WRUP meets the zombie apocalypse

by Alexander Sliwinski { Nov 21st 2008 at 6:00PM }

Wow, we're all pretty much playing (or wishing we could play) Left 4 Dead this weekend. We knew it was going to be good, but the Smoker's tongue-grip it has on us is a little strong. If you're looking for some comrades in the zombie slaughtering/surviving festivities, be sure to check out Joystiq's official Left 4 Dead survivors über-list.

Alexander Sliwinski: Playing Left 4 Dead with teammates who hopefully know not to pull the shotgun trigger with the barrel facing me. Really want to finally beat the Mercy Hospital rooftop on Advanced. Might do some Horde or insane campaign co-op in Gears 2. Perhaps a nice trip to Northrend for relaxation.
Christopher Grant: I'm traveling (with my Xbox!) but since every hotel I manage to stay at has a television dating back to the Carter administration, I haven't cracked open this copy of Left 4 Dead that I snagged from a random GameCrazy in Texas.
Griffin McElroy: I'll probably be tackling the last two campaigns on Left 4 Dead, making futile efforts to sneak by witches as my fellow survivors either try to shoot them in the head or set them on fire.
Kevin Kelly: I'm heading out of town for Thanksgiving, so it'll be a gaming free week... if not for the fact that I finally decided to take the plunge into the World of Warcraft. I've installed the new WoW Battlechest, and Wrath of the Lich King, and I'm starting a character from zero! Whee ha! Also, I'll be board gaming it up this weekend at the Board Game Geek Convention in Dallas, hopefully playing some Power Grid or Agricola.
James Ransom-Wiley: Oh ... Hi Mom! I almost forgot you were visiting this weekend ... What's that? You'd like to go to the art museum? Sure, that sounds fun!
Jason Dobson: Currently driving over zombies in the road on his way back to Oklahoma.
Justin McElroy: I'm going to play some Left 4 Dead if I get the chance to play, which I won't.
Ludwig Kietzmann: When I'm not busy making the undead deader in Left 4 Dead, I'll be refining my time trials in Mirror's Edge. I mean, I'm pretty satisfied with them already, but I do enjoy making James work even harder to catch up. What a slowpoke!
Randy Nelson: I too will be attempting for the umpteenth time to escape from Mercy Hospital's rooftop in Left 4 Dead. Perhaps with my tactics and Alexander's combined we can finally pull it off on Advanced. When I'm not killing zombies, I'll be playing Prince of Persia. Wait – I will. Oh yes, I will.
Ross Miller: Waiting in some utility room for us to let him out. [Update! I emerge! All week I've been playing single-player Final Cut Pro into the wee hours, and tonight I'm hoping to get in a session of "Hey I'm flying to New York to celebrate my birthday!" Still haven't gotten Left 4 Dead, and I probably won't until sometime after Thanksgiving.]

Tags: what-are-you-playing, wrup

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Mr Khan @ Nov 21st 2008 6:18PM

Sonic Unleashed

As i predicted, i like the mode that supposed to suck, the Werehog mode is quite fun, if a bit simplistic as a brawler. It's more complex as a platformer, however.

The speed modes draw inspiration from Secret Rings and from Sonic Riders, the former because Sonic is still hard as hell to stop or turn (turn like a 90 degree turn), and the latter because they use rings as a "level up" system

The adventure parts definitely get in the way of the action, and this new friend is, indisputably, the most annoying one yet. Imagine Omochao if Omochao were part of the story, but you couldn't shoot him to make him shut up (like you could in SA2)

The gameplay is the saving grace. A good mission system that will leave a lot of room for replayability, and is just good Sonic fun

Duke @ Nov 21st 2008 6:19PM

I've barely touched Fallout 3, so that's my mission for the weekend. I also have to go grab some more Wii games for people to play on Thanksgiving.

Suggestions anyone for family/group games?

Mr Khan @ Nov 21st 2008 6:22PM

Really depends. Honestly i don't think you could get much better than Mario Strikers Charged if you're trying to entertain a pack of kids. However, if you're looking for family-friendly multiplayer party game kinda fun, i would seriously recommend the underrated Dokapon Kingdom

A bit more complex than the average party game, but the depth enhances the experience, rather than making it more intimidating

Bowser the Baptist @ Nov 22nd 2008 5:40AM

Boogie is rather shallow, but a whole load of fun if you're in amongst a raucous group. I've had fun badly singing along to that Mambo 5 song, you know which one I'm talking about.

Wiiware Bomberman supports 8players, so that's a must. I've never managed to gather 8players together, only 5, but even then it was real riot. Caution: you need 4 Wiimotes AND 4 Gamecube controllers for 8player.

Other multiplayer games I've had fun with, or own: Super Monkey Ball, Mario and Sonic Olympics, Mario Kart, Carnival Games, DDR, Warioware, Victorious Boxers.

Oh yeah, there's also this game, SSBB, I think. I heard that was pretty cool.

Titanium_Orchid @ Nov 21st 2008 6:21PM

W@W and Valkyria Chrinicles for me!!

