5 things that make a Gamer-Rage

I play a lot of games, right from that red hatted plumber to that ash covered fanatic who goes about killing Greek Gods, I have played a lot. Like any other gamer, I have had my moments of exquisite ecstasy and unrelenting rage. We gamers like to talk a lot of smack, most of it though is harmless, but sometimes, we are lucky we don't have a gun nearby, or a machete or a screw-driver. Read on to find out, what really makes a gamer violent. And if you ever hear your hubby or your bf cursing something about any of the below, its better you give them a wide berth.

Source: www.ragetoons.com

1. Escort Mission

Source: www.tvtropes.org

So you are playing Resident Evil. You have just started to feel good about yourself, those stupid zombies don't know whats hitting them, and you have a bunch load of lead stocked up just in case. That's when the game slaps on a harmless little girl, or an injured comrade, or a lost dog, or mini-boss from another level (who kicked your ass back then, but now seems to be afraid of the dark). Its upto you now, to take this sad excuse of a colored polygon from Point A to Point B. If he dies you lose, if he stays too far behind you lose, if you die; welll you get the picture. Suddenly the zombies who used to stick to you like cheese to nachos, avoid you like cats do water and try your companion on for size. It doesn't matter how big and bad-ass/ cute and harmless your buddy looks, enemies just prefer new meat, and for whatever reason your partner does too. What more they don't know how to defend themselves, they might have guns (they might as well have tooth-picks instead) but they don't know how to fight, how to take cover, how to freaking meele or just sprint away from danger (you think living in the center of an infected city might teach them a thing or two).Run too fast, and your quarry might stall and stand like a lost poodle on rainy day. Run too slow and you would find him jumping into un-cleared areas ready to take you down with him. They don't take directions too well either, how many times have you said "Not there you moron, the door is this way" or "Get out of my freaking way, I need to dive." or "Go to hell you mOfO....may you always rot in hell"

2. Reward System

Source: www.corpseruncomics.com

You are a level 132 Knight, wielding a lvl 121 katana, wearing a lvl 119 scottish quilt (rocking it btw) and using lvl 102 "Nemor's Ancient Deodric Spell Caster Aura" as your primary skill. You just defeated the entire undead army, grinding it out for an continuous 3 hours without flinching (you sofa now has a permanent puddle in the shape of your butt and the air reeks of your sweat). Many a times reaching to just 10 HP of your enormous health bar, it was hellish, it was bloody but it was awesome. The town rejoices, the mayor asks you to meet him and take your reward. You take a drink from your cooler (which isnt cool any longer) and press the A/X/Space to accept your award. What do you get: a lvl 23 Brass Armor, and the mayor say, "I am sure you will put it to good use". Damn sure I will...I will use it right up your....and then go on to level your town, and then maybe tea-bag on your temporarily dead bodies.

3. Cheap Bosses

www.newgrounds.com

You know what I am talking about. Tekken and MGS are famous for these. These bosses have huge health bar (which get re-filled once or twice depending upon how much the game wants to screw you). They have high damage and unblock-able combos (so if you haven't packed your health packs, we will see you at your last save). And remember that spell, which you tirelessly leveled up and now it takes 1000HP in one go, well you can't use that spell on him; no the spell/skill/weapon which has served you so well is next to useless against this behemoth (because this huge, sprawling creature who looks he can take you and then some is just one big Quick Time Event). Why you ask me, well Fork you that's why.

4. Restricted Movement

source: www.tumblr.com

The game designer is creating a map, and he thinks "Hmm-mm...I don't want the player to access this part of the map, what should I do?". After a while he goes like, "I know, I would create a small step that is about his waist height, and sucker can't jump; Problem Solved". So I can slay hundreds of minions, rip apart beast with my bare hands, drive a truck through an apocalyptic city, but can't jump onto a platform which is waist high. Yeah go figure!

