BioShock 2 Review

The first BioShock was a critically acclaimed hit, and was highly regarded as the game of 2007. It introduced you to the underwater world of Rapture, put you up against Big Daddies, and delivered a unique and engaging story. 2K Games hopes to perfect the world of Rapture with the sequel, BioShock 2. Your second trip to Rapture will hand you a Bid Daddy suit and a drill and will also throw you in a ring of Splicers for some multiplayer fun. BioShock 2 has the heavy task of reintroducing us to the world of Rapture, and establishing Bioshock as a series and not just a one hit wonder. Now, “would you kindly” read on.

The story of BioShock 2 takes place ten years after the original game. You take on the role of a prototype Big Daddy, commonly referred to as, Subject Delta; you are also the first Big Daddy to be bonded with a Little Sister. It just so happens that the Little Sister is Elanor Lamb, the daughter of Sofia Lamb who is the antagonist of BioShock 2. Your Little Sister is taken from you while you’re left for dead, and after waking up your only task is to get her back. That is the story of BioShock 2 in simple terms, but there is way more to it as you progress and find audio diaries. You will learn the origins behind some of the things that make up Rapture, and although Sofia Lamb is no Andrew Ryan, BioShock 2 still has some good characters to follow the story. You’ll get the most out of the story if you played the first game, but first timers could get through it with a few minor confusions. BioShock 2 delivers a good story that is easier to digest but it doesn’t top the first.

Playing as a Big Daddy in BioShock 2 has its advantages on the gameplay. For starters, you can now duel-wield a plasmid and a gun, which eliminates having to switch back and forward between plasmids and guns. Not many new plasmids are introduced in BioShock 2, you pretty much only need and use the basic ones like the electric, fire, and freeze plasmids. Luckily you can upgrade the plasmids, making every plasmid much better to use; turn a simple fireball into a flamethrower out of the palm of your hand. The same goes for the weapons in the game. You get a shotgun, machine gun, rocket launcher, and a new gun called the Rivet Gun, and a couple more. If you’re lucky enough to find the hidden weapon upgrade stations in the levels, then you can turn do more damage and eventually add lightning striking shots and other special things. Being a Bid Daddy also comes with the infamous Drill. You can drill your enemies and leap towards them with a melee hit so long as you have fuel for it. I didn’t find myself using the drill after the initial try in the earlier stages of the game, mainly because it’s not as great as you would expect.

The game does take place in stage like form, so there is no going back to explore, once you leave the main area you can never go back. There are also segments of the game which have you out in the water life of Rapture, but they feel too linear and there is no sense of real exploration to them. Gathering ADAM, to buy plasmids, comes in a form of adopting a Little Sister by killing her Big Daddy. Once you become her Big Daddy, you can take her to certain dead enemy bodies in which she begins to suck the ADAM out via a needle. While the gathering, you must protect yourself and the Little Sister from Splicers which show up to take the ADAM. these gatherings are optional so you’re not forced into taking part in this, but it’ll help if you want to make progress. Once a gathering is complete you can choose whether you want to rescue the Little Sister or harvest her. These choices and a few other moral choices in the game will determine the ending of the game.

BioShock 2 introduces a first for Bioshock with the addition of multiplayer. You can choose between several different Splicers as who you want to play as, although it makes no difference. You have an apartment in which you can make minor customizations to your character, check the leaderboards, switch between weapons, and listen to audio diaries from the Splicers in the multiplayer; which give some added info on the history of your character. you can find the common game types online like deathmatch, team deathmatch, and team survival. but you can also find Capture the Flag and Oddball but with both having a BioShock 2 twist to them. I found all the game types enjoyable and the overall multiplayer was great, definitely not something that was just slapped on for the added value. There are a bunch of unlockables in the multiplayer so there is incentive to keep playing but I question the long lasting appeal of the multiplayer compared to other shooters out now.

In terms of sound and graphics, BioShock 2 is great. The game looks way better than the original, but that’s expected. you can choose to make the game run at 60fps in the options menu, but if you do then you’re open to screen tearing issues and frame rate problems.The sound in BioShock is one I particularly enjoy due to the sounds of the 1960’s type of music. It’s appropriate when it needs to be and when the lights are out and you’re roaming in the dark, the score kicks in for that part. The voice acting is pretty good, I have nothing more to say or anything negative on it. Just know that no one delivers like Armin Shimerman did for Andrew Ryan.

2K Games made the improvements it needed to make in the first game with BioShock 2, but it lacks the depth the story had in the first game. The return to Rapture might of lost some of its nostalgia for some but you must return. Not doing so will only make you miss out on a great sequel. BioShock 2 solidifies that the name BioShock isn’t just a one hit wonder, it is now a great series of games that I hope continues on.

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Dirt Cheap Video Games

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# posted by Curtis Ford @ 4:49 PM 0 Comments

Bayonetta Review

Hideki Kamiya, creator of Devil May Cry, has moved on from the days of demon slaying with Dante and the crew. He now works at Platinum Games and has been harboring a new vision for what the action game genre needs. That new vision has come to us in the form of Bayonetta, a slick fast paced action game with heaps of the unique Japanese flair and madness we have come to know and love. The big question is, has Hideki managed to surpass what he created seven years ago with Devil May Cry? or should we go back to playing Devil May Cry?.

The story in Bayonetta could only have come from the mind of a person like Hideki Kamiya. You are Bayonetta, an Umbra Witch who has spent about 500 years sitting trapped at the bottom of a lake after a battle on a cliff face sends her plummeting to the depths. Being out of action for so long has, as you would expect, brought on about of amnesia. All she can remember is that her enemies are the Lumen Sages aka Angels and, for an unknown reason, must die at all costs. As she travels through the 16 or so chapters trying to find the truth about herself she battles tons of enemies and bosses in various areas including dream worlds, old made up European cites, and a busy highway. The action is broken up with several cutscenes and conversations with a host of characters, some of these characters include Jeanne, another Umbra Witch, who knows the real identity of Bayonetta and what happened to her. Rodin, the owner of a club called Gates of Hell and your local neighborhood gun dealer. Enzo, a highly annoying informant who has more than a brief similarity to everybody’s favorite mini made man Joe Pesci and then there’s the journalist Luka, I began to find this guy really annoying. His entire role in the game is to pester Bayonetta about things she had done in the past including, supposedly killing his parents.

My experience with the story of Bayonetta was, how can I say it, confusing at best. I don’t know if it was the translation from Japanese to English, but I never seemed to get involved in the story as much as I though I would. The only thing that I remember from the main story was the reference Sonic at the start of the game. Everything else was just all over the place and the still motion/film reel cut-scenes really never helped. But like, other games of this genre the story is not the end of the world, the action and combat can make the difference up.

