I recently bought my self a nice car. To help pay it off, I considered driving for Uber. BIG mistake. Here's why:
First off, you need to scan and upload your license, registration, and insurance card to Uber. All fine, if the information was only given to Uber, as they claim. After I uploaded the information, and was then able to see all of the "training" videos, I decided that Uber was not a match for me. Since then, they have decided to contact and send my information to both the City of Chicago, as well as the State of Illinois.
Why did they do this? In compliance with state and local laws, they have to let local agencies know who is driving, what they are driving, when and where they are driving, and what all of my information is. The worst part is, I couldn't pick up a fare in Chicago if I wanted to, since it would have been out of my area.
Speaking of areas, you don't get to drive anywhere that you want, like they suggest before you sign up. You are given an area based on your home address. All contacts that you are given are based on this, not where you are currently driving. So, if you are living in an area without the need for taxis, Uber or otherwise, you're wasting your time applying.
The primary reason that I decided not to drive for them was given to me in a text after I gave them my info and watched the videos. You MUST have either a newer Apple phone, or a Galaxy 6 phone. And with them, Apple service. So, if you like your current phone and service, too bad. You can either get a second phone, or rent a phone for $10 a week from Uber. NOTHING of this is mentioned until the text.
The same night that I gave them all of my information, and turned them down within an hour of doing so, I had hoped that would be the end of it. Within 24 hours I got an email saying that my information would be removed, and a second email saying the exact same thing a week after that. Since then, I have been contacted by the City of Chicago, saying that I have some mandatory inspections. If I don't follow through, I can be fined, or even face legal sanctions. What sanctions, they didn't specify.
Today, I received a letter from the State of Illinois, saying that due to new laws, I must go through both driving tests, as well as vehicle inspections because Uber still has me listed as a driver. If I don't comply, I again can face legal issues.
I have tried to respond to Chicago, as well as the State. Chicago's email bounced back as undeliverable. There was no other way to contact them, other than hitting the reply button on my email. I have not yet heard back from the State, or Uber, about the last letter.
So, if you are planning on driving for Uber, ask yourself if there is ANYTHING that you can do instead. Otherwise, don't be surprised if you start getting legal notices and fees from your local and State governments.
50 Year Old Gamer
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Friday, July 10, 2015
Wednesday, June 24, 2015
Marvel Ultimate Alliance Review
Yes, this is a very old game. But with the second Avengers movie out, and a lack of games to accompany it (thankfully this means no shovelware), I thought this would be a good game to review. IT does have a large selection of Avengers to choose from. Some that haven't even been given a movie or TV series yet. There's also the Fantastic Four, Daredevil (Netflix series), and Electra, just to name a few.
Besides having what might be the biggest cast of playable characters in a video game, the cameos using NPCs are astonishing. Balder, Black Bolt, Wyatt Wingfoot. Aunt May and Willie the mailman even mentioned, but not not actually shown. The people at Raven, Activision, and Beenox, among others, did far more research into characters that would bring players into the Marvel Universe, than any other game to date, with the exception of the DCU free-to-play MMO.
Between the Xbox (original), Xbox 360, PS2, PS3, and the PS3, I've beeten the game 13 times, and have a 14th started. Why throw that into the review? Because I was still finding new things in the game the last time I played. And when it comes to hunting for hidden items in a game, I'm usually pretty damned good at it. I don't always get 100% of the items, but I get close, and without using a cheat book.
The character detail is amazing, although I recommend using the older consoles if you want to see better graphics. The 360 and PS3 have this weird texture over the costumes that makes them look like action figures. The older systems actually look more realistic. Other than that, I can't find any major difference between the systems.
If you have a 360, the extra price for the Platinum (comes with extra characters and a behind the scenes DVD) or Gold edition (same characters, but no DVD) is worth it. Activision lost its licensing to use several of the characters in the game. As such, you can't buy the extra characters any longer. This also applies to the sequel. You also get a few more training room missions with either of these versions.
The game play is extremely fluid, and lets you fine tune not just the character's abilities, but his/her bonuses as well. Each suit that you unlock gives you a new look (except for the Surfer), and a set of variables that you can augment. These may include health bonuses, damage bonuses, or extra energy for your powers, to name a few.
The glitching is extremely minor. For instance, if you switch characters, the computer will reassign the powers you mapped out. For instance, your Hulk ground pound may be replaced with his hand clap. I've also discovered a few places that you should never go. While exploring the snow covered mountains of Asgard, do not fly up to the peaks. Not only will your character become stuck there, it will die. There are a few places like this, so just try not to go off road.
There is also a way to break Hell. When in Mephisto's realm, there are a few areas that are supposed to have an endless amount of demons to fight. All you have to do is fight for about five minutes, and they slow their spawning. Go back to the previous area, and they start again, but in smaller numbers. After about half an hour, all of the demons stop spawning, except the one by the save point.
This game truly is the best super hero game there is. Yes, I have played the firdt two Arkham games, and enjoyed them. But that game gives you one character (with some DLC for Catwoman and Robin in the second). This game gives you dozens of characters, and multiple teams to use as well. Remember the New Fantastic Four? Spider-Man thought the FF were gone for good, so he had Joe Fixit (Grey Hulk), Ghost Rider, and Wolverine fill in for two issues. They're in there. The Defenders, X-Men, and even an option to create your own team. All Arkham gives you is a batarang.
If you get a chance to play this, take the opportunity. It's one of those rare games that gets all of the important stuff right.
Besides having what might be the biggest cast of playable characters in a video game, the cameos using NPCs are astonishing. Balder, Black Bolt, Wyatt Wingfoot. Aunt May and Willie the mailman even mentioned, but not not actually shown. The people at Raven, Activision, and Beenox, among others, did far more research into characters that would bring players into the Marvel Universe, than any other game to date, with the exception of the DCU free-to-play MMO.
Between the Xbox (original), Xbox 360, PS2, PS3, and the PS3, I've beeten the game 13 times, and have a 14th started. Why throw that into the review? Because I was still finding new things in the game the last time I played. And when it comes to hunting for hidden items in a game, I'm usually pretty damned good at it. I don't always get 100% of the items, but I get close, and without using a cheat book.
The character detail is amazing, although I recommend using the older consoles if you want to see better graphics. The 360 and PS3 have this weird texture over the costumes that makes them look like action figures. The older systems actually look more realistic. Other than that, I can't find any major difference between the systems.
If you have a 360, the extra price for the Platinum (comes with extra characters and a behind the scenes DVD) or Gold edition (same characters, but no DVD) is worth it. Activision lost its licensing to use several of the characters in the game. As such, you can't buy the extra characters any longer. This also applies to the sequel. You also get a few more training room missions with either of these versions.
The game play is extremely fluid, and lets you fine tune not just the character's abilities, but his/her bonuses as well. Each suit that you unlock gives you a new look (except for the Surfer), and a set of variables that you can augment. These may include health bonuses, damage bonuses, or extra energy for your powers, to name a few.
The glitching is extremely minor. For instance, if you switch characters, the computer will reassign the powers you mapped out. For instance, your Hulk ground pound may be replaced with his hand clap. I've also discovered a few places that you should never go. While exploring the snow covered mountains of Asgard, do not fly up to the peaks. Not only will your character become stuck there, it will die. There are a few places like this, so just try not to go off road.
There is also a way to break Hell. When in Mephisto's realm, there are a few areas that are supposed to have an endless amount of demons to fight. All you have to do is fight for about five minutes, and they slow their spawning. Go back to the previous area, and they start again, but in smaller numbers. After about half an hour, all of the demons stop spawning, except the one by the save point.
This game truly is the best super hero game there is. Yes, I have played the firdt two Arkham games, and enjoyed them. But that game gives you one character (with some DLC for Catwoman and Robin in the second). This game gives you dozens of characters, and multiple teams to use as well. Remember the New Fantastic Four? Spider-Man thought the FF were gone for good, so he had Joe Fixit (Grey Hulk), Ghost Rider, and Wolverine fill in for two issues. They're in there. The Defenders, X-Men, and even an option to create your own team. All Arkham gives you is a batarang.
If you get a chance to play this, take the opportunity. It's one of those rare games that gets all of the important stuff right.
Monday, June 22, 2015
Gears of War Ultimate Edition Beta Review
I got to play the beta for the next Gears recently. I have to admit, I was a little disappointed. I don't play Gears for the multiplayer MOBA maps. I play it for the stories. It's not that I don't mind getting into a frag-fest every now and again, it's just that I don't always get to go online when my friends do, nor do I always play the same games that they do. So, when a game that has surprisingly good stories comes out, I want the solo play, no matter how good the arena is supposed to be.
There is also the newness factor that comes into play (no pun intended). When a game like Halo or Shadowrun first comes out, there's usually enough people interested in the game to provide a balanced team, whether you're a new or seasoned player. But as time goes on, less new people join, and more of the older people stop. As a result, the teams can be lopsided, or worse, the server is shut down (R.I.P. Avatar).
Although I did have some fun playing the beta, I had a learning curve to deal with. I am not a huge Gears fan. Maybe if all games used the same controller layout, I could have avoided the memory issue of what button reloads, how do I switch weapons, etc. Instead, I had to deal with all of this while avoiding fire. Something that took a bit of the fun out of it for me, a non-Gears fanatic.
The other issue that I had is the standard, "don't choose your side, the game will decide for you," element of team building. I would have preferred to play as a COG, instead of a Locust, had I been given a choice. Instead, I was just thrown into a team of Locust, just before the match started. I didn't even have time to chose Sniper, or even see what the other options are. I had to wait for the second match to do so.
On the positive side, the graphics were far better than I expected, and I really expected something from them. The sound was what I expected, which really wasn't much. Let's face it, in a MOBA, all you need are gunshots, explosions, and grunting from the wounded.
So, would this beta increase my chances of buying the next Gears on release day? No. I can't say that the experience justifies a $60 price tag. If The Coalition wants me to shell out any money for the game, they'll have to wait until the price drops to the "Greatest Hits" value price, or at least give me a demo that lets me check out the game play for solo. Otherwise, I may even wait for it's eventual "free with Gold" offering.
MOBAs are a dime a dozen. A good solo or side-by-side co-op is always worth the extra money to me, because I can play when I want, how I want, without worrying about a server being down or closed. I can enjoy the game without waiting for another player that owns the game to plug it in. At $350 for a console, and however much per game, I think I deserve that much control.
There is also the newness factor that comes into play (no pun intended). When a game like Halo or Shadowrun first comes out, there's usually enough people interested in the game to provide a balanced team, whether you're a new or seasoned player. But as time goes on, less new people join, and more of the older people stop. As a result, the teams can be lopsided, or worse, the server is shut down (R.I.P. Avatar).
Although I did have some fun playing the beta, I had a learning curve to deal with. I am not a huge Gears fan. Maybe if all games used the same controller layout, I could have avoided the memory issue of what button reloads, how do I switch weapons, etc. Instead, I had to deal with all of this while avoiding fire. Something that took a bit of the fun out of it for me, a non-Gears fanatic.
The other issue that I had is the standard, "don't choose your side, the game will decide for you," element of team building. I would have preferred to play as a COG, instead of a Locust, had I been given a choice. Instead, I was just thrown into a team of Locust, just before the match started. I didn't even have time to chose Sniper, or even see what the other options are. I had to wait for the second match to do so.
On the positive side, the graphics were far better than I expected, and I really expected something from them. The sound was what I expected, which really wasn't much. Let's face it, in a MOBA, all you need are gunshots, explosions, and grunting from the wounded.
So, would this beta increase my chances of buying the next Gears on release day? No. I can't say that the experience justifies a $60 price tag. If The Coalition wants me to shell out any money for the game, they'll have to wait until the price drops to the "Greatest Hits" value price, or at least give me a demo that lets me check out the game play for solo. Otherwise, I may even wait for it's eventual "free with Gold" offering.
MOBAs are a dime a dozen. A good solo or side-by-side co-op is always worth the extra money to me, because I can play when I want, how I want, without worrying about a server being down or closed. I can enjoy the game without waiting for another player that owns the game to plug it in. At $350 for a console, and however much per game, I think I deserve that much control.
Wednesday, June 10, 2015
My Xbox 360 Bucket List Part 2
Since I will be working six days this week, I am taking advantage of a "slow" period to write this week's blog, using my lazy topic.
Family Guy: I know this is supposed to be a really bad game, but I was a big fan of the series when it first came out. Although I quit watching it a couple of years ago, I'm interested in just how bad the game really is.
Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse: This was one of the Genesis games that I just never got a chance to play. When I still had the system, it was always a bit pricey around here, even used. Now that I don't have a Genesis, I see the cartridge every so often for $2 - $3 at thrift stores.
Bureau: Xcom Declassified: I hated the original game on the PSOne. Just like Civilization, there were those annoying little built in cheats that the game could use against you, like letting the aliens take shots out of turn, or not letting your character even get a chance to move at times. In Civ II on the PSOne (and computer), the computer could move net to your territory or character, and not be penalized. If you run out of moves next to an A.I. character, you risk starting a war. This version of Xcom, however, gets rid of that nonsense, and gives you an FPS instead. I REALLY want to play this.
Batman Origins: I honestly thought it was going to come out on the One at some point. The last Tomb Raider did, so why not this one? Better yet, do an XB1 upgrade for the trilogy. But please, no Blackgate. I'm serious when I say I hate platformers, even Mario Brothers. No, ESPECIALLY Mario Brothers.
Aliens: Colonial Marines: Technically, this one shouldn't be on the list anymore, since I found it really cheap on Amazon recently. So cheap that technically, it was free. I was a couple of dollars short of free shipping, and this only put me about ten cents past the $35 minimum. It was still cheaper than paying for shipping without the game, too. So even if it's as bad, or worse, than I hear, I can sell it, and come out pretty close to even.
From Dust: I played the demo, and it reminded me of an old SNES and PC favorite, Populous. So much so, that I haven't bought it, simply because it's so much like Populous that I feel as if I already played it. Now, if I ever get it as a Gold freebie...
To Be Continued....
Family Guy: I know this is supposed to be a really bad game, but I was a big fan of the series when it first came out. Although I quit watching it a couple of years ago, I'm interested in just how bad the game really is.
Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse: This was one of the Genesis games that I just never got a chance to play. When I still had the system, it was always a bit pricey around here, even used. Now that I don't have a Genesis, I see the cartridge every so often for $2 - $3 at thrift stores.
