JoEDigiTECH

[REVIEW]Instagram for iPhone

If you’ve been following my blog lately you would have noticed I’ve been using Instagram a lot lately. I find it a simple yet elegant way to shoot, edit and share photos to all of my social streams. 

Taking a shot:

The app gives you the option to either take photo using the app itself or importing one from your photo album. In both cases you are restricted to a particular dimension. I know what you are thinking, “dammit let me choose my own dimensions!” but this restriction actually helps with browsing the pics of others especially when you are looking at them on your iPhone.

Editing: 

You are given 16 filters and a “tilt-shift” editor. That’s not a whole hell of a lot but the restrictions mean you and your creative friends are working with the exact same tools. Your ability to create something appealing is really challenged by these restrictions but that is half the fun.

Sharing:

Instagram gives quite a few ways to distribute your creations to sharing networks such as Twitter, Facebook, Email, Flickr, Tumblr, Foursquare, Posterous and allows for geotagging so your digital stalkers can hunt you down in the real world too.

In app viewing, likes and comments:

Instagram gives you the option to follow your friends (hard to believe) like, and comment on their images. You can also browse popular images and their creators so you can find more creative friends.

Overall it is an excellent app and a social media outlet that is simple to use and has endless unique images to look at from all around the world. I highly recommend checking it out even if you aren’t into snapping pics, chances are some of the images will inspire you. The app is free so you really don’t have anything to lose.

If you want to follow me on Instagram my ID is JoEDigiTECH, leave me a comment and I will follow you back.

Also, if you would like to get updates of my blog sent directly to your email you can subscribe here. 

Later!

Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker Review

Metal Gear Solid Peace Walker is perhaps the biggest game on the PSP. With over 140 missions, 30 cutscenes and dozens of hours of audio there is a lot to do, see and hear. There are also a litany of features and opportunities to upgrade your team and your gear. The depth and breadth of this title is unmatched and quite impressive.

The story in this iteration of Metal Gear Solid is a lot less bizarre than it’s console counterparts. It’s a standard military story which weaves the MGS fiction in with real world history. The tale is told through, conversations, cutscenes and audio files. The characters involved are diverse and interesting. Each of your comrades and enemies have clearly defined motives, except when they are concealing them of course. A lot of the story is optional though, the cutscenes and the post mission dialog is enough to get you through. I do highly suggest you check out the audio files, the provide quite a bit of depth to the characters and the story. 

MGS Peacewalker features several different mission types and game features which provide a lot of value. As of this review I’ve played for over 57 hours and there is still more for me to do. Through completeing missions, scrounging battlegrounds for loot and recruiting you will build your own militia. The military force you build will provide combat support, R&D and conduct combat operations that you dispatch in Outer Ops mode. Team development is a major component of the game and the better the team you assemble the faster perks and upgrades will come. 

The controls are solid during stealth operations but direct combat situations can  be tough with only one analog control. Switching between weapons and gadgets is handled real time which can be stressful while changing your active gear. Fighting mechs takes patience, timing and supply markers (cardboard box drops of ammo, weapons and rations). A lot of the standar MGS fare including cardboard boxes, tranquilizer guns, and CQC (close quarters combat) make an appearance as well.

The graphics of MGS Peace Walker are draw dropping. Character models and environments are varied and well rendered. Much attention is paid to ensure that the strength of an enemy unit is conveyed through what their gear looks like. More robust combatants have obviously bulky gear while standard units in BDUs alone are easy prey to take down.

Playing this MGS Peace Walker with a good set of headphones intensifies the drama ten fold. Ambient sounds of the jungle, foot falls of enemy soldiers, the whir of a tank engines and the teeth chattering sound of light machine guns creates a dramaticly exciting atmosphere. The MGS series sets the bar for incredible voice over work, in both quality and scope Peace Walker is no different. David Hayter admitted to me on twitter that he had spent 2 monts recording voice over for MGS Peace Walker. Time well spent.

If you have a PSP and haven’t yet picked up MGS Peace Walker you should have your head examined. If you don’t have a PSP (now $129) I suggest you get one even just to play this game. It’s not only one of the best handheld games I’ve ever played I would place it in my top ten of all times regardless of console.

Note: All the images in this post (besides the first one) were taken with in game camera by me.

First impressions: MLB 11 The Show

Having not played a baseball game since 2005 I was a bit worried that my first 25 games of MLB 11 The Show would be a disaster. I started a Franchise using my beloved Red Sox and fell to the Twins 5-1 in my first exhibition game. Sounds horrible but I got a good taste for the game and feel for the controls, eventually.

The visuals of The Show are top notch. From the look of the field, to the player models, to the crowd and menus are of the highest quality. Even how the players step into the box is accurate. Watching Pedroia get set cracked me up every time.

Audio is also very detailed. The sound of bat on ball and balls hitting gloves/mits sound authentic. Crowd noise includes hecklers and chants base on certain situations. This being my first game I thought the announcer commentary was great, wether I will feel that way after a few dozen games remains to be seen.

The stick controls took some getting use to. To be honest I picked up the pitching controls faster than the hitting. I was able to prevent a giant blow out once I got the handle on how to locate my pitches. My hitting suffers from lack of patience more than the controls I think. Fielding is a bit tough but I think I will improve that with muscle memory.

All in all, I’m pleased with my purchase. I know this sounded more like impressions on how much I suck but I will put up a review when I get more innings under my belt.

Until then pick up PLAY BALL!

My quick and dirty review of #Killzone_3 developed by #Guerilla_Games.

 Killzone 3 is gorgeous, there’s no escaping it. Beautifully rendered environments and character models surround you as you blast everything to smithereens. There’s a lot of variety in these as well. Whether you are creeping through primordial space jungles or battling through the interior of a gigantic space station you will be struck by the attention to detail while trying to keep your head from being removed. The vast scale of some of the environments and “bosses” are jaw dropping. Your Helgan opposition are appropriately outfitted to fit into these environments while you and your rag tag team of ISA spend all your time in the same smelly gear (for the most part). 

The game play is solid and faster in this iteration of the series. You move a lot quicker whether you are moving in and out of cover or just simply aiming down the sights. Weapon swapping is also smoother and the new brutal melee attacks work perfectly even when you are surprised by an enemy coming around a corner. The combat is visceral and satisfying in both single and multiplayer modes. A good variety of weapons and the streamlined controls will allow you to be creative as you acquire and mutilate multiple targets. It’s not hard to empty the magazine of your primary in one guy, pop another with your secondary and then ram your thumbs into the eyes third.

The story is routine and obvious. It’s about what you would expect when you have a small combat group of good guys and a giant army of bad guys. I won’t spoil any of the details but the cut scenes are jarring as much as they were for Battlefield Bad Company 2. They fade the gameplay to black and then the cut scene video is run. It’s disjointed and poorly directed in most cases with ISA disgruntled BS and Helghast imperials bickering. I guess it’s too much to ask that developers to handle their storytelling like Half Life (given how long HL Ep. 3 has taken I guess it’s too much to ask of Valve as well).

While the single player campaign is short, you will probably play it more than once. Some of the levels are a true blast to play and deserve at least a second play. The MP has several different modes with a little for every type of shooter gamer. Whether you just want to shoot stuff or complete objectives you will have plenty of fun leveling your favorite soldier types.

In closing this game is a must buy for any FPS fan.

Below is a little taste of the epic scale that Killzone 3 has.