The gameplay in Bayonetta is what really stands out. Think too yourself, what if Devil May Cry went to a club, got drunk, and took tons of drugs. That’s where the action in Bayonetta begins. Everything is so fast paced and frantic, I sometimes found it difficult to keep track of where my character was on screen. Combine that with a combo list as long as both of your arms and you have a game that will test even the most skilled gamer. Platinum Games have also added something unique to the game that helps it stand out from the crowd, that thing is the ability to strap weapons to your legs. I know it doesn’t sound like a big deal but take it from me it is. This addition totally changes the way you play the game by adding more ways to attack or even defend. You also have the ability to customize the weapon slots on your arms and legs, individually, with any weapons you collect through the game. But I found this area lacking a feature I thought would have been obvious to the developer. That feature is that you can only have one set of weapons on both of your arms and one set on both of your legs. I would have liked to have had the ability to map weapons to each individual limb but I guess we can’t have everything.

Another feature I would like to mention is Bayonetta’s “Witch Time”. It sounds similar to the good old bullet time and infact it is pretty similar in someways but the way you enable it is totally different. Gone, are the options to turn it on willy nilly ,instead you have to use a little piece of skill to get it going. The way you do this is to hit the right trigger at the very last moment of an enemy attack. I know this sounds pretty easy to do in theory but with the fast paced, frantic action going on at times, I found it difficult to even see the perfect moment to evade. However once you get into Witch Time everything slows down (yes i know you already knew that) but this becomes really useful when fighting some of the quicker bosses and at times where there are tons of enemies attacking you at once. Later in the game the skill of getting into Witch Time becomes really important, as you often get faced off with two or three really quick enemies.

Later on in the game you unlock the ability to transform into animals. The animal forms range from a super quick panther with a crazy jump distance, to a crow that lets you fly for a short time. These animals become a big part of the gameplay later in the chapters because they are required for certain puzzles and help you get to areas that you could not get to before. I also found the Panther to be a big help while in battles because it allows you to evade attacks quickly and move to a better position on the battlefield for using health or doing a special attack.

Speaking of special attacks, those come in the form of Weave Attacks and as the name suggests, they use Bayonetta’s hair to form giant fists or heels. The way you enable the Weave Attack is pretty simple, all you have to do is hit a combination of punch and kick, for example if you hit punch, kick, punch you will notice Bayonetta’s hair begin to sparkle with purple. This lets you know that she is ready to perform a Weave Attack then all you have to do is hit punch and you will unleash a giant fist into the face of your enemy. There are a vast amount of Weave Attacks and they change depending on which weapon setup you have equipped. The best and easiest combo of weapons and Weave Attacks has to be the Katana on your hands with the pistols on your legs, this combo lets you perform a sweeping Katana swipe with the button combination I used in my example.

If all that stuff still isn’t enough moves for you, Platinum Games have also included two additional move sets. These sets are called Torture Attacks and Climax Attacks which as you can guess either involve torturing your enemies or finishing them off once and for all aka taking them to Climax. All you have to do to enable these attacks is build up your magic meter by attacking enemies and evading enemy attacks, if you get hit by an enemy your meter will go back down so try not to get hit much. Once you have your meter full you will see an on screen prompt telling you to press two buttons to unleash the attack. These attacks are like the finishers in Mortal Kombat, once you perform one there’s more than a good chance that the enemy will be no more. However, that’s not always the case as some of the larger enemies have so much health it sometimes takes a couple of these to finish them off. The Climax attacks are much the same as the Torture Attacks but are on a much bigger scale and only seem to be enabled for the larger enemies and bosses in the game.

Graphically Bayonetta is a real looker, the character detail is really top class even the way Bayonetta’s hair moves and transforms is really something to marvel at. The environments are also really well detailed and have a certain historical value to them that makes you believe that the places you visit could exist in the real world, that’s excluding the crazy dream worlds and stuff. I also found the lighting and other visual effects added an extra layer to the game that you may not see in other titles. Things like flowers blowing around in the wind to the details in animations and particle effects really add to the visual fidelity.

The camera in this particular genre of game has always comes in for some criticism and in Bayonetta its much the same story, overall Platinum Games have done a good job. The camera manages to keep up with all the action but every so ofter you find it gets stuck in position and sometimes it becomes hard to see who you are fighting. But fear not there is an option to reset the camera with a click of the right analogue stick which should fix any camera related problems you encounter. Now I know frame rate plays a big part in this particular genre of game and I am happy to report that during my gaming sessions with Bayonetta I never encountered any significant problems with slowdown or anything of that nature, the frame rate stayed pretty solid throughout the entire game but I did however notice some slight screen tearing during fast paced scenes but its really nothing to get in a big fuss over, its nowhere near as bad as Darksiders on Xbox 360.

As for the sound, its as you would expect it to be. The backing score is full of the typical Japanese pop music found in these type of games, which Im not a big fans of but it seems to fit into the mood of the game very well. The Vocal work was also really good, I think the decision to make Bayonetta speak the Queens English was a smart move, I don’t know if it would have worked as well if she spoke with an American accent but Iam glad they went for the English accent . There is one thing I would like to point out about the sound effects in Bayonetta particulary the vocals, that point is be careful where you play this game because at times it can sound like you are watching some sort of Lesbian porn movie, yes I know everyone loves a lesbian but I felt the amount of moans and groans got a little over the top at times, I even had a small incident while watching a cut-scene where someone walked into my room thinking I was actually watching a porn movie, which i never do. Honest.

Overall Bayonetta is a fantastic action game that takes what Hideki Kamiya created with Devil May Cry to a faster, sexier and more action packed level. The combat system is probably one of the best in any action game to date, its deep enough for the pro players to get exited about and simple enough for noobs to pick up and play. Replayability is also quite high as there are tons of things to collect and buy. The only downsides I can see with the game are the story and the amount of cut-scenes in the game but don’t let that put you off as you can always skip those and head right back into the action.

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# posted by Curtis Ford @ 10:56 PM 0 Comments

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# posted by Curtis Ford @ 10:09 PM 0 Comments

Dark Void Review: Into The Void

After more than two years since it was announced, Capcom and Airtight Games are ready to take gamers into the void, Dark Void. The game caught the eyes of several due to its impressive aerial combat gameplay and the use of a jet pack. It’s now time to strap on that jet pack and blast off. To infinite and beyond, right? Wrong! Now I can’t go to Wal-Mart and buy a jet pack but I can imagine using a jet pack for the first time and thinking, “wow this is cool.” But after the first 30 minutes or so I’m sure most will say, “ok get me off this thing.” That theory can be applied to this game.

The story of Dark Void, ironically, takes place in the year 1938. I was not aware jet packs and robots were around in the 30’s but I digress. As World War II is on the verge of starting, aliens and their robot minions (The Watchers) are planning their own takeover. Not over a country but over humanity. Consequently, our hero, Will A. Grey and his former main squeeze, Ava, have crash landed their plane somewhere in The Bermuda Triangle, which eventually leads them into this place known as The Void. Equipped with the great Nikola Tesla’s jet-pack, you must now stop The Watchers, help survivors in the Void, and find Ava. Dark Void juggles a couple of plots, and the main one suffers because of it. The on and off romance subplot seems straight out of Uncharted 2, but this game has been in development for quite sometime, so maybe it’s just a mere coincidence. Plus, the characters aren’t intriguing enough for you to care about them nor even like them. The main campaign will take about seven hours to complete, and there’s absolutely no incentive to replay it again. If you need a story that moves you, then this won’t due.

