السبت، 30 أبريل 2016
الجمعة، 29 أبريل 2016
الأحد، 24 أبريل 2016
السبت، 23 أبريل 2016
الخميس، 21 أبريل 2016
الثلاثاء، 19 أبريل 2016
Why You Should Let Your Children Play 3D Games Online
New digital technologies have simply revolutionized the world of gaming. These days you can even play 3D games online. In most cases, you will not even need any special graphic cards to enjoy the gaming experience.
The graphics of 3D games are crystal clear, where the characters, cars, buildings, and other objects look almost lifelike. They come with better picture resolutions, and easy user interfaces. You will be able to follow the simple instructions, and understand the game in a matter of minutes.
Parents on the other hand, are usually apprehensive about their children spending long hours on gaming online. They fear that extensive exposure to digital games, could impact their social behaviors and psychology in negative ways.
Instead of completely restricting your children from playing 3D games online, what parents can do is fix a proper timetable for them to enjoy the games. Stopping them from playing completely might not be a good idea, because there are many benefits of gaming that you might want to know about.
Improvement of cognitive skills:
While playing the games on computers, you will need to have fast moving fingers and eyes. With time, you will see a significant improvement in your hand and eye coordination.
In most of the games, you will have to remember a lot of things in order to make the decisions that can help you in completing the missions. Such skills will help you in improving your reasoning and memory power. They are the very skills that can help your kids in learning mathematics, engineering, science, and technology.
Gamers are comparatively more relaxed:
Most of the games will get you on the edge of your seats, but over a period of time, you will learn to handle the stress in a much matured way. You will be more relaxed when facing even the toughest situations in the game. This attitude can help your child in various aspects of life as well. It will have them in staying cool and composed, while making sound decisions.
Doubles your enthusiasm:
Contrary to the popular belief that gaming makes you physically and intellectually lazy, it actually works the other way around. Studies have shown that kids who indulge in gaming are never short of enthusiasm and energy. Moreover, it makes them better strategists and problem solvers.
Makes them the go-getters:
Some of the missions in the online games are really tough, and sometimes it may more than 10 to 20 attempts before cracking them. The gamer will have to be fully determined, because the frustration of losing so many times, can make you want to quit. Good gamers are normally the most determined people, and they never rest kill they achieve their goals.
الاثنين، 18 أبريل 2016
الأحد، 17 أبريل 2016
السبت، 16 أبريل 2016
Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V Tag Force Special World Championship
i started this championship and the luck choose them
i am making the duels between them to see who win 1st
follow me
share for more
and say who you think will win
good guess big prize
Get More Subscribers for Your YouTube Gaming Channel
A YouTube channel without subs is a show without an audience and it can quickly become disparaging uploading videos and getting no fans. In order to get more subscribers you've got to put yourself in their place. A subscriber is someone who enjoys your content so much they want to be informed every time your channel is updated with new content. That's a big compliment to give someone, so it's understandable that not everyone who views your videos is going to jump on the subscriber bandwagon. That being said, there are some things you can do to improve your turnover and start increasing your subscribers.
More Content
You guessed it; the easiest way to attract more subscribers is by consistently adding more content to your channel on a regular basis. The more you have out there in the sea of YouTube videos, the more likely someone is to run across one of them and find your channel.
You will also want to set a schedule for when you release your videos. If people see you are adding new content on a regularly scheduled basis, they are much more likely to subscribe then if they see you haven't added anything in a while and when you did it was sporadic.
Interact with Viewers
Nothing builds a sense of community better then a content creator who responds and speaks with their audience. If someone comments on your video be sure to thank him or her. If a conversation breaks out in the comment section relating to what was posted, chime in and give your two cents. Even if the comments are less than friendly, thanks them for giving it a watch and ask for some constructive criticism (except if they're trolling of course). Try ending your video with a call to the viewers asking their thoughts on something or even an idea for your next video. Getting your viewers involved will go a long way in building a relationship with them that will keep them around for a long time and spread the good word of mount about you.
Reach Out
Take a moment to research similar channels to yours that are already successful. Once you've found a few, compose a friendly message explaining a little about your channel and what you do. You may then want to suggest exchanging places on each other's featured lists. Doing this will show a link to their channel from your channel and vice versa. Now this is a big choice for another YouTuber to make, and you may want to wait until you have a decent video library built up before you go around asking people. If they see you are committed and pumping out content regularly, they will most likely accept your invitation and your channel will gain that much exposure.
Another huge benefit of exchanging featured spots with someone in your same field is that you will be displaying yourself right to your targeted audience. If you were to create a let's play channel for Dead Space and exchanged featured spots with a well known YouTube knitter, chances are not many of their viewers would want to check your channel out.
Asking for Subs
The line between asking genuinely for people to sub to your channel and coming off as begging for them to is a fine one. There are a couple different ways for asking viewers to sub, all of which should be placed at the end of your video. Starting off with a plea to subscribe to your channel is a terrible way to start off a video that is supposed to be entertaining/informative. Try to live by the golden rule of the Internet, never ask people for something unless you have given them something of value first (your video in this case).
الجمعة، 15 أبريل 2016
Final Fantasy IX
When SquareSoft (before they were Square Enix) had just finished Final Fantasy VIII it was the long running RPG franchise. A large marketing campaign was launched as IX, X and XI were all revealed to the public at the same time with a core promise to give fans three vastly different experiences: one as an intentional throwback to the roots of the series, one as a natural evolution of the JRPG, and one as the first massively multiplayer onlineFinal Fantasy experience.
