If RPG’s are your thing then Fallout 3 is definitely a must play for you. Although not the best RPG so far in my opinion it is by far in the top 5. Bethesda (who also developed Oblivion) sure know how to make one good game. If you’re thinking about getting Fallout 3 read on for all the information you need to know before making your decision.
Fallout 3 takes place in the not so distant future (the year 2277), 200 years previously a mass nuclear apocalypse devastated the entire world and throughout your travels of “the wasteland” you’ll find that practically everything is radioactive. How are you alive you ask? Well you start the game in an underground vault and as you may have guessed you leave the vault and start exploring the United States of America.
Much like Oblivion you start by making your character and choosing your statistics such as Strength, Perception and Charisma. You then go onto to choosing skills for your character. Now unlike Oblivion where your skills went up as you used them (your athletics skill went up as you ran around) your skills in Fallout 3 only increase when you add points to that category (and by collecting little bobbleheads – but we’ll get to that later). You then have another sub category in the skills section called perks. Think of these as similar to spells in Oblivion except instead of paying for them in Gold you pay for them in points you receive when you level up. You can only choose one perk per level. These perks can be specially designed to your type of play: Do you like using rifles to kill your enemies? Perhaps you want the Commando Perk; do you go sneaking around and melee your enemy from behind? Maybe the Ninja perk is for you. There are over 50 perks available through your gameplay (and many perks can be used again for increased benefits).
One thing that has a very significant effect on NPC’s interactions with you is Karma. With RPG’s there are 3 main ways to go: Be a “good” character – kill slaves, performing “good” actions etc; Be a neutral character – if you can’t really decide if you want to be good or bad the best advice is to be both! Or you have the alternative of being “Evil” – if you just love to kill everything in sight whether it’s innocent NPC’s or if stealing’s your thing then you’re probably going to end up with bad Karma and as such people are going to behave negatively towards you, you might even get some of the “Very good” NPC’s attacking you for being “Evil”. All 3 ways have their benefits and drawbacks of course and at the end of the day just play how you want to.
If you haven’t guessed by now I should mention that the majority of weapons in the game are guns. You get the occasion melee weapon and it’s true that you may never have to use a gun in the game … although it’s pretty pointless if that’s how you’re going to be playing. The number of weapons available is huge but ammo for most guns (especially the big ones) is very limited so you must always conserve ammo and use it only when necessary. As for the types of guns you can get there are: Big Guns – in here you get flame throwers, missile launchers etc; Energy Weapons – as expected you can get laser pistols and plasma rifles; Melee Weapons – such as Baseball Bats, Combat Knifes and Shock Batons; and finally Small Weapons – which basically consist of everything else such as Assault Rifles, Sniper Rifles etc.
A new addition to the series is the V.A.T.S Mode (Vault-Tec Assisted Targeting System). This brilliant device lets you pause gameplay in the middle of a battle and target specific parts of your enemy. As you can see in the image above the targeting system shows you the probability of hitting a target in the head, leg, arm etc. This handy device can really save you alot of trouble in the more difficult battles and is crucial if you like playing around with a sniper from far away. As expected there are certain perks you can get which increase your V.A.T.S accuracy. You can’t of course use it all the time. You can only use it if you have the required amount of Action Points. These points which refill overtime allow you to use the Advanced Targeting Mode so make sure that when you use it you use it correctly!
The game consists of the main quest and many other miscellaneous side quests. The gameplay is very non-linear, what I mean by that is that it has a very open style. You can go anywhere at any time and do any side quests at any time (within reason of course). You can still of course play the game in a more linear way by doing side quests one at a time and choosing not to explore the place. One of the major disadvantages of this game in my opinion is the huge amount of exploring to do.
Unlike in Oblivion you see where you could fast travel to the major towns straight away in Fallout 3 you can only fast travel to places you’ve visited which means at the beginning you can fast travel to nowhere. Some places require you to walk for hours of game time just to get to them and that isn’t even the worst of it. When you start exploring Washington DC as you’d expect there is a lot of rubble everywhere. This means that if you don’t know how to use the map properly to look for entrance points you going to have a very difficult time finding your destination. There is nothing more annoying in this game to follow your compass towards your destination and find out there is a huge rubble pile blocking your way just metres from where you need to get too. Sometimes you literally have to backtrack your whole way back or circle all of the way round the area until you find an entrance point. It’s a shame that they don’t highlight these “no-entry” points on your map more thoroughly as they can really ruin your gameplay if you find yourself continuously lost.
