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Review: Army of Two: The Devil's Cartel

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 18:26:19 +0000

Developer: Visceral Games

Publisher: Electronic Arts

Platforms: XBOX 360, PS3

Release Date: March 26th, 2013

ESRB: M (Mature)

This review is based on the Xbox 360 version of the game

EA has made it a personal goal to release a new shooter every year. It began with the release of Battlefield: Bad Company 2 and varied between numbered Battlefield and Medal of Honor releases. Last year, EA faced the hard realization that Medal of Honor: Warfighter was poorly executed and had even poorer sales, shelving the franchise for the time being. It needed something to fill the gap of shooters before Battlefield 4 launches this Fall. The company chose to resurrect the polarizing co-op series, Army of Two. Tapping the creative minds at Visceral, EA looked to inject the ailing franchise with much-needed innovation. Did EA's gamble pay off with Army of Two: The Devil's Cartel or is this just another humdrum shooter?

I won't lie; the new Army of Two is a very mixed bag. Scrapping brotastic mercenary heroes Salem and Rios, Visceral went for the serious-toned Alpha and Bravo. Though these guys tell less jokes about your mom, they still have a slightly humorous nature and never take things too seriously. That said, the script writing for their lines is fairly basic and never makes either soldier feel more than a cardboard cutout. Flawed as Salem and Rios were, they at least had personality. Alpha and Bravo barely stand out amidst the streams of bullets and explosions.

The semi-serious plotline, which seems to have something to do with dismantling a major Mexican drug cartel, never provides more than a passing reason as to why you're blowing people in half. There's a good local politician who gets abducted and, for whatever reason, you're supposed to torch and burn half of Mexico to get him back. It's a little insensitive to the plight of the Mexican citizens who face oppression from cartel rule, but it avoids belittling the conflict either. Police forces will fight with you side by side to bring the gang members to justice, so the writers get some kudos for not forgetting who the real soldiers of the War on Drugs are.

Army of Two isn't about plot or character development. It's about blowing the crap out of everything and everyone around you, and in this regard, it mostly succeeds. Alpha and Bravo have access to a massive arsenal that can be unlocked and purchased as players level up and earn cash. You can equip each character with two weapons and a sidearm. My favorite loadout was a precision-modded L85 bullpup rifle with an explosive-tipped AS-50 sniper rifle, while my sidearm of choice was a silver-colored .44 revolver. Each weapon can be customized down to the paintjob, offering incentive for players to take new contracts and replay missions.

The guns feel punchy and tear apart cover, spraying dust and debris about the destructible environments. Thanks to the Frostbite 2 engine, everything blows up and chips away beautifully. Dust and clouds of smoke obscure the battlefield as tracers stream over your head and damage your cover. It can be intense when everything is working properly. When the occasional cover glitches and visual oddities do occur, it can be frustrating and result in unfair deaths. These glitches aren't terribly frequent but do detract from the experience.

My favorite part of Army of Two's combat is the appropriately named Overkill mode. As you eliminate targets, the Overkill meter fills. Activating it will unleash an invulnerable, infinite explosive ammo warmachine. You can easily lay waste to ten guys without blinking, and if your partner has his filled, activate both for slow-mo and extended Overkill time. It's excessive and gratuitous but fun. The cartel members break apart, piece by piece, in a satisfyingly awful manner.

As fun as the combat is, Army of Two still suffers from a general lack of polish. Hit detection can be fussy and bullets sometimes clip through cover. The visuals, though great when things are exploding, are not great upclose. Character models are especially bad and look a bit like plastic action figures. In contrast, the audio is well done. The voice actors do a decent job of selling their lines and the weapons positively roar. Explosions have that special "oomph" factor and adds weight to the chaotic destruction.

As many problems as this game has, I still find it incredibly fun. If you have a partner who can play splitscreen, I guarantee hijinks will ensue. Rushing to save a downed buddy for that life-saving shot of adrenaline, only to be downed right after, is hilarious. Not to mention dual Overkill is absolutely ridiculous. I can think of few things as entertainingly violent and explosive as Army of Two. It's dumb, simple-minded fun.

If you're looking for a grade-A shooter, this ain't it. Visceral did a good job of trying to overhaul the series but made a number of missteps. The Devil's Cartel takes a few steps forward while taking several steps back. It's not a bad game, but I can't recommend it at the $60 pricetag. When it drops in price, I do recommend it for the crazy gore, ridiculous set-pieces, and huge explosions. It's disposable, but entertaining fun.

Pros:

+ HUGE EXPLOSIONS

+ Fun with a partner

+ Great combat and weapon building

+ Strong audio and voice work

Cons:

- Some glaring glitches

- Lines can be hamfisted

- Plot isn't that great

- Visuals can be dated at times

Overall Score: 6.5 (out of 10)

Decent

Army of Two isn't a great game, but it's fun if you're looking for gratuitous violence and entertaining co-op action.

Review: Aliens: Colonial Marines

Fri, 22 Mar 2013 09:19:19 +0000

Developer: Gearbox Software
Publisher: Sega
Platform: Xbox 360, PS3, PC
Release Date: February 12 2013
ESRB: M for Mature

A retail copy of the game was supplied by the publisher for review. This review is based on the Xbox 360 version of the game.

What's the definition of an unplayable game? "Unplayable" should obviously be taken to mean that the product cannot be played. In the case of Gearbox's Aliens: Colonial Marines, plenty of criticisms spring to mind, many of them negative. But unlike the spectators who watched me complete the game or those I played the game with, the world "unplayable" didn't cross my mind.

I was fortunate enough to never have encountered game-breaking glitches, and though I was on autopilot for the entirety of the game, the lack of challenge wasn't cause for me to abandon it. I soldiered on, despite the multiple (at least seven) tweets of "I'm sorry" when my Raptr client tweeted my game activity. For the record, there's nothing more condescending than the insincere condolences of those who see you playing a "bad" game, thinking you're being forced or that you're too stupid to know anything else.

This entry in the world of Alien games (mostly subpar) was especially rancid, but wholly playable. Bland, disjointed, and mediocre? You bet. But nothing different than what you might find in the bargain bin. What makes this game different is that we had every right to think it would be spectacular. And it fails spectacularly at what it set out to accomplish.

The vitriol spewn at Colonial Marines by my partners is not all undeserved, though it mainly stemmed from the massive amount of hype generated by Gearbox for Colonial Marines as the new "go-to" Aliens title. To recognize any part of the half-baked plot as Aliens canon or any piece of the game as better than slapped together with minimal effort is ludicrous: it's clear it needed much more time in the oven. But amidst a sea of uninspiring gunplay, nonsensical plot revelations, and the most braindead xenomorphs I've ever come face to face with, there were some interesting moments as well -- decent voice acting, easter eggs for Aliens fans, and even a bit of dark humor. There just weren't enough shining moments to declare it a victory.

Divulging the plot details isn't really necessary in order for you to understand what kind of game this is - you'll be able to pick apart every single bit of strangeness siphoned in by the writers, and it's frankly more frustrating than anything else. Considering the many bizarre twists near the end of the game, it's best to think of Colonial Marines as a "what-if" scenario with familiar characters and locations. Reading into it any further is disappointing. The things that do occur on the journey will draw criticism and questions, so be prepared to be scratching your head when you come in contact with someone you thought long gone.

Other than these snippets which will cause you to question the motives of the Colonial Marines writers, your only objective in-game is to shoot. Shoot some more. Shoot Xenomorphs 'til they're dead. Shoot Facehuggers 'til they're dead. Walk around with a squad member until they're inevitably dead. It's very cut-and-dry. But even taking aim at enemies doesn't have much weight to it. Whether attacking Wey-Yu forces or aliens, there's no real "kick" when you land a hit, leading you to wonder if you're even doing any damage until they randomly fall down dead.

Guns, even though they're meant to mimic the sound effects from the movies, carry the most grating noise I think I've heard in a first-person shooter. It's supposed to be emulating the pulse rifle, but instead it sounds like the sad whine of a dying gun. It's most unpleasant. The arsenal of weapons you'll pick up (some attached to characters from the Aliens mythos) is lackluster as well, and none of them feel particularly powerful until you try out a flamethrower. Even then, it's pretty yawn-worthy.

Level design is lackluster and lazy as well, though the first couple of areas were worth it just to stare out at the wreckage and the same setpieces seen in the movies. Time spent wandering around earlier levels with a fleeting sense of childlike wonder quickly dissipated into annoyance as the last chain of four to five levels looked and felt exactly the same. They melted into one another like a goopy mess, much like the objectives themselves, which hardly varied beyond "open this door," "pull this switch," and "kill X amount of aliens." It creates a sort of monotonous symphony, one without variance or different sounds to keep it afloat. In many ways, it's just going through the motions of what an FPS should be with little regard for polishing its myriad aspects and more focus on keeping its head above water rather than refining unacceptable traits.

What interesting moments I did glean from the game were creeping through egg-infested areas where you needed to simply stop moving for aliens to not attack you. It wasn't horrifying, but it did instill a quick sense of dread that I appreciated. Since the motion tracker wasn't exactly necessary throughout the meat of the game, this was one part that felt distinctly more Alien-like and thus as if more attention had been paid to it. These times were, of course, few and far between, and did little to create an engaging atmosphere every step of the way. Most of the time I was bored, listless, and ready to advance the plot. I moved forward, I shot things, and the level was completed. And looking back on it now, that's what I've done in every shooter -- even my favorites. But this particular one didn't really provide anything truly memorable except its shoddy visuals, sloppy multiplayer, and bizarre "canon" that did little to answer the questions I had.

In short, Aliens: Colonial Marines is an exercise in the same slog we've been seeing for years. It just did things in a less appealing and acceptable manner. Coupled with strange design decisions, the fluff accompanied by its marketing campaign, and ludicrous amounts of buzz, it had so much to live up to. It did not.

It's playable. And that's about all you can say about it.

Pros:

+ Motion trackers, power loaders, and other Alien setpieces
+ Decent voice acting
+ Occasionally interesting bits (but not often)

Cons:

- Muddy, horrible graphics
- Samey levels
- Samey levels (what? we didn't think you'd notice)
- Boring objectives

Overall Score: 3.0 (out of 10)

Poor

Aliens: Colonial Marines fails miserably at instilling any sense of fear or adventure into its extremely short campaign. It's a shooter. That's about it.

Review: Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds

Fri, 08 Mar 2013 05:27:45 +0000

Developer: Division 2
Publisher: 5pb
Platform: Xbox Live Arcade
Release Date: February 27 2013
ESRB: E for Everyone

It seems like the 360-exclusive fighter Phantom Breaker has had the unfortunate luck of constant delays and set-backs to hinder an overseas release. In almost complete disregard of that, the Xbox live arcade spin-off Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds arrives seemingly without a hitch and what feels like out of nowhere. Unlike the former title, this game features a very different beat 'em up gameplay style and retro-styled 2D aesthetic from its fighting game brethren. Without a source material to compare it to overseas, this offshoot will/should be judged on its on merits.

The preface of the game is pretty minimal, as it involves a certain evil figure by the name of “Phantom Plots” out to throw the world into disarray. After Phantom's, erm, plot comes to an abrupt halt and he is defeated by the four main heroines, he escapes to another dimension and kidnaps a girl named Nagi in the process. For some reason or another, Nagi is important to the the game’s four super-powered main heroines: Mikoto, Waka, Yuzuha, and Itsuki, who are driven to go off and save her. There is a bit more involving magical weapons, parallel worlds, and distortions that warp Japanese inhabitants into monsters, like mechanical dancing cat-earned men, but that would be paying more tribute to the narrative than would necessary.

What may be immediately tempting to do is to compare Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds to 2010’s Scott Pilgrim vs the World beat ‘em up based on visuals alone, but actually it would be more accurate to compare the game with Treasure’s Guardian Heroes, from a mechanical standpoint. Like Guardian Heroes, Battle Grounds has a faster flow than most beat ‘em ups, where players can move between the background/foreground as well as allocate stats and skills by player preference during leveling. In contrast to most beat ‘em ups and where I think this game differentiates itself is by the surprising amount of depth to its mechanics and character moveset, reminiscent of something you’d get out of a 2D anime fighter.

Control schematics of Battle Grounds utilize the four face buttons for varied heavy, medium, weak, and SP attacks, as well more advanced defensive tools like multiple countering/dodging/blocking techniques. In addition, players can use skills like homing projectiles and as well as the signature Phantom Breaker, which comes in the form of several special attacks for characters. I don’t mean to make the game sound intimidating, since it really isn’t, but I'm just pointing out that the game gives you more than a suitable toolset to take down your foes for the technical players as well as the button-mashers. What is also nice about the game, in addition to being very fun to play, is that most of the 10+ characters, including the unlockable ones, play pretty noticeably different with the exception of one or two.

Battle Grounds has three main modes: which are Story Mode, Arcade, and Battleground, with the latter two having online and local multiplayer variations for up to four players. Story mode is recommended for the 1st playthrough due to the forgiving continue system it allows, despite only being confined to the four main heroines and single-player only. That said, the player will unfortunately have to put up with the throwaway narrative scenes which, while brief in length, are still unskippable and can be annoying if you are stuck on a boss. Arcade is basically a more straightforward story mode without being bogged down cutscenes, ability to use every character, and even has a few extra bonus stages.

I wish I could recommend playing arcade mode as the go-to place for most players, but unfortunately, outside of a multiplayer environment it can be pretty unforgiving since it is a one stock life structure and no continues for each stage, more so on higher difficulties (though, you can revive other player in multi mid-stage). Also, unlike story mode, you can't change or level-up skills before each stage (or after a game-over like story mode), which can lead to a very odd break in the game's flow, since leveling means a lot for a character's combat effectiveness. This makes playing online with others significantly less practical for low-leveled characters if you want to play arcade mode for any extended duration, like any more than a stage or two. Though, in local multiplayer, I'm sure you could convince your group to go back to exit the game after finishing a stage to change stats/skills, but that is needlessly clunky and throws off the pacing, which shouldn't be the case.

