In the wild world of video gaming, multiplayer and co-op seem to be the big main draw to bringing in common folk who wouldn't usually be into the video game scene. These functions have popularized the gaming industry by leaps and bounds as well as making it a lucrative competitor to the likes of Hollywood film studios. In many ways it has helped catapult the geek cultural renaissance we've been having over the last few years.
Being able to get online and shoot it up with a bunch of people from all over the world seems like it would be an entertainment draw for the likes of myself. But, to tell you the truth, online gaming with others takes away from many aspects of why I love video gaming to begin with.
For example.....
A. Gaming with a bunch of kids is, simply put, a colossal pain in the arse. Immaturity seems to run rampant throughout online gaming. Whether it be silly, vulgar insults or cheating during competitive game play, it kills the joy of pure competition.
B. Even if you're playing with people you know and trust who are on an equal maturity level as you are, there's always going to be that one person, THAT ONE PERSON, who has traversed the game level over and over and over again before you've gotten acquainted with it. He or she knows every nook and cranny and has found several wonderful spots to hide and snipe at you so every time you get killed by them and regenerate, BLAMMO!!!, head shot. You're dead again.
C. You tend to lose out on the wonderful experience of exploration and discovery. I lean toward huge, epic, open world games. I like to experience a game that really puts you in a virtual world where discovering new places is a major feature of the game. When you're forced to rely on other people in the game, you're pulled away from you own quest of discovery.
D. Having to rely on other players and when or if they want to play or even finding the time for everybody you want to play with at a given moment can be just as intricate as transposing a Frank Zappa song.
E. I'm a selfish bastage when I play. I want to do things on my own time. Do I want to take path "A" or path "B"? It should be up to me and nobody else. If I make a mistake or choose unwisely, I should be the only player who suffers the consequences.
So there you have it. I'm a loner gamer and have no problem with it. And as a loner gamer, I'm looking forward to the onslaught of cool as frack releases that will be popping onto game shelves within a years time.
1. Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim: 11-11-11 is the release date for this open world, fantasy and action filled lovefest. It's predecessors, Morrowind and Oblivion, have proven themselves to be some of the greatest games ever released. Here's how geeked out I am over the game. I plan to pre-order it within the next few weeks, go to the midnight release and take the day off. I've NEVER done anything like that for a video game, ever! For Skyrim, I'M DOIN' IT!!! You can view a preview of the gameplay as demonstrated by game lead, Todd Howard if you click HERE.
2. Saints Row, The Third: The first Saints Row game was criticized for being another open world, crime sim, GTA clone. And it pretty much was. But, where the GTA series has a good dose of frustrating "throw the controller at the TV screen" moments, Saints Row leaned more toward fun. They took that feeling even further in Saints Row 2. This upcoming installment will push the fun factor to the limit with crazy weaponry that includes a vehicle that sucks up pedestrians and shoots them out of a cannon, a satellite from which you can call in missile aerial strikes on rival gangs and a hand held...um...well...this weapon has me going "WTF?" I tried to find a preview to link to that wasn't as controversial or adult orientated as the game is. I couldn't. So, if you really, really want to see some game play, search it out on YouTube yourselves. But be sure not to do so at work or where children are present. If you work at a day care facility, you're really screwed.
3. Borderlands 2: More of the same shoot 'em up, loot 'em up gameplay as the first Borderlands? YES, PLEASE!! A good mix of RPG looting and character building while shooting up baddies with a massive amount of weaponry to choose from on a desolate Road Warrior-esque planet can't go wrong. Can it? Methinks not! To see a way too quick first trailer of the game, click HERE.
4. Mass Effect 3: THE greatest sci-fi RPG to grace the video game world since Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic. Not only is it a great RPG, the story line is incredibly captivating. This will be the last of the trilogy where we will see if our Commander Shepard can save both the Earth and universe. See the trailer HERE.
5. Dead Island: Upon hearing about yet another zombie shoot them up, survival game, I thought it would be a dull version of Dead Rising or Left 4 Dead. Well, I just went over a number of reviews and all of them were pretty impressed with the game. It turns out to be a RPG / open world / survival horror hybrid taking place on an island resort that goes to hell in a hand basket when a zombie outbreak takes place there. Zombie killin' and RPG mechanics?Me likey!! To watch a blood and gore soaked preview, click HERE, but don't do it at work or with kids around. I guess if you work at a day care facility, you'd be really screwed.
6. RAGE: More post-apocalyptic action and adventure in id Software's predecessor to it's other first person shooter games, DOOM and Quake. These guys are the originators of FPS gameplay and god knows they've had quite a while to work on this puppy. How can this go wrong? No Duke Nukem Forever jokes, please. There's a look at a preview of the game HERE.
That's a good cache of games coming out soon. This is the first time in a while where my wish list has been more than one or two games. I'd better start on that Xmas list pretty soon. Some of these titles are coming out this fall, if they haven't already.
And speaking of fall, my favorite, creeptastic holiday is right around the corner. I have already seen at least one Halloween store opening its doors. I'm already watching YouTube videos of Haunted Attractions around the country. More on that in a latter post closer to the season.
I think I'll end my latest entry here. Until next time, stay vertical!!!
Zangz.
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