Thanks for watching! ^.^
Friday 29 June 2012
The Force Unleashed - Star Destroyer Ownage!
Thanks for watching! ^.^
Tuesday 19 June 2012
R18+ Rating Approved!
Howdy folks!
Possibly the biggest news in Australian Gaming History, after months and years of debate and indecision, Australia finally has an R18+ rating system.
Originally this took place back in February this year but the offical signing of the document recently just took place. Ron Curry, CEO of Interactive Games and Entertainment Association was glad to see the change.
"But what does all of this mean Fatman?"
Well, I'm glad you asked.
Since this new bill will come into action January or August 2013, this will irradicate the MA15+ rating on both video games and DVDs. While many people are worried about this change of pace, this means that the rating system will go as such:
G: General - Permitted for all audiences
PG: Parental Guidement - A parent must be present for under 15's
M: Mature - 15 Year olds and higher are permitted to watch, under 15s may no purchase this product
R18+: Very mature - No person under the age of 18 are allowed to purchase/rent this product
X: Highly mature content - No person under the age of 18 are allowed to purchase/view this product.
(Note: X rating is only available in the Territories of Australia)
As I have said in previous posts, R18+ ratings have been asked for by the community for nearly 15 years and the Attorney-Generals of the past have refused this request. Michael Atkinson, the most popular A-G in this retrospect, has been the only member to refuse for a number of years until his retirement early last year. (Note: In Australian Law, to pass a law under the IGEA, the votes must be unanimous. If even a single person refuses, the law will not pass). His overused excuse to refuse classification was due to the R18+ rating to, quote, "open the floodgates" to "show the general public and our children unecessary and vulgar images"
I said this before and I'll say it again: I think the internet bet him to that back in 1994.
Since then, talks of the R18+ rating has been vigorously encouraged.
Studies have shown that the average age of Australian Gamers are 32 and that women take 47% of playing a console. It's also shown that 9/10 homes have at least one console device.
Since February this year, over 47'000 letters, e-mails and such have flooded the offices of the Attorney-General and 98% compleley supporting the use of the R18+ rating.
Personally, I think this is the smartest thing to do. Since not having this system and simply banning games, kids these days are finding the loopholes to exploit and gain from this. Xbox Accounts are being changed to American and kids are getting adult content, ordering banned games from other countries ect ect. While part of the blame rests with the government, the rest of it lays with the parents. Many parents these days buy games such as Call of Duty, games with an MA15+ rating and yet not showing any care until scenes such as "No Russian" in Modern Warfare 2 shows up.
With the R18+ rating finally in place, many parents may finally start to notice the giant red marks atop games and movies and take a second thought on what they are purchasing for their child.
For the gamers of Australia, this has been a huge victory and will surely go down in history either as a positive move in the right direction or opening the floodgates.
In the words of this gamer: Bring on Manhunt!
To see my previous rants of the R18+, follow the link: http://fatmanxviii.blogspot.com.au/search?q=R18%2B
Al Fatman
Possibly the biggest news in Australian Gaming History, after months and years of debate and indecision, Australia finally has an R18+ rating system.
Originally this took place back in February this year but the offical signing of the document recently just took place. Ron Curry, CEO of Interactive Games and Entertainment Association was glad to see the change.
"But what does all of this mean Fatman?"
Well, I'm glad you asked.
Since this new bill will come into action January or August 2013, this will irradicate the MA15+ rating on both video games and DVDs. While many people are worried about this change of pace, this means that the rating system will go as such:
G: General - Permitted for all audiences
PG: Parental Guidement - A parent must be present for under 15's
M: Mature - 15 Year olds and higher are permitted to watch, under 15s may no purchase this product
R18+: Very mature - No person under the age of 18 are allowed to purchase/rent this product
X: Highly mature content - No person under the age of 18 are allowed to purchase/view this product.
