ASTRO Gaming MixAmp 5.8!

It's no secret that a quality surround sound setup is practically mandatory for gaming nowadays. Anyone who wants to gain the competitive edge in games like Call of Duty or Halo or become fully immersed in the environments of games like Dead Space and BioShock absolutely require it.

Sadly, many of us may not have the space or even the cash to put together a proper home theatre setup. With the rise in popularity of console gaming seen during this generation, high-end accessories are no longer exclusive to the PC gaming crowd. Among these are dozens of gaming headsets and accessories promising to deliver exceptional audio quality and comfort.

ASTRO MixAmp™ 5.8
Developer: ASTRO Gaming
Released: Now Available
Price: $99.95 (Introductory), $129.95 Regular

ASTRO Gaming has been around for awhile now, gaining popularity within the MLG for their original A40 headset. The A40's were esigned to cater specifically to the professional and hardcore gaming crowds and managed to create an enormous following. They followed up shortly after with the A30's, building upon their success by creating an all-purpose headset, suitable for everything from music to movies. When combined with their original MixAmp audio processor, delivering 5.1 Dolby Digital surround sound, it was practically a gamer's wet dream.

Almost... except for one little snag. Being tethered to your PC is one thing, especially when you are used to chatting on Ventrilo all the time. With the shift to wireless controllers in this current console generation, no one wants to be tethered to their TV anymore. Other manufacturers began releasing their own wireless headsets, utilizing various technologies. Unfortunately, ASTRO had no such solution until now... behold the new wireless MixAmp 5.8. How well does the new MixAmp work and is it worth the price tag? Let's take a look

Upon receiving my MixAmp, the first thing I noticed was the quality of the packaging. You won't run into the standard sort of retail accessory packaging that you might be used to. ASTRO really spared no expense on the design and construction of the box. As silly as that might sound it really goes a long way to demonstrate the care and workmanship that goes into their products. The package opens up and folds out into three separate compartments. The accessories are neatly organized into each section of the box, mine included the necessary AC cable for the transmitter, 3x AAA batteries for the receiver, optical cable, Xbox Live chat cable, USB to mini USB, and a Y-Adapter allowing for the use of a 3rd party headset with separate microphone and audio jacks. The PS3 chat cable and rechargeable battery pack must be purchased separately.

Now, I've always been skeptical of wireless audio and with good reason too. Most wireless audio devices are sub par at best and can't hope to match the sheer fidelity of wired audio devices. At worst, it can be prone to interference. Annoying popping, clicking, and hissing that can turn an otherwise pleasant session of Viva Piñata into a major headache. Most wireless headsets broadcast on the already cramped 2.4 GHz spectrum, typically the same frequency as your router, wireless phone, or a myriad of other devices. If you've ever had a problem connecting a device to your wireless router, imagine how your headset feels trying to receive all that marvelous audio.

ASTRO has managed to circumvent this issue by pulling out all the stops and using the 5.8GHz signal instead (hence the name). The setup works by transmitting the audio from a base (TX), connected with an optical (TOSlink) cable to your desired console or PC. The transmitter handles the audio processing (now capable of outputting up to 7.1 sound) and sends it to the receiver (RX) connected to your headset. Although the MixAmp now works with any headset (or earbuds) of your choice, the only drawback would have to be the fact that they still need to be wired to the RX. This may be a minor inconvenience to some, especially because you still need to be wired to your controller or PS3 in order to use voice chat. Fortunately, the RX is quite portable and can be easily attached to your hip with the included belt clip. Feel free to wander, go grab that bag of Cheetos or Mountain Dew between rounds. Try not to be too surprised by the fact that the audio is still crystal clear on the opposite side of the house, the range on the TX is incredible.

If you haven't used any sort of surround sound setup for gaming before, simulated or otherwise, the difference it can make is nothing short of amazing. As I mentioned above, games like Call Of Duty or Dead Space really show off how important high-quality sound can be. Everyone loves having "HD" graphics, but without proper sound, you are really only getting half of the experience. The ability to hear and react to everything, ranging from the lightest foot steps to bullets whizzing by your head, can make a tremendous impact on your gameplay.

I can't count the number of times that I've been able to react to the distance and direction of foot steps in Call of Duty, allowing me to utilize those precious few seconds to prevent my enemy from getting the drop on me. The sheer immersion that the sound provides has caused me to physically turn and look away from the screen at times because I thought I actually heard something next to me. I cannot possibly overstate the difference by switching from TV audio to surround sound headphones.

Having previously used the wired MixAmp, I can honestly say that the audio quality between the two is pretty damn close. When compared to the popular Turtle Beach X41 headset, I can definitely say that the audio quality or at least the lack of signal degradation from wireless interference is much better. Others have claimed that a slight hissing can be heard in the absence of sound or at higher volumes, but I haven't noticed any such issues. Anyone using the MixAmp 5.8 at an appropriate (ie. not ear-splitting) volume shouldn't notice any sort of background noise or static.

So, is it worth the price tag? I would say that it depends on your gaming habits. If you are a casual gamer with a relatively small gaming budget, the MixAmp 5.8 might be a bit steep for you (especially if you need a headset to go with it). On the other hand, if you are a fairly serious gamer and you are looking to have the best competitive advantage or gameplay experience, I would seriously consider checking out this MixAmp. If you don't already have a decent headset, considering pairing it up with one of ASTRO's headsets for the best experience.

If you got to the second paragraph and already said to yourself TL;DR, here are the pros and cons of the MixAmp 5.8

PROS

• Superior wireless sound quality.
• Plays well with other headsets.
• Works with multiple hardware setups.
• Excellent range.
• Easy setup.

CONS

• Still have to deal with cables on headset end.
• Chat cables make it worse. (Microsoft proprietary wireless sort of leaves no other option.)
• No PS3 chat cable included.
• Eats batteries, 10-12 hour lifespan. (Get the rechargeable pack.)

Overall, if you are in the market for an excellent gaming audio solution, the wireless MixAmp is definitely a very worthy purchase. You can check out the MixAmp 5.8 over at the official ASTRO Gaming site!

