Friday 21 October 2011
A Continued disillusionment with games...
I was really, really excited about Batman: Arkham City. I loved the Arkham Asylum game and used to consider it not only the best Batman game of all time but possibly the best super hero game too.
Since having my soul destroyed by playing Duke Nukem Forever, I've found it increasingly difficult to garner any enthusiasm for games. Admittedly part of this might be that I just don't have the personal time required to get into games in the way that I used to - spending 36 hours over a weekend, surviving on crisps, chocolate bars, pop and beer is not an option now I have a wife, and a family - yet I do long for days like that again, there's something magical about getting completely absorbed in a game so that your eyes are bleeding, your brain is melting and you feel like you are really, really there...
The things I liked about Batman was the polished feel of the game, the creativity you could express in defeating the enemies - there was always so many ways you could choose to tackle a situation. I liked the huge cast of super villains, the dark setting of Arkham Asylum and the wierd dream sequences...
I suppose part of me would love to get into Arkham City, but maybe part of me wants to hate it because I know I won't have the time to invest to get the most out of it.
Another game I was really excited about - and might have even pre-ordered was Gears of War 3. Gears of War 1 & 2 were really my introduction to the XBOX 360, and my introduction to the concept of 'cover shooters' I loved the stories, the settings, the combat - although it took me a while to get my head around 'how to succeed' I still think Gears is a hard game, at least on above normal difficulty setting.
Yet here we are, it's on the shelf and I don't bother picking it up - why? Because I won't get time to play it, it'll just mean more and more frustration as I want to put more hours into it which I simply don't have. I'll probably pick it up used around christmas time and hop I can snatch a few hours here and there... Instead I'm putting all my gaming time into S-ranking Left 4 Dead and Left 4 Dead 2, sad porbably but I can't motivate myself into playing anything else - apart from a bit of Rome: Total War when the mood takes me...
Sometimes I envy the guys over at the video games tv channel afterall - I have to divide my time work / jobs at home / Open University / Family / Wife / Kids / Games. A huge portion of that time - 8 hours a day is dedicated to work! If I could incorporate some games playing into that time, it would be easier to fit everything in - but it's hard to get paid to play games. Not many jobs pay you to effectively have fun.
I suppose the unfortunate reality is that sometimes you probably have to play games you don't want to play and you then have to spend time writing script about games you didn't like - that sound remotely positive, because otherwise the publishers won't send you more games and the games are your content. That could be soul destroying at times too.
I mean if there was a programme based on my gaming habits over the last month it would be pretty damn boring - just me carrying on about Left 4 Dead 2 and not much else... No - in some respects I think Gaming is a nice thing to keep as a hobby, it's just a pity I can't spend more time on it.
Thursday 20 October 2011
Left 4 Dead 2 : Achievement Hunting
I have recently decided to start mopping up achievements since I claimed 'The Real Deal' my overall goal is to 100% or S-rank Left 4 Dead 2, then I might even go back and do the same for Left 4 Dead!
The thing is, there are ways to make this incredible easy at times - elusive achievements can become very easy and quick to get. How? Easy, look at the weekly Mutation and look at your list of ' still working on ' and see if there's anything that the mutation will make super easy. An example - this week (20/10/2011) we are on Gib Fest, the unlimited M60 game mode. Which makes not only the campaign super easy - but the achievement, 'Till it goes click' super easy too. Normally you have to play 'The Passing' to get the M60 and even, there's no guaruntee it will spawn, if it does spawn you need to throw a bile bomb ideally when there's a hoarde rush and get the other survivors to hold off.
In 'Gib Fest' you just run around with your finger held down on the trigger - the infinite ammo deals with the rest.
Another example - 'Tank Burger' getting a group together who are happy to try for this can be tricky. However - if the mutation becomes 'Four Swordsmen of the Apocalypse' then you are easily going to get it.
There are various other easy tactics for getting achievements - watch this space I'll be reporting on them soon.
