My good friend and fellow gamer Pete Anderson from Canada picked up Need For Speed Shift for the PS3 and sent along some really nice impressions. I asked if I could reproduce them here and he was kind enough to say yes. Pete is quite the driving game aficionado so you can trust what he has to say:
"Okay, a few impressions for you after a couple hours of play…
If you've read the IGN review, it's pretty much spot on. Shift is a hybrid sim/arcade racer that combines the best elements of both (or succeeds at being neither depending on your perspective). It falls somewhere in the middle of GT, PG and the Burnout series.
You may recall that NFS: Hot Pursuit was one of my favorite racing games ever. Shift is not that game. We're talking real world cars and tracks here, many of which are very familiar from other games. The beauty is that they're eminently driveable. The control and physics are just relaxed enough that you can navigate even the trickiest courses without slamming into a wall at every turn, and that adds immensely to the fun factor (though, granted, I've been playing at a basic skill level so far).
The game is structured into four(?) tiers, each with progressively more powerful cars and challenging tracks. Completing all tiers qualifies you for the NFS World tour. Each tier is comprised of 20-25 events, including invitations to participate in races at higher classes. There's pretty good variety within the races as well (drift events, time attacks, etc.), including Manufacturer events which get you out of your current car and into something different. Speaking of vehicles, there's a reasonable assortment to choose from right from the beginning, but nothing on the order of GT. There are all kinds of upgrades and tuning options available, but it's so easy to rack up $$$ and qualify for the next tier that it all seems superfluous. I qualified for Tier 2 well before I had completed Tier 1. That just seems wrong. Maybe if I hadn't been playing on Easy difficulty, things may have been different.
The game has a VERY gentle learning curve. You start by taking a lap around a test track, and the game assesses your driving style and ability, then automatically selects settings (difficulty level, driving assists, etc.) for you based on your performance. A very cool concept that I've never encountered before. What would be even cooler is if it continued to adjust as you progressed throughout the game. On Easy level, you'll have no difficulty winning races right off the hop. I really should have bumped it up a notch, but I want to see how much the difficulty ramps up as you move up the tiers.
The ease of succeeding really does serve to draw you in though. In fact, the way the points system is structured, you'll always come away with something, even if you finish dead last. A higher finish obviously nets you a bigger wad of cash, but there's more to it than that. Points are also accumulated for driving ability and style, and this is where the parallel to PGR's kudo system comes in. Points are awarded in two categories, precision and aggressiveness. So, unlike GT, you're not only rewarded for driving clean, but dirty as well (a la Burnout). Trading paint, dirty overtakes, and even flipping other cars off the road are not only fair game, they're encouraged! It feels a little odd that this all takes place in what, by appearances, is a sim racer, but it adds up to a whole lot of fun.
Graphically, the game looks great but falls something short of amazing. Hard to believe I'm saying this about a game this attractive, but it simply lacks that wow factor. Maybe I've just become jaded in my old age.
The sound is a different story...it IS wow. Sound effects positively thunder out of your speakers and immerse you in the action on screen. Music defaults to off during gameplay (not sure if custom soundtracks are an option), and plays over replays. It's generic fare but listenable, unlike the crap that EA loaded into NHL10.
So, all things considered, there's lots to like here. Time will tell whether Shift holds up against some of my other favorite racers, but so far so good. I've probably already spent more time with it than GT Prologue (not that there's anything wrong with that game, just more of the same).
A final word about the Logitech wheel. I didn't want to drop big $ on a wheel, and the entry level Logitech at $50 seemed like a good fit. It's wireless (to the PS3, but requires a power adapter), and very compact so it's easy to store (no pedals on this model - you use paddles mounted behind the wheel to accelerate and brake). It's also designed to fit on your lap (the other models are table mounts), which is a BIG plus. What's the point of a wheel if set up and storage get in the way of actually using it? Anyway, this is the first time I've tried a wheel with force feedback. Not only do you feel the road (bumps, etc.), you feel the car's resistance to it when steering. It's quite startling at first, but adds a lot of realism to the driving experience as you become accustomed to it. My initial impressions of Shift are no doubt influenced by how much the Logitech contributes to it, so keep that mind. I'm anxious to give it a try with GT now!
Pete"
That is awesome stuff. Thanks for sending that my way Pete.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Gaming news
Big day today as Uncharted 2 is officially released. My copy will be arriving sometime later today. I am very psyched to get going with the further adventures of Nathan Drake, perhaps my favorite video game character ever. Everything I have read has been extremely positive and this game will clearly be in the running for Game Of The Year honors.
Another game that may be in the running is one that was completely under my radar until it was released to rave reviews last week, a PS3 action RPG called Demon's Souls. This is an old-school game that is becoming very well known for it's rather extreme difficulty. I have played for a bit and have had my share of frustrations, but honestly the game plays so well that it keeps you coming back for more. I have really gotten hooked on it and look forward to putting more time into it. It's very, very involved and quite a long game to boot and also has a unique multiplayer element that I may check out. We'll see.