5. Unlock-able Difficulty Levels

Source: www.xbox360achievements.org

Games have side missions, they have collectables, they have even have eastern eggs. But how do you really make a game re-playable, unlock-able difficulty levels that's how! The game doesn't care what your game-score is, or how long you have been playing video games, you need to prove it to the game by first beating it on a lower difficulty level, then unlocking a higher one, and then beating it on Insane/Heroic/Nightmare (whatever in-creative name they have come up with) all over again. And you know what the best part is, all these more difficulty levels have achievements/trophies attached to it, so if you want a perfect score, the game is guaranteed multiple playthroughs. The game lets you choose how you look, how you dress, how you speak, how you fight, but it doesn't let you choose how smart/stupid your enemies can be, unless of course you have beaten it once.

What else makes you cringe and cry, when you are playing a game. What makes you feel you want to find the guy who came up with the idea, and then punch him in the face, then in the gut, and then stomp all over him as writhes in pain on the ground and then drag him outside and run him over with your car, before spraying him with gas and then putting him on fire. Comment or I am coming for you.

Fable 3: A game for the in betweeners

First up a big thanks to all the surfers who made January a massive month for my blog. In the past seven months my site had just about 1000 visitors, all this was changed as the blog garnered an unprecedented 1600+ hits this month alone. I am over the moon, and really appreciate that both Google and people are taking my posts seriously. Now only if people would start commenting also, and this would be a dream come true.

Moving onto the business at hand, which today is Fable 3. I had never played Fable before, but ever since the first game out in 2004, I always wanted to try this new kind of R.P.G. (and for some reason I loved the name). Sadly however, as is the case with many of the games during that time, I neither had the proper system to run it nor the console to play it on. 7 years later and here I am finally able to put Fable 3 into my X-Box disc tray. It's been a long time coming, so how was it?

Fable 3 came out in 2010, so this review is almost 3 years late. But the fact that the game is still available for a dirt cheap price (along with many others), I guess letting the people know how good it is, make sense right!

The story of Fable 3 continues as Albion enters the Industrial Age, and follows the lives of Fable 2's hero 2 children. The older one is a ruler and is quickly turning into a dictator. The first part of the game is how you build up your forces against your brother and overthrow him as king/queen of Albion. The second is how you rule as a ruler yourself, and whether you decide to follow in your brother's footsteps or become a benevolent ruler. Straightforward with minimal twist, the story is both threadbare and enough to keep you going. Especially the part where you get to make decisions as a king is quite novel, and you hope that the game had more of that.

Story- 7/10

When I played the game for the first time, it gave me signs of a game meant for kids, or at max childish teenagers. The hero rarely speaks, and expressions such as hugging, dancing, tickling along with bullying, farting and beating people replace actual conversations (a part and parcel of R.P.Gs worldwide). Even the conversations that do happen are straightforward and quite understandable, giving you the impression that the game means to convey its message as clearly as possible with as less dialogue as possible. The violence too is quite clean and the tech/skill-tree is easy to understand and upgrade. The visual model, and even the script is written in a very kid friendly manner, and nothing rarely goes edgy in the game. You actually hold the hands of people you like or to get them somewhere (puppy love at its best). The sounds, the visuals, the complete design is harmonious and smooth, inciting a happy go luck feel to the entire game.

Graphics+Sound- 7/10

All that is fine and dandy, but for condoms, the concept of sex, marriage and infidelity, and a particularly dark tone in later levels (especially during the quest 'Into The darkness'). There is sex, but the actual act is a black screen with noises. You have werewolves and dark shadows which are a far-cry from the initial bats and witty spirits that you have to fight off initially. There is a real edgy and dark quest, suddenly in the middle of the game (after you have played through the sunshine and rainbow quests before) and then its back to that "go there, get that, fancy little prince" affair.This leaves you wondering whether the game is to be enjoyed as a childish or adult comedy.

Mojo- 4/10

There are few innovations here. The game rarely takes you to a pause menu. Instead pressing 'START' takes you to 'Sanctuary' which is a room catering to your gaming needs (like changing weapons, costumes etc.). Most of the menus are represented as galleries and there is very little actual pause. There is also no Quit button, and you actually have to quit directly out to the X-box dashboard (which put me off a bit, I actually searched on the net if there was an option I was overlooking). The map while sucks at navigation, is a nice little tool for managing your finances and fast-travel. Your dog, is another innovative addition, tagging along everywhere and helping you locate treasures and other buried objects. There is also a selective mapping to your d-pad, which can act as a quick key to either the map, the 'road to rule', and your spouse's home, depending on the situation.

