What I Played Today: March 27

Crackdown II, Starcraft II, Mafia II, Picross 3D, Puzzle Quest 2, Dungeons and Dragons

I got some early time on the PAX floor today, got a chance to try out some games that I wouldn't have otherwise, on account of me not wanting to wait in line. I played in a short rocket tag version of Crackdown II, losing miserably, but it looks as good as before and while the controls are a bit stiff, I'm sure they'll perform better once my fingers have readjusted.

I played Starcraft II for about 10 minutes, getting a feel for the new system. It behaves a lot like the old system, only with different units and vastly improved graphics. Everything is crisp and updated, and some of the new units, like the Thor, a giant mech piloted by Arnold Swarchenegger, are just awesome.

I wanted to see the presentation of Civilization V (looks great!) but I had a moment to kill so I tried Mafia II in the same booth. Man it looks like a stinker. It's a sandbox game where you're playing a mafioso in the 50's. The setting is the only part that really impressed me, the rest was just dull. They had me handing cigarettes to an dude as part of a mission. Woopie. I also got into a fistfight with an Asian for no discernable reason.

I'm apparently a big dumbie, and have been looking for a game in stores that isn't even out yet, Picross 3D. It was on the floor, and I got about 15 seconds with it before the game froze. Ack. Looks about as promising as I imagined though.

Also spent a fair amount of time observing the new Puzzle Quest 2, due out sometime in the next couple of months. My first thought is how much better the graphics are; they completely renovated the design, and it's a bit more dark and edgey and less middle-school margin doodling. The new adjustments to game play also seem to help ensure the games don't drag forever, and have a much more down to earth adventurer feel, with the world map being a few towns and wilderness instead of an entire continent. I'm looking forward to this one.

I had very little success playing a board game today, but I did finally get to run the DM Challenge scenario that I have been preparing for what feels like forever. It went well, I thought, as I hosted a group who were all pretty familiar with each other. There were a lot of things that I could have done to make the game run more smoothly, and I feel dumb for forgetting them. The party also had a lot of terrible rolls, which even lead to one of them dying, a first for me in 4th edition. I took it real easy for the final encounter, and they mopped it up after the disappointing and long slaughter floor encounter before that. I think it went well...I'll see tomorrow how close I came to winning. I'm not expecting much.

More tomorrow...hoping to play more board games.