Welcome to the main meat of HNTDAAB, the articles. Feel free to dig into them or use the categories to the right to navigate. Also look at the links in this post as a sort of starting point.

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Most of our major articles (not midweek madnesses or podcasts) are grouped into Issues based around the time of year. Use these as a starting guide

Issue 1 – PEB (Post Exam Blogging): June/July 09

Issue 2 – Summer of Blog: August 09

Issue 3 – Autumn Blogging: September/October/November/December 09

Issue 4 – The Winter of Our Discontent Blogging: January/February/March 2010

I’m as middle class and British as possible, yet I’ve just spent an afternoon doing nothing more than running around the streets of an American city killing innocents. Yet even in that simple act I’ve been gaining points – points for killing gang members, points for throwing people (!), points for driving along on two wheels. This game rewards you for doing nothing. Ask me which game it is a few years ago and I’d say GTA: San Andreas. However, ask it to me today and I’d instead say THQ’s latest attempt to jump in on the free roaming world with Saints Row 2.

Saints Row 1 was an unoriginal rip off of Grand Theft Auto sold only to cash in on the wait for GTA 4. However, when GTA 4 was released and proved to be a very different game to it predecessors, players looking for the stupid game that San Andreas had popularised soon bought Saints Row. The sequel starts out with the same tone of complete mentalness. At the start of the second game, your player character, the head of the 3rd Street Saints, has been in a coma (and prison) for 5 years since the boat explosion at the end of the first Saint’s Row. After escaping, its up to you and various other ex-members of the Saints to reform the gang.

Saints Row 2 uses the same open world system we are used to after generations of games, with a main plotline as well as literally thousands of distractions. From collecting prostitutes to dousing buildings in crap to committing insurance fraud there are plentiful reasons not to even go anywhere near the main storyline. These games are all ridiculous but they all provide cash and rep which are required to gain more missions in order to proceed in order to gain more rep and so on and so forth. The system is a little contrived and it can be annoying when you own half the city to have to be running around doing odd jobs for rep. However, since most of the missions can be just hilarious you kind of stop thinking about how you’ve done the same thing 100 times. To provide the sheer number of opportunities, the city of Stillwater is nothing like the impressively detailed Liberty City, but it’s functional enough to make it an interesting battleground filled with opportunities.

The rest of the basic gameplay is the usual with other GTA style games. One major difference is the wanted level system – its a bar that is filled up when you commit crimes. Every time its filled up, it adds a star until it reaches a max of 5 as you’d expect. However at the same time, annoying the local gangs also has a bar off its own, so you can end up with both cops and all three gangs gunning for you which can prove interesting. Another thing the games does well is the customisation. Everything from your gangs colours to your own pad can be tweaked to your own wishes. On top of that the character creator allows you to create some ridiculous characters with several comedy voices. Also many of the options for each gender are unlocked for each so if you want to be thin Asian girl with a male cockney voice, knock yourself. It also proves that Volition are in fact crazy. Similarly, in what over game can you listen to “Everybody Wants To Rule The World” while throwing pimps into the sea. Or use a massive foam hand to slap people round the face.

Just one warning – if you think GTA 4 is quite morally horrible, then Saint’s Row 2 takes your morals, rips them up and laughs at your pathetic attempt to be without shame while you kill and main innocent people for points. Its a game that you don’t want your mother or the Daily Mail stumbling in on you playing.

Unfortunately, just like GTA 4, Saint’s Row 2 has a major case of the gremlins on the PC. Its very resource heavy and for the amount it uses, produces not very good graphics. On top of that, my copy crashed quite frequently during reviewing and the auto save is so intermittent that it makes GTA 4’s look spectacular. On top of that the character graphics are down right horrible, with the game in serious need of anti-aliasing. However, play enough of it to the point where explosions cloud the screen and it doesn’t really matter. The driving physics are also way off, making moving around the city almost unbearable. In fact all the physics in the game are mental, but if this was a design choice we will never know.

