Epic-Geek is a independent gaming blog dedicated to bringing honest commentary and reviews to the web. We pride ourselves in digging up all kinds of subjects and look forward to sharing them with you.
First off, our Darkfall Online review has been postponed until after the release of the "massive free expansion update" scheduled to hit next week. It wouldn't make any sense to publish a review that is obsolete and inaccurate a week after it is posted.
Secondly, CCP makers of EVE Online, (also know as Space Spreadsheet 3D) is rumoured to be announcing their next big project at GDC Europe this August. Which we are 99% sure is World of Darkness Online, or WODO, how fun is that to say? "Hey man let's play some WODO!" Anyway, I'm also hearing you should expect it out in 2010, if this turns out to be true you heard it here so tell everyone how awesome we are. If it's false, tell everyone how awesome we are anyway.
Also, NC soft's Aion: the Tower of eternity now has an official release date of September 25th of this year. So get ready to spread your wings for some air to air/air to ground battles. In other news, Bioware and Mythic are now "married", can't wait to see what their babies look like.
There were some great movies that came out of the 1980's. Raiders of the Lost Ark, Back to the Future, and Aliens were all considered blockbusters. But one movie holds a special place in the world of comedy at that time, and that movie was Ghostbusters. The Academy Award nominated comedy was a critical and commercial success that spawned cartoons, video games, and toys. In 1989 a sequel was released to an eager public. Rumors started circulating a couple years ago that a third Ghostbusters movie was in the works. Well not really. What was released was a video game that had a story written by Harold Ramis and Dan Aykroyd and the voice talents of all four ghostbusters as well as other well named celebrities.
The story takes place two years after the second movie and follows the boys of the ghost removal service as they combat the forces of Gozer. You play the fifth ghostbuster. You are the experimental equipment technician, trying out all of Egons new toys. This allows interesting new devices to be deployed for catching ghosts. Famous landmarks for the movies like the public library and the Sedgewick Hotel are in the game as levels and old favorites like Slimer and Stay Puft are included for good measure.
From a technical standpoint Ghostbusters: The Video Game plays a lot like Gears of War with a little Luigi's Mansion thrown in for good measure. It has the same camera perspective, nearly the same controls, it even has the "roadie" run from the 360 shooter. The graphics are good on the PS3 but if you own a Xbox 360 and a PS3 you'll want the 360 version mainly because the graphics are crisper and it wont require a 4 gig hard drive install unlike Sony's system. For me it really wasn't that big of a deal. The sound and presentation are very good. Controls are tight, and intuitive. If I were you, I would pick which system your friends are playing on so you can enjoy multiplayer together. To me, that's the deal breaker.
Multiplayer is a fun little diversion after you finished the single player story. There are five competitive modes that have you earning money for destroying relics, trapping ghosts, protecting "PKE Disruptors", and protecting artifacts from being stolen. These are generally fun and are good for a quick shot of ghost busting action. My opinion is weighed down by the fact that you can not play split screen on any of the competitive modes or in the single player story. The Wii version has split screen and it is awesome. Its a small gripe, but a gripe none the less.
In closing, Ghostbusters: The Video Game is a wonderful game. The story, the voice acting, and the gameplay come together to form the Voltron of licensed properities. If you are a fan of the movies you will enjoy the little touches the developers put into this game to bring back the memories of your childhood. Atari deserves a round of appluse for taking a risk bringing this game out after Activison cut it from its lineup. Heres to hoping that the game is successful so we can get a third movie.
In light of the Sundays special occasion of Fathers Day, I've decided to write an article about my dad. There are things my father did that have had a profound impact on my life and I want to share it with you, the reader and with my dad. Now I'm pretty sure that the story will fit the "standards" of this sites writing because my father fortunately or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it, created the monster that is typing this. There are certain events from a long time ago that defines the relationship a father has with his son. These events not only defines us, but unites a common theme within us. That theme is the basis for the web site you see here in which we define ourselves not a "geek", but an "Epic Geek". My dad might take exception to that term but anyone who has seen his "hobbies" won't disagree. Also, all images in this article are from games my father played and enjoyed. Its kind of like a memory lane of the "geek" in all of us. Memories of My Father The first thing that comes to mind when I think of my childhood is The Hobbit. My father was always reading The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. While other kids were getting told stories like The Cat in the Hat at bedtime my dad was telling me the tale of Bilbo Baggins, Thorin Oakenshield, Gandalf. So right there we all know that I was off to a good start in the world.
The next memory that comes to mind is a biggie. It is when our family got our first computer. An IBM PS/2 model 25. Like the lightsaber it was an elegant weapon from a more civilized age. Christmas 1988, this was the last gift to be unwrapped. At that time I didn't know what a computer was. I was happy with my He-Man toys. My brother got some Dungeon & Dragons gold box software and my dad was tasked to install it. 1 hour went by then another and another. My brother waited patiently then not so patiently, finally my brother gave up. My father on the other hand was like a man possessed. Every time an error came up he would bust out that 300 page Dos manual and search the error codes. I went to bed that night around midnight, clutching my He-Man figure. My dad was still working to get that game to run. I woke up a couple of hours later to the words "Well I'll be a suck ass mule!" This was a phrase I've heard many times as it is a sign of setback or defeat. I sat next to him and he looked at me and smiled and said he will get it, but not tonight. Then he booted up another game and played till 4 in the morning. That game was a clone of Load Runner called Freddy's Rescue Roundup. His patience is what he passed on to me when I started working with computers.
