Video game reviews from a lifelong gamer

Picking up the lightsaber once again

2010-05-12T17:51:00.000-07:00

Title: Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
System: XBox 360
Genre: Action
ESRB Rating: T for Teen (for Violence)

It's sort of weird how you can discover new things. Having played Star Wars: The Force Unleashed on the Nintendo Wii, I wasn't actively seeking out the XBox 360 title. However, after reading tvtropes.com (as I tend to do, extensively, on an average night) and finding out about a funny XBox achievement in this game, I decided to check it out.

I found a lot more than a funny achievement during my time with this game. The 360 version of The Force Unleashed, while not perfect, is a great game that deserves the attention of every Star Wars fan.

The game's overall plot was explained in my earlier Wii review of this game, but since that was over a year ago, I'll go over it again. In this game, you play Starkiller, Darth Vader's secret apprentice and a badass with the Force. At first, Vader sends you on missions to assassinate Jedi that escaped the reach of Order 66. However, after Emperor Palpatine discovers Starkiller's existence, Vader sends him on a different mission: to link up with Palpatine's enemies and unite them into a cohesive fighting force in order to help Vader and Starkiller bring him down.

The action interface in The Force Unleashed is very well done for the action title that it is. As I said before, Starkiller is an absolute badass with the Force, and the game lets you play that out to the fullest. You can do so many cool things with Force powers in this game, from tossing enemies around telekinetically to charging foes with lightning to turn them into living grenades, that the action rarely gets stale. And that doesn't even cover the minigame sequences, which allow you to do things like cleave an AT-ST in half. There's also more variety in the minigame sequences than there was in the Wii version, which was nice to discover. Of course, there's always the lightsaber to fall back on if you feel like it (or run out of Force energy), and you can customize that weapon with crystals that you find throughout the game.

While I'm on the subject of the lightsaber, I must say that the duels in this game are probably the best I've ever seen or played through in any Star Wars game. They're the closest any game has come to replicating the fast action and swordsmanship seen in the movies' duels, and their quality really helps immerse you in the Star Wars universe as you play.

Another aspect that helps pull you further into the game is the absolutely beautiful graphics and sound. The levels are all very well designed, and with such locales as a TIE Fighter factory and one of the Death Star superlaser's firing tubes (yes, you read that last one right), you'll find yourself captivated by the sheer awesomeness of where you are. The game's three downloadable levels are also well worth the price of their downloads, with some cool takes on how some of the original trilogy might have progressed if the you make...certain choices in the game (sorry, can't really say much more without spoiling it). The sounds are also excellent, with lightsaber clashes and blaster shots against a great soundtrack consisting of some familiar tracks from the movies.

I wish I could say The Force Unleashed on the 360 is perfect, but sadly, it has one major flaw. The targeting system used for throwing things around with the Force needs some serious re-working. Rather than fly where you point the control stick, thrown objects sometimes seem to end up in random spots, which is a pain in the ass in confrontations where accuracy matters. It doesn't completely kill enjoyment of the game, but it does add some unnecessary moments of cursing out the game.

Overall though, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is a great title, and one that deserves to be branded a classic in the years to come.

Final Score: 8 out of 10

For once, a decent movie tie-in game!

2010-02-25T08:54:00.000-08:00

Title: James Cameron’s Avatar: The Game
Release Date: December 1, 2009
Genre: Action/Adventure
Rating: T for Teen
Platform: XBox 360
Publisher: Ubisoft
Developer: Ubisoft
Website: http://avatargame.us.ubi.com/
Product Link: http://www.amazon.com/Avatar-Xbox-360/dp/B002EZOQVI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1265145960&sr=8-1
Source Link:

The movie Avatar is one of my favorite films in recent memory, which is why I steeled myself for total disappointment when preparing to play the video game tie-in, given the bad reputation such games have. After slogging my way through, however, I have to say that James Cameron’s Avatar: The Game, while far from perfect, is a decent title for those willing to give it a chance.

The game puts you in control of Able Ryder, a marine who has been sent to Pandora, the moon that the movie takes place on. Ryder is initially sent to Pandora as a new addition to the Avatar Program. Shortly after his arrival, however, Ryder is sent to hunt down a mole leaking information to the indigenous Na’vi aliens on Pandora, and must choose between helping the Na’vi in their struggle or aiding the RDA corporation in exploiting the moon and fighting against the Na’vi.

Depending on which faction you decide to side with, you’ll end up playing through the game in somewhat different ways. The two factions seem remarkably well-balanced, with each having their own strengths and weaknesses. The humans, for example, have higher-technology weapons and generally have a lot more fun toys to play with, including the very cool AMP suits. The Na’vi, on the other hand, depend more on close combat, but also have traits and abilities that allow them to hold their own against the gun-toting humans. Pandora’s biosphere even reacts differently depending on the faction you join – for example, as a Na’vi, you can gather plant cell samples (which help you gain items that let you recover from fatal wounds) pretty much anywhere, but as a human those same plants will try to kill you as aggressively as the animals will. I think the designers did a very good job on this front, making the two sides balanced without making them play virtually the same.

Control-wise, Avatar: The Game is a fairly standard action title, though it lacks some features that would have been welcome. The most notable of these absences is a zoom feature like the ones in Gears of War or Star Wars: Battlefront II, which would have been welcome given the wide-open areas that some combat takes place in. Vehicle driving (or in the case of the Na’vi, animal riding) controls are pretty simple, with tutorial screens providing all you need to know.

One aspect of the game is an experience point system that grants you new weapons, armor and abilities as you progress. In general, it works nicely, but quite a few of the weapons you get later in the game are merely upgrades of weapons you already have, with the only differences being in damage, rate of fire and other details. They’re nice, but there was definitely room for a few other weapon choices, in my opinion.

Another complaint I have about Avatar: The Game comes in regards to the special abilities that you earn in the game, which is the only place that the differences between the factions falls flat. They’re extremely useful and important to getting through the game, regardless of which faction you play, but some of them do the exact same thing whether you’re a human or Na’vi, with the only difference being the names. Some more variety would have been nice in this area.

The game’s action is fairly good throughout. While it never reaches pulse-pounding levels, it’s enough fun to keep you going until you get to the end of the game. Playing online is even more fun, as the game has several options for online battle including capture-the-flag, objective missions and good old-fashioned deathmatching available. Also found in the single-player mode is a Conquest mini-game that plays something like the board game Risk, in which you move forces around Pandora and take and hold territories. The fact that territory conquests earn you in-game bonuses adds more incentive to play it too.

James Cameron’s Avatar: The Game is not a perfect title, nor does it live up to the greatness of its movie counterpart, but it’s a solid game that deserves a chance to prove itself to action gamers and fans of the movie.

Overall Rating: ***1/2 stars

Christopher Mastey-Muzikreviews.com Video Game Reviewer

February 2, 2010

Meet this new game, same as a dozen others before it

2010-02-25T08:39:00.000-08:00

Title: Rogue Warrior
Release Date: December 2, 2009
Genre: First-Person Shooter
Rating: M for Mature
Platform: XBox 360
Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
Developer: Rebellion
Website
Product Link

Let's face it – if you want a game to be counted among the good titles in a genre, you have to make it stand out in some good way. Whether it's the potential for hours of enjoyment, a new idea that nobody's seen before or something else, there's got to be something there to hook people.

Rogue Warrior, unfortunately, offers nothing to hook gamers in or differentiate itself from the many better first-person shooter titles around, resulting in a lackluster game that can safely be avoided by FPS fans.

In Rogue Warrior, you play the role of Richard Marcinko, a real-life soldier – according to Wikipedia, the guy founded both SEAL Team Six (a counter-terrorist unit) and Red Cell (a unit designed to test the United States' Navy's security against terrorist actions). At the beginning of the game (which takes place in the 1980s near the tail end of the Cold War), Marcinko and a small team of commandos land in North Korea in an effort to gather intelligence on ballistic missile launchers. An ambush leaves the rest of Marcinko's team dead, however, and Marcinko eventually finds evidence that there's a lot more to the ballistic missile plot than originally thought – so much so that it could bring the world to the brink of nuclear disaster if it's not stopped.

Let me get right to the point with my major gripe about the game: there is absolutely nothing new to be found. Everything you see in Rogue Warrior, from the first-person shooting action to the “kill moves” (which allow you to instantly kill enemies in inventive and brutal ways) has been done better elsewhere. The weapons are pretty standard Cold War-era stuff, with not much in the way of variation between them other than basic capabilities (machine guns and assault rifles have fully automatic fire, sniper rifles have targeting scopes, etc). The action, while it has its moments, never quite gets revved up to the heights found in Halo 3 or even the first Killzone on the Playstation 2. Even the online multiplayer portion of the game isn’t much fun.

A second flaw in Rogue Warrior, in my opinion, is the ridiculous overuse of cursing. Before anyone accuses me of being some tightwad about this, let me assure you that I'm far from a prude when it comes to coarse language – there are times when I make the stereotypical foul-mouthed sailor look gentlemanly by comparison. But the protagonist in this game overuses profanity in such a way that he comes off like an immature high school freshman trying to sound cool or “hardcore,” failing miserably in the process and making the game even more of a joke than it already is.

No first-person shooter fan should feel compelled to bother playing Rogue Warrior. There's nothing interesting or new to be seen, and too much fun missing from the action to make it worthwhile.

Overall Rating: ** out of 5

Christopher Mastey-Muzikreviews.com Video Game Reviewer

December 31, 2009

© MuzikReviews.com

Hello, readers. I want to play a game.

2010-02-25T08:31:00.001-08:00

Title: Saw

Release Date: October 7, 2009

Genre: Horror/Adventure

Rating: M for Mature

Platform: Xbox 360

Publisher: Konami
Developer: Zombie Studios

Website

Product Link

I'll freely admit it – I love the Saw movies. They're among the few horror movies I'll actually spend money to see rather than waiting for them to show up on TV, not so much for the gore as for the storylines behind each of Jigsaw's captives and why they're chosen to be tested. While the fourth and fifth movies (I haven't seen the sixth yet) suffered from a lack of Tobin Bell's excellent performances in them, it's still a series I try to stay current on.

