Achievement Unlocked 10.29.09: Forza, Borderlands, and Smackdown Versus Raw 2010
Posted by Rod Oracheski on 10.29.2009
411's Rod Oracheski takes a look at three of the biggest recent releases: Borderlands, Forza Motorsports 3, and Smackdown Versus Raw 2010.
Forza Motorsport 3
Seems like a shame to spin tires this nice.
Just over eight hours into Forza Motorsport 3, I'm not sure if I like the approach they've taken with Achievement list or not.
On one hand, the list hasn't been anywhere near as difficult as was the list for the previous game in the series. Eight hours in, I've unlocked 26 of the 50 Achievements. That seems like an awful lot to have racked up already, though the Gamerscore total is at 265/1,000. Checking out the list shows that most of the remainder are high-point Achievements and will take considerably more time to unlock.
Level progression-based Achievements, for example, have been coming fast and furious early on, with an Achievement each level until 10. That progression slows after 10, however, with Achievements dropping to every fifth level afterwards. Given the continual expansion of experience needed to level, that drops the progression considerably. The Achievements at the end of each season also slows the long you play, with each successive year requiring more months to be completed.
Unlocking Achievements quickly early on is a good tactic for hooking players. The feeling of being rewarded early and often is a boost, while having later Achievements require more effort and time is also a solid tactic to keep gamers playing. It'll be interesting to see if those later Achievements, particularly the run to level 50, will become a chore to get to.
In other Achievement news, the Assassin's Creed II list was revealed this week. The list is a big step up from the original game, with almost no ridiculous collection quests in site - aside from 'In Memory of Petruccio' for collecting "all" the Feathers. Hopefully that one isn't as mind-numbing as the first game's flag collection. Previews have been solid, with a common thread of problems from the first game all but eliminated in the sequel - a great sign. The first game had great combat, but the repetitive missions and terrible ending made it fall flat for many gamers.
This week in The Business, EA tries to calm the waters of an angry fanbase. Is their explanation going to be enough, or does it ring hollow? Plus the PS3 Netflix deal - a solution or a stopgap? And see what Microsoft's not worried about streaming services like OnLive.
With the Army of Two community in an uproar about a gameplay mode (Extraction, sort of an Army of Two take on Horde mode) in the sequel being locked away for a month unless you pre-order it, EA has tried to appease its fans with an explanation.
According to an EA spokesperson that G4 TV contacted, the mode isn't locked - it's a bonus for dedicated fans: We are not locking Extraction – we are offering extra content which was originally not part of the game as a bonus to our dedicated community after launch. We decided to make it available earlier, at launch, for those who pre-ordered the game. This game mode was actually developed as an extra, bonus game mode and so there is nothing we are taking away from players. And it will be available for free to everyone 30 days after launch (Feb 12).
Okay, problem solved right? I guess we'll see. If the pre-order code is redeemed for a download of the new mode then EA's claim has been born out. If the pre-order code is just a glorified (and paid) cheat code or a 108 kb unlock key, I think we'll see fans get even more upset after being lied to.
While we don't even know all the details of the Netflix-on-PS3 deal yet, Wedbush Morgan's Michael Pachter is already putting forward the idea that the deal is only an intermediate step.
The current deal requires the use of a Netflix disc, which Pachter believes is key to sidestepping Microsoft's exclusivity deal. Sony has said that an 'integrated' solution would be on deck for late 2010, likely after Microsoft's deal has expired.
Netflix is a nice bonus, though one that's limited to only the US. Hopefully the decision to push into more platforms (the Wii is already being hinted as a potential target) means Netflix will be looking at opening to new markets as well.
Jerry Johnson, General Manager of Xbox Live Europe, dismissed the supposed threat posed to consoles by streaming services like OnLive. Johnson's point, that the market and infrastructure aren't suited to services like OnLive, seems a valid one at the present time - but how long will that remain true?
OnLive is the Little Engine That Could when it comes to media attention, but the Little Engine That Hasn't when it comes to delivering to market. They'll have to start doing something 'real' soon if they want people to keep buying the hype.
