Available: PS3/Xbox 360
Game Type: 1 player Action/Survival Horror
From: EA Redwood Shores/EA Games
I have a close friend, perhaps my best friend, that loves horror movies; I mean loves them. He loves the gore, the overt sexuality of a guy stabbing a woman, and the suspense. I, on the other hand, despise so-called “horror” movies. For one, I find absolutely nothing scary about them (the ONLY exception was 28 Days Later, that was scary as hell), and it makes me angry when the obvious jumpy parts come up and the whole crowd watching screams. I think to myself “seriously? You didn’t see that coming?” I’m also not fond of horrific gore for two reasons: one, it’s fake, and two, completely fake. It just looks stupid. Have you ever seen an actual gunshot to the head online? It’s absolutely horrible, and bright red blood spattering the camera is usually not the case. Let it be said, though, that I don’t have a problem with gore on the video game level. I find the graphic nature of video games to lend a sense of realism to the game, providing it’s one I enjoy of course. That said, I can’t think of a game off hand that had the horror-movie violence in it that I dislike. Nonetheless, my basic disdain for horror movies is the sheer lack of horror, essentially making them a lie. To reiterate, 28 Days Later was the only movie I’ve ever seen that fit the title “horror,” as I was literally terrified of a crazy aggressive zombie outbreak starring British accents and bad British teeth.
I do, however, like survival horror games like the Resident Evil series. In fact, the first RE on PSone was the scariest game in my memory; when you walk into the room on the far right of that long-tabled dining hall within the first five minutes to see a zombie munching down on a dude-sandwich, I nearly crapped my pants, and like all of our fondest memories in gaming that moment will stick with me until my end.
I remember seeing Dead Space when it was a cover story on several gaming magazines, and thought it looked pretty good. The idea of a derelict spaceship with RE qualities and a tight third person shooter mechanic seemed too good to be true, but I promptly preordered the game nevertheless. What was in store was the scariest damn thing ever invented by humanity, bar none.
Dead Space begins with a distress call from a woman to Isaac, the main character, apologizing for some unknown act of treachery and begging to be saved. As the camera pans away from this call, we see it’s on a high tech display panel jutting out from Isaac’s sternum as a piece of his ramshackle spacesuit. Within these first couple minutes of introduction to the universe, I fell in love with the design; it looks like nothing I’ve ever seen in a gritty, high tech, sci-fi setting. It’s not uber-sleek, the wearer isn’t a jacked up steroid-junkie, it’s just some guy in a spacesuit, something that looks like it could be built with our technology.
So as the camera pans back, we see Isaac is on board with four other people: a science officer, a gun-for-hire with his two backup pals, and you, Isaac Clark, a spaceship engineer. That’s right; not a Master soldier, not an everyman, a lowly ship engineer. In the distant future in which the game is set, giant ships called Planet Crackers are sent to planets rich in elements of which the Earth is in dire need. As the blinding sun is eclipsed by the ship Isaac is riding in, we see the USG Ishimura, the largest Planet Cracker of its class which had gone dark weeks before. Nobody has contacted the Earth and nobody on Earth has been able to make contact: 1,000 workers aboard the Ishimura means there’s a problem. To figure the situation out, this five-person team was assembled with the intention of jumping on the ship, finding out the problem, and, given the necessity, sent to repair the ship. As we approach, things do not seem okay.
As the gravity tether integrates with the Ishimura, a problem occurs: we’re coming in way too fast. The group crashes in the landing bay, safe and sound (for now), and they depart. Upon entering the first room, blood smears the walls, and a quarantine-state is in effect. The group asks Isaac to check the data display in the next room, and then things take a turn for the worst.
The doors to the room Isaac is in slam shut, sirens and red lights begin to blare, and grotesque zombie-like creatures with multiple limbs and leper-looking bodies start dropping in. Your security guard and the science officer high tail it out of there by the skin of their teeth, just in time for a Necromorph to drop in on Isaac out of nowhere. This is the first time I screamed at anything in my life out of sheer terror.
And that’s Dead Space: from beginning to end, you never feel safe. The game controls remarkably well, but you never, ever feel safe. I found myself looking in all directions seemingly every step of the way. The gunplay is fantastic, with great controls and a superb over-the-shoulder view akin to Metal Gear Solid 4. Speaking of weapons, these are some of the most fun I’ve had with guns in a game. The first weapon you receive is an ore-cutting device that shoots high velocity electromagnetic blades and is capable of rotating from a y axis to an x axis. This becomes greatly important when you learn the only way to effectively take down the Necromorph and conserve ammunition is to shoot the limbs off, not the head like in every other game known to man. I found this a challenge of sorts, especially in the early hours of the game, because we all know our minds tell us go for the head; on more than one occasion I had a headless Necromorph just get more angry for having his removed, not to mention just as bloodthirsty.
Upon the games release, I heard some complaints about the lack of movement we see in Isaac, but I found it both satisfying and essential to the gameplay. He is a little more stiff then some third person shooters, but it worked well with the tense design of the game. And again, the aiming was top notch, allowing for intricate shots to the numerous beasts different week points.
In Dead Space, you’ll never have an ample supply of ammo, either, and for two big reasons. For one, early on ammo is just simply sparse. Later on, however, you’ll start to accumulate ammo and have the choice of selling extra clips for space in your inventory and for extra cash, cash with which you can upgrade your armor, buy new weapons, or buy expensive power nodes for upgrading the equipment you already own. The mix of limited inventory, limited ammo, and deadly creatures was perfectly crafted by the folks at EA Redwood shores, and I feel more games need too use this mentality, specifically with your weaponry. You can only play so many games where you have 15 different weapons or two fully loaded before it gets old. This method was a refreshing way to play a game.
To get back to the horror aspect, I’ll reiterate and say I’ve never seen any medium convey such a sense of dread. Superior use of lighting effects that cause for dark and decrepit looking hallways of a dark ship mixed with unbelievable sound effects made for some sheer nervous walking-around. Isaac can run, but you won’t be running much until you’re on your second playthrough (which you get to do with all your accrued weaponry, money, and armor, totally changing the game). You’ll be walking, because at any moment a Necro will pop out of just about anywhere, possibly in droves. After you hear the same squeak ten times you resolve that it’s benign, only to turn around to pick up a health container and see your life flash in front of your eyes. My Mother’s boyfriend stopped by my house one day and laughed at me after waiting down stairs for ten minutes, rolling on the floor as he heard girlish screams emanating from my room. I don’t mind telling you this, because not only is this the point of Dead Space, but it’s a testament to the games credibility in the horror genre.
There’s about 6 or 7 weapons available to purchase, only 4 of which you can take with you, but you’ll want to severely judge their worth because all that armament causes more ammo to be available, more variety that is, and that fills up your inventory pretty quickly. Another fabulous technique used in this game was the lack of a HUD. Health is conveyed through the back of your suit, running along your spine in a bright turquoise color, and ammo is displayed via a similar method as the screen on Isaac’s chest, almost as a hologram. Inventory is displayed through this chest piece as well, and it’s a seamless transition; at any moment while maneuvering through the map, menu, etc. you could be attacked by ruthless means.
Zero Gravity jumping-around, crazy action, and scares that make the most horrific movie look like Sesame Street are all around every corner of this tense action thriller. Be sure to go out and play this game if you haven’t over the past two years, because with the second coming up you’re going to want to get your feet wet as not to become a Necromorph. So grab your cutter, watch your back, and get out there and shoot some baddies. Who knows? You just might save your lady friend, though I seriously doubt it (hint).
Graphics: Absolutely stunning. I recently started another playthrough due to the good-game lull of late, and on a brand new Sony HD in 1080p at 240 Hz, this game looks better than most and it’s two years old.
Controls: The perfect mix of awesome and tank-like. They aren’t like early RE incantations, but there’s that feeling that you don’t have the maneuverability you need to escape these foes while at the same time being totally in control.
Story: Edge-of-your-seat gripping story. Every time you find out a new bit of information you’re a little closer to unraveling the mysteries of the darkened Ishimura and your girlfriend.
Multiple Play: I’ve already played through four times and having started a fifth I decided to review it finally. With bonuses like the ability to keep all your items, upgraded weapons and armor, and even a sixth armor upgrade not available in the first playthrough, there is more than enough here to keep you busy for a couple playthroughs. Not only this, but once you have all these upgrades and great gear, you feel less terrified and more like a Necromorph slayer, which totally changes the rules.
Total: 96, A
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Peripheral Review: Kontrol Freaks’ FPS Freak Sticks
Available: PS3/PS2/Xbox 360/Xbox
Peripheral Type: Controller Supplement
From: Kontrol Freak
In a late 2007 issue of Game Informer, I saw in the Gear section an advertisement for something called Kontrol Freaks controller sticks, available for racing games and shooters. The idea behind them, says Game Informer Magazine, was to improve reaction time and precision with respect to the aforementioned genres. The FPS freak sticks caught my attention, as your typical 20-something hardcore gamer in love with shooters, and I read more about them. Game Informer made a totally boneheaded remark regarding Kontrol Freaks claims that “the 50% increase in length of the FPS freak sticks allows for 50% more precision when aiming,” which Game Informer preceded with “we cannot back up that claim.” Forgive me Game Informer, I know by reading your reviews and more importantly your responses to the readers who write in that you are the end all-be all of gaming journalism, and therefore anything anyone has to say that isn’t to your liking, be it a customer paying for your livelihood or otherwise, is dead wrong. Well try this on for size: I went to college as physics major. Granted I switched majors, but along the tumultuously mathematical ride that was that original major I learned a great deal of equation intricacies. One of those theories, not even of the college level, is centripetal velocity. The theorem of centripetal velocity states, in laymen’s terms, for every millimeter of growth to a circumference (in this case the x or y axis of an analog stick), the speed increases and the variation of circular degrees increases. When applied to the analog sticks, yes, Kontrol Freaks makes an accurate claim. By increasing the distance from the base of the stick to the platform on which your thumb rests, every degree of motion is exaggerated and thus you are more accurate (assuming of course you have enough control to maneuver the increased sensitivity derived from this example).
That being said, I strongly suggest these peripherals to any gamer, regardless of their preference to shooters or skill thereof. One area in which Kontrol Freak messed up their marketing campaign is placing them in front of the shooter crowd, because I use these bad boys in just about everything—racing included, although I don’t play many racers—and they just enhance your precision like nothing I’ve tried before.
The idea, as stated above, is both simple and complicated. Complicated has been established through my physics rant, but I also pointed to the simplicity: it boils down to length equals precision. Where Kontrol Freaks have made the most ideal decision is in the length of these sticks. At first, they feel awkward and way too long. It was hard for me to accommodate the new length of my analog sticks (as a Playstation fan I’ve essentially been using the same controller since the original Dual Shock was released, something a Playstation fan like myself is more than happy about), as I had a hard time getting my thumbs to move from stick to face buttons with ease. I was just about to call the meager $10 investment a small waste, when I turned the FPS Freak package over: “Note to Gamers: Give the sticks at least four hours of your time before asking us for a refund.” Simple statement, seemingly honest; okay, I’ll play another 2 hours before calling it a loss.
That was the right choice. After another hour and a half, I felt like I’d never played a first person shooter before, openly mocking myself as a hack two hours prior. The amount of precision in already precise games like COD: Modern Warfare and the like are unbelievable. COD already had an excellent grasp on the x/y axis and subtle movements therein, but this just enhances it; suddenly I was hitting 8 out of 10 baddies in the head with the utmost of ease, specifically on the flashback level where you play a young Captain Price and engage the now infamous mile-long sniper rifle attack. That level, though doable with little real frustration, now became an exercise in absolute precision, making me feel more than able to get away with little hassle. Kontrol Freaks made an excellent and critical choice here, because shorter would have obviously reduced the precision and longer would have made it too difficult to move from stick to face button.
As far as the Racing sticks go, I cannot comment exactly, but if the junior physicists at Kontrol Freak know half of what they’re doing in this respect as they did for the FPS sticks, you racing fans out there should be in for a real treat. Instead of lengthening the analog sticks, they are just U-shaped so your thumbs fit inside and you can move left or right without the normal pressing down and left and right (I’m not really certain how to explain it more clearly having never used them). In terms of my original rant, it makes sense that it would work as claimed.
To digress, go out and buy yourself some FPS Freak Sticks from Kontrol Freaks. They are around $10 a pair, and as a Playstation fanboy, I was even more surprised to find the indented-textured thumb pad found on the Xbox 360, one of the redeeming qualities of their game pad in my mind. In no time flat, you’ll be blowing heads apart with double the finesse of a previous frag session.
Usability: As stated, after the four hour package recommendation, all roads led to headshots (it only took me about half the time, too). And once you get used to the extensions, the only problem involves gaming with a friends controller and being perplexed as to how you were ever able to function without them.
Controls: Superior in just about every way. Again, there was a brief two-hour period where I would spin to the right as I tried to hit a face button or strafe to the left while planning on hitting a d-pad button, but after a little while it seems normal again.
Total: 98, A+
Peripheral Type: Controller Supplement
From: Kontrol Freak
In a late 2007 issue of Game Informer, I saw in the Gear section an advertisement for something called Kontrol Freaks controller sticks, available for racing games and shooters. The idea behind them, says Game Informer Magazine, was to improve reaction time and precision with respect to the aforementioned genres. The FPS freak sticks caught my attention, as your typical 20-something hardcore gamer in love with shooters, and I read more about them. Game Informer made a totally boneheaded remark regarding Kontrol Freaks claims that “the 50% increase in length of the FPS freak sticks allows for 50% more precision when aiming,” which Game Informer preceded with “we cannot back up that claim.” Forgive me Game Informer, I know by reading your reviews and more importantly your responses to the readers who write in that you are the end all-be all of gaming journalism, and therefore anything anyone has to say that isn’t to your liking, be it a customer paying for your livelihood or otherwise, is dead wrong. Well try this on for size: I went to college as physics major. Granted I switched majors, but along the tumultuously mathematical ride that was that original major I learned a great deal of equation intricacies. One of those theories, not even of the college level, is centripetal velocity. The theorem of centripetal velocity states, in laymen’s terms, for every millimeter of growth to a circumference (in this case the x or y axis of an analog stick), the speed increases and the variation of circular degrees increases. When applied to the analog sticks, yes, Kontrol Freaks makes an accurate claim. By increasing the distance from the base of the stick to the platform on which your thumb rests, every degree of motion is exaggerated and thus you are more accurate (assuming of course you have enough control to maneuver the increased sensitivity derived from this example).
