Battlefield 3 Archive

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What we are playing: September 16

By
Ryan Reynolds
– September 16, 2012Posted in: What we are playing

What we are playing is a weekly column published every Sunday in which various members of our team let the world know which games have had them hooked over the past week and which ones they’re looking forward to. Keep up with the rest of our writers’ chatter by following each individual staff member on Twitter. Do us a favor and follow us @XKFans while you’re at it too.

Ryan Reynolds- More of the same for me this week. Just bits and pieces of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and Rage. I’m really looking forward to playing the Resident Evil 6 demo this coming week. As a big fan of the series, I’m interested to see if Capcom can get things back on track with RE6.

Ryan Fennel- I was able to try out the Armored Kill DLC for Battlefield 3. The new levels are far too large and boring for my tastes. If you are not in a vehicle you will not last long. Thus far, I prefer the Close Quarters DLC compared to this latest offering.

Other than Battlefield 3, I also started Joe Danger 2. The game is an enormous leap over the original. The mechanics and backgrounds regularly change in order to keep everything fresh. I saw one review identify it as Trials Evolution meets Super Mario World. That is a surprisingly accurate comparison. If you enjoyed the first, absolutely give this game a try!

Sean Prideaux- Mark of the Ninja and a little Guild Wars 2 for me. If you’ve seen any reviews of either, you know that they’re worth your time. Mark of the Ninja and it’s side-scrolling stealth mechanics are nearly perfect and I haven’t been this invested in a story in an MMO since the original Guild Wars.

Scott Waldyn- Finished a second playthrough of Mass Effect 3 with another character – James Tiberius Shepard. In particular, I played that new Leviathan DLC, which was a nice addition to the story of the Reapers.

Andy Tran- I’ve been able to spend some time playing Skyrim between my Guild Wars 2 sessions. It’s very easy to get distracted in this game just like GW2. Then I also dove back into StarCraft 2 to get ready for the Heart of the Swarm expansion. Just like getting back on a bike, but very punishing when you fall.

Now that you know what we are playing, we want to know what you are playing! Make yourself heard by leaving a comment below.

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Weekend Rant: Annual iterations of shooters

By
Andy Tran
– September 8, 2012Posted in: Features, Weekend Rant

 

Hello fellow gamers, I’m here to talk about a disturbing trend in video game development. Like nearly everyone else in the gaming world, I’m sure you’ve played your fair share of first person shooters, be it triple-A blockbusters, one hit wonders, or free-to-play. But there’s a certain shooter trend that I’m not too fond of and is quickly watering down my experience. It’s the annual iteration model that is growing so popular within the genre.

Some would call the first-person shooter space oversaturated right now. Call of Duty, Battlefield, Counter-Strike, and Medal of Honor are just a few big names competing for your attention alongside a multitude of free-to-play titles.  Each year, depending on the sales figures of the previous entry in a given triple-A FPS, many studios get a bigger budget for the sequel. This cycle – in theory – is a great thing. Players get more of what they want and developers get to make the next title even stronger for the fans that love to play it. Unfortunately there’s also something called the marketing department. They determine the best way to use money and collect data as to see where money can best be used to make more money.

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What we are playing: July 29

By
Ryan Reynolds
– July 29, 2012Posted in: What we are playing

What we are playing is a weekly column published every Sunday in which various members of our team let the world know which games have had them hooked over the past week and which ones they’re looking forward to.

Nick DePetris- After getting a new videocard I was actually able to play some of the games I bought during the Steam Summer Sale, so I fired up Deus Ex: Human Revolution and played through that. I also played through Wreckateer for our review, and I have to say it’s a must-buy for anyone with a Kinect.

Andy Tran- I’ve gotten back into Skyrim after seeing some YouTube episodes of “Best of Skyrim mods” and had a little fun with a new game. Then Battlefield 3 took up my time with unlocking the new weapons with the assignments on the close quarters expansion. Let’s just say I’m a big fan of the SCAR-L.

Ryan Fennel- I finally jumped back into my Vita after a rather long hiatus. The only demos I tried out were Foosball 2012 & Puddle. Both games were rather meh. On the Xbox 360 side, I tried out the new dashboard and played little bits of Battlefield 3 and Wreckateer. Hopefully, the weekend allows for a lot more quality time with Wreckateer. I’m excited to try it out some more!

Scott Waldyn- I went on a little video game vacation this week, so I barreled through Mass Effect 3 with my first character (my others will be completed within a few months). I also picked up Wreckateer, which I am thoroughly enjoying. On top of that, I tried that NASA Mars Rover game for Kinect Fun Labs. That’s also a blast. A bit twitchy and tense too.

Ryan Reynolds- More and more Mass Effect 3 multiplayer for me. I’m in one of those summer lulls where I don’t really have anything to play, and don’t have the drive to play anything other than what my friends are playing. I am looking forward to Deadlight and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive however, which both hit XBLA in the next 30 days.