G is for gameplay but in Dark Void, G is for generic. That’s only during the third-person shooter portions, which oddly enough I enjoyed more than anything. The first episode of Dark Void focuses mainly on the third-person shooter aspects of the game, which includes all the typical moves like melee and a cover system. All works the same and works good but why play this when you can play a more engaging third-person shooter. Once you finally obtain the jet pack, you can enter vertical cover which allows you to shoot enemies below or above certain platforms and comes in handy a few times. The Watchers can be killed with six of the different weapons available ranging from an assault rifle to a variation of The Watchers weaponry. Each gun can be upgraded twice but none are better or worse than the other. No gun, no problem. Melee attacks in Dark Void are cheap; the toughest enemy takes three melee attacks to die and the puny enemies take only one hit.

With that being said, lets get to the crème de la crème of Dark Void’s gameplay. The jet pack is what made you skeptical about this game and it’s the main highlight of this game. At any time during gameplay, you can choose to hoover or take off and fly. Hoovering in the air and shooting down on the enemy proves to be a great technique and fun at times. It comes to good use for tactical reasons like getting a better shot or flanking a turret gunner but there are very few moments in which tactics come into play. Dark Void also has a Star Wars vibe with aerial combat aspects of the game. During these aerial moments the controls change, from a third-person shooter to a flying game like Crimson Skies, which was developed by the core team at Airtight Games. The controls can be confusing for quite sometime but eventually you’ll get the hang of it. While up in the air you can also jump into ally ships or choose to hijack enemy UFO’s. None are proven to be stronger than the other but I found myself really tired of the jet pack so I would jump in a ship just because.

There are two key elements to the sound in Dark Void that make the game bearable. The first is you have Nolan North providing the voice of the lead character, Will. If you’re not familiar with Nolan North, he’s the voice of Drake in Uncharted. His delivery in this game is great but it might be a better idea if you don’t use the voice of Drake to voice a character so similar to Drake. Nolan North pretty much plays the same character here, although Drake’s lines are way better than Will’s. The second key element is the great score by Battlestar Galactica composer, Bear McCreary. I’ve never watched the show before but hs work in this game is pretty good for his first score in a videogame. The music compliments and fits the mood. I probably wouldn’t of noticed it much but due to a glitch that turned all the audio down with the exception of the score, I did.

In terms of graphics, Dark Void gets by with neither bad nor impressive graphics. Cutscenes are pretty well animated; Dark Void doesn’t try to go for the photo realistic look. You can also find blurry textures and the occasional texture pop-ins. The main gripe comes from a technical standpoint in which the frame rate drops during big battles, its not significant but it’s there and you’ll notice.

The wait for Dark Void was long and now that it’s here, it truly is a disappointment. There is very little fun to be had in this game. There’s this nostalgia in videogames for jet packs and chainsaws and honestly they hardly ever fulfill anything. Jet packs are the new chainsaws. Dark Void does not merit a $60 dollar purchase, although I’m certain it won’t stay at that price for long.

Tags: Game Reviews, PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360

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# posted by Curtis Ford @ 5:50 PM 0 Comments

Army of Two: The 40th Day Review

Electronic Arts is kicking off the new year with, in my opinion, the best spring lineup for any publisher. With titles such as Mass Effect 2, Battlefield Bad Company 2, and Dante’s Inferno, EA is the company to lookout for. The first EA title in 2010 is the sequel to the co-op third person shooter Army of Two: The 40th Day. The two mercenary amigos, Salem and Rios, are back after nearly two years since the first installment. The first game wasn’t the best shooter nor the best co-op experience we’ve ever had, it was simply an average game that needed a few more improvements to make it a good game. Army of Two promises to deliver a better game with the sequel by making some much needed improvements and expanding on the multiplayer elements of the first game.

Salem and Rios are your typical duo of mercenaries. They’re cocky, wise-cracking douche bags who care about finishing their mission and getting paid. Some might not like these protagonist, but I did. The reason being is they’re like a couple of buddies or brothers who just crack jokes on each other. Their relationship seems real to me. Sadly, the story in the 40th Day does nothing to bring out much of this great duo’s chemistry nor does it make the campaign story the least bit interesting. The game begins with Salem and Rios in Shanghai for a mission to do something and then all of a sudden, Shanghai goes to hell with skyscrapers tumbling down and civilians being killed or held prisoner. As I write this now, I’m not too sure what the hell happened in the story, but the first four out of six chapters don’t have any sort of story telling. The story starts and ends in the last two chapters of the game, making The 40th Day less about story and more about big action sequences.

The main focus of Army of Two is the co-op. No matter what way you choose to play this game, you’ll always have your right hand man there for backup. Play with a buddy online, next to you, or play with the AI controlled partner (which isn’t as bad as one would expect.) Sure, playing with a friend would be better, but I played it with the AI and it would do what I wanted. Sometimes though it wouldn’t go where I would want it to. The 40th Day improves some of the co-op features by making them available at any time, but doesn’t add much besides a mock surrender, which allows your partner to flank the enemy. A new HUD GPS system is also available and it allows you to mark enemies and serves as a road map, but this option means nothing when it has a time limit. Another problem I found that doesn’t necessarily belong to the gameplay but holds you from the gameplay is the positioning of some of the checkpoints. Some of the checkpoints are saved before a cutscene, so if you die or a civilian is killed or anything, you’ll have to watch the cutscene every time since the game does not allow you to skip over them. I found this very frustrating at times seeing as how all I want to do is get back to the action.

When it comes to action sequences, The 40th Day delivers. The action in each chapter is very well paced and each chapter has a great action set piece like map taking place in a Zoo, which allows you to take cover over an elephant. Seriously. The shooting mechanics are easy to learn and the wide range of weaponry is there to buy and unlock. The weapon you use is much more satisfying knowing that you customized it to your liking. With numerous additions to each gun, your weapon will be unique. Making money in the game is simple. Either kill enemies, take it from their supply crates, rescue civilians. By becoming a Shanghai civilians savior, you will gain good morality or you can gain bad morality by killing them or not rescuing them. A morality set piece is also a part of each chapter asking you if you should kill this person or let them live, things of that nature.

The cover system in The 40th Day is a little over complicated than it should be. Pushing ‘A’ while running towards something will get you into cover, but if you’re right in front of what you want to take cover on you must duck and push up on the left stick. If you want to turn from side to side while taking cover the camera will pan over your left or right shoulder, then you must click in and out of that, which like I said over complicates things. I hate to compare games in my reviews, but The 40th Day would of been great if it would of just copied the cover system of a certain game that features locust.

As for graphics, the 40th Day was built using the Unreal Engine 3. Like the majority of games using that engine, the game looks good. The levels are polished, the characters are detailed, and the in-game visuals are overall pretty good. The only time the game doesn’t look that good is during the brief cutscenes of a skyscraper being destroyed and collapsing, but not many of those happen for too long. I have to give it to the level designers though. They did a great job in designing each chapter based on the location and the madness that surrounds that area. I was a little disappointed that the Unreal Engine physics weren’t used to their full capabilities. The game allows you to shoot enemies through a table via bullet penetration, yet the table doesn’t break or chip. All that is left is a black bullet hole.

