in Purgatory: Limbo Review

2010-07-27T17:53:00.007-05:00

Limbo or Purgatory is a Catholic belief that between Heaven and Hell there is a place for the lost and for those who were neither good nor bad. That is where the XBLA exclusive puzzle game Limbo takes you (maybe). You play a boy who awakes in a forest, begins walking around and discovers that this is no ordinary world. It is a world populated by dangerous creatures and traps and other children who don't take well to you being there.

This is no ordinary game either. It is a black and white game with no dialogue, sparse music and very VERY dark places. The game's very unique art style makes it stand out from any other game I had ever played. The art style reminds you of the Film Noir and German Expressionist films and really creates a tense atmosphere. The game at points cuts off lighting except for your character's eyes and a swinging light bulb, which creates a terrifying and claustrophobic atmosphere which will make you jump a few times during the game.

One thing you will do a lot of in Limbo is die. And not only die but die in shocking and gruesome ways. Seeing a little boy decapitated, cut to pieces and have his intestines ripped out will be a shocker to most gamers. However the game rarely becomes frustrating as the plentiful checkpoints will please most gamers. Also the developers have described Limbo as a "Trial and Death" game as you will learn quickly how to beat the puzzles. However, you won't learn too much as almost every single puzzle is different in it's own way.

At the end of the six-seven hour ride through this beautiful game is one of the most beautiful, heartfelt and mystifying ending which is one of the greatest non-cut scene endings I've ever played. It exposes all the main character's motivations and provides a satisfying conclusion to your adventure.

Now the game isn't perfect. The last 1/3 of the game is extremely difficult and might even send seasoned puzzle game players to the online walkthroughs. The 1200 MS points for the six-seven hour game is completely overpriced and should have been somewhere in the 400-500 MS points range.

Now, buy or skip (no XBLA rentals). Well if you’re a puzzle player you should buy this game immediately. If not wait for the inevitable price drop but still play it. Everyone should play it.

Danish developer Playdead has made a stunning masterpiece. The simplistic gameplay combined with the non-repetitive puzzles and brilliant art style make this one of the most original, creative and sophisticated games out there. I'll leave you with this. If I had to choose one game to sum up why video games are art I'd probably choose this one.

Written by Matthew Byrd: Gamertag: ColonelByrd95

To read an alternate review of the game by Gloqwi, click here.

Stanley's Tactics And Strategy (STAS) [Left4Dead2]

2010-07-27T15:09:00.015-05:00

Hunter

Hunter strategy

Fast, agile, and distracting, the hunter can pose a dangerous threat to the survivors. The hunter can pounce and pin down survivors. Unfortunately, it can only pin down one survivor at a time. When a survivor is pinned an announcement will come up informing the rest the of survivors.

The hunter can reach some really advantageous tactical attack spots due to its ability to jump to ridiculous heights. Another great situation is when the survivors are in a cramped spot like a long hallway, because the hunter can jump around easily and pounce on and off walls to confuse the survivors or pin one of them. Most people who play the hunter, aim as if the hunter was a gun, but the hunter does not work like a gun. It works more like a grenade (what comes up must come down). Aiming higher would let you travel farther or you could pounce from behind a tall object and catch the survivors off guard.

The hunter is great at attacking a lone survivor, but when survivors are together it can be a bit troublesome. There are 2 ways around a group, but you need to work together with your teammates. In the first way, you can be the first to attack the survivors from your team. However, you do not actually pin a survivor but instead just jump around and distract the survivors leaving an opening for your team to land a successful attack. The second way is to wait for someone else from your team to attack, preferably a boomer. Then while the team is distracted by the incoming horde you can pin a survivor down.

Survivor Counterattack!!

A hunter can be very effective against one survivor but against a team it's pretty helpless.

When a teammate is pinned by a hunter and you are far away aim for a headshot while moving closer to the pinned teammate. When you are close to a pinned survivor use a melee attack to knock the hunter off the survivor and saving your teammate a little hp.

You can tell when you near a hunter by its unique growl or turn on subtitles to make it easier.

When you hear a hunter nearby you can walk in a weird pattern , wait for it to pounce on a teammate then kill it, when its in the air use a melee attack to stun the hunter, or try to get out of there as fast as possible. When a teammate is pinned try to help him/her out as fast as possible because the hunter can do significant damage.

If you play as a hunter or against a hunter its best to work together with you team to utilize each special infected or keep each other alive and o course to have fun

Library of Games: Episode 12 - "OH MY GOD, IT'S ELMO!"

2010-07-25T11:11:00.004-05:00

And with the release of this episode, Kaillif is officially the only person to be on every single podcast episode! :D Bragging rights!

Also, after you listen to this, do not worry. I will never host a podcast episode AGAIN!

Discussing today!:

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 review! (It is not clobbering time!)
Gaming News!
WRUP (What Are You Playing?)
Top 5 games that first time gamers need to play! + Top 5 personal gaming moments (including 1 Group moment!)

And some Elmo freaking outage! XD Listen NOW!

Download Now!

----

Intro, Outro, and Break Music: "Disco Fiasco" by Kristoffer Ragnstam

Byrd's Nest Blog #4: Stand up for you rights as a gamer/citizen

2010-07-24T21:44:00.009-05:00

You may have heard about the recent Schwarzenegger proposal from the Govener of California which would basically make the ESRB rating the standard in stores, meaning that it will be illegal to sell M-rated games to anyone other 17 without parental consent. Now before you say this law seems okay let me say some things. The MPAA (the movie rating system) is not federally enforced. You know why. Beceause it's unconstitutional.

Now industry self-censorship (MPAA, ESRB) is completely okay and most stores already follow this. however the goverment can not say you have to follow these standards. Think about it like this. A film theater can say that they don't want to show pornographic movies, however the goverment cannot tell them that they can't show it. That would be goverment censorship that would violate the 1st admendment freedom of speech. Now the ESA (Electronic Software Assosiation) filed a lawsuit and won in the court of appeals but the state of California has taken it to the Supreme Court and it will be decided this fall. What I want to know is where are the gamers?

Where are the marchs. Where are the gaming journalists and personalities getting on TV and telling the world how stupid this law is. Where are we? None of my freinds have heard of this case. We've been bullied by Jack Thompson, parents, Senators and family groups for decades. It's time to stand up. Get angry, get mad, get pissed. Write mail to your senators and congressmen. Tell them to stand up for their gaming constituance and for the constitution. Tell the anti-gaming activists of the world to stop it. They don't play games. So shut up. We've been silent long enough. Tell the world that we exist, we're smart and we're tired of being bullied by everybody. So in conclusion, in the words of Howard Beale from the movie Network I'M MAD AS HELL AND I'M NOT GONNA TAKE IT ANY MORE!!!!

Written by Matthew Byrd: Gamertag: ColonelByrd95

Coming soon to Library of Games

2010-07-23T21:58:00.003-05:00

As we all await the next podcast I decided to run down some of the new features coming to Library of Games.

Video Achievement guides- Since Matthew Byrd (ColonelByrd95) and Kailiff Ammen (Gloqwi) have the highest gamerscore's at LOG they have decided to feature video achievement guides for all you Achievement seekers out there. Upcoming games include Limbo, Alan Wake and Transformers: War for Cybertron.

Game Commentary- Love it when you and your friend make extremely funny comments while playing games? Want to hear even funnier people doing it? Well then Stanley Ng (BattleStorm132) and Matthew Byrd (ColonelByrd95) will be doing hilarious game commentaries all for your enjoyment.

Old game reviews- Ever want to know how old games stand up to the test of time? Then your in luck. LOG staff will be review all pre-2005 games simply for your pleasure.

