Anyone got it? What are your impressions? I have it, and so far I'm barely able to put it down (note the drop-off of my number of posts since last week :D).
They've improved some aspects, and a couple seem a little bit of a step down since SC2. First off, I'm enjoying the custom character creator a lot more than I thought I would. It's really quite a versatile tool, and you really can create just about anything you can envision (within reason, and somewhat within Soul Calibur's time setting). The arcade mode, relabeled as "Tales of Swords" is a nice diversion, but it's a bit long. It's the same basic fight your way to Soul Edge concept, but this time you've got choices on where in the world to send your character (and thus, who they fight) and a bit of reading to fill you in on the progress of his or her journey. The reading helps alleviate the load times which can be a bit of a pain.
Chronicles of the Sword I kind of ignored at first while still playing the crap out of the main game, but now I'm really into it. It's a fun real-time strategy/fighting genre bender that really works well. You Blizzard fan should dig it. I find it seems, in some ways, much like Warcraft.
Then there's Soul Arena, a fun little bunch of diversions with some interesting mission-based fights. One of them even pits you against the giant statue of Hephestus from Sophitia's stage. Not an easy fight.
All in all, it's a solid sequel. Some of you who are so familiar with SC2 (moi) may have trouble adjusting to your old favorites new (though very similar) movesets. It's definitely worth buying if you have the money, it just has so much to offer.
In a surprising move, this article (which is very obviously being written BY a gamer, admittedly) from CBS actually seems to handle the issue responsibly.
SEEMS to, now let me play devil's advocate here and note one thing. An anecdote is not sufficient evidence. However, at the same time it does bring up a point. If games cause people to become violent, then why aren't all gamers violent? They may say "well, maybe not all gamers are, but in the small few who do turn violent, it's the games that did it".
I might as well argue that when I flip a coin, every time it comes up tails, an invisible dragon did it. The dragon only makes it tails half the time though. It's an unfalsifiable position to take! In a short sentance, it is not scientific. To make it scientific, they need to design a test wherein the majority of those who play games would turn violent more than what random chance would allow. Considering what we can see with violence statistics, which are less that controlled I must admit, I have my doubts such a test would actually conclude that people who play violent games turn violent. Remember, it would have to be double blinded in some fasion... I suspect the best way would be if the party that is playing games and the party that was not were not even aware that there was another group being tested.
At most, from the statistics I've seen, it would have to be video games PLUS some other element. If they do a test showing that the presence of both DOES yield violent behavior more often than chance alone would account for, then it is clear what that means. The parents of the world would then need to check to see if their kids have this extra element and then would have to be prudent and withhold games from their children.
Some movies are MPG, some are WMVs... my computer will play MPGs, but not WMVs. They could out in scrambled text code. Is there a special download I need for this?
I am looking for beta testers to test my new Phantom sound engine I am creating for Anotherworld my new rpg.
Beta Kit includes the following:
Compiled VB Example using the engine
Engine Class Modules with source code
Source code for vb example
Anyone interested should complete the following steps:<O:p</O:p
[indent]1. Create a account at http://anotherworld.tovennet.net<O:p</O:p 2. Email me at etoven@tovennet.net so I can give you developer permissions.<O:p</O:p 3. Download the beta test kit [Here]
[/indent]The phantom sound engine is based on technologies found in the xbox 360, and without boasting is probably the most advanced sound engine ever conceived.
The engine is capable of creating virtual 3d sound with unbelievable realism. Let me know what you think.
The beta test kit is a MSI file. Or Microsoft Installer so you will probably get various and endless security warnings, so you'll just have to take my word for it that it will not harm your system in any way.
The test kit requires a fairly decent machine, directX 7 or higher, and has been tested to run and install without incident on 2000 and XPsp2 machines.
Let me know what you think.....<!-- / message --><!-- sig -->
... and then how about we discuss how the Warcraft chronology can survive all this information... WoW already stretched it thin in places... this patches some things, but sure looks like it hurts others...
Just got back from Walmart where I played the Xbox 360 for the first time.
Kameo: Beautiful game. Only played it for a little while. You can be a boxing plant.
Call of Duty 2: Very beautiful game. Fun but nazi machine gunners kept killing me.
King Kong: Nice graphics. Kept getting owned by T-Rex's.
The system itself is very nice looking. The controller is very comfortable. It really is a better version of the Xbox's Controller-S.
While the graphics are definitely a step up from what we're used to on consoles they didn't really wow me the way a new system's graphics used to. I think it has less to do with diminishing returns and more to do with how good some PC games look.
After playing around with it I definitely want one but I won't be running out an buying it day one.
It seems they are changing up the story a bit by giving the four characters distinct personalities. Also, tweaks to the various jobs (classes) you can choose from. The graphical makeover will apparently be pseudo 3D. Not sure what that means, but I think it may be similar to how in Four Swords Adventures the entire game was rendered on various 3D "sheets" to allow for scaling and rippling and other sorts of effects.
As I had hoped, they actually plan on desiging the game so it can be played entirely with the touch screen. I suppose PC style drag and drop equiping as well as targetting enemies just by pointing to them, yay! Japan catches up!
And it would seem there is some wireless feature. No details on that except it is supposed to be a treat for fans who want to play the game together. The minimum will probably be something like in some of the FF games where, during battles, different players had control of different characters (but out of battle, "player one" is always in control). I'm hoping for something more. Maybe an extra side-story where players control a team of characters journeying through a dungeon together? This is being headed up by a designer from FFXI, so hey it's a possibility.
VE3D posted download links. I see the first one... 'Realms of the Haunting Demo'. I think, 'what the heck? Isn't that game ... (*thinks*) about eight years old? Why a demo now?' *checks link* ... 1997... (math! 2005 - 1997...)
And I've never played it. :D I just remember reading about it in PC Gamer. Which meant sometime between 1996 and 2001... and I picked the right year.
I just thought it was interesting... game release minutiae is hard to forget! :)
