GTA Online: Are we finally seeing normality?

Hello guys and gals,

As we all know there has been quite a few problems during these first weeks of Grand Theft Auto Online. The most annoying of course being the character deletion. I have been subject to this a few times which has been quite annoying, but you just got to deal with it I guess.
But it would seem that with the latest update which is now available on both platforms, PS3 & Xbox 360, they have (hopefully) permanently patched this problem up, as well as a few other bugs and annoyances.

Here is the full list:  

• Fixes multiple issues causing character deletion or other loss of progress
• Fixes issues causing infinite loading, infinite sky cams, and missing interface options between jobs
• Fixes an issue causing the "replay" option to be locked out on certain jobs
• Fixes an issue where a player would become stuck in the mod garage when respraying a Sanchez motor bike
• Fixes an issue where the Player became stuck inside Los Santos Customs during Online tutorial flow.
• Fixes an issue causing the loss of guns and ammo
• Fixes issues causing GTA races ending early because of players spawning too far ahead
• Fixes issues in Last Team Standing where sessions would not progress past the lobby
• Fixes issues with network errors when joining Last Team Standing using Quick Job
• Added clarifications around when a player is using a temporary character in GTA Online during Rockstar Cloud server outages
• Adjusts the monetary penalty for being killed in a One on One match

 I have been online today and haven't experienced any problems so far, so hopefully GTA Online can become the brilliant online experience we have all been waiting for?

I really hope so.

Take care

Brutal Atlas  :)

First Look At: Bioshock Infinite - Burial At Sea: Episode One

Hello people,

I have for your enjoyment, the first five minutes of the highly anticipated DLC of Bioshock Infinite, which as fans will definitely know, is set in the wonderful underwater world of Rapture.
Of course for those of you who don't want it spoiled for you, please look away now.

I really can't wait for this to be released, but as of yet there isn't a set date, except hopefully by the end of 2013. But when it does it's going to be sweet.

Take Care

Brutal Atlas  :)

Review: Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes

Originally I played this on the DS a few years back, but now that it is currently free to download on Xbox Marketplace I have begun to enjoy this addictive RPG puzzle game.
You command an army of varying types in turn based combat, matching colours and units to create attacks on your enemies health bar or walls for defending against enemy attacks. You match these up in vertical stacks and horizontal depending on what the enemy is matching up and trying to counter what they are doing.

I definitely prefer this on the Xbox rather than the Nintendo DS as sometimes it could sometimes feel like the battlefield was a little cramped rather then being on a nice TV screen. Even though the battle system is unique and complex as well as addictive, the story is easy to skip and really not important. Of course for some of you, you will probably want to immerse yourself in the story but for me personally I just like doing the battling and ranking up my character and individual army units.
The background environments are beautifully hand-drawn and is very appealing to fans of the old school RPG's accompanied by a lovely soundtrack.

There is also a multiplayer mode which is a great add on and a whole different challenge trying to anticipate your opponents next move. Even better with a friend.
This is a game you should really get your hands on, especially since it's currently free at the moment on Xbox Live. It's also available on other platforms. For anyone on Xbox live who downloads it and fancies a battle or two, then don't hesitate to send me a friend request: Brutal Atlas (Gamertag) or tweet me: @Brutal_Atlas

Take Care

Brutal Atlas :)

Review: Power Up

I first heard about this game when I saw it appear on my twitter feed by the developer themselves, Psychotic Psoftware. After having a look at the screenshots and seeing that it was a classic side-scrolling shooter I went and downloaded it immediately as it was definitely right up my street.

Power Up is made up of various levels with the old school boss battle at the end of each level. The difficulty is depending on how you choose to play it: Easy all the way to Psychotic (Aha! I see what they did there). With a lot of other side scrollers you can get easily bored with the constant shooting the same gun and dodging everything else that gets close, but with Power Up you can switch and rank up different lasers to suit the constant flow of various enemies flying at you. This is great and adds a nice variety to the game, giving it a lot of re-playability.

The background music is very reminiscent of the old retro games and for those of you, like myself, who played all the old consoles back in the day will be transported back to their childhoods. Even the sound effects of the constant fire blast of the first laser is enjoyable. 

