WRUP: Best laid plans edition

by Richard Mitchell { Nov 21st 2008 at 5:15PM }

This week is all about Left 4 Dead around Fanboy Towers. Given our time with the game, we're beginning to think the automated Nerf turrets serve as a poor line of defense against zombie invasion. Also, we're sorry to report that one of our writers has suffered a great loss this week. We're talking, of course, about the dreaded Red Ring of Death. See what we've been playing below, and don't forget to tell us what you're playing in the comments.

Richard Mitchell (SenseiRAM): Not one hour after finishing Dead Space (which was very good, by the way), I got the Red Ring of Death. After waiting all year to get my hands on Left 4 Dead, my box dies the day before it releases. Grrr. I bought the game anyway and managed to play it on my brother's Xbox. It's very, very fun and I lament that I'm unable to play it right now. Beyond that, I've been playing an unhealthy amount of A Kingdom for Keflings through means I'm not allowed to discuss. Also, I dug up Quest for Glory 4, which is my personal favorite in the series, and have been playing it on my Mac via DOSBox.

Dustin Burg (SuperDunners): I'll be continuing my quest for completion of wave 50 in Gears of War 2's Horde, trying to figure out why I'm so bad at the speed runs in Mirror's Edge and (if I have a few friends) will be giving Left 4 Dead a spin in the old 360 disc drive. Locust killing, building jumping and zombie mutilation FTW

Xav de Matos (Snypz): This week has been mostly about getting things prepared for next week -- we have surprises in store -- so I haven't been spending enough time with the Xbox. My love/hate relationship with Mirror's Edge continues, Mortal Kombat vs. DC has kept me somewhat busy for a few days. Now that everyone around the office is getting copies of Left 4 Dead, I'll have to find the time to play. Apologizes to Alexander and former Joystiq'er Jared Rea for throwing that Molotov Cocktail in the room we were all hiding in... it was a good plan while it lasted.

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Ghen @ Nov 21st 2008 5:21PM

left 4 dead! gamertag: damnghen. no immature people please =)

kp @ Nov 21st 2008 6:25PM

yo Ghen, i'm down. i just rented Left 4 Dead. i'll warn you though, i have strep throat right now so i can't really talk too much. i made the mistake of renting EndWar a few days ago, when i thought it was just a regular cold. yah, voice command games and step don't go together at all.

anyone else wants to play my GT is Gashlycrumb. sorry to hear about your second box Richard, lousy time to get the Red Ring.

Viridium @ Nov 21st 2008 5:23PM

"After waiting all year to get my hands on Left 4 Dead, my box dies the day before it releases."

My sympathies. My box died 2 days before Gears of War 2 released, and only YESTERDAY, over two weeks after it died, was MS able to get their system working well enough that I finally received a coffin.

Two weeks down just waiting for a repair order, and I'm guessing another two weeks before I get a working box back.

Then I'll be able to continue Fallout 3, and finally play Gears of War 2 and Left 4 Dead (all three of which I'd preordered).

Jason @ Nov 21st 2008 5:29PM

Future reference to everyone; go with the "can you just send me the shipping slip thru email" option. (Remember, save your coffin boxes just in case)

It took less than a day to get the slip emailed and a 1 week turnaround from when i shipped the box to them.

Viridium @ Nov 21st 2008 5:42PM

Jason - you think I didn't try that? I didn't receive the shipping notice email after 3 days so I called back, and was eventually escalated twice to finally end up with a personal rep from the Repair and Returns department. Their system was so F'd he had to email someone else to get the messed up repair order OFF of my account so that he could start a fresh one.

It didn't help that the rep was on vacation the day after he contacted me for almost a week, which was essentially a week down the drain.

Both Nov 4/5 and Nov 11/12 MS's repair system was down for upgrades, and as recently as yesterday there was a notice saying that "Some customers are having trouble receiving email shipping labels, we are aware of the problem and working on a fix."