Despite my qualms with Arcade's structure, especially in a multiplayer environment, the game is still a lot of fun by yourself and others even being aware of these shortcomings. I did encounter some lag while playing online, but considering how the guy I was playing co-op with was from Japan, and I reside in the States, I'm really surprised it ran as well as it did, and it seemed more reasonable when I did shorter battleground and co-op sessions.

The last mode to mention is Battleground, which, contrary to the game’s subtitle, is probably the least noteworthy inclusion overall. Since Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds is a beat em up at heart with a leveling structure, the 4-player free-for-all mode doesn’t feel particularly balanced, especially if characters aren't similarly leveled, but I suppose it is fun enough for short-lived excursions.

Going back to the game's aesthetic, Battle Grounds sports an intentionally stylized 2D old-school pixelated presentation. As a whole, it generally runs smoothly, and the 2D character models and their attacks show off a fair bit more fluidity than one would be lead to believe from a casual glance. If I were to complain about the presentation to any serious effect, it would be that the larger enemy character models can easily obscure the player's vision if not outright block the players vision. This isn't very often thankfully, and can be immediately remidied based on positioning, but is quite noticeable when it does happen.

From an audio side, the 8-bit styled chiptune soundtrack is generally catchy and even has multiple remixes of songs from the original Phantom Breaker fighter. In addition, the game contains a decent enough Japanese dub, but it will hardly be part of the player's concern when playing through the various modes.

In any event, and despite my various nitpicks, I would highly recommend Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds considering the fair default asking price of 800 Microsoft points. I may go so far as to say it may very well be the most enjoyable beat ‘em up I’ve played in recent memory. It has some shortcomings primarily due to some mishaps with the interface/presentation (particularly with the arcade mode) but I think it would be silly to overlook the grander scope of what the game presents. At the end of the day, Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds is a very enjoyable and deep beat 'em up which is plenty of fun to play alone and even more so with a group, both online and off.

Pros:

+ Surprisingly deep, enjoyable, and fast-paced beat 'em up gameplay
+ Catchy chiptune musical score
+ Many varied playable and unlockable characters
+ Fun co-op multiplayer

Cons:

- Inane narrative with unskippable cutscenes in story mode
- Larger enemies can obscure vision
- Arcade mode can be unforgiving, more so on higher difficulties

Overall Score: 8.0 (out of 10)
Great

Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds is a very fun hidden gem of the beat 'em up ilk. With some deep fighting mechanics and an enjoyable fast-pace, it comes highly recommended despite some noticeable shortcomings.

Review: Skulls of the Shogun

Tue, 05 Feb 2013 04:01:57 +0000

Developer: 17-BIT
Publisher: Microsoft Studios
Platform: 360 (XBLA), Microsoft Surface,

Windows 8, Windows Phone
Release Date: January 30, 2012
ESRB: T

This review is based on the 360 version of the game
A download code was provided by the publisher for this review

Lately, we have seen a handful of very prominent strategy games arrive. XCOM: Enemy Unknown, and more recently Fire Emblem: Awakening both have received much praise and love from fans of the genre as well as newcomers. Although there’s certainly nothing wrong with either, there is something to be said for a game that offers its own vision of strategy that manages to be pretty good without a powerful name behind it. With that said, it’s more a question of whether people will give Skulls of the Shogun a look when they could just be playing something more polished instead.

Skulls of the Shogun is a game which entrenches itself in a Japanese afterlife filled with sword-wielding skeletons. All the warriors who had fought in life are simply waiting in line to get to a promised eternal existence. General Akamoto is hurled into the afterlife after he is unceremoniously backstabbed after a victory. He isn’t content to simply wait in lines for hundreds of years, though. Instead, he rallies up the warrior spirit in some men and takes them on a journey across the ethereal landscape.

From there, you command a small band of troops throughout a whole bunch of missions. Your skeleton samurai go against enemy teams and battles are usually unfavorable for Akamoto. The challenge primarily comes from the tight functionality of each character type. In many ways, Skulls of the Shogun could be compared to chess. Each main type of character you control has its main purpose, and players do best to keep them in mind at all times. For example, archers can certainly shoot targets from a foot away, but they would do best behind infantry to keep them safe from return fire. Similarly, each character has their own best use which requires planning to execute efficiently.

To help make this easier, there are only a few varied troop types under your control. At the start you have only two, but the game manages to teach you about the rest soon enough. Overall, the game gives a great primer for what to expect but afterwards doesn’t hold your hand at all. The tutorial is only available in single player as well, so don’t jump straight into a multiplayer match. Difficulty is one factor that fans of strategy games will enjoy, but it does seem unfair at many points. Still, having a disadvantage makes the battles even more sweet to triumph over.

One way the game manages to set itself apart from others is the art style. It emulates a traditional Japanese art style infused with chibi depictions of samurai and does so pretty well. Although there are some flourishes which seem unauthentic, it mostly manages to convey a certain style. There is some utility to the art as well. For example, one of the easiest ways to check how much damage your character will do to an enemy is to simply look at the flag they carry on their backs. The damage is represented by small bars, and once an enemy is hurt, their flag will be torn to show just how weak they are. It’s a shame there are not more flourishes like these. However, it must be noted that even this is not perfect as sometimes enemies' own bodies will obscure their flag, hiding the otherwise useful at a glance information.

Although the visuals are worthy of praise, they also are the cause of some issues. Each small, squat character tends to look fairly similar to the rest, save for your massive General. At many times you may find yourself wondering where exactly one character went and shuffle to find them in the fray. It becomes a frequent issue considering one feature of the game is making sure your troops are close to create a barrier. Smushing troops together as a gameplay mechanic would work better if there were more obvious distinction between the main character types at the very least.

After learning how to come with the sometimes problematic visuals, one can dig into the meat of Skulls of the Shogun, which makes it a very tense, but fun experience. Various character types have already been mentioned, but that’s far from all the strategy required of players. Specific levels have other additions, such as allowing you (or the enemy) to heal their troops, summon new troops to the field, or make use of other special character effects. For example, there are a trio of monk types which each bring their own benefits to those who summon them. Of course, there is also the incredibly odd power up of eating enemy skulls. Eat three of them and the troop will level up further and be able to carry out two attacks in one turn.

Then there are the battlefields themselves which offer pluses and minuses depending on where you stand. Rice paddies will heal the character who “haunts” the field, but that leaves them open for attacks. Environmental elements such as high grass lessen hit probabilities when a character is hiding there. It is even possible to knock enemies off of the play field if they stand too close the edge. You’re always required to have troops in check lest something horrible happen to the ones you’ve forgotten about.

Death, or failure, is inevitable. There are times when levels will seem downright impossible. However, since each one lasts from 10-20 minutes, it won’t be a massive time sink to retry a couple times. In instances where things seem too tough you must simply view the field and try to work out a new strategy. Oftentimes a retry of a match proves much easier than the initial run when you had no clue of what to expect. Those who do not enjoy a challenge should definitely avoid this title, though.

There is a lot that Skulls of the Shogun gets right. It manages to be a strategy game which is both simple enough to understand that it lures you in. Once ensnared, you’re stuck fighting fairly difficult battles which often leave the player at a severe disadvantage. If winning against the odds weren’t so satisfying then this game would not be nearly as appealing. There is definitely work that should have been done to create a clearer visual appearance of troops, but beyond that, the game is solid. Give it a look if you’re interested in finding a less known strategy game to get familiar with.

Pros:

+ Small number of classes keeps game simple to learn
+ Simple ruleset creates a tight, smart strategy game
+ Fairly long single player campaign aside from multiplayer modes

Cons:

- Character art for main troops isn’t very distinct which becomes confusing
- Troops sometimes obscure pertinent information due to their design

Overall Score: 8 (out of 10)
Great

Skulls of the Shogun excels at bringing a simple and challenging strategy experience to players who aren’t already obsessing over another genre title.

Review: The Cave

Sun, 27 Jan 2013 00:28:50 +0000

Developer: Double Fine Productions
Publisher: SEGA
Platforms: PC (Steam), PS3 (PSN),

360 (XBLA), Wii U (eShop)
Release Date: January 23, 2013
ESRB: T for Teen

This review is based on the 360 version of the game
A download code was supplied by the publisher for this review

Those who played adventure games in their heyday are probably mighty familiar with the work of Ron Gilbert, even if they’ve never heard his name before. He produced popular LucasArts titles such as Maniac Mansion and the Monkey Island series. Since those days, he kicked an idea around in his mind about a cave exploration game. However, nothing came of it for some 20 years.

As you might expect, The Cave is Gilbert’s dream finally realized. Does it manage to enthrall modern gamers, though, or is it stuck within antiquated adventure game trappings?

When it comes right down to it, The Cave excels at having a witty narrative, attractive visuals, and a great deal of puzzles. These hallmarks are definitely expected of an adventure gaming master, but it also seems as though the team was unsure how to cobble it into a modern gaming experience. Regardless, let’s speak to all that The Cave does right first. It is so easy to create a middling experience, but thankfully there is a lot in the game that makes it stand out among the once again bustling genre.

The narrative, or should I say "the narrator," is cruel but hilarious. It is actually the cave which is being explored that offers most conversation points. He laughs at the deaths of explorers, offers hints disguised with snide remarks, and is generally one of the most entertaining aspects of the game. The characters you play as are mute, but NPCs also pepper the game with similarly amusing conversation. Great writing does not dominate the game, though, as in fact much of it is a quiet experience. This helps to make dialogue stand out as more worth listening to.

What of the playable characters? There are seven to choose from, and each has their own use. Interestingly, the game does not grant you access to all the characters in any one playthrough. Instead you select three of the cast and play a game through with that group. The characters chosen also affect the game you end up playing. There are only so many levels overall, but players will see levels specific to each character they have selected. Ones who were not chosen have their level segments left out.

Playthroughs don’t feel disjointed because of this mechanic at all. Instead they feel just as if the game was made with that exact cast in mind. The fact that it ended up working so well is a testament to the developer’s creativity and is very cool to discover. Players also see small stories about each of their chosen characters as they play through the game. Although other characters may seem interesting, it will require other playthroughs to see exactly what they’re all about.

The seven selectable characters include the likes of a hillbilly, scientist, knight, time traveller, and others. Each has their own special ability which somewhat relates to their role. The time traveller, for example, can phase through solid barriers. Others, like the hillbilly, can hold their breath for a really long time for some reason. Regardless, each team member’s skills come into use when exploring. Some unnecessary sections of levels will be unavailable though if you lack a character with the right skill to check it out.

Because of the cast, you may find yourself playing this 4-5 hour game more than once. Each story is very distinct for the character in question and they play out in ways people might not expect. That, paired with extra explorable areas should prove a tempting reason to give it another go. Then there is even the ability to have other players take control of the team members. Although the same game is still at the core, single versus co-op experiences change the feel of this adventure.

Playing The Cave is an unusual experience for both adventure fans and gamers who have never tried them before. The adventure roots are obvious in how many puzzles there are to solve with the likes of various objects. However, it plays out more like a 2D platformer than anything else. Each character must run, jump, climb, and fall often to make their way through expansive levels. Typical adventure games feel more compact in comparison to the sprawling cave systems found here.

However, this may be more of a detriment than anything else. You are never provided with a map, which means knowing where things are is fully dependent on your memory. The screen pulls out at key puzzle moments, but otherwise, is fairly close to the chosen character at the time. With that said, it is hard to get a feel of the landscape without fully exploring every direction. There also appears to be no way to manipulate the camera either, which have quelled this complaint.

It seems as though the platforming from location to location will either pull players in or push them away. This certainly isn’t what would be expected of an adventure game, and it isn’t perfectly implemented either. Beyond what was just said, the controls are not as responsive as they could be which leads to some missed jumps or other annoyances. Then, with such large levels, it draws out the time between solving puzzles because it takes awhile to get from point A to point B. Simply having an expansive world to explore does not make puzzles more difficult, and as such, this is another annoyance with the design.

Are the puzzles themselves worth writing home about? They range from easy to fairly difficult with little warning. Although the more complex puzzles come later in the game, there is no hint system included to aid struggling players. In this age, such help is expected as most players are not familiar with truly tough puzzles. Still, if you look beyond that, some are pretty creative. Figuring out what to do feels great, although the feeling may become more fleeting as the player becomes exhausted from facing one challenge after another. One other detriment of puzzles is that, due to the design, certain levels will have the same puzzles no matter how many times you play.

There is so much exciting about The Cave that it is unfortunate to see the game become encumbered by its own lofty ideals. A large landscape to adventure across is cool in theory but navigating it becomes a chore more than anything else. The game is visually appealing, witty, and weird but would probably have done better with a different gameplay mechanic. Regardless, those who want to play an adventure game that doesn’t mesh with expectations of the genre will find an interesting experience with The Cave.

Pros:

+ A ton of puzzles
+ Replayability is high due to multiple characters
+ Fantastic writing

Cons:

- 2D platformer play style doesn’t suit the game
- Little means of aiding player (no map or hint system)
- Some puzzles/sections remain static through all playthroughs

Overall Score: 6.5 (out of 10)
Decent

The Cave is an ambitious title which succeeds with wit and puzzles but is held back by other gameplay decisions.

Review: Anarchy Reigns

Sun, 13 Jan 2013 08:02:24 +0000

Developer: Platinum Games
Publisher: Sega
Platform: PS3/Xbox 360
Release Date: 1/8/13
ESRB: M for Mature

This review is based on the Xbox 360 version of the game.

A retail copy was provided by the publisher for this review.

Platinum Games has earned quite a reputation over the years with their higher pedigree approach to action games. Even if they proudly have games like Bayonetta and Vanquish under their belt, it seems like as a whole, most of their games have been more so critical darlings than commercial successes. The ambitious developer hopes to continue the tradition by crafting their most recent game, Anarchy Reigns - a crazy beat 'em up/brawler and HD spiritual successor to their first title, Madworld.

Though the game has been out in Japan for roughly over half a year, and more than arguably fully-localized, it has finally received an official overseas release and at a discount $30 price to boot. Does this overdue release earn its keep or should it be left in the bargain bin?

