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!
Welcome To The Jungle- Far Cry 2 Review
You're stranded in a foreign land ravaged by war, death, pestilence and famine. Two opposing factions constantly kill each other while innocents try to flee. Their supply of arms comes from an elusive figure who is your number one priority. To find him, you must make unshaky alliances with vile figures, trading your morality for the currency of the land: information. Everyone's out to get you, even Mother Nature, as you've caught malaria. How you overcome the dangers of the land and complete your mission is entirely up to you. This is Far Cry 2.
You may have forgotten all about Far Cry 2 in the hectic holiday months of big title games being released. None can blame you, as this past holiday season saw the release of big games like Gears 2, Fallout 3, Resistance 2, etc. Yet within the weeks of blockbuster game releases came Far Cry 2, Ubisoft Montreal's sequel to their PC first person shooter (sequel is lightly put though as the game has absolutely no ties with the previous game and its expansions). Though the game suffers from several noticeable flaws, this game provides an extremely engrossing experience not seen in many FPS games.
On the outset, many will complain that the story, a reworking of Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness, is a bit on the shallow side. You play as a mercenary (one of 9 you can choose before the game) sent to an unnamed African country in the midst of a civil war. Your goal is to eliminate an arms dealer called The Jackal, the man who armed both sides. Naturally, upon arrival things begin to unravel quickly. You catch malaria, are ambushed by The Jackal and left to fend for yourself in a hostile environment. You'll spend the rest of the game trying to find The Jackal. You'll do so by doing jobs for the two warring factions who will provide you information in exchange for assistance in continuing their civil war. It's a fairly realistic and grim tale that touches upon themes of genocide, warfare, and the loss of morality. You'll find yourself committing blatant war crimes for people who could very easily turn against you. You'll make friends with other mercs who will help you out on missions and save you when you die, but if need be you may have to abandon them or even euthanize them. And your elusive target? Let's just say there might be more to him. A lot more. Through numerous audio tapes you can collect, you learn about The Jackal's experience. By the game's finale, you'll still be scrambling to distinguish the "good" guys and "bad" guys.
Don't go into Far Cary 2 like a regular FPS. Ten minutes in, you'll learn the hard way if you do. This game's difficulty is staggering. You will die a lot. Often times you won't know where that bullet came from or where those enemies appear from. Yet don't let that turn you off to the game. It's just a steep learning curve that'll even out eventually. The game is merely making you think about your actions. Rather than running into that enemy outpost guns blazing and getting torn to pieces, you can instead wait for nightfall and try a more stealthy approach with silent weapons. Instead of using main roads where enemy outposts and patrols lie, try to cut corners instead. Far Cry 2 doesn't forgive recklessness; once you realize that and look for alternative methods of gameplay, the game becomes quite fun.
Far Cry 2 is structured like a typical sandbox game. You have the main story missions of the two factions, which you can do alternatively. You'll have to work with both sides in order to progress, and there's no real consequence from either side on you playing them both, which I think is a shame as it could have created some more tension. There are also several side missions which fortunately are actually worth doing for the rewards. Doing smuggling passport jobs for the Underground nets you malaria medicine, which you'll need to keep yourself alive and healthy; Taking jobs from gun dealers nets you discounts on weapons and upgrades; Doing the cell tower assassination missions nets you more diamonds (the currency of the game. This is Africa remember?) which you'll need for purchasing better guns; Doing buddy missions also provides you with alternate ways of completing story missions and will increase your rep with buddies, enabling them to come to your aid if you're killed. It's definitely rewarding to do the side missions, as it'll make your odds of surviving in this country better.
Speaking of the environment, this country is HUGE. Over 25 square kilometers make up this country. This is both a blessing and a curse. The scenery is certainly impressive on an aesthetic scale, but travelling around the map gets cumbersome quickly. And if you plan on nabbing all 221 hidden diamond cases scattered throughout the land, it'll get really aggravating. There are bus stations scattered around the land, but like a subway in NYC it may not always get you where you need to go. Not to mention that there are plenty of patrol jeeps who will gun you down on sight you'll run into. Travelling through the land certainly gives you a feeling of doom as any minute you might get ambushed. Without any sort of autosave system, one wrong step could have you retracing quite a lot of steps. The game only lets you save at specific points (usually after completing a mission) and at safe houses spread throughout the country, which require travelling to and eliminating enemies at said safe house. It can get pretty aggravating at times. The respawning guard outposts don't help either. After I clear out an outpost, I shouldn't be able to come back 5 minutes later and find it repopulated with trigger happy guards like I was never there.
The bonus diamond cases also prove to be aggravating to find. Though you'll certainly need to find at least some of them as you'll need the money. Weapons will deteriorate over time, constantly jamming and eventually breaking, so you'll need to purchase new weapons. Guns from weapons are guaranteeed to die quickly, so stockpiling your own arsenal and buying upgrades are a must. There are 221 cases, which you can identify using your GPS system. Most of them are easy to get, but there are quite a few that are quite aggravating to get and sometimes require the use of very crappy platforming and hang gliders. Seriously how the hell does a diamond case get on top of a cliff that has no conceivable means of scaling?
Bickering aside, here are some more positives of the game. First off, the game is absolutely beautiful. As stated earlier, the environment looks absolutely amazing. Wildlife roam the plains, grass blows realistically in the wind, it's beautiful. Not to mention the outstanding fire effects. One little spark can cause a huge brushfire depending on the wind, which can be used as a tactical advantage in battle. The character models look pretty good as well, though the guards are fairly generic. The audio also shines: the African music changes from calm to hectic depending on the situation; voice acting contains authentic accents for the environment though every character rushes through their dialogue really quickly which is a little annoying.
Despite its punishing difficulty and gameplay flaws, Far Cry 2 is still worth a look if you're looking for a game that will really engross you. It's definitely worth the $60, but if you're looking for another typical run and gun FPS, this may not be to your liking. A rental will probably not be enough to really get the most out of your gameplay, so if anything wait until the price goes down.
The Rundown:
Concept: You're a mercenary placed into war ravaged Africa to find an arms dealer. Work for factions and others in order to gain info and other perks in order to complete your mission and keep yourself alive. How you do it is completely up to you!
Story: Simple, yet still engrossing. When one really takes it all in, it becomes a morality tale about the things people will do in exchange for survival. The setting of an African nation in civil war is certainly not out of place in today's world which also brings up compelling issues about genocide and anarchy.
Sound and Music: The music is fairly forgettable but the African music is authentic to the setting. Voice acting is often hurried but the accents are also authentic to the African setting. Weapon sound effects are for the most part good.
Controls: Usual FPS contols with some twists. You'll have to heal yourself if you take too many hits, unjam if your gun if it malfunctions and repair your car if it starts to smoke. Once you get a feel for things, these twists become easily manageable.