Their system has been so messed recently that it really did take two weeks for me to finally get a repair on the go.

Jason @ Nov 21st 2008 7:27PM

Sorry Viridium.. I didn't mean to insinuate anything.. it was more of an FYI to people.

Viridium @ Nov 21st 2008 9:53PM

No worries man, I'm probably a little on edge due to all the frustration I've had when dealing with MS. Sorry if I came off as snippy; I probably was though and for that I apologize.

I thought I'd be so smart, give my RROD refurb'd Pro to my sister and go get a Falcon, but the Falcon only lasted 10 months and has been a headache to get replaced.

Yeah, I wanted to do an email shipping label but it seems it wasn't in the cards. For those who can swing it though, it should shave some time off the turnaround.

Brian @ Nov 21st 2008 5:43PM

Dead Space
Gears 2
Halo 3

ryan w @ Nov 21st 2008 7:59PM

halo 3 too old and dead space only singl player. Play left 4 dead and cod 5

craig64 @ Nov 21st 2008 5:43PM

I have no idea! Maybe work on Gears 2 campaign... or finish Fable 2... or play some Fallout 3... or play Left 4 Dead... or play some more Naruto Broken Bond? I don't have enough time to play all of these games!

Adrian @ Nov 21st 2008 5:47PM

I'm playing a lot of left 4 dead. Need to beat the last 2 campaigns. Playing some COD World at War. Need to rank up, I've had it since release day and i'm only level 9. Also, probably some Gears. I have to beat horde.

dicknjane @ Nov 21st 2008 6:02PM

Halo 3, Gears 2, and Rock Band 2. I'll also be watchin The Office on Netflix, thanks to the NXE!

Eddie @ Nov 21st 2008 6:06PM

Unless I fell head first into the sarchasm, how is this not about rampant speculation about the means through which Richard is still playing XBLA without his XB?

Richard Mitchell @ Nov 21st 2008 9:34PM

It's not anything spectacular. I can't help you DEVelop an opinion.

Also, I like KITtens.

Momer @ Nov 21st 2008 10:13PM

I see what you did there...

Mr.U2 @ Nov 21st 2008 10:52PM

lol.

MDJ2010 @ Nov 22nd 2008 5:50AM

Arrrrr, I like kittens too.

Hope I didn't miss the point there. lol

offday @ Nov 21st 2008 6:51PM

I rented Dead Space. I got to a part where the lights went off and I heard noises and got freaked out and turned the game off. I plan to go back to it when I build up enough courage.

I also just downloaded the Left 4 Dead demo. It wasn't bad, but I don't really see what the big deal is? Am I missing something? Is it all about the co-op?

offday @ Nov 21st 2008 7:01PM

Oh yeah. Also, if anyone out there has never tried the first Half Life (one of the greatest PC games or any game of all time), then it's only 98 cents right now if you buy it through Steam. It's a good option for anyone who is suffering from the red ring or just doesn't have anything else to play.

the2ofus @ Nov 22nd 2008 10:35AM

Yes!! I have only tried the demo, but the singel player part SUCKS!! or....well not that much..but when you play single player there is no dynamic play, and the AI does not "play" the game, but falls behind you, and only pushes the game forward when ever you do....boring....

In CO-OP you just never know !! - even playing with strangers is a whole lot of fun *S*

My gamertag is The2ofus, ..it can be hard to play together as a group...but in a zombie movie people dont always agree and ....it goes wrong, bad big time!!

ohhh...i just picked up sega rally, its kind of hard...but very fun to play - been looking to get it cheap for almost a year, nice ;-)

dylan @ Nov 22nd 2008 2:21PM

I was not very into the demo either, but I love zombies so I bought it and man, I have been up until 5:30-6am every day playing nonstop. And yes 2ofus, even as hard as I try to stick with the group, occasionally it gets quiet, I wander off a bit to check something out, and that is always when the horde attacks...

mirage @ Nov 21st 2008 7:08PM

Hoping to plow through the rest of the GoW 2 campaign this weekend so I can return it to Gamefly. I am also hoping that I get L4D from Gamefly today or Saturday. I will also be playing Fallout 3 at little and the times between games will be filled with Netflix streaming goodness!!! The Netflix streaming is seriously amazing to me!!

