By now, you may have heard comments being made about how Blur is like Mario Kart with real cars – even the game's executive producer has been quoted as saying as much. After playing the Blur multiplayer beta, that sounds like a fair approximation of the game, though not in the way that you'd expect.
Given that the game is developed by Bizarre, the devs behind the PGR series – a realistic racer that couldn't be further removed from Mario Kart if it tried – you'd be forgiven for thinking that the game has something of an identity crisis. You'd also be forgiven for not knowing exactly what to expect from the game. The truth is, though, that Blur manages to play like both games without ever becoming confused. That is to say, it plays like a real racing game, but one that isn't afraid to be a little silly at times. Thankfully, for the most part, it's a pretty entertaining experience.
The handling of the cars successfully manages to be both realistic and arcadey at the same; the handling is realistic enough to require you to invest some time into getting to grips with the controls, but arcadey enough as to not alienate beginners. The result is a game that is accessible to all, but one with hidden depths for the high-level racers to enjoy.
Despite the fact that it already sounds like quite a fragile balance, the power-ups fit seamlessly into the mix, and it's when the power-ups start flying that the game feels most like Mario Kart. However, as well as being genuinely quite fun to use, the power-ups also add an extra layer of strategy to the proceedings; whilst some power-ups clearly serve a single purpose, others can be used to counteract the effects of your rivals' power-ups, and even the ones which initially seem useless can end up being an invaluable addition to your inventory. The only gripe with the power-ups, though, is that in larger games (Blur supports up to twenty players at any one time) the tracks become a veritable minefield, and make navigating the course nearly impossible.
As well as power-ups, Blur also features a “mods” system. While the name suggests that this is just a way to tune up your cars, it is actually a level-based perk system, which gives you a passive boost to your abilities and can be tweaked to fit your racing style as you see fit. My only complaint with the mods system is that it's perhaps a little too simplistic, though this is a minor concern.
Whilst the racing and the power-ups are generally good fun, the online portion of the game is only as good as its game modes. The four modes available in the beta (two initially, with two being unlocked as you level up) are somewhat standard, but still fun nevertheless. However, it's the modes which weren't available which looked to be the most fun: a one-on-one mode, a hardcore racing mode (presumably this disables the power-ups), and a community event mode (presumably to allow you to take part in massive group events organised by Bizarre), which sounds like it could have some real potential.
All told, the Blur beta showcases a game which is a lot of fun, and has a lot of potential. Though it's not quite as fast or arcadey as some might hope, it still does a fine job in balancing the two play styles together in a way that is fun. Whilst it remains to be seen as to how long the various multiplayer modes will keep players enthralled, if Bizarre can create a good community around the game and sustain it with interesting and fun community events, not to mention regular DLC, then there's no reason that Blur can't be a brilliant racing game.
I forced my wife to watch me play the first hour of Final Fantasy XIII. She doesn't normally like video games (except for the occasional puzzle game or Rock Band session), but I thought the cinematic aspect of this game would interest her. These were her initial impressions:
"All I remember was some guy with a bird in his hair."
"I guess the graphics were good."
"I wasn't really paying attention."
"It looked like a cartoon movie."
I forced my wife to watch me play the first hour of Heavy Rain. She doesn't normally like video games (except for the occasional puzzle game or Rock Band session), but I thought the cinematic aspect of this game would interest her. I did the same thing for Final Fantasy XIII. These were her initial impressions:
"It was so slow."
"The graphics were okay, but the water looked really good."
"Yelling the boy's name over and over at the mall was annoying." (my fault!)
"There should be more options to do things."
A 10 hour head start isn't much when playing a Final Fantasy game. The introduction of characters, the slow and steady primer on battle mechanics and levelling up; the ins-and-outs of what makes a Final Fantasy needs time to develop and settle-in. While I expected the traditional slow start of any Final Fantasy, XIII seems especially sluggish and unnecessarily drawn-out. It seems especially contradictory to the faster pacing of the story and out-of-sync with the streamlined battle system. While I can see its disparate elements eventually coming together to become a focused experience, it's coming at a very slow rate.
In rich contrast to standard JRPGs today, Final Fantasy isn't afraid to make risks in evolving its recipe for success. In a lot of ways, XIII feels like the complete opposite of XII. Gone are free-roaming exploration, micromanaging turn-based combat systems and the traditional town and country design. What you have left is a game that is very streamlined. And because XIII is so stripped down, its success is highly contingent on the quality of story and combat, i.e. what Final Fantasy does best. While I still have a long way to go story wise, the battle system is refreshingly efficient while maintaining the strong tactical element.
While a majority of the changes serve as a way to make this iteration more accessible and action-oriented, the unnecessary glacial pacing and strict linearity inflicts XIII with an identity issue. Its struggle in momentum can be infuriating, but I'm willing to stick with it.
Is there a game that you guys wish you were still playing? One where you got to the end and just said to yourself, "No, that can't be it. Now what am I supposed to do?" like you were just unexpectedly laid off from a job?
I ask this because for some reason, I'm been feeling very nostalgaic about Far Cry 2 lately. I don't know why, but it feels like there has been a void in my life that has gone unfilled since I finished that game, which is weird, because the ending was the only bad thing about the game.
