Thursday, December 26, 2013

PSN Game CARNIVORES: DINOSAUR HUNTER

It was 1998. Jurassic Park was already five years old, but the dino-hysteria it left in its wake was far from extinct. Not long after the first Turok game made hunting dinosaurs a thing, there was a PC game called Carnivores. I played the hell out of Carnivores. And now, fifteen years later, Carnivores is back. They must've found a CD-ROM, inside some amber. So this one's called Carnivores HD. And really, that's a perfect name for it, because it's just that.

This is a prettier HD version of the old-school Carnivores, with an emphasis on "old school." The game obviously looks and plays much better than the original, but in terms of its design I mean, it still feels like that 15-year-old PC game.
 Still fun, but kind of outdated, too. Speaking of outdated, this game was actually released for iOS and Android back in 2010. So I guess it's, like double the old news, for some people. Nonetheless, on the console side there are definitely some advantages. Case in point Carnivores HD is kind of a beautiful game. And I certainly don't mean that in a technical sense. Like, rocks aren't supposed to float. So the game definitely could look better technically.

But artistically? It actually looks pretty good . Even better at times, and it totally conveys that feeling of this alien world that, for some strange reason, looks a lot like prehistoric Earth. And sadly, those strange reasons are never really explored. There's no story at all in Carnivores HD. I'm not saying I want cut scenes or anything, but a little text might've been nice.




Something that explains who you are or more importantly, where you are. And why you have a spaceship that can pick up dead dinosaurs. Anyway, if you've ever played the original Carnivores, a lot of this stuff might look familiar to you. The gameplay, the spaceship, the trophy room I mean, this is an old-school hunting game, through and through.
That means it takes a good bit of stealth. And a lot more patience. You're tracking footprints, sneaking through the grasses, attempting to stay downwind because, you know. It's important for a game about shooting dinosaurs in the face to be realistic. Fortunately, there are dinosaurs.

And lots of them. You always have primary targets, which are generally bigger dinosaurs, but the levels are also filled with dinosaurs you don't have to kill. That is, if you're a coward. You don't get anything for your dominance, though. You only get stuff for targeted species.

Money, trophy points and those unlock new content. But you know, that's another area where Carnivores HD feels very old-school. The content. I mean, there are nine levels but there are only three different locations. So you have those three levels, but then add a dusk and a fog version to each of them. That gives you nine levels which, obviously, isn't very much.

Then again, you only have three weapons, so maybe that's more than enough. For, like your own safety. Despite its shortcomings, I actually had some fun with this game. The gameplay is stealthy, the settings are occasionally pretty, it has an old-school simplicity but then again, it's also old-school in a negative way, too. There's just not much to this game. Obviously, Carnivores hasn't evolved much since 1998, but if you just want to slaughter some hapless sauropods  Carnivores still has some bite.


If you are a PSN lover then recommended you read here.

Monday, September 2, 2013

NEED FOR SPEED

Every legend has a beginning. Back in 1994, Electronic Arts waved the green flag on their new racing series. They teamed up with Road & Track to create the most realistic driving experience of all time. What they created was a need, The Need for Speed. The game offers multiple different cars to race with. While today the selection may feel limited, with games like Gran Turismo and Forza offering practically any car you can imagine. But at the time, this was awesome and honestly, it still is.

It is still great to get behind the wheel of cars like the Lamborghini Diablo, or the Porsche 911, or the Ferrari512TR. Each one offers different specs, and feels very different. You will find a favorite of the 9 different cars, but still want to try each one. And the cars are even today, impressively realistic. You will notice the very distinct difference between the roar of the Ferrari versus the Porsche.

 A lot of time and care went into making each car feel like its real life counter. You will race these cars in 7 different tracks with more being unlocked later, each coming with wildly creative names like, City, Coastal, and Rusty Springs. Each one has its own unique feel, and is not just the same track with different cosmetics. The tracks come in two different flavors, either normal loops or point to point lines. The loops offer some very challenging turns, making you carefully time your acceleration and brakes.



