Western Shooter: Red Dead Redemption

Do you like shooting games? Do you like Grand Theft Auto or a game with an insanely huge environment? Do you like Westerns? Well, combine those into one and you get Red Dead Redemption.

When I first learned about this game I assumed it was going to be just an alright game at the best, but little did I know it was a lot better than the last GTA game. For me, the GTA games where much fun until I got bored with the missions and started killing hookers, pedestrians and all that good stuff. However, this game has succeeded where GTA fell short and kept my attention. When I first played this game I was a little discouraged with the issues with online play, but those issues have now been resolved. In fact, the online play is so much fun.

I have always enjoyed the “Spaghetti Westerns”, such as The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly and Fistful of Dollars. These movies took place in the “Wild West” of the United States, and since they were made by Italians, hence the term “Spaghetti Westerns”. Red Dead Redemption takes out all of the new-age prostitutes and hands you the classy kind, if you know what I mean. Unlike few of the previous attempts at the Western branch of setting, Red Dead Redemption is successful in capturing the idea of the real “Wild West”.

A few things that I noticed that made me enjoy this game all the more was the fact that there wasn’t a moment that it lost my attention. Most gamers compare this game to GTA, and to an extent it is, although this game is much more interesting and in depth. Teaming up with your buddies is pure enjoyment and can last for several hours. There are a lot games that come with mini-games that are simply unbearable, but the mini-games in this game are indeed good. Overall, this game is really fun, and I’m sure to spend a lot of time playing with my friends. Good job Rockstar!

Game Preview: Bulletstorm

Bulletstorm is an upcoming shooting game which occurs in a futuristic setting where an elite band of mercenaries known as Dead Echo, protect the confederation. When Dead Echo members Grayson Hunt and Ishi Sato find out that they had been working on the wrong side, they abandon their squad commander and both end up being exiled to the edges of the galaxy. Players take the character of Grayson Hunt several years after his exile, who has become a drunken space pirate since. After getting engaged in an interstellar crash landing, he is reunited with his old colleague Sato. They find out that they are surrounded by hordes of flesh eating mutants in an abandoned paradise. Hunt and Sato decide to team up together once again to escape the planet alive and settle the score with the man who sent them there.

Gameplay

Players utilize a huge arsenal consisting of incredibly large weapons and over-the-top combat moves. Bulletstorm also has different kinds of “skillshots” which create intense levels of frantic gameplay. The player gets rewarded by the skillshot gameplay system for creating and instigating mayhem in the most unusual way possible. The more creative the skillshot, the more points players gain to upgrade their character and unlock weapons that allow the player to perform more creative moves and spectacular skillshots.

Development

The title began development in 2008 when publisher Electronic Arts announced that it would be publishing a new Intellectual property from game developer Epic Games. A trademark for the name “Bulletstorm” was unveiled when game developer People Can Fly filed a trademark for the name in December of last year. Epic Games designer Cliff Bleszinski was actually scheduled to announce the game together with Gears of War 3 during a guesting on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon on April 8, 2010. But his appearance was rescheduled to April 12, 2010 after his slot was taken by pop icon Justin Bieber. Soon after Bleszinski announced on Twitter, that he would be unveiling two games on the show on April 12, 2010. However the game was revealed even before the scheduled appearance when gaming magazine, Game Informer, published its May 2010 issue cover which revealed the game. Bulletstorm is scheduled for release on PS3, Xbox 360 and PC on February 22, 2011.

Thoughts Before Buying Black Ops

Call of Duty: Black Ops is a first-person shooter game developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision for PC, PlayStation 3, Wii, and Xbox 360. It’s generally considered the sixth mainstream game of the Call of Duty series after the storyline of the previous title, Call of Duty 5: World at War. Call of Duty: Black Ops was released on November 9, 2010.

CoD: World at War features a more mature theme than previous instalments. The game is also open-ended, as there are different ways to complete objectives. The gameplay shares several features with previous iterations of the game franchise. Players fight with help from AI-controlled teammates. They help during the game’s missions by providing cover fire, clearing rooms for entry and shooting down enemies.

