First impressions are good. A fine score worthy of any of the games in the franchise accompanies a distinctly Resident Evil 5 inspired menu screen, with equally familar menu options – campaign, multiplayer, and though much more basic than its predecessor, a familiar unlockables menu in which concept art can be viewed by discovering data items in-game. Like the ever popular Left 4 Dead, and more recent Dead Island, creating a game allows you two options – to play alone, or find people to team up with in lieu of the AI that otherwise control your teammates. A nice touch is the option to skip the matchmaking lobby even when playing a public game, effectively allowing you to play the campaign alone straight off the bat without delay, but permitting people to jump in at any time at no inconvenience to yourself.

Unfortunately, the gameplay itself falls far short of the expectations established by everything that preceeds it. Despite a nice customisation screen, in which you can not only choose your character, but his abilities and weapons, as well as upgrade said attributes through spending XP earned in-game, the first negative scored against Operation Raccoon City is its portrayal of the protagonists. An elite clean up squad of the ruthless Umbrella Corporation tasked with destroying evidence of the contamination in Raccoon City, one can’t help but feel that Slant Six pushed them a little too far in art style, resulting in something a little physically closer to a team of washed up GI JOE action figures than a crack military squad. By no means the greatest crime Operation Raccoon City commits, but one I felt got under my skin. I would have greatly preferred a ‘ghost’ style approach, symbolizing the faceless, ruthless and menacing entity that is Umbrella.

Graphically, Operation Raccoon City is average, leaning on the side of decent, but the criminally glitchy gameplay is what truly damns it. AI attempt to shoot through walls, enemies manage to score headshots on you despite the cover you’re hiding behind is far taller than you are, invisible walls herd you in precisely the direction the developers intended you, and quite frequently you’ll encounter glitches that slow or even glue both you and your teammates in place. Topping it all off, is an automatic cover system that decides what can and cannot be utilised, regardless of logic, leaving you running into obstacles like an idiot on more than one occasion attempting to hide behind something that you really should be able to – but the game’s decided otherwise. Game scripting and cut scene direction is also lacklustre, with respectable voice acting, but decidedly atrocious cut scenes that are entirely devoid of any semblence of credability thanks to a quality reminiscint of a decade past. The opening levels are flat, linear, boring and drab, consisting of the most unimaginative ‘point a to point b’ directives imaginable. Mindless shooting isn’t necessarily always a bad thing, but here it certainly is painful for the most part. The AI, should you chose to play offline, is generally supportive but suffer moments of madness, preferring to hang back and do nothing while you’re being torn apart occasionally, though to their credit, support in the form of healthpacks and antiviral spray should you become infected, is readily available, which cannot always be relied upon with real life players. Most fun of all, is the ability to execute one of your own if they become infected beyond the point of a cure; an achievement that pops for putting a teammate out of his or her misery in such a scenario is well placed and raises a smile. Operation Raccoon City is a potentially decent game, damned by some seriously large problems that reek more so of an unfinished or rushed game than anything else.

One of the most baffling aspects of Operation Raccoon City is how sharply the quality of the campaign rises by the third of forth mission as the action moves to the heart of an overrun Raccoon City. Only here do we finally witness some great moments; glimpses into what the game truly could have been with a little more attention. Raccoon City is recreated commendably, with a dark, gritty atmosphere complementing the menacing hordes of zombies that patrol its streets. There is a distinct shift from banal linearity to relatively enjoyable zombie blasting, one that holds up successfully for more or less the duration of the reaminder of the game. Even the cut scenes improve drastically: a nostalgic sequence introducing Leon Kennedy is a world apart from the uninspired sequences of the earlier portion of the game. The gameplay mechanic is entirely brainless ala the similarly premised Left4Dead, requiring only an itchy trigger finger and, on rare occassion, the sense to know when to run from a fight. Enemies faced vary from run of the mill undead to heavily armed soldiers, with a decent assortment of mutated opposition drawn from other games in the franchise, inspiring some frustrating sections in which the developers clearly adopted the ‘quantity over quality’ approach with regards making things difficult for the player by flinging multiple, extremely hard to kill mutants in your direction – particularly difficult in single player, as conveniently enemies are, genetically allegedly, designed to attack their greatest threat – i.e YOU. The game does pay homage to earlier renditions of the nightmare of the Racoon City outbreak in earlier titles respectably with its choices, included in which are Super Tyrants and the Nemesis. No commendation for the longevity of the campaign either, clocking it at a measly four and a half hours upon completion – there is the option to attempt to achieve excellence in the form of S+ ranks on every level as well as tougher difficulties, but in a game so dreadfully bland, I can’t seriously consider it a valid replay value. Overall, at no point is Operation Raccoon City’s campaign one that one could call excellent, but the second half of the game certainly finally approaches something almost worthy of both your hard earned cash and its Resident Evil title. A major problem however, lies in the simple question of how many people could, or did, hold on that long?