So when I heard that there was a Saw video game in the works, I was fairly excited about it, if cautious in my optimism. After playing through the finished product, I’ve concluded it’s a mixed bag that manages to keep the feel of the Saw movies in some ways, doesn't do as well at that in other places and succeeds far too well in yet other aspects, resulting in a game that evens out to an average experience on the whole.

In the game, you play the role of Detective David Tapp, one of the characters from the first Saw movie. He's been taken captive by Jigsaw, a serial killer who puts his victims in situations where they must make horrific (and usually gory) choices in order to survive. Jigsaw has imprisoned Tapp in a run-down asylum, which is intended to be the site of a test to see if Tapp can let go of his obsession with catching Jigsaw. In order to escape the asylum, Tapp must save several other captives by solving a series of puzzles, as well as fight his way through a horde of people who want to kill him in order to make their own escapes.

Saw functions as a third-person action title, for the most part. There's not really much to the controls – you can switch your light sources (which range from a lighter to a standard flashlight) on and off, and you can manipulate switches and other environmental items. You also have to find items hidden in lockers and cabinets, ranging from health hypos that restore your energy to materials for making traps to ward off the dozens of Jigsaw captives that want the key that's sewn into Tapp's stomach so that they can escape. Occasionally, you have to fight one of those minions, and there's a wide variety of improvised weapons you can use to do so. Unfortunately, the combat controls feel very stiff and awkward, making fighting with anything but fists rather frustrating.

The heart of this game, however, is its puzzles. Throughout the game, you have to solve several different types of puzzles to either advance in the game or save one of Jigsaw's victims, the latter of which are essentially the game’s “boss battles.” These puzzles include things like completing a circuit board and completing a pipe circuit, usually with appropriately dire consequences for failure.

Those puzzles are simultaneously the best and the worst parts of the game. On one hand, they're nice because they help keep the general feel of the Saw movies intact in the game. All the gore of failed puzzles is kept intact, and several traps from the movies, such as the reverse bear trap and the shotgun collar, can be found throughout.

However, the traps fail in two respects. First, they depart a bit too much from the traps in the movies. In the movies, the traps typically involved the captive sacrificing something important (whether a body part or an inanimate object) to keep himself alive. In the game, the puzzles are, for the most part, more like brain-teasers, which takes a good amount of drama out of the game. The only traps in the game that really feel similar to the movies’ in that regard are the acid barrel and the toilet full of hypodermic needles, both of which Tapp needs to stick his hand into in order to retrieve some crucial items. Admittedly, I can’t think of how this aspect of the movies could have been translated to the video game medium any better than it was with those two traps, but that doesn't change the fact that some of Saw's drama is gone from the game as a result.

Secondly, some of the traps are insanely, frustratingly difficult. You're not given much explanation as to how to complete some of them, and others are just ridiculously complex and coupled with a time limit that makes them very frustrating. I can't remember the last time I had to consult online tip guides so many times for help with a game.

In the final analysis, Saw is a game that tries to live up to the standard set by the movies, but falls short of doing so. Fans of the films might enjoy this game, but those without as much investment in the series might find it as about as much fun as actually going through one of Jigsaw’s tests.

Overall Rating: ***

Christopher Mastey-Muzikreviews.com Video Game Reviewer

December 17, 2009

The Force is...sort of strong with this game

2010-02-25T08:11:00.000-08:00

Title: Star Wars The Clone Wars: Republic Heroes

Release Date: October 6, 2009

Genre: Action
Rating: T for Teen

Platform: XBox 360

Publisher: LucasArts

Developer: Krome Studios

Website
Product Link

The animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars is one of the best things to happen to the Star Wars franchise in recent years. It has nice voice acting, good plots and some great character interactions. Unfortunately, Star Wars The Clone Wars: Republic Heroes, a game based on the series, isn’t as good as its namesake.

In Republic Heroes, you get to play the role of just about every key figure in the series at some point, including Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Captain Rex. As these characters, you must foil a Separatist plot to create a super weapon that could spell doom for the Republic.

You would think that after the success of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, the designers of this game would have adopted that game's over-the-shoulder perspective for this game. Unfortunately, this is not the case – instead, they went with a third-person perspective. This, more than anything else, drags the game down to the rating that it earns, because the perspective creates so many problems.

For starters, there is no way to adjust the camera angle you are viewing the action from like there is in many action games. As a result, the platform-jumping action that makes up certain parts of Republic Heroes gets extremely frustrating at times, as it's tough to judge exactly where to jump to avoid missing the ledge. As if that wasn't bad enough, there are quite a few times in this game where you get so far away from the camera during the action that it's tough to see what the heck is going on.

As for the controls, they're decent enough for what the game is. The Jedi and clone troopers have somewhat different controls, reflecting their different combat styles. The only gripe I have is that the clone troopers' aiming controls could use a little work. Basically, you fire by pointing the right control stick in whatever direction you want to shoot in. This feels kind of awkward to me, and definitely doesn't give you the same feeling of combat intensity as pressing the right trigger would. This is only aggravated by the aforementioned bad camera, which makes it tough to draw an accurate bead on enemies.

One cool feature of the game is the “droid jak,” which allows a Jedi character to jump on top of an enemy droid and control it for a certain time. For example, you can jump on a super battle droid and force it to march around shooting its allies, or you can take control of a chameleon droid and use it as your own personal mine-layer. It's a nice feature that adds some strategy to the action, which can get somewhat repetitive at times.

Another good thing the game has going for it is the feel of animated series. The voice actors from the series reprise their roles for the game, and I can't think of one major character they missed featuring in this game. Even the new bounty hunter character Cad Bane makes an appearance.

Unfortunately, none of the game's good points can make up for all of the frustration that the fixed third-person perspective causes. If it weren't for that, Star Wars The Clone Wars: Republic Heroes could have been a decent title. As it is, though, it needs some serious fixing before it could be considered as worthy as the series it sprang from.

Overall Rating:

Christopher Mastey-Muzikreviews.com Video Game Reviewer

November 30, 2009

No, that's NOT what the title refers to; get your head out of the gutter! :-p

2010-02-15T10:41:00.000-08:00

Title: Wet

Release Date: September 14, 2009

Genre: Action
Rating: M for Mature
Platform: XBox 360

Publisher: Bethesda Softworks
Developer: A2M
Website

Product Link

The first thing you might be wondering about upon seeing Wet's game box (aside from the very attractive female character pictured) is what the heck the title means.

As the game tells you in the opening sequence, “wet” in this case is short for wetwork, also known as assassination. True to its title, Wet delivers a lot of gory action that, while a little repetitive, is ultimately a lot of fun.

In Wet, you play the role of Rubi Malone, a freelancer who has been hired to bring the heir to a crime family home. Unfortunately, the job goes bad, and Rubi finds herself on the run from a lot of people who want her dead as a result. Rubi, intent on finding out what's going on, finds herself in the middle of an underworld conflict as she fights for her survival.

The first thing that people might notice about Wet is that the game absolutely screams “Quentin Tarantino.” So many things about Wet's presentation call to mind Tarantino's cinematic style, from the grainy “old film reel” effect seen throughout the game to the Rage Mode sequences (which are reminiscent of the “seeing red” sequences from Kill Bill) to the high body count.

What looks to be like a standard third-person shooting game at first is given a few neat twists by the game's acrobatics system. Rubi seems to be an expert gymnast in addition to a hired gun, and the action goes into bullet-time mode when she shoots during these acrobatic moves, allowing her to go to town in style on the hordes of thugs she runs into throughout the game. Mastering the art of shooting while leaping, sliding down ladders and even running on walls is a major part of the game. Rubi ends up with four types of guns by the end of the game, and she also has a sword that she can use. You can purchase upgrades, such as gun enhancements and new acrobatic stunts, using style points, which are gained by killing enemies quickly and with sufficient acrobatic style.

Objectively speaking, I'll admit Wet is a tad repetitive. There are fewer acrobatic moves available than I was hoping for, and the run-and-gun action remains mostly the same throughout. However, I found it hard to ding the game for that simply because the action remains so fun the entire time you're playing it. Somehow, shooting down half a dozen bad guys in one dive never gets old.

In addition, the game's soundtrack has to be one of the best I've heard in a long time. Every piece of music immerses you further into the action, and songs like The Arkhams' “She's Lost Control” and Knock Galley West's “Murder” are so fun to listen to that you might find yourself deliberately losing lives just to listen to the songs over again. Fortunately, there's a jukebox mode available to make such a thing unnecessary.

Wet isn't the most original game out there, but it's a fun ride all the way through and a title well worth playing.

Overall Rating: **** out of *****

Christopher Mastey-Muzikreviews.com Video Game Reviewer

November 22, 2009

Let the supernatural Nazi-killing continue

2009-11-24T11:02:00.001-08:00

Title: Wolfenstein

Release Date: August 17, 2009

Genre: First-Person Shooter

Rating: M for Mature

Platform: XBox 360

Publisher: Activision
Developer: Raven Software and id Software

Website

Product Link

It's hard to believe that the Wolfenstein series has been going on for so long – since 1981, according to Wikipedia, with its first FPS game, Wolfenstein 3D, being released in 1992. Now the latest chapter in the Nazi-killing saga, Wolfenstein, is out on the XBox 360. However, while Wolfenstein is a decent game, a bit of repetitiveness goes a long way in keeping the game from perfection....Read More

2D fighting lives on!

