Overdone Genre

Gather round kiddies, grab a seat on ole Pop-Pops lap. It's time for yet another memorable WWII story. Remember the one where he annilated an entire Nazi squad with nothing but his pocket-knife, while his leg was broken, after suffering two gun shot wounds to his chest, while his hand was severed and he had already lost a pint of blood...and then he defeated the Nazi zombies triumphantly by upgrading his pistol to a shotgun? I do. I'd like another story just as much as I'd like another WWII game.

I thought I'd share my opinion on WWII games because they seem to be an overdone genre and reoccurring theme going on in the gaming world. Although as I'm writing this blog it appears they have settled down lately but word is, more are on the horizon.

I played my first WWII game which was Battlefield 1942 back in 2004. A first person shooter set in...you guessed it, WWII. Oh, how I remember starting out in the boats as my buddies and I stormed the beach of Normandy. Enemy Nazi's fired the machine guns in the bunkers from afar. It was a great game! Had alot with it I'd still recommend it to this day. I have played others after that including Call of Duty & Medal of Honor series. I will include Wolfenstein just because it is set in WWII I suppose.

I have nothing against WWII. In fact my Grandfather (R.I.P) was in the Navy during that time, although he didn't see much action. I think we should honor and pay tribute to those who protected the country. I also think we need to get more creative with stories and concepts for games in general. I just don't understand how many of the same stories need to be retold, I don't care if you're jumping out of plane (MOH Airborne) from the skies above so you can land anywhere you want and fight, its still the same story we know what happens WE WIN!!


For the sake of me writing this article lets see just how many WWII games there are just so you can see my point:

The Medal of Honor series

• Medal of Honor (1999)
• Medal of Honor: Underground (2000, 2002)
• Medal of Honor: Allied Assault (2002)
  • Medal of Honor: Allied Assault: Spearhead (expansion pack)
  • Medal of Honor: Allied Assault: Breakthrough (expansion pack)
• Medal of Honor: Frontline (2002)
• Medal of Honor: Infiltrator (2003)
• Medal of Honor: Rising Sun (2003)
• Medal of Honor: Pacific Assault (2004)
• Medal of Honor: European Assault (2005)
• Medal of Honor: Heroes (2006)
• Medal of Honor: Heroes 2 (2007)
• Medal of Honor: Airborne (2007)
• Medal of Honor: Vanguard (2007)

The Call of Duty series

• Call of Duty (2003)
• Call of Duty: United Offensive (2004) (expansion pack)
• Call of Duty: Finest Hour (2004)
• Call of Duty 2 (2005)
• Call of Duty 2: Collector's Edition (2005)
• Call of Duty 2: Big Red One (2005)
• Call of Duty 3 (2006)
• Call of Duty 3: Gold Edition (2007)
• Call of Duty: Roads to Victory (2007)

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare (2007)

• Call of Duty: World at War (2008)

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2009)
Call of Duty: Black Ops (2010)

The Battlefield series

• Battlefield 1942 (2002)
• The Road to Rome (expansion pack)
• Secret Weapons of World War II (expansion pack)
• Battlefield 1943 (2009)

The Wolfenstein series

• Wolfenstein 3D (1992)
• Wolfenstein: Spear of Destiny (1992)
• Return to Castle Wolfenstein (2001)
• Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory (2003)
• Wolfenstein (2009)

The Brothers In Arms series

• Brothers In Arms: Road to Hill 30 (2005)
• Brothers In Arms: Earned in Blood (2005)
• Brothers In Arms: Hell's Highway (2008)
• Brothers in Arms: D-Day (2006)
• Brothers in Arms: Double Time (2008)
• Brothers in Arms DS (2007)

The Hidden & Dangerous series

• Hidden & Dangerous (1999)
• Hidden & Dangerous 2 (2003)
• Hidden & Dangerous 2: Sabre Squadron (expansion pack)(2004)

The Day of Defeat series

• Day of Defeat (2003)
• Day of Defeat: Source (2005)

The World War II Combat series

• World War II Combat: Road to Berlin (2006)
• World War II Combat: Iwo Jima (2006)

The Deadly Dozen series

• Deadly Dozen (2001)
• Deadly Dozen: Pacific Theater (2002)

