New Accessories: TX Mic & Air Flo Controller

Hi there!

Recently, I have been asked to try out a few new accessories to increase the Xbox experience and after looking around, I found two which were quite interesting. Firstly, we'll begin with a new mic, which was the prototype to the MW3 Preorder microphone: Gioteck TX-1 Throat Mic.

As you can see, there is a small round mic to the left that fits slightly to the left, close to your Adam's Apple, or slightly back depending on neck size. The clasps on the side stretch out by about 5 cenemeters, making it much more comfortable. To mute the mic or turn up the volume (unseen in the photo), there is a small latch on the right hand side with a turning dile nearby. Lastly, there is the one plug for listenting to voice. While it does fit in on both sides, the TX seems to prefer the use of the right ear, making it more appropriate for right handed people.

While the mic is of great quality, it is overly sensitive. Swallowing saliva or air is picked up by the mic. Voice recognition is quite well, but makes it a little uneasy to be heard, as voice is picked up not by words spoken through the lips, but the vibrations in the throat, making it dull and almost sounding as if speaking through a pillow.

The TX is quite a good piece of equipment for those who prefer being slightly choked, and being bothered with a corded mic, then this would be a decent buy for you.

Cost: $15.

Average X360 microphone price: $30

Secondly, after finding this in a little store, I was overjoyed to have found an old friend from my youthful gaming days. The Air Flo 360 Controller.

For those who don't know or are too young to remember, Air Flo made its first appearance with the original Xbox then making its way towards the Playstation 2. The controller is practically the same but with a few new new features. Firstly, this controller is designed with a mini fan built into the back, to cool your hands as you play. Not only is this an effective tool, but its also a great controller to play while in the dark. Can't see what buttons your pressing? With the simple tap to the button on the left, your controller lights up, from both the buttons and the vents at the side of the controller. Hands a little bit sweaty? Tap the button at the top right for a low fan speed, again for high and once more for off.

This is a great tool in gaming, keeping your fingers limber and quick and stopping from slipping and sliding off your worn controller.

One issue of the controller is the D pad. While barely used these days, the plastic used for its construction is slightly uncomfortable and stiff, making choosing weapons in Gears 3 or selecting squad movements in Ghost Recon slightly more troublesome.

The controller is probably best for both those who have issues with hands sweating during gameplay or even newcomers who don't know where your buttons are.

Cost: $40

Average X360 controller price: $60

I hope you enjoyed my review on these two items, and I highly recommend them to you. Both are quite cheap and quite useful, if you can put up with going back 5 years to corded gaming items.

No matter how you play the game, just remember, have fun and game on!

Al Fatman

Five Easy Achievements: Saints Row The Third.

G'day folks!

I have just finished my forth playthrough of the Campaign and I'm extremely enjoying the insane gameplay. So to help you along, here's five easy achievements to get along the way!

1: Bo-Duke-En
10 Gamerscore
As a nod in the direction of the Dukes of Hazard, this achievement requires you to hijack 50 cars by going in feet first through the windshield or the windows on the side of the car. Do this, and the achievement will pop. Pretty simple and fair fun to do!

2: Ow My Balls!
10 Gamerscore
Any man knows the horrible pain of being hit in the genitals. So this achievement will be painful to some, but fun to most! Simply shoot a man in his genitals until the "Nut Shot" kill streak pops then walk up to another and click the Right Thumbstick in to kick another to the ground in a painful assault!
This achievement only pops if you perform it on a Stag/Gang member, so trying it on a civillian won't work.

3: A Better Person
15 Gamerscore
This achievement is quite simple. Just buy an upgrade from your phone and bam! There it is!
Simple, easy, done.

4: Gender Equality
10 Gamerscore
Yet another simple achievement! Just play the campaign as a man for two hours, switch your gender to female and continue play for another two hours. Simple, easy and done!

5: Gellin' Like Magellan
20 Gamerscore
A simple little achievement that you can get by playing through the game or even just by driving. Explore Steelport completely and the achievement shall pop! You can get the achievement quite early on in the game, while hunting for ammunition and even buying stores and other areas to increase your money income.

So hopefully these can give you a little boost, but by easily playing through the campaign can give you a decent amount too.
Thanks very much for reading!
Al Fatman

Fatman's Gaming Tips - New Camera!

I've been meaning to upload this, my bad!
Enjoy!
Al Fatman

Fatman's Outtakes Ep 1

Hopefully, you get a jolly out of this! I muck up sooo much.
Enjoy!
Al Fatman

Five Easy Achievements: AC Revelations

G'day folks!

In the absence of my usual reviews, here's a bunch of easy achievements for Revelations! If people wish me to do some more, I'll try and post a few more for the other November release games!

So, without further ado, here they are!

1: Mastering The Art
30 Gamerscore
This requires you to perform the INCOGNITO bonus during multiplayer, and you don't need to look further than the Introductory sequence! Simply play through the tutorial, and eventually, you'll be able to stalk and kill a target. Follow your target, don't kill them just yet, and wait for your bonus meter to rise. When it reaches "INCOGNITO", stab away! With that, the achievement will pop!

2: The Way I Like It
20 Gamerscore
To earn this, all you have to do is change your Templar profile. This can be done even at Level 1. Simply head to your profile and create your own symbol (Through purchased symbols of "templar points" earnt during multiplayer gameplay) or others you find during Desmond Missions. Change it even the slightest bit and it definately should come up.