That being said, I strongly suggest these peripherals to any gamer, regardless of their preference to shooters or skill thereof. One area in which Kontrol Freak messed up their marketing campaign is placing them in front of the shooter crowd, because I use these bad boys in just about everything—racing included, although I don’t play many racers—and they just enhance your precision like nothing I’ve tried before.
The idea, as stated above, is both simple and complicated. Complicated has been established through my physics rant, but I also pointed to the simplicity: it boils down to length equals precision. Where Kontrol Freaks have made the most ideal decision is in the length of these sticks. At first, they feel awkward and way too long. It was hard for me to accommodate the new length of my analog sticks (as a Playstation fan I’ve essentially been using the same controller since the original Dual Shock was released, something a Playstation fan like myself is more than happy about), as I had a hard time getting my thumbs to move from stick to face buttons with ease. I was just about to call the meager $10 investment a small waste, when I turned the FPS Freak package over: “Note to Gamers: Give the sticks at least four hours of your time before asking us for a refund.” Simple statement, seemingly honest; okay, I’ll play another 2 hours before calling it a loss.
That was the right choice. After another hour and a half, I felt like I’d never played a first person shooter before, openly mocking myself as a hack two hours prior. The amount of precision in already precise games like COD: Modern Warfare and the like are unbelievable. COD already had an excellent grasp on the x/y axis and subtle movements therein, but this just enhances it; suddenly I was hitting 8 out of 10 baddies in the head with the utmost of ease, specifically on the flashback level where you play a young Captain Price and engage the now infamous mile-long sniper rifle attack. That level, though doable with little real frustration, now became an exercise in absolute precision, making me feel more than able to get away with little hassle. Kontrol Freaks made an excellent and critical choice here, because shorter would have obviously reduced the precision and longer would have made it too difficult to move from stick to face button.
As far as the Racing sticks go, I cannot comment exactly, but if the junior physicists at Kontrol Freak know half of what they’re doing in this respect as they did for the FPS sticks, you racing fans out there should be in for a real treat. Instead of lengthening the analog sticks, they are just U-shaped so your thumbs fit inside and you can move left or right without the normal pressing down and left and right (I’m not really certain how to explain it more clearly having never used them). In terms of my original rant, it makes sense that it would work as claimed.
To digress, go out and buy yourself some FPS Freak Sticks from Kontrol Freaks. They are around $10 a pair, and as a Playstation fanboy, I was even more surprised to find the indented-textured thumb pad found on the Xbox 360, one of the redeeming qualities of their game pad in my mind. In no time flat, you’ll be blowing heads apart with double the finesse of a previous frag session.
Usability: As stated, after the four hour package recommendation, all roads led to headshots (it only took me about half the time, too). And once you get used to the extensions, the only problem involves gaming with a friends controller and being perplexed as to how you were ever able to function without them.
Controls: Superior in just about every way. Again, there was a brief two-hour period where I would spin to the right as I tried to hit a face button or strafe to the left while planning on hitting a d-pad button, but after a little while it seems normal again.
Total: 98, A+
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Rogue Warrior: Dick Is His Name For a Reason
Available: PS3, Xbox 360
Game Type: 1 Player Shooter
From: Rebellion/Sega
It's interesting that Rogue Warrior advertised the fact that Dick Mercenko voiced the man character Dick in Rogue Warrior. However, I'll get back to that in a moment. The idea behind this lackluster performance is a covert operative trying to make a difference behind enemy lines during the height of the Cold War. Our lead character, we'll call him Soldier Dick, is just that: a soldier with an attitude.
That's where my description of this game ends, as nothing more needs to be stated. It's hard to even classify this as a first person shooter, because the gunplay is worse than Medal of Honor's first PSOne iteration would be today. A highlight of the game was supposed to be "gruesome close quarters kills," but this equates to pressing square when you're near a soldier, at which time Dick says the most stupid phrases like "I guess you're a lady, cuz I just f****d you" or some other comment about the hapless Russian soldiers' testicles. Is this funny? Maybe I'm too old to be playing games like this, but I don't remember thinking gay-bashing humor was the height of hilarity even as a youth.
The FPS play is just atrociously broken, somewhere between god-awful and disgusting. Mercenko throws grenades 500 yards, which is stupid, and you're weapon is always full of ammo, leading to nothing but an itchy trigger finger.
That's it! That's all that needs to be said about this game, because if I waste another ten minutes spelling out the disaster that is Rogue Warrior, you deserve to get duped just like I did. Thank god I rented this trash heap, and even so I felt robbed. If you want this kind of painful experience, try playing bloody knuckles with a cheese grater and I guarantee you'll have a more enjoyable time.
Graphics: Trash--period.
Controls: Are they?
Story: Played out when it makes sense, stupid otherwise.
Multiple Play: Do I need to say it...
Total: 4, F
Game Type: 1 Player Shooter
From: Rebellion/Sega
It's interesting that Rogue Warrior advertised the fact that Dick Mercenko voiced the man character Dick in Rogue Warrior. However, I'll get back to that in a moment. The idea behind this lackluster performance is a covert operative trying to make a difference behind enemy lines during the height of the Cold War. Our lead character, we'll call him Soldier Dick, is just that: a soldier with an attitude.
That's where my description of this game ends, as nothing more needs to be stated. It's hard to even classify this as a first person shooter, because the gunplay is worse than Medal of Honor's first PSOne iteration would be today. A highlight of the game was supposed to be "gruesome close quarters kills," but this equates to pressing square when you're near a soldier, at which time Dick says the most stupid phrases like "I guess you're a lady, cuz I just f****d you" or some other comment about the hapless Russian soldiers' testicles. Is this funny? Maybe I'm too old to be playing games like this, but I don't remember thinking gay-bashing humor was the height of hilarity even as a youth.
The FPS play is just atrociously broken, somewhere between god-awful and disgusting. Mercenko throws grenades 500 yards, which is stupid, and you're weapon is always full of ammo, leading to nothing but an itchy trigger finger.
That's it! That's all that needs to be said about this game, because if I waste another ten minutes spelling out the disaster that is Rogue Warrior, you deserve to get duped just like I did. Thank god I rented this trash heap, and even so I felt robbed. If you want this kind of painful experience, try playing bloody knuckles with a cheese grater and I guarantee you'll have a more enjoyable time.
Graphics: Trash--period.
Controls: Are they?
Story: Played out when it makes sense, stupid otherwise.
Multiple Play: Do I need to say it...
Total: 4, F
Wet: Giving Lady-leads a Bad Name
Game Type: 1 Player Action
Available: PS3, Xbox 360
From: Artificial Mind and Movement/Bethesda Softworks
Okay friends, here’s a nice short one. Wet follows the antics of Ruby, a supposedly highly trained assassin as she embarks on a revenge quest for some reason that never gets fleshed out. She’s a sexy, slender lady with acrobatic prowess and skill with both swords and dual weapons. It’s nothing for her to take out 100 enemies in a room and not get hurt a bit. Or at least, that’s how things would have played out had they worked properly.
Let me continue by posing a question: is this REALLY the same company that gave us Fallout 3? How does a game that took me almost 100 hours to complete with intricate textures being produced all the way put out this kind of game? It’s downright unfair is what it is. When I see the Bethesda Softworks tag, I expect quality, not quantity, and as anyone with a small statistical knowledge will tell you, that’s not the way to do things.
So here we are, introduced to Ruby, who is supposed to be an unstoppable killer, but comes off more like a trapeze artist at Cirque-du-Soleil. There are two ways to tackle this game: run and gun, or twirl and shoot, the latter of which sets Ruby into a blood mode where everything turns a shade of red and slow motion ensues. In order to initiate this slow motion, you need to jump through the air, spin around constantly, use the various poles that every town seems to have jutting off every building like parallel bars, or roll around on the ground. Whether in blood mode or not, you have access to a sword for melee attacks and duel pistols or sawed off shotguns to decimate your foes. Sounds like a good idea right? Well in theory, it’s not very fun at all.
You see, as soon as your acrobatic stunts stop, so does the slow motion. From here, it’s nothing but a sub-par third person shooter. Furthermore, the stunts get old fast; I didn’t feel like playing after a couple hours, and cursed the impulse buy on top of my dislike for the game. None of the mechanics, acrobatics included, have been fleshed out very much, nor has the story. In fact the first three levels have you chasing the same villain, and the rendition of Viva Las Vegas in a rock-harmony gets old after the first 30 second run-through.
Melee combat is lame as can be, using just the square button to attack. You can upgrade all these qualities, but the upgrades do little to enhance the game play. And to add one more bit of craziness, you can run around collecting monkeys that play tambourines (you remember the little wind up toys) for… well I never figured out why, that’s the stupid part. At one point Ruby was riding on the top of cars down the highway chasing after the aforementioned three-level-long bad guy, and every time you jump blood mode ensues. In fact, if I remember correctly, every time you jump period the slow motion ensues. It’s just stupid, flat out stupid. To finish, what sounds like an exhilarating car chase turns into an exercise of your patience, as the cars swerve back and forth and the only way to aim properly is to jump a whole lot.
I really cannot recommend this game to anyone. With so much excellent content out there, it’s hard to believe this game could be released. If you’re read my Matt Hazard review, this game falls into the same category, that being the “should have been cancelled” genre. With games like Fallout 3 in Bethesda’s catalog, I wouldn’t be least bit surprised to meet someone from their studio and have them never admit the existence of this piece of trash.
Graphics: Nothing spectacular or even a shade thereof. This game falls somewhere between bland and trying.
Controls: They work fine in terms of controlling the character, but you never feel like you’re controlling the game around you.
Story: Pure joke-like trash. I’m all for powerful women, but Lara Croft set the standard, and even her more recent outings that didn’t fare too well blow this goofball away.
Multiple Play: I’ll stick by my standard “if you can play it once I’ll be surprised” rating here.
Total: 32, F
Available: PS3, Xbox 360
From: Artificial Mind and Movement/Bethesda Softworks
Okay friends, here’s a nice short one. Wet follows the antics of Ruby, a supposedly highly trained assassin as she embarks on a revenge quest for some reason that never gets fleshed out. She’s a sexy, slender lady with acrobatic prowess and skill with both swords and dual weapons. It’s nothing for her to take out 100 enemies in a room and not get hurt a bit. Or at least, that’s how things would have played out had they worked properly.
Let me continue by posing a question: is this REALLY the same company that gave us Fallout 3? How does a game that took me almost 100 hours to complete with intricate textures being produced all the way put out this kind of game? It’s downright unfair is what it is. When I see the Bethesda Softworks tag, I expect quality, not quantity, and as anyone with a small statistical knowledge will tell you, that’s not the way to do things.
So here we are, introduced to Ruby, who is supposed to be an unstoppable killer, but comes off more like a trapeze artist at Cirque-du-Soleil. There are two ways to tackle this game: run and gun, or twirl and shoot, the latter of which sets Ruby into a blood mode where everything turns a shade of red and slow motion ensues. In order to initiate this slow motion, you need to jump through the air, spin around constantly, use the various poles that every town seems to have jutting off every building like parallel bars, or roll around on the ground. Whether in blood mode or not, you have access to a sword for melee attacks and duel pistols or sawed off shotguns to decimate your foes. Sounds like a good idea right? Well in theory, it’s not very fun at all.
You see, as soon as your acrobatic stunts stop, so does the slow motion. From here, it’s nothing but a sub-par third person shooter. Furthermore, the stunts get old fast; I didn’t feel like playing after a couple hours, and cursed the impulse buy on top of my dislike for the game. None of the mechanics, acrobatics included, have been fleshed out very much, nor has the story. In fact the first three levels have you chasing the same villain, and the rendition of Viva Las Vegas in a rock-harmony gets old after the first 30 second run-through.
Melee combat is lame as can be, using just the square button to attack. You can upgrade all these qualities, but the upgrades do little to enhance the game play. And to add one more bit of craziness, you can run around collecting monkeys that play tambourines (you remember the little wind up toys) for… well I never figured out why, that’s the stupid part. At one point Ruby was riding on the top of cars down the highway chasing after the aforementioned three-level-long bad guy, and every time you jump blood mode ensues. In fact, if I remember correctly, every time you jump period the slow motion ensues. It’s just stupid, flat out stupid. To finish, what sounds like an exhilarating car chase turns into an exercise of your patience, as the cars swerve back and forth and the only way to aim properly is to jump a whole lot.
I really cannot recommend this game to anyone. With so much excellent content out there, it’s hard to believe this game could be released. If you’re read my Matt Hazard review, this game falls into the same category, that being the “should have been cancelled” genre. With games like Fallout 3 in Bethesda’s catalog, I wouldn’t be least bit surprised to meet someone from their studio and have them never admit the existence of this piece of trash.
Graphics: Nothing spectacular or even a shade thereof. This game falls somewhere between bland and trying.
Controls: They work fine in terms of controlling the character, but you never feel like you’re controlling the game around you.
Story: Pure joke-like trash. I’m all for powerful women, but Lara Croft set the standard, and even her more recent outings that didn’t fare too well blow this goofball away.
Multiple Play: I’ll stick by my standard “if you can play it once I’ll be surprised” rating here.
Total: 32, F
Uncharted 2 – Among Thieves: And Also Among the Greats
Available: PS3
Game Type: 1 Player Action/Multiplayer
From: Naughty Dog/Sony Computer Entertainment America
The original Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune introduced us to the new leading man of the Playstation 3. PSOne had Crash Bandicoot, the spinning marsupial with a demented Doctor-killing attitude and box-smashing aptitude. The PS2 had Kratos, and though GOW3 was a phenomenal game, it’s hard to place Kratos as the figure head of the system with such a late release and (seemingly) having only one game on the platform. PS3’s Nathan Drake is a suave, dashing, manly man: as one critic put it, the man women want and the guys want to be. As a late descendant of Sir Francis Drake, famous Spanish explorer, a sense of adventure runs strong in his blood. Through the first game, he lives up to his great-ancestor, finding Francis Drake’s medallion and map that leads to the famed Fountain of Youth. After finding this Fountain was nothing more than an analogy that somehow equates to zombie-infested-death-zone, Drake retreats to a life on a tropical island, sipping beers under an umbrella. That is, until a couple of old chums show up: Flynt and an old girlfriend named Chloe.
Drake used to run with Flynt, a stylish and mouthy British fellow and thief to boot. The two used to engage in several tomb raiding activities, however Drake is the good guy and we get the sense that Flynt may be more on the criminal element’s team. The beautiful Chloe used to engage in carnal acts with Nate it would seem, and uses her curves to persuade him to listen to his former buddy. Flynt asks Nate to help out with a job to find a key map that will undoubtedly lead to the famed treasure of El Dorado, the City of Gold.