When asked to compare this game to Oblivion there are many differences and similarities that I can spot. They both follow the same “Sandbox style” rules and both have a main quest followed by many side quests. Fallout 3 tends to have the idea that every item you pick up in the game has a use (where as in Oblivion things like Quills and bones). The main difference though has to be the gear and setting. Oblivion has a medieval like theme with swords while Fallout 3 has a post-apocalyptic theme with guns. Which do you prefer? I much rather like swords than guns which is why I think Oblivion is that little bit better than Fallout 3.
A very important thing I should say without giving too much away is that if you buy the game without the “Broken Steel” add on make sure you’ve done everything before you get to the last stage in the main quest. I won’t say too much but if you finish the main quest without the Broken Steel add on you do not get a chance to do any side quests etc after the main quest has finished. A huge let down for most people and another reason why I think Oblivion is that slightly bit better than Fallout 3. I would game this game a ranking of 9.1/10.
LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4 is the latest instalment in the LEGO video game series, following LEGO Indiana Jones 2. Due to the previous games in the series receiving an arguably poor rating many people were speculating whether this game could hold its own or just be another flop. However they needn’t have worried as this game as received the best ratings in the series since LEGO Star Wars came out almost 5 years ago.
So what makes this game so great compared to the others? Well I think the main thing has to be that it’s so unique. When LEGO Star Wars first came out it was brilliant because the concept of going around a venue blowing things up and collecting studs was new. However as the years progressed the concept gradually became duller until many people found it simply aggravating. Not much had been done to improve this feature in previous games which is why many people including me found games such as LEGO Indiana Jones boring, up to the point where when LEGO Batman came out I couldn’t even face purchasing it. Of course a huge factor is whether you like what the game is based on. I could play LEGO Star Wars for a long time as I like it whereas some people who don’t like Star Wars wouldn’t be able to play it.
The Harry Potter series however is one of the most successful and highly rated series of the decade. But if the game is just about blowing lego up again then surely it couldn’t be very interesting could it? Well actually it could! You see what Traveller’s Tales have done is continue the series from a new angle. Yes you have to blow up lego pieces to be a “True Wizard” but the number of different ways you can choose to blow them up is large.
Lego Studs are unsurprisingly a massive part of the game and return in the usual silver, gold, blue and purple colours. You can collect studs by blowing objects up with your wand by using different spells. This is where things get interesting. There are a huge amount of spells in the game such as Wingardium Leviosa, Expelliarmus, Stupefy and even Avada Kedavra. You see much like how not all objects could be destroyed using the force in LEGO Star Wars (Shiny objects) not all can be in LEGO Harry Potter by using the standard spell. Some must be targeting them and using Wingardium Leviosa while some such as plants can be removed by simply shining Lumos as them! The game may be a lot more technical than previous ones in the series but for this it is a lot more fun.
Making a new addition to the series out Hogwarts Crests: just as Hogwarts School is split into four houses (Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Slytherin) there are four crest pieces to be collected in each level. But unlike Minikits in previous games which you could just find laying around these crests are much harder to find, most crests can only be found in free play mode. Another new feature to the series are the “Students in Peril”. You’ll find a student in “peril” in every level and if you manage to save them you are rewarded with a gold brick.
As with previous games gold bricks are used to unlock rewards and bonus content with a total of 120 possible gold brick to be found throughout the game. Red bricks can also be found throughout the game but are much tougher to get. Not only do you have to find a red brick you then have to post it using the nearest owl post. This can be of a certain benefit however because if you see an owl post on your travels you can take a well educated guess that there is a red brick somewhere to be found.
Unlike the other games in the series this game is not just made up of chapters for you to play in. In fact a large proportion of the game is spent in the Hogwarts grounds themselves. Between chapters you participate in lessons. Although these may seem pointless at first they are infect very significant as in these lessons you learn new spells and magical abilities which without you wouldn’t be able to progress throughout the game. For example remember the scene in the second film with all of the pixies? Perfect time to learn the new spell Immobulus wouldn’t you agree?