Graphics: The environment is damn near photorealistic. Deserts, plains, canyons, jungles, it all looks absolutely amazing! Character models are also fairly well done as well. The rust and dirt that accumulate on your guns and cars is also a neat little touch.
Verdict: Don't be afraid of the difficulty, especially if you're looking for something new in a FPS. It's definitely worth the buy.
Score: 8/10
You may have forgotten all about Far Cry 2 in the hectic holiday months of big title games being released. None can blame you, as this past holiday season saw the release of big games like Gears 2, Fallout 3, Resistance 2, etc. Yet within the weeks of blockbuster game releases came Far Cry 2, Ubisoft Montreal's sequel to their PC first person shooter (sequel is lightly put though as the game has absolutely no ties with the previous game and its expansions). Though the game suffers from several noticeable flaws, this game provides an extremely engrossing experience not seen in many FPS games.
On the outset, many will complain that the story, a reworking of Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness, is a bit on the shallow side. You play as a mercenary (one of 9 you can choose before the game) sent to an unnamed African country in the midst of a civil war. Your goal is to eliminate an arms dealer called The Jackal, the man who armed both sides. Naturally, upon arrival things begin to unravel quickly. You catch malaria, are ambushed by The Jackal and left to fend for yourself in a hostile environment. You'll spend the rest of the game trying to find The Jackal. You'll do so by doing jobs for the two warring factions who will provide you information in exchange for assistance in continuing their civil war. It's a fairly realistic and grim tale that touches upon themes of genocide, warfare, and the loss of morality. You'll find yourself committing blatant war crimes for people who could very easily turn against you. You'll make friends with other mercs who will help you out on missions and save you when you die, but if need be you may have to abandon them or even euthanize them. And your elusive target? Let's just say there might be more to him. A lot more. Through numerous audio tapes you can collect, you learn about The Jackal's experience. By the game's finale, you'll still be scrambling to distinguish the "good" guys and "bad" guys.
Don't go into Far Cary 2 like a regular FPS. Ten minutes in, you'll learn the hard way if you do. This game's difficulty is staggering. You will die a lot. Often times you won't know where that bullet came from or where those enemies appear from. Yet don't let that turn you off to the game. It's just a steep learning curve that'll even out eventually. The game is merely making you think about your actions. Rather than running into that enemy outpost guns blazing and getting torn to pieces, you can instead wait for nightfall and try a more stealthy approach with silent weapons. Instead of using main roads where enemy outposts and patrols lie, try to cut corners instead. Far Cry 2 doesn't forgive recklessness; once you realize that and look for alternative methods of gameplay, the game becomes quite fun.
Far Cry 2 is structured like a typical sandbox game. You have the main story missions of the two factions, which you can do alternatively. You'll have to work with both sides in order to progress, and there's no real consequence from either side on you playing them both, which I think is a shame as it could have created some more tension. There are also several side missions which fortunately are actually worth doing for the rewards. Doing smuggling passport jobs for the Underground nets you malaria medicine, which you'll need to keep yourself alive and healthy; Taking jobs from gun dealers nets you discounts on weapons and upgrades; Doing the cell tower assassination missions nets you more diamonds (the currency of the game. This is Africa remember?) which you'll need for purchasing better guns; Doing buddy missions also provides you with alternate ways of completing story missions and will increase your rep with buddies, enabling them to come to your aid if you're killed. It's definitely rewarding to do the side missions, as it'll make your odds of surviving in this country better.
Speaking of the environment, this country is HUGE. Over 25 square kilometers make up this country. This is both a blessing and a curse. The scenery is certainly impressive on an aesthetic scale, but travelling around the map gets cumbersome quickly. And if you plan on nabbing all 221 hidden diamond cases scattered throughout the land, it'll get really aggravating. There are bus stations scattered around the land, but like a subway in NYC it may not always get you where you need to go. Not to mention that there are plenty of patrol jeeps who will gun you down on sight you'll run into. Travelling through the land certainly gives you a feeling of doom as any minute you might get ambushed. Without any sort of autosave system, one wrong step could have you retracing quite a lot of steps. The game only lets you save at specific points (usually after completing a mission) and at safe houses spread throughout the country, which require travelling to and eliminating enemies at said safe house. It can get pretty aggravating at times. The respawning guard outposts don't help either. After I clear out an outpost, I shouldn't be able to come back 5 minutes later and find it repopulated with trigger happy guards like I was never there.
The bonus diamond cases also prove to be aggravating to find. Though you'll certainly need to find at least some of them as you'll need the money. Weapons will deteriorate over time, constantly jamming and eventually breaking, so you'll need to purchase new weapons. Guns from weapons are guaranteeed to die quickly, so stockpiling your own arsenal and buying upgrades are a must. There are 221 cases, which you can identify using your GPS system. Most of them are easy to get, but there are quite a few that are quite aggravating to get and sometimes require the use of very crappy platforming and hang gliders. Seriously how the hell does a diamond case get on top of a cliff that has no conceivable means of scaling?
Bickering aside, here are some more positives of the game. First off, the game is absolutely beautiful. As stated earlier, the environment looks absolutely amazing. Wildlife roam the plains, grass blows realistically in the wind, it's beautiful. Not to mention the outstanding fire effects. One little spark can cause a huge brushfire depending on the wind, which can be used as a tactical advantage in battle. The character models look pretty good as well, though the guards are fairly generic. The audio also shines: the African music changes from calm to hectic depending on the situation; voice acting contains authentic accents for the environment though every character rushes through their dialogue really quickly which is a little annoying.
Despite its punishing difficulty and gameplay flaws, Far Cry 2 is still worth a look if you're looking for a game that will really engross you. It's definitely worth the $60, but if you're looking for another typical run and gun FPS, this may not be to your liking. A rental will probably not be enough to really get the most out of your gameplay, so if anything wait until the price goes down.
The Rundown:
Concept: You're a mercenary placed into war ravaged Africa to find an arms dealer. Work for factions and others in order to gain info and other perks in order to complete your mission and keep yourself alive. How you do it is completely up to you!
Story: Simple, yet still engrossing. When one really takes it all in, it becomes a morality tale about the things people will do in exchange for survival. The setting of an African nation in civil war is certainly not out of place in today's world which also brings up compelling issues about genocide and anarchy.
Sound and Music: The music is fairly forgettable but the African music is authentic to the setting. Voice acting is often hurried but the accents are also authentic to the African setting. Weapon sound effects are for the most part good.
Controls: Usual FPS contols with some twists. You'll have to heal yourself if you take too many hits, unjam if your gun if it malfunctions and repair your car if it starts to smoke. Once you get a feel for things, these twists become easily manageable.
Graphics: The environment is damn near photorealistic. Deserts, plains, canyons, jungles, it all looks absolutely amazing! Character models are also fairly well done as well. The rust and dirt that accumulate on your guns and cars is also a neat little touch.
