Demon Coffee Reviews

Yesterday, 3D Realms closed its doors. It has been in the gaming industry since 1987, and has developed and produced several hit games. Known for its Duke Nukem series of games, as well as the “anticipated” vaporware game Duke Nukem: Forever, it looks like it will no longer be developing games. 3D Realms was originally named Apogee, oh yeah! the people who brought you Commander Keen (best f-ing side scroller game ever) and S.A.M. (Secret Agent Man). With this closing of 3D Realms brings grief to my little brother and me, who both still play Commander Keen.

The last game that 3D Realms (aka Apogee) produced/released was Prey, back in 2007.

The Duke Nukem: Forever has always seemed like GnR’s “Chinese Democracy” album to me, the only difference is that the album actually got released.

The original BBC article can be found here

If any of you know me, I am a HUGE Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) fan. Their processors are top of the line. I will be honest, they do run slightly warmer then the Intel counter-parts, but they will out perform those Intel compairables.

Recently AMD released on their public news site (http://www.amd.com/us-en/Corporate/VirtualPressRoom) the information on their 12 and 16 Core Opteron processors. The Opteron processors are the heavy load server processors. In the press release it states that the 6 cores are due out very soon, in June, 8 and 12 core Opterons are due out early next year, and the 16 cores shortly thereafter.

AMD showed off the 12 core in late April of this year (2009). It has a long rectangular shape versus the normal square shape of other processors. They are to be run in a 2 or 4 processor configuration on a single motherboard they will be heavy hitters in the server based operations.

Orginally from the X-bit labs website

If you would like to see two of the original articles, check the AMD Press Room, and the X-bit article.

As we say goodbye to 2008, we also say goodbye to what was a great year for gamers. Games like GTA IV, Fallout 3, and Metal Gear Solid 4 invaded our consoles and also our hearts. Fear not, however, as 2009 will kick an equal if not higher amount of ass!

So here are some reasons to love 2009

Top 10 Reasons to Love Games in 2009
10. GhostBusters
Many of us fell in love with the Ghostbusters as children and secretly wanted to be one. Well when June rolls around we can all live out our fantasies on the virtual screen when Atari releases Ghostbusters on the 360, PS3, PS2, Wii, PC, and DS

9. FEAR 2: Project Origin
While the expansion packs were canon, neither did justice to the original franchise. Monolith (the original developers from the first game) come back with what promises to be another emergency bowel evacuation inducing thrill ride. It’ll come out in February for the PC, PS3, and 360.

8. Rage
John Carmack (You know, the dude who made Doom, Quake, and Wolfenstein) brings us his next action fueled game this year for the PC, PS3, 360, Mac, and Linux. Every game Carmack has designed has been great so we expect big things from this hybrid FPS/Driving game.

7. Bionic Commando
Last we saw of Rad, he blew Hitler and his Nazi goons away on the NES. It’s been 21 years (that’s 4 game console generations) since we last saw Ascension City and this years installment promises to have, among other things, much better graphics and sound. But seriously, this game looks awesome and for all of us old enough to have love the original Bionic Commando, we eagerly await its release on the PC, PS3, and 360.

6. Deus Ex 3
When Deus Ex hit the PC in 2000, it was one of the best games ever made. It fused the RPG and FPS genres perfectly and was so deep it took me over 6 months of consistent gameplay to attain all the endings (and I hadn’t even done all the side missions). Deus Ex: Invisible War continued the tradition with another outstanding game and 5 years later comes Deus Ex 3. While this may also be on the list for Reasons We’ll Love 2010, we remain optimistic that it will come out for the holiday season for the PC, PS3, and 360

5. Mafia 2
A bunch of you nubcakes are gonna wonder what Mafia 2 is doing on this list. Unfortunately Mafia flew way under the radar due to the fact that the amazing PC game was horribly ported to the consoles for reasons that could only involve potential truck fulls of money for the publisher. It was one of the most realistic, in depth games for its time (2002) and still has staying power today. Mafia 2 will hit sometime in the fall for the PC, PS3, and 360

4. Street Fighter IV
You can argue that the game already came out, and its true, it hit arcades in August, but were about home gaming and in February, Street Fighter IV will hit home on the PS3, and 360 (and later the PC). Unlike the previous generations Street Fighters which were nubbish and arguably shouldn’tve been released, this game stays true to its arcade roots and promises to be one heck of a fightfest.

