Author Bio
Caley RoarkHome Town: Lancaster, PA
Sports: Football, Baseball
Games: NFL 2K5, MVP 05, NBA 2k series, Civilization
Teams: Phillies, Eagles, Sixers
OS Username: CPRoark
Tags: Live: Mr Rockit
Friday, October 21, 2011
11:18 AM - October 21, 2011. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Caley Roark
[url]
I suppose a Kinect wrestling game was inevitable, but I’m not sure anyone expected this. Hulk Hogan’s Main Event is an interesting experience, with some unique ideas and concepts. It simply boils down to another mini-game collection with extremely limited options and sub-par graphics.
Read More - Hulk Hogan's Main Event Review (360)
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
11:24 AM - October 12, 2011. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Caley Roark
If you’ve been playing MLB 11: The Show along with the real MLB Season, hopefully you’ve secured a spot in the playoffs. It doesn’t matter if you’ve mirrored real life successes, did what the Red Sox and Braves couldn’t or captained a long shot like the Orioles or Pirates, but most playoff-bound teams can increase their success by following a few of the following guidelines.
Pitching:
Shorten your Staff: Most real MLB teams shrink their rotation, especially in the early five game Divisional series. Try to use your top three starters as much as possible, especially if there is a big drop off between your ace(s) and the bottom of your rotation.
Read More - OS Guide to Winning in the Playoffs
Sunday, October 2, 2011
05:51 PM - October 2, 2011. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Caley Roark
How does MLB 11: The Show foresee the 2011 playoffs and World Series? I ran two simulations, one using the most recent "official" rosters, and another using a modified version of Knight's fantastic OSFM rosters.
Compared to the wild and memorable night of 162nd games, The Show sims the playoffs pretty mildly. Most of the Divisional Series are sweeps with little drama. The Championship Series get a little better, with upsets and a 7-game series.
It seems, though, that the excitement was saved for the World Series, which, if it really plays out like either scenario, would be an excellent sequel to 2001.
Read More - MLB '11: The Show Simulates the Playoffs (w/Knights Rosters)
Monday, September 26, 2011
11:55 AM - September 26, 2011. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Caley Roark
Since 2K acquired the MLB license a few years ago, the company has released a wide range of titles utilizing team names and player likenesses. Beyond the annual release of the MLB2K series, we’ve seen arcade baseball (The Bigs), Japanese imports (Power Pros) and minigame collections (MLB Superstars). However, none of these are nearly as strange as the recent release of Nicktoons MLB.
Read More - Nicktoons MLB Review
Friday, September 23, 2011
05:03 PM - September 23, 2011. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Caley Roark
The NBA 2K12 demo hit earlier this week and while the demo seems to be quite stripped down, our staff writers still have some thoughts on the game this year. While you can't always trust a demo, we're going to try to be your shining light through the storm -- read our thoughts after the jump.
Read More - NBA 2K12 Demo Roundtable
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
11:54 AM - September 21, 2011. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Caley Roark
Our own Kelvin Mak, Jayson Young, and Caley Roark check in today with their takes on the Pro Evolution Soccer 2012 Demo. Do they think the series has recaptured the magic of days long past? Find out after the jump.
Read More - Pro Evolution Soccer 2012 Demo Roundtable
Monday, September 19, 2011
11:36 AM - September 19, 2011. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Caley Roark
Our very own Caley Roark, Jayson Young, Kelvin Mak, and Dustin Toms check in today with their thoughts on the FIFA 12 Demo. Check out their thoughts and let us know yours!
Read More - FIFA 12 Demo Roundtable
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
11:15 AM - September 14, 2011. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Caley Roark
As I said earlier this week, NHL 12 is in a peculiar position. Its bevy of small, but meaningful, changes might slip past all but the most knowledgeable hockey fans, yet its major modes remain relatively untouched. Casual fans might appreciate the new additions like the Winter Classic, but the longtime users may find that the excellent gameplay is no longer enough to keep them interested.
Read More - NHL 12 Review (360/PS3)
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
05:33 PM - September 13, 2011. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Caley Roark
Caley Roark checks in today with his impressions of the NHL 12 'Be a GM' and 'Be a Pro' modes. Find out what he thinks about both as we march to our final NHL 12 Review coming to you soon!
