After finishing RE 5, I thought I'd try my hand at RE 4 since I've never played it. Reason is, I never had a PS2, but now there is one here at my cousins' place.

As soon as you start the game, there is atmosphere and drama. Which were almost completely absent in RE 5. A lot of what's wrong with RE 5 could be down to Shinji Mikami, the guy who directed RE 1 and RE 4, not being behind it. The pacing is excellent, giving you breathers after every battle, while in RE 5 it feels like Gears of War where you're moving from killbox to killbox. RE 5 felt like a chore, while RE 4 is always fun to come back to each time of the day. The only additions in RE 5 compared to RE 4 are added melee moves (back-hand slap!) and that you can stomp on downed enemies. While RE 4 does look like it was in development for >4 years, RE 5 just doesn't even though it was one of the 1st next-gen games to be announced. Everything in RE 5 was rushed, the co-op, the bosses, the pacing, the locations, and the gameplay. It was just a graphical upgrade, to be perfectly cynical. There are about 20 more things that is wrong with RE 5 compared to the RE 4 (read: map; inventory), but let's get back to topic.

Back to RE 4. It was weird using a PS2 controller for shooting. I've never played a shooter on PS2. However, after an hour or so, I got the hang of it. And now I'm perfect at it. So much so, I usually scope out the area with my sniper rifle, pick off a target before it can trigger in enemy spawns or a cutscene. Also, I've collected pretty much everything in the game.

7:49 hours into the game, right now. I'm taking my time with this game. I'm at the part where I used the cable cars, after killing off the 2nd El Gigante and 2 chainsaw ladies. Every encounter has been memorable, and Capcom is super nice to you in this game. They dish out enough ammo and herbs, but not too much like RE 5 so it still has some SURVIVAL horror. More nice things they do are the save points and checkpoints. Each door you pass through is a checkpoint. For some odd reason, even if RE 5 was targeted to the Western demographic (hint: Chris' bulging muscles), it's a very frustrating and cheap game with VERY bad checkpoints. Another nice thing is, they don't overwhelm you with more enemies than you can count on your both hands. Every encounter is fun and challenging, rather than a trudge to get through. I don't know why, but maybe because of what they could do with the next-gen tech, Capcom throws infinite enemies at you in RE 5 which feels they suck at scripting and enemy encounters and should take a look at good shooter encounters (hint: Halo). Last thing Mikami and the team are nice to you is the cheapness of enemies. In RE 5, there are A LOT of enemies with cheap hits. In RE 4, not a single enemy gets super cheap to make the game frustrating. Even the chainsaw guy is not so bad, because with a shotgun he gets pushed back. In RE 5, you can barely tell you're attacking the chainsaw guy, because he takes it in with no clear indicator of he's being actually harmed.

RE 4 is more than meets the eye. It's a shooter, but much like Max Payne 2, it has more elements to it. They're adventure games, where you can explore to your heart's content. There are many off-the-beaten paths much like Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory. In combat, even if the strategy always boils down to "survey-run away-take position-aim&shoot", the level design is just so flexible that you can do so much more with your environment compared to the claustrophobic spaces in RE 5. While Ganados don't have as recognisable a cry as the Africans ("Waka Koolaid!!!"), I love that they cry out for more of their buddies if they spot you. Which is why like I mentioned earlier, I like to scope out the area first and snipe off some of them.

The RPG upgrading system is also well-balanced, and miles better than RE 5 because of the numerical system. I've been a stubborn hater of upgrading systems in games because I think they arbitrarily limit the game's progression, but here it never felt like that (same with Prototype). While RE 5 just dumps you into the upgrading part after every single chapter, in RE 4 you can control it by manually going to the Merchant ("got some GOOD things on sale, STRRAAANGER!"). He's so excited.

Even the cutscenes are actually fun to watch because there is drama behind them, compared to RE 5 where it feels super campy. Even though Lord Sadler has grabbed me by the throat twice for no reason since we're of the same blood and there are some repetitive parts like Indy-style boulder running, the bosses never disappoint. While RE 5 focused on EVERY single boss having tentacles and glowy bits ripped from Dead Space, in RE 4 there is actual strategy you can do and you're free to move around. Although I have to admit, Wesker boss battles were awesome because doing a Mortal Kombat 10-hit combo on him was too much campy fun. Not the last battle though, that sucked because more glowy bit rubbish. I've faced off with "El Gigante" twice in RE 4, and I love how the Ganados or Luis can leave notes for you to predict what bosses you'll encounter next.

