The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - A must buy game

Well if you are a hard gamer! then you must be expecting a single or two over-riding requirements, Some think of the lightning fast experiences added with a virtual treat, some expect the twisters cuddling your brain to solve the deep puzzles embedded,even some think of the willingness of outside the box i.e making you addictive so as time sees you and you dont see what sees you...


 These are all the attributes the game developers pushing hard to come out with success, and Yes!! Elder Scolls V:Skyrim meets it. It is one of the most gargantuan undertakings gamers will experience all year.


This shouldn't come as too much of a surprise. The game's developer, Bethesda, has banked a rather lucrative existence on creating open-world RPGs that are filled to bursting with content. As with Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion and Fallout 3 before it, Skyrim is a game that's easy to completely lose yourself in.

The reason for this is two-fold. First, the game's production values work hard to immerse the player in Bethesda's sword and sorcery world. For a game of this size the quality of the graphics and the attention to detail is awe-inspiring.

As the player travels through Skyrim, they'll encounter dense woodlands, snow-capped mountains, majestic cities and crystal clear rivers that run throughout the map. They'll run into an assortment of interesting characters and battle myriad monsters.

They'll have to plough through blizzards, find shelter from thunderstorms and, on a clear night, they can gaze up at the sky and see auroras bleeding through the darkened heavens above them. The visual and sonic features of the game completely obliterate any traces of the outside world.

The second part of this enchantment is wrapped up in the number of ways Bethesda allows the players to interact with the world it has created.

Players can while away hours upon hours creating weapons at a forge, mixing potions at an alchemy table, enchanting weapons, chopping wood, practicing archery, investigating subterranean caverns or simply pointing their character at the horizon and heading over the nearest hill.

They can buy a house, join a guild, marry an NPC or read every book contained in the library at a college for mages. Around every corner and at every new town they wander into, there's a monster to fight, a character to talk to and some new discovery to be made.

The amount of things to do in Skyrim makes the player feel like they're a living, breathing part of its world. In short, you need time by the bucketload to get to grips with Skyrim, because once you enter its world, it becomes your world.

There's a story, which guides the player's progress to an extent. It begins with an escape from the headsman's chopping block and then the player is cut loose in the massive world of Skyrim with the barest essentials in information about themselves and the land they now inhabit.

Skyrim is plagued on two fronts – by a bloody civil war and by the return of a race of dragons that, until recently, were extinct. The player is also aware that they are the last of a race called the Dragonborn, and they are also all that stands between Skyrim and its ultimate destruction.

Still, that's enough to be getting on with, eh? The plot then proceeds to reveal its pleasures by inches, one mission and side-quest at a time.

As the player completes one heroic (and not so heroic) deed after another, they get to grips with the game's deep and intuitive control system. The right and left triggers wield whatever weapon, shield or magic spell the player assigns to them. The inventory soon starts filling up with useful items that the player can assign to the D-pad for a quick weapon change act in the middle of combat.

Every time the player uses a weapon or a spell or skill in Skyrim, their profiency with that item or in that talent goes up. Once their overall XP hits the next level, they're able to assign a talent point to the skill of their choosing.

In this way, the game rewards the participant for playing in exactly the way they want to. If you want cut your way through the land using just a sword and shield, the game will ensure you become more proficient in doing so. If magic or sneaking about in the dark are more your things, you'll get better at both the more you do them.

On top of weapons and spells, the player has an edge over most opponents in the form of their Dragonborn "shouts". These are magical powers that are acquired by reading runes carved into the walls of dungeons and caves the player will encounter, and which are unlocked with the souls of the dragons they've killed.

Shouts vary in power and recharge rate; one enables the player to breathe fire on opponents, another provides them with a quick-sprint, and yet another allows them to bring a dragon crashing down from the sky.

There's a price for all this power. Players will have to look past occasional bugs in the gameplay, for one.

These range from characters attaching themselves to pieces of the environment, the odd animation glitch and the rare instance where a previous save needs to be loaded after the game crashes completely.

There are also a couple of niggles that were present in Fallout 3, too, such as the unnerving stare plastered over the faces of NPCs or the way in which accidentally picking up an item that doesn't belong to you can cause a friendly character to turn hostile.

