The Guildmasters

The reason I took so long to write this review is because I wanted to play the game for a while first. This gives me the opportunity to write a decent review, unbiased, with no guess work.

When trying to write a good review it almost always includes a downside, Skyrim is no exception but any downsides to this game are not that bad that it spoils the overall gameplay, and you can improve on any negative issues just by taking a little extra time to do a couple of things that will make it better.

First off, you will get instances where the game will lag, quite badly at times. I have found the best way to cut down on this is to not overload your chests in your houses, this helps for some reason. I found this out because I was putting everything in one chest, which appears to be a bottomless pit, it doesn’t fill up. The game was lagging a lot, then I went to a dresser and starting putting stuff in there and it was running quick again.

Another option which pays is to delete all the autosaves, these seem to build up and don’t overwrite the previous autosaves, at least on mine they were all seperate, so I had my game save, and about 6 autosaves, as soon as I started deleting the autosaves the game didn’t suffer from lag anymore.

Apart from above there really isn’t anything else, apart from the odd glitch which most won’t even come across.

Basically Bethesda has taken everything good about all their previous games and incorporated it into this one huge game, then they have added a bunch of other stuff to improve on it even more.

This game is probably more open ended than anything previous. The added randomness of everything just gives it a ton more playability. Dragons free roaming and random encounters makes it more “real” because you can visit the same area time after time and get a different encounter or outcome.

Bethesda obviously listened to previous advice from their players because they have added all the things that everyone wanted to see and then some.

Instead of owning a house, you can own a house in every city, 9 in total, with some extra free residences which you will acquire by completing a line of questing, like the thieves guild, or becoming arch mage. You can also put your books in bookcases now, something I previously saw a lot of posts on where players were saying this would be a good idea.

Although there is a lot of randomness in the game, it is organized, you don’t just come across an animal in the middle of nowhere that seems out of place, you will come across deer or elk grazing, then you might see a pack of wolves attacking it which gives it a more sense of reality than a basic random encounter, you can watch or dive in and kill for the materials.

The other new aspect of creating weapons from scratch by using smithing is a great addition, it makes you want to experiment with everything. I think I spent a couple of days creating, sharpening and enhancing weapons, and if that wasn’t enough you can make a tidy profit when you sell them.

Everything about this game involves you, it is impossible to get bored of a game like this. I played for more than a week before I rode my first horse, I just didn’t want to ride one, I wanted to explore everywhere by foot because you can miss so much just by traveling by horse.

The towns are so interactive and with virtually endless quests I can honestly see me playing this game off and on for years, this is the kind of game you can just cut yourself off from reality for a few hours and become immersed in something extremely enjoyable, like a really good movie.

The list is endless on what this game can do for you, and what you can do in the game. Harvest flowers, catch insects to make potions, kill animals and use the hides, kill dragons for some of the best armor in the game, join all the factions, buy a house, decorate your house however you want, explore dungeons, ruins and caves which are not small by any means, some caves and ruins can take up the best part of a day to explore.

Overall Bethesda did not let fans down this time around in any way, I would go as far as to say that what most of us expected was nothing compared to what we got, me personally? I’m extremely impressed, and if this game had $100 price tag i’d still buy it, can’t wait for the game of the year edition, you know there will be one.

Rating out of 5 = 5 simply because it’s as close to perfection as you can get right now with a game, and that is based on graphics, main storyline, playability and the amount of things you can do to keep you wanting to play more.

Tony:)

I’ve been watching some videos of the latest Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and every time I watch something that I haven’t seen before it just makes me want it all the more.

The latest video I saw was Todd talking about how they moved into new ground again by giving us an infinite amount of quests. I don’t understand the technical side of this but its all to do with this new engine they used which seems to be able to create quests on the fly, meaning you will never actually be able to finish everything in the game because its endless, talk about cool.

I played morrowind for what seemed like forever but this one, at least for a while, is going to be the ultimate gaming experience. The first game of its kind that doesn’t end, and lets face it, fans of the Elder Scrolls don’t really want it too.

One of the most frustrating things about really good games, is that once you’ve completed them, you have to wait like 2 maybe 3 years to get the next one, with this, we will have something to continue playing right up until the next installment.

I think my biggest worry with something this huge and open ended is whether I will get any time free to play some of the other awesome games out there. Being able to make a game that is endless certainly gives value for money, one of the biggest letdowns with games is they cost so much and when you get a game that can be completed in a few days it seems a waste of hard earned cash. With a game that is never ending we will definitely be getting our moneys worth, thanks Bethesda, now let me play it already !!!

