Syndicate (2012) PC Review

When this title came out, it showed me a few things. First the trailers were my introduction to something called "dub-step." This turned out to be not my thing, but a new style of music is a new style of music. Nor was it the worst thing as it also brought up memories of the old game of the same name. I was never great at the game, but I loved it's take on a dystopian corporate run cyberpunk world where your place is as much about the hardware installed under your skin as who signs your paychecks. Suffice it to say, I was curious about this new iteration, but between reviews and price, I decided to wait on it.

A few years down the line the game proved very unpopular, but my curiosity was unsated... so when I found it for $5, I picked it up. Glad it was that cheap, because believe me, it probably wasn't even worth that.

Platforms of the Platform: 3rd edition

Well, it’s that time again. As the new platforms roll out, gamers are choosing what they want to be their main gaming beast for the next several years. Some will pick Xbox One. Other will pick the PS4. Still more might even pick a WiiU. But there is a trend of gamers who are considering walking away from the console mess and starting anew with PC. Each and every one of these gamers making a switch will of course need a little time to adjust, but the PC might prove the most interesting (and confusing) switch. To these gamers, they will be moving from static machines to something flexible, fluid, and full of choices they frankly never had to consider.

Now, as far as hardware goes, these choices have been covered again and again from professional websites to forum members eager to welcome someone to their ranks. But no one seems to consider where to get your games, and what sources to welcome in. Allow us to help with that. In what follows, you can get to every source we talk about by clicking on the picture for it, so if it appeals, have a peak. And welcome. Although I do not believe you should abandon your console field, but add PC to your selections, welcome and enjoy.

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning (PC) Review

I remember the launch night of this game like it was yesterday. It was a midnight run, and we happened to live close by the store where Curt Chilling and R.A. Salvatore would be there to sign new copies. My brothers and I headed out with eager anticipation, and got there to not only find a small line, but that we would be joined by several members of 38 Studios as well!

Then the store opened, and shortly after my brothers got their copies of the game and were in line to get them signed, I picked up my copy of Darkness II, also launching that day. You see, they were all about checking this game out, but I really didn’t see enough to draw me in when Jackie’s new and actually deserving title was coming out the same day. I had drawn my lot, and as you can tell from my review of it, I loved every second.

With some time, this game became the center of some of the saddest drama I have ever witnessed in gaming history, with the studio closing down, deep in debt and the state of Rhode Island auctioning off everything. It was not something anyone wanted to see. And EA quickly dropped the price of the game after, so I somehow doubt it did as well as they wanted on top of all of this. But due to this, someone who has cash on Origin because bioware points for Mass Effect 3 expansions can sometimes pick up something interesting cheap, and so, when this was $5, I picked it up. I finally finished playing it last night, and while it wasn’t bad, it certainly wasn’t good either.

EA Beat Valve to Digital Innovation? Huh….

It has been previously noted in the gaming world that the beta of Steam contained lines of code specifically setup to show if you lent out or borrowed a game from a friend. Stop and reread that if you were unaware, but it appears game sharing is in the works for Steam at some point. However, this (as far as I know) has never fully been setup for beta or active versions of the platform as of yet… but while waiting, it seems EA is moving forward to make digital sales more enticing to buy from them… they now have a full refund return policy in Origin.

Get The Hell Over It, People!

Seriously, after the past few days online, this is the best thing I can say. I can understand the aggravation from people trying to play SimCity. It must suck badly that you want to play your new game, but due to the game being online and everyone else wanting to play at the same, you have to wait in a que or worse, plain can’t get in. This is good reason to be upset. I mean, you bought the game, you should be able to play it.

But what we are seeing online goes well beyond the aggravation of gamers who are rightfully aggravated. What we are seeing is a bunch of children who need to go outside once in their lives. Get the fuck over it people, for god’s sake!

Mass Effect 3: Leviathan (PC) Review

Well, I did it. I finally caved and bought the 2nd expansion to Mass Effect 3. I didn’t expect to do this when I first finished the game. It was awesome, but I just didn’t feel like it needed more. I still don’t, but I wanted more… and the promise of finding out a little bit more about the reapers was something I ultimately couldn’t turn down. So was it worth it? Why don’t you step inside….

Weekly Roundup: 11/15/12

A day late, but certainly not a buck short, things have been exceedingly active over the past week in gaming land. So lets dive right in!

Weekly Round up: 11/7/12

Welcome back for yet another round of gaming news. Of course with the election that just happened, I'm sure most people will think of this as minor as they either elate or despair the results. But that does not mean gaming hasn’t had it’s share of amazing news in the past week. I think it’s about time we talk about it.

Ubisoft… actually… learned?

This morning while scrolling through videogame news, I saw something that nearly made my jaw drop…. according to IGN, Ubisoft has pulled a 180 on their stance of DRM, choosing to back off from their current draconian ways of requiring a constant connection while playing their games. This is indeed big news to anyone who has tried to play their games right after a Steam sale (it never works cause their servers are flooded).

Rather, it seems uPlay has been morphed into a service much like EA’s Origin in which your account is linked to the game for activation, and you go on playing without worrying that a bad connection will kill your game literally in the middle of your final swing before a boss is defeated. As shocked as I was to hear this from the same guy who a few weeks ago was claiming the platform needed such DRM cause games get pirated at a 95% rate, I have to admit, I was pleased to see this was nothing more then a final tantrum before giving their paying customers what they want and have been very vocal about…. DRM that isn’t unreasonable to said paying customers.

If they can build their name back up now in the PC community, I will have to say “good job.” It’s a daunting task, but not impossible. Just ask EA. Good Luck, Ubisoft, and God Speed.

Platforms of a Platform: Redux

While this may be the first time you are seeing this type of article on the Red Sector, it is not the first time I have written about it. That was one of my earlier articles on Front Towards Gamer. However, in under a year, the landscape described there has changed dramatically. For the sake of anyone who plans to enter the PC gaming world in the near future, it’s time to revisit this topic and bring everyone up to speed.