As I get older I look back at my childhood and see that my parents were my closest friends. My mother always said the that fathers are a special treat and mothers are always taken for granted. I tend to agree with that assumption. My father worked long hours and while I was in junior high and high school I hardly ever saw him. That made the little time we did spend together very special. Watching my dad playing Desert Strike (pictured at top of article) and Doom was so cool mainly because he was so good at them. The smile on his face while he played these was priceless. Our trips to American Civil War battlegrounds, walking down streams in the Smokey Mountains, playing rounds of golf with each other are all amazing experiences that always put a smile on my face.
But times change, I don't see or talk to my dad now like I use to. I really can't put my finger on it but I think it has to my fault for not doing so. I feel that I've let him down as a son and as a friend. Leaving my education to pursue stupid ideals. Not taking seriously the situations I was in. I came to realize that I am not 1/10 the man my father is and I haven't come to terms with that yet.
So dad, this Sunday I want to let you know that you are never far from my mind. I can only hope that in time I can be as good of a dad to my children as you are to me. Mom was always the anchor holding the family together while you were working, and you were "The Man" providing, laboring, killing yourself to make our lives easier to live. No words can convey the sacrifice you made for your family. I love you and have a happy fathers day.
The second game from EA that uses Wii Motion Plus is Grand Slam Tennis. This is a new franchise and as such there might be some growing pains. But lets go into the depth of the product and see whats so special about it.
Now just to make sure you understand I don't play tennis. I don't follow the sport in any way. My former experience with video game tennis is limited to Virtua Tennis on the Dreamcast and Wii Sports Tennis. And just so you know I sucked at both of them. Will Grand Slam Tennis ease me in to the world of professional tennis?
F%@k no! Grand Slam Tennis (GST) is unbelievably complex and not in a good way. First off the games controls which should be 1:1 motion just isn't registering. In fact I couldn't tell for the longest time if Wii Motion Plus was even working. After playing for a week straight I can say that Wii Motion Plus does register but its so slight you hardly even notice. Also the movements of the players on screen in association with the Wiimote controls seem unnatural. So can the game survive with unintuitive controls? Yes it can. GST has the foundation for an amazing Tennis game. Its career Grand Slam mode is a great mode that is very deep. In this mode you take a created tennis player on a journey to win the 4 major tournaments. And this is the only video game that has Wimbleton in all its glory. There is also a lot of mini games and challenges that you can compete in. The challenge of the gameplay in general will will keep you coming back even when you get frustrated by the controls. There was a lot of John McEnroe where if the Wiimote wasn't attached to my wrist it would have been shattered as it was tossed to the ground. (I'll chalk that up to roleplaying) There are 2 things this game does really well. First is multiplayer. Playing with someone in the same room is awesome because you know your on even ground. Battles are hard and satisfying and usually we are laughing most of the time. It is definitely a more fleshed out Wii Tennis and does have really long legs once more than 2 people start playing.
The second thing I truly enjoyed is more of a personal preference than anything else. I love the graphic style. Those exaggerated cartoon characters really hide the lack of horsepower in the Wii tech. I like it so much so that I wish they would have implemented it into the new Tiger Woods. (It looks like will get this style when the new Madden comes out later this year) The camera and and sound are also top notch and really put you ahem...In the game.
So in conclusion, I cannot recommend this game as a superb example of Wii Motion Plus. Its inability to show proper subtle movements hold it back on that front. Now as a tennis game its deep career, awesome multiplayer, and beautiful stylized graphics make it an easy choice for tennis fans or people who wish that Wii Tennis was a deeper experience. Just don't let someone tell you that you NEED Wii Motion Plus to play this game and have fun because that would be a lie. It is a good start to what I think will be a awesome series. But Grand Slam Tennis has its work cut out for itself next year.
Golf video games hold a special place in my heart. They were one of the first sports games I ever played on the PC. My father needed something to pass the time during the winter when he couldn't play golf. Back then we had Mean 18 by Accolade. Then we got Links: The Challenge of Golf. The special thing about that was its putting grid to show breaks. Light years ahead of Mean 18, it was the standard of golf video games. But Accolade was not gonna be out done. They released the Jack Nicklaus series. Better in every way, Jack Nicklaus Golf & Course Design: Signature Edition is the best of the old style of golf games. But times change. As Jack Nicklaus was fading into the annals of history, a newcomer emerged to take his place. Tiger Woods was nothing short of amazing. With his unbelievable achievements came the big contracts. One of those contracts was from EA. The Tiger Woods PGA Tour Series has been the de facto standard for golf games really since its only real competitor, Links 2004 underwhelmed the consumers.