Sean Prideaux- I have been playing Wreckateer and Mini Ninjas Adventures over the past few days and I finally started to clear my back-log as well. I’ve only touched small things so far (like the Blackwell games) but I’m glad to have played some Kinect for the first time in a long while.

Now that you know what we are playing, we want to know what you are playing! Tell us by leaving a commend below.

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What we are playing: July 22

By
Ryan Reynolds
– July 22, 2012Posted in: What we are playing

What we are playing is a weekly column published every Sunday. Various members of the team let the world know which games have had them hooked over the past week and which they’re looking forward to.

Nick DePetris- The Steam Sale is still going on and I’ve been playing a ton of PC games, including Sam & Max, The Misadventures of P.B. Winterbottom, and The Binding of Isaac. On the Xbox side of things I finished off the ilomilo DLC, played some Saints Row 2, and got a bit a of a workout with Your Shape 2012 and Dance Central 2.

Ryan Reynolds- More and more Mass Effect 3 multiplayer for me. It’s entertaining enough for me to keep playing it, even if I’m playing it mainly just to talk to a friend over Live. When you start to get older and your friends are scattered across the country, Xbox Live is a great tool to connect people together.

Ryan Fennel- I continued to rank up in Battlefield 3. I cannot believe that this game didn’t capture me when it initially released. Outside of Battlefield 3, I had a game night with a bunch of friends where we played Kinect Sports until about 4 am. We spent a lot of time talking about Wreckateer being released this week. I cannot wait until Wednesday!

Andy Tran- The Steam Summer Sale is coming to an end and I couldn’t thank them more. It introduced me to the fun of some new games I’ve wanted to try, but couldn’t bring myself to go over my monthly gaming budget. Dear Esther is quite the trip and Zombie Driver is just plain fun. And I got Arma 2 to play the Day Z mod which is complete fun with a friend – I highly recommend it.

Sean Prideaux- I picked up a few things in the steam sale but not played much of any yet. Also played through Dungeon Fighter Live, Beyond Good and Evil HD and a little Men at War. I also upgraded my Xbox to an S model as the old one sounded like a jet engine and used too much power. Unfortunately I lost data while transferring the 50GB of data between the old one and the 3 USB sticks I had, over to the new Xbox. Nothing too important but still annoying.

Scott Waldyn- I finally got my grubby mitts on Mass Effect 3. I’m still very early on in the game as I hadn’t had much time this weekend, but I can say that I’m more than ready to bring this trilogy to a close. James T. Shepard is going to do what he can to take Earth back.

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What we are playing: July 8

By
Ryan Reynolds
– July 8, 2012Posted in: What we are playing

What we are playing is a weekly column published every Sunday. Various members of the team let the world know which games have had them hooked over the past week and which they’re looking forward to.

Ryan Fennel- I have basically been playing Battlefield 3 nonstop! The new maps and modes offered through Close Quarters really reinvigorated my interest in the game. If anyone is interested in playing online my Gamertag is FenDiesel. I’d love to get some games in with community members!

Scott Waldyn- I’ve been busy this week with all sorts of projects, but I did manage to see the new Spider-Man flick. For some reason, it brought me to pick up the one Spidey game I never played on Xbox 360 – Spider-Man: Friend or Foe. I’ll be the first to say that was rather embarrassing, and there’s definitely a reason why it’s a long forgotten game.

Sean Prideaux- I’ve been playing Fray, Joe Danger: SE (which I picked up for half price) and Civillization V: Gods and Kings. Gods and Kings has had me addicted to Civ since I installed it. I’ve played it for 2-4 hours each time I’ve started it up and I’ve succumbed to the “just one more turn” all too often.

Andy Tran- I caught up with a few games which I have yet to begin. One of which was Star Wars: The Force Unleashed 2, it’s definitely a game that I passed up but now regret I didn’t play it earlier. Its movement and combat mechanics are smooth and it makes you feel like a powerful Sith along with a good story. I definitely recommend checking it out.

Ryan Reynolds- Right this moment, I’m literally sitting here trying to decide if I want to replay Vanquish, Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine, or Splinter Cell: Conviction. What say you, XKFans? Other than that, I spent my time playing Halo: Reach in celebration of Bungie Day and Mass Effect 3 multiplayer.

Now that you know what we are playing, we want to hear what YOU are playing! Leave us a comment below and tell us.

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What we are playing: July 1

By
Ryan Reynolds
– July 1, 2012Posted in: What we are playing

What we are playing is a weekly column published every Sunday. Various members of the team let the world know which games have had them hooked over the past week and which they’re looking forward to.

