The "Artist Formerly Known as Prince Who is Currently Known as Prince" has done something not many people would have done. According to some gaming sites (a few uncredited sources) he has taken any negotiations from Activision/Guitar Hero and thrown them out the window. On losing millions all Prince had to say was, "I didn't go for it because I want kids to learn how to play real instruments." Funny Prince. Maybe before turning down millions you should have gotten with the times and checked out the internet a bit...maybe here! I don't know. I guess it just makes me a little angry that someone wouldn't just turn down millions but bash something so many people are buying into. We may never know, but this could also be a godsend that we don't have to suffer through a few crappy Prince songs in the beginning of the next Guitar Hero, or worse yet, a whole GAME!
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Thursday, April 30, 2009
X-Men Origins: Wolverine...The movie, not the game...
Weird that for once I am reviewing something that actually doesn't have much of anything to do with a game. This review will be short and sweet as I don't want to give anything away that could potentially ruin it for anyone thinking about watching it.
Basically this is an honest and fairly true retelling (with some liberties taken of course) of where Logan AKA Wolverine actually came from. They even went as far as to throw in his real name, James into the mix and delve deep into the emotions of the Wolverine character. He was not always and animal as you will find out, but this movie is a great way to find out how he became one. It starts off with quite the intense moment with Victor (later known as Sabretooth) looking over James when they were both kids and James was a bit sick. The beginning I will admit is a bit rushed and a little black and white (both literally and figuratively), but it gets the point across rather quickly and then it rolls into quite the opening credit sequence that spans the ages of Wolverine's life. It was a fairly intense movie that had quite a bit of action, but honestly the breakout performance was none other than Hugh Jackman again. He is what made the screen version of Wolverine such a success and he does it again. Liev Schreiber plays Sabretooth in such a sadistic way that makes you cringe whenever you see him just to counteract the unusual nature of the young Wolverine. So not only does he counteract Hugh, he almost overshadowed him as such a strong character at points. So enough of the babel, should you see it is the question at hand.
You owe it to yourself to watch this. On a grading scale (coming from a since childhood comic book fan) that is based on grade school grading with A+ being the best and well, F being the worst...this movie deserves something between a B+ and an A-. It does a great job keeping you in suspense with a few twists and turns that all add up to the big time ending that could have been done a bit better...but then again a lot of movies lately are lacking in ending quality. If you were upset about Gambit, or Deadpool, or even Silver Fox like I was, don't fear...they do give some good reasons why the characters are there and they aren't just there for the hell of it. Marvel seemed to fit them into the story and kept it somewhat true with Weapon X and Team X while making a bit of it new and fresh to create this plot you think you know, until a certain twist you didn't know/see coming. Check it out and post what you think. I'd like to hear anyone's feedback on what I had to say and I would like to see if anyone else enjoyed this like I did.
Basically this is an honest and fairly true retelling (with some liberties taken of course) of where Logan AKA Wolverine actually came from. They even went as far as to throw in his real name, James into the mix and delve deep into the emotions of the Wolverine character. He was not always and animal as you will find out, but this movie is a great way to find out how he became one. It starts off with quite the intense moment with Victor (later known as Sabretooth) looking over James when they were both kids and James was a bit sick. The beginning I will admit is a bit rushed and a little black and white (both literally and figuratively), but it gets the point across rather quickly and then it rolls into quite the opening credit sequence that spans the ages of Wolverine's life. It was a fairly intense movie that had quite a bit of action, but honestly the breakout performance was none other than Hugh Jackman again. He is what made the screen version of Wolverine such a success and he does it again. Liev Schreiber plays Sabretooth in such a sadistic way that makes you cringe whenever you see him just to counteract the unusual nature of the young Wolverine. So not only does he counteract Hugh, he almost overshadowed him as such a strong character at points. So enough of the babel, should you see it is the question at hand.
You owe it to yourself to watch this. On a grading scale (coming from a since childhood comic book fan) that is based on grade school grading with A+ being the best and well, F being the worst...this movie deserves something between a B+ and an A-. It does a great job keeping you in suspense with a few twists and turns that all add up to the big time ending that could have been done a bit better...but then again a lot of movies lately are lacking in ending quality. If you were upset about Gambit, or Deadpool, or even Silver Fox like I was, don't fear...they do give some good reasons why the characters are there and they aren't just there for the hell of it. Marvel seemed to fit them into the story and kept it somewhat true with Weapon X and Team X while making a bit of it new and fresh to create this plot you think you know, until a certain twist you didn't know/see coming. Check it out and post what you think. I'd like to hear anyone's feedback on what I had to say and I would like to see if anyone else enjoyed this like I did.
Friday, April 24, 2009
The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena Review
It isn't everyday that you find two games with Vin Diesel on the cover when visiting your local game store. It also isn't everyday that one of those games is both a sequel and a remake. Such is the case though with The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault On Dark Athena. It is both a remake to the acclaimed 2004 game Escape From Butcher Bay and a sequel in that it contains a completely new campaign. For two 'chronicles' on one disc, this game proves to so far be a much better deal than Diesel's other game Wheelman.
