Hello everyone, my name is Robert Wolff. Or at least that’s my pen name. In any case, welcome to my blog! Please excuse my awful blog style, as that’s not exactly my strong suit. Ranting Gamer will be a blog about all things video games. I’ll be making reviews, rants, and just general opinion pieces on games and similar products.
Background
As I previously stated, my pen name is Robert Wolff. I am a 25 year-old Minnesotan native who recently moved down to South Carolina for a variety of reasons. I am an aspiring author with one book nearly completed and many more planned; I’m just waiting on an agent to accept me. I work for an SEO company creating blog topics, but I’d much rather be an author. Hey, we all gotta start somewhere.
The genres of games you’ll see the most on my blog include most AAA titles because I’m a pretty common gamer. I’m into FPSs, RTSs, RPGs, Sci-fi games, fantasy games, and the occasional horror game. I currently own a nice laptop, a VR headset, an ancient PS2, GameCube, Xbox 360, and an Xbox One, so you’ll see a bit of content in regarding those systems and platforms. By no means am I an expert at video games. You won’t ever see me on the circuit or playing in tournaments, but I’d say I’m better than your average gaming journalist by a wide margin. Who isn’t, right?
What Makes Me Unique?
I know what you’re thinking: What makes this guy think he’s unique? There are millions of blogs, reviewers, and so on already out there! Well, you’re right. To be 100% honest, I’m not unique. But what I can offer you is a unique opinion from an average gamer who has no major sponsor or video game dev bribing me to give them raving reviews. Any gamer will tell you that only reviews from customers really matter, not major review companies or organizations. Even then, you never know if the customer reviews are any good because they could just be review-bombing a game. In any case, I seek to offer the closest thing to unbiased opinions on gaming with no outside influences. At the very least, this will help give me more writing experience I can show on a resume. I’ll be brutally honest with my opinions while refraining from being too offensive or political while doing so. Yes, politics in video games is more common than you’d want.
What to Expect
What are you going to see on my blog? Well, I’ll be doing reviews on games I’ve played, ranging from recently to back in the good old days. These opinions will be just that: opinions. They’re not right or wrong, I don’t expect anyone to follow them like sheep, and I’ll try to keep them as unbiased as possible. My “rants” will have a broad subject matter and could be about anything video game-related that might pop up in my mind. It could be tips and tricks, could be lists, could be me talking about my frustrations. These posts might also end up under my “Misc.” category.
I will also try to reply to any questions I see and interact with everyone as best I can. Since I don’t expect this blog to explode, that shouldn’t be too hard. I may also listen to suggestions for future topics if they’re possible. You can expect at least one post a day throughout the week, and maybe a few on the weekend, depending on what I’m doing. You might see more or less depending on what’s happening in my life. As for the quality of the design of my blog… I make no promises for that. I’m a writer, not an artist or web designer.
Summary
In summary: This blog will be all about video games. Most of what I write will be opinions and should only make you consider something, not instruct you to think a certain way. I’ll do my absolute best to be active, responsive, and unbiased with my work, and I hope you enjoy what you read.
I’m back yet again, and this time, I present a list of video game terms and lingo, focusing on FPS games such as CoD and Battlefield. These terms are all-too-familiar to most of us, but to those who have absolutely no idea what some or any of these mean, this will hopefully enlighten you a bit.
OP
OP means over-powered and typically refers to a weapon or piece of equipment that may or may not need to be balanced more. It can also be used in rage by people who were just legitimately out-skilled and wanted some kind of scapegoat for their loss. For example, the MP7 in Modern Warfare 3 is OP with its laser-like accuracy, lack of recoil, and rapid fire rate.
Nerfed
The term “nerfed” applies to way more video game genres than just FPS, and means something or someone was made less powerful, OP, and/or weaker in general. Sometimes nerfing can be good, such as nerfing the AK in Modern Warfare 2019. Other times, not so much. Blackbeard in Rainbow 6 Siege is a great example of that. His rifle-mounted shield used to take multiple shots before breaking. Now it barely takes one. It makes for a great running joke, though, as each patch release is always joked about containing another ridiculous nerf for poor Blackbeard.
Buffed
The opposite of getting nerfed is being buffed, which means becoming more powerful, stronger, and/or OP. This is less common in the video game industry as it often generates more complaints than nerfing. An example is the recent buffing of Cold War weapons in CoD Warzone, which is apparently causing all kinds of complaints from the community.
Noob
A truly classic and timeless insult, noob refers to either someone new to a game or someone who sucks at a game. The term can also be an adjective for tactics, weapons, and behaviors too.
Noob Tube
A Noob Tube is the term for an under-barrel grenade launcher on a weapon. Back in the good old days of CoD, these things were so OP and despised that the term exploded in popularity due to how many times it was used. Nowadays, noob tubes aren’t as deadly or powerful, but the term will forever live on regardless.
Camper/Camping
Usually proceeded by an expiative, a camper is someone who refuses to move from one spot on a map, often killing multiple enemies from that spot before justice is finally achieved. Snipers are not generally considered campers as they’re supposed to be sitting in a particular location with little or no movement, but anyone else is fair game. There are different types of camping too, such as mobile camping and spawn camping. Mobile camping is where someone barely moves around the general area they’re camping, such as moving from downstairs in a house to upstairs. Spawn camping refers to when a player or team had an enemy team trapped in their spawn, and every time they try to escape, they get gunned down by the eagerly awaiting enemy. Naturally, nobody ever wants to be in that situation.
