God Bless BioWare

One thing I love about BioWare is that always make sure to slip a bit of romance into their role-playing games. Another thing I love about them is they are starting to base their game characters on real life models (see Girls of Dragon Age @ Maxim). So now it's much more easier to admire a beautiful face in their games without feeling a little weird. Now, if someone gives me a queer eye by drooling over Miranda Lawson's virtually beautiful face, I can say: "Dude, it's Yvonne Strahovski. A real woman."

Anyways, speaking of Yvonne, here's an interview of her talking about Mass Effect 2.



Now this video is a proof that God really exist. I still can't wrap my head around it. I mean, it's a pretty girl talking about a video game. She is cute in this interview too, especially when she admitted that she find the game's structure so confusing. I can only imagine, the dialogue branches in Mass Effect 2 is massive. Though not as massive as Planescape: Torment.

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On Dragon Age: Tips & Mods

So I just finished my second playthrough of Dragon Age this morning. I completed all the available quests this time, which took me more than a total of 50 gaming hours.

I played as a Rogue City Elf with the Duelist specialization and a really high Dexterity. She deals a decent amount of damage, wielding two daggers, and she has a really high defense. Though a lot of people in the BioWare forums said, if you want to deal huge amounts of damage, an Assassin specialization with high cunning is the way to go.

For my companions, I took Shale, Wynne and Oghren with me most of the time. If possible, bring Shale along with you. The golem's tough, I mean it's made of rock, making it the perfect tank. Take Wynne because she's one of the two mages in the group. Plus, she's a good healer and less whiny than Morrigan. Oghren, I just took him because he's funny, and Steve Blum (Oghren's voice) is one of my favorite voice actors.

As for the mods, I suggest you go use the No Follower Auto Level. It is a great mod that prevents your follower to auto level when they first join you, giving you more control of them. With this, I was able to turn Oghren from a two-hander to a dual-wielder. There are other mods I use as well but only for aesthetic purposes like more hair and face options.

Dragon Age: Awakening is still a month away, and I think I got one more game in me. After all, I didn't like my ending with my second playthrough, she became the Bann of the Elven Alienage. I heard that you can marry Anora and become king instead of Alistair. I don't know how, but I think I'm gonna work on that one.

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Mass Effect and BioShock Toys

A couple months ago, I thought of moving to New York and bunk with my cousins. But I soon discarded the idea because I have such a comfortable life here in Chicago. Then all the geeky blogs that I visit on a daily basis covered the Toy Fair 2010 in New York. Suddenly, I found myself wishing that I reside in the Big Apple, just so I could witness the event.

Ah, well. I guess I'll have to start looking for some nuke med jobs up there, then. So I can live there, do what I love the most -which is shooting radioactive stuff inside the hearts and guts of people- and enjoying geeky events such as Toy Fair and NYCC. Right now, however, I'll just droll over the new line of toys. Especially the Mass Effect and BioShock action figures.

Mass Effect 2 figures, wave 1. Tali looks cool.

I need me one of them Big Daddies.

Man, these toys are cool. I especially want Tali and Sheperd. Hopefully, wave 2 will also include Garrus, Miranda and a female Shepard figure. As for the BioShock, I'll only get the Big Daddy with the drill arm, the one that is featured on the box art.

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Dating Pixelated Girls

It's Valentine's Day...again. This will be my 5th year to be without a date ever since Guatemalan-Italian and I separated ways when she left to live in Tennessee back in 2005. I suppose, in the span of 5 years, I could've found myself a nice girl already. But no, I got too busy with school, work, and hobby. Gaming, especially, took most of my spare time in the past years. So, every Valentine's, instead of dining and wining fine-looking women, I retreat into the solitude of my room and date pixelated girls of gaming.

I know, I may seem weird (because I am weird). But, while they're not as good as real girls, female video game characters have some advantages. For example, I like them because they're more animated and I can fully control them -not the other way around. They're also low maintenance and cheap (some you can even download for free. Illegally, of course).

During my gaming years -including my arcade years during the 90's- I've met many fine pixelated girls, and controlled them to do my whim. But alas, I can't make a really long list to accommodate them all. So, I have to cut it short and only list 10 of them. Anyways, here's my list:

My Top 10 Female Video Game Characters

10. Cammy (Street Fighter)

I had a hard time playing Street Fighter back then. I'd always get beaten up by my friends, and even by my friend's 5 year old brother. But their bullying stopped when I got my 'beat 'em up groove' when I started using Cammy.

Why I like her? She has strong, long legs that goes up to her neck.