It is fun moving up through the ranks, and makes racing in that 911, just that much more rewarding. The game is still a great racing game. Sure the visuals are pretty dated and there are not as many modes as other games, but that does not hold the game back from being a top racing game. It is worth the time, for any fan of the series or fan of racing games. (get asphalt 8 airborne hack)

While the point to point tracks offer a very different experience. In these, the tracks are mostly straight line, so you will put the pedal to the metal the entire time, and really get the sense of speed the game offers. Plus the game offers plenty of different ways to race. There are Time Trials, Head to Headraces, Single Races, Tournament mode and the always fun multiplayer. You start with one of the lesser cars, and by winning races earn the better ones.

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Video Gaming Advantage


Video gaming is truly a fun and exciting pastime that we enjoy today. This is a great hobby for many individuals of all age groups. Many men and women love this because it is not a dull activity given that there are enormous amounts of video game titles that exist out there.

Video gaming is very popular because of its advantages. One example, playing matching games like Bejeweled or Candy Crush enhance concentration, perception and judgment abilities. They also help improve alertness and provide happy disposition to the gamer. These qualities are essential for us to happily live our existence in this world.




Video gaming is also the best way to bond and spend quality time together with our children, family members, and close friends.  Of course, you need to choose the right kind of video games for your children because there are games that may not be suitable for their young minds.

All in all, if you find the right games to play for yourself and for your family, video gaming will be the best activity that can help you get closer to your loved ones and it can help you relax as well. So, if you’re tired from thinking too much, grab your gaming cursor and let these helpful games relax and rejuvenate your mind.

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Discover What Guild Wars 2 Is

A full 250 years after the original Guild Wars, massive upheavals, cataclysms, and globe-spanning events have changed the world of Tyria. Human civilization is in decline. Other races are rising up, taking control over large portions of the world; the balance of power has shifted. The dragons have awoken.

It seems like the past few years have been dreary for the MMO market. Even games that I was excited about due to the premise and my history with the series (SWTOR, I'm looking at you) have failed to deliver a fun, polished, innovative experience. I have seen truly interesting games pushed out far before they were ready, I've seen almost direct ripoffs of Warcraft, and I've also seen a lot of games that simply have no heart. Because of this, and perhaps because I was only a mild fan of the original Guild Wars, I followed the Guild Wars 2 hype with a fair amount of skepticism. The energy and the passion of the developers began to intrigue me, though, so I pre-purchased the game in order to have access to the beta weekends -- and there was no turning back. The most important thing I should say is that you should throw out any pre-conceptions you have about the game based on the original Guild Wars. While there are certainly some familiar aspects this is a complete redesign of the Guild Wars experience.

The first thing that struck me about the game was the sheer size, level of detail, and outright beauty of the world. This is the first game where I have walked into a main city and could actually imagine thousands of people living there. It is a great deal of fun to explore, and this becomes a key part of the game. Rather than simply being pointed to a town where you talk to a handful of NPCs, pick up a handful of quests, trot off twenty feet to handle the quests, return, rinse and repeat, this game encourages you to get out and take a look around. When you need direction you can look at your map and there will be hearts indicating someone in need of help -- but the true purpose of these hearts is to get out you into that area to be exposed to the events that happen there. These events can be as small as bandits raiding a farmer's field, or a massive Shadow Behemoth on the scale of a raid boss, but there is almost always something to be seen. Forget the blinders that most MMOs have you put on while you quest: Guild Wars 2 wants you to rip them off, pay attention, and wander off whenever something strikes your fancy.

The Guild Wars team has put a lot of thought into some of the social dynamics of MMOs, and I have to sheepishly agree that I was much like everyone else. I glared virtual daggers at any player that would show up and start killing 'my' boars, mining 'my' material nodes, and otherwise doing what any normal player should be doing. Prior MMOs fed this anti-social, territorial urge by limiting the ways you could cooperate and share resources. I had to group up with that total stranger in order to share kill credit, and I had to dash around madly to collect crafting resources because if the other player got there first it was gone. Though the purpose of an MMO was to play with others, it was often less beneficial to do so and enforced an everyman for himself mentality. Guild Wars does away with all this nonsense and makes it exciting to see other players again. Anyone who participates gets credit, a player mining a resource node doesn't make it disappear for you, and some of the events are difficult enough that it is a relief when a large pack of players shows up to assist. As an interesting touch, the final area of player conflict (PvP/WvW) even opts to show you a generic name for the opposing team's members instead of giving you a player name so no grudge can be carried over from the match.