Battlefield 3 Image Montage

Here are a few teaser images and the BRAND NEW 'It's my life' video that shows off Battlefield 3. The video shows ACTUAL "gameplay" graphics and also includes a few new teasing features that us Battlefield fans can look forward to come November 2011.

"It's My Life"

Look out for the last 30 seconds - You will get a glimpse of some new unseen material that you can look forward to playing!

Image Montage

I hope these images wet your gaming taste buds just as much as they did mine

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Outlaw Platoon - Time in Desert: 6hrs 34mins

"The mothers and fathers of America will give you their sons and daughters...with the confidence in that you will not needlessly waste their lives. And you dare not. That's the burden the mantle of leadership places upon you. You could be the person who gives the orders that will bring about the deaths of thousands and thousands of young men and women. It is an awesome responsibility. You cannot fail. you dare not fail..."

Operation Flashpoint: Red River Review

April 21st 2011, the phone call finally came, everything I had been training for the past 15 months was about to reach fruition - Me and my fellow Marines were off to Tajikistan. 

In reality, there was no phone call, there had been no training over the past 15 months (apart from the generic shoot em ups I've been playing since the last Flashpoint game) and the fellow marines? Well, they are my battle hardened Xbox Live friends who have been at my side through thick and thin in all the major conflicts society have seen over the past century. 

April 21st is the European release day for Operation Flashpoint: Red River, BOY was I excited when I checked my online tracking order and it was displaying as 'Delivered' 12:04pm. Only 5hrs 26mins left of work until I can deploy to Tajikistan, or, like us Marines have come to call it, 'The Suck'.

So, by 6pm, I was 'boots on the ground' and I had a bullet loaded in the chamber. I hooked up with one of my buddies and two friendly AI characters. We played, as the title suggests, for 6hrs and 34mins and ended our session both ranking to level 7 in our respective classes (Me: Scout Sniper, Him: Heavy Weapons) and completing ACT One. Not bad for an evenings work, and trust me, it was some mean bush out there.

I'll start by saying I really am enjoying the game thus far, no glitches that I have come across and the AI, both enemy and friendly have been rather good. The variation of missions that I have played so far help keep each mission fresh as they are all quite different in how you operate within them right from an all out assault on a rebel camp, through to escorting a convoy of vehicles through a winding insurgent filled mountain range and up onto a dam. The flow of how each mission starts and finishes is well thought out too, you actually feel that it is 'one long day' as you find yourself only a little distance from where you were operating only 1 or 2 levels back and unlike some games, you are not a 1,000 miles away or even in a different country at a blink of an eye.

In my eyes (and again, this is just a personal opinion) this game is already leaps and bounds ahead of Dragon Rising. Everything seems to have been thought about, from the detailed animations your character produces when going from 'prone' to 'standing' or when a team mate your standing next to gets hit and your screen is splattered with their precious blood. These little things really make you believe that Codemasters wanted to succeed in making this a game to be proud of and a game that us 'critics' would love. 

The profanity and slang that some reviewers have been harsh on, to me, seems accurate and 'in keeping' with what US Marines or any serving military personnel would be like in a 'war zone'. For a game that asks the player to slip into the boots of a trained killer, hump through the mountains, villages and valleys of Tajikistan and basically kill any insurgent with 'extreme prejudice' they find, I find it strange that certain 'reviewers' are having issues with this language from the Marines. I personally, even after reading the reviews before playing the game, didnt find the profanity or comments, 'over the top' or 'insulting'. However, if you do find bad language a problem but NOT the killing, then maybe you need to have a word with your priorities. 

The weaponry you start with as default is basic, however, it does get the job done and done very well. The range of the rifles and sniper rifle is very realistic and the 'damage' they can inflict on the enemy is very high. Each soldier can carry two weapons, either a rifle and pistol OR a primary rifle and secondary submachine gun or secondary rifle. In Red River, there is no medic, each member of the squad carries their own medic kit and can apply bandages to their own wounds and team mates wounds. The healing process WILL take the soldier out of action for around 15 seconds, so make sure you get into cover before doing so! As your team / soldier progresses through the game you can level up and each level up unlocks new perks and weaponry that you can deploy with on missions - however, COD fan boys will be disappointed that perks do not mean 'nukes' or 'air drops' etc...