Those familiar with the movies need no introduction to Richard Riddick, the most badass sci-fi character to ever grace the big screen in the last ten years. Escape From Butcher Bay takes place before the first movie in the Riddick series Pitch Black. Riddick, having been captured by bounty hunter Johns, is being taken to Butcher Bay prison (picture Alcatraz in a sci-fi setting). You have one goal in the game: escape. To do so, you'll have to use stealth, guns, blades and your fists while also dealing with the many inmates, corrupt guards, the tyrannical warden and some other surprising threats. It's a pretty simplistic story, which isn't bad at all. In fact, the game also reveals how Riddick got his famed eyeshine ability.
Dark Athena takes place immediately after Butcher Bay. Upon escaping (Spoiler alert? As if you couldn't already guess?) the prison, Riddick soon finds himself in the Dark Athena, a mercenary/pirate ship that kidnaps any unlucker space traveller who crosses paths with it (sort of like the intergalatic Davy Jones's locker). Riddick, being the badass that he is, evades capture by the pirates and their diabolical captain, Revas. Once more Riddick must sneak and fight his way off the ship. Again, it is a very simplistic story, but an enjoyable one.
You'll mostly be doing two things in the game: sneaking and shooting. Sneaking works like any traditional stealth game in that you use the shadows and learn the movements of guards before making your move. When the screen becomes blue, that means you're invisible. Once you sneak up to an unsuspecting guard, you can finish him off with one of several gruesome finishing kills. Doing these kills never gets old. The only issue with these stealth kills is that it is extremely easy to mess up as your hands will shift into a ready position once you're close enough to your prey. One slip on either stick can remove that ready position and you'll just deliver a regular attack, messing up your perfect stealth kill. The game also allows you to hide bodies in the shadows, but honestly there's no point to it, as guards don't set off alarms or call for backup if a body is discovered.
Shooting works like any other first person shooter. You'll be able to collect pistols, shotguns, assault rifles, grenades and even tranquilizer guns (helpful in the stealth parts). They're not available right away, but once you get them you'll be in plenty more shootouts. In Dark Athena, you'll get access to a sniper rifle (hint: to get it, help Gabril) as well as the SCAR rifle, which fires explosive bolts you can detonate; you can litter an enemy with up to five and then BOOM! It proves to be very useful against the Alpha Drones that you game seems to constantly through at you towards the end of the game. There are also missions in which you take control of automated drones. These are fun, though sometimes the handling of these mechs is shaky. Not to mention that it seems like regular enemy bullets take your health down super fast whereas if you were shooting at the mechs it would do no damage whatsoever.
Melee combat is also available in the game and proves to be a lot of fun. When you get the Shivs in Dark Athena, it gets even more fun. These blades allow you to slash away at your enemies, making quick work of them. You'll splatter the walls with your enemies' blood, and blood will stain your arms and hands. You can see every mark, every bruise your attacks make on your enemies. Once you get good at it you can also counter attacks for a very violent and amusing finishing move. No matter how often you do it, it never gets old.
Combat aside, you'll also be doing numerous side missions in both games. These missions allow you to not only get bonus collectibles and other goodies, but also to get to know the many shady characters that inhabit the world. Though sometimes talking to them gets didactic (especially in Dark Athena) after a while, but it still fleshes out the characters and the story a bit. Some tasks are fun, like competing in a fight tournament, others are time consuming backtracking missions (seriously developers, this needs to end, now). These tasks are for the most part though very well constructed and keep the pace of both games moving at a smooth and enjoyable rate.
As far as audio goes, weapon sounds are suitable for the environment, from the explosive SCAR gun to the swishing of your Ulak blades. The sound of mechanized legs nearby will always keep you alert for that mech enemy that can kill you in a second. Guards will taunt and yell at you as you stalk them in the shadows. It all makes for an intense experience. Vin Diesel does fine work, giving Riddick that gravelly tone that makes him even more badass. The other voice actors are excellent as well, from Bounty Hunter Johns to Dark Athena Captain Revas. Their stellar performances keep you even further invested in Riddick's adventures. Graphically, the game looks great. Butcher Bay has gotten a next-gen makeover and it looks beautiful. Dark Athena is also a pleasure to look at as well. Environments, lighting, shadows, characters models/movements, they're all great looking.
Some other issues I had with the game include the loading times. Whenever you die or enter a new area, a loading screen comes up. While this may sound like nitpicking, the loading screens just take too damn long. For me, these screens break up the fantastic pace of the game. It's especially noticable when doing those previously mentioned backtracking missions. Another thing is that Riddick's eyeshine, which functions as a sort of night vision in dark areasAlso, the difficulty achievements/trophies are not stackable, meaning you have the play the game on both hard and medium to get those points/trophies. Now, don't get me wrong, I do not mind playing this great game again. That said, you developers shouldn't force me to play it again to get those points/trophies. If your game is good, I'll gladly do it again, but don't make it a requirement. That makes me grow tired of the game and will put it away for a while. Also, for those of you who do not enjoy stealth games, you may be put off by the trial and error gameplay that is prevalent throughout the game.
