The Last Content Space Marine

It’s that time of year again, a period in videogaming I like to call the fallow. It’s summer time, so gamers who are so disposed go out and enjoy the sunshine, it’s far away from Easter or Christmas, so parents are not badgered as much for new releases, and the end result is a barren few months with few to no videogames being released, except for minor titles.

What do you do in the fallow?

I’m always at a loss as to what to do in this time of year. Videogames and writing are pretty much my only hobbies (Aside from brewing and drinking), and these hobbies are not seasonal, even if in the case of videogames, supply is.

I’ve completed Red Redemption (One of the best games ever, full stop), and Just Cause 2 is…. Meh. I’m not really feeling it. Its not a bad game by any stretch of the imagination, but there’s just something missing, something that stops me really getting into it.

Last night I plugged in Fight Night 4, and I have to say I’d forgotten how much fun it was. The fight night games are easily the best beat ‘em ups ever, breathing new life into a genre that’s almost as old as gaming itself. Plus it all comes down to skill and timing, not how quickly you can mash your buttons. Let’s face it, that’s the case with most beat ‘em ups. Spamming buttons is usually about as effective as learning to play the game properly.

Except for Gundam Battle Assault 2 on the PS1. That is a beat ‘em up that KICKED ASS. Go and buy it. Now.

Maybe I should go and complete final fantasy 12? I really should get over my hatred of that game, but I’ll need a keg of super strength or a palette of old speck to do that. To be honest though, I’ve been pretty good at completing my games lately, and I don’t really want to put myself through FF12 again just to get through the fallow.

We do have plenty of things to look forwards to soon though, there are many new games on the Horizon including Assassin’s creed: Brotherhood and dead rising 2 (I’m really looking forwards to that one). I’m still not getting worked up about Fallout: New Vegas though. Obsidian have a history of… well… churning out games that end up good, but are so badly f###ing bugged on release it’s a rip off.

So, what do you do for your gaming fix during the fallow? Any suggestions?

It seems my fears about Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood may well have been unfounded. When I discovered that Ubisoft where not advancing the plot, I assumed padding was afoot- however, after reading through an article in OXM, I am satisfied that Ubisoft actually feel this is the best way to proceed.

For starters, the changes are nowhere near as serious as I thought. The combat is getting a major overhaul, but the emphasis seems to be on higher stakes with higher rewards, as well as making enemies tougher through better tactics and AI. This I support- a good challenge is the key to any good videogame, and a good payoff makes it even better. In this case, Ubisoft have mentioned something called a ‘rage combo’ whereby you can insta-kill enemies over and over until one breaks your flow.

I do enjoy the way combat flows in Assassin’s creed 2, and if that concept is being built on, so much the better. Of course, this will also tie the ‘feel’ of combat more closely into the rest of the games free running ethos.

Visually, the game also looks very sharp, but to be honest I think we’ve reached the peak of 360 graphics. Saying a game looks good anymore is pointless- unless of course the developers have gone for the tricky (yet potentially rewarding) route of stylized graphics.

The multiplayer too, appears to be looking strong. The article mentions one mode, hunter in which players are all disguised as civilians and must locate and kill each other without giving themselves away. This sounds very interesting, even to a misanthrope like me who loathes playing on XBL.

I'm still not happy with the fact there's no hint as to how, or even if, the meta plot will advance in any meaningful way. But I'm sure Ubisoft know what they're doing.

I won’t go into this any further, as otherwise I would be essentially reproducing OXM’s article ad verbatim, and plagiarism is not something I condone for any reason. Go out and buy the mag if you want more info, but the bottom line is this- I’m now actively looking forwards to Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood.