Iron Brigade

This game was recently free to DL on XBLA and me and a bunch of my mates jumped in on the action and almost instantly invested a whopping £3 something for the expansion.

I want to start by saying this game scratches some serious itches. As I was growing up Mech Warrior 2 (MW2) was a game that seriously imprinted itself on my mind. If I remember rightly we got a copy of MW2 with our GeForce 1 graphics card, back in the day, and it was a game I wished I had played more. Before getting it I remember seeing a computer game/gadget reviewing show back in the 90s which showed off guys playing multiplayer MW in special cockpit style gaming seats.

So Iron Brigade scratches this itch. It's mega arcady, and the story basically involved the development of mechanised trenches used to fight the menace of the "tube" an evil broadcast which is using the power of TV to try and take over the world. Very random and obscure, but very cool and it just works! It's only now I'm typing it that it sounds more bizarre and random.

So how does this link with MW? Well, your walking trench is essentially a different approach to a mech warrior. Players can buy and collect new weapons to strap onto the sides of their "trench" and also aesthetic things like paint jobs and different clothes for your fella, who is pirched a'top your trench.

The next most important aspect of the game is that it is also a tower defence game. So as you run around in your trench, blasting "tubes" with copious firepower, you can also call down turrets to help in your defence. Every mission is basically based around the defence of some building or significant bit of hardware, so the turrets become more and more essentially as enemies start pouring round you from all directions.

So the game is basically an arcade style mech warrior game with a hefty dose of tower defence. Well worth buying for it's full price! And definitely get the expansion if you do decide to get it. You won't regret it! And convince your mates to join you - this game is MADE for co-operative play. The only mild negative is that the boss battles are a bit lame. But the survival mode, which is the games version of horde mode, will keep you satisfied for many many hours!

It's also very funny!

Sorry for my absence

I'm not sure who I'm apologising to, probably mostly to myself.

My motivation levels have been at a pretty devastating low in the last couple of months. I've had numerous ideas I've wanted to write about, but haven't found the energy or desire to actually do it.

Anyway, here's a brief overview of some of the stuff I've been doing and wanted to write about:

1. Fable II - I went back and played this for a good while after playing Fable III and it quickly reminded me how much better it is than it's successor. How could Lionhead have got it so wrong?!

2. Tabletop gaming - my brothers are getting very interested in various historic tabletop game systems at the moment and I'm following their progress with a little envy, I must admit.

3. Wastelands - I've recently done a couple of play tests for my game with a few minor tweaks. It feels more complete as ever as a ruleset, but without art or artist I don't know how to push it forward. I need to find artists and knuckle down.

4. Writing - my own writing these days have dwindled to nothing. I'm having a damp spell, not being able to articulate ideas very well. That's not to say I've run out of ideas, I am just lacking enthusiasm.

5. Iron Brigade - this game from Double Fine was free on XBLA for a couple of weeks and my friends and I have played it to death, although I am still greatly enjoying it! It's too easy to just burn hours and hours on this at the moment. But it is a fantastic mix of tower defence and mech warrior style combat.

That's all for now. I'll try to put more ranty type posts up soon. Got to go to work now.