Its hard to write a review of a Saint’s Row game without referencing GTA because for all intents and purposes it is a straight clone. However, Saint’s Row 2 does just enough to make it a valid alternative to GTA 4. At first, it can feel crap compared to Rockstar’s epic of a game, but if you want something closer to the older games (and isn’t filled with fucking Cousin Roman asking about motherfucking bowling) then look no further than Saint’s Row 2. Hell, Tom Francis of PC Gamer and Ben “Yahtzee” Crosshaw both endorse it so it must be good. Just don’t think about anything your doing or you might be becoming catholic just to wash off the guilt.

Part 4: Server Browser vs. Matchmaking (Worst Pictures in a Post Ever)

After developers have worked out how to run their multiplayer (see last week), they then have to choose how to actually let players get online. Normally, it comes down to one of two ways – Server Browser or Matchmaking.

Server browsing is the most traditional. Your presented with a big list of different available servers along with information on them, from map, game type or player down to the very basics. This system is most commonly used on the PC, as it allows the greatest accuracy in choosing your server to the exact settings. This is also in part to do with the fact the PC has a vital thing that no other console has – a keyboard and mouse. Most of the time server browsers come attached to services such as Gamespy, Steam or (being my main example in all these things) Relic Online which are of varying levels of quality.

Relic has done well with the combination system of Relic Online

The introduction of the console multiplayer brought the need for a much better and quicker system for players without keyboard or mouse. Microsoft released it first into the mainstream with Xbox Live and its built in TruSkill system to allow players to simply press a button and be matched up with a bunch of other players at the same skill level. The other manufacturers started to produce their own setups before Steam then created their own matchmaking system for use with Left 4 Dead.

Many games actually have a combination of the two systems. Battlefield 2 has a “Play Now” button that allows players to get into a game quickly by putting them in a server of similar level players. Relic Online has an automatch service along side its server browser, to allow Relic to include a ranking system. The combination of the two systems is a pretty good, as it allows both quick and easy games for beginners, as well as a more selective way of choosing new games for those users who know exactly what they are looking for.

Call of Duty players are quite vocal (and angry)

The great punching bag of Modern Warfare 2 once again annoyed several million people when they announced that the multiplayer will be based around a matchmaking system instead of the previous systems. Most console players didn’t really care about this as the system had worked pretty well on every other console shooter, but PC gamers were up in arms after being used being able to select their own servers. This was another reason for the boycott that probably lost the game some sales among the competitive gamers on PC who demand the use of a server browser.

Put simply, all multiplayer games need a combination of matchmaking for quick pickup games and a server browser to allow competitive players to choose the correct one for a competition or to allow players to find a server that gives them the best possible performance.

Next Week: Why in order to take make gaming a proper medium, we have to be more inclusive? (Or why the imagine series isn’t actually that bad)

So this is a game idea I’ve been banding around in my head and I’m starting to work out how to do it using the Source engine or Unreal 3. But I’m writing it hear for people to comment. And yes it is quite detailed and long.

Basically, London is a first person survival game set in (surprisingly) London and focused on realism. Its a shooter where only very rarely will you use firearms If I was making it now, I’d split it into 5 episodes where the choices of each game carry onto the next. You play as Alex and the basic plot is that you are crossing London on Christmas Eve to meet with their significant other, when a coup takes place and military forces start to hit the streets. You then have to get to your destination by traversing streets, tube tunnels and back alleys of London. I haven’t thought of the exact area (not actually living in London being a serious issue) but I’d like to keep the obvious tourism areas (such as Tower Bridge or the House of Commons) to a minimum.

