Watch_Dogs: For the Dogs?

So, you've seen this really cool game that's all the rage. It involves GTA V / Saint's Row [3 & 4]-style gameplay with hacking to mix things up.

But you wonder, "is it worth the hype?".

The answer is...
...yes...kind of.

Don't worry, no story spoilers to ensue. Just some Opinions and Found Out Things (FOT) that I've experienced.


Opinions 
*Note: Both Keyboard & Mouse and Controller used

The Game

Control ...or lack thereof

Not too terrible. I personally think any Dev Team that thinks a 'Cover System' is a great idea instead of the tried and true 'Crouch & Aim' should be smacked with a Tuna. Aiden repeatedly decides "ya, no, I don't want to leave Cover. I'll just skirt around an object while I get my lead injection".
The driving is also atrocious. It seems Mr. Pearce has a lead foot and does not keep his hands at the '3 and 9' position. Luckily citizens don't seem to mind if you ram into their cars, the benches, street lights/lamps, fences, buildings, road signs, or even into them...provided you don't kill them. -- Even then you just lose a bit of Reputation that can easily be made back during the next Crime Prevention mission.

But, once you get past that you find a game/character that is very easy to handle.

Story

I did say no spoilers. So if you want it go read the wiki. But in my honest opinion it's pretty "Meh".

Online Invasion ...of the Body Snatchers

This is the part of the game that makes it worth playing for more than just the campaign. Once you get a bounty on you from hacking a Citizen's phone you never know when the Invasion will occur. But there is apparently an issue (see FOT).

CtOS Mobile App (it's like if Flappy Bird were a helicopter...and a police car)

When it connects it's kind of fun. I guess you could use it to pass the time at the airport terminal. Or in that business meeting that won't end.

But it is in no way necessary to get the full Watch_Dogs experience. You're simply playing as the cops.

FOT

You don't always find what you want...

Dat Ass-zzt

So, apparently, there's a bug that causes an immediate 'Crash to Desktop' when you try and hack any Electric Sign. Which can be rather annoying since there is now manual save (unless you count resting at a Hideout).

Must be Rank 7 Notoriety

I've recently come across an Invasion where the enemy player did not spawn for me. I was standing in the middle of a 'concrete park' near the Face Fountain check-in location. When the Invasion happened. Problem is even after tagging all the NPCs in the area of the Invasion, I was unable to find them. And no...I would have noticed a car sitting in the middle of the park; the Invasion's circle wasn't even near the streets.

Running Man

Occasionally Aiden will decide to keep running in the same direction as the he was moving even after releasing the key, which can be quite the problem if you [literally] run into a Gang group while doing one the Gang Hideout missions.

Mouse Cursor Seeks non-Commitment Relationship

This is yet another game that suffers from correctly capturing the mouse cursor on multi-monitor setups. Luckily you can use Cursor Lock to solve this problem.

---
Takeaway

Watch_Dogs is a fun game to play. But not fun enough to warrant full price. I would suggest picking it up on Steam during a sale or use a discount coupon for the title over at Green Man Gaming.

Guild Wars 2: Tequatl Rising

Harder, better, faster, stronger..um...deadlier.

September 17, 2013

It has been gathering power in the depths.
...It is faster, stronger, deadlier.
....It has returned to devour and destroy.
.......It is called Tequatl the Sunless...and it has evolved.

Events

The Dragon Tequatl - Redefined!

Something’s gotten into Tequatl the Sunless. This ancient dragon, scourge of the Splintered Coast, has become more formidable than ever, with an arsenal of new attacks and lethal tricks at its disposal. To stop this rampaging beast, you’ll join forces with old friends and new allies in a desperate battle where failure is a very real option. Tequatl has risen – and it will take an army of players to bring it down!

Developer Livestream (September 20)

Dive deeper into the Tequatl Rising release with ArenaNet devs during the livestream on our Twitch channel on Friday, September 20 at 12PM PDT.

Features

"Looking for Group" Tool (Coming Soon)We’ve added a new system to help players find others to join in on their adventures. Using our new looking for group system, you’ll be able to select the type of content you’d like to do and add in a custom description about the group you’re trying to form. Use the system alone or with friends to easily fill out your party! Read more on the forums.