1999, and it was now time to plan the next three games in
Final Fantasy IX, directed by Ito – who previously had directed Final Fantasy VI – was released on the PlayStation in July 7, 2000, just over 15 years ago. And for those 15 years, the game never saw any re-release, outside of its re-release as a PS One Classics title to the PlayStation Store in 2010. And now, in 2016, it will also come to Android, iOS and Steam. This is huge news.
Final Fantasy IX has largely been missed by many fans in the series. That’s a sad thing for the game which has the greatest critical reception in the series, the highest rating of 94/100 on Metacritic. As the last single digit installment, Final Fantasy IXwas released as a throwback to the games of old and feeling that fans would get tired of futuristic settings after three in a row (Final Fantasy VII, VIII and The Spirits Within), Final Fantasy IX gave us an epic medieval setting as Square really showed off their world building and put us in control of iconic characters such as Zidane Tribal, Vivi Ornitier and Garnet Til Alexandros XVII.
This port is a huge deal and the game is an absolute must for everyone. Here are just a few of the reasons to be excited for this port:
If you haven’t played it already, now is the perfect time
As a throwback game, Final Fantasy IX combines everything that everyone loves about the series and takes it to what many consider to be perfection. This is a game with incredible lore and world building better than anything that had been seen in the franchise before, gave us an amazing cast of characters that gel so well together and are so likeable, coupled with what is one of composer Uematsu’s finest soundtracks in the series. A series filled to the brim with fine soundtracks, so good that it won a place in the Classic FM Hall of Fame. The gameplay is also solid, with a character growth system that lies somewhere in between Final Fantasy IV and VI, and the classic Active Time Battle pseudo-turn based system as good as it’s always been.
Finally, as for the “game boosts” they refer to, these will likely be ones that max stats, similar to those seen in the port on PS4 that make the game a breeze for anyone who doesn’t want to bother spending hours maxing all their 9999 damage abilities to defeat Ozma – the game’s superboss that is much harder than the final boss – and just wants to experience the epic story, soundtrack and setting this game has to offer.
The port graphics are gorgeous
For a PSOne game, IX’s graphics were always gorgeous. Released at the very end of the PlayStation’s life, with a beautiful art style and amazing FMV cut scenes, IXalways looked great, but with this port, it’s been announced to have HD resolution, and as we can see from the trailer it looks much better. Gone are the jagged edges of old, since we’re no longer restricted by the PlayStation hardware. Our smartphones, tablets and desktop computers can render all of the models just like how they were made with a much higher resolution than they could be rendered in before. Not only is the gameplay footage improved, the pre-rendered FMVs are given much better visuals with a higher resolution. A game that looked amazing for its time may now look amazing today.
How to Start a Board Gaming Group?
I love board games, and if you are reading this, I'll bet you do too. And if you are anything like me, you are the most enthusiastic board gamer in your circle of friends. In fact, I would say that most of my friends merely play games as a social distraction. I on the other hand specifically seek out the opportunity to experience new rulesets, mechanisms, and themes. So it can be frustrating when my friends' enthusiasm about games doesn't match mine.
Luckily, there are tons of people just outside of my social circle who DO love board games as much as I do. So I scratch my gaming itch by frequenting a meetup of these enthusiastic board gamers. In this article, I'll share my observations about what has worked well, and what problems I've run into, so that you too can find people as psyched to play that latest deck builder as you are. I live in a small town, so all of these tips should apply to you too, no matter where you live.
1) Don't force it: My first attempt at starting a board gaming group was at my office. I work at a software company, so generally speaking, my co-workers are of the right geeky caliber to enjoy board games. At first this was great, but overtime I felt like a rancher corralling cattle to slaughter. This was basically a case of players who were mildly interested in games, but didn't have the intrinsic motivation to be on time to play them.
After a while I gave up, because I realized that it simply wasn't worth the exhaustion. If you find yourself having to constantly nag people to come play games, stop it now! All that does is annoy your friends, and wear you out. I promise you, there ARE people who want to play board games as much as you do, so the key is to simply find them.
2) Find the enthusiastic gamers: Before you spend the time it takes to build a gaming group from scratch, you should start by seeing if a suitable group already exists. Besides saving you work, this also has the added benefit of not fragmenting your gaming community. There are several places you should check to see if an established group exists.
Meetup.com is a place that helps people with similar interests get together and do what they love. This is probably the first place you should check.
Boardgamegeek.com is a community site FULL of enthusiastic gamers. The problem is that they are spread out all over the world. It is hit or miss, but dropping a forum post on this site asking about gaming groups in your area may turn up some good results.
3) Go it alone: If you didn't have any luck finding an existing group, you'll have to start your own. It is worth it to shell out the money it costs to join Meetup.com as an organizer and post the group there. Then you'll want to promote the group on Boardgamegeek.com, and in any other local online publications. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at the number of gamers who are waiting for just such a group to exist in their community, but don't know where to start.
As for venue, your home will do just fine, but it may be preferably to find a non-threatening public venue. My group worked out a deal with a local coffee shop that had a meeting space. Our players commit to always buy at least something small from the shop. In return, if no paying customers have the meeting space booked, our group can use it, free of charge. It wouldn't hurt to ask some of your local businesses if they would be open to a similar arrangement.
الخميس، 14 أبريل 2016
Son of Rome Review
One look at Ryse: Son of Rome; you'll know that Next Gen has arrived. The detail, the scale and the overall visual treat that it throws at you, like a kid with an open mouth at the machine spewing candy! Except, that it's not throwing candy at you, but bitter pills that are candy coated.