But the largest cost that Skyrim wishes to exact from players is that which is measured in human hours: time. And given the volume of content Bethesda's game holds, preparations ahead of playing may be necessary.

So, with that in mind, may your boss believe you when you phone in claiming you have the plague, may your significant other be tolerant and understanding, and may your friends know you well enough not to make enquiries with the police if they don't hear from you in over a month.

Skyrim awaits, adventurers. All it asks in return is your life …

… well, a large chunk of it anyway.

Overall rating: 9.5 out of 10 (A must play)

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GTA-V Updates

GTA-V news:
              Grand Theft Auto - 5 is the latest installment in the Grand Theft Auto series. The first GTA-V trailer was recently released, revealing that the game is set in Los Santos. The game is set to feature 'revolutionary speech graphics' which was lagged in Rockstar previous release and one of the best detective thriller L.A.Noire, and also we heard that GTA-V map will be very big making it worth setting time to explore its contents.Rockstar confirmed that the game will include multiplayer. Rockstar games have claimed that GTA-V will be their "biggest and most ambitious game yet". There is also a possibility of mini games inclusion which may be played online to compete with fellow man over the internet.
GTA-V story:
         Grand Theft Auto V heads to the city of Los Santos and surrounding hills, countryside and beaches in the largest and most ambitious game Rockstar has yet created. A bold new direction in open-world freedom, storytelling, mission-based gameplay and online multiplayer, Grand Theft Auto V focuses on the pursuit of the almighty dollar in a re-imagined, present day Southern California.
          
While owning the property wasn't really used in GTA-IV , it has been greatly expanded upon in past games like San Andreas and Vice City stories. Taking us back to the state of San Andreas brings Rockstar another opportunity to allow the buying of businesses and safehouses to generate income.
          
Platforms:
           GTA-V is set to be released in all 3 major platforms XBOX360,PS3,PC.
Release date:
           GTA-V may be launched at the end of october-2012
Trailer:

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MAX PAYNE 3 review

MAX PAYNE 3 Review:

Right from the start of the opening sequence, you’re able to identify an older Max as he deals with all the trials and tribulations of the modern world. Rockstar deserves accolades for putting a unique spin on the series without sacrificing the core elements of gameplay that made the first game a classic.

At the heart of this dark and gritty storyline lies a deeper character study into Max’s ever evolving state of mind. Still visibility broken from the death of his wife and infant daughter, he continues to remain an outsider and seeks refuge through severe bouts of violence and alcoholism.

After taking on a high profile security job and getting caught up in a dangerous scandal, Max sets out to uncover the truth and recapture the broken parts of his life. This effective use of redemption sets apart all the previous entries in the series because it gives a much more humanistic quality to our hero.

From a presentation standpoint, this game easily surpasses some of the best action movie blockbusters Hollywood has to offer. The only real drawback is that you can’t simply skip over any cutscenes while playing.

The idea of using cinematic sequences to bleed into gameplay is absolutely nothing short of brilliant, and both the screen and typography effects compliment Max’s shifty personality as well. The game’s soundtrack is very reminiscent of Michael Mann’sHEAT and carries just the right amount of precision to fit perfectly within the universe.

The campaign clocks in at about 10-12 hours depending on the difficulty setting that you’re comfortable using. There are several unlockables to gain while playing through the story including collectible golden gun types, and level specific grind objectives and clues.

If you don’t feel like replaying the game in its entirety, then you have the option of only playing individual chapters. I would recommend trying out the arcade feature titled New York Minute. This mode gives you 60 seconds to complete a chapter and compete against others for the fastest time finished. The simple and intuitive leaderboard stats are more then enough to persuade competitive gamers to get the most out of this mode.

When it comes to multiplayer, Max Payne 3 offers a stacked set of options that are guaranteed to keep you busy for several hours on end. Gang wars and Payne killer accompany standard modes like single and 16 player team deathmatches. The story structure behind gang wars works by assigning five acts to a matchup and providing commentary to recap the events before and after each act.