Thursday 13 October 2011
Bridge over Trebled Slaughter
Well, I managed to bag another achievement today which had been eluding me.
It's not an easy one to get - perhaps one that you would think would be easy - however it's worth 30 points, and for a reason.
However if you're pretty good at the game - I think I can give you a few tips to get you this one fairly easily. First of all the rules - the timer starts when the bridge goes down, I'm 99% sure of this. It certainly does NOT start until the saferoom door has opened.
Now some other points about this one:-
1. You can get it on easy mode.
2. You can't rely on the computer - it will hang around fighting the tank while you are trying for a quick time.
3. You can't rely on other people - they'll probably slow you down or aren't trying for the achievement.
So what do you do about this?
Firstly - use single player - you can skip to the Bridge and there's no chance of griefers spoiling it for you.
Second - start on Expert - kill all the other survivors - this sounds counter-intuitive, you can leave one alive if you like - but it's probably safer to wipe them out.
Now once they're dead grab a melee weapon, and the combat shotgun, if that's not there get an assault rifle - the magnum would be good if it was there too. Also grab a pipebomb.
Now go through the saferoom door - and get the bridge going down. Once it's down, don't head down the centre as you usually do - hug the left hand edge of the bridge and run like mad - eventually you'll get infected charging you - run and shoot don't stop. The computer tends to throw a lot of infected at you near the start - doing this you'll probably bypass them.
As you get near to the bit where you climb up to the second level where the hummer and the supplies are - use your shot, grab another shot from the jeep - if there isn't one - there will be one in the lorries - keep running and shooting, when you're not shooting make sure you are loading.
As you get near the tank part - keep running, don't fight the tank, run around him. As you are about to clear the lopsided bit and make the final run for the chopper - throw your pipebomb and use the next shot - you can get specials attack you near the end or a second tank - so be on your guard, it's not easy - but that's the easiest way of doing it.
It's not an easy one to get - perhaps one that you would think would be easy - however it's worth 30 points, and for a reason.
However if you're pretty good at the game - I think I can give you a few tips to get you this one fairly easily. First of all the rules - the timer starts when the bridge goes down, I'm 99% sure of this. It certainly does NOT start until the saferoom door has opened.
Now some other points about this one:-
1. You can get it on easy mode.
2. You can't rely on the computer - it will hang around fighting the tank while you are trying for a quick time.
3. You can't rely on other people - they'll probably slow you down or aren't trying for the achievement.
So what do you do about this?
Firstly - use single player - you can skip to the Bridge and there's no chance of griefers spoiling it for you.
Second - start on Expert - kill all the other survivors - this sounds counter-intuitive, you can leave one alive if you like - but it's probably safer to wipe them out.
Now once they're dead grab a melee weapon, and the combat shotgun, if that's not there get an assault rifle - the magnum would be good if it was there too. Also grab a pipebomb.
Now go through the saferoom door - and get the bridge going down. Once it's down, don't head down the centre as you usually do - hug the left hand edge of the bridge and run like mad - eventually you'll get infected charging you - run and shoot don't stop. The computer tends to throw a lot of infected at you near the start - doing this you'll probably bypass them.
As you get near to the bit where you climb up to the second level where the hummer and the supplies are - use your shot, grab another shot from the jeep - if there isn't one - there will be one in the lorries - keep running and shooting, when you're not shooting make sure you are loading.
As you get near the tank part - keep running, don't fight the tank, run around him. As you are about to clear the lopsided bit and make the final run for the chopper - throw your pipebomb and use the next shot - you can get specials attack you near the end or a second tank - so be on your guard, it's not easy - but that's the easiest way of doing it.
Saturday 8 October 2011
Expert Realism Defeated : 'The Read Deal' Achievement claimed.
Well, I did it, I finally managed to scrap my way through Left 4 Dead 2 on Expert Difficulty, Realism mode - earning the achievement. A rare achievement actually - according the Giantbomb's stats page only 3.3% of the 12,000 odd players of Left 4 Dead 2 or about 360 players.
