I've beaten it, twice already, on my third play through as a matter of fact! The controls easily compare to Metal Gear Solid: Snake eater 3d for the 3DS. Graphics, of the N64/NGC time. So okay. But you can see Bond's arms! My uncle's Goldeneye 007 Wii was the first game I played from the James Bond 007 Series. So I got Goldeneye 007 DS!!! Actually, I also got Goldeneye Rouge Squadron that is like a Doom Game where all the graphics were modded to look like a 007 games (You were once a 00 agent but were kicked out but they didn't say which one you were. 009 I guess?) Also, You can duel wield, and there is no Sneekyness at all so whoever this guy is above SHOULD OF GOTTEN GOLDENEYE ROUGE SQUADRON!!!!!!!
Thanks for the great reply, definitely appreciate your offer for keys but at least Steve and I already own it and I am happy to buy keys for any of my writers if they should ask.
At least a couple of us already own that game due to an Indie Royale bundle, but if nothing else, this may be motivation to play it. Thanks for the suggestion.
Recently I've been playing Nuclear Dawn, and I've gotta say, I'm impressed with everything it does exactly the opposite (or at least significantly different) of MW3.
Nuclear Dawn is a fun little multiplayer game that's gone largely unnoticed. The idea, if you're not familiar, is that it's really two interconnected games in one: a FPS and a RTS. Each team has a commander, who purchases and places buildings, such as supply stations, additional spawn points, and equipment upgrades, to support his team, who is meanwhile capturing resource points to provide their commander with the funds he needs to support them. A round ends when one team's command bunker has been destroyed, or the time limit has been reached.
Much like Team Fortress, it's class-based, albeit with a much larger selection of classes and abilities. Unlike either Team Fortress or CoD, some classes and abilities are locked until the commander builds the necessary structures to enable them. It does have level-based upgrades (called gizmos), but these are far less game-breaking than those in MW3, it's far easier to gain levels fairly quickly, and gizmos affect an entire squad (groups of players can join a squad and operate as a tighter-knit group than the team as a whole) so it makes much less of a difference than in Modern Warfare. Mostly, levels are there so that people have an idea of the skill of their teammates, so they know who will be a good commander.
Nuclear Dawn also has camping, and rewards staying still. Running pretty much kills your accuracy with most weapons, and though there aren't as many good camping spots as in something like Counter-Strike, they are still there. A recent update to the game added wall and barrier structures, which essentially lets the commander CREATE camping spots.
All-in-all, the game seems as though it was specifically designed to be an answer to unstrategic, cookie-cutter games like recent entries into the Call of Duty series. It's got an unfortunately small community, thanks in part to some early mediocre reviews caused by some severe balance issues which have since been fixed in a Valve-esque updating scheme, but mostly because very few have even heard of the game.
As an aside, I have an extra giftable PC copy of it on Steam that I'd be glad to donate to you or any First Hour reviewer who's willing to review it (either a full review or a first hour review).
Disclaimer: I do not have any investment in InterWave Studios beyond a personal desire to see this game succeed; I love it, and I wish there were more than a small handful of active servers at any given time.
I don't play the games at all, but I've seen a decent amount of people while playing it. They do seem a little fun, but the community is absurdly bad and it's hilarious watching Activision trying to make their game as constantly rewarding and addicting as possible just so they can sell their ridiculous DLC map packs.
I don't mind the running so much or the fact that they semi-discourage camping. It does just make it an arcade shooter rather than one pretending to be realistic. But it doesn't seem to have amazingly good balance and makes the loadout grinds absolutely necessary, which you'd obviously want to avoid for a game that takes itself seriously. Then you just have a black market of modded rooms and prestige servers.
Well actually, I can't, but I can sympathize. Diablo 3 was my first foray into the Diablo series after playing the first a few years ago and almost immediatebly dropping it to play something else. Because of that, I see Diablo 3 as a game that stands on its own, not a sequel to a game that came out 10 or so years ago. There are plenty of flaws in the game, but one wonders how much your bias towards Diablo 2 and thus against Diablo 3 affected your mindset while playing.