I’m not too keen on sound, but a game that features no audio options is ridiculous. There is no way to lower the music volume and no way to turn up the voice acting volume. Even worse the game has no subtitles. Not everyone plays with subtitles, but in this game they’re needed since there are no audio settings are available. Maybe with subs I can have a better understanding of the story or actually be able to hear some of Salem and Rios’ jokes. With that being said, the sound itself is OK, but audio options would of been great.

Pick a friend and take the partnership online against other teams with The 40th Day. Compete in four modes which are, Co-Op Deathmatch, Warzone, Control, and the pre-order exclusive, Extraction. The multiplayer in 40th Day might be something you try just to see what it’s like, but you won’t stay for long. That might be due to some of the lag issues I found during my stay online, although I’m sure a patch might be on the way.

Army of Two: The 40th Day made some of the improvements it needed to, but it remains just an average game. However, that doesn’t mean its bad because believe me, I found myself having fun even though I was playing alone. Simply put, if you’re looking for an action game with lots of shooting that offers co-op and nothing more, then this is your game. If you have a good friend who you constantly play with, then Army of Two: The 40th Day would be a great, fun game for the both of you.

Tags: Game Reviews, PlayStation 3, Sony PSP, Xbox 360

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# posted by Curtis Ford @ 7:24 PM 0 Comments

King of Fighters XII Review

King of Fighters is a popular fighting series with many dedicated followers; the game has always focused on using stunning 2D visual sprites, until now. Although they have tried a new art style, and for the most part created something good looking, I have to say that the King of Fighters Xii visuals looked a whole lot more beautiful in the screen shots leading up to the games North American release.

For me the stripped down rosters and player modes that everyone has been complaining about in the game are not an issue. Way back when King of Fighters Xii had a jam packed roster and a decent amount of different play modes, not many people bought or embraced the game. There for you cannot fault them for leaving a lot out of this game, especially seeing as it took SNK a long time to build the sprites.

My main gripes with the game are that the art style does not look as good as it did on the screen shots of the game. Along with that the game also runs way slower than expected, and trying to run through the arcade mode could leave you bored very quickly. The arcade mode lets you choose a team of three fighters, and you will face off against other teams of three to pound them in the quickest time you can. If you are not happy with your timing you can re play each fight over again. Players have expressed their dislike for the lack of a story mode in this game, because aside from the arcade mode all there is; is the verses mode, practice and online.

The move set and the variety of attacks in the game are very satisfactory, however when you compare the fighting mechanics in this game to other leading fighting games it just cannot compare.  Despite this; the game does actually have some nice additions that make the game interesting to play if you stick with it long enough, such as knock down attacks which can set up a more offensive chain of attacks.  There is also the counter system which stuns your opponents if you are quick enough, which then allows you to take advantage with style. However this would probably cause people who take these brawling games seriously to oppose each other with caution, which may bring the pace of a fight down even more.

As far as online goes, I had no problems finding and participating in a game. There were minor lag issues, but apart from that I didn’t see what all the bashing the game got in its online portion was about.

Overall I would say that although King of Fighters XII is a solid fighter, fans of the series can’t help but be a little disappointed at the lack of content. We cannot fault the SNK team for this however; instead we should just take the game for what it is and enjoy it to the max. It is hard to see why the game would appeal to those who aren’t essentially King of Fighters fans given the amount of other fighters out there such as; but for SNK fans you will no doubt be able to put in a good amount of hours into this addition into the King of Fighters series.

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# posted by Curtis Ford @ 4:58 PM 1 Comments

Rogue Warrior Review

Rebellion Games’ Rogue Warrior found itself lost among the fall lineup and unfortunately for me, Rogue Warrior should of stayed lost. With Mickey Rourke voicing the protagonist and Bethesda publishing this title, I was surprised at just how bad the game is. I scratched my head while playing asking myself, how could anyone make this game and price it at $60 dollars? In a time where there’s more than three games you should buy instantly. Rogue Warrior presents itself as one you should avoid at any cost, literally. Playing as a F-bomb dropping Navy SEAL during the Cold War killing terrorist has never been more boring. Like James of TheKoalition would say, “The S&!t is @$s!

Mickey Rourke voices the lead character, Richard “Dick” Marcinko. Dick is a insubordinate Navy SEAL, who is sent to North Korea to receive intel on some missile launchers. Upon the arrival, Dick’s team is killed and is now handed the task to stop a group of Russian terrorist and stop these missiles from being used. The plot seems easy enough to understand, but the heart of the story is lost in translation once Dick opens his mouth and talks. Nearly every word coming out of his mouth consist of one or two obscenities, which I’m sure was suppose to make him seem like a badass but it only makes him seem like a dick. Not only that, but the limited cutscenes and the mission briefings in between makes the story telling dull. You can play this game on mute and you’ll know what I know. The campaign can be completed withing three hours or less, so this bumpy ride is over quick.

Rogue Warrior’s gameplay mashes up some stealth elements with its first person shooter style. Except, the gameplay doesn’t really work out like it should have. The simple things like moving are just done wrong, it feels like the frame rate drops every time you move. The shooting is bad too, if your enemy isn’t literally standing next to you, then you have no chance of hitting him. Rogue Warrior does have a cover system, which for the most part is ok, but the hit detection during blind fire is worse than it should be. The stealth elements I mentioned are poor, you can pretty much run behind someone and they wont notice you. Stealth elements also add kill moves which can be performed with a tap of a button. If there’s anything interesting in this game, this is it. Watching Dick slice a guy’s throat and then blurt out a cheesy one liner, is ok at the most, although the kill moves will get repetitive.

Graphically, Rogue Warrior’s graphics are a little less than the standard of what a game should look like in this generation. The grenade explosions look horrible and the enemies look like the ones you just previously killed. The locations aren’t really detailed and the textures look poor. The animations also seem stiff and just plain weird, I’ve seen dead enemies twitching inside of a wall.

On the sound department, Rouge Warrior also lacks. The gun sounds aren’t really impressive, they sound like BB gun rounds. But like I said, the real annoyance here is the voice acting. Not so much how Mickey Rourke sounds when he’s reading the lines, but the material he was given to read is horrible. Nothing but F-bombs and such, I’ve even heard him tell an enemy something about putting his hairy balls in their mouth.

Rogue Warrior does offer some multiplayer modes. Only two actually, Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch but I don’t see that as a problem. The main problem is that it plays exactly like it does in the single player campaign. I for one cannot see myself playing this game when there’s way better online multiplayer games out there. Checking through the leaderboards only about eight hundred people have played online so I doubt you’ll even be able to find someone to go up against.

Rogue Warrior is a game you need to avoid this fall. The only thing this game would be good for is to give as a joke gift for Christmas, but note that you’ll lose a friend in the process. This mediocre game gets even worse when you see the $60 dollar price point that Bethesda gave the game. From publishing Fallout 3 to this game, it must be some kind of weird joke around the office to publish crappy games like Wet and now this. To wrap this review up; Don’t buy this game, Bethesda hire someone for quality control, and Mickey Rourke fire your agent.