Now first of all - I have to say, the success was down to getting into a really good team. Normally when I play - I'm pretty strong, I tend to feel like I'm usually at least equal strongest in the team. I'm often the guy handing out pills, helping people up and limping to the safe room when everyone else bitten the bullet...
However in this particular team, I was more the dude bringing up the rear, watching peoples backs and being helped up and given pills! The honour roll of the folk I did it with:-
ALEX DE RUE
Rabbid Sloth
Le Picard
If anyone wants to do Expert Realism, hit these guys up for a game, considering so many others I've been teamed up with - have failed so often - we made it look pretty easy - nobody got killed, there were very few incaps and rarely were all the first aid kits in the safe room actually used.
I did make another observation about Dead Center which makes it a particuarly easy campaign to beat - it's the haz-mat guys. Every time you kill one there's a chance they will drop a boomer bile jar. These are incredibly useful and when there are a lot of zombies piling in - with the haz-mat guys - you can sometimes end up with an almost endless supply.
So apart from that - what's the secret to beating Expert Realism?
Okay here's my quick list for how to do it.
1. Be good, be VERY good, you should be able to clear the first part of Dead Center with the crappy computer AI only for help.
2. Choose Dead Center - for loads of reasons it's an easier campaign.
3. Be in as good a team as you can - if there's one idiot, or person who isn't very good - then you may as well play Scavenge and try another time.
4. Save your pipe bombs and boomer biles for hoard rushes.
5. Take extreme care not to hit each other with friendly fire - but never avoid taking a shot, the damage you deal with a firearm is less then the infected.
6. If a hunter, charger or smoker grabs someone - save them quick, there's no time to pause.
7. If you meet a tank heal or take pills - yo need to be able to manouvre.
8. If a witch blocks your path - use the combat shotgun, disturb her when your gun is full and don't start shooting until she is vulnerable - go for the head at point blank range.
9. Try to keep the whole team healthy and alive. If you get to the safe room and everyone is limping along in the red - the healthiest person should kill the others before you close the door- that way everyone gets 50% health
10. Remember the choke points and pick your spots to hold out, be patient, but move quickly when you're not fighting.
Finally - make sure you check every spot where health and weapons spawn - to keep yourself healthy and well armed.
Weapons wise - at the gun store get the Magnum and put your laser sight on the magnum, it's a must gun for Expert Realism, infinite ammo and one shot will more or less stop a zombie almost anywhere you hit it. Well, that's not strictly true - go for the head of course, or a limb - particularly if you're on the floor shoot at the legs. It will blow the arms off infected but that won't stop them - taking the legs out will!
Don't forget to take your time, the best strategy is to be patient, fight hard and move fast when you are moving.
All in all, if everyone plays a good game, it can be easier than you think, certainly eaiser than 99% of people who attempt it make it.
Monday 3 October 2011
Left 4 Dead 2: The Expert Realism Challenge.
I'm still fixated on beating this. I'm not entirely sure, I'm not normally a die hard 'challenge gamer' and don't mind leaving beating games on the hardest setting.
However for Left 4 Dead 2 I somehow feel I really want to, I even came really close on Friday night - I got in a great little team, with a Frenchman called Alex de Rue and erm... Another dude. I can't remember their name. For some reason they started the campaign by killing the remaining AI survivor (Rochelle) what the purpose of this is I don't know - but I can't complain we made it through. I got killed by the tank in part two, on the way to the gun store. It was silly really, I was trying to climb the container and simply wasn't able to climb up in time - I'd already done over 3000 damage with a grenade launcher - but I should have stopped fighting back earlier and focused on clearing the container betweeen the two highways - I didn't leave myself enough time.
Otherwise we had a really smooth run through the campaign with no real tight spots at all. The trouble was - at the finale, while trying to fuel up Jimmy Gibbs junior - I got killed again... But very promising - I think Dead Center is probably the easiest Campaign now.