Yeah, that's how Ryse feels. The visuals get you sucked in, but the game-play makes you want to get out. What initially seems like an impressive system based on precision and timing (Infinity Blade anyone?), coupled with nice visual cues and stunning slow-motion animations, soon descends into a mind-numbing button watch and mash exercise. Within the hour you will realize that combat training is just this much. Nothing more, nothing less. Sure, you have tons of other things, like block, parry etc. but that doesn't count now does it?
What I did love about the game though was the gruesome stabs and bloody dismemberments that are in-your-face, thanks to the quick-time finishing; it just screams of brutality. BUT it does get repetitive super fast! Also the fact that the executions don't actually take any skill to pull off; you can quite literally set your controller down and the animation will play out the same way. Fast button presses earn bigger experience point rewards, but the animation does not change! Given that there's only maybe five or six enemy types throughout Ryse, the many combat scenarios quickly become reruns of the same tactics - dodge, shield bash, swipe with the sword, repeat, execution, over and over and over. It sorely reminds me of that gladiator mini game in Sports Champions... in hindsight, that was probably more fun!
Ryse: Son of Rome's next-gen qualities are jaw dropping! One look, and you know that Crytek's latest CryEngine iteration has made some huge steps in the right direction. Coming to faces and human bodies, I think the developers have really pushed the standard to new levels. But again, all this visuals is torn down by the game-play and to make it more frustrating, the characters look almost the same, and there are just 4-5 types of them; which again gets repetitive very fast! It reminds me of Double Dragon, where you'd be fighting 2 Abobos, dressed exactly alike.
Coming to multiplayer and on-line, there is a co-op mode, but it's a serious let down as, it has everything the single player has and adds gold, looting and a slow and sluggish upgrade system. What's sad in co-op is that you will watch you're partner suddenly just idling, but he/she will actually be in the midst of an execution! There's tons of armor and weapons you can get, but if you can bear going through the repetitive hell, you may find it does add a little bit of longevity to the game. Not for me it didn't though. At this point, I had already given up on the game.
Grand Theft Auto V
Console gaming has become a large industry with a cult following over the past decade. Gaming can be used as a form of escape from reality. The rating system for these games can range anywhere from E for everyone to M for mature audiences only. The focus of this article is to showcase the entertainment value an M-rated game, such as Grand Theft Auto (GTA), can give to a user.
This installment branches off from the original concept of the GTA franchise. No longer is the game about stealing cars, but the game has evolved into a mockery of the real world. Grand Theft Auto brings to the table of video gaming a twisted version of reality. Grand Theft Auto Five is the latest iteration in the GTA lineup. The GTA Five universe is known as Los Santos, loosely based off of Los Angeles and its immediate area. The game is one gigantic satire of human life as we know it. There is an array of silly celebrities, perverted life situations, a stock exchange known as the BAWSAQ, a corrupt government, a popular social media website called Life Invader, and many more satirical events that can be juxtaposed to normal reality.
The majority of modern human society condones violence as an evil. There are laws in place to punish those who commit harm unto others. However, the laws of the GTA universe are somewhat perverse. The game offers the user the chance to commit many high crimes against the virtual society. The player can casually stroll down the street and commit murder, theft, assault, and numerous other crimes against an unsuspecting non-playable character. Furthermore, the player is given weapons as basic as a knife and baseball bat, from pistols to mini-guns, and C-4 explosives to rocket launchers to conduct mayhem and destruction across Los Santos. While there is a police and military presence in the game, they are not intellectually powerful enough to overcome the use puts themselves into a corner. Whenever the player is caught by the long arm of the law, a simple bribe lets them off the hook and frees them to continue their reign of terror or to go on casually with their day in the game.
At the end of the day, the game must be taken with a grain of salt. This game is meant for entertainment purposes only and should be played by more mature individuals. The developers of GTA, Rockstar, meant for this game to be viewed as an extreme satire of what our society is today. The game provides a release for our inner, more sadistic, thought processes.
الأربعاء، 13 أبريل 2016
Far Cry 4 Walkthrough
As a fan of Far Cry, you know that the most recent version of the game has new features that will make playing a lot more fun. To jump in and get better scores, it helps to make use of this basic Far Cry 4 walk through so that you can continue to enjoy everything about it.
As an overview, know that all the quests that are part of Far Cry 4 are basically the same as they are. They still include diffusing bombs, hunting animals, completing assassinations, hunting for supplies, choosing Golden Paths, going through propaganda centers, and the Pagan's wrath. Kyrat is a much more complex place in which to get around in this version of the game, so as a quick tip you will want to grab the radio towers first and get yourself a tiny helicopter, too. This will help you get around a lot easier.
The main protagonist of the game is still Ajay Ghale. He is continuing to look for a great spot to spread his mother's ashes. Her dying wish was for them to be spread somewhere in Kyrat, and as in the other Far Crys, Ajay becomes involved in the civil war and winds up being the successor to Pagan Min as the King of Kyrat. This Far Cry 4 Walk through will now cover the missions and side quests.
You will want to choose your Golden Path. You can decide on Sabal or Amita's paths. Try both to see how they both end up for you. The quests are found at the Side Quests scattered on the map.
These include all the quests outlined above,
As you complete various missions be aware that one way to keep the protagonist strong in the game is by making sure he has all the gear he can get. A great way to do this is to hunt animals as soon as you get your tiny helicopter. This way, you can cloth him properly so he can comfortably complete the Shangri-La Missions, the Yogi Missions, the Longinus Missions and the Reggie Missions.
For the Shangri La, be sure to set the bells free while getting rid of the demons. Longinus will tell players what is right and what is wrong and will lend a helpful hand to you if you run a few errands for him first. Enjoy the game and make it a successful quest for Ajay's sake!
