In recent memory, there has been no other demo that I have anticipated more than that of Left 4 Dead 2. I was (and still am) a fan of the first Left 4 Dead, but for the months after its sequel’s surprising announcement at E3 I have wondered whether number 2 is worth buying. Are there enough differences to justify a full-priced sequel? Well, now that I’ve been able to spend a few hours with the PC demo over Steam, I think I might just have an answer.

It’s worth noting that I said I spent “a few hours” with the demo. Most demos last no more than half an hour for a single playthrough, and while that is true for the Left 4 Dead 2 demo, they aren’t normally something I return to again and again. The fact that I’ve already played this roughly half hour long demo that much should be a testament to its quality. It’s true, Left 4 Dead 2 looks to be a very fun game. The fun, frantic, and intense action from the first game is there, along with the necessity for teamwork if you want to survive. Many other things from the first game are in the sequel as well, but I noticed that many of the changes between Left 4 Dead1 & 2 are simply cosmetic. For example, there are different looking guns, but at the end of the day an SMG is an SMG and a pump shotgun is a pump shotgun.

And a melee weapon is a melee weapon. These close-quarter tools are new to the series, and actually make up a big chunk of the differences between the two games. The problem is, though, that they are all essentially the same. Yes, a machete seems like a better thing to take to a fight, but in the world of Left 4 Dead 2, a frying pan is just as lethal. That aside, the melee weapons are fun to use, providing another way for players to traverse the levels – right there in the center of the zombie horde. They can be a little cheap at times, but they’re enjoyable in the end, so I’m happy.

Picking up a melee weapon makes you drop your pistol(s), and surprisingly, that wasn’t always my favorite choice. There was only one kind of pistol in the first game, and even when you got to wield two of them at once, I never used them unless I absolutely had to. With the much-needed introduction of new pistols in the sequel, I found them sometimes to be a delightful alternative. Accurate and deadly, they are great for picking off zombies from a distance. The magnum in particular is awesome; it fills the role of the amazing one-hit kill pistol that every good first-person shooter has to have.

A few new items come into play as well, and they are all great additions. The Boomer bile container can be thrown at zombies to make other zombies swarm and attack them. Once you start using it more and more, you’ll find that sometimes the best defense against a Tank is, ironically, the other zombies. Another item, the adrenaline shot, is an alternative to pain pills, as it offers a temporary speed boost and small health increase. One of the most useful items out of all of them in the entire game is the defibrillator, which can resuscitate dead teammates. The worst of the new bunch is probably the adrenaline, but even that is an interesting and useful tool to use.

With Left 4 Dead 2 comes some of the highest levels of carnage I have ever seen in a video game. The twisted minds working at Valve appear to have spent a huge amount of time on the zombie dismemberment effects. Specific body parts are blasted off when shot directly, and huge gashes appear on dead bodies almost exactly where you slice them with a machete. It’s a little unnerving to see how much delight the developers seemed to have with packing in the most violence they possibly could. It only took a few minutes into my first time playing the demo that Left 4 Dead 2 became somewhat of a guilty pleasure for me. It’s a pleasure because of the fun action (not the gore), but it gets pretty awkward having people walk into the room when the screen is filled so many intensely graphic images. When that happens, I just end up putzing around, hoping a horde of zombies won’t swarm me so I won’t have to shoot/hack them down and cover the screen with blood and guts. I thought the first Left 4 Dead was bad enough, but oh boy… don’t let your grandmother watch you play this game or she’ll never look at you the same way again.

The new setting is a nice change of pace from the dark environments of before. The demo features two levels of a campaign that takes place in New Orleans during the daytime. As a result, the special infected zombies can be spotted easier this time around, although they can still pounce on you unexpectedly if you leave yourself open. The three new special infected all add something new and help shake things up, and being attacked by them in the demo actually made me want to play as them in the Versus mode of the real game once it comes out. I know there will also be “uncommon common” zombies in the full game, but the only kind in the demo levels are the police zombies. Decked out with bullet-proof armor, they can be only killed from the back. I found it surprising to see how much of a (welcome) challenge they ended up providing, even if they are cheap against incapacitated players who can only shoot them from the front.

In the end, you could say that a lot of things in Left 4 Dead 2 are just facelifts of things in the original game. The new environment is nice, but the overall design of the two levels doesn’t feel all that different from the stages of Left 4 Dead 1. The regular infected might be bloodier than ever, but they still act the same way. The healing, reviving, and “getting attacked by special infected” animations are identical. Still, there are enough differences in the game to make it worth a look for fans of the original. If you enjoyed Left 4 Dead 1 but clamor for some more things to shoot, in different places to shoot them, with different things to shoot them with, this sequel looks to satisfy. I’m not sure the differences are enough to change the minds of anyone who did not like the first game, but if you haven’t played Left 4 Dead 1, start with this. I’m not convinced I will pick this game up when it releases, as I’ll probably still be knee-deep in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 multiplayer, but it’s definitely something I’d love to play. Now excuse me while I go play this demo some more.