Alternatively, Payne killer allows you to play as either Max Payne or Raul Passos after you’ve killed either of the two. The best way to describe it would be to call it a modified version of tag. Overall, the creation of both these modes are impressive feats and set the standard for a highly addictive multiplayer experience.

Max Payne 3 is a top-notch third-person shooter that faithfully revives the Max Payne universe and paves the way for future installments. By focusing on key dynamics like smart storytelling and rich gameplay, Rockstar games has crafted a memorable title and a certifiable game of the year contender. If you’re a fan of action flicks and shooters then do yourself a favor and pick this up ASAP.

Overall rating: 9 out of 10

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SNIPER ELITE V2 Review

SNIPER ELITE V2 Review:

Curious that back in 2007, you couldn’t move for American-led World War II games that involved the killing of thousands of Nazis without a care in the world? These days they’re few and far between, neglected like the proverbial middle-child, in favour of more contemporary, Russian-slaughtering brethren. Had the game been released a couple of years ago, in identical form, it would’ve been flippantly dismissed as ‘just another WWII game’, but in the current climate Sniper Elite V2 seems like a breath of fresh air.

Created by the somewhat erratic scamps at Rebellion and birthed by 505 games, Sniper Elite V2 isn’t exactly a conventional World War II game. By the time you step foot into the wonderful world of war-torn Berlin, it’s is pretty much over, no thanks to you. All that remains are a few stubborn pockets of Wehrmacht resistance and our good friend Herr Hitler nowhere to be seen -unless you pre-ordered the game, that is-. You’re tasked with mopping up, as well as capping a few token high-ranking Nazi’s, as well as single-handedly starting the Cold War. It seems it’s almost impossible for a shooter of any calibre to exist in the 21st century without the bitter undertones of Cold War fanaticism rearing its ugly pinko head. In a much welcome change from stereotype, German’s aren’t merely heard belting out ‘SCHELL!’ at to top of their lungs, instead they’re largely replaced by a gaggle of soft-talking, well-spoken real people, even if they seem frequently unaware that their friends have just been loudly murdered just around the corner. Resigned to the fact that for the most part video game hair looks terrible, Rebellion opted for an approach that makes every single character look like a Buzz Lightyear with a wasting disease.

Sniper Elite V2 is a perfect example of a game not bogged down by the inclusion of a plot beyond the necessary. Yes, you go from point A to point B, taking out targets and causing a little mischief, but it’s never any more than that. Any attempt to shoe-horn a sub-plot about getting home to your family and sipping ice tea on a porch would’ve felt nothing short of contrived. You’re tasked with stopping V2 rockets from causing a world of chemical hurt, it’s that simple.

Each level has the same basic format: get to a certain Berlin-based vantage point either through covert stealth or blazen swing-dickery, although I’d highly advise against an ‘American’ approach. Be warned, Sniper Elite V2 is one of the few instances where you die considerably quicker than the enemy, regardless of difficulty. Levels range from linear claustrophobia to the open ruins of Friedrichschain. Berlin is well realised and as the game progresses, so does the degree of scale of the destruction, a later level has you clambering through mere husks of the once proud buildings, reduced to little more than hardcore.

To help you on your way, you’re equipped with a pistol with all the stopping power of a fly hitting a windscreen, to silently dispatch any nearby enemies. Somewhat less subtle is the platter of war-time gadgetry at your disposal, ranging from binoculars and trip wires, to the humble rock. The rock, of which you carry an inexplicably infinite amount, is exclusively used for luring adversaries to untimely ends, an incredibly useful tool of the sniper. Key to your survival and success are the binoculars, with the ability to ‘tag’ any number of enemies, thus providing a constant reminder as to exactly where they are. A neat little feature is that upon hovering over an enemy for a second, you’re provided with a wealth of additional information about the poor sod about to have his face rearranged through bulletoplasty.

For a game which professes to be so laden with stealth, Rebellion don’t half make the going tough. One of the opening missions involves entering a military base, once I’d stealthily dispatched of all guards, I suddenly passed through an invisible wall, only for the full force of the Third Reich to come whizzing past my face, immediately turning me from super sniper to human sieve. The cover system too, whilst functional, can occasionally prove to be quite finicky,  lacking the finesse one comes to expect from modern games. The ability to swap from cover to cover would’ve done the game a world of good, as well as lending weight to the notion of stealth.