Bureau: Xcom Declassified: I hated the original game on the PSOne. Just like Civilization, there were those annoying little built in cheats that the game could use against you, like letting the aliens take shots out of turn, or not letting your character even get a chance to move at times. In Civ II on the PSOne (and computer), the computer could move net to your territory or character, and not be penalized. If you run out of moves next to an A.I. character, you risk starting a war. This version of Xcom, however, gets rid of that nonsense, and gives you an FPS instead. I REALLY want to play this.
Batman Origins: I honestly thought it was going to come out on the One at some point. The last Tomb Raider did, so why not this one? Better yet, do an XB1 upgrade for the trilogy. But please, no Blackgate. I'm serious when I say I hate platformers, even Mario Brothers. No, ESPECIALLY Mario Brothers.
Aliens: Colonial Marines: Technically, this one shouldn't be on the list anymore, since I found it really cheap on Amazon recently. So cheap that technically, it was free. I was a couple of dollars short of free shipping, and this only put me about ten cents past the $35 minimum. It was still cheaper than paying for shipping without the game, too. So even if it's as bad, or worse, than I hear, I can sell it, and come out pretty close to even.
From Dust: I played the demo, and it reminded me of an old SNES and PC favorite, Populous. So much so, that I haven't bought it, simply because it's so much like Populous that I feel as if I already played it. Now, if I ever get it as a Gold freebie...
To Be Continued....
Wednesday, June 3, 2015
Chris Matthew's Slip Of The Tongue
I like Chris Matthews. I genuinely do. I don't always agree with him, but he seems to be a sincere, honest journalist. A journalist that i can respect. However, he made a very bad slip of the tongue on his 6/1 Hardball show that I just can't ignore. "It's a she... It's a she."
As so many other shows, Mr Matthew's did a segment on Caitlyn Jenner, formally Bruce. As you must know by now, the Olympian has been undergoing a physical gender transformation. Surprisingly, Ms. Jenner has been getting support from almost everyone in the media. Even at FOX News. And although Chris Matthews had many supportive things to say, he let loose a very verboten slut. "It."
In my youth, "It" was was the transgendered equivalent of the "N" word. A word that was used by bigots to refer to anyone that was a cross dresser, female impersonator, effeminate male (straight or gay), inter sexed person, or transsexual. If you fell into any of these categories, especially if you fell into one of these categories in the eyes of a trans-phobic person, you weren't a full human being. You were an "It."
I have heard many people referred this way, both in public and on TV. Early talk shows such as Phil Donahue would occasionally have someone transgendered on, and some caller or audience member would have to use the word "it" to refer to the person. Even as people started to grow more accepting of cross dressers, inter sexed, and transgendered, the word never fully went away. IT faded quite a bit, but it always managed to linger.
Of all the people at MSNBC to refer to anyone in the gender spectrum as "It," I never would have guessed that Mr. Matthews would be the one. I could imagine that a guest panelist on a show would use it, and then be corrected by the host. But Chris Matthews? I had to replay the segment a few times, hoping that I had misunderstood him. But unfortunately, I didn't.
Of all the segments that I've seen on local or cable media, of all the radio clips that I've heard, Chris Matthews was the only person that I head use "It" to describe Caitlyn Jenner. I watched his show again yesterday, hoping that someone had pointed out his slip of the tongue to him. I fully hoped that he would have apologized to Ms. Jenner, as well as his LGBT audience members. Either he is still unaware of his slip, or he thinks it's too minor for a quick, ten second apology.
Chris Matthews, I am very disappointed in you. Not just as a member of the Gender community, but as Ca person that has trusted MSNBC, as well as your show, to provide people with respect as you covered a story. You have shown respect to people of all other groups these past few years, no matter how much you disagreed with them publicly or privately. So please, show the same respect to the Gender Community. Just take a few seconds to say "I'm sorry for revering to Caitlyn Jenner as 'It,' instead of he or she."
As so many other shows, Mr Matthew's did a segment on Caitlyn Jenner, formally Bruce. As you must know by now, the Olympian has been undergoing a physical gender transformation. Surprisingly, Ms. Jenner has been getting support from almost everyone in the media. Even at FOX News. And although Chris Matthews had many supportive things to say, he let loose a very verboten slut. "It."
In my youth, "It" was was the transgendered equivalent of the "N" word. A word that was used by bigots to refer to anyone that was a cross dresser, female impersonator, effeminate male (straight or gay), inter sexed person, or transsexual. If you fell into any of these categories, especially if you fell into one of these categories in the eyes of a trans-phobic person, you weren't a full human being. You were an "It."
I have heard many people referred this way, both in public and on TV. Early talk shows such as Phil Donahue would occasionally have someone transgendered on, and some caller or audience member would have to use the word "it" to refer to the person. Even as people started to grow more accepting of cross dressers, inter sexed, and transgendered, the word never fully went away. IT faded quite a bit, but it always managed to linger.
Of all the people at MSNBC to refer to anyone in the gender spectrum as "It," I never would have guessed that Mr. Matthews would be the one. I could imagine that a guest panelist on a show would use it, and then be corrected by the host. But Chris Matthews? I had to replay the segment a few times, hoping that I had misunderstood him. But unfortunately, I didn't.
Of all the segments that I've seen on local or cable media, of all the radio clips that I've heard, Chris Matthews was the only person that I head use "It" to describe Caitlyn Jenner. I watched his show again yesterday, hoping that someone had pointed out his slip of the tongue to him. I fully hoped that he would have apologized to Ms. Jenner, as well as his LGBT audience members. Either he is still unaware of his slip, or he thinks it's too minor for a quick, ten second apology.
Chris Matthews, I am very disappointed in you. Not just as a member of the Gender community, but as Ca person that has trusted MSNBC, as well as your show, to provide people with respect as you covered a story. You have shown respect to people of all other groups these past few years, no matter how much you disagreed with them publicly or privately. So please, show the same respect to the Gender Community. Just take a few seconds to say "I'm sorry for revering to Caitlyn Jenner as 'It,' instead of he or she."
Thursday, May 28, 2015
My New Word Proposal
Since all of the dictionaries have added their new words for this year, I would like to propose one for next year. So please, help me get it in there by using it every chance that you get.
Chris-christie - verb- To cause traffic chaos, either intentionally or unintentionally, by closing off all off ramps to a roadway, while leaving open all of the on ramps; the accidental or deliberate act of a road crew or government agency that causes unnecessary traffic back up due to bad planning.
I know that this doesn't sound remotely gaming related, but last week I was stuck in traffic so bad that it took me 45 minutes just to move three miles. Once I was finally able to get to an exit, I had another half an hour or so added to my commute. This takes away serious game time. Especially since I was too pissed to play anything once I finally made it home.
Then yesterday, I lost close to another hour, while trying to take Harlem Avenue over I-55 (not entering the expressway, just taking a bridge over it), because there was un-posted roadwork on the bridge, and the State Police decided to let people get off 55 for five minutes at a time, while people that were forced onto the expressway only had 30 seconds to move per turn.
The stupidest part? Maybe 90% of the people getting off the expressway just went straight back on, since there was no other way to head north in the area. Just closing the exits on 55 would have solved most of the traffic issues.
So now I am suggesting a new word for the world, because some idiot at IDOT did a chris-christie at the off ramp from 90/94 to I-290, as well as the chris-christie on Harlem, without posting warning signs.
Chris-christie - verb- To cause traffic chaos, either intentionally or unintentionally, by closing off all off ramps to a roadway, while leaving open all of the on ramps; the accidental or deliberate act of a road crew or government agency that causes unnecessary traffic back up due to bad planning.
I know that this doesn't sound remotely gaming related, but last week I was stuck in traffic so bad that it took me 45 minutes just to move three miles. Once I was finally able to get to an exit, I had another half an hour or so added to my commute. This takes away serious game time. Especially since I was too pissed to play anything once I finally made it home.
Then yesterday, I lost close to another hour, while trying to take Harlem Avenue over I-55 (not entering the expressway, just taking a bridge over it), because there was un-posted roadwork on the bridge, and the State Police decided to let people get off 55 for five minutes at a time, while people that were forced onto the expressway only had 30 seconds to move per turn.
The stupidest part? Maybe 90% of the people getting off the expressway just went straight back on, since there was no other way to head north in the area. Just closing the exits on 55 would have solved most of the traffic issues.
So now I am suggesting a new word for the world, because some idiot at IDOT did a chris-christie at the off ramp from 90/94 to I-290, as well as the chris-christie on Harlem, without posting warning signs.
Wednesday, May 20, 2015
Why Financial Conservatives Can't See The Big Picture
As I stated in a previous blog, Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner removed all social safety net spending from the State budget. He wanted to get rid of the State's deficit by removing all "unnecessary" funding. Let's ignore the fact that he inadvertently said that all people on welfare, have a disability, or are on unemployment are basically worthless to society. Let's also not talk about the fact that he is about to raise property taxes (he said they'd go down with his new system), and give more tax breaks to the upper 1%. Instead, let's focus on the financial drain that Rauner is creating.
Hundreds of social agencies are either letting people go, drastically cutting employee hours, or both. This means that thousands of people are now going to be earning less. As such, we will also be paying less in taxes that are supposed to go to Rauner's business owner friends. You know, the ones that get subsidies for shipping jobs overseas.
Besides the direct loss of tax revenue, those of us affected by Rauner's new budget will be spending less on everything. That means no small item purchases, like clothing, computers, or household items. No big ticket items like housing, cars, or furniture. Forget about investing through stocks or bonds for Illinois businesses. Forget about being able to save for your children's college.
And as we stop spending money on these items, we also stop generating sales tax. A tax that is estimated when planning the State budget. Which means it will not be truly balanced in the long run, resulting in a deficit again next year. That means next year, working class people will have to cut their spending even more, resulting in fewer sales for businesses, fewer education funds for children, and less sales tax for the next budget.
When I was a kid, I grew up on the far south side of Chicago. We had several steel mills, Ford, Dodge and GM had thriving factories in the area. We also had farms scattered around, a small airport in Lansing, and of course, shopping. I visited a friend that still lives there the other day (Hi, Shawn). I knew the plants and factories had long since died out, thanks in part to the Regan presidency and his fiscal stupidity (remember "trickle down economics?").
The farms also started to get paved over, during the Farm Aid area of fiscal idiocy. Not that Farm Aid was idiotic. It helped out farmers that truly needed aid. It was the whole idea that land taxes were more important than the food produced, unless you were part of a national farm system, the kind of commercial farms that McDonald's or Kraft has.
The Lansing Municipal Airport is still listed in search engines. I didn't have the heart to see if the parachute club was still there. The one that used to bring in spectators like my grandfather and myself, who'd go there on Saturday mornings, watch the beautiful parachute designs, then get a hair cut, shop, or do whatever we had to do.
Besides the factories, mills, and farms, the major thing that is now missing in the area is the revenue that they provided. Sales from fresh produce sold right on the farmer's property. American made steel formed and cut here in Illinois. The American made cars that we so proudly owned and showed off when we bought them. Bought with the jobs that these farms, mills, and factories provided.
I know the first thing that fiscal conservatives say is that it's the unions' fault that all of this went away. They want people to believe that greedy, working class people that insisted on a wage that would feed their families, clothe their families, house their families, and if the kids wanted to go, would provide a college education for their families.
The fiscals are wrong. The wages helped to buy the items that were made or grown at these places. Living wages produced sales that helped to keep the companies in business profitable. It also provided sales taxes from both the industries and the workers that helped to build the State into a once great place to live.
I still remember what it was like before the first expressway came into my family's life. I-90/94 made it possible not just for my family to commute faster and easier to relatives many miles away. It also allowed children in the far south suburbs a faster, more economical way to get to Chicago museums like the Adler Planetarium, The Museum of Science and Industry, or the Natural History Museum. And of course, the roads provided industries in the area a fast, cheap, easy way to get their products shipped around the area, and into other states as well.
Industries did not create the highways and express way systems, taxpayers did. Despite what the people who watch FOX News want you to believe, it was not fiscal conservatism that created our public roads, it was us, the tax payer. Rich and poor alike. All because we paid our fair share of taxes, and were actually proud to do so.
Our national pride is eroding rapidly. Our school system is no longer the best in the world. Our dollar is no longer the strongest in the world. We are not the healthiest, smartest, or the most ambitious nation in the world. Slowly, we are becoming a Third World Country. All because of fiscal conservatives that think the Victorian Era was the right way to live. Bring back the debtor prisons, arrest the poor, and force them to work in sweat shops for pennies a day.
As long as we, the voters, allow our politicians, Democrats and Republicans alike, to keep opening new tax loopholes for the richest of us, and keep forcing the hardest working among us to pay all of the taxes, the fiscals will keep making life harder for us. They can't see the big picture, because they won't admit that it's there. It really is that simple.
As long as they see Atlas Shrugged as a blue print for a better society, a society where the rich don't have to be taxed, and workers shut up and stay in their place, we will keep loosing more and more equality in a country that claims "all men are created equal."
So good bye social safety net. People with mental disabilities are already starting to take up jail space, because we don't have the funds to care for them. To provide them the extra help in terms of housing or job training that they need to be profitable in the eyes of the fiscally conservative. Politicians like Bruce Rauner will never see them as respectable members of society. All because fiscally conservatives can't see what the big picture is.
We are a society. Society means all people, not just the rich. Not just the beautiful. Not just the smartest. Society is all people. Rich and poor, physically able and those that aren't for any reason. That's the big picture. And politicians like Rauner just refuse to admit that it exists.
Hundreds of social agencies are either letting people go, drastically cutting employee hours, or both. This means that thousands of people are now going to be earning less. As such, we will also be paying less in taxes that are supposed to go to Rauner's business owner friends. You know, the ones that get subsidies for shipping jobs overseas.
Besides the direct loss of tax revenue, those of us affected by Rauner's new budget will be spending less on everything. That means no small item purchases, like clothing, computers, or household items. No big ticket items like housing, cars, or furniture. Forget about investing through stocks or bonds for Illinois businesses. Forget about being able to save for your children's college.
And as we stop spending money on these items, we also stop generating sales tax. A tax that is estimated when planning the State budget. Which means it will not be truly balanced in the long run, resulting in a deficit again next year. That means next year, working class people will have to cut their spending even more, resulting in fewer sales for businesses, fewer education funds for children, and less sales tax for the next budget.