(Note: X rating is only available in the Territories of Australia)
As I have said in previous posts, R18+ ratings have been asked for by the community for nearly 15 years and the Attorney-Generals of the past have refused this request. Michael Atkinson, the most popular A-G in this retrospect, has been the only member to refuse for a number of years until his retirement early last year. (Note: In Australian Law, to pass a law under the IGEA, the votes must be unanimous. If even a single person refuses, the law will not pass). His overused excuse to refuse classification was due to the R18+ rating to, quote, "open the floodgates" to "show the general public and our children unecessary and vulgar images"
I said this before and I'll say it again: I think the internet bet him to that back in 1994.
Since then, talks of the R18+ rating has been vigorously encouraged.
Studies have shown that the average age of Australian Gamers are 32 and that women take 47% of playing a console. It's also shown that 9/10 homes have at least one console device.
Since February this year, over 47'000 letters, e-mails and such have flooded the offices of the Attorney-General and 98% compleley supporting the use of the R18+ rating.
Personally, I think this is the smartest thing to do. Since not having this system and simply banning games, kids these days are finding the loopholes to exploit and gain from this. Xbox Accounts are being changed to American and kids are getting adult content, ordering banned games from other countries ect ect. While part of the blame rests with the government, the rest of it lays with the parents. Many parents these days buy games such as Call of Duty, games with an MA15+ rating and yet not showing any care until scenes such as "No Russian" in Modern Warfare 2 shows up.
With the R18+ rating finally in place, many parents may finally start to notice the giant red marks atop games and movies and take a second thought on what they are purchasing for their child.
For the gamers of Australia, this has been a huge victory and will surely go down in history either as a positive move in the right direction or opening the floodgates.
In the words of this gamer: Bring on Manhunt!
To see my previous rants of the R18+, follow the link: http://fatmanxviii.blogspot.com.au/search?q=R18%2B
Al Fatman
Fatman's Gaming Tips - THQ Under Threat
Thanks for watching!
Tuesday 12 June 2012
Fatman's Gaming Tips - Sledgehammer's Return To COD
Thanks for watching!
Monday 11 June 2012
Wednesday 6 June 2012
E3 Coverage
Howdy folks!
Despite not being at E3, I'll be covering all the info that's been dished out into written form, so that you guy and gals might make a bit more sense over all the hype for soooo many awesome games. I'll be covering as much as possible and hopefully it can help!
And without further ado, let's kick this off.
Lucasarts: Roughly a week ago, Lucasarts held a secret meeting with all their developers about a new project they have been working on for some time.
Many fans were wishing for great titles and ideas such as Star Wars Battlefront 3, Knights Of The Old Republic HD Edition or like me, The Force Unleashed 3.
However, Lucasarts took a left turn and came out with an entire brand new game: Star Wars 1313.
Gameplay seems to move like a movie sequence with graphics very highly detailed. You play as a criminal in the underbelly of the world. Alongside your mentor, you travel to level 1313 of the planet. More news as it comes.
Ubisoft: After releasing two trailers, one being 10 minutes of gameplay and the other being a cinematic trailer, hype for the game has never been higher. Graphics are extremely polished and Connor (Desmond's ancestor) looks much more defined in the gameplay. Duel wielding allows for time to slow to watch enemies die. Hunting was also showed; hunting can activate certain tasks people need who will pay handsomely. However, humans are not just the single enemy. Killing animals will also attract preditors and you may be attacked by wolves, bears ect.
343 Industries: Two main trailers have been seen at E3. A gameplay trailer showing much information about the world, Master Chief sees himself in another world full of mess as a human ship crashes into the planet. Chasing after it, he comes into contact with the enemies of the world: non organic but AI's with bodies. Different stylised Forerunner weaponry will be available during gameplay.
The second trailer was a short, live action trailer. Nothing too fancy other than the visuals.
(Unfortunately due to health issues, I wasn't able to cover the rest, sorry for the let down folks)
Al Fatman.
Despite not being at E3, I'll be covering all the info that's been dished out into written form, so that you guy and gals might make a bit more sense over all the hype for soooo many awesome games. I'll be covering as much as possible and hopefully it can help!
And without further ado, let's kick this off.
Lucasarts: Roughly a week ago, Lucasarts held a secret meeting with all their developers about a new project they have been working on for some time.
Many fans were wishing for great titles and ideas such as Star Wars Battlefront 3, Knights Of The Old Republic HD Edition or like me, The Force Unleashed 3.
