Darksiders, some thoughts

I finished Darksiders way back in March 2011, the 28th to be precise according to my Trophy stats. I'm just writing up some thoughts now so that I can link my Gamepedia entry to them. This type of post will probably become common over the next while on the blog.


I remember buying this game along with a few others like GTA VI, Saints Row 2 and some others I can't remember in a blaze of bargain hunting glory. I started it that night but the game didn't immediately draw me in. I played the opening section, finished up for the night and never went back. I'd say it was easily six months later before I tried it again.


This second time though, I stuck with it. Once I got through the opening hour or so I really started to feel it. The general consensus about this game is that it is a Zelda clone but a Zelda game done with a modern feel. That might well be the case but seeing as though I've only ever finished one Zelda game to completion I can't really comment. Regardless, it is a very good game in it's own right. The combat feels satisfying with just enough button combos to elevate it above simple button mashing. I like the upgrade system to the weapons in the game and traversing the game world is great fun once you have gotten War's horse. 


I did like the story but found that I had to resort to Wikipedia to get a full understanding of what exactly had happened. Some of the story points feel a little rushed and as a result, unclear. That and some moments where the difficulty really spikes are the only things I would hold against this game. 


Darksiders II is out this summer and I do intend on picking it up. Maybe not day one though as THQ games tend to drop in price pretty quickly. 

Battle of The Backlog

If anyone had actually taken time to read some of the entries on this blog then they will have realised a large part of it is devoted to my video game collection. As one would expect the regular acquisition of new titles (and old) will naturally lead to the creation of a video game backlog. A terrible first-world affliction that haunts so many collectors. Of course I am not immune to this and my own backlog has now become quite substantial.


There are titles spanning the PS2, GameCube, Wii, 3DS, PS3 and Xbox 360. Across home console and handhelds. The backlog list does not discriminate.


For my own purposes I have split my list into two categories; games unfinished and those still unopened. Unfinished games are ones that I feel still have more enjoyment to offer. Such as the two Call Of Duty titles on the list. I've put hours into multiplayer but have not scratched the single player campaign. The other half of the list are those games that for some reason or another I have yet to even start. Many still remain in their shrink wrappings.


Unfinished


Battlefield 3 (Xbox 360)
Braid (PS3)
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (PS3)
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (Xbox 360)
Crysis 2 (Xbox 360)
Dark Souls (PS3)
Dead Space (PS3)
Fable II (Xbox 360)
Ghostbusters: The Video Game (PS3)
Mario Kart 7 (3DS)
Mario Kart: Double Dash (GameCube)
ModNation Racers (PS3)
Prince of Persia (PS3)
Pullblox (3DS)
Saints Row: The Third (PS3)
Shift 2: Unleashed (PS3)
Skyrim (Xbox 360)
Stacking (PS3)
Star Wars: Rogue Leader: Rogue Squadron II (GameCube)
Super Mario 3D Land (3DS)
Super Mario Galaxy 2 (Wii)
Super Mario Sunshine (GameCube)
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (3DS)
Toy Story 3: The Video Game (PS3)


Not Started


Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts (Xbox 360)
Bioshock 2 (PS3)
Borderlands (Xbox 360)
Enslaved: Odyssey to the West (PS3)
Fallout: New Vegas (PS3)
Luigi's Mansion (GameCube)
Lost Planet 2 (PS3)
Metroid Prime (GameCube)
Metroid Prime 2: Echoes (GameCube)
MotorStorm: Pacific Rift (PS3)
Muramasa: The Demon Blade (Wii)
Punch-Out!! (Wii)
Resident Evil (GameCube)
Shank 2 (PS3)
Star Wars: Battlefront II (PS2)
Super Smahs Bros. Melee (GameCube)
The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (GameCube)
Trine 2 (PS3)
Viva Pinata (Xbox 360)
XIII (GameCube)
Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros' Treasure (Wii)


The plan as always is that I will return to them at some undetermined time in the future. If all goes to plan that will be when I have turn my attic into a fully equipped entertainment hub. Someday...

It's been a while.

Yesterday I was trying to remember the name of a hotel I stayed in during my holiday in New York two years ago. I knew I had written it on my blog so I logged in to find the post. I found my answer but I was very surprised to find it has been nearly a year since the last post. Once again I felt that urge to write something.

So here it is; that something. Although for the first time this is being written with the Blogger App. On the evidence if the last five minutes it is pretty slick. Although I'm not seeing too many formatting options yet.

That's it for the moment. I'm still trying to figure out what exactly I want to post.

Collection Project. The games outstanding

I haven't really added too many titles to my collection over the last year. The original idea was to recreate the collection that I used to have. I managed to get most of it back together and even added quite a few that I never owned but played extensively. Now I just want to get a list together of the games that are outstanding. As I try to write this list it is amazing how hard it is to remember the games that I used to own.

Taz-Mania (MegaDrive)

Streets of Rage 3 (MegaDrive)

Mortal Kombat 2 (MegaDrive)

James Pond II (MegaDrive)

Wiz n Liz (MegaDrive)

Quick Note - International Superstar Soccer 64

Today I added to my collection for the first time in ages. I was in a retro game store and found International Superstar Soccer 64 for the N64 in perfect condition for only €5. This isn't a game I owned, or even for a system I owned but a friend had it and we clocked up a good few hours on it.


Couldn't resist adding it to the collection.

Robots in Disguise

I think it was back in July that I picked up Transformers: War for Cybertron for the PS3. At the time there wasn't any quality retail releases coming out and this game wasn't on my radar at all. However, after listening to Arthur on the Rebel FM podcast talk about it constantly for a couple of weeks my mind was changed. The multiplayer component sounded terrific and when the reviews hit they were nearly all effusive in their praise. So I decided to take a risk.

When I first put it on I wanted to hop straight into multiplayer but the servers were acting up so I had to start with single player. I chose to start with the Autobot campaign and after an impressive opening cut-scene I was thrust into the war on Cybertron. My lasting impression from that first and only session is that it was very boring. The first level seemed to take an age to complete and the enironment is just so drab. I presume the whole game is looks the same, one boring metallic colour. The fact that you can transform into a car at anytime sounds like fun but driving them is anything but. I was left to hope that the multiplayer would be the saving grace.

It was about three days later that I finally managed to join an game online and I enjoyed it. I played a good few rounds and I think that it works very well as a combat arena type game. My only problem with it is that it started to give me motion sickness, a problem that I have found with quite a few games this generation.

Of all the games I've bought recently I feel that I have done this one the biggest injustice. I've only tackled the single player game once and have yet to return to mulitplayer since my first session. That is not long enough to make a judgement and as such I have kept the disc close to the PS3. I will certainly return and give it another chance but not until the next few big releases are out of the way.

Quick note - Ji Sung Park

It is an over used cliché in football about certain players being unsung heroes and I'm not entirely sure it applies to Ji Sung Park. He has been at United now for a good few years and most fans have learnt to appreciate what he brings to the team, especially over the last couple of years. But today must have been especially sweet for him.

Two goals, the second a last minutes winner against a dogged Wolves defence. Great stuff.