Our adventure begins with the storming of a museum under the cover of night, using the new mechanic of teamwork to climb to enormous heights in an effort to stay out of sight. As Nate and Flynt find the map, things start to go awry; but hey, this is Nathan Drake we’re talking about, right? Things never go as planned.
Flynt frames Drake to be arrested by the local security, and wakes up in a jail in a poor village in South America. To his great surprise, who should show up but his old mate Sully and Chloe. Sully busts him out of jail through a large bribe, and the two continue on to stop Flynt with Nate’s old flame in hot pursuit, who was seemingly playing both sides. Apparently Flynt was hired by a soldier to set the whole thing up, with the promise of being the next Nathan Drake as his payment.
The story follows the same antics as the first, but not in a bad way. Tomb raiding, climbing, and ferocious gunplay are all elements that carry over. Nothing that was good changed, but rather simply got improved. Grenades for example, that used to be thrown via L2 and the arc diagram, now have the option to be thrown straight with a click of the trigger. Guns are totally revamped, adding a satisfying weight to both the shooting and hit detection. The choices therein are better, too, as several weapons make a return with the addition of other choices: more pistols, more rifles, more assault rifles, etc.
The melee combat is upgraded slightly as well, although there’s not a timing based element to it anymore which was disappointing. In its place, a counterattack feature was implemented, allowing for a very cinematic feel to the engagements. Also, the cover system plays similarly, but in a more manageable way. I found it difficult at times to accurately slide from cover to cover, but in U2 it’s as smooth as butter.
Building on a great game can be a challenging task, as it seems developers are all too ready to just rely on the preexisting greatness, allowing for some dismal follow-ups. Naughty Dog took the better path, however, keeping what worked well and updating the mechanics that could have seem dated. The most noticeable and obvious enhancement is the graphical power this game pushes, coupled with the cinematic flair the first game was known for. The situations Nathan Drake finds himself in are nothing short of mind-boggling. Hanging from a train car while railings break under his weight and giant chunks fall towards you, all the while hanging over an icy cliff; climbing up 20 story, decaying monuments crumbling under your grip; activating mechanisms long since forgotten; even an ice cavern-meeting with some kind of yeti, they’re all in there in spades. Basically, there is no part of the world that Nate is unwilling to chase after Flynt and his prize.
All these upgrades are just fantastic. Even the treasure hunting within the game has been updated, as now there are 100 treasures to find. Just like the first game, they are essentially invisible aside from a little glint on the screen every few seconds. The repercussions of this are astronomical, as I’ve rarely felt so satisfied finding something in a game as when you find your 100th treasure or even the first. I suppose it’s the fact that they don’t exist outside of these little shimmers, so it’s just a great feeling to find one, let alone all of them.
With constant new weapons, absurdly intense set pieces, and the best visuals you’ll find outside of a PC that was purchased two days ago and upgraded two minutes ago, there’s not much better on the market. For anyone that doesn’t think the PS3 is the leader in graphical prowess, look no further than Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. And for those of you who think sequels get stagnant, put on your explorer suit and get ready: the thrills this game delivers are on par with the best of games, movies, and dramatic TV alike.
Graphics: Superior to just about every game out there. When you roll in a puddle of water, half of Drake’s back is soaked and shining. During the train scene when it derails, you see blood following Nate as he stumbles along. Character models, scenery, and everything in between is just fantastic.
Controls: Just like the first game, only improved. Everything that worked works better, and anything that needed tweaking got addressed. I don’t think there’s a single thing to complain about in this regard.
Story: On par with any pulp fiction in any medium, this story makes you want to run to an outdoor gear store, grab some hiking shoes and run off in search of treasure. Why some game developers don’t yet understand why games with such great story arcs are superior is beyond me.
Multiple Play: Just like the first game, you’ll want to play through again just to find those remaining five or ten treasures that you missed in your first play through. And just like the first game, if they were hard to find the first run through with 100, just imagine how difficult they are to find with only 10 through the whole game.
Total: 99, A+
Game Type: 1 Player Action/Multiplayer
From: Naughty Dog/Sony Computer Entertainment America
The original Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune introduced us to the new leading man of the Playstation 3. PSOne had Crash Bandicoot, the spinning marsupial with a demented Doctor-killing attitude and box-smashing aptitude. The PS2 had Kratos, and though GOW3 was a phenomenal game, it’s hard to place Kratos as the figure head of the system with such a late release and (seemingly) having only one game on the platform. PS3’s Nathan Drake is a suave, dashing, manly man: as one critic put it, the man women want and the guys want to be. As a late descendant of Sir Francis Drake, famous Spanish explorer, a sense of adventure runs strong in his blood. Through the first game, he lives up to his great-ancestor, finding Francis Drake’s medallion and map that leads to the famed Fountain of Youth. After finding this Fountain was nothing more than an analogy that somehow equates to zombie-infested-death-zone, Drake retreats to a life on a tropical island, sipping beers under an umbrella. That is, until a couple of old chums show up: Flynt and an old girlfriend named Chloe.
Drake used to run with Flynt, a stylish and mouthy British fellow and thief to boot. The two used to engage in several tomb raiding activities, however Drake is the good guy and we get the sense that Flynt may be more on the criminal element’s team. The beautiful Chloe used to engage in carnal acts with Nate it would seem, and uses her curves to persuade him to listen to his former buddy. Flynt asks Nate to help out with a job to find a key map that will undoubtedly lead to the famed treasure of El Dorado, the City of Gold.
Our adventure begins with the storming of a museum under the cover of night, using the new mechanic of teamwork to climb to enormous heights in an effort to stay out of sight. As Nate and Flynt find the map, things start to go awry; but hey, this is Nathan Drake we’re talking about, right? Things never go as planned.
Flynt frames Drake to be arrested by the local security, and wakes up in a jail in a poor village in South America. To his great surprise, who should show up but his old mate Sully and Chloe. Sully busts him out of jail through a large bribe, and the two continue on to stop Flynt with Nate’s old flame in hot pursuit, who was seemingly playing both sides. Apparently Flynt was hired by a soldier to set the whole thing up, with the promise of being the next Nathan Drake as his payment.
The story follows the same antics as the first, but not in a bad way. Tomb raiding, climbing, and ferocious gunplay are all elements that carry over. Nothing that was good changed, but rather simply got improved. Grenades for example, that used to be thrown via L2 and the arc diagram, now have the option to be thrown straight with a click of the trigger. Guns are totally revamped, adding a satisfying weight to both the shooting and hit detection. The choices therein are better, too, as several weapons make a return with the addition of other choices: more pistols, more rifles, more assault rifles, etc.
The melee combat is upgraded slightly as well, although there’s not a timing based element to it anymore which was disappointing. In its place, a counterattack feature was implemented, allowing for a very cinematic feel to the engagements. Also, the cover system plays similarly, but in a more manageable way. I found it difficult at times to accurately slide from cover to cover, but in U2 it’s as smooth as butter.
Building on a great game can be a challenging task, as it seems developers are all too ready to just rely on the preexisting greatness, allowing for some dismal follow-ups. Naughty Dog took the better path, however, keeping what worked well and updating the mechanics that could have seem dated. The most noticeable and obvious enhancement is the graphical power this game pushes, coupled with the cinematic flair the first game was known for. The situations Nathan Drake finds himself in are nothing short of mind-boggling. Hanging from a train car while railings break under his weight and giant chunks fall towards you, all the while hanging over an icy cliff; climbing up 20 story, decaying monuments crumbling under your grip; activating mechanisms long since forgotten; even an ice cavern-meeting with some kind of yeti, they’re all in there in spades. Basically, there is no part of the world that Nate is unwilling to chase after Flynt and his prize.
All these upgrades are just fantastic. Even the treasure hunting within the game has been updated, as now there are 100 treasures to find. Just like the first game, they are essentially invisible aside from a little glint on the screen every few seconds. The repercussions of this are astronomical, as I’ve rarely felt so satisfied finding something in a game as when you find your 100th treasure or even the first. I suppose it’s the fact that they don’t exist outside of these little shimmers, so it’s just a great feeling to find one, let alone all of them.
With constant new weapons, absurdly intense set pieces, and the best visuals you’ll find outside of a PC that was purchased two days ago and upgraded two minutes ago, there’s not much better on the market. For anyone that doesn’t think the PS3 is the leader in graphical prowess, look no further than Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. And for those of you who think sequels get stagnant, put on your explorer suit and get ready: the thrills this game delivers are on par with the best of games, movies, and dramatic TV alike.
Graphics: Superior to just about every game out there. When you roll in a puddle of water, half of Drake’s back is soaked and shining. During the train scene when it derails, you see blood following Nate as he stumbles along. Character models, scenery, and everything in between is just fantastic.
Controls: Just like the first game, only improved. Everything that worked works better, and anything that needed tweaking got addressed. I don’t think there’s a single thing to complain about in this regard.
Story: On par with any pulp fiction in any medium, this story makes you want to run to an outdoor gear store, grab some hiking shoes and run off in search of treasure. Why some game developers don’t yet understand why games with such great story arcs are superior is beyond me.
Multiple Play: Just like the first game, you’ll want to play through again just to find those remaining five or ten treasures that you missed in your first play through. And just like the first game, if they were hard to find the first run through with 100, just imagine how difficult they are to find with only 10 through the whole game.
Total: 99, A+
Uncharted 2 – Among Thieves: And Also Among the Greats
Available: PS3
Game Type: 1 Player Action/Multiplayer
From: Naughty Dog/Sony Computer Entertainment America
The original Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune introduced us to the new leading man of the Playstation 3. PSOne had Crash Bandicoot, the spinning marsupial with a demented Doctor-killing attitude and box-smashing aptitude. The PS2 had Kratos, and though GOW3 was a phenomenal game, it’s hard to place Kratos as the figure head of the system with such a late release and (seemingly) having only one game on the platform. PS3’s Nathan Drake is a suave, dashing, manly man: as one critic put it, the man women want and the guys want to be. As a late descendant of Sir Francis Drake, famous Spanish explorer, a sense of adventure runs strong in his blood. Through the first game, he lives up to his great-ancestor, finding Francis Drake’s medallion and map that leads to the famed Fountain of Youth. After finding this Fountain was nothing more than an analogy that somehow equates to zombie-infested-death-zone, Drake retreats to a life on a tropical island, sipping beers under an umbrella. That is, until a couple of old chums show up: Flynt and an old girlfriend named Chloe.
Drake used to run with Flynt, a stylish and mouthy British fellow and thief to boot. The two used to engage in several tomb raiding activities, however Drake is the good guy and we get the sense that Flynt may be more on the criminal element’s team. The beautiful Chloe used to engage in carnal acts with Nate it would seem, and uses her curves to persuade him to listen to his former buddy. Flynt asks Nate to help out with a job to find a key map that will undoubtedly lead to the famed treasure of El Dorado, the City of Gold.
Our adventure begins with the storming of a museum under the cover of night, using the new mechanic of teamwork to climb to enormous heights in an effort to stay out of sight. As Nate and Flynt find the map, things start to go awry; but hey, this is Nathan Drake we’re talking about, right? Things never go as planned.
Flynt frames Drake to be arrested by the local security, and wakes up in a jail in a poor village in South America. To his great surprise, who should show up but his old mate Sully and Chloe. Sully busts him out of jail through a large bribe, and the two continue on to stop Flynt with Nate’s old flame in hot pursuit, who was seemingly playing both sides. Apparently Flynt was hired by a soldier to set the whole thing up, with the promise of being the next Nathan Drake as his payment.
The story follows the same antics as the first, but not in a bad way. Tomb raiding, climbing, and ferocious gunplay are all elements that carry over. Nothing that was good changed, but rather simply got improved. Grenades for example, that used to be thrown via L2 and the arc diagram, now have the option to be thrown straight with a click of the trigger. Guns are totally revamped, adding a satisfying weight to both the shooting and hit detection. The choices therein are better, too, as several weapons make a return with the addition of other choices: more pistols, more rifles, more assault rifles, etc.
The melee combat is upgraded slightly as well, although there’s not a timing based element to it anymore which was disappointing. In its place, a counterattack feature was implemented, allowing for a very cinematic feel to the engagements. Also, the cover system plays similarly, but in a more manageable way. I found it difficult at times to accurately slide from cover to cover, but in U2 it’s as smooth as butter.
Building on a great game can be a challenging task, as it seems developers are all too ready to just rely on the preexisting greatness, allowing for some dismal follow-ups. Naughty Dog took the better path, however, keeping what worked well and updating the mechanics that could have seem dated. The most noticeable and obvious enhancement is the graphical power this game pushes, coupled with the cinematic flair the first game was known for. The situations Nathan Drake finds himself in are nothing short of mind-boggling. Hanging from a train car while railings break under his weight and giant chunks fall towards you, all the while hanging over an icy cliff; climbing up 20 story, decaying monuments crumbling under your grip; activating mechanisms long since forgotten; even an ice cavern-meeting with some kind of yeti, they’re all in there in spades. Basically, there is no part of the world that Nate is unwilling to chase after Flynt and his prize.
All these upgrades are just fantastic. Even the treasure hunting within the game has been updated, as now there are 100 treasures to find. Just like the first game, they are essentially invisible aside from a little glint on the screen every few seconds. The repercussions of this are astronomical, as I’ve rarely felt so satisfied finding something in a game as when you find your 100th treasure or even the first. I suppose it’s the fact that they don’t exist outside of these little shimmers, so it’s just a great feeling to find one, let alone all of them.
With constant new weapons, absurdly intense set pieces, and the best visuals you’ll find outside of a PC that was purchased two days ago and upgraded two minutes ago, there’s not much better on the market. For anyone that doesn’t think the PS3 is the leader in graphical prowess, look no further than Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. And for those of you who think sequels get stagnant, put on your explorer suit and get ready: the thrills this game delivers are on par with the best of games, movies, and dramatic TV alike.
Graphics: Superior to just about every game out there. When you roll in a puddle of water, half of Drake’s back is soaked and shining. During the train scene when it derails, you see blood following Nate as he stumbles along. Character models, scenery, and everything in between is just fantastic.
Controls: Just like the first game, only improved. Everything that worked works better, and anything that needed tweaking got addressed. I don’t think there’s a single thing to complain about in this regard.
Story: On par with any pulp fiction in any medium, this story makes you want to run to an outdoor gear store, grab some hiking shoes and run off in search of treasure. Why some game developers don’t yet understand why games with such great story arcs are superior is beyond me.