By Josh60502

I know I am. Walmart, home of the “casual” shopper (I’m looking at you, man/woman who wears old, stained sweatpants while buying groceries), is offering a great deal – buy either the normal or hardened versions of Modern Warfare 2 and get a free $20 gift card. Now of course, there are a few catches; namely, this is an online-only deal and the gift card also is only redeemable in the online store. But seriously, who cares when you’re getting an amazing new game that you were probably going to pick up at one point or another anyway for $20 cheaper? Take advantage of this one while you can, readers.

Start buying.

By Josh60502

Here at Frayed Wire, we don’t normally make a habit of talking about recent news revelations concerning an upcoming game, but when that game is as mutually anticipated among our staff as Modern Warfare 2, we can’t help it. Today a video of a game mode that apparently takes place in a third-person perspective was leaked by someone in France who somehow landed a copy of the game early. The video is of poor quality, but people on online message boards have been able to translate the menus to discover “3rd Person Team Deathmatch” and “3rd Person Cage Match” among the available online playlists. Seeing the video myself, I wasn’t convinced that this wasn’t just someone spectating a match from a third-person perspective, but I have found out that Infinity Ward’s Community Manager Robert Bowling confirmed that it is true. Apparently apart from the small amount of online playlists dedicated to the point of view, it can be toggled on or off before a private match begins and it affects every player.

I laugh at how the poster of this video claims the footage to be “exclusive”, but this is one of the few versions that hasn’t been taken down yet, so watch it before it inevitably is!

Source 1

Source 2

By Josh60502

DeadDemon’s poll has run on for a while now and amassed a decent amount of responses,  so it is time to move on. The new question has only two answers; which racing game series is better? The Gran Turismo series that always innovates on the Playstation and created the simulation racing genre, or the Forza Motorsport series, which may be a result of Microsoft wanting to compete with Sony but is nevertheless known for providing highly realistic physics and extreme attention to detail. Console war time!

A picture from Forza Motorsport 3…

A picture from Gran Turismo 5…

Vote on the sidebar!

By Josh60502

First Place:

Call of Duty: World at War – 64%

Second Place:

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare – 25%

Third Place:

Gears of War 2 – 7%

Fourth Place:

Call of Duty 3 – 3%

Analysis:

Most of the possible answers were Call of Duty games, which DeadDemon (the creator of the poll) seems to like. Somewhat surprisingly, World at War ended up beating out Modern Warfare, which in many critic’s opinion is the better game. Personally, I kind of think Gears of War 2 might be the most “exciting” on this list due largely to the fact that you can chainsaw people in half in that game. Brutal, yes. But exciting? I’d say so.

By Josh60502

Last weekend, Josh60502 and JustMattPwn3r recorded the first real podcast episode in months. The hardcore Frayed Wire X fans might have noticed that it has been on the podcast feed for a couple of days now, but for the rest of you people, I’m here to inform you that Episode 9: Back With a Vengeance is now available for download, either on PodOMatic or iTunes. I tried some new editing techniques on the recorded file, namely some amplification and noise removal. I’m not completely satisfied with it; in fact at one point I took down the episode, edited it some more, and re-uploaded the podcast. However, I do think it is an improvement over how previous episodes have been.

Here is the description of the episode as seen on both of the previously mentioned places:

*Note*: The other two recordings Josh60502 and JoeWillBeatJohn made in addition to the District 9 review have been lost forever! Sorry, but hopefully this new full-length podcast episode will make up for them….