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I've always been the type of guy to own every console I could afford (varied year to year) but like you I am similarly disinterested in any new console. The DS was one of the best investments I ever made (after much criticism against "two screens? why!?") and probably the most played system I've had in the last decade, unless you count playing SNES games on my otherwise dusty Wii. I forgot why I started that sentence. Ah yes - and although I somewhat want a 3DS nothing about the systems or the games I've seen for it have raised that "minor interest" to "must spend $170 RIGHT NOW." Maybe in the words of Sazh and Danny Glover and many others, "I'm getting too old for this..." or maybe I just don't like the dark road I foresee for console gaming. Steam has really won me over since their Summer Camp sales last year. I have traditionally always had a HUGE HUGE HUGE console game library and maybe 1-2 PC games here and there (Civ and Sims, my guilty pleasure). Now it's almost completely reversed. I'm playing old console games I've had lying around and buying new-ish Steam games as they come on sale.
I don't see too much of a difference between X and XIII. In XIII you switch your Paradigm and in X you bring into play the character that's strong against whatever you're facing. That's 99% of the game or so. Maybe 95% if I'm being generous. The end of X and the colosseum (still in X) require some more advanced, strategic thinking. F6 and 8, I agree, but that's only certain characters and I could still just spam Attack with Sabin most of the time - though it wasn't as much fun as a Hadoken or the infamous "Bum Rush." I admit something as diverse as FF6's cast and how they play differently in battle is something I sorely miss in the series. As for FF8, I didn't enjoy the Draw system. It's the FF I've played least (tied currently with 13 for 1 attempted replay that I never finished). The only thing I really love about FF8 is the music.
I think the Paradigm system starts to shine (like other aspect of the game) in Chapter 11, which I wholeheartedly believe is much too late. I'm not really a FF13 apologist. I'm probably one of it's biggest critics. I'm attempting to play it and try and spin it in a new way, maybe cast a better light on it. I'm already biased against it, but the second playthrough is arguably better already because you (the player) spend much less time going "What the hell is a fal'Cie and why do they keep talking about it without context so I can't figure it out?" You already know many of the plot devices so you start out on an even playing field with the characters. It's not a good way to tell the story, by far, but it's already seen marked improvement. Things like that I'm noting in my analysis of the plot. Also, make sure you're checking your Datalog every now and then because (sadly) a lot of valuable information is hidden in the nooks and crannies.
About the only thing I really did like about the game (without snarky criticism) was the battle system, but it's not until you can build your own teams and really get a diverse mix of roles for your Paradigms that it gets more depth and strategic. Again, happens much too late in the game. They really should have paced it a bit better.
Yeah, I don't think they'd ever allow other marketplaces, but I don't think they're going to block used games next generation, so whatever. I am extremely uninterested in any consoles next gen, so I'm not really concerned at this time.
Noticed today that MS is finally having some sales on downloading full games, but all of them are from like the first year of the Xbox 360 and can probably be found that cheap by walking into any local Gamestop.
Thanks for your comment!
About your question on which Final Fantasy games you don't just mash the accept button, well, here's my thoughts.
Final Fantasy 6 when using Edgar, Sabin, Cyan, and possibly Gogo.
Final Fantasy X, the true turn-based battle system requires some heavy thinking for many battles.
Final Fantasy 8, draw draw draw draw attack R1 slash! :)
Final Fantasy 12, spend hours perfectly setting up the gambits so you don't even have to press Accept.
There's probably a few other examples, but I just feel like FF13 is a weak combination of FF12 and FFX-2, where the paradigms are sort of like gambits, but you're still required to basically mash the X button to execute the auto-battle. Maybe I'm not far enough in the game yet that auto-battle is still beating battles with ease 99% of the time.
I will say that even though I'm not a huge fan of the battle system, it's still the best part of the game.
I've been trying to preach about this for months if not years.
DLC falls into the same category and you can already use it as a model. The prices of games and DLC for consoles keep going up. Publishers would have me believe that used games and pirates are the reason. This simply isn't true. It's a bold face lie. Greed is the real reason, and combined with consumers too silly to understand the value of a dollar, I guess. When you compare XBox Live to Steam the whole notion explodes in your face. Steam competes with other online providers and thus has huge mark downs to make sales. XBox Live does not, so game prices almost never go down. What is the incentive to buy? Some games online are more expensive than (new) games at Gamestop. That doesn't even make sense. So yeah, I've been trying to sign people up on this agenda, too.
Blocking used games (your spin on it) could actually be a bold and smart move if it was done correctly, but my uneducated market analysis has shown me that Sony and Microsoft (in particular) just want more money going into their pockets, not to create an even and fair marketplace where games are reasonably priced. This will explode in their faces. No one will buy 1 year old games for full retail price. Gamestop (if they are smart) won't even stock their systems. No one will buy the consoles. Piracy will actually rise. Steam will sell more games that should have been console release. All that jazz. I have already predicted that I don't think any console producer is stupid enough to tread this path.
