Played - Episode 33

[warcrow]

The shenanigans and tomfoolery are back! We?ve got 51 minutes of entertainment for you guys!

We chat about the Nintendo DS version of Spore, Burnout: Paradise, Mass Effect on the PC, No More Heroes, Pixel Junk Monsters, Devil May Cry 4, and Advanced Wars: Days of Ruin!

Hope you enjoy!

http://www.playedpodcast.com/2...-13/played-episode-33/

 

[Sadaiyappan]

Man there are so many gaming websites and apparently many gaming podcasts too. I have never heard of played before but I usually listen to 1up yours which is two hours long and released every friday..

 

[warcrow]

Give us a shot. This one should be pretty good.

 

[RandomFool]

Cool, I'll probably give it a listen at work tomorrow.

 

[CasioTech]

I watch gametrailers all day long. So much so that I haven't played a video game since the beginning of January.

 

[Modeps]

Spore's DS version is not being handled by Maxis... chances are, the game will be completely different on the DS that it is on PC or OSX.

 

[bucwylde23]

I"ll give it a listen.

Is this podcast available on the zune marketplace? I'm lazy and like to have it automatically download/sync it for me.

 

[warcrow]

Originally posted by: CasioTech
I watch gametrailers all day long. So much so that I haven't played a video game since the beginning of January.

I dont.....get......it?

 

[Modeps]

Originally posted by: warcrow

Originally posted by: CasioTech
I watch gametrailers all day long. So much so that I haven't played a video game since the beginning of January.

I dont.....get......it?

It's Casio, you dont have to get it. Just ignore his comments and be on your way

 

[Queasy]

Originally posted by: warcrow

Originally posted by: CasioTech
I watch gametrailers all day long. So much so that I haven't played a video game since the beginning of January.

I dont.....get......it?

I doubt this is the direction that CT was going but it reminds me of this quote from the movie The Lost Boys:

Sam: Where's the TV?
Grandpa: If you read the T.V. Guide, you don't need a T.V.

 

[Ramma2]

So warcrow are you getting any free games for review yet?

 

[warcrow]

Originally posted by: chrisg22
I"ll give it a listen.

Is this podcast available on the zune marketplace? I'm lazy and like to have it automatically download/sync it for me.

Cool--let me know what you think. The podcast should be available in the Zune Marketplace (thanks to blurredvision), but if it's not, please let me know so I can fix that.

 

[derdrache]

Seem to be very on the money.

Especially with the discussion on how EA butchered the burnout series with paradise. I loved NOT HAVING TO DRIVE THROUGH THE MENU SYSTEM! I just want to select the next race and be done with it. If there was actually something to do while driving it would be cool but making me drive to find an event is utter bs. This game sucks big freaking time compared to the rest in the series. There's no purpose to free range driving in a game like this. "there's no loading time" Well DUH! Now instead of 10 seconds of loading time you have 20 minutes of useless driving. I love Burnout games but this one makes me throw in the towel.

 

[warcrow]

Originally posted by: derdrache
Seem to be very on the money.

Especially with the discussion on how EA butchered the burnout series with paradise. I loved NOT HAVING TO DRIVE THROUGH THE MENU SYSTEM! I just want to select the next race and be done with it. If there was actually something to do while driving it would be cool but making me drive to find an event is utter bs. This game sucks big freaking time compared to the rest in the series. There's no purpose to free range driving in a game like this. "there's no loading time" Well DUH! Now instead of 10 seconds of loading time you have 20 minutes of useless driving. I love Burnout games but this one makes me throw in the towel.

Yea, Elizabeth seems to have a hard time getting into the game. To be clea--I actually really like the game aside from my gripes with the mini-map, lack of Crash mode and a missing restart marker (a la Skate).

I wouldnt call it a butchering though. That seems a little harsh.

They do offer things to do while driving around the city, like finding super-jumps, fences to crash through, billboards to bust, parking lots to jump out of, take down cars to unlock and of course events at almost every intersection.

