Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Borderlands 2 Game of the Year Edition RANT!

Hey Guys, most of you guys may disagree with me about this post. However, you'll understand why I'm so mad about Borderlands 2 GOTY. This game is not bad for its price. It's currently $40 at GameStop, but I got this for $30 on Black Friday. I thought I got a really good deal from this package, but I really didn't.

You want to know what the GOTY edition comes with? It comes with all 4 of the main DLC, the Ultimate Vault Hunter Upgrade 1, the Mecromancer, the Psycho, a Golden Key, the Gearbox Gun Pack, the Creature Slaughter Dome, and the Vault Hunter's Relic.

Seems like a good deal right? Okay, the GOTY edition does NOT even come with the Vault Hunter Upgrade 2, which raises the level cap to 72. Also, the additional DLC will not be included, which includes Blood Harvest and Wattle Gobbler. Seriously Gearbox?

Why couldn't you wait a little longer to release Borderlands 2 Game of the Year Edition. Wasn't already enough that you charged people $60 for a year old game!? I understand the DLCs released just recently are dirt cheap, but wouldn't have been nice if Gearbox released the GOTY edition with EVERY DLC made for the game!? Especially the Ultimate Vault Hunter Upgrade 2. That upgrade should have been included in the package, but I guess not.

Don't get me wrong, I love Borderlands 2, and I love this GOTY edition. However, I would have loved if every DLC was included for crying out loud! At least it wasn't a total loss for me since I only paid half price for the game.
Till Next Time!!

Call of Duty: Ghosts Review

Hey Guys, I meant to write this review over a month ago, but I totally forgot about it. However, this will be a long review, so most of you guys might not read it and just skip down to the score. In contrast, those of you who will read, then let me begin.
Ever since its inception, Call of Duty: Ghosts became the lowest scoring game in the franchise. The highest score the game got was an 8.8 from IGN. However, I highly disagree with the critics that gave this game a 5 or a 6. These critics (especially the fans) have no idea what a 5 or 6 game is really like! Come on guys. Just because this franchise is a copy-and-paste does not mean it's not good. Infinity Ward actually made the game more improve from Modern Warfare 3, so I'm going to review this game as honestly as I can. I am NOT a fanboy, but I take offense to people who say this is the worst game ever. However, this game is still not perfect.

Story: 7 out of 10
My first complaint about the campaign is that it's way too short! I played the game on Veteran, and it took me only 5 hours to complete. I asked some of my friend on how long it took them to finish the game. Most of them completed in 4 hours or less. Seriously Infinity Ward? The campaign is a huge disappointment. I expected the game to be stealth-heavy, but stealth seems to be obsolete in this game despite the fact that the Ghost squad is focused on stealth. I think there are 2 or 3 stealth missions, then you end up being compromised and have to shoot your way out of situations. Also, you only play as Riley, the dog, twice. Infinity Ward got players hyped up for Riley, but failed to let players play as him! The characters are just unlikable. You can tell that Infinity Ward tried to make Keegan a fan favorite, but you just can't like any of the characters due to the game's short length. How about the story itself? South America tries to take over the Unites States. The trailers did a good job to make Call of Duty: Ghosts take place during a post-apocalyptic America, but none of that really matters. I was looking forward to this new approach to this concept, but this concept failed to deliver. The story is just another modern shooter cliche. Please, don't get me started on the space sections. These space section just don't follow Newton's Laws of Physics!

Graphics: 8.5 out of 10
60 fps is still a good thing, but 3 GB to install a Call of Duty game? When I first saw the install size, I thought that Infinity Ward actually put some effort to utilizing the IW engine. I was right! The game looks way better than Blacks Ops 2 and Modern Warfare 3. However, the game does look less colorful, but it just adds to the feeling of being grim. What about Destructible Environments? That is just almost non-existent. Battlefield has been doing destructible environments for a long time, but Call of Duty can't even pull it off! Overall, Call of Duty: Ghosts's graphics get the job done.