Multiple Play: Just like the first game, you’ll want to play through again just to find those remaining five or ten treasures that you missed in your first play through. And just like the first game, if they were hard to find the first run through with 100, just imagine how difficult they are to find with only 10 through the whole game.
Total: 99, A+
Game Type: 1 Player Action/Multiplayer
From: Naughty Dog/Sony Computer Entertainment America
The original Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune introduced us to the new leading man of the Playstation 3. PSOne had Crash Bandicoot, the spinning marsupial with a demented Doctor-killing attitude and box-smashing aptitude. The PS2 had Kratos, and though GOW3 was a phenomenal game, it’s hard to place Kratos as the figure head of the system with such a late release and (seemingly) having only one game on the platform. PS3’s Nathan Drake is a suave, dashing, manly man: as one critic put it, the man women want and the guys want to be. As a late descendant of Sir Francis Drake, famous Spanish explorer, a sense of adventure runs strong in his blood. Through the first game, he lives up to his great-ancestor, finding Francis Drake’s medallion and map that leads to the famed Fountain of Youth. After finding this Fountain was nothing more than an analogy that somehow equates to zombie-infested-death-zone, Drake retreats to a life on a tropical island, sipping beers under an umbrella. That is, until a couple of old chums show up: Flynt and an old girlfriend named Chloe.
Drake used to run with Flynt, a stylish and mouthy British fellow and thief to boot. The two used to engage in several tomb raiding activities, however Drake is the good guy and we get the sense that Flynt may be more on the criminal element’s team. The beautiful Chloe used to engage in carnal acts with Nate it would seem, and uses her curves to persuade him to listen to his former buddy. Flynt asks Nate to help out with a job to find a key map that will undoubtedly lead to the famed treasure of El Dorado, the City of Gold.
Our adventure begins with the storming of a museum under the cover of night, using the new mechanic of teamwork to climb to enormous heights in an effort to stay out of sight. As Nate and Flynt find the map, things start to go awry; but hey, this is Nathan Drake we’re talking about, right? Things never go as planned.
Flynt frames Drake to be arrested by the local security, and wakes up in a jail in a poor village in South America. To his great surprise, who should show up but his old mate Sully and Chloe. Sully busts him out of jail through a large bribe, and the two continue on to stop Flynt with Nate’s old flame in hot pursuit, who was seemingly playing both sides. Apparently Flynt was hired by a soldier to set the whole thing up, with the promise of being the next Nathan Drake as his payment.
The story follows the same antics as the first, but not in a bad way. Tomb raiding, climbing, and ferocious gunplay are all elements that carry over. Nothing that was good changed, but rather simply got improved. Grenades for example, that used to be thrown via L2 and the arc diagram, now have the option to be thrown straight with a click of the trigger. Guns are totally revamped, adding a satisfying weight to both the shooting and hit detection. The choices therein are better, too, as several weapons make a return with the addition of other choices: more pistols, more rifles, more assault rifles, etc.
The melee combat is upgraded slightly as well, although there’s not a timing based element to it anymore which was disappointing. In its place, a counterattack feature was implemented, allowing for a very cinematic feel to the engagements. Also, the cover system plays similarly, but in a more manageable way. I found it difficult at times to accurately slide from cover to cover, but in U2 it’s as smooth as butter.
Building on a great game can be a challenging task, as it seems developers are all too ready to just rely on the preexisting greatness, allowing for some dismal follow-ups. Naughty Dog took the better path, however, keeping what worked well and updating the mechanics that could have seem dated. The most noticeable and obvious enhancement is the graphical power this game pushes, coupled with the cinematic flair the first game was known for. The situations Nathan Drake finds himself in are nothing short of mind-boggling. Hanging from a train car while railings break under his weight and giant chunks fall towards you, all the while hanging over an icy cliff; climbing up 20 story, decaying monuments crumbling under your grip; activating mechanisms long since forgotten; even an ice cavern-meeting with some kind of yeti, they’re all in there in spades. Basically, there is no part of the world that Nate is unwilling to chase after Flynt and his prize.
All these upgrades are just fantastic. Even the treasure hunting within the game has been updated, as now there are 100 treasures to find. Just like the first game, they are essentially invisible aside from a little glint on the screen every few seconds. The repercussions of this are astronomical, as I’ve rarely felt so satisfied finding something in a game as when you find your 100th treasure or even the first. I suppose it’s the fact that they don’t exist outside of these little shimmers, so it’s just a great feeling to find one, let alone all of them.
With constant new weapons, absurdly intense set pieces, and the best visuals you’ll find outside of a PC that was purchased two days ago and upgraded two minutes ago, there’s not much better on the market. For anyone that doesn’t think the PS3 is the leader in graphical prowess, look no further than Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. And for those of you who think sequels get stagnant, put on your explorer suit and get ready: the thrills this game delivers are on par with the best of games, movies, and dramatic TV alike.
Graphics: Superior to just about every game out there. When you roll in a puddle of water, half of Drake’s back is soaked and shining. During the train scene when it derails, you see blood following Nate as he stumbles along. Character models, scenery, and everything in between is just fantastic.
Controls: Just like the first game, only improved. Everything that worked works better, and anything that needed tweaking got addressed. I don’t think there’s a single thing to complain about in this regard.
Story: On par with any pulp fiction in any medium, this story makes you want to run to an outdoor gear store, grab some hiking shoes and run off in search of treasure. Why some game developers don’t yet understand why games with such great story arcs are superior is beyond me.
Multiple Play: Just like the first game, you’ll want to play through again just to find those remaining five or ten treasures that you missed in your first play through. And just like the first game, if they were hard to find the first run through with 100, just imagine how difficult they are to find with only 10 through the whole game.
Total: 99, A+
Resistance 2: The Definitive End of Humanity
Available: PS3
Game Type: 1 Player Shooter/2 Player Coop/1-64 Player Multiplayer
From: Insomniac Games/Sony Computer Entertainment America
The initial Resistance, for me, was a bit of a let down. Upon buying my sought-after PS3, I purchased Resistance because of the claim that it was “PS3’s Gears of War.” It was not. I enjoyed the game, but as anyone that read my Killzone 2 review knows, I prefer the shoulder button to be the iron-sight control rather than the clicking of the analog stick. A small complaint though it may be, the game just didn’t have what I expected. Graphics were pretty good, controls were admirable, and the story was good, but any early-PS3 owner will tell you the selection of games early on was worrisome. Resistance: Fall of Man was indeed one of the best available in that early lull before Sony picked up steam and third party developers learned the nuances of the Cell processor, but again, it just didn’t live up to the Gears of War comparison. As a non-Xbox guy, this should mean a lot, but I loved Gears of War, especially when I first laid eyes on the gorgeous graphics and tight gun play.
Resistance 2 aimed to cure a hefty load of woes, and it didn’t disappoint. Even a couple years after its release, it still blows me away in terms of graphics and sheer scale. Before we get too in depth, let’s go over the premise. When we left US Soldier-turned-viral Nathan Hale, he had gone through the horrifying experience of seeing his entire platoon wiped out by an insect-type parasite. As he and his Company’s field of vision dissolves, we’re left to believe that this alien invasion for which the soldiers were called upon is not of the “Area 51” silliness.
Minutes later, Hale awakens, to find the mentioned Company dead at his feet. Eyes glowing yellow, he wonders why he was spared. Through the initial game we find that due to his blood, he was able to fight the virus. Resistance 2 picks up where the first game left off, the Chimera forces have surrounded the Earth, and it seems the Fall of Man was exactly what happened. Earth’s defenses have dwindled to but a handful, hiding in underground bases and sewers, striking with all they can muster. Thanks to the odd blood type of our hero and a few other soldiers, a vaccine of sorts has been made by the Russian genius Doctor. Utilizing a neck-collar that administers an airborne medication, the Sentinels have been established as the last line of defense for the entire planet. Deep in the sewers, the SERPA 5 station exists to study a way to end the Chimera’s reign of terror; however a former friend of Hale’s, code named Daedal us and infected with an advanced form of the Chimera virus, has broken free and claims his determination to destroy humanity and allow them to evolve into the higher-level Chimera. As the SERPA Station-5, the Sentinels last haven is destroyed, and Hale must once again take up arms and fight the fast advances of the Chimera and the parasite in his blood.
Resistance: Fall of Man included a healing factor that allowed Nathan Hale to use the parasite in his blood as a means to regain health, but R2 eschews that mechanic in favor of a more traditional “red screen of death” method used in many shooters, which I like because I see no reason to heal myself when it can be done regularly through hiding in cover. The shooting mechanic itself also received an update, following suit and utilizing the shoulder button aiming technique and combining that with a far better hit detection code. Enemies still require several rounds, clips even, to subdue, but unlike the first iteration you can aim far more intricately and take the Chimera down with a couple head shots—well, the standard soldiers at least. In most games I dislike this, especially when facing human foes, but when the Chimeran virus inside Hale allows for rapid healing, there’s no reason to expect a fully transformed Chimera to heal even quicker.
To reiterate, the gunplay is just stellar. Shots are detected with pinpoint accuracy—a shot to the shoulder makes the baddies cringe the way they should, a shot to the chest makes them topple backwards, and as I said a head shot or two will kill them. In other words, the perfect balance of super soldier combat meets realism.
I believe Insomniac claimed there were up to 300 enemies on screen at a given time, and the way they made this work was through some sort of distance orientation field. What this means is that enemies in, for example, a fifty yard radius of Nathan Hale will attack, while outside of that radius the bad guys will attack your comrades. This makes for some unbelievable scenes where action surrounds you. Speaking of being surrounded, the graphics make it quite clear that the Earth is overrun. Unlike most games, when you look up in the sky it looks like there is an endless degree of action; spaceships coming in from orbit, pods landing to join the fight, and human ships getting blown out of the sky are all part of the game. It’s a bit amazing really when you take into account that games such as Singularity, supposedly coming out in late June 2010, use this method and Resistance 2 was released in February of (I believe) 2009.
Other than the scope of the conflict, the graphics in every regard are just fantastic. There aren’t any gargantuan soldiers on your side, instead they look—real. Subtle facial expressions, rolling eyeballs, and internal organs of the recently exploded slide down the glass in the next room over. The water effects are among the best I’ve seen and even show differences in the varying bullet calibers that break the surface tension. An M40 round makes a little pop, while a proton round out of the trusty Chimeran Bullseye makes a bigger splash.
I remember reading about the larger-than-life battles that would ensue, and in this regard Insomniac didn’t exaggerate one bit. Enemies range from the standard Chimera soldiers from the first game, beefed up and more menacing though they may be, to a giant creature that stands over Chicago like it was a joke. In an early level, you await extraction by chopper on a pontoon helipad only to be attached by a giant Cracken, tipping the pontoon like a spoon full of honey, eagerly awaiting Hale’s sliding down the pad into its mouth. Upgraded weaponry like the Radio-wave shooting gun allows you to take down these baddies, but I will say to the game’s deficit that a lot of these giant boss fights seemed way too scripted. That is to say you are in control of these fights, but with simple tactics like shoot-recharge-shoot again, it’s almost like watching the action happen rather than making it happen.
The coop element was disappointing: I expected to play the campaign with a friend, which would have been so much fun, but instead was given a half-hearted effort in which you choose a class and attach wave after wave of hatchlings. This could have been fun, too, but two classes have weapons, while the third class, a Medical class, is given a ridiculously wimpy ion pistol and a healing gun. Thus, you are left with the choice of being a zero-kill medical officer, or having no way to heal—there’s no in between unfortunately. I don’t have much more to say about the coop, because this giant hole in the plan made it very unenjoyable.
Skyscraper destroying monsters, relentless Chimera infestation, and tons of weapons (not to mention the elimination of the 12-gun radial—you can now only have two weapons at a time), more grenades, and battles of a grandiose nature are in store for you if you haven’t already toppled the Chimeran Empire. This game has all the thrills of any shooter on the market, and the graphics would look good if they were released yesterday. The textures make the game come to life, and the dialog keeps things grounded in reality while all around you the sci-fi vibe is a norm. And in the end, one of the biggest twists in gaming occurs, giving you the Saturday morning cliffhanger that surely deserves a third installment. So grab your arms, strap on your Chimera-prevention mask, and join SERPA 5 for a war of the world. Who knows, you just might make it out alive?
Graphics: Out of this world, no pun intended. Up in the sky you see invading ships, dog fights, and more, and in the vast distances you see man getting destroyed by the invading army. The sheer scale of this game is something that needs to be looked at by all shooters, and the mechanics used to make it happen are staggering.
Story: Very well done. The dialog is firm, standard soldier fare, but not of the meat head variety. The story follows an arch that stays true to the "humanity's end" idea and keeps you on the edge of your seat far better than the first even attempted.
Controls: Superb. Though it plays like any other shooter of high quality, subtle differences like having the grenade mapped to circle actually work very well, freeing up a shoulder button for the alternate-shot: M40 grenades, slow-motion for the sniper rifle, and more.
Multiple Play: I'm sure the online multiplayer offers a good deal of fun, but the local coop sucked. The campaign itself however, being a pretty lengthy game, has kept me entertained since its release; I find myself putting this game in every month or so and going on a binge.
Total: 95, A
Game Type: 1 Player Shooter/2 Player Coop/1-64 Player Multiplayer
From: Insomniac Games/Sony Computer Entertainment America
The initial Resistance, for me, was a bit of a let down. Upon buying my sought-after PS3, I purchased Resistance because of the claim that it was “PS3’s Gears of War.” It was not. I enjoyed the game, but as anyone that read my Killzone 2 review knows, I prefer the shoulder button to be the iron-sight control rather than the clicking of the analog stick. A small complaint though it may be, the game just didn’t have what I expected. Graphics were pretty good, controls were admirable, and the story was good, but any early-PS3 owner will tell you the selection of games early on was worrisome. Resistance: Fall of Man was indeed one of the best available in that early lull before Sony picked up steam and third party developers learned the nuances of the Cell processor, but again, it just didn’t live up to the Gears of War comparison. As a non-Xbox guy, this should mean a lot, but I loved Gears of War, especially when I first laid eyes on the gorgeous graphics and tight gun play.
Resistance 2 aimed to cure a hefty load of woes, and it didn’t disappoint. Even a couple years after its release, it still blows me away in terms of graphics and sheer scale. Before we get too in depth, let’s go over the premise. When we left US Soldier-turned-viral Nathan Hale, he had gone through the horrifying experience of seeing his entire platoon wiped out by an insect-type parasite. As he and his Company’s field of vision dissolves, we’re left to believe that this alien invasion for which the soldiers were called upon is not of the “Area 51” silliness.