Tags: Featured, PlayStation 3, Reviews, Xbox 360

Labels: Featured, PlayStation 3, Reviews, xbox 360

# posted by Curtis Ford @ 5:54 PM 0 Comments

God Of War Collection Review

There’s nothing like a good ol’ game compilation, but unfortunately they come in few and far between. While the world is anticipating the release of God of War III Sony have released a $40 compilation featuring the first two games in the series complete with enhanced HD visuals and trophy support, but how well do these once excellent games hold up against todays standards?

Upon it’s 2005 release the original God of War was one of the most violent and action packed games ever made. Drenched in Greek mythology God of War was an epic tale of revenge and redemption as Spartan warrior Kratos set out to destroy Aires, the very god who both saved his life and transformed him in to the savage, beast-of-a-man he is now. Armed with the Blades of Chaos (a pair of blades, which are chained to his forearms) Kratos’ adventure will have him decapitating hundreds of enemies, solving environmental puzzles and traversing through tricky platforming sections, some of which are truly frustrating.

What propelled God of War above all other third-person action games is it’s user-friendly combat system that allows players to pull off incredible feats with minimal effort. Initially you’ll start off with only your trusty chain blades but as you progress the gods will reward with you new weapons, powers and abilities to help you through your quest. Each of your weapons can be upgraded by collecting red orbs which are obtained by killing enemies or opening up specific chests located through-out the game. Upgrading your desired weapon will increase it’s strengths and in most cases will also enable additional moves for them. For the majority of the game your Blades of Chaos will be all you need and thankfully they’re a joy to use. Stringing together combos couldn’t be easier, simply tapping either the light or heavy attack button will have you pulling off basic combos but you also have the option to combine the two, perform grab moves or hold down L1 while attacking to administer more damaging and flashier blows. Add to that the ability to use items mid-combos and its easy to see how more advanced players will find hidden-depth in this seemingly bare-bones system.

While “Quick Time Events” serve as a more of a clichéd annoyance these days God of War was the game that kick started the trend. When faced against large enemies or enormous bosses you’ll have the ability to finish them off via a QTE whenever they’re running low on life. Pressing the circle button when the symbol appears over your dying enemies head will set the QTE in motion, you’ll then have to press/tap the appropriate sequence of buttons or rotate the right analog stick as instructed to make Kratos unleash acts of torture to his victims. Some of these moments are down-right disturbing but they help to show just how merciless and evil Kratos can be. As a main-character Kratos is a complete asshole and ultimately he is hard to root for. His only desire is to kill in the most ruthless way possible and during both gameplay moments and cutscenes you’ll see him killing more innocent people than an Al-Qaeda terrorist playing the airport level in Modern Warfare 2. While several people are able to mistake his maliciousness for “badass-ness” I found myself disliking Kratos more and more as the game went on which was problematic and did the well crafted story no favors.

My biggest problem with this enhanced version of God of War is the disparity between the graphics during gameplay and the visuals during the in-game cutscenes. While Sony did a great job upscaling the graphics during gameplay sequences the cutscenes remain untouched and honestly they look awful. Transitioning from gameplay to cutscenes and vice-versa feels awkward and it will constantly remind you that despite it’s HD coating you’re really just playing a PS2 game in disguise. Even with its few flaws God of War is still an incredible adventure that stands head and shoulders above other games in it’s genre. While you’ll be able to make it through the campaign in around 7 hours the unlockable Very Hard mode, additional challenge rooms and lengthy video features will keep you entertained way beyond the end credits.

2007’s God of War II is where this collection truly shines. As excellent as the first game is, the sequel turns the awesome dial up to 11 and significantly tones down all of the annoying bits. It’s hard for me to speak too much about story without spoiling the first game but this time around Kratos is as pissed off as ever and is seeking to destroy Zeus himself. Almost everything in God of War II is an improvement over it’s predecessor including the combat, pacing, interface and cinematics. There are some truly epic moments to be had here with hardly any of the downtime which plagued the original game. Kratos also redeems himself as a character and for the first time I actually enjoyed playing as him, sure he‘s still the same ultra violent asshole but the team at Santa Monica Studios did a great job making his anger seem more genuine even though his motivation is less heartfelt. Graphically God of War II is almost of PS3 quality and both the in-game and CGI cutscenes hold up exceptionally well. While this sequel is more of  a evolution than a revolution it does everything so well and on such a huge scale that it’s easy to see why many consider it to be one of the best games in the PS2’s vast library. Avid gamers may be able to complete the story mode in a weekend but there is plenty to see and do once the story is wrapped up. Once again God of War II goes beyond the standard protocol and there’s well over an hours worth of Making Of videos to enjoy all of which can be accessed directly from the video section of the XMB eliminating the need to boot up the game.

The inclusion of the God of War III E3 Demo is just icing on this intensely satisfying cake and while it doesn’t reinvent the wheel it is an exciting demonstration of what’s to come. I would have loved if the PSP’s God Of War: Chain’s of Olympus was included in this compilation but as it stand God of War Collection offers both exceptional value and entertainment for a budget price. Even if you already own these games in their original form that shouldn’t deter you from picking this up, the updated visuals breathe new life into the franchise and you’ll earn a host of Playstation Network Trophies in the process. If you’re a God of War virgin consider yourself lucky because you’re about to embark on one of the greatest adventures of your life. Unless your heart pumps Kool-Aid and you shudder at the thought of a Gargoyles eye being gouged out, or a Medusa’s head being wrenched and pulled off of her shoulders this is an essential purchase.

Tags: Featured, PlayStation 3, Reviews

Labels: Featured, PlayStation 3, Reviews

# posted by Curtis Ford @ 5:54 PM 0 Comments

Madden NFL Arcade Review

Every August Football fanatics around the world are treated to the latest version of Madden NFL complete with updated rosters and features. This year EA Sports decided to up the ante by adding a dull arcade style football game over Xbox live and Psn titled Madden NFL Arcade. Here are a few reasons why you should pass on this game.

Concept:
Madden NFL Arcade is an arcade stylized version of Madden but with the sole emphasis on playing football without the rules and guidelines associated with the sport. The game comes complete with all 32 NFL teams and operates as a 5-on-5-player experience similar to that of the NFL Street franchise. From the minute you take to the field you only have 4-5 downs and 60 yards to score a touchdown. You can score anywhere from 6 to 48 points to emerge victorious over your opponent. There are no special teams animations in the game and you are instead given a choice to go for the two point conversion or have the 1 point kick automatically added to your score. To add to the challenge of gameplay each player is given the ability to use up to 13 gamechangers, which can greatly determine your effectiveness in each down. For example using the Molasses gamechanger can allow you to slow down your plays for accurate passes, while the Turbo gamechanger can do the exact opposite. When it comes to running plays you only have four options to choose from which are run, short pass, middle pass, and long pass. The A.I. Difficulty settings remain the same as the options in Madden NFL 10, making fans feel right at home. The simplified control system is meant to make this a pick up and play type of game that anyone can enjoy. There are also Leaderboards for those who decide to play online and check their ranking among others.