New Ruins of Power in World vs. World

Big changes are coming to the eternal war in The Mists!  Each borderland map in WvW has been redesigned to include five new Ruins of Power—capture points that armies can battle over in order to earn lethal Bloodlust boosts for everyone on their server!

Bosses Updated

We’ve adjusted all of our bosses to make them more challenging and fun! From the Megadestroyer to Golem Mark II to the Fire Elemental, bosses in Tyria are more dangerous than ever!

New WvW Ability: Flame Ram Mastery

Prepare to knock some gates down and set stuff on fire! Become tougher and more effective in those heated siege situations by earning ranks in the new Flame Ram Mastery ability!

Rewards

Wings of the Sunless

Earn this ominous new animated back item by waging war against Tequatl the Sunless!

More info

Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn (Beta - Final Phase)

This is it...the last beta (unless the game gets another reboot) starts tomorrow, Friday August 16, 2013 at 2AM [PDT]. This phase will end on Monday, August 19, 2013 at 2AM [PDT].

I believe you need to re-download the game. I noticed when I re-installed with the 'Final Beta / Live' client "Beta" was removed from the Add or Remove Programs entry.

This also would mean a complete uninstall of Phase 3's client and data. No copy-pasting those multi-gig files into the new installation and hoping to avoid re-downloading the entire game.

...See you in Eorzea!

Guild Wars 2: Queen's Speech

Is this going to be long?

August 20, 2013

The celebration of Queen Jennah’s rule continues in Divinity’s Reach! All over Kryta, people are talking about The Queen’s Speech, which is rumored to contain a major surprise. What will the Queen reveal to her people and the world? Find out on August 20!

Events

Developer Livestream (August 20)

Take an inside look at the features in the Queen’s Speech release with ArenaNet devs during the livestream on our Twitch channel on Tuesday, August 20 at 12PM PDT.

The Queen's Speech (Begins August 20)

Don’t miss history in the making as Queen Jennah wraps up her gala Jubilee with a momentous speech to her loyal subjects and visitors. Starting August 20, be sure to visit Divinity’s Reach and hear what the Queen has to say!

Guild Wars 2 Anniversary Bash

On August 31, we’re holding our first-ever Anniversary Bash and Guild Wars 2 Invitational Tournament! The event will be held in the Renaissance Hotel in Seattle, WA over PAX Prime weekend – if you’re in town, come and join the fun! We’ll be streaming the entire event for you to watch from home.

New Rewards

Birthday Gifts

As characters created right at the launch of Guild Wars 2 hit their first birthdays, it’s time to introduce our first Birthday Gift! Characters that are one year old will receive a Mini Queen Jennah, a 24-hour Birthday Booster, and a Scroll of Experience.

New Features

World vs. World XP and Point Adjustment

We’re making it easier to earn World XP points for playing normally in World vs. World by increasing the WXP rate across the board! As an added bonus, we’re adjusting World vs. World Ability Points so that your total points are equal to your current rank. New characters will start off with one ability point, and all existing characters will receive one more!

World vs. World Trebuchet Mastery

Become a master of destruction with the new Trebuchet Mastery ability line! Increase your efficiency with Trebuchets by upping your basic shot damage, increasing your Trebuchets’ hit radius, adding a new supply-draining effect to your basic shot, and learning a new Healing Oasis skill that provides healing to your teammates.

The End of Culling in PvE

On August 20, we’re turning off culling, which will remove the limit on the number of characters you can see on-screen at once. The cities of Tyria will now be even more vibrant and bustling than ever!

More Info

Guild Wars 2: Queen's Jubilee

God save the queen (of Tyria)!

August 6, 2013

A celebration of ten years of Queen Jennah’s rule is about to kick off in Divinity’s Reach! The queen has commissioned a new gladiatorial arena for the occasion—the Crown Pavilion—as a shining symbol of her people’s endurance.

Take a hot air balloon ride with dignitaries from across Tyria to the capital of the Krytan nation, and be there for the opening ceremony. Join in the festivities and compete in ceremonial combat in Her Majesty’s honor!