When I was a kid, I grew up on the far south side of Chicago. We had several steel mills, Ford, Dodge and GM had thriving factories in the area. We also had farms scattered around, a small airport in Lansing, and of course, shopping. I visited a friend that still lives there the other day (Hi, Shawn). I knew the plants and factories had long since died out, thanks in part to the Regan presidency and his fiscal stupidity (remember "trickle down economics?").
The farms also started to get paved over, during the Farm Aid area of fiscal idiocy. Not that Farm Aid was idiotic. It helped out farmers that truly needed aid. It was the whole idea that land taxes were more important than the food produced, unless you were part of a national farm system, the kind of commercial farms that McDonald's or Kraft has.
The Lansing Municipal Airport is still listed in search engines. I didn't have the heart to see if the parachute club was still there. The one that used to bring in spectators like my grandfather and myself, who'd go there on Saturday mornings, watch the beautiful parachute designs, then get a hair cut, shop, or do whatever we had to do.
Besides the factories, mills, and farms, the major thing that is now missing in the area is the revenue that they provided. Sales from fresh produce sold right on the farmer's property. American made steel formed and cut here in Illinois. The American made cars that we so proudly owned and showed off when we bought them. Bought with the jobs that these farms, mills, and factories provided.
I know the first thing that fiscal conservatives say is that it's the unions' fault that all of this went away. They want people to believe that greedy, working class people that insisted on a wage that would feed their families, clothe their families, house their families, and if the kids wanted to go, would provide a college education for their families.
The fiscals are wrong. The wages helped to buy the items that were made or grown at these places. Living wages produced sales that helped to keep the companies in business profitable. It also provided sales taxes from both the industries and the workers that helped to build the State into a once great place to live.
I still remember what it was like before the first expressway came into my family's life. I-90/94 made it possible not just for my family to commute faster and easier to relatives many miles away. It also allowed children in the far south suburbs a faster, more economical way to get to Chicago museums like the Adler Planetarium, The Museum of Science and Industry, or the Natural History Museum. And of course, the roads provided industries in the area a fast, cheap, easy way to get their products shipped around the area, and into other states as well.
Industries did not create the highways and express way systems, taxpayers did. Despite what the people who watch FOX News want you to believe, it was not fiscal conservatism that created our public roads, it was us, the tax payer. Rich and poor alike. All because we paid our fair share of taxes, and were actually proud to do so.
Our national pride is eroding rapidly. Our school system is no longer the best in the world. Our dollar is no longer the strongest in the world. We are not the healthiest, smartest, or the most ambitious nation in the world. Slowly, we are becoming a Third World Country. All because of fiscal conservatives that think the Victorian Era was the right way to live. Bring back the debtor prisons, arrest the poor, and force them to work in sweat shops for pennies a day.
As long as we, the voters, allow our politicians, Democrats and Republicans alike, to keep opening new tax loopholes for the richest of us, and keep forcing the hardest working among us to pay all of the taxes, the fiscals will keep making life harder for us. They can't see the big picture, because they won't admit that it's there. It really is that simple.
As long as they see Atlas Shrugged as a blue print for a better society, a society where the rich don't have to be taxed, and workers shut up and stay in their place, we will keep loosing more and more equality in a country that claims "all men are created equal."
So good bye social safety net. People with mental disabilities are already starting to take up jail space, because we don't have the funds to care for them. To provide them the extra help in terms of housing or job training that they need to be profitable in the eyes of the fiscally conservative. Politicians like Bruce Rauner will never see them as respectable members of society. All because fiscally conservatives can't see what the big picture is.
We are a society. Society means all people, not just the rich. Not just the beautiful. Not just the smartest. Society is all people. Rich and poor, physically able and those that aren't for any reason. That's the big picture. And politicians like Rauner just refuse to admit that it exists.
Wednesday, May 13, 2015
Thief (2014) Review
Your name is Garrett. You live in a dismal world. The clerics control your world, the Baron controls the clerics, and the General controls the Baron. You didn't ask to be altered, to be able to see into a psychic world controlled, possible created, by your friend and protege, Erin. But here you are.
A year has gone by while you lay in some sort of a coma. Asleep, oblivious to the changes in your world. Political chaos has broken loose. There's a strange disease called the gloom affecting the population of your town, and it doesn't have a cure. Most likely, because the governing forces don't want a cure. Control the citizens by disease and hunger. An effective way to keep the people in line.
Few are willing to help the people. Those that do must work in the shadows. Betrayal of the law means a fast "trial," followed by an even faster hanging. The underground movement needs someone with a special skill set. Someone that can control his fear, his emotions, and do what must be done. Someone that knows the shadows, embraces the safety of the darkness. The people need you. Garrett. Thief.
If you've read any part of my walk through for the game, you know that I am not a big fan of Thief. Granted, it is more playable than the many sequels to Assassin's Creed (the first game), but doesn't quite measure up to it. I know, it doesn't seem fair to judge this game based on a different franchise. The trouble is, this game is so obviously a "spiritual successor," that you have to.
This game feels very much like AC 1. The only things missing are the Leap of Faith, and the Templar Knights. And the pick pocketing. But I'll go into that one later. All of the other important elements are here, but changed just enough to legally call it a different game. You climb walls, jump around on rooftops, try to avoid being seen, and when possible, use stealth attacks.
I really did want to love this game. Not just like it, but love it. It truly had some potential. Unfortunately, the way the city is mapped out makes it too damn annoying to get from point A to point B fluidly. For instance, there is one place where you have to enter an area through a building's back window, deal with a load screen, and enter out the front. In order to progress to the building just across the street (too far to jump to the next ledge), you need to leave the area, deal with another cut scene, and enter through the back of the building.
Some of the paths are far too clever as well. There are some areas with piles of crates, lumber, or whatever, that you need to squeeze through. You're supposed to be playing as a fairly well built, adult man. Not a muscle bound type, but definitely not someone that should fit through an opening as small as you're expected to. As such, it seems more annoying than anything, that you have to locate these passage ways.
I am all for SMART game development. CLEVER, however, is a major breaking point for me. What's the difference? Let's say you're playing a game where you need to collect rabbits for some reason. A smart designer will look at the game environment, and place the rabbits accordingly. Behind a tree, inside a hole, beside a bush. Boring, but places that a person would think to look.
A clever designer wants to beat the player. S/he'll put the rabbits on top of a tall tree that you'll need to climb. How did the rabbit get up there? Who cares? At least you didn't find it, unless you bought the cheat book. This is the kind of logic that can kill a game, especially for people that want to figure out the puzzles themselves, not using the internet or a book. This game fails people that want to do the mental work themselves in too many areas.
And speaking of puzzles, you aren't always given the clues to figuring out a safe. I had to look one up at IGN, and even the person writing the walk through for them said the designers failed to provide the clue for a specific safe. When a professional for a major game site can't figure out what is supposed to be a simple puzzle, you know the game designers didn't do something right.
To make things worse, some puzzles don't even feel like a puzzle. At best, they're busy work, to stretch out your game time without making the developers work. All you have to do is rotate a tile in one puzzle, until it snaps into place. Move to the next, and repeat. Since each tile that you rotate controls a few others, all you have to do is rotate a couple of them to finish, no real effort involved.
When I started to write this review a few minutes ago, I actually had a higher opinion of it. I had wanted to give it a better recommendation, due to it getting some things right, and giving a reasonable amount of fun and game time. But now, it's really hard for me to do that. I was planning on saying that it would be a good weekend rental, or maybe something to fill out your GameFly list, in between the big, AAA titles. Now, I think I can't even honestly say that.
IF you are really in the mood to rent a game from your local brick & mortal establishment (not everyone lives in a big city), and your GameFly rental hasn't arrived yet, give this a try. But ONLY if you're truly bored, and don't mind a game with too many load screens, a lack of information, and only a hint of originality. Otherwise, break out your last gen console, and play the first Assassin's Creed. You'll have a whole lot more fun that way.
A year has gone by while you lay in some sort of a coma. Asleep, oblivious to the changes in your world. Political chaos has broken loose. There's a strange disease called the gloom affecting the population of your town, and it doesn't have a cure. Most likely, because the governing forces don't want a cure. Control the citizens by disease and hunger. An effective way to keep the people in line.
Few are willing to help the people. Those that do must work in the shadows. Betrayal of the law means a fast "trial," followed by an even faster hanging. The underground movement needs someone with a special skill set. Someone that can control his fear, his emotions, and do what must be done. Someone that knows the shadows, embraces the safety of the darkness. The people need you. Garrett. Thief.
If you've read any part of my walk through for the game, you know that I am not a big fan of Thief. Granted, it is more playable than the many sequels to Assassin's Creed (the first game), but doesn't quite measure up to it. I know, it doesn't seem fair to judge this game based on a different franchise. The trouble is, this game is so obviously a "spiritual successor," that you have to.
This game feels very much like AC 1. The only things missing are the Leap of Faith, and the Templar Knights. And the pick pocketing. But I'll go into that one later. All of the other important elements are here, but changed just enough to legally call it a different game. You climb walls, jump around on rooftops, try to avoid being seen, and when possible, use stealth attacks.
I really did want to love this game. Not just like it, but love it. It truly had some potential. Unfortunately, the way the city is mapped out makes it too damn annoying to get from point A to point B fluidly. For instance, there is one place where you have to enter an area through a building's back window, deal with a load screen, and enter out the front. In order to progress to the building just across the street (too far to jump to the next ledge), you need to leave the area, deal with another cut scene, and enter through the back of the building.
Some of the paths are far too clever as well. There are some areas with piles of crates, lumber, or whatever, that you need to squeeze through. You're supposed to be playing as a fairly well built, adult man. Not a muscle bound type, but definitely not someone that should fit through an opening as small as you're expected to. As such, it seems more annoying than anything, that you have to locate these passage ways.
I am all for SMART game development. CLEVER, however, is a major breaking point for me. What's the difference? Let's say you're playing a game where you need to collect rabbits for some reason. A smart designer will look at the game environment, and place the rabbits accordingly. Behind a tree, inside a hole, beside a bush. Boring, but places that a person would think to look.
A clever designer wants to beat the player. S/he'll put the rabbits on top of a tall tree that you'll need to climb. How did the rabbit get up there? Who cares? At least you didn't find it, unless you bought the cheat book. This is the kind of logic that can kill a game, especially for people that want to figure out the puzzles themselves, not using the internet or a book. This game fails people that want to do the mental work themselves in too many areas.
And speaking of puzzles, you aren't always given the clues to figuring out a safe. I had to look one up at IGN, and even the person writing the walk through for them said the designers failed to provide the clue for a specific safe. When a professional for a major game site can't figure out what is supposed to be a simple puzzle, you know the game designers didn't do something right.
To make things worse, some puzzles don't even feel like a puzzle. At best, they're busy work, to stretch out your game time without making the developers work. All you have to do is rotate a tile in one puzzle, until it snaps into place. Move to the next, and repeat. Since each tile that you rotate controls a few others, all you have to do is rotate a couple of them to finish, no real effort involved.
When I started to write this review a few minutes ago, I actually had a higher opinion of it. I had wanted to give it a better recommendation, due to it getting some things right, and giving a reasonable amount of fun and game time. But now, it's really hard for me to do that. I was planning on saying that it would be a good weekend rental, or maybe something to fill out your GameFly list, in between the big, AAA titles. Now, I think I can't even honestly say that.
IF you are really in the mood to rent a game from your local brick & mortal establishment (not everyone lives in a big city), and your GameFly rental hasn't arrived yet, give this a try. But ONLY if you're truly bored, and don't mind a game with too many load screens, a lack of information, and only a hint of originality. Otherwise, break out your last gen console, and play the first Assassin's Creed. You'll have a whole lot more fun that way.
Wednesday, May 6, 2015
Titanfall: A Year One Review
There have been a lot of mech games over the decades. A lot of them were really good, such as the old Mechwarrior series. Of course, I'm talking about the series before Microsoft bought it. If you have access to an older computer, it isn't hard to find cheap, since so many copies sold. You can also find a watered down, but equally fun, version on the PSOne.
In more recent years, players have been losing interest in mech based games, myself included. The recent generation of games have watered down the game play, mostly to make life easier on the game developers. They took away the most important element in the game play experience: the mech simulation.
The best part of these games was feeling like you were a pilot to one of these massive robot tanks. So many people loved this aspect of the game, that we would spend $8.00 for a single play at VR centers in places like Chicago, Los Angeles, or New York City. We'd be enclosed in a small cockpit, with barely enough room for a chair. Instead of a controller, we had foot pedals, lots of levers, and a joystick. There was no practice time allowed. You were just thrown into the arena, and had to fight it out against the other 11 or so players. No teams, just lots of ammo coming at you.
As developers took away the simulation, the players started to go away as well. Sales for the genre dropped, as the number of gamers started to complain that mech games were boring. Then Respawn Entertainment came along. They put back the critical part of the game. But the question is, was it too late for the genre? Have so many people given up on mechs that it didn't matter how good a game was?
All of the sales figures that I could find were from about a year ago, but as of at least August 5, 2014, the game has sold almost three million copies. In the first sales quarter that the game was out in, it had sold 925,000 units. Not digital downloads, but actual discs. The game has also gathered a strong following since it's release, and gotten some great reviews from the media and fans alike. But is the game good?
I think everyone has a game that they use as a standard when judging a game. Some people compare all the FPS games that they play to Halo (original Xbox), their preferred Call of Duty title, or even Mario. When it comes to mech games, I use the 1995 classic, Mechwarrior 2: 31st Century Combat, computer version. This 20 year old game had more than I needed to enjoy the game, such as x-ray scanning, the ability to use image frames without textures (it sped up a slow computer), and played beautifully. I don't know a single player that ever had a control issue with the game, unless their keyboard or stick was bad.
So, how does Titanfall measure up to my dream game? Surprisingly well. The controls are incredible, the art is beautiful (something I never thought I'd say about a war game), and the maps are extremely well designed. I still haven't found a passage way (except for some doorways) that my mech would get stuck in. There are plenty of buildings to use for cover, and you get a reasonable amount of ammunition. At least, I don't recall ever running out of bullets while playing.
I truly believe that this game would finally replace the 20 year old classic that I judge by if Respawn Entertainment would just make two minor changes. One of which I don't expect to ever see, since so many people behind the game hate the concept: Single player gaming.