However, Lucasarts took a left turn and came out with an entire brand new game: Star Wars 1313.
Gameplay seems to move like a movie sequence with graphics very highly detailed. You play as a criminal in the underbelly of the world. Alongside your mentor, you travel to level 1313 of the planet. More news as it comes.
Ubisoft: After releasing two trailers, one being 10 minutes of gameplay and the other being a cinematic trailer, hype for the game has never been higher. Graphics are extremely polished and Connor (Desmond's ancestor) looks much more defined in the gameplay. Duel wielding allows for time to slow to watch enemies die. Hunting was also showed; hunting can activate certain tasks people need who will pay handsomely. However, humans are not just the single enemy. Killing animals will also attract preditors and you may be attacked by wolves, bears ect.
343 Industries: Two main trailers have been seen at E3. A gameplay trailer showing much information about the world, Master Chief sees himself in another world full of mess as a human ship crashes into the planet. Chasing after it, he comes into contact with the enemies of the world: non organic but AI's with bodies. Different stylised Forerunner weaponry will be available during gameplay.
The second trailer was a short, live action trailer. Nothing too fancy other than the visuals.
(Unfortunately due to health issues, I wasn't able to cover the rest, sorry for the let down folks)
Al Fatman.
Tuesday 5 June 2012
Sunday 3 June 2012
Review: Max Payne 3
G'day folks!
In all honesty, I have never played a single minute of any of the previous Max Payne games before the third installment and this time around, I was walking into the dark when I decided to play the last game in the series and I must admit, I was plesantly surprised to what I found.
Firstly, what impressed me greatly was the jawdropping storyline. Straight from the get-go you are divulged into his world of crime, adultery and pain. While all previous titles follow Max and none hold a major storyline connection (other than a few twists and turns) Max Payne starts 9 years after the end of the original game (Which takes place in 2001 so consider MP3 to be in 2010) and sees Max hitting rock bottom after becoming addicted to alcohol and pain killers. Now working as a Private Security Guard for the rich and famous, Max finds himself stuck between a plot between the local gang wars and the hatred against one single family.
With flashbacks to his earlier years also more frequent the longer you go into the campaign, gameplay comes into question and this becomes the icing on the cake.
Gameplay is very smooth. From taking cover, shooting and interacting with objects the gameplay has very few flaws. One flaw being Last Stand; If you have a painkiller left and become full of damage, you will enter Last Stand Mode, in which time slows down and you have a chance to live, only if you can kill the person who caused you to nearly die. Manage to kill him and you have a chance to continue, if you cannot, you die. What makes this frustrating is the AI Bots. Bots, no matter what difficulty, are extremely intelligent. They duck, dodge, stay under cover and only those gun-ho on the battlefield will charge head on. If an AI is behind heavy cover (Such as iron plated fences or roof support beams) it is nearly impossible for you to manage a kill. However, if you do manage to kill them, Max will find himself lying on the floor. This leaves you quite exposed and only a few shots from a nearby enemy will ruin that moment, especially in an open area. (Note: Intelligent AI are not part of the let down in the gameplay. Having an enemy that's smart enough to duck makes the Campaign much more enjoyable)
To give credit, the game does throw a bone to those who struggle. If you continuously die in a certain area, after three deaths or so, you will respawn with an extra painkiller. For each set amount of deaths after this, another painkiller will be given. The maximum seems to be five, but nonetheless helped greatly during the harder escapades.
Voice acting by many of cast truly added drama into each moment. The slow monotone of James McCaffrey in both saddening and silent moments added a subtle but truly effective emotional depth to the gameplay. Sound effects were also excellently used; the slightest step of an enemy around a corner to the explosions of a crashing bus were covered most effectively.
Lastly, let's move on to multiplayer.
What makes this multiplayer stand out is the true purity of the experience. To explain it as best as I can, it's almost as if Rockstar took attributes from the standard procedure of Multiplayer in gameplay (Team Deathmatch, King Of The Hill ect) and place it in a balanced and equal gameplay area very simular to Red Dead Redemption. Little to no lag is present and even if does appear, the entire gameplay halts and restarts so that no "Refreshing" kills can be made. Rockstar took their smooth campaign and place it within a fun way for the standard multiplayer, recreating it into wonder.
