Looking back at my gaming wish list, I see that while I’ve managed to purchase each of them when they launched, finding time to play them all has been another matter. Here’s how well each game has faired in my console:
“The Orange Box”
Noted in previous posts, I’ve finished “Portal” and have been wading through “Half Life 2.” Because I haven’t bought any Dramamine, I haven’t returned to City 17 since these other games have come out. Honestly, I don’t know when I’ll return. Maybe they’ll patch the frame rate, or not… As for “Team Fortress 2,” I tried to play online last week and had a frustrating time. I don’t remember finishing an entire match without having the server boot me from the match and there were also times when I’d be randomly switched to the other team. Hey, don’t punish me because some other douche dropped from the match - I want to play with my friends and be on the same team. It looks like “Call of Duty 4” has fulfilled these needs.
“The Simpsons Game”
I’m really enjoying this game. It’s funny as hell and I really appreciate Electronic Arts for having a sense of humor. I say this because there’s a level where you go into the land of video games and you see the production machines like the Sequelizer and the Marketing Machine. There’s also a part in the game where Mayor Quimby is bribing an EA Exec. I love the cutscenes, which look like a TV episode in high definition. Don’t skip ‘em.
The only issue I have with the game is the camera. I’ve fallen to my death on several occasions and I’m not looking forward to fighting the giant Lard Lad again because of this issue.
“Assassin’s Creed”
I have just started playing the game and last night I reached the first major city, Damascus. Since it’s early on, the repetitive nature of the game hasn’t shown up yet. The way I see it, this game is a Medieval version of “Crackdown.” If it weren’t for the 360 achievements, this could be a short game, but instead I am scurrying through the countryside and cities looking for flags and killing Templars. At least through Damascus, I’ll continue to help the peasants and anyone else in the street who might need it. Let’s see how I’m rewarded before this charity continues on to Acre and Jerusalem.
“Rock Band”
This is my favorite, new, non-”Call of Duty4″ game. This game keeps calling me back for more. I’m in the middle of my drumming (Easy) and guitarist (Medium) careers and I just started fronting a band on vocals (Medium) last night. With my actual, atrocious singing voice, I will have to spare my family and only continue that mode once everyone has left the room and gone to bed. I may be an idiot, but I truly am looking at this game to teach me to play the drums. I’m gonna stick it out, practice and attempt to make it all the way up to Expert. My goal will be to complete “Black Hole Sun” on the highest difficulty. I’ve got a lot more to talk about regarding this game, so I’ll just save it for another post.
Note: “Mass Effect” is still in the mail.
