The Wall - January '11

Late to make a change, but anyway - here's a look at the Sci-Fi stuff I was into last month. This was actually quite a slow month for me Sci-fi wise so there's not a great amount here.


1. Kinect







Ok, not exactly Sci-Fi, but a decade ago, a device like this would have been borderline Sci-Fi, to control an interface and even a game with nothing more than the movements of your own body was something only dreamed of. And ok, the medium may still be in it's infancy where we can play mostly gimmicky fun games like the sports and adventure titles currently on offer. But think about it, I can control something by my voice or simple gestures. How long before this technology gets refined to the point where I can use it to play a shooter, or use it to type on a keyboard that isn't there or is represented by a hologram, like in Mass Effect? Yeah this thing is a toy, but come on - it's also a vision of the future.

2. Halo 2








OK, so nothing new here - like I say it was a slow month. But I've been replaying Halo 2 with my girlfriend and introducing her to the story. It's been a fascinating process, both rediscovering all the bits of the story I'd forgotten while introducing the story to her. She no Halo novice, having played Halo 3 and the first game as well as reading the Halo Encyclopaedia, but it's a different thing knowing the story to being in it, and we're really enjoying our play through.

3. Abstergo Industries Hoodie








I was really chuffed with this and I'd like to make a plug for Ubi Workshop, a division of Ubisoft that makes promotional items from their games. This is an 'official' Abstergo employee hoodie, the kind that an employee of the evil corporation might wear. It's so great to have something from a videogame that is authentic, not just with a logo slapped across the front or a picture of Ezion or something, this is part of the game world, something tangible and I love this hoodie! This is just the kind of thing that has me completely suckered - i don't go for cosplay or anything like that or spend money on game related wear, but this thing - it had me and there's so much more to come, such as the hoodie and t-shirt that Desmond wears in-game. The Abstergo hoodie is sold out, but there are more items available and I'm hooked and certainly going to spend more at this place!!

More soon!

Blogga's video Game Diary - 16/2/11

Ok so this is the final Halo Reach post - I'll be moving onto The Force Unleashed II soon and then onto the Mass Effect 2 DLC as I replay the game so posts will be sporadic...not that that makes a change!!

This, if you didn't know, is the post-credits 'Lone Wolf' level, there isn't much new here, but it does allow me to cover any things I missed in covering Reach so far. Well I'll reverse things a bit and do the...

Story

Not much here: With the Pillar of Autumn speeding away from Reach for it's fateful mission Noble Six is stranded aboard Reach, which is being glassed by an aggressive covenant Armada. He takes a stand against the covenant ground forces, slaying them in large numbers, but is eventually overwhelmed. He is eulogized by Catherine Halsey, and thirty years later when life has returned to Reach, so does humanity journey back across the stars to recolonize the world.

New Stuff

Colony Ship





This unnamed colony ship is featured at the end when Noble Siz is eulogized and we see humanity returning to it's former home, indicating that peace has returned to humanity. I like the sleek white design, indicating an upgrade in technology over the intervening period. I wonder if we'll see more of what happens in this time period.

Missile 'Hog








Also known as a M12R Light Anti-Armor Vehicle this is the latest Warthog variant to be used in a Halo game, we also have the troop transport version and the formidable Gauss hog too. This vehicle is use as an effective anti-air and anti-armour vehicle sending barrages of homing missiles at a target, bringing down even the toughest enemy armour.

Spade






One of the enjoyable aspects of Reach was being able to hop into Civillian vehicles. How many times had I wondered around New Mombasa in ODST wishing I could hop into one of the cars there. In Reach even the forklift trucks are available, though they have zero speed - they can't even splatter a grunt!! The Spade was a worthy addition, featutred in the campaign and a good drive too. With no gun it isn't for combat but it's a fast ride from A to B and carries a few passengers. In the campaign it's great when Jorge jumps on and uses his big gun as a turret, basically turning the thing into a big Warthog!

Space Banshee






Fairly obvious this one, Banshees, but in space! You fight these in the Anchor 9 mission alongside Seraphs, they complement the other fighters well as they are nimbler, but lack the shielding of the Seraph.

Revenant






A nifty little addition to the covenant ground forces - basically a wraith meeting a ghost halfway. It has a weaker version of the wraith's plasma mortar, which is still devastating against infantry units, it also boasts greater speed and manoeuvrability, making it harder to take out from range with heavy munitions. It has an additional seat for a passenger who can defend the driver at close range. These units were used in large numbers on Reach.

and that is it - well apart from daily challenges and the like, I hope you've enjoyed this forray into Reach even if it did get horrendously out of date! More games stuff soon!

SF at the movies - January '11

Late again!! Well let's just get on with it...

The Green Hornet

Released 14/1/11










Maybe not 'pure' Sci-Fi, but this action flick has enough gadgets and superheroes to qualify I think. This flick has a more comedic feel to it, which is a refreshing change I s'pose. I do like the idea of a hapless superhero, who yet has the gadgets and resources to ably fight crime. I don't know much more about it, but this action hero remake looks a worthy watch - and it's still showing so go while this post is fresh!!

And that's it - oh well, more to come I've no doubt!!

He's just doing his job!!

Would you kill this guy? Why? Ok the clever ones may have spotted that the guard in question is actually an assassination target and therefore fair game, but if he was an ordinary guard, would you kill him?

I probably would not if I could help it - unless it was particularly important or I suppose if
the guard was particularly annoying, but generally speaking I dod try to complete games with
as little bloodshed as possible, games like Assassin's Creed in particular.

I've wondered why this is, it's not that I'm particularly squeamish, I've mowed down countless enemies in games like Halo and Prototype with no remorse and I love to go off script and beat up a civilian as much as the next person, but I will really go out of my way to avoid killing in certain games - why?

Because I'm enjoying them - is the simple answer! A really engaging game is not just there for me to spill blood and blow stuff up, it's a chance for me to escape and be part of a story, play the part of a character for a little while. And so while I am that person I strain to act as much as they would - it doesn't strike me as realistic that a trained assassin would go fighting guards without provocation so I don't do it. In fact because I'm so into the game, I imagine the guard as a real person who i don't want to kill unless it's part of my mission.

I'm clearly not the only one who thinks this way, as this Penny Arcade comic shows...













So if he's about to raise the alarm, yeah he gets a dagger in the throat, if I need no witnesses then he might get shot in the back, but if I'm just on my way and cross his path then I'm much more lenient. At one stage in AC2 I had a method for dealing with rooftop guards - I would assume they could swim and toss them into the nearest body of water, failing that I would take them down in a fist fight, leaving them unconscious, but alive.

My best example of this is playing Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy in a level where you face Nohgri warriors. This group had been stranded and were following orders from the long-dead Darth Vader. Now in Star Wars continuity noghri have since joined the new Republic so are technically allies, even though they don't know it, so killing them was a bad idea - so I managed to complete the whole level without killing a single Noghri, even though they absolutely swarmed the place!!













Another bi example is Mass Effect where choice and morality play a huge part in the game, I've found that over the course of the game I have a clear sense of the character of Shepard, who is loosely based on me, and the actions he might take. mine is good (maxed out Paragon!) but also pragmatic, taking the most practical option and leaving no risk. For example I chose to blow up the Geth base rather than risk overwriting them and it failing to work. But all these decision come from a clear sense of what the character would choose, even though in a sense I made him myself!

There is a big change then, when I go off script, for example when collecting flags in assassin's creed, if my sole purpose is to find them and not to do a mission then the streets are sure to be littered with the corpses of any guards who pass my way!!

Waht about you - how do you play?

Stuff: Star Wars - Blood Ties

A new venture from Dark Horse alongside a few other new titles that are still ongoing. Written by Invasion scribe Tom Taylor and illustrated by Chris Scalf, who I knew best for his stunning cover art, the series is a real treat. While it doesn't contain as much of the usual 'Stuff' I like to blabber on about it is still a great series and worthy of recognition.

New Creatures

Balyeg



















This monstrous beast is described by Jango Fett as the most fearsome thing in the Galaxy. To face it is to face fear itself. He sent his son to retrieve a tooth from this terrible creature in order that he might face fear and never be afraid again. Boba remembered his father's words, remaining unafraid in the most dangerous situations.

Story

Jango and his young son Boba go on an assignment given to them by Count Dooku. Jango assassinates a man who always wears a mask, and when he takes off the mask he sees his own face. The man is a clone who rebelled and started a family, with a wife and young son. Jango leaves and eventually leaves money for the boy, feeling responsible.
Years later Boba is a grown man and, unknowing of his father's decision, takes a bounty on the Clone's son, quickly learning the truth. Boba faces a hard decision, made even harder by the fact that he is not the only hunter tracking his strange relative.

Honestly a really good read well worth checking out once the graphic novel comes out.

More Star Wars stuff soon

The Wall - December '10

Here's some of the Sci-Fi I've been into last month.

1. The Ultimates Vol1










I borrowed this from a friend on high recommendation and loved every page. What I liked about Ultimates is you could get into the action and enjoy the characters without having a garage filled with plastic cased issue#1s. If you know nothing about Marvel then yeah, you'll be lost - but if you've seen the movies, read a few graphic novels and spend some hours on wikis like I have then you're well in there. And there were still a bunch of characters I hadn't heard of, but I didn't need to as they were woven into the story so well. The story was epic, dealing with the political consequences of assembling a super-team as well as the emotional consequences of putting together a group of people with a ton of emotional baggage and superpowers. Plus big and I mean BIG battles going on here!!

2. TRON









Yeah, the new movie's out - but I couldn't watch it without seeing the original. So again I managed to borrow this from a friend. It was a lot of fun to laugh at the graphics of the movie, but at the same time it was a very enjoyable experience. I quite like the fanciful notion of programs having personalities and even the risk of one taking over our world. I also admired that, while they updated the effects a, they still kept the same fun vibe in the new one.