Execution:
Madden NFL Arcade has several flaws that keep it from being a game worthy of the Madden brand. The graphics are on par with games from the previous generation of consoles with character models that look all too similar and lack fluidity while moving. While the gamechangers add fun to the game, there is no way of knowing when or if you will receive one. It would be helpful to have a system in place that would allow you to build up gamechangers based upon how well you execute on each individual play. There also are no roster updates, which can easily frustrate diehard fans if an important player is traded to another team. There are no season, franchise, or tournament modes, which only diminish the chances of this game ever having a high replayability value. Among all these nagging issues, the most insulting thing about this game is its $15 price point. It’s no secret that one of the biggest criticisms about Madden 10 was EA Sports focus on using microtransactions to unlock other gameplay features. As a consumer you have the ability to buy whatever game or add-on you like, but for a Madden game the expectations should be higher. Being that there is no competition from other NFL sports games, EA Sports should strive to deliver a full package from day one. Had Arcade been included as part of the Madden 10 package then the missing features wouldn’t have been such a big deal.

Final Verdict:
Madden NFL Arcade is a fun, but forgettable title that’s lack of features easily make it one of the worst packages to buy. While the simple ability to pick up and play is appealing, it’s hard to justify paying $15 bucks for this when you could purchase any of the more creative independent games on Xbox live instead. If your one of the few who hasn’t bought a football game and are thinking about purchasing this, I would highly suggest you pick up Madden NFL 10. Otherwise playing Madden NFL Arcade would make you an easy target to tackle on any and every given Sunday.

Tags: Featured, PlayStation 3, Reviews, Xbox 360

Labels: Featured, PlayStation 3, Reviews, xbox 360

# posted by Curtis Ford @ 6:19 PM 0 Comments

Tekken 6 Review

Ever since its phenomenal third installment Tekken has been regarded as one of  the top franchises in the fighting game genre, however the series has been on rocky ground ever since. Tekken: Tag Tournament was almost a port of Tekken 3 but with upgraded visuals (due to it appearing on the PS2 rather than the PSone) and a new Tag-Team element, Tekken 4 took things further down-hill and was a slow-paced, clunky embarrassment which under-performed in every aspect. It wasn’t until Tekken 5 that the series managed to climb back up (Heihachi style) and reclaim dominance. Now almost 5 years later, with the power of the PS3 and Xbox 360 at their disposal can Namco manage to keep the franchise relevant, especially with great fighters like Street Fighter IV already on shelves?

My first impression of the PS3 version of Tekken 6 was far from pleasant, after forcing me to update to Sony’s “optional” 3.01 firmware I then had to  sit and wait for the game to patch itself which altogether took roughly 20 minutes. Once I finally reached the main menu things didn’t get any better, as soon as it loaded I was bombarded with a wealth of information and unnecessary distractions that I quickly had to wrap my head around. On the left were the usual selections (Online Mode, Offline Mode, Gallery, Options etc.), on the the right was my “profile information” which displayed my won/lost ratio, my fight money and my report rank, while in the background a character from the game was moving around in his fight stance while tanks drove by behind him shooting and causing mulitple explosions. This was by far one of the most clunky main menus I have ever seen and navigating through it was a pain until I learned where everything was.

Once I entered the Arcade mode and saw the huge array of fighters my heart began to warm-up. There are over 40 characters available from the start including 6 all new combatants. Arcade mode in itself is a severe disappointment though, forcing you to fight against a seemingly unbeatable robot, an overpowered Jin Kazama and a cheap, larger than life final boss. If you do manage to make it through this torture-fest your sense of accomplishment will be instantly shot down as the credits roll as soon as the final match is over without even so much as a “Congratulations”. Another reason why you may not want to bother with the Arcade mode is the fact that it is no longer the home of the games story, If you want justification as to why you’re going around punching people, robots, panda’s and kangaroos’ in the face you’ll have to consult the awful Scenario mode.

By now fans should be used to Namco’s failed attempts to inject third-person brawler modes in to Tekken games but usually these modes were considered mere extras and playing through the arcade mode provided you with the games story. However Tekken 6 takes the complete opposite approach and now the Scenario mode is the place to go if you want to learn what’s going on and unlock most of the titles achievements/trophies. Here you play as newcomer Lars Alexandersson fighting alongside an AI Controlled Alisa Bosconovitch, as a pair you run around uninspired 3D environments beating up hordes of enemies and collecting loot. I’m not going to waste time trying to explain the illogical, convoluted story but it involves Lars attempting to recover his memory and discover his roots. Early on in the campaign you can choose to play as any other character from the roster but whoever you chose will be replaced by Lars during the cut-scenes with no explanation what-so-ever which just serves to make the terrible story seem even more disjointed.

Like all good fighters Tekken 6 really comes to life when playing against other human opponents and you can choose to do so either locally or online. Local VS mode can be incredibly fun and the game does an excellent job accommodating for both newcomers and series veterans. As the button layout and move lists are relatively unchanged from previous installments I found myself able to jump in a whoop ass with no problems. Newbies will also find themselves pulling off several moves and basic combos simply by mashing on the four face buttons.  While this may sound like a bad thing, all bashing mashing can be countered using perry’s and well timed side-steps so if your girlfriend manages to beat you in a round or two you’ve only got yourself to blame. When you feel like you’re good enough to take on the world you literally can with the excellent online mode. But be warned, as the fighting system encourages you pummel your opponent while their defenceless via air juggles and ground attacks, playing online against skilled players can at times feel extremely unfair and one-sided. Also present are all the game modes you’ve come to expect, namely Survival, Time Trail, Team Battle and Practice. There is also a new Ghost Battle mode where you can fight endless streams of opponents to earn cash (used to customize your characters appearance) and quickly upgrade your rank from a Beginner to a Tekken God.

As long as you have a decent Internet connection or similarly skilled friend to play with Tekken 6 is a fantastic game but the disappointing single player offerings, terrible story and the re-use of animations and voice work from previous games in the series hurts the title overall. If you’re a Tekken fan you’re probably going to buy this game regardless of what any reviewer has to say but for everyone else I suggest you consider purchasing Street Fighter IV, Soul Calibur IV, Mortal Kombat Vs. DC Universe or even Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection on the PSN before you put your money on the counter and take this game home.

Tags: Featured, PlayStation 3, Reviews, Xbox 360

Labels: cheap video games, Featured, PlayStation 3, Reviews, xbox 360

# posted by Curtis Ford @ 6:45 PM 0 Comments

WWE Smackdown V.S. Raw 2010 Review

THQ and Jakks Pacific’s latest iteration in the Smackdown series aims to redefine the genre by making customization the centerpiece of the game. Now in its 11th year, Smackdown Vs Raw 2010 steps into a bold new direction providing the true essence of a definitive WWE experience. Here are a few reasons why now is a good a time as any to step back into the ring.