Notice how I described the character with a specific gender. This is because the start of the game has you filling in a survey. You pick your race and gender (which changes the model of your body when you see it) and your orientation which changes your partner’s gender. The aim of this is to make the character seem more likely yourself. This also happens because your character never speaks vocally or is given an objective. Instead when you meet a character, the words you use appear in the bottom of the screen and when an objective appear, the objects are simply highlighted in the environment. For example, an early choice is if you should take the bus or the tube to get across town. When you leave your flat and come down the stairs, the sign to the tube station and to a nearby bus station are highlighted in neutral colours to show them as two options of the same worth. In later episodes, puzzles are shown in this way, by highlighting the aim, and then periodically adding more and more information until the puzzle is almost revealed.

Back in the first episode, after filling in the form, you then have a few minutes to spend in your flat. The idea for this was to be designed in a similar way to The Darkness where you could sit down and watch the entirety of a film. In London, it wouldn’t be an entire show but would instead be news programs to foreshadow the event that happens part way through. It would also introduce you to your phone (which is a HTC Hero obviously) which acts as a map (Google Maps) and allows you to add some more information to the environment. If there was a way, then their might be optional jobs that revolve around taking pictures or getting recorded snaps of dialogue from survivors to send to journalists.

Another major thing with the story is the fact that Alex isn’t a combat soldier – it isn’t a game where the main character is an ex-marine badass that eats kittens for breakfast. Alex is simply someone who has just got out of uni and is using a gun to defend himself. Guns are loud and when you fire them (or are involved in gun battles) you risk your hearing unless you find ear plugs (or in ear headphones). My aim would be that if you mess up in the first episode, you might end up ruining your hearing through the entire game. Additionally when you fire you focus your view towards the centre of the screen, slightly blurring the edge of your vision. Finally as you use a weapon, you start to improve how quickly you reload. At the start, Alex will fumble around with the magazine and frequently jam it. However, if you use the weapon for a long time you’ll eventually reload smoother and have a lower chance of jamming. The other part of combat is what happens if you get hit – there are no medkits. Instead you’ll need to find aspirin and other medical supplies lying around (for example in most public buildings there might will be first aid supplies to heal with. The system will be similar to Far Cry 2, complete with the horrible, gut wrenching animations of removing bullets and putting out fires. However in London, your more likely to have to deal with broken glass or a blunt trauma injury from falling masonry.

The aim of the game isn’t to show one side as evil and the other as good. Simply, your character is in the middle of a conflict you have nothing to do with. The early game will have armed response teams of police dealing with the coup’s soldiers as you sneak by. Later in the series, the US military will move into the city. However in a similar way to the latest Army of Two, London gets messed up. Not to the same level, but buildings will collapse, fires will start and injuries will be gained from the enviroment

A main thing to point out is that London is designed as an FPS. Instead its an action game that requires you to use the environment to help you move around. For example, if one area is Trafalgar Square you have to think how to cross it successfully without being engaged. Its what the best bits of Bioshock are, when all you are doing is admiring the scenery and not circle strafing around a guy. Its also about your character being a physical presence in the world. Remember one of the first decisions about how which public transport to take? If you take the tube, then you are on board when the power is cut. You then move through the tunnels to the next station. Everything in the game is in game with control only taken away when it makes sense, such as if your buried under a pile of rubble or coming to after being knocked out.

I admit, the game is primarily a game using the best ideas of other games in order to tell a good story.

When Ubisoft dragged James Cameron up to talk about Avatar at the last E3 press conference, they gave the impression that this movie game would be the one that broke the trend of film tie-ins always being bad. Unfortunately, this has turned out to be a load of rubbish as Avatar is nothing more than an average third person shooter/action adventure. Mr Cameron, we are disappointed.

