What I’ve been playing: the better-late-than-never edition

Wow, it’s been a while since I last blogged about gaming, but it’s been a pretty hectic year for me, and I took a bit of a break from blogging (and gaming) in general.

I just about kept on gaming because so many games in 2012 were a disappointment for me.  So what did I get up to?

Gotta catch ’em all

I got the Jak and Daxter HD trilogy, but have so far only managed to play through the first game.  The game looks amazing, and the gameplay is exactly how I remembered it.  Naughty Dog make superb games.

Trying to collect every last Precursor is addictive, and well-worth the effort!

Back to Modern Warfare 3

I think I’m going to depart company with the Treyarch series of games.  Both Black Ops and Black Ops II have been nothing but disappointments, whereas I just can’t fault the entire Modern Warfare series.

Why you ask?  The usual- dropped games, errors, and the damn games freeze my PS3.  That’s almost unheard of.  Also, Black Ops II just isn’t as satisfying as a Modern Warfare match online.  It just doesn’t compare.

I may complete a bit of the Black Ops II single player campaign, but who knows?

Continue reading What I’ve been playing: the better-late-than-never edition

Back to Modern Warfare 3

After the glut of top quality games that came out in quarter 4 of 2011, my play through of Uncharted 3 in January (including snagging that elusive Platinum) and my brief attack of Arkham City in February (I’ll get back to it), I’ve spent the early part of 2012 teaching some punks a lesson on Modern Warfare 3.

I’ve actually got enough content in Modern Warfare 3 to keep me going for most of the year: there’s the single player campaign to complete on Veteran, the Special Ops missions that I haven’t even had a chance to look at yet, and multiplayer to prestige at least once.

Since coming back to Modern Warfare 3 I’ve found myself playing one of the new game types introduced in this iteration, Kill Confirmed.  I prefer Kill Confirmed to most other game types as it tends to favour my preferred gameplay style which is close-quarters with an assault rifle or sub machine gun.  Those afraid to get their boots muddy need not apply.

Continue reading Back to Modern Warfare 3

I have the Platinum Trophy for Modern Warfare 2

Shortly before the release of Call of Duty: black Ops over a year ago, I made a bold declaration that I would ‘Platinum’ Modern Warfare 2.  That is, complete 100% of all achievements.

Now, I’m going to level with you here.  When I made that announcement, I didn’t really expect that I would do it, although it would give me the incentive of public humiliation if I didn’t.

Continue reading I have the Platinum Trophy for Modern Warfare 2

Black Ops connection problems: my chat with Activision

This is a follow-on post from Call of Duty: Black Ops connection problems.  Whilst my previous post was more of a way to vent my frustration, as amusing as it may have been, I wasn’t been constructive.  I don’t want to sue anyone or go marching in the streets about this issue, I just want the game fixed.

And so, after threatening to ring Activision in the aforementioned post, I actually did.  My ‘incident’ got logged as ‘Black Ops is freezing when I play multiplayer online on my Playstation 3’.  There’s more to it than that, but freezing is my main concern.  It’s one thing to be kicked out of a match due to erroneous connection problems, but it’s another thing entirely to have your PS3 completely frozen, and having to reset it.

Continue reading Black Ops connection problems: my chat with Activision

Call of Duty: Black Ops connection problems

Just a short post: I don’t know about you, but I’m now officially sick of the connection problems plaguing both Xbox 360 and PS3 players alike.  News that the Wii version (a wonderful irony in itself) got patched left me practically foaming at the mouth.  What about the rest of us?

Issues I’ve come across when playing online have included but are not limited to: ‘loss of connection’, ‘could not connect to host’, ‘ethernet cable unplugged’ (totally bogus), being booted from a match only to be unable to rejoin as the match is full, being separated from a friend in a party, being booted into theatre mode, and booted into training mode etc…

Something is quite obviously broke.  So please fix it Treyarch, you have a great game but these issues are just ruining multiplayer for myself and many others.  No wonder I’ve seen quite a few people in my friends list switch back from playing Black Ops to Modern Warfare 2.

17/12/10 Update: Treyarch have recently patched Black Ops for the Xbox 360 and the PS3, but there are reports of PS3 users still suffering from connection problems and freezing.  I’ve yet to check out Black Ops myself since the patch as I’ve switched back to Modern Warfare 2, go figure.  I’ll update this post when I can be bothered going back on Black Ops.

19/12/10 Update: Probably had the least disruption yet on Black Ops with only one disconnection from a game BUT the game froze on me again.  I’ve narrowed the freezing problem down to cancelling the killcam to allow you to respawn and… it freezes.  I called it a night after that happened.  Stay tuned for more info as and when.

23/12/10 Update: PS3 multiplayer got patched yesterday to version 1.05.  The good news?  Errr…  The bad news?  The game still freezes the PS3, and contrary to my update above, it seems to be caused by pretty much anything.  Contacting Treyarch/Activision about this now.

See also my follow-up post

Black Ops connection problems: my chat with Activision

My quick take on Call of Duty: Black Ops

From the first opening scenes of the campaign to the warm, familiar waters of online multiplayer you can be in no doubt that this game is good.  I mean, seriously good.  Black Ops takes everything that made Modern Warfare 2 so good, and just wraps it all up in a comprehensive and coherent package.  The game excels with a throughly detailed, layered plot populated full of so many interesting characters.  I’m going to share with you some of my favourite things from the main story in Black Ops:

Continue reading My quick take on Call of Duty: Black Ops

Answering the Call of Duty

It’s quite apt for the Call of Duty/Modern Warfare series that I myself have been ‘off the grid’ on this blog for most of April.  So what have I been up to?  If you were to say wasting countless enemies and blowing stuff up, then you wouldn’t be too far from the truth.

I’ve previously mentioned dabbling with Modern Warfare 2 and moaning about how difficult it has been.  So much so I even came up with my own tips on how to complete ‘Loose Ends’ on veteran.  As it turns out, after I’ve kept chipping away at the game, I’ve mastered most aspects of it.  It’s now really fun and I can pretty much hold my own against anyone.  I still struggle with some of the more challenging special ops though.  I don’t really see myself completing them all.

So what does a gamer who is new to the Call of Duty series do next?  Hungry for more sublime action, I decided to get Call of Duty: World at War.  Yes, the game will be two years old this November, but I told you I was new to the series!  I’d always fancied getting World at War, but it had always been too expensive.  So, I just waited for it to come down in price and with a little help from the invisible hand it was mine for about £17.99 ish.  Sweet.

Continue reading Answering the Call of Duty