Counter-Strike: Global Offensive Archive

0

What we are playing: September 30

By
Ryan Reynolds
– September 30, 2012Posted in: News, 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.

Sean Prideaux- I’ve only really played Resident Evil 6 this week which is under embargo until tomorrow. I can talk about the demo though. Leon’s scenario (the only demo level I played) was pretty good but it does leave out some of the initial set up scenes. You can sneak a peak at them in Conan O’Brien’s Clueless Gamer review of the game.

Nate Hubler- I played a tad more of Warp and Stacking on the Xbox front. Although Warp is getting pretty annoying, Stacking was still great fun. On the PC side of things I played Torchlight, yes the first and yes I know I am late to the party but hey this is one spectacularly fun party.

Ryan Reynolds- This week I dove into one of the PlayStation 3′s biggest cult classics, Heavy Rain. It took a while to get into, but once you get used to it, it’s really enjoyable. You really do get pulled into the story and the intensity of what’s happening. Now I’m just hoping that the story ends well for me. So much has gone on that I’m scared to see how this thing ends for these characters. I also played a few rounds of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive on XBLA and gave Leon’s scenario in the Resident Evil 6 demo another run.

Andy Tran- I got a hold of the Indie Humble Bundle 6 and played one amazingly fun and beautiful game called Dustforce. The soundtrack alone was worth the money and you only had to pay above the average of six dollars to get it. It’s a great platformer that has combo attacks that rival the likes of classic games like Strider.

Scott Waldyn- I played absolutely nothing all week long. What kind of self-professed gamer goes that long? Believe me when I say this hunger strike wasn’t planned. A few of my old games have been giving me the longing, saddened eyes. “Come play with us, Scott.”

Now that you know what we are playing, we want to know what you are playing! Make yourself heard by leaving a comment below. Then head on over to our forums and join in on all the discussion over there!

Tags: , , , , , , , ,
0

What we are playing: September 23

By
Ryan Reynolds
– September 23, 2012Posted in: News, 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.

Andy Tran- I’ve been really getting into Borderlands 2. The game is such an improvement from the previous installment. I have the PC version along with an Nvidia GPU. The PhysX is a great addition and just a small thing that makes the game that much more amazing.

Ryan Reynolds- Well, for starters, I finished Rage. And discovered that it had an extremely disappointing ending and the whole game’s story goes no where. Then I played the Resident Evil 6 demo. While Leon’s scenario was entertaining enough, Chris and Jake’s were dubious messes. Some serious questions need to be asked about some of the game’s mechanics and design choices. I’m hoping the final game holds up better when everything is pieced together.

Sean Prideaux- Torchlight 2 released this week. Its certainly Torchlight but with new classes and with friends. Single player is decent and worth getting into, if only to play with your friends. I hit 80 in Guild Wars 2 and stopped playing a day or two after. I will go back to it but I got a little burnt out.

Ryan Fennel- My time was equally split between XBLA and Borderlands 2. Borderlands 2 is exactly what I thought it would be. The game is incrementally better than its predecessor in about every single way. On the XBLA front, I split my time between Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Minecraft, and Joe Danger 2. I fear that the community surrounding CS:GO may already be dieing. It is sad since it is a great game. I highly encourage all of you to go out and support this title. You will always have me to team up with!

Nate Hubler- This week I barely had to game at all. But when I did I progressed slightly farther in Warp. I also picked up the Humble Bundle 6 which I can’t wait to get in to even though my backlog is still filled with Xbox games and Android Humble Bundle 3 titles.

Scott Waldyn- I was superbly busy this week, but I managed to snag Dragon’s Lair (on sale) and give it a go. I tried it Kinect-style, and I realized I may be a little too slow to the punch for helping Dirk Daring save the princess. It’s fun if you’re looking for a quick adventure, but it feels a bit repetitive too.

Now that you know what we are playing, we want to know what you are playing! Make yourself heard by leaving a comment below. Then head on over to our forums and join in on all the discussion over there!

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
0

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.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
0

What we are playing: September 9

By
Ryan Reynolds
– September 9, 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- I just returned from a wild week at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, so I didn’t have a whole lot of time to game this week, but when I did, I played Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and Rage. And I totally feel like the Dos Equis guy with the way that sentence came out. I also played through The Walking Dead: Episode Three right before I left for the DNC, in one sitting. Telltale is doing a great job capturing the core feeling and conflicts of the comic series. Can’t wait for Episode Four.

Scott Waldyn- I started a new job this week, so I was very preoccupied. However, when I was able to sneak in a bit of gaming, I played through The Walking Dead: Episode Three some more. Man, that series just keeps getting more and more intense as each episode comes out. Love it!

Andy Tran- I finally had time to beat Sleeping Dogs, yet again a great game that I highly recommend checking out. And then I spend most of my time playing Guild Wars 2. That MMO has changed a lot about other MMOs and I’m so glad I picked it up. My friends wanted to join me after seeing all the features it has and all physical copies were sold out and they stopped selling digital ones.

Sean Prideaux- I couldn’t resist any longer so I nabbed Guild Wars 2 when I saw it. I still hold the original trilogy as one of my favourite games and this is a worthy sequel. I’m loving every minute of it and the WorldvWorld is surprisingly fun. This is the first time I’ve enjoyed PvP in a long time. I also managed to play the trials for both Rock Band Blitz and Mark of the Ninja; both are also excellent and I’m looking forward to picking them up.