3: Lighting Strikes
20 Gamerscore
Kill five enemies with the Hidden Blade. There are two ways to get this pretty easily. Firstly, attract a large sum of enemies; heading to a Templar Den would probably be easiest. Throwing down a Caltrop or Dense Smoke Bomb will definately help (Unless there's Jannisaries, in that case throw the Smoke) and then go to work on those guys! Just remember that the smoke or caltrops will fade after about four seconds, get ready to counter.
The second option (In which I got the achievement) is near the end of the Campaign (Which I won't spoil!) you'll take control of your parachute, flying from the back of a wagon. Enemies will be trying to kill an ally, and you must kill them! Attack them from above with some quickness and it can be yours!

4: Show Off
20 Gamerscore
This only requires you to use a parachute and get onto a zip line from the fall. There are a few spots to do it from, but the easiest is probably from the Assassins HQ. Climb up to the tip to their tower and jump straight foward. There will be a Zipline going slightly to the right and aim for it. Drop down onto it by pressing and holding B and there you go!

5: Craft Maniac
20 Gamerscore
Pretty simple, make 30 bombs! When you gain the ability to craft bombs, you can remake the same ones over and over, or craft different bombs to experiment with the difference. Remember to create them fully and then the cheev will go up!

There are plenty more easy achievements, but these 5 are probably the easiest to get, so for all you Achievement Hunters out there, I hope this helps!
Thanks for reading!

Al Fatman

2500 View Marker

I am simply at awe at the amount of view and I have no one else to thank but you!

You, the person reading these words have pushed me to be who I am and what I'm doing now, and I cannot thank you enough! All of you have been spreading the word of Al Fatman, making me known and taking my opinion on games everywhere into your own and making rational decisions, which is exactly what I set out to do!

So, for the 2500, thank you all so very, very much!

Now, onto some business: I've had alot of feedback for Ask Fatman and it looks really promising! The next episode will hopefully be out by Sunday. Also, I should (Fingers crossed) getting a proper camera tomorrow, so thats something to look forward to. The next Fatman's Gaming Tips, I'm putting together some topics and some news, if I think it's of interest, of course.

Otherwise, it's gonna be a bit of a wait!
No major game titles come out till March, with Mass Effect 3 (Which, oddly enough, is released 10 days before my birthday, so should be awesome) Hopefully, something that sparks my interest will come out to quench my time for ME3. If not, all this month's titles will help! Already on my third playthrough of Saints Row The Third!

This is goodbye for now, thanks so much for all the support!
Have fun and game on!
Al Fatman

Review: Saints Row The Third

G'day folks!

Freshly finished, Saints Row The Third has left me both with a sense of a hoarse voice from laughter and surprise at both the ending. With the release of Saints Row back in 2006, many people turned it away, calling it "a GTA ripoff", but with the sequal to the original, the game francise finally made a mark to be called "GTA on crack" but with the third installment, many people are intisipating this game to be much more fun, and much more insane.

And THQ and Voalition definitely deliver.

To begin with, graphics have gotten a huge dial up, but at some points still are a bit pixelated, especially when the camera is focused on hair stylisations during cut scenes. But thats not whats important about this game. Storyline is random and brilliant in perfect SR style, alongwith gamplay. Musical score is a little bit dissapointing this time around, with only having a few great hits, both modern and classic. There's nothing better than chasing after an ally close to being executed with "Holdin' Out For A Hero" blasting behind you or storming an enemy stronghold with Kanye's "Power" from the reveal trailer pushing your through the front (Technically back) door. What really sets the game apart, as per its previous titles, is the gameplay. Not only fun and inventive, but completely destructive, random and crazy. Smashing a man in his genitals has never been more amusing, or even riding on a rickshaw as a dominatrix pulls you along, while you kill the enemies in your pursuit.

Mutiplayer has defiantely been taken down a peg this time around, with the game mostly focusing on Co-Op and a new mode called Whored Mode, in which you battle waves of enemies from a fixed position. Take away the "W" in that and you can see where the game developers got the idea from, once again, Cliffy B is flattered so many people are bringing it back just cause of them.
Other than these small multiplayer options, it has been completely removed from the game.

The only bad points this game seems to have is the loss of earning Respect. Yes, the option is still there, but its the undermined meaning. Respect unlocked Abilities, in which to improve your character. More health, recruit more people under you, use Double pistols etc. But Respect is no longer spent to play missions. And with this, gameplay is much shorter than usual, as taking over areas is as simple as spending $5000 on a new building. While the side missions are there as an option, there isn't really much stopping you from doing them, unless general curiousity. But who can resist Professor Genki?

Saints Row The Third continues the insane, fun and crazy style of the game. And with the released of a definite Saints Row 4, the series of the game is looking much brighter than what it was back five years ago. The only competition left in its way is the upcoming GTA5, and the battle for top dog will begin!

Out of 10, I gave Saints Row The Third an 9/10

Good points: Customisation at an all time high!
                     Continued storyline
                     A return to a classic

Bad points:    JOHNNY! NOOOO!
                    Respect is unearnt
                    Side missions - fun but unneeded.

SR The Third is out now for the standard price of $85

Review: Halo CE Anniversary

Hello again!

