Past Weeks Big News

The release of the new Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. This highly anticipated game was release on November 8, 2011. It sold over 6.5 million copies in the US and UK alone, within the first 24 hours. It has been released for the following platforms; Xbox, Playstation, PC, Nintendo Wii, and Nintendo DS.

The release of the game; The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Skyrim was released on November 11, 2011. (11/11/11) An official number has not been released as to number of copies sold, but the game did hit a total of 231,593 online users within the first 24 hours. It has been released on the following platforms; Xbox, Playstation, PC.

iphone software version iOS 5.0.0 has had many complaints about battery draining. Apple came out with an update (iOS 5.0.1) that was supposed to fix the battery bug. But has according to iPhone users, has failed to do so.

“Steam” is a social networking, multiplayer gaming platform developed by Valve Corp. New info released on Thursday November 10, 2011. By Gabe Newell, founder and CEO of Valve, confirmed that his website Steam has been hacked! The website’s security breach amounted to great data loss, and possible stolen account information. It is greatly advised that all Steam users watch their account and credit cards closely, and immediately report any signs of activity not influenced by you. 

Gears of War 3 Review

When I originally got my xbox it only came with one game and I had no more money to buy new games. So I played a game that started a love for an entire franchise that I hold close. That game was the original Gears of War. Remembering the first rev of the chainsaw bayonet and then watching it slice someone in half, that was an image I loved and soon grew used to. With a new cover system, tight controls, cool campaign, killer multiplayer, and gore factor that went above all other games GoW 1 revolutionized the modern 3rd person shooter.

The game received a sequel that set out to polish and shine the original formula that GoW 1 made popular. Epic Games did not succeed in all aspects of this goal but still managed to deliver another great gaming experience with Gears of War 2. Now the third and final instalment of the Delta Squad Trilogy is here. There is no doubt that Gears of War 3 is easily one of the most anticipated games of the fall season, as a huge fan of the series I must say that this was the game I've been exited for all year. With a great multiplayer beta in April and fantastic advertisements Gears 3 has built the hype level to the max for me and god damn it did not disappoint.

Gears of War 3 takes place 2 years after the second game as the COG (Coalition of ordered governments) is now broken up and humanity is getting closer and closer to extinction. You play as Marcus Fenix, leader of Delta Squad. Your set with the task of saving humanity from the Locust and a new threat that has emerged named the Lambent. With this story, Epic Games delivers one of the best cinematic experiences in any campaign with gorgeous graphics, fantastic scenery, and glorious huge set pieces that make Gears feel like no other.

The game starts off with a nice dream sequence that brings you up to pace with the Gears storyline. It also gives you a chance to adjust to the small control and gameplay tweaks. Soon after this, you are tossed right into the action as the story starts off with a huuuuuuuuuuuge bang! The whole campaign just gives the player a sense of excitement making it hard to turn away. Great boss moments, fantastic battle sequences, epic on rail segments, and moments where you truly believe you are in the last struggle for humanity. Gears is a triple A blockbuster done right and it knows it. Campaign has cool story moments for each character that keep the player interested and makes it feel like you’re not just going from room to room killing bad guys. The final boss fight and ending cinematic did lack the "wow factor" that the rest of the game achieved and I was disappointed with how it ended. Overall campaign was a treat for all Gears fans and put a nice grin on my face for the whole time (besides the last 10 mins).

Multiplayer is also returns and it has been revamped and tweaked to perfection. Epic really took the time and dedication to bring their A game as this is the best the multiplayer has ever been. Dedicated servers, multiple game modes, custom load outs that you can now switch midgame, cool weapon skins and a whole batch of characters to choose from. Fantastic maps that come to life with interactive sequences like the sandstorm in Trenches or watching half the landscape sink into water in Overpass. With no choke points in maps and areas that bring you clutch battles, Gears just feels great. Team Deathmatch is a great new mode as it gives the game more appeal to newcomers of the series. Epic also keeps new content coming as they plan multiple DLC updates (one that already came out), weekend events, and special game playlists that has brought me many hours of joy. Epic has demonstrated all their hard work and devoted service to their fans.

