Choicest Games gets its own domain name

Choicest Games has now moved to http://www.choicestgames.com! Not sure what this will mean for the blog and there may be some technical issues to iron out, but according to Google, the process should be pretty seamless, except for one minor kink:

The only downside of the move is that unfortunately a lot of comments that were posted using Google+ have sadly been deleted (including my own)! Yes it does suck but I'll keep that in mind for the future.

You'll still be able to access Choicest Games with the old address (http://choicestgames.blogspot.com) so I believe in reality the www.choicestgames.com link works like a re-direct :).

Deus Ex: Sonic Augmentation Review

• Name: Deus Ex: Sonic Augmentation
• Label: OCRemix
• Composer(s): Various
• Number of Tracks: 8

It’s pretty rare to see a games developer promote an album containing VGM remixes but that’s exactly what happened recently with Eidos Montreal, developer of the most recent Deus Ex game, Human Revolution, promoting a free album in collaboration with OCRemix, one of the major VGM remix community websites. The album is a short one, containing only 8 tracks yet it has a remix based on every Deus Ex game in the series, with the original one taking the lion’s share.

Most of these tracks are quite good, all of them carry their own weight, but the real standouts are the ones performed by Jimmy Hinson and none other than the original composer himself, Alexander Brandon. I’ve already mentioned how awesome Siren Synapse is quite awhile ago now. It’s definitely my favourite Deus Ex remix – especially considering it’s remixing my favourite track from the game too (Hong Kong Streets aka The Synapse). Another entry that I've come to love is the new take on DuClare Chateau, Ma Cherie Nicolette. There are only subtle yet tasteful changes to this track but it's still pretty choice. It even has a rockin' guitar riff based on the Main Theme towards the end.

The surprise favourite for me though is Vig’s the God Machine. It starts off a bit weird, sounding like a skipping CD but it eventually goes into a nostalgia trip of awesomeness, with NYC Streets, UNATCO, DuClare Chateau and UNATCO Return: Enemy Within all making funky appearances.

The only criticisms I’d make is that there is so much more source material to base remixes on - not only from Invisible War and Human Revolution (that only get one entry each) but from the original Deus Ex. Also, while there are two remixes on the UNATCO theme, both are simply "good" to me, but not fantastic. I probably would’ve preferred a more subtle take on the theme instead of the re-inventions that occur in both.

Score - 8/10

A short but sweet nostalgia trip for the Deus Ex fans. Alexander Brandon even gets in on some of the remix action and best of all it’s free.

If you wish to download this remix album you can do so via OCRemix.

Which Battlefield game is the best?

The Battlefield 4 thread on the Whirlpool forums has become a battlefield in itself with several debating on which direction the Battlefield series should head with its next game (scheduled for release at the end of this year). So far I've managed to identify a few types, and this (lengthy) forum post helps to identify these generalisations (and also provide additional background):

1. Battlefield veterans – those who started playing the Battlefield series pre-Bad Company (EA's first console-only Battlefield release and a turning point for the series – BF2: Modern Combat doesn't count ;)) and who keep regaling stories of the old days. They often whinge about how the game is becoming more like COD and thinks DICE/EA was crazy to remove Commander Mode
2. Battlefield newcomers – these are the ones who started playing Battlefield after Bad Company 2. They tend to appreciate the squad and class-based gameplay that the series brings along with the vehicles, but they've never experienced the strategy and meta-game evident in earlier releases. Some are disenfranchised COD players who didn't like the direction the most recent COD games took and have found a new home with the Battlefield series. Often think the old codgers that ask for retired features, such as Commander Mode, are lunatics as it looks boring and it's prone to abuse.
3. Fatalists – Those who believe it's just fate that Battlefield is becoming something that none of the fans want, because DICE/EA are in it to make money and that no matter what the fans say, ultimately doesn't matter. They believe that 98% of the Battlefield population are only playing it for the flashy single-player campaign anyway.
4. The rest – those who don't fit into these stereotypes

It was a comment by one of the "fatalists" on the forum that got me thinking – is it true that Battlefield veterans account for less than 1% of the population? Is it true that most people play Battlefield for the single-player rather than the multi-player?

I've created a basic SurveyMonkey survey asking what is everyone's favourite Battlefield game. Since I only have a basic account it'll only capture the first 100 responses so it's definitely not an exhaustive study, just something for a bit of fun.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/PFLS3GQ

This survey won't really answer the questions I'm looking for – only DICE or EA perhaps could answer that question. However I thought it'd be an interesting exercise regardless to see what a sample set of fans thought.

So what do you think? Which Battlefield game is your favourite and why?