It's strange how new this review is and how quickly I found it (did a search for PSICOM Marauder on Google). I'll try and make a long story shorter. I am re-playing 13. I played it when it came out and enjoyed the battle system, but hated how much of a far cry it was from a standard Final Fantasy in terms of exploration and (coherent) story. Over time, I convinced myself to give it another chance and try and really understand what the story is trying desperately (but failing) to tell me. I decided I'd take extensive notes and maybe piece it together like a puzzle. I'm commenting because you're first hour (got farther than mine, due to note taking) sounds almost exactly like my notes and we draw some similar conclusions.
The "drop you in the action" approach is too confusing for this game. You are spending way to much time wondering "WTF are they talking about?" rather than actually thinking about or understanding what's going on. Unfortunately I don't understand you're "Here's a secret" comment. Many people say the Battle System of 13 is too simple. "a matter of picking the right paradigm and then mash away at the X button." Is that not one step more complex than Final Fantasy 1 through 10? Picking your Paradigm and switching appropriately is at least a bit more stimulating than holding down the A button to spam "Attack" through countless monsters. I don't know. It's one thing I hear said about 13 that I don't understand. What Final Fantasy games are you playing that aren't simply mashing "accept" button?
Don't tell anyone, but I am actually playing on. I said I wouldn't... but this is more because I'm a masochist and I feel I need to play most Final Fantasy games. I'm about 16 hours in and just met one of the main character's dad.
The battle system is better, but only marginally so I feel. It's still just a matter of picking the right paradigm and then mash away at the X button. The plot is terrible and the characters are disasters.
You're right to be disappointed in the first hour. The first FOUR hours are annoying and boring. For some reason that's totally beyond me, they decided to introduce layers of complexity to the battle system v..............e........r...........y............s..........l.............o............w.........l......y. After the first couple hours, I almost became panicked at how simple it was. Once the whole thing comes together, the battle system is actually surprisingly fun even though I was skeptical at first. In my mind, it makes up for the fact that the plot was probably the most nonsensical one to date in a Final Fantasy game.
You fail to consider the actual cost of getting a hard-copy to retail. You've got printing, certification, packaging, certification, shipping, more shipping, wholesaler, shipping, then retailer before it gets to the price it is. No developer walks away with 59.99, or even 29.99 of the new game you just purchased. It's all of the other assholes along the way that really roll in the dough. Not only would a consistent digital download service promote more revenues, but also give more ability to drop the status-quo pricing that video games enjoy today.
I have a whole lot of theories as to why the brick-and-mortar retail store is slowly going extinct, but to put this succinctly, Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo, or any developer doesn't run away with your doe - retail bureaucratic does.
The more I play, the less appealing Hardcore mode becomes for me, if that was even possible. If the random bouts of lag aren't worrisome enough, the cheap ways in which elite monster packs can kill you certainly is.
The time sink can definitely be a turn-off for some gamers; it's something I revel in. I've always been about spending more time on fewer games; a habit I picked up as a youngster with parents that only saw fit to buy me no more than 2 games a year. I don't know if going through Normal mode once, even with all characters, will be a satisfying enough of an experience to justify a purchase; the average Diablo player is expected to push on.
We'll see how long that keeps me entertained. Multiplayer helps.
Haven't touched the game in about a week, actually, but that's more to do with time constraints than lack of desire.
As for the lag issues, I find them surprisingly minimal, but that means nothing to anyone but me.
I'm really impressed with your writing skills and also with the layout on your weblog. Is this a paid theme or did you customize it yourself? Either way keep up the nice quality writing, it's rare to see a great blog like this one nowadays.
I got to the end of the trial (Skeleton King fight), but stopped there and had no real desire to continue, especially since I know how much of a timesink it would be and the issues it was already having.
I did have quite a bit of server lag at times as well. Could never play hardcore mode in this game.
Just a number for the first hour, I haven't given first hour reviews a "score" in at least two years now. I suppose a 7 now would be "yeah, I'd keep playing, but it could really go either way at this point. If the pace picks up a bit, I'll keep going, but otherwise I may quit."