All you OpTic Fanboys watch this!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKn5DJuhQ6Q

Post your opinions upon the clan!

Hope you had a great Christmas

Black Ops DLC Coming Soon! Eeeeek.

Treyarch's Dan Bunting was a guest on the latest episode of the Major Nelson podcast and he went on to reveal the first downloadable content package for Call Of Duty: Black Ops. "First Strike," as the new content is called, is a timed exclusive for the Xbox 360 and will be out on February 1 for 1200 MS Points/$15.

The pack will contain four new multiplayer maps and one new zombie map. The maps Discovery and Kowloon are based on areas from the single-player campaign, Berlin Wall is a map set at the famous Checkpoint Charlie in Germany and the best of the new maps is Stadium, set in a hockey rink/athletic complex. Yes, really.

The new zombie map is called Ascension and no info was really given on this map. Expect more news including screenshots in the coming weeks.

February seems like a good time to keep fans engaged in the shooter, especially with Homefront and Bulletstorm releasing in the same period.

As promised. Fallout New Vegas Dead Money DLC! (Reviewed by a friend (different layout) )

First-person shooters have it easy. When it comes to DLC, a couple of new multiplayer maps every few months is enough to satisfy the fanbase. The poor old role-playing game, on the other hand, has a far tougher challenge when it comes to expansions.

RPG add-ons need to serve the twin masters of mechanics and narrative, adding new gameplay features and fresh storylines while balancing on the high wire between offering what players already expect and the need to give each new chapter its own distinct flavour.

Fallout 3 managed some great DLC during its run, but also crapped out a few half-hearted clunkers along the way. As the first in what promises to be a similar salvo for New Vegas, Dead Money sets a satisfying standard for whatever follows, while still leaving room for improvement.

The plot kicks off when you pick up a mysterious signal coming from an abandoned Brotherhood of Steel bunker. Investigate and you find yourself dragged off to the fabled Sierra Madre casino, a ring-a-ding resort that never got to enjoy its gala opening thanks to the small matter of nuclear war breaking out. Now shrouded in a cloud of toxic red fog, it's become a post-apocalyptic legend, attracting rumours of lost treasures and eerie hauntings along the way.

The Ghost People are more usually knocked unconscious than killed. Cut their heads off!

Getting into the casino and uncovering its mysteries is your task, given to you by the authoritarian Father Elijah. Complicating matters are the Ghost People, those trapped by the poisonous cloud and slowly driven mad, worshipping the resort's holographic entertainers. Resilient and armed with grisly new weapons – such as boxing gloves made from bear traps – they're not here to make your job any easier.
As if that's not enough, Elijah has fitted you with an explosive collar to ensure total compliance. Oh, and you've been stripped of all your weapons, armour and loot. No problem, right?

Dead Money then unfolds in three distinct acts. In the first, you're assembling a team by tracking down three fellow prisoners and getting them to co-operate with Elijah's plan.
They're a fun bunch, as well. There's a Super Mutant with a split personality, who alternates between the savage Dog and the erudite God according to verbal triggers. Dean Domino is a suave ghoul who was once the casino's biggest star. And finally there's Christine, a mysterious mute woman whose back-story is perhaps the most interesting.

You're all joined by more than a common goal: if one collar detonates, they all detonate, so working together isn't really a matter of choice. The rest of the story involves getting into the Sierra Madre and what happens inside. Which I won't spoil. Suffice to say, there are twists and revelations aplenty.

Dead Money is stingy with armour and guns, but is packed with great new melee gear.

It's a hefty chunk of gameplay, easily clocking in at eight hours or more, depending on how you play. There are countless nooks and crannies around the casino and its abandoned villa resort, plus a load of new ambient challenges based around killing or collecting various enemies, items and loot stashes. If you rush through, you could probably polish it off in a few hours, but if that's the case why the hell are you playing Fallout? Call of Duty is over there.

So how does Dead Money deliver on the twin requirements of mechanics and narrative? In terms of new gameplay concepts, it's surprisingly generous.
The Sierra Madre is essentially a self-contained pocket universe with its own internal economy. Rather than bottle caps, you'll be using casino chips, and instead of using vendors and traders, you'll be cashing them in at automated vending machines. Designed for use by casino customers, these can cough up food items, but more substantial goodies like stimpacks can be made available once you find the emergency staff audio logs that activate these features. The vending machines will also let you trade items in, making those cartons of cigarettes and casual clothing valuable commodities.

Your bomb collar also tweaks the gameplay in an interesting, though not always enjoyable, manner. Bodged together from pre-war components, it's vulnerable to signal interference. Anything from a domestic radio to the casino's own speaker system can set it off, causing an incessant beeping whenever you get in range and culminating in a rapid cranial eruption should you linger too long. Normal radios can be turned off or destroyed, unshielded speakers can be shot from afar, but there are also invulnerable speakers that can only be deactivated using a terminal, or cannot be switched off at all.

Also providing environmental menace is the toxic red cloud, which eats away at your health with ferocious speed should you venture into it. If you're playing in Hardcore Mode, even the seemingly clear atmosphere itself becomes hazardous, reducing your health slowly whenever you're outside.

The cloud also adds some fun new recipes to your crafting options. Find or collect some cloud residue and it'll brew up some seriously nasty poisons or a useful stat-buffing cocktail, depending on how you mix it.
And, finally, there are some interesting new enemies in the shape of the casino's holographic security system. These glowing drones are limited in reach by their emitter range, but are otherwise indestructible and come armed with deadly laser weapons. Navigating your way past them, either through cunning or by changing their programming, is one of the stiffest stealth challenges the game has to offer.

Because you always wondered what Dean Martin would look like with no skin.

All these elements are used to herd you along, but they can become annoying – particularly when their use combines with the maze-like streets of the villa exterior. Having less than ten seconds to locate and destroy a radio before your head explodes is exciting the first few times, but by the end it's become a chore and one that reduces one of Fallout's greatest pleasures – exploration – to a frustrating save-and-reload routine. That Dead Money's finale finds you racing through a veritable gauntlet of broken walkways while being constantly stymied by holograms, radios and the poisonous red mist makes what should have been a thrilling climax more irritating than it needed to be.

