Ghostbusters

I recently found some time to load up a fresh game in the 360. I went with Ghostbusters. It had been sitting on my coffee table for some time now and was finally getting its due. At the time I decided that I was interested in playing through the story quickly without too much of a challenge so went with the easiest game mode - casual.

As can be read elsewhere, the game puts you in the shoes of a new recruit to the Ghostbusting team. As "Rookie" you get to 'test' all of the new equipment to make sure it doesn't explode on the backs of the rest of our erstwhile heroes.

Game play was fairly intuitive with the triggers each performing a different style of attack (ex. positron vs. capture beam) and the bumpers perform vital tasks as well. One of the places I started to get a little hung-up was when they started adding different abilities to the pack beyond the basics. For example, you get the slime thrower from Ghostbusters 2 with its two variant uses.

You switch between the different pack abilities with the 'D' pad, which, sadly, you cannot edit or change. So you get used to where the buttons are, but it wasn't really where I wanted them to be.

The story and voice-acting were, for the most part, top notch. The team was able to retain almost all of the original cast members (glaring exceptions being Sigourney Weaver and Rick Moranis). It did start to feel a bit formulaic, especially if one is a fan of the movies and cartoon series. There were definite feelings of, 'Haven't we done this before?'

All in all, however, it was a great game. One that I am giving serious consideration to picking up for the Wii as well, if only to pretend my Wii-mote is a Positron Glider.

A great game, easy to play in parts or in one sitting, though with a speed run taking about six hours I don't recommend that.

Thats all for now,
-Doc McBruce

Summer Gaming

Work and... other things, have had me pretty busy lately. As such I have had to be more selective on what I play and what sits idle. A change from the way things normally are.

Guild Wars has gone on pause and I haven't been able to really sit down with Ghostbusters yet. I don't see either changing status soon.

I have managed to continue to sink some hours into beta testing two MMO's and catching up on some Fallout 3 DLC. I also logged a couple more missions into Dawn of War 2.

In the former I have decided that these will be both the last Beta tests and probably the last MMO's that I play for a while. I used to have a core group that I played with, but we have all gone different ways. As any player knows, rebuilding or finding a new guild takes some of the fun out of the experience, at least until familiarity is achieved.

In the latter I finished up some more quests last night and plan to move on to some of the new DLC with Point Lookout shortly. After that will be Mothership Zeta. Then its back in to wrap up anything I may have missed before starting over as an evil character to pick some of the early quest line stuff I missed and get some of the not so good achievements.

I have a small trip planned for this weekend so won't get much gaming in, or at least I don't expect to, but should be back at it next week.

Thats all for now,
-Doc McBruce

Independence Day

I just wanted to wish all of my American readers a Happy Independence Day. 223 years is not all that long in the grand scheme, but almost every one of those years has had an impact on the rest of the world.

Enjoy the weekend and spend time with your families.

I only ask that you take a moment to remember those Sailors, Marines, Soldiers, and Airmen who have made, and are making, great sacrifices for our freedoms. Spare a thought for those that have gone before us all to provide us a nation that, though going through a rough spot, is still the greatest bastion of personal freedom in the world.

Thats all for now,
-Doc McBruce

Age of Conan

New month, old games. A quick update on where I am.

I managed to make it Act 3 in Diablo 2. Though I have beaten the game before, Acts 3 and 4 are where I usually get stalled. Especially 3, the swamp environment is oppressive, the loot is trash, the game lags badly, and its really not an enjoyable area. I will try to press on through it, but really only see myself logging in for an hour or so just enough to keep Battlenet from deleting another character.

Still working through two MMO betas when they are up. I clipped through a floor in one of them and it doesn't have a /stuck command, so submitted a bug report. Response back was, "We know about this one." Thanks for saying something in the forums there Devs.

So far I have had a pretty smooth experience with the other. It has a small RMT feature that I haven't explored, but plan on doing shortly. Haven't managed to group in either game yet, but should be in position to do so soon.

I have a little extra disposable income this month so I re-subbed my Age of Conan account. Don't know how much time I'll get in, but I want to see the changes. My old guild is gone, so if I am going to do this right I will need to shop around for a new one. I play on Cimmeria, the PvP-RP server and at $20 a character to transfer I can't see leaving.

I haven't been on Guild Wars in about two weeks. Between work and everything else going on there just hasn't been time. I do need to try and log back into it, even if just to farm trash mobs and get some collectibles.

So to summarize, Two MMO's (one with a monthly fee, one without), Two beta MMO's, and Diablo 2. Lots of things to do online, just no time to spend to do it. That doesn't count the console games that I don't have time to play either.

Thats all for now,
-Doc McBruce

DDO Unlimited Update

New Class: Favored Soul.

Favored souls draw on divine magic to both heal and destroy. Like clerics, favored souls have access to powerful healing spells, but they are also more skilled with weapons than any other spell caster. Like sorcerers, they get a larger number of spell points than other spell casters and cannot freely switch spells at taverns or rest shrines.

I was, and have been, hoping it was the Druid. Sadly not.

Dear Turbine,
This is not how you win me back.

Thats all for now,
-Doc McBruce

Summer Gaming

After playing next to nothing over the first half of the year I am now swamped in things to play. I am testing two MMO Beta's that I am not supposed to mention by name, still playing Guild Wars a few times a week, and intend to purchase and start playing Ghostbusters and Overlord 2.

I did pick up a new 360 console last night and grabbed up the HDMI cable. I also tried to find Overlord last night but it was not to be found.

I went home in defeat and hooked up the new console. To lighten my mood I played through the Overlord 2 Demo again, clubbing cute animals is always fun. I also ran through the demo of X-Blades, a fun cell-shaded beat-em up a la Devil May Cry. If I can find it used I will have to pick it up at some point as well.

Thats all for now,
-Doc McBruce

X-Box 360 Shopping MK II

Tomorrow Overlord II drops. I see my day going as follows.

Roll out of bed. Put in contacts. Go play football. Work 'till five. Go to Best Buy and purchase a new Xbox 360 Pro edition, the HDMI cable, and Overlord 2.

Any game that starts off letting me club baby seals to steal their life-force is made of win.

Thats all for now,
-Doc McBruce