Create your own experience:
Smackdown Vs Raw 2010 boasts an impressive new mode for story management titled Story Designer. This feature lets you craft your own WWE storylines to your heart’s content by creating moments, matches, or both. The use of these insanely deep tools range from adding text dialogue and camera cuts to developing a cast of wrestlers with no limit to your creativity. Once completed, you can preview the story or upload it to the online community via Xbox Live. PS3 fans have further upload options with the ability to post creations on You-tube. When using the default roster of wrestlers you are allowed to create up to 500 scenes with over hundreds of precut animations. The only drawback here is that your limited to 10 created superstar scenes that your character can appear it. This seems like a strategy by THQ aimed at getting the consumer to purchase next year edition for the additional content. Overall though the tool has enough versatility that you can create up to a decade’s worth of material. If you want two divas to face off in a Hell In A Cell Match then it’s totally possible. Add in the fact that stories can be uploaded and this easily translates to new content always being available.

There have also been some worthy additions to the Create a Superstar Mode. Now not only are you able to design your own wrestler, but you also can edit the current roster using the Superstar Thread tool. With this device you can change the outfit colors for each wrestler or diva. Again the drawback here is your limited to threads only and therefore can’t change hairstyles, jewelry, or facial features. It seems pretty silly to be able to change MVP’s costume color but not be able to edit the color of his nose bandage. Once again I expect there to be more options available in the next update.

The Returning Features:
The Road To Wrestlemania mode returns to greatness with 6 new storylines including Edge, Randy Orton, Shawn Michaels, and Mickie James just to name a few. Each story begins with a general introduction by various WWE superstars on what Wrestlemania means to them before branching off into there own individual story. Overall the stories include the right formula of drama and suspense that you would expect from any Raw or Smackdown show. You’ll once again have to make choices throughout that greatly affect your outcome. It’s also worth noting that in some cases you’ll want to change the difficulty settings to gain certain unlockables. For example, you may be given the task of beating Kane in under 3 mins to unlock a bonus arena or hidden character. In this instance playing under the Legend setting will rarely get it done as the computer likes to reverse every move. There are also stories that can be played cooperatively (Brand Warfare story) and as your created superstar. If Road to Wrestlemania isn’t for you, then you can always play the Career mode. This is a standard feature that follows you in your quest to collect every title belt the WWE has to offer. You can choose from any wrestler on the roster to participate in these challenges. There is also the new Championship Scramble Match, which will provide fun for up to 5 players. Lastly, the Royal Rumble match has been significantly upgraded. Your now able to eliminate your opponents in one of four ways (Over the Top Rope, Bottom Rope, Corner Turnbuckle, and Special Finisher). You will often need to tap multiple timed commands to escape elimination. This element of gameplay not only refreshes an otherwise old concept but also forces you to develop a strategy for survival. The one match type that should be explored next is the legendary Survivor Series Match as many fans have expressed interest in seeing this.

mproved Gameplay and Online:
Once you step inside the ring you’ll notice the combat system has also changed. THQ decided to use the same system implemented in the Legends Of Wrestlemania engine. There is a halo bar that appears below each wrestler and gauges when your able to perform signature moves and finishers. This allows for a more smooth control mechanism, which won’t frustrate the gamer as much. The one area that determines your difficulty lies in the Game option settings. Playing on Easy will make the A.I. a pushover while upping the ante to Legend will provide for a more challenging foe. The online play was vastly improved with no noticeable lag time. This of course will vary based upon the strength of the hosting connection. Last year many fans made created wrestlers and cheated by giving them a 99 overall rating. This year that concept has been fixed by forcing everyone to develop their created superstar’s attributes by participating in online matches. The one area that needs improvement with online lies in the addition of defending titles or creating belts. It’s bad enough that you can’t create a belt and even worse that you can’t defend one online. This also could account for creating a better reward system and point builder should THQ decide to explore this option at a later date.

Final Verdict:
WWE Smackdown Vs Raw 2010 does an excellent job of portraying the wrestling franchise that fans have known and grown to love. While there still are many customizable options and match types that need to be added, you can’t argue that THQ has taken a promising step forward with this release. The ability to alter your own stories is something past GM modes touched on but nearly really nailed to this degree. If you’re a wrestling enthusiast don’t hesitate to check out this game. Otherwise, you might as well book yourself for a one-night stay at the Smackdown Hotel.

Labels: : Video Games, All Systems, cheap games, cheap ps3, cheap video games, Featured, games, Gaming., Nintendo DS, nintendo wii, PlayStation 3, ps2, Reviews, xbox 360

# posted by Curtis Ford @ 12:02 AM 0 Comments

Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Review

Since the release of Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare, Infinity Ward has been praised for redefining the scope of the FPS franchise by trading in the traditional World War II landscape for a more modern day approach to combat. Now in the highly anticipated second installment of the series, Modern Warfare 2 attempts to add to earlier successes by promising more memorable campaign experiences and an unrivaled multiplayer system full of unlockables. Here are a few reasons why this game is worth enlisting in.

Campaign & Gameplay:

Modern Warfare 2 takes place 5 years after the events of the original game. By now the efforts of the United States Marines against terrorism have fallen significantly short allowing the Ultranationalists to seize command and control over Russia. The main protagonist of the game is Vladimir Makarov, a former lieutenant who now gets his kicks by setting up several terror attacks throughout the globe. You begin the game from the perspective of U.S. Army Ranger Private Joseph Allen stationed in Afghanistan during an intense war. Just as in the previous game, you gradually shift command of up to five different characters at specified points and times in the story. While the aspect of having intertwined storylines adds to the core plot, the execution of this technique fails to offer a complete campaign experience. There are several loose ends that aren’t fully examined and give the impression that these explanations were purposely left out for Modern Warfare 3. An example of this theory comes within the controversial airport level, which by now has created a media frenzy. In this scene you assume the control of Private Allen while being undercover and lead by Makarov in a shooting spree at a nearby Airport. While the inclusion of this scene brings to light intense issues and suggests discussion on the topic of terrorism, it fails to serve justice to the culprits involved. As you progress through the game there is never a final confrontation between Makarov, which is a big reason why this level stands out. In traditional cinema it is always believed that sooner or later the villain gets what’s coming to him and unfortunately that’s not the case in this story. Likewise, there is also curiosity left over as to what happened to the characters of other units that you play in. One can argue that single player campaign shouldn’t be the focus of any COD game, but with a hot topic such as terrorism you can’t help but want to see a definitive resolution to the conflict. Add in the fact that this mode will only take you 5 hours to complete and you’ll feel as through there is still plenty more that could have been explored to lengthen the overall experience.

When it comes to gameplay, Modern Warfare 2 continues to shine in this department. The control mechanism is easy to get used to and is intuitive enough that even someone who has never played a cod game will be right at home with this one. You’ll easily be guided through each objective by the use of a numbered checkpoint system over a traditional map. The added military talk personnel adds to the effectiveness of capturing quality sound that keeps the environments real and engaging. An array of weapons from assault rifles, to duel wielding pistols is at your disposal and keeps the gunplay highly enjoyable and rewarding. The A.I. within the campaign is a bit dulled down even at the highest difficulty level. It’s worth noting that you’ll find the steepest challenge once you decide to play against competitors online. The graphics are also vastly improved which ranks this entry in the series a step above the original. The best display of this notion is expressed by the many locales you visit throughout the campaign including Washington D.C. and Rio De Janeiro to name a few. Even the amount of damage you can inflict upon each stage is impressive. You can tell Infinity Ward wanted to create the world on a much more grander scale and they should be applauded for there efforts this time around. Once you finish the campaign mode, you’ll be given the option to play the new Spec Ops Mode. This is a mode that allows you to play through several missions and challenges either by yourself or cooperatively with a friend. The inclusion of this feature adds further value to the package by encouraging you to replay every mission until you have successful captured all 69 stars.

