Dead Space 3 [Review/Thoughts]

Writing for my blog has been difficult, due to personal issues/school crunch time... However, I have a little time today, so I wanted to write my post about Dead Space 3, since this post is a little overdue. This post is potentially full of spoilers, and I do not recommend reading it if you are concerned. 

Let me start off by explaining what spurred my interest in the Dead Space franchise. Two years ago (jeez!) when I had first started seeing my boyfriend, he expressed his interest in the series. I was a little wary; the only time I have touched these games is when I played the original Dead Space demo on the PS3 way back before it was first released... And that alone kept me well away from the games.
With this in mind, he asked me to play the second game with him instead. I tried to wiggle my way out of this one for about a week, but he always rebutted that I loved The Walking Dead (which is horrific and gory in it's own way), so I should have no problem with Dead Space 2. Wanting to impress this guy (hey, it's worked out so far!) and now feeling challenged, I took up his suggestion of playing the game.

And the entire 8h that it took for me to complete the game were the most terrifying 8h I'll never get back. But it was so worth it! After we got together, and about a year into our relationship, we ended up playing the first one (together, this time; not just me running around wildly screaming and swearing), and I found myself falling more and more in love with this twisted franchise.

Anyway, now that I've provided context into this, considering DS is completely out of my comfort zone, onto Dead Space 3!

I purchased the game for us, and we excitedly started it up on his 360. We're introduced to Isaac in his slummy apartment he once shared with Ellie. This saddened me; I was hoping they would stick it out but reading his journal article about their problems made me understand. Anyway, throughout the beginning, I asked questions from my boyfriend as we navigated our way through the city and eventually out of it. I had already taken a liking to Carver, but not so much the other companion we had to deal with (I had a really, really bad feeling about him, so I guess that made him a little predictable for me).
Anyway, we played through a large chunk of the game, and we felt that a lot of the horror factor had been removed... But that didn't stop me from screaming and jumping during select parts.

However, when I think about it: Isaac has seem some pretty messed up stuff. We're playing as Isaac Clarke, and I think that's something some players forget! He's not scared any more; he just wants all this Marker business to be over and done with so he can just try living again. That's why I tend to have little issue with "the game has become too action-based" (see: Resident Evil 5/6 (which I have not played, only up to 5, Dead Space 3, etc) as ... we have to remember, we're not ourselves - we're Isaac. But, I guess it's best to remember a lot of players don't become that character, so I can also see both sides of this.

My one gripe with Dead Space 3, however, was the end, and the aliens. When you have to run around constructing the Alien in the lab for Ellie. Like... I don't know how to explain it really. I just felt like I had been slapped in the face. Literally up until the last couple of chapters, my boyfriend and I loved Dead Space 3. It had just the right amount of horror we thought it would have, and we really felt like Isaac just wanted to get it over with, and move on with his life. 

What I've come to understand, though, is in multiplayer Carver is actually seeing hallucinations of his son. :( Biggest sadface ever, and I wish DS3 allowed local multiplayer so I could have seen this. Also, I've heard that the new DLC for the game that happens after the big ending is incredible. But because I haven't played it yet (will be making a post when I do play it!), my little rating system doesn't include it, or multiplayer.

So, because I wanted to try a rating system now with games:

Horror Factor: ★★★.5☆☆
Dead Space 3 really isn't as scary as it could be, but there are definitely parts where you will jump or forget if you killed that body, or if it's just waiting for you... I took the lack of horror with a grain of salt; Isaac has already had some closure from Nicole and other things, and now just wants to put the last nail in the coffin. Points deducted because it's marketed as a Horror game, and should be more action-based... also, there's only so many times you can freak us out by having bridges break under us, things fall, etc. It got really boring after the third or fourth fall out.

Story: ★★★★☆
I really enjoyed the story, personally. I deducted a star for the ending, because I felt like it was completely underwhelming and took away from Isaac's story but overall, I enjoyed learning more about the Markers, and sharing Isaac's increasing frustration throughout the game.I also thought it was interesting how you could build and customize your guns as you went along.

Game play: ★★★★☆
I felt the game was fairly close to the original two Dead Space games, but I deducted a mark because of all the glitches we encountered, which overall took away from the story and horror as well. Also, do they keep you well stocked on ammo... sheesh.
There is a lot of fetch this, do this, do that quests, but I found that this aligned with the other games (something's wrong, go fix it, go back, rinse repeat).

