When things go wrong FAST!

There are times during any gaming session where confidence will overpower you and you’ll become invincible in your own mind. Here is a prime example when that confidence will cost you the game.

“Just follow me” he says. Like he is going to lead them all to some kind of paradise if they do. Instead it all goes wrong instantly as he leads them into a cornfield with the Tank, which has just become invisible to them all due to the high corn surrounding them.

Well done.

Announcing the Apollo's World Twitter feed...

I know it has been a littlr quiet around these parts recently but I am busy working on some new features. Those people who are a little more eagle-eyed might have noticed that there is the new Apollo's World TV feature on the right menu and now I am pushing out a Twitter feed too.

So to see my random thoughts either through the day or during gaming sessions make http://twitter.com/ApollosWorldUK a daily visit also.

Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 spotted on Xbox Live

Everyone with me ‘oooooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh wwwwwwwaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyy.

Everyone excited?

Probably not, but the internet or are least the video gaming portions of the internet are all up in arms continually at the mere mention of Call of Duty – Modern Warfare 2. In fact you only need type MW2 and everyone goes ‘oooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh wwwwwwwwwaaaaaaaayyyyyyy’ in rabid excitement.

Honestly I don’t think I contain myself much longer either, if one more COD fanboy makes the above noise I think I may introduce them to a new game called Modern Fanboy Deathfare. I’ll leave the details to the imagination but it doesn’t end well for the fanboys.

In even more anticipation inducing craziness someone within the realm of Xbox Live has, shock horror, already been playing the game over a month early. The fanboys lit the forums today with fiery ‘I hate him the damn pirate’ gestures. But all is not as it would seem.

The Gamertag in question being ‘Alexroyce’ and you can view his profile here to see he has unlocked several achievements already. Pirate scumbag or someone lucky enough to have a copy shipped early? None of the above it would seem. Alex does in fact work for Infinity Ward, was responsible for several levels in COD4 including fan favourite Overgrown and is most definitely on the development team for, dare I say it, MW2.

So a developer playing on Xbox Live causing a huge fuss. No piracy here and all those pirates will be really disappointed now, bet they were thinking they would get it really early. Which they probably will do anyway, just not this early.

Half Life 2 Episode 2, just completed it

I have finally got around to playing and finishing the two episodes for Half Life 2. I have been putting off purchasing the Orange Box for an absolute age, even though it has been on sale for £10 for some time, even so I still haven’t actually purchased it as a friend has lent me his copy.

I have just completed both episodes and they were both great on the whole adding to and answering a number of questions left unanswered at the end of Half Life 2. Both play out a sub plot specific to that episode but contribute to the overall storyline set out in Half Life 2. Reassuringly the storyline doesn’t lose anything, doesn’t run off with awkward or confusing revelations and remains solid throughout. Even adding a few new enemies into the mix to stir things up and prevent any sterility.

One thing I don’t understand, and anyone who has yet to play Episode 2 should skip this paragraph, is the Striders section at the end of Episode 2. This is a pretty damn frustrating section. Episode 1 ended with a Strider, but you took it out with rockets. In Episode 2 we have the Manderson device. A sticky, gravity gun propelled, grenade which once attached needs to be shot with a weapon. Successfully achieving this will take out a Strider with just one hit from one such device. Confusingly and annoyingly these things tend to fall off, or get shot before you manage to launch and the skill required to actually land and stick one to the Strider is quite high. In the grand scheme of things wouldn’t the humans have been better off just using rockets. They are easy to fire, you can arm everyone with them and can be used over greater distances than the Manderson devices can be? Just a though.

If you skipped the above paragraph then you should not delay and pick up the Orange Box instantly. Even if you have played through Half Life 2, the 10 hours you will get from the Half Life Episodes along with Portal will provide more than enough value for the usual £10 asking price. Then if you fancy some online fun Team Fortress 2 should provide even more longevity.