Finally Finished Portal

I borrowed the orange box from a friend to play Episode One, Episode Two and Portal. I actually had Portal for the PC (via Steam) but never got past the first few chambers. The best thing portal had to offer, better even than the innovative gameplay, was the humor.

Now that I’ve finished Ep1&2 and Portal I’m thinking about replaying HL2. The game levels are awesome and even though it’s a 4 year old game (and I’ve played it on the PC) the graphics still impress me.

For HL2, Episodes 1 and 2… well I don’t know… they were fun, the plot was ok, the gameplay was cool and sufficiently varied… yet there’s something missing… maybe it’s feeling or immersion maybe it’s something else. They’re not a Halo 3…

Portal End Song:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6ljFaKRTrI]

Lyrics to the end song (my emphasis)

This was a triumph.
I’m making a note here: HUGE SUCCESS.
It’s hard to overstate my satisfaction.
Aperture Science
We do what we must
because we can.
For the good of all of us.
Except the ones who are dead.
But there’s no sense crying over every mistake.
You just keep on trying till you run out of cake.
And the Science gets done.
And you make a neat gun.
For the people who are still alive.
I’m not even angry.
I’m being so sincere right now.
Even though you broke my heart.
And killed me.
And tore me to pieces.
And threw every piece into a fire.
As they burned it hurt because I was so happy for you!
Now these points of data make a beautiful line.
And we’re out of beta.
We’re releasing on time.
So I’m GLaD. I got burned.
Think of all the things we learned
for the people who are still alive.
Go ahead and leave me.
I think I prefer to stay inside.
Maybe you’ll find someone else to help you.
Maybe Black Mesa
THAT WAS A JOKE.
HAHA. FAT CHANCE.
Anyway, this cake is great.
It’s so delicious and moist.
Look at me still talking
when there’s Science to do.
When I look out there, it makes me GLaD I’m not you.
I’ve experiments to run.
There is research to be done.
On the people who are still alive.
And believe me I am still alive.
I’m doing Science and I’m still alive.
I feel FANTASTIC and I’m still alive.
While you’re dying I’ll be still alive.
And when you’re dead I will be still alive.
STILL ALIVE

Braid

Braid (blog) is one of the most interestingly different games I’ve played in a long while. It’s a plataform/puzzle game (mostly puzzle) with the particularity that the puzzles are solved by manipulating time.

It is available on the Xbox 360 via Xbox Live Arcade and costs 1200 MS points (15 eur) which is a lot for an arcade game but it’s worth it. The game plays differently, looks different and sounds different. It’s fun and some of the puzzles are indeed challenging.

Watch a video review.

Listen to the game music (from magnatune which I’ve mentioned before).

Download Braid icons and wallpapers.

Warning: Internet Forums Ahead

Sort of the Greater Internet Fuckwad Theory applied to internet forums by CAD:

Game Of The Year 2007

For me, the game of year is without doubt:

Halo 3 (IGN Review)- the only truly epic game, complete with the best soundtrack I’ve heard so far in a video game.

Note that I wasn’t a Halo series fan. I thought Halo 1 was a mediocre game, Halo 2 was just “good”, mostly because of the energy sword being so much fun. But after playing Halo 3, I’m now a fan of the series. I even bought Halo 1 for Xbox (I had originally played it on the PC), would’ve bought Halo 2 too if it wasn’t way too expensive for an Xbox game even though a friend of mine has it and I could borrow it anytime, and will probably read at least Halo: The Fall of Reach [wikipedia].

Last time I played (sadly, more than a week ago) I got the Hayabusa armor. I’m definitively going for the Katana that requires 1000 GS (unlocking all achievements). Already setting a team to play through the campaign in legendary with me. Legendary is too hard for a casual gamer like me to play in single player.

Runner Up: there’s just nothing that comes even close to Halo 3! Sorry Bioshock.

How Not To Organize a Book

rant = “”"

Part 1: Algorithms

Part 2: Methodologies

Part 3: Applications

So for the first two parts I’m supposed to learn about something I dont know what it’s for?

