Zerobob • Comments

• Age of Empires 2 HD review

• Zerobob 12/04/2013

  What I would like is this game, or Command & Conquer, purposely built for Android. With the precision of touch screen controls these days there are so many ways you could implement a usable interface for a RTS game on a phone or tablet.
  
  - You could swipe around the screen to move the view around the map.
  - Long-press and draw a line around the units you want to select - then double-tap somewhere else to move them while they are selected, or press on an enemy unit which they will then attack.
  - Have "quick select" icons at the top of the screen, so you can assign a bunch of units to a quickly selectable group.
  
  That's about all you'd need! It'd work fine as far as I can see.
  
  I had Age of Empires on my sodding Windows PDA 5 years ago, which worked well with a stylus. It's embarrassing how simplistic most Android on phones are at the moment. I'm just glad I have an N64 emulator on my Nexus 4, because it offers games with a bit of depth. Reply 0

• Next Xbox reveal due 21st May, costs $500 or $300 with a subscription, reports suggest

• Zerobob 09/04/2013

  Like: The simple name "Xbox".
  
  Dislike: We likely won't be paying £326 for one.
  
  I've never understood in the inflated prices of consoles in the UK, now more than ever.
  
  If Microsoft sell the Xbox for a reasonable price they will get an Xbox in a lot more consumers' homes... and can then continue to sell games/videos/subscriptions to consumers making exponentially more profit, way past the point of sale of the console itself. Reply +2

• Step inside the arcade of the future

• Zerobob 02/04/2013

  I always liked the solid 60fps you got on arcade machines. 3D arcade ports only started to become arcade perfect when the Dreamcast arrived.
  
  I used to like arcade machines that brought something unique to the table, like force feedback steering, or a moving Wipeout cabinet. Surely there's still a market for an arcade experience that's not achievable in the home. Reply +2

• BioShock Infinite review

• Zerobob 29/03/2013

  I'm just left wondering how much "game" there is in this game. Maybe the whole thing would just work better as a film. Reply +2

• Blizzard announces Hearthstone Heroes of Warcraft

• Zerobob 23/03/2013

  I was thinking an RPG could be a good idea a few months ago, as long as there is a database of thousands and thousands of unique cards for players to collect, which then in turn had bearings on their character's strengths. Each person's character would turn out pretty unique.
  
  Hearthstone Heroes could turn into a pure money making exercise if you have to buy cards though. Reply 0

• Maxis attempts to explain why SimCity is always-online as players discover code for 20-min offline force-shutdown timer

• Zerobob 18/03/2013

  The permanent online connection is clearly for anti-game piracy purposes and I only see the online game functionality as useful to people to have all day to sit at home playing the game, competing against other people's cities. Otherwise there's no point.
  
  All I wanted from this game was a quiet strategy game I could retreat to on my laptop and play on my own. In fact, all I've wanted from RTS games is something that successfully builds upon the simplicity and greatness of Command & Conquer from nearly 20 years ago, but alas no. Reply +3

• Lego City Undercover review

• Zerobob 14/03/2013

  I didn't even see this game coming, but as soon as I read the title I knew it would score highly; It's a great concept.
  
  I've always thought Lego video games a little odd though, as you're combining Lego, video games, and a concept such as Star Wars. 3 things rolled into 1.
  
  I like the fact that the concept in this game is fairly generic, meaning the game is just a combination of a video game and Lego. Pure. Simple.
  
  I just wish the actual building of Lego models from hundreds of bricks made its way into these Lego games, gaining access the new brick types meaning you can build more complex things to help you. Minecraft certainly suggests there's a market for this sort of gameplay mechanic and it would increase the scope of a Lego game indefinitely. Reply 0

• This week on Outside Xbox

• Zerobob 11/03/2013

  "A lot of people were firing arrows at a lot of things... who was really keeping track of who shot who....in the groin...with five arrows."
  
  Te hee. Reply 0

• Face-Off: Tomb Raider

• Zerobob 10/03/2013

  Bit disappointed the 360 version looks so dark and murky, as I don't have a PS3 or a good enough PC. I like the look of the brighter and sharper image in the PS3 version. Shame. Reply +2

• EA cans Dead Space series following poor sales of Dead Space 3 - report

• Zerobob 05/03/2013

  Hang on... isn't this direct proof that increasing a game's mass market appeal DOESN'T improve sales?!
  
  If only sequels would always build upon the original games's strengths and appeal, instead of assuming the market wants "more action" or "more shooting".
  
  Publishers. Studios. Developers. Please listen. Reply +2

• Tomb Raider review

• Zerobob 26/02/2013

  @frazzl I think the review covered the negative aspects very well but, in consideration, it barely mentioned what made the game good, and what made it deserve an 8. Reply +2

• Zerobob 25/02/2013

  Good review. I'm a little disappointed, mostly because of the inclusion of so many shooting sections, but it still sounds like I might get something out of it, in terms of the actual tomb raiding.
  
  The problem is I liked the no-bull simplicity of the shooting in the first Tomb Raider, as it worked well as an extension of your acrobatic ability during combat, nothing more. Simple. Fun.
  
  All the extra collectables and unlockables sound extremely annoying too, as do the constant notifications, something that annoyed me playing Far Cry 3.
  
  This has made me think, why isn't Tomb Raider just a sandbox game? I think it'd work great, just free roam exploring, finding maps, finding hidden tombs, running into storyline elements that would amount to something. Extensive collectables might be justified then, as you'd gain some sort of achievement in locating them, as well as locating every other thing in the game.
  
