Destined to be Obscured

Catherine — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 02:18:13 +0000

Alright, let's do this...

Picked this up today as soon as I could.
Folks, if you own a PlayStation 3, please please pick this up.
It’s an absolutely stunning game.
If I have time later on, I’ll write up a formal review.

A jungle in the middle of France...

Also, a word on the collector’s edition if you were uncertain about picking it up: besides the beautiful presentation, the quality of the materials are certainly worth the pennies it costs.

Tagged: Gaming, Naughty Dog, Uncharted 3

Catherine Release Planned for the U.S.

Catherine — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 06:29:29 +0000

Atlus announced today that its’ latest new horror/adventure RPG Catherine will be released in the U.S. this summer. I’ve been following news about the game since it was announced and hoping we would see a release here in the states. Although the game looks to be more geared towards the male audience I’ll probably still pick it up. I’m a big fan of the Persona series and I was pretty excited to hear that the Persona team were working on a PS3/XBOX 360 game.

For more info: Official Site

Tagged: Atlus, Catherine, Gaming

BioShock 2 Out Today!!!

Catherine — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:30:03 +0000

It’s out today if you haven’t been keeping up, so go and grab your copy! It’s out on PC, XBOX 360, and PS3.
I picked up my Special Edition not too long ago and I must say that it is GORGEOUS. It was well worth it for the extra goodies.
Anyway, expect a first impressions post and review soon.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a bathysphere to catch.

-C.

Tagged: 2K Marin, BioShock 2, PS3

SMT: Persona 3 for PSP Announced.

Catherine — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 22:19:05 +0000

Atlus finally announced the release date of the SMT: Persona 3 port for PSP here in the U.S. today. We can all venture back to Tartarus on July 6th, 2010.

If you never got the chance to play the original (or FES) then I highly recommend you consider picking this one up.
And, if you’re all “been there, done that” consider that this version not only includes the original story with our favorite gloomy protagonist but also a whole new playable character with new social links, special events, and new romantic possibilities. Hear that, girls? Now I can set up that date I always wanted with Akihiko. Uh ahem, I mean now you can set up that date with Akihiko that you always wanted.

In all seriousness though, a portable version of one of my favorite RPGs of all time that I can play during my commute? SOLD.

To check out the trailer and see some screenshots, visit the official site here.

Tagged: Atlus, Persona 3, PSP, Shin Megami Tensei: Persona

Assassin’s Creed 2 Review.

Catherine — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 04:22:39 +0000

I played Assassin’s Creed when it was first released for PC and while I did enjoy playing the game, I found that it did not live up to its hype. I, like many others, soon grew bored of its linear assassination contracts. The story was interesting but I can’t say that it really gripped me. Nevertheless, as soon as I started seeing promotion for the second installment I started getting excited. Seeing E3 coverage of Assassin’s Creed 2 practically had me sold and needless to say, the game really does live up to its hype.
The story is amazing and it had me interested throughout the whole game. Desmond’s story is further unfolded in a few sequences spread throughout the story but the game’s full focus is on the story of Ezio. Some might complain that there isn’t enough moments that take place in “present” time but I felt that it was a good balance.
The game features some really incredible characters full of life and the voice acting for each was done very well, which is always essential in telling a great story. These were characters that were really fleshed out well.
Music and sound in general was excellent and fit really well with each situation.
Graphics-wise the game is stunning. Like I mentioned in a previous entry, I played AC 2 on a PS3 and I suffered little to no graphics stuttering. Renaissance Italy looks beautiful and lively- from the ever changing sky to the water to Ezio’s shadow.
Like the first game, there is a list of people to assassinate but this time around there is a lot more variability in the contracts to keep one from getting bored.
There are no flags to collect but the player does have the option of collecting feathers and statues which, when all collected, unlock extra features to the story. (I’m still working on collecting them so I don’t know what they are. :) )
There are also a bunch of extra little “quests” that are available, like extra assassination contracts, pickpocketing, races, and such. You also need to further expand your map by climbing the highest points and “synching” but I’ve always loved those because of the beautiful sights from up top.
Combat has not changed much from the first game, there are some new moves, and Ezio is able to pick up different melee weapons, but as I said combat is not that different.
The economy in the game is a step up although I found it incredibly easy to get gain money. Still, I think it was a nice touch as well as the ability to repair and upgrade armor and weapons.
My only real issue with the game is the fact that it was a bit easy. There were a few times when I ran into a challenging situation but for the most part I was able to progress throughout the game with no problem.
Overall, I found Assassin’s Creed 2 to be a delightful experience. The story was gripping, the graphics and music were stunning, and I like where the story is heading.
The ending was amazing and literally jaw-dropping for me and I am eagerly awaiting the next installment.