Nonetheless, RE 4 and RE 5 are the sole reason I hate quick-time events, in cutscenes. They're not predictable which leads to trial-and-error (Chris and Sheva Indy run), and it really feels like they're just dumping it in so there's more interactivity to an already cool cutscene. Hear me Capcom, the QTEs RUIN your good cutscenes!

Overall, RE 4 is very nice to me. The map is so much more helpful, and tells you everything which might be a bad thing. They know what works and they've put a lot of attention to detail in everything. The sound is so much better than RE 5, if you're just standing around. Pacing, drama, encounters, level design, story progression, upgrading, and bosses are just so damn good. From someone who thought RE 4 was overrated, I can now see why RE 4 is regarded as one of the best games of last-gen along with great stuff like Riddick (which I'm playing on 360) and Chaos Theory. I can now see why so many people can gravitate to RE 4 because it's such an easy game to play (since it's a shooter) but there are many adventure elements to it so people can love it against other games. Shooters this generation have been all about the spectacle and less about their game worlds, so it's nice to play a shooter that wants to take everything into account. Even if they had to put in a schoolgirl outfit on Ashley, at least she has decency.

Oh, you're such a pervert!

Exams are finished. I got admitted into Prague (Czech Republic) for MEDICINE. Very excited, already made like 8 or 9 good study buddies already that passed and going with me there, so no friends issue when going to new school.

Blogging from my cousins' place here in America. We're here for a 2-month holiday! Been playing a couple of games.Trying to force them to get Prototype.

Finished Prototype. 31 hours. Last boss was frustrating but still a lot of fun, must've died 30 times in a row and screamed obscenities ringing throughout the house for my uncle and aunt to hear. See, I wanted to finish it fast before I came here to USA because games are region-locked so my Prototype disc won't run here

But yeah, super fun game. Most empowering game ever made. It's Crackdown 2, so Crackdown 2 already has competition for OTT sandbox platformer. It's also Assassin's Creed 2. I'll explain.

Cousins have Resident Evil 5. We're nearly finished with the game, at 6-2. Playing on Veteran (I've got a thing for starting games on hardest difficulty). Super frustrating/broken/unbalanced/terrible, but still back-handing or giving a haymaker to someone never gets old. Them Japanese and their tentacles, boy did they have a field day with this game!

Finally played Assassin Creed for the 1st time here, my cousins had a copy.

Wow, it's a bad game. I couldn't get past the first 2 hours of tutorials and exposition-heavy storytelling. This is how you introduce the player to the game? I feel bad and hypocritical, because when I never played the game before, I'd defend this game and its repetition as just a spectator. I even have a free Ass Creed shirt I'm wearing right now while I write this.

It's just frustration town when you finally get to play (after weapons are taken away). Can't run because of this "high profile" rubbish. The guards are surprisingly attuned if you even think of running. If you run, apparently, you're marked for killing by these guys. If you run and bump into a guy, you become a bumbling fool. Tackling is stupid, why is that a move for an assassin? When you do get caught, can't do anything because no weapons, so you end up running around for 10 minutes. The social stealth is so bad and unbalanced, I'd rather play a Hitman game. In fact, I'd rather play Prototype.

I'm not going back to play Ass Creed, I doubt the game gets any fun later on.What is with the storytelling? Couldn't afford cutscenes? You do realise when two people are talking in-game, and I'm controlling the camera, I'm not going to bother to listen because doing exposition and talking for way too long rides on my patience. Honestly, the most fun I had with this game was the CAMERA system.

Oh yeah, I don't think you could get any more dull than in the real-world Animus lab area. Talk about minimal interaction. Where is the "game" in this whole game, the repetition means you get no ebb-and-flow for the pacing or any variety.

Prototype is Ass Creed 2. Why?

