Need for Achieve: NFS Most Wanted, Portal

(tags Xbox 360, Portal, FPS, driving)

Alright, I am totally addicted to the little Xbox 360 Achievement Points. I can break 5000, all I need to do is buy more games... ;-)

I said I started Need for Speed: Most Wanted which I am kinda digging and kinda not. Mostly I hate the graphics because it feels so autumn dingy. I like Autumn the season. I love Autumn in Japan, it's so pretty. But this game feels like a half-assed port from a PS2 game, ugh. At least it looks smooth. Maybe it's 60 FPS instead of 30.

I then popped in The Orange Box last night and finished Portal, for the first time on console. Yes I have the PC version, but I haven't bother trying the user generated maps. I still can't find all the cameras, and I did a "game FAQ" lookup but luckily I came to my senses and averted my eyes. I can find the last four, I can do it. Make these Achievement Points stand for something solid. (Does that sense of integrity explain the 30,000 foot drop Achievement?)

Over too quickly: Portal

(tags game, Windows, Portal)

I want to hate on Portal. It was over too quickly. The puzzles were mediocre at best. I didn't get a headache. The main character walks too damn slow.

I've already played the game 3 times and finished all of the bonus maps. The Achievements show I've completed 64%. Now I have to do the 6 puzzle maps 3 different ways, finish one minor Achievement, and then I'll be done.

I played this on my ol' Project Sugar (Windows XP, 2004 spec) and I had to turn off all the eye candy, play it on 640 by 480 mode, and turn off some background services. At least it was smooth most of the time.

I wonder if it is really hard to create maps that are fun and make sense. If Valve couldn't come up with more content given its multiple year development time, I wonder how effective the game community will be.