3. BioShock 2
For those of you that have never heard about BioShock, then A: What are you doing on this website, and B: Put down 50 Cent Bulletproof and play a good game. Not much is known about BioShock 2: Sea of Dreams other than that the first game was good enough for us to assume that the 2nd game is going to be f***ing awesome. It’s going to be a prequal/sequal and promises to make us love games in 2009. It’ll hit Q1 2010 (which starts in Nov of 2009) for the PC, PS3, and 360.

2. Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2
Many of you have this at number 1 and arguably are correct. Infinity Ward brings us their next installment of Call of Duty 4 and supposedly takes off where COD4 ends. While not much is known about this game, Infinity Ward has yet to disappoint on any of their games thus far (These guys made Medal of Honor Allied Assault, COD1, COD2, and COD4). It’ll arrive directly into our consoles holiday season 2009 for the PC, PS3, and 360.

1. Resident Evil 5
So a lot of you were turned off by Resident Evil 4. Whether the crazy storyline or extremely hard difficulty, people just couldn’t get turned on to RE4. That all changes in RE5. Yes it’s still crazy difficult but this time they give you a partner who can help you as either an actually smart NPC or an actually smart (or stupid) friend via online Co-Op. The graphics look awesome and anybody who played RE4 will know why RE5 is our numero uno pick of why we will love 2009. It’ll hit stores in March for the PS3 and 360.

Other non-console exclusives of note:
Aliens: Colonial Marines
Damnation
Sabatuer
Velvet Assassin
Indiana Jones

Top Ten Reasons to love the 360 in 2009.

10. Ninja Blade
Yes, it does sound like a bad Japanese translation (much like Violence game and Fight Style Game) but it actually looks cool and

8. Star Ocean: The Last Hope
Most of you may not have played the original Star Ocean for the Super Famicom (SNES in NA) but that won’t stop Square Enix from making a direct prequel to it. Not a lot is known about Star Ocean but 2009 isn’t the best year for 360 exclusives, therefore it has cracked the top 10 reasons to love the 360 in 09.

7. GTA IV: The Lost and Damned
So you couldn’t get enough GTA IV, huh? Well neither could we and in February, Rockstar will come out with its first of two downloadable DLC exclusively for the 360. It’s 20 bucks and comes with hours of new gameplay. Not much else is known other than that it may include new cars and new areas and that you play as a member of the biker gang: The Lost. It is also hinted that it will not involve Niko at all. It’ll come into our 360s in February

6. Alan Wake
Not much is known about Alan Wake other than that it is an open world sandbox style game that is made by the guys who made the Max Payne series. That is reason enough to be excited about this “psychological thriller/adventure”. While Alan Wake hasn’t made any appearances at any major gaming conventions since 2007, he will hopefully crash into our 360’s sometime during the holidays 2009.

5. Forza Motorsport 3
For those of you without a PlayStation to play Gran Turismo, then you know that Forza was the racing game to play. Forza 3 looks to build on Forza’s 2 gameplay with more tracks, more cars, updated graphics, and a more realistic driving experience. You can edit the car and driver from everything down to the gloves the driver is wearing to the grip on the drive shaft. It’ll drive into our consoles mid 2009.

4. Halo Chronicles:
Not much is known about Halo Chronicles other than that it is episodic (much like HL2) and that it takes place in the Halo Universe. For that reason alone it makes number 4.

3. Halo 3: ODST
Most noobs can’t get enough of Halo 3 and for that, Bungie made Halo 3: ODST. You don’t play as Master Chief, he’s taking a much needed vacation, hopefully covenant free. In any event it comes with a robust single player mode which none of you will play and a hefty load of new multiplayer stuff, which is mostly all you noobs care about.

2. Halo Wars.
An RTS (Think StarCraft but with Halo stuff) is actually a nice refresher from the hum-drum FPS Halo series. It takes place about 20 years before Halo 1 and has a totally new storyline built specifically for an RTS. It’ll come out in Febraury and while we are excited, we have to remember that RTS’s on consoles don’t always fare well.