Its been a wonderful 10 years of gaming with the Xbox, and this has been on the back of the mind of many gamers, the game that started it all. And 343 Industries has delivered. Halo Combat Evolved was, and still is, the creator of all gaming styles of this generations. It was only a matter of time until the anniversary of such event would finally come. See what I did there?

While there isn't much to talk about this game, there's really only two things to truly focus on: graphics and audio. Graphics have definately been tuned up, while not to a 2011 level, but to at least only a few years ago, with barely a hiccup along the way. Worldly animation is quite brilliant, with nostalgia quite certain for any of us who are old enough to actually remember the original title (The average age of a Halo gamer being 13) and/or the stylised gameplay it offered. In the company's own words "...offering billions of hours of entertainment." the remake is definately worthy of anyones time. Audio, for both the now instant classic musical score and characters have been reampted and are quite clean this time around. Playing this game 10 years ago, I misheard many of the lines, and now with both the cleanliness of the audio and dialect (And with the help of subtitles) the sound quality is quite fantastic.

Halo's orginal mutilplayer was unable for me with the original game (As my family didn't have the internet in those early years of its existance) it was quite enjoyable to be able to play many of the classic maps this time around, And I must say, I am quite impressed with the availability of both finding matches and the look of the maps.

However, there are some small faults.

While the game has been remastered, many of the fans would agree that Master Chief doesn't look exactly right, his helmet and armour being slightly off from both the original and to the remade version for Halo: Reach. Controls can tend to be slightly sticky, especially around checkpoints as well as both some points in the game, Master Chief being just as fragile as he was back then.

While remakes tend to be horrible for the most part *COUGH - Goldeneye - COUGH*, Anniversary tends to be exactly the same as the original back in the day. Its shows that Halo 4 is definately in the right hands.

Out of 10, I gave Halo CE Anniversary an 9/10

Good points: Graphics are quite beautiful
                    Subtitles & Audio = Sublime
                    "We're just getting started"

Bad points:   ...Not few many changes....
                    Sticky controls - multiplayer & campaign alike
                    Master Chief tends to die...by the slightest Ghost touch...

Halo CE Anniversary is out now for the standard price of $45

Review: Assassins Creed Revelations

G'day everybody!

Now long into the fifth game into the series, Assassins Creed makes its return with Revelations, known as the last game following Altair Ibn La Ahad and Ezio Auditore da Firenze. While playing through as Ezio during his silver fox years, as well as Altair during both his youth and his final days, we once again set ourselves as Desmond, gruff and scruffy during his comatose state, he awakes in the Animus, on the side of a beach known as Animus Island, with an eagar (and finally nonfaceless) Subject 16. To restore Desmond to his body, he must work through both of his Ancestor's memories for the bleeding effect to take less of an toll on his already broken mind.

Firstly, lets start off with gameplay. Any person who has played any game in the series will be familiar with the controls, easing their way back into the world of the reknown Assassin. With the new hookblade, alongside the new deadliness of this ageing killer, Ezio is much more brutal with age, killing with much more ease, despite his groaning complaints. Musical score is quite sublime, the music quite Middle Eastern stylised, but keeping the familiar strings of the series. Graphics, unless in cutscenes, look quite plain, almost back to second game in the series. Worldly graphics look quite exquisite, but perhaps character animation could have spent a little more focus upon.
What is really the gem of Revelations, is the voice acting. With the return of Roger Craig Smith to resume his role as Ezio, he truly brings his all inside the character, bringing depth and emotion to both serious and relaxing times with Yusuf Tazim. Not only is the acting great, but the choices in which players can have is brilliant. While Ezio is still the star, Altair has 5 (Technically 6) playable mini missions and there are also Desmond memories, recruiting Assassins have missions on their own and so on. There is much more to do this time around in the storyline.

Multiplayer, while with a few new features of gameplay, is still quite the same award winning style, with only a huge upgrade to both map styles, sizes and customization of a kind of Playercard. New weaponry is introduced, allowing throwing knifes, bombs, more swords etc.
However, a great addition is the more modernised match finding. Finding a match still doesn't show where you're going to, but the system now searches according to distance and connectivity, making it much easier and smoother than before.

Sadly, Revelations does have its faults. To begin with, the newly named "Templar Awareness" radar now increased alot faster than previous titles. Buying stores increases notority by 25%, killing guards (Whether in Low Profile or High) earns you a bit more. But these wouldn't be as annoying as they would be unless it wasn't for getting rid of said notority. Posters have been removed entirely from the game, giving players only two options: Heralds or Officials. Heralds can be a bit tricky to find, as they only pop up on the screen if you're within a certain distance (Approximately 100 meters) and Officials only indicated or appearing when Awareness is full and complete. While Herald's prices for bribery are down to 100 Akcre's (Coins), they only reduce 25% of notority, while Officials only 50%. A warning to the stabbing happy, kill a guard while on full notority, and its pretty certain for a Den to be attacked. While the Den fights are quite fun, they tend to be slightly frustrating when controls stick, normal storyline missions being unplayable unless you battle in the conflicted Den and win or loose. Loosing will cost you to retake it once again.

Overall, Revelations can bring players many hours of joy and fun, with a diverse and exciting storyline, thrilling acting and so much to do and see, this is definately worthy for Ezio and Altair's final hurrah in the gaming series, but hopefully, for fangirls everywhere, they aren't going to dissapear forever.