Ryan Reynolds- I spent my day off this week replaying Episode One of The Walking Dead right before I sunk my teeth into Episode Two. I’m really enjoying the games and I’m looking forward to Episode Three. I also played quite a bit of Mass Effect 3 multiplayer. What did you guys think of the Extended Cut content? Finally, while I did start a Monk in Diablo 3 this week, I only played it for about 20 minutes. I think Diablo may take the cake for disappointment of the year.

Scott Waldyn- In my free time, I started playing the Dawnguard DLC for Skyrim. I haven’t gotten too horribly far in it, but from what I’ve played, I am definitely enjoying it. I love hunting me some vampires. Other than that, I played through Episode Two of The Walking Dead. While I loved Episode One, I thought this next installment was even better. It’s so drenched with tension and some tough choices.

Sean Prideaux- I also played The Walking Dead Episode 2 and it is easily making this series a strong contender for game of the year. On the other end of the spectrum I was “playing” Steel Battalion: Heavy Armour, the less said about it the better. Its also a good few weeks for 4x strategy games, I previewed Endless Space which is very good and out next Wednesday. Also I played the demo of the Gods and Kings Expansion for Civilization V; now I can’t play Civ until i buy it as the new stuff is amazing. I also picked up Shoot Many Robots on sale and its pretty fun.

Andy Tran- I finally sat down and sunk a few short hours into the Battlefield 3 campaign. It’s surprisingly good and on-par with Modern Warfare 3 and slightly better plot than Ghost Recon Future Soldier. If you own the game and like many others – just play it for the multiplayer I suggest making a pass at the campaign. It’s worth your time and quite challenging on hard difficulty – and also I needed to get the most out of it after spending an extra $50 on the “Premium Pack”.

Now that you know what we’re playing, let us know what YOU are playing. Leave us a comment below!

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What we are playing: June 24

By
Ryan Reynolds
– June 24, 2012Posted in: What we are playing

Nick DePetris- I started an epic quest to play through the sixty or so games in my backlog. To kick things off, I finished my first playthrough of the legendary Grim Fandango, and it definitely lived up to all the hype. Now I’m working my way through Far Cry, which is good but harder than expected.

Ryan Reynolds- Most of my gaming time this week was spent on Mass Effect 3‘s multiplayer. A friend and I really started to get into it again. And just in time for the Extended Cut release on Tuesday. It should be interesting to see what Bioware has done with the ending.

Andy Tran- I’ve been playing the Counter Strike: Global Offensive Beta. It’s a great improvement to CS: Source and all the new weapons and grenades are a nice touch to the strategy of map movement. Not to mention the beautifully remastered classic maps like Inferno and Dust.

Sean Prideaux- I’ve had an eventful week of games. I completed The Legend Zelda: Twilight Princess and Heroes of Ruin on 3DS. I also had a go at Endless Space and I’m about 80% through Batman: Arkham City on PC. I’m starting Steel Battalion: Heavy Armor soon as well; I played the demo and had mixed feelings about it but hopefully the game is better than most places reported.

Ryan Fennel- As usual, my gaming this week crossed both Vita and the Xbox 360. On the Vita front, I finally beat Tales from Space: Mutant Blobs Attack. I do agree with most opinions that the game is a steal at $8.00. However, it is most certainly not the best the Vita has to offer. In the Xbox 360 realm, I hoped back into Ghost Recon: Future Soldier & Battlefield 3 for a little multiplayer. I would love readers to share their opinions if Battlefield Premium is worth $50. Now that I am sucked back into Battlefield it seems like the Premium subscription may be worth it.

Now that you know what we’re playing, we want to know what YOU are playing. Leave us a comment below and tell us!

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Weekend Rant: Player Hosts

By
Sean Prideaux
– May 12, 2012Posted in: Features, Weekend Rant

Player hosts are annoying, unfair and unreliable, I said it. You’ve all noticed it. You’re playing a game, you watch a replay, and what you saw doesn’t match up with whats being shown to you through the enemy’s eyes. This, and the fits of rage that often ensue are due to minute amounts of latency that exist in sending signals to and from the host of the game. The player that is the host of the game doesn’t have to deal with this latency and often has the advantage over his opponents. It is because of this that things that can only be perceived as false come into play.

Latency is something that we all have to deal with. There will always be issues with it in online games. LAN and split screen games don’t have to deal with this issue because there are no signals to be sent, just hard wires. Dedicated servers on the other hand, such as those found in Battlefield 3 or League of Legends puts everyone on a level playing field, making players deal with the same amount of latency. Usually, when dedicated servers are employed, latency isn’t really an issue at all. The problem is, and always has been, player hosts. When one player in the game is serving as the conduit for every other player in the game, they don’t have to wait a fraction of a second for a signal to make it back to them. They are, in essence, playing the game in real-time, just as if it were a single-player game. Except, there are other people in the game, and they’re a tad bit behind you in witnessing the action unfold on screen.

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