1. New Motherboards
New motherboards mean no more (hopefully) Red Rings of Death that have afflicted too many of our brothers and sisters. While many of you may love your current console (and some of you may have adorned it with stickers and the such) it’ll be a relief to know that Microsoft is actually doing something for our future consoles (for when ours finally kick the bucket).

Top 10 reasons to love PS3/PSP in 2009

10. DC Universe Online
Let’s be honest, we’ve all wanted to be superheroes at one point. And maybe some of us still do. While many people play the MMO City of Heroes, it’s just not the same without that license. Well Sony Online Entertainment has a license from superhero powerhouse DC and has high hopes for this MMO that features over 100 heroes and villains from the DC universe. It’ll come out late 2009.

9. Heavy Rain
Heavy Rain looks to be one of if not the most realistic game released in terms of graphics and physics. It’s a thriller/adventure game and sells itself off as an interactive movie where you control everything player-wise as opposed to an outright videogame. One of the most promising games of 2009, Heavy Rain could evolutionize the way graphics and character models and animations are done in games.

8. Resistance Retribution
The lone PSP entry on this list comes in the form of a third person shooter. The game takes place between R1 and R2 and features a new playable character called James Grayson. Like Hale, Grayson is immune to the Chimera, and also like Hale, has a thing about him that just makes him awesome at killing Chimera. It also marks the first game on the PSP that can hookup to the PS3 for use of in-game content and dualshock 3 controller use. Hopefully RR is one game that’ll help reinflate the deflating rigid inflatable boat that is the PSP. It hits stores in February.

7. Stereoscopic 3D
While Sony hasn’t officially confirmed anything yet (although would we expect them too?) A major game developer has. No, not EA or Atari, but Blitz Game Studios (whose most famous work is from the Bratz game series however they have also done Spongebob and American Idol games). While it’s not set in stone and, let’s be honest, it doesn’t come from the most trusted source, just imagining playing Resistance 2 in 3d gets me all wound up.

6. Metal Gear Online
While a shaky, beta-style version of MGO was released with MGS4, a true final version will hit US shores that will finally let us fulfill our lifelong dreams of stabbing someone in the throat after they walked by us not expecting anything because we were hiding in a cardboard box. Ok, so maybe not everybody has that dream, but for those that do, MGO is for you (which rhymes, HOORAY!). MGO will offer more maps, more servers, and more content than it’s MGS4 counterpart and will hopefully be out by mid 2009.

5. Massive Action Game
I’d like to think that MAG is just a working title and will have a much cooler name by it’s release, but even if it is still called MAG, we are in for a treat. Zipper (the dudes that made the SOCOM games) are developing a shooter MMO (think COD4, but with way more people) with the ability to have up to 256 players on any given map. Basic battles will take place in various parts of a map, with an even larger map being affected by the battles in smaller maps. Not much information has been released on this game but a demo was shown off at TGS 08 and I have to say that it blew my mind. MAG will hopefully arrive during the 2009 holiday season.

4. Gran Turismo 5
So this may be another game in this article that gets released in 2010, but we remain hopeful that the game will be released in late 2009. We all know about Gran Turismo, it features hundreds of cars, dozens of tracks, and the most realistic driving engine ever. Enough said

3. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
Part Indiana Jones, part Lara Croft, part James Bond, Nathan Drake is a straight up awesome dude. His last adventure saw him battling sea pirates, money grubbing “collectors”, and zombie Spaniards. It was (and still is) one of the best looking, most awe inspiring, most gorgeous games out for the system. While not much is known about the game, we do know that it will involve Marco Polo (an explorer from the 13th century). Adventure on, Mr. Drake, adventure on. U2AT will hit stores fall 2009

2. Killzone 2
Killzone 2 takes place sometime after Killzone Liberation, and will take place mostly (if not all) on Helghan, which spells trouble for the Helghast. Not much is known about this FPS other than that you will play as Sev and will have a vast amount of weapons at your disposal. It hits stores early 09

1. God of War III
Not much about this game is known other than that it is most likely the last in the GOW series (but then again we said that about MGS2…. and MGS3….. and MGS4). It allegedly will have a co-op mode (and who hasn’t wanted to play GOW cooperatively) and will, according to director David Jaffe, “ultimately will explain, why there are no more Greek myths.” We don’t know what that means but we still are so hyped for it that we put it at numero uno. It’ll come out for the holidays.