Out of 10, I gave Assassins Creed Revelations an 8.5/10

Good points: So many options of gameplay
                    Sublime acting and musical score
                    Quizicle storyline, deep and powerful.

Bad points:   Notority is a hassle
                    Decreasing it too.....
                    Den fights can be annoying interruptive
                    The end of Ezio and Altair's chapter.

Assassins Creed Revelations is out now for the standard price of $80

Ask Fatman Episode 1

Well, here it is! The very first episode of Ask Fatman!
Do you have a question that's on your mind? Tell me in the comments and I'll answer it!
Thanks for watching!
Al Fatman

Fatmans Gaming Tips Posting Trouble

Hey there guys and gals.

Just a quick heads up, right where I live is a huuuge thunder storm, thats just raging and not going away. The internet is bugging up and this is my 8th attempt to post this. Thank god for Copy and Paste.
So yeah, the new episode of FGT will be a bit delayed till tomorrow afternoon, at the lastest, with the first episode of Ask Fatman  following it on Sunday.
Please keep up with the questions, its really appreciated!

Thanks for understanding, the reviews of Revelations and Anniversary will be done ASAP, explained more in the FGT episode.
Game on!
Al Fatman

Pre Multiple Review Thoughts

Hey there everybody!

Well, this week is gonna be pretty damn epic. While our overseas folk get three games all released tomorrow, many Aussies are cramming to go get Assassins Creed Revelations and Halo AA tomorrow, with Saints Row The Third coming out on the following Friday.
With all these games coming out, I'm also pushing on an episode of Fatman's Gaming Tips very soon, with the first episode of Ask Fatman coming up very soon, Im hoping to get a few questions stockpiled! Sad, right? But meh, I want to get ahead, so post some questions please! All of them will appear eventually!
Also, I've bought two new pieces of equipment, so I'll post a review on those two in the near future and its fricking sweet.

Anyhoo, I'll try to post the reviews as quick as I can, but playing two games at a time is gonna be interesting....especially two pretty long ones.
Thanks for reading, and game on!
Al Fatman

Review: Sonic Generations

Hey there everybody!

With exactly 20 years of a world with Sonic the Hedgehog, and with some good years and the bad, the technology generation has finally come at this: Sonics' possible final hurrah with Sonic Generations.

Straight from the get-go, you leap right into Sonic, Classic form, running down the massive hills of Green Hill Zone (Exactly the same as the first and second demo) to cut at a cutscene which puts you at Sonics' surprise birthday party, with all the characters that have come along since his creation.But without warning, they are all taken by this mysterious creature, sucked into this white world without life or colour. And so its up to Sonic to restore the "oddly familiar" places and his friends as he goes along.

As per mentioned, the graphics this time around are just beautiful, both in 2-D and Modern form, but enough on this has been said. The classic musical score of all the previous games have been remade and match the gameplay with such perfection its utterly awesome, with nostaliga all around for those old enough to remember Genesis.
Gameplay is quite smoothe, the game being highly polished and the movements alot of fun. While there is voice acting, there can be quite a lack of it, seeing as Classic Sonic does not talk, but Modern Sonic does, and these small windows of conversation are rare and even then, in small bursts of sentences. However, it is quite enjoyable listening to them, as the characters make fun of the gaming series.

Storyline sees you as both Sonics, travelling from world to world, and then to battle a boss from that era of gaming. For example, after collection 3 Demon Keys from playing small mini challenges in the relms world (which can range from racing a copy of yourself to hitting musical notes before they dissapeared) your first boss is Death Egg Robot, one of the final bosses in Sonic and Knuckles. Playing through them earns you Chaos Emeralds, as well as other side missions, called Rival Battles, facing off against three main opponants from the past: Metal Sonic, Shadow and Silver.
Without spoiling the gameplot, all the Emeralds are required to complete the game.
Which brings me to the bad points.

While there are 17 main missions (Including Boss and Rival battles), the game tends to focus more on side missions than main gameplay, as Classic Sonic levels are quite long, and Modern Sonic levels are quite short.
Also, while the gameplay is simplistic, the final boss (Which I shall not spoil) is quite ridiculous. Mashing X while collecting coins doesn't seem much of a challenge, but punishes you harshly taking life after life if you do not do as Sonic's friends call out to you.
With storyline is enjoyable, some missions played as either Modern or Classic Sonic is quite annoying, as camera angles tend to go haywire and leave you looking at the wall while Sonic is being hit by an enemy. A good point would be the change of Sonic's durability, since having over 50 ring will see you sustain 3 hits.

Sonic has come far from being a small blue blob on our television screens back in 1991 and though, some of the work has been hit or miss, it was fun to finally see an end to the game, to hear the lame but hilarious puns and the jokes cracked (Think about it) made at the very end.
And with over 100 people yelling "Happy birthday Sonic!" as the final credit rolls, another chapter of the fastest Hedgehog in the world is complete, with nothing left to say, but goodbye.

Out of 10, I gave Sonic Generations an 7.5/10

Good points: A reimagining of a classic gaming icon - brilliant work
                     Musical score is wicked awesome
                     Jokes made about their own company takes hangers

Bad points:    End of an icon...?
                     Some missions/battles are a bit...just no
                     Not much Modern Sonic gameplay time

(Sonic Generations is out now *With a free keychain!* for $100)

Review: Batman Arkham City

Hi everybody!
(No Simpsons pun intended)

What started out as a small comic book series in the late 30's has developed greatly over the years from comic, to television, to movies and then to games. Batman Arkham City is one among many in the popular world of Batman, but it is a piece of art that should not be avoided.

