Warning: This Post is NOT About an RPG

Titanfall. I never expected you to even blip on my radar. Really, I figured I was done with multiplayer shooters. Call of Duty had long since stopped being something that commanded my attention, and Battlefield, despite multiple attempts on my part, just didn't hook me in any sustainable fashion.

But, Titanfall, despite my attempts to dismiss you, something about you kept beckoning to me to glance at previews and videos of you. I don't know if it's your OG ex-Infinity Ward pedigree, or your science-fiction setting, or your use of mechs, or the fact that you were clearly doing something different from the other Wal-Mart-esque generic shooters, I kept tabs on you.

And holy cow, am I glad I did.

On a whim, I went ahead and registered for beta codes for both PC and XB1. I received them both this past weekend, and quickly hopped into the action.

Titanfall, via its excellent mechanics is, *GASP*, inclusive and accessible in its play. I have never felt so ready to compete, and the fact that I was actually competitive so quickly surprised me.

Granted, a lot of this action is new to most players, so we'll see how that holds up when I only play 5 hours a week, while the rest of the players make it a full-time job.

What was most impressive, though, was that my 8yr old got in there and really tore shit up.

A quick note on that - it's an M-rated game, yes, I know. But I played a fair amount of it before turning him loose on it, and I felt like most of the action was absent any real grotesquerie. I winced a bit at the neck-breaking mêlée attack, but that was it. The rest of it is so out-of-this-world, that it doesn't smack of realism. Please save your holier-than-thou parenting for your own family.

The best moment of the weekend, though, was when he figured out, for both of us, that you could, as a pilot, jump on top of an enemy Titan, rip open its hull, then start drilling it with your gun. He kept insisting that it was doable, and I said, 'fine, it's your life,' and he blew that enemy Titan to pieces. We high-fived and had a great laugh about it.

The lesson: families that play Titanfall together stay together.

So, most of his action was on the Xbox One. I played mostly on PC, and LOVED it.

Visually, both were stunning, and I was surprised at how well they both play. Yeah, PC is a little more accurate with the WASD + mouse, but the XB1 version played beautifully. I rarely found myself getting frustrated with the control.

I ran my PC version at max settings @ 1920x1080 and had no issues. It was silky-smooth.

I'm not sure what resolution the XB1 version is running, but I'm certain a PS4 fanboy could tell you. The correct answer is, 'it's a console game, and I don't care; if I cared about visuals, I'd play it on PC.' It still looks goddam great for a console game.

Both versions played great, both looked great, and I'm really considering getting the game for both, since the boy prefers the console, while I prefer the PC (also, most of my friends are mouth-breathing console players, so I might as well join them.)

The biggest thing, though, was that it was accessible without feeling dumbed-down. That is quite a feat and I tip my hat to Respawn.

What was especially fun was getting to know the game a bit, then deciding on an approach, and then seeing that approach succeed. I decided I want to be a quiet, stealthy dealer of death. I use the Smart Pistol (wow, what a great weapon), which doesn't demand that you be all that accurate, but it does insist that if your target requires more than one hit, you keep the target in a wide bracket of view until the number of hits it needs for a kill all line up. This is fantastic for stealth kills. Additionally, I have a cloak that I can use for a brief time, which is more effective on Titans than pilots. This allows me to actually stealthily approach the Titan until I can jet up to its head, and begin to bring it down.

It's fantastic getting into a game like this, finding your niche, and then using it in concert with the team to bring the other team to its knees. Man, I haven't had that feeling in years.

Also, this is the first game I've ever played whose tutorial is really fun. It was almost like Portal

As I said, I'd sworn off multiplayer shooters, but I am buying this game, and I can't wait to play the hell out of it.

Bringing it full-circle, though, I guess I am describing the most literal terms of 'role-playing.' Maybe this is the multiplayer shooter role-players have been waiting for? I don't know, but I'm amped as hell for this game, and can't wait to play more tonight!

I believe users can directly access the beta from their Xbox One now. Get in there!

-Blaine

Who would have thought...

Now that the 'Big 3' have each shows their wares, here are a few more impressions after digesting Nintendo, Sony, the rest of EA, and everything in between.

I need to correct my excitement over ESPN on 360 to zero if what I have heard since then is true. Basically if you don't already have the channel through Cable/Dish you cannot watch it. If this is correct, please tell me what the fuck devoting that much of your show to it was for, since 'free' price is in fact NOT free if that is the case. I really hope I am wrong, but it wouldn't surprise me.