Now, I have not completed the game, however, I can easily see the campaign taking 11 - 12 hrs on 'Normal' and can easily see 'Realistic' and 'Hardcore' taking anywhere up to 20hrs. Normal is the easiest setting but please do not let that lull you into a false sense of security...it still is hard and bullets WILL hurt. Normal is also the ONLY setting where there are checkpoints and where the player can 're-spawn' as long as another member of the team is alive.


Campaign aside, there is another sub section called "Fireteam". This section has mini standalone games, there are 4 types each with two missions per section which I can easily see being expanded through DLC. This combined with the main campaign, will easily make this game a 30 / 40 hr plus game with endless re playability on the different level settings and the different classes you can play with.

Operation Flashpoint: Red River has really surpassed my personal expectations and you know what, I am really happy for Codemasters as they needed this. They needed to prove that Flashpoint could be a console game, they needed to prove that they could produce a game without bugs, they needed to prove that they could produce a game that was fun for all types of gamers whether PC or Console. Did they prove all this with Red River - In my eyes, the answer is a big resounding YES.

I will admit, I am a big military gamer and Red River ticks all the boxes for me personally, however, I think Red River will appeal to a wide range of gamers as its a fun game to play with friends as really, thats where Red River exsells more than anything above any game currently out there, whether military or not, the CO-OP. It brings friends together under pixel fire and you do bond, especially when you are playing for over an hour on the same level without save points. The games bonds friends on a level that only war can create.... OK, so maybe a over exaggeration, but this game IS really fun with friends.

Roundup...

Operation Flashpoint: Red River is strong in all areas and for that very reason, I can easily give this game an 8.5 out of 10.

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Think inside the Boxee

Boxee is a cross-platform free HTPC software program with a ten foot user interface and social networking features designed for the living room TV. In normal you and I speak, basically, the interface is usable up to 10 feet from source (ie: Your HDTV) making this one of the best Home Theater PC applications currently out there, and not only that, if you already have a PC lying about and you are interested in the software, the lovely people over at Boxee let you download it for free on the following systems: Windows, OSX, Linux and Apple TV - cant ask for more than that can you!

Now, before I carry on with this post / review, I need to let you know that I love this software and use it literally everyday, whether it be for Films, Tv shows or something as simple as checking up with my friends and family on Facebook and Twitter, therefore, this may come across as a biased review BUT I will give the downsides where needed.

The guys responsible for Boxee started way back in the early part of 2004 where they joined the XBMC (another HTPC application) open source program and decided to break away and start their own application. Seven years on, they have not only started, they are well on their way to being a booming company, with offices in New York and Tel Aviv.

Now enough background....onto the review.

When you first turn on Boxee you are greeted with a user friendly 'Homescreen' (see below) where you can navigate straight to the section you need, whether it be Movies, TV Show, Music etc..This is what I would call the main hub of the software as it gives you, the user access to wherever you need to go.

When navigating through each section, ie: TV Shows or Movies section, it will scan all your hard drives, SD cards and network sources and put the files into the associated libraries. When accessing the Movies or TV Shows, Boxee will look up every single file and access the IMDB database and pull down the associated artwork AND Film / TV Show information - it even drills down to episode level and gives you a detailed description of what each episode is about as well as a brief overview of the 'show'. It will also search the internet for 'subtitles', so if you are watching a foreign film OR are hard of hearing, then you can ask Boxee to get get you the appropriate language subtitle for your Film / Show. It really is a very clever piece of kit.

You can see above and below the artwork that Boxee automatically adds to the users content and also the description of what the 'selected' data file is on the right hand side.

The next area that is very much worth a mention is the App screen. Here you will find apps relating to Youtube, Facebook, Twitter, NHL Game Center etc... the list goes on and on and you can also add to them from your own personal collection. Boxee really feels that it isn't just a 'media' piece of software, it feels more like a 'Sociall' 'Family' piece of software that when stuck in the Living Room, the whole family can very much enjoy, whether it be, Music, Tv, Youtube or simply browsing the web on Boxee's built in web browser.

Last but very much not least, is the settings page. Why am I reviewing a settings page you may ask? I'll tell you why, its because from here, you can control EVERYTHING from here, what folders you want Boxee to scan and when. You can also setup your network, the 'look' of your software and most importantly, audio settings (if you listen very carefully right now, you can hear all the audiophiles ears prick up), you can select the type of audio being played, whether its digital or High Definition audio etc..

