Fallout 3

Fallout 3

This is one of the best, most engrossing, exhilirating games I have ever played. I loved every aspect of the experience. The only thing I didn't love was that when I came up gasping for reality that time had moved forward so quickly. This game took about a month of my life away from me, but it was worth it. Thankfully there is a level system, and a series of missions loosely based on a storyline, so that an end was possible. Otherwise I may have been stuck in that fake reality much longer.

The game is set in a nuclear waste land. The world's leaders have tried to destroy everyone with nuclear attacks, and they very nearly succeeded. What remains are little towns starting to reform the wasteland into civilization. The wasteland is ruled by gangs of bandits, excessivly large and aggressive mutated predators, and Soldiers of various factions fighting for nominal control of the major cities.

You start out at birth and the death of your mother during labor. You quickly skip forward a dozen years at a time, getting your name, and background story, until finally you are a teenager ready to start taking on adult responsibilities. Your father is a scientist working and living with the closed off community called "the vault", living in an underground, self-supporting bunker. The children are told that they are the only survivors; but that myth is quickly destroyed, and things turn to chaos as there is a bitter battle for control of the small vault community. Your dad goes missing in the wasteland, and you decide to follow him.

This is where the great stuff begins to happen. The map is huge, and there is no direction, except a few seemingly unconnected "missions". Its a role-playing game that enjoys a mix of RPG and first person shooter characteristics. As you encounter other characters in the game, your decisions (both good and evil, sound and questionable) and your actions (thefts, breakins, healing the sick, defending the weak, etc.) make your characters reputation. You are affected by either good karma, or bad karma, and your actions on different missions affect the possibilities available in future missions. If you kill an acquaintance, you can't help him later, etc., etc.

The map is beautiful. The enemies are countless. The missions engaging and interesting. The first-person shooter is fun, and made more entertaining with the RPG options.

Great game. I can't wait to play again! Get lost in a great world, friends, you will enjoy it.

Close Combat: First to Fight

Close Combat: First to Fight

I've been a fan of the Close Combat games for some time. Close Combat: Invasion Normandy has been a favorite past time activity of mine for quite a while now. The older CC's are like a modern version of chess (where you can play the computer or another player) with each player setting his pieces, giving orders, and watching events unfold. The thing that makes the game interesting is the uncertainty involved. There is no way of knowing where the enemy is located, or what his intentions are, until you push out recon units to get eyes on the enemy. What makes it fun is that its always a challenge, each time you play. Nothing is the same. The enemy always reacts differently, and if you are a great leader you can get your men to suprise the enemy, causing enemy morale to plummet and pow's to come flooding in.

But out with the old, and in with the new.

This new game, First to Fight, takes the fun of the first person shooter and melds it with the reality and difficulty of the old games, requiring not just good shooting, but good tactics. You have three other marines in your fire team, and they know their jobs, so you can focus on yours. But you also have the ability to send them individually or as units to cover important areas, man machine guns, or just stay put while you check out the situation. The missions are interesting and varied and allow you to enjoy shooting up the bad guys while still demanding care and accuracy when operating near civilians and captured personnel. The maps are laid out with a variety of entrances and exits from all buildings so that you have a chance to surprise the enemy by sneaking up fire escapes and rooting them out from the top down. The new game also lets you call for helicopter and mortar attacks, as well as call for sniper team support to keep pesky rebels from shooting up your team.

I've just scratched the surface as far as the possibilities. There is multiplayer and x-box live options, as well, which I have not yet begun to explore. I've just been enjoying the set scenario's, but am looking forward to experimenting, testing my tactics against other players. I bought my copy used from a store in town, with a gaurantee that I could return the copy if I didn't like it. After the first time playing (and figuring out the controls) I decided there wouldn't be a need to return the game. It takes all the slow tactical precision of Full Spectrum Warrior yet lets you get your aggression out by pulling the trigger and butt stroking the bad guys. Its great fun, and I highly recommend it to you gamers who like the first person shooter.

(By the way, I've been reading up on Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, and am interested. It seems that based on your actions you can choose to be either for the light or the dark side. Nice. I don't think its a first person shooter, though. A friend brought over Star Wars: Republic Commando, which was entertaining, but its got none of the visual magnificance of Halo 2, or the flexibility of First to Fight.)

Halo 2

Halo 2

I just finished the game (easiest difficulty setting, of course). What can I say, except awesome. The movie segments between each level add greatly to the enjoyment, and I was very impressed with the storyline (they even left themselves a giant hole of a conclusion, ensuring customer demand for Halo 3). Too bad there's not a way to just play the video segments like a regular movie.

One thing I noticed about the story, and this has to do with sci-fi stories in general, is that each new story builds on the traditions of the past great sci-fi stories. In the story of Halo 2, I was reminded of stories from the great books (Ender's Game, Starship Troopers, The Forever War, Dune) as well as the great movies (Aliens, Blade Runner, Star Wars, Predator). I don't feel like explaining myself in detail about what exactly reminded me of those books and movies, but you get the point. It seems to me that these stories take the accepted view of what is "plausible" and what is not, from a sci-fi point of view, and keep the best traditions and get rid of the flunky's. Of course, one element of what makes all these stories similar is just good story telling. Believable enough to make us care, and strange enough to make us wonder.

As far as the improvements in the game itself, its amazing. Halo was, ans still is a great game, but the graphics and detail put into Halo 2 just blew my mind. During the little video segments, the character you play even has the correct weapons that were just being used. During the game, if a character speaks to you, he always turns his head to look in your direction, no matter how much you dance around. When a weapon is held at the ready, it cocks to the side and shakes a bit, revealing the strain in the characters hand from gripping the gun tightly. This is just the top of the list. The ability to carry and operate two weapons at once is incredible, and the range of vehicles available for use is amazing. The best part of using the vehicles has got to be the ability to jump on an enemy operated vehicle and beat that alien down like a worthless dog, and then shoot him with his own weapons system. Incredible.

Well, at least that is out of the way, so now I can move on with my life. It really was enjoyable, and I understand why others will waste years of their lives devoted to becoming expert spartan warriors.

(Don't let anyone tell you that playing video games will make you fat; my neck is extremely stiff, probably from the stress of fighting off hordes of aliens, my thumbs have never had a better workout, my back is sore from leaning against Isaac's bed frame for numerous consecutive hours, and my legs no longer have any feeling from being crossed so long. Its really not a game for the faint hearted, or weak bodied.)

Anyway, I enjoyed the game, and I hope the guys who spent years of their lives making such a praiseworthy masterpiece of storytelling and gaming make loads of money for many years to come.

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Thanks to the boys from bungie for making a great game, and thanks to the x-men, makers of x-box, for raising the bar in what consititutes a good gaming system.

Harsha Bhogle: The rise of cricket, the rise of India | Video on TED.com

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