Verdict: Don't be afraid of the difficulty, especially if you're looking for something new in a FPS. It's definitely worth the buy.
Score: 8/10
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin - - - Review
Picture this: walking down a hallway of an elementary school with your assault rifle aimed in as many directions you can muster shooting at ANYTHING that moves. Then, from out of nowhere your digitized glasses that contain your real time HUD starts to flicker as badly as your flashlight...until everything cuts out. The only thing you can do is continue forward into a hallway that gets increasingly darker. What seems to be a gust of wind that you can visibly see rolls through and wipes you out making all of the lockers open and close at alarming rates like some sort of crazy scene from the old Poltergeist movies. You still shake it off and move forward, determined to find what you came here for...then the lights cut completely out. Darkness has never made you feel so terrified. The lights start to flicker on and off only to show you a room full of blood splattered walls when a little girl by the name of Alma (the Mother of the Apocalypse) comes up and grabs a hold of you. You shake here off...then you walk through another door, ending just one of the many horrific scenes that befall you in F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin.
This game had kept me on the edge of my seat for the better part of the story. It succeeded everywhere that the original fell short. The first one had moments where it fell short to keep my attention. There were actually moments of boredom being in firefights, but overall I liked the experience when I got closer to the end. It picked up a lot more and I felt I was really playing what F.E.A.R. was meant to be all about. Then out comes the second installment. I waited patiently for Gamefly to send it to my door and even after I received it, I didn't play it for about 2 whole days before finally putting it into my 360. Expecting a moderately fun experience with a few good high spots in this game like the first...I got exactly that and more.
From the opening level I got into the controls that at first are a bit different than the regular shooter, but after a bit you get used to them. The only thing that I couldn't grasp was the grenade button being the Right Bumper (in place of R1 on PS3) and the switch weapon button being the Left Bumper (L1)...constantly killing myself even at crucial points later on was rather discouraging. However, the wonderful usage of the save points throughout the game helped me not have to do some pretty ridiculous parts over again because of dumb, careless mistakes. Bravo to Monolith for actually executing an autosave feature in a constructive and useful way!
The story kept me enthralled throughout, being the rookie in a special military squad only to find out that I am the key to the apocalypse made me feel pretty damn good. Surviving a nuclear explosion, killing electrified ghosts in an elementary school, and walking the dark hallways of an underground institution that was supposed to be nothing more than a hospital are just a few of the moments you will find throughout this game. The story keeps you hoping for more of the same and just some of the interactive cutscenes make it that much more fun. It is even better when you finally get to man a mech that I had been waiting to play since having a taste in the demo. Having the ability to just launch rockets and remove soldiers from the top floors of buildings in a funny way that just keeps getting funnier is just priceless. Just one good moment after another. The story picks up more towards the middle to the end just like the first one, but unlike the first one, this F.E.A.R. experience never failed to keep my attention. The skilled break-up of story scenes/scary moments was even better split up by firefights with soldiers that you now have the ability to sneak up on and take out with some cleaver new guns like the Hammerhead...which speaks for itself. Fire a nail and nail the ---hole to the wall. It never ceases to amaze. Some intuitive new enemies kept me praying that I wouldn't run into another unless I got more ammo for my shotgun, and some new grenade types kept me praying that I would run into a group of enemies to use them on. Incendiary grenades are one of the 4 different types in the game that I just had too much fun with. I think that was most of the problem with some of the weaponry...I had too much fun.
The music and sounds were eerie enough for me to be scared and trust me, I love my horror flicks. I don't really scare easy, and unlike what other reviews like Game Informer said, I actually almost soiled my pants numerous times. Just the sound of feet pattering on the ground behind me freaked me out just as much as when the beast reminiscent of wretches from Gears of War jumped on me. I tapped the "B" button tons of times to just beat the hell out of it only to get up and blast the little.....thing.....in the face. Just one more moment to add to the tons that are already there. The point is, that the sounds are key in a game such as this and only a few moments did I find that the sounds didn't help so much. Sometimes there were a bit confusing in letting me know where an enemy is, but for the most part when soldiers would speak, I would know exactly where they are. It proved fail safe for the better part of levels.
Overall this game provided me with memorable moments and frights. It helped me try to cope with a fear of the dark and waterlogged levels that still remains. Normally when I can't use a flashlight I worry. Then on top of that to be in a basement full of illuminated ghosts without my flashlight...I worry more. It had me wondering at every turn and the addition of hard, yet so simplistically placed intel items made me have a little extra fun with this while it explained more of the very necessary prequel to the first game. Keep an eye on the price of this one, because if you love horror games...buy it now. If you don't like spending money on full price games, as soon as this goes down...get it! I probably wouldn't put money on a $60 price tag if I wasn't such a fan of the series either. It is at least worth a rental.
The Rundown:
Concept: A prequel installment to the acclaimed first game F.E.A.R. with a 2 tagged on the end. Scary moments meeting with fun gun play and and some interesting looks into the for real origin of the elements from the first game.
Story: I kept playing through mainly because of this element. The story is pretty enthralling even for someone who may be new to the series.
Sound and Music: Adds a certain chill to certain scenes and in a lot of ways helps you to decipher the bad guys from the good ones just by how they are talking.
Controls: It took some time to get used to them, but after a bit they flowed smoothly. The only problem for me were the grenades...saved by the autosaving!
Graphics: Surprisingly well done compared to the first game. Even the slow mo ability is animated better than the original. The trails that flow behind bullets and the blurring of enemies' bodies make it look fantastic. Framerates a points were slightly laggy, but it for the most part, held up delightfully.
The Verdict: Buy it when it goes down in price or rent it if you aren't a fan of the series or the genre. Believe me it isn't just all about the First-Person Shoot, but it doesn't fail as a standalone FPS either.
Score: 7.25/10
This game had kept me on the edge of my seat for the better part of the story. It succeeded everywhere that the original fell short. The first one had moments where it fell short to keep my attention. There were actually moments of boredom being in firefights, but overall I liked the experience when I got closer to the end. It picked up a lot more and I felt I was really playing what F.E.A.R. was meant to be all about. Then out comes the second installment. I waited patiently for Gamefly to send it to my door and even after I received it, I didn't play it for about 2 whole days before finally putting it into my 360. Expecting a moderately fun experience with a few good high spots in this game like the first...I got exactly that and more.
From the opening level I got into the controls that at first are a bit different than the regular shooter, but after a bit you get used to them. The only thing that I couldn't grasp was the grenade button being the Right Bumper (in place of R1 on PS3) and the switch weapon button being the Left Bumper (L1)...constantly killing myself even at crucial points later on was rather discouraging. However, the wonderful usage of the save points throughout the game helped me not have to do some pretty ridiculous parts over again because of dumb, careless mistakes. Bravo to Monolith for actually executing an autosave feature in a constructive and useful way!