Tony:)

Yet another epic game, highly anticipated and I know millions will buy this one.

I loved the previous assassins creed stories, graphics and online play and this one will be even better, so looking forward to getting this one.

So, lets give you the main game description and storyline:

Game description:

When a man has won all of his battles and defeated all of his enemies; what is left for him to achieve? Ezio Auditore must leave his life behind in search of answers, in search of the truth. In Assassin’s Creed® Revelations, master assassin Ezio Auditore walks in the footsteps of the legendary mentor Altaïr, on a journey of discovery and revelation. It is a perilous path — one that will take Ezio to Constantinople, the heart of the Ottoman Empire, where a growing army of Templars threatens to destabilize the region.

In addition to the culmination of Ezio’s award-winning story, a refined and expanded online multiplayer experience returns with new and additional modes, maps, and characters, allowing you to test your slaying skills against others from around the world.

When a man has won all of his battles and defeated all of his enemies; what is left for him to achieve? Ezio Auditore must leave his life behind in search of answers, in search of the truth. In Assassin’s Creed® Revelations, master assassin Ezio Auditore walks in the footsteps of the legendary mentor Altaïr, on a journey of discovery and revelation. It is a perilous path — one that will take Ezio to Constantinople, the heart of the Ottoman Empire, where a growing army of Templars threatens to destabilize the region.

Become Deadlier Than Ever — Wield the lethal skills of a wiser, more efficient and deadlier Ezio. Swiftly eliminate your adversaries by deploying a new arsenal of weapons and abilities, such as enhanced free-running and hookblade combat. Experience new levels of gameplay customization with bomb crafting, and use heightened Eagle Sense to vanquish your enemies and the environment.

Customize Your Attack — Ezio has mastered the use of explosives and can now combine materials from the world to create a variety of bombs to serve a multitude of functions. Choose from different categories of bombs, including; lethal, tactical and diversion.

* Need to distract a guard? Use a non-lethal Cherry Bomb to create a diversion.
* Crushed by a crowd? Use a Blood Bomb to clear the area for a quick getaway.
* Time to make the kill? Use a Splinter Bomb with a brittle casing that explodes on impact to create deadly consequences.

Herald The Return Of A Legend — Experience the return of
Altaïr, the hero of the original Assassin’s Creed, as a playable
character.

Test Your Skills Against The Best — A critically acclaimed multiplayer experience gets even better, with all-new team modes and infinite replay value.

Journey To Constantinople — Explore the vibrant and exotic Constantinople, the crossroads of the 16th Century Ottoman Empire and the intersection of two legends of their times, Altaïr Ibn-La’Ahad and Ezio Auditore da Firenze. This vast city provides more diverse environments than ever before encountered, enabling faster travel via zipline, aerial assaults, travel by sea and more.

Product Description:

In Assassin’s Creed Revelations, master assassin Ezio Auditore walks in the footsteps of the legendary mentor Altair, on a journey of discovery and revelation. It is a perilous path – one that will take Ezio to Constantinople, the heart of the Ottoman Empire, where a growing army of Templars threatens to destabilize the region. In addition to Ezio’s award-winning story, a refined and expanded online multiplayer experience returns with more modes, more maps and more characters, allowing you to test your assassin skills against others from around the world.

You can pre-order from amazon as usual, let me know what games you’ll be getting this christmas.

Assassins Creed: Revelations is available on PC, Xbox360 and PS3 so no excuse not to have this one.

Tony 🙂

Thought i’d post some extra info that i’ve found about Skyrim.

Apparently we will be able to own a house, that will be cool, and we can marry, if we own a house our spouse will move in with us.

Also we will be able to become a vampire, but no werewolves. There will also be bar fights, now that’s realistic, lol.

Will post more info as and when I get it, trickles of info coming out almost daily now.

Tony 🙂

After getting the opportunity to watch a good 20 minutes of gameplay from the new Elder Scrolls: Skyrim, i’ve got to say that I need to own this one.

Probably one of the most anticipated games of the year, and its been a long wait, but well worth it.

The graphics, as usual, are amazing, but you can do so much in this new installment. Whatever you see a character doing, you can do, if a guy is sharpening a weapon on a wheel, you can do it too, if you want to chop wood, you can do that as well, it’s so cool.

Personally I preferred Morrowind over Oblivion, but with skyrim I believe they have taken all the best of both games and given it to us here, plus they have added tons of extra stuff, like the dragons, which incidentally, are free roaming making it even cooler, a much better, or should I say improved battle system and trophies/achievements, adding even more playability to the game.