الثلاثاء، 12 أبريل 2016
Dark Souls 3 review
When Dark Souls emerged, so brooding and so strange, in 2011, it had that most treasured
of all video game attributes: novelty. Dark fantasy action games are a staple of a medium that rarely ventures from the agreed confines of genre. But only players of Hidetaka Miyazaki’s little-known game, Demon’s Souls, were familiar with the director’s talent for arranging castles, knights, swords and dragons in such a beguiling manner.
of all video game attributes: novelty. Dark fantasy action games are a staple of a medium that rarely ventures from the agreed confines of genre. But only players of Hidetaka Miyazaki’s little-known game, Demon’s Souls, were familiar with the director’s talent for arranging castles, knights, swords and dragons in such a beguiling manner.
As a child, Miyazaki would borrow western fantasy books from the library, then, unable to read them, would imagine stories to accompany the illustrations. Through his games he has revealed an understanding of the power of enigma. Where most designers gingerly lead the player while explaining every rule and backstory nugget in wearying detail, Miyazaki constantly withholds information, thereby provoking a much keener interest – which is then compounded by the fact that every enemy encounter is a life or death battle.
The novelty is gone in this, the third and final Dark Souls game. Most players are familiar with the titles and have either succumbed to their mesmerising rhythms or skulked away. Where once Dark Souls felt furtive and refreshing, an antidote to the mainstream parade of minutely tinkered video game sequels, now it is part of the same cycle. And yet, the cyclical nature of life, death and rebirth is the foundational theme of this series; your character revives after death, and may return to the point of his or her demise to collect what was dropped. In this way, revisiting this realm does not weary or undermine what came before. Rather, it completes the circle. And it does so with arguably Miyazaki and his Shinjuku-based team’s greatest flourish yet.
In the first Dark Souls, Lordran was a place buffered and ruined by time as much as by violence. At once ethereal and vividly tangible, with its rain-slicked cobblestones, and moss-covered pillars, its history was partially obscured by nature’s reclaiming work. As such, you had to unpick the story of the place like an archaeologist digging at ruins, or by reading the abstruse descriptions on items plundered from crisp-dry corpses, or rust-stuck chests. In Dark Souls 3, the setting is Lothric, though we do return to certain areas of Lordran which have been further disrupted by decay. You meet old friends, enemies and acquaintances, but each has been changed in mysterious ways; you visit places that seem familiar but for a few new architectural arrangements, as if encountered in a recurring yet warping dream.
Firelink Shrine is one such place. Once positioned on a cliff surrounded by crumbling pillars, it was a dear place of refuge in the first game, a spiritual centre where the elemental warmth of its health-restoring firelight could be enjoyed without fear of attack. In Dark Souls 3, Firelink Shrine performs the same function, but here it’s found in a grand, throne-room like structure, with stratospheric ceilings and a warren of tunnels and stairwells. You may heal your character, level up their abilities, meet with a benevolent blacksmith who can fortify your weapons, and trade with other various salespeople. In this location, the weird and colourful characters whom you meet in your travels congregate, with their freakish sniffles, bent backs, and glinting masks. Firelink becomes, as one character puts it late in the game, a “cesspool of doddering old-folk and degenerates.” It’s an unfair judgement. Besides, you must take every friend you can get in a place like this.
There have been several concessions to the series’ renowned difficulty, which has surely caused injury to many a controller, smushed into the carpet while the refrain ‘You Died’ drips onto the screen. There is, for example, a more generous spattering of bonfires throughout the world, those life-giving warp points which offer you shortcuts into the mystery as, scene by scene, you clear the fog of war. Those glittering bugs which carry essential crafting material on their backs no longer vanish after a few seconds, meaning you’ll only need to chase them into a corner to catch and harvest them. Years of muscle memory build-up will enable veterans of the series to blitz through many of its boss fights, those spectacular encounters that demand players first observe and learn the enemy’s patterns before launching their own assaults. In some areas foes of different stripes will even turn on one another (a particularly memorable battle uses this idea to disorientating effect), further easing the sense that you are the only opposing force in this opposing world.
As in Miyazaki’s gothic horror masterpiece, Bloodborne, every weapon now has a special ability, making the acquisition of new items a constant delight. While the second game in the series (the only one not to have been directed by Miyazaki) is seen by the majority as a less cohesive piece of work, with forgettable boss designs and a far less elegant and delightful layout, many argue that, in terms of its moment to moment play, it’s the better game. Most of its improvements to the original’s interactions (the ability to roll in multiple directions; the ability to teleport between bonfires from the beginning of the game; the option to equip multiple rings; the increased flexibility of character builds and so on) carry across. Dark Souls 3, meanwhile, rediscovers the weight and lore of the debut, thereby combining the best of its two predecessors. It may not have the novelty of the first Dark Souls, but it is, by most measures, the more pristine and rounded work.
الأحد، 10 أبريل 2016
Battlefield Hardline Multiplayer Review
Battlefield Hardline is now three months old and I thought it would be the perfect time to revisit the multiplayer aspect of the game. While not a totally different experience by any stretch of the imagination, it does play considerably different since I last talked about the multiplayer. To catch everybody up with my relationship with the game's multiplayer, I can say it's been lacking. My favorite game of 2014 was Battlefield 4 on the PS3 and PS4. I played the hell out of it and still jump back in on occasions. I clocked in a staggering 236 hours into that games multiplayer, which is a huge accomplishment. I rarely play any game that much, it was literally an addiction. So I was super excited for Hardline, I couldn't wait to get the next installment of a game I truly loved.