The story kept me enthralled throughout, being the rookie in a special military squad only to find out that I am the key to the apocalypse made me feel pretty damn good. Surviving a nuclear explosion, killing electrified ghosts in an elementary school, and walking the dark hallways of an underground institution that was supposed to be nothing more than a hospital are just a few of the moments you will find throughout this game. The story keeps you hoping for more of the same and just some of the interactive cutscenes make it that much more fun. It is even better when you finally get to man a mech that I had been waiting to play since having a taste in the demo. Having the ability to just launch rockets and remove soldiers from the top floors of buildings in a funny way that just keeps getting funnier is just priceless. Just one good moment after another. The story picks up more towards the middle to the end just like the first one, but unlike the first one, this F.E.A.R. experience never failed to keep my attention. The skilled break-up of story scenes/scary moments was even better split up by firefights with soldiers that you now have the ability to sneak up on and take out with some cleaver new guns like the Hammerhead...which speaks for itself. Fire a nail and nail the ---hole to the wall. It never ceases to amaze. Some intuitive new enemies kept me praying that I wouldn't run into another unless I got more ammo for my shotgun, and some new grenade types kept me praying that I would run into a group of enemies to use them on. Incendiary grenades are one of the 4 different types in the game that I just had too much fun with. I think that was most of the problem with some of the weaponry...I had too much fun.
The music and sounds were eerie enough for me to be scared and trust me, I love my horror flicks. I don't really scare easy, and unlike what other reviews like Game Informer said, I actually almost soiled my pants numerous times. Just the sound of feet pattering on the ground behind me freaked me out just as much as when the beast reminiscent of wretches from Gears of War jumped on me. I tapped the "B" button tons of times to just beat the hell out of it only to get up and blast the little.....thing.....in the face. Just one more moment to add to the tons that are already there. The point is, that the sounds are key in a game such as this and only a few moments did I find that the sounds didn't help so much. Sometimes there were a bit confusing in letting me know where an enemy is, but for the most part when soldiers would speak, I would know exactly where they are. It proved fail safe for the better part of levels.
Overall this game provided me with memorable moments and frights. It helped me try to cope with a fear of the dark and waterlogged levels that still remains. Normally when I can't use a flashlight I worry. Then on top of that to be in a basement full of illuminated ghosts without my flashlight...I worry more. It had me wondering at every turn and the addition of hard, yet so simplistically placed intel items made me have a little extra fun with this while it explained more of the very necessary prequel to the first game. Keep an eye on the price of this one, because if you love horror games...buy it now. If you don't like spending money on full price games, as soon as this goes down...get it! I probably wouldn't put money on a $60 price tag if I wasn't such a fan of the series either. It is at least worth a rental.
The Rundown:
Concept: A prequel installment to the acclaimed first game F.E.A.R. with a 2 tagged on the end. Scary moments meeting with fun gun play and and some interesting looks into the for real origin of the elements from the first game.
Story: I kept playing through mainly because of this element. The story is pretty enthralling even for someone who may be new to the series.
Sound and Music: Adds a certain chill to certain scenes and in a lot of ways helps you to decipher the bad guys from the good ones just by how they are talking.
Controls: It took some time to get used to them, but after a bit they flowed smoothly. The only problem for me were the grenades...saved by the autosaving!
Graphics: Surprisingly well done compared to the first game. Even the slow mo ability is animated better than the original. The trails that flow behind bullets and the blurring of enemies' bodies make it look fantastic. Framerates a points were slightly laggy, but it for the most part, held up delightfully.
The Verdict: Buy it when it goes down in price or rent it if you aren't a fan of the series or the genre. Believe me it isn't just all about the First-Person Shoot, but it doesn't fail as a standalone FPS either.
Score: 7.25/10
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Jason's Top 10 Game Moments of 2008
Rather than just follow Randy and give you my top games of 2008, I decided instead to look back on the games of 2008 and pick the moments from those games that stick with me even now in 2009.
10. But What If There Are Bears? (Condemned 2)- After spending so much time in the rapidly decaying urban hellhole that serves as the game's primary setting, a trip to the country seemed rather nice. Then my plane crashed. Then I had to trek through a blizzard to what appeared to be an abandoned cabin. Following the Goldilocks tradition of just stepping foot into a stranger's home, I entered the cabin. I was immediately greeted by the deformed remains of a man. It only got worse from there. Blood trails stained the floor, human body parts lied scattered about and in the distance I heard loud banging and growling. It wasn't long after that I found the source to all of these things: a large, rabid black bear, and he was coming straight for me. Following the game's directions I ran for my life, through narrow hallways, holes in the wall and through connecting rooms never being quite able to shake off my pursuer. Even once I got my hands on a weapon, it all came down to one shot as the bear charged at me. I haven't played that many horror games, but this bear encounter still stands as one of the most thrilling moments of the past year in gaming for me
9. The Swarm (Resistance 2)- I've fought many odd enemies in my years of gaming, but my encounter with The Swarm in Resistance 2 was a special sort of odd. Part smoke monster from Lost and part those little beetles from the remake of The Day After Tomorrow, my first reaction to it was "What the hell is that?" Right after that I witnessed it consume a scientist into little bits, leading to my next reaction of "I better stay the hell away from that!" As it turned towards me and my men, I quickly learned that a) shooting it, while slowing it down a bit, only pisses it off and b) it's a lot faster than it looks (that's what she said?). I barely escaped from its' first attack as it consumed my men one by one. Every time it reappeared left me scrambling for a way to avoid becoming its' main course. Even when the time comes to fight it, the method in which to defeat it is still pretty harrowing, as it involves using yourself as bait. To me this was certainly one of the more memorable boss fights in 2008 and my favorite in this game.
8. Friends To The End (Far Cry 2)- I was given a job to destroy a weapons convoy. I tracked the convoy's route and planned an ambush. One rocket from my rpg was enough the destroy the weapons truck and complete the mission. It wasn't enough to handle the escort guards though, and soon I was swarmed by guards and cut to pieces. I was dead for sure. Then from the blackness of death I was pulled back into the blistering African sun by my buddy. She pulled me away from the firefight and provided cover as I patched myself up. With her help, we were able to take out the guards no problem. As I finished off the stragglers, I heard someone cry out in pain. I turned back to my buddy lying on the ground, wounded from the battle. I could have just left her there, after all only the strong survive in a place like this. Instead I ran to her, hoping to tend her wounds and return the favor. However, I was out of medical styrettes. Gasping in pain, she told me what I needed to do. With no other option, I pulled out my pistol and aimed at her head. Looking away, I pulled the trigger. The buddy who had saved my life just ten minutes ago, who had provided me assistance and guidance during missions throughout my journey was now just another body on the road. Never before has a game immersed me on such an emotional and psychological level like this one moment did. (More on this in my upcoming review of Far Cry 2).