Probably the most practical introduction to the game, outside of the necessary tutorial, is the game's single-player, which features two sides of a short story mode. Representing the 'black' side is Jack Cayman, familiar face and lead protagonist of Madworld in quite literally new colors, and representing the 'white' side is new character Leonhardt "Leo" Victorion. Both campaigns can are played separately by player preference, until both narratives eventually overlap for a final conflict, otherwise known as the 'red' side in the game's color based jargon. Jack's story tells the tale of a hot-tempered mercenary with a chainsaw attached to his arm and a quest for vengeance. Leo's story, on the other hand, tells of a law-enforcement cybernetic agent, tracking a rogue member by the name of Maximilian.

Admittedly, Platinum's games have never really been known for their high-quality storytelling, and it is especially apparent in Anarchy Reigns. Even if a lot of the cast seem to have a distinct flair, a good majority of them are pretty two-dimensional and some embody some very general stereotypes. It's a good thing that Anarchy Reign's overall tongue-in-check nature makes it apparent that it doesn't take itself too seriously, but that isn't to say that that tongue-in-check nature spares the game from feeling like, outside of the end, the single-player story was constructed in a somewhat basic attempt at bringing the off-the-wall cast in back-to-back, short-lived skirmishes.

Despite that, The single player is a solid means to get comfortable with the game, and the most efficient way to unlock a good bulk of the characters to play online. Unfortunately, it is possible to feel a bit underwhelmed with it as a whole. I enjoyed Jack's side of the campaign more, with its nods to Madworld and his more entertaining personality, but Leo's, from a gameplay standpoint, was more mechanically fun. Regardless, the single-player was, as a whole, pretty bare-bones and came off as repetitive. There are only a handful of maps and missions available, and overall it is centered around earning a certain amount of points until you can progress further. I wouldn't say it is particularly bad so much as it is 'entertaining enough' due to game's overall zany attitude and fun combat system.

Combat in Anarchy Reigns is solid, as you would expect from a Platinum Games title, and it certainly has their trademark over-the-top style and quirk. Battles allow players to mess around with both ground- and aerial-based crazy combos, as well as use deadly environmental objects/subweapons, or simply show off with plenty of character specific signature moves in the midst of combat. Like a lot brawlers and beat ‘em ups, it can be easy to misunderstand this game for a ‘button-masher’ and, in all honesty, it may very well be possible to get away with that in single-player mode. That said, for those willing to take the time to learn the basics of the game, or those willing to take the extra step to learn deadly techniques for higher-level play with the the virtual training room, Anarchy Reigns actually embodies the upper echelon of the craft.

Where Anarchy Reigns probably shines the most is in its online multiplayer. Players compete in various entertaining modes to showcase or better their skills. The more straightforward game types are tag-team, deathmatch (and the team variations), capture the flag, survival, and a few others, but I think Anarchy Reigns's more distinctive modes are Deathball and Battle Royale. Deathball combines the deadly combat with a hyperactive football-esque sport, and has teams try to score into opposing goalposts by any means necessary. Battle Royale, where similar in concept to deathmatch, is a much more frantic in nature free-for-all with many varying side-objectives, obstacles, and means to collect points and rise to the top. Technically, there is a few more modes that were relegated to pre-order downloadable content, but I was unable to try them as of this review.

Even though a lot of the multiplayer is good fun in its own right, I am a bit disappointed the game doesn’t allow any offline component for it. I’m sure the game probably wouldn't lend itself well to a split-screen nature, but I don’t see why the smaller scale modes like Survival, Tag Team, or Deathmatch couldn't be played offline. Plus, with the ability to use player bots in online private matches or even in the single-player 'simulator' of the online modes, even the bigger modes don't seem too out of the question to me. It just seems like an odd omission to not include offline multiplayer, or at least some version of it.

Visually, the game isn't likely to compete with the more renowned AAA big boys, despite using what almost seems like the entirety of a standard 360 disc in terms of space. There aren't a whole lot of maps, and neither the environments nor character models are likely to push the hardware for either platform too much. Having said that, the characters and their animations have a lot of distinct personality and the game doesn't really stutter too much on a technical level. Supposedly, the original Japanese release was riddled with quite a few technical issues, but I personally had no noticeable bugs in my experience with the game; I suppose a half year delay helps in that regard. Load times can possibly be a hindrance on 360 if you don't do a full install of the game, but are negligible otherwise.

From hip-hop to rap to techno beats, the game's overall musical score seems to complement the game's 'cool' attitude well. I also noticed Anarchy Reigns sneaks in plenty of musical fanfare reminiscent of Platinum’s Madworld, with more than a couple distinctly familiar artists and tunes, which is neat. On the voice-acting side, even if the main game doesn’t have the best script, the English voice actors do a pretty solid delivery throughout from story events to the battles, and I never felt compelled to dabble with the vocal tracks of other languages. I may question the liberties they took with some characters though, and the stereotypes some represent, but I have no real complaints with voice acting or the overall audio.

Anarchy Reigns makes for a very unique game, especially considering the default asking price of $30. Even if it could be perceived as a lack of confidence in the actual product, Anarchy Regins actually brings a much higher grade of quality to what is often associated to brawlers/beat ‘em ups and more than earns its accessible retail asking price. The game does have some rough edges with a somewhat lacking single-player, a throwaway story, and non-existent offline multiplayer. Beyond that, though, it would be a disservice to not give the game a shot amidst the well-constructed combat system, online multiplayer, solid audio and voice work, and just plain fun over-the-top attitude. For those who enjoy Platinum Games' titles, they should feel right at home among the chaotic, lawless, but still very fun order that is Anarchy Reigns.

Pros:

+ Fun combat system with many different playable characters
+ Entertaining online multiplayer
+ Solid voice acting and soundtrack
+ Lots of personality and style

Cons:

+ No offline multiplayer
+ Somewhat lacking single player
+ Weak main story

Overall Score: 7.5 (out of 10)
Good

A frantic and fun beat 'em up action game. Fans of Platinum Games should feel right at home, as Anarchy Reigns is more than worthy to note considering the fairly reasonable retail price tag.

Review: Black Knight Sword

Wed, 19 Dec 2012 18:36:16 +0000

Developer: Grasshopper Manufacture/Digital Reality
Publisher: D3Publisher of America
Platform: 360 (XBLA), PS3 (PSN)
Release Date: December 12, 2012
ESRB: M

An XBLA download code was supplied by the publisher for this review

Over the years, Goichi Suda (otherwise known as Suda 51) has created many unusual but intriguing titles. Under the banner of his company Grasshopper Manufacture, he and his team have made their mark on Western players with games such as Killer7 and No More Heroes. Lately, they have jumped on the digital bandwagon and created a handful of titles, some with outside help as well. As is the case with Black Knight Sword, both Grasshopper Manufacture and Digital Reality combined forces to try and create something special.

Black Knight Sword is a very distinctive game visually. By simply loading it up and checking out different options in the menu anyone will be able to see this, but the look is most drastic during gameplay. The entire screen is bordered by red curtains which give the air of a stage play. On the stage, where gameplay occurs, everything is designed to look like flat paper figures and backdrops. Although on one hand it is meant to appear as a play, it is also meant to look like a big, creepy picture book.

Gameplay is a standard mix of platforming and beat ‘em up... at the start. You head right, left, up, and down as you traverse 2D levels with all sorts of dangers lurking. While enemies pose a big threat, so too do spikes and bottomless pits. As you play, you gain a couple special attacks and magic automatically. However, depending on difficulty and level, there will be a fair amount of times the player is required to dodge enemy bullets much like a side-scrolling shooter. It isn’t tremendously complex as some can get, but definitely not something that players are probably going into the game expecting.

During these scenes, it is initially very difficult to determine your hitbox. Both characters you will be using during these scenes are fairly large and it is hard to determine where you’ll be safe. After a while, you understand and learn to tune out the extraneous stuff, but that doesn’t make it perfect. The sections add nothing to the game as they are not at all fun by shooter standards. Some may be humorous, but that doesn’t aid it.

Grasshopper’s flair for the weird is in full effect. Enemies are routinely grotesque and spew bright red blood upon death, although it is not nearly as copious as in some of their other titles. It isn’t just the wrinkled or sickly faces that are disturbing either. The sounds that enemies make tend to sound like enemies are in a great deal of pain, and other times they sound scarily erotic. Although there are only maybe ten or so enemy designs, they manage to each look fairly different and most are not simply a recolor of another one.

Backgrounds have a similar polish. During levels, the background routinely is changed out as if it were a play. Certain elements in the background may even be animated or have sound effects of their own as well. Combining the backdrop with the actual levels, they fit together quite cohesively. The backdrops themselves are quite neat though as they often give you hints about the boss you will be fighting later in the level, as well as just looking very nice.

Just because things look good doesn’t mean they play as well. Unfortunately this is the case with Black Knight Sword. Slashing with your sword is easy enough, but some of the new attack abilities can cause more trouble than help. For example, some ask you to hold down or up while hitting a button. That is easy enough to understand, but the game or controller itself seem to work against it. There are times that my character would simply jump instead of doing a kick or doge. As you might expect, that causes trouble when you’re trying to engage in very careful combat. Because of this, most of the extra goodies probably will be ignored due to their unpredictability.

Without much else to vary fights, or even with those few extra attacks, you are still forced to play through a rather tedious game. The visuals are truly outstanding but the gameplay does not back it up. It is also tough, which will be exciting to some and offputting for others. There are three difficulty settings, ranging from easy to hard, and they mostly live up to their names. However, anything other than easy truly is a challenge. Even on easy, the final boss is a step above the rest of the game. In comparison, other difficulties are set to give you a really challenging time.

While there is nothing wrong with challenge, there is with a game that is all style and no substance. When you aren’t truly compelled to play, curiosity of what the next level looks like will only take you so far. Because the game is so tough, you can spend a long time on the handful of levels it offers, but most probably will not want to. If you adore games with creative visuals then Black Knight Sword may be up your alley. Otherwise, kick back with a different Grasshopper game.

Pros:

+ Fantastic backdrops which perfectly match the environment
+ Handful of creepy enemy types to defeat

Cons:

- Gameplay simply cannot live up to the visuals and is dull
- Unleashing varied attacks is muddled

Overall Score: 5.5 (out of 10)
Average

Black Knight Sword is a let down with gorgeous graphics but average gameplay underneath.

Review: Need for Speed: Most Wanted

Wed, 12 Dec 2012 23:22:13 +0000

Developer: Criterion Games
Publisher: EA
Platform: 360, PC, PS3, Vita, Wii U
Release Date: October 30, 2012 (Wii U - 2013)
ESRB: E 10+

This review is based on the 360 version of the game.

If you feel like you’ve heard the name Need for Speed: Most Wanted before, then you’d be right. A game with the same name arrived in 2005 developed by EA Black Box. This time around, Criterion Games has taken control of Need for Speed and pumped out a new game with a familiar name. Before this, they crafted the cult hit Burnout Paradise. In creating their new game, Most Wanted takes a lot from from that earlier title. Once you’ve got all this straight, it's time to ask yourself whether all this results in a good game or not.

Need for Speed: Most Wanted is a game which has a lot of polish and fun gameplay, but lacks smart design in other areas. Let’s start for where the game shines. Much praise comes to the game from its gorgeous visuals, fast cars, and entertaining multiplayer. Visually, you would be hard-pressed to find games that look better for the genre. Unfortunately, thanks to how quickly some cars go, you won’t really be able to admire the city up close.

Car-wise, everything is nicely done. There are 41 cars available in the game and they are pulled from different manufacturers and times. Some cars are slow and not very desirable, but other cars are fantastic. As you play the game, you rank up in challenges which will get you closer to being pitted against a “Most Wanted” car. Once in these one-on-one races, you have your shot at stealing their ride for your use at any time.

That’s not to say everything about the cars are great. Sure, they’re speedy and marvelous to look at and drive, but getting to use them can be a bit of a burden. The issues come in when you realize what is tied to each specific car, as well as how you gain access to them. In a semi-smart and semi-annoying move, various races and challenges are tied to specific cars. That is, if you are in one car you will have access to five different challenges and only those five. Hop into another car and other challenges will be available to you. It makes sense that you don’t want a junky car racing against speed demons, but it is also annoying.

Some annoyance comes in the fact that each car has the same amount of races, each similarly divided into difficulty. So if you want to take out all the “easy” challenges, you’re going to be forced to find lots of cars and do their specific low difficulty challenges. Then there is the fact that even if you love a car, you won’t be able to play with it continuously. Instead, you must trek around and get new vehicles.

Vehicles themselves are not unlocked with points. Instead, all you have to do is find them scattered around the world and hop in. This is hugely convenient for less-skilled drivers to accumulate a wealth of cars, but not so good when you realize you’re going to be forced to hunt around a bit for all of them. Thankfully, there are multiple versions of the same car around the city, as well as the fact that most are near roads. Weirdly, when playing in single player, the cars will remain wherever you left them. So although you can switch to another car via the menu, you will also be warped immediately to where it was driven last.

Another odd design choice is that points accumulated in one mode are not necessarily going to transfer over to the other. The same goes for the new car parts and upgrades you receive after winning races. While each car has its specific upgrades that cannot be transferred to other cars, they also cannot be transferred to those same cars online. It seems odd that the two must be maintained as nearly separate systems.

In regards to singleplayer mode, you will get most of the feeling of being online but without some of the fun. Playing by yourself in a huge city feels a bit lonely, not to mention unrewarding. What good is it to prove yourself through all these random challenges if there’s no goal at the end aside from getting a few more cars? Multiplayer is more creative and allows for all the fun that players will get up to with each other.

Multiplayer mode has players engaging in a playlist of challenges. As they complete them, each player ranks up or down in the listings. Sometimes, there will be moments that feel unfair, but other times there will be amusing situations. If nothing else, there is something endearing about crashing into other players playfully instead of completing the expected challenge. It is possible to create your own playlists, but a better idea to let the game randomize them itself. In this way, you are able to have a more free form experience in which no one is really prepared for what will happen next.