Thus far, you wouldn’t be mistaken for thinking Sniper Elite V2 was little more than your standard sniping fayre, but you couldn’t be more wrong. If there’s one thing more satisfying than accurately judging the bullet drop over 200 metres, to then hear the faint ding of success on your target’s helmet, it’s when all the gory detail is conveyed for you in simply glorious slow motion. It’s not entirely dissimilar to VATS from the Fallout universe, but far less reliant on Algebron, the God of Maths. Instead, your shooting is largely determined by your hear-trate which in turn affects your breathing, when below a certain point, a bullet-time variant is triggered, providing a handy red square of precisely where to end your foe’s life.

Words simply cannot describe how satisfying some kills are in this game, occasionally an X-ray cross section of the offended area will pop up, gratuitously breaking bones, muscles and vital organs in the process. Hearts can be broken, eyes can be popped -indeed, there’s an achievement for it-  but most disturbingly of all, so can testicles. Whilst such a degree of gore is both hugely gruesome and utterly extraneous, it satiates bloodlust like nothing else.

Whilst kills can be downright beautiful, in the same way there’s a certain majesty to watching a car plough through Nick Clegg’s front room, what really makes them sing is the game’s use of sound. Much care and great attention has been taken not only to the sounds of a bullet travelling at ungodly speeds, but each perfectly orchestrated sound of piercing helmets, flesh and bone is simply a crescendo of satisfaction.

Sniper Elite V2 is a welcome addition to the genre, providing some marvellously gratifying gameplay but indeed some levels seem a little limited in scope, as well as occasionally letting itself down on the stealth front. Whilst not a title I’ll be playing from now until the end of the world, I can easily see myself returning for some more ball-bustin’ action in 6 months time.

This game was reviewed on the Xbox 360.

Overall rating: 7.5 out of 10

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Diablo-3 Review

Diablo -3 Review: One hell of a gud time
                                
                           Diablo 3 is sort of like the Duke Nukem of RPGs – the last entry in the series came at the beginning of the last decade, and it’s been coming for about 13 years now. So, what’s the biggest difference between the two, besides their genres? Well, this one is still developed by the original company, Blizzard, and is not a bad game at all. Diablo 3 is an epic continuation of the battle between Heaven, Hell, and the mortal realm of Sanctuary. In many ways it has lived up to the hype, and in many others it is quite a bit different than Diablo 2. All issues with the game aside, if you like fast-paced, hack n’ slash, action-RPGs then you will find a lot to love here.

    

                                         "If you like fast-paced, hack n’ slash, action-RPGs then you will find a lot to love in Diablo III" 

Before the game starts you can customize your banner (of which you will unlock different designs as you play) and choose a character. I say “choose a character” and not “design a character” because there are next to no customization elements present. You choose the class and gender that is all. This is still a step up from Diablo 2, where you only chose the class.

Once you are in, the story picks up twenty years after the Prime Evils were defeated and banished from the world of Sanctuary. The opening cinematic shows Deckard Cain and his niece, Leah, in the Chapel of Tristram as something falls from the sky. After crashing down and making a huge crater, Deckard Cain is nowhere to be found. The game begins with your hero traveling to find out what’s happening, and then the story begins to unfold from there.

Overall the story is intensely enjoyable with a great hook and concept to keep you intrigued from start to finish. If you are a longtime fan of the series like me, then you can easily enjoy the references to past events. If you are new to the serious, I highly recommend reading up on the events of the past game and the general lore of the franchise itself. You will not be disappointed; the war between Heaven and Hell is anything but boring.

                                "The story is thoroughly enjoyable with well packaged contents from start to finish."

That being said, it starts out great, and the final Act is a thrilling conclusion to the game with a really great final boss, but the entire game doesn’t keep that same pace. The middle third or so of the game really goes into a lull and seems to drag on for far too long. The game can be completed on Normal difficulty in about 20 hours, give or take depending on how thorough or quick you are, and if you play with others. But the chunk in the middle could have been paced a little bit better. The story is a grand tale of the most epic proportions, but it is ultimately just an excuse for you to go slay a few hundred more demons.