7. Playing Bodhisattva (Rock Band 2)- So this choice may seem a bit biased, but I feel it highlights the greatest aspect about playing Rock Band. We all love the opportunity to feel like rock stars, but we love it even more when we get to do so with songs from our favorite bands. After all, when setlists for these games are announced, we scour them immediately for bands that we love. When we see that our favorite groups are going to be in the game, we're sold immediately. When I found out that my favorite group Steely Dan was going to be in this game, I was as giddy as an Asian schoolgirl. To be given the chance to rock out to one of my favorite songs from my favorite groups was the icing on the cake on an already stellar experience. Anyone else who has had their favorite band appear in this game or in another game probably has said the same thing, and would consider it one of their top moments in gaming. For me, this moment came in 2008, so here it is on this list.
6. Banzai! (Call of Duty: World at War)- I went into the new Call of Duty feeling very skeptical. After all, returning to WWII after an incredible debut into modern times seemed like a sure fire disaster. That skepticism quickly vanished after I was ambushed by enemies who just a moment ago were playing dead or lying right next to me in a field. Enemies who didn't shoot from a distance, but rather charged me head on with a rifle bayonette, their savage eyes gazing straight at me as one quick button press decides whether I see the end of the war. All of this within the first two missions! This wasn't the same old song and dance of previous Call of Duty games; this was a gritty, violent, and wholly unpredictable battlefield the likes of which hasn't really been seen in any WWII game.
5. Scheduling the Kill (Grand Theft Auto 4)- It starts like a billion other GTA missions. A corrupt cop asks me to kill a guy. However, the usual travel directly to point X, execute the target then escape routine doesn't quite work the same way here. Rather, I have to plot out the entire hit. I have to schedule a job interview to get close to the target. I have to purchase a suit to look sharp. I have to consult the calendar in my cell phone to ensure I have no other plans the day of the interview. When the day comes, I have to make sure I'm on time. During the interview, I have to keep my cool and play the part before pulling out my pistol and executing the target. With armed security on their way to me and sirens bellowing a few blocks away outside, I need a quick escape. A few shots shatters the window where I leap out and fall two stories onto the street as security enters the office. I run as fast as I can as the cops pull in front of the office. By the time they enter, I've already hailed a taxi a block away and I'm gone. This mission shows off everything that makes GTA 4 such an amazing experience and how the series has.
4. Shadow Moses (Metal Gear Solid 4)- I'll be frank. This moment is probably on the top ten list of everyone who played through MGS 4. And for good reason. The feeling of nostalgia that hits upon re-entering Shadow Moses island, the setting of the first Metal Gear Solid, is overwhelming. Stepping into that familiar heliport area that opened up the first game with the theme song of the first game in the background gave me goosebumps. The little audio flashes that occurred whenever Snake passed by something familiar was also a nice added touch. It really shows just how far Solid Snake has come in his journey, and how far we the players have come with him through the years. Plus seeing Shadow Moses in next gen graphics is nice, and the payoff of finally piloting Metal Gear Rex brings the series full circle to its magnificent finale.
3. Chicago (Resistance 2)- As far as pacing in a level goes, Resistance 2's battle in the Windy City nails it. It starts off peaceful upon entering the now war torn city, but that serenity quickly fades upon being attacked by an endless horde of leapers (at one point, the streets are congested with them!). Once that's done you'll enter the buildings, dodging instant death from hellfire turrets. Then you'll play leap frog in the flooded areas of the city to avoid becoming fish food, along with trying to reach the top of a construction yard before you drown. It's back to the streets then for some intense fighting with Chimera troops, stalkers, and drones. Then there's the fact that there's a massive Cloverfield-like monster roaming the city that you need to take on. Never a dull moment in Chicago it seems. I only wish that the levels in Resistance had more of this great pacing.
2. Going Underground (Gears of War 2)- This choice is odd to me because it irked me a little that a good chunk of this game was spent in dark caverns. Despite this, I can't get over the experience of going underground for the first time in Act 2, and all the revelations that came from it. Granted, Act 4 certainly had some big revelations for Dom and the Locusts, but those moments wouldn't have had as big an impact if it wasn't for Act 2. It is in Act 2 that we learn along with Delta Squad just how the Locusts are sinking cities and why. We're reintroduced to Cole and Baird after spending the beginning of the game without them. Here we are introduced to some of the more dreaded enemies in the game, like the Kantus and Bloodmounts. We also learn just what the Locusts do to captured humans, and we witness first hand as to how the Locusts can break humans in body and spirit. We learn in this act just what is at stake in the battle. If you need a reason as to why we wage war upon these Locusts, then one look at the torture vessels or sarcophagus like cells that contain human prisoners in this act should be enough. Then there's the climax of the chapter where we get a first hand lesson in the anatomy of a certain creature.
1. The Final Showdown (Metal Gear Solid 4)- I could basically say that the entirety of Metal Gear Solid 4 was my favorite moment, but if I had to pick one (which I didn't for this list), it would be the final boss fight between Solid Snake and Liquid Ocelot. Never before has such a simplistic fight been so incredibly epic. The structure of the fight is nothing you haven't seen if you've played any fighting game. It's you against Liquid in a simple beat em' up, no guns or fancy walking tanks. What makes this battle so amazing is first of all, the visuals. The fight is set against a beautiful sunrise in the distance that contrasts the rest of the game in which you spent most of your time in shadow. The appearance of the characters also changes throughout the fight. Every punch you land on Liquid, you see the mark left on him. If you smash his head into a wall, you'll see quite a big gash on his head. As the fight progresses, you'll see your opponent stagger as you pummel him. It makes landing that perfect punch even more rewarding as it's both beautiful to watch and it could easily be you on the receiving end of that fist. Then there's the music; each "round" of the fight features music from each of the previous Metal Gear Solid games, and the characters embody the respective protagonist and antagonist from that game. Even the health bars will convey this, as it changes from Solid Snake vs. Liquid Snake, Solid Snake vs. Revolver Ocelot, Naked Snake vs. Ocelot, to finally Old Snake vs. Liquid Ocelot. Once more nostalgia hits hard, as we're reminded just how far we've come and how long we have fought alongside Snake against Liquid/Ocelot. No fan of the series could have asked for a more fitting and satisfying final fight. It's not only the best boss fight in any game in the Metal Gear series, but the best boss fight in any videogame I've ever played. It will be extremely difficult for any game to really wow me with a boss fight the way this one did.
So there it is. Ten moments over the last year that remind me just why I play videogames in the first place. Have some memorable moments of your own? Or do you want to comment further on some of the ones mentioned here? Leave a comment.