Horde mode returns in the form of Horde Mode 2.0! Now with buyable turrets, defense fortifications, decoys, a chance to unlock a silverback and a boss wave each 10 waves. Epic is also providing updates and DLC to add to Horde fortifications. Expect to be spending many hours with friends on this one. Another new mode in Gears 3 is Beast Mode. It takes a spin on Horde mode as in Beast you take control of the deadly locust from tiny tickers to full grown berserkers. Destroying human fortifications and tearing a heroes arm off and beating him with it will keep you satisfied for a long time. Rounds are also short on time so it makes players act quick and think. The whole mode feels short with only 12 rounds but its still fun and I played through it multiple times.

Campaign is gripping; it had me on the edge of my seat for all of it except for the ending. Multiplayer is the best it’s ever been bringing the hard-core fans what they wanted and still making it easy get into for newbies of the franchise. If you've never played a Gears game now's the time to start. Horde and Beast also show a tremendous effort from Epic to bring the player more things to do in the Gears universe. After you beat the campaign there's still stuff to do like tons of easter eggs and awards. Its solid game making at its finest.

It's not all good as Gears still has problems. Many will complain about the "Sawed-Off Shotgun" and its strong power, some creatures make the campaign very difficult in some moments especially on Insane. Beast feels like it could have had more depth to it and voice acting can get very cheesy as one liners fill every cut scene or clip and the ending being a big letdown.

Gears of War 3 has to be my favourite entry in the franchise and my favourite third person shooter of all time. It’s got problems but they can easily be overlooked as Gears gives you so much quality content that doesn't get old. It feels good to go back and revisit this one. Epic you did the fans justice.

9.5/10

First Impression: CoD Modern Warfare 3

New News and Movie Reviews is proud to present its new segment "First Impression"! First Impression is when we take a look at something new for a couple hours and say our initial thoughts before our review. Tonight the game first featured is Call Of Duty Modern Warfare 3!

MW3 is one of the most anticipated games of all time, and to be honest, I wasn't that excited for it. When the original Modern Warfare was released it was a blast. The campaign felt fresh and I still have memories of late night multiplayer matches. MW2 had a great campaign but lacked in multiplayer as there was many holes in weapon balance and many choke points in maps no matter what the game type was. But all is forgiven as Modern Warfare 3 is here and makes up for most of the mistakes it predecessors had.

While playing 4 missions from the campaign I experienced many Michael Bay-like scenarios while everything blew up around me. You get seduced into moments that reminded me of the original MW campaign. MW3 does do a good job of making you feel like your experiencing world war 3 in all of its epic battles. The campaign brings you into epic gunfights that make you choke under pressure and actually makes you think on the spot. I haven't felt an FPS this exiting since the original MW. I'm also glad to see the developers using building schematic or a full blown map re enhancements from the previous CoDs. It gives you a nice sense of nostalgia and shows that Infinity Ward still cares about the hard-core fan base. IW is still using an old engine to run the game but it isn't noticeable as the game looks good and runs at a solid 60 frames a second. It’s not a huge upgrade from previous CoDs but it can still rival most new games on the market.

Multiplayer was fun and I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would. IW has added a whole new batch of content to the Custom Classes and gives you the freedom to play the way you want. Be a lone sniper with a Barrett .50Cal and camouflage, or grab an AA-12 shotgun and go in guns blazing. It's really up to you. New Perks make the game easy to hop into for newcomers, and Death Streaks have also returned with perks that do help you get out of a slum but don't feel overpowered. Strike Packages have also been redone as they are now split into three categories: Assault, Support and Specialist. They feel more controlled than the previous titles, but you still may find yourself being killed over and over by a pave low or AC-130 every now and then. The game does a great job of appealing to noobs yet it has a layer of depth that the hard-core vets of the series will love.

Special Ops is back with 16 new missions and a new mode called Survival Mode. Essentially, its Infinity Ward's take on Horde. Waves and waves of increasingly difficult enemies come to attack you and it’s up to you (and a friend if you choose) to fight them off. It's nothing ground-breaking but it's a good way to sharpen your skills while having fun. The actual Special Ops missions feel like they weren't really focused on during development. While they are diverse and fun to play, they just lack the depth that the campaign and multiplayer had. It's worth a play but I can't see myself really wanting to play them again.

So what's the First Impression? Call Of Duty Modern Warfare 3 delivers the same gameplay that the series is known for but adds a layer of polish to the formula that the others lacked. I will definitely return to finish the campaign and play more multiplayer. I didn't think it was worth all the hype but I enjoyed the time I had with it.