Here’s a cover done by local musician and legend among geek circles, Master Diwa. It’s one half multi-track a capella, and one half other instruments that some, I do not know the name of. Well, the video’s up there in the header and be sure to check out his Youtube channel for other video game music covers.

With our first ever attempt on putting up a forum, we (rather I) failed miserably. So instead of going for another forum, we’ll just do a weekly discussion post where we, and you guys could voice out your concerns, thoughts, raves or rants on the topic presented, it doesn’t mean that this is just strictly game-related themes (as our first topic would attest to).

To start the ball rolling, we’d want to focus on the “big” thing in the internet right now, which is the Stop Online Piracy Act, or SOPA to us who hate long names.

So before elaborating, I’d like to present what is SOPA?

[source: What is SOPA Bill 2012?? 7 Things to Know About Controversial Legislation]

SOPA is the Stop Online Piracy Act, introduced last month by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith. It’s a companion bill to the Protect IP Act, which targets Web companies hosting unauthorized content from movies, songs or software. It also dealt with the trade of counterfeit goods over the Internet.

Basically, the whole idea of SOPA is giving more power to big companies to intrude, bully and cut off any “offending” site. In the guise of “stopping” piracy in it’s tracks, the SOPA would instead not only harm “pirates” but rather everyone in the internet. Various websites, (with us included) have raised their opposition to the said act by shading out bits and pieces of whatever image or text they have on their own site, in form of a representation of what would happen to the internet if the SOPA gets passed.

Acts of opposition included wikipedia going offline for a whole day, flickr and wordpress “censoring” images on it’s homepage, while other blogs and sites had a “blackout” for a whole day as well. GoDaddy, a US based hosting and registrar company, experienced the brunt of the blacklash by losing more than 37,000 domains because of it’s initial support on the act.

How does this affect us in the Philippines?

On it’s surface, it would seem that this would it’s only the US will be affected, however upon closer inspection that as long as a  website contains any “offending” material there will be grounds for it to be closed down.

At a glance, it’s not just a US thing because the internet ignores any geopolitical laws and statures since it practically connects us all in a global scale. In Back2Gaming alone, most of our news, features and posts here are not just about the PH gaming scene. Most of our news comes from the US and if that the SOPA gets a passing mark, it could very well hinder us posting anything “offending” to any game or company.

Also, since the PH is an “ally” of the US, there is a big chance that extradition could take place, if said company would go to that extent. Of course I’m exaggerating with the example, but you would never know right?

Currently

As of this post, SOPA has been shelved not killed, contrary to what people would want to think. With discussions to be continued come February. However, PIPA is now on the table with discussions at the senate now ongoing.

So… What now?

We’d like to hear your thoughts, comments or reactions to the whole SOPA/PIPA debacle. How it may affect YOUR own little online world.

so without further adieu, DISCUSS!

For those following closely on the actions of Razer these past few months, we can see that the company seems to be moving to areas of gaming where such companies fear to tread. However, behind all the pomp and grandeur their innovations have been, Razer is still all about the promotion of the pro-gaming circuit.

Since 2012 has started, we have been wondering what’s in store for Razer this year. Thankfully, we have been given the opportunity  to talk to Christopher Mitchell, the global e-sports manager for Razer and here’s what he had to say about Razer this 2012.

Haoson (B2G): What plans does Razer have for the current Team Razer line up this year?

Chris (Razer): There is a lot of cool things we’re preparing for internally. Basically we’re looking at supporting more levels of gaming, from professional to semi-professional and amateurs. Obviously each tier comes with a different kind of support, but in regards to teams we want to be able to help new aspiring teams to rise to the top and have a shot at turning professional, while supporting those that made it to fully focus on their gaming and really pursue it on a professional full-time basis.

Haoson (B2G): Do you plan on increasing the number players/teams that they will support this year? Why or why not?

Chris (Razer): We definitely will increase the number of players & teams further. From expanding vertically in regards to skill level/professionalism to expanding it horizontally in terms of regions and genres, you’ll see more additions to Team Razer over the course of 2012. We want to make sure we support e-Sports in every region in the world, whether that’s the e-Sports Mecca of Korea or more nascent e-Sports regions and with the ever changing landscape of e-Sports when it comes to the games that are played competitively, we also have to keep up with the change. Right now we’re especially looking at CS:GO and Dota 2 as titles that we’ll be eyeing closely in 2012.