These complaints aside, Chronicles of Riddick is a fun game. For a game that's five years old, Butcher Bay is still a lot of fun. It's amazing how this game hasn't aged at all, unlike other older games. Dark Athena only takes what was good about its prequel and only makes it better with providing some more with a few new toys. Plus there's online multiplayer when you're finished with the campaigns.
The Rundown:
Concept: Experience some of Riddick's adventures that occurred before the movies.
Story: Fairly simple, nothing notably complex or interesting. Escape from a high security prison and then from a mercenary/pirate ship while being a complete badass.
Sound: The voice acting is amazing and really enhances the characters and the story. Vin Diesel's one liners are actually pretty funny. The sounds of weapons, blades and guards are also great.
Controls: Nothing you haven't seen before in other first person shooters. Some of the stealth mechanics have a bit of a learning curve, but its nothing too complicated.
Graphics: Lighting and shadows are required to be good if you're going to have stealth in your game. Fortunately, they're outstanding here. Character models and environments all look great as well.
The Verdict: You're getting two 8-10 hour games for the price of one. One of those games happens to be an acclaimed game for the original Xbox that hasn't aged badly. If you missed Butcher Bay the first time (like me) here's your chance. This is a definite buy.
Score: 8.5/10
Those familiar with the movies need no introduction to Richard Riddick, the most badass sci-fi character to ever grace the big screen in the last ten years. Escape From Butcher Bay takes place before the first movie in the Riddick series Pitch Black. Riddick, having been captured by bounty hunter Johns, is being taken to Butcher Bay prison (picture Alcatraz in a sci-fi setting). You have one goal in the game: escape. To do so, you'll have to use stealth, guns, blades and your fists while also dealing with the many inmates, corrupt guards, the tyrannical warden and some other surprising threats. It's a pretty simplistic story, which isn't bad at all. In fact, the game also reveals how Riddick got his famed eyeshine ability.
Dark Athena takes place immediately after Butcher Bay. Upon escaping (Spoiler alert? As if you couldn't already guess?) the prison, Riddick soon finds himself in the Dark Athena, a mercenary/pirate ship that kidnaps any unlucker space traveller who crosses paths with it (sort of like the intergalatic Davy Jones's locker). Riddick, being the badass that he is, evades capture by the pirates and their diabolical captain, Revas. Once more Riddick must sneak and fight his way off the ship. Again, it is a very simplistic story, but an enjoyable one.
You'll mostly be doing two things in the game: sneaking and shooting. Sneaking works like any traditional stealth game in that you use the shadows and learn the movements of guards before making your move. When the screen becomes blue, that means you're invisible. Once you sneak up to an unsuspecting guard, you can finish him off with one of several gruesome finishing kills. Doing these kills never gets old. The only issue with these stealth kills is that it is extremely easy to mess up as your hands will shift into a ready position once you're close enough to your prey. One slip on either stick can remove that ready position and you'll just deliver a regular attack, messing up your perfect stealth kill. The game also allows you to hide bodies in the shadows, but honestly there's no point to it, as guards don't set off alarms or call for backup if a body is discovered.
Shooting works like any other first person shooter. You'll be able to collect pistols, shotguns, assault rifles, grenades and even tranquilizer guns (helpful in the stealth parts). They're not available right away, but once you get them you'll be in plenty more shootouts. In Dark Athena, you'll get access to a sniper rifle (hint: to get it, help Gabril) as well as the SCAR rifle, which fires explosive bolts you can detonate; you can litter an enemy with up to five and then BOOM! It proves to be very useful against the Alpha Drones that you game seems to constantly through at you towards the end of the game. There are also missions in which you take control of automated drones. These are fun, though sometimes the handling of these mechs is shaky. Not to mention that it seems like regular enemy bullets take your health down super fast whereas if you were shooting at the mechs it would do no damage whatsoever.
Melee combat is also available in the game and proves to be a lot of fun. When you get the Shivs in Dark Athena, it gets even more fun. These blades allow you to slash away at your enemies, making quick work of them. You'll splatter the walls with your enemies' blood, and blood will stain your arms and hands. You can see every mark, every bruise your attacks make on your enemies. Once you get good at it you can also counter attacks for a very violent and amusing finishing move. No matter how often you do it, it never gets old.
Combat aside, you'll also be doing numerous side missions in both games. These missions allow you to not only get bonus collectibles and other goodies, but also to get to know the many shady characters that inhabit the world. Though sometimes talking to them gets didactic (especially in Dark Athena) after a while, but it still fleshes out the characters and the story a bit. Some tasks are fun, like competing in a fight tournament, others are time consuming backtracking missions (seriously developers, this needs to end, now). These tasks are for the most part though very well constructed and keep the pace of both games moving at a smooth and enjoyable rate.
As far as audio goes, weapon sounds are suitable for the environment, from the explosive SCAR gun to the swishing of your Ulak blades. The sound of mechanized legs nearby will always keep you alert for that mech enemy that can kill you in a second. Guards will taunt and yell at you as you stalk them in the shadows. It all makes for an intense experience. Vin Diesel does fine work, giving Riddick that gravelly tone that makes him even more badass. The other voice actors are excellent as well, from Bounty Hunter Johns to Dark Athena Captain Revas. Their stellar performances keep you even further invested in Riddick's adventures. Graphically, the game looks great. Butcher Bay has gotten a next-gen makeover and it looks beautiful. Dark Athena is also a pleasure to look at as well. Environments, lighting, shadows, characters models/movements, they're all great looking.