Multiplayer/Gameplay: 8.5 out of 10
Since most of the gameplay rest in the online portion of Ghosts, this portion of the review will be a mix of the multiplayer and gameplay. Okay, new game modes have been added to Ghosts. This includes Blitz, Squads, and Search & Rescue. Blitz and Squads are just disappointing. I highly recommend playing this game on Search & Rescue. It's similar to Search & Destroy, but when you die you drop dog tags. If your teammate picks it up, you come back to life. If the enemy team picks it up, you're done for. I like this concept, but sometimes your team will be total jerks and not get your tags. My biggest complaint has to be the maps. The maps are way too big for a Call of Duty game! There is almost no point to submachine guns or shotguns anymore. I highly recommend going in with an assault rifle. The character customization sucks in this game. You can choose your gender, but it's a let down. I expected it to be like a Saints Row like character customization, but that's not the case. You have to unlock character models and outfits by completing challenges! All of these should be available! Also, you no longer have to go through a series of events to unlock weapons. You now can unlock weapons using Squad Points, which you get by ranking up. I like this new approach. Next, there no longer is multiple prestige. You can prestige once, and create new characters to prestige again for a total of 10 times. Dolphin Diving is gone, but sliding is now added to the game. I personally find it useful at times, but you might not be using it too often.

VGT SCORE: 8 out of 10
Ghosts is no way a bad game, but it's not that great. The game is good. That's all I'm going to say about it. Infinity Ward tried putting effort into the multiplayer, gameplay, and graphics. However, Infinity Ward couldn't tell a story to save their lives. This game is hard to recommend. However, play the multiplayer if you do decide to buy it. Just ignore the story all together even though most of you guys don't even bother with it.
Till Next Time!!

Monday, January 27, 2014

VGT Weekly Update #2

Hey Guys, sorry I have been slacking with the weekly updates. I have a lot to talk to guys about. First, I'll start off with what I have been playing, and anything that has to do with updating the blog.

First, I want to let you guys know that I am removing most of my old posts. I do not want to be plagued with copyrighted material, so I need to get on removing those posts. I might have to get rid of all the trailers and videos, so if all the trailers are gone, don't be surprised. Basically, anything not by me is getting deleted.

Next, I might add a new Rant tab. I have tons of topics that I would love to share my ideas with you guys.

Also, I really want everyone to stop spamming on my blog. I don't get a lot of traffic on the blog, so there is no point to spamming all over the blog.

Now, what have I been playing? I finally got a chance to playing Laura Croft and the Guardian of Light. I downloaded this last week, but I did not get around to playing it. The game is good, but it is not perfect. The game is only going to be free until the 31st, so download it off the Xbox Live marketplace when you can. I'm still playing Tomb Raider (2013), so the review won't be coming out for a while. DmC: Devil May Cry also has my attention. I'm halfway into the game, and I'm not going to say anything about it yet. Sleeping Dogs, I still need to play. Assassin's Creed IV, I still need to play.

Like I said, expect some updates to the blog itself.
Till Next Time!!

Monday, January 20, 2014

Editorial: Games I'm looking forward to in 2014

Hey Guys, 2013 was a mixed bag for video games. However, 2013 had provided us with some of the best games of all time. 2014 is here and it's time for a new year in video games. Note, I will leave out next-gen exclusives because I don't plan on getting a next-gen console. I wasted a lot of money on my Xbox 360, so it would be a waste of money to be buying a console that is not backward compatible. I'll think about it if there are any backwards compatibility to the Xbox One, or I'll just switch over to PlayStation 4.

This is only the first month of the new year, so there will be more video game announcements. Anyways, these are the games (not in order) that I'm looking forward to in 2014!

















Alien: Isolation
If you were here since 2012, then you will know that I am a huge Alien fan. When Aliens Colonial Marines was announced, I could not stop talking about it. I was so hyped for it, but it came out to a total disaster. The game had so much potential; how did Gearbox ruin this!? Well that doesn't matter. Finally, Creative Assembly is doing the right thing and making Aliens the way it was supposed to be. I love survival-horror, so I hope they get Alien: Isolation right. Otherwise, I can't get hyped for the next Alien game.





















Dying Light
I remember when this was announced way back at the VGAs in 2012. I think that's where it was announced if I remember correctly. Anyways, this game got my attention. However, the game is being developed from the creators of Dead Island. Dead Island is a love it or hate it kind of game, but you have the respect the game for its concept of being a zombie RPG. Dying Light is Mirror's Edge with zombies, so I'm curious to see how this turns out.

















Titanfall
I am looking forward to this game. Sure it may be meant for next-gen consoles, but it'll still be a great game on current-gen consoles. The whole concept of the game seems fresh and the whole thing about playing as the Titans makes me feel like a child. Respawn, don't ruin this game. Right now, it look like you guys know what you are doing. Except for the fact about 12 person multiplayer.
















The Evil Within
After playing Resident Evil 6, I though survival horror was dead. However, survival horror is being brought back with The Evil Within. When this game was announced, I almost got a heart attack. This game could be a hit or miss, so I don't know if this game will be any good.





















