An Unofficial Gears of War Blog

User Info for Zoso Fan


Website: Gears of War Forums
Email: zosofan360@hotmail.com
XBOX Live Gamertag: Zoso Fan

Musician currently pursuing a career in the video game industry and loving SweetTea023



Warning: Broken 360 will result in loss of GTA4 saves!
By Zoso Fan
Posted on Tue May 13, 2008 at 11:59:14 PM EST

This is just a quick warning to everyone on the site. Earlier today, my xbox 360 elite broke.

So i put my 120gb hard drive into my other 360 (a pro unit) and i load up GTA4... only to find out ALL OF MY SAVES WERE GONE.

Apparently your saves don't stay on your hard drive.

Ouch.

Anyone have any suggestions?

Entry Link :: 9 Comments

GTA REVIEW ROUNDUP!
By Zoso Fan
Posted on Sun Apr 27, 2008 at 02:00:39 PM EST

Also check out the latest I CLAIM SHENANIGANS PODCAST below.

  • Teamxbox.com = 10/10 "I won't beat around the bush: Grand Theft Auto IV is the greatest game to come out for the Xbox 360 so far. I say that without reservation and without consideration for the planned downloadable content slated for later this year that will hopefully only add to its awesomeness"

  • IGN.com = 10/10 "GTA IV gives us characters and a world with a level of depth previously unseen in gaming and elevates its story from a mere shoot-em-up to an Oscar-caliber drama. Every facet of Rockstar's new masterpiece is worthy of applause. Without question, Grand Theft Auto IV is the best game since Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time." [Also, this is the first 10 they have given since 1999]

  • 1up.com = A+ "After clicking on a lawyer's webpage to set up a meeting, the reviewer got sidetracked surfing a MySpace parody site that had a banner ad for a blog-hosting service. Browsing the blogs revealed an entire history of posts from a disturbed individual who reveals himself to be the serial killer. Videogame worlds just don't get this deep"

  • Game Informer = 10/10 "I now know how film critics felt after screening "The Godfather." It's been days since Grand Theft Auto IV's credits rolled, yet I can't seem to construct a coherent thought without my mind wandering off into a daydream about the game. I just want to drop everything in my life so I can play it again. Experience it again. Live it again...Grand Theft Auto IV doesn't just raise the bar for the storied franchise; it completely changes the landscape of gaming."

  • IGN UK = 10/10 "Expectations were so high for Grand Theft Auto IV that one of the biggest surprises is that it's managed to meet them. That it's also gone on to confound these is truly a marvel, and the game's Liberty City is nothing less than one of the greatest videogame worlds yet conceived."

  • EuroGamer = 10/10 "Almost everything you do in Liberty City would be good enough to drive its own game, and the best parts would be good enough to outrun the competition, but the reason it works so well is that Rockstar has made a game that requires no patience to play. This, as much as its usual coherency and the best script in the series, is what makes GTA IV the best openworld game yet, and why it will take something miraculous to rob it of game of the year status."

  • GameSpy = 10/10 "The very nature of the American Dream is the central theme in Rockstar Games' Grand Theft Auto IV, a gaming masterpiece that is a picture-perfect snapshot of the underworld of today's big cities. This is not only the finest title of the generation thus far, it is one of the best games of all-time."

  • GameSpy = 10/10 "The very nature of the American Dream is the central theme in Rockstar Games' Grand Theft Auto IV, a gaming masterpiece that is a picture-perfect snapshot of the underworld of today's big cities. This is not only the finest title of the generation thus far, it is one of the best games of all-time."

  • Official Xbox Magazine UK = 10/10 "It's got a world you believe in, a cast you care about and a script stuffed with brilliant moments... Utterly stunning in every resepct. [May 2008, p.79]"
  • GameDaily = 10/10 "Grand Theft Auto IV lives up to its grand expectations by weaving a Hollywood-ready "American Dream" plotline with a finely-tuned game experience -- taking the tried-and-true GTA formula and plugging it into a living, breathing version of Liberty City."

  • Xbox World 360 Magazine UK = 98 /100 "Rockstar have surpassed themselves, delivering unquestionably the definitive GTA and perhaps the greatest videogame of all time. [June 2008]"

  • GameTrailers = 98 /100 "Grand Theft Auto IV is the sex, drugs, and rock and roll of video games. It's a little less brave and intimidating this time around, but it?s also the most refined and polished game in the franchises history. This kind of sheen is generally reserved for titles with a much smaller scope."

