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31-Jan-2008
Saitek Cyborg Already Under £50
22-Jan-2008
Far Cry 2 - Huge Environment And Not a Trigen In Sight
While checking through my RSS feeds today, I came across an excellent preview of Far Cry 2 at Gamespot.
Far Cry 2 - beautiful scenery for miles and miles
Far Cry 2 is one of the games I'm keeping my eye on for 2008. Despite the turmoil over the intellectual property rights that led to the original developers losing the name and making Crysis, Far Cry 2 is shaping up to be a big hit under its new development team.
I was a big fan of the original Far Cry, up until the point where you met the trigens. After that it lost some of its appeal, as it was the open nature of the environments that I found most enjoyable. I can still remember being amazed by the beauty of the game when you first step out into sunlight and gaze down on the island in front of you.
Although its only a sequel in name, Far Cry 2 is aiming to recreate that feeling of an open environment that the original started with. The preview at Gamespot describes the ambitious scope of the game, with over 50 square kilometres available for you to wreak havoc in.
I'll not ruin the article for you, but from what I've read I'm even more excited about the release of this game. Its now on my list of must-buys for 2008 (along with Assassins Creed next month and Left 4 Dead when it arrives).
Update - there's even more detailed info available at IGN.
21-Jan-2008
Saitek Cyborg Keyboard - Razer And Logitech In For A Kicking
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17-Jan-2008
Logitech G11 vs Razer Lycosa : Gaming Keyboard Shootout
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11-Jan-2008
Razer Lachesis Sees Red
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10-Jan-2008
World Of Warcraft Themed Gaming Laptop
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08-Jan-2008
Need For Speed: ProStreet a.k.a. Flogging A Dead Horse
To: Need For Speed Project Manager, c/o Electronic Arts
Re: Need For Speed: ProStreet
Dear sir,
I've just spent a weekend in the company of your latest product, Need For Speed: ProStreet, and quite frankly I wish I hadn't bothered.
I'm not sure if you're trying to gain kudos from the professional tuning scene, or to escape media accusations of encouraging irresponsible driving, but the switch to circuit racing just doesn't work. I'm no longer free to roam on the open road, there are no cops or roadblocks blocking my path, and there is no pedestrian traffic to avoid. Those were the exact ingredients that made the last game (NFS: Most Wanted) so much fun (if a little infuriating at times).
Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with circuit racing, in fact it's a genre that I really enjoy. Unfortunately for ProStreet there are other games that do it so much better. Just take a look at GTR2 for an example of how to make a proper circuit racing game.
Your games have always taken the arcade approach to car handling, but at least the driving was fun. Having played the new game, I'm wondering if any of your development team possess a driving license? Do they all use public transport to get to work?
One minute I'm driving a twitchy handful that feels like it could spit me off the track if I so much as sneeze, the next minute I'm cursing understeer as I slide off a corner and into the barrier as if someone had greased the front wheels of my ride. At no point does it feel like fun, and it certainly doesn't 'simulate' the real-life cars that your game attempts to portray.
Sure, the tuning options are there and they're genuinely good, and there's a reasonable choice of cars, but that's to be expected these days (I know, we gamers are a spoilt bunch). Unfortunately, once you get back out on the track in your freshly tuned and customised car you soon realise that it's all show and no go!
I know that the NFS franchise (I choose that word carefully) is a big earner for your company, and I'm sure it's no coincidence that ProStreet was released just in time for the holiday season. I'm sure the bonus cheques came in really handy for your office Christmas party!
The Need For Speed franchise has had a few ups and downs in its various incarnations, but this is definitely a low point in the series. Surely it's time you stopped flogging this dead horse and started concentrating on a decent racing game, as it seems like you've lost any sense of where the game should be heading.
What about making a proper racing game to rival Gran Turismo and Forza? I'd dearly love to see something like this on the PC. Or perhaps you could take the example of Test Drive Unlimited and offer an open environment with hundreds of miles of road to discover. After all, originality doesn't seem to be an issue for you guys these days.
So come on, I think it's time that you laid Need For Speed to rest. Go back to the drawing board and come up with something new, innovate and fun, rather than recycling the same tired old ideas.
Most importantly, no matter what you come up with, can you please make sure that whoever's writing the handling model for the game has actually driven a car first?
With kindest regards,
Chris
P.S. Can you also get rid of the cringe-worthy cut scenes? The veneer-thin plot and stereotyped characters just make my skin crawl. Racing games are all about winning, you don't have to scrape the bottom of the scriptwriting barrel to explain my motivation.
