Coming Soon – Call of Duty: Burnt Umber Ops
I was so excited about the WiiU launch I totally forgot there was a new Call of Duty game. Then again, is anyone really surprised by a new Call of Duty game? They do come out like clockwork, or so it seems. Now that they’ve also gone through two semi-spin-off series (Modern Warfare and Black Ops) I’m wondering where the series will go now. I do like the idea of color coded sequels though.
See you next week.
A couple a months ago, we covered a little mod called DayZ for the popular military simulator ArmA II. The mod is a little buggy so a handful of rival developers jumped together and created War Z.
Wow, looks intense and awesome, right? Not anymore, according to the player base.
It sounds like the developers of War Z might be taking the “make money and run” tactic soon, as disgruntled moderators who speak up are banned for false reasons and hidden fees start to surface.
One of the more interesting exerts from the post by the former moderator included the following tidbit:
So, since I didn’t sign any sort of NDA for those #$%!faces here are some interesting facts.
WarZ is a direct port over from War Inc. They literally took the game and added NPCs, made a large map, and changed around camera angles and gun settings while adding more functionality and switching over some things. ALL ART however was actually done in-house by their amazing ART team. (Those were the best guys to know, they were in touch more with the community than Kewk)
They randomly ban accounts that have a certain amount of time spent playing in-game, knowing they are hooked on the game so they re-buy the game.
Their anti-hack is actually functional but here’s the kicker..wanna know WHY their bans are TEMPORARY the first time around? 0.8% hacking? Try an EXTREMELY LARGE PORTION of the player base is hacking. If they banned everyone they’d have a mass refund issue on their hands, and no one to play their piss poor of an excuse game.
they plan to HALT DEVELOPMENT AND ABANDON THE GAME in SIX months if revenue is not enough for them (I.E. People are not buying GC and spending the fuck out of it) — take note, if they do not get ENOUGH revenue. They will have enough revenue to pay for the game development for over a year at this point in time already, but if they don’t get enough to give themselves regular raises they will stop making the game and shut down the servers and website.
I always thought it was interesting that more zombie games started showing up recently, but this seems like a pretty brazen attempt to extort a customer base into forking over more money to play what is essentially a rehashed zombie mod. Granted, more people who play DayZ are finding themselves less worried about zombies and more about other in-game content, with many spin-off DayZ mods appearing, essentially turning DayZ back into ArmA II.
Even upon first glance, War Z’s pricing scheme seems kind of odd.
Hey, at least when you pay more for an MMO, you normally get a tangible collectible to go along with it.
Now that we’ve learned that War Z is basically a reskinned version of War Inc, a free-to-play MMO, the pricing structure similar to a F2P MMO makes more sense. Heck, this price chart reminds me of Tribes Ascend. Now that you see what you’re getting for your money, what would you have to fork out today if you wanted to play DayZ?
And that’s not even for DayZ. That’s for two other games, plus you get to play DayZ.
The levels of player reward versus payment of War Z reminds me of the dangerous line that most F2P games are walking, and that’s the finite line between “free to play” and “pay to win.” The benefit of the in-game currency normally gives less-experienced players a chance to purchase over-powered weapons out of the gate rather than earning them through skill and persistence. Games like Team Fortress 2 circumvent this issue by issuing new weapons randomly; you either get it or you don’t, and if you see something you want, feel free to go buy it for a dollar from their micro-transaction store. I’ve inadvertently made purchases (using money or points accumulated through playing) in Team Fortress 2, League of Legends, and the very unfortunate Stronghold Kingdoms, and I can assure you I’m pretty terrible at those games and regret nothing about the experience.
But to throw $15 at a game that might ban me on principle alone, just to get me to buy back in? That’s not “pay to win” anymore. That’s just a con. The best and worst upcoming trend in gaming now are indie developers. Some are awesome. Some extort you for money and lose sight of their original vision of making games for a living. The hard part is that you can’t really know what you’re getting yourself into with a no-name developer. Steam Green Light is getting some good publicity on user-rated content and games, but ripping people off and empty promises will keep games like Modern Warfare 3 and Halo 4 at the top of the charts, even if it’s the same content year after year. Why? Because it’s tried-and-true. People know they’re getting polished content because they’re forking out $60 for a game that all of their friends have, and the reviews were glowing.