In challenges both online and offline you will have to contend with police. There is no way to turn them off and at times they will be much more trouble than they’re worth. Say, for example, all you want to do is hurry on your way to a challenge. That is fine, until you do some sort of law-breaking thing and the cops come after you. With them hot on your tail you can no longer hit up a race but instead must out run or hide from your pursuers. More often than not, this ends up putting a huge kink in your plans and gets your far away from your destination. At the very least, it offers points as compensation, but absolutely none if you get caught. Cops busting in during challenges are a bit more entertaining at least as they tend to bash into enemies instead of you.

Need for Speed: Most Wanted has many positive aspects about it as well as ones you can’t help but question. If you are someone who adores Burnout Paradise and wish another existed, then this is the perfect game for you. It is so close to that game (with added content) that it should still scratch that itch. On the other hand, if you want a very straightforward racing experience you should stay far away. This is a game made for meandering play as well as wreaking havoc online.

Pros:

+ Great selection of cars with different racing styles
+ Lots of challenges to undertake solo or online
+ Fun grab bag of multiplayer activities

Cons:

- Lack of carry-over for challenges and upgrades between cars
- Police are too much of a hindrance
- Other weird design choices like spawning where cars are parked

Overall Score: 7 (Out of 10)
Good

Need for Speed: Most Wanted is recommended for gamers who like to play around or adored Burnout Paradise.

Review: Call of Duty: Black Ops II

Sat, 24 Nov 2012 20:19:38 +0000

Developer: Treyarch

Publisher: Activision

Platform: Xbox 360, PS3, PC, Wii U

Release Date: November 13, 2012

ESRB: M

This review is based on the Xbox 360 version of the game. A retail copy was provided by Activision for review.

Few franchises seem to inspire as much antagonistic hate as the Call of Duty series. Surprisingly, the last Call of Duty I truly enjoyed was Treyarch's Black Ops. Regarded as the inferior CoD developer in Activision's suite of talent, Treyarch stepped into the limelight with a great narrative, strong multiplayer, and addictive Zombies mode with Black Ops. The game was chock full of surprises for series veterans and newcomers alike. Two years later, Treyarch has now released the sequel to one of gaming's highest-selling titles. Does Call of Duty: Black Ops II live up to it's great lineage, or is it just another modern military FPS?

If you're only playing Black Ops II for the multiplayer, you're doing yourself a great disservice because the singleplayer campaign is easily the strongest in the entire franchise.Taking place nearly six decades after Black Ops, the sequel casts players as David Mason, son of Black Ops protagonist Alex Mason. David reunites with Alex's comrade-in-arms from the first game, Frank Woods, to take down the enigmatic and violence-prone Raul Menendez. Alex and Frank both have a long history with Raul, detailed through several Cold War-era flashbacks. Though these sequences aren't as entertaining as the 2025 missions with David, they still have polished combat and the high narrative quality you'd expect from Treyarch.

The campaign, which clocks in at around 7-8 hours, mixes the old with the new. While Woods' missions in the past feel familiar, the new 2025 sequences are fresh, exciting, and teeming with cool future technology. The near-future levels feature intense battles with quadrotor drones, cloaked mercenaries, quadrupedal mechs brimming with firepower, and tough moral decisions that will impact how the game ends. While I still haven't figured out what choices influence the ending I got, I still feel like I made my mark on the story. For a Call of Duty title to do that is nothing short of amazing and speaks volumes about the work Treyarch has done to create a brand new experience.

Even though Black Ops II sports great changes to the campaign, I wasn't as pleased with the new Strike Force missions. These mini-levels allow players to command several AI allies to complete objectives, like VIP escort or target assassination. If gamers prefer action, they can take direct control of any unit on the battlefield. It all sounds great from a conceptual stand-point. Sadly, the ally AI is simply awful. Infantry were easily mowed down by hostile forces for no good reason. It's as if they were completely oblivious to the mercenaries shooting at them from 10 feet away. It was often easier for me to deal with the bad guys myself via direct control, but I struggled with overwhelming numbers of enemies, particularly on the very first mission. While Strike Force missions are completely optional, they are required to see one of the "good" endings. Skipping out on them isn't always the best option.

The campaign was easily the highlight of my Black Ops II experience. The numerous changes made to the Call of Duty singleplayer blueprint are, for the most part, welcome and invigorating for a stagnating series. But Treyarch didn't just change up the campaign; it completely overhauled the Zombies mode, adding a standalone open-world campaign. Dubbed Tranzit, this mode tasks players with riding a bus through a cycle of several locations. At each location are blueprints and items to build new devices for fending off the zombie hordes and accomplishing objectives. As the survivors move on, the waves get tougher. If someone is left behind, they must try and catch up with the group by moving through the horrific fog. Getting through alive is nigh impossible and encourages everyone to keep moving, no matter the cost.

Tranzit is fun with other players but lacks the addictive element of the vanilla survival mode. It's a fun distraction but doesn't add a whole lot to the core experience. That said, the cool easter eggs and focus on exploration add a lot of content for die-hard fans. There's not a whole lot to complain about, aside from the occasional difficulty spikes. When you factor in all of the existing content, Treyarch didn't need to add anything. Tranzit is icing on the cake and really pushes the limit for what Call of Duty titles offer at the $60 pricetag.

Surprisingly, the area where Treyarch showed the least innovation is the bread and butter of Activision's franchise: the multiplayer. The core gameplay conceits, perks, weapon modifications, and classic game modes are all present and accounted for. A few new objective-based types have been added to the mix, but by and large Black Ops II is the same online experience you've come to expect. In a brilliant move, Treyarch did change the Loadout and Killstreak options. Rather than forcing players to use predefined classes, players can now use up to ten points on various unlocked perks, weapon parts, and gadgets. You get to decide what your soldier carries or doesn't carry. It offers incredible flexibility and lets gamers dictate their own playstyles.

In place of the Killstreak system is the new Scorestreak system. If you typically play a support role, you can still get streak rewards just as a player on a rampage. It rewards players who have a tactical playstyle while still granting new toys for others who just want to shoot things. It's a worthwhile change to a formula that was beginning to grow stale.

From a technical standpoint, Black Ops II is largely rock-solid. Despite connection problems on the multiplayer front, the game is well-built all around. The visuals, while not on par with the Frostbite engine, do a great job of rendering epic scenes of battle and chaos. The audio is also superb, featuring Hollywood-caliber voice overs and great sound effects. Trent Reznor's musical score is solid, though it likely won't win any awards. I hope Activision does consider a new engine for fancier visuals and effects. While I understand the commitment to 60 FPS, I'd appreciate smoother textures and more detailed effects and environments.

If you're still reading this, I assume you have some interest in Black Ops II. If you hate Call of Duty, I can't do anything for you. For those jumping in for the first time, Black Ops II is a great place to start. If you're a returning veteran, there's plenty of new content to dig into. With a strong campaign, Zombies offering, and full multiplayer suite, it's hard not to recommend Black Ops II to anyone with a pulse.

Pros:

+ Great singleplayer campaign

+ Oodles of content

+ High production values

+ Great multiplayer and Zombies offerings

Cons:

- Visuals can be dated

- Campaign narrative isn't always coherent

Overall Score: 8.5 (out of 10)

Great

Call of Duty: Black Ops II is as full-featured an FPS as it gets. Treyarch made a number of changes to the formula, resulting in a resounding success. It's ambitious and worth your time and money.

Review: Resident Evil 6

Tue, 23 Oct 2012 04:56:19 +0000

Developer: Capcom

Publisher: Capcom

Platform: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3

Release Date: October 2, 2012

ESRB: M for Mature

This review is based on the Xbox 360 version of the game

Zombies. Zombies everywhere. I had just been thrown into a car by the powerful force of a massive explosion, and when I returned to consciousness, all I could see was the devastation that riddled the streets of Tall Oaks in what almost seemed like some sick re-enactment of the Raccoon City incident 10 years ago. It was like living a nightmare; like Hell on Earth.

This is, more-or-less, how Resident Evil 6 opens. As you can tell, this game certainly isn’t afraid to open up with a bang, nor is it afraid to throw “bangs” in anywhere else. There are times in which the game seems to go back to the series’ roots, pitting you against zombies in very dark places, while at other times it tries too hard to be an action-packed spectacle Michael Bay would be proud of that it falls flat in areas that would otherwise make it a truly frightening game. Resident Evil 6 definitely has a lot going for it that makes it quite solid, but with its overzealous attempt to be everything at once, you will sometimes find yourself more frustrated than frightened.

Our story begins with a little tutorial of sorts, throwing you into a part of Leon’s campaign closer to its end to make sure you have a good grasp at the game’s tone, controls, and co-operative play before truly sinking your teeth into the game. After the tutorial ends on a cliffhanger, you can finally start one of three campaigns, with a fourth one waiting to be unlocked once you complete the initial three. That’s right; Resident Evil 6 is a fairly lengthy game, featuring a larger-than-life storyline that is divided into four campaigns, each with a different story to tell.

And with all these stories coming together so seamlessly, it’s obvious that Capcom knows a thing or two about storytelling. It’s interesting to play through a campaign and arrive at a scene that leaves you with questions, and then have those questions answered in another campaign. It’s this kind of storytelling that makes you want to play through all four campaigns in order to fully understand the plot. Unfortunately, the stories intertwining like they do also results in a bit of unwanted repetition, since you will have to re-watch certain scenes and replay certain fights.

Each of the first three campaigns feature a dynamic duo, with Leon S. Kennedy teaming up with U.S. Secret Service newbie Helena Harper; Chris Redfield teaming up with fellow BSAA member Piers Nivans; and series newcomer, as well as series veteran Albert Wesker’s son, Jake Muller teaming up with Sherry Birkin from Resident Evil 2 (she’s also the child of an antagonist, by the way). These teams all take the co-op from Resident Evil 5 to new heights, which is definitely a good thing, because nobody likes a partner who mooches off of your inventory…

But what really makes the co-op so top-notch becomes apparent when playing with a human partner, whether locally or online. Once you decide which character to play as (during whatever campaign you choose), the other character becomes readily available for anyone else to just drop in and play as. And depending on your settings, the game will even search for potential partners whenever you aren’t fighting for your life. Of course, once you unlock the fourth and final campaign featuring Ada Wong, expect to go it alone, because… well, let’s just say she’s single.

This game not only manages to fit four whole stories into one game, but each campaign also plays differently from one another. Leon’s campaign feels like a throwback to Resident Evil 2, featuring the zombies we all know and love and an overall classic feel. Chris’s crusade, on the other hand, is much more action-oriented, and basically feels like they took Resident Evil 5 and updated it with darker, creepier locales (de-steroidizing Chris a bit, too). As for Jake’s journey, with the intimidating Ustanak chasing you down at certain points, it feels a lot like a modern rendition of Resident Evil 3: Nemesis. Lastly, Ada’s adventure is pretty much what you might remember from her campaign in Resident Evil 4, just a little better.

Wait a minute, I’m sensing a pattern here… Resident Evil 2 throwback… Resident Evil 3: Nemesis throwback… Resident Evil 4 throwback… Resident Evil 5 throwback… Man, this whole game is just one big Resident Evil reunion, isn't it…?

The controls have been greatly improved for Resident Evil 6. Namely, you can finally walk AND shoot at the same time. This has been a bit of an annoyance for a while now, so it’s about time Capcom made this decision. There have also been a few additions to the Resident Evil moveset, including dodging, sliding, taking cover, and the ability to fend off enemies while lying on the ground. Basically, the combat in this game has pretty much been expanded upon, both with melee and firearms, and fighting the infected has never felt better. These enhancements might take a while to grow on you, but once they do, you’ll welcome them without question.

Unfortunately, though, these new additions support the fact that the game tries to be too much of an action game that the horror aspects suffer. Now, normally it wouldn't really matter if a horror game wants to add some pizazz, but Resident Evil 6 tries too hard to be everything that it often struggles from its own identity crisis. While Leon’s campaign likes reminding us of a simpler time when you fought your way through hordes of unarmed zombies, the other campaigns like to take a more Call of Duty-esque approach by giving the J’avo machine guns, rocket launchers, helicopters, and even tanks. And while this might frighten some, it’s more in the sense of “Oh crap, I’m getting shot at!” than classic psychological fear.

You will also be given more gameplay mechanics than is really necessary, such as swimming, riding motorcycles, and flying jets. I appreciate Capcom trying to diversify my gaming experience, but some of these mechanics aren’t exactly utilized well enough to really work as intended. Throw in all those quick-time events that just love causing us to die far more than we should, and the experience can get a little chaotic at times.

The visuals in this game are quite captivating, and work really well with the cinematic experience Capcom was shooting for. With some beautifully designed locales that offer some creative lighting effects, Resident Evil 6 really holds its own as a modern horror game, for the most part. But what’s even more stunning is the horrifically awesome creature design. Along with the simple zombies, everything else in the game has been given a unique design you’ve yet to see in any other entry that really adds something different to each encounter.

The cinematic experience of Resident Evil 6 is even further expanded thanks to some truly outstanding sound design. The music really helps to set the mood in every instance, including parts that have no music at all. In those scenarios, you start understanding how creepy the creature sounds can be. And the voice acting ain’t no slouch either. In fact, the game even comes with a “voice-over pack” disk, for whatever reason.

As long as the Resident Evil series has been around, it’s only natural for it to go through changes over the years. Most of those changes are highlighted and added upon in Resident Evil 6. Some of these changes work well, while others don’t. And with so many throwbacks to previous installments, this game also seems to pay quite a bit of respect to the series’ past. However, in trying to please everyone, the game also struggles with a bit of an identity crisis that involves a bit of fun, yet somewhat convoluted gameplay. But with such brilliant storytelling involving a fairly interesting storyline, horrifyingly beautiful set pieces and creature designs, and some very moody music and creepy creature sounds, Resident Evil 6 definitely has enough going for it to deserve the attention of old and new fans alike.

