I am so torn over this game. I have been a Steelers fan since I was in grade school. It was during the 70's and there was no better time to be a football fan. Bradshaw, Franco, Swann and Stallworth led a great offensive attack. But it was the defense that ruled supreme. Mean Joe, L.C., Dwight White, Ernie Holmes, Lambert, Ham, Blount, Wagner...the talent there was phenomenal, so much so that after the 1976 season, when the Steelers shut out 5 of their last 8 opponents (think about that!) the rules were changed to free up the passing game. Unreal. I will never forget that team or the entire decade of the 70's as football nirvana. The Steelers are still my 2nd favorite team behind my hometown Rams.
Then we have Kurt Warner quarterbacking the Arizona Cardinals. There is not a finer man in sports than Warner and I desperately want him to be elected to the Pro Football Hall Of Fame. Winning this Super Bowl would make that a slam dunk. I had season tickets to the Rams during the Greatest Show On Turf days and Warner drove that unstoppable machine. It's another thing I'll never forget. But then...there's that other factor. The Cardinals and owner Bill Bidwill. They left St. Louis, hung us out to dry without a football team. Even though I was a Steelers fan first, it still hurt like hell when football left our fair city. And to make matters worse, he did not vote in favor of the Rams moving to St. Louis. Twice he had the opportunity to make right and twice he declined. Can I really hope that this monumental buffoon of an owner gets rewarded with a Lombardi trophy? Nope. Can't do it. For a great take on Bidwill's true legacy, read this article. It sums it all up beautifully.
So my hopes are that Warner completes 80% of his passes with 5 TDs and no picks but falls just short as the Steelers rally for a last second win. The Steelers win the title, Warner is seen as a heroic figure in a tough loss and he eventually lands in the Hall Of Fame. With the Steelers' dominant defense, that is a fool's dream, but what the hell. Go Kurt! And go Steelers!
Friday, January 30, 2009
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Sack Girl
Laurel is addicted to Little Big Planet and it's main character, Sack Boy. She is quite enamored with the whole create-a-sack boy thing. She loves dressing him/her up in various ways and seeing how they look when they are used in the game. She likes to play as well, but since she is not quite ready for all of the controls, she has me get her through the hard parts.
Every day she asks me if we can play "Sack Boy." I am trying to limit it to once every 3 days or so. I have tried finding a plush toy Sack Boy online, but it seems they are not available. Anyway, it's been a neat bonding experience for Laurel and me, as if we needed any more bonding in the 1st place. We are about as close as a little girl and a daddy can get and I am so grateful that she is part of my life. I love you, Laurel!
I imagine I'll have lots of "bonding time" with John too as he gets older. With my other son Zach and myself, it will be a miracle if John is not a video game junkie as well. I am sure Barb is delighted to know that!
Every day she asks me if we can play "Sack Boy." I am trying to limit it to once every 3 days or so. I have tried finding a plush toy Sack Boy online, but it seems they are not available. Anyway, it's been a neat bonding experience for Laurel and me, as if we needed any more bonding in the 1st place. We are about as close as a little girl and a daddy can get and I am so grateful that she is part of my life. I love you, Laurel!
I imagine I'll have lots of "bonding time" with John too as he gets older. With my other son Zach and myself, it will be a miracle if John is not a video game junkie as well. I am sure Barb is delighted to know that!
Monday, January 26, 2009
Left 4 Dead
Dave and I finally got in some co-op play in Left 4 Dead late last night. Dave was a mad man; he saved my bacon plenty of times. The game is a lot more fun with a friend, as the repetition is more bearable when you have someone to talk to and have fun with. We tackled the 1st chapter last night and hope to get some more done in the future. Maybe next time I will make it out alive.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Hotel For Dogs
Well, it wasn't high up on my to-do list, but Laurel really wanted to see Hotel For Dogs (mostly because of the McDonalds Happy Meal tie-in) so Barb and I took her this afternoon. I have to say it wasn't nearly as bad as I had feared. Laurel absolutely loved it and she wants to get it when it comes out on DVD. That is very high praise indeed. Barb thought it was cute too and she's not really a dog person. So if you are looking for a movie to take your young ones to, you could do a lot worse than this. Three paws up!
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
A day of hope
Yes, Hope has been used to death by Obama and his supporters but that is exactly what I felt today as he was sworn in. Hope that we can return to the ideals that make this country great, and hope that we can once again be governed by the Constitution, not stand by feebly as it is shredded by an imperial presidency.
Congratulations, President Obama and Vice President Biden. Good riddance, President Bush. And as you once so eloquently stated yourself, go f*** yourself, Vice President Cheney.
Congratulations, President Obama and Vice President Biden. Good riddance, President Bush. And as you once so eloquently stated yourself, go f*** yourself, Vice President Cheney.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Great Jim Thomas article on the hiring of Spagnuolo
Thomas is a terrific football writer/reporter. For his take on how everything went down, click here. Seems like GM Bill Devaney really did some great work. And kudos to owner Chip Rosenbloom for listening to his GM.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Breaking news: the new Rams coach is...
Steve Spagnuolo, defensive coordinator for the New York Giants. Bernie Miklasz broke the news on his forum at STLToday.com. Here is the link. As usual Miklasz does a bang-up job of reporting. Major props to Post writer Jim Thomas as well. Now I have no idea whatsoever why Jason Garrett was flown in last night, unless it was to prod Spags into accepting the job or perhaps to see if he would serve as offensive coordinator/assistant head coach under Spagnuolo. Weird stuff, but I am sure it will come out sooner or later.