They have even brought back the vampires, which was a cool addition to Morrowind, it will be great to battle the vamps again.

You can pre-order the game now at Amazon and even get a special edition pack and even the guide if you wish. Scroll further down for the official storyline and info.

The guidebook comes with some pretty cool stuff. Here are the details:

FREE ACCESS to the interactive world map– Code inside
The interactive world map includes over 150 location maps covering all 9 Hold cities. Each map shows the locations of every vendor, trainer, skill book, NPC, and unique item in the realm. You can toggle points of interest on and off and zoom in and out.

-Large map Poster inside-
Labeled with important locations, major roads, and hold capitals

-A Champion for Skyrim-
Multiple character builds based on hundreds of hours of play testing reveal exactly what Skills, Perks, equipment, and other items to pick, and how to advance through the game, no matter the type of character you want to be.

-All Collectibles Gathered-
If you’re searching Skyrim for Skill Books, Unique Items and Weapons, every single Shout, Dragon Priest Masks, Treasure Maps, Unusual Gems, or even Captured Critters, we show you where every rare item is.

-The Atlas of Skyrim-
A comprehensive tour of every single location, from the vast Hold Cities to the smallest woodland den. Every major exploration point receives a walkthrough flagging important items, with detailed maps throughout.

-Prowess in Combat-
Every weapon, piece of equipment, and spell is detailed so you know which blade, bow, or incantation to crush your enemies with. Every type of combat is tactically analyzed, so you can better any foe in battle.

-Trainers and Traders-
Skyrim is full of merchants to barter with, and trainers to further increase your Skill, Crafting, and Bartering proficiencies. Every alchemist, blacksmith, innkeeper, trainer, Khajiit caravan, and other vendor revealed.

-Followers and Friends-
Build your friendships across Skyrim and locate every Follower with information inside this guide. Become a Thane. Own property. Marry your favorite Housecarl. Details inside.

-Massive and Complete Index-

You can’t tell me the guide isn’t worth getting, you’ll never find all this stuff on your own no matter how much you play.

Ok let’s get to the story of this epic game:

The Empire of Tamriel is on the edge. The High King of Skyrim has been murdered. Alliances form as claims to the throne are made. In the midst of this conflict, a far more dangerous, ancient evil is awakened. Dragons, long lost to the passages of the Elder Scrolls, have returned to Tamriel. The future of Skyrim, even the Empire itself, hangs in the balance as they wait for the prophesized Dragonborn to come; a hero born with the power of The Voice, and the only one who can stand amongst the dragons.

Key features:

# Epic Fantasy Reborn.
Skyrim reimagines the open-world fantasy epic, pushing the gameplay and technology of a virtual world to new heights.

# Live another life, in another world.
Play any type of character you can imagine, and do whatever you want; the legendary freedom of choice, storytelling, and adventure of The Elder Scrolls is realized like never before.

# All New Graphics and Gameplay Engine.
Skyrim’s new game engine brings to life a complete virtual world with rolling clouds, rugged mountains, bustling cities, lush fields, and ancient dungeons.

# You Are What You Play.
Choose from hundreds of weapons, spells, and abilities. The new character system allows you to play any way you want and define yourself through your actions.

# Dragons Return.
Battle ancient dragons like you’ve never seen. As Dragonborn, learn their secrets and harness their power for yourself.

Tech features:

# Skyrim reimagines the open-world fantasy epic, pushing the game play and technology of a virtual world to new heights
# Play any type of character you can imagine, and do whatever you want; the legendary freedom of choice, storytelling
# Skyrim’s new game engine brings to life a complete virtual world with rolling clouds, rugged mountains, bustling cities, lush fields.
# Choose from hundreds of weapons, spells, and abilities; the new character system allows you to play any way you want.

Special offers and promotions:

Order the standard edition of “Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim,” for PlayStation 3, and receive a $10 promotional credit toward the purchase of items shipped and sold by Amazon.com (certain exclusions apply, including Kindle books, MP3s, and video rentals and downloads). The promotional credit will be added directly to your Amazon.com account within two days after your order ships. Offer valid when shipped and sold by Amazon.com. Limit one per household. Amazon reserves the right to change or terminate this promotion at any time. restrictions apply.

Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim collectors edition:

What you get in the box:

* Alduin Statue. Created in conjunction with the IP Factory, this collector’s only statue stands 12″ tall and is made of high quality PVC. Modeled from actual in-game 3D digital files, it showcases Alduin, the World Eater.
* The Art of Skyrim’ Official Art Book. Featuring over 200 pages of striking, full-color illustrations, sketches and models, this stunning 9 3/8″ x 12 1/8″ coffee table book showcases the characters, creatures, environments, and weaponry of Skyrim.
* The Making of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim’ DVD. This documentary DVD contains exclusive, behind-the-scenes footage, including interviews with the Bethesda Game Studios team.