In the vein of making the game streamlined the combat is mapped to the 3 face buttons, and the combat is never that hard (you can easily complete a game without ever being knocked down). Range weapon and spell casting works fine, while adjusting to Melee block and attack (mapped onto the same button) can take some time. There are an adequate number of side quests and plenty to keep you involved. Play a flute, bake a pie, catch a thief, woo a girl/guy, or manage real estate. It is an surprising mixture of the conventional and the new, and while some work, the others not really.

Gameplay- 6/10

The game has some really novel and new concepts to show. It also has a very streamlined feel to its R.P.G. element. However, it really falters in its vision. In order to appeal to everyone and have everything, it is failing to cater to one age group. Most parents would not like their child to play a game, which encourages polygamy, while most adult gamers would be put off by all the other stuff meant for kids (even the sex and condom thing is really mild).

KABELLED SCORE- 6/10

Review Mashups and more

Some of the reviews I would be posting today are almost a decade too late. Two of these games are in their third iteration, the other too have already received millions of updates. But for the benefit of a poor soul, who doesn't own a cutting edge PC and a billionaire's bank balance (like me), these games are either free to play or would be available for dirt cheap prices, not to mention they won't shred your PC and console when they run.

Lately however, its been all physical sport for me. Was involved in a intro-corporate cricket tournament spread over 2 weeks. This meant that when I was not on the field, I was either at my desk or in my bed. All that sport, left no room for my X-Box though, as I was too tired to guide Commander Shepard after I was run ragged on the field daily. Anyways, all my labor bore fruit and we ended up as the eventual champions of the tournament; Check out the tournament and the celebrations in photos by clicking on the image below.

The Trophy that we won

When I did return to Mass-Effect, it was after 20 days (the longest gap I have ever had ever since I had bought the console). I didn't suffer from any gaming rust however, as I finished off the first play-through of the game, notching up 6 achievements along the way. I started my second play-through on Hardcore and have already notched up 2 more. The game achievement list is such that you have to play the game multiple times to get that elusive 1000. I am probably the most lazy gamer that you would see in this regard, I absolutely hate multiple play-throughs(with some notable exceptions; more on that below), Dead Space, Arkham City and Borderland never pinged the 1000 because of my taste (this btw extends to movies too, never seen a movie worth a second watch). Mercifully, Mas-Effect main story is quite short and quite frankly quite intriguing; the game-play is tight (shooting can be a pain sometimes, but expected from an old game), the graphics are neat and tight too, however the game does go through the motions when rendering textures. Then there is this small matter of 50-60 side quests that should be concluded with various team members for different achievements. I don't know if I have the patience for all that, especially since my laptop has been wooing me with MMOG recently. But I will say this, Mass-Effect's real punch is in its story, and if you are not a cheevo hunter like me, I would suggest you skip as many side quests as possible and jump into the story as soon and as deep as possible.

Kabelled Score- 7/10

Moving on, remember the MMOGs I mentioned above. I recently installed an unlimited Broadband connection into my house, and decided it was about time I gave my laptop a run for his money. Installed League Of Legends and played it like for 6-7 hours straight. I sucked at it, but at least I didn't suck at it longer than 45 minutes at a stretch. The game looks and feels like Warcraft, but is actually a hyper fast R.P.G. if you ask me. You and 3 others like you are asked to choose a character and are then pitted against either bots or more human players. Each team has castles, which you need to bring down, once that is done, you win. Simple and addictive with loads of layers. I would have played more, if I hadn't sucked less, or if my room-mate would not have left my X-Box alone. The games is simple in its pick and play appeal and amazingly addictive.