Some other issues I had with the game include the loading times. Whenever you die or enter a new area, a loading screen comes up. While this may sound like nitpicking, the loading screens just take too damn long. For me, these screens break up the fantastic pace of the game. It's especially noticable when doing those previously mentioned backtracking missions. Another thing is that Riddick's eyeshine, which functions as a sort of night vision in dark areasAlso, the difficulty achievements/trophies are not stackable, meaning you have the play the game on both hard and medium to get those points/trophies. Now, don't get me wrong, I do not mind playing this great game again. That said, you developers shouldn't force me to play it again to get those points/trophies. If your game is good, I'll gladly do it again, but don't make it a requirement. That makes me grow tired of the game and will put it away for a while. Also, for those of you who do not enjoy stealth games, you may be put off by the trial and error gameplay that is prevalent throughout the game.
These complaints aside, Chronicles of Riddick is a fun game. For a game that's five years old, Butcher Bay is still a lot of fun. It's amazing how this game hasn't aged at all, unlike other older games. Dark Athena only takes what was good about its prequel and only makes it better with providing some more with a few new toys. Plus there's online multiplayer when you're finished with the campaigns.
The Rundown:
Concept: Experience some of Riddick's adventures that occurred before the movies.
Story: Fairly simple, nothing notably complex or interesting. Escape from a high security prison and then from a mercenary/pirate ship while being a complete badass.
Sound: The voice acting is amazing and really enhances the characters and the story. Vin Diesel's one liners are actually pretty funny. The sounds of weapons, blades and guards are also great.
Controls: Nothing you haven't seen before in other first person shooters. Some of the stealth mechanics have a bit of a learning curve, but its nothing too complicated.
Graphics: Lighting and shadows are required to be good if you're going to have stealth in your game. Fortunately, they're outstanding here. Character models and environments all look great as well.
The Verdict: You're getting two 8-10 hour games for the price of one. One of those games happens to be an acclaimed game for the original Xbox that hasn't aged badly. If you missed Butcher Bay the first time (like me) here's your chance. This is a definite buy.
Score: 8.5/10
Sunday, March 29, 2009
GTA IV: The Lost and the Damned Review
In this age of gaming, we can be guaranteed of several constants. One: the popular games will almost always come out during the holidays. Two: any new game will spark a debate regarding which console it looks best on. And finally: you can expect a game's life to be prolonged through DLC. Such is the case with Grand Theft Auto 4 with the release of the first of several DLC episodes "The Lost and the Damned" available only via Xbox Live Marketplace. What separates TLAD from other DLC packs out there is that the experience doesn't feel like just some tacked on missions to get some more play time out of the game. TLAD offers a completely different perspective of Liberty City that is definitely worth experiencing.
Those who have gone through GTA 4's main story might remember a certain biker who appeared throughout Niko's story. TLAD puts you in the shoes of that biker: Johnny Klebitz, vice president of motorcycle gang The Lost. Johnny's story begins with his gang's president, Billy Grey, being released from prison. Naturally, Billy wants to stir up trouble with rival gang The Angels of Death just like the old days much to Johnny's chagrin, as it would be bad for business. What follows is a tale that touches upon themes of greed, friendship and loyalty in an ever changing world. Along the way you'll meet up with the usual GTA lineup of drug dealers, gangsters, and corrupt politicians, while meeting a few familiar faces, including Niko Bellic. My favorite aspect about the story is how it seamlessly ties into GTA 4's story. You'll experience some of Niko's missions through Johnny's perspective and you'll see other ties that clarify some loose ends. Remember all those missions as Niko that had you killing bikers? You'll now know exactly who those guys were. Remember those diamonds that caused so many problems for Niko? Well, now you'll find out how they affected Johnny. TLAD story parallels Niko's story flawlessly, adding so much more depth and enjoyment to an already deep and enjoyable story.
Gameplay is for the most part unchanged in TLAD. The interesting thing about Johnny is that he's not just Niko with a new skin; he moves and fights differently, even his cell phone is different, which just goes to show the effort Rockstar put into this DLC. The motorcycle handling is a thousand times better than in the main game. No longer will you fly off your bike after hitting something that in the real world would not send you flying. Turning and manuervering through traffic also felt a lot smoother and I was able to recover a lot faster when I was knocked off course. Johnny has a few new weapons available for him including an automatic pistol, a sawn off shotgun (which you use while on your bike), an automatic shotgun, a grenade launcher and pipe bombs. All of the new weapons are fun to use and I found myself using them whenever possible.
