Available: PS3/Xbox 360
Game Type: 1-4 Player Action, 4 Player Online
From: Capcom
The original Lost Planet, a game I was fortunate to play on both 360 and PS3 when it was finally ported of course, was by all accounts a launch a game. Mind you, a launch game to is not just a game that was literally released at a console launch, but a game I remember long after the initial release date (in this case late 2006, i.e. The Xbox 360's launch) and one that becomes a staple in my mind in regards to that launch: Final Fantasy X, Super Mario Bros./Super Mario World/Mario 64. That being said, Lost Planet Extreme Condition was a game that stuck in my mind as the "next-gen" system rushed into our lives with breathtaking and groundbreaking visuals and sound, textures we had never seen before, and controls so refined that you suddenly forget about the chunk of plastic in your hands. So to get back to the point, the first Lost Planet fits all these notions and has stuck with me for the last four years, so much so that after two playthroughs on the 360 I purchased it for the PS3.
So after probably five total playthroughs (yes including that frustrating boss battle in the highest powered VS at the end... Still frustrated by that) I was absolutely blown away by the grandeur of the newest incarnation of this franchise. Anybody that played the first game will be right at home with the mechanics, although a few nice touches were added such as the ability to fire gained Thermal Energy at teammates with a low supply or at special crates that use the T-ENG as a key. Another new mechanic that I really enjoyed was the implementation of a manual use of the T-ENG to replenish the life meter; as you'll remember, in the first game if you had any T-ENG your life bar would be refilled automatically. In LP2, you need to hold the start button (yup, finally a game that doesn't think the start button means ONLY pause), which I feel added a nice degree of difficulty, or rather negated the simplicity of the first game. It must be said, though, that when you do die, you respawn at any activated Data Post of your choice, which becomes a total pain during a train level where only a couple Posts exist.
As far as the story goes, it's an odd mix of good and flat out terrible. Wayne makes no appearance, in this case the game cycles from faction to faction on each chapter. You'll play as Snow Pirates, Nevec Agents, another Pirate Faction from the desert, and a Jungle Faction. So like I said, the story comes off as disjointed and fragmented, but it also comes together in the end.
A new form of Akrid, the "Over Cat-G" shows up and could lead to a loss of new found thermal energy and thus usher in another Ice Age. Throughout this story, you will experience some of the largest battles I've ever seen. The only game that rivals this scope would be Resistance 2, however the enemies are not as large in R2, just the scope of battle. That aside, some of these Akrid are so astronomically, fantastically large, you will undoubtedly stare in awe before they rush after you for the kill and your thermal energy.
Silly, fragmented story aside, the action proves to be the core of the experience. Upgraded maneuverability in VSs allows for less frustrating use thereof, and the welcome addition of grenade types and the ability to detonate then with a well placed shot makes strategy more than run and gun. As in any great Capcom game, the graphics are smooth and colorful, not to mention flat out fantastic, but the dialog is equally ridiculous. In fact I once heard "sh*t! I'm gonna shoot the sh*t out of your sh*t!" Come on, that's stupid guys.
All in all, fun, beautiful, well playing game. All I can say is I can't wait to see how big the scope is expanded in LP3.
Graphics: Excellent, just excellent. The frame rate never waivers, baddies are larger than life, and the colorful environments pop off the screen. With so much action taking place at any given time it's a surprise jaggies don't pop up or textures get delayed. Well done Capcom.
Controls: Same as the original LP, but better. The 90 degree turn is still used, but additions like run are more than welcome.
Story: The weak link in a stellar game--it's utterly foolish. But seeing as the point is to go out and slay gigantic thermal beasts, who cares right? Unfortunately the score will suffer because of this problem.
Multiple Play: There is more than enough content to keep you going. Multiplayer has a ridiculous amount of content to unlock, such as the ?? boxes you get in the campaign that give you credits to purchase new guns, outfits and emotes (lame) to use in multiplayer. Furthermore, as you complete a chapter of each act you can replay it at any time, enhancing your ?? box collection and the credits thereof or to increase your B ranking to an S.