Events

Developer Livestream (August 5)

Enjoy an early look at the Queen’s Jubilee release with ArenaNet devs during the preview livestream on our Twitch channel on Monday, August 5 at 12PM PDT.

Hot Air Balloons (Begins August 6)

Need a lift to Divinity’s Reach? The Queen’s court has sent out hot air balloons to transport celebrants! Find one of these balloons out in the open world, and use it to find the party in short order.

The Opening Ceremony (Begins August 6)

In honor of her Jubilee, Queen Jennah is opening a new gladiatorial arena! Attend the dedication of the Crown Pavilion arena and watch its inaugural contest!

Ignite the Beacons (Begins August 6)

Special Beacons of Kryta, symbols of humanity’s hope, have been set up in Divinity’s Reach. Take a torch from a torchbearer, then race around a course to light all of the Beacons of Kryta!

Enter the Crown Pavilion (Begins August 6)

Test yourself in an entirely new mini-zone featuring mighty representations of humanity’s enemies. By representing various cities of Tyria, you can be named champion of a nation and gain access to unique reward vendors.

Fight in the Queen's Gauntlet (Begins August 6)

In the special Queen’s Gauntlet, you will face increasingly difficult challenges of single-combat against unique bosses. Cheer on your friends or show off your skills to the world. Take a risk with special gambit conditions to earn even more prestigious rewards!

New Rewards

Watchwork Mechanisms

Watchwork tech is the latest and greatest innovation in Tyria. Watchwork parts can be used in new crafting recipes or as currency in the Crown Pavilion to buy items like new rune and sigil recipes, Watchknight Tonics, or the new Sovereign Weapon Set. You might even find the recipe to assemble a Watchwork Portal Device, allowing you to create a personal portal!

Mini Watchknight

Once you complete the Queen’s Jubilee meta achievement, you’ll receive a miniature Watchknight, modeled after the Queen’s new mechanical sentinels, to follow you into battle.

New Features

Account Wallet for Currency

Keep all of your currencies in one easy-to-find location! This Wallet holds dungeon tokens, coins, karma, laurels, Guild Commendations, Fractal Relics, Badges of Honor, gems, and glory and makes them accessible to any character on your account. Upon logging in with each unique character for the first time after the Wallet has gone live, that character will have all of their currencies deposited into the account-wide collection.

PvP Solo Queue

Solo Arena matches allow you to get right into the action of PvP matches in a competitive environment without gathering a full team or finding yourself fighting against a pre-formed group. Solo Arena has its own leaderboard so players can earn rank without affecting their Team Arena standings.

Bonus Rewards for Dungeons

Each day when you finish a unique path for any explorable or story dungeon, you’ll receive a bonus reward for completion—1 to 3 gold for explorable dungeons depending on their length and difficulty, 50 silver for story dungeons. Guaranteed coin rewards that previously dropped from bosses in dungeons have been removed in lieu of these new rewards for dungeon completion; all other drops off of bosses have not been changed. Now you have even more incentive for braving the hazards of the dungeons of Tyria!

Champion Loot Updates

All of the champions in the game will now award a new bonus loot bag upon their death if you qualify for loot rewards on that boss when it is killed. These bags have a chance to contain rare crafting materials, items that award skill points, and more!

Mini-game Rotation System

Both Captain’s Council candidates have promised to introduce a new rotation of exciting competitions each day. The initial rotation includes the well-loved Sanctum Sprint, Keg Brawl, Southsun Survival, and Crab Toss. Speak to the activities NPC in Lion’s Arch to participate in the competition of the day!

Improved Effects Level of Detail System

Effects like fireballs, streaks that trail behind a sword, players’ footsteps, and even the fiery breath of dragons are all part of the beauty of Guild Wars 2. In situations where all of that beauty can start to take away from the visual clarity of the battlefield, this new system will slowly start reducing the detail of each effect in order to increase combat visibility when many effect types are overlapping. When action gets intense in dungeons, PvP, the open world, and WvW, this system will let you see more of the action.