1. You can do the Ass Creed Shove. Except it's way more aggressive and hella funny. Civilians have hilarious New York-like comebacks and swearing remarks if you do it to them. Do it to a military guy, and he shoves you straight back. If you're in military guise in a military base, and there's like 6 soldiers in a circle, you can make them circle-jerk you. Push one guy, and he shoves you, and if next to another soldier, he shoves you, so on and so forth. Bullying is funny. If you're a commander, you can shove and harass people all the time, without the Disguise Meter going up. They're so polite to you, they must love the pain.

2. Parkour is also done with the Right Trigger, except there's a lot more added to it, like the gliding and airdash. Animations are fantastic, I'm always pressing Left Bumper to slow-mo to see his cool animations jumping over cars. Move over Crackdown, Prototype is the new Parkour King.

3. You know pick-pocketing in Ass Creed? Ok, in Prototype, press Right Bumper and you get the ability to STEALTH Consume. Instead of grabbing someone's pocket just out of reach, you murder the guy in grisly fashion from the back and become them. Stealth consuming is way too much fun and super easy.

4. Guards/Military AI. They're really inconsistent in Ass Creed, it's almost broken or unbalanced. In Prototype, you're never frustrated because you have a circle that tells you if you're being watched or not. If you're watched, you shouldn't throw a guy or consume someone. You can turn on Thermal Vision/Infected Vision to see every military guy just to see the watching AI is actually there like Hitman. If you've been spotted, just run to a good spot where there aren't military guys, like in an alley. The game tells you when you can switch to your Disguise. Then just go back to whatever you're doing. In Ass Creed, you can't see where the military guys are with just a glance, or you need Eagle Vision which is a bit weird, so that's where the frustration comes when you don't know when you're being watched.

And that's about it, for comparisons. There's so much more to Prototype than you're being led to know. Just pick up the game, it's the most fun you'll ever have. GOTY, easy. For a game doing so much, and succeeding even at the things it shouldn't like the social stealth stuff, I gotta give it props. The game is super challenging which I like, but it's always balanced and there's always a way out of every situation with all your powers, stealth, and parkour. PSP = Parkour, Stealth, and Powers.

C'ya.

Tomorrow, I'm going on a 2-week course so I thought I might as well summarise all my thoughts on relevant topics at the moment. On June 30th, we are going on holiday to America, Baltimore! Yay!

Anyway, here's the podcast. A short 43 minutes.

WHAT I DISCUSS --

E3 '09 (in order: Splinter Cell: Conviction; Heavy Rain; Alan Wake; Uncharted 2; Just Cause 2; Modern Warfare 2; Brutal Legend; Batman Arkham Asylum; Crackdown 2; God of War 3; Silent Hill: Shattered Memories; Halo ODST; Ass Creed 2; Mass Effect 2).


WWBP -- Plants vs Zombies; Splinter Cell: Double Agent.


Movies -- Terminator Salvation.

Links:

Videogames and Choice

Just Cause 2 10min demo

Batman Arkham Asylum -- Batmobile defense mission

Brutal Legend footage I was sold on

Silent Hill crazy psychological test

2 things I've been trying to stay away from the net on:

• Terminator Salvation (comes out here on Jun. 3rd)
• Heavy Rain

In this internet age, it's so hard to go fresh into stuff. And Terminator reviews or impressions are everywhere, so it's very hard. Heavy Rain apparently had some gameplay blowout, but I'm staying far away from those pages. I just take a glance, see some Heavy Rain related news, and then close that window! Whether I get the game on Day 1 or not, I'll be getting a PS3 just for that game. Just to prepare myself, I'm trying to find a copy of Omikron: Nomad Soul (Quantic's previous game before Indigo Prophecy, that included David Bowie!).

Onto what I've been playing. I've been addicted to 2 games. If you can't guess, they are:

1.

Plants vs Zombies -- If you don't already have this game, kick yourself in the pants. Buy it from Steam at 7 GBP or $10. Ever played Peggle? It's from the same PopCap guys. I want to say it's a "tower defense" game, but I've never played one of those honestly, and I'm sure that genre term would turn you off as much as me. But not when it looks like the pic above! I'll just describe with adjectives: satisfying, intense, challenging, deep, strategic, addictive, hilarous, rewarding, visually pleasing, GOTY, and catchy. Go download the demo first if you want a tease. Then after those 60 minutes, try to resist the urge to not buy it soon after.