Re: Need For Speed: ProStreet
Dear sir,
I've just spent a weekend in the company of your latest product, Need For Speed: ProStreet, and quite frankly I wish I hadn't bothered.
I'm not sure if you're trying to gain kudos from the professional tuning scene, or to escape media accusations of encouraging irresponsible driving, but the switch to circuit racing just doesn't work. I'm no longer free to roam on the open road, there are no cops or roadblocks blocking my path, and there is no pedestrian traffic to avoid. Those were the exact ingredients that made the last game (NFS: Most Wanted) so much fun (if a little infuriating at times).
Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with circuit racing, in fact it's a genre that I really enjoy. Unfortunately for ProStreet there are other games that do it so much better. Just take a look at GTR2 for an example of how to make a proper circuit racing game.
Your games have always taken the arcade approach to car handling, but at least the driving was fun. Having played the new game, I'm wondering if any of your development team possess a driving license? Do they all use public transport to get to work?
One minute I'm driving a twitchy handful that feels like it could spit me off the track if I so much as sneeze, the next minute I'm cursing understeer as I slide off a corner and into the barrier as if someone had greased the front wheels of my ride. At no point does it feel like fun, and it certainly doesn't 'simulate' the real-life cars that your game attempts to portray.
Sure, the tuning options are there and they're genuinely good, and there's a reasonable choice of cars, but that's to be expected these days (I know, we gamers are a spoilt bunch). Unfortunately, once you get back out on the track in your freshly tuned and customised car you soon realise that it's all show and no go!
I know that the NFS franchise (I choose that word carefully) is a big earner for your company, and I'm sure it's no coincidence that ProStreet was released just in time for the holiday season. I'm sure the bonus cheques came in really handy for your office Christmas party!
The Need For Speed franchise has had a few ups and downs in its various incarnations, but this is definitely a low point in the series. Surely it's time you stopped flogging this dead horse and started concentrating on a decent racing game, as it seems like you've lost any sense of where the game should be heading.
What about making a proper racing game to rival Gran Turismo and Forza? I'd dearly love to see something like this on the PC. Or perhaps you could take the example of Test Drive Unlimited and offer an open environment with hundreds of miles of road to discover. After all, originality doesn't seem to be an issue for you guys these days.
So come on, I think it's time that you laid Need For Speed to rest. Go back to the drawing board and come up with something new, innovate and fun, rather than recycling the same tired old ideas.
Most importantly, no matter what you come up with, can you please make sure that whoever's writing the handling model for the game has actually driven a car first?
With kindest regards,
Chris
P.S. Can you also get rid of the cringe-worthy cut scenes? The veneer-thin plot and stereotyped characters just make my skin crawl. Racing games are all about winning, you don't have to scrape the bottom of the scriptwriting barrel to explain my motivation.
07-Jan-2008
Logitech G15 Review at Metku
The Logitech G15 is currently my recommended gaming keyboard, but don't just take my word on it.
There's an in-depth Logitech G15 review at Metku.net, where the G15 recieves plenty of praise.
At the risk of ruining the conclusion of the review, they list the pros and cons as:
PROS
# Bright and clear LCD-screen
# Nice and quiet "feel" on the keys
# Looks stylish
CONS
# -
Yes, you read that correctly, there are no cons. Not bad, huh?
04-Jan-2008
Bellissimo! New 'Ferrari Project' Sim On The Way
If you're a driving sim fan (yes, I am) or a Ferrari fan (yes again!), you'll be excited to hear about the new 'Ferrari Project' (a working title) being developed by GTR2 developers Blimey! Games.
There aren't too many details available at the moment, but it is believed that the game will take a look at cars throughout Ferrari's history. There are a few screenshots available on their website, showing a F430 Spider and F1 car in gorgeous detail.
This should be a promising title as the developers have a great record for driving sims, with GTR2 being a critically acclaimed title offering amazing levels of detail and realism for car geeks like me. How many other games simulate the weight transfer of petrol sloshing around in the tank?
You can check out the screenshots at Blimey! Games website. Follow the Ferrari Project link in the left-hand menu.
Buying Guides
Are you looking to pick up some new hardware for your PC?
You may have missed some of my previous buying guides, so to save you hunting through the site archives here they are:
Gaming Peripherals
Best Gaming Mouse Buying Guide
Choosing The Best Gaming Keyboard
What Is The Best Gaming Mouse Pad?
PC Steering Wheel Roundup
Gaming PCs
Gaming Laptops Buying Guide
03-Jan-2008
Squeezing XP Onto Your Vista PC
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View the post at Squeezing XP Onto Your Vista PC
01-Jan-2008
Best Gaming Mouse - Buying Guide
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