Pokemon XY and Call of Duty: Ghosts... Because that totally goes together.

To catch up on what I've been playing recently, I'm going to do mini-reviews of Pokemon X(Y) and Call of Duty: Ghosts, both of which I was able to pick up on their launch days.

POKEMON Y

I liked the bird better so got Y...

Pokemon XY is the best Pokemon game I've played since the originals. The pacing is similar, the new amount of Pokemon is limited and actually feels interesting to find them (only a touch over 60 added, as opposed to hundreds), and the game has added a few things since the last gen.

Kirlia vs newcomer Fennekin

The new graphics are solid. I'm happy getting away from the 8-bit feel and adding some 3D. Every Pokemon and every move have personal animations, which I think is something we've been missing for ages and it is a HUGE addition for me, even if the overall battle system remains the same. I'd love for some other new RPGs using old school battle formats to follow suit (I'm looking at you, Shin Megami Tensei!).

The one change they did include for battling is Mega Evolutions. Instead of a permanent change, these are boosts you can use in battle that evolve your monster temporarily. As of now, it's a bit of a shallow system, but there is a lot of potential here. Charizard and Mewtwo in particular got two different options with the Mega Evolutions based on which version you got. The Y stones act mostly as stat increases, while the X stones actually add new types to the Pokemon (Charizard gains Dragon and Mewtwo gains Figthing). The more stones for a given 'mon, the more options. Instead of everyone rocking the final evolutions in battle, we could potentially see the same Pokemon with a VERY different setup. I'm not sure if that's how far they'll go, but for now I'm just happy to see some of my favorite Pokemon getting some new (mostly awesome) looks.

Mega Charizard Y and X.

Mega Mewtwo Y. X looks... stupid.

I honestly felt like I was playing Red again with the pacing of the game and the light touches of an antagonist group (even lighter than the originals, to be honest). There are enough minor changes (Friend Safari, continuous fishing, etc...) to make even the most veteran players happy, especially since the core game doesn't change at all (critics can be hit or miss on this one, I suppose).

The ONE area the game falls short is the post game. It has one series of side missions, access to two more legendary pokemon, and then... well... that's it. Other games allowed you to visit other continents and challenge more gyms. XY just kind of ends. I'm not really one for competitive multiplayer, so my game is kind of languishing. I have several friends who picked up the game, so I'll still get some mileage, but I'm really hoping they change their minds and throw some DLC our way...

Either way, fantastic game. 9/10.

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CALL OF DUTY: GHOSTS (Multiplayer)

Similar to Pokemon, CoD is known for using slight tweaks to their games to push a new edition regularly. While I'm enjoying Ghosts enough, this is the first time it feels especially forced. There are new maps, weapons, and kill streaks, but none of them FEEL new. I don't normally play campaigns for these games, so I can't say if they knocked it out of the park there, but the multiplayer is already beginning to feel stale.

I've read plenty of complaints about quicker deaths and disguised lag, but none of that has been a particular issue for me. The game is fun enough, better when playing with friends, but the game's aesthetic doesn't feel new (they went with a half-assed post-apocalyptic-ish thing that... well, doesn't seem different at all) and there is not a single reason I would suggest someone pick up Ghosts vs the last CoD (which at least had futuristic elements added -- there are none in Ghosts).

They DID add a partner-dog, I guess.

I don't know if next Gen holds any surprises for the title... I doubt it. I kind of wish the Battlefield 4 Beta hadn't turned me off so much from that game, I feel as if I'd have gotten more enjoyment out of it than I have with Ghosts.

If I'm able to get a PS4 around launch (unlikely), I'll update this mini-review. Until then, this gets a 6/10.

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NEXT GEN

On a minor side not, my local GameStop had a PS4 set up. The console looks nice enough, but I was mostly worried about the controller -- I'm NOT a fan of the Playstation family controllers and honestly feel like the 360 is probably the most ergonomic design we've seen (argue with me if you must). That being said, I REALLY enjoyed the feel of the PS4 controller. The touch pad... well, it's in a bit of an awkward spot due to the fact that I'd have to remove one of my hands from their primary positions to get any use of it, so I'm hoping it's not a big game changer. The share and options buttons were also placed in a spot I didn't enjoy, but the primary play buttons worked well enough. I went through some of the demo for Knack -- not my style of game, but I got comfortable with the controller very quickly. I didn't feel Knack looked any different from a current Gen game, but maybe that's just me.

I'm talking to my local GameStop about letting an extra PS4 fall off the truck, but I don't think they're going to support my poor planning. Also, I kind of need to find a way to PAY for it...

More on that and Thor: The Dark World as we get through the week.

Hunting Game(s): Upcoming Dates

Howdy Folks,

Sorry if my slightly late posts have been an issue for anyone who really looks forward to my MWF schedule, this has been a bit busier of a week with grad classwork and the like. Hopefully next week will slow down a bit!

For this week's Hunting Game(s) post, I wanted to give a calendar for what releases to expect in October, November, and December:

10/7: Pokemon Black 2 and White 2 release this week, though I'm going to have to pass (GASP!) if I want to hit the other two titles I want this month. It's nice that they're the first story-following sequels, but I don't see any other reason to pick them up, and who the hell plays Pokemon for the story?