So there we have it, multiple reasons why 2009 will kick ass. Lemme know you’re top tens!

Alright, so November 19th was the official release of Valve’s Left 4 Dead game for HugeBox 360, and the 21st was the release date for PC.

The game pits you against mobs (The Horde) of zombies, but technically they are infected with a virus, and “Special Infected” zombies, which include: The Hunter, The Smoker, The Boomer, The Tank, and The Witch.
The Special Infected have special abilities and are more difficult to defeat. The entire point of the game is to survive… hence it being a survival horror game.

Lets do a rundown of the Special Infected.

Developer(s)	Valve Corporation Turtle Rock Studios(defunct) Certain Affinity (Xbox 360)
Publisher(s)	Valve Corporation
Distributor(s)	Electronic Arts (retail) Steam (online)
Designer(s)	Mike Booth (director)
Writer(s)	Chet Faliszek
Composer(s)	Mike Morasky
Engine	Source
Platform(s)	Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360
Release date(s)	November 19, 2008 - Xbox 360. November 21, 2008 - PC Windows & Xbox 360: (retail) ^NA November 18, 2008 ^EU November 21, 2008 Windows: (download) November 18, 2008
Genre(s)	Survival horror First-person shooter
Mode(s)	1-4 player Cooperative multiplayer, 1-4 vs. 1-4 Versus multiplayer
Rating(s)	BBFC: 18 ESRB: M OFLC: MA 15+ PEGI: 18+ USK: 18+
Media	DVD, Steam download
System requirements	3.0 GHz processor, 1 GB RAM, 128 MB DirectX 9.0 graphics card, Pixel Shader 2.0 support, DirectX 9.0c-compatible sound card

The Hunter, a quick and agile foe, able to pin a survivor down permanently until either shot (killed), or melee’d off (I dunno what you’re talking about, that’s not an achievement). His only weakness? He has to charge up is pounce before attacking, leaving him vulnerable for 5-10 seconds.

The Smoker, a slow but very useful Special. He is able to use is lengthy tongue to wrap around, drag, and dangle infected into an attacking horde, or to The Smoker, himself. If you play as a smoker, you will find how to use him to “alert” The Horde, if your near a loud RED, and FLASHING object :Þ .

The Boomer, an extremely slow, and virtually harmless… unless you consider him VOMITING, or EXPLODING on you, thus causing a Horde to attack you, or anyone that got his bile, and causing serious damage to an already incapacitated survivor, and blindness to who ever received his face full of bile.

The Tank. Yep… the name says it all… a mean gray fighting machine… he will ruin your day. he can slap you off buildings, throw boulders at you, slap cars that will incapacitate all 4 survivors. He is just not fun. He has a huge amount of damage, moves slightly slower then a healthy survivor, and is the fucker upper of your day.

The Witch. Even worse then The Tank. She moves fast, and targets only one survivor, and only that one survivor until either are dead… and if the survivor dies, she screams and cries and runs off to go crouch down somewhere else to cry. When you play on advanced or expert, a single blow from her WILL kill you, no matter the health you have. Easiest thing to do is to avoid her… or shoot her in the back of the head with a single neutralizing shot. The nice thing about The Witch, is that she only has approximately 1/28 the amount of health the tank has, it might not seem like much, but its more then you think.

Now the run down on the survivors:

Bill: “It took two eventful tours in Vietnam, a handful of medals, a knee full of shrapnel, and an honorable discharge before the unthinkable happened: Bill ran out of wars. But now an army of infected undead has declared war on humanity. After decades of aimless drifting and dead-end jobs, Bill’s finally gotten back the only thing he ever wanted: an enemy to fight.”

Francis: “Cocky, loud, and pretty sure he’s indestructible, Francis acts like the zombie apocalypse is the world’s biggest bar fight. When the virus hit, everybody else stockpiled food and looked for a place to hide. Francis found a gun and had some fun. No cops, no laws, no order—if it wasn’t for all the zombies, he could almost get used to life like this.”