Minutes later, Hale awakens, to find the mentioned Company dead at his feet. Eyes glowing yellow, he wonders why he was spared. Through the initial game we find that due to his blood, he was able to fight the virus. Resistance 2 picks up where the first game left off, the Chimera forces have surrounded the Earth, and it seems the Fall of Man was exactly what happened. Earth’s defenses have dwindled to but a handful, hiding in underground bases and sewers, striking with all they can muster. Thanks to the odd blood type of our hero and a few other soldiers, a vaccine of sorts has been made by the Russian genius Doctor. Utilizing a neck-collar that administers an airborne medication, the Sentinels have been established as the last line of defense for the entire planet. Deep in the sewers, the SERPA 5 station exists to study a way to end the Chimera’s reign of terror; however a former friend of Hale’s, code named Daedal us and infected with an advanced form of the Chimera virus, has broken free and claims his determination to destroy humanity and allow them to evolve into the higher-level Chimera. As the SERPA Station-5, the Sentinels last haven is destroyed, and Hale must once again take up arms and fight the fast advances of the Chimera and the parasite in his blood.
Resistance: Fall of Man included a healing factor that allowed Nathan Hale to use the parasite in his blood as a means to regain health, but R2 eschews that mechanic in favor of a more traditional “red screen of death” method used in many shooters, which I like because I see no reason to heal myself when it can be done regularly through hiding in cover. The shooting mechanic itself also received an update, following suit and utilizing the shoulder button aiming technique and combining that with a far better hit detection code. Enemies still require several rounds, clips even, to subdue, but unlike the first iteration you can aim far more intricately and take the Chimera down with a couple head shots—well, the standard soldiers at least. In most games I dislike this, especially when facing human foes, but when the Chimeran virus inside Hale allows for rapid healing, there’s no reason to expect a fully transformed Chimera to heal even quicker.
To reiterate, the gunplay is just stellar. Shots are detected with pinpoint accuracy—a shot to the shoulder makes the baddies cringe the way they should, a shot to the chest makes them topple backwards, and as I said a head shot or two will kill them. In other words, the perfect balance of super soldier combat meets realism.
I believe Insomniac claimed there were up to 300 enemies on screen at a given time, and the way they made this work was through some sort of distance orientation field. What this means is that enemies in, for example, a fifty yard radius of Nathan Hale will attack, while outside of that radius the bad guys will attack your comrades. This makes for some unbelievable scenes where action surrounds you. Speaking of being surrounded, the graphics make it quite clear that the Earth is overrun. Unlike most games, when you look up in the sky it looks like there is an endless degree of action; spaceships coming in from orbit, pods landing to join the fight, and human ships getting blown out of the sky are all part of the game. It’s a bit amazing really when you take into account that games such as Singularity, supposedly coming out in late June 2010, use this method and Resistance 2 was released in February of (I believe) 2009.
Other than the scope of the conflict, the graphics in every regard are just fantastic. There aren’t any gargantuan soldiers on your side, instead they look—real. Subtle facial expressions, rolling eyeballs, and internal organs of the recently exploded slide down the glass in the next room over. The water effects are among the best I’ve seen and even show differences in the varying bullet calibers that break the surface tension. An M40 round makes a little pop, while a proton round out of the trusty Chimeran Bullseye makes a bigger splash.
I remember reading about the larger-than-life battles that would ensue, and in this regard Insomniac didn’t exaggerate one bit. Enemies range from the standard Chimera soldiers from the first game, beefed up and more menacing though they may be, to a giant creature that stands over Chicago like it was a joke. In an early level, you await extraction by chopper on a pontoon helipad only to be attached by a giant Cracken, tipping the pontoon like a spoon full of honey, eagerly awaiting Hale’s sliding down the pad into its mouth. Upgraded weaponry like the Radio-wave shooting gun allows you to take down these baddies, but I will say to the game’s deficit that a lot of these giant boss fights seemed way too scripted. That is to say you are in control of these fights, but with simple tactics like shoot-recharge-shoot again, it’s almost like watching the action happen rather than making it happen.
The coop element was disappointing: I expected to play the campaign with a friend, which would have been so much fun, but instead was given a half-hearted effort in which you choose a class and attach wave after wave of hatchlings. This could have been fun, too, but two classes have weapons, while the third class, a Medical class, is given a ridiculously wimpy ion pistol and a healing gun. Thus, you are left with the choice of being a zero-kill medical officer, or having no way to heal—there’s no in between unfortunately. I don’t have much more to say about the coop, because this giant hole in the plan made it very unenjoyable.
Skyscraper destroying monsters, relentless Chimera infestation, and tons of weapons (not to mention the elimination of the 12-gun radial—you can now only have two weapons at a time), more grenades, and battles of a grandiose nature are in store for you if you haven’t already toppled the Chimeran Empire. This game has all the thrills of any shooter on the market, and the graphics would look good if they were released yesterday. The textures make the game come to life, and the dialog keeps things grounded in reality while all around you the sci-fi vibe is a norm. And in the end, one of the biggest twists in gaming occurs, giving you the Saturday morning cliffhanger that surely deserves a third installment. So grab your arms, strap on your Chimera-prevention mask, and join SERPA 5 for a war of the world. Who knows, you just might make it out alive?
Graphics: Out of this world, no pun intended. Up in the sky you see invading ships, dog fights, and more, and in the vast distances you see man getting destroyed by the invading army. The sheer scale of this game is something that needs to be looked at by all shooters, and the mechanics used to make it happen are staggering.
Story: Very well done. The dialog is firm, standard soldier fare, but not of the meat head variety. The story follows an arch that stays true to the "humanity's end" idea and keeps you on the edge of your seat far better than the first even attempted.
Controls: Superb. Though it plays like any other shooter of high quality, subtle differences like having the grenade mapped to circle actually work very well, freeing up a shoulder button for the alternate-shot: M40 grenades, slow-motion for the sniper rifle, and more.
Multiple Play: I'm sure the online multiplayer offers a good deal of fun, but the local coop sucked. The campaign itself however, being a pretty lengthy game, has kept me entertained since its release; I find myself putting this game in every month or so and going on a binge.
Total: 95, A
Saturday, June 12, 2010
NHL 10: Bringing Madden to the "How to Grow" Training Camp
Available: PS3, Xbox 360, PC, PS2
Game Type: 1-8 Player Sports Simulation
From: EA Vancouver/EA Sports
We all have a fond memory or two about NHL ’94—the bone-crushing hits, the addition of the one-timer, and a plethora of fantastic features. As a hockey player and hockey fan, this is one game that has always been more of an obviously-buy than a must buy. After NHL 2005’s cataclysmic failure, NHL 2006 was revamped and delivered a solid performance, quickly becoming one of those games that I played so much the disc stopped working (to be honest, every NHL game aside from 2005 that came out on Playstation 2 suffered this fate, and I always assumed it was from over playing the game since it worked fine until that time). With the expansion of the right analog deke controls from 2004, the return of the speed burst, and a ton of other features, a new benchmark in sports simulation success was formed.
With the introduction of the next generation platform, Xbox 360 saw the release of NHL 2007, the next step in the franchise, and to this affect it was a fantastic success. The graphics were stellar, the controls were superior to any other iteration, and the aforementioned deking controls were honed to an art. 2008 and 2009 were no better; they made excellent strides in the gameplay, strategy, graphics, etc. Through all the amazing games EA Sports has given us hockey fans over the years, there were still nagging issues that we, as hockey players, could not forgive. Saku Koivu flies down the right boards, goes into the corner, and two guys go behind the net and slam into him; Alex Kovalev comes down on Christobal Huet on a breakaway, totally fakes him out of his skin, and Huet makes Patrick Roy-esque save. Things of this nature, while completely plausible in real life, happened far too often to be realistic.
Let me reiterate: I loved these games. They were excellent in every aspect, and really had very little from which one could degrade their quality. But I was always left wanting more; even the most nitpicking little things. Passing was upgraded from 2008 to 2009, but I still wanted more control over it. Deking was constantly upgraded, but I wanted Kovalev dangle better than Steve Begin. NHL 10 not only fixed a most, if not all of these problems, but it added so many new controls and actual hockey skill that it made even the most devout hockey fan wince.
In terms of graphics, flow of play, and things of this nature, NHL 10 is largely unchanged aside from the obvious upgrade from having a solid 2009 to start building on and a year’s worth of both graphics knowledge and next generation system knowledge. Mixing all these factors into a large pot, all you have is a regurgitated lump of bread dough; what made the game shine were the small things that fans like me have been clamoring for since the mid-PS2 era.
Board play was one of the most noticeable increases to the skill of the game. In NHL 10 you can now pin the opposition to the board, or even assume the position when you see such an attempt coming. From there, a little bumping and grinding ensues, until the defender digs the puck out from the forward's skates, or the offensive player kicks the puck up the board to a teammate. And here’s the best part of this new mechanic: your teammates actually understand what’s going on. Fellow team members swoop and curl into position as if told to do so verbally, something we’ve always hoped would be in the next game.
It’s the AI and tiny details that make this game shine. Shots don’t go top shelf or in the goalies glove, rather they may miss wide or rocket off the post, only to rebound back in front in an awkward fashion to give the alert player another crack. Instead of two outlet passes out of the defensive zone, you can break out by throwing the puck d-to-d a couple times then bank pass it off the boards, hitting the breaking forward for a one on one. Speaking of passing, turning the pass mode on “hardcore” allows for just this practice. In earlier games you only had to hit the pass button and marginally suggest which direction you’d like the puck to go. In hardcore mode, the speed and direction are completely in your hands or on your stick as it is. The hardcore pass mode makes for such a dynamic level of play that you’d swear you were on the ice.
Shooting, as mentioned, has also been completely changed. The right analog-controlled shot is still the default control scheme and the act of shooting is still controlled in a similar fashion, but the mechanics have changed dramatically. It’s almost as if you can feel the weight of the stick as you wind and fire, curl the blade of your stick and snap a shot, or juke to the backhand for that miraculous roofer.
It’s hard to quantify all these small changes, and from a non-hockey-player’s standpoint I could see this game not only looking largely unchanged, but I can also foresee them having a great deal of trouble learning the ropes. In 2009’s Be a Pro mode, players were shown directional arrows in varying length and color signifying where they should be in a given situation. In NHL 10, the arrow is gone, and the responsibility of proper positioning rests squarely on the broad shoulders of your avatar. Again, it’s little things like this that weed out the hacks and make this game truly shine. In order to play against a friend or even the CPU, you need a pretty large base of hockey knowledge: positioning, timing, playmaking ability, etc. Gone are the days of NHL 94 when anybody could pick up a controller, hit A or B and make a sweet play. You know need to play with all the grace of a real hockey game, and let’s face it: that’s what we’re going for with video gaming on a whole.
The only negative thing I can say about this game is the same I’ve said about any of the other years’ titles. After my third or fourth season (82 games plus four best of seven playoff series—let’s face it, I always win the Cup), things get easy again, even on a high level. Also, as much as I praise the passing scheme, it needs to be improved. I love being able to choose my speed, but NHL 2004 had this feature down better. In 10, the max speed isn’t as fast as the default pass scheme. On the default pass scheme, you don’t have the accuracy control like hardcore mode allows. They really need to put the speed of default and the control of hardcore together and you’d have a crisp passing system that would keep my hands glued through the next titles release. Also, after 400+ games, you start to see other bothersome factors like players running into each other when they shouldn’t be near one another. It is, however, still a game, and I suppose these things will occur, specifically after all those games.
Hundreds of additional goaltender movements, improved shooting and passing, graceful skating, and relentless AI makes NHL 10 the golden goose of the sports game-world. Year after year I see Madden changing so little, it saddens me to think that in a sport with so many fans (not to mention such a client base in terms of game sales), that they cannot take that money and do what EA Vancouver does year in and year out: innovate. And that’s the name of the game; innovation. Trust me folks, with a little patience or a background in hockey skill, you’ll be an NHL superstar in no time.
Graphics: Stellar, especially for a sports game. Character models are incredible, you can see the threads of the player’s sweaters, and even the crowd looks good this year, rather than a cardboard cutout attempt like in the past.
Controls: Absolutely top notch. One of my favorite parts of the franchise is the use of L1 as a shift button. The PS3 controller has 14 buttons not including start and select, and using the L1 button as a dedicated shift button essentially gives you 26 buttons (yes my math is right; the loss of L1 as a shift means 13, get it?). I wish more games implemented this idea as it just doubles the controller's functionality. Great idea EA Vancouver.
Story: Obviously as a sports game, there is none in the normal sense. So for sports games, I apply it to the off season, draft, and things of that nature. When this is taken into consideration, it’s great; still not quite what I want though. I really wish there was some off-season training that allowed players to grow or decline in skill depending on your actions. However, the draft is well done this time around, allowing for flops in the first round and the emergence of unknown superstars in the late rounds. Also, the upgrade system is utilized nicely.
Multiple Play: With several game modes, monthly online tournaments where users vie for the EA Cup, and up to 25 seasons in the dynasty or Be a Pro modes, I would be shocked to learn someone with a job runs out of things to do before the release of next year’s game.
Total: 95, A
Game Type: 1-8 Player Sports Simulation
From: EA Vancouver/EA Sports
We all have a fond memory or two about NHL ’94—the bone-crushing hits, the addition of the one-timer, and a plethora of fantastic features. As a hockey player and hockey fan, this is one game that has always been more of an obviously-buy than a must buy. After NHL 2005’s cataclysmic failure, NHL 2006 was revamped and delivered a solid performance, quickly becoming one of those games that I played so much the disc stopped working (to be honest, every NHL game aside from 2005 that came out on Playstation 2 suffered this fate, and I always assumed it was from over playing the game since it worked fine until that time). With the expansion of the right analog deke controls from 2004, the return of the speed burst, and a ton of other features, a new benchmark in sports simulation success was formed.
With the introduction of the next generation platform, Xbox 360 saw the release of NHL 2007, the next step in the franchise, and to this affect it was a fantastic success. The graphics were stellar, the controls were superior to any other iteration, and the aforementioned deking controls were honed to an art. 2008 and 2009 were no better; they made excellent strides in the gameplay, strategy, graphics, etc. Through all the amazing games EA Sports has given us hockey fans over the years, there were still nagging issues that we, as hockey players, could not forgive. Saku Koivu flies down the right boards, goes into the corner, and two guys go behind the net and slam into him; Alex Kovalev comes down on Christobal Huet on a breakaway, totally fakes him out of his skin, and Huet makes Patrick Roy-esque save. Things of this nature, while completely plausible in real life, happened far too often to be realistic.