Another game that may be in the running is one that was completely under my radar until it was released to rave reviews last week, a PS3 action RPG called Demon's Souls. This is an old-school game that is becoming very well known for it's rather extreme difficulty. I have played for a bit and have had my share of frustrations, but honestly the game plays so well that it keeps you coming back for more. I have really gotten hooked on it and look forward to putting more time into it. It's very, very involved and quite a long game to boot and also has a unique multiplayer element that I may check out. We'll see.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Barb aces her Pediatrics test
Barb comes through with a wicked 94! Way to go Barb! Woo-hoo! All that late night studying pays off. Now it's time to get ready for the Adult Health test on Thursday.
61 days until Barb graduates from nursing school!
Hang in there, baby! I love you!!!
61 days until Barb graduates from nursing school!
Hang in there, baby! I love you!!!
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
My son Zach
My 18 year old son Zach is set to graduate from high school in December. He has big plans in that he wishes to pursue a degree in medicine. Paying for school was always going to be an issue for him/us. So Zach took a big step towards reaching his goal by registering for the United States Air Force last night.
It is, of course, a major, life-changing decision. And Barb and I could not be prouder of the decision he has made. He will begin school immediately as well as working in a job that will give him the real life experience he needs to get started. He knows it won't be easy, which makes me even more proud. He has a goal now that is attainable and has a real direction in life.
We are not sure when he will be leaving for basic training, possibly as early as February. All I know is that Barb, myself, Jessica, Laurel and John are going to miss him something terrible. I am really not sure how the younger two are going to take it. But Zach has decided that it is time for him to step out and do his own thing. We offer him all of our love and support and he will always have this place to call home.
Good luck, Zach. We love you.
It is, of course, a major, life-changing decision. And Barb and I could not be prouder of the decision he has made. He will begin school immediately as well as working in a job that will give him the real life experience he needs to get started. He knows it won't be easy, which makes me even more proud. He has a goal now that is attainable and has a real direction in life.
We are not sure when he will be leaving for basic training, possibly as early as February. All I know is that Barb, myself, Jessica, Laurel and John are going to miss him something terrible. I am really not sure how the younger two are going to take it. But Zach has decided that it is time for him to step out and do his own thing. We offer him all of our love and support and he will always have this place to call home.
Good luck, Zach. We love you.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Just how bad are the St. Louis Rams?
It's possible that they are historically bad. After today's 35-0 travesty at San Francisco, in which the 49ers *defense* scored 3 touchdowns and the Rams set themselves back with stupid penalty after stupid penalty, there are now 25 teams in the NFL that have score more points in 1 game than the Rams have scored in 4 games.
The offense is mind-bogglingly bad. The offensive line, which has had a ton of money dumped into it, is still a sieve. The Rams have no receivers who are a threat to a defense and no QB that has the talent (or the time, thanks to the inept O-line) to get them the ball anyway. The lone weapon on offense is RB Steven Jackson and since teams know the Rams can't throw the ball, all of their opponents are putting 8 guys on the line and just hammering on Jackson. How he gets any yards, I'll never know.
The offensive play calling is about as unimaginative as I have seen since, well, the last 3 years with Scott Linehan as head coach. The play calling is predictable, dull and seems to be designed to bore the other team to death. How many times can you run the old draw play on 3rd and 9 and expect it to work? I mean, they can't be running it to just play it safe and give up the possession; not when they are in 49ers territory, right? RIGHT?!
The defense hung tough today and got a pass rush going. Great news, but the 49ers offense was without it's best player (RB Frank Gore) and it pretty much sucks anyway. So let's postpone the parade.
As I was saying, this team may be historically bad. Bernie Miklasz has a great take on the state of the Rams in his blog. Here is the beginning of the blog:
Oct. 4: Could Rams Be Worst Ever?
Let’s cut to the chase:
I’ve been covering the NFL for nearly 30 years, and I think the 2009 Rams are the worst non-expansion year team I’ve seen. Well, at least as they are right now, at this moment, sitting at 0-4 following an embarrassing 35-0 beating from the San Francisco 49ers. I could be wrong, of course. I didn’t sit here and do 12 hours of research to support my “worst ever” observation. That’s all it is; an observation. And this opinion can be revisited and updated in a few weeks, or at the end of the season, as more games are played, and as the Rams progress, or regress.
But I haven’t seen a mess as big as this for a long time.