Story-wise, it's a substantial affair. Each chunk of missions feels like a fairly epic undertaking in its own right, and the game pairs you up with each character in turn, giving you the illusion of a four-man team without breaking the game's one-partner rule.

There's a fairly enormous amount of back-story to be devoured, covering the history of your play pals as well as the murky past of the Sierra Madre itself. The broad strokes are covered in dialogue scenes, but there's a lot more to be unearthed through shrewd conversation choices and hacked terminals.
To begin with, the mystery is enticing, but unless you're incredibly thorough in your info-hunting and absorb every detail of the many text logs, there's a good chance the climax to the tale will only make a vague sort of sense. Certainly, I thought I'd been paying attention but there were still a few major plot points that I didn't quite understand by the time I was dropped back in the Mojave.

You can have lots of fun, flipping Dog/God between his different personalities.

While Dead Money justifies its 800 Microsoft Point price tag in terms of quantity, the quality isn't quite there. The plot and gameplay both sag in the second act, as you perform some obvious filler quests to entice your comrades to do as they're told. Tromping around poisonous streets looking for switches to throw or lost fuse boxes is the worst kind of RPG busywork, and the structure makes little attempt to dress it up as anything more important.

Things pick up considerably once you're inside the Sierra Madre, where the script does a good job of dolloping out revelations and gameplay twists that fly in the face of your Ocean's Radioactive 11 expectations. But that final stretch with its infuriating collar-popping tricks and against-the-clock stealth knocks the wind from the story's sails right when it needs to be in full flow.

These are, admittedly, nitpicks that will really only annoy those who hope for perfection every single time – and they certainly shouldn't deter New Vegas fans from making a start on their first DLC adventure.

Score: 7/10

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Vietnam! Good Morning Vietnam!

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Vietnam is one of those rare products where if it simply works as promised -- or gets even marginally close -- it's a crowd pleaser.
DICE ran into some temporary technical issues with online multiplayer in Battlefield 1943 and Bad Company 2 right around each game's launch, causing me to be more than a little nervous for the just-released multiplayer-only Vietnam expansion, but that's thankfully not the case here (for the most part).
And, guess what? The crowds seem to be mighty pleased with this one.
Battlefield: Bad Company 2 Vietnam (Xbox LIVE [reviewed], PlayStation Network, PC)
Developer: DICE
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Released: December 18 for PC / December 21 for consoles
MSRP: $14.99
It's surprising to me that Vietnam was released as an expansion rather than a standalone product. Because really, all of the parts are there: new maps, weapons, vehicles, voice-overs, and even a 49-song soundtrack are what you'll find.
But no, this content gets its own little menu directly inside of Bad Company 2, complete with "Fortunate Son" by CCR. Perhaps the decision has to do with all of your multiplayer statistics and progression, which are shared between the core game and this expansion. If you had all of the class gear unlocked in BC2, you'll have the '60s-era counterparts in Vietnam, too, minus whatever items wouldn't make sense for the period.
I'm glad DICE went this way, and I'm also glad that all four modes -- Rush, Conquest, Squad Rush, and Squad Deathmatch -- are playable on all four (soon to be five) multiplayer maps. Each platform will get the final map once its players build up a collective 69 million team actions (spotting, reviving, etc.).
I've heard reports that some people are having their unlocks and rank reset, which isn't entirely surprising considering prior Battlefield launches. I haven't personally run into anything that dramatic, but some of my statistics for medals and things of that nature don't appear to be updating accurately.

The modes themselves are virtually identical to what BC2 fans are used to, which is definitely not a negative. You stand by a flag to capture it, or you arm radio communication rigs with explosives; y'all know the drill by now. These rule sets define what Battlefield is, so why change 'em?
The maps, on the other hand, are a departure from the norm. At the moment, Hill 137 is my favorite. It's got grimy tunnels and trenches, but best of all, one side of the map is a blackened, flame-covered forest -- or, what used to be a forest. It's an iconic look, much like the gorgeous terraces of Vantage Point.
All of the maps are breathtaking, and for me, easily the best part of Vietnam. I'm struggling to remember which one it was, but one of the maps had this massive, intricate waterfall system off in the distance. Hopefully everyone will take a quick break from the action to check out the views from time to time. They're worth an occasional in-game death, no question.
The one negative I do want to point out is that some of the steep terrain is deceptive. You'll see a pile of rocks or ledge that you should, in theory, be able to scale, but instead you're left temporarily stuck on or around it. That's just one example, and based on my playtime, I'm far from the only person to fall for this trickery. However, none of this is to say the level design itself is bad; it's quite good, actually.

The other noteworthy addition for me was the flamethrower, which is unbelievably satisfying to wield. Much like the rest of DICE's great audio work, the hiss it lets out is top notch. Plus, you can totally destroy parts of the environment with it, and that's always a plus.
And finally, there's the presentation. Before and after each battle, an overview is given in the style of a news report as if the virtual conflict you are fighting is, in fact, really happening right this moment. It's a nice touch, and it really makes the difference; DICE didn't just release some new maps and weapon skins and call it a day here.
As far as the in-game experience is concerned, vehicles and loudspeakers will play the sort of rockin' tunes you'd expect. From inside of the former, you can manually switch between songs. So, naturally, Vietnam players can expect to hear a lot of "Ride of the Valkyries" and the aforementioned "Fortunate Son" as they rush in, guns blazing. Nothing wrong with that.