Now, I’m not saying those are bad games. I’m saying that there are some games out there that definitely deserve better treatment than they’re given. Conversely, there are some that are over-rated, and those developers probably know it, and are trying to cash in on their idea (original, stolen, or otherwise modified from something else). Say, for instance, taking a F2P MMO and charging an up-front fee with pricing similar to a F2P MMO, then abandoning the game once you have the money.
In unrelated news, Arma III is still in development, and the official DayZ stand-alone client is due out in December.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 2
I’ve always been a fan of Treyarch’s Call of Duty titles, mostly because they consistently gave the Wii versions justice when they could have easily released a lazy port on the system, like so many developers did for Nintendo’s last-generation console. Modern Warfare 2 and 3 both felt incredibly stale to me, which made the first Black Ops title that much more refreshing. The plot was a little convoluted, but it still managed to produce a campaign mode that constantly surprised me, right down to its ending. Two years later, Treyarch has returned with 2012’s Call of Duty title: Black Ops 2, a sequel to the first Black Ops title.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 on Wii U is just as feature rich as the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions, and is loaded with even more features than its counterparts. Useful features, too, like the off-screen play.
When Activision showed off Black Ops 2‘s off-screen play on a Nintendo Direct video feature, I thought it was pretty nifty but didn’t see myself ever using it. After playing through the campaign mode and countless hours of online multiplayer, I have to say: off-screen play is incredible. The game looks amazing already in 1080p on Wii U, and it suffers no framerate dips or any other performance hiccups when playing it on the Wii U’s GamePad instead of the TV.
Simultaneous play on GamePad and TV.
Off-screen play for online multiplayer is even better. Two players are able to play locally, one on the GamePad and the other using either the Wii U Pro Controller, and Wiimote and Nunchuck (the game supports the same pointer controls as the Wii Call of Duty titles), or with a Wiimote and Classic Controller. Black Ops 2 lets players either play with traditional split-screen like the other consoles do, or one player can play just on the GamePad while the other plays on the TV. Again, there aren’t any performance hiccups or issues that would otherwise detract from the full experience.
Online multiplayer is essentially more of the same — small maps that make it hard to camp, but always ensure quick firefights. There are a few pretty significant shakeups, however, with the way streaks and classes are handled. Streaks are no longer determined by how many kills a player gets in a row; they’re now score streaks, and players can call in support (UAVs, drone strikes, etc) when they reach a certain score, which is increased by getting kills, capturing control points, getting assists, and more. It rewards players that don’t rack up tons of kills on game modes like Domination, but get plenty of points from capturing and defending control points. Classes are still customizable after a certain level is reached, but now players can have any number of perks and weapon attachments so long as they don’t go over a limit of ten unlock points. Of the two changes, the former provides far more impact on the game than the latter.
Multiplayer has some fancy new toys.
Zombies return, of course, with the usual experience and one additional game mode: transit. In transit, teams of up to four travel from area to zombie infested area by way of robot-controlled bus. It’s a little silly, but it’s not exactly meant to be a super serious zombie experience like Ubisoft’s ZombiU or Capcom’s Resident Evil.
I’m somewhat conflicted on Black Ops 2‘s campaign. The level design and set pieces are fantastic. Near-future weaponry is tons of fun (there is cammo that turns the player and/or enemies invisible) and there are plenty of high-intensity fire fights mixed with excellent stealth missions.. The story telling, though, is atrocious. The first Black Ops suffered from a convoluted story, but it was told in a halfway decent way at the very least. Black Ops 2‘s story is told in large part by a senile old man, and the game introduces so many new characters in each mission that it’s hard to keep up with what’s going on.
Treyarch did take some risks with the campaign mode. Most levels have branching pathways and every level has an end result that can either go one way or the other. In one level, players can either save a woman from being kidnapped or fail — failure doesn’t make players restart the mission, but instead changes the course of the game (in theory). The developers have touted the multiple endings in Black Ops 2, yet the actions players make (or don’t make) don’t really affect the in-game events, just the cut-scenes that roll during the credits. It’s a little weak, and feels like the decisions made in the game didn’t add up to much.
Spray ‘n pray.
Black Ops 2 also features optional missions known as Strike Force. They play similar to RTS titles where players are able to look at the battlefield in a bird’s eye view, command units to control certain points, and take over NPCs in mid-battle. It looks good on paper, but the execution is very poor, making for a pretty mediocre experience overall. The AI for the player’s units is downright atrocious. In each Strike Force mission I played, I had to take control of numerous NPC soldiers just to get them to the right spot. Luckily these missions are completely skippable if players don’t care about getting the perfect ending.