3. Star Wars Legacy:War #1












OK, this one I bought! Legacy is back for a final fling, so expect plenty more posting from me!! I really enjoyed the first issue, with Darth Krayt back from the dead and seeking vengeance of the usurper that rules in his name. I had hoped for a little more action, with this one mostly setting the stage for the galactic war to come - but we did get to see Krayt's new warships and Sith Troopers in action and the future looks good!

4) Serenity: The Shepherd's Tale












This was a Christmas Present - the latest story in the Firefly universe from Dark Horse Comics. I'd really been looking forward to this one, getting an insight into the life of one of the most mysterious characters in the show. It uses an unusual narrative style, going backwards through his life, to show the choices he made, how he became a Shepherd, how he fell in with both Alliance and Browncoat elites and how a sudden revelation spurred him to find God. A very interesting read.

OK that's it - more in about a month.

Blogga's Video Game Diary - 1/1/11

OK first thing's first - I'm changing the name because I plan to cover other games with this post. Reach has long since been finished, but there's plenty of cool stuff I'd still like to talk about and there's one more level to go so may's well carry on for now. But I'd also like to talk about The Force Unleashed II and at some point I'm going to replay Mass Effect 2 and I might go through the DLC packs as I get to them

Anyway - reach for now - I can't for the life of me remember what armour I wore so I'm going
to skip right on to...

New Stuff

Skirmishers








These nasty critters are the only new enemy type in Reach, though I s'pose all the other Covenant units have had a bit of an upgrade, but these guys are brand new. They are the same species as the Jackals which have been common from Halo 1, but these ones are a little different. Aside from being a little bigger, and having prominent feathers, Skirmishers are also far more agile, able to leap incredible distances and cover ground quickly. They are very nasty in packs and can make quick work of anyone they come across. They are resilient to attack, though if you're quick enough to get them in the head they drop quickly. It was great to see something new and more variety to the Covenant's arsenal.

Onager Magnetic Accelerator Cannon







This was exciting!! MAC guns are a big part of Halo, from the Orbital Defense platforms around Earth to the leader power in Halo Wars. But this is the only time we've been able to properly man one! This large surface to air battery uses magnetic coils to rapidly fire powerful shells at enemy vehicles. Noble Six was able to use it to annihilate incoming aircraft and destroy a CCS-Class Covenant ship.

That's it for that level, but there are a few more things I'd like to share with you - as I did the skirmishers I'll also post about the other new species shown in Reach though they appear in earlier levels.

Moa







The addition of a few native species to the planet Reach was a nice touch, giving the planet more of a believable feel to it. Moa are large flightless birds, similar in size to an Ostrich, but with more prominent plumage, they run around at high speed, adding to the Chaos as you engage the Covenant for the first time. They are are harmless and try to get out of your way, but if you're feeling a bit dark then there's an achievement for mowing these creatures down.

Guta








Guta are cool! They absolutely monstrous creatures that smash things with their huge arms and tusks. Normally calm creatures the ones you meet are agitated by Covenant forces and while it's fun to watch the kick the snot out of some Grunts they quickly turn their rage on you and can't recognize friend from foe. They can bat you across the map with a swipe of their claw and do serious damage, even to a Spartan. I tried not to kill these creatures, they're not evil after all, but it's pretty hard to get past without taking at least one of them down.

Hologram











And I'll briefly talk about an armour ability too if I may. I didn't use the Hologram ability until late in the game, but now i really enjoy it, though I've yet to fully master it. It does what it says on the tin - creates a hologram! It creates an identical likeness of the user and direct the hologram to to location indicated by looking. The hologram will then run in that direction distracting opponents and giving the use the advantage. I found good uses for it, I'd pop into cover then send out the hologram, then pop out the other side and knife the elite in the back - good times!

Campaign

Noble-Six and the rest of the team ride in a Pelican to take Cortana to the Pillar of Autumn. They come under heavy fire and Emile and Noble Six drop out of the Pelican, with Carter still flying. They go on foot till the ship is in sight.

Then I waited a while to practice so I could do this....



Very frustrating at first - but an awesome feeling once achieved!

The two Spartans continue on foot and on Mongoose, with Carter keeping the heavy artillery off their backs until they are blocked by a Scarab. Carter makes the ultimate sacrifice, ramming his Pelican into the vehicle and knocking it off the cliff. Emile and Six carry on alone until they reach Captain Keyes and hand over Cortana. Emile mans the MAC turret, but is overwhelmed by Elites and goes down fighting, taking several with him. Noble Six stays behind, keeping the skies clear so the ship and escape and travel to a strange construct known as Halo...








I got Emile's voice for Firefight - I will get Carter's but it is a bit pricey!!

More soon, 'cause as any Halo fan knows - you watch the credits!!