Written by Matthew Byrd: Gamertag: ColonelByrd95

Puzzle Agent Review

2010-07-21T13:22:00.003-05:00

I’ve always wondered what a Twin Peaks video game would be like. It would be mysterious, scary, darkly funny and trippy. I want to see this game happen. I want creepy game dream sequences. In the meantime there’s Telltale Games’ newest adventure/puzzle hybrid Puzzle Agent. So, the art style maybe doesn’t scream David Lynch but there are some definite similarities in the storytelling and absurdity of this game that make it Lynch worthy (even a creepy dream sequence!!). The story and visuals are really the strong suit of this game and make it worth playing. Sadly, the puzzle elements which make up the majority of the gameplay aren’t nearly as strong.

In their brief history as a studio Telltale has made some of best traditional adventure games in the past 10 years. Puzzle Agent is a very different game. While Sam and Max and Tales of Monkey Island rely on inventory-based puzzles to move the story forward Puzzle Agent’s puzzle integration bears more similarities to the Professor Layton games.

You play as Nelson Tethers who works for the U.S. Department of Puzzle Investigation. He’s like an FBI agent except instead of using investigative skills to solve crime he uses... puzzles. It’s pretty apparent from the beginning that Agent Tethers doesn’t get much work. But fortunately for the player there is a mysterious accident at the Scoggins Eraser Co., the official supplier of the White House’s erasers. When the FBI investigates all of the town’s problems seem to be puzzle-based. This is where you come in. Nelson is sent to remote Scoggins, Minnesota to find out what happened. He’s met by a slew of strange, funny and often sinister local characters. As the mystery unravels things get stranger and stranger. Let’s just say the majority of the mystery seems to involve a cult and gnomes. And not cute little photogenic gnomes. Not these are seriously creepy gnomes. I had nightmares. It’s amazing how scary cartoon gnomes can be in the hands of Telltale.

You can’t deny the originality and strangeness of the story but just as original is the art style. The characters and background all look like they are hand drawn. When there are close-ups of characters you even see the thick grain of the pencil lines. It’s a refreshing style that was inspired by the comic Grickle by Graham Annabale, the former Creative Director of Telltale. For Telltale’s first original intellectual property the style is easily recognizable, unique and just fun to watch.

For all these positives about Puzzle Agent there are some major drawbacks. The majority of the game is spent solving a variety of sometimes tricky but mostly fairly easy puzzles. As the story progresses you will find that Nelson needs to solve a puzzle in order to get a new lead, enter a new location or continue interrogating a suspect. For the majority of the game the placement and type of the puzzle make sense within the story and because of this there is a nice variety of puzzles throughout. For example, in order to unlock a new location, the player has to create a path with logs to guide Tether’s snowmobile to the new location. A completely different kind of puzzle is a logic puzzle that challenges you to determine the time of an explosion based on different suspects cryptic interviews. Unfortunately, some of the puzzles don’t fit quite as nicely. In the local town diner, you have to solve several puzzles in order to get suspicious townsfolk to speak to you. All of these puzzles felt tacked on and not particularly relevant to the story. In one case, you have to organize a characters bug collection in order to get a vital piece of information.

The difficulty of puzzle varies throughout the game. As you would expect the first few puzzles are easy but instead of becoming increasingly difficult the puzzles just vary in difficulty throughout. In many cases the player will be able to solve a puzzle in a matter of seconds - even towards the end of the game.

For some of the trickier puzzles there is a very nice hint system. You can pick up chewing gum throughout the game (chewing gum helps Tethers think) and as long as you have a piece you can access hints. Initial hints are basic but if you ask for hints enough you will be given the answer. Gum is plentiful so you will never feel completely stuck no matter how hard the puzzle. However, you will get penalized for using hints and for submitting wrong answers.

The puzzle submission process was one of the most entertaining parts of the game. Every time you submit an answer you are giving a rating based on the amount of taxpayer’s dollars you spent solving the puzzle. If you used hints or made a wrong guess the amount will go up. While the total amount spent on solving puzzles doesn’t change the outcome of the game I always felt guilty spending more money than necessary (although I would be kind of fun to see how much government money you could waste over the course of the game).

The adventure gameplay elements are minimal. Apart from solving puzzles you don’t have much else to do. The game holds your hand and instructs you exactly where to go and when. While this does prevent the player from following the wrong lead it also doesn’t give you much freedom to explore Scroggins or feel like you are solving the mystery on your own.

Puzzle Agent is a short game (only 2-3 hours) and maybe because of this the story does peter out towards the end. I’m still not quite sure what happened at the end - although it did involve more creepy gnomes - I can’t overstate the scariness of the gnomes. I’m not sure the cryptic ending is an entirely bad thing but I did feel a little cheated that there was so much build up for so little pay off. However, it needs to be noted that Puzzle Agent is not a full-fledged stand alone game. It’s a pilot that hopefully will have life as a full Telltale season at some point.

In all the premise was great and the Nelson Tethers is a character I would enjoy playing again. The voice acting was superb, especially Tethers. However, as a pure puzzler the game needs to be a little more difficult in order to really give the player satisfaction. With such a good hint system in place Puzzle Agent could be much harder without being frustrating. But the thing that will make me go back to Puzzle Agent is the quirkiness of the story - I really want to see what Telltale will come up with next. Just warn me if there are going to be gnomes.

Skip, Rent, Buy? Try the demo. If the puzzle and story interest you enough buy. But really this is just a taste of what may or may not be a new series.

Byrd's Nest Blog #3: Why people don't like Video Games.

2010-07-20T18:24:00.006-05:00

Now if your reading this blog you most likely love video games. You play them almost everyday and read magizines and articles about video games. You are most likely perplexed as to why people don't like video games. It shocks you. It shocks me too. So I did some investigating and I've narrowed down 5 reasons why people don't like Video games and then quickly debunked each reason.

5. Hot Coffee (A.K.A Sex(Sex?))

In 2004 a Dutch modder discovered a hidden minigame in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas which allowed the player to have sex with the players girlfriend in numerous sexual positions. The minigame caused a firestorm of controversey which included the notorious attorney Jack Thompson (shocker) and even then-Senator Hilary Clinton. This mini-game controversey has put a negative spotlight on the industry that games are sex simulators for kids (even though San Andreas was an M game NOT INTENDED FOR KIDS!) and are desensitizing America's youth (when have you heard that before?). The fact is barely any mainstream video games in their entire history have had nudity and never except for Hot Coffee has sex ever been simulated and in the players controls during a game. This is a simple misunderstanding of Video games.

4. Video games are stupid children's entertainment

Like Comic books, video games are seen as children's entertainment not to be taken seriously. So when people play games they are considered trashy and child like. The truth is that gaming's fastest growing demographics are adults. A majority of the triple-AAA titles released are M-Rated so this is just a stupid and short-sighted arguement.

3. Jack Thompson

If all gamers had a nightmare- that nightmare would be Jack Thompson. The Florida attorney single handedly placed in the minds of American parents that games like Doom, Grand Theft Auto and Mortal Kombat would turn their children into axe murdering psychopaths who did drugs, murdered their classmates and would become devil worshipers.And the funny thing is, people believed him. Time will tell but it looks like Jack Thompson may have put full video game acceptance in pop culture back by a decade.

2. Video games have no depth.

On the surface when people look at video games they see simply killing simulators for no purpose. Any gamer will tell you this isn't true. Whether it is the tragically epic story of Red Dead Redemption or the mature philisophical adventure of BioShock games are mature pieces of art which use their interactiveness to distiguish themselves from other art mediums and saying that they don't have depth is simple ignorance of the medium.