[review title=”Call of Duty: Black Ops 2″ pros=”Fantastic visuals; Off-screen play is ingenious; Levels are very fun; Fully featured online multiplayer. ” cons=”Story is told by a senile old man; Too many random characters introduced, hard to keep up; Multiple endings don’t add much to the overall experience; Strike Force missions are mediocre.” verdict=”Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 starts off the series on Wii U in a big way. It’s going to be fun to see what Activision’s many Call of Duty teams can do with the GamePad on a longer development period.” score=80]
Nintendo has announced the Wii mini, a top-loading deviation of the classic Wii console, hot on the heels of its newest beast, the Wii U.
Looks nice, but there’s a catch.
So what does this re-release mean to you? It means you should be thankful you waited in line (or online) and got a Wii on Black Friday at the same price. The Wii mini does not have built-in Wi-Fi, nor does it play Gamecube games. If you wanted to get something for the Canadian Wii enthusiast in your life, you may be in luck. Otherwise, you may be better off staking out at your local Toys-R-Us for the Wii U, which is definitely worth every penny in my opinion.
Wow, that’s a REALLY tall Mii.
The Wii U is finally out. It’s also pretty darn fun. Nintendo Land is a fairly fun game. Not every attraction is great, but most are solidly fun. Personally I’ve been enjoying the Balloon Fight game the most so far. I am still glad that they didn’t copy the theme park formula TOO much. 120 coins for an ice cream cone would be way too much.
Also want to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving.
See you next week.
In this riveting episode, Jessie, Donnie and Corey discuss all sorts of things in the realm of gaming, and some not so much. Topics include Ghostbusters, games we feel ashamed of, comic books, Magfest, Doctor Who, and tons of other nerdy things. Give us a listen and tell us what you think!
If you enjoy our show, please visit our page on iTunes and comment and rate us!
Also, Aron says sorry for no music this week but he was having some technical difficulties that should be resolved by the next episode!
It’s that time of year again. That’s right friends! It’s time for all the “REAL GAMERS” to start bashing the Call of Duty franchise for the simple fact that it has a yearly release. Come on guys, seriously? It’s getting pretty old to be honest. This isn’t the only franchise that’s been doing it. Madden has always done it and Assassin’s Creed has been on a roll for a while too. Call of Duty isn’t for everyone, but a lot of people like them and buy them. If they weren’t making money, I seriously doubt they’d be making the game yearly. Of course, popular doesn’t always mean good.
Personally I’ve preferred the Black Ops titles a little more than Modern Warfare. Black Ops often has a wacky story that almost gives you a Hideo Kojima vibe. Being a Metal Gear fan, this sweetens the deal. The campaign for Black Ops 2 seems no different. Woods and Mason return in the form of playable flashbacks, while going into the future to 2025. It makes for a fun plot device overall. The campaign feels like a thrill ride. It’s a little linear, but at the same time stuff is ALWAYS going on, like explosions, horses, tanks, and even robots! It really gets the blood pumping and looks great. The visuals are some of the best I’ve seen and the sound is very crisp. The controls feel tight on the PS3 controller, all the buttons feel natural and the guns have that pop to them.
I honestly didn’t play as much of the campaign as I would like to, but I sort of ran into a problem. Not a common problem, but I’ve seen where people have shared it. Basically on one of the missions, three quarters into it (maybe 45 minutes of play time so far) I am asked to go down this ladder into a “Cocaine Bunker.” Ok, sounds easy enough. I follow the NPCs and they open the door to the room, then the hatch to the ladder below. They each go down the ladder one by one. All clear, it’s my turn. I go to climb down the ladder, and BAM! Invisible wall. Apparently there is a crazy glitch that makes you unable to go down this ladder. I looked up some advice online to see what I could do, and I threw a grenade at the wall and blew myself up. I Started back at the check point and waited for them to open the hatch again. Guess what guys? I STILL couldn’t go down the ladder. I suddenly felt uneasy and angry. I shifted in my seat for a moment wondering what I should do. I read that restarting the level might fix it. Ugh, nothing takes the wind from my sails like having to start over. I eventually gave in and did the level again up to that point. Then at the moment of truth I paused and thought for a moment. I unpaused and let it happen. I stepped forward to the ladder and took a deep breath. Nothing. Still bugged. I gotta say, that is REALLY crappy. Now, keep in mind that I am a rare case. This bug doesn’t happen to everyone, but it CAN happen.