As I have previously stated, I haven't played a Batman game since the side scroller in the early 90's of my childhood. I have never been a huge Batman fan (As Spiderman seemed cooler to me) and I haven't gone out of my way to watch the movies or play the games. This game, however, has definitely sparked my interest in the series all over again.
One of the first things I noticed was the graphic detail on not only just cutscenes and characters, but on the world of Arkham City, each and every little detail right down to the snowflakes being well done and beautiful to gaze over the city as snow falls from above. Next would be the terrific voice acting; the nerd inside me extremely happy with Mark Hamill playing the devilious villian Joker. The entire cast, from Batman (Played by Kevin Conroy) to the lowly thud were performed greatly, adding the well known tension and mood Batman games/movies/shows are well known for.
Gameplay is decent, with the controls sticking only a little when it comes to using or selecting gadgets, playing through the game is quite enjoyable, along with camera angles following you from both informative and create places as you travel throughout the city.
The only place the game faulters, if only slightly, is the storyline. With a terrific beginning and end, its the middle of the game that faulters, with the main plot often being put aside for side missions that will require you to do some tasks that slow down progress for 30 minutes, in the least. These missions, while inventive and fun, can be a little troublesome, taking you out of the suspence of the main storyline for some odd little sidequest.

With Catwoman's missions not far behind, its a great addition to the game to play as this unique character, scaling walls to reach an objective, using the whip to travel over rooftops and reaching areas that Batman cannot. Its quite satisfying playing as Catwoman, giving the player a variety of both good and bad characters.
Unfortunately, I haven't been able to play the second DLC, so that will remain an unknown factor.

Sadly, like every other game, there are some faults.
While the graphics are of great quality, the fast pace of the game doesn't allow much dilly dally and the only small windows you have are tracking parts of missions, such as looking for Penguin's radar dishes. While the musical score is fantastic and did create mood for the entire game, there was a great lasp of it, travelling from place to place in the city, with only a snippet now and again. The music only returned when engaging in combat, and as I mentioned, the middle of the campaign was slightly dissapointing, focused mostly on side missions than the actual plot, taking you away from the moment of the crisis that is, literally, having Batman's life on the line within a few hours left till his death.

Like every other game, Arkham City has its slight faults, but this should not deter you from the game. With such a brilliant accord of voice actors, a decent storyline and breathtaking graphics, this game is a must have for lovers of the francise, leaving you staring at the screen, growling softly in a husky voice "Im Batman!"

Out of 10, I gave Batman Arkham City an 8/10

Good points: Graphics are beautiful
                     Voice acting = perfection
                     Combat is engagingly great

Bad points:    JOKER! NOOOOO!
                     Lack of musical score during softer moments
                     Controls can tend to stick & confuse AI

(Batman Arkham City is out now for the average price of $80)

Upcoming New Show - Ask Fatman!

Hey there folks.
Ask me some questions, it'll be awesome!
Thanks for watching!

Fatman Revealed!

So there you have it.
Seedly, ewwy, shifty, fatty fat Fatman.
Next on my list?
Gameplay videos! I just need a proper camera and the right cords....

Thanks for watching!
Al Fatman

Review: Modern Warfare 3

G’day everybody!

Possibly one of the most controversial and anticipated titles of every year, Call of Duty has finally released their latest, and possibly last, instalment in the recent title, Modern Warfare 3. Alongside the release of Call of Duty ELITE, the game was released to an excited audience, many fans waiting for the midnight release and some, as I’ve seen, already at a Prestige level. So, the question remains; what is new with the MW series?

***WARNING! POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD!***

As many people have already realised, the game engine was not changed since the previous title, disappointing many graphic crazed fans, nor the controls, so any player of an FPS will not be needing their manual. However, that does not mean it is the exact same game. Characters have been given a huge boost with more facial movements, and weapon spotting and their styles have also been given a huge boost in the right direction. Sound effects, while only slightly touched up, are a great effect in the world of game, at some points bringing you into the game. What really gives this game its punch is the newly erected musical score and the voice acting. A real big kudos to the musical score, not only a beautiful transition of both previous titles, but adding in some new scores, adding an effect that I believe hasn’t been added yet. Not just the main characters, but the whole ensemble of the voice cast were an excellent match, all matching both emotional status and physical. Kevin McKidd, as John “Soap” MacTavish, once again did an excellent job bringing depth and raw emotion to his role while Billy Murray, as John Price, delivers a more personal side of Captain Price that we have never seen before.
As I started on the Campaign, I noticed these little things along the way, fighting in the streets of New York, Paris, London, Prague and more cities and towns but as you move through, mission by mission, gamers of the previous titles will start to notice the little dots finally being connected until they all reach to one, large discovery that will make your jaw drop, as it did my own. The beginning will leave you wanting more, the middle will pull your heart strings and the end will bring you not only satisfaction, but also a kind of knowing. In retrospect, I will not reveal the ending, but I warn you: bring a cup of coffee.