Louis: “Louis had been working up the courage to quit his job as Junior Systems Analyst at his company’s IT department when a virus showed up and downsized the world. Now Louis has a new set of goals (live long enough to succeed) and a new set of tools (guns, sharp objects) to help him achieve them. With any luck, he’ll figure out how the new management operates before they get a chance to murder him.”

Zoey: “After spending her first semester holed up in a dorm room watching old horror movies, Zoey was given a choice: Stop fooling around and get her grades up, or drop out. Now that the planet’s overrun with murderous zombies, and all of her professors are dead, Zoey at least has the cold comfort that she’s been studying up on the right subject after all.”

None of the survivors have special abilities, other the Louis, who has the ability of getting himself shot at by teammates… there is something about that white shirt… damn it!

The Campaigns:

No Mercy: This is opening video for Left 4 Dead. And where we first play the demo. Fight from streets, to sewers, covering your back along the way. Get to the hospital, fight your way to the top in a close quarter barely enough room too move hospital. Protect yourself from Boomers, they are nasty in this area. Hold your ground on the rooftop of Mercy Hospital, and fly away to safety.

Dead Air: Fight your way from rooftop to rooftop to get to the downtown Metro Airport. Assault Rifles = your best friend! Keep your back against the wall on choke points, because they can ruin your day more then a Tank can… oh and watch out for a few of those too. Watch were you walk, and NEVER walk through a metal detector, it might have been safe back then, but its suicide now. Help fuel up the airplane that flew over head in the opening scene, and get your ass out of there!

Blood Harvest: You find yourselves waking up in the Appalachian Mountains, fighting your way to a farm house that you must hold up, and fight waves and waves of infected. But first you must get their through mountain passes, forest, and a horrid, pain in the ass can see anywhere corn field.

Death Toll: Fight your way through a deserted and mangled highway into a ghost town, or should I say, Zombie Town, of Riverside. Fight in an open environment, where nothing can stop the waves of infected! Watch out for the church bell, and keep your wits about you!

The Weapons:

Guns:

Pistol - Unlimited ammo, and if you can find another one laying around… DUAL WIELD and those close quarter areas and no match when you are putting holes through everything!

Uzi - Fast firing spray of death

Pump Action Shotgun - Bash, shoot, bash, shoot. Anything “Zombie” needs a pump action shotgun… DUH! Dawn of the Dead, Night of the Living Dead.. etc etc

Assault Rifle - Nice to have the stopping power of a 7.62 round riddle the bodies of zombies, spray through the walls and get those nasties that might surprise you.

Auto-shotgun - Auto-firing shot gun, with more stopping power, and 2 extra shells, and the ultimate Tank stopper, when all 4 of the survivors are equipped with it.

Hunting Rifle - The sniper rifle, that can shoot through ANYTHING. Your comrades will get this if they are wanting to pop the heads off of zombie infected. In my opinion, the only thing this is good for is… oh right… nothing.

Gatling Gun - no you can not Arnold this around, but you can disrupt a might amount of infected. Insta-death to anything hit by a couple rounds from it. This are found where there is a choke point in which you must trigger an event and defend it to move on. You will always find these at the last level where you have to contact the rescue vehicle.

Explosives:

Propane tanks - Place them
strategically around a choke point and pop one with a shot and take out some infected! It goes boom!

Pipe Bomb - Throw one of these if you get bile on you and keep those nasties off of you until you can see clearly again. The infect will ALWAYS chase it, so if you are getting swarmed, toss it to get some zombies off of you or another survivor to help save them.

Oxygen Tanks - Yep, just like those geriatric people use to keep alive… not as violent as the propane tanks, but can still do some major damage if strategically placed.

Fire:

Molotov Cocktails - Throw one of these into a nice congested area of zombies, and watch them roast! Be careful, you can light yourself, or other survivors on fire… and I have seen MANY MANY instances of someone throwing one of these down near themselves, or other survivors and it will incapacitate themselves or others, and if low enough health, even kill them… and that is no bueno.
It also helps to take out the tank much faster.

Gas Cans - These are hell fires in a can. if you set up a perimeter with a few of these you can defend fairly well, the flames do spread a distance so back a good distance away before setting one of these off. The flame moves fast and violently, consuming all in its wake.