I have played Battlefield Hardline for an unbelievable 44 hours. I was truly having fun with the game at first. But once I played more and more, the less I was into it. Now don't get me wrong, there's nothing technically wrong with the game and it plays perfectly fine. It's just not Battlefield. Which became a huge turnoff. So I simply stopped playing. I went onto greater things like Bloodborne and The Witcher 3. Now I do stand by my original opinion on the game, it still is fun to hop in and play a match or two and the cops and robbers theme is nice. But the core experience wasn't fun anymore. It felt like mindless shooting and felt like the other big shooter in gaming. So now that we are caught up, let's talk about the current state of Battlefield Hardline.
JUNE 16th - Battlefield Hardline has been patched several times and has had one major patch since it's launch. It's first DLC entitle 'Criminal Activity' has also released, including four new maps, five new guns, and other goodies.
So the major patch that released a few weeks ago balanced a bunch of things and fixed noticeable bugs in the game. You could definitely tell what guns were nerfed and which ones kind of stayed the same. There aren't really any bull crap kills with SMG's from across the map with the one shot headshot glitch. Conquest got it's ticket count raised, which was one of my biggest complaints with the game's release. Matches now take a decent amount of time like Battlefield matches should, at least in conquest anyways.
Criminal Activity thankfully admits to what Hardline is and it features all close quarter fast paced action. The new four maps are actually pretty good and I would say are better than a lot of the vanilla maps. There is also a new mode called Bounty Hunter, which is Kill Confirmed from Call of Duty. And it freaking works, especially with the new maps. I finally feel like this is what Hardline is and should have been from the start. Stop trying to please everybody and just be a close quarter Battlefield experience. I can't wait to start leveling up and sinking hours of playtime into the new maps and mode. The new guns are also fun to use. The SG 510 being the best in my opinion and the KSG-12 being a huge surprise. Overall Criminal Activity is a stellar map pack that has definitely got me interested in playing more Battlefield Hardline.
The Witcher Review
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt can be considered a crowning achievement for studio CD Projekt Red. The game concludes Geralt of Rivia's epic tale, while it somehow propels the next gen RPG experience into new unrivaled territory. But this doesn't mean The Witcher 3 is without it's flaws.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt begins very swiftly, throwing you into the grand adventure without hesitation. There are a few interesting story quest and side quest early on in the game the are quite effective. You meet a slew of characters and most of them are likable. Between the training section, prologue, and these early quest last about 10-15 hours depending on play style. Sadly though the story begins to get a bit muddled the rest of the first act. You began a pretty simple enough story that turns into a spider web of fetch quest and throw away side characters. Only a few quest stand out the rest of the first act and It's very disappointing. I found myself trying to get through this part fairly fast. It took about 50 hours to reach act two. The story so far was filled with ups and downs, mixed with mostly bland quest. Only a handful of quest actually stand out.
Luckily act two and three focus in on the main quest and this is when the game shines. You're going on quest that actually matter and that you are actually engaged in. It got quite brilliant in fact. The game make you prepare for one last hoorah and just when you think you've reached the end, you realize you still have another chunk of the game. You can and on another 20-25 hours gameplay. Act three ends the game in epic fashion and there are a couple twist (at least in my playthrough). Right before the credits roll, I got a huge surprise and a Pirates 3 type ending like when Captain Jack pulls out the map to find the fountain of youth and says 'drink up me hearties yo ho'.
The world this story takes place in is a beautiful one. It's an absolute highlight of the game, it's masterfully crafted and feels like a real living place. When you leave the game and come back to it, it feels like things have happened since you were last there. Citizens seem like they are actually doing things, living their life. Locations vary from peasant villages to large cities and all feel very different from each other. Traveling by feet or horse is also a joy. The wildlife and foliage is jaw dropping, mixed with the wonderful lighting and dynamic weather it looks even better. Character models and creatures also look very nice. It's amazing what was accomplished in a world this huge.
My biggest problem with the game has to be it's movement and combat. It's very mediocre and is on the verge of being bad. Moving is fine when you're out in the world running around in forest or riding your horse, it's perfect. As soon as you get into close quarters you might want to take it slow though. I found myself getting stuck on doors or completely missing them. If you just flick the analog stick up, Geralt will go into an animation where he takes a couple steps. This is a huge problem when trying to loot things, since the icon doesn't appear unless you right in front of the object looking at it. So it's all a bit floaty. Combat also suffers from this same floatiness. Not only are you fighting enemies, you're also fighting the controls. Dodging and rolling can be very rewarding when the game allows you to do so. Striking down enemies is also fun. But ideal battles are in an open area with a couple enemies. Early on in the game you come into contact with groups of enemies and the just swarm at you. This is cool and realistic, but with the messy controls and crappy lock on system, I found myself dying a lot. After getting used to the controls, combat system, and learning how most enemies fight, I had much more fun.
Variety in swords and armor is nice and you can alter the way Geralt looks throughout the game. You can also customize your horse throughout the game by buying saddlebags, saddles, armor, and putting trophies on him. There is also a decent skill tree with four different section. I decided to go with a more combat centered loadout. I really couldn't justify pouring my skill points into signs or alchemy. There is a general branch, but it doesn't contain anything worth while.
Signs are a mixed bag. In some combat situations they come in handy, but most times they are just there. I found it was easier just to focus on hitting the enemy with my sword than to try and incorporate signs into the fight. Alchemy was useless to me as well. I just couldn't grasp their system. Get all these ingredients to make potions or weapon buffs that barely change the way you play. I completed the game without making anything other than what's required.
Overall the Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is a massive game that delivers a huge fully realized world with an epic story that get's a little too padded for it's own good. But no matter how great the game got, it's severely dragged down by the sloppy movement and combat. If you're at all interested in The Witcher 3 or open world RPG's, pick it up. It's definitely worth $60 and you can easily get 100 hours out of the game.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt earns an 8.3 out of 10.