Basically, if you are an active Battlefield player, or are looking for an excuse to rejoin the ranks, getting Vietnam is a no-brainer. The expansion feels fresh, both in terms of the locales and how the older weaponry has pushed combat to be more in-your-face.
The same level of care and attention to detail you would find in one of DICE's retail offerings has been put into all aspects of Vietnam. It's not uncommon to see studios put their "B" team on downloadable content, but it sure doesn't feel as if that was the case here.
I suppose it would've been nice to see some more experimentation in terms of modes or mechanics, although the quality of what's included is high enough that you can hardly complain too much. I suspect DICE will support Vietnam through balancing, updates, and possibly even more maps.
No matter what does or doesn't happen, though, there's no reason not to dive into this expansion immediately.
Score: 9 -- Superb (9s are a hallmark of excellence. There may be flaws, but they are negligible and won't cause massive damage to what is a supreme title.)

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Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit!

With 2008’s Burnout Paradise, Criterion Games solidified its spot as the king of fast-paced, arcade-style racing. So when Electronic Arts decided it was ready to take the Need for Speed series back to its early roots -- with its high-speed, open-road chases -- it was smart to tap the Guildford, England-based developer for Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit.

The result is one of the best Need for Speed games to date, without question. It’s a high-velocity, eyebrow-searing racer that sets new standards with an innovative design that closes the gap between single-player and multiplayer experiences like no other game before it.

Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit (PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360)
Developer: Criterion Games
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Release date: November 16, 2010
Price: $59.99 (PS3/360) / $49.99 (PC)

Let’s get it out of the way right now -- Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit feels and plays like a Burnout title in almost everything but its name. Hot Pursuit tries to straddle a thin line between realistic car handling and accessible arcade racing, and while it definitely nails it, it’s unquestionably closer to the latter. It’s basically car porn, with slick and exotic rides, and the handling and feel you’d expect from high-end vehicles. It’s never so demanding that folks who aren’t interested in hitting that perfect line will feel left out, but is instead a game that encourages you to revel in maximum velocity at all times.

Hot Pursuit’s “Career” mode puts you on both sides of the law, alternating between speed-junkie illegal racer and police officer. As either, your goals are essentially the same -- drive as fast as possible. The difference here is that as a racer, you’ve got the fuzz on your tail; as an officer, you are the tail. With no real narrative to speak of outside of “put the pedal to the metal and don’t stop,” the career is completely open, allowing you to choose events from various parts of the map, spread across the fictitious Seacrest County. It’s a bit odd at first, not being able to choose your allegiance; you alternate between breaking and enforcing the law, which earns XP and ranks up both careers separately but congruently. But choosing one over the other would mean you’d miss out on the pleasures of stepping into each role, which are equally exhilarating in their own right.

Events on either side of the law are broken up into a few basic categories, like straightforward race events, timed events (such as a “Time Trial,” or the police version, “Rapid Response”), and so forth. “Hot Pursuit” races are the highlight, a typical race with the wrinkle being that cops are looking to shut it down by any means necessary. As a racer, these events are nerve-racking, with police cars aggressively trying to take you out as you speed towards the finish line against other racers. As the police, these events feel a lot like Burnout’s “Road Rage,” only you’re attempting to take out a finite number of racers before they reach their goal.

Spicing things up a bit, both racers and police have their own sets of equipment, which adds an interesting Mario Kart-like layer of offense and defense to each event. As a cop, you’ll have access to police department backup, such as roadblocks and helicopter support to slow down fleeing racers. As a law-breaking bad guy behind the wheel, you’ll be able to jam police communications, basically a defense against anything they have in their arsenal. Both sides can use targeted EMPs or throw down spike strips to slow down vehicles and get a pesky pursuer off your tail. Each event doles out equipment differently, and they’re all available in limited amounts (with “cool down” times for follow-up use), striking a nice balance on both sides. Outside of Hot Pursuit’s balls-to-the-wall action racing, these tools add an exciting layer to the gameplay that set it apart from events in the Burnout series and other racers.

Hot Pursuit also seems like a tighter experience that Criterion’s last title. While Burnout Paradise threw players into an open city where they’d find events sprinkled about, Hot Pursuit compartmentalizes Seacrest County into bite-sized events. The map itself is massive and varied, and can be fully explored in the game’s “Freedrive” mode, but there’s something quite comforting about hopping into these pre-packaged events and targeting medals and other goals. Given how big Seacrest County actually is (it’s hard to get a sense of this unless you explore it in “Freedrive”), it should go without saying that the races vary in look and feel, with dozens of off-the-path shortcuts and hidden routes to explore. Getting to know each track and each event comes with time, and there’s nothing quite as a rewarding as mastering a route and shaving seconds off your best time, or finding the best ways as a police officer to blindside a racer.

So Hot Pursuit has all of its core elements in place, with its fast cars, dynamic events, and breathtaking speeds. But where Criterion really takes things to the next level is the game’s social aspects, which truly bring Hot Pursuit to life like no other racer. The key is the game’s “Autolog,” a consistent experience that has you competing with your friends 24/7, constantly keeping you up to date with their game progress, their most recent records, goals obtained, and more. It’s an absolutely seamless setup that easily lets you compare event results in an elegant and streamlined way.

Other games have hinted at it, but none quiet have nailed it like Criterion has with Hot Pursuit. There’s almost never a time when you have to navigate through a series of menus to see where you stand against your friends; it’s just there, and you can’t miss it -- it’s as important a part of the game as the cars you drive. “Autolog Suggests” takes it even further, utilizing your entire friends list to tailor challenges and suggest events to you. Completed everything in the career mode? Maybe a friend has, too, and he or she has done it better -- Autolog will tell you, and kick your ass into gear, egging you on to take on the next challenge. You can even post messages on the in-game “walls” of your friends, taunting them or sending out challenges.

It’s a system that relies heavily on how many friends you have that are also playing Hot Pursuit, and your mileage on what you get out of this will vary accordingly. Autolog can even suggest friends, if you’re normally the loner type. But even playing the game on a smaller scale (that is to say, not against my personal friends, instead in a limited review capacity), it’s obvious that Autolog can incite some serious competition. I found myself pushing my records higher and higher, replaying events that I normally wouldn’t have if Hot Pursuit didn’t offer such a sophisticated competitive environment.