Alright, we have gone through the background of the game, characters, and weapons. Now my run down (I have both PC and HugeBox 360 versions), I will discuss both, and if need be, I will differentiate between them.

As for game play, in single player, it is virtually the same. The game play is the same. Same campaigns, same versus … oh yeah,
that’s right… you heard me VERSUS… 4v4, take turns as survivors and see who can last the longest against The Tank, The Boomer, The Hunter, and The Smoker. No you can not play as The Witch, don’t ask.

The game, is EXTREMELY linear, get from Point A to Point B, but avoid the problems that would ensue such as Hunter 1 attacks from behind, while Hunter 2 attacks from the front, and Smoker 1 attacks from the roof top right side, and Boomer 1 attacks by jumping off a building and showering all 4 of you with bile at once. Working as a team is the key to
survival, if you find someone running ahead of everyone else, its best to let them die, and not even attempt to help them, or even get them out of a closet from when they respawn. A microphone is key in this! If you
don’t have a mic on the PC version there are 2 commo-roses that you can use the “Z” key and “X” key. They will call for help. etc.
etc.

The AI is nice, and there is an “AI Director” which means each play though is
different each time through (new placement/quantities of normal infected, new
attack strategies from the special infected, random placement of The Witch
[which can be out of your way, or sitting right in front of the only way to
continue the game would be to walk directly to her and kill her]). Although I
did find that there were "normal" or "predictable" spots that you would find
a Tank or Witch.

On the Xbox 360, I found that playing on expert was more simple to play on
then on PC. I played normal on PC, and it was ridiculously hard to play, it
seemed more like expert on 360, until I got used to it. I had to adjust the
sensitivity to my mouse (even though I'm using a Razer Copperhead) to turn
faster. The console, turning was not a problem. The video is nice for both,
and if you do not have a HDTV you can not see the true graphics of the game
on 360. I like over all, the PC version, there are some outstanding mods
that have been, and will be release fairly soon.

And it will be a matter of time before we see mods of better weapons.
*crosses fingers to see HK's, chainsaws, and "boom sticks"*

OVERALL SCORE for both PC and 360

Graphics
9/10
Visually stunning, there are things that you would never expect to see. Although
at times, there are "boxy" looking models, the extra enhancements (Film grain,
flash lights tapering off like real flashlights, the writing on the walls of
safe houses) It is a eye candy type game.

Audio:
8/10
A unique musical score, although I did see that some of the sounds were used in
multiple places but for different things… i.e. zombies bashing through a wood
door sounds the same as bashing through a steel door.

Length:
6/10
Each of the campaigns take on average an hour to complete on normal/advanced.
Much much longer on expert. On easy, I think my record time was 35 minutes.

Replayability:
9/10
You really want to get those achievements no matter what, but I find that the
most enjoyable is versus, you can truly end a round in a matter of minutes if
you coordinate with your other fellow special infected.

Gameplay
7/10
As I said before, EXTREMELY linear. But then again, you cant deny shooting heads
off of infected with shotties, and rifles. And the fires really add to the
effect of "Oh god! a burning zombie! this could be bad!"

Overall Game Score: 8/10
With new mods coming out with in hours of release for PC, and the versus
extremely enjoyable, the money for this game is totally worth it! And if you
purchase off of Steam, you can buy a 4 pack and save $50, and have 3 other
friends to play with.
The 360 has its advantages and disadvantages, for example… if i were playing
versus with a friend on the same console, I can see where they are
attacking/moving. But the VOIP is pretty much guaranteed and a lot easier
to plan, and move with friends.

This game gets my SEAL OF APPROVAL!

Fallout 3

XBOX 360 PlayStation 3 Microsoft Windows

ESRB Rating: M

BBFC Rating: 18

PEGI Rating: 18+

OFLC Australia: MA15+

OFLC New Zealand: 18+

Developer: Bethesda Game Studios

Publisher: Bethesda Softworks

Engine: Gamebryo (Oblivion, Warhammer Online, Civilization 4)

Reviewed on: XBOX 360

Spoiler Free

Mature Language (Keep in mind, this is an ESRB M rated game so kids shouldn’t be playing this in the first place)

The Review:

You’re suddenly awakened out of a nap and are told that your dad has left the vault, his assistant has been killed, and you’re next. Within 5 minutes you’ve left the only life you’ve known behind forever. The great expanse of the Capital Wasteland first greets you with a sign that points you to a scenic overlook. As you first set eyes on your new home you realize something, you’ve never played a game like this before, but that it’s a good thing, a really really good thing.