Why Did they Make Mario a Plumber?
The Mario franchise is the best selling video game franchise in history. The games in the main Mario series alone have sold nearly 250 million copies, and that doesn't include Mario Kart, Mario Tennis, Mario Party, and a whole slew of other titles. Have you ever wondered why on earth the Japanese game designers decide that the main character an Italian plumber?
The game was designed by Shigeru Miyamoto who is the Babe Ruth/Michael Jordan/Beethoven of video game design. Miyamoto was working on the original Donkey Kong as a new flagship video game for his company. He developed the character that would become Mario as an unnamed guy who runs up ladders and platforms dodging barrels thrown by Donkey Kong. Miyamoto originally just called him Mr. Video and had actually employed him in a number of different video game settings without finding the right fit. Donkey Kong was set on a construction site, so they designed him as a carpenter to fit his surroundings. As a child, Miyamoto was a big fan of comic books, including foreign comic books. When sketching out his ideas for Mario he drew from the memory of some of his favorite characters from western comics and ended up with a character with a bulbous nose and a big bushy mustache. In the next iteration, what would eventually become Mario Brothers, the designers came up with the idea of a game where the main characters traveled through pipes. Miyamoto thought it didn't make sense to have a carpenter traveling through pipes, so he changed him to a plumber, put him in New York, and made him an Italian as a cheeky explanation for the mustache.
They were still calling their Italian plumber Mr. Video, however, when they began expanding into North America with the roll out of Donkey Kong. Donkey Kong would quickly become a sensation as the next true video game phenomenon after Pac-Man. At one of their warehouses, their landlord Mario Segale, a Seattle real estate mogul, got into a heated argument with Miyamoto's boss. Segale was fuming over unpaid rent, especially since he saw the business taking off. The employees eventually calmed Mario Segale down by promising to pay the money owed. When he left, they decided that they should name their new version of Mr. Video after the hostile landlord.
Miyamoto admits that the Mr. Video likely never would have taken off to become the worldwide sensation that it is today. Giving him a blue collar job, a name, and an ethnicity made him more relatable as a protagonist and improved the gaming experience. Through countless games, his image has been refined over the decades (as has his brother Luigi's). But he still has the same essential character story he did in the original Donkey Kong appearance. He's just a hard-working guy trying to win back his girl. Japanese, Italian, or American-we can all relate to that.
السبت، 9 أبريل 2016
NBA 2k16
Last year's addition to the NBA 2k series was spectacular. It was difficult to imagine what more can be added to the game to make it even better. But the game developers were able to deliver, giving us the best NBA game ever created. NBA 2k16 has seen a lot of improvements, making it the best basketball simulation game yet. If you're a huge basketball fan like me, then you should definitely check the game out and see for yourself how close to real life your gaming experience gets.
Perhaps the most notable difference is the improve AI defenses. The previous iterations of the game employed pretty poor defenses. You can zigzag your way through the lane for a quick bucket. It seemed as though all you had to do was make circles with your joystick until you get past your defender. But in 2k16, it's a lot harder than that. Simply making random moves would usually lead to turnovers or bad shots.
There are also plenty of changes when it comes to game controls. Double-tapping the buttons allow for a variety of fancy plays, from throwing alley-oops to dishing no-look passes. The post down move is now on L2 and it's more intuitive than ever. You no longer have to wait for the animation to settle before you can execute your signature post-up game.
Of course, it also pays to mention that NBA 2k 16 is the best-looking basketball game, bar none. So much attention has been placed into the tiniest of details of every player, coach, broadcasters and even fans watching in the arena. It's like you're watching a live NBA game! It would be interesting to see how much more the graphics will improve over the coming years.
What's also great is that you have the option of playing the game in a myriad of ways. There are several game options, with some making a much anticipated return. But without question, the most popular game mode is MyCareer. You're probably familiar with this feature, but once you check it out, it would feel completely different. Follow an interesting storyline as you take an avid basketball fanatic into a worldwide superstar.
And perhaps the best news is that technical issues and glitches are reported only by a minority of players. While the game still depends heavily on online servers, you don't have to worry about huge problems that would get in the way of your gaming experience. Visual Concepts deserves mad props for creating such a complete package of a game.
The Division
After a couple delays and a few years since it's announcement, The Division is finally here. I was never necessarily looking forward to this game, but boy am I glad I picked up Ubisoft's new game up. It's a third person open world shooter with fairly deep role playing elements, along with seeds of an MMO. There's a lot to take in here and while I'm not going to be going every intricate detail in this review, I do want to talk about what makes this game work and things that hold it back.
The biggest take away you should get from this review is that the game is fun. Videos online don't do it justice, you have to at least try this game out if you're on the fence. Actually playing the game was a completely different experience than watching a video. Get it on Gamefly, Redbox, a friend, or just buy it; it's worth the price of admission. The mission and side mission structure have enough variety to keep stringing you along, that mixed with compelling semi-stat based cover based shooting calls for a fun time. I have put in about thirty hours with The Division and have completed all the main missions (some more than once) and am now working on side missions to get me to the "End Game" or level thirty.
Missions have just enough backstory and narrative to feel somewhat relevant, but at the end of the day you won't really care or know what's going on. It's just not that interesting. Luckily for Ubisoft, the overall premise of the game should have loads of potential to tell some fantastic stories through DLC or future sequels. Side missions are all variants of each other that get pretty old after a while if you do many in a row. Sadly that's where I'm at. I completed all the main missions, the latter of those missions were with higher rank players that helped pull me through the missions, which were above my rank.
