All posts by Kenneth Medford

Warframe: Space Ninjas are Awesome

Ninjas. Space ninjas. The end. Seriously, that’s all I need to say about this game, but I’ll continue if I must.

These space ninjas, known as Tenno, are the bane of the Grineer: twisted looking aliens who lack the grace of the Tenno. What they lack in grace and skill, however, the Grineer make up with galaxy crushing numbers. Similar to the Jedi order, what remains of the Tenno must now band together to fight back against the tyranny of evil.

Grineer Gang (1)

It’s nice to have a reason for the hacking, slashing and shooting, but this game is really about the gameplay. With a combination of a melee weapon (sword, knife, scythe, etc.) primary guns (assault rifles, sniper rifles, etc.) and side arms (kunai, handguns, etc.), you suit up in your warframe. These warframes vary in stats and abilities. Some will be better with melee attacks while others specialize in support abilities. Each suit comes with up to four special abilities that you have to level up to be able to equip. These abilities can range from a dashing slash attack to repairing shields or setting an enemy ablaze. Players will bring all this firepower to bear against various enemy types in several mission types including sabotage, assassination, and all out elimination—my personal favorite.

When battle becomes too difficult, you can invite up to three friends or strangers to help you tear your foes to shreds. Every mission is fully co-op, so you can always come back to a mission that had you outnumbered and get sweet revenge with allies. My connection is far from the best and I have yet to experience anything more than a second or two worth of lag and the chat is very clear using the standard Sony ear piece.

CorpusExtermination (1)

Graphically, the game is quite solid. During battle, the designs of the various warframes stand out from enemies and other warframes. Even if you and a friend have the same frame, color palette swaps can be done to both the frame and your weaponry to bring a little unique flavor to your Tenno. New planets bring new locations, which have their own unique style and color palette. Firefights pop with the flash of gun barrels, and slicing an enemy in half is much more satisfying when you see his severed remains hit the ground. All the wonderful details that make the combat as beautiful as it is visceral.

NovaAttack (1)

As if all of the above wasn’t enough to pique one’s interest, let me give you the kicker: it’s free. Yes, Warframe is a free-to-play game. If you feel so inclined, you can spend money to expedite getting some of the more powerful weapons and warframes. You can also grind it out and earn in-game money to purchase blueprints and use materials (found during missions and rewarded after successful missions) to build those same items. It’s completely up to the player.

The only major issue I take with the game is the control scheme. With only two preset configurations, which simply swap how character powers are activated, there is very limited room to customize it. It was almost five hours into the game before I realized there is a block button because it is relegated to the up directional button. The placement would be fine if you are meant to block while stationary, but if you want to block bullets on the move, you will have to contort your hand into quite the odd position. Activating powers can sometimes be hit or miss using the touch pad as it can misread your swipe in the midst of a firefight. Early on, these don’t present much of a problem, but as the enemies become tougher, any misstep trying to adjust to these controls will cost you your life.

If you can’t tell, I am in love with this game. The difficulty can become a bit much when trying to play alone, but with a solid team of Tenno, it should be easy to avoid the invisible wall of progress that gamers sometimes hit. Worst comes to worst, you played a free game you didn’t like. If you end up anything like me, you’ll have a digital hit with more than enough enemies to slice and riddle with bullets for months to come. Enjoy my fellow ninjas.

Warframe is available now on PlayStation 4 and PC.

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Holiday Shopping: Beat the GameStop System

For all the last minute shoppers, here are some quick tips on how to beat the Gamstop System:

“That’s all I get back for my game?” “Is that really the best you can do?” “This used game is almost as expensive as a new one!” These are just a few of the many questions I received as a GameStop employee and still hear as a customer. I feel like these questions stem more from ignorance rather than from sincere disbelief. The average person has no core concept of how the economy actually works, causing consumers to question simple, everyday transactions like trading in a video game at their local GS. Had they known and/or taken advantage of various discounts and rewards the store offers, maybe they wouldn’t feel so slighted. Not that I am an authority on economic sciences, but allow me to help any and all who may stumble across my words.

First of all, the game you’re bringing in is old. I don’t care if it’s only ten seconds old, it’s old. There is no way any sane person—let alone a multimillion-dollar corporation—is going to give you back what they charge for a product. It’s just not good business. So let’s say you receive $30 in store credit for a game you spent $60 on a week ago; that’s not bad. One, store credit is tax free; if you purchase something that’s $29.99, it will be just that. Small consolation, I know, but dammit, it’s something. That’s half your money back. Try that with almost any other product on the face of the planet. No, seriously. Go grab your blender, take it to a pawn shop and see what you get for it. Better yet, call a moving crew, have them lug your refrigerator to any store and see what you get for that—exactly.

Two, understand that GS makes the bulk of its profits off of used sales. Look at it like this, they pay you $30 for your used game, then they sell it for $54 as opposed to the new price of $60. They stand to make a profit of $14 on a game they initially made nothing on. They can do it because they own the games. If you imagine GS is just one guy who owns a ton of games, it’s far easier to see where the profit concept comes in. If you bought a game from your friend and then sold it for more than you paid, you’d make money. That’s how simple this concept is. Good for them I say. The bottom line is, they’re here to make money. It’s how businesses grow and stay operational.

Finally, the employees in the store control nothing. They do not set trade-in values, they do not set used prices, they do not determine the value of anything within those four walls outside of their own self worth. Asking for a “better deal” only works on car lots. The prices are what they are like in any other retail location. You do not go into Wal-Mart and haggle with the employees over the price of an oven mitt, and if you do—really? Telling GS employees that you can get a game $2 cheaper at Costco is not going to break their hearts. Actually, it is more to the average buyers’ detriment to go to another location. Unless you are a seasoned gamer or have received very specific directions from someone, you might not even know what you’re purchasing. Getting 50 Cent: Bulletproof for $2 instead of $5 means nothing because the game is trash, which no K-Mart employee is going to bother telling you. This is not to say that every GS has socially functional workers—because that would be a lie—but typically, you can find at least one person with a pulse and social skills who can save you from a bad purchase.

Now that we’ve seen everything you can’t control, let’s get into what you can. You know that annoying card they always try to push on you that comes with that lame magazine and it’s like $15 for the year? GET IT!! That card is the basis for all that is great about GS. That 10% off used games and accessories means that $55 used game is now $50, so that’s $10 saved right there. Considering you can return used games to any GS for a full refund within seven days, you might not end up paying anything at all if you just need it for some weekend fun. On top of the percent bonuses, you earn points for transactions, which you can turn into merchandise (posters, dog tags, styluses) or coupons for anywhere between 10 to $50 off any in-store purchase. You probably didn’t know that. You’re welcome. Also, they recently started giving buy 1 get 1 free codes for used games to customers who pick up reserved games within 48 hours of release. Yes, your 10% off STILL stacks with the B1G1 free. The system is trying to work with you, you just have to pay attention people.

Getting 10% more on trade-ins for games and accessories means you get a boost on every single game you trade in. The trick to that is stacking. For future purchases, keep this little trick in mind: You want to buy Watch DogsThe Crew, Destiny or whatever other upcoming title, right? Check this: reserve the game for $5—which is basically layaway because the $5 goes towards the cost of the game—then any games you trade in towards it gets you 30% more on each game. Add the 10% from your new handy, dandy card and you get 40% more on every game you trade in towards shiny newness! How is this not great?

For those of you who just don’t want to trade in your games, that’s fine. I respect people who make such solid gaming choices, never feeling the need to relinquish a single title—I’m serious. For those of you who only buy new games, I envy you for never needing to decide which new game to get or having to wait for a used copy. For the GameFly guys and gals out there who don’t buy anything, I applaud you for gaming on a budget. For the rest of us, we have to work within the system to get our money’s worth. If you understand the game and play your cards right, GS can make their money and we can get fairly priced awesomeness. I think that’s pretty damn fair.

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Indie Game Alert: A Clumsy Adventure

Take a little running, add some well timed jumps with a dash of simple physics, and you have Excamedia’s A Clumsy Adventure. Planned as a PS Vita title, Excamedia looks to bring back some classic gaming difficulty on the go. There is definitely no attempt to reinvent the wheel here, but the simplicity is endearing.

Players will control Zack, an ex-Marine; sounds awesome, right? Well, unfortunately, Zack is the only person who thinks Zack is awesome, and his clumsiness gets him kicked out of the military. He stumbles upon this adventure and must set off to avoid various platforming pitfalls and enemies, including end level bosses.

At this point in development, the game is not a graphic marvel, but that’s not really the main focus. The gameplay is where A Clumsy Adventure will hook gamers. For the PC demo I played, the controls were very responsive, which leads me to believe speed-runs will be a major pastime. I am also very interested to see if and how the Vita’s touch capabilities will be utilized. There are definitely opportunities within the side scrolling 3D world to weave in touch functions. I envision it being somewhat like Escape Plan, but I digress.
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There are still a lot of questions to be answered here, but I think the outlook is positive. It will be interesting to see how the game carries over from this initial PC demo to the Vita universe when the time comes.

For more information and the demo, visit Excamedia’s Game Jolt profile page. If you enjoy the game, don’t forget to show your support for Excamedia and A Clumsy Adventure.

Cortana Coming To a Windows Phone Near You

Microsoft has never been a company that allows any form of technology exist without presenting some form of competition (i.e. Zune vs iPod, Xbox vs Sony/Nintendo). The latest target of Microsoft’s competitive spirit is Apple’s AI program, Siri. According to an article from ZDnet.com, the new Microsoft OS reorganization, which will include the Xbox One, will be tied together by Halo’s Cortana. Just as she learns and adapts throughout the Halo story, she will do the same on your devices by utilizing voice commands and the Bing search engine.

CEO Steve Ballmer is very hopeful about the unification prospects of the new system. He explained, “Our UI will be deeply personalized, based on the advanced, almost magical, intelligence in our cloud that leans more and more over time about people and the world. Our shell will natively support all of our essential services, and will be great at responding seamlessly to what people ask for, and even anticipating what they need before they ask for it.” Ballmer also noted the system will “broker information among our services to bring them together on our devices in ways that will enable richer and deeper app experiences.” Essentially, you can have your PC, your Windows phone and your Xbox One all rocking in harmony.