A few of the high ups at Respawn Entertainment don't believe in single gaming anymore. They've stated in many articles that the single play stories either take too much of their time, or that people play one level, get bored, and just focus on shooting other players. Obviously, these people haven't looked at the sales for single play games like The Elder Scrolls series, or games that offer both, like Gears of War. I can respect them wanting to make the game that they want to play, but putting the blame for their laziness on players is just plain rude.
Not everyone has the luxury of high speed internet in this country, and some countries really don't have it, period. It's nice to aim high, but if you really want to get the big sales numbers, you need to be as inclusive as possible for your consumer base. There are also those that don't want a long, drawn out on line session. People with jobs, school, families, or any combination, often can't spend a long stretch of time playing a game. Add to that the need to either wait for more random players to join your lobby, or friends to come on line with you, and you end up burning a lot of time that you could have spent playing the game.
My only other problem with the game is the lack of cockpit time available in the game. Instead of offering a mech only character, everyone starts with the pilot. Sometimes you get to summon your mech right away, other times you need to wait up to two minutes. And then once your mech is totaled, you have to wait another two minutes before you can summon it again. I bought the game to pilot a mech. To add insult to injury, the game was sold on the premiss that other mechs would be on the battle field that you can high jack. Try doing that while its pilot is charging at you. No, it was sold with the mention of some empties on the field that wouldn't try to run you down as you entered.
So, do the complaints outweigh the positives for the game? I don't think so. The mechless play is made up for, mostly, by giving you some decent weapons and skills, I love the auto-locking pistol, and the invisibility works well. Too well at times. Instead of a give away shimmer effect, like Defiance uses, you're totally invisible, even to yourself. I love it when I get a stealth kill with it, but hate it when I get slaughtered by it.
The mechs themselves are so well designed, that I can't find anything to complain about, other than the two minute gaps without them. I don't need them to fly all over the place, like some games do. I don't need the x-ray option (although, I wouldn't complain about it being added). I also don't need 50 foot long swords for my mechs. Leave that to Robotech.
Although this game hasn't given me reason to replace Mechwarrior 2 as my all time favorite mech game, I look forward to Titanfall 2's release. Hopefully with a single play option (even if it's really short), and a chance to be inside a well crafted mech the entire match. Add those two features, and I'll be a Day One buyer. Something I've never done before.
And by-the-way, Respawn Entertainment has stated that all of the add on maps will be free. Having bought the season pass, I shouldn't feel as happy about this, but hey. At least people just coming into the game can get some good freebies.
In more recent years, players have been losing interest in mech based games, myself included. The recent generation of games have watered down the game play, mostly to make life easier on the game developers. They took away the most important element in the game play experience: the mech simulation.
The best part of these games was feeling like you were a pilot to one of these massive robot tanks. So many people loved this aspect of the game, that we would spend $8.00 for a single play at VR centers in places like Chicago, Los Angeles, or New York City. We'd be enclosed in a small cockpit, with barely enough room for a chair. Instead of a controller, we had foot pedals, lots of levers, and a joystick. There was no practice time allowed. You were just thrown into the arena, and had to fight it out against the other 11 or so players. No teams, just lots of ammo coming at you.
As developers took away the simulation, the players started to go away as well. Sales for the genre dropped, as the number of gamers started to complain that mech games were boring. Then Respawn Entertainment came along. They put back the critical part of the game. But the question is, was it too late for the genre? Have so many people given up on mechs that it didn't matter how good a game was?
All of the sales figures that I could find were from about a year ago, but as of at least August 5, 2014, the game has sold almost three million copies. In the first sales quarter that the game was out in, it had sold 925,000 units. Not digital downloads, but actual discs. The game has also gathered a strong following since it's release, and gotten some great reviews from the media and fans alike. But is the game good?
I think everyone has a game that they use as a standard when judging a game. Some people compare all the FPS games that they play to Halo (original Xbox), their preferred Call of Duty title, or even Mario. When it comes to mech games, I use the 1995 classic, Mechwarrior 2: 31st Century Combat, computer version. This 20 year old game had more than I needed to enjoy the game, such as x-ray scanning, the ability to use image frames without textures (it sped up a slow computer), and played beautifully. I don't know a single player that ever had a control issue with the game, unless their keyboard or stick was bad.
So, how does Titanfall measure up to my dream game? Surprisingly well. The controls are incredible, the art is beautiful (something I never thought I'd say about a war game), and the maps are extremely well designed. I still haven't found a passage way (except for some doorways) that my mech would get stuck in. There are plenty of buildings to use for cover, and you get a reasonable amount of ammunition. At least, I don't recall ever running out of bullets while playing.
I truly believe that this game would finally replace the 20 year old classic that I judge by if Respawn Entertainment would just make two minor changes. One of which I don't expect to ever see, since so many people behind the game hate the concept: Single player gaming.
A few of the high ups at Respawn Entertainment don't believe in single gaming anymore. They've stated in many articles that the single play stories either take too much of their time, or that people play one level, get bored, and just focus on shooting other players. Obviously, these people haven't looked at the sales for single play games like The Elder Scrolls series, or games that offer both, like Gears of War. I can respect them wanting to make the game that they want to play, but putting the blame for their laziness on players is just plain rude.
Not everyone has the luxury of high speed internet in this country, and some countries really don't have it, period. It's nice to aim high, but if you really want to get the big sales numbers, you need to be as inclusive as possible for your consumer base. There are also those that don't want a long, drawn out on line session. People with jobs, school, families, or any combination, often can't spend a long stretch of time playing a game. Add to that the need to either wait for more random players to join your lobby, or friends to come on line with you, and you end up burning a lot of time that you could have spent playing the game.
My only other problem with the game is the lack of cockpit time available in the game. Instead of offering a mech only character, everyone starts with the pilot. Sometimes you get to summon your mech right away, other times you need to wait up to two minutes. And then once your mech is totaled, you have to wait another two minutes before you can summon it again. I bought the game to pilot a mech. To add insult to injury, the game was sold on the premiss that other mechs would be on the battle field that you can high jack. Try doing that while its pilot is charging at you. No, it was sold with the mention of some empties on the field that wouldn't try to run you down as you entered.
So, do the complaints outweigh the positives for the game? I don't think so. The mechless play is made up for, mostly, by giving you some decent weapons and skills, I love the auto-locking pistol, and the invisibility works well. Too well at times. Instead of a give away shimmer effect, like Defiance uses, you're totally invisible, even to yourself. I love it when I get a stealth kill with it, but hate it when I get slaughtered by it.
The mechs themselves are so well designed, that I can't find anything to complain about, other than the two minute gaps without them. I don't need them to fly all over the place, like some games do. I don't need the x-ray option (although, I wouldn't complain about it being added). I also don't need 50 foot long swords for my mechs. Leave that to Robotech.
Although this game hasn't given me reason to replace Mechwarrior 2 as my all time favorite mech game, I look forward to Titanfall 2's release. Hopefully with a single play option (even if it's really short), and a chance to be inside a well crafted mech the entire match. Add those two features, and I'll be a Day One buyer. Something I've never done before.
And by-the-way, Respawn Entertainment has stated that all of the add on maps will be free. Having bought the season pass, I shouldn't feel as happy about this, but hey. At least people just coming into the game can get some good freebies.
Get Barker: From the Multi-Player Campaign Mode
Assault on the Sentinel: Also From the Campaign
The Winner, And Still Champ!
Is There A Quality Difference Between The Xbox 360 and the Xbox One?
A friend of mine has told me several times that he doesn't see a difference between the previous Xbox and the current one. I have also seen a few comments online from people that didn't see much , if any difference. These comments tend to be from around the time when the XB1 first came out.
Frankly, I see a big difference between the two. The colors are brighter, the images are far more detailed, and the physics run a lot smoother. I'm willing to bet that the vast majority of people that don't think there's a difference haven't seen the same game, or demo, on both systems.
In order to allow people to compare the two systems side-by-side, I recorded myself playing (badly) two of the new Pinball FX 2 machines. The Star Wars tables were on sale recently (except for the Clone Wars table), so I included the Darth Vader table in the series, because of its unusually dark look. I also chose the Avengers Age Of Ultron table, because I wanted a justification to buy it.
I would like to say that I chose them only because they are new, and were coded at the same time. Therefore, they are more likely to be a fair representation, than if I had used two older tables. The truth is, I wanted to use the tag lines "Avengers Age Of Ultron," and "Star Wars." in the hopes of drawing a few more readers to my blog.
If you aren't already aware, the nice people at Zen Studios, the maker of Pinball FX 2, allow you to unlock a table on the Xbox One if you already own it on the 360. I do not know if the reverse is true. Not all of the older tables are currently available for the XB1, but hopefully will be in the near future.
So, for all of you oblivious, casual gamers out there (HI RICK!), here's your chance to compare the two consoles.
Frankly, I see a big difference between the two. The colors are brighter, the images are far more detailed, and the physics run a lot smoother. I'm willing to bet that the vast majority of people that don't think there's a difference haven't seen the same game, or demo, on both systems.
In order to allow people to compare the two systems side-by-side, I recorded myself playing (badly) two of the new Pinball FX 2 machines. The Star Wars tables were on sale recently (except for the Clone Wars table), so I included the Darth Vader table in the series, because of its unusually dark look. I also chose the Avengers Age Of Ultron table, because I wanted a justification to buy it.
I would like to say that I chose them only because they are new, and were coded at the same time. Therefore, they are more likely to be a fair representation, than if I had used two older tables. The truth is, I wanted to use the tag lines "Avengers Age Of Ultron," and "Star Wars." in the hopes of drawing a few more readers to my blog.
If you aren't already aware, the nice people at Zen Studios, the maker of Pinball FX 2, allow you to unlock a table on the Xbox One if you already own it on the 360. I do not know if the reverse is true. Not all of the older tables are currently available for the XB1, but hopefully will be in the near future.
So, for all of you oblivious, casual gamers out there (HI RICK!), here's your chance to compare the two consoles.
The Age of Ultron 360
The Age Of Ultron Xbox One
Darth Vader Xbox One
Darth Vader 360
Friday, May 1, 2015
Thief 2014: Chapter 8
This is the final chapter to the game. Unlike all of the other chapters, you do not have access to the Clock Tower, or any merchants, before you start. If you are low on ammo, you will have to sneak around a lot. The chapter itself isn't very long, and there is a merchant near the end. The "completed" message doesn't show until after the end credits. Fortunately, you can press RB to speed them up.
Follow the tunnel until you see a small opening that you have to crouch through. If you still have some fire arrows, you'll be fine. A single head shot with fire will kill them. They bob their heads while they walk, so zoom in, and wait until they're close. If you are out of fire arrows, just remember that Freaks can't see you. They have very sensitive hearing, so move slow, stay crouched, and you'll be fine.
Just past your first Freak is a chest that you have to pick open. The Mourning Bell collectible is inside. If you need focus, there is also a poppy in the area. The tunnel is one long path, without anywhere to turn. Just keep following it to the end, deal with the Freaks as you need to, and crouch for small openings. You'll know you're almost at the end when you see a locked door.
Near the empty chest is another Freak, as well as a door that needs to be unlocked. Follow the path a little farther, and you get your new objective, "Find a way to the Boat." From here, you get sneak or kill choices. There is also a merchant coming up, so you'll be able to grab more arrows, food, and poppies. Deal with the guards blocking the bridge, and head forward.
Use focus to find the broken glass, climbing points and pipes, an another wire box. Both the pipes and the stairs lead to a closed door with some people inside. Bide your time, and one leaves. This gives you a chance to sneak up and take them out, one by one. There is a second door on the other side of the room. Exit through it, and climb up to the next area.
By now, the merchant should be on your map. Head towards him, and stock up. After you've restored your supplies, keep moving towards the crates. You'll need to climb them to progress. There will be two guards near a fire at the top of the slope. Either go left to sneak past them, or deal with them directly. You can always run back and climb over the crates to try and separate them.
Keep moving forward and climbing until you've reached the ship's deck. There will be lots of guards and lights, so make sure you've filled your quiver as well as you could before starting the next area. There is no going back once you start it.
Enter the door that's in front of you, and climb the pipes to get to the next area. Keep heading downward, opening doors to search for loot, and dealing with guards as you see fit. Eventually, you'll come to an elevator. It doesn't seem like it's moving, but shortly after you enter, the doors open. Outisde is an archer looking over a railing. Take him out, and move on.
There is a door to your left, as well as your right. Open each, loot, and exit out the other side. Take out any guards that you see in the process. This will clear your way to move further down the hull of the ship. As before, just keep opening doors, looting, and dealing with guards any way that you need to. Eventually, you'll reach another cut scene.
You now need to find Erin. She doesn't want you to approach her, so you have to sneak up behind her. Tap her on the shoulder by pressing "X", and she disappears. Seek her out again, and tap her shoulder a second time. This time, she leaves for a new area.
Erin is now your final boss. DO NOT CONFRONT HER! She is very powerful, and not in a good mood. You need to find the three pieces of primal power to stop her. They are scattered across the area. If you don't see them, use focus. You'll also have to keep hiding behind any object that you can, because Erin has some very powerful energy blasts that she can use. One or two hits is all it takes to kill you. She has also split herself into a handful of Erins, so you have a lot of dodging to do.
After you get all three pieces, they automatically reassemble. Now all you have to do is go up to Erin, who has stopped attacking you. Touch the stone to her, and the final cut scene triggers. As stated before, read or ignore the end credits, and you get your achievement (or trophy) for beating the game.
If you still want to play the game, there are some challenge maps available. Since I had more than enough of the game, I didn't attempt any of them. You also have the option of going back through the town to pick up any loot that you missed, or replay any chapter or mission.
Follow the tunnel until you see a small opening that you have to crouch through. If you still have some fire arrows, you'll be fine. A single head shot with fire will kill them. They bob their heads while they walk, so zoom in, and wait until they're close. If you are out of fire arrows, just remember that Freaks can't see you. They have very sensitive hearing, so move slow, stay crouched, and you'll be fine.
Just past your first Freak is a chest that you have to pick open. The Mourning Bell collectible is inside. If you need focus, there is also a poppy in the area. The tunnel is one long path, without anywhere to turn. Just keep following it to the end, deal with the Freaks as you need to, and crouch for small openings. You'll know you're almost at the end when you see a locked door.