2009-11-24T10:55:00.000-08:00

Title: BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger

Release Date: July 2, 2009

Genre: 2D Fighter

Rating: T for Teen

Platform: XBox 360

Publisher: Aksys Games
Developer: Arc System Works

Website

Product Link

Two-dimensional fighting games are one genre that I'm glad has survived the upgrades in video game technology. Excellent games like Guilty Gear XX and Street Fighter IV have proven that these fighters can hold their own against 3D fighters like the Tekken and Soul Calibur series....Read More

Oh Wii, how the hyped have fallen...

2009-11-24T10:51:00.000-08:00

Title: Saint

Release Date: July 22, 2009

Genre: Shooter

Rating: E10+ for Everyone 10+

Platform: Nintendo Wii

Publisher: UFO Interactive

Developer: Starfish

Website

Product Link

Oh, Nintendo – why do you allow games like this on the Wii?...Read More

Stay away from this game. Seriously.

2009-11-24T10:46:00.000-08:00

Title: Infernal: Hell’s Vengeance

Release Date: July 3, 2009

Genre: Action

Rating: M for Mature

Platform: XBox 360

Publisher: Playlogic

Developer: Metropolis Software

Website

Product Link

Every once in a while, as a game reviewer, I run across a game that’s such an ordeal to play that I almost feel like I (and for that matter, anyone who plays it) should get hazard pay for having to suffer through it. Such games are fortunately rare, but unfortunately, Infernal: Hell’s Vengeance is so monumentally bad that it qualifies as one of those games....Read More

Presenting...this blog's first movie review!

2009-08-28T13:52:00.000-07:00

Inglourious Basterds

Rated: R for strong graphic violence, language and brief sexuality

Directed by: Quentin Tarantino
Starring: Brad Pitt, Diane Kruger, Melanie Laurent, Eli Roth, Christoph Waltz

Quentin Tarantino's movies have a reputation for loads of gory action, and judging by his movies that I've seen (Kill Bill and Reservoir Dogs), it's a well-deserved reputation. As a result, I was expecting more of the same from Tarantino's World War II film Inglourious Basterds. Unfortunately, while the movie contains plenty of action, the movie's uneven pacing puts a damper on an otherwise good movie.

Inglourious Basterds follows two plotlines that eventually come together. In the first, Brad Pitt plays Lt. Aldo Raine, an American soldier who forms a special unit of Jewish-American soldiers to fight the Nazis during World War II. Their mission: put the fear of God into the Third Reich by brutally killing as many Nazis as they can. The second plotline revolves around Shosanna Dreyfus (Melanie Laurent), a Jewish woman whose family is brutally murdered by the SS in the film's opening scene, and her plan to take revenge on the Nazis by using the opening night of a propaganda film as a deathtrap for the Reich's high command.

Judging by the description of the plots above, it's probably not surprising that this movie pulls no punches in its depiction of violent action. This kind of thing is to be expected from a Tarantino flick, of course, and most of the violence happens to Nazis, perhaps the most unsympathetic antagonists to ever exist in a movie. Still, it can be disturbing at times.

Unfortunately, the impact and entertainment of this action is interrupted by the film's uneven pacing, which kills some of the excitement in the movie and is the chief reason the movie doesn't score higher. The action scenes are too few and far between, and between them are extended scenes of conversation which advance the plot, but often drag on far too long and become boring in short order. This most frequently occurs in the sections involving Shosanna and her plot.

The fault for the mundane conversations can't be laid at the feet of the actors, though. Just about everyone in this movie puts in a good performance, with Brad Pitt stealing the show as the smart-aleck Lt. Raine, whose antics and wisecracks make up much of the film's mostly dark comedy. I think it's a shame that the movie didn't feature more of that element, personally. The film also has a wonderful soundtrack that always seems to add the right emotional background to the scene, and never feels at odds with what's on the screen regardless of how modern the music sounds.

Overall, Inglourious Basterds is far from a masterpiece, but it's still good enough to be worth a look at the theater.

Score: **1/2 out of ****

This game is afraid of me. I have seen its true suck.

2009-08-27T15:13:00.000-07:00

Title: Watchmen: The End is Nigh, Parts 1 and 2

Release Date: July 21, 2009

Genre: Action

Rating: M for Mature

Platform: XBox 360

Publisher: Warner Bros.

Developer: Deadline Games A/S

Website

Product Link

It's a fact of life in the video game world – for many big-time blockbuster movies, there's a tie-in video game. The excellent film Watchmen ended up being no exception to this, with Part One of Watchmen: The End is Nigh being released on XBox Live in March, according to the XBox Live marketplace’s website (http://marketplace.xbox.com) and Part Two scheduled for release on that same service on August 26, 2009.

Both parts of The End is Nigh were also released on the XBox 360 in disc format the day the movie’s DVD was released, but after playing it, I can't for the life of me figure out why they bothered. Watchmen: The End is Nigh is a pretty bare-bones beat-‘em-up game that, for all its brutal action, ends up being incredibly boring...Read More

Enter the rehash of the beginning of the world of survival horror

2009-08-27T15:09:00.001-07:00

Title: Resident Evil Archives: Resident Evil

Release Date: June 23, 2009

Genre: Survival Horror

Rating: M for Mature

Platform: Nintendo Wii

Publisher: Capcom

Developer: Capcom Production Studio 4

Product Link

In 1996, Resident Evil was released on the Sony Playstation. Since then, many memorable games have been released for the series, from a GameCube remake of the original (which, never owning a GameCube, I never got to play) to this year's excellent Resident Evil 5.

Now the original is back on the Nintendo Wii, but if you're expecting something like the Wii's version of Resident Evil 4, you're going to be disappointed. Resident Evil Archives: Resident Evil is a nice whiff of nostalgia for RE fans, but in the final analysis it's only average, mostly because the designers wasted the opportunity to incorporate true Wii controls...Read More

Bionic man, bionic man, does whatever a bionic...man...does

2009-07-17T15:52:00.000-07:00

Title: Bionic Commando
Release Date: May 19, 2009
Genre: Action
Rating: M for Mature
Platform: XBox 360
Publisher: Capcom
Developer: GRIN
Website
Product Link

Cybernetics is one of those things that, in my opinion, are inherently cool. The concept of humans being fitted with robotic and mechanical parts is something I’ve always found exciting, and there have been plenty of games that have explored the idea. Bionic Commando is one of the latest of these games, and while it falls juuust short of greatness, it’s overall a pretty decent game....Read More

Legendary Review

2009-06-19T16:19:00.000-07:00

Title: Legendary

Release Date: November 6, 2008

Genre: First-Person Shooter

Rating: M for Mature

Platform: XBox 360

Publisher: Gamecock Media Group

Developer: Spark Unlimited

Website

Product Link

I have to admit, I was stoked when I saw the box art for Legendary. Ever since I picked up the pen and paper role-playing game Shadowrun, the very idea of mythological creatures in the modern world has filled me with excitement, and other than that RPG, I don’t think I’d ever come across any other product in any medium that portrays this concept. However, while the concept behind Legendary is a good one, the game itself is, sadly, only average.

Legendary’s protagonist is Charles Deckard, a thief-for-hire. He’s been hired by a shadowy group called the Black Order to steal Pandora’s Box (yes, THE Pandora’s Box) from a New York City museum. The job goes bad (of course) when the box opens, unleashing creatures from mythology into the world and burning a sigil into Deckard’s hand to boot. Now Deckard must join forces with a Black Order turncoat and the Black Order’s rival organization, the Council of 98, to find a way to reverse the box’s effects before the Black Order uses the box and the monsters to control the world.

The game’s interface is standard FPS fare. You get a selection of weapons to play with, which for the most part are just like the ones that you find in other FPS games (with the exceptions of the assault rifle and flamethrower, which have some minute differences). You also get two kinds of explosives, Molotov cocktails and grenades, the latter of which you can remote detonate. That sigil in Deckard’s hand can also be used to heal Deckard or unleash an “animus pulse” that has cosmetically different effects on different enemies, but which usually boils down to making the enemies more vulnerable to attack. There are also several devices throughout the game that can be powered up with animus energy, which is gained by siphoning the energy from dead enemies and a few other sources.

While the gameplay of Legendary is standard fare, other aspects of the game are not, which helps make an otherwise average game somewhat exciting. To start with, the story is very nicely done. The plot about the shadow war between the Council of 98 and the Black Order is quite captivating, and it leaves you wondering by the end if the Council of 98 is really the good guys, or just the lesser of two evils.

Secondly, the game’s atmosphere is truly phenomenal. The level designs, which mostly revolve around ruined cities like New York and London, are awesome depictions of the chaos brought about by the opening of Pandora’s Box, and scenes like a giant golem rampaging through downtown NYC and the Kraken snapping Big Ben in half with a giant tentacle really serve to drive home the horror of powerful supernatural creatures set loose in the modern world.

Speaking of the creatures, there are some very nice enemy designs in Legendary. Some of the monsters, like the minotaurs, aren’t too different from how they’re depicted in mythology, but the designs of some of the others are truly inspired. The firedrakes, for example, rather than being dragons, are four-legged, waist-high, lizard-like creatures that look like they’re made of volcanic rock, which spawn from the fires resulting from the damage wrought by the creatures. The golems, which were animated constructs of clay in mythology, are portrayed as gigantic beings composed of wrecked cars and other debris held together by a magnetic field. These are some very clever modern takes on ancient legends, and the designers deserve high praise for thinking these up.

Sadly, the rest of the game doesn’t quite measure up to the best of the first-person shooters out there. While the action in this game is somewhat exciting at times, there’s rarely ever a real sense of urgency to the combat like you get in other games.

There’s also just not enough new stuff to be found in Legendary. Like I said before, most of the weapons in the game function just like the weapons in other shooters, and the animus pulse, while useful, just doesn’t quite cut it in the “cool powers” department.

The other big complaint I have is that there’s too little of the cool stuff in this game. There are fewer different types of enemies than might be expected, which is a real shame – given the coolness of the enemy designs I cited above, I would have liked to see more variation in the creatures thrown at you. This flaw is compounded by the fact that the game is far too short.