Let me reiterate: I loved these games. They were excellent in every aspect, and really had very little from which one could degrade their quality. But I was always left wanting more; even the most nitpicking little things. Passing was upgraded from 2008 to 2009, but I still wanted more control over it. Deking was constantly upgraded, but I wanted Kovalev dangle better than Steve Begin. NHL 10 not only fixed a most, if not all of these problems, but it added so many new controls and actual hockey skill that it made even the most devout hockey fan wince.
In terms of graphics, flow of play, and things of this nature, NHL 10 is largely unchanged aside from the obvious upgrade from having a solid 2009 to start building on and a year’s worth of both graphics knowledge and next generation system knowledge. Mixing all these factors into a large pot, all you have is a regurgitated lump of bread dough; what made the game shine were the small things that fans like me have been clamoring for since the mid-PS2 era.
Board play was one of the most noticeable increases to the skill of the game. In NHL 10 you can now pin the opposition to the board, or even assume the position when you see such an attempt coming. From there, a little bumping and grinding ensues, until the defender digs the puck out from the forward's skates, or the offensive player kicks the puck up the board to a teammate. And here’s the best part of this new mechanic: your teammates actually understand what’s going on. Fellow team members swoop and curl into position as if told to do so verbally, something we’ve always hoped would be in the next game.
It’s the AI and tiny details that make this game shine. Shots don’t go top shelf or in the goalies glove, rather they may miss wide or rocket off the post, only to rebound back in front in an awkward fashion to give the alert player another crack. Instead of two outlet passes out of the defensive zone, you can break out by throwing the puck d-to-d a couple times then bank pass it off the boards, hitting the breaking forward for a one on one. Speaking of passing, turning the pass mode on “hardcore” allows for just this practice. In earlier games you only had to hit the pass button and marginally suggest which direction you’d like the puck to go. In hardcore mode, the speed and direction are completely in your hands or on your stick as it is. The hardcore pass mode makes for such a dynamic level of play that you’d swear you were on the ice.
Shooting, as mentioned, has also been completely changed. The right analog-controlled shot is still the default control scheme and the act of shooting is still controlled in a similar fashion, but the mechanics have changed dramatically. It’s almost as if you can feel the weight of the stick as you wind and fire, curl the blade of your stick and snap a shot, or juke to the backhand for that miraculous roofer.
It’s hard to quantify all these small changes, and from a non-hockey-player’s standpoint I could see this game not only looking largely unchanged, but I can also foresee them having a great deal of trouble learning the ropes. In 2009’s Be a Pro mode, players were shown directional arrows in varying length and color signifying where they should be in a given situation. In NHL 10, the arrow is gone, and the responsibility of proper positioning rests squarely on the broad shoulders of your avatar. Again, it’s little things like this that weed out the hacks and make this game truly shine. In order to play against a friend or even the CPU, you need a pretty large base of hockey knowledge: positioning, timing, playmaking ability, etc. Gone are the days of NHL 94 when anybody could pick up a controller, hit A or B and make a sweet play. You know need to play with all the grace of a real hockey game, and let’s face it: that’s what we’re going for with video gaming on a whole.
The only negative thing I can say about this game is the same I’ve said about any of the other years’ titles. After my third or fourth season (82 games plus four best of seven playoff series—let’s face it, I always win the Cup), things get easy again, even on a high level. Also, as much as I praise the passing scheme, it needs to be improved. I love being able to choose my speed, but NHL 2004 had this feature down better. In 10, the max speed isn’t as fast as the default pass scheme. On the default pass scheme, you don’t have the accuracy control like hardcore mode allows. They really need to put the speed of default and the control of hardcore together and you’d have a crisp passing system that would keep my hands glued through the next titles release. Also, after 400+ games, you start to see other bothersome factors like players running into each other when they shouldn’t be near one another. It is, however, still a game, and I suppose these things will occur, specifically after all those games.
Hundreds of additional goaltender movements, improved shooting and passing, graceful skating, and relentless AI makes NHL 10 the golden goose of the sports game-world. Year after year I see Madden changing so little, it saddens me to think that in a sport with so many fans (not to mention such a client base in terms of game sales), that they cannot take that money and do what EA Vancouver does year in and year out: innovate. And that’s the name of the game; innovation. Trust me folks, with a little patience or a background in hockey skill, you’ll be an NHL superstar in no time.
Graphics: Stellar, especially for a sports game. Character models are incredible, you can see the threads of the player’s sweaters, and even the crowd looks good this year, rather than a cardboard cutout attempt like in the past.
Controls: Absolutely top notch. One of my favorite parts of the franchise is the use of L1 as a shift button. The PS3 controller has 14 buttons not including start and select, and using the L1 button as a dedicated shift button essentially gives you 26 buttons (yes my math is right; the loss of L1 as a shift means 13, get it?). I wish more games implemented this idea as it just doubles the controller's functionality. Great idea EA Vancouver.
Story: Obviously as a sports game, there is none in the normal sense. So for sports games, I apply it to the off season, draft, and things of that nature. When this is taken into consideration, it’s great; still not quite what I want though. I really wish there was some off-season training that allowed players to grow or decline in skill depending on your actions. However, the draft is well done this time around, allowing for flops in the first round and the emergence of unknown superstars in the late rounds. Also, the upgrade system is utilized nicely.
Multiple Play: With several game modes, monthly online tournaments where users vie for the EA Cup, and up to 25 seasons in the dynasty or Be a Pro modes, I would be shocked to learn someone with a job runs out of things to do before the release of next year’s game.
Total: 95, A
Friday, June 11, 2010
Killzone 2: Stellar Graphics Cannot Accommodate Poor Handling
Available: PS3
Game Type: 1 Player Shooter/Multiplayer
From: Sony Computer Entertainment/Guerilla Games
If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it and meant it a million times: I would take a smooth framerate and controls over fantastic graphics any day. Few games can reach that heavenly status like God of War III whereby both are attained, and even fewer can reach that point with the correct balance. This is where Killzone 2 failed for me.
On a purely technical front this game is stellar. I’m sure we can all remember seeing those first shots from the technical demonstration at 2006’s E3 Convention just as I’m sure we were all skeptical of the ability to achieve such a feat. Seeing those first clips, I felt like it was just another empty promise, and once the actual mechanics and other intricate codes were embedded in the game, these flashy visuals would falter like any other. In this respect Killzone 2 was a huge success. PS3 owners and critics alike gave grateful applause to the games honesty with this so-called tech demo, as the real-time graphics were more than up to par. The grayish tones of the dead planet Helghan was quite a sight, perfectly conveying the fact that this planet was on its way out. Those of you who played the first game will remember that the Helghast invaded Earth to seek relief from the harsh climates of their home world, only to be driven off by the heroes of our planet.
The second game sees Earth’s forces bringing the fight to the Helghast’s front door, and as I said, this place is in need of a desperate remodeling to say the least.
Aside from the story we knew before games release, you won’t find much progression in the story. It’s a bit disjointed as I remember, and the boneheaded dialog between your character and his commando companions is none better. But again, this isn’t the draw of Killzone, the selling point is the fantastic graphics and FPS gunplay. As I already said, the graphics succeed with flying colors, but the FPS, or rather the core experience, does not.
Perhaps it was due to my love for Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare's precise and fantastic controls, but Killzone just didn’t have the control I require from my first person shooters. I often found it hard to line up a proper headshot and instead resorted to blasting my way through the game in a shoot-from-the-hip style. First, to aim through your scope or iron sights, you need to click R3. Anyone that has played a FPS in the current generation knows the standard is R1, or RB on Xbox. I realize that some games utilize the clicking of the right analog stick as the standard, and in fact Rainbox 6 Vegas used this method to great success. IN some games you are even allowed a bit of customization for the control scheme. In Killzone 2 you have the option to change aim to R1, but you sacrifice the placement of grenades, crouching, and other important features that make it just as frustrating in the long run. Needless to say, this was a poor choice on the development team’s behalf. It's not that the controls are unplayable, my point is that I just never felt as comfortable as with other control schemes.
Some may think this is a small grievance, and by all accounts it should have been; I have more than enough FPS experience to manage one button-mapping being off, but the controls only worsen from here. Targeting is clunky, meaning a slight touch of the analog stick barely moves the crosshair while a bit more pressure makes it fly across the screen. Again, maybe the excellent precision we see in this generation’s Call of Duty titles is the culprit, pampering us into thinking this should be the norm, but I don’t think that’s a good excuse. It’s not rocket science—well it might be, but I’m sure the programmers that can attain such amazing visual could have tweaked this to better suit our needs. On a side note, I tried just about every adjustment of the X/Y sensitivity, and it was no better.
A final complain about this game is the amount of bullets it takes to kill a Helghast soldier. Again, to refer back to Call of Duty, I’ve just fell in love with the one shot kill to the head or a 2 or 3 body-shot death. I mean, bullets kill right? In fact, movies and games don’t do it justice. When a bullet hits the flesh, it rips apart and changes shape from a bullet to that of a burred spider web, causing the crazy damage you would see in a real life shot to the head. To stick with the COD example, they do not exemplify this damage either, so I don’t think it’s asking much. I don’t expect a Soldier of Fortune level of blood and gore for a bullet wound, rather the one-hit kill scenario. I feel so much more tactical when I can pump three rounds into a dudes chest, move the crosshair over to their commanders head and drop him, then empty the remaining 10 rounds into a three soldier crowd, taking them all down in seven seconds; emptying a clip into a soldier only to have him run away, or hitting him in the head twice only to have his helmet sway is just not very fun, and borderline frustrating.
The good parts of this game lie in its set pieces and graphics, not its controls. I think I’ve made an ample point to explain the graphics are still where the bar is placed (this is over two years old mind you), but the atmosphere and use of those graphics is second to none. The glowing eyes of a Helghast soldier are terrifying for other reasons than their immunity to ammunition, and as I stated at the beginning the foreboding grays of the decaying cities in which you fight are all too real. The game also employs a cover system, albeit flawed in practice. As you approach anything that would be used as cover, a simple click of the shoulder button allows you to use it as cover and gives you the ability to blind fire or pop out and shoot. It doesn’t work as well as I’d hoped, although with a bit of practice it works fairly well. I would really love to see this idea used in more games and I would certainly enjoy seeing it perfected. If it could reach the level of cover and shooting mechanics as Metal Gear, for example, it could turn into a great change for the FPS landscape as a whole.
All this said, I don’t mean to imply that Killzone was by any means a bad game. It was far better than the first, visually and control-wise, but it still needs some work. There are some glimmering silver linings that show through, among which the highly lauded visuals and the cover idea. If the control mapping was improved and the degree to which the X/Y axis flows were improved, this game would surely contend with the big boys like COD, Bad Company, etc, and could even overtake my distaste for the amount of ammo it takes to kill someone. I enjoyed the game enough to play through and then again half way looking for Helghan symbols to destroy, and by the end of the game these issues I didn’t like seemed to dissipate a bit. Nonetheless, I hope the third installment due in 2011 is tweaked better to my liking, and that will surely be a sight to behold and a blast to play.
Graphics: The best of the best, even though it's a couple years old at this point. Had the FPS controls matched the graphics even at 66%, this could have unseated COD Modern Warfare as Game of the Year.
Controls: I'll start with everything but aiming: they're fine. In fact, I love the idea of a cover system in a FPS, whereby a simple click of R2 you can get behind cover, blind fire, pop and fire, etc. However, the aiming system lags something awful. If it weren't for Infinity Ward's stellar work, perhaps it would have been excusable. I just didn't feel like I had the precision I require in my shooters.
Story: Neither good nor bad. The story moves along okay, but it feels undeveloped (and yes, I did play the first game and still had trouble as to why I was on Helghast). But again, it's not horrible.
Multiple Play: With a strong online component and various collectibles that were a bear to find, this game is entertaining enough to play through a couple times easily.
Total: 72/100, C-
Game Type: 1 Player Shooter/Multiplayer
From: Sony Computer Entertainment/Guerilla Games
If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it and meant it a million times: I would take a smooth framerate and controls over fantastic graphics any day. Few games can reach that heavenly status like God of War III whereby both are attained, and even fewer can reach that point with the correct balance. This is where Killzone 2 failed for me.
On a purely technical front this game is stellar. I’m sure we can all remember seeing those first shots from the technical demonstration at 2006’s E3 Convention just as I’m sure we were all skeptical of the ability to achieve such a feat. Seeing those first clips, I felt like it was just another empty promise, and once the actual mechanics and other intricate codes were embedded in the game, these flashy visuals would falter like any other. In this respect Killzone 2 was a huge success. PS3 owners and critics alike gave grateful applause to the games honesty with this so-called tech demo, as the real-time graphics were more than up to par. The grayish tones of the dead planet Helghan was quite a sight, perfectly conveying the fact that this planet was on its way out. Those of you who played the first game will remember that the Helghast invaded Earth to seek relief from the harsh climates of their home world, only to be driven off by the heroes of our planet.
The second game sees Earth’s forces bringing the fight to the Helghast’s front door, and as I said, this place is in need of a desperate remodeling to say the least.
Aside from the story we knew before games release, you won’t find much progression in the story. It’s a bit disjointed as I remember, and the boneheaded dialog between your character and his commando companions is none better. But again, this isn’t the draw of Killzone, the selling point is the fantastic graphics and FPS gunplay. As I already said, the graphics succeed with flying colors, but the FPS, or rather the core experience, does not.
Perhaps it was due to my love for Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare's precise and fantastic controls, but Killzone just didn’t have the control I require from my first person shooters. I often found it hard to line up a proper headshot and instead resorted to blasting my way through the game in a shoot-from-the-hip style. First, to aim through your scope or iron sights, you need to click R3. Anyone that has played a FPS in the current generation knows the standard is R1, or RB on Xbox. I realize that some games utilize the clicking of the right analog stick as the standard, and in fact Rainbox 6 Vegas used this method to great success. IN some games you are even allowed a bit of customization for the control scheme. In Killzone 2 you have the option to change aim to R1, but you sacrifice the placement of grenades, crouching, and other important features that make it just as frustrating in the long run. Needless to say, this was a poor choice on the development team’s behalf. It's not that the controls are unplayable, my point is that I just never felt as comfortable as with other control schemes.