Ultimately the game really does maintain great pacing throughout, never truly getting impossibly difficult as long as your skills have been improving along with your character’s. This is also a testament to the super-tight gameplay Blizzard crafted for Diablo 3. However, if you’re not a fan of the genre, or at least interested in this style of game, combat will get very repetitive very fast. This is very much the same combat you should be used to by now (click until your mouse breaks) but they have expanded it, in some ways, from Diablo 2, but also truncated some of the deeper features. While this is a review of just Diablo 3, it is necessary to compare it to the previous game because a) it has been over a decade, so seeing how it compares is crucial and b) it is important to know for many of the longtime fans.

                           

For example, in Diablo 2 you mapped skills to the left and right mouse buttons. In Diablo 3, you also get numbers 1-4, so this is a great addition. However, they removed two features that would have been nice for players obsessed with balancing their stats. First, when you level up the game automatically assigns you attribute points based on your class. This means you no longer get to customize how many points you put into which attributes. This is not a major folly, because it does keep the game balanced and prevents your from breaking your character halfway through the game. Thankfully this fault is mitigated by the use of gems, but more on that later.

Secondly, when you level up, you no longer get to actually choose which skills you want to take, or even which skills you want to improve. Let me explain this further. In a lot of RPGs, Diablo 2 included, when you leveled up you picked from a few different “trees” of skills which ones you wanted to learn. In Diablo 3, which skills you learn, is entirely out of your hands and automatically chosen by the game itself.

Furthermore, when you level up, you don’t get to improve any of your current skills either. Let’s say you had already learned all of the skills you were interested in, in Diablo 2 and other games, you can then spend your skill points on improving existing skills. Instead, in Diablo 3, the game pre-determines which skills are improved and when. There is also a “rune” system where you unlock optional enhancements for every skill, so you can choose to make them behave in different ways. All of this goes to improving the balance of the game and making it more accessible, but at the cost of customization. It seems like they could have given players the option of automatic or elective mode, which they did do thankfully for one feature.

I didn’t even discover this until I was halfway through the game, but you do get a bit of skill customization. The hotbar is laid out with the numbers 1-4 on the left, and then left mouse and right mouse buttons near the middle. In the skill menu, as shown above, you get 6 categories. For this example, I am showing my Wizard character. She has Primary, Secondary, Conjuration, Force, Mastery, and Defensive skills that are all mapped to a specific button. In the default non-elective mode, you are limited to one skill from each of those categories. However, if you enable elective mode, you can assign each of the six slots using any combination of all of your skills. This drastically changes the way the game is played! So, make sure you activate this option if you want more control over your loadout.

I understand that they are eventually going to implement the ability to spend and earn real money in the auction house (which is not available at launch,) but I feel like, as a gamer, I should be able to play the game offline for single player mode. This brings up another crucial issue: what happens if the servers go down? As we saw on launch night, thousands of players tried to log on at the exact same moment and caused the game to crash. This means that even those individuals that wanted to play in single player mode could not play. There is no excuse for this, the game has been in development for over a decade, they have had beta tests, and they knew how many people preordered the game.Continuing down the road of negativity, are many non-gameplay related elements. First off, you are always required to be connected to the internet in order to play this game, whether it be single or multiplayer. They did this to protect themselves and the game, as a form of DRM. However, this tremendously limits the experience. A game like Diablo can be played for long stretches of time, but it can also be played in short 20 minutes bursts if you want to. Let’s say you’re on vacation with your laptop and have no internet – you cannot play. Let’s say you don’t have a good connection – plan on experiencing lots of lag (even in single player) or not being able to connect at all.

Another absent feature is the PvP. Obviously they announced months ago that it would not be available at launch, but this is not an excuse. You should ask yourself: Am I even getting a complete product? They are charging the same price as if it was a fully featured and fully functional game, but leaving out the two most highly touted features, forcing you to be connected to the internet to play, and experiencing frequent server issues within the first week of release. Even though those two features are being added “soon” and free of charge, none of this is excusable.