Kabelled Score- 8/10

Another MMOG that I recently picked up was D.C. Universe Online. The prospect of playing a super-hero in the DC universe is too much for a comic book buff like me, and as soon as I came to know that the game was now free to play on PC (yup I am a cheap Indian), I signed up for an account and got busy. Its too bad the game would probably never make it on a X-Box (its developed by Sony Entertainment), because my laptop is not really cutting edge. The game hung up a few times, and played with an absurd amount of lag sometimes. Visually, again limited by my computer's prowess, it didn't break any new ground. I only just played the opening tutorial mission to comment too much on the story, but whatever I have gathered from the opening sequence, and the trailers and videos on You-Tube, it looks nice and as convulsed as a DC story arc . The game also provides various option to customize your character and you can create your very own superhero or super-villain, with a wide range of powers. The inventory and your equipment is probably the most varied I have seen  in a while, though it kinds of contradicts the fact that you design your hero to look a certain way, and then it is over-ridden with what you equip yourself with in the actual game. Other multi-player options such as PvP are also available, but the game's biggest asset is the nostalgia of playing in the DC universe.

Kabelled Score- 7/10

Now to Diablo-2. Yup you heard me right, not 3 but 2. Just a few days ago, my brother (who is on a ship somewhere off the coast of middle East) called me up and asked me how to install Diablo-2 on to his laptop (he was bored and found the setup file lying around). Not completely sure, I did a dry run on my system and then helped him go through the motion on his machine. Once installed, I wanted to test if it was running fine, and so I fired it up. What was supposed to be a test run, ended up in a 4 hour run with me finishing up the first chapter. That's how addictive the game is. Its been almost 12 years since the game released, and I keep coming back to it after a gap of 3 years of so every time. This ancient dungeon crawler by Blizzard, kept me more involved than Shepard, LOL and DCNU could only hope for. If you haven't played it, do give this game a chance. Graphics wise, its 12 years behind the curve, but the beauty of the game is that its not driven by visuals but by the point and click game mechanics, which are a treat to play with. A varied character selection and millions of combinations available for everything from weapons to boots, Diablo-2 never becomes too hard or to easy to play. In a world where games are reviewed and dissected under a microscope, I am sure Diablo-2 would have made a perfect 10 everywhere it went. I am telling you if you haven't played it, find it and do.

Kabelled Score- 10/10

So that wraps up the most of last month. 4 games and a lot of cricket, is what it was all about. I am still trying to juggle between Diablo, Mass-Effect, LOL and DCNU and work and life, but as of now I am losing. That's why I tend to stick to one game at one time, not a multitasker I am. Each one of these games, have a cult following; and I would hate for you to miss out on any one of them. All of them are RPGs, but each one is inherently different from the other. I am gonna try buying Halo-4, or WWE-13 next, and try posting a proper relevant review next time. I am also planning to brush up on my Gears Of War, before judgement comes out next year, also I have this little itch to play Fable-3. May yours and my gaming wishes all come true this year or the next.

Signing Off,

Ayush 'Kabel' Chauhan

The Gaming New Year

When the E-3 came out earlier this year, and I started this blog, it was all about building up the hype for the biggest games that were going to hit the streets. That hype is over and its show time now. With the holiday season almost upon us, the gaming world is coming face to face with what was promised to them almost 6 months before. While the year end is still some weeks away, I believe its safe to say that the 'Gaming New Year' is upon us. And so in proper Christmas tradition, I make up a list: a list of games that have come out or are coming out this year, a list of games that I would fight tooth and nail to own, a list that should define your future weeks too if you are a gamer. Since I really can't put these games into any kind of ranking, I am just going to place them in alphabetical order. So with further ado, my Christmas sock for this year.

Assassin's Creed 3:

When Ubisoft created Assassin's Creed as a Prince Of Persia rip-off, nobody would have imagined it would grow into a flagship franchise for the company or one of the most celebrated games of all time. With 4 proper canonical games and host of spin-offs, Assassin's Creed 3 is the magnum-opus for the game's protagonist Desmond. The game set in the most expansive setting yet (that of the American Revolution) was touted as the biggest and the best Assassin's Creed yet. I had a taste of Brotherhood on a PC sometime before, and earlier this year I played and loved Assassin's Creed 2, so I know what to expect when I get my hands on it. Its always fun to free run and meet historical figures and feel that you are playing an unknown part in shaping the world's history. While it maybe quite some time before I get my hand on the title (what with my meager pocket change), all that I have seen of the game have been impressive. Meanwhile, the game released last month on the 30th of October, and is now out there for you to decide. And just in case you are into video reviews, check out IGN's review below:

Far Cry 3:

Anybody who was a part of E-3, knew how much buzz the game has created. I have never played far-cry before, but it has always been because I was never in the right place on the right time. With the game looking as beautiful as it is, and the game's antagonist Vaas making the right(read wrong) kind of noises; I don't think lighting would be striking the same place for the third time. The game comes out on the 2nd of December this year, and after postponing its release date twice, lets just hope this Ubisoft biggy hits its target this time. Coming back to Vaas, Ubisoft recently released some live action videos based and tying up into Far-Cry 3 revolving around the character. While the expectation from the series was quite low, it's doing a decent job, and needless to say Vaas entertains. Check out the first episode of the series below:

Halo 4:

Yes, if you own a X-Box, there is no way in hell you haven't heard about this game. Its all over the X-Box Dashboard, its all over the internet, and come today(6th Of November) it will be all over the marketplace. I played the original Halo, way back during a college break, it wasn't mind blowing but it was okay (keep in mind I played this 2 years after its release) and I was enamored by Master-Chief. Almost 3 years after that I ended up playing Halo Reach (so I have now played the first game and the last, but none of the ones in between) during June-July and it was awesome. There are games you know (God Of War, Counter-Strike), which you need to play just once and you are hooked. Reach was that kind of a game. Maybe I am just overrun by all the hype the game is building(and its probably building more hype than all the other games combined) but if you think I am gonna buy the game just for nostalgia, you are so wrong.
Check out IGN' review of Halo-4 below:



On a completely different Halo related note, Halo has its own Live-Action series doing the rounds on the internet. The series known as "Forward Unto Dawn" is a prequel to the Human-Covenant war and has for the first time 'Master Chief' in a non-animated form. If that's not incentive enough for you maybe that Hunger Games girl(yeah she is in the series too; no big deal) would make you change your mind. Still unconvinced, check out the trailer below and decide for yourself. The series updates with new episodes each Friday both on You-tube and Halo Way point on the X-box.

WWE'13:

Given a choice, I would probably buy a WWE game every time over any other game that I don't own. Year after year ever since Here Comes The Pain, I have played and owned every single iteration of the franchise as it evolved from Smack Down to Smack down Vs. Raw to it current WWE avatar. With CM Punk on the cover, and the attitude era in the spotlight, only a fool would overlook this game. I have already written enough about the game and you can check it out here and hence I won't waste much space here. The game came out on the 30th of October this year and is already making waves all over the world, check out the IGN review below:



 Oh just a footnote before I leave you. Finished Borderlands finally. Don't think I would touch the game again but it was fun while it lasted. Also my room-mate has gone back to his hometown in pursuit of happiness, so while I wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors, it also means I am back to playing single-player. This brings me to Mass-Effect. Now I have never played this X-Box marquee franchise, so when I saw a deal on the same on a web portal, I thought to myself why not. Would post a review soon, though I am not sure why anyone would read a review about a game that's about 5 years old. So anyways, while my adventures on Pandora have ended, the ones as Commander Shepard are just beginning, wish me luck.

Signing Off,

Ayush "Kabel" Chauhan

Borderlands 2: Shoot Loot and Squinting

So once I was finished with Witcher 2 (killed the dragon thrice, and earned every achievement before I was done with it), I turned my attention to the latest version of the "Shooter R.P.G" game, Borderlands 2. This was my first tryst with the Borderlands series, but I was intrigued by the concept of a Diablo like weapon system, and an R.P.G. like leveling system only this time the weapons are guns, and you are actually in a F.P.S.. The fact that the game provided a local co-op option made it a much more tempting buy, and the rest (doubts if any) were taken care of by the anticipation and the excitement built around the game by the gaming industry. This is probably the first game, that I have owned right from its release date, and thus this review is probably the most relevant one ever. So with further ado, lets drill down to Pandora(that by the way is the name of the planet where the action happens).
Check out the reveal trailer before reading the review:


So the first thing Borderlands is that its BIG. Now I haven't played Skyrim, so I don't know if it matches those scales, but the game has huge sprawling environments. Most of them are are icy glaciers or barren wastelands agreed, but they act as big expansive battlefields which give you ample clear space to run and shoot. The both of which you would end up doing a lot. After about every 15 min or so, you will run into a hectic set-piece, which will have waves of enemies, a lot of swearing, and a lot of healing you co-op mate, so he can do the same later. The look and feel of the game is that comicy shade that you see now and then in animations. So I can't really say how amazing the game looks, but it looks okay for the most part.