Teabag @ Nov 21st 2008 7:10PM

Will be returning back to Dead Space (PC). Just didn't feel like playing the game. And it crashes a lot too.

Mirror's Edge. Already on Chap 6. Want to finish it off quickly so i can move on to Fable 2.

Left 4 Dead (PC). I will be going out tomorrow to buy it. If i don't find it in stores, then Steam it is!

webster1990 @ Nov 21st 2008 7:11PM

Rock Band 2 (finally out in the UK)
Gears 2
And if i decide to take another plunge into my Student Loans i might buy Left4Dead, but seeing as the Uni network has strict NAT i'm not sure if there is much point.

Randy @ Nov 21st 2008 8:24PM

Left 4 Dead! Finally tried Versus mode last nite - Im Hooked

mike @ Nov 21st 2008 8:27PM

I beat Gears 2's Horde mode through level 50 with 2 of my friends. Party of 3. It was that hard. Then I played Horde by myself on hardcore and got to the 4th round. Couldn't get further. So I started the campaign again on Insane and am stuck on one part in the middle of the second act. I haven't played my xbox for about 4 days now.

L4MB @ Nov 21st 2008 8:34PM

Fallout 3. That is all.

Jayslacks @ Nov 21st 2008 8:50PM

I'll be trying to finish Insane on Gears of War 2 with a buddy without it ruining our friendship. The vehicle levels. God. Anyone wanna party up with me, hit me up. Gamertag: Jayslacks

Mazrael @ Nov 21st 2008 8:51PM

Left 4 Dead at the moment, then there's Tomb Raider Underworld & Last Remnant to start..
then back to Mirrors Edge & Dead Space for hard/impossible mode.. Gears 2 Insane on co-op.. and the last 2 missions on C&C3: Tiberium.. oh & Infinite Undiscovery to continue with.. :s

WAL ZAROZO @ Nov 22nd 2008 12:08AM

hey Richard, if it makes you feel any better i got the RROD the day right before the nxe was released....yeah, that really suked by the way..and just when all of my cousin and other friends are about to get gears 2 (damnit!)

Gemini Ace @ Nov 22nd 2008 12:36AM

Animal Crossing City Folk.

No, seriously.

Will @ Nov 22nd 2008 1:00AM

Spidey: Web of Shadows, Mass Effect, and Turok

Cutty @ Nov 22nd 2008 5:14AM

I feel your pain Rich, actually mine is probobly worse because at least you have a brothers box to play......got the ring 3 days ago....just in time to not let me experience the new experience.....yay!!!!.....sent it to microsoft today, lets see who gets theres back first....
*sad face*
I'm going to lose my rank in wingman......

MDJ2010 @ Nov 22nd 2008 5:51AM

Gears 2
Kingdom For Keflings (Too addictive for words)

Tim @ Nov 22nd 2008 9:53AM

I've been going thru the Halo 3 co-op campaign with my son on easy for the past few days, but after he goes to bed its all about Fallout 3, and maybe exploring the NXE a little that I just downloaded last night.

erivera3 @ Nov 22nd 2008 2:19PM

Is Fallout 3 that amazing? What's it like? Would an FPS fan love it?

Tim @ Nov 22nd 2008 3:22PM

I've put over 60 hours into Fallout since it came out, and my buddy has nearly 100 in. But if you're looking for a FPS then you'll probably not like it as much. Its more of an RPG with an emphasis on exploring the wastelands. I use the VATS targeting system most of the time, only resorting to the FPS style of play on occasion. If you liked Oblivion you -may- like Fallout, but no guarantee there. Best bet is to rent it first before you buy. It plays very uniquely and it really clicks for some people, and totally bombs for others