9. Carla Valenti (Indigo Prophecy)

I bought Indigo Prophecy because I heard it was a good game, and its story was praised by a lot of adventure gamers. But I was surprised that the main characters, Lucas and Carla, had a sex scene. Of course, the censored they North American version, which disappointed me to no end.

Why I like her? Hardworking and, like me, a completionist. Daring enough to pose for Playboy.

8. Morrigan Aensland (Darkstalkers)

Darkstalkers was my favorite beat em up game during the mid 90's, and part of it was because of the sexy Morrigan. She may be a cute looking devil, but she's a devil nonetheless. I kick-ass with her too.

Why I like her? She's a succubus, a demon lover. What more could you ask for?

7. Faith (Mirror's Edge)

Honestly, I haven't finished playing Mirror's Edge. I'm just scared of heights, even in video games. But the intensity of the vertigo I get from heights is nothing compared when I see Faith's face. She rocks my world.

Why I like her? She's got nice tattoos. Great agility and endurance.

6. Alyx Vance (Half-Life 2)

Honestly, Alyx isn't the prettiest female video game character I've seen. I'm sure those chicks from Dead or Alive or Soul Caliber are way more hotter than her. But what she lacks in the T&A department, she makes it up with her brains and caring personality.

Why I like here? She's smart. Knows a lot about technology.

5. Cate Archer (Nobody Lives Forever)

I only bought Nobody Lives Forever because it was a bargain ($2). Little did I know that the main protagonist, Cate Archer, is going to become one of my favorite video game characters of all time. I even like her more than Gordon Freeman (who's probably a mute).

Why I like her? She's classy, she's sassy, she's groovy. The female counterpart of James Bond.

4. Tifa Lockheart (Final Fantasy VII)

As a kid who grew up playing Dungeons & Dragons, I don't play a lot of Japanese-made RPGs (because they're not RPGs). But Final Fantasy games, I'd replay them over and over just to see the cute girls. Amongst them all, however, Tifa is probably the best.

Why I like her? She's cute and chesty. Looks good on a tank top.

3. Miranda Lawson (Mass Effect 2)

Miranda's probably the prettiest video game character. Of course, her face (as well as her voice) belongs to actress Yvonne Strahovski, the sexy spy chick from Chuck. Next to Carla Valenti, she also delivered the steamiest sex scene in a game.

Why I like her? She's genetically engineered to be perfect. She's got assets...great ass sets.

2. Lara Croft (Tomb Raider)

I haven't played a lot of Tomb Raider games. But it would be sacrilegious if don't include Lara in this list. After all, she's the first video game vixen. The first female character who had 3Ds (DDD).

Why I like her? She's rich and adventurous. Has nice guns and great air bags.

1. Morrigan (Dragon Age: Origins)

Morrigan grew up in the forest with no companions except for her mother, making her a sex-starved loner. You can always go to her tent and have sex with her, no strings attached such as love or commitment. She's the perfect girl.

Why I like her? She's willing to bear you a child and will even take full responsibility of raising the kid alone. How great is that!

Well, that's it for my Valentine's Day post, my top female video game characters. Although, as much as I enjoy writing this, I do hope to find a real date next year. I'm getting old after all.

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Return to Dragon Age

I just finished playing Mass Effect 2 today. I have to say that it's the best damn game I've played since Deus Ex. But before my FTL drives can cool off for another playthrough, I found out that the Dragon Age: Origins expansion, Awakening, is already coming out next month. I thought this game wasn't due until this Summer. Oh well.

Since my hero on my last game died, I went back in time, to the age of dragons, and create another hero in preparation for this expansion. Now I feel like BioWare just demoted me from a space faring marine to a mute rogue who doesn't even own a horse. She's cute, at least, and not so full of herself, unlike Sheperd.

In order to spice things up in this Dragon Age: Origins playthrough, I also bought the latest DLC, Return to Ostagar. The DLC costs $5 and it's available over at the EA online store. I haven't played it yet so I don't know if it's good or not. All I know is that your party will -well- return to Ostagar and retrieve Cailan's armor. But since I got a fraud alert call from my bank, 30 minutes after I purchased the DLC, I think Return to Ostagar might suck. Hmmm, even my bank thinks buying from EA is a fraud.

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Charge!!!

A couple of posts ago, I mentioned that I was a bit disappointed with some of the changes in Mass Effect 2. One of those changes was the removal of the Barrier skill from my beloved Vanguard's skill set. Barrier and shotgun were my bread and butter in the first Mass Effect. I'd just activate Barrier and wipe everything that moves in the room with my shotgun.