This kind of “always-on” competition doesn’t get in the way of the game’s live multiplayer matches, which let you compete against friends (or strangers) in online events composed of the same modes you’d find offline. The rush of the offline races and chases translates gloriously to an online environment; with so many variations available for each event, it seems like it could never get old. Want to race with one cop chasing the seven remaining players? How about one player getting chased by seven cops? You can imagine things get pretty intense, and no matter who comes out on top, it’s always an incredibly satisfying experience.

Unfortunately, Hot Pursuit doesn’t appear to offer any split-screen race capabilities, which is a bit of a downer. It’s obvious that Criterion spent most of their time focusing on online connectivity and networking, but offline “cops versus robbers”-style split-screen chases would have been a welcome addition.

Criterion hasn’t rebooted the Need for Speed series, instead taking classic key elements and injecting them with new life for the current generation. It delivers a near-perfect competitive experience, in a way that few games -- racing or otherwise -- can. Hot Pursuit is not only a defining moment for the series, but for arcade-style racing, period.

Score: 9.5 -- Superb (9s are a hallmark of excellence. There may be flaws, but they are negligible and won't cause massive damage to what is a supreme title.)

If you enjoy reading these reviews then I would appreciate it greatly if you were to follow my Blog. It would earn me publicity and cause my Ads to be clicked more often. I plan to use the money I earn to buy a Hauppage HD-PVR so that I can do more interesting reviews in stunning HD.

Thanks for Reading and Merry Christmas!

Want To Play Online With Me?

I have both the Sony Playstation 3 and Microsoft XBOX 360 online feel free to send me a friend request on either platform.

My online usernames are:
XBOX 360: ShAp x Windy and ShAp x Andy
Playstation 3: m0wUnlimited

I do not believe I have room on the ShAp x Windy account but feel free to add my ShAp x Andy account which is near enough empty and has my Gamertag as a friend. I will mainly be playing COD: BO on my XBOX and Fallout New Vegas as I plan on writing a review on that with it's future DLC.

On Playstation all you will ever see me play is GT5 as that is my favourite game ever! However I may purchase Uncharted 3, Little Big Planet 2 and any other upcoming exclusives that are coming out in the near future.

Lots of Love, Aston

Assassin's Creed: The Brotherhood!!

Let’s deal with the elephant in the room right now: Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood isn’t a quick cash-in on last year’s massively successful and (mostly) critically-acclaimed sequel. It’s not a full-blown sequel, either; this isn’t Assassin’s Creed 3. Instead, it acts more as an epilogue to the story told in Assassin’s Creed II.

What Brotherhood is, however, is a deep and rich game experience that builds on the strengths of its predecessor. And here’s the kicker, and allow me to completely blow your mind: Brotherhood is, in almost all ways, a better game.

Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360) [Note: Both versions were played for this review.]
Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
Publisher: Ubisoft
Released: November 16, 2010
MSRP: $59.99

As far as the core mechanics are concerned, Brotherhood sticks to the formula of the previous titles, with the player once again taking on the role of Assassin’s Creed II’s lead, Ezio Auditore. It’s all about the open-world exploration of the game’s breathtaking translation of 15th-century Rome, scaling the city’s massive structures with smooth and fast parkour-style movements. In Brotherhood, silent assassinations are still encouraged, but with an enhanced fighting system, direct confrontation is more viable than ever.

There’s a new kick, for instance, that can be used aggressively to break a tough enemy’s defense. Other additions to combat include a hidden pistol and some satisfying chained assassinations. The latter sees Ezio dispatching enemy after enemy in quick and brutal succession, making the player feel like an indomitable badass. Even with a heavy focus on direct combat, Brotherhood doesn’t play like Bayonetta or God of War. Instead, it’s a rhythmic experience, with surprising variations in animations that always lead to a satisfying conclusion.

Brotherhood gets its namesake from another new element found in the game, the ability to recruit novice assassins from among the citizens of Rome. Once they’re brought into the fold, a meta-game opens up that will have you sending them on tasks all across Europe, either alone or in groups. As missions are successfully accomplished, the assassins earn experience points and can then be leveled up, allowing them to attend to even more difficult engagements. This is all a text-based affair, simple in its execution, but it’s easy to get wrapped up in building your brotherhood and watching it grow.

While it’s certainly a nice diversion to build up a fellowship of clandestine murderers, the real satisfaction comes from calling on them in the game world to perform assassinations or help you in battle. With a simple button press, you can summon your brothers (and sisters) to assassinate targets right before your eyes. As empowering as it is to quietly sneak up on a guard and take him out, sight unseen, there’s something even more fulfilling about watching your minions descend (seemingly from nowhere) upon a target at your command, doing your dirty work for you. In one instance, I sent a few after a group of three guards -- two assassins jumped down from a rooftop to pummel two guards while another leaped out of a mound of hay to briskly sever the jugular of the third. Assassins can also be killed in battle, and since they can be leveled up, customized visually, and even have names, losing one can sometimes be an emotional affair. I still am mourning the death of my very first protégé, Nico...

While most of the open-world portion of the game will have you confined to the city of Rome, don’t sweat the fact that it’s only a single area. The capital city is massive and has multiple districts, each with its own feel and vibe. There’s plenty to do and see -- even outside the game’s “sequence” missions, which move the narrative forward -- certainly more than in either Assassin’s Creed or its sequel, which makes the quick follow-up that is Brotherhood even more impressive.

Detailing all of the side-quests and optional missions would take forever, but suffice it to say they’re even more diverse and creative than those found in previous games, some even having their own instanced areas and scenarios that simply must be sought out and seen. Playing the game for review was extraordinarily difficult, and with only a finite number of hours to make it to the game’s conclusion, I was constantly distracted and drawn to every single side activity. Whether it’s the incredible Leonardo da Vinci sequences, where you work to destroy war machines and blueprints, or an underground hand-to-hand fight club, the activities are staggering in their diversity and breadth.

As in Brotherhood’s predecessors, you’re not limited to exploring 15th-century Rome: a few game sections take place outside of the memories relived within the genetic-memory-exploring Animus. It’s in these sequences that you’ll once more play as Desmond, interacting with other members of the modern-day assassin’s order such as Lucy, voiced again by Veronica Mars actress Kristin Bell.