  • Computer and Video Games = 95 /100 "Coming back to our original conundrum, GTA IV has its flaws as a game, like the sometimes problematic auto-aim shooting or the massive difficulty jump when you get to the final ten missions. But as an all-round experience it's truly, hype aside, a standout experience of gaming in 2008."(Why so LOW?) lol. Shawn Elliott ftw.

    Keep adding them , and i will edit the front page post. It would be cool if you would include an example from the piece stating how badass the game is.

    Click "Read More" for the rest...

    Read More :: 17 Comments

    I CLAIM SHENANIGANS! (PODCAST) The Calm Before GTA4
    By Zoso Fan
    Posted on Sun Apr 27, 2008 at 06:01:01 AM EST

    Download the Podcast Here

    In just a few days, all the lucky gamers with enough dough to spare here at Gearheadsofwar.com will be putting their fresh copies of Grand Theft Auto 4 into their 360/PS3s and enjoying what is likely to be not only one of the best gaming experiences this year... but ever. To celebrate community manager Sweetea discusses the game with Machete and grymm, in what ends to be a pretty "meaty" discussion.

    Also in the podcast and just as entertaining, we start our new community segment in a big way with our own "Papi Blez" explaining how the site came to be, the future, and his childhood with brother Cliff. :) The latest news in gaming is also discussed and go ahead and jam along to the bunch of songs included in the podcast. Oh what a night indeed.

    Also, be sure to head over to 1up and check out their Video Review of GTA4! :)

    I will hopefully be able to make it to the next podcast. Had a cat emergency minutes before this recording. =/

    Love you all,

    Zoso

    Entry Link :: 15 Comments

    I Claim Shenanigans Podcast Fou... I Mean Three!
    By Zoso Fan
    Posted on Tue Apr 22, 2008 at 03:47:26 AM EST

    Well after hours of recording, editing and loving, the latest Podcast is finished! :)

    Available to Download Here

    And streaming soon... [to be updated]

    The file size is around 65MB so no reason to not download it. (PLUS YOU CAN LISTEN TO IT ON YOUR MP3 PLAYER)

    It was recorded right after the Halo 3 Legendary Map Pack was released so forgive us for not all jumping on the discussion.

    I also have some Guitar Playing in the middle section ("Blue Sky" by the Allman Brothers). It was recorded on old technology (ventrilo) so the quality isn't great... BUT IT'S ME! haha.

    We are all still new at this, but things are smoothing out and expect a podcast (almost) weekly given we all can get together.

    Inside this podcast:

    • Papi!
    • What we all are playing
    • COD4 and Halo 3 Map Pack discussions
    • Gaming News
    • Shenanigans
    • Sweety tells us about his military time

    Also, this is the first podcast you guys get to hear me. Technically i was there for the last one... but it got deleted. lol.

    We put A LOT of time and effort into these (believe it or not! lol) So please at least give it a download and try out our podcast. :)

    Anyway, hold on to your shocker glove and enjoy the podcast!

    RSS FEED COMING SOON! (Probably next Podcast!)

    Later Brothers! And shout out to ESUNS for keeping me company while editing this baby on "SKYPE". Everyone should go download it as it is the best way for all of us to communicate on PC/MAC/PHONE.

    Entry Link :: 24 Comments

    The Obligatory Super Bowl XLII Poll
    By Zoso Fan
    Posted on Sun Feb 03, 2008 at 04:08:38 AM EST

    Well, the day is here! The glorious time for men to get together,eat a bunch of good food and get drunk! I also hear there is a football game on that might be of interest for a few of us. :) This is bound to be a very "interesting" game, so i guess it's time for everyone to put their money down on who they think will come out victorious.

    So who are you guys hoping to see win? The Patriots of The Giants?

    I like to go for the underdog in most cases... but this is not one of them! I want to see a perfect season.

    Entry Link :: Vote in Poll :: 86 Comments

    Last Friday In Review (A Community Effort)
    By Zoso Fan
    Posted on Sun Jan 27, 2008 at 06:14:19 AM EST

    Because Papi was off with the lady enjoying some quiet time in the ever so beautiful wine country, i offered to take the job for posting a recap post. Well as some of you may have seen in the diary I posted, xbox live decided it hated me and no fun was awarded to me due to DNS error./ Long story short, after HOURS of complex tweaking of settings it started working again randomly when i just did an auto-test for connection while getting ready for bed. Luckily it worked so i got to get my FFF in until 2:30am with Blank, JohnE, and Obijuan after playing a few rounds of GEARS.