Spags is an inspired pick. Great defensive mind and seems like a good motivator. He was highly sought after last season after the Giants upset the Patriots in the Super Bowl, but decided to stick with the Giants. This is a major coup for Bill Devaney and the St. Louis Rams and it signals a new direction forward for the team. This will definitely excite the fan base in St. Louis. I was leaning toward Leslie Frazier as my pick, only because he has previous experience being a head coach and building a team from the ground up, even if it was at a small college. Still, Spags has a great resume and learned under Philadelphia Eagles defensive guru Jim Johnson.
This is an inspired pick and a real "get" for the Rams. Congrats to the Rams for seemingly getting this one right. Now it's on to the Senior Bowl this week. Spags will get his coaching staff put together and check out the players at the Senior Bowl. Then it's the NFL Draft combine and onto my favorite time of the offseason, the NFL Draft!
Update: Bernie Miklasz has posted an article on Spagnuolo on STLToday.com. It's an excellent read and really gives a good picture of Spags. You can read it here. BTW, don't be fooled by the posturing of the national football writers; Miklasz broke this story, not them.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Rams may be ready to pull a stunner
Just this morning, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch printed an article online saying that the Rams coaching search was nearing the end and that Leslie Frazier was #1 on their list, with Steve Spagnuolo being touted as 1A. This came from the Post's Jim Thomas, a very sound and respected writer. It seemed like a done deal and that an announcement for either Frazier or Spagnuolo would be coming over the weekend.
Then out of the clear blue sky came a report from the NFL Network that dark horse candidate Jason Garrett was on his way to St. Louis. This stunned everyone. The forums on the Post's website went absolutely nuts. People were incensed that the Rams had seemingly gone away from their previously announced plan to get a rough, tough defensive guy to be the new leader of the team. People were really hoping for either Frazier, Spags or Rex Ryan. Everyone had assumed that Garrett really had no chance. And very few people were happy with the latest turn of events; Garrett didn't have many supporters.
Then it was reported that Garrett was just here for a 2nd interview, which is strange because:
Notice that Devaney does not deny that he is the leading guy, he just states that he won't say that Garrett is the leading guy. Really suspicious.
Logically the only things that makes sense are that Garrett is the guy and he was brought here to negotiate a contract and have a press conference OR that the Rams have settled on Ravens' defensive coordinator Rex Ryan, who will not be available until Baltimore's season is over. This could happen Sunday night if they lose to the Steelers. Perhaps they want Ryan and have brought in Garrett as a backup plan if Ryan is unavailable or doesn't want the job. But I don't think so. I think Garrett will be the next head coach.
In a recent Post-Dispatch poll as to who the fans want as the next Rams coach, Garrett got only 4% of the vote. Reports came out that once Garrett was found to be St. Louis bound, the Rams ticket office was pounded with calls from upset fans. If Garrett is the guy, it is going to be VERY controversial here. The fan base is already fragile after a 5-27 record over the past 2 seasons. Do the Rams really want to alienate the fans even more?
There are still so many questions that need an answer, such as:
For a nice list of the pros and cons of hiring Garrett, read Bernie Miklasz's blog here. As usual, Miklasz does a bang-up job of laying it out there for everyone to see.
Edit: Latest reports are that Jason Garrett will be leaving St. Louis early in the morning. That makes it seems like no announcement is imminent. I am so confused.
Then out of the clear blue sky came a report from the NFL Network that dark horse candidate Jason Garrett was on his way to St. Louis. This stunned everyone. The forums on the Post's website went absolutely nuts. People were incensed that the Rams had seemingly gone away from their previously announced plan to get a rough, tough defensive guy to be the new leader of the team. People were really hoping for either Frazier, Spags or Rex Ryan. Everyone had assumed that Garrett really had no chance. And very few people were happy with the latest turn of events; Garrett didn't have many supporters.
Then it was reported that Garrett was just here for a 2nd interview, which is strange because:
- Rams' GM Bill Devaney had said earlier that all the interviews were completed.
- All of the other interviews had been done in L.A. where the owners live.
- Garrett brought along his wife.
Notice that Devaney does not deny that he is the leading guy, he just states that he won't say that Garrett is the leading guy. Really suspicious.
Logically the only things that makes sense are that Garrett is the guy and he was brought here to negotiate a contract and have a press conference OR that the Rams have settled on Ravens' defensive coordinator Rex Ryan, who will not be available until Baltimore's season is over. This could happen Sunday night if they lose to the Steelers. Perhaps they want Ryan and have brought in Garrett as a backup plan if Ryan is unavailable or doesn't want the job. But I don't think so. I think Garrett will be the next head coach.
In a recent Post-Dispatch poll as to who the fans want as the next Rams coach, Garrett got only 4% of the vote. Reports came out that once Garrett was found to be St. Louis bound, the Rams ticket office was pounded with calls from upset fans. If Garrett is the guy, it is going to be VERY controversial here. The fan base is already fragile after a 5-27 record over the past 2 seasons. Do the Rams really want to alienate the fans even more?
There are still so many questions that need an answer, such as:
- Why did Jim Thomas report that Frazier and Spags were the 2 finalists? Was he misled by the Rams? If so, that's pretty crappy on their part.
- If Frazier and Spags are indeed the 2 finalists, why are the Rams reportedly waiting until Monday to make their selection? That sure makes it seem like they are waiting to see if Rex Ryan will be available after the AFC championship game Sunday night.
- Why would Devaney, who had an absolutely stellar list of candidates assembled, suddenly reverse course and pick an offensive guy like Garrett, who definitely had the worst year of all of the candidates this past season? Frazier, Spags and Ryan are all seen as very solid picks and all of them have been deemed ready to lead by most NFL writers. Meanwhile Garrett has the least experience out of the whole group.
- For what other logical reason would Jason Garrett be invited to St. Louis while no other candidates are coming? Why did he bring his wife - to see the Gateway Arch? Would Garrett agree to come here knowing he was not the leading candidate?