Multiplayer Madness:

Modern Warfare 2’s bread and butter remains in the highly competitive online multiplayer experience. Just as in the previous entry in the series, you have the ability to create customizable classes by choosing your primary and secondary weapons, special grenades, tactical perks like Air Strikes, and improved combat techniques. Every time you play through a match you gain points based upon your individual performace. These points are then used to not only raise your player ranking but also to unlock upgraded weapons and attacks that you can use in any given match. The overall system is insanely balanced in the sense that there are always ways to counter attacks with the improved Killstreak options. There is also the ability to change Callsigns, emblems, and clan titles in the pre-match lobby to create a deeper sense of authenticity. The package contains a total of 15 multiplayer maps with the promise of more to drop in spring of 2010. There are also several match types to choose from like Free-For-All and Team Deathmatch. My only complaint about the mode is that until you unlock the ability to choose your respawn destination, you’ll find yourself dead in the middle of multiple shootouts. Certain maps offer places to hide while others lack the range of options necessary to get the upper hand on your opponents. For example, the airport terminal map is one stage that constantly keeps you highly susceptible to high death counts. Many will argue that these instances will force you to step up your gaming aesthetics when going online. Overall, the multiplayer mode is highly addictive and one of the most engaging reasons for high replayability.

Final Verdict:

Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 does an excellent job of portraying the harsh realities of war in our society. When compared to other First person shooters, it sticks to the core roots of gameplay that made the first one a hit. This concept doesn’t make it revolutionary but instead just keep things as expected. While the campaign needs a deeper sense of completion to fully convey the message, its clear that Infinity Ward has gotten people thinking about the delicate issues of terrorism as it relates to our everyday lives. The Spec Ops and Multiplayer Modes offer a meaty package that is sure to own your nights for hours on end. Ultimately if you were a diehard fan of the original Modern Warfare, then chances are you don’t need a more compelling reason to pick up this game. However, if you are considering making this your first venture into the series then I recommend this is one war you don’t want to miss.

Labels: Featured, PC, PlayStation 3, Reviews, xbox 360

# posted by Curtis Ford @ 10:46 PM 0 Comments

Note: Apologies for the late review, this game was only recently released in Europe.

The conclusion of Ratchet & Clank’s “Future” arc is finally upon us and if like me you’ve been waiting two years to discover what Clank’s fate it will come with a huge sigh of relief. If you’re new to the series or missed out on R&C’s previous PS3 adventures (including  the downloadable Quest For Booty) don’t worry, A Crack In Time does a fine job bringing you up to speed on the story whist the game is secretly installing. The final moments of 2007’s Tools Of Destruction saw Clank being “kidnapped” by mysterious Zoni creatures and the entirety of A Crack In Time revolves around reuniting the pair, thwarting Dr. Nefarious latest plans and discovering the answers to questions which has been present since the series debut in 2002.

The developers at Insomniac have done a great job separating both Ratchet and his robot buddy Clank’s individual campaigns and hopping between them serves as an excellent way to break up the pace and keep the game feeling fresh from the moment it starts until the end credits roll. For the majority of this action-packed adventure you’ll be playing as Ratchet, a weapon-toting rodent on a mission to rescue his best friend. The Ratchet sections focus primarily on platforming and combat with a few environmental puzzles thrown in every now and again. Initially you’ll start the campaign with nothing more than a simple blaster but as you progress and collect bolts you’ll have the opportunity to purchase additional weapons from venders scattered across the universe. Furthermore each weapon can be leveled up simply by using them and collecting Weapon Packs allows you to customize some of them to your liking. Eventually you’ll be heading in to huge battles armed with everything from a sniper rifle to a disco ball which emits strobe-lighting and funky music, forcing near-by enemies to break out their best dance moves even while you continue to shoot them. Ratchet also has some new weapons to choose from including a Sonic-Eruptor which sends out deadly sound waves but unfortunately none of these quiet as unique or impressive as the selection available in Tools Of Destruction.

A Crack In Time humor has also been slightly downgraded from the previous two games. The storyline is handled far more seriously this time around and the cast of robots the over-excited main protagonist aren’t a patch on the knuckle-headed pirates who Ratchet & Clank were previously up against. Everything else in A Crack In Time is a vast improvement over its predecessors, especially the exploring the galaxy which previously was nothing more than a map screen and lengthy loading process. Now you have direct control of your ship and you are free to explore the solar system shooting down enemies, taking on side missions and visiting planets to collect bolts and upgrades for your ship or weapons.

While Ratchet’s motivation is very self-serving, Clank’s quest is far more extravagant as he’s out to save the entire universe. Without giving too much of the story away it involves Dr. Nefarious attempting to gain access the Great Clock located in the exact center of the universe (give or take 50-feet), accessing the Clock will allow him to travel through time like a young Michael J. Fox however doing so could rip apart the very fabric of the universe. Clank is the only one who gain access to the Clock, hence the reason Nefarious had him kidnapped in the first place, but early on he manages to escape from his imprisonment and a journey of self-discovery ensues. The Clank section are a direct contrast to Ratchet’s and instead of mindless shooting you’re required to solve brain-bending puzzles. Standing on time portals allows Clank to record his actions and have a duplicate of himself carry them out, essentially putting himself in two places at once. Thing start off relatively easy with simple “use clone to stand on door switch” puzzles but eventually you’ll have to organize and manage up for four versions of yourself and have them all work in tandem. These sections are among the best in the game and they’re spaced out appropriately to avoid them from becoming repetitive. In terms of combat Clank carries around a large time-rewinding staff which can be used to melee enemies, deflect projectiles and repair damaged objects. Clank can also throw time orbs to slow down enemies and moving platforms, granting him access to perviously unreachable areas.

Graphically A Crack In Time is on-par with Tools Of Destruction and it runs at a solid 60fps through-out regardless of how many enemies, explosions or bolts are being displayed screen. The voice work is as excellent as ever and some parts of dialogue will literally have you laughing out loud. A few minor gripes come courtesy of games not-so-perfect camera system and Ratchet’s automatic lock-on feature which sometimes has you aiming at non-threatening enemies in the distance rather than the guy standing right in front of you. Like I said these are minor gripes which appear infrequently and the game offers 3 different camera types to help combat both these issues.

As it stands A Crack In Time is a excellent title and one of the best platformers ever made, at this point R&C just may be Mario’s closest competitors for the King Of Platformers crown. If you choose to avoid all the side missions you can probably blow through the campaign in a little over 7 hours and with no online component other than leader boards some may feel this isn’t worth a $60 purchase but trust me the fun-factor alone justifies every penny. If you own a PS3 this is an essential game to add to your collection.

Labels: Featured, PlayStation 3, Reviews

# posted by Curtis Ford @ 12:20 PM 0 Comments