The difference is that in Brotherhood, except for a few forced segments, you can hop in and out of the Animus at any time by pressing Start and then exiting the simulation. While it’s nice to have that freedom this time around, I did find that it worked against the favor of the story. Exploring outside the Animus can yield some secrets, but the interaction with the other characters seemed mostly inconsequential. While the modern sequences in previous games had weight -- they moved along the story in a crucial way, and you looked forward to the each one -- that’s just not the case here, and it’s a little disappointing.

That brings me to what’s arguably the weakest part of Brotherhood, steeped in an otherwise outstanding game -- its story. Taken by itself, it’s not terrible, but this is probably not the narrative follow-up that fans wanted trailing the mystifying finale of Assassin’s Creed II. Revisiting the tale of Ezio works fine as an epilogue to that game, and the tale of the assassin brotherhood working to reclaim Rome from the demented Borgia family is adequately compelling. Still, the overall narrative doesn’t really hold as much gravity as previous titles. There’s certainly not very much explained or even revealed about the overarching assassin/Templar chronicle, outside of the game’s final hours. Fans should also brace themselves for the game’s conclusion, which makes Assassin’s Creed II’s head-scratching finish seem like a neatly-wrapped sitcom finale in comparison.

Given the quality and scope of Brotherhood’s single-player experience, it’s already a must-buy. But I’ve yet to even touch on the game’s most radical addition to the series: online multiplayer.

The multiplayer mode is broken up into four gametypes -- "Wanted" (a free-for-all mode), an advanced version of "Wanted," "Alliance" (two-player team cooperative play), and another team-based mode, "Man Hunt." What each mode boils down to is hunt and simultaneously be hunted, with the game assigning targets simply by providing players with an image of said mark.

Ten character skins are available from the get-go, each with its own set of animations, but functionally identical in every other way. The game then populates the title’s eight maps (with four more unlockable as the community reaches certain milestones) with the skins chosen by the players. So what you get is a city filled with many citizens going about their business, some of whom look like your potential victim. As you can imagine, the difficulty of finding your target is exacerbated by this fact. Worse yet is that finding and killing a computer-controlled citizen leads to a loss of points.

It’s these details that make Brotherhood’s multiplayer a psychological game like nothing else really seen on consoles. You’re given a compass of sorts that will direct you to the general area of where your prey is, but the game never really holds your hand and identifies it for you. The key is recognizing certain behaviors that are unique to human players. You’ll never see a computer-controlled citizen scale a building, nor will one just take off running. See someone making jerky movements in a crowd? That could be your victim.

On the flip side, knowing you’re also being hunted is a persistent source of stress, and you’ll be adapting your behavior accordingly to “blend in” with crowds and outwit your pursuer. If you’re spotted, however, be prepared to flee -- it’s not uncommon for fast-paced chases to break out, with two players (or sometimes more) pursuing each other through alleys and across the rooftops of structures.

While all of the character skins are on an even level to start, players can also advance through 50 levels of progression as they earn experience points by winning matches and meeting certain conditions. At fixed levels, abilities and passive perks are awarded, which can drastically change the way you play and apply tactics. Each of the game’s 12 abilities -- like the ability to morph your character skin into another to deceive potential assassins, or being able to throw down firecrackers to cause chaos or weed out prey -- can be leveled up as well.

According to Ubisoft, there’s 40 hours of play here before the “average” gamer reaches their maximum potential level. While there was certainly not enough time for me to work through all 50 levels myself, I did spend time playing on both ends of the spectrum -- once on a private account Ubisoft had leveled up to 50 for me, and another on retail servers starting from scratch. Having abilities at your disposal certainly seems to give you a slight advantage, too. Hopping on a retail game server a day before launch, my level-one player already had to contend with opponents who had reached level 20. Having a player toss a smoke bomb in my face to get me off their tail was a bit frustrating, considering it was a tool I was numerous levels away from having in my arsenal. It wasn’t so overwhelming that I wanted to rage-quit, but it’ll be interesting to see how it shakes out once players worldwide start digging in.

As a deviation from the hours of single-player content, the multiplayer is successful in offering a unique and fun set of experiences that aren’t really like anything else out there. No, there isn’t a threat of it replacing Call of Duty: Black Ops as the go-to online game this winter, but Brotherhood’s multiplayer mode provides a fresh, fun take on competitive multiplayer that rewards a player’s perception as much as his or her twitch-based gaming skills.

It’s a bit disappointing, however, that you’re so limited in terms of the number of players -- you must have a minimum of six for all modes, and the most you’ll have in one game is eight. It’s entirely possible that any more or any fewer players would completely break the dynamic, but in a world where double-digits is the norm, eight may seem like a meager amount to some.

For those folks who didn’t enjoy Ubisoft’s previous sequel, Brotherhood has nothing to offer -- outside of its incomparable multiplayer, perhaps -- that will change their minds. This isn’t a game that repairs “problems” or departs radically from a formula. It is, however, a game that improves on just about every facet, and dumps a ton of content on the player to boot.

It seemed to be an impossible task for Ubisoft to turn around a year after the release of Assassin’s Creed II and deliver such a polished follow-up to a game that many critics were calling one of 2009’s best titles. Yet, against all odds, Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood exists in 2010, and it not only lives up to the hype, but it manages to completely outclass its predecessor. Brotherhood is a game that Assassin’s Creed fans simply cannot afford to miss, and one of best games this year.

Score: 9.5 -- Superb (9s are a hallmark of excellence. There may be flaws, but they are negligible and won't cause massive damage to what is a supreme title.)

Lots of Love, Aston

PS; please follow my blog if you enjoy reading my reviews. Post in the comments box what you liked about the review and how I could improve. Also post what you think I should review next, I shall be reviewing Black Ops which shall hopefully be up tomorrow. All followers that sign up before the new year will recieve a GAME UK discount voucher!

Gran Tursimo 5!!