Nate Hubler- This week I picked up Warp and Stacking in the Back to School sale and I am still playing through Bioshock 2 which is a blast. Unfortunately returning to school this past week has consumed most of my free time.

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

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
0

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.

Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: , , , ,
0

What we are playing: August 26

By
Ryan Reynolds
– August 26, 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- All my designated “gaming time” was spent on three games this week; Minecraft, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and Rage. In Minecraft I finished my replica of my real-life home. Aside from that, I dove into the newly release CS: GO on XBLA with the majority of my free time. I’m thoroughly enjoying being “back in the game”. And then I played about eight hours of Rage‘s campaign, which is far from perfect and fails to do anything new, but is still relatively enjoyable. We’ll see how the rest of the game progresses.

Scott Waldyn- I spent some time with my old games this week – mainly Civilization: Revolutions. Wrapping up some achievements, I proved I was master at every civilization. With that said, I noticed most opponents fight in the same manner. Though their leaders are different, they all show the same tactics and aggressions. It makes it kind of weird when Gandhi keeps threatening to roll over your cities with his mighty armies.

Andy Tran- I was going to write a bit about Sleeping Dogs, but that game is already a gem. Now that I’ve experienced Guild Wars 2 in its early access weekend – I must say that I am impressed. I wasn’t so amazed by the first game, but this one takes it up way more notches than there is space on the scale. I highly recommend checking it out, my server is Tarnished Coast; name: Philivox.

Ryan Fennel- My hours of gaming this week were split between a pair of XBLA titles, Dust and Counter-Strike: GO. I think very little needs to be said for Dust, the game is simply fantastic. I’m approximately 60% complete and do not want it to end. The gameplay is tremendous and only trumped by the breathtaking art style! As for Counter-Strike: GO, I have really enjoyed the game. I still say Gotham City Impostors is the best XBLA first-person shooter, but Counter-Strike gives it a run for its money. If you are a fan of the previous entries in the Counter-Strike series, GO will be very familiar. That is not to say it is dull or dated, but there just are not a lot of surprises.

Nate Hubler- Well I beat Fallout 3 this week and while the ending was awesome I’m disappointed that I can’t keep playing. I also started Crysis 2‘s campaign and I’m having a great time. Playing it like a stealth game is the way to go.

Sean Prideaux- Not a whole lot this week, I’ve played the opening to The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword and a little Dust 514. Skyward Sword is looking more impressive to me than Twilight Princess was, right off the bat. As for Dust 514, it’s best described as half spreadsheet, half shooter. And covered in an intensely 80s/90s sci-fi vibe.

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

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
0

What we are playing: August 5

By
Ryan Reynolds
– August 5, 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.

Ryan Reynolds- I went on a shooting spree this week. In videogame form of course. I played a whole lot of the Counter-Strike: Global Offensive beta on PC. I can’t wait to pick the game up on 360 and finally take my place atop the Counter-Strike community, with a controller! I also played a fair share of Modern Warfare 3, Mass Effect 3 and Halo: Reach as well. My hype for Halo 4 is really beginning to build. Furthermore, I downloaded and played the trials of Deadlight and Outland on Xbox Live Arcade, but neither really grabbed me, so I didn’t purchase either.

Nick DePetris- I sort of videogamed myself out after my intense Deus Ex marathon last weekend, but I did play a couple hours of Fallout: New Vegas and fired up The Witcher 2 for the first time. I also finally beat Dance Central 2 on easy. 5 stars on every song, which is impressive if you’ve ever seen me try to dance.

Sean Prideaux- I played Planet Crashers and Deadlight early on in the week; both of which are reasonably entertaining. Then I played a little of both Rage and Darksiders. I’m trying to get Darksiders finished on apocalyptic before 2 comes out, though I’m not likely to pick it up anytime soon.

Ryan Fennel- An XBLA focused week for me. I completed Deadlight and have mixed feelings regarding it. While it was definitely enjoyable, the second act of the game was way too much trail and error for my tastes. I also put in some time with Wreckateer. I think Wreckateer will go down as the best Kinect game of 2012 — others just don’t compete with the precise controls in this game.

Andy Tran- I’m on vacation, but still managed to get some gaming squeezed in. I’ve gotten my strategy craving quenched from Age of Empires Online. And then a little more Zombie Driver courtesy of Steam’s cloud saves moving from my desktop to laptop.

Scott Waldyn- This week was an adventure into something unique and different. I jumped into Deepak Chopra’s ‘Leela‘. It’s a lovely little new age stoner trek into self-fulfillment and a calming connection to the universe. I enjoy it. It’s a great way to center a stressful day.

Now that you know what we’re playing, let us know what you are playing! Tell us by leaving a comment below!

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
1

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.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
0

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!

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
0

Xbox Kinect Fans Most Wanted: E3 2012

By
Ryan Reynolds
– May 11, 2012Posted in: Features, Most Wanted

The biggest gaming event of the year is almost upon us, with all of the industry’s heavy hitters preparing to bring out the big guns to impress both fan and investor alike at E3 2012. Every year, gamers tune in to the their televisions, internet streams and Twitter feeds to see what the year’s biggest announcements are. Here at Xbox Kinect Fans, we put our heads together to compile a list of what we want to see from Microsoft and the Xbox brand at this year’s show. So read on, get excited, and start counting down the days until Microsoft’s press briefing on June 4th!

Read the rest of this entry »

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Proudly Hosted on the Caro Cloud Hosting