 

[Queasy]

Originally posted by: derdrache
Seem to be very on the money.

Especially with the discussion on how EA butchered the burnout series with paradise. I loved NOT HAVING TO DRIVE THROUGH THE MENU SYSTEM! I just want to select the next race and be done with it. If there was actually something to do while driving it would be cool but making me drive to find an event is utter bs. This game sucks big freaking time compared to the rest in the series. There's no purpose to free range driving in a game like this. "there's no loading time" Well DUH! Now instead of 10 seconds of loading time you have 20 minutes of useless driving. I love Burnout games but this one makes me throw in the towel.

Test Drive: Unlimited used pretty much the same system (I wonder if that's where the Burnout devs got the idea). And, it was great the first few times I played it. But then I came to the realization that I was having to drive alllll the way across the island to compete in some events because I had already completed the events I was eligible for in the part I had started out in. It became less about picking the events that were fun and more about picking the events that were closest.

The cool thing about TD:U though was that you could just beep your horn at someone and challenge them to a race and the game would jump you into that.

 

[R Nilla]

Originally posted by: Queasy

Originally posted by: derdrache
Seem to be very on the money.

Especially with the discussion on how EA butchered the burnout series with paradise. I loved NOT HAVING TO DRIVE THROUGH THE MENU SYSTEM! I just want to select the next race and be done with it. If there was actually something to do while driving it would be cool but making me drive to find an event is utter bs. This game sucks big freaking time compared to the rest in the series. There's no purpose to free range driving in a game like this. "there's no loading time" Well DUH! Now instead of 10 seconds of loading time you have 20 minutes of useless driving. I love Burnout games but this one makes me throw in the towel.

Test Drive: Unlimited used pretty much the same system (I wonder if that's where the Burnout devs got the idea). And, it was great the first few times I played it. But then I came to the realization that I was having to drive alllll the way across the island to compete in some events because I had already completed the events I was eligible for in the part I had started out in. It became less about picking the events that were fun and more about picking the events that were closest.

The cool thing about TD:U though was that you could just beep your horn at someone and challenge them to a race and the game would jump you into that.

You can also teleport to any road you've previously driven on, and select events from the map menu rather than drive to them, IIRC.

I really enjoyed TDU. It doesn't have the greatest physics or driving mechanics (and no damage) but it was a lot of fun. It was more about collecting cars (and houses to store them in) and driving around than hardcore racing, which is probably why I liked it. Very reminiscent of what Need For Speed used to be like.

EDIT: Another great feature in TDU that Burnout Paradise could use is being able to place a marker on the map, and then the game will direct you where to go just like an onboard GPS system (complete with audible directions--e.g. "turn right"). It would be great if Burnout at least let you set a waypoint that it would then direct you to via the current blinker system. This way you don't have to keep bringing up the map to figure out where you're going.

 

[warcrow]

You know--I've not played TD:U, but it sounds kinda cool.

 

[Modeps]

Originally posted by: derdrache
Seem to be very on the money.

Especially with the discussion on how EA butchered the burnout series with paradise. I loved NOT HAVING TO DRIVE THROUGH THE MENU SYSTEM! I just want to select the next race and be done with it. If there was actually something to do while driving it would be cool but making me drive to find an event is utter bs. This game sucks big freaking time compared to the rest in the series. There's no purpose to free range driving in a game like this. "there's no loading time" Well DUH! Now instead of 10 seconds of loading time you have 20 minutes of useless driving. I love Burnout games but this one makes me throw in the towel.

I can't disagree more with the podcast, or you.

Paradise is fantastic step in the franchise. I've played every single Burnout since it came out and can say for sure that it needed something to spice it up. Yes, Burnout Revenge was still a ton of fun, but it was more and more of the same. We were totally getting into Madden territory.

