Preview

What’s better than free?  Well, I have to admit, there are few games that offer better value than the free alpha version of Desktop Dungeons.  I probably racked up at least 40 hours on it, divided by zero dollars…  That’s tough to beat.  But if anyone can do it, it’s the team behind Desktop Dungeons, and attempt it they have with the new paid version of the game that is currently going through beta testing.

Beta - Now with more whimsical graphics!

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The diary continues! While Gamescom 2011 is over now, we’ve still got 2 days of diary posts to get through. We had a late start on Saturday because I slept in to try to catch up on some sleep. We left the hotel around 12:30 to head to the Koelnmesse. The traffic jams were horrendous, and the parking areas that were open on Thursday and Friday had completely filled on Saturday. Signs directed us to drive to the Lanxess Arena’s parking garage, where we spent 10 minutes trying to drive around and actually find a parking spot.

While checking Twitter, I saw Gamescom had tweeted that they were closing the Koelnmesse because it had reached capacity, which I have later learned is around 62,000 people. They were only letting people in when others left. Ugh. We shortly debated going back to the hotel, but I’m stubborn, so I insisted that we give it a shot anyway. After finally finding parking, we walked to the Messe.

Waiting to get into the Koelnmesse on Saturday

13:30 The line was huge. We must have seen hundreds of people standing in line for the East gate. My mind was boggling. It was also incredibly hot, around 34C/93F, and probably hotter than that in the full sun. We wanted to get an idea of how insane the line was, so we kept walking until we arrived at the East gate entrance. It was there that we noticed a second line had formed going in the other direction from the East gate. It was probably a 10th of the length of the other one, so we scootched in there.

14:37 We barely missed getting in. They kept letting people in in small groups then holding off again. You could hear people cheer every time they decided to let more people inside. It was hot, crowded, and a bit nerve-wracking, as whenever another push to the doors started, people became antsy and aggressive. I was literally standing in the doorway now. A woman was separated from her husband or boyfriend or whomever she was there with. She was able to get through, but security closed off entrance while the man she was waiting for was still in the crowd. She looked to be on the verge of tears. Sometimes people would walk by inside and take a photo of the waiting crowd, then walk smugly on their way.

14:47 Finally! I’m glad we were at the very front of the crowd, so we could get out of the way quickly. After the long walk back to the the main halls, we headed to the NCSoft booth because I wanted to try to get my hands on the WildStar demo.

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Sony's newest toy, the PlayStation Vita

Late Saturday evening at Gamescom, I decided to see if I could brave the line to demo the Playstation Vita. It was nearing 19:00, so I figured the line may be more manageable at that point. Luckily, I was right, and we only ended up waiting around 15 minutes.

While we were standing in-line, someone came out to explain how the process went. The names of the games that they had offered were on cards, and we had to pull a card randomly while they were face down. They had several games I was interested in, including ModNation Racers, LittleBigPlanet, Uncharted: Golden Abyss, and the one I’m most interested in and maaaybe possibly considering getting a Vita for, Sound Shapes (I have a music game obsession, so sue me). I eagerly drew my card, turn it over and it was…

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A close up of the cockpit of the Jet BF3 had a Gamescom

June 20, 2008. A new game was brought forward from EA and DICE – Battlefield: Bad Company. It brought forth a different way of combat, unlike the majority of first person shooter games in its genre. Battlefield was a largely PC based series, and this was bringing it to the consoles. The single player revolved not around just missions, but an actual story. The misfits of B-Company were thrown into a battle of their own, taking us with them. A small group of soldiers who could give us a chuckle as we shot down a few enemy snipers. It was a mad world, but the four members of group could keep you going for hours. Online was equally appealing, with large maps such as Heavy Metal, but bringing a more relaxed game from the styles of Call of Duty 4, released that same year. Even Solid Snake couldn’t resist finding his way into this world.

February 26, 2010. Battlefield: Bad Company 2 was released. Not only were we instantly enthralled by the newer graphics, but the gameplay was an incredible experience. An all new story, the same unforgettable characters, and an intense multiplayer. With newer weapons, vehicles, and some cool explosions, Bad Company 2 was a challenge to other games in the genre, with an ever changing style of shooting. Squads of friends were made, vehicles blown sky high with tank mines, and who could ever forget the Waltz of Destruction?

This year, we’re getting a whole new experience. Although we are leaving Preston Marlowe and our friends in Bad Company behind, we are heading into one of the most epic looking shooters of our time. A new era is being ushered in. It is known as Battlefield 3.

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