The CoD4 sequel had a lot of expectations since its predecessor is tagged as its enhanced version. However, the graphics wasn’t as good as what was expected. All figures in the game should have looked real or three-dimensional. But what critics weren’t expecting, the trees looked flat as if it was a drawing in the scene. Graphics have a major role in the enjoyment of the game. It makes a game enjoyable and virtually real. Failure to provide outstanding graphics would be a huge disappointment to CoD fans who are expecting to see a more improved game from the previous version.

Some of the fans ascribe the short-delivered graphics from its current developer, Treyarch, who may have used their old graphics from their old games making it short of expectations from the original developer, Activision. Game players which are critic to Treyarch have seen the similarities of some scenes in World at War with some games previously developed by Treyarch. They describe the World at War graphics as refurbished graphics from old Treyarch games making it a big disappointment to online gamers. Some gamers criticised on the gadgets used in the game. The radar described as thermo, was bashed since there was obviously no thermo radars way back in the 1940’s. The guns were distinguished as lousy and nothing new compared to its predecessor, Modern Warfare.

World at War was not as sensational as expected and some there are some doubts about the sequel, Black Ops. With players disappointed at World at War, I just hoped Infinity Ward will regain the good reputation of CoD games and not disappoint as what Treyarch have come up with World at War. But after reading a few decent reviews of Black Ops, I think I’m going to grab a copy of the game this weekend.

James Bond 007: Bloodstone Review

Bloodstone is somewhat a hard title to figure out, at least from a business perspective. It is not tied into any released James Bond movie, it’s coming out just as the holiday shopping rush is set to start, and it’s not only contending with the Goldeneye remake but yet another Activision title, Call of Duty: Black Ops. Even if the game was outstanding, it would still have a hard time finding an audience under those circumstances, so the fact that this shooting game is bad just ruins any chance it had.

What’s odd about Bloodstone is that it was developed by Bizarre Creations, who is best known for the recently released Blur and the Project Gotham Racing series (not to mention the addictive Geometry Wars). You’d think with that lineage, Bloodstone would offer solid driving segments, but not only is most of the game focused on third-person cover-based shooting, the few vehicle based sequences are mediocre at best. They are all chase segments where you drive a car and go after a target; staged explosions and near miss collisions add few thrills to the mix, but the repetitive missions need memorization and frequent attempts to conquer. Nowhere does skill come in handy—worse still, the cars all handle as if their tires are coated in melted butter, and the collision detection is absolutely awful.

The third-person cover based shooting segments turn out far better, but I mean that in comparison to the driving segments. It’s not nearly as polished as Uncharterd or Gears of War, but to be fair, the game does feature some astoundingly detailed environments, and there were moments, but rare, when I found myself having fun. Unfortunately, the majority of the game is monotonous—you take cover behind an object, kill some baddies, and repeat that about a hundred times — but one-shot kill mechanic called ‘Focus Aim’ and stealth-based melee kills do what they can to break up the monotony. In an odd turn, James carries around a smartphone that make up as a Swiss Army knife, showing you objectives, letting you hack doors, and pinpointing enemies location, which basically ruins the difficulty. Not that the game is very challenging to begin with — enemies who rely on the same side-stepping move to avoid your bullets makes the game so easy, and any sense of challenge comes from staggering numbers rather than intelligent enemy behaviour.

The game’s plot is nothing to write about either, involving global political intrigue and bio weapons; it’s superficial and over the top, and it’s a typical James Bond plot line. Dame Judi Dench and Daniel Craig turn in solid voice performances, but even their starpower isn’t enough to make you care about what’s going on. There is also a multiplayer mode that I wasn’t able to try, but honestly, I’m not sure enough if people will invest in the game to ensure a healthy community; otherwise, if you’re going to play a multiplayer Bond game, you might as well invest in Goldeneye Wii, and PS3 and Xbox 360 owners will probably be too engrossed by Black Ops to care about anything else for the next few months.