Aside from the story, there are a few other new things you can do in the city. You can do gang wars throughout the city, which consists of hitting a rival gang locations and eliminating them. Fortunately you can call for backup two of your gang members to assist you. You can also do this while doing main missions as well. Using them not only takes the burden off you, but also builds up their toughness, allowing them to become better fighters. You can also build up their toughness through riding in formation with them. While riding with them, the gang logo will appear on the road. Keep up with it and you'll build ther toughness and gain health for youself. Building them up proves very useful for the story and during these gang wars. Also available are numerous bike races which allow you to assault other racers with a bat. Coming from someone who hates racing games, having this option makes doing these races just a bit more tolerable. There are also some more assassination missions, bike collecting, a few more random character encounters, some added multiplayer matches and even some more birds to shoot. There are some more minigames added for when you go out with friends including air hockey, arm wrestling and cards. Fortunately, you won't be constantly spammed by friends who want to do things with you like in the main game. In fact, throughout the entire game, I was only called once to do something.
All of these new features are great, but pale in comparison to the best new feature of this game: a checkpoint system. Now during missions the game saves your progress during mid mission cutscenes, so if you die or fail the mission you can just load from that checkpoint instead of having to do the whole thing over again. It makes for a far less aggravating and cumbersome experience, though it's only available during TLAD and not the main game. The missions themselves are not too frustrating though some have their moments. Added up, the story is a third of the length of GTA 4's story, and you can probably get through the story alone in about eight hours. There are a lot of really memorable missions in this game including hijacking a prison bus, escorting a drug mule to safety, riding the back of a motorcycle blasting cop cars with an automatic shotgun and an epic final mission that I thought was a lot better than GTA 4's final mission.
Graphically, the game looks no better or worse than GTA 4. This is certainly not a bad thing as GTA 4 looked great, but it has been almost a year since that game, so you would think there would be some more improvement. The same goes with the audio. The voice acting is once again top notch, and all the characters from GTA 4 you encounter have the same voice actor which is good for consistency. Rockstar has even added some new songs for the radio stations that are more fitting with the biker theme. Most of these songs go incredibly well with the game. Going through a high speed chase/shootout with Deep Purple's "Highway Star" on the radio is an experience like no other. Running from the cops with Styx's "Renegade" on also makes for a great experience. There are also some more radio chats and TV shows that are also available for your viewing pleasure.
There are only a few flaws I found while playing. The first of which is with the map. Mission markers are colored very darkly which makes finding them on the map frustrating. I spent a good five minutes trying to find the next mission logo because the marker blended in too well with the black background of the map. Also, the mid mission checkpoints are a life saver, but I found it kind of annoying that it doesn't remember that you had armor or backup during the mission. Meaning that you'll have to call your backup again, and you have to tough out the rest of the mission without some armor, which seems impossible in certain missions. I also thought that Johnny took way too long getting on and off a motorcycle. This is usually not an issue most of the time, but when time and speed count, it becomes noticable. These are all just minor flaws in an otherwise excellent add-on that do not spoil the gameplay.
The Rundown:
Concept: Experience Liberty City in the eyes of a biker gang.
Story: Delivers a whole new story that perfectly synchs up to Niko's storyline as well.
Sound and Music: Great voice acting, great audio and some great new songs to listen to.
Controls: Unchanged from GTA 4. It's the same here as it was there, so if you didn't like them then you definitely won't like them here.
Graphics: Looks just like GTA 4, which isn't bad, but maybe a slight improvement would have been good.
The Verdict: TLAD stands out greatly amongst other games' DLC. The amount of new features Rockstar added is very impressive, added in with a brand new story that is just as engrossing as the main game. This feels more like a new game than just DLC, and it is well worth the $20. So if you're a fan of GTA 4 and have it for 360, buy it now.
Score: 9.5/10
Those who have gone through GTA 4's main story might remember a certain biker who appeared throughout Niko's story. TLAD puts you in the shoes of that biker: Johnny Klebitz, vice president of motorcycle gang The Lost. Johnny's story begins with his gang's president, Billy Grey, being released from prison. Naturally, Billy wants to stir up trouble with rival gang The Angels of Death just like the old days much to Johnny's chagrin, as it would be bad for business. What follows is a tale that touches upon themes of greed, friendship and loyalty in an ever changing world. Along the way you'll meet up with the usual GTA lineup of drug dealers, gangsters, and corrupt politicians, while meeting a few familiar faces, including Niko Bellic. My favorite aspect about the story is how it seamlessly ties into GTA 4's story. You'll experience some of Niko's missions through Johnny's perspective and you'll see other ties that clarify some loose ends. Remember all those missions as Niko that had you killing bikers? You'll now know exactly who those guys were. Remember those diamonds that caused so many problems for Niko? Well, now you'll find out how they affected Johnny. TLAD story parallels Niko's story flawlessly, adding so much more depth and enjoyment to an already deep and enjoyable story.
Gameplay is for the most part unchanged in TLAD. The interesting thing about Johnny is that he's not just Niko with a new skin; he moves and fights differently, even his cell phone is different, which just goes to show the effort Rockstar put into this DLC. The motorcycle handling is a thousand times better than in the main game. No longer will you fly off your bike after hitting something that in the real world would not send you flying. Turning and manuervering through traffic also felt a lot smoother and I was able to recover a lot faster when I was knocked off course. Johnny has a few new weapons available for him including an automatic pistol, a sawn off shotgun (which you use while on your bike), an automatic shotgun, a grenade launcher and pipe bombs. All of the new weapons are fun to use and I found myself using them whenever possible.