Pros:

+ The story is masterfully told throughout four campaigns

+ Co-op is among the best of this generation

+ Visuals and sound design make for a pleasantly creepy experience

Cons:

- Attempt to do it all hurts the experience

- Quick-time events can get really frustrating

Overall Score: 8 (out of 10)

Great

In its overzealous attempt at doing everything, Resident Evil 6 has some uneven gameplay. But with its masterful storytelling, captivating visuals, and outstanding sound design, it ends up being a pretty great gaming experience.

Review: Rock Band Blitz

Sat, 01 Sep 2012 06:14:12 +0000

Developer: Harmonix
Publisher: Harmonix
Platform: XBLA, PSN
Release Date: Out Now
ESRB: T for Teen

This review is based on the XBLA version of the game

Put those plastic instruments down, because this installment of the Rock Band series isn't quite what we’re all used to. In fact, Rock Band Blitz is only about half of a Rock Band game, with the other half being something completely different. And all you need to play the game is $14.99, a standard controller, and enough free space on your hard drive to hold the game and its 25 tracks. So is the game worth the trouble, or is it just a waste of space like the fake instruments filling your closets? The answer is simple: if you like rhythm games, buy this one.

Once upon a time, Harmonix created two controller-based rhythm games known as Amplitude and Frequency. These games had you shifting between different layers of each song, playing the guitar part one moment and jamming on drums the next. Rock Band Blitz can be seen as Rock Band and these two games mixing together to create something new to the Rock Band series. Well, I can’t really say it’s completely new, as this idea was played with in Rock Band: Unplugged for the PSP and Rock Band 3 for the Nintendo DS, I guess you could say that Rock Band Blitz is a more refined version of what those games had to offer.

The game is fairly simple. There is no campaign mode, so all you do is pick the controller up and play through a song whenever you feel like it. Each song takes you down the streets of “Rock City,” akin to the scrolling note “highways” of previous Rock Band games, with different colored lanes corresponding to the drum, bass guitar, lead guitar, vocal, and keyboard parts of the songs. Unfortunately, the vocals can get insanely confusing at times, depending on the song, because you will often have to keep to a rhythm that doesn’t exactly have a steady beat. Still, it’s all fun nonetheless.

The game’s controls are pretty standard; each lane gives you left and right notes that you hit by tapping the D-pad and a face button, the left and right joysticks, or whatever controls suit your fancy. And the more notes you hit down one lane, the higher that lane’s multiplier rises, which in turn allows that lane to earn you more points. However, you can’t stay on one instrument throughout the song and expect the multiplier to keep rising, giving you no choice but to switch lanes if you desire a high score.

And once you raise the multiplier for each part by at least one, a checkpoint will increase the cap by three greater than the part with the lowest multiplier. For example, if you had four parts at 3x, but one at 1x, the max will only rise to 4x. As such, one of your main goals throughout each song should be to jump between each lane and increase the multiplier for each as much as possible before you hit the next checkpoint. Doing so will maximize your score, which is the main objective of the game.

Another way to maximize your score is through the game’s “blitz” meter. If you hit notes consecutively, this meter will fill up. Once full, you will begin moving down the lanes faster and faster until you miss a note. This increase in speed is complimented by a bonus to your score, so it helps not to miss notes. Of course, missing notes is a little bit too hard in this game. With only one difficulty setting and only two sides to each lane, this game lacks the kind of challenge the main series has. But it’s not the main series, so this pick-up-and-play aspect can also be seen as a fun little break from shredding that plastic guitar on expert mode.

Once you complete a song, you are scored with the classic 5-star system. And depending on how high a score you receive, you are awarded accordingly with both “blitz cred” and coins. Blitz cred is sort of like experience, and the more you increase your blitz cred, the more power-ups you unlock. Unfortunately, you need to collect coins in order to use these power-ups. Normally, this wouldn’t be a problem, but the payout for each song is so much less than you need to truly take advantage of the power-ups. As you could imagine, this can often take some of the fun out of the game.

When you can afford to use power-ups, though, the game gets a bit more fun. Power-ups come in three flavors – overdrive power-ups, note power-ups, and track power-ups. Overdrive power-ups are triggered in a familiar sense, in which you play glowing white notes to gather enough energy to use them. These power-ups offer several score-boosting benefits, such as temporarily doubling all your multipliers (star power, anyone?). Note power-ups are a bit more exciting, providing you with fun little mini-games of sorts that you play by hitting purple notes throughout the songs. Perhaps the most fun of all of these is the pinball note power-up, which launches a large pinball that increases your score the longer you keep it on the streets. Lastly, track power-ups are a bit simpler, including such powers as raising your score by switching lanes at certain points.

Unlike its older brothers, Rock Band Blitz isn’t a game where you can jam with friends at a house party. Instead, this arcade game gives you a Facebook app called "Rock Band World" that allows you to connect with your XBLA/PSN friends who also own Rock Band Blitz and happen to be on your Facebook friends list. You can either play cooperatively to earn extra blitz cred or you can choose to initiate “score wars” and destroy your friends’ high scores. You can even watch other players’ scores throughout each song as you try to surpass them. It’s just unfortunate that you have to be on Facebook in order to make the most out of this game’s multiplayer potential, rather than simply relying on your XBLA/PSN friends list alone.

Overall, Rock Band Blitz is a nice little game that any rhythm gamer should pick up. With fun gameplay and plenty of songs to play through, this game will often have you saying “just one more song!” And if the game itself wasn’t enough, guess what – the entire soundtrack doubles as DLC for Rock Band 3. How about that! Furthermore, Rock Band 3 DLC is also playable in Blitz for even more button-mashing good times. So whether you’re interested in the game itself or just interested in the DLC pack, for $14.99, Blitz is definitely worth the price.

Pros:

+ Fun gameplay that doesn't require plastic instruments

+ Power-ups are a nice addition

+ The soundtrack doubles as DLC for Rock Band 3

+ Rock Band DLC can be imported

Cons:

- The coin system is a nuisance

- You can't play cooperatively with friends without connecting to Facebook

Overall Score: 8 (out of 10)

Great

Following the footsteps of its brethren, Rock Band Blitz is a fun little arcade title that any rhythm gamer should pick up.

Review: Dust: An Elysian Tail

Mon, 27 Aug 2012 22:03:50 +0000

Developer: Humble Hearts
Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
Platform: 360
Release Date: Out Now
ESRB: E10+

At some point in life, everyone faces a crisis of identity. Who am I and just what is it that defines me? Humble Hearts’ debut game stars a character facing that same dilemma. As the titular hero seeks his identity, the player is left wondering not only who Dust is, but what Dust is meant to be.

Artistically, Dust defines itself clearly. The anthropomorphized animals have a style that can only be called "furry." I’m not fond of it, but even so, the character art is average at best. Character portraits oddly pulse to simulate breathing, but just look unsettling. The characters themselves are generic and the art is lacking in quality. The game has a couple of animated scenes, but they serve to be a reminder that the artistic vision behind Dust outreaches the artist’s capabilities.

In stark contrast, the background design is easily the best part of the game. From snowy mountains, to fiery volcanoes, the art oozes style and is a treat to look at. There are also weather effects that add to the atmosphere, though they can obscure what’s happening.

Thematically, the game starts strong, but fizzles out. The story opens with Dust, the amnesiac hero, being awakened by the sentient Blade of Ahrah and its guardian, Fidget. Overall, the plot concerns Dust’s identity and whether it’s his past that defines him or what he does in the moment. It’s a good theme, but it’s marred by inconsistencies in how characters view his identity. Characters waffle on their opinion and even at the end there’s no solid evidence that Dust has an answer of his own. The ending also spurns another theme present in the game to leave the possibility of a sequel.

Mechanically, Dust marries RPG stat growth, hack-and-slash gameplay, and action-adventure exploration à la Metroid. The RPG aspect starts strong, letting you distribute points between health, defense, attack, and magic. This lets you start to build Dust to suit your style. However, your progression in any one stat soon gets halted and you are forced into a more even distribution, dispelling the illusion of choice. Enemies drop materials and blueprints to create equipment, with the shop selling a material after you sell one, which is a nice alternative to farming mobs for hours on end, but there are no unique items to be dropped or found.

The combat is a step above most games in the genre, but not as strong as in a hack-and-slash game. The X button executes sword combos, the Y button handles dust storm attacks, and the B button uses magic. Despite that, the game boils down to two buttons, as dust storm and magic attacks are too weak on their own. Instead, you’re meant to launch a magic attack and then a dust storm, causing a powerful area attack. It’s a simple system with few combos and little variety. The enemies aren't varied enough to require you to change tactics, so once you have a preferred combo, you’re mostly set. Though the story does set up the existence of other weapons like the Blade of Ahrah, he’s the only one you get, leaving Dust hurting for variety.

The right and left triggers handle dodging, which is limited by the same gauge as your magic, but the system suffers from a worse quirk. Upon coming out of a dodge, the game will always have Dust facing the center of the screen, as opposed to having him face the direction being held. This can cause problems in mobs, where rolling away from an enemy can stick you in the middle of others while facing the wrong way. There’s also a parry system, where pressing and holding X when an enemy attacks stuns them and lets you counter. The window for parries is wide, making the move easy to perform when needed.

Even the exploration aspect falls flat. While other games in the genre have hidden character upgrades, the treasures to find in Dust are largely money and generic items, with a few minor health increases. The exploration is fun enough, but ultimately futile unless you’re obsessed with map completion. The platforming options are basic, with the story upgrades you get just offering access to new areas and not a new way to explore old areas.

Some may be relieved to hear that despite the genres Dust combines, it's an easy game. Most enemies can be taken out with simple combos and parries, and even the bosses can fall into simple AI loops. There are options to allow auto-combos and healing. The game is also generous with save points. While the areas may be larger than usual, you’re never more than a few squares away from a save point. On higher difficulties, the worst you’ll have to deal with is managing money and healing items. Even the challenge rooms in the game are just simple exercises in memorization with little actual combat. That doesn’t meant there aren’t some unevenly difficult sections though. There a couple of areas that feature randomly falling objects that do very high damage, and the final area features an army of allies that obscure the enemy, making the area harder than it needs to be.

Technically, the game is flawed. I had issues with stat bonuses not being applied correctly when equipping two of the same item and issues with jumping out of dodges. Drops in frame rate are not uncommon and can happen even in less visually complex areas. I also had the game crash on a few occasions while transitioning to new areas. It’s not unplayable, but it doesn’t live up to the quality one would expect from a Summer of Arcade title.

As a character, Dust struggles to understand who he is and what defines him. As a game, Dust: An Elysian Tail faces the same conflict. Combining RPG character progression, hack-and-slash gameplay, and Metroid inspired exploration, Dust reaches an equilibrium where no one element stands out. It doesn’t manage to be remarkably fun, challenging, or moving, but also fails to offend. At the end of the day, Dust simply is.

Pros:

+ Beautiful scenery
+ Forgiving difficulty

Cons:

- Low quality character art
- Combines many genres, excels at none
- Technical issues

Overall Score: 5.5 (out of 10)
Average

Dust: An Elysian Tail has big ambitions, but doesn’t live up to its vision. It’s not a bad game, but it doesn’t do anything special.

Review: Persona 4 Arena

Sat, 11 Aug 2012 23:28:30 +0000

Developer: Arc System Works
Publisher: Atlus
Platform: 360, PS3
Release Date: Out Now
ESRB: T for Teen

This review is based on the Xbox 360 version of the game

The fighting genre has undoubtedly had its share of bizarre titles. From superhero smackdowns to anime altercations to mascot melees, there’s a style for everyone. Arc System Works is exploring new territory with an RPG rumbler that’s part fighter, part visual novel. Persona 4 Arena takes the story and style of Atlus’s series into the ring, facing the daunting challenge of appealing to Persona fans and fighting fans. Contending with the oversaturated fighting market and a jarring genre shift, will this title end up down for the count?

Arena is a 2D sprite-based battler with an anime style. The sprites and artwork are beautiful and capture the style of the last two Persona games. The soundtrack is a crowd pleaser for fans, with original tracks and remixes from Persona 3 and 4, as well as some original tracks. Voice acting is also well-done, with English and Japanese options for the whole cast. Though newcomers will find nothing wrong with the voices, Persona veterans may have issues, as some voice actors from Persona 4 did not reprise their role and Yu’s voice is too similar to another character’s. That said, the cast did a great job, but there’s just no cure for fanboy/girlism.

Fans of the series are mostly going to want Arena for the story. The plot takes place two months after Persona 4, reuniting the main cast in a case to find their missing friends and discover the truth behind the P-1 Grand Prix fighting tournament. At the same time, characters from Persona 3 are on their own mission to retrieve a stolen anti-Shadow weapon. The same themes present in those games are also in Arena and they can be cliched and hokey, especially to outsiders. Like in the games, the main draw is the interactions between characters. Considerately, none of the key plot points of either game are spoiled, only the general premises are explained. What you need to know about the world is explained, but room is left for surprises should you want to play the main series.

While the arcade mode tells a sparse version, the story mode offers a much meatier offering, clocking in at over 20 hours. Split into 12 characters, it is presented in a visual novel style broken up by several fights, with characters voicing their lines. Unlike most visual novels, there are few choices and only a couple multiple endings. Many of the stories are different variations of the same event, but the general plot is strong and serves as a solid foundation for another game. It’s worth noting that Labrys’s story is surprisingly well done for a character exclusive to a fighting game and is easily my favorite.

Despite the strong story, shifting to the fighting genre may be a turnoff for some. Luckily, Arena is accessible to everyone. For starters, multiple difficulty settings and lack of overpowered bosses make the story mode manageable for anyone. Secondly, the game only uses four buttons and is extremely controller friendly. Nearly every move in the game is a variation of quarter-circle (down-to-forwards or down-to-back) movements. Finally, the auto combo system gives each character a basic combo string by repeatedly pressing a single button. With basic movement and blocking, it’s a powerful tool that can easily get someone through story mode.

Although friendly to newcomers, Persona 4 Arena doesn’t lacks depth. While the control breakdown seems simple, with A being a weak attack and the auto combo system, B being a strong attack, and C and D being weak and strong Persona attacks, the amount of moves available is large thanks to the differences in weak and strong attacks. Some differences are just in power, but other moves can have their whole utility changed between the weak and strong versions. For example, using the weak version of Yu’s Zio produces a projectile and the strong version is a close-quarters punch.

