LordoftheReDead’s Top 10 Gaming Pet Peeves
So, I’ve been a little busy the last few months and basically neglecting the blog, aside from a few posts that will not be mentioned again, hopefully now that I’m less busy in real life, I’ll be able to contribute more to this thing.
In this post, I’m gonna describe the top things that I hate when they’re included in games.
Oh and there might be a few spoilers here and there, depending on your definition of spoilers.
Read the rest of this entry »
LordoftheReDead’s top ten games EVARRRRRRR – Part 5
Here we are, my two favourite games ever.
Number 2
Mass Effect (360, PC)
BioWare did a fantastic job making a universe that’s incredibly immersive. From the backwater planets of the galaxy to the thriving Citadel at the heart, everything just seems so alive.
It’s an RPG at its core, but it plays like a third person shooter. Mainly, you get a gun and shoot things, but the customization is miles better than any other shooter I’ve played. You can get electronic powers, which can disable abilities or overheat your enemies weapons to name just a few things, or you can get biotic abilities, which is a lot like the force in Star Wars, you can throw people around, sap their health or hold them in stasis, for a start. So you get three ways to deal with your enemies, and using them tactically is the key to winning easily.
The dialogue is amazing, the voice actors and writers did their job extremely well, it’s just all around an excellent experience. The music really sets the mood well, there are some excellent songs, but they don’t try to go over the top like many sci-fi musicians seem to do. It works really well actually, instead of some sense of heroics, it instills a sense of wonder and awe.
The graphics are good enough, better looking than Oblivion and Fallout 3, in my opinion, though the shadows are a bit bad.
All in all it’s just an extraordinary game.
Number 1
The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind (PC, Xbox)
This game is ridiculously awesome. I spent an entire summer playing nothing but this and hadn’t even beaten the game, though that’s not a bad thing.
The thing about Morrowind is that it’s entirely open. You don’t get railroaded at all. There are multiple ways to go about beating the game, including one way where you don’t have to complete any quests at all.
It’s played in a first person view mode. It can be changed to third person, but it’s awkward and cumbersome. Anyway, combat is real-time, you click to swing your weapon. There is a fuckton of customization in it as well, there are no set classes that have only certain abilities. Every character can do anything. Though you’d need to train your character a lot in order to do things, as every action is tied to a skill, even running and jumping. As you perform actions, your skills will go up, and when your skills go up enough, your level will rise. It’s more a learn by doing instead of learn by killing, which is one of the greatest flaws of most RPGs, in my opinion.
The music is astounding, it’s probably the best soundtrack for any video game I’ve ever heard.
Graphics are a bit sub-par though, even for 2002, when it was released. So if you’re a graphics whore, fuck you.
The story is a bit subdued, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t good. Unfortunately, due to the free-roam nature of the game, it had to take a side-line to the exploration and adventure aspect. However, the story itself is quite good, involving a long-thought dead god who has come back and attempts to seize control, and a power struggle between factions.
I fucking love this game.
So there you have it, my top ten favourite games. I hope you enjoyed reading it. 
LordoftheReDead’s top ten games EVARRRRRRR – Part 4
Here we go with numbers 4 and 3.
Number 4
Dragon Warrior 3 (NES)
The best jRPG ever.
It’s standard as far as battle systems go, and the NES version had that clunky interface, but damn is this game awesome.
The story is awesome, the hero’s father goes out to slay the demon king, but he never comes back. after the hero grows up, he sets off to find his father. It just gets more and more awesome from there. And to my knowledge, this game contains the first big plot-twist in a video game. Sure the story may not seem that much now, but at the time it was fucking epic.
It has a class system like the first Final Fantasy, but instead of being stuck to that class for the entire game, at a certain place you’re allowed to change your party’s classes. It’s rather standard these days, but again, at the time it was innovative.
The music is great, the graphics are colourful and fairly detailed. It’s just a great game.
Number 3
Mega Man 2 (NES)
So I had a really really hard time deciding which Mega Man game was my favourite, but I ended up eventually settling on number 2. It has sharp controls, kickass music, tricky platforming, everything you need really. Really, this spot goes to all the NES-style Mega Mans, they’re all excellent.