It didn't even register at first. I put my review copy of Gran Turismo 5 into my PS3 and started it up, watched a lovely cutscene and then began playing. No fanfare. No parade. No banners hanging from the ceiling. Here I was, in a slow car and on some standard track, going in a circle, rounding corners at a snail's pace. It didn't really register that I was actually playing the finished version of Gran Turismo 5, after all this time.

It really didn't hit me until a bit later that I was playing six years' worth of work from Polyphony Digital. I was playing something that is attempting to be the end-all racing simulator. I was playing the game that PS3 owners have been talking about since the system's release.

Hundreds of virtual miles and a few sleepless nights later, I still haven't had my fill of Gran Turismo 5. Although this is something racing fans have been waiting on for so long, slipping back into Gran Turismo was completely natural. It just happened, and it just felt right. Nothing had to be explained. No hand-holding was required. I just jumped in like the last six years never even happened.

Gran Turismo 5 (PlayStation 3)
Developer: Polyphony Digital
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment America
Released: November 24, 2010
MSRP: $59.99

Only after finally stopping to write a review after countless hours of play did I realize how massive Gran Turismo 5 is. The numbers that Sony and Polyphony Digital have been throwing at us (1,000+ cars, 70 track variations, several modes) don't even begin to cover how vast the game is. The game's GT (career) Mode has so many menus and sub-menus that it took me a full workday to completely go through them all, and that's not even counting a separate arcade mode, a track maker, a video collection and much more. It's every bit of the racing world all in one place, on one disc. The word "comprehensive" doesn't even feel big enough.

While GT5's size may sound daunting, it's all presented in a way that begs you to explore it. The GT Mode also does a nice job of slowly guiding you through its various parts as you progress. You'll start out with a small bit of money (credits) to buy an inexpensive car, and you'll take it to the track in some low-level, non-restricted races. Much like in the previous Gran Turismo games, in the A-Spec mode, you'll race and then use your earnings to purchase newer, faster cars. In B-Spec mode, you'll create and guide an AI racer through events by giving them in-race commands. With these new cars and your increased experience level, you'll take on more varied events and work your way up the ranks in both A-Spec and B-Spec, from a beginner all the way up to an expert.

The game's leveling system restricts the kind of cars you can own and the kind of races you can take part in. No worries, though; your level increases quickly with only a few races, and it works out that the cars that gradually become more affordable as you progress are just the ones you'll need for the higher-level races. Also, as you reach certain level milestones, one or more of the GT Mode's "Special" race types will become available. The first you'll have access to is kart racing, which is a blast. Later on, you'll race on Top Gear's test track, learn NASCAR basics with voiced tutorials from Jeff Gordon, and even slide through snow and gravel in rally races. It's all paced quite nicely, with new options opening up just as your skill level permits. 

Before you can do any of that, you have to have a car. Thankfully, Gran Turismo 5 doesn't really hold back on what it offers players in car types. Of course, you'll unlock more vehicles as you progress, but you'll be able to browse the manufacturers' virtual show floors right off the bat. You'll find yourself building up a garage of cars in no time at all with your winnings, and you'll nab even more as gifts by winning races with top honors. As before, cars can be tuned and upgraded, or sold off to fund your next purchase. But this time, there are two different classes of vehicles: standard and premium.

Standard cars are the cars you might have seen in previous Gran Turismo games. They look great on the track, but it turns out that they actually have a lower level of detail than the premium vehicles. Premium cars are new to GT5, and they come with very highly detailed models that support damage modeling. They also have fully modeled interiors, so you'll get a cockpit view as one of the view options in races. In your garage, the two types are separated, though you'll be able to use qualifying cars from either class in races. Again, both types look fantastic, but the premium cars do look a bit better, and I've come to love the cockpit view. 

When you're finally on the track, Gran Turismo 5 feels so familiar that it's surprising at first. We waited this long for something that feels just like an old game? Fans of the series will be able to pick up a controller and know exactly what to expect when driving. For me, there was absolutely no learning curve as far as control and feel is concerned -- this game controls exactly like Gran Turismo 4. That isn't a bad thing, mind you. There was absolutely nothing wrong with GT4's control. If you think back, it was the physics engine that needed a few touch-ups.

The new physics engine in GT5 is everything I had hoped it would be. While the buttons and sticks that you're moving with your fingers haven't changed, their feel and response have improved greatly. Turning and braking feel incredibly natural. You get a real sense of how slamming on the brakes throws the car's weight forward. Handling actually feels like car handling, and not some once-removed, through-a-game-controller attempt. In one rally race, I remember braking too late on a snowy track. I slid into a snowbank, turned sharply, and then came back down off the bank. The car seemed to plop back down onto the the road so realistically that it gave me flashbacks of driving in winter. Somehow this game manages to feel both accurate and exciting at the same time.

Opponent AI feels like it has greatly improved since the last game. It appears that a lot of care went into realism this time around. I got the sense that I was in races with drivers of different types for the first time in the series. Some seemed aggressive and others careful. All seemed to put on the heat in the last leg of the last lap. This made for some tense finishes that felt closer to what you might experience in a race with real opponents. There were many times where I was fully immersed in competition and had to remind myself that I wasn't actually in a live race.

One of the most noted additions to GT5 is damage modeling. It's too bad that this feature isn't really notable in the full scheme of things. Cars can show wear, and premium vehicles can actually show damage from collisions, but it turns out that neither are as dramatic (or realistic) as you'd expect. You'd actually have to go out of your way to impose damage in a race, and then you'd have to follow up and actually check for it afterwards. But to go this far, you'd likely be getting away from racing. And while damage can affect car performance, those racing to win aren't likely to receive enough damage to see this effect. The addition of damage modeling doesn't really seem to serve the game in any way. Instead, it feels like a bullet point for the back of the box. 