The SP gauge allows you to power up regular attacks, perform special attacks and instant kills, use a one more cancel to stop a move’s animation, and execute a guard cancel to launch a counterattack. There’s also the burst gauge, which allows you to unleash a max burst to fill your SP, a reversal burst to knockback an enemy, or a one more burst to send your opponent into the air for another combo. In addition to these meters, some characters also have their own mechanics, such as Naoto’s fate counter and Aigis’s Orgia Mode.

Characters have universal inputs to perform sweep attacks and furious actions, counter or Shoryuken moves that have invincibility to get out of tough situations. All-out attacks are available to launch the opponent into the air or away from you. There are also status ailments, as well as the possibility of getting your Persona broken if it’s hit too much. Overall, it’s a fun system with a lot of depth that can appeal to everyone.

If that breakdown isn’t enough to convince you that this isn’t “baby’s first fighter,” a look at the challenge mode is in order. Offering a total of 390 challenges, 30 for each character, they start simple by teaching moves and the character’s auto combo string, but quickly evolve into complex combos. The mode is robust, allowing you to see the AI perform the combo so you can get an idea of what timing and positioning you need and also highlights what part of the combo you aren’t hitting so that you know what link to focus on.

Persona fans may be drawn in by the story, but fighting fans will be pleased by the competitive offerings. There is local versus with the ability to play against friends or the AI, but the online mode is the main event. Both ranked and player match options are available. Player matches offer multiple settings, with the ability to create lobbies for up to 8 people, two combatants and up to 6 spectators, and options to set who advances after a match and how many matches a person can stay in.

Those looking to show off their skills will want ranked matches. While your main ranking is determined through a letter grade, you also have stats and a player skill rating for each character, allowing for an interesting progression system. The most notable aspect to ranked matches is that you pick your character before being matched up, meaning that there’s no possibility of counter picks and you’re forced to get used to matchups you might not normally encounter.

Even if the mechanics are solid, any online mode is only as strong as its netcode. Fortunately, Persona 4 Arena’s netcode is a true champion. Finding a match is quick, usually taking no more than 30 seconds. Although the character and level introduction can stutter, issues are resolved by the time the match begins and I never felt that lag was negatively impacting my performance. It’s rare for the netcode in any game to be this good and seeing such performance in a fighter is truly amazing.

Arc System Works gave themselves monumental task by trying to bring the Persona series into the fighting genre. Surprisingly, they've not only delivered, but managed to create one of the best fighting games available. Offering a packed story mode, a combat system that truly is easy to learn but difficult to master, an online mode with options to please both those looking to play with friends and take on the world, and a netcode that destroys the competition, Persona 4 Arena is a must for anyone interested in Persona, fighters, or looking to get into either.

Pros:

+ Over 20 hours of strong story content for Persona fans without spoiling the series
+ A deep combat system to please fighting fans while still being accessible to casual players
+ Excellent netcode for online play

Cons:

- With 12 story modes, there is some heavy repetition of events
- Art and music style isn’t for everyone

Overall Score: 9.5 (out of 10)
Fantastic

Though fans of Persona may be put off by the genre shift and fans of fighters may be put off by the subject matter, the truth is that neither have anything to worry about with Persona 4 Arena.

Review: Ghost Recon: Future Soldier

Fri, 06 Jul 2012 17:13:48 +0000

Developer: Ubisoft Studios

Publisher: Ubisoft
Release Date: May 22, 2012 (out now)
Platform: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC
ESRB: M for Mature

This review is based on the XBOX 360 version of the game

Modern warfare shooters are a dime a dozen these days. Every release aims to up the ‘wow’ factor with bigger set pieces, larger explosions, and increased number of nuclear catastrophes. It’s easy to pass off a genuinely good shooter as just another one of the other guys. Don’t make the mistake with Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Future Soldier. This is a rare breed of tactical third-person shooter, where future technology and weapon platforms are just as important as teamwork.

As the name would imply, Future Soldier is set a few years past 2012. The world is gripped in fear as a rogue spear, or nuclear device, has decimated London. The Ghosts, an elite team of special operations soldiers, are sent in to find out who fired the missile and kill them. At least, that’s how it begins. What gamers will uncover is a vast conspiracy involving a shady Russian ultranationalist group and several arms dealers, warlords, and criminals. The narrative isn’t well explained though, and I still have quite a few lingering questions as to who did what exactly. The plot, however, is only here to service the great action and tactical situations that Ubisoft has created.

In the singleplayer campaign, players will command a squad of Ghosts featuring Ghost Lead, 30k, Kozak, and Pepper. None of these guys are all that distinguishable since they almost always wear their gear, but Ubisoft does try to humanize them with squad banter. While the dialogue won’t win any awards, it makes you feel like you’re actually playing with a group of humans.

As Kozak, players can order the squad to focus fire on certain targets or perform Sync Shots, where a number of targets (between 1 and 4) can be marked for a synchronized kill. Sync Shots are vital to mission success when an objective specifies absolutely no alerts triggered. Even then, some of the missions can be extremely difficult, requiring fast reflexes and tactical adaptability. Thankfully, the Ghosts have an arsenal of handy gadgets they can call on to make life easier.

The stand-by gadget is the UAV. Capable of flight or driving on land, the UAV allows players to mark targets for Sync Shots and spot enemies hidden behind cover. While it isn’t particularly resistant to gunfire, it can repair itself when in the player’s possession. Other useful tech includes the motion detector, EMP grenade, and the ever-handy frag grenade. Learning the strengths and weaknesses of each deviceis paramount to survival on the dynamic battlefields of Ghost Recon.

The campaign will likely take 6 to 8 hours, depending on how fast you want to play the game. The choice is (mostly yours) when it comes to tactics. You can go full-auto or you can take things nice and slow. The missions themselves are fairly varied, featuring warlord hunts in African refugee camps and an explosive mission using a mortar-launching drone. You’ll find plenty to do in the campaign, even if the story doesn’t make much sense. As an added bonus, you can sub out the AI squad (which is more than capable) for real human players. In my experience, it was easier just to stick with the AI as they actually behaved themselves.

As with any modern shooter, there’s a multiplayer component. This part of the Ghost Recon experience is easily its best, featuring a robust suite of gadgets and weapons to choose from. The much talked-about Gunsmith, where you can change almost every weapon internal and external you can think of, can shape the way you play matches. Upgrade points to mess with in Gunsmith are earned by leveling up, so it’s important that you make sure you pick the right weapon for the three available classes. If you decide you don’t like the weapons you’ve created or the special unlocks you’ve earned, you can always use a reset token to give you back all of your unlock points and such.

Most game-modes consist of wiping out the enemy team. One of Ghost Recon’s more creative modes, Decoy, is a real exercise in tension. Players on one team must find and disable an objective that the opposing team must defend. For the attackers, however, they must figure out with of three points is the real objective. There’s also a dynamic objectives mode called Conflict and a similar, albeit unforgiving mode, known as Siege. While each match variant has been done before in other shooters, Ghost Recon adds a lot of fun gadgets to make firefights engaging. Items like the UAV, incendiary grenade, and grenade launcher gain even more importance in the multiplayer to help teams succeed. Winning a match is an incredibly rewarding feeling, given how challenging objectives can be.

From a technical standpoint, Ghost Recon is solid but nothing amazing. Everything has a slightly dated look, and some of the textures and environments are lacking in detail. While I didn’t really have a problem with it, some gamers may be disappointed by the visuals. Thankfully, I never really encountered any graphical glitches, meaning the code is fairly stable. The audio is great. Every weapon sound packs serious punch and the voice-overs do a fairly good job of communicating emotion and relaying combat-specific information. The musical score never really stood out to me given how often things were blowing up in my face. That might be for the better as the sound effects really make the game pop where the visuals don’t.

Overall, Ghost Recon: Future Soldier is a great competitive and cooperative tactical shooter. The campaign offers great diversity and can be fun in coop if you have the right players. The multiplayer is also a strong addition to the Ghost Recon online legacy. While the technicals are lacking in some places, the rewarding gameplay more than makes up for any shortcomings. If you’re a fan of shooters, I can’t help but recommend this nice change of pace from the typical modern warfare shooter.

Pros:

+ A great, diverse campaign filled with awesome moments
+ Strong competitive and cooperative multiplayer component
+ Great audio work and sound effects

Cons:

- Visuals are somewhat lacking
- The narrative doesn't make much sense

Overall Score: 8.5 (out of 10)

Great

A great tactical shooter with excellent multiplayer, a strong campaign, and fun future technology. A must for shooter fans! Don't skip out on buying it!

Magic: The Gathering - Duels of the Planeswalkers 2013 Review

Mon, 25 Jun 2012 23:19:27 +0000

Developer: Wizards of the Coast LLC/Stainless Games, Ltd.
Publisher: Microsoft Studios
Platform: XBLA, PSN, PC (Steam), iPad
ESRB: T
Release Date: Out now

This review is based on the XBLA version of the game

The first iteration of this series of Magic games was released in 2009 on XBLA. Since then, we saw a 2012 version and now the 2013 version is upon us. Thankfully, updates have been made to the game since the last ones and they're all for the better. That's not to say this is now the perfect version, but they're definitely on the right path.

If you're new to the world of Magic, it might even be worth jumping into the game now. Overall, Magic: The Gathering - Duels of the Planeswalkers 2013 (Magic 2013) is a solid title for multiple types of players.

If you're completely new to the world of Magic, then the game may at first seem overwhelming. At least, when you're alone with cards and trying to figure them out it might be. Magic: The Gathering is a pretty complex game if you get into it, although the basics never really change. Thankfully, Magic 2013 does its best to serve new players.

In fact, the game seems to view new players as its main target. Included in the game is a much-needed tutorial which goes over the basics of gameplay. After that, you're free to learn on your own but can always call to the game to give you hints on a possible next move or just tell you about what certain card types do. There are also three difficulty settings which should help ease many players into their most comfortable skill level.

Although there is a nice tutorial, it feels like the game doesn't try quite hard enough to cater to new players. As I already had casual knowledge of the game, I didn't learn anything new from the tutorials, but still found myself relying on the extra information for many cards. The tutorial just doesn't go into very much depth which may leave new players still asking questions about parts of gameplay. They will no doubt learn as they play, but perhaps some sort of digital rule book would have been a great addition.

The "more info" function serves as a basic encyclopedia on card types and abilities, but still leaves something to be desired. There were times I wanted to know specifically what a card meant but couldn't find info on the particular card. The information presented was simply boilerplate text about general abilities or spells, rather than specific to every different card.

It might seem to you that it would be too hard for them to write up definitions for each and every card. Really though, this shouldn't be a problem because of how the game was made. You do not have access to the world of cards. That would be near impossible, but you actually only have access to ten decks (after unlocking them all) and 30 extra cards for each deck (which are also unlocked).

Overall, it wouldn't be an impossible task to give more specific information about cards but it no doubt would have added more time to development. There's not much pain in trying a card out yourself but during a heated battle it might annoy you to realize it didn't mean exactly what you assumed. Well, that's one lesson learned and Magic 2013 seems to like to let players learn by victory and loss.

Magic 2013 has a campaign mode which is where the bulk of playtime will probably be spent. In order to proceed, you beat encounters until you can face off against an opponent. Encounters are odd games where the focus is to teach you the best way to overcome obstacles. The enemy will play the same string of cards over and over again. These battles force you to think about how to deal with various strategies enemies might employ. On the other hand, opponents are regular AI combatants who have a complete deck to try and stop you. These fights start off very simplistically which will ease newer players right in. Beating both the encounters and enemies in campaign mode will usually award you with cards, and sometimes new decks.

Also a part of the campaign menu are modes such as revenge, planechase, and challenges. Challenges are a bit like encounters where they start you off with a fight that will never change. However, instead of giving you a fresh game, it will start you off in the middle of a problem which you must then overcome. Planechase is an extremely hectic mode where four players play a truly weird game of Magic. While the base rules remain the same, there are added "planes" which cast various magic onto the field at regular intervals. Of everything included in the game, this seems best suited to those comfortable with the series and not newbies. Planechase is also included as one of the custom multiplayer games. So are the modes two-headed giant and free-for-all. You may play them either in local co-op, online co-op, or with AIs.

Although some of these modes might be too complex for new players, Magic 2013 still seems to have a heavy focus on the new or casual player. Why do I think so? It's the simple fact through each of these Duels of the Planesewalkers games that you never have the ability to make your own decks. You are able to change up a little bit once you unlock cards, although unlocked cards pertain only to the specific deck they were unlocked for.

Really, the game is just focused on giving you 10 well-built decks to use as you play. Most fans would probably enjoy the option to be able to create decks of our own completely alongside starter decks, but it doesn't seem that's going to change anytime soon. At least each deck is thought through and provides a great deal of strategies to employ once you have unlocked more cards for them.

One of the most helpful things that hadn't been included in the game before was being able to manually tap mana. For those who use two or even three colored decks you know that not being able to select exactly what lands you want tapped could be a disaster. While it's a great addition, it is unfortunately barely implemented. This is due to the fact that only one of the ten decks is a two color one. The rest are all one color. This is another way that shows the game was tailored with a newer player in mind, as two color decks aren't as easy to use. Perhaps they'll add more decks later as DLC. For now though it would have been nice to see a couple of the decks of the ten to be a bit different.

The design of Magic 2013 is also something which deserves a bit of attention. The interface is mostly fantastic, although there are a few moments when the game would slow down when performing some card animations. Mostly it is a very easy to understand layout though and helps to keep you from making mistakes like missing opportunities to counter spells/attacks. The sound design isn't as strong. The sound effects aren't especially good and the default balance of music and voice audio is way off. Music itself is rather unobtrusive but isn't anything worth writing home about either. When it comes to the mechanics of Magic though, it shines as a great product.