For a nice list of the pros and cons of hiring Garrett, read Bernie Miklasz's blog here. As usual, Miklasz does a bang-up job of laying it out there for everyone to see.
Edit: Latest reports are that Jason Garrett will be leaving St. Louis early in the morning. That makes it seems like no announcement is imminent. I am so confused.
Rams coaching search update
NFL Network reports that Leslie Frazier is the likely pick. ESPN says it's Rex Ryan. Peter King says it's Steve Spagnuolo but that Jason Garrett was the leader a day or 2 ago. Now the St. Louis Post-Dispatch is saying that Jim Fassel is back in the running (NOOOOO!!!). Some are saying a coach will be named as early as today, other say the Rams will wait until after the weekend.
I don't know who to believe. I think they are all just guessing. It's a stellar list of candidates, or at least it was until Fassel was put back into the picture. I'd be very happy with Frazier, Spagnuolo or Ryan. I'd be okay with Garrett. I'd smack myself in the forehead if it turns out to be Fassel.
I don't know who to believe. I think they are all just guessing. It's a stellar list of candidates, or at least it was until Fassel was put back into the picture. I'd be very happy with Frazier, Spagnuolo or Ryan. I'd be okay with Garrett. I'd smack myself in the forehead if it turns out to be Fassel.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Rams coaching search
Supposedly the St. Louis Rams have narrowed their list of head coaching candidates to 3 people: Vikings' defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier, Ravens' defensive coordinator Rex Ryan and Giants' defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. Thankfully it appears as if current head coach Jim Haslett is out of the running.
If I were handicapping this race, I'd say Frazier is the favorite for the job. For one, he has a good background and a solid reputation. People compare his demeanor to that of recently retired Colts' coach Tony Dungy. And perhaps most importantly, he wants the job.
Ryan is still unavailable for negotiations until after the Ravens are done playing. While that could be Sunday, it's more than likely that the Rams feel they simply cannot wait that long. A lot of good potential assistant coaches are being snatched up by the minute. It is also thought that the Jets' job is Ryan's if he wants it. The bright lights of New York may be hard to turn down.
Spagnuolo is hard to read. Rams' GM Bill Devaney is an old friend of his and he is very well thought of. But people wonder how serious he is about the Rams' job. With the Chiefs hiring new GM Scott Pioli, some wonder if that job might be more attractive to Spagnuolo. Others think he may hang around and wait for current Giants coach Tom Coughlin to retire.
I think if everything were equal that Spagnuolo may be the leader coming into the final turn. He interviews today. But things are not equal. It will be up to Bill Devaney to find the right fit for the Rams. Any of these 3 candidates would be a fine choice. I just think Leslie Frazier seems the most likely to be The Man.
If I were handicapping this race, I'd say Frazier is the favorite for the job. For one, he has a good background and a solid reputation. People compare his demeanor to that of recently retired Colts' coach Tony Dungy. And perhaps most importantly, he wants the job.
Ryan is still unavailable for negotiations until after the Ravens are done playing. While that could be Sunday, it's more than likely that the Rams feel they simply cannot wait that long. A lot of good potential assistant coaches are being snatched up by the minute. It is also thought that the Jets' job is Ryan's if he wants it. The bright lights of New York may be hard to turn down.
Spagnuolo is hard to read. Rams' GM Bill Devaney is an old friend of his and he is very well thought of. But people wonder how serious he is about the Rams' job. With the Chiefs hiring new GM Scott Pioli, some wonder if that job might be more attractive to Spagnuolo. Others think he may hang around and wait for current Giants coach Tom Coughlin to retire.
I think if everything were equal that Spagnuolo may be the leader coming into the final turn. He interviews today. But things are not equal. It will be up to Bill Devaney to find the right fit for the Rams. Any of these 3 candidates would be a fine choice. I just think Leslie Frazier seems the most likely to be The Man.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Kaptain Kurt
I am so happy for Kurt Warner, who has helped guide the Arizona Cardinals to the NFC Championship game. The man is a class act through and through and of course he is a St. Louis sports legend after what he did with the Rams. I certainly hope this postseason run helps his Hall Of Fame chances. The Philadelphia Eagles did the Cardinals a favor by knocking off the N.Y. Giants in the other NFC semifinal game, which means the Cardinals will host the Eagles for the NFC Championship. While beating the Eagles will be no small task, playing them in Arizona rather than playing the Giants in New York has to make the Cardinals confident.
Baltimore's defense, some key turnovers by the Tennessee Titans and a really bad no-call by the refs on an obvious delay of game penalty helped the Ravens topple Tennessee. They will play the winner of Pittsburgh/San Diego, which is just getting ready for kickoff. As a lifelong Steelers fan, I am pulling for Pittsburgh all the way.
The Rams' coaching search is taking an ominous turn, with many people in the know saying that the team is just putting on a dog and pony show that will end up with them giving the job to interim coach Jim Haslett. Given that as defensive coordinator Haslett's Rams defense sucked seven ways to Sunday and given that as interim head coach he went 2-10 with a 10 game losing streak, this is unfathomable to me. If Haslett is the hire, my enthusiasm for Rams' football will diminish greatly. We'll have to see how this plays out, but right now I am not at all happy with the direction this "search" is going.
Friday, January 9, 2009
Barb gets ready for nursing school
Today was orientation day for Barb. She starts school on Monday. In what was a terrific surprise one of her good friends got admitted into the program at the very last minute, so now Barb has a study partner and some more support. It's going to be a rough year, but I am absolutely sure Barb can handle the load. This has been a long time coming and I am very proud of her. Go Barb!