I've beaten it, twice already, on my third play through as a matter of fact! The controls easily compare to Metal Gear Solid: Snake eater 3d for the 3DS. Graphics, of the N64/NGC time. So okay. But you can see Bond's arms! My uncle's Goldeneye 007 Wii was the first game I played from the James Bond 007 Series. So I got Goldeneye 007 DS!!! Actually, I also got Goldeneye Rouge Squadron that is like a Doom Game where all the graphics were modded to look like a 007 games (You were once a 00 agent but were kicked out but they didn't say which one you were. 009 I guess?) Also, You can duel wield, and there is no Sneekyness at all so whoever this guy is above SHOULD OF GOTTEN GOLDENEYE ROUGE SQUADRON!!!!!!!
>don't gravity works?
Stopped reading.
finished playing Arrival , Zaeed The Price of Revenge havent played yet
If you watch the beginning of the Two Towers, you can see that the bread is wrapped in leaves. Maybe that is what they meant.
Thanks for the great reply, definitely appreciate your offer for keys but at least Steve and I already own it and I am happy to buy keys for any of my writers if they should ask.
At least a couple of us already own that game due to an Indie Royale bundle, but if nothing else, this may be motivation to play it. Thanks for the suggestion.
Recently I've been playing Nuclear Dawn, and I've gotta say, I'm impressed with everything it does exactly the opposite (or at least significantly different) of MW3.
Nuclear Dawn is a fun little multiplayer game that's gone largely unnoticed. The idea, if you're not familiar, is that it's really two interconnected games in one: a FPS and a RTS. Each team has a commander, who purchases and places buildings, such as supply stations, additional spawn points, and equipment upgrades, to support his team, who is meanwhile capturing resource points to provide their commander with the funds he needs to support them. A round ends when one team's command bunker has been destroyed, or the time limit has been reached.
Much like Team Fortress, it's class-based, albeit with a much larger selection of classes and abilities. Unlike either Team Fortress or CoD, some classes and abilities are locked until the commander builds the necessary structures to enable them. It does have level-based upgrades (called gizmos), but these are far less game-breaking than those in MW3, it's far easier to gain levels fairly quickly, and gizmos affect an entire squad (groups of players can join a squad and operate as a tighter-knit group than the team as a whole) so it makes much less of a difference than in Modern Warfare. Mostly, levels are there so that people have an idea of the skill of their teammates, so they know who will be a good commander.
Nuclear Dawn also has camping, and rewards staying still. Running pretty much kills your accuracy with most weapons, and though there aren't as many good camping spots as in something like Counter-Strike, they are still there. A recent update to the game added wall and barrier structures, which essentially lets the commander CREATE camping spots.
All-in-all, the game seems as though it was specifically designed to be an answer to unstrategic, cookie-cutter games like recent entries into the Call of Duty series. It's got an unfortunately small community, thanks in part to some early mediocre reviews caused by some severe balance issues which have since been fixed in a Valve-esque updating scheme, but mostly because very few have even heard of the game.
As an aside, I have an extra giftable PC copy of it on Steam that I'd be glad to donate to you or any First Hour reviewer who's willing to review it (either a full review or a first hour review).
Disclaimer: I do not have any investment in InterWave Studios beyond a personal desire to see this game succeed; I love it, and I wish there were more than a small handful of active servers at any given time.
HEADSHOT 50 POINTS
DOUBLE KILL 100 POINTS
REVENGE 200 POINTS
I don't play the games at all, but I've seen a decent amount of people while playing it. They do seem a little fun, but the community is absurdly bad and it's hilarious watching Activision trying to make their game as constantly rewarding and addicting as possible just so they can sell their ridiculous DLC map packs.
I don't mind the running so much or the fact that they semi-discourage camping. It does just make it an arcade shooter rather than one pretending to be realistic. But it doesn't seem to have amazingly good balance and makes the loadout grinds absolutely necessary, which you'd obviously want to avoid for a game that takes itself seriously. Then you just have a black market of modded rooms and prestige servers.
Well actually, I can't, but I can sympathize. Diablo 3 was my first foray into the Diablo series after playing the first a few years ago and almost immediatebly dropping it to play something else. Because of that, I see Diablo 3 as a game that stands on its own, not a sequel to a game that came out 10 or so years ago. There are plenty of flaws in the game, but one wonders how much your bias towards Diablo 2 and thus against Diablo 3 affected your mindset while playing.
This is very interesting, You're a very skilled blogger. I've joined your rss feed and look forward to seeking more of your wonderful post. Also, I have shared your website in my social networks!