GG/GG EZ
Sometimes meant as a legitimate saying, GG is short for Good Game, though often used in sarcasm. GG EZ is always used as an insult and basically means good game, easy win. GG isn’t always meant as an insult, and it really depends on the context and tone of voice used when said. Not everyone is an ass online.
Quickscope/Hardscope/No-Scope
Depending on how long you’re aimed in with a sniper before getting a kill, your kill will fall under one of these terms. A hardscope is when you’re aimed in on a particular area for a long period of time, waiting for the time to strike. For some reason, a chunk of the CoD community hates this, despite being what snipers are actually for.
Quickscoping is when you aim in until the exact moment that your reticle is visible and aligned, firing, and aiming out in rapid succession. You’re not technically using the scope to aim your shot doing this. Quick-scoping requires precision, practice, and a good reaction time to master, and now a good setup on your sniper is also necessary. Trick-shots often go hand-in-hand with quickscoping and include doing crazy things such as switching weapons, spinning around, or jumping off the map before landing the shot.
No-scoping is exactly what it sounds like: not using your scope to shoot and kill someone. Landing these shots usually requires close proximity to the target, extreme luck, or both. No, using iron sights does not count as no-scoping.
Collateral
A collateral is when one bullet hits and kills two or more targets. Typically, this kind of result only happens with a sniper or other weapon with high damage and penetration, but not always. I had a collateral headshot in MW2 with Akimbo Uzis, and it was my first in that game too. Getting a collateral is almost always a surprise and results in one sitting still and staring blankly at the screen in disbelief for a brief moment.
Halo Jumping/SCUF Jumping/Jump-Shotting
In the early days of Halo online, players would jump around to make enemies miss or to get better angles on enemies. Nowadays, it’s referred to as jump-shotting or SCUF jumping and involves a player jumping to avoid getting hit easily or jumping around a corner to surprise the enemy on the other side. SCUF jumping comes from a brand of custom controllers that allows a player to do this more easily due to added buttons or paddles to the controller. Most of the time, you’ll see the sweaty try-hards with SMGs doing this in a game.
Drop-Shot
A nightmare to combat, drop-shotting involves going prone while shooting at a target that’s shooting back, basically making it hard to be killed. If this is you, I automatically hate you, as do so many others.
T-Bag
Another classic way to give someone the middle finger in-game, T-bagging is when you crouch and stand up repeatedly on the corpse of someone you killed. You gotta be careful, though. Otherwise, you’ll get killed in the middle of your celebration.
K/D
The way to show how good you are at an FPS, or at least how little you care about playing the objective. K/D is your kill/death ratio, or how many kills you average before dying. Anything above a ratio of 1 is acceptable, 1.5 and up is good, and anything above 2 is great.
Hit Marker
The dreaded hit marker is that little thing that pops up whenever you hit an enemy, usually around your reticle. Why is it dreaded? Well, getting that damn marker to pop up when you were hoping for a kill is really annoying, to say the least. Plus, getting a bunch of hit markers and no kill is also rough.
Lag
Ah, lag… the bane of online gaming—also an excuse for why you’re doing so bad. Lag is when you attempt to do something, but there is a very noticeable delay before it actually happens. For example, pressing the trigger to shoot, and about 5 seconds later, you finally shoot.
Carrying
Carrying is used to describe when you’re on the top of your team’s leaderboard by a ton, and the only reason why your team is doing well is because of you. Being carried sucks, and so does carrying a team in a sense.
Clutch
Clutching a game is when you snag victory from the jaws of defeat. When you’re on your own and facing incredible odds, you clutch by beating those odds and winning. Also, there is the saying “clutch or kick,” where you either clutch the game for your useless teammates or get kicked.
Ninja Defuse
Ninja defusing is when you sneakily defuse a planted bomb without the other team noticing. Typically in CoD, this is accomplished by laying practically on top of whoever is planting the bomb and defusing the second you can.
Conclusion
This list merely scratches the surface of video game slang and terms. I could make a much longer list, but I only have so much free time to work on these things. In any case, maybe you learned something here or remember some terms you haven’t heard in a while. Either way, I hope you enjoyed.
Due to the amount of work I’ve had to put in with my job, I’ve been struggling for free time to work on my blog here. Anyways, this will be a long list and review technically where I’ll talk about my top three favorite weapons in each Call of Duty I’ve played, from CoD 4 to Cold War.
CoD 4
Starting with CoD 4, which I could’ve sworn came out after World at War, my three favorite weapons consist of two assault rifles and one SMG—starting with my number one weapon, the M4. Accurate, decent damage, and good fire rate, the M4 was my first favorite gun in Call of Duty. I even preferred it over the M16 in the AR category. That also began a trend in my favorite guns that I’m sure you’ll notice as we go along.
Number two would have to be the G36. It was pretty much the M4 but German, with a slightly lower fire rate, and I felt it had marginally better accuracy. I enjoyed that weapon after the long grind it took to unlock it.
And finally, number three. This position goes to the legendary and sweaty MP5. With a fast fire rate, nimble handling, and great accuracy, this gun has been in several other CoDs and has been the bane of many gamers. Seeing one of these things meant the owner was trying really damn hard.