Overall Rating: ★★★★☆

I do recommend the game to players who are sceptical about it. Playing the story and learning about the origin of the Markers is intriguing, and I just really feel like it brings Isaac's experience together. If you can get past the fact that the game is not as scary as the first two, you will find it is quite enjoyable. Overall, good game! Can't wait to play the DLC, though. :3

DmC: Devil May Cry, from someone new to the series

Alright! I finally have a day to get around to this post! Originally when I wanted to post this, I had an AWFUL flu, and while I was playing DmC while under it, everything was... well... more messed up than it should have been. But more on that; I have since finished the game with my boyfriend (I have yet to do it on my own personal PS3 here at home, but since I know the context for everything now, I'm just going to go ahead and get this all out of the way! So here are my thoughts on Ninja Theory's DmC: Devil May Cry, from the point of view of someone who has never, ever played a game in this franchise prior.

So, as stated before, I was under the effects of a serious flu that prevented me from very much cognitive action. I sat on a couch for four and a half days straight, wrapped in a blanket and having a hard time eating. Before succumbing to the full effects of the flu, I had managed to pick up DmC: Devil May Cry from my favourite EB Games, which is actually a little far from my house (so I had to maneuver my way from downtown where my school is, to the next zone to get the game, and then bus all the way home... it was not fun, to say the least). But eager all the same, I popped the game in and started playing.

I was going into this game blind for two reasons: I had never played the DmC franchise due to never owning a PS system prior to my PS3, and two I purposely did not play the demo because I love to figure games out by themselves, mostly. The game's intro was spinning (at least, for me, what with that gross flu all up in my head) and... raunchy! I was kind of off put at first, but I was also fairly amused... and worried because my mother was sitting next to me on the couch and ... yeah I had no idea it was going to start off that way. Regardless, I barrelled on, excited and getting amped with the music (which is not typically my thing, but damn did it make that game freaking awesome!)

At first, I was a little off put by the combat system. Although I had seen some friends in the past playing, trying to get their letter rating up to SSSensational, etc, I was still flustered by it. Looking back, I think I had a hard time simply because I had a hard time keeping my head up.... but I eventually started to get the hang of things. The fast-paced, keep-your-combo-going stuff grew on me and I started getting competitive with MYSELF to try and best each new fight with a new score. Unlocking the first demon & angel weapons was a treat, too. Although, I have to admit, my hand did cramp a few times trying to hold down my R2/L2 to lay down long combos/switching incessantly to keep it fresh for my score. Despite that though, once I had picked up the general idea of the combat system, I started to have a lot of fun and started to forget how sick I was, so that was nice.

Story wise, I was hooked. I wanted to know more about Dante and The Order, and I wanted him to keep fighting for this cause. I started to feel more and more attached to the characters, and wanted to know more about them. Their anecdotes in cutscenes, too, were always appreciated. ("My dick is bigger.") At the end of the game (no spoilers, I promise!) I was dumfounded! When was my second game coming?! Despite NT taking over, and this being a reboot, I could see why older fans of the series were so attached to the games.

Graphically, I felt that the game was almost a little too shiny, but I was still captivated by it. A lot of my scores were effected by long times, because I spent long periods wandering, trying to find lost souls, examining the structures in limbo or buildings in general. I felt some things were a little unpolished, but nonetheless, I was inspired by how beautifully wrought each mission was.

All in all, I feel like Ninja Theory got me hooked on the DmC franchise! I can't wait until the next instalment of the reboot finally goes up.

Guild Wars 2: October - Present (very image heavy)

So, with my decision to update my blog more often and keep up with that sort of thing as a part of my new years resolution, I hope to be updating here more often! Hopefully at least once every couple of weeks, as this is a gaming blog after all, and I'll be busy once school starts to pick up. Nonetheless, time to do my update on GW2, OCT-PRES!

October:

After getting settled in to my new guild and getting acquainted to my fellow guild members through chat and mumble, I finally started to run dungeons! At first, I was hesitant; I felt as though my guild leader + others thought too highly of my abilities as an engineer, because in my world... I was still learning the class I had yet to solidify my skills and traits, and I had no idea what to do with my gear... like, at all. My guild leader suggested COF (Citadel of Flame, the level 70 dungeon) would be ideal for my class.