Multiplayer in Operation Raccoon City is surprisingly decent. Modes included are Team Deathmatch, Biohazard, Survivor and Heroes, all pitting Umbrellas elite against opposing government Spec-Op soldiers. Team deathmatch is fairly standard fare, save for the addition of hordes of the undead vying for any player careless enough to get close, and Biohazard is a variation on Capture the Flag, with each team competing against both each other and the neutral undead to collect a set number of virus vials. Neither are particularly good, though competent, but Heroes mode is an interesting one, essentially a spin on Team Deathmatch with each team composed of recognisable characters from the franchise, such as Leon, Hunk, Ada, and so on. Survivor is perhaps the most enjoyable, and most relative to the continuing storyline of Raccoon Citys demise, starting off as team deathmatch, but descending into mayhem as a helicopter arrives on site at the end of a countdown – with only enough places to pick up half of the ‘survivors’ on the map, inspiring a frantic battle to claim a seat. Multiplayer in Operation Raccoon City isn’t remotely as deep as that of the heavy hitting online titles, but it’s entirely functional, generally problem free and entertaining – a cut above the buggy campaign in almost all regards. Nemesis Mode is available on the marketplace, but I haven’t play it at the time of review. Akin to Space Marines recent Dreadnought DLC, it provides a twist on standard Team Deathmatch, providing opposing teams the opportunity to fight for and gain control Nemsis and wreak havoc on the enemy team.

In closing, it’s hard to recommend Operation Raccoon City to even ardent fans of the franchise, but so too is it hard to condemn it outright. It’s also ultimately difficult to understand from a QA perspective, how Capcom were happy to release this in its current form. It’s almost certainly the worst game in the otherwise strong Resident Evil franchise, but it’s not entirely without its moments either. It does pick up considerably towards the middle of the game, and multiplayer is capable of providing a fair few hours of entertainment, with free DLC arriving in early April. Not worthy of the price tag, but definitely worth a play, even if only to delve into the universe again for a short time to temporarily sate the hunger for Resident Evil 6. Just don’t expect the rollercoaster ride the game should and could have been.

The proclamation of the launch of new Xbox 720 has set fire of rumors in the market of gaming world. But as it says “there is no smoke without fire”, the new generation console of Microsoft, which is awaited by the market to be released has its own set of parameters to be previewed. The product is said to have equipped with the same generation of hardware but has dispatched three gears of war games with improved versions resulting after the development cycle continuing since last two-three years. This bigger and improved version of the Xbox 360 predicts to bring a good business for the gaming world or its existing users. The news of new game though can act as a unique selling point but at the same time it will also cool down the zeal when it comes to the use of same hard ware. To overcome this possible problem the replacement of same hardware with a new one is also a futile effort as again the whole concept of new games has to be resold because the existing installed base needs to be reset. The expert’s opinion on this is a possible replacement only in the hardware to lift its quality.

The Microsoft has not yet confirmed the special features of Xbox 720, lots of predictive statements have covered the news which boasts that though the GPU is said to be AMD’S 6000 series, a version less powerful than the currently launched 7000 series, it still beholds six times greater power than the Xbox360 GPU. The console of Microsoft also is possibly titled to be the current winner in graphic dominance due to its powerful chip which possibly will be 20 percent more powerful than the Ninetendo’s Wii U chip.

