J4MES OX4D

I haven't played Titanfall too much since release due to other commitments but I thought I'd give my opinion on what I've grasped of the game so far. I was overwhelmed at how impressive this game was in beta form and despite a few issues, I was very optimistic that this game would be a major competitor to the likes of COD and Battlefield on the respected systems. The final product seems of a substantial quality but key design flaws in my opinion lets this game shoot itself in the foot. Firstly; the 'campaign' is a complete farce. You have two alternating 'stories' played on both sides which last probably 18 matches and for the life of me; at no point could I tell you what was going on whatsoever. You get a brief cutscene prior to the match and then a dynamic scene before the game starts. It is incredibly hard to grasp what is going on. Dialogue attached to the alleged campaign is also played in the post/pre-match lobbies but most of the time you're busy looking at your stats or loadouts to realise what is being communitcated. The non-existent story is played out on maps and modes like Hardpoint and Attrition but what you achieve on the battlefield doesn't seem to offer any further narrative. Quite simply the campaign is embarrassing and pointless on a ridiculous level. From a technical perspective; it also ballses up the matchmaking when you resume the story as the servers have to find players who are at the same point in the 'story' as you to link them to your lobby. I just finished the IMC campaign and my game of Hardpoint Domination on Corporate was left with just 5v3 players which killed the game. Quite simply, the campaign fails on an epic level and shouldn't have been considered. This is one of a couple of severe flaws in the game. The next problem as I mentioned in the beta was the 6v6+bots. I can understand why they have reduced the player count to accommodate the Titans but this has a detrimental effect on Pilot gameplay. The bots offer absolutely nothing of value and downgrades the frantic challenge. They really should have considered changing the structure of how many Titans are permitted at a time and how they are earned. This game would be brilliant as a 12v12 but the sacrifice Respawn have made for their main selling point with the Titans has somewhat harmed the credibility of the gameplay. Even if they beefed up the bots; it may have improved the challenge drastically but I think the core infrastructure of the Titans is a flawed aspect of the game which is the key part of the title. I think Respawn would be offended if people asked them to have a Pilot only mode with 16v16 or something as it would kick their creation in the teeth but in all honesty; I think it would salvage much longevity if they did this. Basically I feel the Titan implementation has been horrendously flawed. One other key issue I've noticed is this game is quite bare in terms of unlocks and weapons. The beta had quite a lot of content available so I thought but actually the finished product doesn't have the wealth of weapons I was expecting. I fear I will unlock and see most of the game within half the levels of the first generation. This is a bit of a shame because I don't want to be bored shitless in a month or so having seen it all. On to the more positive parts of the game then; in terms of the graphics, they are very good with amazingly varied maps. The engine which I found incredible on the beta is as swish and brilliant as ever. The movement and controls are absolutely pristine and it's an absolute joy darting round the map. The feel of the guns, the unlocks and the combat is of that of Call of Duty. It really feels satisfying and in some instances I'd rather opt to be a foot soldier than fart about in a Titan blowing shit up. The games feel really balanced and any camping murmurs and typical FPS moans are well and truly put to bed in this game. It's fast, frantic and pure fun of the highest level and fans of UT and Quake will have a blast. The leveling and design mimics that of Call of Duty as expected, from the people that ultimately created the structure in the first place. You can create your own loadouts, add attachments and all that which is great. There is a good amount of stats and challenges to keep your eyes on too. The Burn Cards are also pretty neat and essentially act as perks but they can be used only once until you die. It's a good job they are readily available as maintaining them is a nigh-impossibility over a duration of time. Overall; Titanfall is an excellent game that lets itself down on key factors with the overall design. I think the devs have made a monumental cock-up in terms of how Titans are implemented into matches and the player count sacrifice to ensure their USP is maintained is desperate in terms of the presence of bots. I think much of the hype was justified and deserved but longevity and dedication from the community and the developers will be the determining factor for this games/series's future. Respawn fucked up with the design of MW2 and still they haven't learned but I think they can learn much from this experience. They were certainly riding on the cock of Microsoft to get to where they are now but many of the issues within the game must hit home for the future if there is to be a Titanfall 2. I think the devs have demonstrated they can deliver a solid experience but I'd like to see them come back to the traditional FPS titles like COD and Battlefield. Titanfall was a much-needed niche but the inclusion of Titans and the confusion of how to draft them into matches to suit everyone has left this game open for tumbleweed in the near future if they aren't careful.