Bethesda’s Fallout 3 comes 10 years real time and 36 years game time (it takes place in 2277) after Interplay’s 1998 hit, Fallout 2. Along with a new location, new characters, and new missions comes a new game design. Gone is the isometric top down view and in is the first person view. Bethesda really went for more of an action oriented game than an RPG oriented game yet does not alienate fans of the first 2 games. You start out being born, and after questioning how two Caucasian parents could end up with a Hispanic child, you are soon witness to your mothers death.

Flash forward 1 year and your dad leaves you alone. As a future explorer you decide its best to escape your cage and wander around the room. The first book you come across is You’re SPECIAL. Flipping through the pages edits the SPECIAL (Strength, Perception, Endurance, Charisma, Intelligence, Agility, Luck) aptitudes and will be with you the rest of the game. Flash forward to your 10th birthday and you’re thrown a surprise birthday party. You receive 2 main gifts, a Pip-Boy 3000 and a BB Gun, both of which will remain with you for the rest of the game (well you can get rid of the BB Gun but it doesn’t weigh much and does a significant amount of damage in comparison to some of the other weapons in the game)

Flash forward 6 more years and you find yourself taking the GOAT or the Generalized Occupational Aptitude Test. The results of this test are to show you what job you will have in the future but more importantly allows you to choose (or get assigned) three main skills. There are 14 skills that range from Lock Pick to Sneak and can be edited every time you level up. At every level up you also get to select one perk, which gives you a bonus in at least one skill set.

It’s on a fateful day 3 years later (you are 19 by now) that your dad leaves the vault for unknown reasons. You are led to believe that your life is in danger and the only way out is to leave everything behind. You grab what little possessions you have and find yourself in a new world, full of radiation-enhanced creatures, mutated humans, and hookers, lots and lots of hookers.

While certainly not the first FPS RPG game, it is the first game that incorporates a turn-based style action mode that a user can activate anytime called VATS. VATS stands for Vault-Tec Assisted Targeting System and gives users the ability to pause the game, select which part of the body to attack at, and then have the game attack for them.

I used VATS more often then not and despite my previous reservations, found that VATS was my friend and that I should use it as often as possible. VATS isn’t free however and costs Action Points which can be replenished over time or by the use of drugs such as Jet. Drugs such as Jet, Psycho, RadAway, and Rad-X all play in a significant part of the game and while they may help you temporarily you can easily get addicted to them if you take too many in a short amount of time. While a doctor can easily fix your addictions for 50 caps, you won’t find a doctor in the middle of the wasteland and will have to travel to a city to get healed and back on track.

Weapons are certainly not hard to come by in the Wasteland and with enough knowledge you can even make your own. While you don’t have to make any weapons yourself (I myself never actually made one and instead opted to only use what I found) there are bonuses for making your own as you can use what miscellaneous and otherwise useless items in the wasteland into your own personal ammunition. Weapons do degrade overtime and must be repaired over time. I did find this particularly annoying due to the fact that weapons degraded at a much faster rate than they would in real life (then again this game takes place in 2277 and isn’t trying to be realistic by any means) yet it did add a sense of realism that sets it apart from other FPS games.

The Wasteland itself is about 16 square miles and is similar in size to Oblivion (Bethesda’s previous RPG game). While it is in no way as large as Far Cry 2 (or for that matter True Crime: Streets of LA), the size is just right, and offers the ability to fast-travel to areas already discovered. While you may expect a nuked out area to be nothing more than dust and grime, quite the opposite is the Capital Wasteland. Cities (rather a group of buildings inhabited from everything from little children to super mutants), landmarks, and ruins scatter the Wasteland and do give the wasteland much needed variety.

