Barnes v. Chick, CASTLEVANIA and SNIPER in Review Hot

I get the impression that these are all games for them new damn-fangled electrickery boxes and not an actual game with dice and soldiers and monsters and pirates.

That's right Tom. Whilst you were playing AXIS AND ALLIES at the old folks home, they've come out with these new "video" games. They are truly a wonder of modern technology. There's no need for all those dice and cards anymore. A new era has dawned.

BTW- can somebody on staff get this to show up on the front page? I can't use the internet.

I learned something tonight.

Michael and I may not have the same favorite TV show, but we do have the same favorite video game series.

And you were right, it's Son of Dracula that started the Alucard thing. I grew up on Universal Monster movies, and when SOTN came out, I just thought, "No fucking way!"

Michael has been spot on for video game recommendations for me: Bayonetta, Brutal Legend, etc. I tend to like the stuff that gets the "not everyone will like this, but....." cautions.

Bah.. Red Braindead Redemption was a pile of steaming crap. Sniper is good for what it is... It looks good, the AI is sometimes a joke, the multiplayer is dreadful, but there are a few campaigns/levels in the single player game that really work well. I'd call it a guilty pleasure, but fun nonetheless.

Tom Chick is awesome, but he's wrong an awful lot of the time. Possibly the only reviewer who I enjoy so much yet don't agree with.

I agree, sometimes I think he's totally off base (his assessment of MASS EFFECT 2 for example) but I like that he's interested in creating dialogue and actually discussing what makes games good or bad, interesting or boring.

I thought he was totally wrong on HL2. He brought up some get points about the immersion and subtle story detail in the game...but every single point he mentioned happens in the first 45 minutes of the game. After that, all of that vanishes and it's an incredibly boring shooter with no personality or character other than the stupid fucking gravity gun.

Mr. Moto- really? Man, I thought the game was just lousy. The problem is mainly that they had a good idea that could have really set the game apart and then they didn't bother to follow through with it, instead just doing a really, really bad CoD imitation.

Yeah, I thought it was SON OF DRACULA...I'm not actually a huge fan of the Universal Dracula pictures aside from the Browning one. The Carradine ones just got a little too goofy, and I've never really liked the "monster rally" format anyway. Glad I got that little bit of gothic horror trivia right though!

Space Ghost- have I directed you to MIRROR'S EDGE yet? One of the best games of this console generation, period. But yeah, not everyone is going to like it...METRO 2033 also, you should check that out.

I am actually loving Metro 2033.....haven't had as much time as I would like with it yet, but it is looking promising.

Yeah Space Ghost, there's something special about Mirror's Edge. The way it feels, looks, sounds...everything. The less is more design was very effective in immersing me in the game world and the gameplay is unique.

I agree with your Castlevania HD review Barnes. I have a crew of friends that play this so that cuts out any matchmaking frustration, but it just feels sloppy all around. The time limit doesn't really put any pressure on you and the bosses are boring like you said. There's just no tension. It's all about the looting and grinding, but there's no experience system. I mean, you buff your stats through your gear and learn new abilities, but if the game is going to lack a compelling story or even a believable premise, than the gaming elements should be robust.

MB,

Yep. There are a few missions where Sniper really hit all the right buttons. The company that created it is a small one and if you check out a few of their earlier games, they are making huge strides every year. CoD has what, a billion artists, developers, modelers, writers, actors, etc... I don't think it is fair to compare it. I really do want a good sniper based game and this one isn't that far off. The 6 inch 'walls' were probably the most annoying feature to me. The rest I could live with (cept for the multiplayer disaster).

I was really excited when I thought that this was going to be Barnes vs. Jack Chick.

Is this SNIPER from the same company that made SNIPER ELITE? That one was pretty good.

Scheig,

Nope, They made Sniper: Art of Victory.

Argh... I meant to type Schweig!... doh!

Well, if you like the idea of a pure (stealth) sniper game you should check out Sniper Elite. It's really very good IMHO.

I was really excited when I thought that this was going to be Barnes vs. Jack Chick.

HAW HAW!

As far as the "fun factor discussion" goes: if I can have fun playing a certain game most of the time no matter who I'm playing with, that is a mark of a great game.

I only play sports sims on the computer. I dig Baseball Mogul because of how much you can shape your team, from trading to free agency to how you broadcast your games, ticket and concession prices, etc. Never became interested in any first person shooters. I rarely have played any video games whatsoever past my Nintendo days. I have listened to the Angry Video Game Nerd on occasion, just because he talks about games I'm familiar with, and he describes and rips games in pretty vivid detail.
I listened to the podcast basically to hear what Barnes sounded like. Anything I play solo is different, of course because of the lack of the social element.

There are truly shitty games I've played I had a blast with because of the company, and great games I had a meh time for the very same reason. Many of my favorite games stand out: simple to learn, but challenging enough to keep me distracted from any jackass. Many of my childhood memories are of abstracts, Axis and Allies and D&D.

However, with most AT and RPGs I have played, the "fun" (social) element has to be tied into the equation. Fortunately for me, I play primarily with people who are also interested in the story, character and theme development in these games.

The first time I tried playing Arkham, Uba was convinced I didn't like the game. I just didn't like the douche sitting next to me. The one game I actually did get to play all the way though. through had a great flow to it with a climactic battle with Chthulu right at the end. One comment about game components: that creepy assed token in Arkham is the one game component I have ever encountered that caused me to dream about it the next day. Pretty powerful image I guess.

As far as the name spelled backwards thing, it reminded me of a time I was hanging out and drinking heavily with college buddies. We were spelling everything we could see backwards; I saw a bottle of Catalina dressing on the table. "Catalina spelled backward is ANIL ATAC." Despite the spelling, one of my friends almost peed himself laughing. Dunno why I mentioned it, but it's out now.

Shit. I just contradicted myself, and I don't know how to edit the comments.

Any game I will play with anyone indicates it's a favorite game of mine, not necessarily a hall of fame game. And I think that's Barnes' point. Maybe.

If this site is going to become infested with video game crap, I'm leaving. If it must be tolerated, stick it in a well-marked ghetto so it can be avoided.

I'm playing Fallout 3. There's just no better game series, ever, than the Fallout series.

Any game that has a "bloody mess" trait, causing enemies to explode violently upon application of force, is the King Shit Forever.

Welcome to F:AT, Gronak. Don't let the arcade door hit you on the way out.

Half Life 2 suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuucks.

I can't understand not liking HL2, but it sucks? I can't even grip that idea. Then again, people like wrestling here.