When it comes to performance, expected to be given by the new generation Microsoft console Xbox 720, every gamer is filled with excitement. The product is believed to be configured with AMD cinematic graphics. It is also believed to be equipped with physical processing and AI elements. It’s a feature through which every character can be given an individual presence, even in the crowd.
 

If I were to rank this new console of Microsoft in comparison to the existing Xbox 360 consoles, my excitement for the upcoming games which have been rumored enough about this amazing graphical level console would straight away give it a number 1. This however should be taken into consideration that the larger supplier of microprocessors, AMD has yet to announce about their upcoming highly features graphical card is for Microsoft. The only possible ranking should be validated only when the rumored launch of Xbox 720 will hit the market for gamers.

This game is going in a completely new, overhauled direction. Seeing as rifles are a major part of a soldiers arsenal during these times, you are probably like I was and have many questions about how an Assassin is to combat this. Well, they are working on a whole new targeting system, and fighting sequences so you can easily kick Templar Ass. They also included a new Dual Wield system where, for example, you can have your Tomohawk in your right hang while your Hidden Blade is also active. This is to replace the second Hidden Blade which was a new addition for Ezio, and I think this is a good change of pace.
An exciting new feature is Seasons, where time passes more than just sunrise and sunset, but now Snowy Winters or Sunny Summers, and of course Spring and Autumn too. They also let you climb natural obsticals like trees.

I am very excited game, and what’s more, this isnt the biggest news. That’s right, on Monday the 5th of March Ubisoft will unveil a chunk of information about the game, and have even provided us with a Countdown site for us to never ever look away from. There will be a link below. This game is due for release October 30th, and come back on Monday for some updated news!

Countdown Timer!

http://assassinscreed.ubi.com/ac/en-gb/index.aspx

It was so nostalgic to be playing them again. In HD not much (that I can tell) changes, except subtitles are way more defined and the radar is crystal clear. Well I think there has also been a change in some dialogue, but I can’t be too sure. Also facial features are enhanced. For example I never knew Olga had a scar down her cheek. Ok, so maybe there is a decent bit if difference. However I have not yet replayed MGS3 as I am still going through MGS2 and Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker. But I am just loving how Snake has snaked his way onto Xbox 360 (see what I did there?).
I am so excited to see what achievements are ahead. MGS Fans know that the game creators absolutely cannot resist including humour into their games. For example, on Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, I shot a soldier in the behind, resulting in an Achievement. Booya! It made my day.
I like Peace Walker because it is similar to Metal Gear Solid 4. The gameplay in that was so intense and different. I was in love with that game and I miss it now that I haven’t got a PS3 anymore. It’s more like a real sneaking game because of the Camouflage Index Percentage, letting you know how hidden you really are. Also, weapons get a bit of wear & tear. This game is still new to me, as I don’t really believe in handheld consoles unless it’s a Gameboy or NDS for Pokémon.

The main disappointment for me was how Peace Walker was included rather than the classic Metal Gear Solid. Peace Walker is still relatively modern and didn’t exactly need refurbishing. Yes it was on the PSP but come on, MGS was on the PS1. The only thing I can think of is they are planning something big for the old classic. Maybe as bonus content with Metal Gear Rising? Or maybe even a complete overhaul and remake the game? Who knows? Perhaps these are just the hopes of a gamer nerd and they want to leave an original be just that.
What also annoyed me was the cut-scenes of Peace Walker. They were like concept art of games, and felt a little embarrassing to watch. I know, I know. It is from a PSP format. But still. I like to complain.

So, in all I love this game. It’s fun, nerve wracking stealth all over again…in HD! I do recommend this for Metal Gear Solid lovers who’s PS2 has bitten the dust, or have lost their games, or who just prefer playing it on modern tech. Like all games it has up’s and down’s. So go forth and risk it!

Life has always been all about balance. When we focus too much on our professional life, we may lose touch of our personal life without knowing it. We may be too busy with our respective career to the point that we have already missed the important events in the life of the important people in our lives. We may be too engrossed with what is happening at work until reality would come knocking at our doors to tell us that we are doing it all wrong.