I really wanted to like Legendary more than I did, but the sad fact is, there just isn’t enough there to make a great game. As it is, Legendary is alright, but it’s not the…ahem…legendary game that it had the potential to be.

Overall Rating: *** (out of 5)

How can you screw up a game about assassinating Nazis? Read on...

2009-06-06T12:08:00.000-07:00

Title: Velvet Assassin
Release Date: April 28, 2009
Genre: Stealth Action
Rating: M for Mature
Platform: XBox 360
Publisher: Southpeak Games
Developer: Replay Studios
Website
Product Link

The line between a challenging game and a frustrating one is a thin one. I imagine it’s a delicate balancing act trying to create a game that’s challenging enough to be rewarding but not so difficult that players want to take out their frustrations on their controllers....Read More

Wheelman Review

2009-05-28T08:44:00.000-07:00

Title: Wheelman

Release Date: March 26, 2009

Genre: Driving/Action

Rating: T for Teen

Platform: XBox 360

Publisher: Midway Home Entertainment and UbiSoft

Developer: Midway Games and Tigon Studios

Website

Product Link

Let’s face it – driving games can be a heck of a lot of fun. There are fewer things more thrilling than experiencing the sensation of speed through a television screen (as best as it can be experienced, anyways) as you drive over 120 miles per hour, bashing into other cars and generally driving in a way that would get you arrested on the spot if you tried it in real life...Read More

War games! (Yeah!) What are they good for? In this case, absolutely nothing!

2009-05-28T08:41:00.000-07:00

Title: Shellshock 2: Blood Trails

Release Date: February 25, 2009

Genre: First-Person Shooter

Rating: M for Mature

Platform: XBox 360

Publisher: Eidos Interactive

Developer: Rebellion Developments

Product Link

The first game in the Shellshock series, 2004’s Shellshock: Nam ’67, was a gritty look at the horrors of the Vietnam War in video game form. Sadly, the sequel, Shellshock 2: Blood Trails, is just a mediocre first-person shooter destined for a quick hop to the bargain bin....Read More

An average game saved (somewhat) by comedy

2009-05-28T08:34:00.001-07:00

Title: Eat Lead: The Return of Matt Hazard

Release Date: February 28, 2009

Genre: Action/Comedy

Rating: T for Teen

Platform: XBox 360

Publisher: D3Publisher of America

Developer: Vicious Cycle

Website

Product Link

Comedy games are a sadly rare breed in the video game world, at least in my experience. Lots of games have funny moments to them, but few games that I’ve heard of are intended to be comedic in nature. So when I heard about the plot for Eat Lead: The Return of Matt Hazard, I was pretty excited about it. Unfortunately, while this game is undeniably hilarious, the rest of the game is much too average....Read More

Resident Evil 5 Review

2009-05-28T08:27:00.000-07:00

Title: Resident Evil 5
Release Date: March 13, 2009

Genre: Survival Horror

Developer: Capcom

Platform: Xbox 360

Rating: M (Mature)

Product Link

Website

When I played Resident Evil 4 on both the Playstation 2 and the Nintendo Wii, I thought that the series had reached its peak. This is as good as an RE game gets, I thought. Nothing can top it.

Wow, was I ever wrong. After playing through Resident Evil 5, I can safely say it improves upon its predecessor in just about every possible category....Read More (second review on the page)

Use the Force...to blow things up!

2009-05-28T08:00:00.000-07:00

Title: Star Wars: The Force Unleashed

Genre: Action

Rating: T for Teen

Platform: Nintendo Wii

Publisher: LucasArts
Developer: Krome Studios

Website

Product Link

In The Empire Strikes Back, Master Yoda told Luke Skywalker, “A Jedi uses the Force for knowledge and defense, never for attack.”

Fortunately, in Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, you get to play a Dark Side follower unburdened by that restriction, and the result is a very entertaining action game made even better by its merging with the technology of the Nintendo Wii....Read More

"Criminal Origins" fans will be condemned to disappointment

2009-02-06T19:07:00.000-08:00

Condemned: Criminal Origins

Release Date: 2005

System: XBox 360 (also available for Windows PC)

ESRB Rating: M (Mature) for Blood and Gore, Intense Violence and Strong Language

Publisher: SEGA

"Condemned: Criminal Origins" was one of the first XBox 360 games to really catch my eye, so when I recently got my 360, I decided to give it a try. Unfortunately, "Condemned: Criminal Origins," while providing its share of scary moments, is a mostly mediocre game in a genre with many far better titles.

The game puts you in the field uniform of Ethan Thomas, a hot-shot FBI Serial Crime Unit (SCU) agent with a great record of solving cases. As the game begins, Thomas is on the trail of a serial killer known as "The Match Maker," who appears to have struck again. However, a series of events lead to a mysterious man shooting two other lawmen dead with Thomas' weapon.

Desperate to prove his innocence, Thomas sets out to find the man who shot the two lawmen, and ends up embroiled in a case far beyond anything he has ever been involved in before - one with a dangerous supernatural twist to it that forces him to fight a city gone mad.

"Condemned" is controlled from a first-person perspective, though the controls are somewhat different compared to typical first-person shooter games. Melee combat is in some ways a larger part of the game than firearm combat is, as most of your fighting is done with improvised weapons like pipes, fire axes and sledgehammers. The occasional firearm can be found or taken off an enemy, but the ammo for it is limited to whatever is in the magazine when it's grabbed - once those rounds are expended, you have to either use the weapon as a melee weapon or grab something else.

The melee combat system itself takes a bit of getting used to, but it's key to beating the game. There's not much of a range of maneuvers that can be performed - you can swing your weapon at the enemy and block with it, and that's about it. Each weapon has different traits, however - for example, a small pipe is going to be faster than a sledgehammer but won't have the hammer's power. In a pinch, Ethan can also deliver a mean kick, and he also has a taser that can stun an enemy long enough for him to grab the enemy's weapon.

Speaking of enemies, you'll face quite a few of them in this game. The city's vagrant population has been whipped into a murderous frenzy, and they all come after you on sight. You'll need to polish your fighting skills to fend them off, as you won't always have access to a gun.

As for the game's plot and atmosphere, it can be described as a survival horror game crossed with a murder mystery in the vein of movies like "Se7en," with a bit of CSI thrown in for good measure. You will be called upon to investigate some grisly murders as the game progresses, and you have an array of forensic tools on hand to find trace evidence like blood and fingerprints. Fortunately, these tools are all very easy to use, so you don't have to be Gil Grissom just to advance in the game.

Furthermore, the game has some truly scary scenes in it - not as many as the best titles of the genre, but certainly enough to make you jump a few times. In addition, the environments you find yourself in are perpetually dark, forcing you to rely on your flashlight. Add to that the fact that mundane items like beer bottles can be knocked over by a careless footstep, and you'll find yourself jumping at your own shadow before long.

Unfortunately, the game falls short in many other areas, so many that the game averages out to...well, average.

To start with, the game's plot is poorly constructed. You move on from level to level on the trail of the serial killer, and you find out more about him as you progress, but the supernatural elements in the game are never really satisfactorily explained in the course of normal gameplay. Ethan gets psychic visions throughout the game, and occasionally sees something strange (which the game goes into a creepy, grainy, black and white visual for), but none of it is ever really explained in normal gameplay, and some story elements are only touched on at the very end of the game, with very little in the way of tantalizing revelations in between the start and end.

I've done some checking on gamefaqs.com and wikipedia and have discovered that collecting special items throughout the game and unlocking certain awards allegedly rewards the player with some files that explain more of the story. I should point out, however, that I have not had a chance to confirm this by playing the game through a second time and grabbing all the secret items (mostly because I don't have the luxury of playing these games all day, every day for a living, yet). As such, this aspect of the game does not factor into the game's final score; if it did, the score would likely be a 4 out of 10 rather than a 5. If this aspect of the game is true, however, it's another flaw in my opinion. Important plot elements should never be linked to bonus content. Bonus content is supposed to be something extra to look for if you're so inclined; it should never be mandatory or linked to something in such a way that the game makes little sense without it.

Secondly, some parts of the game are just plain tedious. Throughout the game, you'll need to find certain tools to get through certain obstacles and proceed further in the game, like a fire axe to break a door down or a shovel to short-circuit a keypad. Searching for these items is often an exercise in dullness as you look everywhere for that one stupid item that will let you get this search over with and get on with the game.

Finally, the melee combat system gets kind of repetitive after a while. The different weapons' statistics provide some variety in combat, but after a while it just becomes kind of boring. This is even more of a problem because the melee combat system is used so much in the game.

"Condemned" could have been a great game with all the good elements it has, but the bad weighs the game down too much for it to ever be considered on par with the best of the horror genre. Try this one out if you want, but there are many better horror games out there to play.

Score: 5 out of 10 (a cool and scary premise with some genuinely frightening moments nearly drowned under the weight of an incomprehensible storyline and a repetitive combat system)

Time to finish the fight

2009-01-02T15:34:00.000-08:00

Halo 3

Release Date: 2007

System: XBox 360

ESRB Rating: M (Mature) for Blood and Gore, Mild Language and Violence

Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios

The final chapter of the Halo saga has hit the XBox 360 in "Halo 3," and while the experience will end far too soon for many fans' tastes, it's a good game while it lasts.

As "Halo 3" begins, the Master Chief has fallen through Earth's atmosphere from the Forerunner ship that he boarded at the end of "Halo 2" and crash-landed. He's rescued by United Nations Space Command (UNSC) soldiers, as well as The Arbiter from "Halo 2." The Covenant, a coalition of alien religious fanatics, has arrived on Earth and taken control, and have begun an excavation project on the African continent in search of an ancient alien artifact. Master Chief and the military try to stop The Covenant, only to have The Flood - a destructive, parasitic alien race from the first two "Halo" games - crash land on Earth as The Covenant activate the uncovered alien artifact, creating a mysterious portal.