  However, first I think the series needs to realise it's more about the platforming, puzzles and exploration, less about the shooting and fluff. Reply -2

• HTC 8X review

• Zerobob 17/02/2013

  @riceNpea
  
  I would also recommend going for a Nexus 4 and a giffgaff sim. By far the cheapest option right now, and with no compromise.
  
  I wouldn't worry too much about storage if you go for the Nexus 4 16GB. The great thing is you can upload your entire music collection to Play Music for free, as long as you have less than 20,000 songs, which saves a lot of space on the phone.
  
  It has more than enough internal storage for all your apps, and some movies and music. The Nexus 4 is powerful so it's relatively future-proofed and it's also a very well made handset with a great finish.
  
  If I had to choose an alternative phone to the Nexus 4 sim-free I'd have go with the Galaxy S3 because it's a great all-round package but its fairly pricey for what you get, compared to the Nexus 4. Reply +2

• Zerobob 17/02/2013

  After owning the Nexus 4 for a while I can't see how I would ever opt for a Windows phone now, given how slick Android 4.2 is, and the multitude of things you can do with an Android phone.
  
  As well as Android being a very flexible OS and loads of quality games available on Play, you can do things like emulate N64 games, or use it as a remote desktop client for your PC, not to mention being able to store 20,000 songs in the cloud for free with Play Music. I can't imagine leaving any of this behind and still being as satisfied with my phone. Reply +10

• Footage leaks of cancelled Star Wars fighting game

• Zerobob 15/02/2013

  I think the fighting mechanics showed promise, but only as part of a larger game. Reply 0

• Aliens: Colonial Marines review

• Zerobob 12/02/2013

  Am I surprised? - No
  Am I buying it? - No
  
  I think what Alien needs is a small XBLA / indie development team to take on the franchise, a team who understand what makes Alien good and release a nice little simple, bug-free game, based on a solid central gameplay mechanic.
  
  I think the same thing would work for the Star Wars franchise. Reply +3

• Dead Space 3 review

• Zerobob 05/02/2013

  Seems the series has lost its way a bit, just like Resident Evil. Reply +5

• Temple Run 2 review

• Zerobob 29/01/2013

  I find the only reason I fail at this game is that I can't see what's going on due to the monster behind jumping and obscuring the screen.
  
  Apart from that, I guess it's an OK game. Runs smooth and looks gorgeous on full settings on Nexus 4. Is there only 1 level though? I realise the level randomly generates. Reply 0

• Next-gen Xbox specs leak

• Zerobob 21/01/2013

  I'm drawn towards the Orbis at this point; I'm all for breaking down boundaries between your TV / Digital TV / console / PC / phone / tablet ...etc, and it sounds like a great media hub.
  
  That said, Microsoft configured the X360 well, and it has always seemed easier for developers to gain a little more performance from it, when compared to the PS3, but normally only on cross-platform games. It seems Microsoft might have given similar considerations to the architecture again, with the 32MB ESRAM available to more components than just the GPU. It may have been forseen that lack of globally available memory is going to be a huge potential bottleneck in future games, but I admit I'm getting into territory I don't really understand.
  
  Essentially I think the best console will be the one that's easiest to develop for, with the most efficient architecture (in practice), and the one with the most future-proof spec (probably the Orbis so far), which unfortunately won't become fully evident for a few years yet. Reply +7

• Trials Evolution: Riders of Doom review

• Zerobob 21/12/2012

  @Dizzy
  Yeah I couldn't agree more. It's the game that keeps giving. Even without DLC, there's a never ending supply of Red Lynx and user tracks on Track Central, but I'm still going to get this DLC.
  
  It's just a complete bonus that this cheap DLC is of such good quality. The only slight downside is that after installing the previous DLC it doubled the load times throughout the entire game. Reply 0

• Nintendo Wii Mini review

• Zerobob 12/12/2012

  I can't believe anything about this.
  
  a) It's not mini - it only seems to be a different shape.
  b) Given how old the hardware in the Wii is they surely could have shrunk it down smaller and still within budget, given that most people's phones are more powerful than this.
  c) The original Wii looks better finished with higher quality plastics and more stylish.
  d) It looks like a foot pump for an air bed. Reply -2

• The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim - Dragonborn review

• Zerobob 05/12/2012

  Still on my second Skyrim playthrough; It's the game that keeps giving and never ends! Not to mention half way into Far Cry 3. Too many games!
  
  ...but I'm definitely buying this. Reply +3

• Face-Off: Far Cry 3

• Zerobob 02/12/2012

  I don't look for it, but the tearing seriously hasn't bothered me at all on 360. It's a great game.
  
  I do find the juddering frame rate an issue at times though, especially when trying to shoot at something running across my frame of view. Not enough to really ruin anything though. Reply +1

• PC Far Cry 3 problems negated by setting Uplay to offline

• Zerobob 30/11/2012

  I've just skipped over every online feature, code entering opportunity and sign-up prompt so far.
  
  Can't I just got on with the single player story of the game I've just bought uninterrupted?! Is that too much to ask?! Don't Ubisoft see that none of this is a good thing?! I'm simply not interested in Far Cry 3's online side. Reply +1

• Shenmue retrospective

• Zerobob 25/11/2012

  @photoboy
  
  But... I thought the intended Shenmue ending was announced?...
  
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ar0KojxIvmQ Reply +2