Overview

This is the story of most fathers all around the world. This is the story of Matt (George Clooney) in the 2011 American comedy-drama titled, The Descendants. The Descendants tells the story of an indifferent father who is forced to reconnect with his two daughters after his wife had a boating accident in Waikiki. He also faced his wife’s infidelity and the dilemma of selling 25,000 acres of virgin land to the Hawaiian royalty and missionaries.

Features

Whorush: 4 sites by this AdSense ID

Matt is a lawyer and sole trustee of a family land in the island of Kaua’i. Since the trust is about to expire in seven years, Matt’s family decided to sell the land to Kaua’I native Don Holitzer for development. But just before Matt’s family is about to endorse the land and closed the deal, his wife, Elizabeth, had a boating accident that left her comatose. Matt is left with no other options but to act as both a father and mother to his two daughters. It was then when he learned that his 10-year-old Scottie (Amara Miller) has an inappropriate behavior at school and his 17-year-old Alex (Shailene Woodley) has a drinking problem.

While he was reconnecting with his daughters, a bad news shook Matt’s life. They were told that Elizabeth would never awaken from her coma. It was then when Alex told him that Elizabeth was having an affair with someone named Brian at the time of the accident. It was then when Matt decided that Brian has to know about the condition of Elizabeth. He found out that Brian is a real estate agent who is currently vacationing in Kaua’i. It was during this short trip that Matt found out that Brian is Dan Holitzer’s brother-in-law and he would gain lots of money from commissions when the land is developed and this lead to Matt having second thoughts about selling the land.

In the end, Matt finally decided to take Elizabeth off the life support after forgiving her betrayal. Matt, Alex, and Scottie decided to scatter Elizabeth’s ashes in the ocean of Waikiki. The film ends with a heartwarming scene where the three of them is curled up on the living room couch, using Elizabeth’s hospital blanket, eating ice cream, and watching the March of the Penguins.

Performance
Life is really too short to focus on one aspect of our lives and neglect the other. This is what we can learn from the tragic and yet inspiring story of Matt in the movie titled, The Descendants. Its plot and character development, as well as the portrayal of the actors in the movie, complemented each other making this movie a beautiful reflection of the responsibility that one has in a family. The storyline of The Descendants is something that almost everyone can relate to. It is the story of people trapped in real dilemmas that happens in real life.

Verdict

The Descendants is a very brilliant film that deserves a score of 5. It has a very common story and yet it is told and portrayed magnificently. The Descendants realistically captures the complexity of human emotions that comes with grief, hatred, and confusion. This beautifully-crafted movie is a must-see for everyone, especially for people who need a reminder on the real essence and value of life.

A team of explorers discover a clue to the origins of mankind on Earth, leading them on a journey to the darkest corners of the universe. There, they must fight a terrifying battle to save the future of the human race.

Director: Ridley Scott
Writers: Jon Spaihts, Damon Lindelof
Stars:  Noomi Rapace, Charlize Theron and Patrick Wilson

Wikipedia:
Prometheus is an upcoming science fiction film directed by Ridley Scott and written by Jon Spaihts and Damon Lindelof. The film stars Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Guy Pearce, Idris Elba, Logan Marshall-Green and Charlize Theron. The plot follows the crew of the spaceship Prometheus in the late 21st century, as they explore an advanced alien civilization in search of the origins of humanity.

Conceived as a prequel to Scott’s 1979 science fiction horror film Alien, rewrites of Spaihts’ script by Lindelof developed a separate story that precedes the events of Alien, but which is not directly connected to the films in the Alien franchise. According to Scott, though the film shares “strands of Alien’s DNA, so to speak”, Prometheus will explore its own mythology and universe. Principal photography began in March 2011, with filming taking place in England, Iceland, and Spain. Prometheus is scheduled for release between May 30 and June 8, 2012 in various territories through 20th Century Fox.

Released February 12th 2012

Even though the year is young, The Darkness II is proving to be one of the best games I have played this year, in nearly every aspect.

When the first Darkness was released I was hesitant to say it was a good game, it was, I just couldn’t admit it simply because when playing The Darkness something was missing, something vital. It turns out the missing piece was gameplay, go figure. The Darkness II is the game The Darkness should have been, if The Darkness had of had the visual effects, textures and gameplay that the sequel has, it would have been a must bigger success than it was.