The other nights I tried to re-create this success, but the trouble is with Left 4 Dead 2 you are slave to the quality of people who join your game. I had one bunch join who just mucked about killing each other before the campaign started - another lot doing some wierd glitch to get on the roof, but there was nowhere to go once there... I did better with the Computer AI tagging along!
On the easier settings you can muddle through the campaigns without much thought. However on Expert Realism, the damage all of the infected do increases exponentially. Normal infected do 20% of your health in a hit, so if two sneak up behind you and simultaneously hit you - you are down to 60% health and haven't even had a chance to retalliate! Special infected not only do more damage, but take more damage to kill. Used to seeing a Smoker grab you and taking them out with one shot? Won't work now with most weapons at most distances. You might get a couple of shots in, but unless you have a powerful weapon at the right range you won't have time to kill him.
Witches also, I've noticed seem to get placed in the way - removing the option to sneak around them. Normal infected also have to be shot in the right place - head shots are good and leg shots, torso shots are not effective and you can blow an arm off them - but they still keep coming.
So how do you deal with the various infected, what's the best tactic for the various infected?
1. Normal infected:- When they are milling about try to keep your distance, shoot for the head or the knees. If they start attacking as a horde - the whole team should try to shelter in a spot where everyone can face forwards without fear of being attacked from behind. The trucks at the start of Dark Carnival are an example. If you are in a corridor like the hotel of Dead Center - have one person cover the rear attack. Usually most of the hoard comes from one direction, but a few will often come in from behind.
2. Smokers :- In normal mode your safest bet is to shoot the Smoker the instant he grabs you, that won't work now, unless you have a very powerful gun and are at the right range at least. Instead shoot the tongue, or if you have a melee equiped - chop the tongue. You have to be accurate, but you have more chance of this than being able to kill the Smoker before he pulls you in.
3. Witch :- On the Normal difficulty setting you can usually move around her if she does get you - you just get incapped, on Expert Non-realism, you'll be rescued from a closet. Those are now no longer the case and she will be placed so you cannot move around her. Option 1 for dealing with her is throw a molotov and back up quickly - let the other survivors shoot her while you run like the wind - have the person with most health do this as they can run faster. Option 2 is to kill her with a gun. The most realistic proposal is the combat shotgun. To do it disturb her and wait until she stands up - she can't be hurt during the standing animation. Before you do it make sure you have reloaded. As soon as she is standig and out of the standing animation - pump as many shots as you can into her adn go for the head.
4. Tank :- The tank takes massive damage to kill - the trick to beating him is to try to get out of enclosed spaces so you can manouver. If you have pain pills or a shot - and are low on health - use it! Being able to run is the key to beating the tank. Keep your distance, but avoid the thrown debris it's one hit one incap. A good tactic is to have the survivors split into two pairs and for the pair who the tank isn't chasing to do all the shooting - then change, he seems to take over 7000 damage at least so you can't assume he's nearly dead at any time.
The normal tactics apply to all the infected - but avoiding taking a hit becomes more important than ever. And you need to make sure you stick together - sometimes losing sight of a wandering survivor can kill the group. Friendly fire is far more damaging in Expert Realism too - you really need to avoid this, one close up shot from the right weapon will incap a survivor who was on 80% health. Make sure you stick together even when looking for pills and health packs, and do check the usual spots - you'll need everything you can find.
I haven't spent my allotted agreed time on Scavenger Mode, at the moment I'm really focused on firstly claiming 'The Real Deal' Achievement for beating a campaign on Expert Realism. I'm enjoying the challenge, and playing on this setting has definately upped my game.
However for Left 4 Dead 2 I somehow feel I really want to, I even came really close on Friday night - I got in a great little team, with a Frenchman called Alex de Rue and erm... Another dude. I can't remember their name. For some reason they started the campaign by killing the remaining AI survivor (Rochelle) what the purpose of this is I don't know - but I can't complain we made it through. I got killed by the tank in part two, on the way to the gun store. It was silly really, I was trying to climb the container and simply wasn't able to climb up in time - I'd already done over 3000 damage with a grenade launcher - but I should have stopped fighting back earlier and focused on clearing the container betweeen the two highways - I didn't leave myself enough time.