This list can be copied for Modern Warfare Remastered, too.
World at War
Next comes World at War. Number one would easily be the PPSH. That thing had an insane fire rate, great accuracy, and impressive handling. I loved how simple, and insane that weapon was, and getting one in zombies was a mini jackpot. It even sounded great when you were mowing down people left and right with it.
Second, comes the MG42. The ability to actually mount LMGs on the ground, in windows, and so on made Hitler’s Buzzsaw that much more enjoyable. You could make your own MG nest and hold down a flank for your team, or run around and hose people down with the rapid-fire rate. A great weapon for great fun.
Last comes the PTRS sniper rifle. Power, range, and the ability to blow off limbs like nothing make this one of my favorite guns in WaW. You couldn’t exactly do much but stay far in the back to snipe because quick-scoping with this wasn’t exactly easy to do, but it did its job brilliantly.
MW2
Now, on to MW2, one of my favorite CoDs ever. Here, the weapon selection and the challenge of picking favorites becomes greater. But one thing is certain; the ACR is king. Not the best in any field, but great overall, I used the ACR more than any other weapon by a landslide. I loved throwing on a suppressor and either an ACOG or Thermal on it and just going to town. Hell, I even bought the civilian variant of the ACR because I loved it so much. Sounds stupid, I know, but I’ve yet to regret my choice.
Second place goes to the broken M16. That thing was destructive against enemies with its rapid 3-round burst that cut down people like nothing. The great accuracy helped too, and you could counter-snipe with an M16 in a pinch. I’d even say it was the best M16 in any CoD. Alas, it too was a try-hard weapon. And then comes my favorite sniper in MW2. No, not the Intervention. The M21 EBR. While weaker than the other snipers, this thing would be just as deadly in my hands. I could reliably shoot the semi-auto sniper twice with enough accuracy and speed that it would beat most other snipers. I think that was my favorite sniper overall in any CoD too.
Black Ops
Moving on to Black Ops. Number one goes to the Commando. This weapon is good all-around, like a jack-of-all-trades type of weapon. Good accuracy, damage, fire rate, and range, it fills any role pretty well for an AR, with the exception of a sniper or rocket launcher, that is.
A very close second goes to the Famas. With a much faster fire rate, impressive accuracy, and roughly equal damage, the Famas really could be considered the better weapon. But it just lacks the soul and looks of the Commando. Plus, it was one of those try-hard weapons too. Still, a very nice weapon all-around.
And third is the MPL. Not an easy choice by any means, and there were quite a few other weapons in the running. But the accuracy, fire rate, and handling of the MPL was just so much fun to wield. I loved it only slightly more than the AK74U. Obviously, the MPL fell short at range, but it could drop someone in a second up close.
MW3
With MW3, there are a few similarities between it and MW2, and for a good reason. With the return of the ACR, now in 6.8mm, it takes back the top position on my list. Just as all-around great as it was in MW2, I once again fell in love with this gun and used it way too much. Though this time around, I preferred leaving the iron sights be.
Also making a return, the Mk. 14. This being the sibling of the M21 EBR in the AR category, I didn’t have to have a scope mounted on it at all times. Getting 2-3 shot kills with great accuracy and a solid fire rate (thanks trigger finger), I loved this gun.
And then comes my guilty pleasure—the MP7. Yeah, I know. How could I? We all have nightmares about that thing and the Type 95. In my defense, I only used it as a last resort weapon if the enemy team were being asses. So I got a fair amount of use out of the sniper rifle in the SMG category. Unbelievably accurate, rapid-fire, and great handling made it a nightmare for all of us.
Black Ops II
To Black Ops II next. Starting off again with my favorite, we have the M8A1, a kind of try-hard weapon. In burst mode, this thing spat out four rounds in the blink of an eye. I also used it full-auto, which made it less sweaty and more challenging to use well. I loved it no matter what mode I had it on—accurate, fast, and great range for an AR. I loved my M8, even in zombies.
Then comes the Scorpion Evo. An extremely fast SMG with impressive accuracy and low damage, but the fact that you could empty a mag in a second made up for that. You put a laser on that thing, and you’d never have to aim in to shoot accurately. That thing was a monster that shredded anyone who was anywhere near you. Coincidentally also on my “must buy in real life” list.
Finally, the Chicom CQB. Another SMG, but this one was 3-round burst. Those three rounds shot out in a millisecond, and the sights would quickly align again to fire off another burst shortly after, making this thing very fast and deadly at close range, though not as good as the Scorpion at medium ranges.
Black Ops III
Onto Black Ops III. Yes, I’m skipping Ghosts and AW because I barely played those two games. In Blops III, my go-to was the ICR-1. Gee, I wonder why? Kinda sounds familiar, too… Being the Blops III equivalent of the ACR, it shares many of the same strengths and weaknesses as the ACR. I obviously used the ICR a lot, just like I had with the ACR.
The second is the Razorback. Being a relatively weak SMG, it had great accuracy and a decent fire rate, allowing you to get much more accurate shots and from further away. It felt like an AR more than an SMG, which is probably why I liked it so much. Couldn’t beat anyone with a different SMG in a face-to-face, though.
