Tag: reviews

Battlefield 2042: A Compromise between COD Gamers and Battlefield Gamers

Battlefield 2042 is considered by many to be a dark horse in the franchise. I would even say that it is dark age. While the game was successful on launch, it seems that the streamers and video makers on YouTube have been more negative on it than in comparison to Battlefield 1. Even on the Battlefield subreddit, there is more negative reactions to it than positive reactions. Here are my thoughts on the game.

Battlefield 2042 is a game that seeks to replicate 2006’s Battlefield 2142 without it going into far future history. One of the reasons I speculate this is because to the ossification of the modern warfare themes in FPS games since the release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. The 2007 release of Modern Warfare was immensely successful and turned Call of Duty from a game about World War 2 to a game series that just happened to have World War 2 as an occasional setting.

Battlefield 2042 is a intriguing game with some flaws in it. My main issue with it is the skins in the game. While some people may say that is mostly about aesthetics, I see it as how the games have been becoming less serious. Running around with women soldiers who shoot you in the back or in close quarters isn’t believable even with all the various science-fiction elements in it.

The thing that I like about it is the maps in the game.

One of the maps take place in a South Korean city which is centered around the struggle for a data center.

The data center looks likes more futuristic in comparison to the rest of the map here. It has a great atmosphere which contrasts with the rest of everything else you see here.

In many ways, the old Battlefield games before Battlefield 3 were rather bland graphically. With the Frostbite engine, Battlefield 2142 would have looked much better and more stylistically interesting here at representing the 22nd Century. With AI becoming more important in our society, it may be possible to remake these games.

The DreamGaze Glasses Review: Protecting your Eyes from the Blue Light images.

 The DreamGaze Glasses are among one of the most useful things that I have purchased on Amazon site. 

The glasses which have a tinted color on the lenses are very useful at blocking out blue light on multiple types of electronics such as cell phones, tablets and computers.

I use my computer heavily and I used many brands, but they were often insufficient to protect my eyes from the blue light. I would often be exhausted and tired after using some glasses. This did not occur when I was using the DreamGaze glasses. They are lightweight and easy to use. Unlike some I got from Walmart which were breaking after using them for a bit, the DreamGaze glasses are very durable.

The glasses are not that expensive. The Gaming version of the DreamGaze glasses were only $12.99 on the site. There are also other version such as “Clear” and “Night Vision”.

Considering the price of these glasses. I think they are worth the money. The Gaming glasses are considered “Amazon Choice” which means they are highly rated by the company and ready to ship quickly to your house.

I recommend buying the DreamGaze Glasses if you use your computer alot in the evening or in the morning hours.

Empire Earth 2: This 2005 RTS surpasses modern games

Empire Earth 2 Synthetic Age City Center

Empire Earth 2 is growing on me, and I enjoy it in spite of it being 20 years old now. That the game is so playable is a testament to how the developers managed to create a worthy sequel. While some may say that it strays too far away from the original game, I think that it is a worthy game that is well worth your time. Even if you are RTS aficionado who only plays Starcraft games, I think that this game is a great addition to one’s catalog.

Empire Earth 2 Rain Weather Effects in game

One of my most favorite aspects of this game is the weather. It is great to see the rain falling in the Spring and the snow falling in the winter. This adds so much character to the game. Empire Earth was great at its use with the day and night cycles, especially in the campaigns. However, Empire Earth 2 took it to another level and make it even better.

The great thing about the weather in Empire Earth 2 is that it is integrated into the game. The game actually tells you about weather in the game. The outposts which function as the equivalent to towers from Empire Earth are also able to tell the Weather to the player. In comparison with most games, this is one of the most innovative features in the RTS space that I have ever seen. It is very rare for any video game to take weather seriously except a couple games. However, in Empire Earth 2, the weather is a player of its own.

Empire Earth 2 Snow Effects in Ancient Age

In the screenshot, you can see that the weather effects in Empire Earth 2, despite being 20 years old, have a weight to them. In many games that I have been in have had this effect. Being a man who loves the winter, seeing these winter storms is a treat.

Even when it is raining, you can really get the feeling of those rainstorms. The lightning strikes and noise of thunder all add great character to the game.

Another aspect which shows the attention to details is that the amount of snow that is collecting on the roofs of buildings in the game. Unlike in older games, the game was made in a way that shows this change instead of treating like an static weather effect. Star Wars: Empire at War, which came out a year after Empire Earth 2 also heavily utilized weather effects in gameplay. Interestingly, there was a cluster of games in the mid 2000s that seemed to really emphasize such features in their games.

It shows that experimentation while respecting the past is an important part of making video games. In my opinion, the video game industry has simply become too comfortable with rising sales on the backs of their subscription services and the mobile app stores.

I think that looking back at the past is what the video game industry really needs right now. If anything, it shows that older isn’t necessarily worse than the new. There is much that older video games can teach us.