Again, this is why I feel Bloodstone so confusing: Trying to release an original James Bond title that isn’t tied into a big budget movie is risky on its own, but releasing it the same day as the remake of one of the most favourite Bond games of all time, with what will no doubt be one of the biggest selling game of the year in Black Ops waiting in the wings, seems like an unusual business decision.

My Top 5 Shooter Games for iPhone

Looking for the best iPhone shooter games? We have listed down the top five shooter games for iPhone for you to choose from. Here’s your best list of best iPhone shooter games. Either you get one of them or get all if you’re a die-hard shooter game fan.

iBubble Shooter Pro

If shooting bubbles seems a nice idea of a great shooter game, you’ll definitely enjoy iBubble Shooter Pro. It’s very simple and yet very addictive. The objective of this game is pretty simple just like any other bubble shooter game for iPhone, burst as much bubble as you can to clear the game board as fast as you can. You need to use your fingers to shoot 3 or more of the same colour bubbles to pop them. The game has two modes of play, collector mode where you need to achieve the biggest score possible and sniper mode where you need to clear the board with as few shots as possible. Price: $0.99

Marine Sharpshooter

This iPhone shooter game was based from a best-selling PC game which boasted 1 million sales. For its iPhone version, Marine Sharpshooter got 2.5 million downloads worldwide. The game takes you into different combat environments. You must complete missions involving rescue of hostages, assassinating targets and more. The game also features multiple rifles including the M82, SR25 and more. The game has three play modes – quick play, arcade and story. What makes this game outstanding is the strategy factor. Since you are a sharpshooter, you need to take down every single enemy with one bullet, so aim carefully. Price: $1.99

Call of Duty World at War –Zombies 2

If you had fun with the Call of Duty game series, you will definitely enjoy this game as well. It takes the same action-packed Call of Duty game and puts a different spin on it. This time you will be shooting as many zombies as you can. The game supports up to four players on four different iPhones connected through Wi-Fi as well as 2 players connected through Bluetooth. It’s a type of multiplayer experience on your iPhone. Other features of the game include; 3 different controls, an achievements system, leaderboard, downloadable content and of course the huge arsenal at your disposal. Price: $9.99

Half-Dead 3D Shooter

This first-person shooter has intelligent AI that will surely pose a great challenge to your shooting game skills. The game features a smooth interface and game environment. Eliminating all your enemies as fast as you can is the objective of the game. To do this, you must shoot as accurately as possible as well as use health kits which are strategically located. All these elements make up a great first-person shooter set in a 3D environment.  Price: $0.99

Battle Bears-1

The first time I found out about Battle Bears I did not believe that those cuddly bears could actually be as fierce as the Battle Bears. But what can you do? The game was really fun and hilarious with an added mix of shooting action. Battle Bears-1 features powerups, free range movements, battle various bosses and take a crack at 35 achievements waiting for you. One word I can best describe this game – hilarious! Price: $0.99

Detailed Release of Mass Effect 2 on PS3

At GamesCom last August, ElectronicArts announced that BioWare’s Microsoft-exclusive sci-fi shooting game franchise Mass Effect would soon be a multi-console enterprise. Early next year Mass Effect 2 will be released on Sony’s platform following the game’s release on the Xbox 360 and PC in January 2010 and well signifies Mass Effect 3’s eventual distribution on Sony’s platform.

BioWare offered PS3 gamers a glimpse at what they will be able to expect from Mass Effect 2’s Blu-ray Disc debut. The main advantage of the PS3 edition of the game will include contents released in a downloadable form for PC and Xbox 360. This content includes Project Overlord, Lair of the Shadow Broker, Kasumi: Stolen Memory, and Blood Dragon Armor packs.

PS3 gamers who buy Mass Effect 2 will also gain access to the Cerberus Network, which offers free access to more downloadable content ranging from the Zaeed character missions to the Hammerhead hover tank. Used-game purchasers, on the other hand, will be required to purchase access to the Cerberus Network.