After the humans repel The Flood, with help from a cadre of Elites - a Covenant race that fell out of favor with The Covenant's leaders during the events of "Halo 2" - the Elites and humans follow The Covenant through the portal, which turns out to lead to The Ark. The Prophet of Truth, leader of The Covenant, intends to use The Ark to fire all of the Halos in the galaxy, initiating a galaxy-wide genocide of all sentient life that The Covenant refer to as "The Great Journey." Together with The Arbiter, the Master Chief sets out to stop Truth and save the galaxy.

Returning players will have very little trouble getting used to the gameplay in "Halo 3." The same engine used in the previous two games is back in this edition, with only a few superficial changes that players should soon get accustomed to. Controls are somewhat different, due to the different construction of the XBox 360 controller, but again, it will not be a huge obstacle for returning players.

As always with the "Halo" series, the action in this game is heavy and fast. You never have an opportunity to rest for long in this game, as both The Covenant and The Flood relentlessly fight against you and the soldiers traveling with you. Players will rarely find a boring moment in this game, and the game manages to stay fun for the vast majority of its length.

Of course, you get a ton of fun toys to fight the enemy with in "Halo 3." In addition to some old favorites, like the shotgun, plasma rifle and energy sword, some new bang-bang can be found throughout the game. These newcomer weapons include the spiker (a sort of next-generation needler carried by Brute troopers), the gravity hammer (a massive club carried by certain Brutes) and the Spartan Laser (a human weapon that, when charged up, unleashes a massive laser blast about as powerful as a rocket launcher). You can dual-wield weapons in this game, just like in "Halo 2." In addition, the Master Chief can not only man turreted weapons, but can also tear them off of their mounts and carry them around for mobile use (which the game switches to a third-person, over-the-shoulder view for).

You also get your trusty grenades to provide some extra explosive power in a pinch. Unfortunately, your grenades capacity has been reduced from four per grenade type to two. However, there are two more varieties of grenades you can pick up that compensate for this. In addition to the good ol' frag grenade and the glowing, sticky and deadly plasma grenades, there's also Brute stick grenades (that also stick to targets) and incendiary grenades that leave fire burning after they explode.

In addition, there's some new equipment that enemies sometimes drop, including deployable shields, an auto-turret and even an invincibility item, that you can use when you need them. You can only carry one type of equipment at a time, but they can be a lifesaver in a pinch.

What "Halo" game would be complete without vehicles? In "Halo 3," you get to pilot a large assortment of vehicles, from the old but fun powerhouses like the Warthog and the Scorpion tank to new vehicles like the Mongoose (an ATV-like vehicle that's basically a scaled-down Warthog) and the Hornet (a human flying vehicle armed with machine guns and missiles). The enemies also get some new vehicles, mostly to accommodate the Brutes, including the Chopper (a motorcycle with two big front-mounted wheels) and the Prowler (a hovercraft similar to the Specter from "Halo 2"). The Brute-piloted vehicles are pretty cool-looking - they're big, clunky and ugly, just like you'd expect vehicles driven by eight-foot tall alien apes to look.

While the campaign mode is a lot of fun, on par and at times even exceeding the fun factor of the previous two games in the series, it shares one major flaw with "Halo 2" - it's far too short. I just started playing the game two or three nights ago, not even spending all day playing it, and I finished it today, about an hour ago. Maybe the first "Halo" was so long that it spoiled "Halo" fans, but "Halo 2" and "Halo 3" could easily have been combined into one game, considering how short they are.

On the whole, however, fans of the "Halo" series will find "Halo 3" a satisfying end to the saga of the Master Chief and the human/Covenant war. Definitely give this one a try.

Score: 8.5 out of 10 (The campaign mode is woefully short, but it's a hell of a lot of fun while it lasts)

Another Christmas, another new system

2008-12-31T18:18:00.000-08:00

Got another new system for Christmas - an XBox 360! Yeah, I know, I'm a bit late to the party on this, but I intend on making up for it in the next few months (especially since I have six free months on Gamefly now, plus I also got Halo 3 for Christmas).

A note: My living situation (a house with no high-speed connection) means that I will not be able to judge the online portion of games, only the single-player modes. If I manage to get online in the future, I will alter my reviews to accommodate that and post a new notice saying so.

A darker, grittier "Star Wars" game

2008-03-24T17:58:00.000-07:00

Star Wars: Republic Commando

Release Date: 2005
System: XBox (also available for PC)
ESRB Rating: T (Teen) for Violence, Blood and Gore
Publisher: Lucasarts Entertainment Company

Ancient Mandalorian lyrics:*
Kote!
Kandosii sa ka'rta, vode an.
Coruscanta a'den mhi, vode an.
Bal kote, darasuum kote,
Jorso'ran kando a tome.
Sa kyr'am nau tracyn kad, vode an.

English lyrics:*
Glory!
One indomitable heart, brothers all.
We, the wrath of Coruscant, brothers all.
And glory, eternal glory,
We shall bear its weight together
Forged like the saber in the fires of death, brothers all

It doesn't matter if you don't understand the lyrics (sung in Ancient Mandalorian) - when you hear that song coming out of your speakers at the title screen for "Star Wars: Republic Commando," sounding like some kind of Russian war song, you know that this is not going to be your average "Star Wars" experience. No, this is going to be grittier, darker and more intense than that.

The game manages never to disappoint from that point onwards. "Star Wars: Republic Commando" is a story from the front lines of the Clone Wars, and manages to immerse you in all the craziness, intensity and action that you can imagine happening from such a vantage point. And while the game has a few flaws that keep it from greatness, it is still a fun game that should not be missed by any "Star Wars" fan.

In "Star Wars: Republic Commando," you take the roll of RC-1138 - a Clone Commando, a special clone trooper bred to be part of a small team that undertakes the most dangerous of missions for the Old Republic. As RC-1138 (nicknamed "Boss"), you take command of Delta Squad - a four-man team of the best of the best in clone troopers.

Joining you on your mission are three other Clone Commandos that will stick with you throughout the entire game - RC-1262 ("Scorch," a somewhat immature team member that loves blowing stuff up), RC-1207 ("Sev," a psychotic but dependable nutjob with a love for sniping) and RC-1140 ("Fixer," an expert computer hacker and a stickler for protocol). Together, you're sent on the most dangerous of missions in The Clone Wars in the name of the Republic.

"Republic Commando" takes place from a first-person shooter perspective. True to most FPS games, you get a lot of guns to play with, though most of your guns are actually three guns in one - the DC-17m Interchangeable Weapons System. This handy little weapon is what all Clone Commandos are issued, and you can use three different configurations of it - a standard blaster rifle mode which fires rapid-fire shots, a sniper rifle mode that has a nice zoom feature and a powerful bullet, and an anti-armor mode that fires shells that can blow apart some of your toughest enemies. You're also armed with a melee attack, which takes the form of a handy retractable vibro-knife in your gauntlet, and a blaster pistol that constantly recharges itself and serves as the ranged weapon of last resort.

Throughout the game, you'll also be able to pick up some weapons from your fallen enemies, everything from a shotgun to a Wookie bowcaster to a big-ass machine gun. However, you can only carry one of these weapons at a time, so choose wisely.

You're also armed with four different types of grenades that will prove to be quite useful: flashbangs (emit bright flashes of light that blind enemies), sonic detonators (explode when they get close to an enemy and can stick to walls), EC Detonators (release a field of electricity that overloads droids) and thermal detonators (standard high-explosive grenades).

The best things that you'll have on the battlefield, however, are the three clone commandos that you lead. You'll come to rely on these three troopers a lot during your missions, as they can do quite a lot of things under your orders - setting demolition charges, hacking consoles, firing from special sniping positions and many other things. Of course, if worse comes to worse, you can do these things yourself. Ordering your squadmates around is very easy, requiring only the press of a button while facing an icon where the action takes place (these holographic icons are projected into your heads-up display). You can also give them several orders with only a button press and the directional pad, such as forming up (bringing all your squadmates to your spot) and securing an area.

From start to finish, "Republic Commando" is a fun game. There's never a shortage of action, and there are several times during the game where the action can get frantic, even overwhelming at times, as hordes of enemies close in on your squad. The fact that commanding your squad is a breeze and never difficult means that the action is smooth as well as fun, and the constant banter between your squadmates, each with their own personalities and quirks, brings a nice human element to the game.

While the game's fun factor makes it a good game, there are a few flaws that keep it from being an exceptional one. For starters, there's not much variety in enemies. You run into a few types of battle droids and a few other enemies, but all told you face roughly 12 different kinds of enemies, by my count. Of these, only about four types are encountered with any regularity (appearing in two or more levels), and three others appear throughout one level and make small cameo appearances in another; the others are either "heavy hitter" types (like boss-strength foes) and hence are rarely used, or are just plain not seen very often. A little more variety in enemies could have done a bit of good, because sometimes the action feels a tad repetitive when you're facing hordes of the same enemy type over and over again. A concurrent greater variety of weapons could have done some good as well.

Another lack of variety comes in a degree of sameness among your commando brothers. In addition to each clone commando having different personalities, they're each supposed to specialize in doing something (Scorch is good with demolitions and anti-armor weaponry, Fixer's good at computer hacking, and Sev is an expert sniper). However, none of these specializations ever come through - every clone commando does everything equally well. While this keeps you from getting stuck in case one commando is incapacitated and you're not in a good position to revive him, it would have been nice to see some of those specialties come through (say, for example, by having Fixer hack into consoles quicker than Sev or Scorch, or Scorch being able to place demolition charges faster than the other two).

My major complaint about "Republic Commando," however, is that it's far too short. While each of the game's three areas (The Battle of Geonosis, originally depicted in "Episode II: Attack of the Clones," a Republic Assault Ship and the Wookie homeworld of Kashyyyk) provide several different missions to complete, the fact that there's only three types of surroundings makes the game seem entirely too short. It would have been nice to get a more extensive tour of the "Star Wars" universe through the visors of Delta Squad.