1. Violence

This is the biggie. Video games have always been known for violent games. Counterstrike, Grand Theft Auto, Call of Duty, Manhunt the list goes on. But so what. Movies have been violent for nearly a hundred years and their an accepted form of entertainment. Their are two reasone why this is a reason. One the interativeness makes it seem like video games are turning America's kids into murderers (Jack Thompson). However there is NO PROOF that video games are involved in anyway in school shootings or murders of any kind. Second it's the newest medium on the block so it's instantly made fun of and looked down upon.

In conclusion you can expect all these problems to go away in 10-20 years. A new generation is coming. A generation raised on popular next-gen titles and this generation, I predict will be the one to bring gaming (good gaming) into the mainstream.

Written by Matthew Byrd: Gamertag: ColonelByrd95

Weekly Update 7/12/10

2010-07-16T15:33:00.003-05:00

5. Red Dead Redemption still selling strong

Rockstar's blockbuster new IP continues to sell strong as June games sales show that Red Dead Redemption was the top game seller last week continueing it's two month streak. Other entries in the top ten include Wii Fit plus, Super Mario Galaxy, Toy Story 3: the Game and Lego Harry Potter Years 1-4.

4. Mafia II developer's announce new DLC (one of which is PS3 exclusive)

With barely a month left until release date Mafia II's, the new Mob open world game's developer announced 2 DLC packs that will release shortly after the August 24th release date. The first one Betrayal of Jimmy will be PS3 exclusive and will allow the playe rto play as Jimmy who is a merc from the game. The second one is a similar one for both console's known as Jimmy's Vendetta which will be multiplatform. Both will include acrcade-like missions and online leaderboards.

3. Rock Band Punk DLC pack announced

The latest Rock Band DLC will include 2 Bad Religon songs (New Dark Ages and No Control) and three The Stooges songs (1969, I Wanna be your Dog and No Fun) The Total Package will cost 800 Microsoft Points and 1000 Wii Points. The DLC will be released next week.

2. Madden NFL 2011 Demo Announced

The latest installment in the legendary franchise will be out in late August, but gamers can get a preview of the action with the Madden Demo which come out on the Xbox 360 and PS3 on July 27th. The demo includes a game between the Colts and the Jets and a demo exclusive achievement/trophy.

1. Michael Jackson E3 game explained

The mysterious trailer Ubisoft ended their E3 press conference with (and excited LOG's Kailiff Ammen) has finally been explained. It will be a dance game titled Michael Jackson: The Experience and will release on the Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii and will use motion control. The Release date for the game is set for November.

Written By Matthew Byrd: Gamertag: ColonelByrd95

Achievement Destroyer #3: Manifest Destiny-Red Dead Redemption

2010-07-15T19:26:00.002-05:00

So this is a pretty tricky achievement. You have to kill all the Buffalo in the game (Don't worry they don't respawn). Now all the Buffalo are located in the Great Plains which are West of Blackwater so you can't get this achievement 'till around Act III of the game. There aere two ways to get the achievement. The first way is to go up to the herd of Buffalo and simply slaughter them with a regular gun. If you don't kill them all at first you can return to the Great Plains in a few hours and kill of stragglers until you get this achievement.

The Other way to get this achievement is to reach Master Hunter rank 5 in the challenges and you will unlock the Buffalo rifile which kills Buffalo in one shot. Once you get this it will be immensly easier to get this achievement and will save time. Either way BAM! 5 gamerscore for you.

Note: This is my final text only Achievement Destroyer guide. It will be a while 'till you see me again as I must get a new game and figure out the capture device for video podcast's so stay tuned for more, even better guides.

Written by Matthew Byrd:Gamertag: ColonelByrd95

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 Review

2010-07-13T22:26:00.006-05:00

Marvel Ultimate Alliance holds a special place in my heart. The 2006 game held a special place in my heart and was one of my favorite games so I was psyched the sequel was announced. However the original developer, Raven Software was replaced by Vicarious Visions and trust me. That was a mistake.

The game takes place during the Marvel Civil War were heroes are split over the Superhero registration act and you can either play the Pro or Anti Registration. A chance at multiple enjoyable playthroughs was squandered as the campaign's are simply carbon copies of each other. As you play through the game, something very clear comes up. This game took all the good things from the first game and made them repetitive. They then took all the bad things from the first game and amplified them.

Seriously. This game sucks. This game is putrid bargain bin, generic, graphically glitched trash. This game belongs in garbage cans across the world. Why? Because the brawler action gets repetitive real quick and listening to bad voice actors gets tiresome real fast. The game's weak attempt at Mass Effect like conversation has no impact and makes your hero seem like a stupid little kid who's going on an adventure with his favorite superhero. The camera is even worse as sometimes it goes behind walls and sometimes it goes up in the sky and leaves you OFF-SCREEN!!!!! And that's just the start. Enemies disappear into walls and fly into the air (and not because their supposed to.). Co-op is unenjoyable as camera issues make what was an enjoyable experience in the first game into a chore to play.

Bad. Bad. Bad. This is one of the worst games I've ever played. I had so much difficulty completing this game, not because it's hard but because it's such a chore to play. This game is barely a step above Superman 64 in terms of badness. Avoid this game at all cost. Go play a good game like Red Dead Redemption or the first Marvel Ultimate Alliance game but please skip this trash.

Written by Matthew Byrd, Gamertag: ColonelByrd95

LoG in: Taylor Bayless [taylorb librarian]

2010-07-12T20:54:00.014-05:00

Taylor Bayless (PSN ID: tab253) is a librarian at YOUmedia Chicago who started the Library of Games group in October 2009. She's a proud geek and is the token adult in the Library of Games group. She's also a girl. Who plays video games. Yay!!!

Q. Who are you and what do you think your doing here?

I'm the one who started this shindig! I'm a librarian at YOUmedia, the Chicago Public Library's teen space at the Harold Washington Library Center. My colleagues were lamenting the fact that teens in the space were only playing video games and not doing much else. Well, why not create a program about video games? The original program was called YPlay (I'm not very good at naming things). YPlay only had two members (Kaillif and Stanley) but once we started to record podcasts new members started to join. Stanley, our current podcast host, came up with the great name Library of Games and not long after our current stable of hosts came together: Kaillif, Stanley, Malic, Aaron, Byrdie, Patrick (who has now left us to go to Boston University) and our producer Sannya.

Q. That sounds boring and frivolous. How long have you been in the gaming industry?

I was a cinema studies major at New York University and focused on animation and special effects. This led me to studying the wonderful world of gaming and the connection between traditional animation and game animation. I then went on to University of Michigan where I studied the connection between the use of video games in the library and teen participation. But don't fear I'm not all theory. I actually play games. My first console was an SNES and for the vast majority of my youth I was attached to my Game Boy. However, my true gaming love lies in the world of PC gaming especially LucasArts adventure games of the 1990s. If it's puzzly or has great story I'm sold.

Q. Wait you love adventure games. Didn't you hear that the genre died about 15 years ago?

No it didn't. Okay, maybe a little but the influences of the adventure genre are everywhere. I mean without all those point and click Indiana Jones games you wouldn't have Uncharted. Plus adventure games are evolving (i.e. Heavy Rain). I'd like to think in the middle of all those depressingly grey shooters there's room for a game about comical pirates, rabbity things or film noir skeletons.

Q. I'm sold. Bring on the point and click. What makes Library of Games seem different than any other groups you've worked with?

First, Library of Games is a group of teenagers speaking intelligently about video games. It's hard to find that online and in an organized fashion. We have a group that truly cares about games. They care not only about playing games but also about the future of gaming. All of our contributors to the podcast and the blog are proactive and care about what they are doing. I mean I don't even need to give out assignments they create features on their own and come up with material to fill one hour of chat every week. Basically, you guys make my job really easy.