    But this left me with a problem... I MISSED THE MAJORITY OF AWESOMENESS THAT IS FFF! So i need everyone who got to be a part of it to post their best stories, and general funtime rambles!

    Entry Link :: 33 Comments

    I Love Crysis (and why you should too)
    By Zoso Fan
    Posted on Mon Nov 12, 2007 at 04:15:26 AM EST

    Before i begin my self admitting manlove ramble about Crysis, let me state a few things. Yes, i know Crysis is a VERY hardware demanding game and Yes, i know most of us gearheads won't be playing it until it is most definitely released as a port or brought to life from another team's perspective. But just because a lot of people cannot experience the game now, doesn't mean it wont impact their gaming in the coming years.

    Needless to say, Crysis is going to influence the way game's are designed. The layout is unbelievably immersing and on a massive scale. You literately feel like you are dropped on this island. The game gives me the sense that i got from Half life 2 all those years backs (a design formula most games use now). Crysis will influence games in the years to come.

    Let me break down the demo in terms of design. You sky dive onto the island, your landing place is controlled because something happens. (Any other free landing options as seen in Medal of Honor airborne are to be seen) After recovering from your fall you approach a beach from the water. The path you are to follow is linear but the use of rock head high give a good illusion and the LUSH environment in the distance keep a sense of scale (all of the island is rendered in real time, so there is no noticeable pop-in) After proceeding through the cave, there is a beach and lush jungle. Being wise men, you obviously have no choice but to go deep into the jungle instead of the open beach with endless ocean in eyesight. After making your way through the jungle (and getting introduced to some completely badass plot ideas) you reach a way out of the jungle and in front of you is nearly 9/10 the rest of the demo level all rendered in front of you. From this point on, it is do as you please, your commander gives your things to do (deactivate a transmitter, infiltrate a camp etc) But the way you do it is completely up to you.

    There are TONS of ways to approach a situation in Crysis. Your core features are; Super Strength (high jumps included), Speed, Armor, gun changes, and my favorite cloaking. The first big conflict your given is this. There is a building, a bit of farm land, and a lot of water in front of you. A lot of men are scattered around this area and the minute one spots you, everyone is out to kill you in the area. There are men patrolling in front of the buildings, a guy on the dock taking a piss, and two boats patrolling the water with heavy fire power to boot. How did i approach this situation? First, i turned on cloaking and went straight to a stray bogey in the first house. After killing him, my cover was blown and relied on super strength and fire power on the rest of the guys.

    Playing the demo (which i have done ALOT) the experience is always different, and things happen the way you would expect things to in real life. Which is what makes the game so damn immersing and fun.

    Now to the graphics. I won't ramble. The Crytek engine 2 is the most unbelievable engine in terms of realistic visuals and most importantly realistic interactions and physics with the environment. The game would still be the most impressive game visually if it featured none of the advanced physics, but they are the icing on the cake. I literately shot a single tree trunk into 20 different pieces, and every tree features this level of destructibility. The smaller pieces,  i could pick up and through at enemies, another layer of realism. If you can grab it in real life, most likely that object is grabable (so not a word) in Crysis. After plowing a building to rubble with super strength, i could pick up the piece of the building all individually.

    People complain about the hardware demands, but honestly i was surprised it ran so well on a current high end rig (8800 and duo or quad core). Very high settings (and "ultra settings unlocked") my rig runs at 30FPS+, which with the high end motion blur feels somewhere between 40-50 in other games. I am extremely pleased with Crytek in that a rig could actually run the game on high settings (but still this is without high AA or Kranked up resolution considerably higher than 720p)

    Basically, the point (if there actual is one :p) is that the game is more than just mindf***ing visuals. Gameplay, level design and physics/environment interactivity make this game the complete package of what i expect games to be in the next few years.

    I hate to rub this in the faces (maybe i love it?) of those without PCs nice enough to run the game at any decent setting, but i expect 360 games to play and be designed similar to this in the future.

    Back to the roller coaster ride that is COD4.