Diagon Alley also plays an important role in the game. Think of it as the Cantina in LEGO Star Wars or as the University in LEGO Indiana Jones. It basically contains all of the shops you need to purchase new spells, costumes, characters and even the opportunity to build your own level. You may remember the lego builder from LEGO Indiana Jones 2, its great fun for a while but it’s puzzling why the developers are still including this feature without any option to upload them to a server and to download other players’ creations.
One final thing that should be mentioned is the lego building capacity of the game. No longer do you need to use your hands to build lego bricks where you can instead use magic. That’s not all though. There are a few puzzles where you have to actually move lego bricks around and stack them to be able to reach higher levels. These puzzles are both challenging and fun which makes the game that much more different.
Overall although the amount of spells can be a bit alarming once you get used to it you’ve got a heck of a game in your hands! I would give it a rating of 85%.
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Up next the final Chapter of the first episode featuring the last and only battle against Darth Maul in the game.
The following character types are needed in Chapter 6: Darth Maul:
Force User:
Blaster Character:
Bounty Hunter:
Stormtrooper:
Canister 1
The first canister is in the first area, but first you must get across the bridge which Darth Maul rather annoyingly has broken into pieces. Once you have go over to the left of the area and repair the broken Naboo Starfighter. Once you have jump on top of it and grab the canister quickly before it speeds away. Canister 1 can be found in either story or free play mode.
Canister 2
The next canister is also in the same area as the first, however this time it’s on the right hand side of the bridge you came across at the start. Again it’s on top of a Naboo Starfighter so jump up and grab it. Canister 2 can be found in either story or free play mode.
Canister 3
Before you go through the door to the next exit jump on one of the platforms either side of the door. Then use a force user to lift up the platform and use a stormtrooper to open the door. Once inside use the force on all the lights in the room to get a white canister to appear. Canister 3 can only be found in free play mode with the use of a Stormtrooper.
Red Power Brick
Remain in the same area as you got the last canister and this time step on all of the red buttons on the floor either end of the room within a time limit. If you step on them all in time the red power brick will appear in the middle of the room. The red power brick can only be found in free play mode with the use of a Stormtrooper.
Canister 4
Move into the next area and try to stay at the “ground” level of all the platforms until you come to the end (moving right). Use a bounty hunter to blow up the shiny metal wall using a thermal detonator and then get the canister from behind it. Canister 4 can only be found in free play mode with the use of a Bounty Hunter.
Canister 5
The next canister is in the same area but this time right at the top. So go back to the start and this time keep rising using a blaster character’s ascension gun when needed to get to the top. Use the force on some gears at the top of the level to raise a yellow platform into the air. Then jump onto the platform and then into the air to get the canister. Canister 5 can only be found in free play mode with the use of a Blaster Character.
Canister 6
Move into the next area and go to the left of the cut off platform you are currently on. Use a stormtrooper to activate a moving platform and then jump onto it to get the 6th canister which is the middle of nowhere hovering above nothing. Canister 6 can only be found in free play mode with the use of a Stormtrooper.
Canister 7
Move back to the platform you started on at the beginning of the area and jump across to the central circular platform. You see the four blue beams around you? Go to the one in the top right hand corner and ride it to the top to get the next canister. Canister 7 can be found in either story or free play mode.
Canister 8
Move into the final area and after getting through the laser gates you come to the final faceoff with Darth Maul. Don’t kill him too quickly as you’ve got three canisters to collect! About a quarter of the way through the battle Darth Maul jumps on to a platform. Knock him off and then jump on yourself and double jump to get the 8th canister. Canister 8 can be found in either story or free play mode.
Canister 9
Canister 9 is found when Darth Maul creates a second platform and jumps onto it. Again knock him off and then jump up and get the canister. Canister 9 can be found in either story or free play mode.
Canister 10
Just like the previous two canisters this one is found on the third and final platform Darth Maul creates. Canister 10 can be found in either story or free play mode.