Recorded by: Josh60502, JustMattPwn3r
Discussion Topics:
- Post: “Quake II” Demo Impressions
- Matt has Steam!
- And we have an official Frayed Wire Steam group, remember?
- The Big Red Comment Update
- Post: “Brutal Legend” Demo Impressions
- Post: Uncharted 2 Header!
- The Uncharted 2 beta
- Post: “Infamy” – The New Modern Warfare 2 Trailer
- Post: Internet Gaming Spotlight: Shut Up Kanye
- Post: …Hi
- Post: “Metal Gear Solid 4″ PS3 Review
- Naruto Clash of Ninja Revolution 2
- Post: “Zombie Apocalypse” Demo Impressions
- Post: Introduction
- Post: “Dr. Nano” iPhone Game Review
- Post: Sub-Par Scribblenauts Header
- Post: Reader Poll: Which Game is the Most Exciting?
- Post: Super Mario Bros Frustration
- Post: What Does This Remind You Of?
- Post: Moderated
- Post: New Metroid Prime Trilogy Header
- Post: “District 9″ Movie Review
- Bully: Scholarship Edition
- Post: “Mathogen” iPhone Game Review
- Post: “Watchmen” Movie Review
- Post: Steve Jobs, I Hope You’re Happy
- Post: “The Sims 3″ PC Review
- Post: Free App Review: Shotgun Free
- Post: I’m Changing Things Up A Bit with Free App Spotlights
- Post: “Marvel vs. Capcom 2″ Demo Impressions
- Tales of Symphonia
- Post: Call of Duty: WAW Map Pack 3 Footage
- Post: Modern Warfare 2 Multiplayer Trailer
- Post: Halo Legends: The… Anime?
- Post: CALL OF DUTY: Modern Warfare 2
- Post: Wii Sports Resort Header
- Post: Into the Dark World of Half-Life 2 Mods
- Day Hard
- Post: Top 5 Games Best Supported With DLC
- Post: “Battlefield 1943″ Demo Impressions
- Post: Creepy Old Men FTW!
- Post: Just FIRIN’ MAH LAZORS
- Half-Life 2: Deathmatch
- What we’re playing

Click here to get it on iTunes

Click here to listen to it in your browser.

By Josh60502

The horror genre of movies has seen a bit of a downslide recently. It has been abundantly clear as of late that horror movies are just not made without gratuitous amounts of gore and cheap scares. It is rare that a truly terrifying horror movie comes out to keep you awake without making horrifying creatures jump at the screen continuously.

Paranormal Activity is likely one the lowest budget films to hit theaters this year. It began and is still on a limited release, but this has not stopped it from transcending movies and making truly fear what you can’t see. The film follows a young couple who have recently moved in together as they encounter horrid and evil happenings in their new house. The girlfriend, Katie, has been plagued with this since childhood and her beau, Micah, finds this fascinating. He takes to document all of the paranormal activity with his camera equipment which serves as the viewpoint of the movie. This however, serves as my one picky complaint about the movie: it is presented as if they are home videos which were collected and compiled into this movie, but it still feels like a movie. One or two plot-points seem a bit too unrealistic to swallow; such as the inability to find another demonologist when the first one is out of town. However this small gripe should not detract from your enjoyment of the movie and some did not become apparent until the second time I watched it.

The characters are well rounded and believable, making their tale that much more frightening. They act and interact in realistic ways that will make you chuckle at points and sigh at others. The mocking attitude of Micah as he taunts the spirit is worth a few good laughs to break up the tension and the little squabbles that the couple has is easily relatable to real life. Most people can relate in some way to one of the characters’ behaviors, creating an unheard of level of immersion.

The scares in Paranormal Activity are more of a long-term commitment. There are only a handful of moments that will make you jump or scream, although it will make your jaw drop and spine shiver throughout. Violence is minimal and gore is practically nonexistent, but the terrorizing that the malevolent spirit does to the couple is affecting. Even the small occurrences will cause a loss of sleep as the story is told so convincingly, every viewer must ponder what they would do were they placed in this situation. You’ll leave questioning the lack of outright scares but still sleep with your lights on and double check your doors.

In closing, Paranormal Activity is an expertly crafted horror movie as well as simply an outstanding film. This rare gem should not be missed by any, horror fan or not. This is the horror film of the decade and should be celebrated for years to come.

Score: 9.5/10

By LostAddict1993

Author’s Note: Paranormal Activity is currently on a limited release so be sure to check with your local theater before rushing out to see it.

Quake II? As in the one that came out in 1997? You’d better believe it. People probably aren’t buying Quake II anymore, but I still want to put my impressions of the demo up… just because.

So, first off, why did I bother to play the Quake II PC demo? Well, I saw it on Steam today and thought I’d give it a look. I’ve been reading a book lately about id Software, and the Quake series is one of the things they are most famous for. Quake Live, the free-to-play, multiplayer-only browser adaptation of the series is the only Quake game I had played, and I wanted to change that with this demo.

My immediate impressions were, “Seriously? These are the graphics?” Everything had a very pixelated look, even though all the environments and characters were in total 3D. The next thing I noticed were the controls… specifically how the arrow keys were used to move and W, A, S, and D did nothing. At first I couldn’t find a way to look up or down, so I assumed Quake II would be like Doom, where your shots hit enemies as long as you directly face them, regardless of their elevation. That thought got thrown out the window as soon as some demented looking thing started shooting at me from below a staircase, and my shots aimed towards it but not directly at it did nothing. So, messing around in the options menu, I turned on the “free aim” (why exactly would that not always be on?) and changed the button configuration to match my preference – specifically, using W and S to move and A and D to strafe.