There you have it, every rpg fanatic, every gamer will want to get their hands on a copy of this game, and the collectors edtion looks pretty cool too, this one will be awesome, will probably make game of the year in record time too, enjoy.

Tony 🙂

Trophy List for Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, has been confirmed.

* Unbound (10g) – Complete “Unbound”
* Bleak Falls Barrow (10g) – Complete “Bleak Falls Barrow”
* The Way of the Voice (20g) – Complete “The Way of the Voice”
* Diplomatic Immunity (20g) – Complete “Diplomatic Immunity”
* Alduin’s Wall (20g) – Complete “Alduin’s Wall”
* Elder Knowledge (20g) – Complete “Elder Knowledge”
* The Fallen (20g) – Complete “The Fallen”
* Dragonslayer (50g) – Complete “Dragonslayer”
* Take Up Arms (10g) – Join the Companions
* Blood Oath (10g) – Become a member of the Circle
* Glory of the Dead (30g) – Complete “Glory of the Dead”
* Gatekeeper (10g) – Join the College of Winterhold
* Revealing the Unseen (10g) – Complete “Revealing the Unseen”
* The Eye of Magnus (30g) – Complete “The Eye of Magnus”
* Taking Care of Business (10g) – Join the Thieves Guild
* Darkness Returns (10g) – Complete “Darkness Returns”
* One with the Shadows (30g) – Returned the Thieves Guild to its former glory
* With Friends Like These… (10g) – Join the Dark Brotherhood
* Bound Until Death (10g) – Complete” Bound Until Death”
* Hail Sithis! (30g) – Complete “Hail Sithis!”
* Taking Sides (10g) – Join the Stormcloaks or the Imperial Army
* War Hero (10g) – Capture Fort Sunguard or Fort Greenwall
* Hero of Skyrim (30g) – Capture Solitude or Windhelm
* Sideways (20g) – Complete 10 side quests
* Hero of the People (30g) – Complete 30 Misc Objectives
* Hard Worker (10g) – Chop wood, mine ore, and cook food
* Thief (30g) – Pick 50 locks and 50 pockets
* Snake Tongue (10g) – Successfully persuade, bribe, and intimidate
* Blessing (10g) – Select a Standing Stone blessing
* Standing Stones (30g) – Find 13 Standing Stones
* Citizen (10g) – Buy a house
* Wanted (10g) – Escape from jail
* Married (10g) – Get married
* Artificer (10g) – Make a smithed item, an enchanted item, and a potion
* Master Criminal (20g) – Bounty of 1000 gold in all nine holds
* Golden Touch (30g) – Have 100,000 gold
* Delver (40g) – Clear 50 dungeons
* Skill Master (40g) – Get a skill to 100
* Explorer (40g) – Discover 100 locations
* Reader (20g) – Read 50 Skill Books
* Daedric Influence (10g) – Acquire a Daedric Artifact
* Oblivion Walker (30g) – Collect 15 Daedric Artifacts
* Dragon Soul (10g) – Absorb a dragon soul
* Dragon Hunter (20g) – Absorb 20 dragon souls
* Words of Power (10g) – Learn all three words of a shout
* Thu’um Master (40g) – Learn 20 shouts
* Apprentice (5g) – Reach Level 5
* Adept (10g) – Reach Level 10
* Expert (25g) – Reach Level 25
* Master (50g) – Reach Level 50

First hand review of the new Madden NFL 12

by Eric Holsomback.

I’ve invited my son Eric to give a personal review on the latest Madden game which has just been released on the PS2 system as well as the PS3. I would like to thank Eric for his personal input of the game.

Review: Madden NFL 12

Hi, everybody its Brian Urlacher’s best mate. I got to say when I played madden NFL 10, I fell in love with the game. I was glad i owned the game. I played it for months, and i completed it. And when I see the Franchise mode, it made me go Nuts. I tackled as many people as I could. I scored Touch-down left & right, I won as many Super-Bowls as i possibly could. I never came a cross a NFL game that lets you customize your own playbook and pick your own routes. And then you get to demonsterate, what you customize, which was cool. And when I heard that they were working on the next madden NFL game, I played that game as well, which was good too.