With this years Wii Motion Plus version. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 goes beyond what any golf game has ever accomplished. The controls are the most accurate and satisfying ever. I knew the Wii Motion Plus was working on the very first hole. My natural draw was instantly recognizable and I smiled because I was witnessing the future of video game golf. Now for younger kids or first time golfers EA has kept the ALL-PLAY control feature from last years game (Which makes the game play more like Mario Golf). With that said, I tell you now that after hooking up Wii Motion Plus to the Wii remote and playing a few rounds that I can NEVER go back to analog stick controls. Now that should be reason enough to recommend, but lets look at the rest of the packages beauty to see if it is only skin deep.
First of all this game is not beautiful. The lack of Hi-Def visuals is always a gripe the Wii games will have to deal with. (Note: If you have a standard definition T.V. you probably will not notice the lack of visual quality) But EA did something unique with its new Tennis game that I wished they would have done here. Make the golfers more cartoon inspired. I know some people would not like it but I feel the design would work well for the Wii. Also the announcers while serviceable defiantly are not of the same caliber as David Feherty and Gary McCord. These are not deal breakers by any means and the rest of the experience will makes you forget any petty issues you could have.
These come in 3 difficulties and you have to beat the hardest challenge to unlock certain courses. Other extras include Disk Golf which is a fun little addition for people who suck at golf. There is also a bunch of mini games you can try out. This is shaping up to be a huge package and if they stopped their innovation there we would have had an awesome experience on the Wii. But EA did us one better. For the first time we can have daily and weekly online tournaments. You can also play the Pros which is what I think is the coolest. So next week is the U.S. Open at Bethpage (Black), since that course is "in the game" you'll be able to play against the pros with the same conditions their dealing with. You post your scores online and at the end of the tournament you see how you compared to Tiger and the rest of the PGA. This is by far the coolest online feature and really adds to the replay value.
All said this is one of the most complete packages I have ever bought. The controls, the amount of content, and the online all come together to form a product that cannot be beat. Tiger Woods PGA Tour for the Wii (Wii Motion Plus Edition) is hands down the version to get. The lower res textures and questionable commentary are the only blight on this amazing product. What this game and the Wii Motion Plus does do for you is make you happy that your alive in a time where technology can achieve near perfect control and immerses the player like never before.
There comes a time in a mans life where he has to admit to the mistakes hes made and own up. This is what I'm doing here. I have never found The Sims, as a series, to be that compelling. I always found enjoyment in other Maxis games like SimCity or SimAnt, and a man of my insecurities could never play with a "virtual dollhouse". Now don't get me wrong, I owned the first Sims game and a couple of expansions for it. I also bought The Sims 2 Double Deluxe when they released a special pack that contained the Apartment expansion and I gave each of them a go-around. Other than the quirky animation, I just couldn't get into it.
I bought The Sims 3 thinking my attitude towards the series would change. I'm here today to say that is the case. With a charm and polish that is unmatched The Sims 3 is one of the most enjoyable games I have ever played.
The devil is in the details, and The Sims 3 has the details covered. When you start the game EA has opened up and made it easier than ever to get into. You can have your sim stay the same age always if you want to. You don't have to play with any of the creation controls or deal with any of the lifetime achievements. If your sim dosen't want to clean up after him or herself, you can do it for them. Now, if you played The Sims 1 or 2 then you know what your getting gameplay wise. It really is more of the same in the gameplay department, but EA has added more to the core game. The trait system for example has over 60 traits to choose from you can really make some screwed up sims. I must say its enjoyable watching my Sim, Slapyfitzgood Jones rise to his proper place in the criminal underworld. His traits (evil, computer wiz, insane, athletic, genius) make him and unstoppable force of unpredictable carnage. Here is a list of what I've accomplished so far and it is truly evil.
Killed an old lady by scaring her to death.
Broke up numerous marriages by performing adultery.
Found out that insane people hang out in the graveyard.
Got someone to spend so much time with my sim that they would not even bathe, when she left to go to her friends house they made fun of her for it. She came back to my sims house ( the green mist still following her) and Slapy started being mean to her about it. All she does is walk around town crying now (green mist still following her). She did that for a couple of days then she disappeared. ( I think the MIST got her).
stole candy from a baby
Knocked over every trash can in the neighborhood.
That is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to freedom and it has consumed my gaming time since it came out.
Now to the gripes. This games micro transaction model scares me. Some of the packages, which really don't have a lot of content cost $20.00. (are you F@$%in' kidding me) also, there is some issues with the interface especially when it comes to inventory that could use some fixing. My sim was always in a bad mood about something to do with trash and I found out I was holding a bag of it in my inventory for about a week.
And finally the last burning question. If I have The Sims 2 and all of its expansion packs should I get The Sims 3? I would have to say no. With that much time and money invested in your sims it is easy to say that. EA should have included some way of rewarding Sims 2 players by giving then special items in the game or a special title your sims could be called. Maybe just a shirt that says "I bought every Sims 2 expansion and all I got to show for it is this stupid shirt!"
Now if you never tried The Sims series or fell away from the series you should definitely pick it up. It has never been easier to play or enjoyable to watch. Addictive, rewarding, classic, The Sims 3 and its forthcoming expansions are EAs World of Warcraft and we get to come along for the ride.