Blizzard did implement a few great new features as well, including the auction house. When you purchase an item from the auction house, you may send it directly to your stash, which is also where your gold will go if you sell something or are outbid and have your gold refunded. This is a really nice addition, and is recommended for all players looking for certain gems and other specific items. This same auction house will later be updated to include the option of spending real money (which Blizzard does take a portion of the revenue from all sales.) There is also a new crafting system in the game as well. Each magical item you find (colored blue or better) can be broken down into raw materials. Once you accumulate enough materials, you can start crafting.

In order to craft items you have to train your crafting ability (accomplished by spending gold at the Blacksmith) and spend resources + gold. You can eventually craft extremely powerful gear that may be better than what you are wearing, or at least worth posting in the auction house. Furthermore, the game now features gem crafting. By combining lesser gems, you can eventually create flawless and perfect tier gems. For the most part, the gem system is very similar to Diablo 2; you can find items with “empty sockets” and fill them with gems that imbue different effects.

The gem system, however, does leave a bit to be desired. It doesn’t seem to make your weapons and/or armor glow anymore, and there are also not very many effects. Each type of gem only has three different effects: one for if it is put in a helmet, one for a weapon, and one for everything else. It would have been nice if they added different effects for chest, leg, shoulder, accessory, etc to really add more depth to the game. Thankfully, though, gems are a godsend for those that miss attribute customization.

Since you can no longer assign which attribute points you spend where when leveling up, you can just socket gems that grant whichever attribute you are after. This is great, but it would have been nice to at least have the option of both.

Graphically you can’t ask for a whole lot more in this genre. The charcters models look pretty nice when you zoom in on them, and the environments are incredible. I even saw a rainbow across a river and waterfall at one point, it definitely looks nice. This is especially amazing because for the most part the game maintained a high FPS and looked great all the way through. The particle and spell effects are especially beautiful to look at. Another point should be made to mention the CG cutscenes. While these aren’t as popular these days, there are a few in this game. They are hands down the most beautiful and well-done I have ever seen in a game; absolutely stunning.

                                        
"The CG cutscenes are hands down the most beautiful and well-done I have ever seen in a game; absolutely stunning".

The sound design, as always in Blizzard products, is top-notch. Each musical track is expertly crafted, and really portrays the mood of each area in the game. All of the nasty creatures shriek and moan in unique ways, and if you play with the lights off and headphones in, there are some pretty creepy moments and sounds. There really isn’t much room for improvement in this department.

As expected, the multiplayer works great. After you login, you have a few different options for what type of game you want to play, or if you want to jump to a specific mission or section of the game (assuming you have reached it.) If you are playing single player, you may choose to allow any of your friends to easily join into your game at any point, and vice versa for you joining their games. Additionally, you can open it up to the public (similar to Borderlands or Saints Row) so that anyone can find and join your game. Playing with others infinitely improves the experience, adding in more monsters, more loot, and more fun. Thankfully they employed a loot system that generates different loot for each player so you don’t have to worry about rolling for loot or anything like that. While playing, there is also a constant chat box in the lower left corner, so you can join a general chat channel, a class specific chat channel, speak with your party, or even a trade channel for negotiating items.

In the end, Diablo 3 is undeniably a good game. It is extremely polished, expertly balanced, and disgustingly fun. While Blizzard did take out some of the deeper elements to character leveling, temporarily excluded promised features, and restricted the way you play the game; Diablo 3 is one hell of a good timeIf you have no friends, or would rather just play alone, you can hire followers once again. In a lot of ways they are improved from Diablo 2, in that they all have actual personalities. Personally, I chose to have the Templar with me the entire game once I found him because as a Wizard, he was a good compliment. Throughout the game they chime in during story moments, while fighting enemies, and are actually helpful. Each of them have their own distinct personalities, and I really enjoyed having him tag along for the adventure. You can even assign a few different items to them, as well as choose a few skills that they take after they level up. If you are playing with other humans in your party, however, then you cannot have any followers.

Overall rating: 8 out of 10

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