Our Week in Games – Week 40

Our Week in Games – Week 40

With the big announcement of the Xbox One this past week from Microsoft, we decided to share some of our thoughts on how the reveal went and initial thoughts on the console. I’m sure that in the lead up now to E3, both Microsoft and Sony will be prepping their big guns to truly show off something really exciting at the big event. What about Nintendo though, will they do something to re-invigorate the Wii U?

Big questions and it will definitely be an interesting few weeks and months ahead. For now though, Our Week in Games.

Chris

Big trucks, I've got an unhealthy obsession with them.
Big trucks, I’ve got an unhealthy obsession with them.

I’ve been busy exploring more of Mars in War Logs which I first talked about at length on Monday. My initial thoughts are relatively unchanged, it is a decent RPG that clearly isn’t in the class of Mass Effect or Fallout. However, I am confident in saying that it is worth a look for something around or under £15 for a bit of an adventure. The Verdict will be coming soon.

For some reason too, I’ve found myself playing Motorstorm Apocalypse. I vaguely remember having the game when I first got my PS3 a couple of years ago, playing about three races and not touching it again. To be honest, I have habit of doing that with games that I’m not writing about. Regardless, I downloaded the game when it was on the PS+ freeby deal and I actually quite enjoyed giving it another blast. I doubt I’ll get too far back into the game, but it is nice to give the PlayStation a whirl once in a while. It also goes to show how worthwhile the PS+ deal is.

 

Edcrab

I mentioned before that I’m one of those casuals who don’t really “get” mobas (multiplayer online battle arenas, an acronym used by some for a particular genre that I’ve already ham-handedly tried to explain before), and of late I’ve been spectating them more than playing them. I have a loose grasp of the meta but I know a good play when I see one! I think. It all depends on how the broadcasters react.

In all seriousness, being able to spectate live games- ingame from the client this is, not all artifact-ridden and blurry from streaming videos- is a great touch. I’ve been watching qualifiers for a little event called The International and it’s almost like a $2 million prize pot makes the participating teams really eager to stay in the fight, who’d have thought it!

It’s kind of heartening when the commentators call it wrong. “Oh, X won’t happen” and then X happens and, for a moment, I can pretend I have the slightest clue what’s going on. Because obviously I called it.

Off the back of Dota 2, I’ve recently tried my hand at League of Legends, a game that is similar but different. And how’s that for a cop-out explanation. I’m not remotely familiar with the roster as yet but as far as I can tell most everyone takes a spell called Flash so they can blink away from otherwise lethal encounters. I think I understand the strategy behind that: not dying is a good thing.

When I watch a LoL match do you know what goes through my head? “Wow, my understanding of this is even worse than that other game”. So suddenly I feel like I have a relatively firm grasp of Dota 2. This is a lie, but it’s one I might convince myself of given enough time…

Nick

Kerbal

With the recent update to Kerbal Space Program, clearly I entered this weekend with one objective: claim the Mun in the name of the Reticule. However, with a jam-packed week limiting my gaming time, and a sporadic internet connection courtesy of the kind folks at Kingston Communications, the multi-stage finely organised mission I was considering instead turned into a mad dash for the Mun on Saturday night.

That’s the beauty of Kerbal Space Program. You can spend ages planning your missions, considering thrust to weight ratios to maximise efficiency, or you can just do what I did which was snap a few likely looking bits together, cross your fingers and hope for the best.

As the picture above shows, I made it. Barely. With limited time at my disposal, I didn’t give much thought to a return trip, and as a result poor Jeremiah Kerbal was left out of fuel on a trajectory that would do nothing more than hurl him into deep space.

But Jeremiah had one option left – he opened the door of his capsule, and stepped out into space.

Adrift of his capsule, the doomed Kerbalnaut turned for home and engaged the tiny thrusters on his rocket pack. Their effect was not significant, but this far from home, they didn’t have to be. Agonisingly slowly, his orbit changed, finally coinciding with planet Kerbal.

And then his rocket pack ran out of fuel.

As Jeremiah re-entered the atmosphere, transforming in an instant from kerbalnaut to sentient shooting star, the smile on his face never faded for an instant. As the ground rushed towards him, he thought only one thing.

It was worth it.

 

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