And in third place, the Dredge LMG. 6-round burst LMG. Weird, huh? I loved that thing, though, because that burst put down almost everyone in one go, making it great for dealing with people who were annoying you. You could even out-snipe snipers with it. Another pattern I’m sure you’re noticing is I loved burst weapons too.
CoD WWII
Skipping Infinite Warfare (good campaign, though), we move on to CoD WWII. Here, the FG42 reigns supreme. A great all-around weapon that was able to beat those damn BAR users with the right attachments, that thing saw a lot of combat in my games. I’m also almost positive that it was my most used weapon in that game by a lot as well.
Then came the Thompson. Again, the right attachments made that thing a monster in close quarters. An impressive fire rate, good accuracy and damage, and with a classic drum mag, forget about it. That thing made me stop using the PPSH I loved it so much.
Finally, the BAR. Just like the MP7, I felt bad using it. At least it wasn’t as brokenly OP as the MP7 was. Very accurate and deadly at any range, the BAR was a favorite amongst the try-hards for a good reason. Sometimes it felt like 75% of the lobby was using one.
Modern Warfare 2019
I skipped Black Ops IIII and went to Modern Warfare 2019 next. Here, I actually didn’t consider the ACR (Kilo) as my favorite weapon. Instead, my favorite was the M13. The only weakness this gun had was the damage. It was fast, had pinpoint precision, and a solid range. It felt more like the ACRs I knew and loved than the actual ACR. First weapon I 100% in the game, and I use it for just about everything.
In second place, the Fennec SMG. While so many people use the MP5 or the ISO, my Fennec will almost always beat them in a head-to-head fight with its insane accuracy and fire rate. The damage isn’t great, but with how fast it shoots, it doesn’t matter. I only use the Fennec in desperate situations, and it has yet to fail me.
Thirdly, the AS Val. I have I on semi-auto, and it will almost always kill in one or two hits, making it a great panic weapon. It used to shoot through multiple walls with full damage due to a glitch, but they thankfully fixed that. Still, the Val has great range, accuracy, and damage for a weapon with a built-in suppressor.
Cold War
And finally, we have Cold War. The guns in first and second place are very similar in stats, so I’ll list them together. First is the Fara 83, and second is the Krig. Both have ACR-like qualities, with great accuracy, good damage, and solid fire rates. Short-range engagements can be rough, but medium and even long-range are where these two guns rule, even against BRs.
Speaking of BRs, third place goes to the AUG with its great range, accuracy, and damage. While the M16 is more accurate and has faster shots, the AUG has damage and range advantages. Plus, it has that German styling that makes it stand out more in my eyes. Also, it comes with a scope that works pretty well.
Conclusion
So there you have it. The list of my three favorite guns in every single CoD I’ve played a lot of. It was not easy for a few games, and I’m sure people will call me crazy for some of my picks, but this is all opinion-based. I can only imagine what other weapons are to come in the future.
If you’re looking for a free-to-play WWII-modern era tank, plane, and ship combat simulation game, then you have two main choices to pick from. Both Wargaming’s “World of ___” series and War Thunder are free-to-play and very enjoyable games, but they both require a lot of grinding to unlock more weapons of war to play with. There is also a fierce rivalry between the two games, similar to the rivalry between Battlefield and Call of Duty. Both games/series have a few similarities and enough differences to cover different target audiences. I’ll explain the two games/series more in-depth and explain what game you should play depending on what you’re looking for.
Wargaming
Wargaming’s World of ___ series originally started off with a PC-only WWII and early Cold War tank combat simulation game called World of Tanks, which featured some of the most common and popular tanks from that era. Players drove around in a tank on a team of up to 15 players and fought the enemy team in various game modes, from deathmatch to capture the flag. World of Tanks featured a health bar system for the vehicles. Each shot did a set amount of damage depending on whether or not it penetrated the tank’s armor, what type of shell it was, and if the vehicle was angled at all. Shells could also bounce off armor or not penetrate at all. Combat is typically fast-paced and has a bit of an arcade feel to it. As for World of Warships and World of Planes, the other two big names in the series, the gameplay is pretty similar, though you can’t really stick with your team in Warships as well as you can in the other two games.
The World of ___ series also implements several prototype vehicles and vehicles that never made it past the drawing board as well, meaning you can run into some insane vehicles on the battlefield. An example of this, and one that is notorious in the World of Tanks community, is the WT Auf. E-100 tank destroyer, aka, the Waffle. This tank never existed, and the Germans barely considered building it in WWII. Wargaming put it into the game, and it is a true nightmare. It received so many nerfs that it ended up being removed from the game on PC. The Xbox players still have the ability to unlock it, though. But the wide selection of vehicles and nations really makes the game enjoyable because you never know what you’ll come across in a game.
As for tactics and strategies, the maps all have their own individual layouts that players will typically have a set strategy they automatically go to. Kind of like CoD, there is the usual three-lane system, where the players go left, right, or down the middle. Keeping an eye on the other sectors is vital to make sure you don’t get flanked. And speaking of flanking, trying to flank is essential with how armor works in this game. Very rarely will frontal shots penetrate the heavier tanks. Each tank class plays a vital role as well. Light tanks scout and grab the enemies’ attention, medium tanks are jack-of-all-trades, heavy tanks soak up the punishment, tank destroyers snipe from afar or blast tanks to bits, and artillery provides support from a distance.