While "Star Wars: Republic Commando" is a flawed game, it is still a fun experience while it lasts. Give this game a try.

Score: 7.5 out of 10 (lots of fun, but some more variety in enemies, weapons and levels would have been nice)

*Lyrics and translation taken from the Star Wars Wiki at starwars.wikia.com

Presenting...the blog's first Wii review!

2008-03-11T18:21:00.000-07:00

Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition

Release Date: 2007
System: Nintendo Wii (earlier versions available for GameCube and Playstation 2)
ESRB Rating: M (Mature) for Blood and Gore, Intense Violence and Language
Publisher: Capcom

"Resident Evil 4" is undoubtedly the best game released in the "Resident Evil" game series. Unfortunately, while the Wii version is still an awesome game, the addition of Wii technology doesn't do a lot to immerse the gamer in the experience.

In "Resident Evil 4," you control Leon Kennedy, the hero of "Resident Evil 2" - a former rookie Raccoon City cop, now working as a member of the president's Secret Service. The president's daughter Ashley has been kidnapped, and Leon has gone to Europe in an attempt to find her.

Upon tracking Ashley to a village, however, Leon finds the place inhabited by hostile villagers fallen under the sway of a weird cult - the same cult that has taken Ashley prisoner. Now Leon must stop the cult's diabolical plans and free Ashley from their clutches.

The reason that this is the best entry in the "Resident Evil" series is evident from the moment the game begins. The control system has been given a complete overhaul, switching to a behind-the-back view of your character. The aiming system has also been nicely overhauled, allowing for more precise shots.

In addition, the inventory system has been improved to allow more items to be carried, with each item taking up space depending on their size (a healing herb will only take up two squares, for example, while a huge honkin' rocket launcher will stress your capacity quite a bit more).

Thirdly, the nearly-useless knife has actually been made into an effective weapon with a new knife combat control scheme that works nicely with the new perspective. You'll soon learn to appreciate the knife as a nice ammo-saver.

The game designers deserve some credit for transforming what is usually the most annoying part of a game - the dreaded escort mission - into something painless. At some point in the game you'll find Ashley and have to escort her along, all the while protecting her from the creepy cult and its murderous hordes. Fortunately, Ashley is actually an intelligent escortee, and will follow Leon flawlessly without any prodding necessary (unless prompted not to), which is a godsend when you're cornered by psychotic cult members. In addition, you can heal Ashley if needed, and while it requires some economization of healing resources, it helps keep the game from coming to a premature end.

As if all this weren't enough, you get a whole lot of fun weapons to play around with. You meet a merchant early on in the game that you can purchase weapons and other items from, and the weapons this game offers are a lot of fun to wield with the new aiming system. In addition, these weapons can be upgraded to make them even deadlier, faster-firing and -reloading and capable of holding more rounds of ammo, all for a price (money, which you find throughout the game).

The Wii Edition of this game falls somewhat short in the interactivity department, however. The controls are easy enough to get used to for anyone who's played the earlier version of the game, and the Wii Remote offers a few advantages over the controller, such as somewhat faster aiming, one-flick reloading (flick your wrist up and you reload) and the ability to use your knife simply by swinging at the screen, it doesn't quite provide the "being there" feeling that the Wii strives for. Part of this has to do with the fact that "RE4" wasn't originally a Wii game, however, so it's hard to be too harsh on that point.

Another thing that could have been improved on the Wii controls is the firing buttons. You press A (the thumb button) to fire, while holding B (your trigger finger button) puts you into aiming mode. The controls may have been a little more intuitive by reversing those two buttons, allowing you to use your trigger finger to shoot.

Other than these minor flaws, however, "Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition" is a welcome addition to any video game library. Play this game - you'll enjoy it.

Score: 9.5 out of 10 (Best. Resident Evil game. Yet.)

Awesome news

2007-12-31T14:39:00.000-08:00

Good news, everyone - you'll be seeing some current-generation game reviews on this blog in the near future.

The reason? I got a Nintendo Wii for Christmas!

Yep, I'm the proud owner of the Wii and two games besides Wii Sports (I could tell you which ones they are, but that would ruin the surprise that would come when I review them :)

It's nice to finally be on (or at least near) the cutting edge of current video gaming at long last. I'm looking forward to renting some games I don't have too so I can see all that this thing can do.

So anyways, expect (more) current game reviews in the near future, readers.

The game so good, it held up its own review

2007-12-09T12:10:00.001-08:00

Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction

Release Date: 2005
System: XBox (also available for the Playstation 2)
ESRB Rating: T (Teen) for Mild Language and Violence
Publisher: LucasArts Entertainment Company

First off, an apology to my readers for having not updated in months.

Now I bring you the reason for that lack of updating, the game that's been taking up all of my (very limited) free time lately - "Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction." Yes, it's a game so good that it actually delayed its own review. It's just that much fun.

"Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction" takes place in the near future, in North Korea. A mad dictator, General Choi Song, recently took over North Korea in a coup in which he killed his father.

Now Song has been caught trying to sell nuclear weapons to terrorists, and the rest of the world has decided to finally smack Song down for it, in the form of an Allied Nations (sort of like the real-world United Nations) task force. Its mission: bring down Song and his 51 closest allies, known as the "Deck of 52," who all have nice, fat bounties on their heads. General Song is the Ace of Spades in that deck, and his value is a cool $100 million. You play a mercenary - a soldier of fortune for who $100 million is too good a payday to pass up.

In this game, you can play as one of three mercenaries, each with their own strengths and weaknesses: Christopher Jacobs (an American who's slow, but can take more punishment than the others), Jennifer Mui (a Hong Kong-born Brit who's quite the stealthy type but gets hurt easier than anyone else) or Mattias Nilsson (a psychotic Swede who's a fast runner and loves blowing stuff up, but is about as innocuous as a strobe light in a darkroom). Depending on the merc you choose, the game might require some slightly different tactics. Most often, though, the only difference is in the characters' color commentary throughout the game, so my advice is to just pick the personality you like most.

The core of the game consists of contracts - missions that you take from the various players involved in the North Korean invasion. There's several sides you can take contracts from - the A.N., the CIA-backed South Korean military, the Chinese military, and even the Russian Mafia. These missions have a wide variety of objectives attached to them, from blowing up crucial buildings or targets to rescuing troops stuck behind enemy lines. Complete these contracts, and you get some nice money, along with some other benefits - like intelligence on where to find some of the Deck of 52.

Of course, the Deck of 52 is your main objective. You tackle these guys in ascending suit order throughout the game, from the clubs (state-sponsored criminals and the like) to the spades (Song's elite special forces), and each of the number cards and face cards can provide intelligence on where to find the biggest, highest-value foe - the Ace - in each suit. You have the option of either capturing Deck of 52 members or killing them - killing them is easier, but you get less money for your trouble than you would by capturing them.

Another factor to consider throughout the game is that you have to be careful about maintaining your reputation among these players - kill too many South Korean troops, for example, and the SK military will shoot you on sight. Of course, there's always ways to get back into the good graces of a side you've pissed off, whether it's killing enemy troops or even offering a hefty bribe (hey, money talks).

Mechanically speaking, the game works a lot like a military-themed version of "Grand Theft Auto III," but it comes off as much more polished. You get much the same perspective as "GTA III", and can even hijack vehicles, from cars to armored personnel carriers to helicopters. You also get a nice assortment of weapons to play with, from hand-carried assault rifles, sniper rifles and anti-aircraft missiles to massive tank-mounted cannons and wire-guided missiles.

And if all that bang-bang wasn't enough, you have the option of calling in fire support - everything from a laser-guided bomb to carpet bombing a whole area back into the Stone Age. Activating these fire support options is very easy - involving pointing a hand-held laser at a target, planting a smoke beacon or locking onto a target from satellite coordinates - and is often essential to completing missions.

What makes all this firepower even more fun to play with is the fact that just about every building and vehicle in the game is destructible, often going up (or crumbling to the ground) in spectacular fashion once they've taken too much damage. There's many moments in this game that will get action game fans' blood pumping in excitement, like raining artillery fire down on a cluster of buildings or hijacking a tank and running roughshod over everything in sight. Simple, easy-to-understand controls and the many options available to you keep the action fresh throughout the entire game.

The game does have a few minor flaws. One of the more major ones is that the physics engine is a little wonky when it comes to some vehicles. For example, very often, if you try to run over a small but indestructible obstruction - like a pile of sandbags - in an Armored Personnel Carrier, you end up with your APC sticking its front end 60 degrees into the air, making maneuvering quite tricky until you get out of there and costing precious time in combat situations.

"Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction" has to be one of the most purely fun action games released in recent years. Every action game fan should check this one out.

Score: 9.5 out of 10 (Good plot, lots of weapons and vehicles to play with, and great fun to be had throughout the entire game)

Nothing like a good ol' game of Cowboys and...VAMPIRES?!

2007-08-23T18:15:00.000-07:00

Darkwatch

Release Date: 2005
System: XBox (also available for Playstation 2)
ESRB Rating: M (Mature) for Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Language and Sexual Themes
Publisher: Capcom

Yes, you read that right - cowboys and vampires.

It's a weird combination, I know - but in "Darkwatch," it happens to work quite well.

"Darkwatch" is set in the Wild West era, and puts you into the role of Jericho Cross, train robber and general criminal. As the game begins, Cross is set to make "the big score" - a train robbery that'll net him a ton of cash.

But c'mon - this is the beginning of a horror/action game, and true to form, things don't go quite according to plan. Turns out the train Jericho hit belongs to the Darkwatch - a society of lawmen dedicated to fighting supernatural evil. And it also turns out that the Darkwatch is transporting one hell of a bad guy - Lazarus, an eight-foot tall, pissed off vampire lord.

Guess what happens next? Yep - in raiding the train, Jericho releases Lazarus, who then turns the outlaw into a vampire and raises the dead for miles around to wreak havoc on the Wild West. Now, Jericho has to join up with the Darkwatch in an effort to stop Lazarus from continuing his bloodbath.