Total: 80, B-
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Just Cause 2: Just Cuz It's Fun
Available: PS3/Xbox 360
Game Type: 1 Player Action
From: Square Enix/Eidos Interactive
I find Just Cause a very apt name for the game in question, and it harkens back to when I was a bit younger. I remember reading previews and reviews for the original Just Cause on Xbox and seeing it available at my local retailer. I’ve been a Sony man since I first delved into Final Fantasy VII on Playstation, so I didn’t get a taste of the original game when it came out. Having only known what was in the magazines and their screenshots along with looking at the back of the case during my many perusals of numerous game sections, I always wondered to myself what the context of the title was. Was it just cause, as in the cause the hero fights for is justifiable? Or was it just cause (i.e. because), the slang-contraction of because, and whatever the protagonist did was purely for the thrills? As it turns out, both are true.
To be clear, I later got my hands on the Xbox original, and though it had some great concepts it wasn’t much fun. It had a lot of potential, but I could never get down the controls whether it was lack of skill on my part, poor choice in mapping, or otherwise. While I’m sure there are mega-nerds out there along with gamers with no ambition who don’t have to work for a living that would surely beat the pants off me in some titles, I think I have a pretty good grasp on what it takes to game. The point is, my take on the first game is that it threw the heat but had no control, and that’s not what takes a major leaguer.
Just Cause 2 expands on the gameplay, graphics, and playability, while keeping to the undercover spy trying to overthrow a corrupt and dangerous government from within premise. Players take the role of Rico Rodriguez, a member of the super secret spy group the Agency. Rico’s partner from the first Just Cause has been sent into the island nation of Panau, a Southeast Asian island, to stop the ruthless dictator Baby Panay. All the dictator basics are there: downtrodden citizens, military presence, and checkpoints on many of the numerous roads. Rico’s partner has gone dark, and having trained Rico everything he knows, who better to send?
This is all I’ll give you for story details, because not only is this summarized in the initial cut scene and corresponding helicopter ride towards Panau, but that’s essentially the entire experience. The charm of this game lies within the Agency’s Operative’s methods by which he goes down this revolution road.
Known for his “eccentric methods” as the game puts it, Rico is a master of the grappling hook/parachute combination. While it will take a bit of time to get used to, or at least it did for me, once you get the hang of it it’s a real blast. Swinging through jungles and urban jungles alike, essentially scaling sky scrapers with the ease of any superhero is quite a fun experience, and the ability to use the grappling hook for both travel and combat is a great idea. See two guards in sniper towers lining up the crosshairs on you? Snap a hook to one then plunge it into the other and watch them crash into each other in mid air. Only one soldier in the back of an ATV blasting you with a Gatling gun? Use the same method only attach the second end to a rock and watch him go crashing into it. Or just aim and pull—the force will knock out most of them hapless punks.
The idea of Chaos as a sort of benchmark for player development and game progression lives on to great merit. Scattered throughout the 40 square mile island of Panau is over 250 settlements ranging from small three-shack fishing villages to New York City-esque cities are objects with the Panauan Governments red circle and white star, signifying a target you want to destroy. Along with a plethora of destructible targets, each town has collectibles in the form of weapon parts, vehicle parts, or armor parts, all of which Rico uses to upgrade his armaments and such. As you collect and destroy, progress counters in the form of a percentage appear on the HUD to let you know how close you are to liberating the area. Not only does this free up valuable real estate for the many factions across Panau, it also builds your Chaos Meter which unlocks everything from missions to new purchasable upgrades.
To be honest I thought this idea was going to play out like a college dorm room session of Grand Theft Auto (you know—where you fight until you die and pass the paddle?), but it quickly became a test of my own wits. What started as a head on rush into a fortress where the bullets flew from my dual submachine guns with such pace that the baddies were overwhelmed, quickly evolved into a game of strategy. Do I drop a Rhino into the mix and blast the towers and gunners first? Do you run in guns blazing, drop some C4 then airjack the helicopter that arrives? These are just two of the ridiculously numerous amount of options at your disposal in Just Cause 2.