The game play, soundtrack and general look has a very retro feel and is for fans of games like R-Type and Axelay. For 69p this was a bargain and I would have paid more for this. I look forward to seeing what Psychotic Psoftware has to offer in the future. A great game over all and a constant reminder that we should all be supporting indie developers.

Take care.

Brutal Atlas :)

Teething problems for GTA Online

So the moment we had all been waiting for, the release of Grand Theft Auto Online, and to say there have been some issues is a bit of an understatement. It seems that a lot of people were not able to connect online as soon as it had become available. But to be honest, what were people going to expect, when millions were trying to log onto the servers all at once, of course it was going to send into meltdown. It's the biggest selling game of all time.

Give it time, which shouldn't take long at all, and all the problems will be resolved and we will all be able to connect with no fuss at all. But I have to say, I haven't had that much problem connecting really. Not like some people I know who can't even connect on or even get past the first race with Lamar.

I've managed to rank up a few levels and do some of the online jobs, plus some survival and death matches, and I have to say it is a really good addition to the game. It's a lot of fun and will provide so many hours of gameplay, especially with some mates.

But for now, let us all be patient and let Rockstar sort out these issues and let us all bask in the knowledge that Grand Theft Auto has surely kicked Call of Duty's back side.

Take Care

Brutal Atlas :)

Indie games are just as fun!

Hey people, Brutal Atlas here.

I was going to do another review for an indie game today, but I just lost track of the time as I was playing a handful of them. I tell you something, there are some great indie games on Xbox Marketplace and they're cheap as well so you should definitely check them out and support these guys.

So some of the games I've been having a dabble of today are: Dead Pixel by Can\'t Strafe Right Studio & Ascent of Kings by Nostatic Software.

They are really great fun games and have that old school quality that a lot of these indie/arcade games have these days (Which I love by the way!).

I will be doing reviews for both of these titles very soon, so keep your eyes peeled for those.

On another note, Grand Theft Auto Online will be live in a few hours and I just can't wait to have a dabble on it. Well when I say dabble, I actually mean a marathon session. Plus the Battlefield 4 beta is coming out on the same day as well. I think these game developers don't want us to sleep at all.

Hmmmm, maybe I need to stop off at a shop and stock up on caffeine related goods.

Take Care

Brutal Atlas :)

Review: Saturn 9

I downloaded this game from Xbox live marketplace on the indie games section.

Developed by Raoghard, this sci-fi horror game is similar to Amnesia with it's exploration and puzzle solving but it's set in a derelict spaceship with dark claustrophobic corridors. You have to explore the ship, trying to figure out what happened to the crew.

Of course with games like this the jump scares are just around the corner, and I must say, they got me good. Especially the first one when coming up towards the bioscan door (damn you Raoghard!) Plus they seem to get you when you are at your most vulnerable (don't they all!). The puzzles are not too difficult to solve but are very original and unique.

Without giving away certain parts of the game, but at one point the game goes a bit Slender Man, but in space of course and it's quite a tense part. It's a short but sweet horror game and definitely for fans of Amnesia, Slender Man and even Dead Space. It's cheap enough and worth the money at 69p.

Now I'm off to buy a packet of Instant Noodles. For some reason I have a craving for them. haha.

Take Care.

Brutal Atlas :)

Welcome to PRESS START

Hello there.

I've been an avid gamer ever since....erm...well since forever. I do have another blog which is mainly focused on writing, books and TV. I did mention about video games I've been playing and also did an article about the importance of story in game, which you can see here.

But I thought I should separate the gaming part from that blog and start a whole new one. So here we have PRESS START. Here I will be using my gamer tag name which is: BRUTAL ATLAS. You can tweet me: @Brutal_Atlas or Xbox live: Brutal Atlas.

Here I will be doing reviews on big title games, lots of indie games, plus articles about the industry and lots of other random pieces. Eventually I would like to link it up to a YouTube channel where I can show gameplay to coincide with my reviews or even hints and tips on how to do certain parts of games or achievements.

So for now, sit back, grab that controller, PRESS START and get gaming!

Take Care

:)