But after 20 hours of playing Mass Effect 2. I'd say you can keep your Barrier, I'll take the Charge skill instead. It's a lot more fun to use. To prove my point, here's a video of me charging and wiping a room full of mercs and mechs with my fists and shotgun.

It's just so awesome coming out from the charge animation. You can see your enemy flying in the air, and everything is in slow motion so you can have cheap shot on them with your fists or shotgun. I have to say that Mass Effect 2 got the best and most satisfying combat there is in gaming right now.

Anyways, that's enough blogging for now. I'm on hiatus until I finish this game...twice.

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Boarding the Normandy

I'm not even near the end of my second playthrough with Dragon Age: Origins but BioWare, eager to start this decade and year, has already released another game. That game, of course, is Mass Effect 2, the highly-anticipated sequel to the 2007 RPG of space operatic proportions. So, in celebration, I took a two-day off from work to spend some quality time with this game.

The Blood Dragon armor, a Mass Effect 2 and Dragon Age crossover.

I pre-ordered Mass Effect 2 from Steam weeks ago. I got the digital deluxe edition which costs $10 more but it's worth it. The package includes in-game items, points for purchasing downloadble contents, an artbook, "The Making Of" videos and the Mass Effect: Redemption #1 comic book by Dark Horse Comics. But I didn't have the chance to play the game until earlier today. I was trying to finish the first Mass Effect last night so I could get an endgame save file to import to the new game.

I almost skipped playing the first game though. Because I was so eager to play the new one. But I'm glad I finished it since importing your character from the first game to the second had some benefits, such as extra credits, minerals and experience points. Your decisions from the first game also plays out in the story here, like if Wrex, Kaiden, Ashley or the Council had survived.

As for the meat of the game, I'm not that deep into it yet. But the intro is probably the best prologue I've ever seen in a game. They also made a lot of changes in here, and it actually feels more like an action game rather than a role-playing game. It's fine by me though. Because -with its cyberpunk-ish setting, at least in the Omega station- it actually reminds me of Deus Ex, which is a great FPS/RPG. The story seems to be darker too and is more mysterious than the last game.

Commander Shepard, taking cover.

Overall, I think Mass Effect 2 is going to be an epic game. Even more than its predecessor. While I'm a bit disappointed with some changes, I can still ride it out and I'm still going to lose some sleep over it. But enough talk. It's time for me to board the Normandy and kick some Batarian ass.

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Mass Effect 1.5

I'm playing Mass Effect again. I know, I know. This game is not included on the list of things I should be doing this year (see here), like reading all 46 novels of Philip K. Dick. So you might think that I've been derailed from my goals, shirking away from all the work that will fulfill my resolutions. But, no, not really. Because, while Mass Effect isn't on my 2010 "to do" checklist, all the choices and decisions I've made in this game will actually carry out on Mass Effect 2 -a game which is on my checklist- by transferring my save files (see article here). So if my character on the Mass Effect is an alien hater of mass destruction, people will treat him as such in Mass Effect 2. Nifty, no?

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Another Year, Another Checklist

In conjunction to my resolutions post (which you can read here), I have decided to make a checklist of the things I want to this year in order to keep track of what I've accomplished. This idea was inspired by and borrowed from Julie Powell's blog, Julie/Julia Project, after watching the movie Julie & Julia. However, instead of cooking 536 recipes in 365 days, I have 251 game achievements to unlock, 41 character levels to reach and 90 books to read in less than a year.

Unlocked Game Achievements

• Batman: Arkham Asylum - 29 out of 47
• Fallout 3 - 3 out of 72
• Dragon Age - 49 out of 87
• Mass Effect 2 - 0 out of 50
• Torchlight - 36 out of 62
• Left 4 Dead 2 - 0 out of 50

Character Levels and Renown to Reach

• Champions Online - 12 levels out of 40
• Warhammer Online - 47 renown out of 60

Books to Read

• Philip K. Dick novels 1 out of 46
• Ernest Hemingway novels 0 out of 9
• Back logs read 0 out of 20
• New books read 0 out of 16

Looks like I'm going to lose a lot of sleep this year. So do you think I can do it? I think, no. I can only accomplish half ot it. I know, because I like to half-ass things.

