http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=175552

There are loads of spoilers in here but all I will say is remember it is part of a trilogy…

It is only when I looked at the GTA4 achievements that I realised how truly unottainable some of them are, for example you unlock an achievement when you are top of the player ranks in online. To even get at the top you need $100,000 which as I have previously said is impossible!

On the flip side aswell, my mate spent hours finding every pigeon in the game on the ps3, got a nice message saying “You have cleared up the city” and that was it. Presumably if he were on the 360 he would have gotten an achievement but to him it was a wasted endeavour and left him..well fuming.

There must be a middle ground between far too easy achievements (Turn on Console 5G) and ridiculously impossible ones (Complete GTA without killing someone). Developers also need to realise that adding extra features to cross console games such as GTA achievements maybe rewarding for some but leaves others short changed.

My other issue at the moment lies with the Golden Guns on COD4. I can handle unlocking the golden desert eagle at level 55 multiplayer (only because I have done it) but to unlock the rest you must complete ALL the individual weapon challenges.This will literally take hours and hours and to be honest is hardly worth it in the long run and has not inspired me to revisit all my online work. To me a reward should be something that encourages players to spend more time on a game, replay it and invest themselves into it knowing that in the end they will have something to show.

But at the moment, rewards and achievements either patronise the player or create a daunting task and a hard slog when it should be a joy.

For information about the Crisis Core game pack and PSP bundle click below http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=190694

Both are avaliable from Game and I would recommend the AITD package for the artwork book as at the moment it is beautiful.

Bring on The Force Unleashed, I want to turn to the darkside…

Speaking of The Force Unleashed it is worrying to hear the rumours about Lucasarts ending internal development as it will mean that staff will be laid off. I hope these are just rumours for the sakes of people working there.

‘A report citing “a reliable source” has stated that LucasArts will end internal development following the release of The Force Unleashed, resulting in more layoffs for the publisher.’

The Top Ten best-selling titles in the UK for the week ending June 7 were:

• 1. Lego Indiana Jones: The Original Adventures
• 2. Grand Theft Auto IV
• 3. Race Driver: GRID
• 4. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games
• 5. Wii Play
• 6. Ninja Gaiden II
• 7. Mario Kart Wii
• 8. Pro Evolution Soccer 2008
• 9. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
• 10. FIFA 2008

I’m suprise Lego Indy and Ninja Gaiden are so high up since the reviews have been negative about game play and camera problems. However, I guess the brands are selling them more than anything (even though the latest Indiana Jones film was abysmal) and I’m personally glad to see that people have seen sense about the Wii Fit…

1.I managed to kill a Rockstar developer (Let Sleeping Rockstars Lie achievement)

2. I realised that the online multiplayer is massively flawed

Don’t get me wrong, I have great fun playing through the challenges and the deathmatches I just find I have more problems with it than I do any other XBL game. While it runs perfectly in small group games like Bomb Da Base as soon as team deathmatch starts it struggles and after 3 or 4 rounds will return me to my normal game even though XBL is connected.

Many of my favourite games have great online functionality and I don’t think I have played COD4 campaign again since I did it the first time. The online for Halo 3, Rainbow Six Vegas 2 and COD4 work so well not just because of the games themselves but because the online functionality was always developed as core to the game and as part of the game rather than additional content. On the one hand GTA4 embraces the online aspect, promising exclusive DLC for Xbox users but on the other hand the multiplayer function feels rushed, poorly developed and with unattainable promotions, especially considering the tempermental lobby.

I am now rank 3 and my next promotion is at $69,000 and I don’t have the heart to enter my own personal battle with the interface just to get a few $100 more.

Besides Liberty City has its own share of problems:

Since the surge in crime, which began on April 28 at midnight, more than 830,000 civilians have been murdered—nearly one-tenth of Liberty City’s total population. In addition, 35,000 vehicles have been reported stolen, many of which were then driven illegally over sidewalks and pedestrian walkways before plunging into the nearby Humboldt River

Anyway back to work and plotting my next game of Halo 3..

I guess id better introduce myself,I’m Sarah, 23 from London and currently work in online marketing.So this blog is about interesting releases, and developments in gaming as this is my passion and well my job:)

This is a good day to do my first post actually as there have been some big announcements lately,firstly the announcement that Call of Duty 5 will be set in the 2nd world war…sigh….

http://www.next-gen.biz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=10830&Itemid=53

This is so odd to me, COD4 was the best FPS to break away from the old wars and tackle a new,modern enemy and the figures speak for themselves (it is back to being the number one Xbox live game knocking gta off the top spot). And now it seems like they are taking a huge step backwards, admittedly there are some great new features including co-op but COD3 received such a poor reception and Tom Clancy’s End War is out soon.

On a lighter note, although I am not a massive fan of Saints Row the new Saints Row 2 trailer is hilarious: http://www.thq-games.com/uk/thqtv/index/1516

Poking fun at the ‘Friend’s mini games in GTA4 and even using the same font it pokes fun at the more tongue in cheek aspects of Saints Row 2, hopefully stopping the tide of GTA4 comparisons.

The next big thing, naturally is Metal Gear 4, the return of the great Solid Snake loving brought out on the PS3.

I remember fondly playing MGS1 on the PS1 and being amazed that it was 3 discs!3 Discs!I obviously didn’t learn as I then went to tackle FFVII (4 Discs) but both were worth it. It was the first time I found myself completely immersed in a game,listening intently to every codec message and watching every cut scene in awe.

I was disappointed with MGS2, Raiden, the he-she wonder was not quite the man i wanted, he wasn’t the weary, bitter snake. MGS3 was amazing, the graphics still stand the test of time even against the current next gen consoles. I have to admit that I haven’t got a PS3, simply because the quantity of games on the 360 is far greater but MGS4 is the one game I would buy it for.

Having read some early reviews, they are claiming the cut scenes run at around 90 mins which yes is a smidge excessive (prompting my work mate to claim that he would relish his 20 mins of gameplay).To me, and to all the other Snake fans, my hero is deserving of a proper send off. He can’t just fade into the background, he was the first ‘character’ I cared about and if I have to sit through 90 mins to do him and Hideo Kojima justice then I will do it with pride!

Enough reminiscing for tonight, I need to put some serious time into GTA 4, rank 1 on multiplayer is just depressing…