2.

Crackdown -- I know I mentioned how much I love the game on the MoeFo 19 before, so I'll add a little more. I finished the game. It has a twist ending. Surprised that some people want a sequel, considering how it ends on a slightly darker note. Anyway, the game is awesome. I've never thought of grinding in a non-RPG, but this game has it with the agility, driving, grenade, and shooting orbs. How you get them? Simple, just do those things, and you get 'em. My favourite combo is using the Hothead RPG, jumping high and killing a group of gangsters mid-air. This nets you grenade+agility orbs. Driving orbs you can get by running down gangsters!

The game feels very PC-ish, in terms of character control. You can strafe and aim super fast, like in Jedi Knights: Outcast. The framerate is STELLAR with what's going on around. You could be blowing up 5 cars simultaneously, and see individual bodies, tires, car parts, and particle effects fly. Seriously, the game has some of the best explosives since Far Cry 2. Controller shaking and all. The platforming is insane. Once you grind all your abilities to 4 stars, it really makes you feel like a supercop. I really need to get a video of me showing off in the game!

I want to give mad props to the Crackdown level designers, because they situated every building and support within reaching distance of your insane jumps. This isn't Ass Creed where you're sucked into sticking onto anything, so you can tell they put a lot of work into the world building. And the world is very memorable. Once you've been to the 2nd island with Shai Gen gangs, and go back to Los Muertos, you remember all the good times. Oh yeah, that corner was where I blew up 20 cars, and make a traffic road jam, and looked at everyone from up above.

No wonder everyone has fond memories of this game. It's one-of-a-kind. How many platforming sandbox games do you know? How many are there where you can jump 20 feet into the sky? Which is why I've been peeking around at 2 recent games that seem to be inspired from Crackdown and the previous sandbox platformer, Hulk: Ultimate Destruction.

Those 2 games are obviously, inFamous and Prototype.

Infamous has been getting great reviews all around the place, and I'm very impressed with how Sony almost is sticking a seal of quality to any of their PS3 exclusives (LBP, Killzone 2, MGS 4, inFamous). I'm liking the consistency of the electricity philosophy in inFamous' game world, and the platforming is suitably more Ass Creed than Crackdown, but I'm leaning more to Prototype. I admit, Prototype looks like it just doesn't have the polish or cohesiveness of inFamous' design, but after hearing things like Garnett Lee from 1UP saying:

You go from grabbing a guy, running up the building with said guy, throwing the guy at a helicopter, jumping on the helicopter, killing tanks with helicopter, jumping out of helicopter, absorbing RPG soldier, using RPG on further helicopters, elbow slamming on another tank, and doing a killer finishing move with tentacle attack on everyone. All within the span of 2 minutes.

That kind of description is exactly what I experience with Crackdown. All those game mechanics flowing with one another, depending on you the player to do, that's just very rewarding for me. In Prototype you're not playing a hero like in inFamous. No good or bad karma. You're just one ruthless anti-hero who wants to get the job done. I really want to get into this Alex Mercer's head. Why is he so indifferent to the world? Did he get spanked as a child?

To close, there are only 2 negatives about Crackdown. The terrible driving controls, and respawning enemies. But, *bleep* the driving, you can run and jump super fast like the HULK! Who needs a cab or taxi or whatever! Seriously, jumping such huge distances in this game gives you that same rush like in Mirror's Edge.

So, those are my 2 recent addictions. If anyone's wondering, I'm at Level 5-6 in Plants vs Zombies, and if you need any help, leave a comment. It's a challenging game, for sure.

Listen to it(just click the player on the page)

So, I wanted to do an off-the-cuff podcast about the movies I've seen recently (Star Trek, Terminator 2, Dark Knight, and State of Play). And I did it an hour ago, no prep, no script, etc. If you liked it, (just search for MoeFo Podcast on the iTunes store).

0 to 11:10 -- I don't recommend Star Trek


11:10 to 21:45 -- Star Trek vs Dark Knight box office? I don't think so...


21:45 to 24:53 -- Other good action movies since Matrix Reloaded (2003)? Bourne and new Batman films...


24:53 to 27:40 -- Terminator 2


27:40 to END -- State of Play: A conspiracy thriller that's FUNNY?!