Aside from the story, there are a few other new things you can do in the city. You can do gang wars throughout the city, which consists of hitting a rival gang locations and eliminating them. Fortunately you can call for backup two of your gang members to assist you. You can also do this while doing main missions as well. Using them not only takes the burden off you, but also builds up their toughness, allowing them to become better fighters. You can also build up their toughness through riding in formation with them. While riding with them, the gang logo will appear on the road. Keep up with it and you'll build ther toughness and gain health for youself. Building them up proves very useful for the story and during these gang wars. Also available are numerous bike races which allow you to assault other racers with a bat. Coming from someone who hates racing games, having this option makes doing these races just a bit more tolerable. There are also some more assassination missions, bike collecting, a few more random character encounters, some added multiplayer matches and even some more birds to shoot. There are some more minigames added for when you go out with friends including air hockey, arm wrestling and cards. Fortunately, you won't be constantly spammed by friends who want to do things with you like in the main game. In fact, throughout the entire game, I was only called once to do something.
All of these new features are great, but pale in comparison to the best new feature of this game: a checkpoint system. Now during missions the game saves your progress during mid mission cutscenes, so if you die or fail the mission you can just load from that checkpoint instead of having to do the whole thing over again. It makes for a far less aggravating and cumbersome experience, though it's only available during TLAD and not the main game. The missions themselves are not too frustrating though some have their moments. Added up, the story is a third of the length of GTA 4's story, and you can probably get through the story alone in about eight hours. There are a lot of really memorable missions in this game including hijacking a prison bus, escorting a drug mule to safety, riding the back of a motorcycle blasting cop cars with an automatic shotgun and an epic final mission that I thought was a lot better than GTA 4's final mission.
Graphically, the game looks no better or worse than GTA 4. This is certainly not a bad thing as GTA 4 looked great, but it has been almost a year since that game, so you would think there would be some more improvement. The same goes with the audio. The voice acting is once again top notch, and all the characters from GTA 4 you encounter have the same voice actor which is good for consistency. Rockstar has even added some new songs for the radio stations that are more fitting with the biker theme. Most of these songs go incredibly well with the game. Going through a high speed chase/shootout with Deep Purple's "Highway Star" on the radio is an experience like no other. Running from the cops with Styx's "Renegade" on also makes for a great experience. There are also some more radio chats and TV shows that are also available for your viewing pleasure.
There are only a few flaws I found while playing. The first of which is with the map. Mission markers are colored very darkly which makes finding them on the map frustrating. I spent a good five minutes trying to find the next mission logo because the marker blended in too well with the black background of the map. Also, the mid mission checkpoints are a life saver, but I found it kind of annoying that it doesn't remember that you had armor or backup during the mission. Meaning that you'll have to call your backup again, and you have to tough out the rest of the mission without some armor, which seems impossible in certain missions. I also thought that Johnny took way too long getting on and off a motorcycle. This is usually not an issue most of the time, but when time and speed count, it becomes noticable. These are all just minor flaws in an otherwise excellent add-on that do not spoil the gameplay.
The Rundown:
Concept: Experience Liberty City in the eyes of a biker gang.
Story: Delivers a whole new story that perfectly synchs up to Niko's storyline as well.
Sound and Music: Great voice acting, great audio and some great new songs to listen to.
Controls: Unchanged from GTA 4. It's the same here as it was there, so if you didn't like them then you definitely won't like them here.
Graphics: Looks just like GTA 4, which isn't bad, but maybe a slight improvement would have been good.
The Verdict: TLAD stands out greatly amongst other games' DLC. The amount of new features Rockstar added is very impressive, added in with a brand new story that is just as engrossing as the main game. This feels more like a new game than just DLC, and it is well worth the $20. So if you're a fan of GTA 4 and have it for 360, buy it now.
Score: 9.5/10
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Resident Evil 5 - - - Review
Who thought daylight could be so f*cking scary? I beg to differ with anyone who says that the darkness is the only time that something can officially make you crap your pants, and this is the game that will help prove my point. From the beginning to the end, this game keeps you playing for more, but it does fall short in some respects. I have also only experience with the old school Resident Evil games and I HAVE NOT played Resident Evil 4. With that said, fans of the series will understand that this behind-Chris 3rd person view (that reminds me of the Gears of War series) is all new to me for this game. Also upgrading any gun is a blast (no pun intended) and just the all around learning curve for the controls is quite the obstacle. Plus, the A.I. is the only thing that really suffers in this game. It may be much better to just drop the $7.99 for an Xbox Live Subscription to play with a friend. With all that said, let's get started.