BioWare will also offer a make-good to PS3 gamers for the absence of the original game on Sony’s platform. The studio’s Edmonton division will be collaborating with Dark Horse Comics on an interactive comic that will help fill in the story leading up to the events in Mass Effect 2.

“While I cannot release all the details about this yet, what I can tell you is that we want to create a stunning visual experience that not only tells the core story elements of Mass Effect 1, but also is fully interactive allowing you to be faced with some of the major choices which will have consequences in your Mass Effect universe”, says BioWare producer Jesse Houston of the comic. He also mentioned that it will be included with the Cerberus Network and initially be a PS3-exclusive.

Finally, BioWare validated a number of additional DLC packs are going to be available for the PS3 edition of the game, of both the paid and free variety. Though the studio didn’t reveal much of the specifics of these add-ons, it did offer the names Recon Operations Pack and Aegis Pack.

DICE Reveals ‘Battlefield Play4Free’

EA Games and DICE have officially unveiled the name of their latest project, Battlefield Play4Free. The latest title in the Battlefield franchise will follow suit after the model of online shooting game, Battlefield Heroes‘ freemium, but it’ll be directed towards the hardcore gamer.

Earlier this week we analysed what DICE already had on the table, and came down to the conclusion that the Battlefield Heroes team was the best candidate to build the new title. Despite the success of Battlefield Heroes with its comic based graphics, it just makes perfect sense to appeal to their regular Battlefield players. In addition to the other teams currently busy with Battlefield 3 and Medal of Honor, the heads of Battlefield Heroes declared that they were in attendance of the press conference that would reveal Battlefield Play4Free.

According to the EA Games’ Ben Cousins:

“What we have done is created the idea that came from Battlefield Heroes where we create a free to play battlefield game, but we have taken it up another level. This is first person, the graphics are more realistic and it is aimed more at the conventional first person shooter fan.”

According to Cousins, vehicles and maps are coming from Battlefield 2, but DICE had them upgraded. The map layout will slightly be changed and the graphics will be improved more to incorporate the latest game engine advancements. DICE has taken the weapons and class system from Battlefield Bad Company 2. Lastly, customization system and RPG style levelling will come from Battlefield Heroes.

Battlefield Play4Free users can earn in-game money to spend on weapons and equipment and will have access to new combat skills. They’ll also have access to 16 vehicles including the F35 VTOL jet fighter, the Mil Mi-28 attack helicopter, the Russian T-90 main battle tank, the LSV light strike vehicle and an armored APC.

Before DICE thought Battlefield Heroes would be reaching out to a new audience, but what they found were that hardcore gamers were also getting involved. “After playing games on their PC or console, perhaps now they will switch over to the free-to-play games” said Cousins. Though information is still minimal on the upcoming title, DICE has made it very clear that PC gaming is not dead. They are also still in the process of porting Battlefield 1943 from consoles to the PC, but has not yet released a solid release date at this time.

Fallout: New Vegas Review

Fallout 3 is definitely one of the best shooter games ever. Now that the newest addition to the series, Fallout: New Vegas has been released a couple of weeks ago, there had been many reviews and opinions, and one of the most commonly seen phrases about this game is that it’s exactly like Fallout 3. You’ve been reading that so much because it IS very identical to Fallout 3, which can be both good and bad. Better read on to know more.

The Bad News

It’s bad since I didn’t want to pay $60 for a game I already have. The weapons, the character interactions and even the menus are exactly the same. And because the gameplay is so identical, it’s kind of discouraging. I spent hours playing Fallout 3, completing missions and undertaking no less than five different DLC downloads. So when I started this, it felt like I was still going from the last game. Imagine completing a game in 50 hours and then realizing that the game was really 150 hours long. That’s what this feels like. It’s psychological.

The Good News

This is actually great news. Finally a developer took to heart the concept of “if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it”. Everything that I thought were fun about the last game is back. The peculiar characters, the exceptionally user-friendly Pip-Boy, and my beloved VATS system are all back. There are few cool new features that definitely shouldn’t be over-looked. Now, you can control your companions and make them help you with specific actions. And in addition to building new weapons, you can now modify them too. Imagine a 0.357 Magnum with some extra clips and a laser scope.