A screenshot from some of my first ever dungeon runs in explorable mode: COF.

Sometimes, you just have to do things in the nude.

Goodbye COF, hello TA!

After getting two pieces of the gear, I realized that I would prefer a Condition Damage/Precision build, so I started to run Twilight Arbour (TA)... a lot. Above is a screenshot of when I first started doing TA. Thankfully, my guildmates were very helpful and provided a lot of instruction for me, so I quickly picked up all three runs of TA no problem! ... little did I know that I would be running TA whenever I had the chance between studying and writing reports for school. ヽ(#`Д´)ﾉ

Towards the end of the month, Arenanet launched the halloween event, featuring Mad King Thorn! The beginning of the event was fairly simple, and much like a scavenger hunt. It was interesting learning some lore about the Mad King, and I'm quite the lore junkie so I indulged several times over a couple of characters. Among the scavenger hunt, there were pumpkins scattered everywhere to carve, candy corn nodes to mine, and trick or treat doors to open! There was even The Mad King's Clock Tower, a horrid jumping puzzle I could never master... so it's the only achievement from Halloween that I don't have. There was also a sPVP game style called Lunatics Inquisition, where one team are villagers, and the other team is ghosts... it's kind of like Halo's game type of zombies. It was hilariously fun. Oh, also, when the Mad King appeared, he destroyed the Lion statue in the Piazza! To this day, it is still being built! I love how it's progressively being rebuilt, rather than all at once with an update. 

In addition to all these event activities and running dungeons, I also started taking part in more dynamic events, such as dragon champion events!

Jormag's Champion

The Shatterer, Khalkatorrik's Champion

 November: 

I knew November was going to be a busy month, as the Lost Shores event was announced prior to Halloween. Even though the weeks leading up to it were busy for me (midterms, lots of reports to write, and some struggles with work), I still found time for the interesting event. ANet told us we would be getting a new map, and some strange new enemies to fight, as well as a new dungeon, Fractals of The Mists (my favourite part about the event!). The event was about the Karka, ancient crab-like creatures that were invading the bay and subsequently destroying the lighthouse in Lion's Arch. During the weekend, we followed another scavenger hunt to learn about the Consortium's involvement with Southsun Cove and the Karka, as well as how to take them out safely, as they have incredibly thick shells that prevented them from taking much damage.

Exploring a new, untouched map was very interesting. We got to see some deforestation (no, I'm serious) and some jumping puzzles. It was neat to be on a map that we were all visiting for the first time.

Cutting down trees to make paths and camps with the Consortium, as a part of the multi-hour finale to the weekend.

The final day of the weekend was the longest, as it included a multi-hour event that took us through Southsun cove as we built paths and bridges and camps. At the end of the event, we had to blow up the Ancient Karka's hive and kill it so that we could live in Lion's Arch peacefully knowing that the large threat was gone.  The final fight was strenuous as essentially a large zerg fest, but it was also incredibly fun.

WHAT 9000??!!!

At the end of the event, we were awarded with a 20 Slot Box and an Exotic Accessory... and if you were lucky, a Precursor to make a legendary weapon!! My friend got Dusk (the precursor to make the legendary greatsword, Twilight). I got a named rifle. 〜(￣▽￣〜)  It didn't sell as well as my friend's Dusk, but it was neat to get something named!

Comparing the rifle to my rifle at the time.

After the event, I purchased a Young Karka transformation potion for karma. Worth it.

But, as mentioned before, my favourite part of the weekend was the new dungeon becoming available! Basically, you run three instances (four if you're doing every even number) that can take a few minutes, to an hour or more depending on how coordinated you are as a unit. What I really love about FOTM, is that it really  requires team work and communication, unlike TA (if you've done it a few times, you've done it a hundred, and you can do it without talking almost...) Also, it gets marginally harder with every new level!
Even though FOTM introduced a new gear type (Ascended), I still don't feel affected by the gear-grind. I mean, I just don't care if I have to grind - even if I was told that I wouldn't have to do it. I like working with others for a common goal, and helping out others who might not know what they're doing.