Aside from terrible game halting bugs, Black Ops 2 has some other redeeming qualities. Strike Force Missions are a new addition to the franchise and really mix it up. They are essentially optional missions in the campaign, but are very different. Think RTS/FPS/Sandboxy/Hybrid. Yeah, exactly. It’s fun but very challenging if you are not used to it. Basically you are trying to accomplish something on a decently sized map. You have units you can control “from above” like in an RTS, or you can take control of a unit at any time and run around in FPS mode. It definitely mixes up the game play, and if you don’t like them in the story mode, then you can skip them.
Enough of this, we all know why everyone buys a Call of Duty game, and that is the multiplayer. That works just fine and is an absolute joy to play. There are a ton of match types and maps to play in. I don’t know why, but it’s one of those games I always get sucked in to. Aside from most FPSs, I don’t feel like I am terrible at this one. I mean I don’t feel like a pro or anything, but I can hold my own typically. I am a sucker for leveling up to unlock guns and attachments, and Black Ops 2 has all of that and more. The new create a class gives you ten points to work with. Each thing you equip costs a point, so customization is trickier but at the same time it can allow you to focus on your best equipment. I hardly use a sidearm, so I can drop that to get extra perks and what not. The emblem creator is also fun to toy with. I’ve seen some great pictures of these emblems from varied creative individuals. It inspired me to give it a try.
Aside from the public matches, there is also a league play mode which matches you with opponents of the same skill. There is also a robust theater mode used for watching saved matches and editing them so you can share them with your friends. You will also be able to stream your game play for others to watch, which kinda sounds neat!
One last thing to talk about is the Zombie mode. If you’ve heard any of our podcasts lately, you know I’ve been anti-zombie for a while. I am personally just sick of the over-saturation. I would normally not go near anything with the word zombies on it, but since Activision was gracious enough to give us this review copy, I felt I had to give it some time. I am certainly glad I did. The zombie mode in the original Black Ops was pretty fun to play, but in Black Ops 2 it does everything better! Now with a story mode and even more areas for multiplayer survival games, Black Ops 2 Zombies is great. The 4z4 grief mode is fantastic as well. 4z4 is where two teams compete against the zombies. The rules are that the last team standing wins. While you can’t kill the other team in traditional ways, you can direct a train of zombies into them or throw meat at your opponents to make them smell delicious to zombies. It’s an absolute blast!
[review title=”Call of Duty: Black Ops 2″ pros=”Great visuals, Multiplayer is fantastic as always. Zombie mode is great even for anti zombie fans. 4z4! I am addicted to the Emblem creator! ” cons=”TERRIBLE GAME BREAKING BUG. ” verdict=”Most people seem to buy this game for multiplayer anyways, and it is fantastic. Myself I enjoy a good campaign. Black Ops had a fantastic one and Black Ops 2 clearly had a great story lined up, unfortunately a terrible game breaking bug stops me in my tracks every time I play. Its frustrating cause I wanna know what happens. While my experience with the bug is uncommon, its still there. If you are willing to risk it, go for it and get it. The multiplayer is still fantastic as always and who knows, you might not experience the bug. ” score=75]
You may recall the 3DS eShop getting a little gem called Mighty Switch Force! You may also remember me saying it was a pretty good game. Well WayForward is back with an enhanced remake and they’ve unleashed a trailer. Continue Reading
At least now Bowser Jr. can still watch Power Rangers.
New Super Mario Bros. U looks like a lot of fun. The handheld games in the New Super Mario series haven’t been as good as New Super Mario Bros. Wii in my opinion and I’m excited to see another console game. The Boost Mode seems interesting. Although it DOES look like the Gamepad player has way too many chances to mess up the others. Be careful who you have to “help” you or they may be no help at all.It is kind of weird to me that the special platforms are just multicolored with card symbols. Couldn’t they have found something a bit more…”Mario” to use? On a totally unrelated note I’m not sure why, but I really like drawing Bowser. It’s just a lot of fun.
See you next week.
I get way too excited for HD re-releases. Nothing beats that feeling of a fusion of nostalgia and awe that comes with revisiting a classic game from the past with a fresh coat of high-definition paint. Sure, sometimes it doesn’t work because either something goes wrong or the game in question isn’t interesting enough in the right ways to justify the touch up, but I’ll eat my words if I encounter a set of games more fitting for such a treatment than Zone of the Enders. Continue Reading