The Battlestrike Series

• Battlestrike: Force of Resistance
• Battlestrike: Road To Berlin
• Crimes of War(2008)
• Tank Combat(2008)
• Operation Thunderstorm(2008)

The Red Orchestra series

• Red Orchestra: Ostfront 41-45 (2006)
• Red Orchestra: Heroes of Stalingrad (TBA)
• Rising Storm expansion (TBA)

Other

• World War II Online (2009)
• Commandos Strike Force (2006)
• Silent Service (1985)
• Silent Service II (1990)
• Mortyr (1999)
• Mortyr 2: ForEver (2004)
• D-Day: Normandy (2002)
• WW2: GI (1998)
• World War II Sniper: Call to Victory (2004)
• Airborne Troops: Countdown to D-Day (2004)
• Combat Elite: WWII Paratroopers (2005)
• Sniper Art of Victory (2008)
• Sniper Elite (2005)
• History Channel's ShootOut! The Game (2006)
• WWII Tank Commander (2006)
• The History Channel: Battle for the Pacific (2007)
• Hour of Victory (2007)
• 1944 D-Day: Operation Overlord (TBA)
• Beyond Normandy: Assignment Berlin
• Airborne Hero D-day Frontline 1944

Real-time strategy games

Axis and Allies Real Time Strategy

• Axis & Allies (2004 video game) (1994)

The Close Combat series

• Close Combat (1996)
• Close Combat: A Bridge Too Far (1997)
• Close Combat III: The Russian Front (1998)
• Close Combat IV: Battle of the Bulge (1999)
• Close Combat V: Invasion Normandy (2000)
• Close Combat VI: Cross Of Iron (2007)
• Close Combat VII: Close Assault(TBA)

The Sudden Strike series

• Sudden Strike (2000)
  • Sudden Strike Forever (2001) (expansion pack)
• Sudden Strike 2 (2002)
  • Sudden Strike: Resource War (2004) (expansion pack)

The Commandos series

• Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines (1998)
• Commandos: Beyond the Call of Duty (1999) (expansion pack)
• Commandos 2: Men of Courage (2001)
• Commandos 3: Destination Berlin (2003)
• Commandos: Strike Force (2006)

The Blitzkrieg series

• Blitzkrieg (2003)
  • Blitzkrieg: Burning Horizon (expansion pack) (2004)
  • Blitzkrieg: Rolling Thunder (expansion pack) (2004)
• Blitzkrieg 2 (2005)
• Blitzkrieg 2 Liberation

The Company of Heroes series

• Company of Heroes (2006)
• Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts (2007)
• Company of Heroes: Tales of Valor (2009)

The Hearts of Iron series

• Hearts of Iron (2002)
• Hearts of Iron II (2005)
  • Hearts of Iron II: Doomsday (expansion pack) (2006)
  • Hearts of Iron II: Armageddon (expansion pack) (2007)
• Hearts of Iron III (2009)
  • Hearts of Iron III: Semper Fi (expansion pack) (2010)

Other

• World War II Online:Battleground Europe (High Command) (2009)
• Axis & Allies (2004)
• War Front: Turning Point (2006)
• Stalingrad (2005)
• World War II: Frontline Command (2003)
• Pacific Storm (2006)
• Mockba to Berlin (2006)
• Desert Rats vs. Afrika Korps (2004)
• Spring: 1944 (2008)
• R.U.S.E. (2010)
• World in Conflict (2007)

Real-time tactics games

• Codename: Panzers Phase One(2004)
• Codename:Panzers Phase Two(2005)
• Soldiers: Heroes of World War II (2004)
• Faces of War (2006)
• Men of War (2009)
• Theatre Of War (2007)
• Panzer Tactics DS (2007)
• Order Of War (2009)
• Talvisota: Icy Hell (2008)

The Battlestations series

• Battlestations: Midway (2007)
• Battlestations: Pacific (2009)

Other

• World War II Online (2009)