The potential here is truly amazing. In our increasing tech world, the more we can unify things, the smoother things can run. Unfortunately, there are Microsoft execs who say we will not actually see this kind of technology until sometime between 2014 and 2016. I am usually not one for patience, but I would like to see this do well, and if it requires more time to create a solid, game changing network, I am all for it. I do feel we are moving a bit too close to the iRobot story line, but at least I can say I told you so when Siri and Cortana revolt against us.
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Source: ZDnet.com

Pokemon X/Y: What’s New

Once again, back, it is the incredible! In less than one month, 3DS and 2DS owners will be able to get their hands on Pokémon X/Y stateside. In preparation for this joyous release (October 12, 2013 for those counting down), I have compiled some of the bigger changes to the mechanics, graphics and overall gameplay of the up coming 6th generation titles.

  • NEW POKÉMON TYPE: FAIRY

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Screenshot (2)

Not since the olden days of Pokémon Gold/Silver on the Gameboy Color, have fans seen a new type classification in the Pokémon world. X/Y will introduce the Fairy-type. This will not only include new Pokémon to the series (like the new Eevee evolution, Sylveon and Pokémon X’s cover creature, Xerneas), but even old favorites will be retyped to be included in the Fairy class (like Jigglypuff and Marill). What is most interesting about the new Fairy-types is where they sit in type match-ups. Fairy-type attacks are only the third Pokémon type that is super-effective against Dragons. They are also super-effective on Fighting and Dark types. On the flip side, Fairy-type attacks only dish out half damage to Fire, Poison and Steel -types. As far as defense goes, Fairy-types take half damage from Fighting, Bug and Dark-types and take super-effective hits from Poison and Steel-types. The kicker though, Dragon-type attacks are completely ineffective against Fairy-types. Game changer? I think so.

Screenshot (3)

 

  • MEGA EVOLUTIONS

Once upon a time, way back in the Pokémon Red/Blue days, there was a rumor of God-Pokémon. They were to be an evolution of the final stages for the Kanto starters: Charizard, Blastoise and Venusaur. Back then, this was of course, a lie. Now, it is truth. Along with those starters, other favorites including Lucario and Hoenn starter, Blaziken, will have mega evolutions. These powered up forms increase stats and may even grant your Pokémon a new in-battle ability; however, these effects do not last. There are two things that will keep players from spamming these unique evolutions: each Pokémon will require a specific mega evolution item in order to evolve and these transformations can only take place during battle. For those of you, like myself, that have a couple of Kanto starters in your box, you cannot just spam a fleet of Mega Blastoises (assuming that is the plural of it). Also, in keeping with the theme of version specific Pokémon, the legendary Mewtwo returns with a mega evolution that is dependent on which version of the game you are playing.

  • TRAINING IMPROVEMENTS

For those who are not aware of the depths of Pokémon, allow me to put you on game. There are three types of stats in Pokémon: the stats you see (Attack, Special Attack, Defense, Special Defense, HP and Speed), the stats you do not see (Effort Values) and the stats you almost do not believe exist (Individual Values). The first comes as simple numeric values. You can have a 100 for Special Attack, which determines how effective your special attacks (i.e. flamethrower or water gun) will be against your opponent’s Special Defense. Savvy? Excellent. What a lot of people do not know about are Effort Values or EVs. To put it simply, every Pokémon has a particular stat tied to it (i.e. Pikachu is worth two Speed EVs). For every four points you accumulate towards a stat, your stat will go up by one (if you knock out two Pikachus at two Speed EVs each, your Speed will go up by one). Originally, you would not be able to see these values in any concrete way. X/Y will not only give you an easier way to earn these points, but also allow you to watch your Pokémon grow through the use of mini games. Though they have yet to show the full list of games, the basic premise will be play the game, earn Training Bags and then use Training Bags to raise your stats. Far easier than having to hunt down a particular Pokémon and battle it ad nauseam, until you achieve the desired effect. The final stat, Individual Values or IVs, deals with a Pokémon’s most basic statistical levels and determines what the highest level of a particular stat may be. This is a completely different level of depth, which does not seem to have changed much in this new generation. Just remember it is indeed there.

  • AND SO MUCH MORE

Honestly, there are a lot of new minor details, which may not stand out until your average players are hours into their adventure. You will be able to customize your character’s look to a fair extent (hair style and color, skin color and even style of clothes as you get further into the game).

Custom Trainers X&Y

Play with your Pokémon to increase friendliness:

Battles in the skies for Flying-types and Pokémon with the Levitate ability:

pokemonxy_ss53

 

Horde battles against multiple Pokémon:

horde battle

 

And, you can even ride some of the Pokémon!!

pokemonxy_ss25

 

Long story short, this is going to be one for the books. If you have been sleeping on the phenomenon that is Pokémon, this is an awesome time to make your 3DS useful again. Hopefully, this will help get you ready for greatness. October 12, 2013, it is going down.

~the Ace of Spades

Source: Serebii.net, Pokémon.com