Borderlands, Forza Motorsport 3, and Smackdown Versus Raw 2010 dominated the week - in that order.
Borderlands remains impressive, even in single player. I didn't really expect the offline game to have the same charm as group play, but the loot lust is just as strong. I found a quick item/weapon gathering run in New Haven, one of the mid-level locations. As YouTube commenters have pointed out, the runs don't hit every chest in New Haven, but I didn't intend to. The ClapTrap-revealed chest is close enough to include, but rarely hides anything worth looting to sell, and the other weapon chest is outside the town and has nearby enemies which slows you down. If you just want to churn out weapon drops, just hit the two weapon crates and the vending machine - about a 90 second run.
Outside of farming runs, the game's combat continues to get more complicated. I took a Soldier to 25, which really gives you a taste of the power differences in the differing specs available to you. One skill tree is primarily centered around powering up your Turrets, which seems to help group play more, while another is more for solo play. Each character seems to be largely the same in that regard, there are builds that are far better for team play - though none that could really be said to be required for team games.
As I said earlier, I'm about eight hours into Forza Motorsport 3 and loving it. If I had to use one word to describe the game it would be "accessible." It's got something for everyone. Tuners can swap parts all the way from flywheels up to engines and drive trains. Painters can turn out amazing works using just a progression of primitive shapes and gradients. Those who want to race for fastest lap times can do that, while those who prefer to drift can trigger that mode just by tapping left on the d-pad.
The wealth of user options opens it up for truly casual players as well. My wife, who's never played a racing game, managed to finish a race and claim a win thanks to having all the helper options turned on. The more hardcore racing fans can crank the 'help me' options down to zero though, upping the difficulty in a big way and making for a more realistic and rewarding experience.
The online play in Forza 2 was solid enough, but it's been improved dramatically this time around. The storefront alone is a huge improvement - you can 'friend' any content creator and check out their stores easily in the future, for example. And 'content' means a lot more than just cars this time around - you can download/upload cars, vinyl designs, photos, replays, tuning setups... I tried making an Achievement Unlocked banner in the vinyl design creator, and after 10 minutes of work it's looking pretty good. I might get that finished by next week, but don't hold your breath.
Definitely worth a look for racing fans. A huge step up from an already great game.
Finished the week with a little Smackdown Versus Raw 2010. As expected, the gameplay hasn't been changed all that much from the last game, though the interaction with the ring ropes is better than ever and the redone moves look far better. There are some tweaks here and there (the look of finishers is especially nice) but overall it's not really anything you haven't seen before.
That's not the case with the Create a Story mode, however. This mode has a huge amount of potential and big replay value, only it might be too much for some to deal with. The wealth of options is just overwhelming at first, though it grows more manageable with time.
I created a starter show for a season of Raw, just as a test. Check the video below. I'm not sure I'll keep it going though, the inability to use created wrestlers for much of anything is a real knock against the mode.
Smackdown versus Raw 2010 is better than 2009, but it's difficult to recommend a $60+ title with so few upgrades aside from the created a story mode.
A quick look at the power offered by the Smackdown vs Raw 2010 Create a Story mode this week, plus a pair of Borderland item/weapon farming runs in New Haven.
If you have any questions or want to request any videos, leave a comment below. Until next week, I'm out.
According to Netflix, it's not a disc you have to put in every time you watch a movie, it's more like a driver disc
Posted By: Guest#8639 (Guest) on October 29, 2009 at 06:17 AM
This is a great article. I love the youtube posts.
Posted By: iomis (Guest) on October 29, 2009 at 11:44 AM
"According to Netflix, it's not a disc you have to put in every time you watch a movie, it's more like a driver disc"
No, you'll have to put it in every time you want to watch a movie - http://www.joystiq.com/2009/10/26/netflix-ps3-disc-must-remain-in-syst em-until-2010-update/
Posted By: Rod Oracheski (Registered) on October 29, 2009 at 12:23 PM
