Posts tagged Bethesda
PSA: Visiting New Vegas
Oct 19th
Fallout: New Vegas, developed by Obsidian Entertainment and the follow up to 2008′s Fallout 3, releases today. If the new entry in the franchise is as long as the previous game, it won’t be a stretch to anticipate a good 80 or more hours of post-apocalyptic vivacity. Such a massive digital trip demands an alternative form of critique.
That’s why we’re trying something new with our reviews. Over the next month (or less, depending on however many nights I deprive myself of sleep) Silicon Sasquatch will run a series of weekly articles I’m penning on New Vegas to investigate and dissect its noteworthy aspects in set blocks of hours, a section-by-section travelogue if you will. To attempt to review New Vegas after rushing through its campaign would only serve to dilute the experience of the game itself. Traditional reviews may work that way, but we have the opportunity to pace ourselves for this website.
Expect my first entry in the “New Vegas Travel Guide” this Friday, October 22. The initial post will highlight New Vegas’ beginning five hours, and will focus on whatever I see or do that strikes me in a good — or bad — way. Some reviews are painting New Vegas as a near-carbon copy of Fallout 3 but with more noticeable technical issues (at least in the Xbox 360 version, which I will be buying today). Glitches or not, my underlying aim with these articles is to break the game into chronological segments and fairly determine whether or not Obsidian’s efforts overcome any similarities to Bethesda’s work to make a distinct, legitimate product by the time the credits roll.
I’d like to let our readers know that I’m taking open submissions for questions, concerns or hopes you may have regarding Fallout: New Vegas; things that I should keep in mind for subsequent articles. Simply leave your cogitations in the comments section.
Review: Fallout 3: Broken Steel (XBL)
May 11th
Apparently the third time is the charm as Broken Steel is unequivocally the best of Fallout 3′s downloadable content packs.
Broken Steel succeeds because it caters directly to Fallout 3′s central plot without weakening it. There are no diversions or trips to less-important locales in this add-on—players are brought back to the Capital Wasteland, continuing the quest that led them out of Vault 101 in the first place.
Truly, Operation: Anchorage and The Pitt were fleeting crescendos meant to build up to Broken Steel. It’s just a shame it took two tries on Bethesda Softworks’ part to get everything right.
Review: Fallout 3: The Pitt (XBL)
May 10th
Fallout 3′s second add-on, The Pitt invites players back to an oddly comforting but desolate world, one where mutations, slavery and murder are expected factors of life. And as bad as all of those things sound, they’re what make Fallout an interesting series of videogames.
This time around, Bethesda Softworks ditches the virtual reality pods and simulation gimmicks seen in Operation: Anchorage; instead, the developers have crafted their interpretation of a post-apocalyptic Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and in the process manage to create a locale as equally nightmarish as any seen in the Capital Wasteland.
It’s a satisfying return to the best parts of the Fallout 3 world, and despite The Pitt’s technical flaws, it’s a significantly more impressive experience than Anchorage.
Review: Fallout 3: Operation: Anchorage (XBL)
May 9th
Operation: Anchorage isn’t exactly a waste of time, but it’s close.
Bethesda Softworks’ first Fallout 3 DLC is by no means lacking polish or the studio’s high production standards, but it’s truly not much more than a three-hour treasure hunt with a few unwelcome gameplay additions and a shiny, non-wasteland setting to cover its overall shortcomings.
This lackluster nature makes Anchorage a frustrating piece of content to plod through as Bethesda certainly isn’t new to the idea of extending their core titles. The numerous releases for their last game, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, first began with pointlessness but later ended with something epic; it certainly appeared that the company learned from its initial mistakes and mastered the delivery of DLC packages.
Unfortunately for Fallout 3, the development team manages to repeat its history of initially poor downloadable content with the uneven and unsatisfying Operation: Anchorage, which ends up looking like a failed attempt at streamlining Fallout into a first-person shooter experience. Read the rest of this entry »
Sasquatch PSA: A Weekend (and Partial Week) of Fallout 3 DLC
May 7th
Somehow, even after three DLC releases, Vault 77 still isn't in the game
This weekend we’ll be running a three-part Fallout 3 DLC review feature in honor of the newly released Broken Steel, the third and supposedly final exclusive pack for the Xbox 360 and PC.
All three reviews will be self-contained and cover a specific add-on, but we’ll also determine whether or not Broken Steel’s increased level cap of 30 impacts the relevance of the other two expansions’ content.
Look for our first two reviews to hit this Saturday and Sunday, with the final one dropping on Monday.
And yes, what Ron Perlman says about war never changing applies to our dates as well.
- Saturday, May 9th: Operation: Anchorage — Are the FPS-leanings and winterized weaponry worth the rather short playtime? Take a break from your hangover woes this Saturday to read our answer.
- Sunday, May 10th: The Pitt — A vicious ax that’s part chainsaw, all murder? Check. One pointless collect-a-thon for an achievement? Check. Some bang for your Microsoft space buck? Visit the site on Sunday to find out.
- Monday, May 11th: Broken Steel — Liberty Prime, everyone’s favorite Commie-hating robot, is back for an appearance, and Dogmeat can’t really die anymore. This is supposed to be the biggest and best Fallout 3 add-on yet, but that’s our job to decide come Monday.
Daily Recap: April 27, 2009
Apr 27th
We’re coming up on the big summer blockbuster season for games, and E3 2009′s looming on the horizon with all the shameless glitz of its heyday, so it’s comforting to have a manageable news trickle. Today’s news deals with a wrestler, some world warriors, a few dozen superheroes and one creative game developer who’s embarking on a personal journey.
Rough-and-tumble actor Mickey Rourke, most recently nominated for the Best Actor Oscar for his stellar performance in The Wrestler, is set to star in Rogue Warrior, based roughly on the real-life experiences of Navy SEAL Richard “Demo Dick” Marcinko. Developed by Rebellion Developments and published by Bethesda, the game places the player in Marcinko’s shoes as he investigates a North Korean ballistic missile program and unearths a conspiracy of some sort. Rebellion’s track record is relatively spotty, having been tasked with a number of high-profile game ports and adaptations to platforms like the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable, but the potential for a game based on such a hard-hitting true story and portrayed by a talent like Rourke’s is high.