As you know that madden NFL 12 is all already out now. And as you can see I’m already playing madden NFL 12. And its like falling in love all over again. And as i’m playing madden NFL 12 right, i’m in the middle of the game right, and you have to play beside your best mate Brain Urlacher, knowing that you can’t let your mate down can you. It’s like watching the NFL football game on T.V and your waiting for your team to score. And when you think your team lose’s. And you find your team running all the way down the field, and scoreing a touch-down. Your heart’s racing, and there in the 4’th Quarter & 40 seconds remaining in the clock. And then you glab a nice cold beer to celebrate a good game. That how i feel about madde NFL 12.

Now lets talk business shall we, your mind is here for one thing, and one thing only mate. And that is to see what people have say about madden NFL 12. And what the game is like. OK? now lets talk business mate’s. Now lets talk about the graphics, the graphics all unreal, the grapics are like on T.V, its like they knew what they were doing. They nail the grapics. I give the graphics 5 star, they don’t get better then that.

When I loaded the game up, and the frist mode I went for was the Franchise mode. They really nailed Franchise mode, everything about it was cool. You can spend hours on customizing your play-book. And other things too. You can customize your packages for Offense and Defense, as well as your global package, and your goal line, and more mate. And i know they had this in the other madden NFL 10 and madden 11 as well, but in this mode seem to have a lot more, you can customize your Hot route, which is what I used a lot. And scored big time. I give you idea on some of the name’s for Hot routes, and your play-book. now lets see ??? now where was i ? O yes sorry mate? they got your Streak, Out n’ up, and your zigout Rt.

Now if you play NFL game then you know what i’m talking about then. You also got your Offensive Audibles, & Defensive Audibles. And my favorite, your Formation shifts play-book, by the way I use it all the time, and it works in the long run. When I’m playing madden NFL 12, I try to injure as many players as I can. Plus its hole lot of fun. Plus I like it. I remember this one time I tackled a player, and his helmet came right off his head.

Now lets look at the other NFL game modes, lets see, you got your Franchise, Fantasy challenge, NFL super-star, skill-drill, Tournament, mini games and then there Practice for the Rookies, that Don’t know what they are doing; but in my case I always my playing level at the highest difficult level which is all-madden. Now lets get back to business mate. I’ll start with Fantasy challenge. Now when you play Fantasy challenge, you start with your Newbie League and you work your way up to the top. And the graphics are very good they made them look so real. They nail this game. When your playing in Fantasy challenge you get to pick your favorite team, in my case mine would be the Chicago Bears. I’m always going to be a Bears fan.

And now the NFL Super Star mode. The super star is good too, when your player in pre-season. the Movie star ask you do you want to star in a movie which is cool right mates. You also get your own place that nice. And if you play your cards right, you can make it in the Hall-of-fame. And now mates we move on to next draft round. Which in our case is the mode. You got the skill-drill, which lets you brush up on you skill, so you don’t look like a fool. That the frist thing you don’t want to look like a fool,in front of your mate. I know I don’t.

OK next you got your tournament. In the tournament you can set your tournament type, like single Elimination, Double round Robin, Round Robin, And Double Elimination. And then you select the team you want, mine was the bears. And then you the mini games mode, when you select the mini game you got mini-camp and you try to get as many gold trophie’s like I got. It take a lot of practice, and skill. I’m a pro. And mates I save the best till last; The Ring. You start to notice Diamonds, and I’m almost done with Franchise mode. I completed General, And the Diamonds fill up and the Ruby. If I was you I would buy madden NFL 12. This game is worth it. I give this game a 10 out of 10 star.

I got to thank my best mates, and they are Dad and Brian Urlacher.

From Eric

Seeing as Uncharted 3 will be coming soon I decided to play the original, Uncharted:Drake’s Fortune as i’d played the second one but never the first.

After playing Uncharted I almost regret not playing it before, it was a great game, almost as good as the second one. I don’t usually play games in reverse order, it’s just the way it was, I’m glad I did.

The other good point about playing older games sometimes is that you can get them less than 50% of the original price, so if you haven’t played the original Uncharted I highly recommend you do, before the third installment comes out.

For those who like to trophy hunt, like me, it’s not an extremely hard one to platinum. The hardest trophy by far being to play the game on crushing.

It’s always easy to say once you’ve done it that crushing was easy, and it’s not, at least not while your playing it. It took me two and a half days to complete on crushing, and I died a lot, yes it got a little frustrating at time but I took a break, went back and did it again.

As platinum trophies go, this was not too difficult, if I can run through crushing in just a couple of days then most average players will be able to also so I would say it’s easy to moderate for the platinum.

Tony:)