Titanium_Orchid @ Nov 21st 2008 6:21PM

thats right... Chrinicles

AwesomeTown @ Nov 21st 2008 8:17PM

You play the "chrinicles" yet? How do you like it?
I'm thinking about getting it after Christmas.

Titanium_Orchid @ Nov 21st 2008 9:35PM

Ok, quick write up on Valkyria Chronicles:

I'm on chapter 12 right now and about ten hours into the game. So far I'm enjoying it a lot. I have no idea as to how far along into the story I am but I have the feeling that the game is pretty long. I think if I can get maybe five or six more hours of game play, I will have gotten my money's worth. From the way things are going though, there is definitely room for about 12 more hours.

The game is presented in a story book format, with one mission per chapter and roughly five to seven "story bits." The majority of these story bits are made up of talking heads on a static background and serve to flesh out the events of the world. Because the story is broken up into many discrete parts, the game has a great pick-up-and-play quality. The game is VERY story heavy. You will spend equal amounts of time playing the game and watching story elements.

The book also contains a lot of additional information about the game universe, and all the characters that inhabit it. Seriously, the amount of information is staggering. EVERY character that is introduced in the game has a back story. All weapons and weapon modifications are explained, and there is a glossary of terms and locations. This information is obviously completely unnecessary but some people will probably get a kick out of all the detail put into the world.

The VC story is pretty good, but not great. Its been engaging enough to keep me moving along. I'll put it this way; the game is very easy to not start playing, but once you do its hard to put down. Its also very Japanese, if that makes sense. I'm not trying to say thats a bad thing, but story is a very important part of this game and if you absolutely cannot stand anime, you might have a hard time getting through the game.

There is a demo currently available so I won't go into game play to much, but I'll talk about it briefly. At the beginning of each mission, you are given a short briefing on enemy positions and objectives, you are then allowed to choose which units you want to deploy out of a pool (that you have previously chosen) or 20. There are scouts, snipers, assault troopers, anti-armour and engineers.

The missions you receive generally focus on capturing an enemy base. The game does a good job of throwing different challenges and terrain at you, and goes a good job of making each scenario feel unique.

I strongly recommend trying the demo. Its a good indicator of how the game plays. That being said, the demo level is ridiculously easy and you should definitely expect a greater level of difficulty in the full game.

At the end of each mission, exp and money is given out, which you can spend on leveling units and buying upgrades to weapons/armor. I absolutely love the RPG system in the game. Basically, the exp you gain at the end of a mission is added to a pool which you can distribute over the sniper, scout, etc classes of characters. When the sniper class is leveled up, all characters in the sniper class level up. This means that I never had to worry about attacking with a specific unit in order to get stats up. A great relief to me after playing FF Tactics.

Money is spent in a similar manner. The weapons and upgrades systems isn't to complicated but its deep enough to allow you to customize load outs according to your play style.

Once a new level is reached for a respective character class, new potentials are unlocked for each character. Potentials are things like "chatty cathy" "imp hater" "runners high" "clostrophobic" "big sister" etc. They can be positive or negative attributes and can play a part in how you form your squad, and how you play each character. For example, "chatty cathy" means that when that unit is around other units, they are constantly talking and bringing down the perception of those around them. At the same time, that unit might have the "showoff" potential which gives them better accuracy when they are selected as the first character to move.

The potential systems is pretty fun to mess around with from a tactics stand point but it doesn't seem necessary in order to finish a mission. If you pay attention to how you are combining and using potentials though, it can make finishing a mission a lot easier.

Also, every soldier in your squad is unique (unique models, sounds, back story, etc.) and the potentials help make them that much more interesting. I found myself getting attached to a lot of the member in my squad, and feeling bad when one died.

-------------------
I've probably forgotten to talk about a lot of stuff but I have been taking up a lot of page space with my impressions so I'll wrap up.

I really really like VC.

Its a tactics game through and through. It has very light RPG elements, so if your looking for a straight-up RPG, this is not the game for you.

If you liked Final Fantasy tactics, you will definitely like this game. If you like the demo, you'll defiantly like the full game. If you like tactics games, it won't disappoint.

I don't have many complaints about it. I would like to see a more difficult AI in place. From what I understand, once I beat the game there is a harder difficulty to unlock. Some scenarios can be played in a skirmish mode, so there seems to be a re-playability factor there as well.

The art direction is great and the animation is fun to watch. I would recommend turning on the Japanese voice track.

VC does what it does very well but its a hard game to recommend for everybody because it seems so niche... so I guess its a love it or hate it type of game. It is most definitely not average though.

AwesomeTown @ Nov 22nd 2008 8:48AM

Thanks. Definitely seems like i would enjoy it, just need to get through some other games first.

zombierobot @ Nov 21st 2008 6:22PM

No mercy on advanced? noobs....

The Dark Wayne @ Nov 21st 2008 6:22PM

L4D if i can get friends together, WoW if not.

NukeAssault @ Nov 21st 2008 6:31PM

Mostly just WAW. Nazi Zombies ftw!