The Darkness II’s visual effects blew me away, it was a huge leap from how the visuals were in the first game, which, quite frankly were dull. The shell shading effect is what made The Darkness II, that and the story telling of course. When the first trailers for The Darkness II were released I wasn’t too keen on the cell shading, I didn’t think it would fit in with the dark fell and look of The Darkness, but my god was I proven wrong. what I was most hesitant about was how the cell shading would look in, well… the dark obviously, with it playing a slight part in the game, and it looks just as good if not better!

The visuals, however impressive they were, are not the reason The Darkness II is the best game i have played this year, it’s the story. If The Darkness had anything going for its self it was it’s story, The Darkness II just made it better. I couldn’t stop playing, and it came to a point where I was so immersed that the house could have burned down around me and I wouldn’t have even noticed. The only time I would have shown any signs of life is when I would have flinched or laughed at the gore in the game.

Another aspect of the game I was to mention is the multiplayer, while I didn’t play much of it, what I did play was very enjoyable, it gives you an insight to what goes on behind Jackie Estacado’s reign.

Overall The Darkness II is a game I would easily recommend for gore lovers, people that love a good story or people that like a nice sturdy game. The Darkness II is a game that I could talk about forever and might just.

Tablet computers are slowly taking over laptops and desktop computers. It is becoming a necessity for most professionals and even students all around the world. Nowadays, it is a must that you have a tablet computer and a smart phone so that you can communicate effectively to the world.

Overview

But for some, it is still somewhat stressful to bring a smart phone and a tablet computer from time to time. Telecommunications companies, like Samsung, are still looking for ways to answer to the demand of the hectic lifestyle that these busy professionals all around the world have.

This is the reason why Samsung Galaxy Note was born. The concept of a phablet – part phone and part tablet – was first released to public in Germany. It was in October 2011 when Samsung tested the waters for a hybrid of smart phone and a tablet computer. It was also released in other countries, including East Asia, Europe, and India. Samsung Galaxy Note will be available in the US in 2012.

Features

The main selling point of the Samsung Galaxy Note is its size. The large 5.3-inch display of the Samsung Galaxy Note combines both the features of a smart phone and a tablet computer. For me, it is quite big for a smart phone.

It is best perceived as a tiny tablet that would allow you to make calls and send messages.

Considering that the Samsung Galaxy Note can replace both of your smart phone and tablet, it is really a good deal for a young professional like you. The Samsung Galaxy Note even includes its own stylus and its very own note taking software. The stylus is useful for accurate sketching and artwork. It can also spontaneously capture your thoughts and ideas as you scribble them away. In addition to that, the note taking software that comes with Samsung Galaxy Note would also help you record all forms of user-created content like pictures, voice recordings, typed text, handwritten notes, or drawings. It can be captured and be converted to a “memo” that you can edit, annotate, or even share!

Samsung Galaxy Note is powered with a dual core and 1.4 Ghz processor. It’s 5.3” WXGA screen can show high definition videos and photos with its HD Super AMOLED screen. It is also equipped with two cameras, the front-facing camera and the main camera. The main camera is 8-megapixels. It can record 1080p video while front-facing camera is not at all bad with its 2-megapixel resolution. Samsung Galaxy Note is also Wi-Fi and GPS capable.

In addition to that, Samsung Galaxy Note also comes with split-screen functionality. It enables you to open two applications at once. This function is available to most of the native Android Gingerbread applications.

Performance

Samsung Galaxy Note is the best mobile device for wise professionals since it has everything you need for a tablet and smart phone. Powered by an extremely advanced LTE 4G network, Samsung Galaxy Note is very promising. The Samsung Galaxy Note is portable enough. It has a decent battery life and a superb connectivity. You are also more likely to accomplish more with the Samsung Galaxy Note because of its large display and larger on-screen elements.

Verdict

Indeed, multi-tasking is the name of Samsung Galaxy Note’s game. So, if you are looking for a reliable personal assistant to help you meet the demands of your hectic lifestyle, then Samsung Galaxy Note is the perfect “phablet” for you!

