Starcraft II Impressions July 28, 2010
Posted by Lyle in Must Read, News, Now Playing.add a comment
pew pew pew
So… 4 missions into Starcraft II and I already want to go back and replay the first game and Brood War. This is good stuff and I don’t even like Real-Time-Strategy. The story is Blizzard-level quality; the characters are cool and interesting; and the gameplay is spit-shine-polished. So far this is a beautiful game. I’m not much on the multiplayer of this genre so you’ll have to look elsewhere for that info (I stink at these games).
Content is T rated just like it says on the box. It would pass as a PG-13 movie I’m sure (so far). There’s animated blood, death, drinking and some swearing. The intensity factor is higher than the first game. My impressions so far is that they’ve made Starcraft feel a bit more like Warhammer 40K in tone and tragedy.
Terribly AFK July 26, 2010
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This is me leaping off of a telephone pole at camp. (The Pamper Pole)
Away from keyboard; for those of you that don’t know… I have had to devote my time to many things other than writing about games but haven’t given up. I’m in the process of streamlining the reviews and adding more small posts more often and we’ll see how that goes.
Starcraft 2 tonight? I dunno… Should I? It does look intriguing.
I’ve been away at Wilderness Camp for two weeks. I got back and checked out the XBLA game Limbo. It’s creepy! I recommend it to artsy types – but not to kids. Think Lord of the Flies meets Mario meets Alan Wake meets giant spiders…
Modern Warfare 2 LAN Party December 7, 2009
Posted by Lyle in Just For Fun, Now Playing, Reviews.Tags: LAN Party, Modern Warfare 2, Offline Multiplayer, System Link
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12 gamers. 4 Xbox 360′s. 4 HD displays. 6 hours. This was a truly awesome evening. We typically play the game after youth group meetings on one TV with 4-player split screen mode; but last Friday we gathered as many 360′s and displays as we could and gave every player his own screen. Obviously a lot more work and equipment is involved but it is SO WORTH IT. We had a blast!
The one caveat is that Infinity Ward did not make the game playable in split-screen and system link at the same time. So as much fun as it is, the matches are limited to 2 on 2 teams or 4-player free-for-all. Each gamer has to have his own console, TV, and game (WHY, I.W., WHY!!??). Gone are the days of 16-player Halo 3 LAN parties. As much fun as they were, so many of us love the gameplay of Call of Duty much more. Being limited to 4 players at a time wasn’t all bad, however, because the game is almost as much fun to watch as it is to play. There were quite a few OH’s and AHH’s and great plays that evening. With a bit of organization and the cooperation we had (we have some really good kids); it was one of the best game nights we’ve done. The teamwork on display was a wonderful thing to see (we have experienced and not so experienced players), and another great thing about this set up is that it makes the game much more intense and fair (no screen-peeking cheap shots haha). It’s almost scary. Unless you earn your team a UAV you have no idea where the other guys are lurking – great stuff!
The next project is going to be crazier. We’ve decided to up the systems by at least two, and if possible, four. We have a few students that couldn’t come that night and thus couldn’t bring their systems – but it seems that it’s possible (if everybody comes) that we could have 3 on 3 or 4 on 4 nights in the near future!
Hey Wifey, when’s the next girl’s night out???
I’m Dreaming of a Commercialized Christmas? December 7, 2009
Posted by Lyle in Just For Fun.Tags: Christmas
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(From this week’s church newsletter) On the “commercialization” of Christmas:
I’ve been thinking that maybe I’ve been too worried about this issue. It’s upsetting, but maybe it really shouldn’t be that big of a debate. The term “Black Friday” sounds pretty scary; and while it is ridiculous that we start seeing Christmas aisles before Thanksgiving; the hype is not without some merit. Christmas really is a big deal. It should be a time of planning, buying, and giving. It should be a time of joy and excitement. It should definitely be a time of family gatherings and good food. It’s a celebration. The trouble isn’t with the hyping of Christmas – it’s in the forgetting of why we celebrate.