If you just want to play some Magic: The Gathering, then this game should work well enough. It is suited primarily toward casual or newer players but that's not necessarily a bad thing. If you just want to take small breaks to play a game here or there it's easy. As there's no need to craft your own deck you can just go right into battles and get your Magic fix. For those who are more familiar with the card game then, the alternative game modes and multiplayer may suit your tastes. Magic: The Gathering - Duels of the Planeswalkers 2013 is a solid title which could have done more. As it stands though, it is a fun and easy to pick up rendition of the classic game.

Pros:

+ Each deck is well-built with a variety of strategies
+ Game is an accurate Magic: The Gathering simulation with easy-to-use interface
+ Encounter and Challenge modes are nice training tools

Cons:

- Still no ability to build your own deck from scratch
- Although game works well it doesn't have especially high production values

Overall: 7 (Out of 10)
Good

Magic 2013 will satisfy the card game itch for most gamers who pick it up.

Max Payne 3 Review

Tue, 05 Jun 2012 14:21:59 +0000

Developer: Rockstar Studios
Publisher: Rockstar Games
Platform: Playstation 3, Xbox 360, PC
Release Date: Out now
ESRB: M for Mature

This review is based on the Xbox 360 version of the game

It has been nine years since we last saw a Max Payne game. Nine years. That's a pretty big gap especially since there was only a two year gap between Max Payne and Max Payne 2. But the question is, do people still want to have bullet time? Do they still want to follow the former detective who lost the love of his life and his child in the same night (you're about nine years too late for spoilers)? More importantly, does Max Payne 3 still have the same type of boiled egg noir writing that was both cringe-worthy and endearing?

A lot of scenes are as awkward as this when dealing with bullet time...

Max Payne 3 starts out simple enough. It isn't at all a direct sequel since they put nine years between the events of two and three. A smart move depending on how you look at it. Max is still as... unique looking as ever. Even with the bumped up graphics given to him by Rockstar. That was actually a main concern leading up to the game's release, that they would somehow 'prettify' Max to keep up with all the pretty boys in other games. Yes, even the main characters in the Grand Theft Auto games are above average-looking. Max has always been... rather blocky.

Having moved on to bigger and better things since losing his wife and kid, Max has moved down South. Not... the Southern United States of America, but rather South America. He's down in Brazil, specifically. It's not uncommon for cops to move to private security jobs, and that is exactly what ol' Max has done. He actually seems to like his job, and he even likes his boss. But that's not entirely saying much. It's hard to tell whether Max likes anyone considering he's so cynical.

Either way, the game itself is not written by the original writer, Sam Lake. This fact does show a little bit but the new writer (Dan Houser) seems to have done his homework about how a Max Payne game should seem and sound. This is good news, as those who loved the writing style of previous games (which was often dorky) will love the dialogue for Max Payne 3.

Sadly Max looks like grandpa from Ben 10. Oddly enough, grandpa's name is Max. Probably a coincidence.

The problem with having so many years between games is that either the audience doesn't remember what happened or other things have moved in, used the same style, and the player just doesn't want to deal with the "original" game that started it all. This has become a problem for Max Payne 3. Other games have done bullet time. Other games have done gritty noir. At this point, the only thing keeping people playing the third installment is they want to see how the story goes for Max and whether he's finally found happiness.

When the first game arrived, it did a lot of things right. It's considered a cult classic alongside games like Legend of Dragoon. Max wasn't pretty, and the game itself wasn't pretty, even for its time. Maybe everyone just liked the idea of a man dealing with so much angst in his life. Or maybe it was the writing. The fact that he kept going regardless of anything else. The fact that his monologues always proved to be amusing...

Let's just say that Max Payne 3 continues the tradition of continuing on regardless of anything else. It may not be pretty, and the player may wonder how in the world Max is still breathing, but he continues on. The man falls and gets wounded more times than just about any other protagonist out there. Scripted falls, not just gameplay. The man is a walking pain pill by the end of things but that's really nothing new. Just remember not to overdose.

Max is also terrible with holding his gun at the ready

There's also a problem with the fact that bullet time is needed more as a life-saver than as a 'oh hey this is a cool feature.' And even then, more often than not death will take Max anyways. The controls are clunkier than in the original games, and then there's the fact that trying to get Max back up onto his feet is a chore in and of itself. It just ends up not being fun trying to do a level and surviving a shootout.

The only real saving grace that will keep the player playing is the fact that the story isn't over and it needs to be finished off. The writing is... not like in the previous games, and that really does show. Max's monologues are the same as they've always been, however. And if anyone is waiting for insanely long flashbacks - there will be plenty, but they are not in the same vein as the former games.

There are no quote en quote 'glitches' to really be aware of except for the fact that sometimes Max will seemingly get stuck in cover as if your commands never got sent through the controller. It doesn't particularly matter though, because the controls themselves are frustrating as is without such things.

Sadly, the game doesn't stand out that much. It doesn't put itself up above the others (which use the same mechanics), and in that respect, it's quite simply average. But, it's a fun romp and fans of the Max Payne games will do well to rent the game at the very least and finish the campaign.

Pros

+It's a game that doesn't take itself entirely seriously

+Fans of the last two games will appreciate the nods to the predecessors

+The game definitely looks prettier than the previous games

Cons

-The controls can more often than not be frustrating

-Getting out of bullet time is a bit more frustrating than in former games

-The story was not written by the original author and it does show a bit

Overall: 7.5 (out of 10)

Good

Fans of the previous games probably won't be disappointed.

The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings Review

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 14:41:53 +0000

Developer: CD Projekt RED
Publisher: Warner Brothers Interactive

Entertainment (Xbox 360-only, NA)
Platform: 360, PC
Release Date: April 17, 2012
ESRB: M for Mature

This review is based on the Xbox 360 version of the game

The Witcher originally released way back in 2007 and some had wondered if there was ever going to be a sequel due to its ending, which had certainly set the stage for one. Four years is a long time to wait (in the case of the PC), and unfortunately for many, the first game was not ported to the 360; luckily, The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings stands on its own (though having a basic knowledge of the first game does help). But what, pray tell, is The Witcher 2 capable of? Is it worth the hype? Can the game really be a standalone story?

While there are indeed pieces missing, they're also missing for the Witcher himself. It's your job to help Geralt (the titular Witcher) put the pieces back together and in so doing will learn more about the world and Witchers as well. The game itself is a wild ride and thankfully there isn't a slow start at all. But still, certain questions remain... like can one enjoy a sequel to a game they haven't even played? There should also be a warning here that CD Projekt RED did what it could to make Witcher 2 earn that ESRB rating of M. If you have little kids or are sensitive to blood and nudity, this game isn't for you as you'll be smacked upside the head with both blood and nudity within minutes of the intro beginning.

Hi, my name is Geralt of Rivia. I'm a Witcher. You'll soon learn what that means...

In actuality, the story itself actually doesn't feel like the direct sequel it is supposed to be. The player is thrust right into center-stage, which often happens in RPGs so it's nothing worth getting too confused over. Fortunately, the game disc itself holds a few videos to hopefully help the player learn more about the type of person they're playing as, and as you play you'll pick up notes about the world. But the Witcher 2 is extremely story-driven, so if the player misses something in the dialogue, they may end up wondering what is going on in the world.

There are also some very key choices (mostly big) along the way that impact the world at large and how the player is able to deal with things. In contrast, there are also smaller choices that don't really affect how the game turns out (mostly in quests and if the player chooses one way of dealing with things, say not killing someone at the start of the quest in dialogue choices they can choose to punish the quest-giver later).

Many have complained about the fact that a lot of modern day RPGs don't offer strictly pacifist options. While The Witcher 2 does offer them, they can't be used in every setting. The player will still be forced to draw their blade, especially if negotiations go sour for any reason whatsoever. There is no 'reward' for doing things peacefully nor is there an alignment to worry about. But it is an option nonetheless; an example being that you're able to talk down a few thugs using Geralt's Witcher powers, thus avoiding a battle.

A lot of times, your enemy is bigger than you are. Geralt is rarely intimidated though, but a lot of monsters like to make it hard to fight (close-quarters sucks).

While the graphics may look a couple of years old, they are still able to hold their own. The dated look comes from the fact that the team did not completely rebuild the game's graphics, but instead tweaked them a bit from what they were from the initial PC release and updated the UI for an Xbox 360's configuration (i.e. the controller rather than a keyboard). There is some glitching to be found, even when the game is 'installed' to the hard drive, and there is also some delay in rendering textures during cutscenes and otherwise but it doesn't necessarily detract from the experience too much.

It would be remiss not to mention that a lot of games, even if they have scanned in the faces of various actors, don't exactly show facial expressions well; even in a game like Mass Effect 3 it is a well-known problem. In The Witcher 2, expressions are a lot less... stoic; during cutscenes, Geralt will frown in thought or annoyance, or he will raise his eyebrow in question. While the graphics aren't going to give you uncanny valley, the expressions at least will cause a lot more immersion and give clues as to the feelings each character has.

Magic is pretty amazing as well. The Witcher has his own brand of magic but there are also sorceresses and mages and the like. A lot of what the player has to deal with is magical in nature, though not always human; which is what a Witcher does best -- dealing with non-human magical entities. The player may not know how to handle something, but Geralt does and that's revealed through dialogue. Witchers are well known for being as good with a blade as with magic, though Geralt is having a little trouble with both thanks to memory loss.

The attention to detail in buildings, landscapes, and everything else is as breathtaking as looking at a game like Skyrim

All in all, the game is fairly well-deserving of your hard-earned money; whether 360 or PC, it doesn't really matter which. It also doesn't hurt that the combat is juicy, the cutscenes juicier, the voice acting is on par with other modern games despite the smaller size of the developer, and there's free DLC in the future. Possibly. There has been a few murmurs about how free DLC is a little... difficult to do on the 360 anyhow. But all the DLC up until the release of Witcher 2 on 360 was added into the game (hence the 'Enhanced Edition' for all buyers of the 360 version), so lay down your hard-earned dollars for The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings regardless of having played the first or not. That is the final word.

Pros

+ The story is very in-depth

+ Cutscenes are amazing graphically and artistically

+ Unlike other games, you can use magic and swords in battle without worrying too much about 'openings'.

Cons

- The navpoints/waypoints aren't too helpful; the journal is also very wordy and gives little info you need

- The graphics can be jerky, even when game is installed to hard drive

- It can be difficult to learn one's way around the menus and also to figure out what to use against what enemy.

- Hints, even when turned on, are few and far between

Overall: 9 (out of 10)

Fantastic

If you like a good story and some good combat, this game is for you.

Silent Hill HD Collection Review

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 23:07:17 +0000

Developer: Konami, Hijinx Studios
Publisher: Konami
Platform: 360, PS3
ESRB: M for Mature
Release Date: Out now

This review is based off the 360 version

The Silent Hill HD Collection has been a long time coming. Since it was first announced during Konami's E3 2011 pre-show it suffered a handful of delays. What was taking so long? Fans and interested gamers held out through each delay though and the wait has finally paid off. Now the collection is available and features two of the most critically (and fan) acclaimed games in the entire Silent Hill series. The question isn't exactly if these games hold up today but whether or not their conversion was mishandled, as some reviewers and fans have claimed. Read on to see just how it stacks up to the originals.

First off, it must be noted that both versions of the game are not created equal. The PS3 version has had so much negative feedback about game-breaking issues that a patch was issued almost immediately to try and help. No such patch has yet arrived for 360 players, but the 360 version is much less problematic to begin with. This review focuses purely on the 360 version as it's what I played but please note that apparently the PS3 copy still has a great deal of problems despite the patch. If you have the option to choose between both consoles then definitely go for the 360 version.

This collection includes just two games. There is no attempt to bring in much extra content at all (unless you count a Japanese-only costume). What you see on the box is basically exactly what you get - Silent Hill 2: Restless Dreams and Silent Hill 3. Since these games are so wildly popular in the fandom though it makes sense that they were the ones focused on. It would have been nice to see a digital voucher for Silent Hill or Silent Hill 4: The Room included, but it just wasn't in the cards. As it stands though, the technical issues inherent in the games would probably have been worse if Hijinx Studios had to focus on three games instead of simply two.

Why are these games so loved? Silent Hill 2 is often lauded as the best of the best in the world of Silent Hill. Its narrative is deep, dark, and depressing. The game starts us off with James Sunderland who has come to town due to receiving a letter from his wife to meet him there. There's just one problem though - his wife died three years ago. From there, players are instantly drawn into discovering just what is going on in the town and even James's head. The cast of characters is relatively small but each one is memorable.

As the game was made in 2001, a simple coat of high resolution paint doesn't help it stand up against 2012 contemporaries. For example, the default controls are as clunky as they ever were. However, as we're no longer used to these types of controls it might seem like more of a problem now. If the controls pose an issue then change them to 3D control so they feel more modern. Beyond that though, the story is no less striking. It may have been crafted over 10 years ago but it stood up as an incredible piece of storytelling then and it does today. In the HD Collection you are able to choose between the original and redone voice acting. If you're a massive fan of the original then it's worth sticking with what you know, but if you're new to the game then the new vocals are pretty solid overall and worth a listen.

If you've read into the fan reaction about the HD Collection you've probably seen most attention focused on Silent Hill 2. As the game is so loved by fans it makes sense they'll pick apart every single issue. One definite error is that about four one-time use sound effects are not present in the new version (or the audio is far too quiet). This isn't a glaring problem, although it is an unfortunate oversight. For example, it's weird seeing James react to the sound of a cry when the player themselves have not heard the audio. Although it's a head scratcher it doesn't break the mood.

The more apparent issues are that the fog isn't as dense or moody in the HD release. It doesn't seem like this was done on purpose though but a technical error or oversight. Why would anyone purposefully try to detract from the atmosphere by taking away some of the town's signature fog? It isn't so much of an issue most of the time although there are a handful of instances where the lack of dense fog shows things that players were never meant to see. For example, the fog helped cover up the "end" of the game world in a few places and now they are in view. However, on my first playthrough of the HD Collection I only noticed this once and I've played through the original Silent Hill 2 time and time again. If you're looking for it you'll see it, but if not, you'll be focused on the story and not the edges of the floor.