“”"

A List of Open Source Games

A List of Open Source Games (wikipedia)

Many of these games are lightweight multiplayer and multi-platform (Linux, Mac, Windows)

Personal Picks:
Assault Cube
Armagetron
BZflag
FreeCiv

Must try:
OpenArena
Nexuiz

Halo 3 Review

Based on my experience with Halo 1 and Halo 2, I think the escapist’s review of Halo 3 is probably the most accurate one out there plus it’s probably the funniest.

John Gabriel’s Greater Internet Fuckwad Theory

In case you’re not familiar with it (and also because I wanted to leave the link on this blog so I can easily find it):

John Gabriel’s Greater Internet Fuckwad Theory (Penny Arcade)

They Thought They Were Free

How and why “decent men” became Nazis. Written by an American journalist of German\Jewish descent. Mr. Mayer provides a fascinating window into the lives, thoughts and emotions of a people caught up in the rush of the Nazi movement. It is a book that should make people pause and think — not only about the Germans, but also about themselves.

But Then It Was Too Late

(via Daniel Miessler)

Max Payne 2

I played through Max Payne 2 (Gamespot Review, IGN Review) this weekend – yes I finished it in 3 days (from Friday night to Sunday night early Monday). It’s the best game I’ve played since FEAR. I have no idea why the hell I didn’t play it before since the game has been out for more than 3 years – especially since I liked the original Max Payne.

Jade Empire

Last week I was looking for a game to play (cuz STALKER ain’t an option – it’s one of the worst games I’ve ever played, second only to a playstation game that featured a little ninja dude in “2D rainbow world” jumping at gold coins which could be described as old school Sonic meets Ninja in happy crayon land).

I was given Jade Empire (IGN Review) and told it’s “KOTOR in Ancient China” or something like that. I already knew the game from when it first came out as an xbox exclusive but I wasn’t sure what to expect.

I really liked it. I finished the game in under one week – mostly by cutting into my sleep time and playing it a few times till 3-4 AM. Hehehe. Anyway, I liked the story/plot, even if nowhere as good as KOTOR‘s. The game is an RPG but it’s my kind of RPG – items aren’t anoying (i.g. no boring inventory or weight system), talking to people is only a small, mostly optional part of the game, combat is fun and the style system keeps it from getting boring. The game achieves a decent level of “immersion” (that hard to quantify/define quality that I find so essential in a videogame).

I recommend Jade Empire (if you like the genre – kotor-like rpg) and give it a score of 7/10 (maybe even 8/10 – it has some kickass evil stuff like being able to kill all the anmoying NPCs in my that “help me” throughout the game and I really liked Death’s Hand, he’s one badass mothaf… a Kung Fu Darth Vader).

STALKER: First (and probably last) Impressions

S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl turned out to be nothing more than “Oblivion in Chernobyl”. Yet another boring Action/RPG or whatever you want to call it. Combat is just lame. So far the story is at least poorly told (Doom3 style PDA except worse) and you waste time just going from one place to the other. On top of that, graphics are slightly dated.

Off course that’s my opinion… I heard there were people that actually like crap like Oblivion, maybe they’ll like this game too…

I prefer a “tightly controlled and scripted ride” with more action than walking around and talking to NPCs (and by talking I mean reading) and not having to constantly re-arrange the inventory. Seriously, why would I want to pick up 20 weapons exactly alike? Oh that’s right, because they wear out and I might want to sell them. What’s up with trading? How is that fun?

The computer whisperer

Yet another great BOFH episode:

“Why’s it gone dark?”

“You need the power off when you install some things.”

“What things?”

“Hatchets mainly…”

The Pretty Pictures

Look at the pretty pictures in THG’s “New 3D Graphics Card Features in 2006“.

Cheating in Counter-Strike

Wikipedia has a very interesting article about cheating in Counter-Strike. It includes history, explains the different types of cheats and describes anti-cheating software.