Anyway, it’s a fairly standard shooting platformer, sorta similar to Contra but with more emphasis on the platforming aspects of the genre, whereas Contra is more focused on the shooting aspects.
It’s a bit unorthodox in the platform genre in that there is no set order of levels, you pick whichever order you want to play the levels in. To my knowledge, it’s the only series that does this.
When you defeat a boss, you get its weapon to use for yourself. Most times it’s a slightly different version that the one the boss used, whether it’s just too powerful or too hard to use. Either way, it’s cool amassing an arsenal of useful weapons to use in the stages. Be warned however, that each of the weapons except the default one has ammunition as well, so conservation is also necessary. Every boss is weak to a certain weapon as well; it’s much like a rock-paper-scissors type of thing.
The graphics are great for the NES, and even today they have a sort of retro awesome feel to them. There’s a reason Mega Man 9 was released with NES graphics. Lush backgrounds, fairly detailed enemies, it’s all great.
The music is astounding, every single tune in the game is kickass. There’s not one bad one in the entire series. Honestly.
Hope you enjoyed reading this. SMRPG will be put up on Saturday probably, and the top ten will finish next thursday.
LordoftheReDead’s top ten games EVARRRRRRR – Part 3
Alright, a bit later than I expected, but exams got in the way.
Number 6
Pokemon Gold/Silver (GBC)
In my opinion, this is the best of the pokemon series.
I’m not gonna insult your intelligence by mini-reviewing it, you all know how this game plays.
And if you don’t, get out from under that rock and go buy one. Jerk.
Number 5
BioShock (PC, 360, PS3)
Best FPS ever. It’s so good, even I play it, and I’m not one for FPSs.
Set in a dystopian underwater city, the player is immediately thrown into the midst of a power struggle. The story is epic, the setting is amazing, and the atmosphere is one of the best in the industry.
It’s pretty standard as far as weapons go, no super cool weapons like the gravity gun or anything, but there’s a good variety, you got your wrench, pistol, SMG, shotgun, grenade launcher, flamethrower, crossbow, you know, the basics. There’s also a handy research camera which can be used to get bonuses like plasmids, gene tonics and enhanced damage versus enemies.
What sets the game apart from other FPSs, aside from the setting, is the plasmids and gene tonics. Plasmids are very similar to spells in any RPG, they can deal damage, alter the environment, turn enemies into allies, etc. The gene tonics are basically upgrades, like enhancing wrench damage or silencing your footsteps.
Anyway, it’s an excellent game.
I’ll put up the next chapter in SMRPG tomorrow and continue this top ten next Thursday with 4 & 3. Probably. It is Christmas Eve after all.
LordoftheReDead’s top ten games EVARRRRRRR – Part 2
So here we go, on this miserably cold Thursday. Numbers 8 & 7
Number 8
Batman: Arkham Asylum (360, PS3, PC)
Best superhero game ever. EVARRRRRRRR.
It’s mixture of beat ‘em up style gameplay with stealth is just plain awesome.
The gameplay is surprisingly similar to Zelda, you get “dungeons” which are the various buildings on Arkham island, and there are gadgets that you get every so often during the story. Also, there are a ton of optional puzzles put in place by the Riddler that you can solve for experience. There’s a rudimentary level-up system, where every level you unlock a new ability. Nothing much, but it’s decent anyway.
The visuals and audio are superb, it’s one of the best looking games I’ve seen on the 360.
The story is good, the Joker breaks free and takes over Arkham island. Basically all you need to do is stop him, but it’s a little harder than that, as he has allies. It’s nothing spectacular, but it’s good enough.
Oh, it’s also my GotY, just barely beating out Dragon Age for me. Damn that was a tough call though. 
Number 7
Diablo 2 (PC)
This is just an amazing game. It’s probably the game that I’ve spent the most time playing in my entire life.
It’s your basic hack ‘n slash dungeon exploration type game, addictive as fuck and there’s enough substance to keep you going for a while as there are 5 character classes to choose from (and an extra 2 with the expansion), who each have their own unique set of abilities, so that’s a lot of customization.