What about the 2008 Detroit Lions? They went 0-16. When we’re talking “worst,” they’re the leader in the clubhouse in terms of record. And if the Rams win a game or two, they won’t be the worst. But up to this point, the trend is ominous. At least the 2008 Lions scored points, around 15 per game. And those Lions had (and still have) a big-time playmaker at WR in Calvin Johnson. At least there was some sizzle. And the ‘08 Lions were competitive at times, losing five games by 8 points or less. Overall, the 2008 Lions lost their games by an average of 15 points. Through four games, the Rams have lost by an average of 21 points.
What about the 2008 Rams, who went 2-14? Well, they were hideous, sure. And we will never forget that beatdown by the NY Jets at the Meadowlands; the Rams were down 40-0 at the half and lost 47-3. But overall, the 2008 Rams lost their 14 games by an average of 15 points. The ‘09 squad is losing by an average of three TDs so far.
Click on the text to read the entire article. It is the lone way to get entertainment out of today's Rams' game.
The offense is mind-bogglingly bad. The offensive line, which has had a ton of money dumped into it, is still a sieve. The Rams have no receivers who are a threat to a defense and no QB that has the talent (or the time, thanks to the inept O-line) to get them the ball anyway. The lone weapon on offense is RB Steven Jackson and since teams know the Rams can't throw the ball, all of their opponents are putting 8 guys on the line and just hammering on Jackson. How he gets any yards, I'll never know.
The offensive play calling is about as unimaginative as I have seen since, well, the last 3 years with Scott Linehan as head coach. The play calling is predictable, dull and seems to be designed to bore the other team to death. How many times can you run the old draw play on 3rd and 9 and expect it to work? I mean, they can't be running it to just play it safe and give up the possession; not when they are in 49ers territory, right? RIGHT?!
The defense hung tough today and got a pass rush going. Great news, but the 49ers offense was without it's best player (RB Frank Gore) and it pretty much sucks anyway. So let's postpone the parade.
As I was saying, this team may be historically bad. Bernie Miklasz has a great take on the state of the Rams in his blog. Here is the beginning of the blog:
Oct. 4: Could Rams Be Worst Ever?
Let’s cut to the chase:
I’ve been covering the NFL for nearly 30 years, and I think the 2009 Rams are the worst non-expansion year team I’ve seen. Well, at least as they are right now, at this moment, sitting at 0-4 following an embarrassing 35-0 beating from the San Francisco 49ers. I could be wrong, of course. I didn’t sit here and do 12 hours of research to support my “worst ever” observation. That’s all it is; an observation. And this opinion can be revisited and updated in a few weeks, or at the end of the season, as more games are played, and as the Rams progress, or regress.
But I haven’t seen a mess as big as this for a long time.
What about the 2008 Detroit Lions? They went 0-16. When we’re talking “worst,” they’re the leader in the clubhouse in terms of record. And if the Rams win a game or two, they won’t be the worst. But up to this point, the trend is ominous. At least the 2008 Lions scored points, around 15 per game. And those Lions had (and still have) a big-time playmaker at WR in Calvin Johnson. At least there was some sizzle. And the ‘08 Lions were competitive at times, losing five games by 8 points or less. Overall, the 2008 Lions lost their games by an average of 15 points. Through four games, the Rams have lost by an average of 21 points.
What about the 2008 Rams, who went 2-14? Well, they were hideous, sure. And we will never forget that beatdown by the NY Jets at the Meadowlands; the Rams were down 40-0 at the half and lost 47-3. But overall, the 2008 Rams lost their 14 games by an average of 15 points. The ‘09 squad is losing by an average of three TDs so far.
Click on the text to read the entire article. It is the lone way to get entertainment out of today's Rams' game.
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Michigan runs out of luck/How 'bout them Blues?!
Michigan was 4-0 heading into today's game against Michigan State. They could have easily been 2-2. They have had a lot of good fortune hiding the fact that they simply can't play defense. I have been saying it all year. And I also predicted that today's game at Michigan State, the first road game of the year, would be a loss. I hate being right.
Michigan almost pulled off another miracle behind the arms and legs of freshman QB Tate Forcier, rallying from a 20-6 deficit to tie the score at 20 with 2 seconds left after an Elway-esque 93 yard drive. But Forcier's overtime pass in the end zone was tipped and intercepted and MSU scored a TD on the next series. Game over. Still, the Wolverines are lucky to be at 4-1 and this has been a very fun season so far. Well done, boys!
Now to shift gears, the NHL regular season started this week and my St. Louis Blues faced the unenviable task of playing back-to-back games against the defending Western Conference Champion Detroit Red Wings to open the season, in Sweden no less. The Blues are definitely an up and coming team and there is a lot of optimism in St. Louis this year. That said, they are still a pretty young club and Detroit won the West last year and the Stanley Cup the year before that. They are a powerhouse and the Blues arch-nemesis. To say that the Blues have been intimidated by the Red Wings over the years would be putting it mildly.
