Games

Now I have a fairly decent size xbox games collection. By no means is it huge but there's a good few titles in there, maybe 40 or so? However of late I find myself struggling to really find anything I can be arsed playing. I mean I have driving games, sports games, kinect games, sandbox games, role playing games and shooting games (oh so many bastard shooting games).

I have games that are considered amazing, for example I've been trying to play Skyrim, which I'm assured by everyone is amazing and immersive and one of the best there is. Personally I have just killed a giant spider and then continually die on the next bit, doing the same section over and over again isn't interesting and I didn't want to play it any more.

Yes, this is down to me being shit at it I accept, but I enjoy other things I'm shit at, football, playing the piano lack of ability is no boundary there, Skyrim (like Fallout before it until I had some kind of epiphany and suddenly loved it) not happening mate, someone else can save your kingdom, or whatever else the fuck is going on.

But not just picking on Skyrim, games as a rule are very generic, there's so many FPS games, all produced just because Call of Duty sells, I'm sure they make up 60% of the software base. I just someone would release something new and good. Deadly Premonition would've been ideal but it's a bitch to control and looks like hell.

Minecraft is my salvation at the moment, I enjoy a bit of minecraft, maybe I'll do a blog just about minecraft soon. Maybe.

Fallout revisited

When I first played it, I hated Fallout 3. Found it drawn out, dull, uninteresting, unengaging etc. But then I received (at my request) Fallout: New Vegas as a crimbo present. Now essentially it's the same game, but weirdly I really enjoyed NV. It played the same, I think the characters were better (wonderful work from Odo from DS9 on the Mr House voice) but for some reason the game just clicked with me.

This has inspired me, I've gone tearing back to Fallout 3 and started a new game! I'm already doing better at it, as I know what I'm doing far better from the extended NV playing. The character I've set up is essentially the same as my NV character, which is far from how I tried to play 3 the first time. Basically in the space of 90mins I've got almost as far as my entire effort previously, infact I'm a single plot point behind and am further with one side quest.

That has made me think, what went wrong the first time then? Don't get me wrong, I'm still don't think 3 is the greatest thing I've ever played, so far the characters aren't as good, no doubting that in my head, but it's nowhere near as bad as I remember. No doubt something will frustrate me soon enough and I'll revert back to my previous opinion, but for now, game on!

Downside it is distracting me from Top Spin 4, which so far I must say plays wonderfully, but I've found shockingly easy. The AI tactics are predictable and repetitive and easy to counter. Played it online against a similar player and it was awesome though!!

These will tide me over until Portal 2 comes out at least. Can't say how much I'm looking forward to a bit of orange and blue action. The original was a triumph, I'm making a note here huge success (sorry, actually after that I'll leave it there)

Top Spin 4

Ok, something different. I'm trying to post this via the medium of iPhone. Knowing auto correct as I do, please accept my apologies for the seemingly stupid/random typos it will contain.

Anyway, Friday is an exciting day for a tennis loving geek such as myself. It sees the release of Top Spin 4 on the 360 (other versions are available). Now of the main tennis games produced only really 2 are any good Top Spin and Virtua Tennis. It's a very similar split to Pro Evo and FIFA in that one tries to be realistic (Top Spin, FIFA) while the other is more 'arcadey'. On both sets on franchises I'm with the more realistic ones, Virtua Tennis is fun but it's just all a bit... Throwaway.

In Top Spin I like the career mode, which apparently now is even better. It plays very nice, from the demo anyway, but sadly the real player roster andcreal tornament listings are a bit sparse (no wimbeldon again :() with just as many 'legends' as current players. Thanks but I'd rather the current ones. It also includes a solitary Brit (World #5 Murray) while Virtua Tennis has 2 with the pretty random inclusion of Laura Robson. Not that I was expecting more, I hardly think the somewhat lacking talents of Jamie Baker, Richard Bloomfield or Jamie Ward deserve inclusion...

So come Friday I will wander to gameand lay my cash down for Top Spin and I'm pretty sure it'll be good fun to play. At least it will be a bit of variation from the almost unbroken run Fallout: New Vegas I'd getting in the drive at the moment.

That choice is a bit of a strange one, I never got on with Fallout 3. I don't know if it was the location didn't engage me, the game felt like a chore, or what, but I didn't like it. However, despite being a very very similar experience New Vegas has got me hooked. I find myself being careful with reputations, the setting is nice, I was genuinely looking forward to getting to Vegas itself and wasn't disappointed when I did. It's all good, well not quite all. There are still pull your hair out annoyed sections and bugs aplenty (although the major ones have been fixed) for example while repairing a powervstation HELIOS One last night I encountered a flying piece of scrap metal while seemed to be gravitationally attracted to me. I mean I'm not denying I'm a bit fat but I don't deserve my own moon!!

Anyway, once I done with New Vegas I may venture back to 3. Maybe now I'm familiar with the game more it'll click a bit better, but chancescare it won't.

Top Spin first anyway.