Near the empty chest is another Freak, as well as a door that needs to be unlocked. Follow the path a little farther, and you get your new objective, "Find a way to the Boat." From here, you get sneak or kill choices. There is also a merchant coming up, so you'll be able to grab more arrows, food, and poppies. Deal with the guards blocking the bridge, and head forward.
Use focus to find the broken glass, climbing points and pipes, an another wire box. Both the pipes and the stairs lead to a closed door with some people inside. Bide your time, and one leaves. This gives you a chance to sneak up and take them out, one by one. There is a second door on the other side of the room. Exit through it, and climb up to the next area.
By now, the merchant should be on your map. Head towards him, and stock up. After you've restored your supplies, keep moving towards the crates. You'll need to climb them to progress. There will be two guards near a fire at the top of the slope. Either go left to sneak past them, or deal with them directly. You can always run back and climb over the crates to try and separate them.
Keep moving forward and climbing until you've reached the ship's deck. There will be lots of guards and lights, so make sure you've filled your quiver as well as you could before starting the next area. There is no going back once you start it.
Enter the door that's in front of you, and climb the pipes to get to the next area. Keep heading downward, opening doors to search for loot, and dealing with guards as you see fit. Eventually, you'll come to an elevator. It doesn't seem like it's moving, but shortly after you enter, the doors open. Outisde is an archer looking over a railing. Take him out, and move on.
There is a door to your left, as well as your right. Open each, loot, and exit out the other side. Take out any guards that you see in the process. This will clear your way to move further down the hull of the ship. As before, just keep opening doors, looting, and dealing with guards any way that you need to. Eventually, you'll reach another cut scene.
You now need to find Erin. She doesn't want you to approach her, so you have to sneak up behind her. Tap her on the shoulder by pressing "X", and she disappears. Seek her out again, and tap her shoulder a second time. This time, she leaves for a new area.
Erin is now your final boss. DO NOT CONFRONT HER! She is very powerful, and not in a good mood. You need to find the three pieces of primal power to stop her. They are scattered across the area. If you don't see them, use focus. You'll also have to keep hiding behind any object that you can, because Erin has some very powerful energy blasts that she can use. One or two hits is all it takes to kill you. She has also split herself into a handful of Erins, so you have a lot of dodging to do.
After you get all three pieces, they automatically reassemble. Now all you have to do is go up to Erin, who has stopped attacking you. Touch the stone to her, and the final cut scene triggers. As stated before, read or ignore the end credits, and you get your achievement (or trophy) for beating the game.
If you still want to play the game, there are some challenge maps available. Since I had more than enough of the game, I didn't attempt any of them. You also have the option of going back through the town to pick up any loot that you missed, or replay any chapter or mission.
Your Trail To Erin
Thursday, April 30, 2015
Thief 2014: Chapter 7
Before you start, make sure you have plenty of arrows. You will need rope, blunts, and fire arrows especially. A few blast arrows can help as well. Also be sure to have a supply of food and poppies. You'll need them, even if you manage to sneak past every guard here.
Now that you've entered the Hidden City, you need to find your way into the Cathedral. As you may have guessed, the area is well lit, and has a few guards around. Sneaking from here on out won't be easy, so even if you aren't tired of trying, you may want to kill a few of the guards. Oh, and don't bother putting out most of the fires they use for lights. The guards will just relight them.
The game gives you two options to reach the first set of guards. You can pick the lock on the gate, and try from that point, or you can keep going to the left of the gate, and enter through a small hole in the wall. Take your time and explore the area. Once you've decided on the best route for your game style, move into the area.
As you can see in the video, there is a hidden area that you need the wrench for. Inside is a chest with some food, and two valuables. Once you leave the room, you're in an area with a few crows. If you swoop, they start to caw. If you don't swoop, you're surrounded by guards that can see you, thanks to the light. If you have the ammo, shoot a few of the guards, or the crows, and try to go past. Otherwise, you'll have to fight.
After you loot everything, ring the bell to open the door. There are some crates that you can climb, if you want to shoot it with a blunt arrow. As you can see, the guards on the other side move very slow and cautiously. Try to wait them out, and then snipe them. I lost my footing trying to get a better shot, and had to deal with them from ground level.
When you're ready to advance, look up for a rope. Before you climb, shoot a rope arrow at the beam that's close to it. Now you'll need to climb on the crates, and jump to the first rope. Tarzan your way to the second rope, and climb up. The alternative route is to just take the stairs under the big hammer design that you saw in the cut scene. You now need to look for the stairs that lead down, towards the elevator controls. To find them, turn your back to the ropes, and head forward. They will be to your left when you come to the wall.
If you haven't already shot the guard, sneak or snipe. Pull the lever to bring the elevator up to you. While waiting, look on a steel beam that has a coin on it. Grab it, and get inside the elevator once it reaches you. Just press RS when prompted, and you'll zoom in on some cult members. Shortly after, your ride is over.
Use the climbing spot to access a pipe. Wall crawl to a platform, and head in the only direction available to you. Once you see something valuable on the ground, stop. Use focus, and follow the wire up past a short climbing wall. To your left is a wire box. Open it, cut the wire, and get the item. Keep heading in your only direction until you hear a conversation. Now it's time to get stealthy again. The area is well lit, and has guards.There's also some broken glass on the ground, which means you can't move very fast.
Keep advancing until you reach a safe. The combination is 6 7 3. After you open the safe, turn right until you reach the torch. Just to your left is a pile of crates that you can crotch under. Follow the path until you reach a second opening that you need to crotch through. This leads you to a set of stairs heading up. Head through the narrow opening, and you'll reach an area with more Freaks. Remember, Freaks can hear you, but not see you. As long as you're quiet, you have a chance.
Use focus, and you'll find a switch on the wall. Shoot it with a blunt. This will save you valuable time later. Once you reach the wall with the switch, you'll have to sneak past a patrolling Forsaken that is guarding a valve. You will have to turn the valve to open the door. For some reason, you aren't allowed to sneak up on them, as you can see in my clip.
If you have enough ammo, you can kill one or two of them, but they are ammo hogs. It may be better for you to just head to the left, and sneak past them. If you're spotted, run back to the area you just came from and go back under the crates. They give up on you very quickly. Look up at the end of that path, and shoot a rope arrow at the beam. This will give you a chance to head to the stairs near the valve. There's also a small room that you have to crotch to access.
Grab the rope to reach the next platform. Unlock the door, and you'll find a booby trapped chest with the Bronze Bracelet inside. Exit the room, and grab the next rope. If you haven't saved in a while, now's a good time to do so. You have to be very careful when timing the next Forsaken's patrol. It won't stop attacking you until you're dead, and it will take a few seconds to get the door open.
Stay on the rope and watch the creature. When he starts to go up the stairs, jump to the platform. Sneak to the wall that the stairs go up, and wait until you hear the Forsaken start to move. That's your cue to climb the wall, and start turning the valve. For some reason, most of the valves in this game require tht you turn them clockwise (left to right). Turn as fast as you can, then head through the door. you'll have to crotch under, so don't expect to be able to outrun the creature if you're too slow.
The next passageway has a lot of flames shooting out of the walls. There is a valve that you can climb to and turn them off. I highly recommend doing it before advancing. There's a few of them. Use focus and follow the gas lines to the valve. Be sure to watch your timing, because the valve just happens to be in front of one of the jets. FUN!
Head back up the path until you see a cell door with two guards talking on the other side. Wait for them to pass, and then ignore the platform in front of you. The gap is too far to jump. Instead look to your left, and climb the wall. There's a small hole that you can crotch through, and enter the next room. One guard is patrolling with a torch, and the other is an archer. Deal with them however you need to, and head forward.
At the top of the stairs is another narrow passage that you'll need to squeeze through. You are now in the highly lit Storeroom. To your left is a chest with food and an arrow. Across from it is the valve that opens the door. Head up the stairs, and Garrett tells you that Orion is inside the rotunda, administering his cure.
There are so many obstacles in this area, I don't advise even trying to sneak around. You are surrounded by light, and if you shoot on out with a water arrow, a guard will relight it before you can gain an advantage. There are also some caged crows, and lots of broken glass. I'm surprised that the designers didn't include a few dogs as well.
The best bet here is to try and take the guards out one by one. Lure them to you using the glass, and hide. When one's on position, sneak attack. Move towards your next target, and repeat. There is also a building to your right as you enter. Just keep circling from one place to another, taking out the guards ninja style.
Once you're done with the guards, and you've grabbed all of the loot that you can find, look for the window that you need to enter. There will be a rope outside. Of course, you'll need to shoot a second rope up to the beam next to it. Before you can do your Tarzan impersonation, there's a crate suspended by a hoist. Shoot the pulley (if you didn't already do so to squash a guard or two), and climb it. Hop up a short wall, walk across a short beam to a platform, and head to the window. Once inside, there's no going back, so be sure you're happy with your loot and kills.
Now that you're inside, turn the valve to your left, to open the door. While the door is opening, pick the lock on the chest at the other end of the hallway, and grab its contents. Head back to the door, up the stairs, and enjoy the cut scene. For some reason, I didn't have any sound during the remaining cut scenes. I don't know if it was do to a programming glitch, or because I had to turn the music off, thanks to YouTube's rules about "monetizing" a video that has a sound track.
Regardless, after the cut scene you're in another of the "psychic world" style areas. To get past this part, you have to collect everything. Fortunately, there isn't a lot of area to cover, so just look towards the ground, and hit "X" (or whatever your console or PC uses) every time you're prompted. Once you're done, you see a group of people, one of which is holding an item. As you try to get the item, an eveil version of Erin pops up, and the scene is over.
There is another cut scene, which seems to involve Erin, Orion, and Garrett, as well as the General. This leads to your big boss battle with the latter. As soon as you can move, start hiding behind pillars, and equip your best arrow. Blast and fire arrows both work nicely. The General has a powerful blast attack, so keep hiding behind pillars, barrels, or whatever you can find. Sneak up behind him, and take your best shot. Once he's knocked down, loot the room and then knock him out.
Pick the lock on the door, and head through it. This gives you the "completed" message. One warning, however. You start Chapter 8 inside the rotunda. It will be some time before you can find a merchant, so if you're low on ammo, you'll have to take your time to sneak around.
The Introduction Cut Scene
The Quest To Find Erin
Now that you've entered the Hidden City, you need to find your way into the Cathedral. As you may have guessed, the area is well lit, and has a few guards around. Sneaking from here on out won't be easy, so even if you aren't tired of trying, you may want to kill a few of the guards. Oh, and don't bother putting out most of the fires they use for lights. The guards will just relight them.
The game gives you two options to reach the first set of guards. You can pick the lock on the gate, and try from that point, or you can keep going to the left of the gate, and enter through a small hole in the wall. Take your time and explore the area. Once you've decided on the best route for your game style, move into the area.
As you can see in the video, there is a hidden area that you need the wrench for. Inside is a chest with some food, and two valuables. Once you leave the room, you're in an area with a few crows. If you swoop, they start to caw. If you don't swoop, you're surrounded by guards that can see you, thanks to the light. If you have the ammo, shoot a few of the guards, or the crows, and try to go past. Otherwise, you'll have to fight.
After you loot everything, ring the bell to open the door. There are some crates that you can climb, if you want to shoot it with a blunt arrow. As you can see, the guards on the other side move very slow and cautiously. Try to wait them out, and then snipe them. I lost my footing trying to get a better shot, and had to deal with them from ground level.
When you're ready to advance, look up for a rope. Before you climb, shoot a rope arrow at the beam that's close to it. Now you'll need to climb on the crates, and jump to the first rope. Tarzan your way to the second rope, and climb up. The alternative route is to just take the stairs under the big hammer design that you saw in the cut scene. You now need to look for the stairs that lead down, towards the elevator controls. To find them, turn your back to the ropes, and head forward. They will be to your left when you come to the wall.
If you haven't already shot the guard, sneak or snipe. Pull the lever to bring the elevator up to you. While waiting, look on a steel beam that has a coin on it. Grab it, and get inside the elevator once it reaches you. Just press RS when prompted, and you'll zoom in on some cult members. Shortly after, your ride is over.
Use the climbing spot to access a pipe. Wall crawl to a platform, and head in the only direction available to you. Once you see something valuable on the ground, stop. Use focus, and follow the wire up past a short climbing wall. To your left is a wire box. Open it, cut the wire, and get the item. Keep heading in your only direction until you hear a conversation. Now it's time to get stealthy again. The area is well lit, and has guards.There's also some broken glass on the ground, which means you can't move very fast.
Keep advancing until you reach a safe. The combination is 6 7 3. After you open the safe, turn right until you reach the torch. Just to your left is a pile of crates that you can crotch under. Follow the path until you reach a second opening that you need to crotch through. This leads you to a set of stairs heading up. Head through the narrow opening, and you'll reach an area with more Freaks. Remember, Freaks can hear you, but not see you. As long as you're quiet, you have a chance.
Use focus, and you'll find a switch on the wall. Shoot it with a blunt. This will save you valuable time later. Once you reach the wall with the switch, you'll have to sneak past a patrolling Forsaken that is guarding a valve. You will have to turn the valve to open the door. For some reason, you aren't allowed to sneak up on them, as you can see in my clip.
If you have enough ammo, you can kill one or two of them, but they are ammo hogs. It may be better for you to just head to the left, and sneak past them. If you're spotted, run back to the area you just came from and go back under the crates. They give up on you very quickly. Look up at the end of that path, and shoot a rope arrow at the beam. This will give you a chance to head to the stairs near the valve. There's also a small room that you have to crotch to access.
Grab the rope to reach the next platform. Unlock the door, and you'll find a booby trapped chest with the Bronze Bracelet inside. Exit the room, and grab the next rope. If you haven't saved in a while, now's a good time to do so. You have to be very careful when timing the next Forsaken's patrol. It won't stop attacking you until you're dead, and it will take a few seconds to get the door open.
Stay on the rope and watch the creature. When he starts to go up the stairs, jump to the platform. Sneak to the wall that the stairs go up, and wait until you hear the Forsaken start to move. That's your cue to climb the wall, and start turning the valve. For some reason, most of the valves in this game require tht you turn them clockwise (left to right). Turn as fast as you can, then head through the door. you'll have to crotch under, so don't expect to be able to outrun the creature if you're too slow.
The next passageway has a lot of flames shooting out of the walls. There is a valve that you can climb to and turn them off. I highly recommend doing it before advancing. There's a few of them. Use focus and follow the gas lines to the valve. Be sure to watch your timing, because the valve just happens to be in front of one of the jets. FUN!