This will segway to the co-op gameplay, it's a blast if you're playing with three other friends at the same rank as you. Yes, the same rank as you. If you are rank 13 with three friends that are rank 20, the game will cater to their level and leave you in the dust. You will do limited damage to enemies and usual get one shot killed. It's not really fun if you're in this position, but sometimes it could be necessary if you want to complete a high ranked mission. At least you can match make each mission to get lobbied up with same rank players. This is true for every aspect of the game.
Gunplay is pretty exciting. Each class of weapons feels very different from one another, but most of the guns in those classes can feel similar. Though each gun has different pros and cons like recoil or accuracy. You can attach mods to your guns to help with different stats. There's enough depth in the gun managing to make you care, which is great in a game like this. You also have many types of grenades and bullet types. Cover combat is the core of this game and it works great, full with flanking opportunities and suppression options.
Your character also has a plethora of skill bases options. You have perks that are automatically put into play once unlocked. Talents can be assigned to one of four slots that are unlocked through rank. Then you have your skills which directly affect gameplay. They are assigned to your bumper buttons with a third skill activated by holding both together. These can be radar's, shields, health and ammo packs, along with a bunch of others. Your character can be tailored to one of three different paths that all feel unique in their own way.
Loot is at the forefront in The Division and you get much of it. It has that addictiveness that it should to keep you playing for next best thing and this system works much better than Destiny's, which was to random. You will most likely get some type of gear that will be better that what you have every single time you go out into the world. You can also buy, create, and store weapons and gear at safe houses or your base of operations, which act as hubs for every player.
Lastly, the dark zone is the PVP segment of the game that I have only spent about an hour in. It has it's own ranking system, sadly nothing you do in here can boost your regular rank. The game turns into a very tense one in the dark zone. Definitely go in with your friends that have your back, you will get into some brutal fights that are extremely rewarding. You can also get some of the best loot from the dark zone, if you're able to extract it.
Overall The Division has been and is a fantastic experience. There are many ways to play the game that should cater to a wide audience. After you play the extensive single player or co-op missions of the core story, there is the competitive dark zone that will have players playing for months to come trying to outdo each other. Hopefully future updates can make the End Game worthwhile for players who don't want to go into the dark zone and want to stick to the main game.
Scorring More Points in Scrabble
The purpose of this article is to discuss simple, practical hints and strategies that can be implemented almost immediately to help any Scrabble player improve their score average and their winning percentage.
Most of these tips will focus on improving your score, but it is worth noting that you can certainly improve your overall winning percentage by playing better defense as well. As a Scrabble player, you should always be aware of the board layout, and whether your potential play is going to open a huge opportunity for your opponent. It might be better to score 20 points rather than 30 points, if your 20 point word will open up fewer opportunities for your opponent. In particular, try to avoid giving your opponent access to a Triple Word Score tile.
In terms of scoring points for yourself, there are many strategies and hints that can help you improve almost immediately.
Many tips and strategies for Scrabble can be put to use almost immediately. The one exception is tips about vocabulary. There is no substitute for studying and memorization. Because of this, most of the following tips will be focused in other areas that can have a more immediate impact. However, it is absolutely worthwhile to memorize all the 2 letter Scrabble words. This will help you tremendously, as you'll see below.
One of the best ways to score points is to create multiple words with each play. Every new word you create gives you points, even if you're just adding one letter. This is where the 2 letter words come in handy; you can create 3 or 4 words on any given play by laying one word alongside another. As long as all the words created are legal in the Scrabble dictionary, then the play is acceptable.
This type of skill can also help you place your 7 letter words, also known as Bingos. Bingos are the key to scoring a lot of points in Scrabble, and are the main goal of any veteran player. One way to increase the odds of being able to place a Bingo once you find one on your tile rack is to learn all the 2 letter words so that you have more opportunities to lay parts of your word alongside other words and fit your 7 letter word on the board. Every Bingo you get gives you 50 bonus points.
Another way to increase the amount of Bingos that you get per game, without memorizing any fancy words or improving your vocabulary, is to focus on tile balance. The best Scrabble players are always aware of their balance between vowels and consonants. Scoring the most points possible every play is not a good strategy if you will be leaving yourself with 5 vowels for the upcoming turn. Since the goal of a good Scrabble player is to score Bingos, you should always have tile balance in the back of your mind.
By balancing your tiles, you will have more opportunities to play Bingos with relatively common words. You won't have to memorize obscure words because you will have more opportunities to play very common 7 letter words.
One more way to score more Bingos is to look for prefixes and suffixes. This allows you to look for a shorter root word. If you find a prefix or suffix that is two or three letters in length, you can look at your remaining four or five tiles to quickly see if there is a root word that you can use. This can save time and help you spot as many Bingos as possible.
Overall, the best Scrabble strategy is to focus on Bingos, while being aware of board positioning and not allowing your opponent access to powerful board spaces such as the "Triple Word Score" tiles. By limiting your opponents options and always looking for opportunities to play a 7 letter word, you will increase your winning percentage dramatically in a matter of weeks.
Brain Food
How to Give Your Brain the Proper Mental Workout!
It has been a part of popular knowledge for some time now that people who exercise their brain by consistently challenging themselves with mental activities such as jigsaw or 3-D puzzles enjoy a healthier cerebral capacity.
Apart from adults, playing mind games like jigsaw puzzles and brain puzzles is also the best way of exercising your child's mind and keeping it active during long summer vacations. Apart from them being beneficial for the brain's development, it is also a fun and hands-on way of keeping their minds pre- occupied.