World vs. World Supply Mastery

Become a master of supply with the Supply Master World vs. World ability line. This line includes benefits like increased supply pick-up speed, Courier Speed when you pick up supply, and a chance to get supply back when you use it!

Permanent Finishers

We’re adding support for permanent Finishers! With this release, you’ll be able to sort through your available Finishers and choose the one you’d like to use as a default. Change your mind and change your Finisher! Rank up for rank Finishers, or keep an eye on the Gem Store for a new selection of Finishers. Finishers can be used in both PvP and WvW!

More Info

Guild Wars 2: Cutthroat Politics

At least they aren't an Elephant and an Ass; ones a kitty cat! :D

July 23, 2013

An assassination has created a vacancy on the Captain’s Council of Lion’s Arch. Two candidates —war hero Ellen Kiel and prominent merchant Evon Gnashblade —both want to occupy that empty seat, but they can’t do it without your support!
To prove they have what it takes to sit on the powerful ruling council, Kiel and Gnashblade will compete to secure a lucrative trade agreement with the merchants of the Zephyr Sanctum. Support your favorite candidate as you experience two weeks of new events, activities, features and rewards beginning July 23!

Events

Support Your Candidate (Begins July 23; Ends August 5)

Evon Gnashblade and Ellen Kiel are trying to work out a trade agreement with the Zephyr Sanctum in order to help them secure a spot on the Captain’s Council of Lion’s Arch. Use Support Tokens and coins to help out your candidate of choice!

New Activity - Southsun Survival (Begins July 23)

Scheme, kill, and scavenge your way to the top in this new competitive activity! Armed with only a bow and whatever supplies you can find, you’ll face off against other players in a battle to be the last one standing. Earn karma and coins for each round you play, plus a rare chance at an exclusive Back Item!

New PvP Activity - Aspect Arena (Begins July 23)

Pick one of the Aspects of Sun, Wind, or Lightning, and face off in teams to collect crystals. Each Aspect will grant you different skills with which to maneuver and fight. Earn karma and coins for each round you play, plus a rare chance at an exclusive Back Item!

Candidate Trials Challenge (Begins July 23)

Enter into the Candidate Trials alone or with a group in support of your chosen candidate. You’ll test your battle skills by facing off against waves of Aetherblade pirates – hold out for as long as you can to earn Support Tokens and loot! The challenge is great, but so are the rewards – you may even earn a rare chance at an Aetherized weapon!

Meet The Candidates

Evon Gnashblade

As owner and proprietor of the Black Lion Trading Company, I have the proven leadership skills and business acumen that is sorely needed on the Captain’s Council. With your support, I will secure a trade agreement with the Zephyrites that benefits us all.

If I am elected to the Captain’s Council, I’ll show my gratitude for your support in the following ways:

• I’ll slash prices on Black Lion Keys for four whole weeks
• I’ll sponsor important Fractals of the Mist research into the Fall of Abaddon, to be completed by the end of the year
• I’ll host a rotation of popular activities like Crab Toss and Southsun Survival.

 You can find me in the Zephyr Sanctum, working for the best interest of Lion’s Arch.

Ellen Kiel

I've stood by the people of Lion’s Arch in good times and bad, defending her from all manner of threat. Now I want to ensure the security of our beloved city in a different capacity, as a member of the Captain’s Council. I’ll need your support to establish a fair trade treaty between Zephyr Sanctum and Lion’s Arch.

If I’m fortunate enough to earn a position on the Captain’s Council, here’s what you can expect from Ellen Kiel:

• I’ll reduce waypoint travel prices for four weeks’ time
• I’ll support important Fractals of the Mists research into the Thaumanova Reactor explosion by the end of the year
• I’ll introduce a rotating schedule of activities such as Crab Toss and Southsun Survival.

Come find me in Zephyr Sanctum; let’s work together for a brighter future!

New Rewards

Exclusive New Back Items

Two new exclusive back items, the Desert Rose and Zephyr Rucksack, are available as rare drops from the Southsun Survival and Aspect Arena activities respectively.