NukeAssault @ Nov 21st 2008 8:27PM

Just got my Home invite. Guess ill be messing with that as well.

jorojoserojas @ Nov 21st 2008 6:32PM

After blasting away Dead Space earlier this week, I've jumped into Mirror's Edge. Apparently it's pretty short, so if I run through it really fast I've got quite the backup - Fable II, Fallout 3, Far Cry 2, Left 4 Dead, and Tomb Raider: Underworld all await me. This on top of the usual Rock Band 2 sessions that have become the norm for me.

Needless to say, I'm covered.

jorojoserojas @ Nov 21st 2008 6:49PM

Well, would you look at that; I've received an invite into the PlayStation Home Beta. guess I'll add that to my list.

Einhanderkiller @ Nov 21st 2008 6:35PM

I am going 2 play Left 4 Dead.

Shmil @ Nov 21st 2008 6:36PM

Original Half Life this weekend. I never had a chance to play it before and I couldn't pass up the 98 cent price.

RiccochetJ @ Nov 21st 2008 6:39PM

Playing L4d on 360. Hardcore is plenty difficult and scary enough for me right now thank you very much.

Also going to check out if there's anything new and interesting on LBP before the mods inexplicably take original ideas down for no reason.

Courtney @ Nov 21st 2008 6:40PM

Oddly, with all the great games out, maybe some Spyro the Dragon. But, it's a crazy busy weekend, so not necessarily that even.

offday @ Nov 21st 2008 7:06PM

Are we talking old school PS1 Spyro???

Courtney @ Nov 21st 2008 7:15PM

No, it's the new one (got it for the 360). I was looking for something coop to play with my daughter. It's nothing groundbreaking, but we're having fun with it. It's definitely a coop game. As a single-player experience, I don't think it would keep my attention very long.

nueber @ Nov 21st 2008 6:43PM

Warhawk! This has got to be one of the five most addicting games ever.

j.howlett @ Nov 21st 2008 7:04PM

trying to 100% every story level in lbp and make my own . just got a beta invite and . . . Oh shit the FedEx guy!! hold on

Chris Are @ Nov 21st 2008 7:05PM

Aw, let Ross out!

offday @ Nov 21st 2008 7:05PM

Don't forget Half Life through Steam for only 98 cents, if you don't have anything else to play. Or even if you do. Buy it now and save it for later. Awesome game.

offday @ Nov 21st 2008 7:09PM

I'll probably play some Dead Space, when I get my courage back up, some Half Life (the 98 cent hype makes me want to go through it again), and finally some WoW. While everyone is having fun in Northrend, I'm experiencing Outland for the first time. I'm still having fun, though.

mirage @ Nov 21st 2008 7:18PM

Um...Jason? I hate to break it to ya, but those aren't zombies...

Now would be a good time to pull over and get some rest. ;)

Misfit Toy @ Nov 21st 2008 8:00PM

Wow...who isn't playing Left 4 Dead. I want to get this game. I just am having a hard time with the $60 price tag. Seems like a perfect $40 or even $50 game. But $60...for a repeatable 3 hour session?

komrad @ Nov 21st 2008 8:10PM

Ross, hit me up for CO-OP FCP!

AwesomeTown @ Nov 21st 2008 8:15PM

Little Left 4 Dead, some more into the Gears 2 campaign, and then probably some more of my second playthrough in Fallout 3.

Donald @ Nov 21st 2008 8:45PM

This reminds me of a puzzle. (Translation: Layton. Lots of it.) Also, I picked up Space Invaders Extreme and Arkanoid DS on the cheap, can't help but wonder what it'd be like with a paddle.

Sackolantern PSN ID: johnnynumber5 @ Nov 21st 2008 9:05PM

Rock Band 2 weekend for me ...

Will in squeeze in some Playstation Home as well to give it a whirl. Now that I don't have a 360 I can devote all my time to the PSWii ... Some Animal Crossing CF will also be played

Mr Khan @ Nov 22nd 2008 12:17AM

la circa roja de muerte?

M @ Nov 21st 2008 9:24PM

Left 4 Dead all weekend woo!

PSN: Erdie @ Nov 21st 2008 10:19PM

Well, I already got "trying home" out of the way, now I'll go back to Mega Man Powered Up on the PSP, and probably Half Life on PC. I was a mac idiot for a while and missed out on stuff like that. There's a mistake I'll never make again.

Will @ Nov 22nd 2008 1:02AM

Spidey: Web of Shadows and Mass Effect on the Xbox 360 and Tabula Rasa while I still can

sk8monroe81 @ Nov 22nd 2008 2:34AM

cod:waw campaign and online
gears 2 horde havent gone to wave 50 yet
fable 2 earning enough to buy the castle.

Bowser the Baptist @ Nov 22nd 2008 5:42AM

Football Manager 2009, and maybe Space Invaders.

Haggard @ Nov 22nd 2008 6:27AM

Left 4 Dead, it's the game I've been waiting for for months (and 3 days, for the damn staggered European release).

The game is just so well made. It's like playing a new chapter of Half-Life, but with better gameplay, better levels and more atmosphere (and friends).