It wasn’t until I saw the review for MAG in a magazine at work during a break that I thought, “Great, no I’m going to have to shell out 400 bucks for a Playstation…”  The game asside, I now own the system (350 for a refurbished 80 gig system at Game Stop…) and here is my review of it.

At first glance I was pretty impressed with the sleek layout.  It seemed simple and reacted well, it was almost refreshing in it’s comparison to the 360′s Dashboard.  This refreshment was gone a few days into the ownership however.  It became clear that my assumption: “You may get PSN for free but you get what you pay for… Live is superior.” – was actually true even if it was bias at the time.  While often clunky, the Dashboard combined with Live is practically the ultimate device.  Not only is the content more plentiful but it is more easily acquired and furthermore, despite the fact that the PSN layout is more simple – that simplicity makes it all the more difficult to use by comparison.  I may have to hit a few extra buttons, but when I get to my destination I have much more of a reward as far as the content I seek as well as what exactly I can do with said content.

That said, the PS3 was worth the money.  The game line-up is nowhere near what the 360 offers, but the exclusives are formidable.  My first games were SOCOM: Confrontation, Resistence 2 and Warhawk.  I had decided to pick up some games I couldn’t play on PC nor X360…  Resistence 2 was decent, but I think the reviews PS3′ers had given both the games of the series were a bit blind.  If you have played a lot of the PC games or even some of the 360 exclusives, Resistence 2 will seem pretty bland.  Gears of War and Halo 3 are both better games if by a slim margin.  Warhawk was a disaster and I haven’t played it since that first session – I probably should reserve judgement until I try it again, eh?  SOCOM was the gem among those 3 games.  I wanted to get a taste for what may be available in MAG.  While I understand that they will probably be totally different in most aspects, there has to be at least a taste of one another in each given the fact that they are made by the same developer.  It reminded me a lot of first playing Counter-Strike back in the day.  Sucking horribly for over a week then finally clicking and getting kills and feeling utterly rewarded for my time spent.  However, it was inferior by a few things and eventually I grew tired of it.  The clan system was extremely unique, but the pointless and irrational ranking system was one of the driving factors in why I essentially played less and less.

The power of the PS3 is undeniable – just compare the specs.  But I have still found that the graphical improvements over the 360 line-ups are marginal if existent at all.  This however, has been reported since they launched with various comparison tests and screen shots to prove it.  You could also tell this was an obvious outcome before their launches if you had done enough computer upgrades for yourself…

All in all I am glad I got the game simply because, while I won’t be buying a PS3 game that I can get on 360 (NHL10) I will surely be happy each and every time a PS3-only game drops.  Next on my list?  Other than MAG, I am fairly interested in a used copy of MGS4.  Any suggestions, readers?

Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 (8/10)

The second installment of yet another Tom Clancy title.  While games like Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter got away from the silent killer roots slightly, the existence of the Rainbow Six franchise keeps such things prominent in the Tom Clancy universe.  Granted if you want espionage you’re safer bet is still going to be the Splinter Cell series, this game doesn’t stray far from the Rainbow Six roots, though far enough to realize this isn’t the same game that we played so long ago.

However, it is almost identical to the first offering of the Vegas sub-franchise.  Graphical and AI improvements as well as some tweaks of the already implimented systems from the first Vegas is basically what you will stumble into.  But, is that a bad thing?  Certainly not, at least not in my mind.

You’re still fighting the good fight in a surge of terrorism that for some reason has suddenly started to target the city of sin, Las Vegas.  Sneaking suspicion (and a touch of common sense) tells me they selected this location simply because it looks amazing otherwise there really isn’t any real significance.

You will find that while the gameplay is much the same, the improvements to several systems really makes it feel different despite the lack of real changes.  You still get the same rush as you plan out your attack through a Snake Cam prior to the entry.  You still get chills when you make a nice kill through a door with the breaching C4.  The story is typical, but not horrible which is to be expected as the Tom Clancy games are always cliche but also generally well-written.

What makes this game an 8 however, is the online play.  You will be infuriated, you will have to mute your mic so people don’t hear your constant rants, you will be tempted to throw your unteathered wireless controller across your basement.  But, you will love every second of it.  Unlike the last game I reviewed (Gears of War) for the BLTN section, you will find that ever tactical advantage given to you as a gamer is used.  The cover system, even the snake cam will be used to murder you more effectively – so you will return the favor.   There’s something terribly satisfying about killing the other team in bundles by a well placed C4 on a door you suspect they will be coming through soon.  It’s sexually satisfying.

Terrorist Hunt is back and is a vital part of the online endeavor as you will earn experience points towards rank up’s  and ACES which earn you gear/camo/weapon unlocks as you progress.  All of which can be cross-used between gametypes, whether it’s Versus or Terrorist Hunt.  It’s one of the modes that started the recent online CO-OP surges that come with the release of games like Left 4 Dead.