Mini Ellen Kiel and Mini Evon Gnashblade

Complete the Gnashblade Supporter and Kiel Supporter meta achievements to unlock a miniature Evon Gnashblade and Ellen Kiel of your very own!

New Features

New World vs. World Ability: Catapult Mastery

This month’s World vs. World ability line addition is Catapult Mastery! Invest points in Catapult Mastery to increase damage done to walls, extra damage against other siege, increase your attack radius, and unlock a new, powerful skill.

More Info

Guild Wars 2: Bazaar of the Four Winds

The Flea Market arrives Tyria!

July 9, 2013

The Bazaar of the Four Winds is gathering— merchants are converging from all corners of Tyria to sell their wares. But this time it’s not just shady characters and risky trades; this year, the mystical, flying Zephyr Sanctum has landed, bringing their magical crystals and amazing movement skills to savvy traders and daring adventurers alike! What a joy it will be to experience the thrill of the trade—and the race. Let’s go!

Events

Developer Livestream (July 8)

Take an inside look at the Bazaar of the Four Winds release with ArenaNet devs during the preview livestream on our Twitch channel on Monday, July 8 at 12PM PDT.

New Mini-game: Belcher's Bluff (Begins July 9)

Put your Omnomberry Juice drinking skills to the test in this new, permanent mini-game. Seek out challengers around the world to learn their signature skills, then challenge your friends in PvP mode!

Sanctum Spring (Begins July 9)

Take part in Sanctum Sprint , a competitive race that will send you leaping over barriers and flying through the air! You’ll need to use cunning, agility, and some special skills to navigate this dizzying obstacle course.

Lessons from the Sky (Begins July 9)

Explore the Labyrinthine Cliffs in this scavenger hunt which will lead you in search of Sky Crystals. Show your mastery of Wind, Sun, and Lightning as you find your way to hard-to-reach places.

New Rewards

Aspect Back Items

Compete in the Sanctum Sprint for a chance at one of these three special back items, representing the Aspects of Wind , Sun, and Lightning.

Personal Quartz Node

Once you complete the meta achievement for this release, your home instance will have a daily resource node, allowing you to harvest Quartz at your leisure . Quartz is a new material being introduced in this release and will be used to craft new recipes!

Zephyr Sanctum Model

Upon completing the Lessons from the Sky achievement, you’ll be awarded a miniature model of the Zephyr Sanctum which will allow you to view the ship at any time, even after it’s flown away.

New Items

Kite Fortunes

Kite Fortunes contain wise sayings and random boosts. They always drop Fortune Scraps and have the chance for a rare Golden Fortune. Golden Fortunes can be traded for a permanent prize like Zephyrite helms and Aspect back pieces. Fortune Scraps can also be saved and traded for those rewards.

Zephyrite Helms

The traders of the Zephyr Sanctum are proud to present three new crystal helms, one each for the Aspects of Wind, Sun, and Lightning. Wear them with pride! Zephyrite Helms will be available in trade for Golden Fortunes and multiple Fortune Scraps.

Bazaar Quaggan Mini Pack

Kookoochoo the Incredulous, Poowulpi the Persnicketous, and Peggellegg the “Pirate” are three daring little quaggans with a thirst for adventure! This exclusive 3-pack will allow you to bring them along for all of your travels.

New Features

New PvP Map: Skyhammer

Jump into the new Skyhammer map, a high-tech Asura lab packed with jump pads, shattering floor panels, and one gigantic mega cannon. Battle for control of three capture points, turn the mega cannon’s power against your foes, and be sure to watch where you step!

Learn More

Account Achievement Reward System

Put your account achievement points to good use! From now on, you’ll be able to unlock rewards like exclusive new armor skins, weapon skins, and permanent account bonuses as you earn achievement points on your account. You’ll also earn laurels, gems, gold, powerful items, and PvP and WvW rewards as your achievement score grows. These rewards will be retroactively awarded for any tiers of account achievement rewards you’ve already earned on your account.

New and Improved Achievement Panel UI

Learning about achievements has never been easier! Our revamped UI will make it simple for you to keep track of specific achievements and rewards. You can also look at individual achievements in detail to find point breakdowns, potential rewards, and helpful tips.

More Info