Surrounded by open desert and small cities is Washington DC, complete with Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, and the Capital Building, just to name a few of the more touristy spots. The city is large and plays just as much of a character as all the other NPC’s do. While you can traverse the city on the streets and alleyways there is a Metro subway system that you can also take (the subways of course don’t work however they provide an easy way to get from point a to b nonetheless). The subway systems are themselves filled with

Radiation in the Wasteland is just as much as an enemy as a Mirelurk or a Mole Rat (as expected though in a nuked out city). Radiation is most commonly found in water yet can be found in food, drink, and even in the air in some areas. Medications like Radaway will get rid of radiation and keep sickness in check. The pip-boy doubles as a Geiger counter and tells you how much radiation your are being exposed to and how much radiation you have suffered. Food is often a double edged sword and while it does replenish a small amount of health it also adds a small amount of radiation.

Let’s face it, just as in the real world, the wasteland is filled with horrible people willing to do horrible things, whether you give into a life of crime, killing, and stealing or follow your dads example of selflessness, virtue, and truthfulness is up to you. Nothing stops you from purchasing an assault rifle and absolutely tearing a city apart, killing moms, dads, sisters, brothers, sons, and daughters alike but there is one thing you gain by being good, karma. Just as in real life, karma’s a bitch and having good karma on your side can help you out in some sticky situations.

Just as in Oblivion, there are several side missions and while I refuse to go into any detail due to the spoiler free nature of this review I can tell you that they offer a great variety and often are just as enthralling as the main quest itself.

Without spoiling the game I can tell you that the game’s plot is very solid and full of twists and turns. It is one of the most gripping storylines out there and does not disappoint. The end climax is amazing and if there had been the right conditions I may have orgasmed.

Fallout 3 keeps Fallout 1 and Fallout 2’s 50 and 60’s style graphics and is filled with robotic servants and 80’s style computer terminals. While some question why a world set 270 years in the future would look so retro I love the theme and found it very modern at the same time. Cars and electronic equipment litter the streets and buildings of the wasteland and remind me of what people in the 50’s would have thought to be the future.

The Nitty Gritty:

Graphics:
9/10
The game simply looks amazing. While other games may have skimped down resolution on textures on buildings and other non-focal points, Bethesda does a great job of making you feel just as apart of the wasteland as the player him or herself.
While they do a great job with the background elements I did feel the character animations lacked a sense of life that otherwise would’ve given this a 10/10 rating.
This being said I have seen gameplay on the PS3 as well as a high-end PC and can say that while the 360 and PS3 game look virtually the same, the PC is a major leap in graphics and if you have the rig to handle it, I would definitely pick up the PC version if the best graphics are a must have.

Audio:
9/10
While there is no full on background music (which I love) the music from the radio is great and kept me company through more than one onslaught of Raiders.
The voice acting is top-notch and the narration by Ron Perlman is immaculate.

Length:
8/10
It took me 9 and a half hours to complete the main mission of the game, and the side missions add on hours and hours of gametime. To fully 100% the game I would expect the average gamer to take anywhere from 4-5 weeks.

Replayability:
9/10
Once you complete one of the many endings you should try all over again and get a whole new one, with new skills, new attributes, and a new attitude.

Gameplay:
10/10
It’s rare to find just the right amount of action and adventure and role playing in a game, and Fallout 3 is perfection. Dare I say it’s even better than Deus Ex?

Overall:
9.5/10
The game is amazing and is a must pick up for those that like FPS, Adventure, and RPG games. Fans of the first two and players totally new to the Fallout realm will find the game equally as exciting and exhilarating. This game is easily worth the $59.99 (£49.99 and €69.99) price tag and will not disappoint. I give this game the game of the month over Fable 2, Dead Space, LittleBigPlanet, Far Cry 2, and Jillian Michael’s Fitness Ultimatum 2009.

Game of the month:
Being October’s game of the month pits it in competition with the other game of the months to determine what will be my game of the year.
Game of the months:

January: Burnout Paradise (360, PS3)

February: Devil May Cry 4 (360, PS3)

March: Rainbow Six Vegas 2 (360, PS3)/Super Smash Brothers Brawl (Wii)

April: Grand Theft Auto IV (360, PS3)

May: Mass Effect (PC)

June: Metal Gear Solid 4 (PS3)

July: Soul Caliber IV (360, PS3)

August: Madden 09 (360, PS3 versions)

September: Spore (PC)

October: Fallout 3 (360, PS3, PC)