Episode 1 of the PGN Podcast will be recorded this Friday.

Open Discussion – Mass Effect 2 Lightyears Ahead of Dragon Age

Just figured I’d go ahead and throw that out there. Having played both of Bioware’s recent releases, I’ve noticed what appears to be a disparity in quality between the two. In one corner lies Dragon Age, which fits the basic model of a Bioware release, yet falls short in numerous ways. In the other lies Mass Effect, which excels in every area possible. Why are the production standards so much different?

Sure, both projects were worked on by different teams and the like, but both should have been given equal peace of mind. Mass Effect’s graphics are more polished, its sound of a higher quality, its voice overs superior, and its combat much more interesting. Mass Effect even just seems to flow so much better. Dragon Age, on the other hand, suffers from weak graphics, average voice acting, and bland background sounds. Dragon Age’s side quests feel like a chore, whereas I wonder whether I will be able to complete Mass Effect’s main story arch without first finishing all of the side stories.

So why the disparity? Was Dragon Age rushed so as not to take sales away from Mass Effect? Voice your opinion, let us know the reason.

Quick Post – Guild Wars 2, Classes Trailer

ArenaNet has just released a new trailer for your viewing pleasure.  This particular trailer drops a few more details in regard to Tyria’s 5 new playable races: the Norn, Asura, Sylvari, Charr, and Humans.  Several nice gameplay clips are also included.  Check out their website here for more information about the game in general.  Guild Wars 2 is expected to drop sometime in 2010 or 2011 as an MMORPG without a monthly subscription fee, similar to the first title.  I know I’ll be picking this one up.

Video Review – Red November

Check out this video review of Red November, freshly posted up on Youtube.  Thanks for watching, comments are appreciated!

Quick Post – Alliance of Valiant Arms

I was surfing around the net for free games (as I always do every now and again) when I came across an FPS by the name of Alliance of Valiant Arms (developed by ijji).  So I downloaded it, and, after being forced to install like 3 other programs, started up the title.  If you’ve ever played the free game Combat Arms before, AVA is quite similar.  It’s a free FPS so don’t expect anything crazy in terms of graphics, but as far as free games go, the graphics are above average.  It’s gameplay is highly reminiscent of any other online FPS title, with your standard deathmatch-style game types.  The game plays out fairly smooth, and you’ll be able to get a couple hours or two worth of enjoyment without paying a cent.  However, the game’s longevity depends on whether or not you’re ready to shell out money in its item shop.  You can use guns and items in the game without paying money, but if you really want to customize your character or differentiate yourself from other players, you’ll have to use ijji’s points system (and thus, cash).

AVA is a nice game to get in a couple of hours of fun, but I can’t see myself getting addicted to it for any length of time.  If you’re just looking for something to do on a rainy day, give AVA a try.  You can check it out here.

Are you a fan of any other free online games?  Leave us a comment and let us know.

Now Available – Borderlands DLC

Borderlands, Gearbox Software’s hit FPS/RPG hybrid, has just been expanded even further with their first DLC.  Running for about $10.00, Dr. Ned’s Zombie Island packs in new zones, enemies, characters, missions, guns, and more.  Players can expect a couple hours of gameplay to be added, and for ten more bucks Borderlands’ appeal has gone even further skyward.  Borderlands is already one of my favorite games of 2009, and this DLC is a must buy for me.  Expect a review to be posted soon!

Check out Borderland’s official web site for more information.

Open Discussion – Facebook on Xbox Live

A recent update has added several new features to Xbox Live, available exclusively to Gold Members, as far as I am aware.  This bundle of apps includes access to Facebook, Twitter, Zune HD, and Last.fm.  But my question for you is this: Are these applications even useful?

Obviously they’re a marketing ploy to get more potential users to become Gold Members, but does putting Facebook onto the Xbox add that much to its value?  Ordinarily, if the developer team had set it up “correctly,” I would say yes.  However, Facebook on the Xbox 360 is too cumbersome and overall useless to make Gold Members look like they’re getting an even better deal.  For starters, players may only access the four new features from the dashboard.  So, if you want to check statuses, you will have to exit out of the game you’re playing and switch over to the Facebook app.  All total that ordeal will blow anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes of gaming time.  You can just as easily stand up, walk over to your PC, open up your web browser and navigate to Facebook, all under 2 or 3 minutes.  In addition, the Xbox 360 app is incredibly limited, allowing you to do very little in the way of navigating friends’ posts, pictures, etc…

What would I have done?  I wouldn’t have tried to add Facebook, Twitter, or Last.fm.  The Zune thing isn’t as bad as the other apps, but is still a waste.  If I absolutely had to add any of these apps, I would certainly have made them accessible through the Guide Button.  These four new apps will be appreciated for a few days or weeks, then quickly forgotten, along with all of the work that went into making them available.