"Darkwatch" is a first-person shooter, which when combined with its Wild West setting makes for a really interesting game. The combination may seem limiting at first due to the low-tech time period, but it actually ends up being very engaging. The weapons you do get - which include a semi-automatic rifle, a shotgun and even a rocket launcher (don't ask me how - apparently the Darkwatch were geniuses at making low-tech versions of high-tech bang-bang) - are all varied enough that they demand a different approach to the game depending on which ones you favor. Plus, they never seem to limit the fun of the action despite most of the weapons being inherently lower-tech than the weapons most FPS fans are used to.

Speaking of action, this game has a lot of it. Lazarus mobilizes all sorts of undead monstrosities to keep you from stopping him, from the standard animated skeletons to Banshees (floating women that "scream" balls of energy at you) to Vipers (big hulking guys that can teleport away, have a massive punch and generally ruin your day). These enemies all demand a different approach to dealing with them, in things from which weapons you used on them to the tactics you use against them, which makes for a lot of variety in the action.

"Darkwatch" also has a "Good vs. Evil" element to it. During the course of the game, Jericho will run into situations where he has to make a choice, usually between saving someone's life or drinking their blood to increase his own power. Depending on which choices you make for him, Jericho will gain supernatural powers - either good powers (which include making bullets more powerful or hurling lightning at enemies) or evil powers (like making melee attacks more powerful and sucking souls from all enemies within reach). These choices will also affect the final outcome of the game. The powers are nice to have when the going gets tough, and while the "Good vs. Evil" conflict isn't quite as polished as some other games, it adds another dimension to the game.

The only real complaint about "Darkwatch" is that it's a little repetitive. The vast majority of the game's levels involve much the same thing - shoot at undead, reload, repeat. There are some horse-riding missions that provide a little variety, but the game mostly follows the pattern laid out above, which will likely leave some gamers wanting more in the way of variety.

Still, "Darkwatch" will make for a good time for most FPS fans. Saddle up and check it out.

Score: 7.5 out of 10 (Lack of variety hurt its score, but the game at its core is a very neat idea that's fairly well-executed)

"My night started when I stabbed a guy to death in a bathroom. Things went downhill from there."

2007-08-17T06:44:00.000-07:00

Indigo Prophecy

Release Date: 2005
System: Playstation 2 (Also available for the XBox and Windows)
ESRB Rating: M (Mature) for Blood, Partial Nudity, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Use of Drugs and Alcohol and Violence
Publisher: Atari

When I saw the first previews of “Indigo Prophecy” on G4, it looked to me like another horror game, so I was expecting much of the same things I’d come to expect from “Resident Evil” and other games in terms of controls and such.

I was pleasantly surprised when I picked up the finished product. “Indigo Prophecy” is indeed a horror game, but it’s far different than most of the other games in the genre.

The game begins in a wonderfully horrific fashion that immediately grabs the player’s interest. You’re introduced to the poor schmuck you’ll be following for most of the game – Lucas Kane, an average Joe who’s been seized by some kind of trance courtesy of an occult ritual performed by a creepy cloaked man. Under the control of the creepy man, Kane stabs an unsuspecting man to death in a public restroom.

Shaking off the effects of the trance after killing the man, Lucas is determined to find out who made him do such a thing, and the police are determined to find Kane and bring him to justice. The more Kane investigates, however, the more he finds out that this is not just a random killing – it’s just the surface of a shady plot that could mean the end of the world.

What makes the game so interesting is that the player controls both Kane and the police following him – Inspector Carla Valenti and her partner Tyler Martin. What’s more, many of your actions in one part of the game will have some effect later on in the game. For example, if Kane leaves sources of evidence behind at the murder scene, the cops can use those to track Kane down later.

The control scheme is probably one of the most interesting ever devised for a game like this. While most of the game involves walking around and investigating things in much the same manner as “Resident Evil,” the action controls are completely different. Whenever an action sequence begins – whether it’s running from an enemy or trying to “read” a person’s mental state as you interrogate them – the player taps the analog sticks in a certain sequence (similar to the old home game “Simon”) or presses the shoulder buttons in rhythm as fast as possible. Failure could mean simply missing a clue or missing a life or death jump. It’s not quite as interactive as other horror games’ controls, but it works well for “Indigo Prophecy.”

The game also has a good interrogation system that gives you a choice of several different questions to ask people in your investigations. Given that the game is as much a detective story in the vein of movies like “Se7en” as it is a horror game, this feature is a logical one that cranks up the interactivity.

The game really shines in the story department. Few other games have the ability to draw players in like this on the strength of their story alone. “Indigo Prophecy” is the somewhat Lovecraftian story of an average person caught up in events that are beyond his understanding, which heightens the drama. Being able to control both the police and the Kane also changes things up a lot and keeps the game from becoming boring.

Something that aids this engaging story is the characters the player controls. All three of them have their own personalities and their own backgrounds, all of which factor into the game at some point and help make the player sympathize with all of them. From the conversations with Lucas’ priest brother to Tyler’s wisecracking attitude, all of these details help the player grow closer to the characters.

The game does have a few flaws, however. The biggest one is that the story seems to falter over the last 20 percent or so of the game, losing a measure of quality just as it’s ending. Not much else can be said without spoiling it, but suffice it to say that the story could have been wrapped up better.

Another thing that might turn some off people is the relative lack of interactivity and action in the game. The game’s unique control scheme means that much of the action gamers have come to expect from “Resident Evil” and “Fatal Frame” isn’t really here. The control scheme works for the game that “Indigo Prophecy” is, but it’s not for everyone.

A final complaint is that the game is far too short. It’s a fun ride most of the way through, but most players will be left hungering for more, especially since the game sucks the player in so much that you’ll be playing it non-stop.

If you’re looking for a different kind of horror/thriller game with a decent story, check out “Indigo Prophecy.”

Score: 7.5 out of 10 (if it were longer and had a better ending it would be an undisputed masterpiece, but as it is it's still a good title worthy of playing)

"I can kill you with my brain"

2007-07-23T20:25:00.000-07:00

Psi Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy

Release Date: 2004
System: XBox (also available on the Playstation 2)
ESRB Rating: M (Mature) for Strong Language, Blood and Gore and Intense Violence
Publisher: Midway Home Entertainment

On the surface, Psi Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy seems like just another shooter - run-and-gun action and a bunch of enemies to destroy. If you take the time to look beneath the surface, however, you'll discover what this game truly is - an awesome action title that rises above others in the genre due to some cool powers and a game design that actually encourages their usage.

The game puts you into the combat boots of Nick Scryer, a soldier who has been assigned to infiltrate The Movement - a dangerous, Brotherhood of Evil Mutants-esque group that thinks people with psychic powers should rule over the rest of the world.

As the game begins, Scryer's cover has been blown, and his own psychic powers are re-awakening. Using both his military training and his re-discovered psychic powers, Scryer must stop the fanatical plans of The Movement and its leader, The General.

On its surface, Psi Ops looks like a typical third-person shooter - Scryer has to blast his way through large groups of enemy soldiers, using several different kinds of guns to do the job. Several bosses, all of them over-the-top (like a big fat guy that can throw an oil tanker with his mind and an old Russian guy with his eyes sewn shut) help liven up the action and provide a challenge to defeat.

Where Psi Ops breaks the mold is in the "cool shit" department. Nick Scryer can use several different psychic powers that he gains throughout the game, including telekinesis (moving things with your mind), mind control (taking over an enemy's mind so you can make him fight for you or anything else) and Beavis's dream power, pyrokinesis (setting things on fire with your mind). Of course, you can't just use these willy-nilly; Scryer has a psi gauge that needs to be replenished through either items or the Mind Drain power (which lets you leech psi energy from an enemy's brain; a dead brain provides a little while a live brain nets you a lot of power and extremely messy results in the form of gore and gray matter scattered all over the place).

What makes these psi powers so awesome is that they're not just gimmicks; they're incredibly useful features that are essential to completing the game. Whether it's using telekinesis to move a slab of metal that you have to "surf" on to cross a pit or mind-controlling a guard to open a door for you, you will need all of your psi powers at some point throughout the game. Even without those situations, though, the powers are such a blast to use that you'll never get bored with them. Throwing hapless enemies into a deep pit with telekinesis, mind-controlling a guard and having him ambush his own guys - there's no shortage of ways to have fun with the powers you're given. The game's ragdoll physics engine only adds to the fun of tossing enemy troopers around.

This game does have a couple weaknesses. Psi Ops is a lot of fun to play throughout, but somehow it feels a little too short. It's fun while it lasts, but you find yourself wishing for more by the time you defeat the final boss. The game's ending only adds to this feeling.

If you're up for a fun shooter with some cool powers to play around with, check out Psi Ops.

Score: 7.5 out of 10 (would rate an 8.5, but the game's shortness and unsatisfactory ending conspire to bring its score down)

Best. Star Wars Game. Ever.

2007-07-09T10:48:00.000-07:00

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic

Release Date: 2003
System: XBox
ESRB Rating: T (Teen) for Violence
Publisher: LucasArts

I have to admit to being pretty ambivalent about Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic when I first tried it out. I mean, c'mon - a Star Wars RPG? It was like nothing I'd ever seen before, and it threw me off enough that I avoided the game for a while. After hearing rave reviews about it, however, I decided to give it a try. In the end, I was more than happy that I gave it a shot.

Simply put, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is the best Star Wars game ever made, capturing the Star Wars feel better than any other game before it or since.

KOTOR takes place 4,000 years before the events of the first Star Wars movie, in an era of intergalactic war. Darth Malak and Darth Revan, former heroes of the Old Republic and current Sith Lords, have plunged the galaxy into war, laying waste to the Republic.