Moving on to the other options at our disposal, we start at Special Ops; Newly resurrected and remade classic gameplay from the previous titles, of both Trial Runs, Beat The Clock and Eliminate type of style. This time around sees also Survival, a type of Gears Horde mode, with a twist. As you fight wave of enemies of your choice (All dogs, Juggernauts, Shotguns only etc) as the round ends, you can buy ammunition for weapons you pick up, upgrade the ones you purchase, claymores and grenades and also, Predator Missiles and attack helicopters. Playing with friends or by your lonesome, the gameplay is quite simple but challenging to any gamer, forcing you to think of where to go, where to attack and where to make your final stand. A nice addition to the game, Survival is really for those who like to challenge themselves.

And of course, the last part of the MW franchise, the multiplayer side.
Of course, it is no different to any FPS, but it is completely different. Sledgehammer and Infantry finally found the kind of balance they had wanted since day one, with this time around adding in Kill Confirmed along with the many classic game styles. With all new weapons, perks to help out yourself and your teammates and special perks to help you improve who you are in game and some even to make you a killing machine. But like all good things, they must all come to an end. This is a Call of Duty game we’re talking about. During multiplayer, be ready to expect people hiding behind corners waiting for you, others spinning around in a corner and jumping and many more delightful, angry fans of this well know series that many are currently enjoying.

And here’s the bad news.
Sadly, I have found the odd amount of lag in Campaign, playing by myself. This may have been a glitch or such, but even playing Spec Ops did not help. Also, while the game is marvellous and fun, it seems to be missing much more. Many people have complained that the game is near exactly like Modern Warfare 2. Things have been changed since the last, but many things still remain the same, but this will not stop me.

As a Call of Duty game, gamers are a little weary of the continuing series, but still buy the game. For me, I wanted to end the fight between Makarov and see the remnants of 141 returned to their former glory. Modern Warfare 3 is a brilliant game in every way, from its Campaign to its new styled multiplayer. But sadly, the missing ingredient is the one good thing for all things, gaming or not:
Change.

Out of 10, I gave Modern Warfare 3 an 8.5/10

Good points: Return of Soap and Price!
                    Utterly stunning voice acting
                    Jaw dropping storyline

Bad points:    Change is good, why so little of it?
                     Glitches? On campaign?  Offline? Really?
                     Some bad spawn points online....

(Modern Warfare 3 is out now for the average price of $75)

MW3 Pre Review Thoughts

Hey there folks!

Well, here's the story:
After my shift at work, I picked up my copy of MW3 and went home. I started playing it at 4pm and was extremely enjoying it. Of course, I had to stop occaisonally; dinner, drink, trips outside to escape the mugginess inside and so on. It is now 12:20am, and thirty minutes ago, I finished the Campaign. That's about 7 hours of gameplay, then you have to minus my breaks. So after thinking it over, its about an hour less.
Don't get me wrong, I'm still stunned and thrilled by the events in the game, and don't worry, when I write my review tomorrow, after I try Multiplayer a bit more.
I had my first go at the new Special Ops too, and I was very impressed. I really should give it another go.
But anyhoo, the full review will be done tomorrow, around about the same time tomorrow.

Next to pick up? Assassins Creed Revelations! Bring on next Tuesday!

Thanks for reading!
Al Fatman

Fatman's F.A.Q.

G’day folks!

Do you have those questions that you want to ask me, but just don’t know how to ask? Or maybe you want to know how to get into something like this? Well, guess no more! This F.A.Q. hopefully can answer any questions you may have. If not, just let me know!

Q: What’s this website about?
A: This here is Fatman Central, where the reviews of many different titles and game styles are tested and reviewed by yours truly. But that’s not all; there’s competitions held on occasion, video’s, tips on how to improve, accessories to both your Xbox and your playing experience and those little bits of info you definitely don’t want to miss!

Q: What’s Fatman’s Gaming Tips?
A: That’s my show, in which I divulge snippets of reviews, news, anything that’s relevant with this site, or anything I think is important for the gamers worldwide to know! Episodes are posted randomly and filmed by the Kinect with the Avatar Kinect download on Fun Labs.

Q: Why do you only post 360 Titles?
A: At the current point of time, 360 titles are my main game. The Xbox covers many of the main titles released during the year. Having two consoles with the exact same games would be slightly pointless, as PlayStation have only a few main console only titles and vice versa with the Xbox. In the end, game reviews are posted and my reviews are judged on an even ground, so that no prejudices or loves of a particular series can be influenced.

Q: Why do you hold competitions?
A: Well, whenever you, yes you, take a look at my reviews on my pages, it adds not only another number added to the views counter, but word of mouth spreads this site. So, in other words, you scratch my back, I scratch yours.
Competitions might be held in the future, as a thank you for all the support. Anyone can be winner!

Q: Do you have any other sites in which I can see your work?
A: I do have a YouTube account, which I post episodes of Fatman’s Gaming Tips on. Liking my videos would be a huge help, subscribing would be awesome and even spreadin’ the word of Al Fatman would be even better!

Q: How do I become a Game Tester?
A: If I had a dollar.... okay, here it is!
Microsoft.com/playtest
When you enter the site, you’ll be prompted to take their quiz, made completely of general things, such as what types of games you are interested in, how often you play etc.
Good luck!

Q: Can you do a specific game for me?
A: Sure! If you want my opinion on a specific game or want to ask me to play a game before you buy it, just let me know and I’ll get on it!