Q. You've been leading the group for about half a year. What do you think Library of Games will become?

I really hope that we can get the podcast on iTunes and grow our readership and listener base. I would love to see us as the go to site for teen opinions on video games and technology.

Q. Why are you an evil genius librarian?

One. I run a video game program in a library. Two. I successfully made a teenager read War & Peace (It's a little less than 2000 pages). Note: I brag about this endlessly.

Q. I'm a teenager. I live in Chicago. How can I find out more about this YOUmedia thing?

Visit us in person. We're located on the 1st floor of the Harold Washington Library Center at 400 S. State St. in downtown Chicago.

Visit us online. Or follow @libraryofgames and @youmediachicago on Twitter.

Q. Favorite games?

Grim Fandango, Psychonauts, Portal, BioShock, Half-Life 2 and Land of Illusion (Favorite game of my childhood. I played it on the short lived Sega Game Gear)

LoG in: Matthew "Byrdie" Byrd [ColonelByrd95]

2010-07-12T12:00:00.010-05:00

Matthew "Byrdie" Byrd (Gamertag: ColonelByrd95) is a Film/Video Gaming Nerd who, although he joined LoG around episode 9-10 ish, has become one of the core members of the LoG group. He is one of most passionate Pro-Single Player advocates at LoG and sat down to chat with (insert interviewer name here) to answer some questions.

Q. Who are you and what do you think you're doing here?

Hi I'm Matthew Byrd but you can call me Byrdie. I've been into Video Games since I had the Original Playstation and N64 but I didn't get really into them until I got the original XBOX. I had a tough transition into next gen system but when I did I became a full on Gaming nerd. For the podcast I am a contributing writer for the website and one of the co-hosts on the Podcast.

Q. How long have you been in the gaming industry?

I've been playing games since I was 5 but I didn't "really" get into games until I was 12 (2007) when I got the Xbox 360. I fell in love with games like Call of Duty, Dead Space, Batman: Arkham Asylum and they really fueled my passion for Single Player games.

Q. Please describe to me why your a single player supporter.

Well I feel that single player games are good for three reasons. One. They (the good games) offer intriguing stories that are interesting to play through. You just can't get that in multiplayer. Second, they are free from the homophobic and racist people who inhabit Xbox Live and PSN and finally they offer me quiet alone time with games.

Q. Did joining the Podcast late alienate you from the rest of the group?

Oh no not at all. Kailiff and Stanley are some of my best freinds from school and I already knew Malic, Aaron and Taylor so no, not at all.

Q. What do you think of your fellow LoGers?

Oh they're awesome. You see I was alienated in Elementary school because I was a "nerdy gamer" while my other "friends" were into frat boy shooter gamers. This was very sad and really made me hate myself so I stopped gaming for a period of 7 months. When I got to my new school and met these guys at the Library I didn't feel alone anymore. I could play games and be cool. They really saved me from never gaming again.

Q. What do you want to see changed about LoG?

I would love for us to be on iTunes but that's out of my hands. What I would like is for us to branch out into videos with video reviews and achievement tips, but I would still write text for both of those since there are people who want both. So to answer your question, I would like to see us be a more video oriented website.

Q. Final Question: What are your favorite games?

Dead Space, Red Dead Redemption and Spongebob: Battle for Bikini Bottom

LoG In: Kaillif Ammen [Gloqwi]

2010-07-12T10:24:00.001-05:00

Kaillif Ammen (Gamertag: Gloqwi) is a video game/anime addicted teen and one of the first two people who joined the YouMedia gaming club (originally known as the YPlay Gaming Club) that made this website! He has taken time out of his completely free schedule to answer some questions that look very familiar to people that visit Bungie.net because he is unoriginal like that.

Q. Who are you and what do you think your doing here?

Hi! I am Kaillif Ammen! I was the first person to host the Library of Games podcast before Patrick came in (who has now left us...he's not dead!) and I currently edit the podcast together. I am also the site's caretaker and one of the two currently contributing writers (and lead editor).

Q. That sounds boring and frivolous. How long have you been in the gaming industry?

I've been playing video games for as long as I can remember. I only started becoming super into video games since I got my original Xbox in 2005, and I've only been completely immersed by video games since 2007. I opened a website back in early 2008 which I post on from time to time and now I work here!

Q. Isn't that sweet. What makes Library of Games seem different than any other gigs you've done?

There is more than one person that cares. Seriously! Byrdie has been doing some awesome stuff for the website and Stanley puts a surprising amount of work into the podcast! I'm also happy Aaron and Malic can stand talking about video games and other nerdy things with us for about an hour straight! I love it!

Q. You've been here part of the club for about half a year. What do you think this site will become?

This club has become something bigger over the past 6 months. This started out as two people who raised their hands when they said they wanted to review games for the library, which has now become a larger group of people who now talk about video games weekly for an hour and a website. I don't know what it will become, but it will grow from what it is now.

Q. Whenever you do these long, meaningless posts and work on the slightly frivolous website, what stays in your mind to keep you going?

I don't think they are meaningless, and I don't think this site is frivolous. Everything has to start somewhere, you know? I think it's the thought in the back of my head that says that "something good will come out of this." Yeah, that's it.

Q. Any tips for people that want to start a podcast or a website?

Be different. The key is to stand out from the crowd to get the attention of people that you want to listen to you. We are different because we are teens on the internet that won't spend half of the time spewing racial, sexist, homophobic slurs and speak about video games with thought! Right now, that's not enough to get everyone's attention, but we are currently thinking of ways to stand out (and Byrdie seems to be on the right track!)

Q. Experience, work ethic, or talent? What are you looking for with these guys?

These guys come to the podcast every week and bring something to the table, so there's work ethic. These guys have enough experience talking about games and other geeky things with friends all the time, so what I would want from them is the talent to make something interesting on the podcast or website. For me personally, I have basic experience and talent to start up this place (because I'm egotistical like that) but if you know me, I LACK work ethic. There are about 4 podcast episodes you readers haven't heard because I was too lazy to edit them on time. Don't worry! I'm trying to change that right now!

---------------------

That seems like a very optimistic note to leave off on. This is just the start of interviews that all the members will be doing if you want to learn more about them and get inside their heads. I don't know what they'll be like, maybe the same as mine, maybe completely different. I really have no idea. But I can't wait to see what they respond!

Weekly update 7/5/10

2010-07-10T11:51:00.002-05:00

As part of the redesign of the blog I've decided to do a weekly news roundup of all the news in gaming for the week

We've had a pretty intresting week in gaming with many DLC announcments and game launchs. Here's this week's top 5.

5. Red Dead Redemption announces 4 new DLC packs

Rockstar announced 4 new DLC packs for their blockbuster smash Red Dead Redemption. These include the Legends and Killers pack which has 8 new multiplayer maps, 8 new characters and a Tomahawk as a weapon. The Liars and Cheats pack which adds gambling games to the online formula. The Free Roam Pack which offers new multiplayer modes and the Undead Nightmare pack which has a new zombie based Single player story along with new animals to hunt and 8 more multiplayer characters.

4. Bioware's Dragon Age Orgins 2 is announced

The sequel to Bioware's popular new RPG (popular except for LOG's Kailiff Ammen) was announced on thursday and is slated for a March 2011 release date. Info will be availible in this month's Game Informer's cover story.