Haoson (B2G): Will we see Team Razer getting more professionalized this year?

Chris (Razer): I’d say that comes down to the definition of professionalism, but I would like to say yes. With our increased support and dedication we help teams to be able to focus more on their gaming, how to interact with media, the do’s and don’ts, etc. With the (still young) addition of a content team, we’re also trying to get everyone a closer look at the pros in Team Razer, how they got into gaming and their thoughts on the game they play and e-Sports in general. We’re hoping to make e-Sports more accessible to those unfamiliar with it and give the fans a “behind-the-curtain”-view to the professional gaming elite.

Haoson (B2G): How dedicated are your internal e-sports teams? Do you have a set amount of trophies and achievements that you guys want to have once 2012 ends?

Chris (Razer): We have clear goals and objectives for 2012 and everyone in the team is working hard to achieve that. Podium placements is certainly one of them and from picking the right players, enabling them to practice in the best possible environment to covering travel expenses to events, we’re doing our best to achieve those goals. Obviously trophies and achievements aren’t the only things we’re looking for. Growing a team’s fanbase and engaging it, providing news and info about the players & tournaments, giving insights on their games are some of the other more visible factors of how teams are measured. The feedback for our product development and validation also plays a great role in a team’s value, although that’s mostly happening behind the curtain and not visible to the average gamer.

Haoson (B2G): As shown on your website, currently you are selling team-branded peripherals in the form of mats bearing the logo of team Serious Gaming, Mousesports and MeetYourMakers. Will Razer be adding more this year?

Chris (Razer): Yes, there are more team branded mats in the making. Some of them have already been spotted in the wild being tested by the players of the respective teams. One of our team mat prototypes was already part of the setup winning Dreamhack Winter in 2011.

Haoson (B2G): Aside from the mats, what other team-branded peripherals will you guys be releasing? Will we get team logos on the existing Razer mice keyboards?

Chris (Razer): First one will be a mouse in a Counter Logic Gaming design. CLG just won the Team Razer team of the year 2011 contest and will be rewarded with our first team branded mouse this year. After that we’ll certainly look at our other top teams and potentially other peripherals, so stay tuned for that.

COD: MW3 continues the winning streak that Activision’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare franchise is all so proud about. The game picks up straight after MW2 and puts us in the shoes of Frost, Yuri and the great Captain Price in a battle that will settle who makes history. Well, that’s for the campaign, which leads me to the reason why I picked this game as my game of the year: story-telling.

Everyone’s got their reason for picking-up a game but there’s always that title that regardless of how shitty or formulaic the gameplay is, you just want to finish that thing and see what happens. Everything else is a bonus. With MW3, I got to see the conclusion of a 3-part film that made the world see what modern FPS shooter should be all about.

Yeah, it’s got its share of flaws and bad stuff but at the end of the day it’s still one game one can pick up, pop some heads and have fun doing it. I won’t dabble on stuff like graphics since I’m a retro-fag and I still enjoy the good ol’ NES and PSX so graphics isn’t a deciding factor for me. And that’s what gives more edge to the COD franchise seeing as some dude with a half-decent PC can play it straight up without bothering much with the video settings.

You can hate it all you want but when the world was all about Medal of Honor, Call of Duty was your Battlefield during those days.

It’s been a long time coming. I can’t believe it took me almost a month for me to actually post anything about Skyrim. It has sucked my soul hard enough, you see.

So before I change my mind and go back to playing Skyrim, let me post some screenshots.

First: this thing with size.

LOOK AT THE SIZE OF THE PIE!

I was looking at the pie the whole time.

WOAH Susanna

Would you like to Talk to Susanna’s boobs?

Second: this thing with horses.

ladies meet spider horse

Don’t you just love the jump/mountain scaling glitch?

Woah Hello!

I’ve always wondered what happens to you and your companion when you “fast travel.” Like, did you and your companion fight? Did your horse throw you off? When you fast travel you just get to see what happens after. This is one of those moments. I was greeted by Shadowmere’s magnificent ass. Make of that what you will.