10. But What If There Are Bears? (Condemned 2)- After spending so much time in the rapidly decaying urban hellhole that serves as the game's primary setting, a trip to the country seemed rather nice. Then my plane crashed. Then I had to trek through a blizzard to what appeared to be an abandoned cabin. Following the Goldilocks tradition of just stepping foot into a stranger's home, I entered the cabin. I was immediately greeted by the deformed remains of a man. It only got worse from there. Blood trails stained the floor, human body parts lied scattered about and in the distance I heard loud banging and growling. It wasn't long after that I found the source to all of these things: a large, rabid black bear, and he was coming straight for me. Following the game's directions I ran for my life, through narrow hallways, holes in the wall and through connecting rooms never being quite able to shake off my pursuer. Even once I got my hands on a weapon, it all came down to one shot as the bear charged at me. I haven't played that many horror games, but this bear encounter still stands as one of the most thrilling moments of the past year in gaming for me
9. The Swarm (Resistance 2)- I've fought many odd enemies in my years of gaming, but my encounter with The Swarm in Resistance 2 was a special sort of odd. Part smoke monster from Lost and part those little beetles from the remake of The Day After Tomorrow, my first reaction to it was "What the hell is that?" Right after that I witnessed it consume a scientist into little bits, leading to my next reaction of "I better stay the hell away from that!" As it turned towards me and my men, I quickly learned that a) shooting it, while slowing it down a bit, only pisses it off and b) it's a lot faster than it looks (that's what she said?). I barely escaped from its' first attack as it consumed my men one by one. Every time it reappeared left me scrambling for a way to avoid becoming its' main course. Even when the time comes to fight it, the method in which to defeat it is still pretty harrowing, as it involves using yourself as bait. To me this was certainly one of the more memorable boss fights in 2008 and my favorite in this game.
8. Friends To The End (Far Cry 2)- I was given a job to destroy a weapons convoy. I tracked the convoy's route and planned an ambush. One rocket from my rpg was enough the destroy the weapons truck and complete the mission. It wasn't enough to handle the escort guards though, and soon I was swarmed by guards and cut to pieces. I was dead for sure. Then from the blackness of death I was pulled back into the blistering African sun by my buddy. She pulled me away from the firefight and provided cover as I patched myself up. With her help, we were able to take out the guards no problem. As I finished off the stragglers, I heard someone cry out in pain. I turned back to my buddy lying on the ground, wounded from the battle. I could have just left her there, after all only the strong survive in a place like this. Instead I ran to her, hoping to tend her wounds and return the favor. However, I was out of medical styrettes. Gasping in pain, she told me what I needed to do. With no other option, I pulled out my pistol and aimed at her head. Looking away, I pulled the trigger. The buddy who had saved my life just ten minutes ago, who had provided me assistance and guidance during missions throughout my journey was now just another body on the road. Never before has a game immersed me on such an emotional and psychological level like this one moment did. (More on this in my upcoming review of Far Cry 2).
7. Playing Bodhisattva (Rock Band 2)- So this choice may seem a bit biased, but I feel it highlights the greatest aspect about playing Rock Band. We all love the opportunity to feel like rock stars, but we love it even more when we get to do so with songs from our favorite bands. After all, when setlists for these games are announced, we scour them immediately for bands that we love. When we see that our favorite groups are going to be in the game, we're sold immediately. When I found out that my favorite group Steely Dan was going to be in this game, I was as giddy as an Asian schoolgirl. To be given the chance to rock out to one of my favorite songs from my favorite groups was the icing on the cake on an already stellar experience. Anyone else who has had their favorite band appear in this game or in another game probably has said the same thing, and would consider it one of their top moments in gaming. For me, this moment came in 2008, so here it is on this list.
6. Banzai! (Call of Duty: World at War)- I went into the new Call of Duty feeling very skeptical. After all, returning to WWII after an incredible debut into modern times seemed like a sure fire disaster. That skepticism quickly vanished after I was ambushed by enemies who just a moment ago were playing dead or lying right next to me in a field. Enemies who didn't shoot from a distance, but rather charged me head on with a rifle bayonette, their savage eyes gazing straight at me as one quick button press decides whether I see the end of the war. All of this within the first two missions! This wasn't the same old song and dance of previous Call of Duty games; this was a gritty, violent, and wholly unpredictable battlefield the likes of which hasn't really been seen in any WWII game.
5. Scheduling the Kill (Grand Theft Auto 4)- It starts like a billion other GTA missions. A corrupt cop asks me to kill a guy. However, the usual travel directly to point X, execute the target then escape routine doesn't quite work the same way here. Rather, I have to plot out the entire hit. I have to schedule a job interview to get close to the target. I have to purchase a suit to look sharp. I have to consult the calendar in my cell phone to ensure I have no other plans the day of the interview. When the day comes, I have to make sure I'm on time. During the interview, I have to keep my cool and play the part before pulling out my pistol and executing the target. With armed security on their way to me and sirens bellowing a few blocks away outside, I need a quick escape. A few shots shatters the window where I leap out and fall two stories onto the street as security enters the office. I run as fast as I can as the cops pull in front of the office. By the time they enter, I've already hailed a taxi a block away and I'm gone. This mission shows off everything that makes GTA 4 such an amazing experience and how the series has.
4. Shadow Moses (Metal Gear Solid 4)- I'll be frank. This moment is probably on the top ten list of everyone who played through MGS 4. And for good reason. The feeling of nostalgia that hits upon re-entering Shadow Moses island, the setting of the first Metal Gear Solid, is overwhelming. Stepping into that familiar heliport area that opened up the first game with the theme song of the first game in the background gave me goosebumps. The little audio flashes that occurred whenever Snake passed by something familiar was also a nice added touch. It really shows just how far Solid Snake has come in his journey, and how far we the players have come with him through the years. Plus seeing Shadow Moses in next gen graphics is nice, and the payoff of finally piloting Metal Gear Rex brings the series full circle to its magnificent finale.
3. Chicago (Resistance 2)- As far as pacing in a level goes, Resistance 2's battle in the Windy City nails it. It starts off peaceful upon entering the now war torn city, but that serenity quickly fades upon being attacked by an endless horde of leapers (at one point, the streets are congested with them!). Once that's done you'll enter the buildings, dodging instant death from hellfire turrets. Then you'll play leap frog in the flooded areas of the city to avoid becoming fish food, along with trying to reach the top of a construction yard before you drown. It's back to the streets then for some intense fighting with Chimera troops, stalkers, and drones. Then there's the fact that there's a massive Cloverfield-like monster roaming the city that you need to take on. Never a dull moment in Chicago it seems. I only wish that the levels in Resistance had more of this great pacing.