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Finished Fallout 3
After many, many enjoyable hours, I finished up my Game Of The Year selection, Fallout 3. What a journey it was. There were still a few more things I could have done, but none of them were important; basically I just could have explored the 3 or 4 remaining areas I had yet to visit. But honestly, after playing for so long I was ready to move on. The ending was a bit of a letdown, but that's becoming the norm nowadays.
After Fable 2, Far Cry 2 and Fallout 3, I am a bit tired of killing things. So tonight I decided to play some more Little Big Planet for a while. The game is very impressive and can be summed up in one simple word: charming. I have a little problem with the controls, but nothing too bad. It's nice to take a break from intense gaming and play something casual. And it's nice to get my PS3 going again; it's been awhile.
Left 4 Dead will be getting some more playing time soon, but not until I play some more LBP first.
After Fable 2, Far Cry 2 and Fallout 3, I am a bit tired of killing things. So tonight I decided to play some more Little Big Planet for a while. The game is very impressive and can be summed up in one simple word: charming. I have a little problem with the controls, but nothing too bad. It's nice to take a break from intense gaming and play something casual. And it's nice to get my PS3 going again; it's been awhile.
Left 4 Dead will be getting some more playing time soon, but not until I play some more LBP first.
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Today's Picture
This is from September of 2007. Laurel was giving her Halloween costume an early tryout. I ran across this by accident today and couldn't resist posting it here. This was taken 6 days before her 3rd birthday. What a sweetheart!
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Game Of the Year, 2008
It's time to announce my pick for best video game of the past year. I have played quite a few game this year and there are many that I have enjoyed immensely. There are some first-rate games that I did not play, so they are not eligible for the award. Among those games are:
Gears Of War 2
Dead Space
Metal Gear Solid 4
Prince Of Persia
Resistance 2
Rock Band 2
Guitar Hero Wold Tour
I am a big fan of the original Guitar Hero and Rock Band games so I have a pretty good handle on what they have to offer. Metal Gear Solid 4 is supposed to be a stellar game, but I hear you spend nearly as much time watching the extensive cut scenes as you do actually playing the game, so that really limits my interest. Dead Space sounds good and I will probably be checking it out in the future. Same can be said about Prince Of Persia. Resistance 2 is supposed to be a great multiplayer game, but I don't enjoy multiplayer games as much as a good single player game, mostly because of the idiots you have to endure while playing online. I did enjoy the first Resistance game a great deal, but I hear the sequel is really aimed more at the multiplayer gamer. Gears Of War 2 seems a lot like more of the same to me, which to be fair can be said of most sequels. While I liked the first one and thought it was very well done, I never really felt compelled to check out the sequel. I am probably missing out on a great game, but with my limited amount of gaming time, it was just never a priority.
As far as the Wii is concerned, I like it, but nothing on the system blows me away. So basically this is a contest among Xbox 360 & PS3 games.
For those keeping score at home, my favorite game last year was Bioshock. Indeed I scored the game a perfect 10, which is very rare for me. I have only given 2 perfect scores before that, to a couple of older games: X-Com UFO Defense and Front Page Sports Football, both of which were released in the early 90's. What made Bioshock so compelling was the setting and atmosphere. The game completely immersed you in it's world and it controlled very well too. It consistently had me ooh-ing and aah-ing throughout the game. I really think that Bioshock crossed the line from being just a video game to being an actual work of art.
2007 was a great year for gaming. Bioshock had some serious competition for the Game Of The Year (GOTY) award. 2008 was basically a carbon copy of 2007. There were some quality games that came out during the first 3 quarters of the year and then the final quarter was just littered with truly exceptional games. So without further ado, let's get to it!
Here are the finalists for the GOTY award:
MLB '08: The Show
NHL '09
Grand Theft Auto IV
Fable 2
Left 4 Dead
Far Cry 2
Little Big Planet
Fallout 3
Of these 8 games, 3 of them I played on the PS3 (MLB' 08, NHL '09 and Little Big Planet) with the rest being played on the 360. Two of them are sports games, 2 are RPGs (Fable 2 and Fallout 3), 2 are action games (GTA IV and Left 4 Dead), 1 is a platformer (LBP) and 1 (Far Cry 2) is a first-person shooter. That's not a bad variety. Let's take a look at each one individually.
MLB '08: The Show is a Sony's baseball game, and it's only available for Sony consoles. Last year's version was quite good in it's own right, and 2008 upped the ante considerably. The game looks and plays very well. To me the best thing about the game is the Road To The Show mode, where you create a AA minor league player and advance him through his entire career, hopefully becoming an impact MLB player. You only play as that player; you skip though game moments until one involving your player (as a fielder, batter or pitcher) arises. It is really compelling as you guide your player through the ups and downs of your career. It has a light RPG element, as you can decide which skills you want to improve your player upon as you accomplish certain goals. You can create any sort of player you want. I played 2 separate careers, one as a closer and one as a shortstop. I made it to the big leagues in both and with one being a pitcher and one being a position player, each career played out differently. My only problem with RTTS (and MLB '08) was when you reach base and become a base runner. From that point on you play each pitch in the game while you are on the bases and it is quite time consuming. If you have a base stealer, it can be a fun game of cat and mouse. But even that gets old after a while. A typical game consists of about 10% batting, 15% fielding and the remaining 75% running the bases, which is the least rewarding part of the game. Couple that with some lengthy load times for each game and you can find yourself wishing the game would move along faster. Still, MLB '08: The Show is the best baseball game I have ever played, and that says a lot cause I have played 'em all. On a scale of 1-10 I would give The Show a lofty 9.1, very high praise indeed.