Turn-based strategy games

• Allied General (1995)
• Panzer General (1994)
• Operation Europe: Path To Victory (1994)
• Uncommon Valor (2002)
• Pacific War: Matrix Edition (2003)
• Silent Storm (2004)
• War in the Pacific: The Struggle Against Japan 1941-1945 (2004)
• War Plan Orange: Dreadnoughts in the Pacific 1922-1930 (2005)
• World War II - Road to Victory (2008)
• Combat Mission: Beyond Overlord (2001)
• Combat Mission: Barbarossa to Berlin (2002)
• Combat Mission Afrika Korps (2004)
• Gary Grisby's World at War (2005)
• Military History Commander Europe at War (2009)
• War in the Pacific: Admiral's Edition (2009)
• Sgt. Saunders' Combat! (1995)
• Operation Europe: Path to Victory (1995)
• Barbarossa (video game) (1992)
• Making History (series)

Flight simulators

• 1942 (video game) (1984)
• 1943: The Battle of Midway (1987)
• Hellcats Over the Pacific (1991)
• Secret Weapons of the Luftwaffe (1991)
• Aces of the Pacific (1992)
• B-17 Flying Fortress (video game) (1992)
• Aces over Europe (1993)
• 1942:Pacific Air War (1994)
• European Air War (1998)
• Jane's WWII Fighters (1998)
• Microsoft Combat Flight Simulator : WWII Europe Series (1998)
• Fighter Squadron: Screamin' Demons Over Europe (1999)
• Iron Aces (2000)
• Microsoft Combat Flight Simulator 2: WWII Pacific Theater (2000)
• Aces High II (2000)
• World War II Online:Battleground Europe (2009)
• IL-2 Sturmovik (2001)
• Microsoft Combat Flight Simulator 3: Battle for Europe (2002)
• Jane's Attack Squadron (2002)
• Dogfight: Battle for the Pacific by Valusoft (2003)
• Secret Weapons Over Normandy (2003)
• Pacific Fighters (2004)
• Battle of Britain II: Wings of Victory (2005)
• Heroes of the Pacific (2005)
• Blazing Angels: Squadrons of WWII (2006)
• Blazing Angels 2: Secret Missions of WWII (2007)
• IL-2 Sturmovik: 1946 (2007)
• WWII Aces (2008)
• Air Conflicts: Aces of World War II (2009)
• Heroes over Europe (2009)
• IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey (2009)
• Warbirds 2.01 (1998)
• "Battle stations pacific/Midway" (2007-2009)

Naval simulators

• Silent Hunter
• Grandest Fleet (1994)
• Navy Field (2002)

Other

• World War II Online (2009)

Other

Board games

• Axis & Allies (turn-based strategy) (1998)
  • Axis & Allies: Iron Blitz (1999) (expansion pack)
• Steel Panthers : World at War(2007)
• Memoir '44 (2004)

Tank simulators

• Panzer Commander (1998)
• iPanzer ´44 (1998)
• Panzer Elite (1999)
• Panzer Front (2000)
• Panzer Front Ausf.B (2000)
• Panzer Elite Action: Fields of Glory (2006)
• Panzer Elite Action: Dunes of War (2007)
• T-34 vs Tiger (2008)

Interactive fiction

• Trinity (1986)

MMOFPS

• World War II Online (2001)

a.k.a "Battleground Europe"

Third-Person shooter

• The Outfit (2006)

Historic action-adventure

• The Saboteur (2009)
• Another War (2002)

Stealth Based

• Death to Spies (2007)
• Death to Spies: Moment of Truth (2008)
• Velvet Assassin (2008)
• Castle Wolfenstein
• Beyond Castle Wolfenstein

So as you can see my theory is correct. The genre is overdone. This isn't even including the possible and inevitable games in the future. The lack of imagination and creativity is hitting the gaming industry.


This blog is dedicated to those who have served our country in WWII.
I apologize some crappy games had to justify your cause.

Prepare to Resist Once Again.

A couple of years ago, an interesting image showed up and led to quite a flurry of internet debate. That image is displayed above. People argued and fought about whether it was real or not. It was a typical internet affair. Then, a few months back, something else surfaced.



This gave hope to those of us that loved the first two games, but worried the series was done for. But one thing was a slight dividing line among fans. Who was the mysterious hero of this teaser. The fact he didn't have a shaved head led to one such as myself to believe, as I had upon the ending of 2, that Hale(below) wasn't going to be the hero of this next game.