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2010, Please Entertain Me

Usually, I try to make a list of "my [insert number here] most anticipated [insert form of media entertainment here] in [insert current year here]". But since it's 2010, that means I'll have to find 10 games, 10 books, 10 music and 10 films to post in here. That's a lot of things to look forward to, I think. It'll cost me a lot, too, if I happen to play, read, listen to and watch all of them. So, since I'm saving money this year, I decided to throw 10 various entertainment that I'm anxiously waiting for this 2010. (list is not in order of importance)

1. Mass Effect 2
Just when I thought I would get a brief respite from holiday spending, BioWare decided they're going to release Mass Effect 2 this January, even though Dragon Age: Origins is still warm on the shelves. I guess they're pumped to open this decade with another epic RPG. So be it, then. I guess I'll have to shell out some cash this month and drown myself in this space opera, killing Geths and making alien love -or hate, if I decide to give Shepherd a xenophobia.

Mass Effect 2

2. Dawn of War II: Chaos Rising
The first expansion of Dawn of War II, one of my favorite RTS games. So what is it that I'm excited about this game? Well, there are Chaos Marines in this game, for one. They're like the Sith version of the Space Marines, which makes them even more bad ass. Secondly, all the characters you control in the original campaign (Cyrus, Avitus) can be corrupted, depending on the choices you make. That means, the campaign, its even more of a RPG/RTS hybrid with the good and evil choices.

3. BioShock 2
The spiritual successor of System Shock and sequel to one of the best shooter game returns, and is scheduled to be released this February. Like its predecessor, BioShock 2 promises a great storyline, art direction, and it will also include a multiplayer feature that will increase the game's replay value. But what I'm really excited about this game is that you'll be playing as a hulking Big Daddy, the superstars of the first game. Kick ass, no?

BioShock 2

4. Toy Story 3
Honestly, the plot in Toy Story 3 is a little bit similar to The Brave Little Toaster. But who cares, right? This is the next Pixar film, which every decent mom and 9 out of 10 people with a reading comprehension of a 3 year old look forward to see each summer (this, by the way, is just my guesstimate). In addition, it's also the next Toy Story film. So that's a double whammy right there.

5. Iron Man 2
Next to Nolan's revision of Batman, the Iron Man film franchise is the best comics-to-film. So I have plenty of reasons to be excited about this sequel. Let me enumerate them: (1) Robert Downey Jr., I have a man crush on him. (2) War Machine, because he's metal. (3) Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow, sporting a bad Russian accent and her 34 C's in a latex overalls. (4) More Sam Jackson as Nick Fury, paving the way to the Avengers movie.

Iron Man 2

6. Kick-Ass
This movie is about a teenage boy decided to become a real-time hero, after being inspired by comic book super heroes. The film is based on the comic book of the same title, written by Mark Millar, who also wrote Wanted (you know, that movie where they can curve bullets). Unlike Wanted, however, Kick-Ass seems to be royally faithful to the books, which is a good thing.

7. Alice in Wonderland
I'm a Tim Burton fan. Although his most recent films (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Corpse Bride), I wasn't a very big fan of. So when I found out that he's working on an Alice in Wonderland movie, I couldn't help but be excited about it. The setting is just perfect for Burton's "technicolor gothic" style. Then there's also the cast. I'm especially looking forward to Johnny Depp playing the Mad Hatter. This is going to be fun and crazy film.

Alice in Wonderland

8. The Victors (rumored title of the third The Hunger Games book)
Honestly, with all the books I got the last Holiday, I haven't had the time to read Catching Fire (2nd book of the trilogy). But, I know, once I finish reading this dystopian novel for the young adult, I'm pretty sure I'm going to crave for book 3 right away.

9. Option Paralysis (Dillinger Escape Plan's new album)
Honestly, I thought DEP was no more when I found out that their drummer left, when they left their label, and when their singer got sick. But here they are now with a new drummer, their own new label, healthy band members and a new album to follow up Ire Works, their 2007 "heavier than metal" album. I just couldn't wait to hear their new material. I'm pretty sure though that it's going to give me neck injuries.

The Dillinger Escape Plan

10. Deftones' untitled album
I'm a big fan of Deftones. But for almost 4 years now, I've been straining my neck and waiting for them to drop their new album. It's understandable though, why they have to cancel the 2009 release of Eros, their latest completed work, in respect -I guess- for their bassist, Chi Cheng, who's under comatose. But now they're back with a new bassist, Sergio Vega (from Quicksand, also a favorite band), and a new album. I'm extremely looking forward to hear it.

That's my list. I hope this year will entertain me even better than the last.

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Just Another Resolution Post

At this point, the blogosphere must be suffocating with all the New Year's resolutions that have been posted this week. Unfortunately, as much as I want to deny that this isn't one of those posts, I must let you suffer through another round of "resolutions". I promise, though, that it will be quick.