Third: what wonderful ways to die.

You never forget your first decapitating blow

The first real challenge I faced in the game were the Glenmoril Witches. I was still super green and their destruction spells SLAY me. When this happened, you can bet your ass I pumped my fists in the air yelling YEAH! YEAH! BITCH!

oh god oh god oh god

When I’m slaying a dragon, my full focus is on the legendary beast. I had no idea this woman was around. So when the dust cleared, I saw her dead. I got the key to her house without breaking the law. Everyone wins.

I didn't do it, nobody saw me do it, can't prove anything.

Look at this piece of work. I don’t even know how she was able to use her right hand to strike her long sword through her own RIGHT shoulder. Talent!

This happened in Markarth. When that dude creeped up behind her and suddenly stabbed her in broad daylight. Hm, I’m thinking of writing a separate post for that because that was pretty emotional for me. If you’re wondering why she’s naked in this photo, well… I guess someone took all of her stuff after she’s dead.

Lastly… my most important kill:

A dagger and a sword, because I lack finesse.

This is actually pretty sad. You’d think that a person of such high esteem and importance will die a little bit more elegantly. Don’t blame me, he posed like that right after I stuck my dagger and blade in his throat.

[Original post from: His Geeky Girlfriend: Skyrim Golden Moments]

The last months of 2011 were exciting, what with the release of industry giant Bethesda Softwork’s epic game Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. As a role-playing enthusiast, its been a common misconception that I would have played the game already. I would then start stupefying people by saying “no, I have not touched the game at all”.

Now before you start taking out your swords, maces, bucklers (yes, they’re weapons too), axes, daggers, cestuses, FISTS (for those unarmed bad-ass Nords out there), let me say one thing: amidst all the wondrous hubbub about Skyrim, we seem to have forgotten that one golden game that graced us with its presence this year: Bioware’s Dragon Age II.

Prep some popcorn, grab some coffee, hit the jump and read why THIS epic tale of one’s rise from warrior to legend is my Game of the Year.

A few weeks ago Vince asked me to write a GOTY article for Back2Gaming, and I was at a loss. Days were then spent scouring my memory for each new game I’ve played this year, and I was at a loss. Since my rig broke down last August, I haven’t had the chance to play any new game, so I spent the past few days sulking instead.

Skyrim, Arkham City, L.A. Noire… I was so outdated. Have I failed as a gamer?

Suddenly, like a scene from an award-winning drama, the morning rays fell on my bookshelf, illuminating one lone game. As if waking from a long dream, memories flooded back like a welcome friend.

I was brought back to Hawke’s days of glory: his first steps into the majestic city of Kirkwall , with its vibrant collection of denizens, his first encounters, his first trials. I reminisced my adventures with my comrades: the headstrong pirate Isabella, the suave dwarf Varric, the dedicated medieval Warden terrorist Anders, the overly fangirl’d lyrium-infused elf Fenris, the aloof elven valley-girl Meri… okay, forget Merill.

And who could forget Bethany, Hawke’s awesome apostate sister?

I remembered the article I wrote last year and the review that followed a few months later. I remembered my childish giggles and my shaking hands as I handled the inserts inside the box. I remembered those exciting first moments, those first few lines, that first fight.

I remembered all they hype that came with the game; the statements from people saying that it was going to be the GOTY for 2011. I remembered that gleaming 94% it got from PC Gamer which made me feel good that I bought the limited edition. I remembered those sleepless days, hacking and slashing as a cunning rogue.

I remembered this scene. I remembered how I nearly fell off my chair from laughter.

I remembered how majestic the graphics were. I recalled those glorious moments when Bethany’s fire spells laid waste on the battlefield (and how it made my video card scream like a little girl).

I remembered how powerful the dialogues were. I remembered how moving the tale was: a classic tale of one’s rise to power, told from the eyes of an unlikely comrade. I remembered the questions it left me. And yes, I remembered Cassandra Pentaghast.

I remembered Hawke’s lightning fast movements across the zone. I remembered the decisions I made. I remembered the events that transpired. I remembered how I brought hope back to those who were without. I remembered how it felt to be a hero.

