VideoGamer.com Plays February 5, 2012
The games we've been playing this week.
Tom Orry, Editor - Hungry Giraffe, PS Mini
I started a three-month PlayStation Plus membership this week to see what it offered and one of the freebies was Hungry Giraffe, a PS Mini that also works on PS3 complete with higher quality artwork. Essentially it's one of those endless running games, except you're moving upwards instead of across the screen, you're not running but are instead a giraffe's head on the end of what I assume is an elasticised neck, and you must eat items in order to continue to propel yourself upwards. As is the way with these score-based titles, one go quickly turns into numerous attempts and before too long you've been playing for 30 minutes without even blinking.
Neon Kelly, Deputy and Features Editor – Catherine, PS3, Xbox 360
When Catherine is being annoying, it's almost unbearable. The block-shifting sequences are already blessed with Rottweiler-like levels of meanness, and then one of the early bosses uses an attack that reverses your controls. This pissed me off to the point that I punched the sofa; the last game to rile me this much was Dark Souls, and even then it took about 40 hours of play before it sparked that level of anger (stupid Crystal Cave with its stupid invisible walkways).
I like a challenge – even an unfair one, if the rest of the game motivates me – but every so often Catherine oversteps my invisible line in the sand. Despite that, there's no way I'm not going back for more. It's a brilliantly unusual game, packed with vivid and remarkable imagery, and it's approach to character-driven storytelling is laudably mature. I've heard a few people – Martin included – complaining about the latter stages of the plot, but there's no way I won't play this through to experience the ending for myself. Hell, as hard as it is, I'll be damned if I'll drop the difficulty down a notch. Control quirks aside, the core puzzling is pretty smart too... when it's not making me Hulk out, that is.
Martin Gaston, Reviews Editor - The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Xbox 360
So the Dark Brotherhood are essentially a bunch of jerks who roam about killing people and then laughing about it, but it's all quite comedic because their base of operations isn't really that sinister and you get the impression they're all a bit of a murderous joke. They keep saying I've got loads of potential and that I'm basically the New Hotness, but I'm not sure what they see in me because I spend most of my time exploring caves and looking at things instead of actually completing assassinations.
Anyway, my latest Dark Brotherhood contract has sent me to a little cave called Volunruud to find out something about something I've already forgotten about. Volunruud has a secret door - a secret door! I couldn't help but investigate. What's behind it? Some bastard hard boss who is a complete and utter pain in the balls, and who keeps smashing my brains out of my ears every time I go in his stupid throne room. I'm going to have to swallow my pride and make a tactical retreat - I'll come back when I'm level 30 and we'll see who is murdering who then, WON'T WE KVENEL.
Emily Gera, MMO Editor – Star Wars: The Old Republic, PC
Yeah still levelling, don't get too excited. Glucas' companion Vette is now filled with nothing but disdain for him after I went too dark side to be able to continuously chat her up. So there goes that romance plotline. So far I've been bumbling about a jungle in Dromund Kaas for a few levels, while infiltrating the Revan cult that's been meandering around town. Apparently bald-face lies are Glucas' forte and he's already rocketed through the ranks and met the cult's secret leader. Beats having to repeatedly kill 10 kobolds.





User Comments
David_C
I am however, eagerly awaiting the Skyrim patch...I am missing that game muchly :(
87Sarah
draytone
I also downloaded the NFL Madden 2012 demo, fooling myself into thinking that I'll be able to understand the crazy ass rules to NFL in time for the Super bowl last night. I managed a touch down but don't really have a clue as to how it happened.
dav2612
@clockpunk: a wingstick to the head is a lovely moment. Provided it is the head of someone else.
Wido@ BC_Animus
If you are offline type of player then there isn't much to do other than go through all the quick battles earning the titles, 240 of them to be unlocked. The story mode was beyond beggar's belief on how cheesy and pathetic it was. That's my main gripe with the game and the unforgiving range of Nightmare, Siegfried and a few other characters.
Clockpunk
Picked up the MGS: HD Collection on Friday, but only had a chance to start MGS2, before company arrived for a weekend visit. Looking to get on with that this week, so that the main attraction (MGS3) may be pursued.
Funnily enough, I also returned (briefly) to Test Drive Unlimited 2 - solely because i felt like a little racing, and that is still one of my top games of 2011. Also renewed my interest in attaining the final three achievements I need to fully complete the game...
andyb2610
BC_Animus
The rest of my time I've been back in Final Fantasy XIV. Still enjoying my return to that game thus far. Been busy doing my quests towards earning my own personal chocobo, though I have just hit a wall where the game requires me to find a party of adventurers - which, sadly can be kinda hard to find in this game unless you are in a clan filled with friends. Rage quitting soon perhaps? Hmmm, only time will tell.
MJTH
FantasyMeister
SW:TOR is starting to lose its original lustre as the number of bugs that affect my Codex entries get discovered, the number of nodes I can't harvest increases, and the length of time I'm sitting in queues waiting for a Warzone to start exceeds anything remotely reasonable.
I'm still discovering lots of wonderful little quests though, like this morning I spent several hours just doing stuff I'd missed out earlier on Balmorra and ended up seizing an arms factory and exposing the Republic who were secretly supplying resistance forces there, which of course puts the fragile 'peace treaty' at risk. Very Skyrim-esque, just needs more of it.
Some people complain that the planets are too small, I guess they're not taking into account some of the planet-sized instances that are dotted around on each one, just need to pick up the right quest to access them.
And my poker skill increased, managed to knock 6 players out of a tournament at the same time with a lowly 2 pairs.
Wido