Some may think this is a small grievance, and by all accounts it should have been; I have more than enough FPS experience to manage one button-mapping being off, but the controls only worsen from here. Targeting is clunky, meaning a slight touch of the analog stick barely moves the crosshair while a bit more pressure makes it fly across the screen. Again, maybe the excellent precision we see in this generation’s Call of Duty titles is the culprit, pampering us into thinking this should be the norm, but I don’t think that’s a good excuse. It’s not rocket science—well it might be, but I’m sure the programmers that can attain such amazing visual could have tweaked this to better suit our needs. On a side note, I tried just about every adjustment of the X/Y sensitivity, and it was no better.
A final complain about this game is the amount of bullets it takes to kill a Helghast soldier. Again, to refer back to Call of Duty, I’ve just fell in love with the one shot kill to the head or a 2 or 3 body-shot death. I mean, bullets kill right? In fact, movies and games don’t do it justice. When a bullet hits the flesh, it rips apart and changes shape from a bullet to that of a burred spider web, causing the crazy damage you would see in a real life shot to the head. To stick with the COD example, they do not exemplify this damage either, so I don’t think it’s asking much. I don’t expect a Soldier of Fortune level of blood and gore for a bullet wound, rather the one-hit kill scenario. I feel so much more tactical when I can pump three rounds into a dudes chest, move the crosshair over to their commanders head and drop him, then empty the remaining 10 rounds into a three soldier crowd, taking them all down in seven seconds; emptying a clip into a soldier only to have him run away, or hitting him in the head twice only to have his helmet sway is just not very fun, and borderline frustrating.
The good parts of this game lie in its set pieces and graphics, not its controls. I think I’ve made an ample point to explain the graphics are still where the bar is placed (this is over two years old mind you), but the atmosphere and use of those graphics is second to none. The glowing eyes of a Helghast soldier are terrifying for other reasons than their immunity to ammunition, and as I stated at the beginning the foreboding grays of the decaying cities in which you fight are all too real. The game also employs a cover system, albeit flawed in practice. As you approach anything that would be used as cover, a simple click of the shoulder button allows you to use it as cover and gives you the ability to blind fire or pop out and shoot. It doesn’t work as well as I’d hoped, although with a bit of practice it works fairly well. I would really love to see this idea used in more games and I would certainly enjoy seeing it perfected. If it could reach the level of cover and shooting mechanics as Metal Gear, for example, it could turn into a great change for the FPS landscape as a whole.
All this said, I don’t mean to imply that Killzone was by any means a bad game. It was far better than the first, visually and control-wise, but it still needs some work. There are some glimmering silver linings that show through, among which the highly lauded visuals and the cover idea. If the control mapping was improved and the degree to which the X/Y axis flows were improved, this game would surely contend with the big boys like COD, Bad Company, etc, and could even overtake my distaste for the amount of ammo it takes to kill someone. I enjoyed the game enough to play through and then again half way looking for Helghan symbols to destroy, and by the end of the game these issues I didn’t like seemed to dissipate a bit. Nonetheless, I hope the third installment due in 2011 is tweaked better to my liking, and that will surely be a sight to behold and a blast to play.
Graphics: The best of the best, even though it's a couple years old at this point. Had the FPS controls matched the graphics even at 66%, this could have unseated COD Modern Warfare as Game of the Year.
Controls: I'll start with everything but aiming: they're fine. In fact, I love the idea of a cover system in a FPS, whereby a simple click of R2 you can get behind cover, blind fire, pop and fire, etc. However, the aiming system lags something awful. If it weren't for Infinity Ward's stellar work, perhaps it would have been excusable. I just didn't feel like I had the precision I require in my shooters.
Story: Neither good nor bad. The story moves along okay, but it feels undeveloped (and yes, I did play the first game and still had trouble as to why I was on Helghast). But again, it's not horrible.
Multiple Play: With a strong online component and various collectibles that were a bear to find, this game is entertaining enough to play through a couple times easily.
Total: 72/100, C-
Ghostbusters the Game: A Dream Come True
Available: PS3/Xbox 360/PC/Wii/PS2/PSP
Game Type: 1 Player Action/Multiplayer
From: Atari/Terminal Reality
In the latter half of the 1980s, I was a Ghostbuster. I initially planned on using a qualifier like “fanatic” or “nut,” but that wouldn’t suffice. I was a Ghosbuster. From age two to age five, I was Egon Spangler, the scientist, but later I adopted the persona of Ray Stantz. Although I was also a fan of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Dragonball, again, I was a Ghostbuster! Every Halloween, no, every day it seemed I would don my apparel, throw on my Proton Pack, and roll out the trap to bust ghosts. I wore the Ghostbusters brand underwear, I slept in Ghostbusters sheets, and when I wasn’t sleeping or ‘busting, I played with myriad toys: the tower, the Ecto-1, the Ecto-2, 1,000 action figures and accompanying ghosts and ghouls, and of course the ooze that dried up in an hour so you had to go buy more.
I also fondly remember playing the NES adaptation of Ghosbusters I and II, loving every second of the challenge (the staircase scene from the movie in game one and the Ecto-1 jumping gaps in the second game—weird as those challenges were, specifically the second). Around five to seven I played these games, be it video or in child’s play, and always wanted more. I wanted to stand next to Dan Akroyd’s Ray and blast ghosts and get covered in the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man’s gooey, sugary mess just like the flick. This past October, that dream became a reality with the release of the PS3 version of Ghostbusters the Video Game.
Dan Akroyd said in Game Informer Magazine that because of the state of movies, CGI, and cost thereof, it was not likely there would be a Ghostbusters III. He went on to say that this game, in essence, was the third installment; it was even penned by Akroyd and Harold Ramis (Ray and Egon) who lent their voice talents along with Bill Murray and Ernie Hudson (Peter Vankman and Winston Zedemore). When I heard that, I lost my mind: a childhood dream finally fulfilled.
I realize the game was not critiqued as very great, and for all intents and purpose I probably would not have enjoyed the game play and mechanics and such if the Ghostbusters skin was not applied, but you know what? It was.
The game plays out like a dream. You have access to the proton pack, and it seems like they delved into my mind and put it on screen. In a sense it plays better than the movie, although I suppose that’s a given since it is our favorite medium/pastime. To video game-ize the IP, three other Proton Pack variations were introduced: the Slime Thrower from the 2nd movie, a pack that blast a negative shotgun round, and a photon torpedo, sort of an enhance proton shot, each having their own alternate fire like the standard Proton Packs overload shot, a bomb of a proton blast. As you unload your proton stream in any form, you simply hit R2 and vent the heat-buildup, and you’re ready to blast again.
As you blast the plethora of ghoulies, a life meter pops up and drains as you hit them. Once their life is diminished to a small red bar, the proton stream, for example, wraps around them in iconic fashion. The baddies will try to pull left and right, and you accommodate by pulling the opposite direction and thus filling the slam meter; as it fills, up to three bars, you hit R2 again and slam them into the ground or wall, even the trap once you upgrade it. Each pack-shot, trap, PKE meter, etc. is upgradeable. Using the money that each ghost yields, you can upgrade to higher technology, and the technology is fantastically rigged. Just like in the movies, it looks like some goofy scientists just cobbled together a bunch of packs from household junk. How amazingly fun!
The character of the game we take on is the new recruit, similar to Winston in the first movie. Ghosts have become so rampant that they need a new hire and you are it. Much to my amazement, the new hire looked like me, haircut, pale skin, everything! I literally felt like I was busting ghosts, which ranks it high in my mind because few games can get me into their characters like this. For any faults it had, this made up for them in spades.
That’s not to say there weren’t any problems that annoyed. The run function intermittently bounces between running and hopping; depending on which you want to do, it does the other. Also, your fellow Ghostbusters, i.e. the guys who have been doing this the longest (the game takes place in 1992, a year after the movie) are always dying. When they die, you need to run over and heal them or its game over. This gets tedious after the initial training period, so you can imagine how frustrating it becomes later in the game. I also found my money-earning becoming a bit out of control. I had every weapon unlocked and maxed out about two thirds through the game. I really dislike when games implement this design, because all that overpowered gear just tears the ghosts up on one hand making progression way too easy, and capping out just sucks. I want new gear at a steady pace; granted, however, that happy medium is hard to achieve.
When all is said and done, from taking down the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man while hanging off the ledge of the fabled building in which the four ‘Busters took down Gozer was quite a sight to behold, as was the updated trap bolted to the Ecto 1 and slam dunking the ghosts into it. After years of patiently waiting for this to happen, it almost did. I say almost because the game is not without its flaws, but it’s a dream come to fruition nonetheless. If you were born in the early ‘80s through the latter half of the decade, I can’t recommend it enough. If you have no taste for the flavor, the game won’t stand out from the pack a great deal.
Graphics: Particle effects are nice, as are the proton packs themselves. The character models are fair, but the ghosts are legitimate. Very nice work.
Story: Speaking as a huge Ghostbuster nerd, fantastic. I could see it being pretty convoluted for those of you not interested in the IP, but for fans of the original two movies this is a must see just for what Dan Akroyd calls "as close to a third movie as we're likely to get." Did I mention Akroyd and Harold Ramis wrote the script and all four voice-acted their roles?
Controls: Aside from the above mentioned running/jumping bump in the road, controls play like a standard third person shooter. Other than the one problem, controls are pretty good.
Multiple Play: Sadly, I can't really recommend any amount of multiple plays. The story is great for a dork like me, but the gameplay does get a bit old. A second run-through would probably be too much.
Total: 70, C
Game Type: 1 Player Action/Multiplayer
From: Atari/Terminal Reality
In the latter half of the 1980s, I was a Ghostbuster. I initially planned on using a qualifier like “fanatic” or “nut,” but that wouldn’t suffice. I was a Ghosbuster. From age two to age five, I was Egon Spangler, the scientist, but later I adopted the persona of Ray Stantz. Although I was also a fan of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Dragonball, again, I was a Ghostbuster! Every Halloween, no, every day it seemed I would don my apparel, throw on my Proton Pack, and roll out the trap to bust ghosts. I wore the Ghostbusters brand underwear, I slept in Ghostbusters sheets, and when I wasn’t sleeping or ‘busting, I played with myriad toys: the tower, the Ecto-1, the Ecto-2, 1,000 action figures and accompanying ghosts and ghouls, and of course the ooze that dried up in an hour so you had to go buy more.
I also fondly remember playing the NES adaptation of Ghosbusters I and II, loving every second of the challenge (the staircase scene from the movie in game one and the Ecto-1 jumping gaps in the second game—weird as those challenges were, specifically the second). Around five to seven I played these games, be it video or in child’s play, and always wanted more. I wanted to stand next to Dan Akroyd’s Ray and blast ghosts and get covered in the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man’s gooey, sugary mess just like the flick. This past October, that dream became a reality with the release of the PS3 version of Ghostbusters the Video Game.
Dan Akroyd said in Game Informer Magazine that because of the state of movies, CGI, and cost thereof, it was not likely there would be a Ghostbusters III. He went on to say that this game, in essence, was the third installment; it was even penned by Akroyd and Harold Ramis (Ray and Egon) who lent their voice talents along with Bill Murray and Ernie Hudson (Peter Vankman and Winston Zedemore). When I heard that, I lost my mind: a childhood dream finally fulfilled.
I realize the game was not critiqued as very great, and for all intents and purpose I probably would not have enjoyed the game play and mechanics and such if the Ghostbusters skin was not applied, but you know what? It was.
The game plays out like a dream. You have access to the proton pack, and it seems like they delved into my mind and put it on screen. In a sense it plays better than the movie, although I suppose that’s a given since it is our favorite medium/pastime. To video game-ize the IP, three other Proton Pack variations were introduced: the Slime Thrower from the 2nd movie, a pack that blast a negative shotgun round, and a photon torpedo, sort of an enhance proton shot, each having their own alternate fire like the standard Proton Packs overload shot, a bomb of a proton blast. As you unload your proton stream in any form, you simply hit R2 and vent the heat-buildup, and you’re ready to blast again.
As you blast the plethora of ghoulies, a life meter pops up and drains as you hit them. Once their life is diminished to a small red bar, the proton stream, for example, wraps around them in iconic fashion. The baddies will try to pull left and right, and you accommodate by pulling the opposite direction and thus filling the slam meter; as it fills, up to three bars, you hit R2 again and slam them into the ground or wall, even the trap once you upgrade it. Each pack-shot, trap, PKE meter, etc. is upgradeable. Using the money that each ghost yields, you can upgrade to higher technology, and the technology is fantastically rigged. Just like in the movies, it looks like some goofy scientists just cobbled together a bunch of packs from household junk. How amazingly fun!
The character of the game we take on is the new recruit, similar to Winston in the first movie. Ghosts have become so rampant that they need a new hire and you are it. Much to my amazement, the new hire looked like me, haircut, pale skin, everything! I literally felt like I was busting ghosts, which ranks it high in my mind because few games can get me into their characters like this. For any faults it had, this made up for them in spades.
That’s not to say there weren’t any problems that annoyed. The run function intermittently bounces between running and hopping; depending on which you want to do, it does the other. Also, your fellow Ghostbusters, i.e. the guys who have been doing this the longest (the game takes place in 1992, a year after the movie) are always dying. When they die, you need to run over and heal them or its game over. This gets tedious after the initial training period, so you can imagine how frustrating it becomes later in the game. I also found my money-earning becoming a bit out of control. I had every weapon unlocked and maxed out about two thirds through the game. I really dislike when games implement this design, because all that overpowered gear just tears the ghosts up on one hand making progression way too easy, and capping out just sucks. I want new gear at a steady pace; granted, however, that happy medium is hard to achieve.
When all is said and done, from taking down the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man while hanging off the ledge of the fabled building in which the four ‘Busters took down Gozer was quite a sight to behold, as was the updated trap bolted to the Ecto 1 and slam dunking the ghosts into it. After years of patiently waiting for this to happen, it almost did. I say almost because the game is not without its flaws, but it’s a dream come to fruition nonetheless. If you were born in the early ‘80s through the latter half of the decade, I can’t recommend it enough. If you have no taste for the flavor, the game won’t stand out from the pack a great deal.
Graphics: Particle effects are nice, as are the proton packs themselves. The character models are fair, but the ghosts are legitimate. Very nice work.
Story: Speaking as a huge Ghostbuster nerd, fantastic. I could see it being pretty convoluted for those of you not interested in the IP, but for fans of the original two movies this is a must see just for what Dan Akroyd calls "as close to a third movie as we're likely to get." Did I mention Akroyd and Harold Ramis wrote the script and all four voice-acted their roles?
Controls: Aside from the above mentioned running/jumping bump in the road, controls play like a standard third person shooter. Other than the one problem, controls are pretty good.