NHL '09 is EA Sports multi-platform hockey game and in a lot of ways, it compares to The Show. Like Sony's baseball game, NHL '09 has a career mode where you take a created player from the minors up through the NHL. To me this is the highlight of the game. You determine what position you want to play and what type of player you'd like to be. Once the game hits the ice, it plays like a dream. You are able to call for passes or shots from your teammates and you are judged after each game by your on-ice performance. With the points you gain, you can determine which area of your game you'd like to improve, again much like The Show. You can also play a regular game of hockey, where you control whoever has the puck. While I found this mode to be fun, I preferred the career mode. NHL '09 also has teams from leagues throughout the world, as well as each country's nation team. These include the bigger ice surface used for the international game. NHL is excellent in nearly every way. I would score this game an 8.9 on a 10 scale.
Grand Theft Auto IV should need little introduction to gamers, so I will spare all of the details here. I will say that I found the story to be pretty darned good and the character of Niko to be compelling. With the game clearly based in the action genre, such a good story and character is really a plus. GTA IV is an improved version on the earlier GTA games, so there's not much new here. What there is in spades is a tremendous amount of freedom to do as you please, a game world which seems alive and plenty of missions to accomplish. The game does get repetitive after a while (most lengthy games do) and some of the things you have to do, like spending time with your friends to keep them happy, seem like more of a chore than anything. Still, this a real monumental effort and it plays very well. Overall, I'd give GTA IV a solid 9.0 out of 10.
Fable 2 was a game I was most anxious to play. I had not played the original Fable, tough my son did and he really enjoyed it. But the more I read about the upcoming Fable 2, the more excited I was to get my hands on it. Happily, it did not disappoint. Right from the start the story grabbed me. The visuals and sound were a real treat and there was plenty to do with a lot of variety. As I made my way through the Fable 2 world, I kept repeating to myself, "This has got to be the game of the year, this has got to be the game of the year..." It was that good, that deep and most of all, that fun. I enjoyed battling the many creatures, improving my character as I saw fit, meeting my wife, having children, finding a nice home, etc. I am sure I had a grin on my face throughout as I played Fable 2. My only complaint was there was not a whole lot of customization with your character. You improved your skills however you wanted, but the outfits didn't really do much and you could buy the best outfit for your player quite early in the game. Once you did, there was no need to look for improved items to wear. Overall, it's a minor complaint but it makes the game more of an RPG Lite rather than a true RPG. Which is fine; a good action RPG is a lovely thing. Fable 2 is a fantastic game. It scores a truly special 9.3 out of 10 for me.
Left 4 Dead is basically like the George Romero "... Of The Dead" zombie films on steroids. It is a simple action game in which your one goal is to survive while going from point A to point b. It could not be simpler to control or get the hang of. What makes it special is that the single player game, though not very long, is different each time you play through and the multiplayer portion of the game is perfection. The zombies in Left 4 Dead are not your brainless, shuffling variety found in most zombie movies. They are fast and strong and there are hundreds of them. You team up with 3 other survivors (controlled by the CPU in single player mode and by other gamers in the multiplayer mode) and try to find your way to safety. You encounter an incredible number of the undead and there is some variety among them, with some having special abilities. What makes the single player mode so good (despite the aforementioned short length) is the "director" which makes each game different. Basically no single player game plays the same because the zombie hordes are placed differently throughout each level. So you never know what to expect, even though the actual level layout is always the same. The game really shines in multiplayer mode though. You can play cooperatively against the zombies or you can play humans vs. zombies with both sides controlled by gamers. It works incredibly well and the game controls are absolute perfection. As I said, I am more of a single player guy and there is some repetitiveness that is inevitable because the levels themselves don't change. It also doesn't have a lot of variety or depth. But Left 4 Dead is fun, simply gaming at it's absolute best. I score Left 4 Dead a solid 8.9 out of 10.
Far Cry 2 is a game that was not on my radar at all until it's release was imminent. I found out about the game thanks to some folks who were discussing it over at Operation Sports. The more I read, the more hooked I became and the more anxious I became for Far Cry 2 to drop. When it arrived, I was still finishing Fable 2, so it had to wait a couple of days. Once I popped it in, I was at first a bit underwhelmed. It takes a couple of hours for the game to get rolling, but once it does it is FPS heaven. You are a mercenary in an African nation which is being torn apart by civil war. There are 2 factions that are battling it out and they are both being armed by the same guy, known as The Jackal. Your ultimate job is to take the Jackal out. Along the way you have to play both factions against each other, face double crosses, improve your arsenal and then head into the heart of darkness to come face to face with the Jackal (and your fate). What makes Far Cry 2 so outstanding is the environments (from lush foliage to desert wastes), the weapons (all real and all life-like) and the scope of the game world. Far Cry 2 takes place in an enormous area. The map is huge and full of treacherous roads and rivers. Making your way through this world can be quite time consuming (and repetitive), but the sights you see, such as wondrous waterfalls and grazing gazelles, zebras and wildebeest make it feel real. The action is more grounded in reality than your typical FPS; there is no crazy jumping or inhuman abilities to make the game seem more arcadish. Instead real world physics apply. You can get around the map in a variety of vehicles and these all handle very well. The visuals in the game are exceptional, with some of the best explosion effects you will ever see. Far Cry 2 is quite lengthy, especially if you decide to do the side quests. It took me over 70 hours of game play to finish the game. When I did reach the end, I was sorry that it was all over. It was an epic journey and one that I found very rewarding. Some people found the game to be overly repetitive and the constantly repopulated checkpoints annoying. While I can see their points, the game simply worked for me. Far Cry 2 scores a very praiseworthy 9.0 out of 10 for me.