Speaking of CO-OP – it’s here.  And you will be rewarded for playing with a friend with an increased fun-factor.  While you won’t be able to depend on the crack shot aim of your fellow computer compatriots, tactically you will find yourself being more inventive and in turn more rewarded by the gaming experience when you play with a friend (not to mention Achievement unlocks for playing as Knight).  We can give Gears of War credit for offering a good CO-OP experience to show other developers how putting time into this mode is rewarding for both their sales (I bought 2 copies so a friend could play with me) as well as for the gamers who are paying them.

All-in-all the bulk of your R6V2 gaming will take place online and if you are tired of the “3 clips to kill” method of most console shooters such as Halo 3/GOW that allow a lot of damage to be done before death as well as regenerating health, then Rainbow Six will revitalize your faith in the online console scene now that GRAW2′s community has died down considerably.

Gears of War (7/10)

You’re big, you’re brutish, you’re an elite soldier, you sound like Jesse Ventura.  What more can you ask for when you’re a beautifully rendered piece of cliche?  A back story might help.

Yes, I am going to start this review off with probably one of the only complaints I had for this game.  The story or the lack there of became more and more prominent in my mind as the game progressed.  It became ever prominent when your father’s house comes into play and there is apparently a secret laboratory in it’s basement.  Not only does it not tell you why there is a lab in the basement but it doesn’t go into the fact that it was your father’s other than a statement that tells the player as much.  It doesn’t tell you why the earth is over ran by mutants, it doesn’t tell you when it even started.  It hints at a trial for the reason as to why Fenix is in prison at the start but never goes into any sort of detail.  You simply are there to kill, which is where the gameplay salvages much of the disappointment.

The gameplay shines the most during CO-OP sessions though you will be more than statisfied with the play on a solo play-through as well.  The cover system lends itself well to the gritty environments and places a nice tactical feel to the combat.  The sections of the game where you are pitted against not only the enemies but the world itself are especially delicious, such as a particularly fun part where you have to avoid the dark save a Locust attack that rips you apart.  The use of propane tanks to combust and make a light source to travel through was particularly nice though slightly less delectable when you think about why the propane tanks are so helpfully placed in strategic locations.

Despite the lack of background for any of the characters save a few vague references, nothing to go along with the amazingly rendered atmospheres the game does it’s job as becoming a flagship franchise for what was at the time a new X360 system.  If you can ignore this as well as a unfortunate short-ness to the game then I think you will find yourself immersed in an 7/10 rated game by your’s truly.  The reason it didn’t get an 8 or possibly 9 is because of a lackluster online multiplayer experience.  The gameplay is shallow and boring.  There is absolutely nothing special about it and the tactics that made the singleplayer fun are all but lost in the multiplayer as it is replaced by quick kill tactics such as chainsaw camping, shotgun blasts and races to the nearest sniper rifle once you spawn.  The graphical integrity holds up and the level design is pretty nice, but the gameplay itself fails so hard that your butt will hurt if you decide to play for more than 30 minutes.

I am Echelon, somtimes referred to as The Echelon.  You might know me as ECHELON36 if I’ve killed you on XBOX Live or if yo u’ve made it through my previous eras you may remember me as Circa, CancerNinja or even Faenath if you played an MMORPG long enough.  But this isn’t about those days, this is about THESE days.

“These days, what exactly do they entail?” You ask or at least you should have if you knew what was good for you.

I’m not just a gamer, but a writer as well and as nature would have it I am currently working on combining the two in the form of a script.  A nerd love story.  Influences range from real-life happenings to artistic influences such as The Guild (I adore me some Felicia Day) as well as modern comedic geniuses such as Will Farrel and the rest of the Judd Appatow lead Frat Pack as well as some now slightly dated sources such as Kevin Smith and Quinten Tarantino – the aged masters of dialog.  But that’s not really what this blog is about either.

This blog is about the state of gaming, the part I play as a gamer and of course my endeavors in the world OF gaming.  Let’s start by introducing myself through my history and hopefully that will build a pallet that will let you understand how I got to THIS point.

I have competed in CAL in games such as Counter-Strike, Counter-Strike Source and even made championships a few times for Day of Defeat: Source.  For most of my gaming life I’ve been a part of one community called Green Delta Ninja Knight to which I helped found with a few other devout gamers.  While it has dwindled from a powerhouse gaming clan to a community forum, I still am proud of where we came from and what part I’ve played in its lifespan.

In between clan matches and practice I generally found time to delve into the addictive world of MMORPG’s where I played nearly ever title at least once for a trial period.  This lead to my later addiction to World of Warcraft which I have dubbed as the worst parts of my gaming life.

Now I find myself in a brief retirement from the MMO genre (hopefully until the Old Republic Online game launches) instead I am concentrating my gaming efforts on the console games for the time being, finally putting my trusty 360 to good use again. 

The PC gaming community isn’t what it used to be and the Console Gaming community is on the rise as online gaming through said consoles is finally mainstream.  Something that the last generation introduced (if you ignore Dreamcast’s rearly prevailances) and this generation mainstreamed.  The community is more goal/team work oriented as a general rule and while you can find an increased number of children playing the game as well as miscreants who couldn’t afford a PC (yeah, I said it) but could shell out a few hundred for a 360 or PS3 it is still a decent experience given you find a nice game to enjoy.

And so that’s where we find ourselves or at least where I do.