War Thunder
War Thunder was also originally designed for PC until it became available to PlayStation and eventually Xbox. War Thunder sought to combine sea, air, and ground combat from WWII on to modern times. It took them a while to get naval units added, but now they’re really pumping out the ships. With a much more realistic gameplay style, players would be in games of up to 32 people in total and could play realistic battles where the teams were split up into the Allies and the Axis, or in arcade battles where teams were mixed. War Thunder can be a very difficult game to be good at since there are no health pools like in World of Tanks. Games are slower and more meticulous because of the risk of being one-shotted.
The addition of planes really makes it more chaotic as well. Trying to focus on the battle in front of you while hoping that the enemy planes don’t bomb you to hell and back can be challenging. Instead of having artillery, there are anti-aircraft vehicles to help keep the skies safe. Tank crews can and will be slaughtered en masse by enemy fire. In a battle, you can actually pick multiple vehicles to use instead of just one. But, if you have one vehicle that is several levels above the others, those other vehicles are basically useless.
Primary Differences and Conclusion
There are several major differences between the two games. The biggest is the style of gameplay. The Wargaming games are primarily arcade-y and faster-paced in general. War Thunder is more realistic and methodical, primarily due to how quickly you can get killed. There’s a LOT more rushing in World of Tanks, and 90% of the time, you’ll see at least one light tank deep in enemy territory. World of Tanks has artillery while War Thunder has anti-air. World of Warships has more ships at the moment, as well as aircraft carriers. War Thunder doesn’t have CVs as of yet but does have aircraft in the naval battles. Aircraft in War Thunder is much more fragile than World of Aircraft, and there are actually fewer lives than in WoA. War Thunder also goes well past the Cold War era with vehicles, too, while only World of Tanks is modern-ish at the moment.
Taking damage is vastly different too. As previously mentioned, one shot will more than likely do you in with War Thunder, except with the ships. If they don’t kill you, they’ll slaughter your crew and damage the equipment. In World of Tanks, you’ll probably survive most hits, or your tracks will get destroyed. They have a habit of eating shells. Ships are closer to being similar, but World of Warships has spongier ships unless you receive a barrage of torpedoes from a rushing destroyer.
So, to conclude, War Thunder is much more challenging and realistic; Wargaming’s series are more laid-back and arcade-y. War Thunder mixes land, sea, and air while Wargaming has separate games that focus on each individually. the vehicles in War Thunder are more realistic too, with vehicles that existed and some blueprint vehicles that might have been. Wargaming had more ships, planes, and tanks that weren’t ever produced and barely even thought of. There are a few more customization options for War Thunder too, such as branches for camo. Though both games/series are on consoles, War Thunder isn’t really ported all that well. Keyboards are almost required for the many, many controls. Both games are similar but have plenty of differences to make them unique and enjoyable games, so long as you don’t mind the grind.
If you can’t tell by that royalty-free image above, yesterday was my birthday. 25 years of life now gone, and maybe 75 more to go. Anyways, that was why I was inactive yesterday. To celebrate my 25 years on this planet, I decided to do a post of the top 5 games I’ve played throughout the years. I’ll go from early years to today, so sit back and enjoy.
The Early Days
Ahh, the early days before my crippling addiction to video games. God, I wish I never picked up a Gameboy… Anyways, my first absolute favorite video game was probably Pokémon Emerald. I had played games before, but this was the one that got me hooked. It still is one of my favorite Pokémon games today, due to just how challenging it got and because Swampert was in the game. He was, and still is, my favorite starter ever. With his only true weakness being grass, and that was a deadly weakness at times, he brought me to my first Elite Four win. Not only did that really kick-start my love for video games, but it also got me into Pokémon for a while.
Continuing with my early life, another of my all-time favorite games, and one I’ve brought up before was Freedom Fighters. A WWIII game based on the idea of the Soviet Union invading the United States, Freedom Fighters had a relatively unique style to it. You’d recruit freedom fighters to fight alongside you on multiple missions, with each mission affecting other missions. For example, you’d have a mission to blow up helipads, and if successfully completed, there would be no helicopters on the other missions. Being able to command your troops by having them attack, hold position, follow, and seek and destroy targets was a blast for younger me. Still is, and I don’t think I’ll ever not miss playing that game. I managed to hook up my old PS2 recently and played it again. It still held up after all these years, apart from the usual things like outdated graphics. Still had some challenge to it as well. Still hate those damn Heavies with armor and LMGs…
Mid-Life Gaming
Moving on down the line, the next all-time favorite game I played during the middle part of my 25 years on this planet was Modern Warfare 2. Yep, another game I brought up in the past. The late nights with the bois, the pre-game lobbies full of spite and hatred, the guns, the maps… everything. Even when the rage was building up, I was still having tons of fun. The story was also incredible too. Plus, we had the spec-ops missions that were tons of fun and also pretty damn hard too—definitely one of my favorite CoDs and video games in general. Damn you, Shepard.