Head back up the path until you see a cell door with two guards talking on the other side. Wait for them to pass, and then ignore the platform in front of you. The gap is too far to jump. Instead look to your left, and climb the wall. There's a small hole that you can crotch through, and enter the next room. One guard is patrolling with a torch, and the other is an archer. Deal with them however you need to, and head forward.
At the top of the stairs is another narrow passage that you'll need to squeeze through. You are now in the highly lit Storeroom. To your left is a chest with food and an arrow. Across from it is the valve that opens the door. Head up the stairs, and Garrett tells you that Orion is inside the rotunda, administering his cure.
There are so many obstacles in this area, I don't advise even trying to sneak around. You are surrounded by light, and if you shoot on out with a water arrow, a guard will relight it before you can gain an advantage. There are also some caged crows, and lots of broken glass. I'm surprised that the designers didn't include a few dogs as well.
The best bet here is to try and take the guards out one by one. Lure them to you using the glass, and hide. When one's on position, sneak attack. Move towards your next target, and repeat. There is also a building to your right as you enter. Just keep circling from one place to another, taking out the guards ninja style.
Once you're done with the guards, and you've grabbed all of the loot that you can find, look for the window that you need to enter. There will be a rope outside. Of course, you'll need to shoot a second rope up to the beam next to it. Before you can do your Tarzan impersonation, there's a crate suspended by a hoist. Shoot the pulley (if you didn't already do so to squash a guard or two), and climb it. Hop up a short wall, walk across a short beam to a platform, and head to the window. Once inside, there's no going back, so be sure you're happy with your loot and kills.
Now that you're inside, turn the valve to your left, to open the door. While the door is opening, pick the lock on the chest at the other end of the hallway, and grab its contents. Head back to the door, up the stairs, and enjoy the cut scene. For some reason, I didn't have any sound during the remaining cut scenes. I don't know if it was do to a programming glitch, or because I had to turn the music off, thanks to YouTube's rules about "monetizing" a video that has a sound track.
Regardless, after the cut scene you're in another of the "psychic world" style areas. To get past this part, you have to collect everything. Fortunately, there isn't a lot of area to cover, so just look towards the ground, and hit "X" (or whatever your console or PC uses) every time you're prompted. Once you're done, you see a group of people, one of which is holding an item. As you try to get the item, an eveil version of Erin pops up, and the scene is over.
There is another cut scene, which seems to involve Erin, Orion, and Garrett, as well as the General. This leads to your big boss battle with the latter. As soon as you can move, start hiding behind pillars, and equip your best arrow. Blast and fire arrows both work nicely. The General has a powerful blast attack, so keep hiding behind pillars, barrels, or whatever you can find. Sneak up behind him, and take your best shot. Once he's knocked down, loot the room and then knock him out.
Pick the lock on the door, and head through it. This gives you the "completed" message. One warning, however. You start Chapter 8 inside the rotunda. It will be some time before you can find a merchant, so if you're low on ammo, you'll have to take your time to sneak around.
The Introduction Cut Scene
The Quest To Find Erin
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Deadpool: The Video Game - Review
Ah, Deadpool. How can you not love him? He's crass, vulgar, unkempt, and idiotic. Basically Archie Bunker with cool super powers, swords, and a gun. You gotta love him! Granted, his comics weren't always the best, and his movie, previous video game (Marvel Ultimate Alliance), and cartoon (Ultimate Spider-Man) appearances didn't do him justice. But in this game, he's the best.
Voiced by legendary game and soap opera star Nolan North, Deadpool is finally brought to life in a way that truly reflects his character. He knows that he's a video game character (in the books, it's called "comic awareness"), and often breaks the fourth wall. Not only does he talk to you directly, but he even walks away from you in one scene near the end of the game. It's up to you to catch the joke, and start to follow him. As a bonus, there's a bit with Deadpool and Nolan North talking on the phone early in the game.
As much as I want to hate this game, I can't. I know, after that build up, you didn't expect me to say I want to hate the game. Unfortunately, the designers decided that instead of giving Deadpool a full out action game, they did the standard cross platform bit, and threw in way too much platforming. Some of it was done in a joking way, such as when the game turns into a classic 16 bit era game. Another joke had him using the speach balloons from the voices in his head as jumping points.
If more of the platforming were done this way, it would have been fine. But between Deadpool having very limited teleporting distance (except for a handful of areas where the developers were too lazy to give him something to jump to), almost the whole game feels like a platformer. Jump from one ledge to another, collect some items, kill some enemies, and repeat. Wade Wilson (his real identity) deserves better than this.
Then to add insult to injury (to the player, as well as the character), most of the enemies are repeated. Even mini bosses and bosses that you've killed off keep getting cloned to come back at you. Often in waves, with little ammo to be found near the end of the game. Even the final boss, Mr. Sinister, is killed multiple times. First you kill a clone, then the final fight is a wave of multiple Mr. Sinister clones. And again, limited ammo.
In the end, the only thing that saves the game is the script, and Nolan North. The jokes themselves get repetitive fast, such as watching Deadpool sneak up on an enemy on his tip toes. He is given a pair of cartoon mallets to attack with, but they just don't work very well, or long, as a gag. Even the multiple button pushing jokes, such as when you have to keep slapping an unconscious Wolverine, are over used.
If you have a week end to kill, rent the game. It is fun. Or if you can find it cheap, grab it. Just don't expect this to become a game that you want in your library. It really doesn't have a lot of replay value, unless you want to replay chapters to get all of the collectibles. Even then, the jokes that require shock value will start to fall dead fast.
Voiced by legendary game and soap opera star Nolan North, Deadpool is finally brought to life in a way that truly reflects his character. He knows that he's a video game character (in the books, it's called "comic awareness"), and often breaks the fourth wall. Not only does he talk to you directly, but he even walks away from you in one scene near the end of the game. It's up to you to catch the joke, and start to follow him. As a bonus, there's a bit with Deadpool and Nolan North talking on the phone early in the game.
As much as I want to hate this game, I can't. I know, after that build up, you didn't expect me to say I want to hate the game. Unfortunately, the designers decided that instead of giving Deadpool a full out action game, they did the standard cross platform bit, and threw in way too much platforming. Some of it was done in a joking way, such as when the game turns into a classic 16 bit era game. Another joke had him using the speach balloons from the voices in his head as jumping points.
If more of the platforming were done this way, it would have been fine. But between Deadpool having very limited teleporting distance (except for a handful of areas where the developers were too lazy to give him something to jump to), almost the whole game feels like a platformer. Jump from one ledge to another, collect some items, kill some enemies, and repeat. Wade Wilson (his real identity) deserves better than this.
Then to add insult to injury (to the player, as well as the character), most of the enemies are repeated. Even mini bosses and bosses that you've killed off keep getting cloned to come back at you. Often in waves, with little ammo to be found near the end of the game. Even the final boss, Mr. Sinister, is killed multiple times. First you kill a clone, then the final fight is a wave of multiple Mr. Sinister clones. And again, limited ammo.
In the end, the only thing that saves the game is the script, and Nolan North. The jokes themselves get repetitive fast, such as watching Deadpool sneak up on an enemy on his tip toes. He is given a pair of cartoon mallets to attack with, but they just don't work very well, or long, as a gag. Even the multiple button pushing jokes, such as when you have to keep slapping an unconscious Wolverine, are over used.
If you have a week end to kill, rent the game. It is fun. Or if you can find it cheap, grab it. Just don't expect this to become a game that you want in your library. It really doesn't have a lot of replay value, unless you want to replay chapters to get all of the collectibles. Even then, the jokes that require shock value will start to fall dead fast.
Tuesday, April 28, 2015
Thief Side Mission: The Witch Of Stonemarket
Head down the stairs, and open the grate. At the end of the tunnel is a room with lit candles, and a knife. I don't know if you need the knife. You do need to snuff the candles, however.
Thief Side Mission: The Tinker's Trinket
There is a set of stairs headed down, into a building, near where you entered the area. The room has a few guards in it, and the flames provide a lot of light. This isn't an area to sneak around in, so just take them out however you need to, and get to the door inside.
Pick the lock, and enter. The General's New Medal is inside the chest. There is also a document on the desk, and a 50G pocket Watch inside.
Pick the lock, and enter. The General's New Medal is inside the chest. There is also a document on the desk, and a 50G pocket Watch inside.
Thief Side Mission: The Rule Of Thumb
This is another place that you have to look up to enter. Look for the open trap door, and shot an arrow up. Climb into the room, and open the window inside. There is a man walking around the wooden room with a lit torch. Let me repeat, there is a man with a huge flame, walking around a small room filled with flammable items and drapes. Kill this idiot before he sets the whole city on fire, and loot the place.
Inside a cabinet is a rare, highly valuable, vase. Smash it and push the button that was hidden behind it. Grab the Iris Brooch, and head back to the pyromaniac. He has the item that you're after on him. Just pick him up, and you'll collect it. Throw the body, and leave.
Inside a cabinet is a rare, highly valuable, vase. Smash it and push the button that was hidden behind it. Grab the Iris Brooch, and head back to the pyromaniac. He has the item that you're after on him. Just pick him up, and you'll collect it. Throw the body, and leave.
Thief Side Mission: The Point Of No Return
This is one of the areas hidden by debris. Look for a small opening near the ground, and crotch through. There is a merchant just to your left, if you'd like to stock up or sell anything. On the left side of the stairs is an electrical box, Cut the wire to gain access to the building.
Behind the painting is a button. Expect to be shot when you push it. Garrett even makes a joke about it after you pick up the items that you came for. The body by the painting has an item, and two more pieces are reveled behind you to your left after you push the button.
Behind the painting is a button. Expect to be shot when you push it. Garrett even makes a joke about it after you pick up the items that you came for. The body by the painting has an item, and two more pieces are reveled behind you to your left after you push the button.
Thief Side Mission: The Path To Riches
You have to make it past the dogs and guards to get to where you're going. There are ledges, as well as rope points from previous missions, if you want to sneak. Of course, they can also be used to make taking the opposition out easier as well.
Once you've gotten past the guards, climb the crates to access a platform Grab the rope, and climb up to the next platform. Climb through the window, and grab everything. Head down the stairs, loot the place, the shoot a rope arrow at the beam by the bottom of the stairs. Climb up, and your target is on the floor, to your left.
Once you've gotten past the guards, climb the crates to access a platform Grab the rope, and climb up to the next platform. Climb through the window, and grab everything. Head down the stairs, loot the place, the shoot a rope arrow at the beam by the bottom of the stairs. Climb up, and your target is on the floor, to your left.
Long Drop Full Stop
Shoot a rope arrow at the beam near the window, Climb the nearby crates and circle around on the roof tops. Cross the street using the long beam, and turn left at the platform, Around the corner is your rope. Tarzan your way to the window, and climb inside.
Examine the books in the back of the room for a hidden switch. This opens a new area, which has the book you're after, as well as some other goodies.
Examine the books in the back of the room for a hidden switch. This opens a new area, which has the book you're after, as well as some other goodies.
Thief Side Mission: Eyes On The Prize
"It must be the clerk. Maybe he can help." As soon as you enter the window, Garrett gives you a big clue. Use focus, and you'll see that there's a pressure plate near the window. Pick up the clerk's dead body, and throw him on it. This opens the door to the next room.
There is a switch and an electric box inside. Use both, grab the loot, and head back toward the window. Just to your left is a door that you have to lock pick to open. Drop down the hole, and your telescope piece is inside a night stand. There is also some ammo on the shelves.
There is a switch and an electric box inside. Use both, grab the loot, and head back toward the window. Just to your left is a door that you have to lock pick to open. Drop down the hole, and your telescope piece is inside a night stand. There is also some ammo on the shelves.
Thief Side Mission: Check, Mate
Climb the crates by the two men huddling around the fire. Open the window, loot everything, then head downstairs. There's a switch on the wall that you can shoot with a blunt arrow, or slowly sneak up on. As you can see in the video, I've become to jaded to even try to pick the lock with the man in the room.
After you pick the lock and enter the next room, there's a door to your right. Enter, and use focus to find the electrical box. Cut the wire, and you can freely search the room. Enter 7 7 6 for the safe, and the mission is complete.
After you pick the lock and enter the next room, there's a door to your right. Enter, and use focus to find the electrical box. Cut the wire, and you can freely search the room. Enter 7 7 6 for the safe, and the mission is complete.
Thief Side Missions Note
After you meet Vittori for the first time, Basso stops giving you missions at The Siren's Rest. Once you've finished all of Basso and Vittori's jobs, look for Basso back at the Crippled Burrick. If he isn't there, and you've finished all of the missions from thse two, go to Ector's Emporium.
Remember, you don't gt all of the missions at once. You only get a handful after each chapter. You should be able to get the achievements for completing all of the client jobs, as well as Basso's, before you start chapter seven. That means you have to check back with Basso, Vittori, and Ector until you've received and completed all of the missions.
Remember, you don't gt all of the missions at once. You only get a handful after each chapter. You should be able to get the achievements for completing all of the client jobs, as well as Basso's, before you start chapter seven. That means you have to check back with Basso, Vittori, and Ector until you've received and completed all of the missions.
Thief Side Mission: A Grave Matter
This isn't a difficult mission at all. You just need to backtrack to the room you shot a rope to access at the beginning of Chapter 6. Climb the rope back up to the room, and open the cabinet next to the window that looks out over the yard. The urn is the item that you weren't allowed to pick up before.
Saturday, April 25, 2015
Thief Side Mission: Sideshow Attraction
This is the last Vittori mission. The woman of his dreams is being held captive, and it's up to you to rescue her. Normally, I would just say "follow the cursor." However, there are two areas that you can reach on the way to rescuing her. I didn't realize that they were short cuts until after I started to explore them. So, instead of seeing the rope arrow shot at the beam, and me using focus to disarm the traps, the video starts after I jumped back down from where the rope is shot. I zoomed in on the floor tiles and the electrical box, to point out where they are.
The second room is outside the window on the right, as you walk in. Climb out the window, and jump across to the next ledge. There's another apartment that you can loot there. After you're done, return to the room you used the rope to enter, and head out the other window. Jump down, and head to your left. There is a grate there that you can use to access the next area. There will be a guard with a torch on partol. He heads fairly close to the table with the flashing loot on it, so move slowly, and take him out.The starting point for the mission is the gate just to your right of the table.