Next up is quite a large level in where you have to retake the palace in Naboo. There are quite a few canisters you can only get in free play mode so you’re going to have play this level at least twice.
The following character types are needed in Chapter 5: Retake Theed Palace:
Force User:
Blaster Character:
Super Jump Character:
Bounty Hunter:
Small Character:
Dark Force User:
Canister 1
The first canister is in the top right hand corner of the first area. Don’t mistake this for the tiny part you start in, by the first area I mean all the way to the far wall where you’ll encounter some droids. The upper walkway where the canister lies can be accessed in two ways: One by using two force users to utilise a force levitating platform by the right wall. The other way is by using a blaster character to using their ascension gun to get up there. Either way the canister is in the far right hand corner. Canister 1 can be found in either story or free play mode.
Canister 2
The next canister is also on the same level as the last. Move to the left until you find a window on the wall behind you. Use a force user or super jump character to get into the window and claim the canister behind it. Canister 2 can be found in either story or free play mode.
Canister 3
Enter the next area through the door on the ground floor and immediately go over to the statue in the left hand corner of the screen. Smash it and stand on the activation panel it was hiding underneath it. This reveals a canister behind the wall. Canister 3 can be found in either story or free play mode.
Canister 4
From where you got the last canister continue heading north and then when you get to a left turning take it. Destroy the two droids on the ledge and use a dark force user to move an object by the ledge so you can jump up onto it. From there use the dark side of the force to open some doors revealing a canister. Canister 4 can only be found in free play mode with the use of a Dark Force User.
Canister 5
The next canister is in the next area. Once you get into the next area go all the way to the back of it until you come across a chute. Use a small character to go up it and then follow the ledge all the way to the right to find the canister. Canister 5 can be found in either story or free play mode.
Canister 6
This canister is also in the same area as the 5th one. Once you’ve gone across the bridge in this level take a slight detour to the left. Keep going all the way long until you reach the 6th character at the end. Canister 6 can be found in either story or free play mode.
Canister 7
This canister is easy to get to and is in the next area. As soon as you get to the next area run along the edge to your right until you see a path. Drop down to the path and you should encounter some shiny metal equipment. Use a bounty hunter to blow it up with a thermal detonator and there you go, another canister. Canister 7 can only be found in free play mode with the use of a Bounty Hunter.
Canister 8
Move into the next area for this one inside the palace. Take a left turn when possible and then go all the way to the right side of the back wall (this was originally the left wall if you don’t turn left). Use a blaster character to reach a high up ledge and then take this new pathway all the way to the left to get the canister. Canister 8 can be found in either story or free play mode.
Red Power Brick
After getting canister 8 jump back down the floor and smash the large table which you are now next too. Result? You get the hidden red power brick. The red power brick can be found in either story or free play mode.
Canister 9
The next canister is in the last area of the level. Go down the corridor and then to the bottom left hand corner of the area if you are walking towards the camera. Use a bounty hunter to destroy the shiny equipment here and then a dark force user move the platform (once you’ve assembled it) above you. Jump to it and then to a ledge to get the canister. Canister 9 can only be found in free play mode with the use of a Bounty Hunter and Dark Force User.
Canister 10
The final character requires you to go to the centre of the room. Go towards where the aircraft are until you get to one of the pillars. Use two force users to lift two adjacent crates up so you can reach the top of the pillar. From there jump up to the walkway above and follow it all the way round to the right to get the final canister. Canister 10 can be found in either story or free play mode.
I’m thinking about the LEGO Harry Potter game coming out in June so I thought I should carry on doing these walkthrough’s for you! Chapter 4 is one of the shortest yet annoying sections because you can’t afford to accidently miss a canister, there’s no reversing!
The following vehicle types are needed in Chapter 4: Mos Espa Podrace:
Tie Fighter:
Red Power Brick
The first thing you can collect in this race is quite a while from the start. Race around a couple of bends until you come to a high drop of the canyon. Ahead of you are 5 abysses in the floor so don’t fall in. The red power brick is in-between the pits on the left hand side of the track. Don’t worry if you don’t grab it the first time round, you can get it on any of the 3 laps. The red power brick can be found in either story or free play mode.