I recommend Fallout: New Vegas for just about everyone. Take a break from those crazy multiplayer shooters and indulge in some mission-driven madness. This is a great game to play for people who are new to action-RPGs or are rediscovering the genre. New Vegas, plays and looks exactly the same as Fallout 3. But the additions that Obsidian has made pushed the survival angle even further to provide a much more authentic and immersive experience, and just like its predecessor, Fallout: New Vegas proves to be a role-playing masterpiece.

Metal Slug XX: One More Verse, Same as the First…

Metal Slug is an astonishing well-animated hand-drawn art, side-scrolling 2D shooting action, UFOs, tentacle-laden aliens, giant mechanized bosses… these are all trademark of the series that SNK gave birth nearly 14 years ago. After all these years, not much has really changed since then.

Don’t get me wrong—I definitely consider myself as someone who appreciates the series, but at the same time, I have to be straightforward. I was somehow unable to tell new instalments apart a few years ago. They’re all very similar and have too much in common that they just blend together. I love the visuals and I like the formula, but Metal Slug just stopped moving forward a while ago, and I’m not certain what new instalments are likely to be bringing to the table.

However, even though nothing’s new in Metal Slug XX, nothing is bad either, that’s for sure. The gunning and running as a scrappy soldier against insurmountable odds is as good as it has always been, and the wide variety of weapons and mechanical vehicles scattered throughout all seven levels are greatly appreciated. Exhausting hordes of enemy soldiers into frowning piles of mush always bring a smile to the face. However, I can’t say that any particular part of the game was exceptionally memorable. None of the bosses delivered much “WOW,” and the levels themselves were fairly monotonous.

Metal Slug XX’s unlimited continues mean that the typical gamer will complete the campaign in about an hour or so. It’s a pretty good length for a game of this type, but I believe most players want a little more life out of their purchases. To that end, the Combat School mode is an attempt to extend playtime by offering 70 or so challenges and tests of skill. Sadly, most of the content has been revamped from the main campaign and by failing to deliver unprecedented segments, it fails to compel.

For players who have never had the chance to take part of Metal Slug’s particular brand of madness or for the avid fans of the series, Metal Slug XX will definitely be worth the time invested. On the other hand, for those who may still have great interest for the Slugs but can’t deny having been there and done that, there’s not enough reason to sign up for another tour of duty.

Evolution of First Person Shooter Games

The trend for first person shooter games is on a progressive state. It could be dated back to 1970’s when the main console is Atari; everyone seemed to get hooked on first person shooter games. First person shooter games, also known as FPS, are games that show the arms and the gun of a protagonist in a screen and, most of the time, a crosshair. It is like you are the one doing the attack. You are the seeing and playing the vision of the main protagonist of the game. It gives a more realistic feeling to every shooting game developed under the FPS category.

The gameplay of first shooter games mostly fall on a mission-type adventure. This is the common denominator for all FPS games. You can grab power ups, ammunitions, weapons and weapon upgrades, and first aid kits along the way. You travel to pathways eliminating a horde of enemies – people or monsters. The fun here is envisioning your self entering into the mission via the first shooter field. You can actually think that you are on the game. The thrill to it is that you cannot anticipate what is behind you unlike other shooter games. Like in real life, you can’t see what’s at your back because you don’t, of course, literally have eyes to help you guard from behind. If you can aim well, then any FPS game can be completed with no sweat.

Famous FPS games were sold on the market; some became very successful and widely sought after. Counterstrike and Half-life, to name a few from the already globally famous shooter game category, had hooked a crowd for years. More and more promising FPS games are being developed and released.

Duke Nukem 3D is one of the most famous FPS games ever developed. It was already 10 years when the developers released the last installment to the sequel. An upcoming Duke Nukem installment can be played soon according to GameSpot.