On the other hand, the new weather, lighting and particle effect additions are welcome and greatly appreciated. Some of Gran Turismo 5's biggest "wow" moments come from these new visual tweaks.  Watching snow blow onto and over my windshield was so lovely that it was almost distracting. The way a nighttime fog soaks up headlights looked impossibly realistic. Streetlights shine on a glossy, wet road, and later, raindrops streak by as you hit 200 mph. In the desert, dust kicks up in a rally race. High beams catch the dust, with the tops of the surrounding trees barely lit by the setting sun. The work Polyphony Digital put into the small details goes a long way toward making you feel like you're really driving in these locales. Realism can sometimes be sterile, but these accents on top of already realistic locales and cars makes Gran Turismo 5 one of the most visually pleasing games ever released.

Polyphony Digital added some new racing types to their Special mode, with one of the most surprising being kart racing. Kart racing is a lot of fun in GT5, and serves as a bit of an escape from the standard car racing action. Those expecting something like Mario Kart will be disappointed, as the game's realism carries over here. There's actually a bit of a learning curve to the karts; steering and braking are quite a bit different from standard cars. While the controls and view are the same, the feel is completely different. For example, braking into a sharp turn is going to cause you to spin out easily. Once you get the hang of the differences in acceleration and braking, the sense of speed is incredible, and kart racing turns out to be very rewarding. 

In an attempt to cover as many types of racing as possible, NASCAR racing was also added to the special modes. Unlike the kart and rally modes, which feel like separate sub-game types, NASCAR is more of a lesson on a racing style. This mode is narrated by famed NASCAR driver Jeff Gordon, who appears in virtual form to show you the ropes. Gordon narrates for a bit, and then you get to practice the basics of NASCAR racing, like drafting and passing. These lessons take place on NASCAR tracks such as the Daytona 500. 

Other special events include the Top Gear test track, where you'll cruise the famous television show's track; the AMG Driving Academy, where you'll tackle the insane Nurburgring course; and the Rally segment, where you'll plow through gravel, snow and rain with the guidance of a navigator. There's also a Touring mode that you'll see the world in. Each of these events provides a nice change of pace from the GT Mode's standard racing, and many of them feel like a game within a game. 

Online racing makes its series debut with GT5. There's a good bit of community features to be explored within the online mode beyond the 16-player races it provides. Creating or joining online rooms is easy, as is jumping into a race. Rooms feature full chat, and you can do this while watching as a spectator. Feel free to jump into a room's track at any time to do time trials; the game will let you know when there's a race starting. When the race does begin, you'll automatically be whisked away to the starting line from your time trials. While the selection of online opponents was limited in pre-release sessions, every match I was in worked beautifully. Polyphony Digital has put together a really polished, attractive online experience, and it comes complete with mail, messaging, and even your own lounge. There's plenty of room for online play to flourish once the game gets in the hands of racing fans. 

Outside the main GT Mode, there are three other main game functions. Arcade Mode lets you pick a track and a car and go at it without all of the leveling and experience hassles. You can try out the drifting trials or any of the other courses or cars you have yet to acquire in GT Mode. There's also split-screen two-player support in Arcade Mode.

Gran Turismo TV is a sort of portal for video content. It offers clips about cars, tracks and even content from the Top Gear television show. There's a shopping cart in the menu, so I assume that paid content will be available at some time in this mode.

Finally, there's a Course Maker mode that lets you build a track to your liking. It isn't as complex as you'd imagine from the name, mind you. You start off by picking a base locale from a number of images. From there you'll decide how many segments your track will have. Menus let you control track options, like how complex these segments will be, or what time of day it will be. It only takes a couple of minutes to generate a new course, which can be saved and used for a test drive at any time. You can then share your track or save it to play in Arcade Mode.

A slightly less useful photo mode lets you photograph your cars on tracks from replays and save the images to share or even use as your XMB wallpaper. Photo buffs will enjoy the option to use full manual camera settings to control aperture and shutter speed to get the best shot. The Photo Travel mode takes you and your car to real-world locales, where you're free to position your vehicle and camera to get the best shot. The nighttime Kyoto location was particularly lovely, and I got some nice shots, though I didn't see much of a point in taking pictures of my virtual car. It did make for a nice wallpaper, however. 

Gran Turismo 5 is very customizable. You can opt to install game data (about 8 GB, 30 minutes) to cut back on load times. All of the controls can be remapped to your liking as well. I dove into the hundreds of (great!) music tracks to make a custom collection of tunes that I liked to race to, only to finish and find that you can also use playlists from your PS3's hard drive to listen to your own music while driving.   Everything from the sound balance to the screen size can be tweaked. 

While GT5 worked perfectly fine with the DualShock3 controller, playing with the Logitech Driving Force GT racing wheel is an absolute thrill. Now that I've tried it, I don't think I can go back. It did take a couple of races to get a feel for it, but when I finally got it down, my driving and my course times improved greatly. The level of control you have over your turns is so much greater with the wheel, and that's not to mention how much better and more realistic acceleration and braking feel it provides. The force feedback in the wheel brings the realism over the top. Gran Turismo 5 feels like it was made for this wheel, and the game offers full support for it and many of the other racing wheels out there. I can't recommend the Driving Force GT wheel enough. It really takes GT5 to an even higher level.

With Gran Turismo 5, I found myself doing something I've never done with a racing game before: driving simply for the joy of it. Just as with a great car, Gran Turismo 5 feels so great that it begs to be driven. You can't put it down. I found myself cruising the 8.5 miles of Circuit de la Sarthe this week just to enjoy the drive. When you get in the zone and really get in tune with the controls, this game really does let you tap into the pleasures of driving and racing. I'd like to imagine that Polyphony Digital has spent all this time fine-tuning this game for this very feeling.  

Even beyond the 1,000 cars, dozens of track variations, countless modes, gorgeous visuals and mountains of options, Gran Turismo 5 has something more that speaks to the world's car lovers and racing fans. The level of care taken by the people at Polyphony Digital shines in every aspect of this title, and this makes for a racing game that truly has no parallel. Gran Turismo 5 is a massive love letter to those that love cars. This is their dream videogame. 

Score: 10 -- Flawless Victory (10s are as close to perfect as you will get in a genre or on a platform. Pure, untarnished videogame ecstasy.)

Lots of Love Aston :D