Here are my resolutions for 2010

1. Only buy games that are on sale or if their prices have dropped (Mass Effect 2 and Guild Wars 2 are an exception).
2. Replay some of my older games and, if available, unlock all their achievements.
   
3. Reach renown rank 60 and don a full Invader set in Warhammer Online.
4. Reach level 40 in Champions Online.
5. Only buy used hardcover books.
6. Read all of my back log books and graphic novels before getting new books to read.
7. Read all novels by Philip K. Dick.
8. Read all novels by Ernest Hemingway.
9. Maintain comic book spending at $40/month, and become a trade waiter instead.
   
10. Brush up my blues guitar skills.

That's that. Short and effortless to do. Not like losing weight or getting a wife.

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Game Review: Arkham Asylum

Batman: Arkham Asylum
9.2 of 10
Platform: Windows
Developer: Rocksteady
Publisher: Eidos Interactive

Buy game from Amazon


Introduction
I never really cared when they announced that a new Batman game was being developed, even though I'm a huge bat fan. It's because I try to steer away from popular superhero games as much as possible. Most of these games -developed without an ounce of love or passion- usually rate from mediocre to really bad. I suppose that's the kind of result expected from milking a franchise. But there are exceptions, of course. I did enjoy X-Men Legends 2: Rise of Apocalypse and Marvel Ultimate Alliance. So after giving the demo a go, I made another exception and bought Batman: Arkham Asylum. It turned out to be a pretty sweet game.

Story
The game opens up with a nice cinematic of Batman escorting The Joker back to the Arkham Asylum -after he attacked the City Mayor's office- for incarceration and psych treatment. But as soon as they arrived, The Joker manages to free himself from his guards and took over the entire asylum. With the aid of Harley Quinn and other inmates, The Joker now holds a number of hostages inside the facility, as well as trapping Batman within.

The Dark Knight.

Since the storyline is co-written by Paul Dini (who also produced and wrote the highly praised Batman: The Animated Series), you'll be happy to know that the game is as solid, dark and adult as Batman can get. While it may not be as grand and mature as The Dark Knight or Arkham Asylum (the graphic novel which I thought the game was based on), the game isn't Adam West's Batman either. There are a lot of violence and foul language present in this game. So even with the cape and cowl, the game doesn't feel campy from beginning to end.

Graphics and Sounds
The visuals is another factor that drives the game's dark and mature atmosphere. The developers did a pretty good job with Arkham Asylum's art direction, depicting it well as a part grand and part creepy place. The character designs are also great. Batman's suit is probably one of the highlights as it takes on a more damaged appearance as the game progresses. But my favorite eye candies would have to be the ladies, Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn, with their criminally sexy attire that shows most of their anatomy.

The newer, sexier version of Harley Quinn.

The audio in this game is also masterfully done. The voice overs, especially, are my favorites since voice actors like Kevin Conroy (Batman) and Mark Hamill (The Joker) from Batman: The Animated Series are here to reprise their roles. The score isn't bad as well, and it even has the epic feel that reminded me of Batman Begins and The Dark Knight. The combat sounds are also very crispy and crunchy. So there's no need of a huge "BAM!" or "KAPOW" caption popping on the screen every time Batman's fist connects to his opponents lower jaw.

Gameplay
Speaking of breaking jaws, there are two types of combat in Arkham Asylum. The first one is a straight-forward approach, in which you beat every goon in melee. The second is a stealthy approach, in which you deal with silent takedowns from behind or inverted takedowns from up top. While the melee combat is exciting and adrenaline pumping, I prefer the stealthier approach. It's just satisfying, and very Batman-like, to swoop down from the roofs, give some goon a glide kick, then disappear back to the roofs and watch as the other goons wet their pants in fear.

Throwing Batarangs at Bane and Joker's goons.

Besides his combat prowess, Batman also have an array of cool toys, ranging from grapple gun to explosive sprays, and you get to play with all of them. However, you only get the standard Batarang and grapple gun at the start of the game. Other gadgets will be unlocked as you go further along in the game. These items, along with your Batsuit and combat skills, can also be upgraded using the XP earned from beating down goons. Upgrades vary from incresing your suit's toughness, improving your gadgets, or learning a new attack.

Another part of the gameplay is called The Riddler's Challenge. It's an exploration part of the game that plays out like an easter egg hunt, in which you need to find hidden items using The Riddler's clues given to you. You can choose not to take the challenge since it doesn't affect the main game. But finding these hidden items, which varies from trophies and invisible question marks, is really fun. Plus, it will also earn you some XP and unlocks character biographies, inmate interviews and challenge rooms.

Batclaw, my new shiny toy and I can't stop admiring it.