Destiny
Bungie is one of my favorite companies of all time. I really enjoyed the Halo franchise, and I'm really looking to Destiny. However, the always online may not please those who do not have access to online features.

Honorable mentions go towards Super Smash Bros, Bayonetta 2, Dark Souls 2, Thief, and Watch Dogs. Is there any games I missed? Or do you guys have any other games you're looking forward to? Well, go ahead and leave them in the comment section.

In other news, I'm still trying to complete the games I bought. I totally forgot that I had Assassin's Creed IV. I literally found it in my bag, and it was still sealed. I really need to get to that game. Lara Croft and The Guardian of Light is currently free on Xbox Live; however, I did not get a chance to play it yet. I'm still trying to play Tomb Raider, which I will do a review on.
Till Next Time!!

Sunday, January 19, 2014

Battlefield 4 (Xbox 360 Version) Review

Hey Guys, Battlefield 4 has been out for a while. I wanted to wait a while to post a review about the game because of how buggy the game is. However, Battlefield 4 is still a very buggy game. As of writing this review, the game has gotten about 5 updates. I will do my best to try to review the game for what it is than having to judge the game by its technical performance. However, I highly recommend getting this game on PC or next-gen consoles. Anyways, let's get this review started!


Story: 7.5
The weakest part of Battlefield 4 is the campaign. The campaign takes place six years after the events of Battlefield 3. You play as Sgt. Daniel Recker, who is the leader of Tombstone squad, as he goes through a journey of trying to protect China's supposed dead president. The campaign is short and can take about 5 hours to complete. Maybe 10 if you really want to get everything 100% done with the campaign. Yeah, you actually get points in the campaign which lead to you earning a bronze, silver, or gold medal on a campaign mission. You actually feel rewarded for killing enemies and completing missions. However, getting rewarded does not cover up the fact on how incompetent the enemy AI is, even on the hardest difficulty. The only time you can really die is when you are being impatient. The campaign even has weapon and gadget caches which you can use to switch your weapons, or you can refill your ammo. These features are actually nice, but still make the game too easy. What about the characters? The game does a horrible job with trying to get the players to get attached to the characters. All of them, including Recker, are just plain unlikable. The game has 3 endings. Since the characters are not likable, you will not really care about what happens in the ending. Either way, the ending is very unsatisfying. For the love of God, please ignore the campaign unless you are just curious about it.

Graphics: 8
Frostbite 3 is not much different from Frostbite 2. I think DICE was a little too confident in Frostbite 3 as they even have it branded on the cover art "Powered by Frostbite 3". The destruction and physics are actually improved from Battlefield 3, however, the game is filled with muddy textures at times. Glitches and bugs are very frequent in the engine. Please, DO NOT play the game on Xbox 360. Just look at Battlefield 4 on next-gen consoles and you will see what I mean.

Multiplayer: 8.5
Of course this is a Battlefield game, so how's the multiplayer? It's great, but not perfect. If you manged to get into the game, the multiplayer offers hours worth of fun. However, team play seems to be very discouraged in Battlefield 4. In Battlefield 3, the medic kit and defibrillator are default gadgets for the Assault class. However, it takes a series of events to unlock both of those items. My team just does not seem to work together, I get revived less often, and the spawn system is a mixed bag. You will either spawn in a deadly place, or spawn in a location that will save your team. The score would be much lower if I took all the bugs into account.

VGT SCORE: 8.5 OUT OF 10
Battlefield 4 could have been a 9 out of 10 game, but EA pushed Battlefield 4 out the door too quick. I forgot the include the gameplay section of the review, but I think I summed it up in the story and multiplayer section. Battlefield 4 is still a good game, but I don't recommend it on current-gen consoles. I may or may not update this review once the next Battlefield 4 update is up. Until then, I will see you guys on the next post on Video Gamer's Tribune.
Till Next Time!!

Saturday, January 18, 2014

What I've been up to

Hey Guys, a LOT of new video games were released while I was gone. Including, Call of Duty: Ghosts, Battlefield 4, and Grand Theft Auto V. I managed to get my hands on most of those new releases, but I have not gotten around to reviewing them. I'll have a list of what's to come to review and what games I am currently playing.

Currently, I have a TON of games to beat. I made a bad decision to buy several games at one time. I don't even have the time to play them all. However, I'll do my best to get a review for each game up when I beat them.

Till Next Time!!

I'm back!

Hey Guys, I have been gone for almost 2 months. I just want to say I came back to Video Gamer's Tribune! I just could not let this blog die. I realized I made a big mistake, and I'm coming back to write. I'll will do my best on trying to write more often. I have just been busy for a long time.

Till Next Time!!
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