2. Going Underground (Gears of War 2)- This choice is odd to me because it irked me a little that a good chunk of this game was spent in dark caverns. Despite this, I can't get over the experience of going underground for the first time in Act 2, and all the revelations that came from it. Granted, Act 4 certainly had some big revelations for Dom and the Locusts, but those moments wouldn't have had as big an impact if it wasn't for Act 2. It is in Act 2 that we learn along with Delta Squad just how the Locusts are sinking cities and why. We're reintroduced to Cole and Baird after spending the beginning of the game without them. Here we are introduced to some of the more dreaded enemies in the game, like the Kantus and Bloodmounts. We also learn just what the Locusts do to captured humans, and we witness first hand as to how the Locusts can break humans in body and spirit. We learn in this act just what is at stake in the battle. If you need a reason as to why we wage war upon these Locusts, then one look at the torture vessels or sarcophagus like cells that contain human prisoners in this act should be enough. Then there's the climax of the chapter where we get a first hand lesson in the anatomy of a certain creature.
1. The Final Showdown (Metal Gear Solid 4)- I could basically say that the entirety of Metal Gear Solid 4 was my favorite moment, but if I had to pick one (which I didn't for this list), it would be the final boss fight between Solid Snake and Liquid Ocelot. Never before has such a simplistic fight been so incredibly epic. The structure of the fight is nothing you haven't seen if you've played any fighting game. It's you against Liquid in a simple beat em' up, no guns or fancy walking tanks. What makes this battle so amazing is first of all, the visuals. The fight is set against a beautiful sunrise in the distance that contrasts the rest of the game in which you spent most of your time in shadow. The appearance of the characters also changes throughout the fight. Every punch you land on Liquid, you see the mark left on him. If you smash his head into a wall, you'll see quite a big gash on his head. As the fight progresses, you'll see your opponent stagger as you pummel him. It makes landing that perfect punch even more rewarding as it's both beautiful to watch and it could easily be you on the receiving end of that fist. Then there's the music; each "round" of the fight features music from each of the previous Metal Gear Solid games, and the characters embody the respective protagonist and antagonist from that game. Even the health bars will convey this, as it changes from Solid Snake vs. Liquid Snake, Solid Snake vs. Revolver Ocelot, Naked Snake vs. Ocelot, to finally Old Snake vs. Liquid Ocelot. Once more nostalgia hits hard, as we're reminded just how far we've come and how long we have fought alongside Snake against Liquid/Ocelot. No fan of the series could have asked for a more fitting and satisfying final fight. It's not only the best boss fight in any game in the Metal Gear series, but the best boss fight in any videogame I've ever played. It will be extremely difficult for any game to really wow me with a boss fight the way this one did.
So there it is. Ten moments over the last year that remind me just why I play videogames in the first place. Have some memorable moments of your own? Or do you want to comment further on some of the ones mentioned here? Leave a comment.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Randy's Top 10 Games of 2008
Sure it is a bit late for this, but I thought I would give some insight in to what I loved and still love from last year!
Honorable Mention.) This is comprised of 2 games I felt deserved at least mentioning and those two are Resistance 2 and Little Big Planet, both for PS3. I actually really liked them both and though I don't think they are in MY top 10, they top other people's lists and that is why I wanted to mention them. Get them and play them now!
HERE WE GO!
10.)Star Wars: The Force Unleashed: Holy crap I LOVED playing this game. From beginning to end I was so happy to have all of the force (dark side) powers in the palm of my hands. Pulling down the Star Destroyer was not as fun as everyone said it was, but after you get it down you feel invincible. Lots of good memories and total I would say this deserves the 10 spot! Great controls and awesome Star Wars music....and the FORCE!
9.)The Orange Box: Okay, okay...I know this didn't come out in 2008, BUT it did come out right before '08 and I played this all the way through '08...so I figured I could slip it in here. With 5 games in one (all the games are worth playing), I could only give it one spot. Playing all of Half-Life 2 and it's episodes made me excited for Episode 3 and Portal to this day is still a pop phenomenon!
8.)Call of Duty: World at War: I had lots of fun playing this which seemed to be an end to the World War II era of games, but if they keep making them like this I would keep playing them. Sure Treyarch isn't known for the awesome work on CoD, but using the CoD 4 engine this game just couldn't suck. And it didn't!
7.)Fable 2: A few of my friends got on me for not having this in the lower numbers on my list, but I can't justify getting it any farther past 7. I really liked this game and I still break it out and playing when I am feeling a quest or some sword play, but I would all the same break out Legend of Zelda and have a bit more fun. By all means this game is awesome though and worth the play through. Now with downloadable content, you can play farther!
6.)Grand Theft Auto 4: Someone had to know this was coming! Such a fun game that I find myself popping in on occasion just to kill civilians and drive around Liberty City like a madman. Just the simple pleasures make this game worth owning, but if you actually give some time to the story mode you can get a lot out of this game. Missions are fun and the updated features like the cell phone help this game progress along well.
5.)Rock Band 2: Holy crap...wonder why GH World Tour didn't make it and Rock Band 2 did? Mainly because GH released with an awful setup for drums making RB's wireless drum set with cymbals look much better, and the whole music creation to me felt real shoddy. I didn't even like the music tracks that basically mimicked Rock Band's. Say what you will but in my opinion, the original Guitar Hero creators, Harmonix, demolished the competition of the new Guitar Hero creators...basically Activision. DLC (downloadable content) comes out every Tuesday, a solid new drum set and guitar, able to have RB 1 songs transferred (for a one time fee), and all DLC works on both the first and second Rock Band so that no one misses out!
4.)Super Smash Bros.: Brawl: So I didn't play this as much as the other games on this list mainly because I love unlocking achievements on my 360, but this game is AWESOME! I know I sound like a Nintendo fanboy, but the revamped story mode, the smooth as anything controls on the WiiMote (for the first real time ever in any Wii Game), and just the new character selection (minus a few good old ones) makes this breach the top 5 of 2008 in my opinion. GO PIT!
3.)Gears of War 2: For obvious reasons this takes third place. Sure I am giving in to the top 10 list with a lot of Xbox 360 games, but oh how sweet it is to have been able to play this. In case you missed the first one, you basically go underground to set off a bomb to kill the Locust (bad guys) only to find out that the bomb only killed a certain species after fighting with a huge Locust General on a moving train. After everything Gears 2 then leads you into the Locust tunnels underneath the planet Sera and gives you a little more insight on where they came from. You learn more back story on our 4 main characters and tie up a few knots left from the first game. Gameplay rivals if not out-does (is that a real word?) the first one in a few ways. The first Gears still sparkles a lot, but this definitely shines.
2.)Fallout 3: Oh man I can't even conjure up the words to say about this piece of work. Everyone I work with pretty much plays this and we go to work to talk about it only to go home and play more. If level 20 wasn't the last level I would be up to level 50 by now. It is the first game in a long time to steal my attention from life for more than 50 hours. New DLC on the way which will help, increasing the level cap, as well as letting you proceed past the ending (how is it possible after how it ended?), even giving you new missions and a whole new area called The Pitt (Pittsburgh, PA). Read my review below to see in detail what I love. This game is a must own for FOREVER.