Then, a few days ago, some pictures surfaced in a flicker account(and subsequently vanished) with what was speculated as being promotional material for Resistance 3. And something interesting was hinted at in the document names. Capelli, the last living member of Hale's Specter unit by the end of 2, is going to be heavily used in this new game.

Even if this is all hokum and leads to nothing solid, at least we know Resistance may for the time being, not be futile.

Tritton AX 720 Headset Review

**NOTE** Alright folks I don't plan on being an official reviewer for Vaguely Gaming, however I plan on trying to do at least one review a one month. I'll review games, hardware etc. I'm going to give a grade rating A+ through F. I'm assuming most of you know what the letters stand for so not much explaining is needed there. I'll tell you why I bought the product? Pro's of the product as well the the cons. Then an overview of everything I've stated. Remember now, this is my opinion. My opinion's do not reflect those of the affiliated companies nor Vaguely gaming...just mine. Just take it for what its worth and enjoy.

Todays Review: TRITTON AX 720 Circumaural Dolby Digital Surround Sound Headset
Price: $129.99
Features:
Features Digital Optical Connection Dolby Digital / Pro Logic II / Dolby Headphone Inline Audio Controller with Independent Chat Volume Control Voice Compatible with XBox Live USB Microphone for Playstation Network /PC/Mac Removable And Replaceable Ear Pads and Headrail Pad Removable Microphone Works with PS3, Xbox 360, PC & Mac

WHY DID I BUY IT? Um...because every gamer knows that you simply can't just hook up the audio to your TV stereo and begin playing. You need to live, breathe, experience, enrich and emerge every single gaming sense in your body into the game. You should be able feel shrapnel off one of your friends poorly aimed noob tube attempts. Everyone wants to hear the raw sounds as you lay the...I mean make sweet passionate...cookies with the aliens in Mass effect 2. You should be able to hear the crisp smooth sounding waterfalls as you explore the caves in Uncharted 2. You should be able feel the echo as thunderous Natascha rumbles in your ears from the Heavy in TF2.
I was using surround sound but since I live an apartment and the neighbors feel the need to complain every time I turn the sub woofer up to the max, I found that this was not a feasible option for me. So Then I threw on these POS Sony DJ style headphones. While they are pretty nice it was a pain to use because they were hooked up through the surround sound. Because of that, it was difficult to hear the game I was playing and even at times I could barely make out what was being said. I couldn't turn up the sound if thats what you were wondering don't ask me why? Because I don't even know. I had enough of playing my games in deafness.

PROS:
+Clear crisp sound. As I stated above these headphones really do emerge you in the game. These headphones pick up every single sound in the game. I've only played a few games thus far and I actually feel these things give me a slight advantage in online play. I'm not saying you will get any skill whatsoever just by buying these bad boys. Just saying they help your performance. You can crank your headset volume wheel as well as the volume buttons on the audio controller.

+The audio controller lets you choose between gaming/movie mode & music mode. Nice little feature if you're like me and like to listen to music while playing racing games to amp me up.

+Mic is nice and makes your voice sound like Morgan Freeman
(no seriously lawls). Unlike the Xbox 360 mic which makes you sound a bunch of cats getting beat inside a pinata. As for the Ps3 mic? uh...

+The design is actually quiet nice. Attractive looking if you opt to buy the $169.99 Dolby 5.1 you get the ones that light up (i know the ladies love it).

+Pretty simple hook-up although I could put this as a con there are alot of cables, but if you follow the directions its fairly easy. If you have a PS3 and Xbox 360 in the same neighborhood all you do is switch out the fiber optic table from one console to the other. So don't stress about having to take cables out, hook-up, unhook, screw in, build, disassemble, wire and reconstruct your setup, you'll be fine I promise.

CONS:
-Headset is heavy can start to hurt after a while...and by "while" I mean 8 hours of non-stop extreme gaming.

-No options to adjust treble, bass, balance etc.

-Although it says you can change out headphone cushions it doesn't come with any additional ones like the other version does.

-Pricey, like I've discussed before I'm not made of money.

Conclusion: If you feel you're ready to emerge your gaming senses as I've stated then these will get you there. I wouldn't see why you'd need the upgrade to 5.1 Tritton's unless you have the money.

GRADE: A-

Review by: F13RC3