What do you think?  Is there any potential for these new applications?

Quick Post – Red November

After playing Chaos Marauders pretty extensively I’ve decided to pick up another Fantasy Flight product in their Silver Line series: R3D NOV3MB3R.  So far I haven’t actually played a full session of the game, but I have looked over the rules and all of the pieces, and so far I’m impressed.  For $25 you’ll get tons and tons of counters and item tokens, 8 character pieces, 9 time tracker pieces, a bunch of cards, a ten-sided die, a game board, and two turn summary sheets.  The game looks complicated as you read over the rules, but doesn’t appear to be too bad after a game or two, as most of the rules are written out on the cards.

As you play, event cards are drawn that will set fires in random rooms, flood others, block hatches, summon the Kraken, and a cause host of other terrible things to befall your doomed submarine.  As a team of 3-8 gnomes, you must move about the sub and fix its parts, extinguish fires, and more.  A frantic cooperative experience awaits.

So far it looks like a winner, I’d definitely check it out.  A full review will be aired in our next episode of the PGN Podcast.  Comments, as always, are appreciated.

Technical Difficulties

Techinical difficulties with our recording program has caused us to delay Episode 1 of our podcast.  We had planned on using Skype as a recording method, but Skype decided to go all screwy with us tonight.  My co-host and I talked over skype this past Tuesday and it worked fine, but when we try to talk tonight my voice doesn’t transmit to his speakers.  We checked and double checked all of the audio settings, and when we called each other on another voip program, Xfire, the call worked fine.  Skype just didn’t want to cooperate.  Another friend could hear both of us fine, and after restarting the computers, reinstalling skype, etc…, we still couldn’t reach the end of this madness.

New methods may have to be sought out, sorry for the delay.  I’m sure our expansive fan base is incredibly appalled at the news.

Quick Post – Lag Infects Left 4 Dead 2?

Last night after work I picked up Valve’s sequel to Left 4 Dead.  L4D2 came out this Tuesday, November 17th, and has since been rated consistently high on numerous gaming sites.  The game follows in its prequel’s foot steps by confronting a team of 4 player controlled characters with hordes upon hordes of bloodthirsty zombies.  Players must progress through several unique “Campaigns,” or levels, making their way from check point to check point while trying to stay alive.  It’s a pretty simple formula that plays out impressively well.

Thus far I have enjoyed my single player experience of the game, but trying to take Left 4 Dead 2 online is an entirely different story.  It appears that somewhere, somehow, due to some unforeseen circumstance(s), Valve’s L4D2 dedicated servers are having troubles.  What little research I have done on the subject seems to suggest that their system is networking players with servers that are no where near their location, and this malfunction has been unfortunately causing massive amounts of lag in L4D2’s multiplayer games.  The game even becomes unplayable when too many players are present.  I’m fine with waiting for the problem to get fixed, but don’t please don’t keep us waiting too long.

L4D2 isn’t exactly the definition of a PGN supported title, but it’s a great value nonetheless, in terms of what you receive for your cash.  The game features an approximately five hour long single player experience, with each one hour segment replayable in several unique multiplayer modes.  If you like zombies and multiplayer titles, it’s a must buy.

Left 4 Dead 2 will be covered in this week’s episode of the PGN Podcast.

Quick Post – DDO (Dungeons & Dragons Online)

If you’re a fan of MMORPGs and an Active Combat system then this may be the game for you. DDO Features many interesting dungeons that include various traps, challenges, and puzzles. The combat system allows you to control your character and every attack, as well as blocking and spellcasting. Dungeons and Dragons Online is even free, so you can attempt most of the dungeons and experiences free of charge! Although if you do choose to pay, you unlock 8 extra character slots, an account bank, and free access to every point in the game.

If you’d like to give this unique game a shot, go to the DDO website, download the client and create an account. DDO is free and exciting, I’d call it a perfect PGN game. Thanks for reading, and be sure to check for more updates!