3. Dead Space Ignition announced for XBLA and PSN

EA announced on Thursday that the comic book style prequel to Dead Space 2 (which releases in January 2011) will be released this fall for XBLA and PSN. The game will offer 4 different endings and exclusive's for Dead Space 2 only found in Dead Space Ignition

2. Assasin's Creed series on hold 'till 2012-2013

Ubisoft Montreal announced this week that after the expansion pack Assasin's Creed:Brotherhood is released this fall that fans of the series shouldn't expect Assasin's Creed III or another title for that matter until 2012 or 2013.

1. Crackdown 2 dissapoints

The highly anticipated sequel to the Xbox 360 exclusive near-launch title bombed this week as critics (including LOG's own Kailiff Ammen) criticized it for repetitive gameplay, boring missions, bad flying controls and basically being a lesser version of the original Crackdown.

Well that's it for this week. Stay tuned every Saturday for the Weekly Update.

Written by Matthew Byrd:Gamertag:ColonelByrd95

Library of Games: Episode 11 - The "What If" Question

2010-07-09T14:11:00.001-05:00

First episode of a new season! Episode 11 OR... Episode 1 Season 2. We are getting used to the new features, and it's bad that two of our hosts didn't appear for the show, but we still ended up having a pretty good podcast! Take a listen!

[Download the podcast here!]

Intro, Break, and Outro: "Electromooq" by Uma Floresta

Achievement Destroyer #2: "Heading South on a White Bronco" Red Dead Redemption

2010-07-08T16:02:00.003-05:00

This week we will get the tricky 5G achievement "Heading South on a White Bronco" which requires you to escape US Marshalls while riding an Hungarian Half Breed horse.

First things first you must get the White Bronco AKA the Hungarian Half Breed. They are a white horse with a tale face that can be found in the eastern region of Mexico (Or you can simply buy one at a store). Next you must go to the town of Blackwater and kill 3-4 people before the Blackwater cops come to get you. From there you go to the church on the edge of town and wait there with a Mauser Pistol and kill all the law enforcement as they come at you in a straight line. When you kill them all your wanted rating will disappear.

Now simply leave town and in about 5-10 minutes the US Marshalls will come to kill you. Simply out run them on your horse (which is pretty fast) and bam!5G.

Next Week: Manifest Destiny 5G Red Dead Redemption

Note: You can expect this to turn into a video achievement guide in the coming weeks

Written by Matthew Byrd: Gamertag: ColonelByrd95

Achievement Destroyer #1 - Red Dead Redemption "Friends in High Places"

2010-07-01T11:37:00.010-05:00

As part of the podcast and blog's new design, I've decided to add another feature to the website. Every week, I will give you tips on achievements from various games.

This week, I will give you tips on a tricky achievement in Red Dead Redemption: Friends in High Places which is 10G.

Friends in High Places requires you to use a pardon letter to get off a $5000 bounty. There are two ways to do this achievement. You can either:

A) just let your bounty rise naturally through the game
B) Do it the quick way.

The quick way is to go to Blackwater where the local law enforcement is not that tough and just go on a massive killing spree (Your preferred gun should be the Mauser Pistol and make sure to stock up on ammo). If you kill all the law enforcement your bounty will go away. If this happens leave town for 2-5 minutes and come back and keep killing people. When your bounty hits $5000 leave town and lose your wanted rating then use your pardon letter in the Blackwater train station to pay off your bounty and BAM! 10 Gamerscore!

Two notes before you start: You should purchase a bandana in Escalera before you start this so your wanted rating doesn't go down OR, if you're too lazy, save in a different slot. And that's it for this week.

Next week: Heading South on a White Bronco 5G, Red Dead Redemption

Written by Matthew Byrd: Gamertag: ColonelByrd95

Library of Games: Episode 10.5 - [Insert Catchy Title Here]

2010-06-29T22:34:00.005-05:00

A new Library of Games Podcast episode? Where?!? Oh, look at that! You weren't kidding!

Why have we not released one in so long? Because Kaillif is a lazy piece of crap editor, that's why! The new editor is mu--- oh, it's still him. Oh well. At least he put one ou--- it's only five minutes long?!?

Yeah, just to let you guys know, our podcast has been recording episodes ever since. I just never got to editing them. So now I bring you episode 10.5! We are re-branding and rethinking our podcast layout, so expect something clean, professional, and brand new next week! But it's still worth listening to this one! Join in on the conversation and post what you think about our thoughts.

This week:

ONE TOPIC AND ONE TOPIC ONLY. TOP TEN MOST CREATIVE WEAPONS IN VIDEO GAMES. (P.S. Our number one is FANTASTIC!)

We've got exciting stuff for next week! Top 10 BATTLES! We have these new features, it's going to be FLIPPIN' GREAT!

[Download Here! Listen to it. Love it. Live it.]

Intro and Outro: Am I Awake by They Might Be Giants

Special Edition Byrd's Nest blog: S.O.S for Xbox 360

2010-06-25T18:45:00.006-05:00

This is a weekly opinon article I write about a certain issue in the gaming industry. This does not in anyway express the opinons of the entire Youmedia or Library of Games staff.

This may be one of my lowest moments in Gaming. My Xbox 360 has cracked it's third game. Not scratched-Cracked. I put in Red Dead Redemption and suddenly CRACK. I hear a crack and the game goes black. I take it out and there's a big crack near the middle of the disc. This isn't new. This same thing happend to two of my previous games. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed and Modern Warfare 2. However those games didn't have such a special place in my heart like Red Dead Redemption did. I'm truely crushed that I can't play this game for the time being. Now before you blame me for either moving the 360 and putting it sideways let me explain. The Xbox hasn't been moved in months from it's horizontal position. It just cracked. It just enrages me how the PS3 and Wii have an almost perfect record yet Microsoft can't seem to fix anything. I'm already hearing early reports that the Xbox 360 slim is already tearing up games. This is unacceptable.

For too long Microsoft has been blaming it's fan base for the Red Rings (which I get monthly thank god they haven't destroyed the Xbox) and disc scratch. Instead of blaming users why don't you get off your lazy butt and fix the problem. No wonder Sony beating Microsoft. Microsoft can't keep it's act together. I hope that the Slim is better then the old 360 'cause I can't take anymore games being destroyed.

Note: The Actual blog will be posted tomorrow. The subject is achievements and trophies.

Written by Matthew Byrd: Gamertag: ColonelByrd95

Byrd's Nest Blog 1: The Single Player's Dilemma

2010-06-16T19:58:00.008-05:00

Byrd's Nest is a weekly opinion article I write about the gaming industry and my thoughts on a certain issue. This does not in anyway express the views of all the Library of Games and Youmedia staff.

Gaming was built by single players. The first video games were single player arcade games such as Pong, Pac-Man, Centipede, etc. In recent years however it seems the gaming industry has shunned the players which started them. Games like Halo and the Call of Duty Modern Warfare franchise have brought shifted the focus of video games from a more single player focused market to a multiplayer focused market. It has divided gamers into 2 camps. A single player camp and a multiplayer camp. According to a recent Game Informer article the amount of gamers who prefer solo to multi is 49% while vice versa is 51%. At the same time single player games with great multiplayer games have been lacking. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2's evening long campaign although great to play was a disappointing experience for me. The lack of depth was appalling and I expected more after many complaints about he first games lack of depth. In fact, the only games I've noticed that have both great multi and single players are the Gears of War and Halo series. Another disturbing trend seems to be developing as sequel’s to awesome single player games are lacking when a multiplayer element is added as many gamers were disappointed with Bioshock 2's lacking single and multiplayer. Some new games on the horizon such as Dead Space 2 are adding a multiplayer element which may make the game lacking. It seems as if single player games are under attack.