First the camera angle. Makes this game work. It isn't a true third-person title and it has done something other games have tried to do: mimic Gears of War and succeed. Now I don't want to say it takes everything from Gears in this aspect, because I feel with the aiming system it does one better. The laser sighting left me feeling that this game did something new with a not so old concept. With that said it leads me into the controls. The controls with the aiming and movement really do have a steep learning curve. Finishing the first bit of the beginning level which opens with a HUGE ax-man running around swinging his ax mudering anyone in his way (even "zombies") will give you the sense that you have control of the controls. Please keep in mind this is about the 360 version so basically I wanted to get into what kept me redoing parts because of control issues. First is reloading using Left Trigger to aim and then Hitting "A". You have to be aiming in order to reload which is kind of a weird idea, but I have seen that before. It gets plenty easier as you go so don't fret about how dumb you think it sounds. The next is the item selecting. The on the fly selecting gets to be a bit cumbersome so it is best to stick it to the opening the menu and selecting equip manually. Kind of annoying, but you make sure you get what you want that way. The controls get easier as you play, I promise.
Not to mention that this game doesn't just borrow from Gears, but it borrows from an older title God of War. During some cutscenes you only have a split second to hit certain buttons. This gets kind of frustrating especially when some actions scenes don't have them and some do. I wish all did or didn't have them, but they do add a bit more fun to the game. If you are playing co-op you both have your own personal sections. Cool idea that just fell a bit short, but still adds a bit to the game. You can skip cinematics that don't have the button pressing so even if you have to watch a scene over because you missed the buttons it is okay, just skip to the part.
Upgrading guns is so much fun by the way. Sure there really isn't much of a connection between the player and the actual upgrading other than just selecting what you want upgraded when you have enough gold, but when you get to have a handgun that does more damage than a shotgun and you can take down a group of enemies in 2 bullets makes upgrading fun. There are multiple upgrades including: firepower, clip size, reload time, and on a few others, critical % which gives you a chance at blowing an enemies head off with a critical hit more often than normal. This aspect adds something new to the Resident Evil series (forgive me if you can do it in 4).
The story is gripping and for me (a fan of the ones on Playstation 1 and 2) it really ties up a few holes. It really honestly holds you attention until the end. Even if you aren't a fan it is worth a play through, because during the loading screens you can learn about the characters with a timeline that chronicles the events that lead up to the end of Resident Evil 4. The loading screens are out of order and sometimes go to quick to read, but you can go into the extras and read through all 44 parts of the timeline. It gets new players up to speed real fast. The return of Chris Redfield adds some solid star power to the game (Chris is famous for his role as the protagonist of the first Resident Evil). Sheva the new partner (R.I.P. Jill Valentine?) is a great addition, but kind of an annoying problem at some points. This is what I fear every time I get an artificial partner and it holds true still to this day. I have yet to play a game with perfect A.I. partners. She helps a lot at points and even steals your ammo sometimes...bitch...but at some parts I had such an issue on the medium difficulty that I had to have my friends over Xbox Live help me out. There were parts where she wouldn't run and follow me and she would get killed.
Lastly I only have three words for the online multiplayer: fun as hell. It is so much fun and I have played as both Chris and Sheva and either one is fun. However playing as Sheva does come with new little learning curve after playing an entire game with Chris, because she aims over the left shoulder and Chris on the right. However this is where the game shines its brightest. Online play is fun, your partner isn't dumb (unless your friend is), and it makes you learn how to share and it makes you learn quick. If you are bad at letting other people have your last little bit of ammo because they have none, steer clear of this mode. It is all about surviving together. This seems to be the part of the game that Left 4 Dead fans would enjoy most. This game, in darkness or daylight, is definitely a survival game. The parts where you actually do go into the darkness requires you or your partner to carry a lantern which makes killing zombie-like Africans a hard task. Fun, but hard. It is parts like this that really show you the true colors of the multiplayer.
The Rundown:
Concept: Go to Africa and kill a bunch of zombie-like people. Survive and you will be awarded perfectly.
Story: Finish up what seems to be the ending to a story about a "pharmaceutical" company that just won't die. New twists and turns with new characters add such drama to the already intricate story. Like I said, new players can easily catch up without playing the other games with the loading screens too.
Sound and Music: Perfect. From gunshot sounds to the screams and grunts of humans and zombies alike make this game scary and fun. A lot of times the sounds will give away positions of really nasty enemies that you need to kill ASAP which is a bonus for you. Music changes from hectic sequences to just simple walking around which helps add to the mood.
Controls: Huge learning curve. Don't shy away though because once you learn this game slides like butter. It plays smooth and is a fresh new addition to my 360 library.
Graphics: Beautiful. This game is just gorgeous. Fantastic rendering. Anything else I can say or do you get the point? Smooth cutscenes and monsters that look so perfect no matter how unreal they may be. It brings a lot to life. Perfect.
The Verdict: Go buy this game. Sure the $90 special edition may not be for everyone (I didn't buy it), but even for $60 this will give you a good 7 hours of fun. Some parts are harder than others, but worth the play through!
Score: 9.75/10
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Pre-Reviewed: Killzone 2
Wow. I just have to get this out ASAP. So I have started to play Killzone 2 for the PS3, and...wow. Now if you are thinking that my "wow" is a description about how much I enjoy it...you are sadly mistaken. I have spent about 2 hours total with this game only to really enjoy the nicely rendered, cinematic cutscenes. I have more fun watching it than I actually do playing. There were times where the battlefield became way to hectic with 10 different people shouting different objectives out to you. What the hell?