The first room has a guard that's eying all of the treasure for himself. Take him down, loot the area, and open the safe. When you look through the keyhole in the next door, you see a guard circling the area with a torch. What you don't see are the other guards in the area. Deal with them as you see fit, and lot, loot, loot. Don't head down the stairs just yet. There are more rooms in the area to loot. If you are being more sneaky that I was, the well lit room has a bird in it, so be extra careful.
Once you've raided all of the rooms on this floor, and gotten the cell key (it's tucked away near a type writer on a desk, so you won't see the usual treasure flash), head downstairs to free Ysabella. There are a couple of levels to go, so just keep sneaking and looting, until you find the level with the cell door.
Inside the cell block are several cells with heavy doors. Peep through the keyholes if you don't have the cursor option turned on. Most of the cells with closed doors have a guard behind them. You don't need to deal with them if you don't want to. Ysabella's door will be to the far side of the cell block. Open it, and you get a very brief cut scene, that has her fainting at the end.
Since she's unconscious, you have to carry her out. Unfortunately, there are a couple of new guards to deal with outside of the cell block. Drop poor Ysabella, and deal with the guards. If you haven't already done so, pick the lock on the door to your left. Now all you have to do is pick up Ysabella, and walk down the narrow passage to the exit. The mission is complete, but getting out is not as easy as just re-spawning at the Clock Tower.
If you follow the passage, you will find a merchant that you buy more arrows, food, or poppies from. To leave the area, go back to the rope that was in front of your face when you completed the mission, and climb up. You will be in a yard that has a wandering guard with a torch, as well as two stationary guards. There is also an obelisk with a plaque on it.
On the other side of the yard from where you start is a small room with a grate on the floor. Use this to return to the Watch Customs Yard. Climb back through the window that you used to get to the mission starting point, and backtrack to The Siren's Rest, Talk to Vitrroli, and get the final cut scene.
Locating The Mission
Finding The Cell Block
Rescuing Ysabella
Returning To Vittori
Vittori's Thank You Cut Scene
Please feel free to leave a comment
The second room is outside the window on the right, as you walk in. Climb out the window, and jump across to the next ledge. There's another apartment that you can loot there. After you're done, return to the room you used the rope to enter, and head out the other window. Jump down, and head to your left. There is a grate there that you can use to access the next area. There will be a guard with a torch on partol. He heads fairly close to the table with the flashing loot on it, so move slowly, and take him out.The starting point for the mission is the gate just to your right of the table.
The first room has a guard that's eying all of the treasure for himself. Take him down, loot the area, and open the safe. When you look through the keyhole in the next door, you see a guard circling the area with a torch. What you don't see are the other guards in the area. Deal with them as you see fit, and lot, loot, loot. Don't head down the stairs just yet. There are more rooms in the area to loot. If you are being more sneaky that I was, the well lit room has a bird in it, so be extra careful.
Once you've raided all of the rooms on this floor, and gotten the cell key (it's tucked away near a type writer on a desk, so you won't see the usual treasure flash), head downstairs to free Ysabella. There are a couple of levels to go, so just keep sneaking and looting, until you find the level with the cell door.
Inside the cell block are several cells with heavy doors. Peep through the keyholes if you don't have the cursor option turned on. Most of the cells with closed doors have a guard behind them. You don't need to deal with them if you don't want to. Ysabella's door will be to the far side of the cell block. Open it, and you get a very brief cut scene, that has her fainting at the end.
Since she's unconscious, you have to carry her out. Unfortunately, there are a couple of new guards to deal with outside of the cell block. Drop poor Ysabella, and deal with the guards. If you haven't already done so, pick the lock on the door to your left. Now all you have to do is pick up Ysabella, and walk down the narrow passage to the exit. The mission is complete, but getting out is not as easy as just re-spawning at the Clock Tower.
If you follow the passage, you will find a merchant that you buy more arrows, food, or poppies from. To leave the area, go back to the rope that was in front of your face when you completed the mission, and climb up. You will be in a yard that has a wandering guard with a torch, as well as two stationary guards. There is also an obelisk with a plaque on it.
On the other side of the yard from where you start is a small room with a grate on the floor. Use this to return to the Watch Customs Yard. Climb back through the window that you used to get to the mission starting point, and backtrack to The Siren's Rest, Talk to Vitrroli, and get the final cut scene.
Sideshow Attraction Opening Cut Scene
Locating The Mission
Finding The Cell Block
Rescuing Ysabella
Returning To Vittori
Vittori's Thank You Cut Scene
Please feel free to leave a comment
Wednesday, April 22, 2015
Thief Side Mission: Brokenhearted
This is a pretty straight forward mission. Go to Ector's, and receive his final mission for you. Then, once you get to Clockwise's residence, loot everything you can. The walls will move around quite a bit once you start working the puzzles, so there's no going back.
As you enter the building, turn to your right and head down the stairs. There aren't any guards or traps, so relax and loot. Relax and loot. It's that simple. Then head up to the second floor, loot everything, relax, and head back to the main floor.
Loot everything, while ignoring the button under the golden bust in the middle of the second room. After you've found everything, push the button. Go ahead, you know you want to. The walls move (I told you so), and there's new territory to loot. Afterwards, relax, and push the button. The walls move....
Eventually, you run out of rooms with buttons to push. You do, however, find an elevator. Use it to go up to the attic (you can't go down, I tried). At the end of this hall filled with rooms and loot is a strange symbol on the wall. The idea is to get them all pushed in at once. Supposedly, the documents give you a clue, but I found that it was easier to just mess around with it. When it opens, there's an elevator that will take you to the sub-basement.
Now you have a new puzzle. Again, the documents are supposed to help, but it's not that hard to work out with trial and error. The idea is to walk over specific tiles, in a specific order. I started on the far right, went up one, walked left to the other end, etc. The video will show you the pattern. If you accidentally take the wrong turn, go back to the plate in the entryway. It will reset the puzzle.
Now all you need to do is get the heart, the signed confession from Clockwise (next to his fly ridden corpse), and use the ladder in the newly opened room to your right. Then just head back to Ector, and the job is over.
Parts Two & Three: Exploring Clockwise's Residence
Part Four: Returning The Golden Heart (Cut Scene)
Please feel free to comment below
As you enter the building, turn to your right and head down the stairs. There aren't any guards or traps, so relax and loot. Relax and loot. It's that simple. Then head up to the second floor, loot everything, relax, and head back to the main floor.
Loot everything, while ignoring the button under the golden bust in the middle of the second room. After you've found everything, push the button. Go ahead, you know you want to. The walls move (I told you so), and there's new territory to loot. Afterwards, relax, and push the button. The walls move....
Eventually, you run out of rooms with buttons to push. You do, however, find an elevator. Use it to go up to the attic (you can't go down, I tried). At the end of this hall filled with rooms and loot is a strange symbol on the wall. The idea is to get them all pushed in at once. Supposedly, the documents give you a clue, but I found that it was easier to just mess around with it. When it opens, there's an elevator that will take you to the sub-basement.
Now you have a new puzzle. Again, the documents are supposed to help, but it's not that hard to work out with trial and error. The idea is to walk over specific tiles, in a specific order. I started on the far right, went up one, walked left to the other end, etc. The video will show you the pattern. If you accidentally take the wrong turn, go back to the plate in the entryway. It will reset the puzzle.
Now all you need to do is get the heart, the signed confession from Clockwise (next to his fly ridden corpse), and use the ladder in the newly opened room to your right. Then just head back to Ector, and the job is over.
Part One: Getting the Assignment (Cut Scene)
Parts Two & Three: Exploring Clockwise's Residence
Part Four: Returning The Golden Heart (Cut Scene)
Please feel free to comment below
Autistic People In Illinois Need Your E-Mail
Recently, Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner decided that autistic people aren't worth caring about. In order to provide tax loopholes and breaks for Fortune 500 companies, as well as the wealthy, he gutted the State's budget. All social safety net programs have lost funding under this man. I am not just talking reductions, I am talking total elimination of funding for all social safety net programs.
I work for one of the many agencies affected by these cuts. Due to regulations that my agency has regarding employees and social media, I won't say which one. In fact, the name of my organization doesn't matter. What matters are all of the people that will be hurt should any of the organizations be forced to close their doors, due to these cuts.
I am what's known as a "Job Coach." It is my responsibility to help autistic adults learn to function in the work force. For some of the people that I , and others, coach, it isn't hard work. Odds are, if you met one of the people on the street, you wouldn't guess that they had a learning disability. However, there are many more that do need help. Help learning things that may sound easy to learn to you, such as mopping, bagging at a grocery store, or stocking inventory.
These are people that want to contribute to society. They pay taxes out of their paychecks, just like everyone else. They work hard at what they do. Some harder than those without autism, because there are bosses that work them harder. Not everyone is comfortable hiring these people, and occasionally do it because "Corporate" makes them hire a diverse staff.
The people that I, and others, coach need people that can help them get a foothold into the working world. They do not expect to be treated any differently than you or me. They only want to be treated with the same respect and dignity that we take for granted. They want to be a part of society.
But people like Gov Rauner don't care about that. They don't care that there are people trying their hardest to fit in, to work hard, to pay their taxes, just like everybody else. He doesn't care that it is harder for these people to get a job, much less learn a job, and be a functioning part of our society.
I know that there are people that read this blog from around the world. I check the traffic stats from time to time. I have seen that some posts have been read by someone in Australia, South Korea, Indonesia, and other countries. You are the people that I am asking to contact the Governor. There have been many write in campaigns, as well as online petitions. They have all been ignored.
I am asking anyone that reads this, especially those that live in other countries, to contact Rauner. Let him know that the days of cloaked, local politics are over. Thanks to the inter-net, there is no such thing as local anymore. Remind him that people outside of Illinois buy the products made here. We have wineries, manufacturing, and farms, just to name the basic industries.
Please, let Rauner know that those of you that might buy our products care about what happens to those in society that need help. People that are trying to contribute, but are being denied the chance at basic human dignity. People that just need a little extra assistance. They are not people asking for hand outs. If they were, they wouldn't be trying to find jobs that they could preform for a living.
Below is the contact page from the State of Illinois. Even more important, there's a link to his Facebook page. Let him know that it isn't just the voters of Illinois that is watching him. The world is.
Thank You
The State of Illinois contact page:
https://www2.illinois.gov/gov/pages/contactthegovernor.aspx
Bruce Rauner's Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/BruceRauner
I work for one of the many agencies affected by these cuts. Due to regulations that my agency has regarding employees and social media, I won't say which one. In fact, the name of my organization doesn't matter. What matters are all of the people that will be hurt should any of the organizations be forced to close their doors, due to these cuts.
I am what's known as a "Job Coach." It is my responsibility to help autistic adults learn to function in the work force. For some of the people that I , and others, coach, it isn't hard work. Odds are, if you met one of the people on the street, you wouldn't guess that they had a learning disability. However, there are many more that do need help. Help learning things that may sound easy to learn to you, such as mopping, bagging at a grocery store, or stocking inventory.
These are people that want to contribute to society. They pay taxes out of their paychecks, just like everyone else. They work hard at what they do. Some harder than those without autism, because there are bosses that work them harder. Not everyone is comfortable hiring these people, and occasionally do it because "Corporate" makes them hire a diverse staff.
The people that I, and others, coach need people that can help them get a foothold into the working world. They do not expect to be treated any differently than you or me. They only want to be treated with the same respect and dignity that we take for granted. They want to be a part of society.
But people like Gov Rauner don't care about that. They don't care that there are people trying their hardest to fit in, to work hard, to pay their taxes, just like everybody else. He doesn't care that it is harder for these people to get a job, much less learn a job, and be a functioning part of our society.
I know that there are people that read this blog from around the world. I check the traffic stats from time to time. I have seen that some posts have been read by someone in Australia, South Korea, Indonesia, and other countries. You are the people that I am asking to contact the Governor. There have been many write in campaigns, as well as online petitions. They have all been ignored.
I am asking anyone that reads this, especially those that live in other countries, to contact Rauner. Let him know that the days of cloaked, local politics are over. Thanks to the inter-net, there is no such thing as local anymore. Remind him that people outside of Illinois buy the products made here. We have wineries, manufacturing, and farms, just to name the basic industries.
Please, let Rauner know that those of you that might buy our products care about what happens to those in society that need help. People that are trying to contribute, but are being denied the chance at basic human dignity. People that just need a little extra assistance. They are not people asking for hand outs. If they were, they wouldn't be trying to find jobs that they could preform for a living.
Below is the contact page from the State of Illinois. Even more important, there's a link to his Facebook page. Let him know that it isn't just the voters of Illinois that is watching him. The world is.
Thank You
The State of Illinois contact page:
https://www2.illinois.gov/gov/pages/contactthegovernor.aspx
Bruce Rauner's Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/BruceRauner
Saturday, April 18, 2015
Thief Chapter 6: A Man Apart
The first thing you need to do is travel to Northcrest Manor. After you leave the Clock Tower, there's a brief cut scene. When it's over, heard down the path and turn left. There's a window that you need to jimmy nearby. This is the Watch Tower Counsel. Head downstairs, and out the window.
You will need a few different arrows for this chapter, so be sure to have some rope arrows, water arrows, blunts, and whatever arrows you prefer for attacking. A good supply of food and poppies will help you as well. You should also have the wrench and the wire cutters by now.
there is a trap here that you can possibly get through with some luck, but life in the game will be so much easier with these tools.
Even if you hate using the cursor in this game, you will find it very useful once you're inside the mansion. The place is huge, and has a lot of rooms in it, some very big. Even if you don't want to follow it blindly, it's a very convenient visual marker that will help to keep you from getting lost as you explore.
Walk across the beam to your left, until you run out of beam. You can jump across to the short beam, and use the peephole. I didn't see anything inside, however. Hop down to the ground, and head left. At the next right, you'll hear guards talking. The area is well lit, so be careful when you go past them.
Keep following the street until you find the gate. Garrett will start talking when you're in the right place. Before you go through, turn left and climb over a crate. There's a window that has some loot on the other side of it. It's on ground level, so don't worry about climbing anything, except the crate.
The Baron's mansion is fairly well guarded, and has treasure scattered all over the grounds outside. There is also a plaque for your collection. To get this, climb the structure to your left, and look for a man made waterfall. The plaque is on the stature on top of the bridge the water is coming from. At ground level is a small maintenance room for the water. Use either door that you can, and look for the valve inside. Turning it shuts off the water.Climb up the wall that was behind the water, and the plaque will be right in your face.