AND DRUMROLL PLEASE!!!!!!! My number 1 pick of all of the 2008 year for games is.........
METAL GEAR SOLID 4!
Amazing graphics, story, and all around playability this game deserves nothing less. It is a masterpiece in and of itself. Hideo Kojima created the final chapter to a story that has enthralled many people (including myself) for a very long time. It goes back some 20 years ago with the first release of Metal Gear as a Nintendo title. Then years later it was revamped in 3d as a Sony title. It garnered many awards and fans and it has become one of my most favorite stories of all time. Ins and outs with everyone intertwined this story leads you through the final years of what seems to be Snake's life. The Octo-camo suit has got to be one of the best features of any game EVER since it changes your camo to meet your background you are laying against. I can't say enough to express how this is the one game that is worth buying a PS3 for. It has plenty of play time and it has enough little hidden secrets to keep you playing past the regular story game time. It is in one word...amazing.
Well everyone I hope you enjoyed this little installment. Whether you agree or you don't one thing is for certain...all these games deserve some sort of recognition. Do you agree? Do you have any top 10 games from '08? Leave a comment and let us know. Thanks for stopping by!
Honorable Mention.) This is comprised of 2 games I felt deserved at least mentioning and those two are Resistance 2 and Little Big Planet, both for PS3. I actually really liked them both and though I don't think they are in MY top 10, they top other people's lists and that is why I wanted to mention them. Get them and play them now!
HERE WE GO!
10.)Star Wars: The Force Unleashed: Holy crap I LOVED playing this game. From beginning to end I was so happy to have all of the force (dark side) powers in the palm of my hands. Pulling down the Star Destroyer was not as fun as everyone said it was, but after you get it down you feel invincible. Lots of good memories and total I would say this deserves the 10 spot! Great controls and awesome Star Wars music....and the FORCE!
9.)The Orange Box: Okay, okay...I know this didn't come out in 2008, BUT it did come out right before '08 and I played this all the way through '08...so I figured I could slip it in here. With 5 games in one (all the games are worth playing), I could only give it one spot. Playing all of Half-Life 2 and it's episodes made me excited for Episode 3 and Portal to this day is still a pop phenomenon!
8.)Call of Duty: World at War: I had lots of fun playing this which seemed to be an end to the World War II era of games, but if they keep making them like this I would keep playing them. Sure Treyarch isn't known for the awesome work on CoD, but using the CoD 4 engine this game just couldn't suck. And it didn't!
7.)Fable 2: A few of my friends got on me for not having this in the lower numbers on my list, but I can't justify getting it any farther past 7. I really liked this game and I still break it out and playing when I am feeling a quest or some sword play, but I would all the same break out Legend of Zelda and have a bit more fun. By all means this game is awesome though and worth the play through. Now with downloadable content, you can play farther!
6.)Grand Theft Auto 4: Someone had to know this was coming! Such a fun game that I find myself popping in on occasion just to kill civilians and drive around Liberty City like a madman. Just the simple pleasures make this game worth owning, but if you actually give some time to the story mode you can get a lot out of this game. Missions are fun and the updated features like the cell phone help this game progress along well.
5.)Rock Band 2: Holy crap...wonder why GH World Tour didn't make it and Rock Band 2 did? Mainly because GH released with an awful setup for drums making RB's wireless drum set with cymbals look much better, and the whole music creation to me felt real shoddy. I didn't even like the music tracks that basically mimicked Rock Band's. Say what you will but in my opinion, the original Guitar Hero creators, Harmonix, demolished the competition of the new Guitar Hero creators...basically Activision. DLC (downloadable content) comes out every Tuesday, a solid new drum set and guitar, able to have RB 1 songs transferred (for a one time fee), and all DLC works on both the first and second Rock Band so that no one misses out!
4.)Super Smash Bros.: Brawl: So I didn't play this as much as the other games on this list mainly because I love unlocking achievements on my 360, but this game is AWESOME! I know I sound like a Nintendo fanboy, but the revamped story mode, the smooth as anything controls on the WiiMote (for the first real time ever in any Wii Game), and just the new character selection (minus a few good old ones) makes this breach the top 5 of 2008 in my opinion. GO PIT!
3.)Gears of War 2: For obvious reasons this takes third place. Sure I am giving in to the top 10 list with a lot of Xbox 360 games, but oh how sweet it is to have been able to play this. In case you missed the first one, you basically go underground to set off a bomb to kill the Locust (bad guys) only to find out that the bomb only killed a certain species after fighting with a huge Locust General on a moving train. After everything Gears 2 then leads you into the Locust tunnels underneath the planet Sera and gives you a little more insight on where they came from. You learn more back story on our 4 main characters and tie up a few knots left from the first game. Gameplay rivals if not out-does (is that a real word?) the first one in a few ways. The first Gears still sparkles a lot, but this definitely shines.
2.)Fallout 3: Oh man I can't even conjure up the words to say about this piece of work. Everyone I work with pretty much plays this and we go to work to talk about it only to go home and play more. If level 20 wasn't the last level I would be up to level 50 by now. It is the first game in a long time to steal my attention from life for more than 50 hours. New DLC on the way which will help, increasing the level cap, as well as letting you proceed past the ending (how is it possible after how it ended?), even giving you new missions and a whole new area called The Pitt (Pittsburgh, PA). Read my review below to see in detail what I love. This game is a must own for FOREVER.
AND DRUMROLL PLEASE!!!!!!! My number 1 pick of all of the 2008 year for games is.........
METAL GEAR SOLID 4!
Amazing graphics, story, and all around playability this game deserves nothing less. It is a masterpiece in and of itself. Hideo Kojima created the final chapter to a story that has enthralled many people (including myself) for a very long time. It goes back some 20 years ago with the first release of Metal Gear as a Nintendo title. Then years later it was revamped in 3d as a Sony title. It garnered many awards and fans and it has become one of my most favorite stories of all time. Ins and outs with everyone intertwined this story leads you through the final years of what seems to be Snake's life. The Octo-camo suit has got to be one of the best features of any game EVER since it changes your camo to meet your background you are laying against. I can't say enough to express how this is the one game that is worth buying a PS3 for. It has plenty of play time and it has enough little hidden secrets to keep you playing past the regular story game time. It is in one word...amazing.
Well everyone I hope you enjoyed this little installment. Whether you agree or you don't one thing is for certain...all these games deserve some sort of recognition. Do you agree? Do you have any top 10 games from '08? Leave a comment and let us know. Thanks for stopping by!
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Thought I Forgot?
Thought I forgot about GRF? Nah, just getting used to my new school schedule. Coming soon is some new news, new reviews, and a new layout with custom banners and such! Keep an eye out in the next week....
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