Canister 1
The first canister you can get is found right after you grab the red power brick. Again you can get this canister on any of the 3 laps but you need a tie fighter to be able to reach it. Right after you get the red power brick hang to the right side of the track. There you should encounter a sharp hill which you climb with your tie fighter to reach the canister. Canister 1 can only be found in free play mode with the use of a Tie Fighter.
Canister 2
After receiving canister 1 you will enter a section of the track that runs through a cave. The lego canister is near the left hand side just before you exit the cave. Canister 2 can be found in either story or free play mode.
Canister 3
The third canister is found in the open wasteland after the last canister. Stay on the left hand side of the track as the Tusken Raiders are firing at you to get this canister. Canister 3 can be found in either story or free play mode.
Canister 4
The next canister is found just as you exit the open wasteland as you round the bend. Canister 4 can be found in either story or free play mode.
Canister 5
After exiting the wasteland area stay on the right side of the path to pass under an archway, here the 5th canister is waiting for you. Canister 5 can be found in either story or free play mode.
Canister 6
Just after you went under the archway you should find the next canister just before you come to a hill. Canister 6 can be found in either story or free play mode.
Canister 7
This canister is located on the final stretch of the track. Stick to the right hand side, you should see it just after the second set of green booster pads. Canister 7 can be found in either story or free play mode.
Canister 8
If you remain on the right hand side of the track you should bump into this next canister just before you reach the start/finish line. Canister 8 can be found in either story or free play mode.
Canister 9
This canister is very important because you can only grab it on the second lap, so make sure you get it! Just after you pass the start line before you drop down to where the pits are you should find the canister in the centre of the track. Canister 9 can be found in either story or free play mode.
Canister 10
This canister can only be received on the third and final lap. In a similar position to the last canister except after crossing the start line for the second time you are redirected to a different path hence why you can only get this canister on the final lap. Steer towards the right hand side and you should get it just before you fall down the cliff. Canister 10 can be found in either story or free play mode.
When it comes to Star Wars it’s safe to say I’m quite a fan. So when I first heard about this game a couple of years back I was ecstatic. In my opinion apart from Star Wars: The Force Unleashed there hasn’t been a good proper (LEGO Star Wars excluded) Star Wars game since Star Wars Battlefront II which was brilliant.
If you haven’t yet seen the trailer for Star Wars: The Old Republic you really should. The graphics are absolutely brilliant and the gameplay seems astounding. In the Star Wars Old Republic series I’ve played both of the games predecessors: Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (I & II), if those games were anything to go on I thought that this game would be very very good.
There are two main factions in the game. Any Star Wars fan can guess that they are the Galactic Republic and the Sith Empire. Within these factions are 8 confirmed classes, these are: The Bounty Hunter, Sith Warrior, Imperial Agent and Sith Inquisitor (for the Sith Empire); and the Trooper, Smuggler, Jedi Knight and Jedi Consular (for the Galactic Republic).
There’s only one problem I can find with the game, and unfortunately for me it’s a very big problem. You see its a MMORPG (Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game). You see I find these kinds of game pointless because you have to pay monthly. It’s not the online part that annoys me it’s the money involved. I would much rather pay a one off payment of say £60 then pay £10 a month or something like that.
If you like MMORPG’s like WoW or something similar then I definitely would suggest getting this game when it comes out. However if like me you don’t even though the game is brilliant I would advise against it.
Now I don’t know about any of you but I myself am an avid Star Wars fan. When it comes to Lego series I have mixed feelings however. The Lego Star Wars series itself is absolutely brilliant and I could play it all day … the other ones however such as Batman, Indiana Jones etc I find a little … disappointing. Although some people might say that my love for Star Wars is making me rate the game higher I still feel that Lego and Star Wars combines perfectly.
So you’ll understand how excited I was when I heard that Lego Star Wars III is coming out in Fall 2010. Being a proud owner of all 3 of the last Lego Star Wars games I honestly believed that another one wouldn’t be coming out. They had done all of the movies so what more could possibly happen? Well with the Clone Wars film and brilliant series on the television I suppose it was only a matter of time before they decided to bring a game out.
