Misheard Game Titles, Vol. 2

Hello fellow Achievos!  I have got to say, before I start this blog, that I am so thankful and indebted to Debbie.  She is such an awesome blogger and friend.  I have been away from the internet and gaming for the last 6 weeks due to Real Life, and she has been so good about keeping our blog active.  And not only active, but awesome - her blogs are hilarious and full of good information.  So thank you, Debbie, for being the best co-blogger a girl could ask for.

*end sappy transmission*

We now will provide you with the second installment of Misheard Game Titles.  The stupidity of our nation provides endless entertainment.  And don't forget, if you have a misheard title, send it to achievos@gmail.com.

Modern Welfare 2

When the difficulties of life pile up on you, sometimes you have to turn to a little government help.  Modern Welfare 2, the sequel to the smashingly popular simulation game Modern Welfare, continues helping the player learn how to spend those WIC coupons and food stamp cards!  In the first installment, your toon went to the Welfare office and got signed up.  In MW2 there is no more of that tricky paperwork to navigate or long lines to wait through (although that was a clever way to mask load times.)  Instead, you are out there spending away, and learning healthy eating habits in the process!  Plus there are fun side games where you get to blast Welfare mis-users out of the program.  Did you see that WIC consumer drive up in that chromed out 2010 Escalade?  Now's your chance to turn them in to The Man*!  (*where "turn them in to The Man = blowing that Caddie up with a grenade launcher.)


The Beetles Rock Band

The wildly popular band has been replaced by their lesser known counterparts, The Beetles!  Spelling has never been so important as it is in this new Rock Band title.  Popular songs include Eleanor Bugby, All You Need is Loam, and Norwegian Wood (Your Delicious Diet).  Gameplay is as you would expect from any Rock Band titles, but prepare yourself to bug out over new peripherals (pun intended).  The graphics leave a little to be desired, mostly due to hyper-realism and hundreds of TVs nationwide being broken by genteel ladies screaming and hitting the screen with their high heels.

Escalation Map Pack, Yeah, I Can Handle That

Ever since the Escalation Map Pack for Black Ops was released, people keep asking me questions. They weren't your standard questions about relationships, politics, or deep thoughts (for that hilarity, submit your questions here). But I've been getting asked things like "How do you like the new map pack? What's your favorite map? Have you played the new zombies yet?" So here are some of my thoughts on the latest addition to Black Ops. First, on the regular multiplayer maps, I like them. I actually really like them. The maps feel like there was more time spent testing their playability than just making them look cool or gimmicky. Don't get me wrong, there is a lot of gimmicky crap like elevators and raised tracks. But they are more practically executed throughout the maps than in the past.

I say they have better playability because they are really well balanced compared to other maps. The Call of Duty series has a strong history of super unbalanced maps, especially for objective games. Compared to the layouts of Quarry, Carnival, Trailer Park, and more from Modern Warfare 2, the Black Ops original and add-on maps are much improved.

The new zombie map, Call of the Dead, is also a huge improvement for multiple reasons. First is the obviously awesome addition of some pretty amazing actors from horror and scifi. The map itself features a zombified, electrified George Romero. While that in and of itself might be cool enough for some people, his presence makes the game significantly more difficult. I have spent many hours with friends sitting in the same spot of the map, bottle-necking zombies just to mow them down repetitively. Romero walking around forces the players to keep moving and prevents teams from just barricading in a corner and easily reaching ridiculous levels.

So for those who haven't purchased it yet, I definitely recommend the Escalation Map Pack. It may be $15, but for the first time in a long time, the maps are worth the price. Does that answer your question ?