So the opener was Friday and the Blues came out cold, falling behind 3-1. But veteran Paul Karyia came back from an injury plagued 2008 to tally 2 goals, including the game winner in a 4-3 Blues victory. It was a terrific start to the season. I was hoping we would split the 2 games with Detroit and this was a great beginning.
The Blues once again came out slower than molasses in the 1st period of game 2; Detroit was quickly up 2-0. But once again, the Blues came alive and rallied, this time for an impressive 5-3 win behind veteran forward Keith Tkachuk's 2 goals. The Blues are coming home 2-0, in first place in the Central division and, just as important, 2 games up on the Red Wings. I have to believe that this start has gotten into the Red Wings' heads just a *little* bit. Detroit faces a very tough Chicago Blackhawks team next - could they be staring at 0-3? We'll see.
The Blues are really playing inspired hockey so far. The slow starts are a little worrisome but right now everything seems to be clicking. It's a long season and injuries can always wreak havoc on any team in any sport, but so far the Blues are looking mighty fine in 2009.
Michigan almost pulled off another miracle behind the arms and legs of freshman QB Tate Forcier, rallying from a 20-6 deficit to tie the score at 20 with 2 seconds left after an Elway-esque 93 yard drive. But Forcier's overtime pass in the end zone was tipped and intercepted and MSU scored a TD on the next series. Game over. Still, the Wolverines are lucky to be at 4-1 and this has been a very fun season so far. Well done, boys!
Now to shift gears, the NHL regular season started this week and my St. Louis Blues faced the unenviable task of playing back-to-back games against the defending Western Conference Champion Detroit Red Wings to open the season, in Sweden no less. The Blues are definitely an up and coming team and there is a lot of optimism in St. Louis this year. That said, they are still a pretty young club and Detroit won the West last year and the Stanley Cup the year before that. They are a powerhouse and the Blues arch-nemesis. To say that the Blues have been intimidated by the Red Wings over the years would be putting it mildly.
So the opener was Friday and the Blues came out cold, falling behind 3-1. But veteran Paul Karyia came back from an injury plagued 2008 to tally 2 goals, including the game winner in a 4-3 Blues victory. It was a terrific start to the season. I was hoping we would split the 2 games with Detroit and this was a great beginning.
The Blues once again came out slower than molasses in the 1st period of game 2; Detroit was quickly up 2-0. But once again, the Blues came alive and rallied, this time for an impressive 5-3 win behind veteran forward Keith Tkachuk's 2 goals. The Blues are coming home 2-0, in first place in the Central division and, just as important, 2 games up on the Red Wings. I have to believe that this start has gotten into the Red Wings' heads just a *little* bit. Detroit faces a very tough Chicago Blackhawks team next - could they be staring at 0-3? We'll see.
The Blues are really playing inspired hockey so far. The slow starts are a little worrisome but right now everything seems to be clicking. It's a long season and injuries can always wreak havoc on any team in any sport, but so far the Blues are looking mighty fine in 2009.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Completed all Fallout 3 DLC
I finally finished the Mothership Zeta DLC for Fallout 3 late last night. That is the 5th piece of DLC for Fallout 3 and probably the last. It has been just a wonderful ride going through the post-apocalyptic ruins, meeting all kinds of different characters and doing battle with thousands of people/creatures. The level-up system for the game is terrific and allows you to play the game to your liking. The map is huge and has so many wondrous locations. The look of the game is depressing by nature, but it is so well done that you never tire of it. The sound is top notch as well, with tremendous sound effects, voice work and a fabulous (and sparsely used) score.
Fallout 3 was my Game Of The Year for 2008 and it deserves a very special place in my heart. I have no qualms saying it is one of my top 10 favorite games of all time. The DLC prolonged the adventure, letting me further advance my character and add new skills. Bravo to Bethesda for a top-notch gaming experience that kept giving and giving; I put well over 135 hours into Fallout 3 and loved every second of it.
For those interested in purchasing the game, you'd be very wise to wait until October 13th when the Game Of The Year edition is released. It includes the original game and all 5 DLC episodes for $59.95, which is what the stand-alone game originally cost. That's a savings of over $50 and well worth the money, believe me. You cannot go wrong with purchasing this game.
Fallout 3 was my Game Of The Year for 2008 and it deserves a very special place in my heart. I have no qualms saying it is one of my top 10 favorite games of all time. The DLC prolonged the adventure, letting me further advance my character and add new skills. Bravo to Bethesda for a top-notch gaming experience that kept giving and giving; I put well over 135 hours into Fallout 3 and loved every second of it.
For those interested in purchasing the game, you'd be very wise to wait until October 13th when the Game Of The Year edition is released. It includes the original game and all 5 DLC episodes for $59.95, which is what the stand-alone game originally cost. That's a savings of over $50 and well worth the money, believe me. You cannot go wrong with purchasing this game.
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