Usually, even if I really like a game, by the end I'm often just waiting for it to end. This happened with Bioshock, Assassin's Creed 2, Uncharted, and probably some other amazing games. Is anyone feeling me with this?
Like most of the gaming world, I can't wait to play Final Fantasy XIII when it drops tomorrow (lucky Giang, tomorrow is today for him!). I haven't played a Final Fantasy game since Final Fantasy X, waaay back in 2001, and I've been looking into getting into a linear, story-based RPG since my bouts with a couple Tales games last year. I went to look for some reviews, just to get a feel for what the critics initially think of the game.
Although IGN sometimes gives skewed reviews (in hindsight, was Grand Theft Auto IV really a "perfect" 10.0 game?), I still tend to check their reviews first. Unfortunately, that didn't happen due to some technical troubles. I then checked Gamespot's review, and was surprised to see an 8.5 out of 10. I mean, that isn't a wholly bad review, especially considering that Gamespot reviews their games a little low from time to time, but let's do some fact-checking:
Final Fantasy VII: 9.5 (IGN) / 9.5 (Gamespot) Final Fantasy VIII: 9.0 (IGN) / 9.5 (Gamespot) Final Fantasy IX: 9.2 (IGN) / 8.5 (Gamespot) Final Fantasy X: 9.5 (IGN) / 9.3 (Gamespot) Final Fantasy X-2: 9.5 (IGN) / 8.1 (Gamespot) Final Fantasy XI: 8.8 (IGN) / 8.2 (Gamespot) Final Fantasy XII: 9.5 (IGN) / 9.0 (Gamespot)
So if we were to base Final Fantasy XIII's score on Gamespot's precedence, this games stands somewhere between Final Fantasy XI (ugh) and Final Fantasy IX (one of my personal favorites). The jury's still out, but Metacritic is currently showing a metascore of "83", so you can draw your own conclusions.
Why does every freaking Battlefield game have server issues when it first releases? Bad Company 1 had problems, 1943 had problems, and now I've been staring at the window you see above for the last ten minutes trying to get in a game of Battlefield: Bad Company 2.
Come on, guys, this is your coming out party! You should be ready for the flood of players in the first few weeks. I woke up early (yes, 10:20 is early to me), just so I could play while the lady was still sleeping, but all that is out the window now. Next time, let's get our shit straight, ok?
Update: Ok, I finally get in a match, and what do I see? THAT ALL OF MY UNLOCKS AND XP HAVE BEEN RESET TO ZERO! What the hell is going? One more thing, when I stab someone, the game hasn't been giving me their dog tags, which is one of the best things about the game. That's really annoying,
I've always had a funny thought whenever I see the game Just Cause, and its upcoming sequel Just Cause 2 (whose demo just landed on XBLA today). Although I realize that the "Cause" in the name is pronounced as "Kôz" (like in the term "cause and effect"), I like to think of them as "Kəz", as in the shortened version of the word "because". Did I lose you yet? I hope not. Keep reading.
Secondly, once I start thinking of the game as "Just 'Cause", I like to imagine that you play as a super-nice pushover guy who just walks around and does good deeds for people "just 'cause".
"Oh darling, you bought me flowers! Why'd you do such a thing for me?"
"Just 'cause, honey."
Earlier today, developers Bizarre Creations - the devs behind the PGR games - were giving away free beta codes for their upcoming game, Blur. Courtesy of CVG, I managed to get my hands on a code, and as of next Monday, should have early access to the multiplayer beta.
For those who aren't familiar with the game, it's an arcade-style racer, that centers around giving the player power-ups to take out rival racers. The game is often described by the mainstream media as being "Mario Kart with real cars". As that description doesn't sound too promising, and because I want to stay open-minded about the game, I'm going to look at it more positively, and describe it as Burnout (which I love) with weapons.
Whilst I honestly couldn't say if the game is going to be any good or not, I'm going to reserve judgement until I've played the beta. Either way, though, you can rest assured that I'll post my opinions here when I do make my mind up.
I just watched MSNBC's video review of Battlefield: Bad Company 2, and I'm about to drop everything at work to go pick up my copy. It literally got my blood pumping, and gave me a tingly feeling...down there.
Is anyone else picking it up tonight? Friend up with TheJesusZombie on Xbox 360 if you want to make some Battlefield love.
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Bloguin is the revolutionary blog network specifically focused on helping bloggers get the most out of their websites. We're currently working on building a large network of online communities and hope to expand our blogging coverage to include a wide range of topics. 
The Bloguin Network allows advertisers to promote their products and services to our ever-growing number of visitors. We offer both site-specific ad placements as well as the ability to run a network-wide campaign. If you're interested in working with Bloguin to meet your advertising needs, please contact us.
The Bloguin Network is always looking to expand. We're specifically looking for blogs in the sports, entertainment, and video games field, but are open to adding any type of quality site. If you're a blogger and interested in joining our network, please fill out our application form.
The Bloguin Login gives you full access to everything our network has to offer. Your name and password will work for each and every one of our sites. Signing up is simple, and will allow you to post in all our forums, create member blogs, and access other cool features! What are you waiting for? Create an Account!