The other favorite game from the middle of my 25 years is another FPS, and I’m actually going to pair it with the sequel too. Battlefield Bad Company, both 1 and 2. The stories were amazing, and the multiplayer was a blast too. The first game was admittedly a little challenging to get used to with the controls, and only gods could fly the helicopters without crashing and dying. Knifing the enemy to collect their tags was a sign of disrespect above the classic T-bag. The second game fixed some of the troubles from the first game and was still just as fun. We even got Battlefield Vietnam too, which was also tons of fun. If only we could get a Bad Co. 3…
Today’s Greatest Hits
The last game I’ll list is the most modern game I absolutely loved. That game is Call of Duty: Cold War! No, I’m kidding. Not even remotely close, for that matter. The real game is red Dead Redemption 2. Yup, again. That game had the best story I’ve played in forever, and online was fun for a bit too. But the fact that I was so invested in the story and could easily play it over and over again just to live out one of the oldest fantasies in the book makes it my all-time favorite modern game. There really hasn’t been much competition lately, but even if there was, RDR2 would still come out on top. A truly impeccable game that I honestly believe should be played by any real gamer, even if they’re terrible at it.
In Conclusion
While those are some of my favorite games I’ve ever played in my life, there are many, many more that just fell short of this list. In any case, these are the games that’ll live on forever in my memory, or at least until I start forgetting things. I can only hope there will be many more games that I can add to a list like this one, but these will hold a special place in my heart.
Recently, EA released the trailer for BF 2042, and the gaming community exploded in response. We’ve all been waiting to see what was next after the (in my opinion) utter flop that was Battlefield V. This will be a post explaining what I’ve heard so far and my early opinions on whether or not I think BF 2042 will be a success.
Rumors
From a series of sources, ranging from the typical gaming news websites, to social media, to rumors from around the internet, here is what I’ve heard BF 2042 will have.
The first, and my biggest concern, is that 2042 will have operators instead of Joe Soldier and Jane Soldier, our typical nameless grunts we use. That makes me immediately think of CoD, and I don’t like it at all. Battlefield has always had an anonymous feel to characters, and they didn’t have any dumb quirks or particular skills outside of their class. Having these “specialists” goes against the tradition of just being an average soldier on the battlefield. I also heard a rumor that they will be specialists in the sense that you can unlock them for specific classes, i.e., play a sniper class long enough to unlock a specialist. There was also a rumor that there won’t be the typical class restrictions the old games had, meaning snipers might not only be available to recon class, LMGs to support classes, and so on—another feature pushing BF closer to CoD if true.
I heard that 2042 would also allow you to call in vehicles of your own instead of them spawning at assigned locations. I would assume there would have to be some sort of killstreak or scorestreak system for this to be a thing. Otherwise, how would the game determine when you can get a vehicle? At random? By time? While I like the idea of calling in vehicles, so they don’t get stolen or nabbed by someone who’s just going to ditch them at a camping spot or objective, it once again sounds more and more like CoD. Maybe Titanfall, in a way, if the vehicles are somewhat similar to titans.
The next few aren’t rumors, as they’ve been confirmed. The first is the sheer size of games in 2042. On next-gen and PC, games will be up to 128 players in total, twice what the old games had. The maps are expected to be larger as well to help fit the increased lobby size. The games will be simply insane, and I’m sure we’ll be seeing a TON of snipers on each map as well. The second is the inclement weather system being added. All BF games have some grand way to destroy a few of the maps in a game-altering fashion. With the risk of things like monster tornadoes that can pick up and throw players, this game is no different. I’ve always loved the idea of severe weather messing up a battle, and now I’ll be able to experience it. Both of these sound incredible to me, though I’m sure there’s a chance they’ll get old after a while.
A few more certain things I’ve read or heard include the lack of a single-player campaign, which is messed up, confirmed battle pass like in most games these days, there aren’t any nations in the future-ish setting, and there’s a squad mode either similar to the old ones where it was squad TDM and such or like a battle royal, though EA swears it’s not.
Conclusion
Overall, apart from the trailer seeming to reach out to us BF veterans, this game makes me worried. There are so many possible similarities to CoD that I’m worried it might not really be like Battlefield. What with the potential for kill or scorestreaks, operators, and the possibility of no class restrictions, I’m troubled by what 2042 might turn out to be. I think I’m just going to sit and watch to see if my worries are justified or not. Hopefully, I’m mistaken, and 2042 is a million times better than BF V and Cold War. Also, remember; NO PRE-ORDERING!
Those of us who have played a truly incredible game know that feeling when we’re playing it and when we beat it. For those of you who aren’t as fortunate, well, you really should pick better video games or something. At least this rant will give you an idea of what I’m talking about.
You Know That Feeling..?
When I’m playing a really good game and heavily invested in the story, there are some pretty obvious signs. The first sign that isn’t too common is goosebumps. Occasionally, moments in games will be so good that I can feel that familiar sensation on my skin. Like I said, this one isn’t too common for me, and I can only really think of maybe two instances where it happened. I’m more likely to get goosebumps playing a really scary horror game than anything. But maybe that’s just me.
Another effect, and I know this one is more common and general, is your emotions start to replicate the ones in the game. You feel fear when the characters in the game do, excitement when they’re excited, sorrow when disaster strikes, and so on. The game’s devs make you feel exactly what they want you to feel because you’re so invested in the story and gameplay. In most games, you just sit there and play them, maybe occasionally feeling something every now and then. And no, rage because you keep dying doesn’t count. A good game will make you feel, and often too.
And finally, arguably one of the most common effects you get when playing a truly incredible game shows up when you finally beat it. This is really two signs, but I’m combining them together. If you feel a sense of emptiness or a desire to find out what’s next, then that game had a great story. You just beat the game, and now you feel hollow because you want more. You want to see what’s next, and you want it now! An empty feeling you get from a bad game is different. You feel more annoyance and anger with that empty feeling.