The menu text however, is something I have a problem with. The menu is akin to what you have in Dead Space but the text is so skewed that you have to squint and read them inches from your TV screen. Especially when you are in Co-op, the menu becomes vertically scrollable and more often than not the more important info is not the first thing you see (happened more than once that my partner picked up a gun before I was able to properly evaluate it). As you go along you learn to compare you weapon by the arrows rather than the numbers, otherwise avoiding the menu in most cases (just pick up a mission and follow the square on your mini-map is what I did for most part). I do believe this makes you miss out on a lot of extra fun information which would not have been the case if the text was much more readable. Apart from that no real complaints, textures, framing and all other things run just fine. You can find yourself in a graphically tight corner (like in-midst of some icicles which you have jumped into and are not able to get out) sometimes, but overall it works for me.

Graphics And Sound- 8/10

The game is a shoot and loot. As is obvious, there is a lot of shooting involved. There is something awkward however, in watching yourself shoot and hit-points bleeding out of your opponent, especially when its in a F.P.S situation. What this leads to is you spamming your shoot button heavily (which by the way is a solid strategy), which again is a deviation from regular shooters in which the onus many a times is on how you use your ammo. Ammo is something though, which you will frequently run out of, but worry not, the loot is plentiful in this land, and everything from enemies to their frozen poo pile will spring you guns, money and ammo bountiful. You would hardly start a mission with low ammo, and you are sure to end one with a high count. This brings me to the guns, of which there are basically 5 categories: Shotgun, Sniper, Assault Rifle, and S.M.G. This in no way means that you have a limited arsenal, instead different random combinations of ammo size, damage, status effect (yes bullets have status effects, this game is awesome or what?), accuracy and the like present you with a gazillion options to choose from (remember how I said the weapon system is like Diablo). Thus, you can never have the ultimate weapon, and you are always on the look-out of that next big thing.

From the guns, lets move to set-pieces, which for me are the highlight of the game (yes even the plethora of guns to choose from pales before it), after every 15 minutes or so, you will run into an ambush, and as goes the rule ('NEW is always BETTER'), each ambush is bigger, badder and awesomer in every way.  While in the battle, you have little time to relax, as the enemies come from all directions, and because the enemies are diverse, you never find yourself using the same gun, even in the same battle. Apart from that the R.P.G. elements will not exactly engross you (thanks to the difficult to decipher menus) but they provide you with strategical relief from the frantic action. The game even rewards you in two ways, not only do you level up your playing character by killing enemies, but you also strengthen fields(like health re-generation, and shield capacity) which you can carry over to any of your character by finishing challenges. All in all the game doesn't meddle too much with any genre and concentrates on keeping the game shallow and fun, which in the end works out just fine.

Gameplay-9/10

Story wise, its no Halo to be sure. I am told that the story this time is an improvement on the earlier game, so that's that. There is Handsome Jack (he wants to kill you), then there is Sanctuary(a city where other people Handsome Jack wants to kill lives), and then there is a race for a vault(which currently hold an old ancient Alien warrior who is controlled by the one who opens it). The rest are just smaller sub-lots with a splattering of humor, which is nice. The game at no point takes itself too seriously, and even the most serious situations are presented in a tongue in cheek manner.

Story- 5/10

The game is as fun as it could be to run headlong into an army of henchmen, difficult but definitely not impossible. I remember having 3 guns equipped and 2 in my inventory with full ammo for all of them, and by the time I was finished defending a beacon (a mission from the game) I was almost out of ammo in all of them (I was down to my least favored weapon). That's how frantic the game can be, fast-paced, swearing filled, umpteen minutes of bullet pumping action. The only downside is that so-much adrenalin and the squinting that you have to do every time you open the menu (the menu is the only down side of the game), doesn't let you play the game for long hours (which I believe should be a facet for a R.P.G.). Anyhow, I can't fault Borderlands for the shooting, leveling up and the bad-ass moments it provides almost every 15 minutes

Mojo- 8/10

Kabelled Score- 8/10

Signing Off,

Ayush 'Kabel' Chauhan

Why WWE'13 is a step back

So The revolution is coming, but is it here to stay.

