Co-operative

Modern day gaming takes many various forms to entertain the masses, whether it’s an engaging single player so consuming that you develop a rather unhealthy obsession with the content, (damn you Uncharted) *shakes fist furiously*, or a multiplayer experience that’s far superior and evidently more fun than the single player format. So imagine my surprise when today I ventured down to my generic electrical store to purchase Dead Island, only to discover that the cooperative play is only available online, dum dum dum! Do you realize what this means? 1: That I probably should have done sufficient research on the game before trouncing all the way down the high street to obtain it, and 2: That this bitter blow left me reeling, and it was this lack of offline co-op that directly contributed me terminating the purchase of Dead Island. You probably feel that im being a little to judgemental and yes, perhaps even a tad OTT, but allow me to explain.

I’m not opposed to online gaming, quite the opposite, I am fully aware that the future of the video games industry lies in the online world. For example, who really purchases titles such as Call Of Duty, Battlefield and Portal 2 just to indulge in the one player campaign? Show of hands? Not many, because as important as single player is, it’s the online capabilities that prolong your amusement, but from my own online exposure, you do lose a certain camaraderie when participating online. It all feels a little distant, despite the constant need for communication (especially in the case of Portal 2), and the growing community located throughout PSN. For me personally, Dead Island deciding to focus its co-op attention on the web is a very disappointing decision, as this now leaves me unable to invite friends round to satisfy our basic human rights, by decapitating hordes of cannibalistic zombies on a tropical island, whilst consuming vast quantity’s of Wotsits and beer. It’s these social interactions that make playing games not only more rewarding but additionally more fun, which in a gaming community that’s obsessed with constantly chasing trophy’s and improved high scores can sometimes signify that fun, is sadly disregarded.

The inconvenient truth for me however is that despite my forlorn grumblings, I’m still likely to purchase Dead Island, due to the actuality that I’m an enthusiastic gamer trapped in a world of commercialism, and nothing to do with the fact that, deep down, I’m just another whingeing hypocrite, nope, not at all *cough*.

Is offline multiplayer as important to you? Or do you prefer to play online? Let me know your thoughts and opinions, cheers.

F1 2010 was a high-octane, pulse pounding, exciting, thrilling, incredible and, um…… I’ve used far too many adjectives, sorry *puts down thesaurus*, well you get the general idea, it was the most immersive Formula 1 experience ever (except for actually being a F1 driver, obviously). Detailed tracks and an intense racing experience, not to mention the overwhelming emotion that welled inside you when you eventually overtook Michael Schumacher after 6 agonising laps to finish 8th, even minor victories felt like huge achievement’s, all culminating to grant you with a satisfying and realistic racing experience befitting of any F1 driver. Yes it was challenging, and yes I had an uncontrollable tendency to self destruct due to my lack of patience, but you never felt unfairly treated and it gave you a pragmatic insight into how demanding it must be for the professionals to handle such an unforgiving machine (no more criticisms from me from now on Hamilton, I promise). But despite 2010’s tagline of “Be the driver, live the life”, the majority of fans felt frustratingly short-changed by what could have been an engrossing feature. Interviews with reporters felt increasingly cold and distant as you progressed and leaving you with very limited options, other than “It’s all down to my great team” or “Look how good I am!”, but thankfully Codemasters have listened and have taken the appropriate and necessary measures to expand on what is a fundamentally unique notion.

Living the life in F1 2011 will feel more advanced than its predecessor, with added cinematic’s that will afford you with the opportunity to relish ascending the staircase to claim your prize and waste champagne by dowsing the expensive bubbly all over Vettel’s head, and lifting your trophy aloft to add greater authenticity to race day. Also interviews have been enhanced by allowing you to read what the papers are saying about you and also how your being perceived online too. On the track, things have also been greatly improved with increased handling and far more intelligent and sometimes aggressive AI, which signifies that any wrong manoeuver could cost you a position on the podium, or worse. But arguably this years greatest inclusion is multiplayer, allowing online or split screen races between you and your fellow F1 enthusiasts, and possibly the most intriguing multiplayer feature of all is the co-operative championship. You and a friend can now team up and compete against each other as you vie to be crowned the world champion and Número Uno with your selected constructor, just try not to become to infuriated by your friends superiority as there granted with the more advanced parts.

F1 2011 is released September 23, check out the link to watch just how difficult it’s going to be.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xjru9m5bN3Q

How is F1 2011 sounding to you? Let me know your thoughts, cheers.