Field order teased http://www.charlieintel.com/2014/03/27/infinity-ward-teases-new-predator-like-mode-for-devastation-dlc/

With all this technology today and all the advancements in aviation; I still cannot believe the Black Box system is still relied on the way it is. The Air France disaster back in 2009 saw the boxes recovered two years later at a cost of hundreds of millions. I have no doubt that the technology is there to do it and I expect many airlines are against it due to cost but I feel this is the last piece in the jigsaw that is required for swift and accurate understanding of incidents albeit rare, of this kind. It's been a complete fuck up from start to finish and it's an absolute tragedy for everyone involved. It must be torture not having closure or a clear understanding of what has happened to their loved ones. The fact they still haven't got conclusive proof of debris let alone a clear under understanding of why the plane detoured just shows a gaping hole in how aircraft are managed on the ground and tracked in flight. So many questions still outstanding and it's just devastating to see a clear lack professionalism and concrete information from the powers that be.

Batman Arkham Asylum GOTY £2.49 Batman Arkham City GOTY £4.99 Batman Arkham Origins £7.50 Deus Ex Human Revolution Directors Cut £3.24 Deus Ex £1.24 Deus Ex Invisible War £1.24 Just Cause Collection £5.24 Just Cause £1.24 Just Cause 2 £2.49 Sleeping Dogs £3.24 (Collection £7.49) Hitman Collection £7.49 Hitman Codename 47 £1.24 Hitman 2 Silent Assassin £1.24 Hitman Blood Money £1.74 Hitman Absolution £4.99 Thief Gold £1.99 Thief 2 £1.99 Thief Deadly Shadows £2.79 Eve Online £6.49 Kane and Lynch Dead Men £1.99 Tomb Raider 1-6 £1.99 each Daikatana £1.99 Commandos 1-3 £1.19 each

Watch Dogs Destiny The Order Dying Light MLB The Show 2014

Welcome to Chicago trailer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1efmpSc7fJQ#t=112

Latest info http://news.sky.com/story/1232164/missing-plane-122-objects-spotted-in-ocean

Funny!

Same with me. Skyfall is a bit barmy like a few Bonds but is actually an excellent film in its own right. I highly recommend watching it. There are parts of the film which you feel the producers are trying to bring Bond back to the old days. They derailed far too much with Royale and Solace from the Bond feel for me.

Facebook has just bought the company so the Oculus Rift can now go fuck itself

I like The Living Daylights song. Good film too TWINE; crap film epic song tho

I think it's a great idea! £64 for 90 days may seem steep off the bat but with support and donations, an FG server would be badass. One of the conditions should be; No fucking French allowed

Don't you mean Naval Strike? Well I'm still waiting as the PC version has been delayed (what a bloody surprise)

I don't mind HC but you're really treading on eggshells particularly if the host admin has strict kick policies regarding team killing. It was a nightmare with the no-tag friendly issue existed and you always run into a few players who camp the fuck out of somewhere and you can't see them for shit. I've also got a bit disorientated on some maps without the map. You die easier but can kill quicker and if you're struggling to get to grips with the netcode problems with bullet detection; HC mode is definitely worth a try.