Sometimes the biggest issue we face is that we just plain forget ourselves. We are so very human and prone to hurry right past the important stuff. It’s as if we’ve received an incredible gift; but are so consumed with the wrapping paper that we miss it. Sometimes even the opposing forces are able to steal our focus off of Jesus by stirring up this controversy or that (So we get busy boycotting when we should be partying).
This Christmas I’m going to try getting less upset about grumpy shoppers (of which I am the worst anyway), watered-down Christmas greetings, and non-Christians acting like they don’t agree with us or something; and simply focus on Jesus. The one who came to rescue us from death and Hell can also rescue us from Wal-Mart and politically-correct greeting cards. If we’re willing to remember Him and all that He’s done for us I think it might bring the “Merry” part back to Christmas! Merry Christmas!
-Lyle
“You don’t have a soul. You are a soul. You have a body.” – C.S. Lewis
Star Wars Geekery November 23, 2009
Posted by Lyle in Just For Fun.Tags: Get Fuzzy, Star Wars
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A good friend of mine hands me any comic strips that reference Star Wars and this one made me chuckle, had to share…
Get Fuzzy by Darby Conley (Oct 18th I think). Click it to read it 
MW2 Comic Hits the Nail on the Head November 15, 2009
Posted by Lyle in Just For Fun.Tags: Funny, Games, Modern Warfare 2
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Snagged this from Kotaku, who snagged this from Digital Unrest by Chris Simmons. Had to share:
What’s really funny is, I did that in my second or third match. You haven’t experienced MW2 if you haven’t been killed by your own airdrop. There should have been an achievement for it!
Modern Warfare 2 Spec Ops Impressions November 15, 2009
Posted by Lyle in Just For Fun, News, Now Playing.Tags: Co-Op, Modern Warfare 2, Spec-Ops
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It’s just SO GOOD. I invited a good friend over for some split-screen co-op today. We played through about 19 of the Spec-Op missions on Hardened difficulty and I honestly can’t remember when a split-screen game has been so much fun. The smooth controls and sweet level design, along with very good (sometimes annoyingly so) enemy AI make this one of the most rewarding shooters in existence. It’s very fun, and will be something I know I’ll get tons of replay value out of.
The addictiveness of MW2′s online multiplayer leveling-up is replaced by the addictiveness of absolutely having to use teamwork and strategy for survival. And the harder it gets; the more fun it is to win. Most missions were fairly easy on hardened difficulty (with 2 players, mind you). A few of them were quite hard and forced us to rethink strategies a bit. I’ve played and beaten one mission on veteran and it only took us, what, ten tries? Failure did nothing to thwart my desire to keep playing til we won.
There are 20+ missions and you unlock them in groups as you earn stars for each successful mission. What’s really amazing is that each one feels unique; even the ones that are played in the same areas. You might have to breach and clear a prison shower room full of enemies. You’ll be calling targets and synchronizing sniper shots in the snow. You’ll be fending off waves of troops and vehicles in a desperate survival scenario. There are even a couple of racing levels (which were my least favorite, but still fun)! Then the fact that there are a couple of great missions inspired by COD4 thrown in for good measure (remember “Death From Above”?).
I would love to see the next Spec-Ops update support four players, but for these maps and missions two is definitely the sweet spot. Infinity Ward would have to up the difficulty considerably. At any rate; they’ve consistently hinted at updating Spec-Ops with new stuff… I will be there to scoop it up day one. This mode rocks.
Dragon Age: Origins and the Cross of Christ November 13, 2009
Posted by Lyle in Just For Fun, Now Playing.Tags: Christianity, Dragon Age: Origins
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My Level 9 Warrior Elissa Comes to Save Redcliffe
This is an article I wrote up for my church newsletter; believe it or not haha! So here I am explaining the beginning of Dragon Age to quite a few non-gamers…
There is a major early story spoiler in this article (well, if you’re a video gamer)
The game is Dragon Age: Origins and its set in a world that could be compared to Tolkien’s Middle Earth, though it’s much more dark and tragic. Much like any good fantasy story; you get your elves, dwarves, evil bad guys, swords, dragons (hence the title), heroes and kings. At a certain place in the story you meet some important characters: one will become your mentor, another is a renowned and revered hero, and another one just so happens to be your country’s king. It seemed as though the game was setting me up for a typical and predictable, but nonetheless epic, fantasy against the mindless horde of bad guys coming my way and I was really getting into it!