Example
One of the best and most recent examples of these effects happening to me was Red Dead Redemption 2. If you haven’t played it yet, do it. Best story I’ve played in years by far. Also, spoilers for anyone who hasn’t beat it yet; read at your own risk. Red Dead Redemption 2 had me hooked in no time with the story, gameplay, and customizations. The story really drew me in, and I soon felt the effects of playing this incredible game. For example, that mission where the gang rides together to get little Jack Marston back was one of the best parts of any game ever. Seeing them put any differences aside to go kick the ass of some people who took Jack, ride together with such purpose and fury, and completely destroy anyone who stood in their way was perfect.
The second example in RDR2 that really got me is a huge spoiler as well. The ending when your horse gets shot, and you can comfort it before it dies. That definitely got to me. I had a horse who, apart from occasionally ran off with my guns and didn’t answer my whistles, was as loyal and as courageous as they got. So seeing him get shot and feeling the emotion of Arthur comforting his loyal steed really made me feel. The devs really did a great job with the game, and it showed when I wanted even more, though I knew what happened next since I played the original RDR.
Conclusion
To summarize, it is in my opinion that all truly great games will have at least one of these effects on you while playing it or after you beat it. Of course, some games can still be great even if they don’t have this effect on you, but games that do are a level above the ones that don’t. The same can also be said for movies, TV shows, and books too. In any case, if you have ever felt these feelings while playing a game, you know exactly what I’m talking about.
No Man’s Sky was originally one of the most anticipated games set to release in 2016. Offering players the chance to fulfill their dreams of exploring the universe and actually being able to go to various planets and systems to explore and set up bases, the levels of hype for the game were soon out of control. Expectations were increasing as the release date closed in, and when that day finally came, many were disappointed.
The game’s original version felt like a mere husk of what players were expecting and promised by Hello Games. Space and planet exploration was delivered, but there was very little in the way of playing online, and the game was soon very repetitive as well. While I had not been there for the original launch, I was for the release to Xbox, and from both reviews and watching gameplay; the tutorial was nasty for beginning players. The game had a lot to teach, but the tutorial didn’t cover enough to really help get a player going. It definitely didn’t help that the player almost always started on a somewhat hostile planet too.
To say that players were not happy was an understatement. So much had been promised, and the expectations were so high… As a result, there was serious backlash against Hello Games and, in particular, Sean Murray. Having been one of the primary reasons the game was so hyped up, Sean faced the brunt of the backlash. We all know how sinister the people on the internet can get when they don’t get their way, and this was no exception. However: rather than just disappear off the face of the earth and let No Man’s Sky die, Hello Games instead went to work on fixing their game dramatically.
Rebirth
Since the seemingly catastrophic launch of No Man’s Sky, the game has seen several massive updates and a multitude of patches. Players now could actually play online with others and could even randomly stumble across others in the galaxy. There was the addition of the Anomaly, which was a hub for players seeking to play together, community events, more customizations, a better tutorial, new planets and planet types, more creatures and pets, and so much more. Having played during the waning stages of the rough beginnings, all these updates vastly improved my experience in the game. Not everything was perfect, obviously, but it was a massive improvement. Many gamers appreciated Hello Games’ efforts to fix their mistakes.
Review
With that mini-rant out of the way, I’ll give my opinion on the game. I love it! This is a game that I, and many others, have wanted since watching movies and TV shows like Star Wars and Star Trek. Being able to explore space, build bases on various worlds, interact with aliens and animals, and playing with friends and randoms that you can randomly stumble across in the galaxy filled a void many of us were desperately looking to fill. No Man’s Sky is by no means perfect, however. There are a few flaws as well.
The Pros: The sheer size of the game is a big pro. You could never visit every single system in a single galaxy, much less all the galaxies. That allows you to have entire systems to yourself if you wanted. The variety is also a big plus, with multiple planet types, designs, and layouts, and multiple animal species, ships, and freighters as well; the variety is pretty amazing for a game that runs on older consoles. The atmosphere (pun not intended) of the game is also perfect. You have this lonely, isolated, and insignificant feeling in this massive game. Even when you’re with others, you still feel like a very small part of the galaxy. Community members are very helpful, and it’s common to find mining equipment set up around the galaxy by other players for your benefit and bases for you to enjoy while taking shelter. Being able to build your own base, customizing your freighter, space battles with your fighter, and the general exploration gameplay are all pros as well.
The Cons: Yes, the game is still kinda complicated. I’ve helped a few of my friends learn the game, and I had to suffer through the tutorial in the dark days by myself. The game can also be repetitive as well, as you’re constantly going from planet to planet, space station to space station, and from base to base. The missions and side-missions aren’t really all that compelling, though the main story can prod at your more sensitive side at certain parts. The customizations are nice, but there are some things you cant customize that you really wish you could, such as your fighter’s paint job. At least we can repaint our freighters finally. Also, you can only play with four others in your group, though you can come across many more people in the galaxy that aren’t in your group.