It’s not all gloom and doom though. Several games and studios are still pumping out wonderful single player games. Rockstar has clearly taken the initiative with some of the best single player games of all time such as the Max Payne franchise, the GTA series’s and awesome newcomer Red Dead Redemption. They have several new games coming up like LA Noire that suggest they will continue their tradition of solid single player games. The Mass Effect franchise, Fallout 3, Uncharted 2 and Dead Space show that single player gaming isn’t going anywhere. However these games are in the minority as every time a great game like this is released another generic online shoot ‘em up like Call of Duty or Battlefield is released. We need games like this so that the video game medium isn’t just a bunch of meaningless killing simulators.

There’s also the element of gamer prejudice. Many multiplayer gamers look down on single player gamers with a sense of elitism. I myself as a single player minded gamers have felt this prejudice. I have been called stupid since "I only like to kill fake people since I’m too stupid for real people" and that "I’m not a real gamer since I like single player" . This prejudice hurts and excludes other gamers when gaming is supposed to be a refugee for outsiders. Not some little group of people who look down on others. The multiplayer focused market has breeded this intolerance and it must stop.

My opinion: It shouldn't be a multiplayer or single player focused market. It should be a market
where both sides should have equal say and both should have equal respect by gamers. As a single player gamer I respect multiplayer but prefer the depth, story and excitement of single player. But I can see other people's side of the opinion and can sympathize with that. I hope the gaming world puts more of a focus on single player then they are right now because they are excluding an audience of fans who definitely prefer single player and would like to empty there wallets for single player.

Written by Matthew Byrd, Gamertag: ColonelByrd95

Into the Sunset: Red Dead Redemption Review

2010-06-14T18:46:00.013-05:00

Let's get three things straight real quick. This is the greatest Western video game of all time. This is the best game of the year so far and one of the greatest video games I've ever played. Yes I know it sounds like hyperbole but it's true. Red Dead Redemption is set in the old west circa 1911. The federal goverment is quickly taming the west and the days of outlaws and renegades are coming to an end. You play as John Marston. A former outlaw who hung up his guns and started a family on a small farm when his fellow gang members abandoned him wounded after a robbery. Now the goverment has kidnapped Marston's family and threatend to kill them if Marston does not hunt down his former brothers in arms. This begins the amazing and epic story which sweeps you from the old west to revelutionary era Mexico.

Red Dead Redemption is the brainchild of Rockstar and Rockstar San Diego, the creators of the Grand Theft Auto franchise. Many of the same gunplay mechanics are in this game and GTA veterans will be right at home but this is not simply a GTA Wild West game. Several new mechanics are in this game which include an updated wanted system and a new dead eye aim mechanic which slow down time and allows you to mark targets Splinter Cell style in an amazing display of gunplay.

Another awesome part of this game is just how real it feels. The color's and graphics of this game make it feel your both in a spaghetti western movie and the real world. The gunplay is magnificantly realistic and every gunshot is met with a visceral visual sight of blood and screams that add a grittyness and realism rarely seen in games.

Being an open world game there is just so much to do. You can ride your horses (which are actually fast unlike Assasin's Creed) everywhere and do anything. Hunt animals, play games (my favorite was Liars Dice), be a good samaritan and help passerby's, hunt down criminals (awesome) etc. This just adds hours of more fun to an already rock solid game.

The story is the best part of Red Dead Redemption. It is an incredible deep and intelligent story that allows you to meet many intresting characters my favorite being the philandering Nigel West Dickens. The ending is fantastic and is one of the best video game endings in history and is well worth the 20-30 hour wait.

The multiplayer is a side note to the single player but is still cool to check out. It is a free roam multiplayer like GTA and has many intresting games like gang shootout and grab the bag and let's you have even more fun.

Red Dead Redemption is one of the greatest game I have ever played. It is flawless in almost everyway gameplay, writing, music, voice acting, graphics etc. Rockstar should be extremely proud and they have finally made a blockbuster game that leapts out of GTA's shadow. This game is definitaly a must-by you will not regret it. Buy. Buy. Buy.

Written by Matthew Byrd - Gamertag: ColonelByrd95

Game Review: Heavy Rain

2010-05-31T14:20:00.009-05:00

The game is a genre starter. You could say a mystery game. You could say it was a role-playing game. You could say it was an action game. At heart, it would be an “interactive “Choose Your Own Adventure” visual novel” game. There are many games that claim that “every choice affects the game”. But in truth, these games have choices that either make very little difference to how the game plays out or just one major choice that just affects the ending of the game. Even the predecessor to this game, Indigo Prophecy , was basically just that. Most games that have this have this bullet-point on their boxes have nothing on Heavy Rain. I went into the game with high expectations, and I was not disappointed
I know for a fact that many of the seemingly miniscule things that the you do in this game have just about as much of an effect as the major choices in the game. I wish I could go into detail, but that’s something for you to experience yourself. And if you want proof, ask a friend to play at the same time you are, and ask each other about your separate experiences with the game. I swear that the game will play out almost completely different for each of you.
I walk into a room unnecessarily while investigating this house, and get clocked in the head and end up trapped in a basement. Unlike my friend, who went in, got what she needed, and got out. My OTHER friend accidentally got drunk and ended up having his character experience a premature death.
And that was only a glimpse of the possible outcomes of ONE level. It could end up being very short and simple, or it could end up being very drawn out and risky. It all depends on what kind of player YOU are.
Yes, the game does lead up to a certain final event, but the way the event plays out takes into an account almost EVERYTHING that has occurred through the whole game. Certain characters might not be there and certain characters will either succeed or fail(and they can) in their missions.
Many points of the game are super-intense. Every event of the game occurs in real-time most have a lot of player involvement, meaning that you are given many choices, even during the cut scenes, that you need to make, and you aren’t given an infinite amount of time to make those choices. There are many quick-time events that usually give you very little time to react, keeping you tense every second of the game. Also add the fact that your character has many chances to die during the game. That’s right. Each character you control can DIE at almost ANY point in the game.
My experience with the controls came to me like second nature, but for some others, it may take some time getting used to. If you aren’t a fan of Silent Hill/Resident Evil tank controls, you might have a bad time while playing. Other complaints that I heard other people voice revolved around some scenes that require you to hold down a combination of many of the buttons on the controller to do actions. With some of the situations, it seems very fitting. The character is doing something that requires extra precision, and these controls is the game’s way of having you experience the same pressure.
And of course, the major point of the game, the story, is fantastic. You could either really care, or really hate some of the characters. It’s so fantastic that I won’t tell you anything about it other than the game has some awesome twists…
Now, buy or rent? Well, the game is definitely worth a play through. You HAVE to complete this game ONCE. But after that, you learn that the game is definitely surrounds a few number of major plot points, but once you’ve experienced that, the thrill really disappears. You really only play certain points of the game just to see how they can play out differently. The game is a must play, but not really a replayable game. A definite rent. A fantastic game, but I don’t know if you should spend your hard earned money buying and keeping the game.
You might see that this review is shorter than most of my others, but that's because I accepted the idea that reviews are impressions and opinions. Unlike my other reviews, were I explain unnecessary mechanics like controls, or go into things like graphics if they don't need to be brought up, I just say what needs to be said: What I thought of the game. If the graphics stood out that much, I would've mentioned them, but they really aren't anything special. If they were outstanding or terrible, than that's when I would mention them.

Library of Games: Episode 10 - Professional...Could You Use It In A Sentence?

2010-05-17T22:49:00.003-05:00

Ooo! Look! A new podcast logo! I'm actually planning to keep this one! I like it!