Now that I could finally navigate the game, I could actually focus on the action at hand. The demo consisted of only one level (not counting the multiplayer portion; I tried to find a server to log on to, but of course I didn’t find one) split up into a few different sections. The location was standard id affair – a base on some distant planet overrun with demonic, heavily armed bad guys. I couldn’t tell exactly what the story was despite a staticy radio voice buzzing in my ear the whole time, but I did appreciate the atmosphere the ambient noises created. I never felt scared or anything like that, but there was a sense of being in only a small part of a larger conflict, as distant explosions could be heard in the background.

The guns were cool, but some felt a little overpowered. At the beginning each enemy posed a threat because I had nothing but a pistol, but once I started finding things like the chaingun and the super shotgun, everybody took just one or two hits before exploding into bloody, 1997-quality gibs. Even the boss at the very end went down easily, so I can’t help but wonder whether all the weapons in the demo were put there just so people could see what was available in the real game, or if they are really supposed to be there. If the latter is true, then Quake II’s main challenge comes from simply trying to find out where to go next. I had a couple times where I was confused, but ultimately I was able to find the right path, so in the demo at least, navigation isn’t too much of an issue for Quake II.

When I reached the end after about 20 minutes, I immediately uninstalled the demo. It wasn’t bad, but it was dated. I certainly wasn’t going to go back to it time and time again, anyway. If you’re interested in retro 3D shooters as I am at the moment, go ahead and download the demo from Steam or some other place on the internet. For those wishing to stick to a better version of Quake, I say go play Quake Live.

By Josh60502

By now, everyone knows that Jack Black likes to rock. School of Rock is a much-quoted film, and most people have heard at least one song by Tenacious D, the band he formed with Kyle Gass. But do Jack Black’s rock and roll antics translate well into a video game? Last week I downloaded the Brütal Legend demo to find out.

As much as you could say Jack Black contributes to this game, you could say even more for Tim Schafer, the well-loved but never well-recognized game developer who pours his trademark cartoony art style and humor into Brütal Legend. From the opening cutscene, his vision of a world ripped straight off the covers of metal albums is impressive and engaging. The story of the game is just as ridiculous as you might expect. Jack Black’s character, Eddie Riggs, is shown in the opening cutscene as a roadie dissatisfied with the band he has to work for – a sissy pop group that claims to be heavy metal. When part of the set falls on top of him during one of the concerts, Eddie dies and wakes up in a place he describes as something “some would call hellish, but I have to admit, it’s kinda badass.” With no real idea of what to do, Eddie finds “the Separator” (a giant axe), and “Clementine” (another axe, although this time it’s the musical kind), and starts fighting the hostile creatures that attack him.

The demo consists of fighting a few different types of enemies by yourself and with a partner, a short driving segment, and eventually a boss battle. Gameplay-wise, it can be completed in a fairly short amount of time, but there’s tons of humor and other memorable moments littered throughout to make it worthwhile. The style and presentation is top-notch, and the way the gameplay and the cutscenes flow together is very well-done.

Oddly however, the whole time I felt like I was playing a kid’s game reskinned with mature, metal-themed content. The combat in the demo is fun but somewhat simplistic, and there are definitely some moves that are more powerful than others. I found it to be incredibly easy as well. There is no health bar visible on the screen, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing as you won’t be needing to worry about it too much. The groups of enemies in the demo don’t take much effort to take down, but even when one or two of them do hit you, they don’t affect really anything concerning the screen or your character. Even the boss battle at the end isn’t very hard, and to further prove my feeling of this being like a kid’s game: it’s a repetitive, pattern-based kind of fight! I thought boss battles that require you dodge some pattern of attacks and then hit the boss (three times… it’s always three times for some reason) were a thing of the past… my past, specifically, when I was playing kid-oriented games on the Playstation 1 back in the day. I guess there’s nothing actually wrong with Brütal Legend feeling like a kid’s game. I just find it interesting to see game design like that used in a mature title.

My thoughts with the demo are quite positive, but while playing it has assured me that Brütal Legend will be a stylish, well-made, and very good game, I don’t think I’ll buy it (at least not for the full $60). Hack ‘n slash brawlers are not my favorite kind of games, and the combat (the core gameplay) doesn’t seem particularly deep or engaging. The appeal of Brütal Legend seems to come from the humor and style, not the play mechanics. In my book, that makes for a great rental.

By Josh60502

Finally I switched from my sucktastic Scribblenauts header to something a little less… bad. Say hello to the new Uncharted 2 header! I played some of the multiplayer beta today with JoeWillBeatJohn, and I thought it was deserving of such an honor. If you don’t agree with me, then go make a better one and send it to me. I’d actually welcome it.

By Josh60502