LittleBigPlanet

If there was one word that could be used to describe LittleBigPlanet, it would be: sharing. Many games have boasted the ability to host user-created content, but LittleBigPlanet takes this concept to a whole new level.

In LittleBigPlanet, players take on the roles of little sackdoll characters who can freely explore a variety of different levels by running, jumping and grabbing on to things. At its core, it’s a traditional platforming game with tried and true mechanics backed by a powerful physics engine. But the real focus of the game is on customizing and creating new content for the game with a built-in creation tool.

To get a feel for the game and its mechanics, LittleBigPlanet features 50 pre-created levels across 8 differently themed worlds that were designed by the game’s development staff. These levels follow a story wherein it’s the player’s job to solve the mystery behind a villain named “The Collector,” who is taking all the different creations in the LittleBigPlanet world and keeping them for himself instead of sharing them with the world. Along with acquainting the player to the game’s mechanics and theme, it also sets the stage for what the game is really about: creating and sharing.

Once players are ready, they can undergo tutorials that will teach them how to create their own levels to share with their friends and the Playstation Network community as a whole. You can start your very own levels from scratch, or you can search the network for another player’s level and modify it if you need some inspiration.

You have access to a wide variety of “building materials” that all have their own properties and use realistic physics. For instance, rubber has a different weight and texture than cloth. You can glue different items together or connect them to motors and other moving parts to create clever puzzles or just fun toys. Then, you can publish your creations for others to download and play.

LittleBigPlanet gives you the power to create virtual playgrounds that are as simple or as elaborate as you want. But what fun would a virtual playground be without friends to play with? LittleBigPlanet supports up to 4 players playing any one level at a time. Some of the most exciting and interesting levels out there are the ones that force a group of players to work together to succeed.

In addition to customizing levels, players can also customize their sackdoll character with a variety of different costumes, hairstyles and clothing. Many popular characters from well-known video game franchises lend their unique style to LittleBigPlanet: you can dress up your sack doll to look like Solid Snake from the Metal Gear Series, or Kratos from God of War. If there’s no style that you like, then just create your own!

Key Features:

• LittleBigPlanet redefines the word “customization” by allowing you to customize characters, levels and even gameplay elements and then share them with everyone

• Play cooperatively with your friends or other gamers as you explore hundreds of unique levels created by other players

• Customize your sackdoll character with a variety of different looks, including homages to some of your favorite characters

• Play through 50 levels across 8 worlds in the pre-made single-player campaign – then take what you’ve learned to the level creator and build your own levels

• A realistic physics engine provides a world of different possibilities for level creation and puzzle design

• Join a huge community of creators and players that hosts over 1 million levels and countless other custom creations

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Burning Crusade

This is the last part of my article on quick and dirty burning crusade tips for the beginner, after playing the World of Warcraft for a few weeks now, you might already be thinking of playing its first Expansion Set – WoW: The Burning Crusade (TBC).  Read on to get some Burning Crusade Tips that will help you set your mind on what’s ahead.

Related posts:

1. Burning Crusade Tips for the Beginner – Part 1
2. Burning Crusade Tips for the Beginner – Part 2
3. The World of Warcraft Experience – A Beginner’s Review (Part 2)

Fallout 3, like its predecessors, takes place in a post-apocalyptic world that has been all but annihilated by nuclear warfare. It’s been over two hundred years since the event, but society is still struggling to reestablish itself. Those people that are still living on the surface have huddled together in small communities for mutual protection against violent gangs, irradiated animals, and deadly super mutants. However, many others found their ways into safeguarded vaults prior to the nuclear destruction – and they’ve remained there ever since in small, insular communities.

FallOut 3

The player takes on the role of one such Vault Dweller. The player controls the character’s growth through his or her formative years, starting as a baby and then taking part in vignettes of the character’s adolescence and teenage years. When the character turns 18, the plot takes off in earnest. The character’s father, a noted scientist, breaks the cardinal rule of life in a vault – he leaves it. The overseer of the vault deems the character a threat that must be eliminated, forcing the player to escape into the unwelcoming wasteland of what was once Washington D.C. From there, the player searches for his father and unravels a greater mystery.

How exactly to go about finding the main character’s father is a left up to the player. As soon as the player leaves the vault, they are free to go anywhere in the Capital Wasteland. Of course, the area is far from friendly, and is crawling with all kinds of threats. Throughout the adventure, the player will visit a variety of locations. These include: Megaton, a makeshift city built around an undetonated atomic bomb, Little Lamplight, a town full of children that kick out anyone who reaches the age of majority, and Rivet City, a beached aircraft carrier now serving as a home for hundreds – and that’s just to name a few.

How the player interacts with characters around the game world is also totally open. The player can aid people and make friends, or they can simply walk into town and start shooting everyone and rob them blind. Even most key characters don’t have “plot immunity” and can be killed – although it’s probably not a good idea, as you will need allies in this quest.
As in most traditional RPGs, the player will gain levels by killing enemies, completing quests and exploring the world. Those who have played previous Fallout games will be happy to see the series’ trademark “S.P.E.C.I.A.L.” advancement system. In addition to increasing base attributes, players can choose from a variety of “perks” that have a wide range of different gameplay effects.

On the surface, Fallout 3 plays like first person shooter. However, the player won’t reach maximum combat effectiveness without using the Vault-Assisted Targeting System, or V.A.T.S. This ability allows the player to target specific body parts of his enemies, allowing them to pinpoint weak spots, disarm (literally) or disable enemies. V.A.T.S. takes time to recharge after use, giving the game’s combat a light turn-based feel.