    Entry Link :: 12 Comments

    Blankman is the Best
    By Zoso Fan
    Posted on Sun Nov 11, 2007 at 02:28:09 AM EST

    From the minute i connected to my official first multiplayer match of COD4, the echoes of Blankman's glorious warcrys were sent through my headset bringing joy to my heart. Yes, from then i knew it would be another great Friday Night Fragfest. The first round i played was on the boat level at night (steller MP map btw) and i quickly got hold of the familiar feel of the beta. Without ramblin' i have to say, this is one SOLID online shooter. After some solid rounds messing with hardcore mode and checking out some maps, it wouldn't let me connect to the room... and then i got a disc unreadable error. Needless to say, i had to go out and get my xbox replaced today, so last night came to an immediate halt.

    Any one have other experiences to share? Be sure to check out StarborneRanger's diary post here: http://gearheadsofwar.com/story/2007/11/10/42719/800

    Click "Read More" for the rest...

    Read More :: 18 Comments

    Max Payne the movie actually coming!
    By Zoso Fan
    Posted on Fri Nov 09, 2007 at 06:01:00 PM EST

    I know this isn't usual front page material, but damn am i a huge Max Payne fan. The story was from start to finish very moving and badass, even in game form.

    The main role is to be played (hopefull and apparently) by Mark Wahlberg (ala Shooter, and The Departed fame). This movie has tons of potential imo, and i cannot wait to see more information as it is released. The makers of this game are also currently working on Alan Wake!

    http://news.teamxbox.com/xbox/15057/Mark-Wahlberg-Set-to-Star-in-Max-Payne/

    Watch the first part of the game here: http://youtube.com/watch?v=19GTKj3WMVo

    Entry Link :: 9 Comments

    Crysis in its full dx10 Glory
    By Zoso Fan
    Posted on Tue Oct 30, 2007 at 01:23:19 AM EST

    All settings on very high, the game is unbelievable. Every part of the world is destructible from fences, trees, to buildings. No damage physics are scripted (wood breaks where you shoot). Needless to say, this is THE game that shows the advancement into dx10 cards.

    http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j295/ZosoFan/Crysis18.jpg

    http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j295/ZosoFan/Crysis19.jpg

    http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j295/ZosoFan/Crysis20.jpg

    http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j295/ZosoFan/Crysis4.jpg

    http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j295/ZosoFan/Crysis3.jpg

    http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j295/ZosoFan/Crysis2.jpg

    http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j295/ZosoFan/Crysis5.jpg

    http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j295/ZosoFan/Crysis6.jpg

    http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j295/ZosoFan/Crysis7.jpg

    http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j295/ZosoFan/Crysis1.jpg

    All games should have ground textures like so = http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j295/ZosoFan/Crysis15.jpg

    http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j295/ZosoFan/Crysis14.jpg

    http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j295/ZosoFan/Crysis13.jpg

    http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j295/ZosoFan/Crysis12.jpg

    http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j295/ZosoFan/Crysis11.jpg

    http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j295/ZosoFan/Crysis10.jpg

    Done by my own nano fists! vvvv

    http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j295/ZosoFan/Crysis9.jpg

    http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j295/ZosoFan/Crysis8.jpg

    http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j295/ZosoFan/Crysis16.jpg

    http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j295/ZosoFan/Crysis17.jpg

    Back to guitar hero... i am on  "The Metal" i think...

    Entry Link :: 16 Comments

    My Take on Halo 3 (FFF Signups BELOW)
    By Zoso Fan
    Posted on Thu Oct 18, 2007 at 05:00:23 PM EST

    Open this to see my take on Halo 3 and be sure to sign up for FFF below! [Zoso]

    Click "Read More" for the rest...

    Read More :: 13 Comments

    Friday Night FragFest: October 5, 2007
    By Zoso Fan
    Posted on Thu Oct 04, 2007 at 02:57:13 PM EST

    As some of you may know, Papi will be gone for this weeks Friday Night Fragfest due to vacationing at his relatives place. I gotta say, last weeks FFF seemed a little weak to me since i wasn't there until the action ended earlier than usual. Well needless to say, I really want to get a big FFF going on with some Halo 3! We need our east coast hosts as usual, but we will probably end up making one big game with everyone later on. Sign up for FFF now! [EDIT: I might not be on until late again :/ Hopefully you are all still having a good time by the time i return! -Zoso]

    Entry Link :: 38 Comments

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