Otherwise we had a really smooth run through the campaign with no real tight spots at all. The trouble was - at the finale, while trying to fuel up Jimmy Gibbs junior - I got killed again... But very promising - I think Dead Center is probably the easiest Campaign now.
The other nights I tried to re-create this success, but the trouble is with Left 4 Dead 2 you are slave to the quality of people who join your game. I had one bunch join who just mucked about killing each other before the campaign started - another lot doing some wierd glitch to get on the roof, but there was nowhere to go once there... I did better with the Computer AI tagging along!
On the easier settings you can muddle through the campaigns without much thought. However on Expert Realism, the damage all of the infected do increases exponentially. Normal infected do 20% of your health in a hit, so if two sneak up behind you and simultaneously hit you - you are down to 60% health and haven't even had a chance to retalliate! Special infected not only do more damage, but take more damage to kill. Used to seeing a Smoker grab you and taking them out with one shot? Won't work now with most weapons at most distances. You might get a couple of shots in, but unless you have a powerful weapon at the right range you won't have time to kill him.
Witches also, I've noticed seem to get placed in the way - removing the option to sneak around them. Normal infected also have to be shot in the right place - head shots are good and leg shots, torso shots are not effective and you can blow an arm off them - but they still keep coming.
So how do you deal with the various infected, what's the best tactic for the various infected?
1. Normal infected:- When they are milling about try to keep your distance, shoot for the head or the knees. If they start attacking as a horde - the whole team should try to shelter in a spot where everyone can face forwards without fear of being attacked from behind. The trucks at the start of Dark Carnival are an example. If you are in a corridor like the hotel of Dead Center - have one person cover the rear attack. Usually most of the hoard comes from one direction, but a few will often come in from behind.
2. Smokers :- In normal mode your safest bet is to shoot the Smoker the instant he grabs you, that won't work now, unless you have a very powerful gun and are at the right range at least. Instead shoot the tongue, or if you have a melee equiped - chop the tongue. You have to be accurate, but you have more chance of this than being able to kill the Smoker before he pulls you in.
3. Witch :- On the Normal difficulty setting you can usually move around her if she does get you - you just get incapped, on Expert Non-realism, you'll be rescued from a closet. Those are now no longer the case and she will be placed so you cannot move around her. Option 1 for dealing with her is throw a molotov and back up quickly - let the other survivors shoot her while you run like the wind - have the person with most health do this as they can run faster. Option 2 is to kill her with a gun. The most realistic proposal is the combat shotgun. To do it disturb her and wait until she stands up - she can't be hurt during the standing animation. Before you do it make sure you have reloaded. As soon as she is standig and out of the standing animation - pump as many shots as you can into her adn go for the head.
4. Tank :- The tank takes massive damage to kill - the trick to beating him is to try to get out of enclosed spaces so you can manouver. If you have pain pills or a shot - and are low on health - use it! Being able to run is the key to beating the tank. Keep your distance, but avoid the thrown debris it's one hit one incap. A good tactic is to have the survivors split into two pairs and for the pair who the tank isn't chasing to do all the shooting - then change, he seems to take over 7000 damage at least so you can't assume he's nearly dead at any time.
The normal tactics apply to all the infected - but avoiding taking a hit becomes more important than ever. And you need to make sure you stick together - sometimes losing sight of a wandering survivor can kill the group. Friendly fire is far more damaging in Expert Realism too - you really need to avoid this, one close up shot from the right weapon will incap a survivor who was on 80% health. Make sure you stick together even when looking for pills and health packs, and do check the usual spots - you'll need everything you can find.
I haven't spent my allotted agreed time on Scavenger Mode, at the moment I'm really focused on firstly claiming 'The Real Deal' Achievement for beating a campaign on Expert Realism. I'm enjoying the challenge, and playing on this setting has definately upped my game.
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