If the story mode and exploration isn't enough to keep you occupied, you can also get yourself inside one of the challenge rooms to sweat things out. Challenge rooms are closed environments levels that were taken from the story mode. So you're basically just revisiting these levels, and replaying the fight between Joker's goons. However, doing these challenges will earn you a score, a rank on the leaderboard and achievement points on Microsoft's LIVE network. While this isn't my cup of tea, I know a lot of gamers who wants to put their name out there as the top dog will enjoy these challenges for hours.

Conclusion
The Batman franchise have always been at the forefront of re-imagining superheroes, scooping them out from the cradle and putting them in an adult world. The Dark Knight Returns brought mature themes into superhero comic books, Batman: The Animated Series put some seriousness into cartoons and The Dark Knight brought in as much realism into superhero films. Batman: Arkham Asylum is no exception to this since it also made a superhero game much more adult-oriented. It is also a well-made game, from its combat to voice-overs. It's a good thing I tried it out, or else I would've missed out on one of this year's best games.

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E3 2009: Radioactive Highlights

I stopped following news of E3 after their mishap during the 2007 event. That was a disaster. A couple of big names in gaming were absent that year, and those who attended didn't reveal too much either. But this year, after stumbling upon a couple of event and post-event articles, I was so surprised of how much it rocked. The games that were showcased, especially, were just too mouth-watering.

But there be highlights, of course, because some games are just made to be better than others. So here are some of my favorite game articles and videos that were rolled out in this year's E3 event.

1. Star Wars: The Old Republic (Sith vs. Jedi Video)
2. Mass Effect 2 (Post-E3 Clarifications)
3. Tales of Monkey Island (Adventure Lives!)
4. Alpha Protocol (Upside Down Video)
5. Dragon Age: Origins (Hands-On)

All the link of the previews and videos above were just top notch. It made me want to play these games, moreso than before. The funny thing about it though is that all the games mentioned above are from the same developers that I have stuck by with during this years. 3 games (Star Wars, Mass Effect 2, Dragon Age) are from BioWare, 1 game (Alpha Protocol) is from Obsidian and 2 games (Star Wars and Tales of Monkey Island) from LucasArts.

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Space Jettisoned

Looks like PC gamers have been jettisoned by another PC game developer, once again, in favor of a much lucrative console gaming market. First, it was BioWare and now it's Relic Entertainment (developers of Homeworld, Company of Heroes and Dawn of War), who just recently announced they are developing Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine, an action-RPG for Xbox 360 and PS3.

"Back to the gameplay, the action appears to be fast, brutal, and bloody. It's still pretty early on, so specifics weren't plentiful, but it seems as though as a single Space Marine you'll move through the story and engage in some large-scale conflicts against mobs of enemies. Using power swords, chain swords, hammers, bolters, heavy bolters, and more it appears your Space Marine will have quite a few deadly tools to wipe out the Ork hordes from range or up close in melee."--IGN

This really breaks my heart. I hope the game gets ported to the PC. If not, then I hope the game sucks sublimely.

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Game Review: Dawn of War II

Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II
9.0 of 10
Platform: Windows
Developer: Relic Entertainment
Publisher: THQ

Buy game from Amazon


Introduction
I'm not that much into RTS (real-time strategy) games. There are a lot of its aspect that I find a bit boring. Accumulating resources, in particular, just gets in the way of jumping right out of the frying pan and into the action. I just find it irksome and uneventful to look for a heavy resource area in the game, secure it and then harvest it, instead of razing my enemies' base with my army. The same case with constructing bases which seems to be more like fillers than an actual game feature. It's a good thing that game developers like Relic Entertainment are reinventing the mechanics of RTS games.

A Force Commander with his gut-wrenching chainsword.

When Relic came out with Dawn of War, 5 years ago, the game was so revolutionary to me. For the most part, it is still comparable to Warcraft or Command & Conquer games. The only thing that separates it from other RTS is its method of accumulating resources. Instead of harvesting food or mining gold, Relic replaced it with point locations -currency generating areas- that players need to capture and hold. Now, Relic returns with a new game, Dawn of War II. This time they pushed the envelope even further by taking out all the unnecessary elements that hampers the fun in RTS games.

Gameplay
Like most RTS games, Dawn of War II is divided into two modes: The multiplayer and the campaign. Unlike most RTS, however, Relic has stripped Dawn of War II of features that might put off a lot of traditional RTS aficionados. Base construction, to my delight, doesn't exist here. You start with one base (with two turrets in multiplayer) on every game. That's it. You don't have to trouble yourself constructing other buildings and a second base anymore. There are also fewer unit choices and less upgrades in this game. All you really need to worry about is how to outmaneuver your enemies.

