Author: Ruth

Video games have been enjoyed for many years since the early days of Space Invaders and Pac-Man. Children, teenagers and adults alike all enjoy playing video games and even for those who don’t enjoy them, they still know of them! But have you ever wondered about whether video games are bad for us? Or good for us? Let’s have a look at the reasons why many of us play video games to begin with.

“We play Video Games For Our Own Entertainment.”

The good side of this is that as long as they keep producing fun, enjoyable games, people will never become bored as long as they keep buying new games or can still find enjoyment in playing the old classics over and over. People buying new video games all the time is great for the video game industry as well.

However the negative side is that as soon as you become bored with one game you have to go out and buy another one to amuse yourself, which can become expensive over time, depending on how hard you are to satisfy. After buying a new game a few times when you’ve been bored it may naturally develop into a habit or “urge” to always want to buy or try a new video game whenever you become bored. At this stage you know you have an addiction!

“Video Games are great for When we have Parties.”

The Upside of having video games around at a party is that it will keep your guests entertained and stop them from becoming bored. Ever if they aren’t playing , at least it will give them something to watch or talk about. Video games can be a fun group activity and can also help start conversation or liven up a dull atmosphere.

The Downside of having video games at a party is that it may encourage guests to hide away from everyone else, or encourage anti-social behavior. People may also argue over who gets to play next, or who gets to be player one etc. As childish as this may sound it can be enough to ruin a great party if things get out of control, especially if alcohol is involved.

“Video Games are a Way of Socializing.”

Many online games are strongly based around working as a team to achieve a goal. These games require players to communicate with each other either via a keyboard, or microphone to achieve the best possible teamwork. While this can teach people teams skills it can also be a very enjoying social activity and people can make new friends, or meet new people from all over the world.

However many other games don’t have such a strong emphasis on communication and teamwork. If the games is a challenge and is addictive, players may isolate themselves from their normal everyday lives and become immersed in their new-found hobby. Team work skills may also diminish because of this and be replaced by a “One-Man Army” or “Lone-Wolf” approach to things, especially among males. Although it is a very dramatic exaggeration it is not far from possible at all.

“I like to sit back, relax and play video games.”

Video games to a lot of people can be a way to relax after a hard day’s work and for others can be an exciting or thrilling experience of live baccarat online with a UX graphics user interface because of the processor which has 64 bit of architecture. If video games help to relax you then they can have many positive effects towards your overall well-being, where as if video games give you a rush of energy and adrenaline they can be a good safe place to release your powerful inner feelings, perhaps by shooting at enemy soldiers or slaying evil monsters?

However over-indulging in either of the above, relaxing or releasing inner feelings can lead to you becoming physically unhealthy from relaxing too much or becoming psychotic and aggressive from getting one too many headshots.

All in all, like everything in life there are the good and the bad, more than often it is just a matter of how we deal with things. It’s always best to have things in moderation, including video games.

Risk: Factions is a PSN game based off the popular board game Risk. If you’re familiar with the board game then you’ll feel right at home with the video game version and enjoy the additions. If you’re not familiar with the board game, Risk: Factions is easy to learn by way of the single player campaign which also acts as a tutorial and the “How to Play” instructions.

Basics of Play

For those of you not familiar with the board game of Risk, the basics of play consist of up to five players battling for control of the world. Games of such feature have been released many time in Pkv format and have a loyal following of gamers who love to play them. Each player starts with the same amount of territories and troops, and then take turns attacking other players. Attacks happen by the both players rolling the dice, the higher dice defeating the other troops. The defending troop always wins a tie. You get additional troops depending on how many territories you own and controlling a continent gives you bonus troops at the start of your next turn. Winning is achieved by owning the entire map, although in Risk: Factions there is the option of playing where the winner is the first person to complete three random objectives and have control of their capital, similar to the new 2008 Risk rule set.

Single Player Mode

The single player mode of Risk: Factions consists of five levels each played on a different map and each adding an extra computer player to play against (up to five total players). The maps start small and get larger as you play through the levels. These maps aren’t the traditional world map used on the board game but are completely new maps made for the game.

There are objectives in this mode, ranging from controlling your enemies capital to taking over 10 territories in one turn. There are also map elements that can be earned, such as controlling three barracks which lets you freeze any territory for one full round of turns, stopping anyone from attacking to or from that territory.

The story is done exceptionally well, with fully voiced over cut scenes for each level. Each one introduces you to the faction you will be playing as for that level: humans, cats, robots, zombies, and yetis. The cut scenes are stylized and funny. My only complaint is that they’re so good I was left wanting more!

The battles are also graphically nice. Each faction has its own stylized dice ranging from furry for the cats to black and red for the zombies. The characters and their attacks for each faction is great fun to watch. If you’re in a hurry you can choose fast battle which will skip the animated battles and the dice rolls, but doing so also means you can’t retreat mid-battle.

Local Multiplayer

For people who are fans of the board game playing local multiplayer may be a big deal. It’s good news that Risk: Factions is a great alternative to playing the board game with your friends. My gaming group actually prefers the video game version now!

You can play with up to five people provided you have the controllers. You can either choose automatic game set up where the computer chooses your starting territories or go the traditional board game route and do that manually taking turns.

You can play on any of the maps you’ve beaten in the single player mode or the classic world board game map. You also have the option of playing classic Risk where you get the classic cards and without objectives and where winning is done by taking over the whole world, or you can play the Factions way with objectives, where winning can be either world conquest or the first player to complete three objectives and have control of their capital.

Online Multiplayer

Online multiplayer is where the real fun comes in. I haven’t had any trouble finding a five player game online over PlayStation Network. Playing against random people presents new tactics and strategies that you’ll have to take into consideration.

When setting up a game or searching for one to join, you have the option of choosing either manual game set up where players select their starting territories and place their troops, or automatic where players only get to place their starting capital. I have yet to play a game online that requires players to set up the game manually. As a veteran board game player I was worried about this at first, but now I see it actually works better as you never know what territories you’ll end up with, and this adds to the needed strategy to be used, adding to the fun.

If a player gets eliminated (all of his territories are lost), they can exit to the main menu and the game will still count it as a game played (and lost), counting the stats you earned (you can see your stats from the main menu’s War Room).

If another player leaves the game before their territories are eliminated the other players will keep playing and will still have to attack the remaining territories owned by the player who left. However, the computer will not take control of them. That player no longer gets a turn, it is just skipped over until all their remaining territories are eliminated. I haven’t run into to many quitters online, although there have been a few.

There is not a time limit online, so players can take as long as they need. Of course, this could be annoying if a player purposefully takes forever. I haven’t come across anyone doing this yet, but it is a possibility that it will happen by someone eventually.

There is mic chat, although most people don’t use it. I have only ran into one person online using voice chat so far in my many games online. There isn’t a way to chat by text on screen, but players can message each other via the regular PSN messages. However, you don’t need to communicate much during Risk anyway.

Overall, Risk: Factions is a great addition to the Playstation Network. Any fans of the board game should pick it up right away, and anyone not sure should try out the demo on the Playstation Store.