Patiently Waits for District 10

The Joys of a Blu-Ray Netflix User

Written by vanlandw on January 21, 2010 — 5 Comments

The top six in my DVD queue on Netflix.

Regardless the service is still 100% worth it. According to feedflix.com.

…$203.88/year you spend on Netflix

Your cost: $1.64 per DVD | With IW: $0.58

Yeah it’s a downer that new Blu-Ray releases take forever to get to you but with the increase quality of Instant Watch and being able to catch up on content while I wait for the new stuff it doesn’t bother me that much. Also with so much out there this is infinitely cheaper then cable television and attempting to see everything I want in the theater.

Posted in Movies

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (2007) : Veteran Complete Follow Up

Written by vanlandw on January 14, 2010 — 6 Comments

As noted in my previous post about COD4 I played the game my first time around on the Veteran difficulty setting on the 360. Below is irrefutable proof that I did conquer the game on it’s hardest setting.

On Google Reader I commented to a friend thinking about replaying the game on veteran the following…

…if you cherish your sanity don’t even attempt playing that game on Veteran on the 360. You have to be able to predict the future have uncanny reactionary time and be able to perfectly wield the 360 controller to be able to survive. If I could I would record the choke point I’m on now seriously you have to play perfectly to advance it’s awful.

I might not be the worlds best game player but I have been around the block a few times with hard games. I’ve defeated Ninja Gaiden, God of War 1/2 on it’s hardest difficultly and the list goes on. Not that Half-Life 1 is “hard” but I don’t think I know another person that has beat it due to it’s confusing lack of  direction.

I’ve done it twice.

Hell I grew up in the Contra Era. As a freshman in college I remember me and vanberge sitting for an epic co-op session defeating Contra five times in a row. For ages me and vanbergs would play Contra: Shattered Soldier and that game requires a pure learning process of enemy patterns and deciplne I’ve never seen in another game for two players to progress. Oddly enough that game only made it feel like your own fault for pershing.

Call of Duty 4 is just another beast all together.

This is the only game where I  watched videos online of people beating the levels to find a plausible strategy to beat choke points. The two hardest areas are both timed and I believe will continually throw enemies at you. The game requires you to learn where enemies are placed (sometimes) and also be able to continue quickly.

“You will not survive” is correct.

Watch this video.

This is the final checkpoint of the mission “Heat“. This checkpoint took me FOREVER to beat. The guys can kill you almost instantly and you have to be very quick using the air strikes and forward progression. A few AI exploits and a little luck and I was able to get past this after countless attempts.

Watch this video.

This is a middle checkpoint for the mission “No Fighting in the War Room“. The first flashbang I was able to throw flawlessly. If you don’t do this part fast there will be two guys instead of the first guy to the right. In this level there is at the least two parts where guys are cross firing so it’s almost impossible to get past a section. The next video will display this better. Let me make a picture of this.


As you can see the red dots are bad guys. The green dot is “Soap“. As modern as warfare has become Infinity Ward twice on this level has designed guys to pretty much cross fire upon one another in attempts to kill you. These points the guys are pretty much standing there waiting for you to come around the corner and kill you instantly and friendly firing upon one another.


Ugh

Watch this video.

There is an “epilogue” mission called “Mile High Club“. I tried this mission haphazardly multiple times and was only able to get to the stairs. Watching this video you have to be an amazing shot and have a little bit of luck to complete. There might be a possiblility I’ll keep trying to beat it but really it’s so freaking hard. Your flashbangs have to be perfect and your shot just as much on veteran.

As much as I wanted this post to be the “end all” of Call of Duty 4 really it’s not. I haven’t defeated all the challenges and I’m not an “expert” at the game by any means. This all started as a quest to understand why these games are so popular. I do have more of an understanding and honestly I did find some enjoyment in COD4. Beating this game on Veteran is one of my highest gaming achievements but not even close to what I would say was an”enjoyable” experience…and it’s entirely my own fault. What in the world was I thinking playing this game right off the bat on it’s hardest difficulty (hint ‘G’)? This was the first game I’ve ever done that with.