From the time I saw Shawn Michaels Vs. Bret Hart in an iron-man match in 1996, I fell in love with wrestling. As a kid I was mesmerized by these flashy gladiators(Hulk Hogan, Doink, Papa Shango, Undertaker) as a teenager I was smitten by the bold ladies(Lita, Trish and Torrie) and the brash gentlemen(DX, The Rock, Chris Jericho), and as a young adult its a sport that I enjoy not limited by the names but by the art itself (AJ Styles, Samoa Joe, CM Punk, Jeff Hardy). I didn't know it then, but what I watched growing up was the Attitude era, a timeline in the wrestling world punctuated by the spunky new grit that became the signature of my generation. Today as the WWE tries to garner to a totally new generation of kids with what they call the PG-era(John Cena, Rey Mysterio), it tries to relive that time (and potentially cash in on it) by bringing the Attitude Era to the latest iteration the WWE gaming franchise in WWE'13.

Check out the awesome Punk in the awesome release trailer below:


For those of you who don't know what I am talking about, each WWE game has a season mode or in recent years Road to Wrestle-Mania mode as it was called. This season mode was basically a story mode to play out using a given wrestler. Over the years, the story has had its background in the time of its creation, so if you played Smack-Down: Here Comes The Pain, Brock Lesnar and Kurt Angle would feature heavily because they dominated that particular time in the wrestling industry. This time however, WWE and THQ have decided to throw that chain of thought out the window and replace it with the settings of the 90's when Austin 3:16 was born, Mick Foley started putting bums on the seats, and The Rock became the people's champion. WWE '13 will allow you to control the superstars of those times (Austin, Rock, Mankind, Brothers Of Destruction, DX and Bret Hart have been announced so far) taking part in the greatest and iconic matches and events of that time. Its great right, for people like us (who grew up watching it) with the technology like today (Xbox-360 and PS-3), this is the best way to actually witness those legendary, epic, and awesome moments again, and again and again (and be a part of them), then why do I feel its a step back rather than forward.

By the way below is the Rock inspired WWE'13 trailer, tell me what you feel about this:


So while the whole world goes gaga (me included) over the attitude era coming back, I sit back and look at the big picture for once. I love everything about this (including the fact that CM Punk is on its cover, which is awesome), but for one small itsy-bitsy question. And that question is: "What after the Attitude Era Mode?". Sure the game will come out, and sell like hot cakes, everyone will buy it, play it and love it. It may even become the watershed that Here Comes The Pain once proved to be. But what happens when WWE'14 comes around. Would it be another Attitude era mode? Will the Road To Wrestle-Mania return? Or will they try to relieve another part of WWE history?

While you ponder over that, here is the DX inspired WWE'13 trailer:


The truth is Attitude Era mode is a stop-gap measure. WWE'12 was a huge improvement on its predecessor's game-play (if we ignore the collision-detection), but it took a lot of flack for its Road To Wrestle-Mania. A lot of people didn't like it, they wanted something better, something more interesting and realistic than Sheamus winning every single Championship that WWE has to offer simultaneously. THQ wanted something that could stick this year, and with their financial problems, a poorly received game is the last thing they want on their list. Ditto with WWE (though they are not under impending threats of being dissolved), CM Punk and his pipe-bomb apart, WWE is struggling with its ratings. Their PG appeal is not sitting down with most Wrestling lovers, and in today's connected world, these lovers make sure that they are heard. More than a few, are asking for the return of the Attitude times. This game is an attempt to satiate those appetites.