Read More - NHL 12 Reviewer: Career/Dynasty Impressions
Saturday, September 10, 2011
02:27 PM - September 10, 2011. Posted by ChaseB. Written by Caley Roark
Today I’ll be detailing my impressions of the three new or significantly tweaked modes found in NHL 12. These enhanced or new modes are Hockey Ultimate Team, Be a Legend and the Winter Classic. In the future, I will be tackling the Be a GM mode, career mode and online features.
Read More - NHL 12 Reviewer: HUT, Be a Legend and Winter Classic Impressions
Thursday, September 8, 2011
01:45 PM - September 8, 2011. Posted by ChaseB. Written by Caley Roark
As I mentioned in yesterday’s initial impressions, the theme of the improvements in NHL 12 seems to be, literally, in the details. And, to be honest, the same could be said of last year’s version. In fact, I think I actually did say that a number of times in last year’s reviews.
But when you look at the whole NHL package, this is not really a bad thing. The NHL series has been a superb game for the past three-plus years. As some users have pointed out, there’s a tendency for companies to fix things that don’t need fixing, likely as a way to advertise bullet points on a box.
I don’t feel that’s the case with NHL 12. The changes are, again, small but meaningful. And nowhere in the game will they be more appreciated by the die-hard hockey fans than in the gameplay.
Read More - NHL 12 Reviewer: Gameplay Impressions
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
12:33 PM - September 7, 2011. Posted by ChaseB. Written by Caley Roark
Judging by my first 10 or so games, I think the NHL series is nearing some dangerous territory. I won’t say the series is about to plateau, as that sort of has a negative connotation. It’s just that, as the game continues to refine itself, the major changes will become harder to find if you're not a hardcore fan.
Some big changes are included this year, and readily apparent for those with an intimate knowledge of the game. Things like the new anticipation engine make for a much more fluid game, especially in transition; signature style and traits certainly put a focus on star players as they take the ice; new animations and stick-work for battles around the net give a tactical and physical feel to those exchanges, and puck physics continue to impress (it feels like flip dumps lead to all sorts of different outcomes, for example).
Yet as meaningful as these changes are to the hardcore hockey fan, the other additions --those likely added to attract the more casual fan -- don’t quite hit home. The new mode, Be a Legend, feels like a half-hearted attempt at bringing something brand new to the table. The Winter Classic is pretty enough, but it would probably be better if it was current rather than about "reliving the 2011 Classic." (To be fair, the NHL hasn't really solidified all the details yet, but people know it's going to be Rangers/Flyers.)
In some ways, this intro is a back-handed compliment. Sure, at the end of the day, there are not any groundbreaking improvements. That being said, NHL 12 is still a rock solid game. The small changes affect the game and the way you play it -- they just are not "game-changing."
Read More - NHL 12 Impressions
Friday, July 15, 2011
03:28 PM - July 15, 2011. Posted by ChaseB. Written by Caley Roark
NFL 2K5. MVP 05. NBA 2K11. These games have become synonymous with greatness on consoles. If you have not experienced a recent version of Out of the Park Baseball, you are missing a game that dwarfs these giants in terms of depth, options, realism and replayability. Each year, Out of the Park seems to add to its stellar gameplay, and OotP 12 is no different. In other words, it belongs on the aforementioned list of classic games.
Read More - Out of the Park Baseball 12 Review
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
04:50 PM - June 22, 2011. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Caley Roark
Baseball is one of the few sports with direct competition within our genre, and as with year's past (2010's version here) we have decided to do another grudge match to compare both of the top games for our national pastime. Our baseball reviewers for the past two years, Christian McLeod and Caley Roark, are joined by OS Staff Writer Dustin Toms to chime in on what they thought of each aspect of both games and which game is better overall. Check out their thoughts and let us know yours!!
Read More - MLB Grudge Match: The Show vs. MLB 2K
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
11:18 AM - June 21, 2011. Posted by RaychelSnr. Written by Caley Roark
Sports games progress like every other genre, and idea copying becomes a huge part of the development process. However, some ideas seem to get looked over by some development teams. Given the current state of the industry, what is the most important feature that has not yet made its way into most sports games?
Chris Sanner: The one thing all sports games need that none actually do involves dynamic player personalities.
Robert Kollars: There are a lot of features that should be absolutely standard in all sports games, but a complete editor tops the list for me.
Caley Roark: For me, the missing thing that frustrates me most is TV-style presentation, at least for major sports games.
Read More - OS Roundtable: What Feature Should be in Every Sports Game?
Working...