As a “van” I’m a stubborn SOB. I had to beat this game but really I didn’t “want” to.

Thinking about maybe that is testament to the game?

Posted in Humor, Irate, Video Games

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (2007)

Written by vanlandw on December 17, 2009 — 12 Comments

Playing Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare gives me a feeling that I loath having in real life.

Pressure

The game is so grossly overscripted and pressure the player to act along with how the designers want the game to be played.

I’m pressured to continue moving forward. I’m pressured to not play how I want to.

Sadly I believe many people enjoy this type of gaming.  The feeling the designer wants the player to have is that of fear and the overbearing burden of “Modern Warfare” but as a game it just feels cheap. Your character is constantly pushed towards the “next checkoint”.

Go here do this and do it this way.

On veteran difficulty these feelings are amplified to an un-recommendable state. There are choke points where fleets of enemies will CONTINIOUSLY keep going to hiding spots and be able to kill you practically instantly.  For max enjoyablilty I would highly suggest normal difficulty where it plays more like Halo because using a controler has alot more room for error over a mouse and keyboard. CoD4 on Veteran has NO room for error. None…

There are highspots and even the constrictions of the experience do bring out. Noted here by Mitch Krpata the the sequence helming the AC-130 in Modern Warfare really is indistinguishable from documentary footage of the same gunship. Behind the rifle shooting does feel responsive and quick. With the game engine attempting to hit 60fps, action  is fluid and but sadly at a cost at sub HD graphics at 600p. There are other plusses but in the matter of keeping things short I have to agree with they.misled.us the game is “Average for medium”.

If I had the power to influence…

  • Migrate away from nameless/faceless player avatars that can aim and fire. The scripted deaths would be much more powerful if the player had a larger connection the playable solider and their deaths would hold more weight.
  • Allow the game to properly slowdown. The game does this once (All Ghillied Up mission with Captain MacMillan) well but sadly is a follow the leader sequence and the pace is again frantic. Stress is good and all but that doesn’t feel “Modern” at all it feels like WW2.
  • Rouge sections. Lone Wolf. Lack of supplies. As a character the world is littered with weapons and being able to regen health honestly doesn’t make any sense.
  • I could go on for years

The sequel made sales of $550 milion dollars with five days. People enjoy these types of games. For me Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare  feels like having your hand held though a shit storm.

Posted in Irate, Video Games

gaming vanlandw hits 10,000

Written by vanlandw on November 13, 2009 — Leave a Comment

Well 10,055 to be exact.

My first 360 Achievement gained back in Feb 2009. Actually this achievement if I remember correctly was earned for me by enfuego.  This was when I first setup my 360 when all I owned was Lego Indiana Jones and Kung Foo Panda.

Last night after another epic co-op session with jjafuller I earned this achievement in Borderlands. While traversing the wastelands I should have wrote a post about the game but in google reader I shared and posted enough thoughts on this for anybody that cares. This is maybe the first game that I have played that I highly enjoyed but really wouldn’t safely be able to  recommend to anybody I know who doesn’t already have it. For peak enjoyment it requires friends to play with and not everybody is lucky enough to have two other  people to complete an entire play though with like I did. The thing is anybody reading this will have at least one because if you ask me I would play this game anytime so consider yourself lucky.

Posted in Video Games

IT’S LIKE HAVING ANOTHER SOLDIER ON THE FIELD

Written by vanlandw on November 12, 2009 — 2 Comments

A hit gone wrong. My Death Knight just got demolished by a Huge Axe.

Posted in Humor, Video Games

Halo 4

Written by vanlandw on November 11, 2009 — 2 Comments

Clearly avatar ‘gaming vanlandw and ‘AgelessArtimus” could save the world right? Somebody do better I dare you.

Posted in Humor, Video Games

2009 Fantasy Season In a Nutshell

Written by vanlandw on October 20, 2009 — 5 Comments

There might not have ever been a more “fantasy” bust in the history of the game. Seriously he SINGLE HANDEDLY has caused my 1-5 start. I dare anybody to pick him up. I DARE YOU.

Posted in Humor
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