And to satisfy the hunger for trailers, below is the Austin 3:16 inspired WWE'13 trailer:


From WWE's point of view, the game provides novelty to the fans of that time(remember a lot of those kids who watched wrestling then, are young gamers today), and bases its game on the most popular names of its company rather than the popular names today. And if you don't believe that's a solid strategy, just play WWE'12 online. The community is filled with created classic wrestlers, and the lobby is full of Eddies, and Rockys and even Batistas. The fact is, that what WWE had yesterday still outshines what it has today, so it has decided to cash in on it while it can.While I don't hate the move, I realize the short-sightedness of this. How will the people back Drew McIntyre if WWE doesn't. How will Kofi Kingston get his place in the sun, if WWE doesn't give him the opportunity. Dolph Ziggler and Wade Barrett are knocking on the doors, the video game at-least could have acted as their catalyst. Even CM-Punk who is on the high tide of his career, would miss out being a central part of the game (an opportunity that might not ever come again, remember Goldberg was a part of just one installment) even when he is on its cover (gives more heat to CM Punk's view of being overshadowed every time doesn't it). What this is, is a feeble attempt to satisfy the hundreds out there who want a more 90s WWE, if you can't give them Television, at-least give them the video game.

Breaking The Ring. Another new and awesome thing you can do in the game

Coming to THQ, as I said they have problems of their own.With the company almost in ruins with their self-destruct investment in U-Draw, they have been having a hard time maintaining finances. Though times have improved with the encouraging sales of Saints Row 3 and Darksiders 2, THQ still need to run a tight ship. They can't afford another ill-reviewed game (in any aspect), and god-forbid a low selling game may put them back where they came from.So they pulled up their boots, buckled up and produced whats looking like the most improved wrestling game till now. While the game-play and other things would come under the scanner soon, its the Attitude mode that's under the spotlight currently. As I said earlier, this is a defense mechanism from THQ, pulling out the RTWM mode and replacing it with a sure thing, but in the long run this is more harmful than helpful. What THQ should have done is pay more attention to the season mode, make it more like Day Of Reckoning (probably the only wrestling game that was known for its story line), allow for players to carry forward their created characters and provide a smooth flowing storyline, which I assure you is more easier to implement in the WWE than in Mass Effect or Dragon Age. While this would have been a more subtle change, but it would have allowed for user loyalty over a longer period of time instead of this one shot of adrenaline.

Before I forget the Attitude mode is not the only highlight of the game. Don't believe me check out this video below:


If the WWE and THQ were so keen on building an Attitude inspired game, they could have made it as a one-off offering. Something like WWE ALL Stars, and the upcoming WWE Brawl. This would have allowed even more in-depth coverage of that iconic time. They wouldn't have had the pressure of adding all the current superstars, and thus have a little more muscle to flex budget-wise. They could have then fleshed out the current 1 year into the real Monday Night Wars that it was. Add to this the fact that WWE today owns the rights for WCW as well, just imagine how awesome it would be to play both sides of the fence. Iconic matches that made or broke both the promotions, Goldberg Vs. Hogan, Macho Man Vs. DDP alongside Austin Vs. McMahon and Rock Vs. Mankind. Yes that would be the true return of those dangerous times. At max this could have been a freak hit, and at minimum this would have been a history lesson to the young who still don't know why that time was so cool (sounding old at 25 am I?).

King Of The Ring returns

And So Does the I-Quit Match

THQ and WWE are still going to achieve those goals mind you, and I sincerely believe that this game would be a major improvement in the franchise. But alas, it would be overshadowed with the Attitude logo, rather than its technical advancement. Something that WWE has been all too familiar with. What is done is done however, and in a few weeks time we will see WWE '13 hit stores. With all that I have written about this game, I would be the first one to buy it (just like I have bought every installment since Here Comes The Pain), because even though its a dirty tactic, I won't get my principle get in the way of me having fun. I just hope that the kids watching wrestling today don't get treated to a PG Era mode in 20 years time from now.

Before we say bye, here is the latest release trailer, once again featuring our very own CM Punk:

The opening cover is from this awesome website that houses Wresting Wallpapers called kupyWrestlingWallpapers, check them out here.

All the other videos are from tha actual WWE'13 home page, where you can find even more videos, screenshots and news, once you click here.

Before I say goodbye, I would like to say:

"In Punk We Trust"

Signing off,

Ayush "Kabel" Chauhan