Offbeat Geek

Modern Warfare 2 changes PC multiplayer for better or for worse.

There has been quite a bit of ruckus in the Call Of Duty PC community over the weekend. Rob Bowling, Infinity Ward’s Community Manager, confirmed that their would be no dedicated server while talking during the bashandslash.com podcast over the weekend.  Infinity Ward aim to bring the PC community (most likely kicking and screaming) to the match making systems that exist on consoles.  This has a huge deviation from the norm.  You can listen to the podcast over at bash and slash to get all the details.  Notable topics discussed include the future of mod support and iw-net creation and growth.  While it is a surprise, time will tell how this move will affect our PC multiplayer experience.

Amongst a slew of “Borderlands” gameplay videos no doubt aimed at garnering attention for tomorrows console release, Gearbox have included the opening vinematic for the game. Embedded video can be found below but as it is so newly uploaded the HD version may not work depending on when you read this. The song used is “no Rest for the wicked” by Cage the Elephant.

Thirsty for more? Head on over to gametrailers.com for a peek at the rest of the borderlands footage released today.

Pesky Ghost!

After a fair amount of nothing the fourth battle report for Starcraft 2 is available to watch.  It is the best battle to date.  Great Medivac harassment.  Both nukes and Thors finally appear in a battle.  Definitely a Terran vs Protos game to watch! check it out below!

The new Aliens Vs Predator game, out February 2010, has released an alien gameplay trailer. Check it out below in SD or in HD at gamertrailers.com. Rebellion, developers of the original, are back at the helm for this one so hopes are high it will be as enjoyable as the previous games.

I have to say I am loving the aliens new speed. It’s about time they got a little speed boost. Could be a potential game breaker. I know I’ll still enjoy playing as an Alien.

After playing through Batman Arkham Asylum, and being thoroughly impressed,  I got thinking about other games which caught my interest.  A shortlist of the first games to pop into mind seemed like the appropriate way to go.  The list below, in no particular order, is a group of the more visually impressive games powered by Unreal Engine 3.

Unreal Engine 3 Powered Eye Turners

1. Mirror’s Edge
2. Borderlands
3. Bioshock
4. Batman Arkham Asylum
5. Mass Effect
6. Shadow Complex

Mirrors Edge

Innovative gameplay and a lovely clean colorful style set this game apart from all others. Definitely worth a play.

Borderlands

This soon to be released title has garnered a lot of attention with it’s cell shading and stylistic direction. Mixing FPS and RPG could be a risky move. Despite the fact it’s not out yet Borderlands is one of the more striking Unreal powered games to date.

Bioshock

The Fifties visual styling and polish to Bioshock made it one of the most popular games in its quarter! Everything from the plasmid training videos to the ‘Big Daddy’ diving suits fit perfectly. Such strict adherence to style is all too rarely seen and is a delight to behold when followed.

Batman Arkham Asylum

While Arkham Asylum is quite visually impressive, it was Rocksteady’s ability to capture the essence of Batman that made this game the hit it is. There is simply no greater moment then hanging from a gargoyle and swooping down to capture a unwitting henchman. Most of the major villains make an appearance even if only by small cameo roles. This game clearly has 2009’s game of the year award in the bag, for now. Only the highly anticipated Modern Warfare 2 can take this crown.

Mass Effect

Another game that displays a nice visual style. As an RPG I have not played much of it. But from all the critical acclaim it has received it may be a game to play at some point. The visual style is distinct enough for Mass Effect to secure itself a place on the list.

Shadow Complex

A heroic example of why side scrolling aren’t dead. Yes the Unreal Engine 3 may seem like overkill but do you really care when a game for $15.00 is so detailed and fleshed out.

This list shows why I enjoy working with the Unreal Engine. The varying styles mean there’s always something new!  I hope there will be many more titles I can add to this list.

The Wheelman

I know this game has been out a while now but seeing as it is the first game that I had the pleasure of being a part of I just had to mention it!  I worked on 2 of the six “Balance of Power” missions.  Working in the industry was an experience, one I wish to repeat again soon.  I had the distinct pleasure with some very talented individuals.  I’ll be adding a catalog of the games I’m credited on which I hope will grow to be a nice, long, and hopefully good, list.  In the mean time check out “The Wheelman“, available on PC, PS3, and XBOX360.

DJ Champion - Resistance

I recently discovered an artist called DJ Champion from a video preview of the Borderlands game coming out next month.  The song, “No Heaven”, caught my attention and I promptly set about searching out more music by this artist.  As it turned out the song was on an album from about 4 years ago and I feared that the DJ may have stopped making music.  Fortunately this was not the case!  His new album, “Resistance”, came out on September 15th.  Funnily enough the same date as another album titled “The Resistance” by a more well known band, Muse (More on them later when I decide what to make of that album).  “Resistance” has an interesting mix of electronic tracks.  Personal favourites include “Sannois Beach”, “Alive Again” and title track “Resistance (Skool)” which reminds me of “Good Luck” by Basement Jaxx.

Track listing of  Resistance

1. Clear Beach
2. Resistance (Skool)
3. Perfect In Between
4. Plastiques at métaux
5. So Big
6. Backing Off
7. L6 (The Blooded)
8. My Black Saab
9. Sannois Beach
10. Alive Again
11. The Monster

“Resistance” clocks in just past 50 minutes and can be purchased from all the usual venues.  If electronic is your thing I recommend it otherwise I’d give the songs a preview before you part with your cash.  I purchased it directly for C$9.99.  There are several other options which include t-shirt and/or vinyl if you are so inclined.