Just before our first fight with the Jade Maw (at lv2 Fractal)

Seriously, all these fractals are so interesting! This is climbing up the Colossus fractal.

And just for fun, my guildie's bear, who he now calls "Happy" per my request :3

 Once the weekend was over and people were tired of trying to catch others up to our fractal level, a lot of people became inactive. :( I had been promoted to an Officer's position in my guild, so it was frustrating we had fewer members than ever. This is still a problem, but it doesn't stop the few of us who are still active from having fun. We regularly WvW in our "serious business" (pink&purple coloured armour ONLY) colours and run dungeons and level up alt-characters.

We're super serious; don't mess with us.

Norn Dance Party

In addition to the event that happened in November, I also got my world completion star, and finished my personal story! 

So shiny （*´▽｀*♥ 

Finally!

 December: 

School ended fairly early in the month for me, just in time for Wintersday! In anticipation, I made friendly with some randoms on my server, and we danced like Kodan for ... a good hour and a half before the server updated with Wintersday fun.

Dance, minions, dance!

I even completed my TA armour set at last!

Merry Wintersday, Tyria!

When the server finally did update, there was snow everywhere! I loved running around building snowmen and throwing snowballs at other players ♥. I was excited for Tixx's workshop too, since it was supposed to be like a mini-dungeon where we could earn materials to make new minis for our collections. My favourites were the Plush Griffon and the Toy Ventari. Other than doing the jumping puzzle and each toy instance, Wintersday was okay but I made more use of my time running other dungeons or levelling my Sylvari Ranger. But below is a picture of my struggles with a group of randoms.

At least I died a very cute death!

Present: 

Currently, my guildmates are fairly inactive. Most have moved on to other games, or are waiting for more content updates to bring them back. This leaves the guild with only a half a dozen or so players, including myself and some close friends I've made, which is somewhat depressing at times. To combat this, we play on our alternates a lot and run fractals (we're finally at level 10!), which is just fine. As long as I still have people to play with, I'm content. ♥

ANet said in an interview recently that the content updates this month and next month will equate to almost a full expansion's worth of game content! They've also eluded to some new WvW maps... I can't wait! Even though I'm taking seven courses this semester, I'm still finding enough wiggle room for some game time.
I don't know what Anet has in store for the GW2 community, but I am very, very excited.

With all that being said, phew! I think I summarized and caught up my blog on my GW2ing... I'll be posting my Engineer Build soon, I think, so I can keep track of it somewhere. Also, with DMC coming out in a week and a bit, I'll be posting about that too! In the meantime, back to levelling my Ranger and playing Dead Island.

Guild Wars 2: August-September

Wow. WOW. My mind is literally at a loss of words when logging on to the full Guild Wars 2 game for the first time in August. Even though I had participated in beta weekends due to purchasing a collector's edition, I didn't explore very far out of beginning zones. I refused to leave those level 1-15 zones and the main cities. I just couldn't bring myself to actually open that present even though I had already peeked at them before. But... when I finally did... I was smitten. Everything was so beautiful and detailed; I could see the locks in my engineer's hair moving, and her body shifting as she stood still or as she ran. I was excited all the time and so completely floored by how beautifully large and expansive Tyria was. I really felt a part of the game.

Pardon the roleplayer in me, but I could literally feel myself as Nova, weighing her rifle in her hand, throwing her grenades, running through the lush fields of Queensdale and Kessex and swimming through the beautiful large lakes. I wanted to inspect every tree, every blade of grass, every civilian who walked by.

Nova Arterius, my main (Engineer) in Divinity's Reach

My friends and I started on Darkhaven server, and I created my guild Requiem of Valkyria [VALK] for us to play. I loved helping others, running with randoms, completing quests... Everything was so fresh, exciting. Thrilling. But as the first few weeks passed, school started, and my friends, and only guildmates, started to lose interest due to the grinding they knew we would be facing (let's face it... Guild Wars 2 does have a grind system whether they say they do or not). However, despite my friends leaving, I continued playing. I refused to stop. Everything was still so gorgeous and beautiful, and I wanted to learn more about Tyria every day. I wanted to build Nova, and create her to be the character I knew she was.

My guildies and I running Ascalonian Catacombs story mode when we were high enough level; due to bug and disconnect issues, we never completed it. 

However, as time continued on, I became lonely. I started to talk to some of my boyfriend's friend, who were trying to encourage me to switch servers to Northern Shiverpeaks and join their guild; an active, thriving one that would accommodate me and my fluctuating schedule. I told them for about a week: no, I can't. I know my guildmates will come back but... I couldn't help feeling empty. This game wasn't fun without my friends, and although I had made some great acquaintances online who were a thrill to play with. For three weeks, I told them I would be fine and I felt okay playing by myself but eventually...

Eventually I caved. I became too lonely to play by myself, and I made the server swap to Northern Shiverpeaks. Above is  a picture of my friends and I dancing to seal the deal. I was now a Northern Shiverpeaks player. I put it off until I reached Level 80; until I could at least look like a decent player to a new guild who was active, and considered semi to hardcore. Through joining Nex-Praeconus, I felt rejuvenated... and Guild Wars 2, which was beginning to lose it's promise with me, was suddenly amazing, and fun again. And I realized the problem wasn't with the game itself, although it does have them here and there... it was the fact I was alone. Tl;dr: it is definitely a game that should be played with friends.

Next Post: Guild Wars 2: October-Present,playing with a guild, running dungeons properly for the first time, Halloween and now.

Guild Wars 2 Collector's Edition!

I have been so immersed in Guild Wars 2 since Friday's headstart that everything else has been forgotten. Here are the pictures of my GW2 CE Statue of Rytlock and Map of Tyria!♥

Inside, I had a few prints and a picture frame (not pictured; I didn't feel like I should take pictures of them and post them on here). But there is so much detail and thought in every aspect of this edition. I am so, so pleased and so happy.

In a little bit, I'll make a post about how the game has been so far. ♥ If anyone is playing on Darkhaven, message Nova Arterius! I'm playing with my guild, Requiem of Valkyria [VALK]


♥ until next time... I'm kind of lost in Tyria at the moment. ;)

it's almost here...!

Guild Wars 2 is upon us...!! I'm so excited. They keep doing stress tests and I've just been logging on to get an idea of what I want all my characters to look like.. So far, the only problem I'm having is if I want my Engineer to have silver or platinum blonde hair.

Here's some screenshots of what I've been doing~

My Sylvari Necromancer~ I'll be soloing with her in my spare time / when I feel like taking a break from my main character. 

My main, an Engineer! I can't decide if I want her to be silver or blonde...! Gah! First world gamer problems lol.

My elementalist. Also something I'm doing in my spare time. I'm just going to make her right at launch, though. so I don't have to worry about her name being taken ><

Finally, my PVP Thief. I was originally making her as my main, but I decided to be adventurous and do something I don't normally do!

Gah, I can't wait to get the ball rolling! Only a day now!! Can't wait to do an unboxing of my collector's edition~ ♥

Diablo 3: Paragon System

Blizzard announced their "Paragon System" as a part of p1.0.4. This is incredible news. Not only did they make my Demon Hunter much beefier in terms of her DPS/Hatred Generation and all that jazz (After they so ungraciously destroyed her in p.1.0.3), but now they're adding this new system!

I actually think this is what I needed to get back into  Diablo 3. Granted, I don't know how I'm going to have time to play it, what with the amazing game lineup Q4 I'm looking forward to (And GW2. I could remind this blog all day about how excited I am for that)... but I think this will be a great opportunity to do something more linear and grinding when I don't want to spend the extra 90 or 180 minutes getting a level or two in GW2. Also, how neat is that? It shouldn't take more than 90min for you to level in Tyria. I'm pretty stoked, considering I hate those last little legs of grinding.
See: My level 55 Demon Hunter in D3... ( ¬д¬。)

In other news, the EB Games where I make and pick up my preorders/games/accessories hasn't got the OK from the mall to do a midnight release for GW2... I really want my Charr statue haha. ;__; I can't wait to spam my blog with unboxing pics!

Hopefully I can share good news soon! If I can't pick it up at midnight, I'm definitely going first thing in the morning.

until next time~

diablo 3 thoughts

Blizzard has been making a lot of posts about their new patch, p 1.0.4, which will change a lot of things people have been whining about for a while now - including changes they made in p. 1.0.3!