Little Big Planet is a platformer game exclusive to the Sony PS3. It's visuals are amazing, it's puzzles increasingly difficult and it's lifespan is aided immeasurably by the level creator, which allows you to create your own levels and share them with others. The vast number of user created levels already available for download puts the replayability of this game through the roof. I have to confess that I have not put as much time in with LBP as I would like to in order to give it a legitimate score. But in the time I have invested I have found LBP to be charming game with a lot of options. It controls pretty well, though sometimes it is hard to get your character where you want it to be in the 3 dimensional world. Right now I would have to score LBP an incomplete because of my limited time with the game. I have played enough, however, to determine that the game belongs on the list of finalists for GOTY. It does not, however, appear as if it is good enough to be named the GOTY. Early indications are that LBP will score somewhere between 8.6 to 9.1 on my scale. A worthy game in an exceptional year.
Fallout 3 is the last game of the finalists It is an RPG made by the creators of the early 360 standout RPG Elder Scrolls: Oblivion. Fallout 3 arrived at a time when I was finishing Fable 2 and waiting to start Far Cry 2. As you read earlier, I put a lot of time into Far Cry 2 so Fallout 3 really was on the back burner for some time. Fable 2, Far Cry 2 and Fallout 3 all arrived within the same couple of weeks and I was excited about all 3. But Fallout 3 was perhaps the one I was looking forward to the least at that point. When I finished the long, engrossing Far Cry 2, I was really a bit strung out from playing such a long, drawn-out game. When I popped Fallout 3 in for the first time, I was a bit overwhelmed, to put it mildly. The game map is huge, with tons of locations, each of which is a huge area itself. There was so much to see and do that I didn't know where to start other than the main quest. And I wanted to do the side quests before I got too far into the main one. Like Far Cry 2, it took about 2 hours to get into the meat of the game. I made my way to the little town of Megaton, a small town that housed desperate people. You see, Fallout 3 takes place many years after a nuclear war has wiped out most of humanity. You play a character lucky enough to have been born in an underground vault, a fallout safe bunker. For years and years the topside of the planet has been a nuclear wasteland, populated with human scavengers, hideously mutated creatures and grotesque, superhuman mutations. Your father has left the safety of the vault, a big no-no. You are to be punished for this transgression. Rather than stick around for said punishment, you strike out into a completely alien world in search of your father.
The setting of Fallout 3 is Washington D.C. and the surrounding area. To travel around and see the Capital Building, the White House, the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument in a shambles is quite chilling. It really looks like what you would imagine a nuclear wasteland landscape to be. Dangers are everywhere and small pockets of humanity are sprinkled throughout. In order to find your father, you must first help put others, with their own agendas and ideas. The storytelling is top-notch. The atmosphere rivals that of Bioshock. Everything feels right about the game. There are countless ways to build and improve your character. You get to decide what his or her strengths and weaknesses are, how you handle combat, how persuasive you are, etc. It is all masterfully done. You earn experience points for every thing you do and these points allow you to level up. As you do, you make the important, permanent choices that will effect you and the world throughout your game. The consequences of your actions and decisions are real.
You have a wide array of weaponry, both real and futuristic. You can also gather junk around the landscape and build your own weapons. The possibilities are endless. And talk about epic! The game can take anywhere from 20 to 100 hours, depending on how deep you want to get. You meet interesting characters, get to know them and sometime kill them or at least decide their fate. It all adds up to a complete package that closes in on perfection. I have run into a few bugs which have required me to reload from a previous game save, but nothing catastrophic. Just remember to save frequently in multiple save slots.
Already 3 separate downloads are planned with new areas, adventures and quests. To say I am stoked would be a dramatic understatement. Fallout 3 meets and exceeds all of the requirements for a "Game Of The Year." It scores a near-perfect 9.8 on my scale of 10. It is a game for the ages that will be remembered as a true classic.
Gears Of War 2
Dead Space
Metal Gear Solid 4
Prince Of Persia
Resistance 2
Rock Band 2
Guitar Hero Wold Tour
I am a big fan of the original Guitar Hero and Rock Band games so I have a pretty good handle on what they have to offer. Metal Gear Solid 4 is supposed to be a stellar game, but I hear you spend nearly as much time watching the extensive cut scenes as you do actually playing the game, so that really limits my interest. Dead Space sounds good and I will probably be checking it out in the future. Same can be said about Prince Of Persia. Resistance 2 is supposed to be a great multiplayer game, but I don't enjoy multiplayer games as much as a good single player game, mostly because of the idiots you have to endure while playing online. I did enjoy the first Resistance game a great deal, but I hear the sequel is really aimed more at the multiplayer gamer. Gears Of War 2 seems a lot like more of the same to me, which to be fair can be said of most sequels. While I liked the first one and thought it was very well done, I never really felt compelled to check out the sequel. I am probably missing out on a great game, but with my limited amount of gaming time, it was just never a priority.
As far as the Wii is concerned, I like it, but nothing on the system blows me away. So basically this is a contest among Xbox 360 & PS3 games.
For those keeping score at home, my favorite game last year was Bioshock. Indeed I scored the game a perfect 10, which is very rare for me. I have only given 2 perfect scores before that, to a couple of older games: X-Com UFO Defense and Front Page Sports Football, both of which were released in the early 90's. What made Bioshock so compelling was the setting and atmosphere. The game completely immersed you in it's world and it controlled very well too. It consistently had me ooh-ing and aah-ing throughout the game. I really think that Bioshock crossed the line from being just a video game to being an actual work of art.
2007 was a great year for gaming. Bioshock had some serious competition for the Game Of The Year (GOTY) award. 2008 was basically a carbon copy of 2007. There were some quality games that came out during the first 3 quarters of the year and then the final quarter was just littered with truly exceptional games. So without further ado, let's get to it!