This game looks like a massive improvement on its predecessor which is great news. The game is to naturally include all of the characters from both seasons of the television series as well as some top ones from the films, I’m sure we can expect characters such as Darth Vader, Darth Maul and Luke Skywalker! The game itself has also been revamped and we can expect some new features such as the Squad Command feature; Lightsaber Slicing; Lightsaber Jumps; Long Distance Jedi Attacks and many more.
Well if your a fan of the LEGO series of games this is definitely a must buy. But the question is what could keep you occupied until October? Well there’s that new LEGO Harry Potter game coming out at the end of May. I know for sure these two games are definitely going to be finding a way onto my PS3.
Bad news for anyone who owns a non-slimline version of the Playstation 3. It seems that everyone around the world has experienced a bug in the system. If own a PS3 which isn’t a slimline DO NOT turn it on. It doesn’t matter whether your online or whether your offline it will still affect you. If you have it on try not to enter any games. I just tried playing Dragon Age and all my trophies have disappeared.
It seems that the bug is caused by a miscalculation for Feburary 2010, probably something to do with that fact that it isn’t a leap year. The PSN is a free service so we can’t complain about problems now and again but if Sony doesn’t get their act together and managed to reclaim corrupted data and lost trophies many people have lost, they’re going to have a lot of angry gamers on their hands.
Assassin’s Creed II was released last year in November on the Playstation 3 and the Xbox 360 Console and is still yet to be released on the PC. So should you buy it? Well if you liked the prequel Assassin’s Creed then you’ll definitely like this. If you thought the last game was a bit … repetitive, which it was, you’ll like this game a whole lot better because this game isn’t the slightest bit repetitive. Each mission is unique which in my opinion is essential for an action adventure game like this.
So what’s new with this game then? Well starting off one of the most annoying things in Assassin’s Creed was that whenever you jumped into some water you drowned. This seemed a bit pathetic for an unstoppable assassin who can kill loads of people and then to die by falling in some water. Well in this game you can swim! The graphics of the game has also been completely revamped so it looks absolutely brilliant.
If you remember in the first game there were two parts to it. You as the assassin and you as Desmond in real life. Unfortunately as Desmond you were practically useless. You couldn’t kick, punch or anything. You just went to bed and woke up, probably the most boring part of the game. However straight from the start you killing people and escaping the evil Templars headquarters.
In my opinion one of the basic necessities for an assassin’s game is the weapons. Now in the previous game you didn’t have a lot of choice. You just got a large sword, a small sword and some other weapons. In this game however there are loads of different types of weapons. For example if we start with the hidden blade you can now have a double hidden blade, a poison blade and even a pistol! If we move onto medium weapons you can start from a measly common sword all the way up to a Condottiero War Hammer. These weapons of course are unlocked once you pay for them so there is a point in looting people for money. You can also change your armour and dye your clothes different colours by going to tailors.
This game really involves loads of different objects. There are not only loads of weapons but also different types of enemies now as well. In the previous game it was there were about 4 different enemies. In this game there are agiles, brutes, seekers and archers amongst others. One thing I found too easy with the previous game is that as soon as you got in a hiding spot you could relax. However the seeker’s job is, as you might have guessed, to seek for you. They often carry an extremely long pike which they will use to prod haystacks and wells which will force you out of the hiding spot. Also if you happen to be on a bench between two citizens the seeker will ask them to stand up fooling your cover again.
Another thing that has been improved is the morale of the enemy. You might remember in the last game where you might occasionally get a straggler who runs away from you. However this seemed to be a random event rather than something you did to scare him (not including of course killing everyone else). In this game certain things you do can increase or decrease enemies morale. For example, if you kill a brute every enemy around you will have a decrease of their morale by -30 points. If you assassinate an enemy with a pistol they will have a decrease of -20 points. However if you get injured they will have an increase of +10 morale, and if you enter critical state it will be +25. If an enemy is going to flee you will first see them freeze
briefly to the spot. They will then drop their weapon and run away from you as fast as they can.
The best of the game though has to be the brilliant storyline laid out before you. There are over 14 sequences for you to explore which have you assassinating important historical figures, to hiring thieves for you, to trying to find hidden glyphs. There really is a lot to keep you entertained for a long time, so if you decide to buy the game you won’t be disappointed.
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