Playlog 7/6 -7/15

I got a bunch of Red Faction: Guerilla multiplayer action in over the past week, and man, that's a blast. I hope it continues to have a solid playerbase, because it's pretty unique, and it's got a great experience system with character model unlocks. The game modes end up pretty varied as well, because not only do they switch up the objectives and have 21 maps to play on, but there are tons of awesome weapons in the game (everything from the single player and more) around 10 backpacks with crazy abilities like jetpacking around, vertical superthrusting, rhino demolition charging through walls, x-ray vision, stealth, concussive blasts, super speed, healing, firepower enhancements, and tremor inducing. Combinations of the backpacks and weapons lead to insane and chaotic action. As far as competitive console multiplayer, it's more fun than Gears in my eyes, and right up there with Halo in terms of playability. Buy this game!

Another one you can buy, and real cheap, too: Drop7 for iPhone/touch. It's a puzzle game on a 7x7 grid of blocks where billiard balls numbered 1-7 are placed one at a time (with no time limit per move) in rows and columns. They disappear when their number is equal to the number of consecutive, touching balls in their row of column. Fill a row up, and all 7s in that row will explode. If that leaves 4 balls, and one or more of those is a 4, then those will also explode. Not only are there the numbered balls, but there are solid color balls that once caught beside an exploding ball, have their shells cracked and become regular number balls. Over time the whole playfield is shifted up by a new row of solid balls, and if any column is shifted up out of the playfield, the game ends. Like most puzzle games, it's hard to explain but simple to grasp if you try it. Drop7, however, isinsanely addictive--once it clicks. Go try the lite version and give it about 5 minutes so you get over the impulse to just match numbered balls and expect them to explode (because they won't).

So, apart from those, I've been playing a ton of WoW. Not only did I finally get my Warrior to level 60, and begin tying up loose ends in Azeroth before heading to Outland, but I also went and created an alt. People who knew me from my time in FFXI won't be super surpised to find out she's a mage, a blood elf, specifically. Currently level 11, I plan to level her up using the Frost spec, which is more or less universally considered best for solo PvE and PvP, too. The thought occurred to me to give her the name Nascia, that's not Nascia. Her name is Orene, on the Jubei'Thos server. Not on Blackrock with Ropvanks, so for the moment I can't twink her, though I may transfer Rop over at some point in the future. He needs all his own gold for mounts and stuff on the way to 80, anyway.

So, Rop is through Winterspring and messing around in Eastern/Western Plaguelands a bit before heading through the Dark Portal, and Orene is still just getting started in Eversong Woods. Man, WoW is addictive. I fully intend to check out 2-3 other upcoming MMOs, but I can easily see myself coming back to WoW time and again. I still may let me subscription lapse in August, though, if for no other reason than to hit Mass Effect or Shivering Isles in Oblivion.