I've always been the type of guy to own every console I could afford (varied year to year) but like you I am similarly disinterested in any new console. The DS was one of the best investments I ever made (after much criticism against "two screens? why!?") and probably the most played system I've had in the last decade, unless you count playing SNES games on my otherwise dusty Wii. I forgot why I started that sentence. Ah yes - and although I somewhat want a 3DS nothing about the systems or the games I've seen for it have raised that "minor interest" to "must spend $170 RIGHT NOW." Maybe in the words of Sazh and Danny Glover and many others, "I'm getting too old for this..." or maybe I just don't like the dark road I foresee for console gaming. Steam has really won me over since their Summer Camp sales last year. I have traditionally always had a HUGE HUGE HUGE console game library and maybe 1-2 PC games here and there (Civ and Sims, my guilty pleasure). Now it's almost completely reversed. I'm playing old console games I've had lying around and buying new-ish Steam games as they come on sale.
I don't see too much of a difference between X and XIII. In XIII you switch your Paradigm and in X you bring into play the character that's strong against whatever you're facing. That's 99% of the game or so. Maybe 95% if I'm being generous. The end of X and the colosseum (still in X) require some more advanced, strategic thinking. F6 and 8, I agree, but that's only certain characters and I could still just spam Attack with Sabin most of the time - though it wasn't as much fun as a Hadoken or the infamous "Bum Rush." I admit something as diverse as FF6's cast and how they play differently in battle is something I sorely miss in the series. As for FF8, I didn't enjoy the Draw system. It's the FF I've played least (tied currently with 13 for 1 attempted replay that I never finished). The only thing I really love about FF8 is the music.
I think the Paradigm system starts to shine (like other aspect of the game) in Chapter 11, which I wholeheartedly believe is much too late. I'm not really a FF13 apologist. I'm probably one of it's biggest critics. I'm attempting to play it and try and spin it in a new way, maybe cast a better light on it. I'm already biased against it, but the second playthrough is arguably better already because you (the player) spend much less time going "What the hell is a fal'Cie and why do they keep talking about it without context so I can't figure it out?" You already know many of the plot devices so you start out on an even playing field with the characters. It's not a good way to tell the story, by far, but it's already seen marked improvement. Things like that I'm noting in my analysis of the plot. Also, make sure you're checking your Datalog every now and then because (sadly) a lot of valuable information is hidden in the nooks and crannies.
About the only thing I really did like about the game (without snarky criticism) was the battle system, but it's not until you can build your own teams and really get a diverse mix of roles for your Paradigms that it gets more depth and strategic. Again, happens much too late in the game. They really should have paced it a bit better.
Yeah, I don't think they'd ever allow other marketplaces, but I don't think they're going to block used games next generation, so whatever. I am extremely uninterested in any consoles next gen, so I'm not really concerned at this time.
Noticed today that MS is finally having some sales on downloading full games, but all of them are from like the first year of the Xbox 360 and can probably be found that cheap by walking into any local Gamestop.
Thanks for your comment! About your question on which Final Fantasy games you don't just mash the accept button, well, here's my thoughts.
There's probably a few other examples, but I just feel like FF13 is a weak combination of FF12 and FFX-2, where the paradigms are sort of like gambits, but you're still required to basically mash the X button to execute the auto-battle. Maybe I'm not far enough in the game yet that auto-battle is still beating battles with ease 99% of the time.
I will say that even though I'm not a huge fan of the battle system, it's still the best part of the game.
I've been trying to preach about this for months if not years.
DLC falls into the same category and you can already use it as a model. The prices of games and DLC for consoles keep going up. Publishers would have me believe that used games and pirates are the reason. This simply isn't true. It's a bold face lie. Greed is the real reason, and combined with consumers too silly to understand the value of a dollar, I guess. When you compare XBox Live to Steam the whole notion explodes in your face. Steam competes with other online providers and thus has huge mark downs to make sales. XBox Live does not, so game prices almost never go down. What is the incentive to buy? Some games online are more expensive than (new) games at Gamestop. That doesn't even make sense. So yeah, I've been trying to sign people up on this agenda, too.
Blocking used games (your spin on it) could actually be a bold and smart move if it was done correctly, but my uneducated market analysis has shown me that Sony and Microsoft (in particular) just want more money going into their pockets, not to create an even and fair marketplace where games are reasonably priced. This will explode in their faces. No one will buy 1 year old games for full retail price. Gamestop (if they are smart) won't even stock their systems. No one will buy the consoles. Piracy will actually rise. Steam will sell more games that should have been console release. All that jazz. I have already predicted that I don't think any console producer is stupid enough to tread this path.
