Holy shit physics: Vindictus

I was drawn to this simple by an ad in Game Informer, which I usually ignore but the Valve Source engine logo on the bottom made me look it up as soon as I got to a computer. Supposedly free, expect some comments on it soon.

MMOs have never been my favorite kind of game. The hacking grinding kill X amount of X bastages just never was that entertaining for me. With the steam engine? Maybe killing X amount of creatures will be a little bit better.

Portal 2 Co Op Mode

Co Op mode for Portal 2. This is my number 1 game I am looking forward to that is coming out soon. I loved portal so much, but now I think I will love it even more if I can play it with my best gaming buddies.

The Sacrifice and No Mercy on Left 4 Dead 2

So The Sacrifice came out for Left 4 Dead 1 and 2, as well as updating No Mercy for Left 4 Dead 2. So I took some time playing with this new maps. During this time I was playing with completely unbalanced teams, but that can be fun every once and a while. One very serious glitch I found in the Left 4 Dead 2 version of No Mercy was that the elevator kept dropping me. This happened in both campaign mode and VS mode and with different characters. I do not know why, but it only happened to me every time we got in the elevator. Extremely frustrating.
I really enjoy the updated No Mercy, the new weapons just fit seamlessly into the game. The Sacrifice is an extremely exciting new map. It is a lot more challenging that the basic maps, just as Crash Course was when Valve first brought that to the table. I like it a lot better on Left 4 Dead 2 than 1, mostly because the graphics are more appealing.
I give two thumbs up to the new updates on the L4D series. Now I want my tank plushie.

Favorite Geeky stuffies

So I have a thing for stuffed animals. Doesn't matter how old you are, stuffed animals are freaking cute. Especially cute cuddly geeky things. So here is a list of some of my favorites that I want or have and can review for you (as far as you can review stuffies)

Giant Microbes

These buggers are ADORABLE. Giant Microbes are one of my favorites. They have a main website but I usually buy mine at ThinkGeek.com because you get geek points by using that website and can purchase EVEN MORE cute microbes. They have tons of options. I have mad cow disease, the flu, and mono.

Valve Stuffies

Left 4 Dead infected, the companion cube, head crabs, a christmas Vortigaunt. These are all so cute. They are a little pricey, the boomer plushy had an outrageous original price but it dropped quickly. Personally I'm waiting for the tank.

Star Trek

I have a black tribble for my collection of extremely nerdy toys. They make little tribbly chattery noises when you squeeze them. I got mine from the Star Trek deal in Las Vegas but ThinkGeek has them also.

Left 4 Dead Survival Mode

The great thing about Left 4 Dead survival modes (this is 2) is that it gives you an entirely new way to explore the game. You have more time to enjoy the details of these great maps. This is 'Bedlam' but there is some confusion as to what it is actually called. If you look on the stats page it is called Bedlam, but if you are trying to look for it to make a game it is called something different. The best way to tell is by the picture matching both.

Survival is a completely different style of gameplay. You are given a substantial amount of supplies to work with. Planning and tactics are your two best friends. You have to pick a place to stake out, although this is a little more complex in Left 4 Dead 2 because the AI is more intelligent. They have a 'sitting duck' detector, so in other words if you stay holed up in one corner the jockeys will find you and hump your face off the map. BUT you can still work with a 'sit in one corner and shoot everything' technique. It is just a lot more dangerous. Also, in Left 4 Dead 2 the tanks will not continue to pursue a player that is down. Once you are downed he will move to another standing player instead of bashing the downed player until he/she is dead.

Tanks and hordes come about ever 40 seconds, usually the horde sound queue comes first and then the tank. There are lots of ways to coordinate this. I often play with a friend who uses the grenade launcher. He is horde disposal as well as major damage to the tank. Then it is my job to have a smaller weapon to pick off the ones that get through, and also to light up the tank with a molotov or a gas tank. You will get good at throwing and placing gas tanks in survival mode.

I may post tactics for specific maps in the future. You can find a lot of tips at The Left 4 Dead wiki but many of the Left 4 Dead 2 tactics for specific maps have not been filled out yet. I will be working on posting them to the wiki, as well as this blog. Happy gaming.

Alien Swarm!

Alien Swarm is a game that you can get for FREE on steam. So if you don't have steam you might consider getting it to explore how it works (its a pretty great way to purchase and organize your games) and also get this game for free. Developed by some of the best behind some of our favorite games like Left 4 Dead. This is a 3rd person shooter, which is very new to me. I have always played first person shooters. An odd concept to me, but it is actually addictive and fun. You have many 'classes' you can play as, including a 'hacker/techie' who solves simple puzzles to unlock doors and access computers.
I'm not going to review this game quite yet, but I will say I really do like it. It is cute. Yes, cute. As far as shooters go. Not a very scary game, the graphics are actually really good but done in this third person way makes your characters seem like little toy troopers. Really good art for portraits also, I like the music, the sounds of the aliens. There are a lot of elements that are adopted from other games. The medics heal in the same way as in Team Fortress 2. Almost reminds me of Bioshock with less big daddies and more face hugging Half Life Like aliens (and more.)