Conclusion
In my ever-so-humble opinion, No Man’s Sky and Hello Games recovered well from the fiasco at launch. The game is tons of fun for hours on end, though it can get repetitive. There is plenty of challenge for those who love to struggle and a sandbox mode for those who just want to enjoy the game without difficulties. The community is very kind and supportive, which is almost unheard of in most online games. Possibly due to the lack of PvP. I won’t do a number rating system for my reviews, so I’ll simply say I would definitely buy this game if you’re into space exploration and are a sci-fi nerd like me. There are also occasional free-to-play events occasionally to try before you buy. My advice is to maybe start in Sandbox to get a general understanding of the game, then move on to the standard game modes.
As of lately, movies, TV shows, and even video games have been seeing a surge in remakes and remasters. Studios want to capitalize on our nostalgia for the classics while adding more modern takes to them. Unfortunately, this can have… disastrous results. In my rant, I plan to go over some examples of remasters and remakes that worked, ones that didn’t work, and what I would love to see brought into the modern era if done correctly.
The Good: Modern Warfare Remastered
For some, CoD 4 Modern Warfare was probably one of the most enjoyable Call of Duty games. This is because it was so simple, but so enjoyable too. There weren’t too many guns, no loot boxes, fun maps, and simple class setups. Yes, there were plenty of negatives as well, but overall I loved CoD 4. So when Modern Warfare Remastered was initially announced, I was excited beyond belief. That was until I heard it was being piggie-backed with Infinite Warfare.
When Modern Warfare Remastered came out, I was definitely annoyed by the appearance of lootboxes and new weapons obtainable from said boxes. That being said, the game still had a similar feel to the CoD 4 I knew and loved. The weapons and gameplay were simple, the maps classic and old-school mode even made a comeback. With only a few changes, such as improved graphics, those damn lootboxes, character skins, a few more guns, and a prop hunt mode, it was CoD 4 in essence. No, it wasn’t perfect, but it was close enough to bring me back to the golden years of CoD.
Star Wars Battlefront II (2017)
Star Wars Battlefront II (2017) had a rough start. EA faced a huge amount of backlash when it was made aware that credits were required to unlock heroes, and lootboxes were available for purchase. The backlash was so immense that EA made changes to make the fanbase happier and to make those heroes easier to get. With the usual issues most modern remakes and remasters face aside, Battlefront II eventually turned things around and became a really enjoyable game. Customizable characters, multiple races, space battles, heroes vs. villains, and the nightmare known as Ewok Hunt, Battlefront was great fun.
EA claims they learned from all the criticism, but none of us really believe that. In any case, Battlefront II reminded us of how the original Battlefront 2 made us feel way back in 2005. Though not exactly what we all want, it was close enough. The vastly improved graphics and design, along with better controls and more customization, made it a great Star Wars game.
The Bad: Skyrim: Special Eddition
We all know the jokes by now about how there’s like ten different versions of Skyrim available and how they’re all exactly the same. That’s why I consider Skyrim’s remastered version a bomb. Besides improving the graphics a bit and adding mod support to consoles, Bethesda just released the same game again. The same bugs and glitches were there, we still couldn’t marry Serana like we wanted, and now we had more content to pay for in the Creative Club section. Yes, I’m glad they did what little work to upgrade the game they did, but seriously? Another copy of Skyrim for $60?! Damn you, Todd Howard.
Modern Warfare 2 Remastered
This game came out of nowhere. One day, we randomly got the MW2 Campaign remastered on the store, and I quickly downloaded it. Yes, it was exactly what it advertised to be, and I enjoyed it, but that was it—just the story. I know so many people who desperately want MW2 remastered completely, online and story. I’m glad they gave us the campaign and didn’t touch it or remove anything, but that wasn’t what we as a fanbase wanted. And I have this sneaking suspicion that MW2’s online may get remastered, but it will be separate or attached to another CoD game. I only consider this a bomb due to the fact that we only got half of what we wanted. But, at least the price was reasonable.
What I Want to See
With all these remasters and remakes coming out, there are a few in particular that I would absolutely love to see—the first being Star Wars Battlefront 2. Yes, I know we already have one, but it still doesn’t nail the feeling of the OG Battlefront 2. I miss galactic conquest and the vehicle gameplay of the old game. If we could get SWBF2 remastered the way it was, and combine it with the newer version’s customization and graphics, then it’d easily be my favorite game. That might be too much to hope for, however.
Another game I’d love to see make a comeback is Skate 3. Either that or a new Skate that is just as much fun as Skate 3 was. I missed the golden years of that game, but playing it these days makes me wish I had given it a chance when it was popular. Hall of Meat, S.K.A.T.E, and just roaming around with your friends while doing tricks must’ve been the best.
And finally, one final obscure idea is Freedom Fighters. An old PS2-era game where you were in New York fighting the soviets as a band of freedom fighters. You got to recruit followers to your team, could command them to attack, hold, follow, and retreat, and it was a third-person shooter. It wasn’t perfect by any means, but the number of hours I put into that game was crazy. It also felt unique. There really wasn’t another game that felt like it ever since. Give me better graphics, bigger maps, more enemies, and all the other remaster must-haves, and I’ll be in heaven.
In conclusion, there are some great remakes/remastered games, some not-so-great ones, and a ton I’d love to see properly done. At least there haven’t been as many bombs in the gaming world compared to movies and TV shows. But you never know how long that’ll last. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed my first rant—plenty of more to come in the future.
The Ranting Gamer 