The game takes place two years before the events of the film, and sees you, playing as a signal specialist who is part of the avatar program, involved in an attempt by the RDA to defeat the Navvi once and for all. Less then an hour in, you have to choose either to play as the gun heavy RDA or as the melee focused Navvi. You are locked to this decision for the rest of the game, although it does provide you an extra save at the division point allowing you to experience both sides without having to go through the early tutorial. This decision is effectively a mask to hide the fact that the game

As the RDA, it turns into a competent third person shooter with you using a range of weapons and various vehicles to fight the Navvi in a variety of jungle environments (rocky jungle, junglely jungle, jungle with digger; the list is endless). The missions are a very repitive, in an almost MMO style requiring long treks on foot between various quest givers who stand around with a big yellow arrow over their heads. The combat is alright, with the weapons all having a good kick to them (especially the heavy machine gun and grenade launcher) and a set of powers to assist. This range from useless (few situations use the cool invisibility power) to the nigh-on essential (I’m amazed the regenerator isn’t a permanent choice). You can only have three selectable weapons, as well as dual wielded pistols, and four powers so it comes down to picking the most powerful combination and sticking with it. You also have a suit of armour which, alongside the weapons and skills, are levelled up as you gain experience from killing the flora and fauna of Pandora as well as fulfilling objectives. I quite like the system as it is more interesting then simply “there are guns lying around the map – go find” although there is the same disappointment with some of the levels

If you instead decide to defend Pandora and side with the Navvi, then you are instead playing a third person adventure game, like a cut down and western version of Zelda. You only have two ranged weapons (including the massive machine gun from the film) but also get a dual wield set of swords and a big whacking staff. However, its not quite as good as playing the RDA as everything just seems so less precise and less enjoyable. I recommend sticking with the RDA unless you really want to play both sides.

One major issue I had with both sides is the voice acting. All the vocalists sound like they were dossed up on Novocaine. While the RDA are just about acceptable (apart from one guy whose voice changes from Australian to British every few words), the Navvi are all voiced by actors doing their best indigenous person voice, so it just sounds like the worst version of a play about Thanksgiving. The issues get worse with the vehicles. They handle horribly, despite being based on an engine that made Far Cry 2. The ground vehicles feel sluggish to control while the air vehicles of both side feel stilted to use. However, if you get rid of them it takes hours to get anywhere. Its the same issue that plagued FC2. In fact the game is basically a new version of Ubisoft’s Zebra Killing Simulator except in the world of Avatar.

Which is another flaw – for a game based on a film whose main claim to fame was its graphics, they are quite disappointing. Although many of the effects look actually quite good, the textures seem slightly faded and washed out. On top of that, the character models of real actors, such as Sigourney Weaver’s doctor character or Trudy the pilot or even Commander Scarface who turn up later, all look horrible and in some cases hard to work out who the hell they actually are. That said though, the worse culprit of the horrifying graphics are the Navvi who look just terrible. It’s really a shame seeing as they would be a major draw for most of the game’s target audience. Similarly the sound (as well as the voice acting as mentioned above) does the job but isn’t anything to write home about.

However, the straight action adventure isn’t all. The game also features a game of risk included at various points called Conquest. It acts as a way of getting various bonuses such as more XP or various boosts but it is completely throw away and not actually that much fun to play. Similarly, the game also has multiplayer but on PC it was completely dead every time I tried it. It sounds like a very generic multiplayer based on what I’ve heard.

Generic is really the word that describes the entire package. It all feels like territory that has been played before. In fact, if it wasn’t filled with reference to the Navvi and Unobtanium, it could be any space marine fighting natives game. However, I should say that the game is packed with extra info on the world Mr Cameron has created so if your wanting to get another trip back to Pandora this maybe an opportunity. Everyone else, its perhaps a rent to cleanse your pallet between games such as Mass Effect 2 or Bioshock 2. It’s like a sorbet – made of 7ft tall cat people and napalm.

Bringing in the new year with Series 2 of the Johnson Ramblings, we have new podcast. It isn’t our best but it does feature us all, including John and Giles who are our new co hosts. We cover a load of topics as well. Next episode should be better.

Welcome to February! Exams are over, we are back in school and life is at a point of balance. Unless your on MW2, where the multiplayer continues to be filled with hackers. But hey, that’s life! Lets get on with the show

First up a bit of news. With this being the month of February, and it not being a leap year, there are 28 days. I intend to have a new article up every day this month as a little test. Midweek Madness and Johnson Ramblings are included in this (so that is Wednesdays and two Thursdays covered) but all the other days will include new posts from most of the writers for HNTDAAB. I know Giles has one already in the pipe, looking at the new Assassin’s Creed 2 DLC. Next week is a bumper review week so you can look forward to that.