Weird things happen this episode:

Random person appears at the beginning of the show. Seriously, I have no idea who he is, but he was pretty funny!
Pat's laptop sounds like it may explode! We don't know why it made such a weird noise, but I know that I was genuinely scared.
We get hyped on Cory Doctorow and his new book "For the Win"!
We learn about a kid who has no idea what Halo is!
We get hyped ON MOSKAU!
Kaillif raves about Halo: Legends!
And after about a 10 minute rave on Halo...I rave about more Halo! Halo: Reach impressions!
Talk about movies based of comics!
I expect to say something I'm hated for...but I'm actually quite supported!
Taylor and I try to convince Pat to watch Ouran...but then we learn that Pat is lacking feelings...and we try to convince Pat that Ouran is not mushy and it's hilarious and Patrick, you need to watch it! Here, I'll give you a post to start you up with the show!
We also talk about I MAED A GAM3 W1TH Z0MB1ES 1N IT!!!1 and Bible Reader X.
And we talk about a mysterious topic I don't even know.

Download Now!
This is the song we were listening to after the end of the first break:

HOSTED BY KAILLIF AMMEN (Gamertag: Gloqwi), STANLEY NG (Gamertag: Battlestorm132), PATRICK HERMANN, AARON ECKHART FRANK, MALIC, TAYLOR BAYLESS, AND RANDOM GUEST PERSON TO ENTER: JORDAN!

Here are the websites we (and always will be) plugged at the end of the show:

Gloqwi (duh, right here!)

Pat's Website (and Twitter) (the website that inspired me to change the face of this website!)

azndudedowndastreet's YouTube page (my friend's Yu-Gi-Oh channel. These guys take this children card game seriously!)
Aaron's Twitter (Self-Explanitory)
Intro, Outro, and Break music: "No Escape" by Civalias.
Yeah, you see that? NOT NINE INCH NAILS. Not saying I don't like them, just saying that we need to differentiate with the music!
And the official new logo for the podcast as of now:

Library of Games: Episode 9 - It Just Got 25% Colder

2010-05-10T16:52:00.003-05:00

Trust me, it's hilarious. Especially around 32:00. Malik, you NEED to listen to this.
[Download Now]
HOSTED BY KAILLIF AMMEN (Gamertag: Gloqwi), STANLEY NG (Gamertag: Battlestorm132), AARON ECKHART FRANK, MALIK, AND GUEST MENTOR TAYLOR BAYLESS

Here are the websites we (and always will be) plugged at the end of the show:

Gloqwi (duh, right here!)

Pat's Website (and Twitter) (the website that inspired me to change the face of this website!)

Library of Games Podcast: Episode 8: Melted Honey Over Ambrosia

2010-04-26T22:43:00.002-05:00

We talk about Catan, Splinter Cell: Conviction, Adventure Games, Mini Ninjas, GUEST HOST MARCUS LUMPKIN talks about his childhood with video games, First-Person perspective in games, and an incident in YouMedia! Aaron talks about his experiences with C2E2 and about his first experience with Magic, The Gathering! We get pissed about the new Avatar: The Last Airbender Movie! The Drama Awaits!

[Download Now!]

HOSTED BY PATRICK HERMANN, KAILLIF AMMEN (Gamertag: Gloqwi), STANLEY NG (Gamertag: Battlestorm132), AARON ECKHART FRANK, HENRY, MALIK, AND GUEST MENTORS TAYLOR BAYLESS AND MARCUS LUMPKIN

Here are the websites we (and always will be) plugged at the end of the show:

Gloqwi (Self-Explanitory)
Pat's Website (and Twitter) (the website that inspired me to change the face of this website!)
azndudedowndastreet's YouTube page (my friend's Yu-Gi-Oh channel. These guys take this children card game seriously!)
Aaron's Twitter (Self-Explanitory)

Library of Games Podcast: Episode 7 - 4.12.10

2010-04-19T16:31:00.003-05:00

No summary! Currently recording the next podcast!

Download Here!

HOSTED BY PATRICK HERMANN (Gamertag: sottoxvoce), KAILLIF AMMEN (Gamertag: Gloqwi), STANLEY NG (Gamertag: Battlestorm132), AND TAYLOR BAYLESS with special guest AARON FRANK

Gloqwi (duh, right here!)

Pat's Website (and Twitter) (the website that inspired me to change the face of this website!)
Pat's Project: "Paranoid Android" (click here)

azndudedowndastreet's YouTube page (my friend's Yu-Gi-Oh channel. These guys take this children card game seriously!)

Library of Games Podcast: Episode 5 - 3.8.10 - The One That Isn't Filler

2010-03-08T22:42:00.002-06:00

Sorry I haven't been posting recently. I'm not dead, guys. I've lost internet connection and I'm currently using my mother's laptop. I also promise to post more on this website. I'm pretty jealous of how the template of this website turned out to be! I want it now! Everything looks soooo clean... but that would just be unoriginal...
Oh well. I personally think this is the best episode by far. If you want to start somewhere, start here! Enjoy!

[Download Here]

HOSTED BY PATRICK HERMANN (Gamertag: sottoxvoce), KAILLIF AMMEN (Gamertag: Gloqwi), STANLEY NG (Gamertag: Battlestorm132), AND TAYLOR BAYLESS with special guest AARON FRANK and CHRISTOPHER THAI

Here are the websites we (and always will be) plugged at the end of the show:

Gloqwi (duh, right here!)

Pat's Website (and Twitter) (the website that inspired me to change the face of this website!)
Pat's Project: "Paranoid Android" (click here)

azndudedowndastreet's YouTube page (my friend's Yu-Gi-Oh channel. These guys take this children card game seriously!)

Intro, Break, and Outro Music: "Echoplex" by Nine Inch Nails.

Library of Games Podcast: Episode 3

2010-02-28T13:49:00.010-06:00

To listen: CLICK HERE

In the third installment of the Library of Games LOGcast we talk about: flash browser based games, machinarium, steam, wall-e, Fahrenheit 451 and other stuff as well!

This podcast features Kailif Ammen, Patrick Hermann, Deandre Washington and Taylor Bayless.

Sorry for the background noise - we were sharing a studio with someone playing a keyboard... the joys of recording in a public space!

Library of Games Podcast: Episode 2 - 2.2.10

2010-02-08T20:52:00.006-06:00

Wait, we actually got around to doing a second episode? And it was almost 3 weeks earlier than expected? (Ok, maybe 2 weeks, but we recorded this only a week after the first episode) Yes, that's right! Here's the second episode of the Library of Games Podcast! Henry is gone for this episode (and he's probably never coming back), but we've got a new host (who's a much better host than I) Patrick Hermann! (but he would much rather be called Pat) Stanley and I are still here, and Taylor has become an official host on the show!

[Download the MP3 here!]

HOSTED BY PATRICK HERMANN (Gamertag: sottoxvoce), KAILLIF AMMEN (Gamertag: Gloqwi), STANLEY NG (Gamertag: Battlestorm132), AND TAYLOR BAYLESS

Here are the websites we (and always will be) plugged at the end of the show:

Gloqwi (duh, right here!)

Pat's Website (and Twitter) (the website that inspired me to change the face of this website!)

azndudedowndastreet's YouTube page (my friend's Yu-Gi-Oh channel. These guys take this children card game seriously!)

NEW GUEST HOST APPEARING NEXT WEEK! EPISODE 3 IS ALMOST READY!

2010-02-03T20:24:00.004-06:00

I welcome you to the aptly named Library of Games podcast. Here is my first shot at a barely organized podcast with me and my friends Stanley and Henry! I know we should get better over time, but I hope we get better soon!

We Cover:

Assassin's Creed 2 Impressions
Zork 1 Impressions (yeah, we're totally current! :P)
Dragon Age: Origins Impressions
Most Anticipated Games For 2010!

[Download the MP3 here!]