Game: Assassin’s Creed 2
Console: PS3
Overall score:4.5/5 Buy it.

Tagged: Assassin's Creed 2, Reviews, Ubisoft Montreal

BioShock 2 LE Preordered.

Catherine — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 06:34:16 +0000

Preordered my copy of the BioShock 2 Limited Edition last week. It looks to be a beautiful collection and while I do love my Big Daddy figurine from the BioShock Limited Edition, I love the presentation of the BS2 LE.

Included in the Limited Edition:
BioShock 2
Deco Devolution: The Art of BioShock 2
Sounds From The Lighthouse: BioShock 2 Soundtrack (CD)
BioShock Soundtrack (Vinyl <3)
Three Rapture Propaganda Posters

Tagged: BioShock 2

Catherine — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 03:56:56 +0000

Happy Pirates Day! And congratulations on your very easy achievement. Don’t forget to visit Booty Bay to grab it and please note that you can still get this even if you are Hated with Booty Bay. Dread Captain Demeza and her crew will be friendly with you.

Tagged: World of Warcraft

Patch 3.2 is now live!

Catherine — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 21:50:17 +0000

Call of the Crusade is now live and features:

The completion of the Crusader’s Coliseum, where two new raid dungeons are available.
- Trial of the Champion is a five-man normal/heroic dungeon.
- Trial of the Crusader is a 10/25 man normal raid dungeon.
- Trial of the Grand Crusader is a 10/25 man heroic raid dungeon.
The Isle of Conquest, a new 40 man siege-style battleground in Icecrown.
Expansion of the Argent Tournament, with many new daily quests available.
New dungeon loot feature, where players will be able to trade soulbound items with other members of that raid or instance.
Dungeon raid ID extensions, to allow raids to progress at their own pace.
Emblem system changes, all Crusader Coliseum instances drop a new emblem called the Emblem of Triumph. Any dungeons that dropped Emblem of Heroism or Valor will now drop Emblems of Conquest.

And much more.

Patch day is always exciting (even with all the expected glitches and server downtime. Hah.), especially when there is new content to see. I’m very excited to progress through the new dungeons with my guild and I’m also excited that Emblems of Conquest now drop from heroics. This means that my still-new level 80 paladin will be able to get better gear soon. (I’ve been running Naxx on Saturdays on my paladin with my guild and I’ve received more upgrades for my offspec (Holy) than my main (Ret) that I’ve been thinking of just switching to full heals even though I don’t really want to.)

Anyway, for the complete set of patch notes please click here.

Have fun everyone!

-C.

Tagged: Patch 3.2, Patch Notes, World of Warcraft

BioShock 2 Delayed.

Catherine — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 06:27:54 +0000

2K announced a few days ago that the release date for the second installment of their dystopian shooter, BioShock, has been delayed and pushed back to 2010. The game was originally set to be released this November in the United States.
The publisher has stated that the reason for the delay is to provide for “additional development time for the title” and I honestly do not think this is a bad idea.
Don’t get me wrong, when I first read the news I was not happy. Like all fans of the first BioShock I have been eagerly anticipating my venture back into Rapture but if the game has been delayed so that when I actually do get it in my hands I get a game that has been beautifully made and polished, then I will have no problem waiting a few more months.

Still fuming because you can’t get your dose of Adam in time? Check out The Cult of Rapture and join the forums to maybe discuss what has been going on with a certain Mark Meltzer at somethinginthesea.com while you wait.

-C.

Tagged: 2K, 2K Marin, BioShock, BioShock 2

Dood.

Catherine — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 19:42:25 +0000

The other day I picked up Prinny: Can I Really Be The Hero? for PSP. The story, graphics, and music are fabulous and I’m having fun playing it. The controls are a bit screwy and the level of difficulty at times makes me want to throw my PSP across the room but I think the price was worth it. Because of it, I have finally been pressed to check out the Disgaea series and I think I’ll be picking up the PS2 games in the near future.

Tagged: Disgaea, Prinny, PSP