In fact, for 360 players, unless you're really looking for errors the game plays just fine. Some cutscenes stutter when unlocking an achievement, but this carries on for a couple seconds before resuming normal play. As this only occurred twice in my gameplay, I can't say it was an issue which destroyed my enjoyment. For players who are entirely new to the world, Silent Hill 2 still stands up as an impeccably well done title. Although the updating done to it was not perfect it hardly detracts from the intense experience it presents.

Silent Hill 3 fares mostly the same. The story in 3 starts off with a teenager named Heather who just wants to come home from the mall. Things quickly become strange as a detective follows after her, claiming to need to talk to her about her birth. This seems to be the least of her problems though as Heather suddenly finds her thrust into a decrepit, hellish world. Bursting onto the PS2 in 2003, this game was much more technically advanced than its predecessor. In fact, it manages to still be one of the most graphically astonishing games for the system despite coming out so early in the PS2's lifespan.

For fans, the biggest problem with this version of the game is that the old voice acting is gone. Unlike Silent Hill 2, there is no option about which voices to use. You can only listen to the new ones which many have stated just aren't up to snuff. This definitely is a bit of a let down for many because people have gotten so used to the stellar performance of Heather Morris as Heather, as well as the other characters. Again, if you're new to the series then this won't be an issue though. The new voices are not gratingly terrible so feel free to enjoy. They're all quite professional, no matter what the fandom might lead you to believe.

As this game already looked great back in the day the HD Collection helps it shine more. Aside from a strange lack of making Heather's hair double-sided, it all looks crisp and incredible. Some of the fog issues that were present in 2 also appear in 3, which is unfortunate. There is also a bit of discrepancy of lighting in a handful of areas, which detracts from the mood in those segments (if you are aware of it). Like was said earlier though, players new to these games will not see anything "wrong" with it. The worlds are still grimy, disgusting, and frightful. It's not like they suddenly replaced Pyramid Head's sword with a purple balloon or threw Heather in a schoolgirl outfit.

This is really the point I want to make. Although the 360 version has some strange little issues, they are not game breaking. Although fans will moan about every little discrepancy, they are not things that will ruin the world for you. These games are both as powerful and disturbing as they were when they first released years ago. They are not the perfect HD Collection and there could have been more done, but they are far from broken on Microsoft's console. The biggest question really is whether or not one should support the game at all since Hijinx did deliver a messed up product for PS3 owners. I'll leave that up to you though.

If there's one problem that fans really should be lambasting it is that more wasn't done for this collection. It was taken care of as much as Hijinx could in the time allotted to them, but both games could have been polished further. Why couldn't they have released free of these technical gaffes? What about adding in something extra for longtime fans of the series? Sill, as they stand, the games still manage to fare quite well on a 360.

Fans who already own Silent Hill 2 and 3 don't need to grab the HD Collection but if they wish to they should feel safe knowing it's not horrendous as some are proclaiming it to be. It doesn't tarnish the good name of Silent Hill. These games are still quite excellent experiences despite a slightly different coat of paint. Newcomers should also feel welcome to grab the 360 game because it is a solid package. It may be just two games but these two titles are very strong and deserve to be played by many more people.

Pros:

+ Two of the best games in the series in one package
+ Excellent stories and world keep you immersed
+ New voice acting is an unexpected bonus

Cons:

- Strange little technical issues such as less dense fog; missing sound clips
- There could have been more done for this collection - additional content

Overall: 8 (Out of 10)
Great

The Silent Hill HD Collection performs admirably on 360 and could bring in a whole new generation of fans to the town of Silent Hill.

The Darkness II Review

Sun, 01 Apr 2012 19:09:34 +0000

Developer: Digital Extremes
Publisher: 2K Games
Platform: PC, PS3, 360
ESRB: M for Mature
Release Date: Out now

It's been quite a while since the Darkness was unleashed upon the world. The first game took the player to some interesting places overall, and the second game on the other hand keeps to the present and to a central area, Jackie's home city. Now, that doesn't mean the game is less of a trip overall. Simply that one will not find themselves going to multiple different places. Which is fine, all things considered. It makes the fight against the Darkness seem that much more desperate. Oh, and if you're squeamish leave the food in the fridge... don't say I didn't warn you.

S-see the thing is, The Darkness is not as it seems...

So, you know how The Darkness games are based on a graphic novel? No? You do now. The first game was in a cel-shading style, so obviously they carried on with the same style in the sequel. Which isn't too terribly bad. You are however treated to some pretty nifty graphics when it comes to executions and overall destruction of your enemies. Using your executions can make things take a turn for the icky. If you are easily queasy, The Darkness games are not for you. At all. Just turn and walk away.

The game starts off simply enough: it's been a couple years since the events of the first game. Jackie Estacado is trying to pull his life back together after all the bad stuff that happened, and he's managed to stifle the Darkness... so far. Unfortunately (and there wouldn't be much of a story otherwise) he has to use the Darkness once again. If you've read the graphic novels already, you probably already knew that. I'm not going to spoil the rest of the story for you though, just know this: it's pretty fast-paced and you barely have time to catch your breath much less soak everything in.

Luckily the game knows how fast-paced it is, so it breaks it up with short narrative pieces and slower 'levels.' These 'slower levels' will make you question your sanity in many ways (no spoilers) but keep fighting forward. You will love yourself afterward. The campaign itself is extremely short though, as it clocks in around 8 hours more or less. Approximately the same length as your standard FPS such as Call of Duty, but hey, this isn't an RPG now is it?

Don't forget, kiddies, rated M also means you get some bosoms. Don't get too distracted by them; she's a hooker but she's not yours

Cel-shading is always an awkward type of thing to do in a video game. There have been some people who find themselves jerked out of immersion by it. However, in the case of The Darkness it just makes things grittier and you eventually do get used to it. It's a very artistic style to use when other games are just slapping up CGI and all that jazz. The graphics may not look realistic, but it's not supposed to in this case. Overall, it's gorgeous to look at.

As with all FPS games, you see things through Jackie's eyes which should help with the immersion a little bit. Unlike other FPS games, the Darkness did 'style points' right. Executions, creative ways of killing your opponents (using a pipe to spear that gunman on the roof anyone?), use of the Darkness's powers? You get a variety of points for those. Of course, you also get points for just plain up shooting your enemy but that's no fun when you have two friends sticking out from your back to help you out.

Darkness powers are back in full, and make you feel extremely powerful. It takes getting used to, but once you do, it seems second-nature to basically have two extra appendages. Some have said that you can quad-wield weapons but that isn't true. However, you can attack with all four 'appendages'. The 'heads', like the first game, can be used to snag your enemies and make them dangle. You can also slice at them as well as obstacles or to break open things like fuse boxes to turn off those pesky lights that the Darkness keeps complaining about at every turn.

Hey, Monkey! This guy is back too, English accent and all. There are a couple of times where you have to use him in order to advance. Yay for Darklings.

While the main campaign itself is short, that doesn't mean there isn't more to do. The ever-popular new game+ mode is available to you. As would be expected, once you choose that mode, your original game save is overwritten but you still get to keep any unlocked talents and relics you've gathered in your adventures. You can choose to increase the difficulty as well or keep it the way it was in your first go-round.

In addition to the main campaign you have a pretty fun 'Vendettas' campaign. You're not playing Jackie in the Vendettas campaign. Rather, you can choose out of four different characters with different weapons that are infused with Dark Essence. In the Vendettas campaign a few spots from the main campaign are filled in. You're directed by Johnny throughout the campaign and it doesn't matter who you play as, it's all the same. However, it depends on your style as to who you pick to go on the job.

Along with Vendettas, you also have a Hit List 'campaign'. As with Vendettas you are not playing as Jackie but rather the four characters mentioned above. Both Hit List and Vendettas can be played offline (alone) or online (with others). However, not all missions in Hit List are available to the solitary player. Both campaigns are ridiculously fun and amusing to play and adds some extra oomph behind keeping the game or trading it away.

The entire game ends up being a neat little package that should not be forgotten amongst all the other games out there (Mass Effect 3, Modern Warfare 3, and the like). If you enjoyed the first game and have been wanting more, pick this up the next chance you get. Oh, and don't forget to explore Jackie's mansion and check out the relics you pick up over time. Johnny has some great commentary about each one and you may end up rolling on the floor laughing from it. However, if you're sensitive about religious things (specifically Christianity) you might want to pass. It pokes 'fun' at it and adds on to the lore.

Pros

+ Story leaves more questions than answers (Darkness III?)

+ Better executions, if not a bit more graphic

+ Story is the same gripping narrative

Cons

- Short campaign

- Replayability is almost nonexistent if not for Vendettas and Hit List

- Some glitching does occur where your weapon disappears. Easily fixed,

however.

Overall: 8.5 (out of 10)

Great

Continue the story, Monkey. You won't regret it one single bit and you'll want more.

Sine Mora Review

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 19:22:43 +0000

Developer: Digital Reality, Grasshopper Manufacture
Publisher: Microsoft Studios
Platform: XBLA
ESRB: M for Mature
Release Date: Out now

Back in the day of arcades, shooters ruled the realm. Sidescrolling shooters, or shoot 'em ups, have maintained an audience since then but few are catering to them. Whenever most unfamiliar gamers take a look at a shooter, they tend to find them unfriendly. How is anyone supposed to get good enough to dodge a screen full of bullets making intricate patterns? It seems nearly impossible to an outsider. The question posed at Sine Mora is this: Is the game one that any gamer can pick up or is it only for dedicated players?

Sine Mora is no doubt a difficult game but it makes changes to the shooter world. These changes are big enough deals that they seem to invite new players into the fold. Unlike many games of the genre's past, you are not restricted to being shot by a bullet to lose your life. In this game the main focus is a time counter at the top of the screen. Players control ships which are able to take the brunt of bullets without exploding. What matters is being able to get to certain parts of the stage to replenish your time. As long as you can make it between these points with seconds on the clock then it doesn't matter much if you can't dodge every single bullet. As learning bullet and enemy patterns is difficult for many, this is a very welcome change. That's not to say that you can simply pilot a ship horrendously and make it through. Adding time to your clock requires you to kill some enemies along the way. Downing enemy ships or beings will add precious seconds back.

This isn't the only time-related mechanism in the game. If there are too many enemies or bullets on the screen you may also make use of your ship's special time ability. It's able to slow down time for a brief period. When using this ability, you are able to more carefully navigate through complex patterns and hopefully take the enemy down. You can't use this ability freely as might be expected, but when you can it's incredibly useful. Beyond being useful it's also pretty cool to see things slowed down. It helps you appreciate the artistry of the bullets and even start to learn their patterns.

In case it still proves to be a tremendous challenge then you'll be happy to know that there are multiple difficulties to choose from. Not only that, but the game's ranking system will adjust to suit your needs. If you're performing very well then the enemies will react accordingly. If you're not doing so hot then they will be toned down somewhat to give you a better chance. In this way even highly skilled players will still probably find a challenge in it. More games definitely need to make use of a scaling difficulty to keep players on their toes.

Players might not have too much trouble with the majority of the game but once at the boss things change entirely. Boss enemies are huge and full of firepower and weak points. Often, the first run-in with a boss will be a losing one. If you run out of time then you finally lose a life. Depending on difficulty you will have more or less lives to take advantage of. Bosses have a great way of whittling them down though. Because these enemies are so much more powerful than everything else it is often useful to make use of Sine Mora's boss practice. You have to encounter bosses in arcade stages before they appear in that mode, but once they do you can practice against them as much as you like. Once you're ready you can jump back into the associated arcade stage and pilot your ship to victory.

One thing that the game does absolutely right is the look and world it inhabits. Some shooters draw from realistic worlds for their backdrop (ex: 1942). Others take us to the furthest reaches of space. Sine Mora is much more of the latter, although it has allusions to our world. Arcade Mode even features a story - the likes of which you're not often given in these games. We're in a wholly different society and the characters and graphics display this wonderfully. The game is downright beautiful. I am unable to test the stereoscopic 3D features of it, but this would probably look great in that mode as well.

It's not just the world that looks great but the bosses as well. In fact, you'll probably find yourself excited to get through stages just to experience each new boss. They're massive and each have their own tactics associated with them. Their looks are all quite creative too and not derivative of each other. It took some real creativity to put these battles together. In fact, the set pieces for boss battles were designed by Mahiro Maeda who is known for directing Final Fantasy: Unlimited and the animated sequence in Kill Bill Vol. 1. If you're longing for boss battles that will excite you this is an excellent game to pick up.

Unfortunately the colorful backdrop, enemies, and bullets also contribute to a negative of the game. The simple fact is that oftentimes you might find yourself not noticing certain bullets until they've hit you. With such hectic backgrounds and enemies at times the eye finds it hard to distinguish between them. Perhaps hardcore shooter fans won't see this as an issue, but gamers looking into the genre now will.

Moving beyond the graphics the game is still a top notch production. The soundtrack is composed by industry great Akira Yamaoka of Silent Hill fame. Although he may have ended his days working on SH music, he's now moved on to provide his musical skills for games like Sine Mora. His distinctive style is haunting and beautiful and shows through here. From the main menu to hectic battles you'll remember the music. This is probably the highest compliment one can give to game music, which too often is simply lost in the fray.

It seems that Sine Mora has brought a newfound glory to shooters. Not all digitally downloadable games have high quality but few can match what is presented here. For 1200 Microsoft points though it is a solid deal. Gamers with less than ideal hand-eye coordination may find it still too difficult, but it's incredible how much it attempts to tailor itself to a great deal of skill levels. If you're looking for a highly polished shooter there's no better choice at the moment.

Pros:

+ Excellent visuals that draw you in
+ Boss battles get your blood pumping
+ Great changes to shooter formula to make it friendlier

Cons:

- Despite attempts to invite a large playerbase it still is rather difficult
- Bullets sometimes blend in with the background

Overall: 8 (Out of 10)
Great

If you're looking for a good shooter to keep you company look no further than Sine Mora.