10/9: Dishonored and XCOM: Enemy Unknown - I'll be picking these both up, thanks to selling my soul at GameStop, and at least one of them should be featured in next week's Hunting Game(s).
---Dragon Ball Z for Kinect also comes out, but I don't have a Kinect (... and I assume it will be terrible, but that's neither here nor there).

10/23: Killzone HD is out!

10/30: Marvel Avengers: Battle for Erath (another Kinect title) comes out, but, more importantly, so does Zone of the Enders HD Collection! Oh, and Assassin's Creed III comes out too, for those of you into that...

11/6: Dragon Ball Z Budokai HD Collection and Halo 4 hit stores on this day. I'd suggest skipping Budokai (it only has the first and third games, apparently), and I think I'm personally skipping Halo. Mass Effect Trilogy is another notable release.

11/13: Call of Duty: Black Ops II comes out -- I'm looking forward to this, though I say that every CoD lately and am let down...

11/20: Persona 4: Golden is released on the Vita! Finally! I actually thought this was coming out in October; now I'm a bit sad I have to wait. Also, Playstation All-Stars Battle Royale comes out (you know, the Super Smash Bros. knock off with a terrible name).

12/4: Far Cry 3 is out, which looks interesting, though I never played the first two.

On a side note, the 3DS has NOTHING coming out all year that interests me. Nintendo REALLY needs to support their next gen device and stop developing so many DS games (which they may be, since the list I'm working off only has released into November...).

If you notice a lack of Wii or Wii U titles, that's because I have no intention of picking them up and couldn't really suggest and decent titles on their upcoming list -- I've done at least a little research or am otherwise familiar with the above.

Next Tuesday is XCOM and Dishonored (you know, as I wrote above), and I can't wait! I'm going to try and find a store with a midnight release (and, since GameStop doesn't seem to have my back on this, will probably be Wal-Mart), and I have Tuesday off so I can play to my heart's content!

Alright, see you Friday with a post on... well, I have no idea!

Call of Duty Black Ops 2 Follow Up

Just a quick post I want to get out there -- this video is the same mutliplayer trailer I posted previously, except this time it has developer commentary which is VERY insightful.



Yes, I will be making a knife class. Yes, I am very excited.

XCOM should last me to CoD and, while I'm sad I'll have to post pone Dishonored until its cheaper (or I have more money), I'm not crushed. These two games look like I'll be a very happy camper :)

And yes, that was a pun.

Hunting Game(s): Call of Duty: Black Ops II

Below is the multiplayer trailer and my response to it!



First, I must say that this trailer has gotten me excited in a CoD game again. I know it's silly, seeing as how it's so short, but I've haven't really been interested in any of the previous releases (my first, to be honest, was MW2, and I picked it up only due to peer pressure -- and I'm glad I gave in).

My favorite thing throughout the video is the post apocalyptic looking art style. It almost reminds me of Brink with CoD graphics at times (and that's all I'll say about Brink, I promise!). It's a fresh look from the standard soldier, and is nice for people like me who don't care for accuracy or complete realism.

Dolphin diving is back. Can't say how useful it will be, but it looks damn cool and adds some flair to CTF.

I don't know how I feel about the Dragonfires (remote controlled drones). Depends how easy they are to get, I suppose, though they do look relatively easy to destory.

SHIELDS! YES! I know they are terrible in MW2, but I remember doing lobbies with friends and just having shield matches! Every now and then I'd try running them in multiplayer, but it was mostly just for laughs. These shields actually look interesting and I'm interested to see what kind of teamwork options they promote in a mostly lone-wolf style of game. And I'm pretty sure they shields are able to be planted and used as mobile cover -- this could have some interesting combos with the Wildcard system I've heard about, which includes one option to equip two primary weapons.

The remote controlled tank of doom doesn't interest me, but I didn't care for it in MW3, either.

Running animation looks MUCH improved, even if knifing looks like it requires you to be closer than ever. I won't be running any MLC variants (explained below in MW2 section), apparently, but that's probably for the best.

Shotguns look more overpowered than ever, which doesn't interest me.

All in all, I'm hoping to see some new (and new feeling) guns as well as some futuristic equipment -- hopefully more than just the few items shown in the trailer.

This YouTube Channel seems to have some good information on BOII and I'll be following up on that soon.

Final comment: I'll be picking this up on release, expect to see a first impression around then!


Other CoDs I've played:

CoD: 4 (MW1) I didn't enjoy much when I got around to playing it, but I did love the map Shipment.

WaW: I didn't play this one too seriously so I can't say much about it. I liked a few of the maps and would like to see them make it to other games. This and MW2 are the only campaigns I finished, so that's unique I suppose.

MW2 allowed you to make an over-powered knifing class (Marathon Pro, Lightweight Pro, and Commando Pro with a handgun/tac knife combo). Also had Favela, my favorite CoD map to date.

Black Ops was interesting because of the different game types that were instituted. Oh, and Dolphin Diving. Also, my favorite maps for CTF.

MW3 was interesting because of the updated graphics and some of the maps were interesting.