The story really takes a sideline to the action, but it’s not particularly bad. Basically the demon lord Diablo has risen again and you have to defeat him and his allies.
Graphically, it’s quite nice looking, the sprites are detailed but not muddy, and the environments are nice.
Audio is fantastic, the music is so fucking good, it’s scary. And the sound effects are good too.
All in all, it’s just an awesome game.
So there you go. Next Thursday will bring 6 & 5.
LordoftheReDead’s top ten games EVARRRRRRR – Part 1
Hi. Sorry it’s been a while. I’m not even gonna bother making excuses, I’ve just been really lazy. But that’s ok, no one reads this anyway, right? 
Anyway, I’m gonna go through my top ten favourite games, 2 at a time (and give a little mini-review)! Sound cool?
So without further ado, I give you number 10!
Number 10
The World Ends With You (DS)
No DS game has grabbed me quite like this one, and I’ve played quite a few.
Perhaps it was the modern day Japan setting, or the ingenious battle system (which I still have yet to get good at ), or the charming characters, or maybe the story, which was excellent. Either way, the game kicks major ass.
First off, the characters are excellent, some of them fit into stereotypes, but they all have something that sets them apart from the mold. They all have their part to play in the story too, even minor characters have something to do, if only a quest giver.
The battle system is… unique, to say the least. You control two characters at the same time, one on the top screen and one on the bottom, at the same time. Sound confusing? Well, it is, but luckily you can set it up to allow the computer to take control. The top character is controlled with the D-pad (or the XABY buttons if you’re a southpaw) and the bottom character is controlled with the stylus. For the bottom character, you get pins, which are your abilities. Some of them shoot fireballs when you tap the screen, others create giant pillars of ice when you drag the stylus up. There are also healing pins and passive pins, which give a bonus to something. These pins can also level up and become stronger. It’s cool, and extremely satisfying, if a bit confusing at first.
The story is good, though there’s not much that can be said without spoilers. All I can say is that it’s good.
It’s definitely my favourite DS game yet, it’s just a combination of excellent and awesome.
Number 9
Dragon Age: Origins (360, PS3, PC)
A recent release, but a good one nonetheless. The characters are great, the story’s not bad, and the wealth of choices make replaying this game a treat.
The game starts with character creation, but then, depending on your choices when making the character, you play one of six unique beginnings to the game. Each beginning has some impact on the game itself, and the outcome is incorporated in the rest of the game. So it starts off with quite a bang, and it just keeps getting better.
The combat is basically an evolution of the Baldur’s Gate engine. I’d say the best way to describe it is semi-turnbased real-time. You can pause the game and issue orders, but combat occurs in real time.
The setting is a bit Lord of the Rings-ish, but there’s enough subtle differences that it almost stands out.
The characters are great, each has their own personality, and your actions will affect their disposition towards you. If you piss them off enough, they may even leave your party, which is pretty cool, considering that I don’t think any other games do that.
It all ends up leading into a great game that sucked me in from start to finish.
Anyway, that’s 10 & 9, stay tuned for 8 & 7. 
Top 10 Scariest Video Game Bosses
Alright, so continuing from yesterday, today I give you the top ten bosses that I found scariest.
Let’s get this going.
Oh, and unlike the last one,
THERE WILL BE SPOILERS.
You have been warned.
Top 10 Scariest Video Game Enemies
Alright, so in the spirit of Halloween, I’m gonna be doing a pair of top 10 lists, this one, and another tomorrow.
Just try to keep in mind that I’ve not played every single game in the world, so this list isn’t meant to be comprehensive, just a little bit of fun.
Anyway, let’s get this list going!
Top 10 2D Platform Game Bosses.
You’ve all played them, be it a Mario game, or a more beginner friendly Kirby game, or even a tough as nails Mega Man game. And the bosses in Platform games are some of the most creative, you can’t just jump on their heads ad infinitum, you usually have to think about the bosses, not to mention watching their movements to avoid their attacks. Now, I’ve not played every single platform game, so this list will be biased, but hey, who really cares?
THERE WILL BE SPOILERS!
You have been warned.
Jelly Soup
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