I was wrong about it being typical or predictable. There is an epic battle at the beginning of the game. In this battle your king and mentor are both killed, the battle lost, and the famous hero is revealed as a traitor. It was a major twist; and a jarring one at that. I was actually so engrossed in the story that it kind of got to me; it made me angry!
I’ve never felt quite so hopeless and sad about the story of a video game before. It made me think about Peter and the other disciples in the hours and days following the cross. What a shock it must have been (even though Jesus tried to warn them). Imagine having the man you had come to know as your mentor and King – the one your people have been waiting on for centuries; betrayed, arrested, beaten, and crucified. It must have felt as though time stopped and all was lost. Thank God we know the end of that story! Because of the resurrection we have hope in Jesus and Heaven! Our Mentor and King has somehow survived death and tragedy! I don’t know the end of Dragon Age (and don’t be spoiling it for me!), but our true story is way more compelling than any man-made story. It’s funny how you can find little reminders and insights to truth in the places you’d least expect if you’re looking for them…
Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 Single Player Impressions November 12, 2009
Posted by Lyle in News.Tags: Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2, Extreme Content, Game Ratings, Modern Warfare 2
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Modern Warfare 2 is here. And here’s what I think:
ABOUT THE SINGLE-PLAYER STORY MODE
The bottom line: Amazing (in that summer blockbuster movie sort of way). The action is way over the top and the plot is just a touch outside of the realm of the possible (I hope so anyway) - but the characters drive it so well. The explosions and the settings were shock and awe moments for sure; but the emotional attachment to the characters you meet, play as, and really learn to love (and hate) makes this one of the best media about war ever. Soap, Roach, Ghost, Foley, Ramirez and more will get under your skin. These capture you as if they are real human heroes that couldn’t have been done better.
This is going to be a five star game; for adults.
Content: Well, aside from the “No Russian” level that is mentioned specifically below; the game is slightly more violent than COD4 Modern Warfare (1) was. It’s MUCH less violent than Call of Duty World At War, and I’m glad for it. I remember saying that the intensity level was the thing that concerened me about letting kids play the first Modern Warfare – and here it is the same issue; except that the intensity level has been upped considerably. Many of the scenes and set pieces will leave you holding your breath and dodging the incoming fire in your chair. I think it may be too intense, rather than too violent, for young ones. Much like the first game; main characters are not invincible, and some of the plot twists are very, very emotional.
“No Russian”
Much has been said and debated about the “terrorist” level. As horrible as it was, it does capture the nightmarish spirit of this new world war on terrorism we are in. The game allows you to play as a covert agent committing an atrocity in order to infiltrate a terror cell. You can pull the trigger or back off and watch as the real bad guys do all the work; or you can opt out of it altogether – the game warns you twice. I advise that you heavily weigh the options and don’t just charge in without thinking. It does set up the rest of the plot, but you really won’t miss anything that isn’t explained. I watched – did not pull the trigger – and was satisfied that the scene was not simply there to push the envelope of content in games. Don’t get me wrong – it was horrible – but it was not unrealistic, unfortunately. We live in a day and age where evil men fly airplanes as bombs and IED’s and suicide-bombings are frequently heard news. Infinity Ward handled with maturity; but I wonder why they decided to make it playable. It could have been a cut scene and still been just as powerful and heart-wrenching. making it playable was unnecessary and I think it will cause issues with those who aren’t mature enough to handle it.
They said that they wanted the player to experience the atrocities of terror – but I contend that no video game or movie could really ever do that. The Ft. Hood shooting was very recent and I kept thinking – the real thing was there, not here in my Xbox. The best it could do is make me think deeply about terrorism and about myself. It is interesting that although in my mind I knew that these innocent people were just animated 3-d characters I still had no desire whatsoever to participate. This level and the decision to make it playable are very good reasons not to blindly allow your young children to see or play Modern Warfare 2. The game is not for kids. Some will not be able to handle or process the scene; adults included.
