Dear Master of Assassins

I've been real bad about keeping you caught up on events. Short version is: I'm still a badass. Longer version, some occult conspiracy group kidnapped my friend Leonardo da Vinci and I had to run around and get him back.

It may surprise you to know that the occult conspiracy group wasn't our old friends the Templars, but some outfit with a kink for Pythagoras. Triangles and stuff. These guys talk a good game, but really aren't in the same league so it wasn't too much trouble to run them all down, clear out their strongholds and get Leo back. Oh, I also got more of that mystic Space God crap which apparently will only make sense to my great-great-great-great-great-great-- well, some super-great grandkid of mine.

It was a fun batch of capers. Nothing to new or challenging. I've really settled in to this assassin thing and I can pretty much figure out a complex acrobatic/mechanical puzzle to get in position for a killing strike with ease.

Anyway, it was fun for a few laughs. Stop on by my headquarters in Rome, it's pimped out as hell.

Livin' Large
Ezio

[Ed. Note -- a fun little piece of DLC worth it if you like the series, but there's nothing stand-out new.]

Dear Master of Assassins

I've been real bad about keeping you caught up on events. Short version is: I'm still a badass. Longer version, some occult conspiracy group kidnapped my friend Leonardo da Vinci and I had to run around and get him back.

It may surprise you to know that the occult conspiracy group wasn't our old friends the Templars, but some outfit with a kink for Pythagoras. Triangles and stuff. These guys talk a good game, but really aren't in the same league so it wasn't too much trouble to run them all down, clear out their strongholds and get Leo back. Oh, I also got more of that mystic Space God crap which apparently will only make sense to my great-great-great-great-great-great-- well, some super-great grandkid of mine.

It was a fun batch of capers. Nothing to new or challenging. I've really settled in to this assassin thing and I can pretty much figure out a complex acrobatic/mechanical puzzle to get in position for a killing strike with ease.

Anyway, it was fun for a few laughs. Stop on by my headquarters in Rome, it's pimped out as hell.

Livin' Large
Ezio

[Ed. Note -- a fun little piece of DLC worth it if you like the series, but there's nothing stand-out new.]

You're not just playing with portals

Hey,

Finished up Portal 2 -- both single-player and co-op (thanks lucasthegray).

Fun stuff. Very fun stuff. Frankly, if you liked the first game, you'll love this one. Just more of everything and a startling amount of depth. There were only a few places I got stuck on, most puzzles were very satisfying in a "well, if I want to be there I need to be moving at speed out of here and that means...ah ha!". The game adds a raft of new test chamber elements to manipulate. From exotic-energy tractor beams and light bridges to various flavors of gel. Some gels reduce friction, others are flubber, others make non-portal surfaces portal-able. During co-op games, our iron-clad policy was that you cannot splatter enough gel on the test chamber surfaces.

The writing is top-notch, the voice acting a treat between mind-burning puzzles, and a lot more of Aperture is revealed (I'm still waiting for the implied collision with Half-Life. Also, Half-Life 3, isn't it about time you go that done before you guys all die?).

Co-op mode is almost as good as the single-player game. Working out these puzzles with a friend is a real treat. With your quick recovery, you feel empowered to take foolhardy chances because even if it means your utter destruction, your buddy might spot the missing link and then off you go.

It's all good stuff. I really want to go back and replay with developer commentary on. Should be lots of great details.

later
Tom

You're not just playing with portals

Hey,

Finished up Portal 2 -- both single-player and co-op (thanks lucasthegray).

Fun stuff. Very fun stuff. Frankly, if you liked the first game, you'll love this one. Just more of everything and a startling amount of depth. There were only a few places I got stuck on, most puzzles were very satisfying in a "well, if I want to be there I need to be moving at speed out of here and that means...ah ha!". The game adds a raft of new test chamber elements to manipulate. From exotic-energy tractor beams and light bridges to various flavors of gel. Some gels reduce friction, others are flubber, others make non-portal surfaces portal-able. During co-op games, our iron-clad policy was that you cannot splatter enough gel on the test chamber surfaces.

The writing is top-notch, the voice acting a treat between mind-burning puzzles, and a lot more of Aperture is revealed (I'm still waiting for the implied collision with Half-Life. Also, Half-Life 3, isn't it about time you go that done before you guys all die?).

Co-op mode is almost as good as the single-player game. Working out these puzzles with a friend is a real treat. With your quick recovery, you feel empowered to take foolhardy chances because even if it means your utter destruction, your buddy might spot the missing link and then off you go.

It's all good stuff. I really want to go back and replay with developer commentary on. Should be lots of great details.

later
Tom