Dragon Age 2, despite being a linear role-playing game, was a hallmark of success. Its powerful narrative, memorable characters, compelling dialogue and majestic visual effects left a mark on the face of gaming; a definitive benchmark that will challenge games for years to come.

But mostly, this is my GOTY because of the memories. And because they were good. After all, the best games out there are those you remember long after the console is off.

Thanks for reading! Happy new year, everyone.

~ Shin

Well, I know what My GOTY is… SKYRIM. Wait, I think that was taken. Alright.

Arbee here talking about her Game of the Year. I’m not a person who plays next-gen console games, but I did dabble on this particular game on a few visits to a gaming cafe after I graduated. Then I went home and returned to my dull computer with a really sad graphics driver playing MMORPGS like no tomorrow. But here is my talk about my Game of the Year because it was so dang artsy and a yet a religious game that never shoved anything down my throat! It’s a first~!

It’s El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron.

Why this game? After the cut.

EL SHA-WAHT?

Not to be confused with the local religious movement, El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron is the only religious-themed game that I ever liked (Yes, Dante’s Inferno was not a great game for me). Based loosely on the Book of Enoch, it follows the story of a human priest in mystical armor and denim pants named Enoch who is sent to Earth to capture 7 Fallen Angels called the Grigori who reside in a large tower built by them and their followers, all before the council orders a huge tidal wave to wipe out all of humanity. Enoch is not alone in the quest, however, for he has the guide of the Four Archangels disguised as swans, and the time-travelling archangel Lucifel with his magic cellphone from the future which he uses to talk directly to God.

But trust me; the game is real great despite the odd summary I made for it.

Playing against these guys above me remind me of my days playing Earthbound. Trippy, yet still awesome.

While the graphics are not overly realistic, El Shaddai makes it up with a strange, surreal, abstract universe that gives off a taste of something otherworldly and yet an atmosphere so calming and interesting. It’s no sandbox-type game, but the worlds feature a sense of curiosity and wonder on what the ideals and fantasies of the fallen angels look like. My favorite “ideal world” was the one made by Watcher Azazel, which was a futuristic advanced civilization paralleling to Tron’s universe. Plus, Enoch being a cool guy that did not look at the explosion was a bonus.

The gameplay is part action-adventure, and part platform. The fighting part of the game is composed of rhythmic button mashing using the lightsaber chainsaw Arch, the tonfa-shield Veil, and the projectile flying daggers Gale. While the gameplay only composes of only the rhythmic button-mashing, the purification system where your weapon gradually weakens from the evil “taint” yet you can purify your weapon by the use of a button, and the weakness-strength system that looks a tad bit like a rock-paper-scissors ideal, these things do work in the game since the thing is concentrated more on the graphics, the atmosphere, the plot, and the music; like the entire game is pretty much an interactive visual storybook.

In other words: Artsy. Very Very Artsy.

WHY THE GAME IS THE GAME OF THE YEAR?

I chose this as “Game of the Year” because the graphics are amazing and stunning, the storytelling is told by the worlds, the music and the visuals, the Nephilims are adorable and demented moeblobs, and I enjoy Jason Isaacs’ English Voice role as Lucifel.

And finally, I chose this game is because for me  it is of one of the many games that show the idea that video games… can be art.  Plus it’s interesting to see a Japanese company can create their own vision of the Judeo-Christian mythology.

So with that, Happy New Year! I’ll go find more MMOS to play with now that I have a good graphics driver on 2012.

My GOTY for 2011 is Uncharted 3 (FUCK YESH for Nathan Drake!) Wondering how many of you will agree on this… Why Uncharted 3? The first and second titles were both hailed GOTYs, so might as well continue that it’s third latest installment (and probably the last)! This is like MGS4 and GOW3, where conclusion titles are given a lot of efforts to push through.

As a gamer, I consider 2 factors; first is ‘Gameplay’, second is ‘Storyline’. Well, for you visual buffs out there you’ll also consider ‘Graphics’, which is very satisfactory, considering our latest consoles and video cards nowadays. My third and last factor would be ‘Gameplay’. Naughty Dog did an amazing job on Uncharted 3 for me to check all these three factors.