I loved Diablo 3. I loved it A LOT. My boyfriend and I installed it on the same day, and the next day we were up at 11am and played all the way until 9pm, and then the day after that we played from 12pm till 6pm, which is when we finished it. We roared through Nightmare, and we started Hell and then we realized... we were kind of bored. We took up new characters with a friend of ours, and in that time, I bought a little Diablo head keychain  and struggled to keep up with the Wizard (my main is a Demon Hunter) and by the time I got the hang of it, they were bored. They started taking a break, but I continued to play, eager to prove my boredom was nothing. I started a Monk on my own, and with some help with a friend who had three level 60 characters, I power leveled her to her thirties in no time. In less than two days (which is a short amount of time considering I worry about work and school).


But still, it bothered me that I couldn't complete Hell mode and get my DH to level 60 (she's trapped at 55). I was sick of paying thousands and thousands for armour repair and too many seconds for respawn times. I felt like p 1.0.3 didn't fix game problems - it made them harder for me. Mobs were way too strong for my DH and my bf's Witch Doctor to drive though, and we didn't party with anyone else because either no one was at our level, or like us, no one else wanted to play.

my demon hunter q_q

Patch 1.0.3 wasn't live for very long until Blizzard had to throw in a quick patch. Mobs weren't stronger with extra people, they  just had more life. And still, this didn't help. Somehow, we were still being mowed over. Even with a DPS of 9k, I was having problems. I had high level items that I was borrowing from my friends with maxed out DPS DH characters that weren't cutting mobs like butter like I had hoped. Maybe it was my lack of motivation.

And now, after it's been months since I've last played D3, Blizzard up and throws in the towel. They recognized their mistakes. Mobs are being toned down, repair prices are dropping, and Legendary items (I have four of these) are changing dramatically.

I'm really enthused by these changes... But I'm not sure if they'll get me into the groove again. Hopefully we'll get to see more changes down the road, and I'll be willing to pick up this fantastic dungeon crawler again.


Edit: I didn't realize they were making dramatic class changes as well. I'm very, very okay with this. fingers crossed!!

Introducing the Worlds of Guild Wars 2 | GuildWars2.com

Introducing the Worlds of Guild Wars 2 | GuildWars2.com


ah, the list I've been waiting for! =3=~~ I wonder what server my friends and I will be playing? ~

gamescom announcements!

Alright, so I was super stoked to hear that PSone Classics are coming to the Vita on 08/28!!! I've been holding off on playing the older Final Fantasy series, waiting and wishing this announcement would come... and it's finally here! Ahhh! FFVII is part of the first games to be rolled out as well *(*´∀｀*)☆ ahhh it's going to be great!

Although I didn't personally get to watch the conference, I was kept fully up to date by my friend & through twitter! New footage of The Last of Us was shown (CAN'T WAIT!!) and Capcom's new IP Remember Me looks totally badass! I'm definitely picking both of them up next year. 

Capcom's Remember Me

Naughty Dog's The Last Of Us

Also, I can't wait till Playstation All-Stars is released; as a Vita owner, it's nice knowing I'll get both copies for the price of one! Also, less than a week ago, the Playstation blog made a post about Ragnarok Odyssey. I played Ragnarok Online for YEARS (and I even run an RO-related tumblr ♥) and I have original characters I made from that world and just, ugh. I love it- everything about it, I really do. So when I heard Ragnarok Odyssey was coming to North American Vitas, I was naturally really excited!!

There seems to be so much in the games department for me right now, it's really exciting (and hard to wait for it all!). Thursday, Team Fortress 2's new mode, Mann vs Machine is released~ My friends and I are getting back into our TF2 storming days JUST for this new co-op mode! hehe I can't wait! And, not to mention, Guild Wars 2 prelaunch goes up in a week and a half!!! AHHHH!!!!!!! I've been drawing my characters over and over again in sheer excitement! I've been waiting for this game for WAY too long!!

In other gaming news, I'm also really excited for Little Big Planet Vita & Little Big Planet Karting, and not to mention Borderlands 2 which are all coming out in quarter 4 this year (Also, I'm excited for Halo 4 & Dead Space 3 but my boyfriend is the one with the 360, so I have to wait on him for that one haha).

 I'm going to be so broke... my friends and family will practically get socks for Christmas.   (。-ω-)ﾉ