Mind bending 3-D puzzles and other brain puzzles are easily available on the internet at online stores like. Puzzles also improve a child's visual and spatial skills along with building critical thinking abilities which is very important during a child's growth process.
Jigsaw Puzzles:
Puzzles come in all shapes and sizes that are appropriate to the child's age. Some games for children require physical manipulation while others rely on vision in order to find a solution. One of the popular puzzles for children which require manipulation is the jigsaw puzzle. Puzzles for children usually show scenes from popular nursery rhymes, food, numbers and alphabets.
Jigsaw for older kids depict movie scenes, pictures of various places, historical events, and famous people. A jigsaw puzzle can also involve a game context, like those which give clues for solving a mystery.
Sliding Puzzles:
Sliding puzzles are made up of small plastic squares that are held together in a plastic case and usually depict a picture or cartoon character. These brain puzzles are generally of eight plastic squares with one empty space which is used to move the different pieces to a proper relationship in order to show the picture.
Rubik's Cube:
The Rubik's cube is one of the most popular 3-D puzzles. Also known as the magic cube, it can easily be called the world's most perfect puzzle. The pieces of this puzzle can be moved around in all directions. The goal to get all the colours organized. For some, solving a Rubik's cube is a matter of seconds, for others, it can take decades. Buying 3-D puzzles is sure to keep you busy for a while.
Others:
Puzzles that rely on a child's vision often include word searches. For children, the word puzzle is arranged going only in one direction, but for adults, the words can be arranged vertically, horizontally and diagonally in either direction.
Visual puzzles are puzzles made out of wood or metal and are shaped in a particular design as to form a riddle.
How to Give Your Brain the Proper Mental Workout!
It has been a part of popular knowledge for some time now that people who exercise their brain by consistently challenging themselves with mental activities such as jigsaw or 3-D puzzles enjoy a healthier cerebral capacity.
Apart from adults, playing mind games like jigsaw puzzles and brain puzzles is also the best way of exercising your child's mind and keeping it active during long summer vacations. Apart from them being beneficial for the brain's development, it is also a fun and hands-on way of keeping their minds pre- occupied.
Mind bending 3-D puzzles and other brain puzzles are easily available on the internet at online stores like. Puzzles also improve a child's visual and spatial skills along with building critical thinking abilities which is very important during a child's growth process.
Jigsaw Puzzles:
Puzzles come in all shapes and sizes that are appropriate to the child's age. Some games for children require physical manipulation while others rely on vision in order to find a solution. One of the popular puzzles for children which require manipulation is the jigsaw puzzle. Puzzles for children usually show scenes from popular nursery rhymes, food, numbers and alphabets.
Jigsaw for older kids depict movie scenes, pictures of various places, historical events, and famous people. A jigsaw puzzle can also involve a game context, like those which give clues for solving a mystery.
Sliding Puzzles:
Sliding puzzles are made up of small plastic squares that are held together in a plastic case and usually depict a picture or cartoon character. These brain puzzles are generally of eight plastic squares with one empty space which is used to move the different pieces to a proper relationship in order to show the picture.
Rubik's Cube:
The Rubik's cube is one of the most popular 3-D puzzles. Also known as the magic cube, it can easily be called the world's most perfect puzzle. The pieces of this puzzle can be moved around in all directions. The goal to get all the colours organized. For some, solving a Rubik's cube is a matter of seconds, for others, it can take decades. Buying 3-D puzzles is sure to keep you busy for a while.
Others:
Puzzles that rely on a child's vision often include word searches. For children, the word puzzle is arranged going only in one direction, but for adults, the words can be arranged vertically, horizontally and diagonally in either direction.
Visual puzzles are puzzles made out of wood or metal and are shaped in a particular design as to form a riddle.
Fun-Filled
A healthy and strong brain guarantees an active and satisfied life. In today's fast paced life, a vast majority of people is not able to maintain a regular exercise schedule. Due to their hectic routines, they usually don't get enough time to take part in other healthy activities. However, there are a few fun activities which play an important role in brain enhancement and development. Brain teaser games are a significant part of these activities that help to maintain a healthy mind.
Brain puzzles, optical illusions, jigsaw puzzles, and other games are classified as activities that entertain and develop your brain. Such games are particularly useful in keeping your brain healthy and active. These games may increase your attention span. With such activities, you may determine the factors that distract your prolonged attention, means to improve your memory, and learn how to give extreme attention to minute details. Such games test your visual perception, peripheral vision, and ability to interpret things correctly.
Brain teaser games involve mental and intellectual thinking, creativity, and logical abilities. They encourage your brain to efficiently solve a problem and come up with diverse solutions. They force individuals to consider the most unusual aspects. The temporal and frontal areas of your brain are responsible for memory. It is important to stimulate these areas on a regular basis to maintain an active and properly functioning brain.
There are various kinds of brain puzzles that may sharpen your mental abilities and help you to keep your brain in a better condition. With such brainteasers, you are likely to enhance your concentration and other general abilities. Several medical studies have indicated that brain teaser games reduce chances of disorders like dementia. They usually help to improve academic performance and critical thinking capabilities of children. To improve your mental abilities, opt for such games that include optical illusion as they not only improve concentration, but are also a means of entertainment.
With efficient brain puzzles, you can develop your sensory and creative skills. They may improve your literary skills and introduce kids to new words and help them to improve their vocabulary. There are plenty of games that develop problem solving and thinking abilities in young kids which is extremely important at an early age.
Such creative games help children enjoy great benefits like increased attention, enhanced thinking abilities, improved memory, and advanced means of learning. These games not only improve your knowledge, but also boost your self-confidence.