Here are the finalists for the GOTY award:
MLB '08: The Show
NHL '09
Grand Theft Auto IV
Fable 2
Left 4 Dead
Far Cry 2
Little Big Planet
Fallout 3
Of these 8 games, 3 of them I played on the PS3 (MLB' 08, NHL '09 and Little Big Planet) with the rest being played on the 360. Two of them are sports games, 2 are RPGs (Fable 2 and Fallout 3), 2 are action games (GTA IV and Left 4 Dead), 1 is a platformer (LBP) and 1 (Far Cry 2) is a first-person shooter. That's not a bad variety. Let's take a look at each one individually.
MLB '08: The Show is a Sony's baseball game, and it's only available for Sony consoles. Last year's version was quite good in it's own right, and 2008 upped the ante considerably. The game looks and plays very well. To me the best thing about the game is the Road To The Show mode, where you create a AA minor league player and advance him through his entire career, hopefully becoming an impact MLB player. You only play as that player; you skip though game moments until one involving your player (as a fielder, batter or pitcher) arises. It is really compelling as you guide your player through the ups and downs of your career. It has a light RPG element, as you can decide which skills you want to improve your player upon as you accomplish certain goals. You can create any sort of player you want. I played 2 separate careers, one as a closer and one as a shortstop. I made it to the big leagues in both and with one being a pitcher and one being a position player, each career played out differently. My only problem with RTTS (and MLB '08) was when you reach base and become a base runner. From that point on you play each pitch in the game while you are on the bases and it is quite time consuming. If you have a base stealer, it can be a fun game of cat and mouse. But even that gets old after a while. A typical game consists of about 10% batting, 15% fielding and the remaining 75% running the bases, which is the least rewarding part of the game. Couple that with some lengthy load times for each game and you can find yourself wishing the game would move along faster. Still, MLB '08: The Show is the best baseball game I have ever played, and that says a lot cause I have played 'em all. On a scale of 1-10 I would give The Show a lofty 9.1, very high praise indeed.
NHL '09 is EA Sports multi-platform hockey game and in a lot of ways, it compares to The Show. Like Sony's baseball game, NHL '09 has a career mode where you take a created player from the minors up through the NHL. To me this is the highlight of the game. You determine what position you want to play and what type of player you'd like to be. Once the game hits the ice, it plays like a dream. You are able to call for passes or shots from your teammates and you are judged after each game by your on-ice performance. With the points you gain, you can determine which area of your game you'd like to improve, again much like The Show. You can also play a regular game of hockey, where you control whoever has the puck. While I found this mode to be fun, I preferred the career mode. NHL '09 also has teams from leagues throughout the world, as well as each country's nation team. These include the bigger ice surface used for the international game. NHL is excellent in nearly every way. I would score this game an 8.9 on a 10 scale.
Grand Theft Auto IV should need little introduction to gamers, so I will spare all of the details here. I will say that I found the story to be pretty darned good and the character of Niko to be compelling. With the game clearly based in the action genre, such a good story and character is really a plus. GTA IV is an improved version on the earlier GTA games, so there's not much new here. What there is in spades is a tremendous amount of freedom to do as you please, a game world which seems alive and plenty of missions to accomplish. The game does get repetitive after a while (most lengthy games do) and some of the things you have to do, like spending time with your friends to keep them happy, seem like more of a chore than anything. Still, this a real monumental effort and it plays very well. Overall, I'd give GTA IV a solid 9.0 out of 10.
Fable 2 was a game I was most anxious to play. I had not played the original Fable, tough my son did and he really enjoyed it. But the more I read about the upcoming Fable 2, the more excited I was to get my hands on it. Happily, it did not disappoint. Right from the start the story grabbed me. The visuals and sound were a real treat and there was plenty to do with a lot of variety. As I made my way through the Fable 2 world, I kept repeating to myself, "This has got to be the game of the year, this has got to be the game of the year..." It was that good, that deep and most of all, that fun. I enjoyed battling the many creatures, improving my character as I saw fit, meeting my wife, having children, finding a nice home, etc. I am sure I had a grin on my face throughout as I played Fable 2. My only complaint was there was not a whole lot of customization with your character. You improved your skills however you wanted, but the outfits didn't really do much and you could buy the best outfit for your player quite early in the game. Once you did, there was no need to look for improved items to wear. Overall, it's a minor complaint but it makes the game more of an RPG Lite rather than a true RPG. Which is fine; a good action RPG is a lovely thing. Fable 2 is a fantastic game. It scores a truly special 9.3 out of 10 for me.
Left 4 Dead is basically like the George Romero "... Of The Dead" zombie films on steroids. It is a simple action game in which your one goal is to survive while going from point A to point b. It could not be simpler to control or get the hang of. What makes it special is that the single player game, though not very long, is different each time you play through and the multiplayer portion of the game is perfection. The zombies in Left 4 Dead are not your brainless, shuffling variety found in most zombie movies. They are fast and strong and there are hundreds of them. You team up with 3 other survivors (controlled by the CPU in single player mode and by other gamers in the multiplayer mode) and try to find your way to safety. You encounter an incredible number of the undead and there is some variety among them, with some having special abilities. What makes the single player mode so good (despite the aforementioned short length) is the "director" which makes each game different. Basically no single player game plays the same because the zombie hordes are placed differently throughout each level. So you never know what to expect, even though the actual level layout is always the same. The game really shines in multiplayer mode though. You can play cooperatively against the zombies or you can play humans vs. zombies with both sides controlled by gamers. It works incredibly well and the game controls are absolute perfection. As I said, I am more of a single player guy and there is some repetitiveness that is inevitable because the levels themselves don't change. It also doesn't have a lot of variety or depth. But Left 4 Dead is fun, simply gaming at it's absolute best. I score Left 4 Dead a solid 8.9 out of 10.