Superb Graphics are superb. Developers are able to max out the full power of PS3’s graphic chip. Take a look at those detailed sands, waters and skins. If you’re an Uncharted fag you will totally agree on this one. Naughty Dog used all the PS3’s resources to come up with this masterpiece.

Cut scenes are pre-rendered along PS3’s in-game graphics so no questions for that one. Take note that Naughty Dog didn’t do any facial recognition in any Uncharted games but still, the character’s facial expressions are detailed as fuck! (Nathan’s famous smirk, anyone?). So that’s a credit for them.

Next is the storyline. As a trilogy, Uncharted showed us the marvelous adventures of Nathan Drake for the lost treasures and cities. He almost ventured all the uncharted places that you can think of (South America’s deepest Jungle, Himalayan Snowy mountains and Arabian’s merciless deserts).

I consider him as Indiana Jones of this generation and the best rival for Lara Croft. Characters are well fully developed as the series grew. Elena Fisher is always lovely, Sully is always on your side and Chloe is still as your runaway savior. As an Uncharted fan, I can’t fully describe the story in my own words. It’s just simply amazing! Those countless near-death-experience and hanging-on-the-edge-scene of Nathan is just indescribable. And I find it heartwarming when you play Nathan as a kid!  (Oh shit, that’s a spoiler)

Finally my favorite, the gameplay. Uncharted3 is not your basic action-adventure-type game. The gameplay is simply outstanding! Gigantic sea waves, falling citadels, burning towers and plane chase, name it; these are just the key scenes that make this game awesome. A one-inch-short jump will lead you to your doom if you’re not attentive enough. Nathan’s movements with the surroundings are improved.If you pressed yourself in a wall, he will touch his arm around it just to show that they are walls and it’s a gap between you and your way. Diving and plunging into water will make your clothes wet. Idle time with Nathan will make him do things that fit in your surroundings.

Treasures are scattered through different heights and levels, so it’s up to you whether  you’re gonna collect or leave those precious behind. And for those peeps looking for some challenge, complete the trophies, join the multiplayer and pawn some arses! Puzzle solving is also challenging, thanks to Nathan’s note. Gameplay cannot be described just by these words. That’s why it’s called ‘gameplay’, you need to play it!

So what makes Uncharted 3 different from those other contenders? Simply 2 words, ‘extremely detailed’. Story detailed, gameplay detailed and graphically detailed. It’s not overrated like that ‘arrow-in-the-knee-game’ that will make you spend your night in a jail because you shoplift it. It’s not worldly vast, but simply internally vast. Uncharted 3 is one of the most realistic and detailed game I ever played since I started my gaming career.

Bottomline? This game is top-notched! You will miss ‘that-piece’ in your gaming life if you opt to skip this game. Yeah I know Skyrim is the major pick but still, it lacks ‘something’ for me.

Uncharted 3 is the kind of game that makes us a Gamer!

PS. Finish the game and enjoy the ending!

2011 was an awesome year for video games. A lot happened and many great games were released this year that even I couldn’t keep track of everything. And then, big boss asked me to write about my Game of the Year.

Really? Game of the Year?

I bet ten thousand bucks that at least one of my fellow writers will pick Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition, Dark Souls, L.A. Noire, or one of those popular and shiny first-person shooters as their GOTY. And the aforementioned are great games. I am even tempted to give GOTY to Atelier Totori: The Adventurer of Arland due to its unique take on RPGs, where the story isn’t epic or about saving the world, and where your character’s level doesn’t ruin the game for you, but instead makes you depend on your ability to cook up the right items and use them when needed. Or Catherine due to its nostalgic Q*bert-inspred mechanic, with a plot that puts the real M on Mature. Or maybe Star Wars: The Old Republic because I friggin’ love Wookies and lightsabers.

I found it difficult to choose my GOTY so what I did was I listed all of the games released this year that I was able to play across all platforms available and then spent the days-off playing them for 15-30 minutes each just get a hang of each game’s mechanics. And guess which game, I thought, was the most skill-dependent and mechanic-driven?

I’m a game mechanics guy. If I find a game’s mechanics interesting, I will give it a go. If there’s a genre where mechanics make or break a game, it’ll be fighting games. A shining example of a great game mechanic is found on Arcana Heart 3.

