Cha Ching!

Game: Modern Warfare 3 (MW3)

System: Xbox 360, PS3, PC, Wii

Release: November 2011

Here we go again. Another installment of the popular Call of Duty franchise. The last game made by the original creators of Modern Warfare; due to legal disputes with Activision. The tittle forge by three studios--Treyarch (Wii), Infinity Ward, and Sledge Hammer--with support of the new Call of Duty Elite by Beachhead Studios. Can the latest tittle keep the money train running?

Of course it can. This isn't their first rodeo. MW3 offers the tired and true formula with a few minor tweaks to multiplayer and the long drawn out conclusion to the adventures of Captain Price and pals. Spec Ops also makes a triumph return with new missions and a survivor mode. The gameplay is still smooth. The action just as intense and exciting. The story just as ridiculous as ever. It's everything I could have hoped for.

Multiplayer is given the largest overhaul. Players can now create classes with customized kill streaks. There are three categories Assault, Support, and Specialization. Assault is a heavily offensive strike package that is very similar to previous CoD titles. Support keeps your kill streak going after death, and offers more defensive options like SAM turrets and ballistic vests. Finally Specialist classes can unlock additional perks in lieu of strike packages, and after a certain amount of kills, all perks are granted. This can really tare through enemies, and all three categories are a great addition to the multiplayer formula.

Maps and weapons are your standard lot for any Call of Duty. Each map has three major paths. Some favor close range fighting others are more open for snipers. The same old weapon categories exist with a few pristine selections in each. My particular favorites are the PP90M1, Type 95, Striker, and FMG-9 akimbo. This time around weapons have a separate experience bar. Each new level opens additional attachments, color schemes, and weapon perks. The perks offer a variety of new bonuses to the gun that range from increased bullet damage to reduced recoil. Nothing new to the franchise, but presented in a different fashion.


The same could be said about the single player. The campaign is intense, and the conclusion is satisfying.  Visiting major cities like New York, Paris, and London is awesome. MW3 doesn't shy away from destroying national landmarks either. There are more AC-130, sniper, and rail gun segments. The Americas are still fighting the large battles while the British find the evil ring leaders. Russia continues to supply a seemingly endless supply of soldiers to shoot. (Seriously who has the man power to invade the United States and all of Europe.) The developers also do a decent job connecting the events of the first two games to the third.

Finally there is Spec Ops. Players can team up to take on a series of missions like MW2, or they can try their luck at the Survival mode. The missions loosely tie into the main plot which is a nice touch. The survival maps offer a good variety of difficulty, and can be quite enjoyable in both split and full screen versions. Overall a nice update to a previously successful game type.

Odds are you have made up your mind to purchase or avoid the latest Modern Warfare 3. Die hard fans have made this franchise the most successful FPS in console history. The multiplayer formula sees minor adjustments that have big results in game. The story comes to an end--for now--and the Spec Ops mode keeps on truck'n. Add to this CoD: Elite, a separate paid subscription service that offers a variety of downloadable content, and you have a game beaming with replay value. Snerts Snazzy Score is Full Price!

Battlefield...Fuck Ya!

Game: Battlefield 3

System: PC, PS3, Xbox 360

Release: October 2011

Battlefield 3 is an excellent single player experience. I'd write about the multiplayer and co-op, but EA denies free access to this content if you do not purchase a new copy. I sincerely hope this policy backfires on EA. Odds are if you rent or buy used, you don't have a ton of cash to be spending on games. How likely is the consumer to purchase on-line access to one game? Especially when Modern Warfare 3 is about to be released. 

Gamefly, however, appears to be working on the issue and is offering free on-line passes. According to an email I received the code should be arriving within the week. 

Any who, as I was saying, BF3 is a great single player experience. The games plot feels like a blend of Black Ops and Modern Warfare, but the gameplay is a more realistic approach not found in Call of Duty. The franchise continues to provide insane combat scenarios featuring a variety of vehicles. There is a fighter jet and tank segment that are like nothing I've ever seen in a first-person shooter. The graphics are top notch, and the gameplay is much smoother then the Bad Company games. EA and DICE vividly illustrate that Call of Duty is not the only military shooter worth playing. 

The main protagonist is a Sgt. Blackburn, but players will take on the roles of other characters throughout the campaign. B.burn is introduced to us under arrest which sets up the basic flashback plot device--see Black Ops. As he's interrogated the pieces slowly come together. Nukes end up missing, commands are questioned, unlikely allies are made, and it all ends on a train to Time Square. 

Warning Spoilers Ahead....

BF3 has many impressive cinematic moments that build upon the classic Modern Warfare death scene. A solider from the tank campaign is captured and executed. Players witness the atrocity from the perspective of the captive. The bright light blinds you from behind the camera as your head is forced back before the knife slits your throat. Later B.burn comes across the room where the US soldier was executed. The whole sequence of events is very entertaining, and more detailed then what I've seen in the Call of Duty franchise. 

The other two segments worth mentioning are the levels set in France and New York. Playing as a Russian you storm through the streets of Paris in an attempt to find a bomb. The level weaves you around populated streets, and the action is very intense. The developers did an excellent job capturing the thrill of the chase. Sure having a nuke go off is cliche at this point, but it was well done and made since within the game. 

The same can be said in regards to the New York level. You are chasing the villains starting on foot, then on a train, and finally in a car. Fantastic! This time around the cliche is saving the day--looks like Paris is the only city to be nuked. Add to these cinematic moments the vehicles segments, and you have the top of line military shooter. (Of course that all can change next week with the release of Modern Warfare 3.)