It seems to have fallen short of the amazing feel of the first one with the most notable of switches being: the control scheme. I really wish they would have stuck to a more accessible control scheme like the first one, but the inclusion of covering behind objects required I switch. Therein is where the problem lies. The cover system is weak and shoddy. I got killed while I was in cover because my character (Sev is his name in the story) wouldn't duck low enough! COME ON! For real? I had no other place to run and it was the only cover for what seemed like a mile and I couldn't even truly cover! For a game based on that cover system and being able to reload your weapon in cover (which poses another problem) you would think that it would work better.
Next to the reloading. I had to change the control scheme in the settings to one that feels more reminiscent of a regular shooter than the one they start you with that feels more like you are playing Rainbow Six: Vegas (of which I didn't like because of the controls). The problem with reloading your weapon is that while I am holding in L1 to aim down my iron sight I run out of bullets, and then I have to reload. NORMALLY in an FPS when you run out of bullets your gun will "click" once and then reload automatically. NOPE! You have to stop aiming down the iron sight and hit the reload button...again...COME ON! It seems like everything people have done to make the FPS genre better in the last 10 years Guerrilla Games just completely blew it all off.
Next however is what I liked about this game. The original Killzone was one of my favorite PS2 games. I remember the hype and I remember it being the first game I ever played online. So much fun. Even the deathmatches I could do with my friends againts the CPU made the game more fun. It set the stage for some bigger titles to come like Black a year or two after. Killzone 2 successfully adds a whole new love of meleeing? an enemy. The ability to beat them til they're dead just amazes me to no end. The guns are a blast to play with just annoying to reload. The graphics are B.E.A.U.T.I.F.U.L. The music and sounds are great except when you are trying to do something and you have a bunch of guys yelling at you to grab rockets or get into the tank and you don't know which one to do. The hit detection system/damage detection is nicely done with blood spots showing up on the part of the screen where you are being attacked from. The run feature feels lifelike and you actually can't shoot so it makes you think twice about running towards enemies. Also the use of the sixaxis to help turn valves and set bomb charges on doors is a fun addition too.
All in all this is just a Preview of my review for this game that is coming soon after I beat it. I have NOT played this fully yet and I hope that it will get better. I will write a more concise review upon finishing this game, but so far the future looks bleak for this game. How GamePro rated this so highly I have no idea. Maybe they are blind, deaf, and dumb. This game, I pray, will get better.
It seems to have fallen short of the amazing feel of the first one with the most notable of switches being: the control scheme. I really wish they would have stuck to a more accessible control scheme like the first one, but the inclusion of covering behind objects required I switch. Therein is where the problem lies. The cover system is weak and shoddy. I got killed while I was in cover because my character (Sev is his name in the story) wouldn't duck low enough! COME ON! For real? I had no other place to run and it was the only cover for what seemed like a mile and I couldn't even truly cover! For a game based on that cover system and being able to reload your weapon in cover (which poses another problem) you would think that it would work better.
Next to the reloading. I had to change the control scheme in the settings to one that feels more reminiscent of a regular shooter than the one they start you with that feels more like you are playing Rainbow Six: Vegas (of which I didn't like because of the controls). The problem with reloading your weapon is that while I am holding in L1 to aim down my iron sight I run out of bullets, and then I have to reload. NORMALLY in an FPS when you run out of bullets your gun will "click" once and then reload automatically. NOPE! You have to stop aiming down the iron sight and hit the reload button...again...COME ON! It seems like everything people have done to make the FPS genre better in the last 10 years Guerrilla Games just completely blew it all off.
Next however is what I liked about this game. The original Killzone was one of my favorite PS2 games. I remember the hype and I remember it being the first game I ever played online. So much fun. Even the deathmatches I could do with my friends againts the CPU made the game more fun. It set the stage for some bigger titles to come like Black a year or two after. Killzone 2 successfully adds a whole new love of meleeing? an enemy. The ability to beat them til they're dead just amazes me to no end. The guns are a blast to play with just annoying to reload. The graphics are B.E.A.U.T.I.F.U.L. The music and sounds are great except when you are trying to do something and you have a bunch of guys yelling at you to grab rockets or get into the tank and you don't know which one to do. The hit detection system/damage detection is nicely done with blood spots showing up on the part of the screen where you are being attacked from. The run feature feels lifelike and you actually can't shoot so it makes you think twice about running towards enemies. Also the use of the sixaxis to help turn valves and set bomb charges on doors is a fun addition too.
All in all this is just a Preview of my review for this game that is coming soon after I beat it. I have NOT played this fully yet and I hope that it will get better. I will write a more concise review upon finishing this game, but so far the future looks bleak for this game. How GamePro rated this so highly I have no idea. Maybe they are blind, deaf, and dumb. This game, I pray, will get better.
Monday, March 2, 2009
God of War III Thread
So by now, most people have at least seen or read something regarding the next big PS3 title. This thread is dedicated to all things God of War III. Reactions to the amazing teaser trailers, other previews, expectations, hopes, anything regarding the game, post it here!
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