You now need to head towards the big front door to the mansion. It is barricaded, so turn to your left and follow the path. There is a dog in the area, so go slow. Unless you already took out the guards. If you did, ignore the barking. Turn left, and follow the outside wall of the building until you come across a well lit area with a couple of guards. Deal with them as you need to, and keep moving in the same direction.
Soon you'll reach the end of the trail. There's a broken archway that you can climb for a small item in a bird's nest. Other than that, use focus to find a crane with a pulley that you can shoot. This will drop a large crate that you can use to climb over. After your short climb, look up and shoot a rope arrow at the beam. Climb up the rope, and climb the window. I don't know why, but I had a hard time getting it to pry open.
You're now in the mansion's attic. As Garrett says, "That was the easy part." Your next objective is to go and find the Baron in his study. As you would expect, the mansion is huge. It will take a while to explore, and there's a lot of money to be made stealing here. There's also a lot of guards and a few traps, so be careful, and use focus whenever you suspect anything.
There is a well lit area to your left. This is the way out, and of course, there's a guard in the doorway. Fortunately, his back is to you, and he's an idiot. Just sneak up on Barney Fife, and move on. Head down the stairs, and explore all of the rooms.When you see a big rug made up of squares, use focus to follow the wires. On each side of the hallway there is a room that has a vent near the ceiling. Climb through each vent, and head to the electrical box. Use your wire cutter, and the floor is safe. If you crotch and swoop, you can get past the trap with minimal damage, but that will waste food to heal. Plus, there are guards, so please, cut the wires.
Eventually you will come to a room that overlooks a large, well lit area. There are guards below, so be careful. i made the mistake of climbing in one spot, thinking that I could land on a ledge. Instead, I ended up right behind one of the guards. Once you're through with the guards, there is a lot of territory to explore. If you don't make the mistake of jumping like I did, there are stairs that go down to the same area. If you're good a t sneaking in this game, or at least have the patience, feel free to take this path instead.
Be sure to look through every keyhole from here on out. There will be a few places where you can see the guard before opening a door. This will make life easier if you're trying to sneak attack them. Or just sneak around them. in the Great Hall, look under the tables for hidden loot.
Soon you'll come to a small room with a cabinet that you can climb to reach some pipes. Unscrew the grate, and head into the next room. Don't bother trying to put out the fireplace. A guard will come in right away and relight it. Unfortunately, he doesn't come close enough for you to do an aerial take down. If you want to sneak attack him, hide behind the door or the couch. He does have a friend nearby, and his friend is very alert.
Once you're done with them, loot freely, and head out the door. Keep exploring, and follow your cursor. Soon, you'll end up near some well lit stairs. Stairs that you need to use, and of course, are guarded. Head up the stairs, go through the door at the top, and climb the wall with a vent near the top. To your right is a pipe that has some blue tint to it. Use focus if you have to. This is the beginning of a climbing sequence.
Hop down at the end of the pipes, and head up the stairs. There's more climbing to do outside of the elevator. At one point, the elevator will start to move. You can't advance until the elevator stops, so just wait it out. Once it stops, continue moving in the direction that you were headed. At the top, there's more stairs that you need to jump to. Head up, and there's a set of double doors that you can't peep through.
Watch the cut scene to learn about your brother, the Primal, Erin, and yourself. You can tell you're getting near the end of the game, since so much information is revealed here. When the cut scene is over, you're in the Waiting Hall of The Study Tower. There's some hyper alert, well trained guards here, so move carefully.
There's broken glass on the stairs to your right, and a well lit area to your left. The advantage of the left is that the lit area has some walls you can hide behind. It's not hard to sneak up on the first patrolling guard. The second guard on patrol will take a little more patience. He keeps checking on the bodies of some men. Move slowly, and wait until he is either out of sight or bending over the men. Wait until he's bending to make your attack. He doesn't stay in one place long, so move slow to reach him, and fast to attack him.
Before heading down to the next level, go up the other side of the stairs, and explore. There are guards, but they aren't as bright as the last few. You can hide and distract them easily. Once you get past them, there's a safe in the area. Enter 0 1 7 to open it. Then head back to the stairs, and go down to the next area.
There are two guards on patrol down there. Instead of taking the stairs directly, you can jump to some small ledges near the top. This will let you sneak up on at least one of them. The other will spot you right away, so be prepared to fight. Inside the well lit area is a small opening near the floor. Crotch down and go through.
You are now in the Ceremony Room. Your new objective is to find the passage to the Baron's laboratory. Keep moving forward until you find an area with stairs headed down. My game started to lag, so I cannot honestly say that these two guards are easy. Your experience with them may differ from mine.
The primal stone piece is in some sort of a strange contraption. The contraption is the silliest puzzle in the game so far. Head up the next set of stairs, and there's some valves. Pass them for now, and go to the end of the path. Shot a rope arrow so you can climb to the next area. Get the treasure, and climb back. Now head to the bottom of the contraption, and climb down. There's more treasure to grab.
Return to the two valves, and move them one at a time. When you hit the right combination for a spot, the contraption starts to break. Once you made a break in the contraption, turn the next valve. There's a break, turn the other valve. Keep switching between the two until the contraption blows up. Then all you have to do is walk across to get your primal piece.
Pick up the piece, and there's a very short cut scene. Head down again, and leave the area. Before you can leave, there's another cut scene. Your friend the general is there, and he's not happy with you. He's still holding a grudge for shooting him in the leg earlier in the game. How rude of him!
Now comes the worst part of the game so far. The building is on fire and collapsing (like the other building). This time, you also have to jump across the docks at a few places. To start with, when you reach the water, shoot the pulley that's holding a boat in place. It will allow you to jump from the dock, to the boat, and onto the other dock.
The next thing you need to do is run, jump, and keep running at the next dock. If you aren't holding LT to run after you jump, you die. Up ahead it's the reverse. There's falling debris that blocks your line of sight. If you run, you die. Eventually an area collapses near you. You have to climb the fiery debris carefully. Move slow, or you fall and die. Soon there's a house on your left with an open window. Enter, and you d... I mean, the house turns on its side. Climb the desk (that you don't get to loot), and head out the hole in the wall.
There's a big cloud of dust as something falls. Stop until you can see where you're going. Otherwise, you walk right off the road, into a fire pit, and you... I think you can guess by now. When you reach a narrow bit of street that wasn't destroyed, head across. You have to do another running jump at the end. Fortunately, the jump results in a cut scene. You made it through one of the most mediocre levels of a very mediocre game.
You will need a few different arrows for this chapter, so be sure to have some rope arrows, water arrows, blunts, and whatever arrows you prefer for attacking. A good supply of food and poppies will help you as well. You should also have the wrench and the wire cutters by now.
there is a trap here that you can possibly get through with some luck, but life in the game will be so much easier with these tools.
Even if you hate using the cursor in this game, you will find it very useful once you're inside the mansion. The place is huge, and has a lot of rooms in it, some very big. Even if you don't want to follow it blindly, it's a very convenient visual marker that will help to keep you from getting lost as you explore.
Walk across the beam to your left, until you run out of beam. You can jump across to the short beam, and use the peephole. I didn't see anything inside, however. Hop down to the ground, and head left. At the next right, you'll hear guards talking. The area is well lit, so be careful when you go past them.
Keep following the street until you find the gate. Garrett will start talking when you're in the right place. Before you go through, turn left and climb over a crate. There's a window that has some loot on the other side of it. It's on ground level, so don't worry about climbing anything, except the crate.
The Baron's mansion is fairly well guarded, and has treasure scattered all over the grounds outside. There is also a plaque for your collection. To get this, climb the structure to your left, and look for a man made waterfall. The plaque is on the stature on top of the bridge the water is coming from. At ground level is a small maintenance room for the water. Use either door that you can, and look for the valve inside. Turning it shuts off the water.Climb up the wall that was behind the water, and the plaque will be right in your face.
You now need to head towards the big front door to the mansion. It is barricaded, so turn to your left and follow the path. There is a dog in the area, so go slow. Unless you already took out the guards. If you did, ignore the barking. Turn left, and follow the outside wall of the building until you come across a well lit area with a couple of guards. Deal with them as you need to, and keep moving in the same direction.
Soon you'll reach the end of the trail. There's a broken archway that you can climb for a small item in a bird's nest. Other than that, use focus to find a crane with a pulley that you can shoot. This will drop a large crate that you can use to climb over. After your short climb, look up and shoot a rope arrow at the beam. Climb up the rope, and climb the window. I don't know why, but I had a hard time getting it to pry open.
You're now in the mansion's attic. As Garrett says, "That was the easy part." Your next objective is to go and find the Baron in his study. As you would expect, the mansion is huge. It will take a while to explore, and there's a lot of money to be made stealing here. There's also a lot of guards and a few traps, so be careful, and use focus whenever you suspect anything.
There is a well lit area to your left. This is the way out, and of course, there's a guard in the doorway. Fortunately, his back is to you, and he's an idiot. Just sneak up on Barney Fife, and move on. Head down the stairs, and explore all of the rooms.When you see a big rug made up of squares, use focus to follow the wires. On each side of the hallway there is a room that has a vent near the ceiling. Climb through each vent, and head to the electrical box. Use your wire cutter, and the floor is safe. If you crotch and swoop, you can get past the trap with minimal damage, but that will waste food to heal. Plus, there are guards, so please, cut the wires.
Eventually you will come to a room that overlooks a large, well lit area. There are guards below, so be careful. i made the mistake of climbing in one spot, thinking that I could land on a ledge. Instead, I ended up right behind one of the guards. Once you're through with the guards, there is a lot of territory to explore. If you don't make the mistake of jumping like I did, there are stairs that go down to the same area. If you're good a t sneaking in this game, or at least have the patience, feel free to take this path instead.
Be sure to look through every keyhole from here on out. There will be a few places where you can see the guard before opening a door. This will make life easier if you're trying to sneak attack them. Or just sneak around them. in the Great Hall, look under the tables for hidden loot.
Soon you'll come to a small room with a cabinet that you can climb to reach some pipes. Unscrew the grate, and head into the next room. Don't bother trying to put out the fireplace. A guard will come in right away and relight it. Unfortunately, he doesn't come close enough for you to do an aerial take down. If you want to sneak attack him, hide behind the door or the couch. He does have a friend nearby, and his friend is very alert.
Once you're done with them, loot freely, and head out the door. Keep exploring, and follow your cursor. Soon, you'll end up near some well lit stairs. Stairs that you need to use, and of course, are guarded. Head up the stairs, go through the door at the top, and climb the wall with a vent near the top. To your right is a pipe that has some blue tint to it. Use focus if you have to. This is the beginning of a climbing sequence.
Hop down at the end of the pipes, and head up the stairs. There's more climbing to do outside of the elevator. At one point, the elevator will start to move. You can't advance until the elevator stops, so just wait it out. Once it stops, continue moving in the direction that you were headed. At the top, there's more stairs that you need to jump to. Head up, and there's a set of double doors that you can't peep through.
Watch the cut scene to learn about your brother, the Primal, Erin, and yourself. You can tell you're getting near the end of the game, since so much information is revealed here. When the cut scene is over, you're in the Waiting Hall of The Study Tower. There's some hyper alert, well trained guards here, so move carefully.
There's broken glass on the stairs to your right, and a well lit area to your left. The advantage of the left is that the lit area has some walls you can hide behind. It's not hard to sneak up on the first patrolling guard. The second guard on patrol will take a little more patience. He keeps checking on the bodies of some men. Move slowly, and wait until he is either out of sight or bending over the men. Wait until he's bending to make your attack. He doesn't stay in one place long, so move slow to reach him, and fast to attack him.
Before heading down to the next level, go up the other side of the stairs, and explore. There are guards, but they aren't as bright as the last few. You can hide and distract them easily. Once you get past them, there's a safe in the area. Enter 0 1 7 to open it. Then head back to the stairs, and go down to the next area.
There are two guards on patrol down there. Instead of taking the stairs directly, you can jump to some small ledges near the top. This will let you sneak up on at least one of them. The other will spot you right away, so be prepared to fight. Inside the well lit area is a small opening near the floor. Crotch down and go through.
You are now in the Ceremony Room. Your new objective is to find the passage to the Baron's laboratory. Keep moving forward until you find an area with stairs headed down. My game started to lag, so I cannot honestly say that these two guards are easy. Your experience with them may differ from mine.
The primal stone piece is in some sort of a strange contraption. The contraption is the silliest puzzle in the game so far. Head up the next set of stairs, and there's some valves. Pass them for now, and go to the end of the path. Shot a rope arrow so you can climb to the next area. Get the treasure, and climb back. Now head to the bottom of the contraption, and climb down. There's more treasure to grab.
Return to the two valves, and move them one at a time. When you hit the right combination for a spot, the contraption starts to break. Once you made a break in the contraption, turn the next valve. There's a break, turn the other valve. Keep switching between the two until the contraption blows up. Then all you have to do is walk across to get your primal piece.
Pick up the piece, and there's a very short cut scene. Head down again, and leave the area. Before you can leave, there's another cut scene. Your friend the general is there, and he's not happy with you. He's still holding a grudge for shooting him in the leg earlier in the game. How rude of him!
Now comes the worst part of the game so far. The building is on fire and collapsing (like the other building). This time, you also have to jump across the docks at a few places. To start with, when you reach the water, shoot the pulley that's holding a boat in place. It will allow you to jump from the dock, to the boat, and onto the other dock.
The next thing you need to do is run, jump, and keep running at the next dock. If you aren't holding LT to run after you jump, you die. Up ahead it's the reverse. There's falling debris that blocks your line of sight. If you run, you die. Eventually an area collapses near you. You have to climb the fiery debris carefully. Move slow, or you fall and die. Soon there's a house on your left with an open window. Enter, and you d... I mean, the house turns on its side. Climb the desk (that you don't get to loot), and head out the hole in the wall.
There's a big cloud of dust as something falls. Stop until you can see where you're going. Otherwise, you walk right off the road, into a fire pit, and you... I think you can guess by now. When you reach a narrow bit of street that wasn't destroyed, head across. You have to do another running jump at the end. Fortunately, the jump results in a cut scene. You made it through one of the most mediocre levels of a very mediocre game.
The Game Play Videos
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