It's strange how new this review is and how quickly I found it (did a search for PSICOM Marauder on Google). I'll try and make a long story shorter. I am re-playing 13. I played it when it came out and enjoyed the battle system, but hated how much of a far cry it was from a standard Final Fantasy in terms of exploration and (coherent) story. Over time, I convinced myself to give it another chance and try and really understand what the story is trying desperately (but failing) to tell me. I decided I'd take extensive notes and maybe piece it together like a puzzle. I'm commenting because you're first hour (got farther than mine, due to note taking) sounds almost exactly like my notes and we draw some similar conclusions.
The "drop you in the action" approach is too confusing for this game. You are spending way to much time wondering "WTF are they talking about?" rather than actually thinking about or understanding what's going on. Unfortunately I don't understand you're "Here's a secret" comment. Many people say the Battle System of 13 is too simple. "a matter of picking the right paradigm and then mash away at the X button." Is that not one step more complex than Final Fantasy 1 through 10? Picking your Paradigm and switching appropriately is at least a bit more stimulating than holding down the A button to spam "Attack" through countless monsters. I don't know. It's one thing I hear said about 13 that I don't understand. What Final Fantasy games are you playing that aren't simply mashing "accept" button?
Don't tell anyone, but I am actually playing on. I said I wouldn't... but this is more because I'm a masochist and I feel I need to play most Final Fantasy games. I'm about 16 hours in and just met one of the main character's dad.
The battle system is better, but only marginally so I feel. It's still just a matter of picking the right paradigm and then mash away at the X button. The plot is terrible and the characters are disasters.
You're right to be disappointed in the first hour. The first FOUR hours are annoying and boring. For some reason that's totally beyond me, they decided to introduce layers of complexity to the battle system v..............e........r...........y............s..........l.............o............w.........l......y. After the first couple hours, I almost became panicked at how simple it was. Once the whole thing comes together, the battle system is actually surprisingly fun even though I was skeptical at first. In my mind, it makes up for the fact that the plot was probably the most nonsensical one to date in a Final Fantasy game.
You fail to consider the actual cost of getting a hard-copy to retail. You've got printing, certification, packaging, certification, shipping, more shipping, wholesaler, shipping, then retailer before it gets to the price it is. No developer walks away with 59.99, or even 29.99 of the new game you just purchased. It's all of the other assholes along the way that really roll in the dough. Not only would a consistent digital download service promote more revenues, but also give more ability to drop the status-quo pricing that video games enjoy today.
I have a whole lot of theories as to why the brick-and-mortar retail store is slowly going extinct, but to put this succinctly, Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo, or any developer doesn't run away with your doe - retail bureaucratic does.
The more I play, the less appealing Hardcore mode becomes for me, if that was even possible. If the random bouts of lag aren't worrisome enough, the cheap ways in which elite monster packs can kill you certainly is.
The time sink can definitely be a turn-off for some gamers; it's something I revel in. I've always been about spending more time on fewer games; a habit I picked up as a youngster with parents that only saw fit to buy me no more than 2 games a year. I don't know if going through Normal mode once, even with all characters, will be a satisfying enough of an experience to justify a purchase; the average Diablo player is expected to push on.
We'll see how long that keeps me entertained. Multiplayer helps.
Haven't touched the game in about a week, actually, but that's more to do with time constraints than lack of desire.
As for the lag issues, I find them surprisingly minimal, but that means nothing to anyone but me.
thats true my level 99 on block 5 last play through i spent to much time on the story so it was only 36
I'm really impressed with your writing skills and also with the layout on your weblog. Is this a paid theme or did you customize it yourself? Either way keep up the nice quality writing, it's rare to see a great blog like this one nowadays.
I got to the end of the trial (Skeleton King fight), but stopped there and had no real desire to continue, especially since I know how much of a timesink it would be and the issues it was already having.
I did have quite a bit of server lag at times as well. Could never play hardcore mode in this game.
Just a number for the first hour, I haven't given first hour reviews a "score" in at least two years now. I suppose a 7 now would be "yeah, I'd keep playing, but it could really go either way at this point. If the pace picks up a bit, I'll keep going, but otherwise I may quit."
If its the greatest RPG you've played (I agree), then why a 7??