Mass Effect 2! Its really, really good. I’ve played it through on my imported Mass Effect character (see above). The review is next week (and my impressions were posted yesterday) but I have to say its one of those games you have to play. I’d also try and avoid spoilers as the plot line is pretty good. More thoughts next week, but in the meantime I’m going back to try some other classes

There isn’t anything else this week so I’ll skip onto the…

Android App of the Week

This weeks app is Google Sky Map. Its a pretty funny app, that uses the camera and your GPS to work out what objects in the night sky you should see. It also has a night mode should you wish to see everything without ruining your night vision. Its a little something to show all those iPhone users when they starting boasting. QR code below.

That is it from Midweek Madness, enjoy the new form and feel free to send comments to blog@hntdaab.co.uk

Mass Effect 2 is a game I’ve been looking forward to for a while. I wanted to love the first game, and it was very good, but there were several key issues which slightly tainted the experience such as the broken inventory system and the substandard combat. I’m pleased to say Mass Effect 2 has not only fixed or streamlined this problem, but made a much better game overall. I’ll share a few thoughts here but I’ll leave most of the main stuff (such as the plot) for the review. Primarily, this is to advice anyone who is maybe on the fence about the game.

The first thing I need to say is the game really should be played using an imported save from Mass Effect 1. Not only does it create a continuing story, with many characters and storylines in the first game cropping up again in the second. On top of that, your character also gains bonus resources and cash based on your level and several Renegade or Paragon points based on your moral status at the end of the first game. Its useful to have this starting buffer, as you can get to researching and upgrading much quicker.

The second point is that if you disliked the combat in the first game, its been fixed here. The game plays a lot more like Gears of War (but more precise) which makes the combat less of a chore. Instead it become the centrepiece of the game, a segment you look forward to. In fact the game feels more of a shooter-RPG hybrid then the original, with the RPG elements only slightly creeping in. It has been simplified, with Sheppard only having 6 upgrade tracks (including ammo types) and you party having 4. This new system makes more sense, with every point spent on upgrading your character being useful as opposed to an upgrade being a worthless number change. The powers also feel more powerful and have much better looking effects for every power.

The new stuff is a blast to play with. The heavy weapons are a brilliant addition, with some awesome stuff such as a nuke launcher and a flamethrower amongst many others. The new Normandy is also a lot better then the old. In fact there is a nostalgic air, with some areas having the same layout as in the first game but brightened up. As part of this, the new characters are also great. In fact, I’d say Bioware has out done themselves this time. Each and every character is a lot more expressive with much better writing. While playing I actually laughed out loud at a couple of points. Unfortunately, many of them take place during the main plot so I won’t ruin it. The interrupt system is also great with some of the best scenes playing out with a tap of the left or right trigger to signal Shepard to punch someone in the face. The change in inventory has allowed a new, customisable armour set so you can blaze into battle looking exactly how you want. The only new system I’m not so keen on is the mineral scanner you use to find more resources, as it seems a bit too fiddly to be enjoyable.

Another point to make is to make sure you buy your copy new or at least be willing to pay around $15 extra. This grants you access to the Cerberus network which will be a stream of new DLC downloadable from in game. Its been free so far and gets you an extra mission and one of my favourite characters Zaeed. He is basically Space Vinnie Jones, a merc with a British accent and a face full of scar tissue. In fact, I’m disappointed he is in the DLC because he has to have some of the best line in the entire game – and some cracking stories to tell. I’m looking forward to what else is coming.

Finally, I have to say that Mass Effect 2 is brilliant. I recommend it to anyone who even has a slight interest as it feels more like a shooter than RPG. Review should arrive sometime in the next few weeks.