Q: Do you review anything else other than games?
A: I sure do! Everything to do with games and your gaming experience! So that can be anything from accessories, such as microphones, text pads, chargers, all the way up to the bigger things such as game case holders, headphones and even televisions!

Q: Can you tell us anything about upcoming games?
A: On the rare occasion, yes I can. But many game testers are sworn to secrecy and can lose this privilege if they even utter the tiniest detail. If I can divulge something to you guys and gals, I will.

Q: Who is Al Fatman?
A: Al Fatman is the guy writing these words! I’m just like the other hundreds of thousands of gamers, no different to any other player. I’m the average guy with a love for gaming and everything to do with it.  

 Hopefully these questions help and thanks for reading!

Fatman's Gaming Tips - Upcoming Batman Arkham City Review!

G'day folks!
Hopefully you can enjoy this, and maybe it'll ease out some of those questions.
I'm also currently writing a F.A.Q. to help out with any questions you have.
Thanks so much for watching!
Al Fatman

Review: Goldeneye Reloaded

Hey there folks!

Released back in 1995, Goldeneye 64 was, and is arguably, one of the most influential games of history, alongside other such classics as Doom and even all the way back to the original Atari models. Every game that has come after, Goldeneye has been the main focus point and the source of all inspiration, seen in the eyes of all ageing gamers as the best game of their childhood.

Back in 2007, the Nintendo Wii tried, and failed, to bring back the life and love of the original game. This remake was seen as a disgrace and an outright insult to the game. In the words of a friend of mine, this new version of the game is a remake of a remake of the original and this time around, even now, the game does not hold much justice to this old favourite of the game or the series of James Bond.
Firstly, many gamers have pointed this out, but the graphics of the game are sadly, of not that great quality. To guesstimate what kind of date they look from, probably 2007, when the remake was made. Gameplay is what you’d expect from a First Person Shooter, while supporting those who are the Sneak ‘N’ Stab type of gamers; it supports more of the now overpopulated, Run and Gun types. When revealing your position, an alarm will sound and several enemies will appear out of doors to the side, doubling the numbers of your attacking enemies, however, AI movement is quite predictable after watching their movements.
For a game that wished to add realism to the 007 world, the games mechanics are not entirely real, from facial movements to weapon recoil. Whatever weapon you use will not matter, as three bullets in the chest or even the leg will kill your opponent, even the pistol. Speaking of which, your P99, one of Bond’s most iconic symbols, isn’t as powerful as it is in previous titles. The gun demands a one second delay before firing again, when the weapon can be fired automatically if the trigger finger is quick enough. The only brilliant thing about the Campaign experience is the familiar levels from the game and the beautiful musical score, as even sound effect and acting (Other than Daniel Craig and Judi Dench) aren’t of decent value and are quite disappointing.

Sadly, that was the good news of the title.

The multiplayer experience, while with small range maps to force players to fight each other, matches take a long time to connect and even then, they have a chance to send you back to the main title screen for not being “combatable” with the host. This is just a fancy was of saying “Your signal isn’t strong enough to connect.” However, with the other larger titles coming out, many people may be playing the previous titles in anticipation of their sequels. The gameplay of the multiplayer lags due to this matter and kills are unfairly rewarded to those with the better connection AKA the host.
The MI6 Ops are probably the latter of this experience, creating not only the best challenge for you to test yourself against as many enemies in as many different situations are you can think of and create. I particularly like using the Golden Gun perk alongside the paintball one too. The walls will be covered by the AI’s by the end of the match.

To wrap this up, Goldeneye 64 was an instant classic and a game changer back in the 90’s, just like its counterparts before it. With the Wii game being mostly a failure, many fans of the Bond series and the classic itself were hoping that this time around, the Eurocom and Activision would get the balance right. Sadly, this isn’t the case. While the game is enjoyable for the nostalgia, it isn’t worth much else.

Out of 10, I gave Goldeneye Reloaded an 5.5 out of 10

Good points: Its Goldeneye! Come on!
                       MI6 Ops a great idea and addition.

Bad points:   Removal of gadgets (No Laser Watch)
                       Realism, gameplay, graphics = Stale & outdated.
                       Multiplayer not fair to non hosts.
                       AI’s are idiotic, at best.
                       Remake of a remake = big no no.

(Goldeneye Reloaded is out now for the average price of $65)

Saints Row: Initiation Station

Hey there folks!

For those who don't know, Saints Row The Third is right around the corner, and the creators have recently came out with a demo of the game, but nothing of what we expected! In the form of a competition!

Initiation Station is the creation center of the game, where you can design ever little feature of your character, and is arguably, the best creational feature of any game. As you begin, you'll find yourself in the presense of two gorgeous women in "revealing" clothing, with an narration telling you how it works and how, quote, "...You have to be a sinner, to be a Saint!"
This leads you towards the creational zone of the game, in which you can choose to create whatever characer you wish!
Your character can be the four main ethicities, be male or female, full of muscles or fat or even skinny as a bone. But it doesn't stop there!
Your skin can be blue, your eyes can be huge like so many anime characters, cover your character in tattoes and even now, have hilarious Taunts and Compliments.
(My favourites being "The Scroog" *Spaceballs - Movie*, and the "quarter circle + A", as your character preforms the KAMEHAMEHA!)

