"The State Of Online Gaming"

I have had this topic on my mind for a long while now, but the status of online gaming has really pushed me to do this article now. Many of you know first hand how cheap online gameplay can become. There are kids & adults out there so desperate to win that they'll do so by cheating, hacking, or spamming their way to glory. This is definitely not how games used to be, and I'm seriously beginning to think it will spell doom for the success of video games in the future. The fact of the matter is that about every online game you'll find in the market today is vulnerable to exploits, and hacking. If developers do not figure out a way to secure a game from these "threats" then all hope is gone.

Octopede (XBLIG): "Something Borrowed, Something New"

Recently 'Orbital Games' released their XBLIG title "Octopede" on the Xbox LIVE marketplace. I didn't really know much about the game until after the developer contacted me about doing a review. This is the way it sometimes goes. After being contacted I ended up watching some gameplay footage from aaronthesplazer's youtube channel. My first impressions were that the game looked like a new take on the old snake game. I thought it would be something I might enjoy playing. Once I got the code from 'Orbital Games' I downloaded it, and waited until this morning to try it out. I found some interesting gameplay features, and some not so user friendly features. I wound up having to wing it when it came to figuring out the controls to the game, but being the video game master that I am I was able to do so fairly easily. The following paragraph/s will detail what I found while playing "Octopede" ...

AMY (XBLA): "A Stealth Horror-Survival Game"

I followed the progress of "AMY" through trailers on Youtube long before it was released. It was a game that looked very promising to me. In fact I wanted to review it so bad that I sent in my review request early. I had kind of lost hope that I would get a response from 'VectorCell/Lexis Numerique (the developer)' after not hearing from them for an extended period of time. Fortunately I finally got the response I was looking for a day before the game was scheduled to be released. I was truly excited to be honest. After downloading the 1.55 GB game I began my attempt to complete the game, but as it sometimes happens I was unable to do so due to various factors concerning the game's gameplay mechanics. In the end I made it to chapter/level 2, and was unable to complete it. In the following paragraphs I will give you the basic story behind the game as well as the faults I encountered while attempting my playthrough ...

"Orbitron Revolution (XBLIG) Gets Some Updates!!!"

I think it's truly awesome when a developer cares enough about their fan base that they are willing to right the wrongs in their game. Last year I've seen a few developers stepping up to the plate with patches, and updates for the XBLIG titles. Some of you may shrug this off, and say "Why Bother" but some of us in the gaming community actually like the indies out there. I think it's just as necessary for an indie developer to create patches as it is for a mainstream video game developer. If you're a gamer, and you pay for a game it should be sorted out properly. I realize at this point that I'm ranting on, but what I told you is a valid point. I was definitely glad/excited to hear that 'Firebase Industries' had made some significant changes to 'Orbitron Revolution'. It definitely needed the update. With that being said 'Orbitron Revolution' was an amazing game to begin with, and is even better now that it has been patched. The visuals, and game design are beyond what you'd think an indie game is capable of. I'm going to give you a link to the developer's website below that details all of the changes you'll find in the latest update. If you already have 'Orbitron Revolution' then the update is free of charge, but if not the update will come with the purchase of the game.

http://firebase.ca/2011/12/23/orbitron-revolution-relaunched-update-changelist/

Trailer Park King Ep.2 (XBLIG): "The Redneck Hijinks Continue"

In early 2011 I reviewed a game titled "Trailer Park King" that was developed by 'Freelance Games' for the XBLIG marketplace. It told an adult oriented tale about a self-proclaimed king of a trailer park community named 'Julian (aka, King)'. The art in the game was all original, and featured some very lovely (and half dressed) ladies. The plot of the first game introduced 'King' and some of his wacky acquaintances. It also told the story of how he got accused as Truck's (the bully) killer, and how he cleared his name. I won't spoil all the details of the first game in case you want to check it out, but it's definitely good for some laughs. I was contacted by 'Freelance Games' about reviewing their sequel to 'Trailer Park King' early this month (Jan. 2012). I gladly accepted, and was excited about finding what kind of trouble 'King' would find himself in this time around.