A game with good mechanics gives the player three things; diversity – the trait which gives the player a huge variety of challenges to surmount; replayability – which provides enjoyment to the player for extended amounts of time repeatedly; and technical adeptness – where the player use the acquired skills to play a game in ways no one can ever imagine. Arcana Heart 3 hit the cherry on all three, and no AAA one-player title released this year matched its depth.

529 Ways to Rock the Other Girl Senseless

Diversity is one of the strongest points of Arcana Heart 3. With 23 characters, 23 Arcana, hundreds of moves and strategies, the possibilities are endless. A certain character using a certain arcana played by a certain opponent will always play differently. It’s as if Examu studied each fighting game playstyle out there and integrated them into the Arcana to enhance the players already high efficiency levels in a match. This in turn blurs character tier lines, which are apparent in its more popular fighting game contemporaries, allowing players to literally head to the lab and experiment, get creative, stick to a style for a certain character and formulate strategies when engaging certain types of players.

The possibilities are endless.

Plays Well with Others

With such diversity, the window for replayability and competition is so huge, it’s like breaking through your condo unit’s curtain wall and leaping out to feel the excitement of being pulled down by gravity to the surface. A fighting game with a diverse playstyle environment is worth playing over and over. Competitive nature will always inch in as the player dives into a fray of fellows of varying skill levels, hoping to be the best and the most unique among the bunch of seemingly ‘individual’ players. Think of the Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 community, but a lot more diverse. This is evident in the thriving community where I personally encounter a lot  of different characters and Arcana being used. The netplay is also seamless and smooth, so you can be sure we won’t be dropping those combos.

Say cheese for the camera!

Form of…Me Kicking Your Ass!

As a player, knowledge of mechanics is needed to play a game pretty well and use these mechanics to reach the goal quickly and efficiently. Arcana Heart 3‘s strict input method encourages the player to become precision machines, knowing when to push the right button at any given instance. A skilled player utilizes the Homing mechanic to his advantage, either by creating space or opening up opportunities for combos. Choosing the right Arcana for a certain character guarantees victory too, as there are Arcana which are just too good for a character and effective against other Arcana. Breaking off potential lethal combos through bursting gives players a second to breath and plan for the next move, but denies them of Extend Force, the game’s reusable but short-lived ‘X-Factor’ mechanic.

What’s wrong with the sidebars anyway?

Not Enough Love to Go Around 

Many fighting game fans are put off because of Arcana Heart 3‘s all-female roster and anime aesthetic. It’s disheartening to see that players judge games by their presentation and not by their mechanics. It’s disheartening too that a lot of fighting game fans are missing out on a solid, fun game due to their disgust for dated, low-quality 2D sprites and animated sidebars. Games without great mechanics are just interactive movies after all. Shiny games with awful mechanics are still awful.

I really wish people would just see beyond presentation and dig deeper into games with great mechanics. With Arcana Heart 3‘s success in North America and Europe (with the game being one of most downloaded PlayStation Network games last summer), I expect Examu to pull the stops again with their next fighting game project. Currently they’re promoting the new ground-based fighter AQUAPAZZA in Japanese arcades. Developed together with eroge company AQUAPLUS, it looks closer to a current-gen 2D fighter. This makes me wish they get on with a new Arcana Heart game sooner with high quality sprites. It is their flagship fighter after all, and its been two years since the arcade release.

The game may not have a neat catchphrase, but I’m pretty sure this game got me in the knee.

… meaning “Fricking Hell, Man, THAT WAS WELL MADE FOR A MACHIMINA VIDEO.”

A scene heavily inspired by David Gaider’s short story, this video made by Dahlia Lynn and her team concentrates on Dragon Age 2′s Cloud Strife-esque character Fenris as he is pursued by hunters who are in it for Fenris’ special ability which is stuck on his own skin. Overall, aside from a few questionable item renders (the giant bread with a weird texture still gives me a good chuckle), this video is well made!

Plus, bonus points for Fenris’ own voice actor (well, they said it!) to contribute some lines to this video, generally because all the mods I see in my lifetime either use stock voice clips or never use them at all. So good job, Mr. Emery. Good job.

*ahem* You may now return to your regularly scheduled programming/surfing. Still need to do “Dungeon Overlord.”