Before I finish my post, you will notice I have only discussed this as literally a piece of 'software'. Boxee is very much more than this. Boxee is an entertainment system and the Boxee developers realised this and also realised that non tech savvy people were missing out on the experience. They therefore hooked up with the guys over at D-Link (more commonly known for bringing us network solutions) and offered up the well thought out clever name -'Boxee Box'. This box is literally the size of a small box...(without my technical notes next to me, this is all you are getting on a dimensions level), it plugs directly into your TV via HDMI or Composite and offers up exactly what the software I have reviewed above does. What's more, the Stand alone version comes with an IR remote which doubles up as a qwerty keyboard on the flip side of the remote (Handy for online browsing etc...). I have personally not used the standalone Boxee, but if it is half as good as the software mixed with Media PC, then Boxee / D-Link are onto a real winner. You can pick up the Boxee Box for as little as £190 here.

Here are a few promotional shots of the Boxee Box and remote

So, to finish off, I will give you a break down out of 10 on what I think of the Boxee software

• Look / Feel - 8 / 10
• Value for money - 10 / 10 (Standalone Boxee 7 / 10)
• Ease of Use - 7 / 10
• Features - 9 / 10

Overall, I would strongly give Boxee 8.5 / 10

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Lima Charlie 1-9 - We're Oscar Mike

It’s not the soldier with the most expensive gun or the biggest heart who wins on the battlefield.  It’s the smartest.  Semper Fi, Marine.

You cannot read about Operation Flashpoint - Red River without feeling a surge of adrenaline surging through  your veins. The anticipation for this military sim is far exceeding any game that is currently out right now. Forget the let down that was 'Homefront', Red River is panning out to be one of the best military simulators out there - past and present.

Between Afghanistan and China, the worlds next 'Flashpoint' is about to erupt. The valleys, towns and mountains of Tajikistan will become bloody frontlines for the might of the People's Liberation Army, insurgent guerilla fighters and the United States Marine Corps. You and your fireteam CAN make a difference in the game and what level of difference you make depends on how you operate on the battlefield.

Thanks to the boys and girls over at Codemasters, you can recruit up to 3 of your most battle hardened friends to join you in the foot hills of the Tajikistan mountains. Another nice feature is that if these battle hardened friends of yours have to be medevaced out of the 'hot zone' (aka - their network connection drops, they have to go eat etc...) the session does not get affected and the 'human' player is automatically replaced with a friendly 'green' AI counterpart.

Now, lets think back to Operation Flashpoint Cold War Rising and us PC gamers will remember a truly great game that was also a truly awful game...The story was ok, the bugs, well, the game was made up of bugs with a sprinkling of decent code thrown into the mix, however, when it worked, it was terrific and it managed to win over my heart and many others and went onto become GOTY. Jump forward 8 years and Codemasters released Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising, this time, the console got a look in and was released on all platforms apart from the Wii. Again, this came with a few bugs, however, thanks to the Co-op element of the game, Dragon Rising had a massive fan base (past and present) and enabled Code Masters to push forwards and release Red River.

Codemasters listened to the criticism and niggles that their gamer base had regarding Dragon Rising, the long ass checkpoints, the 'ultra' realism and they have changed Red River to reflect this. Do not be alarmed, Red River is not a Battlefield or Call of Duty rip off and it is still very much a military Sim, however, they have toned it down to please all types of gamers.

I do really hope that Red River will come with a polished finished feel that many other military shooters or just general 'modern games' come with, Flashpoint has a huge following, whether it has bugs or not but I would really LOVE Red River to stand on its own and have people love this game without finishing their sentences with 'even with the bugs'

The achievements for this game can be accomplished via either the SP or Co-Op SP and thankfully there are no 'hardcore' achievements as this setting on Flashpoint is SO stupidly hard, I would actually rather just go and fight for real in Afghanistan.

Operation Flashpoint is released April 21st throughout Europe and very strangely, has been pushed back to 7th June 2011 in North America.

Grab your equipment and put a bullet in the chamber - it's going to be a long day.  

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It's a Geek World...

Welcome to Sgt Talbert's Headquarters....

So guys and girls, I've made a few blogs surrounding games I have played and games I am looking forward to and a couple movie reviews thrown into the mix...

What I have not done is show you or talk about the equipment I use to get the most out of my gaming experience, so how about I do just that?