Clothing is also an option, or you can leave him/her naked. Nearly everything is customisable.

But thats not all! THQ has released that once characters have been uploaded to the website, viewers can vote for their favourite one. Whichever one has the most amount of votes by the time of the game's release, that character will become a part of the game, having his/her very own mini mission!
But all the others that are uploaded can be downloaded to the Gamertag of your choice and be played as your main character.

I applaud THQ and Voalition for this move of a demo, as this has highly convinced me of preordering this game three months in advance. For seeing my own character dance the moves from Greese and the pelvic thrust from The Three Amigo's, I literally couldn't stop laughing for twenty minutes.

I eagarly look forward to this game.

Saints Row The Third is out November 18th for Australia.

(The Initiation Station is now available for download at just over 800'000 MB)

Fatman's Achievement Guide!

Hey there folks!

I thought I'd give this a try, seeing as many gamers out there today are very Achievement hungry.
"But Fatman! There's heaps of achievement guides out there, why start down a path that so many people are on?" you might be thinking.
Well, as I watched a particular company that focuses on games bring out a video of achievement guide on the Xbox Live Dashboard, I noticed that they, like everyone else in this world, makes mistakes, and two out of the three guides they gave were incorrect.

So, I decided to pick 5 achievements from Battlefield 3 (As this has been what I've been playing mostly as of late) from the campaign so you can find them!

**WARNING! This achievement guide may have possibly spoilers for the Campaign. Tread at caution**

1: "Not On My Watch"
This is probably one of the easier and first achievements you can get. The achievement requires you to protect your ally, Chaffin, from dying as he is being evacuated in Operation Swordbreaker. This is the second mission in the game and quite easy to get, for those who are used to an FPS. All it requires is a bit of aim and a steady shot. Your secondary weapon will have a sight on it, which will make the tast much more easier. Enemies will appear everytime the small squad down below moves, so keep an eye out directly down the sides of the street and to the buildings closest to them and you should be fine.
25Gamerpoints

2: "Involuntary Euthanasia"
The achievement askes you to kill two enemy soldiers before a building collapses on them, in the missions Uprising. As you progress though this level, you will find yourself forced to move through a broken bus, which will be blown to pieces by an RPG. Four enemies will attack you, but you will only be able to see two clearly. Kill the two shooting but don't leave the bus! If you leave the bus, the building will collapse and you will have to restart the mission, and I mean from scratch! Instead, go towards the other door, and throw your grenades as far as you can directly in front of you. If you dont kill the two enemies hiding in the dark and dust, you'll definately draw them forward in which you can take pot shots at them. Just like shooting fish in a barrel....childhood memories....
25 Gamerpoints

3: "The Professional"
This one can be tricky, but its not as hard as I thought. In the mission Comrades, it requires you to complete a street race under 2 minutes and 30 seconds without dying. Near the end of the mission, you will be taken out into the front entrance of the building, and your character will remove his head mask. This is when the time limit begins. You must run, immediately, after the man who is fleeing the scene. Kill all who are in your way (backup and police alike, all who shoot at you) and move through the streets quickly. Once you get to a particular cutscene with an RPG, as it ends, your achievement will pop.
I also recommend doing this on Easy, as Hard will be, well, bloody hard!
30 Gamerpoints

4: "Practise Makes Perfect"
In the mission Kaffarov, you will find yourself entering a dark and red lit basement, and as you enter concrete walls, you'll find still targets popping up, as well as enemies moving with them to confuse you, and they shall fire upon you! Kill them quickly and try not to fire from the hip, as they tend to stick nearby the targets and if even one gets hit, the achievement wont pop. It requires you to headshot every single target in the basement. Its quite simple, but can be annoying, especially when you take cover and an enemy hits it for you and cancells it out. Caution and a non happy trigger finger will get you the achievement.
15 Gamerpoints

5: "What The *Hell* Are You?"
With an achievement name quoted from an awesome movie (Predator), you know this one will be sweet. But overall, you can have this one in no less than 3 minutes (Including the opening scene) to about five.
During the mission Rock and A Hard Place, it askes you to take a Russian Dog Tag from an enemy, and the only way to do that is to stab them. But, pressing the melee button will do nothing, unless you apply stealth to activate the "assassination" cutscene for melees. There's two ways to do this:
As you exit the truck, head left and stick to the left side. An enemy will attack you from the right hand side, just ignore them and continue to move. Go prone and you'll crawl into an enemy hiding behind a tree. Knife him, bing bam and done. Over.
The other option - head right when you leave the truck, stick right and you'll come across the two enemies. Try to climb over the rocks in front of you silently, approach the nearest and knife him. If you're lucky, the second one wont have heard you and you can kill him. If not, he will turn and kill you before you can finish the small scene, and the achievement might not pop.
20 Gamerpoints

So there you have it! There are some other easy ones there too, for example:
Army Of Darkness - Shoot the four lights with four bullets in Night Shift - 30G
Roadkill - Push the car onto the soliders in Uprising - 20G
Scrap Metal - Destroy 6 tanks before reaching the fort in Thunder Run - 25G
Twofor - Kill two enemies with one shot in Night Shift - 15G
And more!

I hope this was instructive and happy gaming.
And, as always my friends, game on!
Al Fatman


(Note: I will make more of these in the future if people wish!)