Even if you are not a fan of Third Person Shooters or the series, Max Payne definitely deserves the attention of any gamer. The loving care from Rockstar into Max Payne is greatly visible in each option of both Campaign and Multiplayer; a truly reenvigorating experience.
A score from one to ten, I gave Max Payne 3 a 10/10
Good points
+ Excellent stand-alone storyline
+ Clean and smooth gameplayer, both MP and Campaign
+ Sound effect and voice acting brilliant
+ Challenging yet game helps out
+ Intelligent AI enemies?!
Bad points
- Issues with Last Stand
- The end of Max Payne?
Max Payne 3 is out now for the standard price of $68.
Firstly, what impressed me greatly was the jawdropping storyline. Straight from the get-go you are divulged into his world of crime, adultery and pain. While all previous titles follow Max and none hold a major storyline connection (other than a few twists and turns) Max Payne starts 9 years after the end of the original game (Which takes place in 2001 so consider MP3 to be in 2010) and sees Max hitting rock bottom after becoming addicted to alcohol and pain killers. Now working as a Private Security Guard for the rich and famous, Max finds himself stuck between a plot between the local gang wars and the hatred against one single family.
With flashbacks to his earlier years also more frequent the longer you go into the campaign, gameplay comes into question and this becomes the icing on the cake.
Gameplay is very smooth. From taking cover, shooting and interacting with objects the gameplay has very few flaws. One flaw being Last Stand; If you have a painkiller left and become full of damage, you will enter Last Stand Mode, in which time slows down and you have a chance to live, only if you can kill the person who caused you to nearly die. Manage to kill him and you have a chance to continue, if you cannot, you die. What makes this frustrating is the AI Bots. Bots, no matter what difficulty, are extremely intelligent. They duck, dodge, stay under cover and only those gun-ho on the battlefield will charge head on. If an AI is behind heavy cover (Such as iron plated fences or roof support beams) it is nearly impossible for you to manage a kill. However, if you do manage to kill them, Max will find himself lying on the floor. This leaves you quite exposed and only a few shots from a nearby enemy will ruin that moment, especially in an open area. (Note: Intelligent AI are not part of the let down in the gameplay. Having an enemy that's smart enough to duck makes the Campaign much more enjoyable)
To give credit, the game does throw a bone to those who struggle. If you continuously die in a certain area, after three deaths or so, you will respawn with an extra painkiller. For each set amount of deaths after this, another painkiller will be given. The maximum seems to be five, but nonetheless helped greatly during the harder escapades.
Voice acting by many of cast truly added drama into each moment. The slow monotone of James McCaffrey in both saddening and silent moments added a subtle but truly effective emotional depth to the gameplay. Sound effects were also excellently used; the slightest step of an enemy around a corner to the explosions of a crashing bus were covered most effectively.
Lastly, let's move on to multiplayer.
What makes this multiplayer stand out is the true purity of the experience. To explain it as best as I can, it's almost as if Rockstar took attributes from the standard procedure of Multiplayer in gameplay (Team Deathmatch, King Of The Hill ect) and place it in a balanced and equal gameplay area very simular to Red Dead Redemption. Little to no lag is present and even if does appear, the entire gameplay halts and restarts so that no "Refreshing" kills can be made. Rockstar took their smooth campaign and place it within a fun way for the standard multiplayer, recreating it into wonder.
Even if you are not a fan of Third Person Shooters or the series, Max Payne definitely deserves the attention of any gamer. The loving care from Rockstar into Max Payne is greatly visible in each option of both Campaign and Multiplayer; a truly reenvigorating experience.
A score from one to ten, I gave Max Payne 3 a 10/10
Good points
+ Excellent stand-alone storyline
+ Clean and smooth gameplayer, both MP and Campaign
+ Sound effect and voice acting brilliant
+ Challenging yet game helps out
+ Intelligent AI enemies?!
Bad points
- Issues with Last Stand
- The end of Max Payne?
Max Payne 3 is out now for the standard price of $68.
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