I too thought after playing the demo of Paradise for the first time, that the game was hardly worthy of the title. No Restarts? No Crash Mode? WTF!! :| But after getting out of that mentality and giving it a fair chance, I can honestly say that its one of the best Burnouts there is. Of course there is room for improvement, but what Criterion has given us is an evolution, not a rehash.

 

[bucwylde23]

Originally posted by: warcrow

Originally posted by: chrisg22
I"ll give it a listen.

Is this podcast available on the zune marketplace? I'm lazy and like to have it automatically download/sync it for me.

Cool--let me know what you think. The podcast should be available in the Zune Marketplace (thanks to blurredvision), but if it's not, please let me know so I can fix that.

I"m looking right now and can't seem to find the podcast... looking under the gaming categories and don't see it.

 

[Queasy]

Originally posted by: R Nilla

Originally posted by: Queasy

Originally posted by: derdrache
Seem to be very on the money.

Especially with the discussion on how EA butchered the burnout series with paradise. I loved NOT HAVING TO DRIVE THROUGH THE MENU SYSTEM! I just want to select the next race and be done with it. If there was actually something to do while driving it would be cool but making me drive to find an event is utter bs. This game sucks big freaking time compared to the rest in the series. There's no purpose to free range driving in a game like this. "there's no loading time" Well DUH! Now instead of 10 seconds of loading time you have 20 minutes of useless driving. I love Burnout games but this one makes me throw in the towel.

Test Drive: Unlimited used pretty much the same system (I wonder if that's where the Burnout devs got the idea). And, it was great the first few times I played it. But then I came to the realization that I was having to drive alllll the way across the island to compete in some events because I had already completed the events I was eligible for in the part I had started out in. It became less about picking the events that were fun and more about picking the events that were closest.

The cool thing about TD:U though was that you could just beep your horn at someone and challenge them to a race and the game would jump you into that.

You can also teleport to any road you've previously driven on, and select events from the map menu rather than drive to them, IIRC.

Right, but you had to drive there first. Like you said, it was a fun game. Having to drive across the island just to get to some events and the handling of the motorcycles were my two biggest complaints. Otherwise, I think it is one of the more under appreciated games on the 360.

 

[banksh0t]

Listened to it at work today. Pretty good :thumbsup:

 

[Modeps]

Oh, just wanted to say that I do like the shorter length 'Crow. Much better at 50 mins instead of over 2 hours. Pacing was good too, way to keep it moving along.

:thumbsup:

 

[Queasy]

Originally posted by: warcrow
You know--I've not played TD:U, but it sounds kinda cool.

$19.99 at FamilyVideo.com right now.

 

[R Nilla]

Originally posted by: Queasy
Right, but you had to drive there first. Like you said, it was a fun game. Having to drive across the island just to get to some events and the handling of the motorcycles were my two biggest complaints. Otherwise, I think it is one of the more under appreciated games on the 360.

I guess I just never really noticed that, or maybe I played TDU in such a way that it wasn't an issue. Definitely an overlooked game, I recommend it to racing/car fans out there who haven't tried it. Starting to be not as impressive as games like Forza 2, PGR4, and Burnout Paradise come out, but it's still a lot of fun.

Nice podcast by the way, warcrow. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and laughed a lot. I listened to the previous episode when it was released, and I definitely dig the shorter format.

 

[warcrow]

Originally posted by: banksh0t
Listened to it at work today. Pretty good :thumbsup:

Thanks--glad to hear you enjoy it.

Originally posted by: Modeps
Oh, just wanted to say that I do like the shorter length 'Crow. Much better at 50 mins instead of over 2 hours. Pacing was good too, way to keep it moving along. :thumbsup:

Cool, man, thanks. I know you were not a fan of our older format, so glad to hear you liked it.

Originally posted by: Queasy
$19.99 at FamilyVideo.com right now.

Thanks for the link, but I've got such a huge pile of to-be-played right now it's insane!