As players explore the bustling and crowded Hong Kong island, through its neon-lit side streets and sprawling street markets, an incredible story unfolds of loyalty and betrayal, where Wei begins to question his own motives as he is sucked in deeper than he could ever imagine.

Offering players an island packed with action, every street corner, market stall, harbour dock or city skyscraper can become an opportunity for intense shoot-outs, adrenaline-fuelled street races and intense, brutal martial arts combat.

Featuring one of the most intuitive and imaginative combat systems, Sleeping Dogs empowers players to perform an extensive set of martial arts moves, singlehandedly taking on numerous opponents.

Players perform bone-crunching kicks and combos, vicious counters and a cinematic set of environmental takedowns making use of countless real-world items from circular saws to phone booths, incinerators to refrigerator doors.

Overview:

The HP Envy 14 Spectre is by far the biggest and heaviest ultrabook currently in existence. The Envy 14 Spectre can even be mistaken as a bulky laptop as compared to an ultrabook. Although maybe that is a better category to fit this bulky glass box into.

The release of the Envy 14 is said to happen around February and is priced at a whopping $1400. The price seems to be too steep for most ultrabook fanatics but HP defends this by saying that the Envy 14 has a body that is well protected by glass that is said to be very durable. Does the price really fit in with the new glass shield?

There are a lot of issues coming from the price but this still is a HP product and HP products really are top notch all the time right? Well, no use asking silly questions, let’s just talk about the unreleased ultrabook.

Features:

The HP Envy 14 Spectre is an ultrabook that has a huge 14 inch screen and has a thickness of 20mm. The Envy 14 also weighs in at 3.79 pounds which makes it a definite contender for the heavyweight champion of the ultrabook world.

Everything about the Envy 14 screams bigger which basically contradicts a feature that a lot of people look for in an ultrabook which is what else but small sizes. If you’re looking for power then the Envy 14 may be a good choice despite it being huge.

The Envy 14 Spectre may come in either Core i5 or Core i7 which simply screams power. The Envy 14 really loves to scream out a lot of things doesn’t it? The Envy 14 also screams 4GB of RAM, Beats audio, 1600×900 Radiance display, NFC technology, CoolSense technology and a lot of other included software such as Photoshop and Premiere Elements. Okay enough with the screaming thing.

Performance:

The Core i5 or Core i7 is a definite plus since it’s obvious that this will operate without any problems; add the 4GB of RAM into the mix and you really do have a lot of power. The size and resolution does show clear graphics which is a good thing when playing tetris, yes tetris.

The Beats audio is really something because the Envy 14 Spectre may turn out to be a boombox rather than an ultrabook with speakers. The CoolSense technology as a HP innovation which is definitely one of my favourites because this keeps the laptop from burning up by just changing a few settings; however there is the slight issue of the noisy fan.

The keyboard is easy to use and is comfortable on each key press. There is also a backlight for each key which is definitely an aesthetic bonus for most and a useful add-on for those people that can’t type in the dark without looking at the screen.

The NFC chip that’s implanted by the palm rest is a good idea for me because this allows you to transfer URLs from your mobile phone to the Envy 14. If this is the only function then HP needs to work on this and now because this is a really great feature. Hopefully there will be a lot of other functions that the NFC chip will be able to do.

As for the software there are no problems in running it although there are still a lot of things that needs to be seen regarding the Envy 14. The battery though is a different issue. HP claims that the Envy 14 has a battery that will last for around 9 hours. The problem here is that the 9 hours is a theoretical value and may only mean that the Envy 14 runs for 9 hours under light use; we can’t assume that though because assuming would be wrong.

Verdict:

All in all the HP Envy 14 Spectre will get a grade of 4 out of 5. The advantages would be the great processor available and the amount of RAM given. The backlight on the keyboard as well as the Beats audio, NFC chip and the hopefully 9 hour long batter is certainly listed as pros.

The problem comes from the bulky size and the steep price. It’s hard to pay $1400 for glass shielding that just loves to take in fingerprints.

The Envy 14 is a definite buy if you’re looking for a bulky laptop that’s labelled as an ultrabook or if you want to capture someone’s fingerprints for analysis, but if you’re worried about the price then this might not be the one for you.