Key Features:

• Fallout goes next gen – last seen in an isometric 2D game, the world of Fallout is brought to life in all its grimness in full 3D with advanced graphics

• Go anywhere, do anything – from the moment you leave the vault, you’re free to go anywhere in the Capital Wasteland and interact with its inhabitants however you see fit

• No easy decisions – the world of Fallout is a dark one, and sometimes the only choice is between two horrific evils

• The S.P.E.C.I.A.L. system and perks both make a return, allowing you to customize your character and gameplay experience to your liking

• First-person shooter meets strategic turn-based combat through with the help of the pinpoint-targeting V.A.T.S. system

• The series trademark kitschy post-WWII paranoia humor and style remains intact for this newest entry

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Dragon Age Origins

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The game follows the exploits of Eddie Riggs (who is voiced by, and whose character design is based on actor/musician Jack Black), regarded as the best roadie for the worst metal band ever. While rescuing one of the band members from a stupid stunt, Eddie is injured and some blood splashes onto the demonic-looking emblem on his belt. It turns out that this emblem is actually a gateway to an alternate dimension that is straight off the cover art of a heavy metal album – and blood was the key. When Eddie comes to, he finds himself thrust into a conflict between a human resistance movement and the forces of the Emperor of the Tainted Coil (voiced by Tim Curry), who is subjugating them.

Brütal Legend

The player, as Eddie Riggs, will pick up a trio of upgradeable weapons. There’s Clementine, Eddie’s guitar from the real world, which is supercharged ax with magical power in the heavy metal world. Eddie can use Clementine to wreak havoc on his enemies and can also use it to play rockin’ solos that will have massive effects on the world environment. Then there’s a literal battleaxe, the Separator, which Eddie can use to hack his way through enemies. Finally, there’s the Deuce, a custom hot rod that can be used to navigate the wide open world.

Before long, Eddie links up with Lars and Lita, the leaders of the resistance, and starts to recruit an army of metal-inspired units, including headbangers, beast-riding amazon chicks, and leather clad motorcycle gangs. Then, the battle begins in earnest.

Key Features:

• Explore an open world inspired by the music and art of the heavy metal genre

• Play through a multitude of primary and side quests

• Rocking sound track featuring over 100 tracks from heavy metal artists from the 70s to present

• Superb comedic writing under the renowned creative direction of Tim Schaefer

• Featuring memorable voice work from Jack Black as Eddie Riggs, as well as a number of metal legends who also lend their voices, including: Ozzy Osbourne, Rob Halford (Judas Priest), Lita Ford (The Runaways), Lemmy Kilmister (Motörhead), and more

• A unique fusion of action gameplay and real-time strategy gameplay – destroy enemies on the front lines as Eddie while leading your army of metal minions

• Play face-melting solos on Eddie’s guitar, Clementine, to warp the terrain around you, enhance your allies and crush your enemies

• 3 upgradeable weapons with a variety of different powers and abilities to enhance the mayhem

• Engage in 4 v 4 multiplayer battles, taking control of one of the game’s factions (including the Metalheads, the Goths, and the Glam Rockers) in a strategic battles

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Bioshock is a first person shooter game by 2K Games – formerly Irrational Games – the minds behind the critically acclaimed System Shock series. As a spiritual successor to that series, Bioshock takes the winning formula of a haunting atmosphere, deep storyline, and great action gameplay and updates it for a new generation.

In Bioshock, the player takes on the role of a man named Jack. The story begins with Jack aboard a plane which promptly crashes somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean. As the only survivor, Jack makes his way to a nearby lighthouse, which is actually the entrance to an underwater city known as Rapture. Built by a visionary named Andew Ryan, Rapture was meant to be a city of science and progress, where great minds could pursue their research without sanction. This leads to great advances in biotechnology and the introduction of ADAM, a material that can rewrite the human genome, granting miraculous powers and superhuman capabilities.

However, something has gone horribly wrong. When Jack arrives in Rapture, he finds himself under attack by splicers – violently mad ADAM addicts – and the city’s defenses controlled by a seemingly paranoid and insane Andew Ryan. To survive, Jack must arm himself and enhance his own body with ADAM, gaining new powers as he progresses through the now derelict city.

Throughout the game, the player comes across audio diaries that chronicle the alternately inspiring and horrific history and downfall of Rapture. There’s also an important ethical decision to be made. Little Sisters, genetically altered adolescent girls who can collect ADAM, can either be rescued or sacrificed to gain more power. Harvesting the Sisters grants the player more ADAM to upgrade abilities – but at what cost? Of course, to make the choice at all, Jack must first defeat the Big Daddies, the hulking guardians of the Little Sisters. The core gameplay of  Bioshock is that of a first person shooter. Jack employs both standard firearms and ADAM-powered plasmids to do things such as project fire, use telekinesis, and control the minds of enemies.

Key Features:

• Atmospheric presentation draws you into beautiful and horrifying world of Rapture

• Learn the disturbing history of Rapture through audio diaries found around the city

• Explore an open and fully realized underwater city

• Experiment with different combinations of firearms and superpower-granting plasmids to defeat your enemies

• Collect items and money from the environment and use them to upgrade weapons, ammunition and plasmids, and even build new weapons and ammo

• Choose to either save or harvest the Little Sisters – do you choose power, or mercy?

• Battle insane splicers and the massive Big Daddies, and use hacking skills to work your way past security turrets and cameras

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