Another load of fixes in preparation for Naval Strike BF4 March 25 Xbox One / Xbox 360 / PS4 / PS3 Patch NotesGeneral Fixes General stability improvements Fix for a crash that could occur when players were customizing vehicles. Fix for an issue in the Rush game mode where end-of-round screen would always indicate that there were 60 minutes left of the game. Fix for an issue where the splash damage for IFV shells, Helicopter rockets, and Mortar rounds was unable to destroy deployed equipment. Fix for an issue that could cause the quad bike to explode when it hit indestructible objects. Fix for an issue that would cause sniper rifles to display too much bloom when aiming in snowy conditions, especially the outside areas of Operation Locker. Fix for an issue where the ECM would sometimes fail to jam incoming missiles. Shortened the take-off distances for jets to match the length of the runways in Second Assault maps. Fix for going above ceiling exploits in Operation Metro. Fix for a new MAV riding exploit. Fix for kill camera jittering/strobing sometimes if colliding with other world objects or terrain. Fix for soldiers getting catapulted when walking on steep surfaces “Netcode” Fix for an issue where the kill camera would display the incorrect killer. Fix for an issue where the kill card won’t show up when playing on servers which have the kill camera turned off. Fixed an issue where other soldiers would appear to fire in the wrong direction when turning quickly. Fix for weapons firing twice, or not at all in some instances. Fix for an issue where explosions didn’t do any damage to infantry and vehicles that were outside of the combat area. Fix for an issue where late-joining players wouldn’t correctly experience Levolution events on Paracel Storm and Flood Zone. Fix for an issue that could cause packet loss. Progressions Added Gold Battlepacks as rewards for Class Service Stars, allowing players that have reached the max Rank to continue earning new Battlepacks.Weapons / Gadget Tweaks Increased the damage of the normal buckshot against targets with Body Armor. Reduced the vertical recoil of the M4 and M16A4 to give these burst fire weapons a tighter burst accuracy in their mid- to long range role. Reduced the side-to-side and first shot recoil of the G36C. This weapon now has the lowest side-to-side recoil of the carbines, giving it a clear controllable low rate of fire role, especially when compared to the AK5C, Type-95B-1 and the AKU-12. Tweaked the detonation time of the 40mm LVG so it bounces less before going off. The maximum damage has however been reduced to 80 like the RGO. Reduced the number of how many 40mm HE and LVG rounds players can carry, from 4 to 3. Increased the time it takes to get new 40mm round from ammo boxes. The time is longer for HE and LVG grenades and shorter for utility grenades like SMK and FLASH. Grenade Tweaks Increased the time it takes to get new RGO IMPACT, V40 MINI, M84 FLASHBANG and M18 SMOKE grenades from ammo boxes. Since the player now carries more of these grenades, the resupply delay needed to be longer to prevent grenade spamming.Vehicle Tweaks Significantly improved the suppression from mounted vehicle weapons, including miniguns, HMGs, LMGs, and all shells types for all armored vehicles.Aircraft Tweaks Further reduced the repair rate for the Scout Helicopters and the Transport Helicopters. Significantly increased the damage of Transport Helicopter miniguns. Changed the flight ceilings on Gulf of Oman, Caspian Border and Operation Firestorm to better match the height of the structures in those levels. Adjusted the damage of the 25mm and 30mm cannons for both Stealth Jets and Mobile AA to be equal in Damage Per Second to the 20mm default weapons. These weapons were clearly poorer choices in all circumstances, and their different rates of fire are intended to be the player’s choice factor for these weapon systems. AC-130 Gunship Tweaks Increased the splash damage and the range at which the JDAM bombs can achieve max splash damage. The JDAM’s power was not properly balanced with its difficulty to use. The JDAM remains a primarily anti-vehicle weapon, though this change will increase the effectiveness against all targets. Increased the accuracy and direct hit damage of the AC130 40mm cannons. 40mm cannons can now be used to fire pinpoint shots in 2-3 round bursts, enabling them to provide accurate fire on infantry and vehicle targets. Their velocity has also been marginally increased to aid their accuracy. Increased the splash damage and range of the AC130 25mm cannons. These cannons now do approximately 50% more damage, in a slightly increased area of impact. The increased damage as well as increased suppression effects will allow the 25mm cannon to fill its role as an area of effect weapon against infantry.

Some vids anyhow: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BARsxT4TziM

Oh thank god! I thought it was an abbreviation for 'wanking on the laptop keys'

Looks like there will be a VAT increase between 3-15% on digital downloads including marketplace games, iTunes and all that mumbo jumbo to close an unforeseen tax 'loophole'. It is expected to be fixed at 20% come January 2015.

Hope not! Looks legit As this is DICE; I expect at least a 6 month delay at last-knockings!

Naval Strike has been delayed on PC How fucking anal is that! Fix your game DICE for the trillionth time DICE!!

Rented servers coming to consoles on April 1st apparently

Anyone got/getting this? Apparently it's very short but pretty decent fun nevertheless. I really need to beef up my PS4 game collection but I'm still on the fence with this one due to cost and long term value.

Same with me I also keep getting Thai Bride pop ups. I don't need that; I already have 26 wives

Not yet but I've seen it in action and it looks pretty god damn schweet on there. I just have it on the PC at the moment but once I sort out my PS4 online shit; I may join everyone on there