This is not to say the game is without its faults. I ran into several clipping issues that once or twice left me stuck in the top of a church or temple with no exit but a restart of the game. I also found little use for the vehicle upgrades themselves, mind you upgrading to get a certain vehicle was well worth it, but using parts for armor enhancements seemed to do little to supplement what was already there. I also felt like the amount of weapons didn’t run parallel with the immense size of the game map. I got lost in the destructive fun of Panau, and capped out the available weapon list quickly and very early, leading to a groan inducing amount of using the weapons that are effective. The graphics I’m mixed about, because the textures are a bit bland, but when you’re cruising around in a helicopter at maximum altitude the area looks fantastic. The frame rate also rarely drops and there are no loading screens during travel.
All in all, I had a great time playing Just Cause 2. I didn’t realize how much I enjoyed it until I opened the menu and noticed my Play Time was exceeding 40 hours. In other words, this was when I started get bored, and that’s kind of saying a lot. So grab your dual pistols and a machine gun, pack your ‘chute, cock the grappling gun, and swing through Panay’s window guns blazing. Or sneak in through the roof; because when you’re Rico Rodriguez, you can either fight for a just cause, or just ‘cause.
Graphics: As said, the textures up close are bland, but the water effect is fantastic and when Rico gets in the water his clothes look soaked almost as realistically as Uncharted 2’s graphics. There are some sharp edges but overall, and counting sheer size, they are pretty darn good.
Controls: They take some time to get used to (probably 2 ½ hours for me) and it’s really frustrating, but have some patience and it’ll pay off big.
Story: Bland and generic; but it’s really not the focus here.
Multiple Play: Like GTA but no penalty for getting killed and you’re mission is to kill police, and I have spent more time playing GTA like that then adhering to the story line.
Graphics: 21/25
Controls: 22/25
Story: 9/25
Multiple Play: 19/25
Total: 71/100, C
Game Type: 1 Player Action
From: Square Enix/Eidos Interactive
I find Just Cause a very apt name for the game in question, and it harkens back to when I was a bit younger. I remember reading previews and reviews for the original Just Cause on Xbox and seeing it available at my local retailer. I’ve been a Sony man since I first delved into Final Fantasy VII on Playstation, so I didn’t get a taste of the original game when it came out. Having only known what was in the magazines and their screenshots along with looking at the back of the case during my many perusals of numerous game sections, I always wondered to myself what the context of the title was. Was it just cause, as in the cause the hero fights for is justifiable? Or was it just cause (i.e. because), the slang-contraction of because, and whatever the protagonist did was purely for the thrills? As it turns out, both are true.
To be clear, I later got my hands on the Xbox original, and though it had some great concepts it wasn’t much fun. It had a lot of potential, but I could never get down the controls whether it was lack of skill on my part, poor choice in mapping, or otherwise. While I’m sure there are mega-nerds out there along with gamers with no ambition who don’t have to work for a living that would surely beat the pants off me in some titles, I think I have a pretty good grasp on what it takes to game. The point is, my take on the first game is that it threw the heat but had no control, and that’s not what takes a major leaguer.
Just Cause 2 expands on the gameplay, graphics, and playability, while keeping to the undercover spy trying to overthrow a corrupt and dangerous government from within premise. Players take the role of Rico Rodriguez, a member of the super secret spy group the Agency. Rico’s partner from the first Just Cause has been sent into the island nation of Panau, a Southeast Asian island, to stop the ruthless dictator Baby Panay. All the dictator basics are there: downtrodden citizens, military presence, and checkpoints on many of the numerous roads. Rico’s partner has gone dark, and having trained Rico everything he knows, who better to send?