A rumble in the jungle: Space Marines vs. Tyranids.

I usually don't play multiplayer games but Dawn of War II has goaded me in with its fast paced action. In Dawn of War II, you get to choose from four different races (Space Marines, Eldar, Orks and Tyranids), each with their own unique units and play style. Like with most RTS nowadays, you also get to choose a hero (or commander). All races have three different types of hero with abilties ranging from offensive, defensive, stealth and support. Then, you can either play one on one or a team battle. But if your skills aren't that sharp to handle the big boys, you can always practice on an AI opponent to toughen up.

There are two ways of winning a multiplayer game in Dawn of War II: Annihilation and Victory Points. Annihilation, as much as menacing as it sounds, is actually boring because its too slow. Since the nodes (currency generating points) in the game can be easily taken and lost, the balance of power constantly shifts between you and your opponent. So it's really hard to amass an army large enough to assault an enemy base. Victory point control, however, is much more fun. You (or your team) just need to capture all Victory Points and hold it until the opposing player (or team) run out of points.

One of the campaign's mission maps.

As much as I love the multiplayer, it was the campaign that made me fall in love with this game. The campaign's gameplay is actually a squad tactical RPG (similar to Freedom Force) rather than a RTS. You control a squad of four consisting a Force Commander and another three units of your choosing (Scout, Dreadnought or 3 types of Space Marines). Just like in a RPG, all squad members gain levels and can equip wargears -which are gained either as a reward or dropped by an enemy. Once your squad is ready, you can choose your mission in the planetary map.

Technical
Graphically, Dawn of War II isn't a bad looking game. There are tons of eye candy in here, from the glint coming off from the golden shoulder pads of your Space Marines to the billowing dust clouds following your Dreadnought's wake. The effort spent in the details of this game is as meticulous as one would paint a miniature figure. Speaking of miniature figures, in homage to the Warhammer 40K table-top version, Relic also included an Army Painter in this game. Not really important but it's a nice feature nonetheless. The only thing I didn't like about the visuals is the lack of in-game cinematic and cut scenes.

Paint your armies with the army painter. There are lots of color options, from dried blood to bone grey.

The sounds are also as impressive as the graphics. I love the voice acting in this game because, due to the lack of cinematic, it really captured the fanatical and combat hardened nature of the Space Marines. I especially love hearing Cyrus and Avitus. In fact, one of the reasons that kept me playing is because I wanted to hear them talk. The sound effects, however, outshines (or should I say drowns) the voice acting. From the buzz of the chainsword to the hum coming off the Razorback, the effects are gloriously loud and made me love my new set speakers even more.

Conclusion
Relic outdid themselves this time. I only bought Dawn of War II thinking that it will be more of the same. But what I actually got is an entirely different game, not only to its predecessor but to the entire RTS catalog. The lack of base building here, both in multiplayer and campaign, excited me to no ends because it puts you right into action. The campaign, tweaked into a squad tactical RPG, also offers a different experience from the multiplayer feature. I know that a lot of the changes here will make most die hard RTS fans unhappy. But I say, RTS fan or not, this is a pretty awesome game and every gamer should try it.

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A Threat to Peace

I'm not a big MMORPG fan or a big Star Wars fan. Normally, I don't follow any news related to both items. I am, however, a big BioWare fan. So when they unveiled their newest project, Star Wars: The Old Republic, a MMORPG based on the Star Wars universe, I was so flabbergasted and have been following any news regarding the game since last October.

So far, I'm impressed with BioWare's generosity to us anxious fans. They've been feeding us with snippets about the game's setting and story, teasing us by revealing the classes available in the game one at a time, and they've even teamed up with Dark Horse to give us a web-comic: Threat of Peace.

I really can't wait for this game. But, knowing BioWare's production value, it won't come out any time soon. When it does, however, it'll be so long World of Warcraft. If there's anything that can kill WoW, it's this game. After all, Star Wars is the mother of geekhood.

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Where's Naboo?

I like the Star Wars franchise but I'm not really a hardcore fan. I'm not hardcore because I actually liked the prequel films (and not only because of Natalie Portman), I don't own a Jedi or a Storm Trooper costume, and I know nothing of its expanded universe beyond the Knights of the Old Republic game.

But, man, after looking at this newly released hi-res map of that Galaxy Far Far Away, I couldn't help but appreciate the expanded universe of Star Wars. What only started out as three space opera films, set on an unknown galaxy with a couple named planets, has now grown into this living monolith that is worshiped (or vilified) by many.