Here we have the 50LG5000, HTPC (Custom build), Sky+ HD, Xbox 360 Elite, Sony PS3 and Sony HT-SS100 5.1 system. My first 'LCD' TV was a 32" 'monster' that suited my needs perfectly, however, as many a geek can confirm, my needs grew and I upgraded to a 37" TV and Full HD glory. This purchase satisfied my thirst for new gadgets, however, that time did come around one sunny morning when I sold my current TV and purchased the 50LG5000. Thankfully, this has fulfilled my need for 'bigger' and 'better' for the past two years so hopefully I am good to go for now.....That and I dont think a bigger TV would fit!

Here you can see the Sony Playstation 3 120gb Slim. I don't really play games on the Sony system, I use it more for the playback of BluRay films and streaming of certain content. The bottom shelf of my entertainment center is dedicated to my lovely Sony HT-SS100 amp - 1000watts of pure sound!

Another close up of the Sony Amp / Receiver. I have my HTPC, XBox and PS3 plugged directly into the Amp / Receiver which means I get full High Definition graphics and sound at a flick of a 'auto switch'.  

Center speaker along with the Microsoft Scene IT IR receiver

My Custom built HTPC

Case: NZXT Rogue (Black with Blue LED lighting)

Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-G33M-DS2R

RAM: 4GB DDR2 Corsair MXS2 800

Graphics: ATI HD3850 eXtreme 512 DDR3

Sound: Auzentech HDA X-Plosion 7.1

Storage: 4 Terabytes / 320Gb External

Drive: LG GGW-H20L BluRay / HD-Dvd Rom

OS: Windows 7 Ultimate x64

Here we have my baby, the Xbox 360 Elite 120Gb. Oh you may be a loud and temperamental old soul, but much like grandparents, we still love them dearly. This Xbox may not have seen me start my journey on LIVE but boy has it seen me break the 5,000 and 10,000 Gamerscore barriers and hopefully will see me hit a few more mile stones yet before the old girl internally com busts and melts onto the wool carpet and forces me down the route of its younger, sexier, more obedient younger sister

My sub, really helps immerse you into your games, especially when flying at tree top level in Battlefield Vietnam and you can hear the whack whack whack of the rotor blades. Nothing beats it....

My two trusty black wireless Xbox controllers, even though they do guzzle battery juice quicker than a Chevy V8 engine, I would not go into battle or step onto the track without them. I purchased a Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 'Shell' from Play.com for £1.99 and it was very much worth it - great build quality. My lovely girlfriend also purchased me the official 'Plug and Play' charge kits to help appease my controllers addiction to the acidic juice. 

My Turtle Beach X41's, much like my wireless controllers, wouldn't be without these babies and the battery life is VERY good on them, along with build quality and most importantly, the 5.1 sound is second to none.

You can see the wireless decoder box that runs an optical cable from the transmitter to the Sony amp. A nice angled shot of my headphone cans and the fabric ear cups. The microphone boom is detachable

My Bluetooth keyboard with built in track pad - couldn't be without this when navigating my Media PC from the comfort of my bed or technically, the comfort of anywhere within a 10 meter radius... The next gadget you can see is the Logitech Harmony Remote (525 Model) this is probably the cleverest bit of kit I have ever purchased. You can set your devices up and when I press 'XBox' on the screen, the TV, Xbox, Sony Amp all turn on and any other device that is turned on and unneeded is turned off - brilliant!

Now the above and below pictures are of what I like to call 'The Geek Shelf' We have above...The Stig bust, a lovely framed collage of me and the lovely girlfriend, Rios from Army of Two and the Inception Limited Edition briefcase. Scroll on down for part two of 'The Geek Shelf'

So as I was saying, from right to left, we have Big Daddy from Bio Shock, the Prestige Edition RC car from the Call of Duty: Black Ops game (Yes, I also have the NVG's from the MW2 package) and the Black Ops medal (You weren't there man, you weren't there!!) and for when Big Daddy and Rios are on a break from defending ones shelf, you have Super Spoon Man...

So there we have it, a whistle stop tour of my gaming setup and indulgences I have accumulated over the years. I hope you enjoyed seeing my humble setup and hope I have inspired you to start or add to your own! (I take no responsibility for the amount of money you spend however!)

So stick around, have a nosy or if you must leave, please do come back soon and see what new exciting content awaits. 

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