Not A Game Review: Darksiders 2

Genre: Hack and slash/RPG
Platforms: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC

Release date: 14/08/12

Developer: Vigil Games

In Not A Review I won't be delivering my final verdict, only my limited impressions of the game. Why? Because I grew bored of the game before I completed it.

Darksiders was a highly derivative game, with combats mechanic ripped from franchises like God of War and Devil May Cry and dungeon crawling straight from the Legend of Zelda. Despite the whole not being greater than the sum of its parts, Darksiders was none the less enjoyable, if uninspired.

Thus when Darksiders 2 was announced, I eagerly anticipated how the developers would improve the sequel and make a product of their own creation and imagination. While Darksiders 2 is certainly more unique than its predecessor, it still suffers some of the same problems while the new additions have their own set of issues.

So before we get any further I need to state I haven't completed the game. As of writing I've played about 15 hours (recruiting the 3rd undead lord for the bone king). So this is not a review, merely a summation of my thoughts so far.

Sweden Trip: Photos

During July I was in Stockholm doing a 3 week corporate finance course. It was a fantastic experience, so here are some pictures.

More Japan Photos

Mum's Japan Trip Photos

For my 16th birthday I went to Japan for a week and it was brilliant. We visited the usual tourist spots, unfortunately at the time I didn't realise what a nerd paradise Akihabara was, so I missed out on all kinds of cool merchandise. What I enjoyed most Japan was just being in a different culture, that and the food. Anyway my mum has gone to Japan and took some photos, which reminded me of my time there.

Short Guide To Weight Loss: Calorie Restriction

The previous post was a more generalised guide to weight loss. If you are relatively slim already, or those tips aren't working then you may need to calorie restrict. Calories are the most commonly used units of energy in relation to humans, joules are the better but less used alternative. Your body needs energy for its physiological functions, not enough energy long term = you die. You get this energy from food and drink. If you eat more calories than your body needs, you store it, primarily as fat. If your body doesn't get enough calories, your body uses its own energy stores (primarily fat). Calorie restricting is simply reducing your calorie intake, below what your body requires. This forces your body to use its fat stores (though there may be some lean mass lost).

For some terminology and referencing points 1 Cal = 1000 cal or 1k cal. 1 cal = 4.2 joules. 1 kcal is the energy required to heat 1 kilogram of water, by 1 degrees Celsius. 100 grams of chicken leg = ~ 240 kcal, 100 grams of broccoli = ~34 kcal, 100 grams of butter = ~717 kcal.

When calorie restricting the first thing to do is work out how many calories you burn in a day, which is commonly referred to as basic metabolic rate (BMR) or total daily energy expentiture (TDEE). TDEE is a more accurate estimate as it takes into account the physical activity you do during the day. There are a variety of ways of working out your BMR or TDEE. You can figure it out manually, using formulas such as in this BodyBuilding.com thread. Alternatively you can use one of the many free applications on the internet, on sites such as FitDay. Its important to note that whatever figure you come up with, is an ESTIMATE only and should be used as such. If you want a more accurate figure then you'll need to go a physiology lab or medical facility.

Guild Wars 2: Human Elementalist Personal Story Walkthrough

So during the Guild Wars 2 beta weekend event, I decided to record the personal story. 8 missions were completed before I found myself underleveled. Next time I may complete the reminder that are available in the beta. Click through to Youtube to see them all, here is the first mission with my characters slimeball of a friend.

Stop Using The Term 'MOBA'; Its Retarded

You may have heard of a game called League of Legends (LoL). You may have also heard its genre referred to as "MOBA". MOBA? What the hell is that, you ask? In this genre of game there are 2 human controlled teams, 5 players on each side. You pick a hero and your aim is to destroy the enemies base. Similar to an RTS, but there is much less focus on macro management, less resources to gather and you typically only control 1 unit. The genre started with Defense of the Ancients (DOTA) which was a Warcraft 3 mod. DOTA was immense popularity and eventually the highly derivative LoL and Heroes of Newerth (HoN) were created, among others. Somewhere along the line "MOBA" was used to describe the genre. According to this thread (http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=279969) the term MOBA was applied to DOTA like games after the beta release of HoN. The term  gained in popularity due to the rise of LoL. There is a problem though.

MOBA is a fucking stupid term. MOBA stands for "multiplayer online battle arena". What does that tell us? Its multiplayer and online, which would include games like Mario Kart DS, Assassins Creed and Call of Duty. Its includes battling and is set in an arena. "Battle" is an ambiguous term. You can have a "battle of the minds", an arena is an enclosed area in which some sort of competition or conflict occurs. So any game with an enclosed map, and conflict (which is basically all FPSes) could be considered arenas. So what you are left with is an acronym that describes nothing. Most FPS could be considered MOBAs, Fat Princess could be considered a MOBA. So why did anybody created such a stupid term and why do people continue to use it?