The game is rated M for Mature for Blood, Drug reference, Intense Violence, and Language. I’ll pipe in later with Multiplayer impressions as well as Spec-Ops mode. I played and beat the single player campaign on regular difficulty, and have played to level 19 in multiplayer mode as of this writing. I haven’t even tried Spec-Ops.
Games and Christmas November 5, 2009
Posted by Lyle in Must Read, News.Tags: Content, Game Ratings, Gaming Industry, Preview
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Many parents are probably checking out the “Holiday Buying Guides” trying to decide what games to get for the kiddos this year. Here is a quick rundown of the four most anticipated (according to Gamestop’s current best selling list) that are out or coming out this season and what ratings apply: (Note that all four of the top-selling games are rated M)
#4 
Assassin’s Creed 2. M for mature. Well, a decent game about killing people who usually deserve it (but don’t we all?) deserves a sequel, right? It does when it sells ridiculously well! I think this is going to be a big seller this season due to the hype surrounding it and much like the first game, there’ll be lots of killin’…
Most of what parent’s need to know is pretty obvious from the title alone. You play as an assassin. You kill people in fairly brutal, highly efficient ways. It’s pretty much looking like the same game as the first with new features and a different protagonist/storyline. I hear that some non-gratuitous sexual content will make it into the game, as it seems the new assassin Ezio is a “ladies man” of sorts. Lots of kids will be wanting this game this year.
#3 
Dragon Age: Origins. M for Mature. I was actually surprised to see this in the list. Bioware is known for making seriously epic RPG’s but even though it’s my favorite genre, I felt this game was coming in under the radar with all of the other big games being released this season. THis is the one game on the list that I have played, and man; it’s amazing! I love it for it’s setting, story, and RPG tactical combat and gameplay… But I have to caution parents about the game. It’s certainly geared towards adults. There are some very “mature” themes, and although on the surface, it looks like a Lord of the Rings clone, it is much, much darker and bloodier. Also present are seemingly complex relationship building that may or may not result in sex scenes/nudity. It’s a bit overblown and non-gratuitous, but it seems like they are making it a selling-point-feature of the game, “buy our game and you’ll see breasts, kids!” Needless to say, it’s needless; and tacky. Other than that the game is compelling, smart, well-written, well-voiced and epic.
#2 
Left 4 Dead 2. M for Mature. In Left 4 Dead there was little to no story – it was you and three other “survivors” against (countable, actually) hordes of zombies that wanted to kill you. You had to work together, think fast, and aim true. The kids loved this one and aside from the arcadey feel I liked it too. It was mindless fun, but it was cooperative and I love co-op games…
That said, it was gruesome. It was every bit as gory and scary as your average horror movie and was more intense because YOU are the potential victim. What made it so fun was what made it so scary. So scary in fact, that I know of old dudes like me that actually can’t play it, because zombies creep them out! The sequel looks like it will be more of the same, although from early previews (I have yet to check out the demo, which is available) it looks more gooey than the first. Parents, I don’t think the young ones will like it, nor is it appropriate for them. Proceed with caution: Zombies and blood and gore ahead…
#1.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. Gamestop already reports that there are more pre-orders for this game than any other. Gamestops will be open at midnight next week all around the country in order to make massive amounts of customers happy – and subsequently calling in sick on Tuesday morning
The content for the 1st game wasn’t too over the top, but it was an intense experience and not recommended for the younger kids. From what I’ve seen so far Infinity Ward is rethinking it’s content levels fairly drastically with more blood and gore, swearing, and apparently; lots more intensity in the killing dept. Parents are strongly cautioned about this one. SPOILER ALERT (highlight text): A recently leaked video depicted a player-controlled terrorist versus unarmed civilians killing spree at an airport – I don’t know the context in which this takes place, but I have seen the video and it’s pretty hard to watch – I have HEARD that you can opt out of it or not participate in some way. SPOILER OVER.
Make no mistake, this will probably be the one game your kids want more than any other this season – but I don’t believe it will be appropriate for your younger ones… I’ll be playing it next Tuesday and will post an impressions article.