Oh, how I wish BioWare will make all these planets available as playable locations in their new MMORPG, Star Wars: The Old Republic.

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My 9 Most Anticipated Games for 2009

Last year, PC gaming wasn't so good. Well, not to me anyways even though I've played some good titles like Sins of a Solar Empire and Fallout 3. What irked me was the lack of exclusive PC games. I don't want to be greedy or anything but console gamers don't share their games to us. So why can't we do the same?

Anyways, that was yesterday and I don't want to mull over it because 2009 is the year of real-time strategy, and this is the only genre that console gamers can't play (or can't play well yet). So here are my few choice games for this year:

9. Mirror's Edge

One thing about being a PC gamer is that you're not important. So while console gamers got Mirror's Edge last Christmas, I have to wait until this month to play this adrenaline pumping, vertigo inducing and platform jumping game. This game, I think, is much similar to Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth where all you do is run from your enemies while thinking quickly on which way to go next. That was a fun game but Mirror's Edge pushes it to the next level with its kick-ass graphics and dystopian setting.

8. Company of Heroes: Tales of Valor

I'm not much into real-time strategy (except for Total War). Mainly, and honestly, because I get bored building bases and mining resources. But Company of Heroes, as well as Dawn of War, changed all that. I just fell in love with its fast and action-packed combat, and its interactive environments which gives the game a lot of tactical depth. I'm not really expecting much from this game, however, except that I'm thrilled and eager to play another of its campaign.

7. Demigod

This game is a combination of real-time strategy, tower defense, and elements of action RPG, much like Warcraft III: Defense of the Ancients. But this game will push and break the barrier even more than DotA did. If you're not convinced yet, just know that Chris Taylor (developer of great RTS such as Total Annhilation and Supreme Commander) of Gas Powered Games and Stardock (developer of Sins of a Solar Empire) are handling the reigns of this game.

6. Empire: Total War

The Total War franchise have always been one of my favorite real-time strategy game. From Shogun to Medieval, all games in this series have unprecedented tactical and strategical depth compared to other games of similar ilk. I must admit, however, that I always found Total War's learning curve to be quite hard, and mastering it is near impossible for me. But with Empire's naval battles, I think losing sleep to learn how to play this game will be worth it.

5. Disciples III: Renaissance

I prefer turn-based combat over real-time, and Disciples have always been my preferred turn-based strategy game. What I like about this game is its simplicity. Recruit a hero, give him two or three units (depending on how many he can lead), and let him loose to expand your kingdom. So I'm glad that in Disciples III not much have changed. Although there are only three races to choose from this time, and the graphics is much more stunning.

4. Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War II

I don't know what I can say about this game except that I love this game for the reasons I love Company of Heroes (see above). Although I'm looking forward to see this game's new feature, such as Hero leveling, play its non-linear missions -similar to Total War and Lord of the Rings: Battle for Middle-Earth- and the Games for Windows Live support.

3. Deus Ex 3

Deus Ex is one of my favorite games of all time. It's a FPS/RPG hybrid with an excellent storyline, cyberpunk theme and a gameplay where one problem can be solved in multiple ways, whether the use of stealth, guile or direct force. So you can't imagine how excited I am to get my hands on this game. Although, as of now, there's not much info about it. Except that its story is set before the first game, where Mechs are still the shit and Nano Augs don't exist yet. Nonetheless, I expect nothing less from Eidos on this one.

2. Alpha Protocol

I love role-playing games. But, unfortunately, most games that are out now have themes of medieval fantasy or science fiction. While I don't have much problems with that I just wish a little bit of change. That's why I'm excited about Obsidian Entertainment's Alpha Protocol. Its contemporary setting, espionage theme and high C4 combat, similar to Mass Effect, is something I really look forward to this year.

1. Dragon Age: Origins

Dragon Age: Origins is a role-playing game developed by BioWare. A spiritual successor to Baldur's Gate, as they claim it, the game features pause and play tactical combat, sterling storyline, copious amount of cinematic dialog, and dialog options that can affect the game world. I actually thought that this role-playing game was on its way to being a vaporware when BioWare stopped feeding us news and updates about it. But, after 5 long years of waiting, Dragon Age: Origins is finally going to be released this spring. Now all I have to do is bite my nails until that day.

These are the nine games that I'm looking forward this year. I think most of the games here will be released early (Demigod, Alpha Protocol and Dragon Age will be released this Q1). So that means it'll be a bit easier on the wallet. I can't guarantee if these games will live up to their hype though. But I'm hoping they will.

Happy New Gaming Year!

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