Far Cry 2 is a game that was not on my radar at all until it's release was imminent. I found out about the game thanks to some folks who were discussing it over at Operation Sports. The more I read, the more hooked I became and the more anxious I became for Far Cry 2 to drop. When it arrived, I was still finishing Fable 2, so it had to wait a couple of days. Once I popped it in, I was at first a bit underwhelmed. It takes a couple of hours for the game to get rolling, but once it does it is FPS heaven. You are a mercenary in an African nation which is being torn apart by civil war. There are 2 factions that are battling it out and they are both being armed by the same guy, known as The Jackal. Your ultimate job is to take the Jackal out. Along the way you have to play both factions against each other, face double crosses, improve your arsenal and then head into the heart of darkness to come face to face with the Jackal (and your fate). What makes Far Cry 2 so outstanding is the environments (from lush foliage to desert wastes), the weapons (all real and all life-like) and the scope of the game world. Far Cry 2 takes place in an enormous area. The map is huge and full of treacherous roads and rivers. Making your way through this world can be quite time consuming (and repetitive), but the sights you see, such as wondrous waterfalls and grazing gazelles, zebras and wildebeest make it feel real. The action is more grounded in reality than your typical FPS; there is no crazy jumping or inhuman abilities to make the game seem more arcadish. Instead real world physics apply. You can get around the map in a variety of vehicles and these all handle very well. The visuals in the game are exceptional, with some of the best explosion effects you will ever see. Far Cry 2 is quite lengthy, especially if you decide to do the side quests. It took me over 70 hours of game play to finish the game. When I did reach the end, I was sorry that it was all over. It was an epic journey and one that I found very rewarding. Some people found the game to be overly repetitive and the constantly repopulated checkpoints annoying. While I can see their points, the game simply worked for me. Far Cry 2 scores a very praiseworthy 9.0 out of 10 for me.
Little Big Planet is a platformer game exclusive to the Sony PS3. It's visuals are amazing, it's puzzles increasingly difficult and it's lifespan is aided immeasurably by the level creator, which allows you to create your own levels and share them with others. The vast number of user created levels already available for download puts the replayability of this game through the roof. I have to confess that I have not put as much time in with LBP as I would like to in order to give it a legitimate score. But in the time I have invested I have found LBP to be charming game with a lot of options. It controls pretty well, though sometimes it is hard to get your character where you want it to be in the 3 dimensional world. Right now I would have to score LBP an incomplete because of my limited time with the game. I have played enough, however, to determine that the game belongs on the list of finalists for GOTY. It does not, however, appear as if it is good enough to be named the GOTY. Early indications are that LBP will score somewhere between 8.6 to 9.1 on my scale. A worthy game in an exceptional year.
Fallout 3 is the last game of the finalists It is an RPG made by the creators of the early 360 standout RPG Elder Scrolls: Oblivion. Fallout 3 arrived at a time when I was finishing Fable 2 and waiting to start Far Cry 2. As you read earlier, I put a lot of time into Far Cry 2 so Fallout 3 really was on the back burner for some time. Fable 2, Far Cry 2 and Fallout 3 all arrived within the same couple of weeks and I was excited about all 3. But Fallout 3 was perhaps the one I was looking forward to the least at that point. When I finished the long, engrossing Far Cry 2, I was really a bit strung out from playing such a long, drawn-out game. When I popped Fallout 3 in for the first time, I was a bit overwhelmed, to put it mildly. The game map is huge, with tons of locations, each of which is a huge area itself. There was so much to see and do that I didn't know where to start other than the main quest. And I wanted to do the side quests before I got too far into the main one. Like Far Cry 2, it took about 2 hours to get into the meat of the game. I made my way to the little town of Megaton, a small town that housed desperate people. You see, Fallout 3 takes place many years after a nuclear war has wiped out most of humanity. You play a character lucky enough to have been born in an underground vault, a fallout safe bunker. For years and years the topside of the planet has been a nuclear wasteland, populated with human scavengers, hideously mutated creatures and grotesque, superhuman mutations. Your father has left the safety of the vault, a big no-no. You are to be punished for this transgression. Rather than stick around for said punishment, you strike out into a completely alien world in search of your father.
The setting of Fallout 3 is Washington D.C. and the surrounding area. To travel around and see the Capital Building, the White House, the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument in a shambles is quite chilling. It really looks like what you would imagine a nuclear wasteland landscape to be. Dangers are everywhere and small pockets of humanity are sprinkled throughout. In order to find your father, you must first help put others, with their own agendas and ideas. The storytelling is top-notch. The atmosphere rivals that of Bioshock. Everything feels right about the game. There are countless ways to build and improve your character. You get to decide what his or her strengths and weaknesses are, how you handle combat, how persuasive you are, etc. It is all masterfully done. You earn experience points for every thing you do and these points allow you to level up. As you do, you make the important, permanent choices that will effect you and the world throughout your game. The consequences of your actions and decisions are real.
You have a wide array of weaponry, both real and futuristic. You can also gather junk around the landscape and build your own weapons. The possibilities are endless. And talk about epic! The game can take anywhere from 20 to 100 hours, depending on how deep you want to get. You meet interesting characters, get to know them and sometime kill them or at least decide their fate. It all adds up to a complete package that closes in on perfection. I have run into a few bugs which have required me to reload from a previous game save, but nothing catastrophic. Just remember to save frequently in multiple save slots.
Already 3 separate downloads are planned with new areas, adventures and quests. To say I am stoked would be a dramatic understatement. Fallout 3 meets and exceeds all of the requirements for a "Game Of The Year." It scores a near-perfect 9.8 on my scale of 10. It is a game for the ages that will be remembered as a true classic.
Happy New Year!
Hope everyone had a nice, safe New Year's eve. We had a really good time with a couple of friends of ours, just sitting back, relaxing and having some good conversations. It was a great way to ring in the new year. Here's hoping for a wonderful 2009!
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