HOSTED BY KAILLIF (Gamertag: Gloqwi), STANLEY (Gamertag: Battlestorm132), AND HENRY

Here are the websites we plugged at the end of the show:

Gloqwi (duh, right here!)

azndudedowndastreet's YouTube page (my friend's Yu-Gi-Oh channel. These guys take this children card game seriously!)

SECOND EPISODE COMING SOON THIS WEEK! IS REALLY AWESOME AND STARS NEW HOST!

My refusal to play Dragon Age: Origins...The Review (for now...)

2010-02-03T20:22:00.002-06:00

This will basically act as my review for Dragon Age: Origins because I do not want to play this game anymore...

This game is KotOR and Mass Effect gone wrong. BioWare sadly succeeds to disappoint.

Let's get to the first subject. The gameplay. The gameplay in general is basically BAD! It takes basic combat system back from KotOR, except took two steps backwards back with it. You choose your basic weapon attack with the X (on the PS3. A on the 360) and combine special moves/powers with the other face buttons. Instead of actually doing the moves yourself, you watch your character do the moves for you while the computer does a lot of math calculating the damage done (for people who have trouble understanding, think World of Warcraft). You control your squad of four and switch between them while doing this at the same time and you've got your basic combat. What they've done wrong with this that even KotOR did right was that BioWare took away the ability to pause and queue up attacks. Also, while you are controlling a character, you have to repeatedly keep clicking the normal attack button to attack, instead of a normal auto-attack.You also can't really tell whether or not your character is dealing any damage. You don't get a real feeling of impact with your weapons and spells. One good thing they have added to this game a 'tactics' feature which allows you to tell what your AI characters what to do when a certain situation appears (ex. "close range with one enemy" >> "do certain attack", "close range with two or more enemies" >> "do special ability".) This is a nice concept but it doesn't work very well with the mages since they want to waste all their mana thanks to these tactics, so you still have a little bit of babysitting with your teammates, but if you only have one mage in your party, there's really nothing bad about it, all you have to do is play as your mage during large battles.

Nothing else is really different about this game from other RPGs. You have your basic inventory system (loot some stuff, wear the best stuff, give your spare stuff to everyone else, and sell everything else to merchants), except they actually have an encumbrance system (the heavier the stuff is you carry, the less you can carry, and you will be unable to pick up anything else if you reach your maximum encumbrance). You have your basic leveling system (you have your basic attributes that you assign points to (Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, etc.), you choose special skills the more you level up (skills like Combat, Herbalism, Trap-Making, etc., which all have four levels of specialty, ex. Basic Combat, Advanced Combat, Expert Combat, etc.). They still have your very in-depth dialogue system, but sadly, since your character doesn't have a voice actor (because there are definitely way too many lines of dialogue for the three kinds of races with both sexes your character could be), you have to read all your responses word for word, instead of Mass Effect's great dialogue system that came up before the person finished his/her sentence and you were able to choose the actual attitude of the conversation instead of the exact sentence for each response (it also seemed to flow a lot better in Mass Effect because of this. Now, it's "listen to the response, read over all of your available responses, and choose the one that fits your character most". There's a lot more moments of silence and characters standing still). It's still very black and white about which responses are good and which ones are bad and which ones are neutral, they even take the stupid step of showing you the exact effect of what your conversation did (ex. you say something Morrigan approves of, "+5 Morrigan approval", or you say something she doesn't approve of, "-2 Morrigan approval"). I feel this is a lot more old school then next-gen, where you should be able to tell how much she approves of you by her attitude towards you during that conversation...

One thing that I am slightly disappointed in is the structuring of the side-quests. They made it so they are more of add-ons to the main quest (ex. while you are heading for some certain boss, could you please get a certain item on your way there). It makes go though the long game a bit easier, but it unfortunately detracts from any variety any of these side-quests could have. It's not like you could completely detract from your main mission and explore and enjoy the world you are in.

Now to talk about what is probably the worst part about this game, the graphics. I don't know how they look on the PC, but on the console versions, they are an eyesore to look at. The environments look good from a distance, but you don't need to be very close to them to realize the bad texturing. I don't know if this is the same with the Xbox 360 (as I've heard this is a non-existent problem there), but the frame-rate is very unstable. This can drive you crazy especially in the larger fights when the PS3 can't seem to control all the action going on (and you think it would with all it's "power) and the game starts to clutter itself and make a mess of the screen. It doesn't help that the character actions aren't even that complex. It's all the same basic swinging of the sword or the raising of the hand to cast an awful looking spell. It doesn't help that the characters don't even seem to respond to damage. All they do is the basic jerk backwards or do the generic stumble backwards then forwards then fall when they die. The only exciting kills are when you finish off bosses, which are reminiscent of a God of War quicktime cutscene, but without the quicktime events.

One problem that isn't very big but is very noticeable is the lag in the game's menu screens. It's very similar to the lag in Fable 2's menus, where it takes a weirdly long amount of time to switch from screen to screen. Definitely not as long as Fable 2's, but slower than it needs to be.

What's the worst of all the graphics are the character models. They just don't look human (or humanoid in the case for the dwarfs and elves). Looking at them when they speak to you in the close-up camera during dialogue is pretty repulsive. You can basically see the polygons that make up their faces. Now, I do understand that this game has been getting much better reviews on the PC version so all of these problems may be completely gone on that platform, but as for the PS3 version, these graphical problems will definitely get in the way of any attempts of trying to enjoy this game.

The music isn't anything special, and the sound effects couldn't be anymore generic or badly compressed. The voice acting is decent, and I didn't notice anybody sounding exactly like anybody else. It seems that all these new RPGs have one star voice actor that only stays for a very short time in the game. This game is no different, as it stars the same person who voiced Al Mualim from Assassin's Creed as a character who is important but doesn't last very long. That's all I have to say about the sound.

The story is the only thing that seems to make me want to play this game any more than I don't want to. The main quest itself is very generic good vs. bad, but the game has enough interesting parts to it that I want to see what happens next. From being sent into a dream world (or in this game's case, a nightmare) to trying to save a boy from the influence of a demon, this game wants you to just keep working just so you can see the conclusion of all these situations.

Your squad's back-stories could be interesting in a sense, but since I have delved into the Middle Age-y world very heavily influenced by Tolkien, I really have no interest in their origin, but much rather their life-story. In my seven or so hours of reluctantly playing the game, the story and the characters stories are the only part of the game I really want to get into.

What seems to be the problem is that this game even feels like it's on the wrong platform. The graphics are awful on consoles and the gameplay controls are obviously bad replacements of a mouse and keyboard. It pains me to say this, but if you ignore the story, BioWare has crafted what I like to call "another RPG". It's what I use to describe RPGs that rely too much on the story and don't take the time to perfect the actual gameplay or presentation. Everything in this game just seems so lacking. Let's just say that this game is just a step above that, if not a very tiny step.

As I am writing this review, I acknowledge that I haven't given this game the proper "reviewer" chance that I should be giving it, and that I'm probably not playing it on the platform BioWare wanted me to play it on, but this game has so many things that want to drive me away from it that I can't continue to. There are just much better games out there right now that you shouldn't have to waste your time with something like this. I know it sounds harsh, but for someone that has spent hundreds of hours in games like Mass Effect, Morrowind, Oblivion, KotOR and Fallout 3 (though I have some problems with this game as well, but I won't get into that now), I have to say that this game is pretty boring. I would highly suggest staying away from this game on consoles because it seems like such a PC game. Reading large amounts of dialogue and repeatedly clicking a button to attack is probably something you don't want to be doing on a TV. If you must play this game, I'd strongly recommend you go for the PC version, but otherwise, stay away from it.

Written by Kaillif Ammen [Gamertag: Gloqwi]