Multiple Play: Sadly, I can't really recommend any amount of multiple plays. The story is great for a dork like me, but the gameplay does get a bit old. A second run-through would probably be too much.
Total: 70, C
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Red Dead Redemption: Redeeming Westers and Marston Alike
Available: PS3, Xbox 360
Game Type: 1 Player Action/multiplayer
From: Rockstar Games
Let me preface my review of this fantastic game by saying two things. First, I never had even the slightest interest in the Western genre. I watched an episode of HBO’s highly lauded “Deadwood,” and wasn’t as impressed as the critics lead me to believe. I also watched a Johnny Depp movie (the name escapes me) that was in black and white and ultra-gritty. It also didn’t do it for me. It’s not that these forms of media were not entertaining or bad in and of themselves, I’m just saying the Western genre isn’t for me, just like I’m sure Skate 1, 2 and 3 are fantastic in their own right, or Madden is as fun as the thousands or millions of rabid fans say, but these things just don’t interest me one bit.
That all changed after an hour of getting used to the intuitive yet precise controls Red Dead Redemption puts on display. Riding through the vastness of the untamed Western Territories of the early 1900s is quite a sight to behold, and has instantly become one of the top Rockstar games of all time. The played out Grand Theft Auto ideology is on full display, and through the new venue has become something fresh once more.
The story begins on a train, rolling through the desert landscape of the aforementioned area, as two elderly ladies behind our hero John Marston and a younger lady and a Priest chat behind and in front of Marston, respectively. The camera pans from group to group and out the window, giving you your first early glimpses of the games setting. The older gals behind chat of savages and the need to teach them the ways of Christ, while the Priest and his young lady companion chat about God’s will and how it is the white man’s duty to spread the word. From a close, over-the-shoulder view, Marston looks out on the prairies and rolling hills, giant mountains in the background, herds of wild horses and other fauna trotting by, and eavesdropping on his fellow voyagers. Never in all my years have I seen such an excellent opening sequence, and that’s saying something. It is, however, different than other openings. Clouds initial disembarking of the train through Midgar was fantastic, and any God of War game naturally has a grand opening that makes one’s jaw drop, but again, this was different. The tone of the speakers, the silent nature of John Marston, and the accompanying scenery is just breathtaking, and gives you this foreboding feeling of the agony of the aptly named Wild West.
Upon reaching the station, two Government Officials approach Mr. Marston and lead him away, and we learn that since the first game John has been hired by these Feds to do a little dirty work. Though I wasn’t lucky enough to play Capcom's initial installment, I’ve read enough about it (and the game fills you in) to know that he was left for dead by some old gang-mates, and has since turned to a quiet life on a ranch with his new wife and first born child. One of his old mates, Bill Williamson, has been causing some trouble in the area and the Feds kidnapped John’s family holding them for ransom in the amount of Williamson’s head. John begrudgingly picks up his Cattleman Revolver, and accepts the terms of their rules, however sinister they may be.
The game does a great job of setting the stage for the way it was, but it also gives us some insight into the corrupt nature of the Government at the time. You overhear a lot of denizens claiming how awful it is to have Government intervention, claiming they are just making more trouble than they solve. Even the towns and settlements’ Marshals, Sherriff’s, and other Lawmen, good or bad, claim that the Government is doing little to help; and possibly more to hurt. It’s a great point of view that isn’t properly portrayed in our High School text books, whether it is the way it was or not.
Redemption plays out in the similar GTA fashion we all know and love, but it’s a great change of pace from the concrete jungles we usually see. The mountains, sprawling deserts, and settlements alike are filled with all sorts of plants and animals to collect. As night falls, packs of hungry wolves scour the countryside looking for hapless cowboys to take a bite out of, and horses roam the plains just waiting to be taken home and trained. When the normal errand boy routine becomes a nuisance, Marston can go hunt deer, take on night watch jobs for extra cash, or hunt criminals and collect the bounty on their head. This is particularly fun once John learns how to use the lasso, as you then have the choice to take them alive or kill them where they stand. If the former is your preference and you can get them back to jail safely, you double your reward and gain some honor as well. As tempting as doubling the reward is, it’s also fun sometimes to just blast away. It has been a while since I’ve found a game with such satisfying weapons, which is at odds with what I expected. I thought playing with single shot rifles and six-guns would be lame, but it turns out they are a blast, pun definitely not intended. They are supremely crafted in noise and effect, perfectly capturing the powerful yet archaic weapons of the time period. Where in most games I despise having a weapon wheel and tons of firepower, this time it was okay; not only that, the weapon wheel was set up perfectly, allowing for eight categories and the ability to cycle through the different weapons for each category (for example, select the pistol with the right analog by holding down the trigger and then use the D-pad to change from the Revolver to the Pistol – genius).
Speaking of honor, the honor system is fantastic. As your heroic deeds become more noticed, people will start turning a blind eye to minor transgressions like horse theft or pulling a gun out in public. At the beginning of the game, such offenses were enough to get you shot dead.
The dueling system is also fantastic, as objectionable actions from the local scum are settled away from the locals. They typical whistle comes across the speakers, and the typical high noon battle ensues. To take down your fellow duelist, John makes use of the Dead Eye mechanic, by which everything turns yellowish (think in the vein of early cinematography or photography) and things turn slow motion. As you pull your crosshair up from the ground, you tag your enemy until you’ve reached your clip limit, for example a six shooter you’ll tag the baddie six times, and if you do so before your competition—well, I’m sure you can fill in the rest. The Dead Eye is also used in three stages as you progress through the game: first it’s a basic slow-motion and target-yourself deal, then as you scan the crosshair over a target it will auto-tag different parts, and the final level allows you to use a trigger to tag whichever parts you want. To be honest, I found the middle section more of a nuisance as I found myself accidentally shooting women being held hostage, until I learned to cancel out the second level tags by right clicking to get out of Dead Eye mode entirely. Nonetheless, it's a bit of a pain in the butt.
The final bit I have to mention is the stark comparison of the third Act of Red Dead when you reach Blackwater, the Capital of sorts for the local area on a whole. While the first part of the game and the second in which you’re in Mexico enjoying the frolicking chaos of the Mexican Revolution, take place in the wild frontier, the third section brings you to the city. Cobblestone streets, automobiles (auto-cars I heard people say), and other bits of technology have taken over, and suddenly John Marston finds himself in the unknown. The frontier is where he lived, grew up, and flourished; it was interesting to see his perception of the new city. All his “Yes Ma’am”’ and “Howdy Miss” statements didn’t seem to fit in, maybe signaling the end of an era.
All in all, this is one game you don’t want to miss. Perhaps if Madden was as genuine as this game is in historical accuracy (minus the fact that the American flag had 50 stars– disappointing) and fun gameplay I could be swayed to join the party, because I was far more a football fan than a Western fan. Yet somehow this game turned me. I can’t wait to make it a video store and rent a couple Westerns now that I have a taste for the flavor. But as far as open world games go, there’s not much better out there. As far as Western games go, I don’t think I have to even finish this statement as Call of Juarez and Cold Blood were awful. And finally, as far as games go, there is hardly a better one out there. Story, intrigue, loss, gain, it’s all there. As John Marston puts it, Go on Good Sir, stop wasting time reading my review, saddle up, load your six-shooter or Repeater, and start blasting. The corrupt Government will thank you, and you might even redeem your past.
Graphics: 23/25
Controls: 24/25
Story: 25/25
Multiple Play: 23/25
Total: 95/100, A
Game Type: 1 Player Action/multiplayer
From: Rockstar Games
Let me preface my review of this fantastic game by saying two things. First, I never had even the slightest interest in the Western genre. I watched an episode of HBO’s highly lauded “Deadwood,” and wasn’t as impressed as the critics lead me to believe. I also watched a Johnny Depp movie (the name escapes me) that was in black and white and ultra-gritty. It also didn’t do it for me. It’s not that these forms of media were not entertaining or bad in and of themselves, I’m just saying the Western genre isn’t for me, just like I’m sure Skate 1, 2 and 3 are fantastic in their own right, or Madden is as fun as the thousands or millions of rabid fans say, but these things just don’t interest me one bit.
That all changed after an hour of getting used to the intuitive yet precise controls Red Dead Redemption puts on display. Riding through the vastness of the untamed Western Territories of the early 1900s is quite a sight to behold, and has instantly become one of the top Rockstar games of all time. The played out Grand Theft Auto ideology is on full display, and through the new venue has become something fresh once more.
The story begins on a train, rolling through the desert landscape of the aforementioned area, as two elderly ladies behind our hero John Marston and a younger lady and a Priest chat behind and in front of Marston, respectively. The camera pans from group to group and out the window, giving you your first early glimpses of the games setting. The older gals behind chat of savages and the need to teach them the ways of Christ, while the Priest and his young lady companion chat about God’s will and how it is the white man’s duty to spread the word. From a close, over-the-shoulder view, Marston looks out on the prairies and rolling hills, giant mountains in the background, herds of wild horses and other fauna trotting by, and eavesdropping on his fellow voyagers. Never in all my years have I seen such an excellent opening sequence, and that’s saying something. It is, however, different than other openings. Clouds initial disembarking of the train through Midgar was fantastic, and any God of War game naturally has a grand opening that makes one’s jaw drop, but again, this was different. The tone of the speakers, the silent nature of John Marston, and the accompanying scenery is just breathtaking, and gives you this foreboding feeling of the agony of the aptly named Wild West.
Upon reaching the station, two Government Officials approach Mr. Marston and lead him away, and we learn that since the first game John has been hired by these Feds to do a little dirty work. Though I wasn’t lucky enough to play Capcom's initial installment, I’ve read enough about it (and the game fills you in) to know that he was left for dead by some old gang-mates, and has since turned to a quiet life on a ranch with his new wife and first born child. One of his old mates, Bill Williamson, has been causing some trouble in the area and the Feds kidnapped John’s family holding them for ransom in the amount of Williamson’s head. John begrudgingly picks up his Cattleman Revolver, and accepts the terms of their rules, however sinister they may be.
The game does a great job of setting the stage for the way it was, but it also gives us some insight into the corrupt nature of the Government at the time. You overhear a lot of denizens claiming how awful it is to have Government intervention, claiming they are just making more trouble than they solve. Even the towns and settlements’ Marshals, Sherriff’s, and other Lawmen, good or bad, claim that the Government is doing little to help; and possibly more to hurt. It’s a great point of view that isn’t properly portrayed in our High School text books, whether it is the way it was or not.
Redemption plays out in the similar GTA fashion we all know and love, but it’s a great change of pace from the concrete jungles we usually see. The mountains, sprawling deserts, and settlements alike are filled with all sorts of plants and animals to collect. As night falls, packs of hungry wolves scour the countryside looking for hapless cowboys to take a bite out of, and horses roam the plains just waiting to be taken home and trained. When the normal errand boy routine becomes a nuisance, Marston can go hunt deer, take on night watch jobs for extra cash, or hunt criminals and collect the bounty on their head. This is particularly fun once John learns how to use the lasso, as you then have the choice to take them alive or kill them where they stand. If the former is your preference and you can get them back to jail safely, you double your reward and gain some honor as well. As tempting as doubling the reward is, it’s also fun sometimes to just blast away. It has been a while since I’ve found a game with such satisfying weapons, which is at odds with what I expected. I thought playing with single shot rifles and six-guns would be lame, but it turns out they are a blast, pun definitely not intended. They are supremely crafted in noise and effect, perfectly capturing the powerful yet archaic weapons of the time period. Where in most games I despise having a weapon wheel and tons of firepower, this time it was okay; not only that, the weapon wheel was set up perfectly, allowing for eight categories and the ability to cycle through the different weapons for each category (for example, select the pistol with the right analog by holding down the trigger and then use the D-pad to change from the Revolver to the Pistol – genius).
Speaking of honor, the honor system is fantastic. As your heroic deeds become more noticed, people will start turning a blind eye to minor transgressions like horse theft or pulling a gun out in public. At the beginning of the game, such offenses were enough to get you shot dead.
The dueling system is also fantastic, as objectionable actions from the local scum are settled away from the locals. They typical whistle comes across the speakers, and the typical high noon battle ensues. To take down your fellow duelist, John makes use of the Dead Eye mechanic, by which everything turns yellowish (think in the vein of early cinematography or photography) and things turn slow motion. As you pull your crosshair up from the ground, you tag your enemy until you’ve reached your clip limit, for example a six shooter you’ll tag the baddie six times, and if you do so before your competition—well, I’m sure you can fill in the rest. The Dead Eye is also used in three stages as you progress through the game: first it’s a basic slow-motion and target-yourself deal, then as you scan the crosshair over a target it will auto-tag different parts, and the final level allows you to use a trigger to tag whichever parts you want. To be honest, I found the middle section more of a nuisance as I found myself accidentally shooting women being held hostage, until I learned to cancel out the second level tags by right clicking to get out of Dead Eye mode entirely. Nonetheless, it's a bit of a pain in the butt.
The final bit I have to mention is the stark comparison of the third Act of Red Dead when you reach Blackwater, the Capital of sorts for the local area on a whole. While the first part of the game and the second in which you’re in Mexico enjoying the frolicking chaos of the Mexican Revolution, take place in the wild frontier, the third section brings you to the city. Cobblestone streets, automobiles (auto-cars I heard people say), and other bits of technology have taken over, and suddenly John Marston finds himself in the unknown. The frontier is where he lived, grew up, and flourished; it was interesting to see his perception of the new city. All his “Yes Ma’am”’ and “Howdy Miss” statements didn’t seem to fit in, maybe signaling the end of an era.
All in all, this is one game you don’t want to miss. Perhaps if Madden was as genuine as this game is in historical accuracy (minus the fact that the American flag had 50 stars– disappointing) and fun gameplay I could be swayed to join the party, because I was far more a football fan than a Western fan. Yet somehow this game turned me. I can’t wait to make it a video store and rent a couple Westerns now that I have a taste for the flavor. But as far as open world games go, there’s not much better out there. As far as Western games go, I don’t think I have to even finish this statement as Call of Juarez and Cold Blood were awful. And finally, as far as games go, there is hardly a better one out there. Story, intrigue, loss, gain, it’s all there. As John Marston puts it, Go on Good Sir, stop wasting time reading my review, saddle up, load your six-shooter or Repeater, and start blasting. The corrupt Government will thank you, and you might even redeem your past.
Graphics: 23/25
Controls: 24/25
Story: 25/25
Multiple Play: 23/25
Total: 95/100, A
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