BF3 has everything you could possibly want from a first person shooter. There are awesome vehicles, intense battles, a great single player, and a host of multiplayer modes. Snerts Snazzy Score is Full Price! for fans of the series, and On Sale! for shooter aficionados.

A Decade of Bungie

Game: Halo: Reach

System: Xbox 360

Release: September 2009

EPIC!

Halo: Reach is the last game in the franchise developed by Bungie. In 2001, one of the best independent studios released Halo: Combat Evolved. Since then there has been Halo 2, Halo 3, and Halo: ODST. Each successor added new features and a new story, but they all felt very similar. Halo Reach, however, is an entirely new experience unlike any FPS on the market. Bungie utilized the best from games like Unreal Tournament, Tribes, Call of Duty, and of course older Halo's. The end product is a well polished game with hours upon hours of fun content.

Halo Reach is divided up into three game modes: Campaign, Firefight, and Multiplayer. All three can be played on or off line. They also come with a ton of options to customize your experience as you see fit.

Snerts in action!

The Campaign tells the story of Noble Team a group of Spartans on Reach. Any fan of the Halo universe knows Reach is a doomed planet. The Covenant destroys Reach and leaves few survivors as they make their way towards Earth. Knowing that the ending wouldn't be happy gave the game an Empire's Strikes Back feeling. The colors are more subtle with less bloom effects. The characters display a sense of desperation as the invading aliens decimate their planet. By the end just about everyone you have met dies. Bungie also does a great job of tying Noble's story to the events in Halo 1-3. Finally they break up the FPS action with a few turret rail gun segments, and a outer space dog fight mission that is reminiscent of the N64 game Rogue Squadron.


Like previous Campaigns, there are dozens of options to keep things fresh. Skulls from Halo 3 make a return, and so does Scoring Mode. These features, however, are nothing compared to what Firefight has to offer. (Firefight is a cooperative game mode where a team fights wave after wave of enemy AI.) You can customize just about everything for this cooperative game type. You can tweak: damage output, shields, health, weapons, infinite ammo, what enemies appear each wave, how the enemies appear, AI damage and shields, etc. etc. etc. I literally spent an hour just thumbing through all the options. I also enjoyed the different Firefight modes like Gruntpocalypse--all Grunts all the time. Firefight as sure come a long way since ODST.

Multiplayer is also full of new features. Most notably Invasion. This game mode pits Elites vs. Spartans. The objective is defense for the later, and offense for the former. There are three sections per round, and completing a section unlocks more load outs, weapons, and vehicles. The game ends when time runs out, or the Elites have completed all three objectives. This game mode is unlike anything I've seen before. It has all the chaos of a Big Team Battle with a hint of Assault and King of the Hill.

As I mentioned in my review of Halo Reach Beta, there are other new game modes like Headhunter and Stockpile. So far the additions have been very enjoyable, and supplement the traditional game modes nicely. The armor abilities, however, are what really distinguish Reach from other Halo's. Being able to sprint, use a jet back, become invisible or invincible, etc. adds a new layer to the tasty gameplay cake. Check out my Beta review for more details about armor abilities.

Rocket Hog FTW!

Do you think I'm done writing about new features? Well guess again buddy. Reach also has a leveling system that unlocks new armor for your Spartan. The system is cumulative, and is very similar to the recent Call of Duty tittles. The unlockables are for functionality and aesthetics. Some pieces will allow you to carry more ammo, health, or grenades.  In addition to armor you can unlock character voices for Firefight, and other surprises that I won't ruin in this review.

Halo: Reach is what fans of Halo: Combat Evolved have been waiting for. A truly new experience that feels more complete then the rehashes of Halo 2, 3, and ODST. Bungie has stepped their game up, and illustrated why they are one of the best FPS developers in the business. Reach has more game modes, features, and options then any other title on the market. Snerts Snazzy Score is a 6 out of 5---yes it's that good! So go ahead and buy yourself a copy. Then say goodbye to all non-gamer friends and family.

Xbox Live Turns 60

Sixty dollars American that is.

Today Microsoft announced the Xbox Live Gold membership will be seeing a price increase November 1st.

Why the hike? According to an email I was sent. "Over the past seven years, Xbox LIVE has evolved from an online gaming platform to an all-in-one gaming and entertainment service."

Old Xbox Live UI

Xbox Live has come a long way since the days of Return to Castle Wolfenstein and MechAssault. The service really didn't get much attention until Halo 2. Since then Netflixs, LasFM, Facebook, Twitter, and Xbox Live Arcade have been added to the Gold Member subscription. This is in addition to exclusive previews, demos, and access to on-line multiplayer. I cannot ding Microsoft for increasing the yearly price by ten dollars. That's not ridiculous from a business perspective. (Besides you can get the subscription at a reduce price via Newegg.com and Amazon.com.)

From a consumer point of view I have one concern. Advertising. Recently I became employed because of an ad firm. The ads on Xbox Live employees someone, and in this economy more jobs can't hurt. On the flip side I don't want to be bothered or bombarded with ads if I'm paying for a yearly subscription. I've seen a significant increase in advertisements, and I can easily imagine a Facebook like ad interface on Xbox Live.

Even Earthworm Jim likes Xbox Live.

The easy pipe dream solution. Allow for a free, or at least cheaper, Gold membership that plays commercials each time the system starts. Hell even throw it before the game boots. The ad revenue will supplement the subscription fee, and maybe even exceeded it.

I know one thing is for sure. I will end up paying for a Gold membership because I enjoy multiplayer. It's kinda of like a tax on each game I purchase, but it's worth it.