As for Nintendo, how the fuck did they pull off the best show, even with some really awkward parts? Is it that the others were just incredibly BAD (and they really made Microsoft look flat out AWFUL in retrospect) or did they just make me excited about the Wii AND somehow look forward to the 3DS despite swearing off handhelds?

I cannot convey how happy I am that Zelda looks like it requires the Motion+, since more serious games that use motion controls benefit immensely from it. I really really worry about the shield controls though, as from my experience the motion sensor in the nunchuck is piss poor. I hated any moves in Twilight Princess that used it in that manner, as it was spotty at best. I hope it was more a software issue and not hardware, as the accuracy of the controls will make or break this game unlike any other in the series so far.

Now I just feel like jumping to the 3DS, which if the effect is really as amazing as I keep reading, and if the analog stick works well, seems both awesome and incredibly awkward at the same time. Think back to all the games that you felt really used the DS - chances are the "main" game screen was the lower one. With the focus almost having to be on the top screen due both to the larger size and the 3D effect, doesn't that take away 90% of the point of having the touch screen?

I understand it from a backwards compatibility standpoint, but otherwise it also really impacts adventure games (which seemed to be making a minor comeback on the system) and all of the games that use the DS as a book. It also seems to get rid of the popular effect of spanning both screens due to the different sizes, though I am sure developers will do it anyway. It really is almost two distinct systems in one right now, which makes me feel like they should have gone all-out to one big 3D screen and set it up like the PSP Go (they couldn't go the other way with touch, as it would just be an iPhone). Think about a game like Nintendogs, one of the all-time bestsellers on the system - it would never be made for the 3DS. I am really interested to see how many developers skip the touch aspect altogether with the analog now available to control and a larger 3D screen above.

Sony didn't really wow me, though I am really excited for Infamous 2. What struck me more about their presentation was the odd EA partnerships, which exclusive special editions of EA games. Then I thought back to how Microsoft was pimping Activision DLC, and how they chose to show the Ubisoft Kinect workout game as a feature instead of EA Sports Active 2, which is also for Kinect. Could this be the two heavyweights choosing sides for the next couple years?

The other scary part is that there has been no price announced for the 3DS (somewhat understandable) OR Kinect (baffling). I will say my magic price for 3DS that would make it a day 1 purchase is $149, and I will consider around the $179 range (with strong launch games), but my guess is $250. I can see $200 if they don't want it to be more than the Wii though. Kinect just doesn't have anything I care THAT much about, so I think $79 is my magic price there, or $100 if they announce some more uses that appeal to me. The rumored $150 is just way too high, and I think may cause it to be a massive flop.

Untitled Podcast: Mass Effect 2 Edition

Here is your new podcast!

We talk about our early impressions of Mass Effect 2 and comb through every little detail of it. From Cerberus to Zaeed to the Citadel to Omega, we cover every minor detail from the early parts of the game. We compare and contrast Mass Effect to Mass Effect 2, and talk about what we love and what we hate in the new game. If you are as much as freak for these games as we are, you will love this podcast!

Download it, listen in, and let us know what your opinions of the game thus far are!

-Blaine

It's cold and I am bothered

As you undoubtedly heard on our most recent podcast this past weekend, BiowarEA has announced an expansion for Dragon Age, called 'the Awakening.' This is hot on the heels of their last-second announcement that they've delayed 'Return to Ostagar,' followed by a steadfast refusal to say why, which was followed 12 hours later by a quietly muttered, 'ya know, bugs n' shit,' kinda explanation.

I love Bioware, though the treatment I've been receiving at the hands of their owners has been less than kind. I've teased for a long time that I'm going to post the hilarious indifference that EA's tech support has shown toward their victims, and as soon as I have them all organized, I will. I'm still battling over EA's refusal to work with me on getting my Bioware profile to update with my Dragon Age game info, so I may wait until that is resolved, but we'll see.

Anyway, word on the street is that 'Return to Ostagar' is supposed to finally hit today, but I'm not holding my breath.

Make damn sure you read up on 'the Awakening,' because it sounds great, and I can't wait to see if we actually get to know 'the Architect' a bit, because he was a really interesting character in the most recent book.

So, I've got a few things on my mind that I was thinking about posting this week. One, my impressions of 'Dante's Inferno' or my gripes about 'things that lotsa gamers do that make us all look bad.' You pick.

Lemme know, and I'll post it in the next day or so.

-Blaine