This is all I’ll give you for story details, because not only is this summarized in the initial cut scene and corresponding helicopter ride towards Panau, but that’s essentially the entire experience. The charm of this game lies within the Agency’s Operative’s methods by which he goes down this revolution road.
Known for his “eccentric methods” as the game puts it, Rico is a master of the grappling hook/parachute combination. While it will take a bit of time to get used to, or at least it did for me, once you get the hang of it it’s a real blast. Swinging through jungles and urban jungles alike, essentially scaling sky scrapers with the ease of any superhero is quite a fun experience, and the ability to use the grappling hook for both travel and combat is a great idea. See two guards in sniper towers lining up the crosshairs on you? Snap a hook to one then plunge it into the other and watch them crash into each other in mid air. Only one soldier in the back of an ATV blasting you with a Gatling gun? Use the same method only attach the second end to a rock and watch him go crashing into it. Or just aim and pull—the force will knock out most of them hapless punks.
The idea of Chaos as a sort of benchmark for player development and game progression lives on to great merit. Scattered throughout the 40 square mile island of Panau is over 250 settlements ranging from small three-shack fishing villages to New York City-esque cities are objects with the Panauan Governments red circle and white star, signifying a target you want to destroy. Along with a plethora of destructible targets, each town has collectibles in the form of weapon parts, vehicle parts, or armor parts, all of which Rico uses to upgrade his armaments and such. As you collect and destroy, progress counters in the form of a percentage appear on the HUD to let you know how close you are to liberating the area. Not only does this free up valuable real estate for the many factions across Panau, it also builds your Chaos Meter which unlocks everything from missions to new purchasable upgrades.
To be honest I thought this idea was going to play out like a college dorm room session of Grand Theft Auto (you know—where you fight until you die and pass the paddle?), but it quickly became a test of my own wits. What started as a head on rush into a fortress where the bullets flew from my dual submachine guns with such pace that the baddies were overwhelmed, quickly evolved into a game of strategy. Do I drop a Rhino into the mix and blast the towers and gunners first? Do you run in guns blazing, drop some C4 then airjack the helicopter that arrives? These are just two of the ridiculously numerous amount of options at your disposal in Just Cause 2.
This is not to say the game is without its faults. I ran into several clipping issues that once or twice left me stuck in the top of a church or temple with no exit but a restart of the game. I also found little use for the vehicle upgrades themselves, mind you upgrading to get a certain vehicle was well worth it, but using parts for armor enhancements seemed to do little to supplement what was already there. I also felt like the amount of weapons didn’t run parallel with the immense size of the game map. I got lost in the destructive fun of Panau, and capped out the available weapon list quickly and very early, leading to a groan inducing amount of using the weapons that are effective. The graphics I’m mixed about, because the textures are a bit bland, but when you’re cruising around in a helicopter at maximum altitude the area looks fantastic. The frame rate also rarely drops and there are no loading screens during travel.
All in all, I had a great time playing Just Cause 2. I didn’t realize how much I enjoyed it until I opened the menu and noticed my Play Time was exceeding 40 hours. In other words, this was when I started get bored, and that’s kind of saying a lot. So grab your dual pistols and a machine gun, pack your ‘chute, cock the grappling gun, and swing through Panay’s window guns blazing. Or sneak in through the roof; because when you’re Rico Rodriguez, you can either fight for a just cause, or just ‘cause.
Graphics: As said, the textures up close are bland, but the water effect is fantastic and when Rico gets in the water his clothes look soaked almost as realistically as Uncharted 2’s graphics. There are some sharp edges but overall, and counting sheer size, they are pretty darn good.
Controls: They take some time to get used to (probably 2 ½ hours for me) and it’s really frustrating, but have some patience and it’ll pay off big.
Story: Bland and generic; but it’s really not the focus here.
Multiple Play: Like GTA but no penalty for getting killed and you’re mission is to kill police, and I have spent more time playing GTA like that then adhering to the story line.
Graphics: 21/25
Controls: 22/25
Story: 9/25
Multiple Play: 19/25
Total: 71/100, C
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