As the game begins, you (in the role of your choice: either a soldier, scout or scoundrel, and either male or female) are aboard the Endar Spire, a Republic ship that's under attack from Sith forces. It turns out the Sith are looking for a Jedi Knight named Bastilla Shan, who is in command of the Spire on its current mission.

As the ship falls apart around you, you're forced to escape, crash-landing on a decaying city-world named Taris, along with a Republic soldier named Carth Onasi. Upon hearing news that Bastilla has also crash-landed on Taris, you set out to find Bastilla and escape the planet.

However, Bastilla's rescue is just the beginning, as her rescue propels your character on an exciting adventure across the galaxy on a mission that will either stop the Sith forces in their tracks - or lead them to their ultimate victory and plunge the galaxy into darkness.

There are so many good things about this game that this review could go on forever gushing about them. For starters, the game's plot is awesome. The story of a small group of people that end up changing the fate of the galaxy is quite familiar to anyone who's ever seen Star Wars, and yet there's so many original elements in the plot that it never feels rehashed or boring. The game's plot also has a huge twist about midway through the game that serves to heighten the drama.

Another great element along those lines is the game's Light Side/Dark Side system. How your character responds to questions and chooses to act in certain situations will influence whether he follows the Light Side or the Dark Side of the Force. Your choices will also influence the game's ending.

A wonderful cast of characters that join you throughout the game only adds to the game's fun. From Carth Onasi the troubled soldier to model Jedi Knight Bastilla to a psychotic droid named HK-47, all of the characters have their own story to tell, and are a lot of fun to interact with.

The game's engine is also worth mentioning. It's based off of the D20 system used in the pen and paper RPGs Star Wars Roleplaying Game and Dungeons and Dragons 3.5. You can create your character using the system (as well as a handy guide) at the beginning of the game, giving him stats as appropriate, which will affect game play. For instance, a character with a high Dexterity score will usually be pretty good with a blaster, while characters with high Charisma might be better served by talking their way out of things. The class you choose at the beginning (soldier, scout or scoundrel) will also likely affect how you create your character.

The engine uses the relevant stats along with a degree of randomness to determine success or failure in various objectives, from blasting an enemy to convincing someone to let you into a restricted area to defeating a door lock. It may sound a bit complicated, but it all boils down to a very simple thing: the higher your bonuses (in the relevant skill or attribute), the better chance you'll have of succeeding. You get better at your attributes and skills as you level up as well, just like a usual RPG, except you can choose where those improvements go. Other options that can be gained or purchased (called "feats") can do everything from making your lightsaber swings more powerful to making you nearly unstoppable at computer hacking. It's a good system that works very well for the game.

The combat system is extremely well-done. It's technically turn-based, but the combat proceeds so smoothly that you may not notice at first. The combat system incorporates the randomness/bonus format of the overall engine, and include the ability to use combat feats to give you an advantage. And yes, you get to use a lightsaber in this game, along with all sorts of other cool weapons.

Perhaps the greatest thing about this game is that it captures the Star Wars feel better than any other game before it. It's tough to describe, but somehow, it feels more like an interactive movie than a game - in all the right ways. Even as you control the protagonist of the adventure, it feels like you're watching a Star Wars movie unfold before your eyes. The game's music only enhances this, fitting the game's many moods perfectly. The voice acting also helps immensely, never seeming cheesy or forced and always seeming to convey emotions very effectively. No other Star Wars video game has ever felt like this before, and it's a big part of what makes KOTOR the best Star Wars game ever made.

The game does have a few flaws, though they're not enough to kill the game. First of all, the game's upgrade system - which lets you upgrade certain weapons and armor to make them more powerful or give them other qualities - is far too limited. Too few items can be upgraded (though all lightsabers can). The system is quite useful for the weapons that can be altered, but more items should have been available for upgrading.

Secondly, there's an upper limit on how far your characters can advance - only up to Level 20. Granted, that point is usually only hit by the time you get to the final area, at least in my experience, but it would have been nice not to have the limit.

Despite these minor flaws, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is a must-have for any Star Wars or RPG fan. If you haven't played this game yet, try it out. You will not regret it.

Score: 9.5 out of 10 (translates the Star Wars feel more faithfully than any other game before it, and gives the player a massively fun ride in the process)

The Transformers movie is coming next week, so in honor of giant robots blasting the crap out of each other...

2007-06-24T17:34:00.000-07:00

MechAssault

Release Date: 2002
System: X-Box
ESRB Rating: T (Teen)
Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios

I'll admit it: I have a weakness for giant robots. I loved the Transformers, I loved Gundam Wing and I loved Evangelion.

I've also been a fan of the Battletech series for many years. So naturally, when I bought an X-Box, MechAssault - based on the long-running Battletech franchise - was my first rental.

What I discovered blew me away. MechAssault is a damn fun ride that is guaranteed to keep your hands glued to the controller while it lasts.

In MechAssault, you play the pilot of a Battlemech - a 40-foot tall walking tank bristling with powerful weaponry that has become the primary weapon of war in the 31st century, which is when the game takes place. The pilot you control is a member of Wolf's Dragoons, one of the most highly respected and famous mercenary units in known space.

As the game begins, Wolf's Dragoons lands on the planet Helios as part of a contract, with the player acting as part of the first wave of a strike force. Things go bad quickly, however, when a group of hi-tech religious zealot terrorists known as the Word of Blake attack the Dragoons' ship as they land. With the Dragoons in bad shape from the ambush, it's up to the player to fend off the Word of Blake, clear the way for the Dragoon attack force and discover what the Blakists are up to on Helios.

Fortunately, you've got a LOT of firepower behind you on your missions. You can choose from a number of deadly mech designs to carry out your tasks with, from small and nimble designs to lumbering behemoths with the power to flatten an entire city. Whatever your playing style, you'll find a mech design to suit your tastes. You'll start off with a limited selection of mechs at first, but as the game progresses more mechs will become available.

Mounted on these war machines are weapons that every action game fan will wet their pants over. From standard machine guns and lasers to cannons and railguns that can knock an enemy mech on its ass, there are plenty of toys to play with in MechAssault.

The action in MechAssault is typical run-and-gun fare. Most missions revolve around destroying various objectives, typically guarded by huge waves of tanks and helicopters backed up by the Word of Blake's own mechs. Despite its simplicity, however, the action in MechAssault never seems to get too boring. The sheer number of mech designs, each with its own combination of weapons, armor and speed, ensures there's no shortage of different ways to cause mayhem. Further, your missions' different objectives combined with the slow accumulation of new mech designs throughout the game mean that it's virtually impossible to breeze through the game with one design. It's a well-done setup that encourages you to experiment with different designs and experience the full variety of options available.

Another aspect of gameplay that adds some strategy is heat buildup. Firing your mechs' weapons will cause varying amounts of heat to build up. Heat up too much and you'll find yourself unable to fire until you let the heat go down. Not only does this add some strategy to the game by forcing you to manage heat, it also keeps you from winning the game just by going through every level with the trigger held down.

The only real fault the game has is a lack of variety in the mech designs in terms of their appearance. Quite a few mech designs are simply variants of another design, with the same appearance but a different weapons loadout. While the variety of weapons is more important than appearance, it would have been nice to have a little more variety of things to look at.

Other than that, MechAssault is a great game that's a guaranteed good time for anyone that plays it. Try it out and have a blast.

Score: 8.5 out of 10 (Doesn't really offer anything new, but does an excellent and fun job with what it does offer)

A long, long time ago, some time after the mediocre Episode I...

2007-06-24T12:17:00.000-07:00

Star Wars Starfighter: Special Edition

Release Date: 2001
System: X-Box
ESRB Rating: T (Teen)
Publisher: LucasArts

Let's face it: Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace was easily the worst of all the Star Wars movies. And some of the games that came out of it weren't all that great either.

Star Wars Starfighter: Special Edition could have been one of the non-mediocre games based on Episode I, but because of one major flaw, it only manages to break the "average" barrier.

Starfighter takes place shortly before the Battle of Naboo, the climatic battle of Episode I. The game follows the course of three characters: a Naboo pilot named Rhys Dallows, a mercenary named Vana Sage, and a creepy-looking pirate named Nym. All three find themselves on the Trade Federation's hit list due to their discovery of the federation's impending unlawful invasion of Naboo. When their paths cross due to these discoveries, and the resulting threats on their lives, the mismatched trio find themselves working together to stop the Trade Federation in their tracks.

The player controls three fighters throughout the course of the game: an N-1 Naboo Starfighter piloted by Dallows, Vana Sage's tri-winged fighter Guardian Mantis and Nym's bomber Havoc. Each fighter carries a different selection of weapons, which helps keep the action from getting too repetitive since the player must take different approaches to the missions depending on which ship he's flying. Each of these fighters can also be flown from one of two perspectives - a first-person view or a third-person view.

Speaking of action, this game has a lot of it. Every mission in this game - which take place both in space and closer to the planets' surfaces - has several objectives that need to be completed, from defending Queen Amidala's starship to taking out a certain target, and the Trade Federation scrambles SWARMS of enemies to thwart you at every turn. Players will never get bored in this game, as there's always another wave of enemies on the horizon and blowing them up never seems to get boring. Fortunately, there's plenty of variety in the enemies, from Trade Federation AAT tanks to the new droid starfighters. The mission objectives themselves also help to keep the boredom factor low - while a good number of them revolve around blowing up certain targets, there's enough objectives that break from that pattern to keep the game from ever getting too repetitive. The game also boasts a number of bonus missions that can be earned by completing bonus objectives in enough regular missions, which works well in extending the game's playability.

Starfighter could have been a true hit were it not for a couple flaws that conspire to lower its score. The first of these flaws is a sense of sameness in the way the three player-controlled ships handle. I didn't notice much in the way of difference in how the ships felt while I was flying them in terms of maneuverability or other such aspects. The game could have been better served by, for example, making the Havoc more sluggish than the other ships or something similar.

Something else that could use some work is the game's targeting system. To lock onto the target you want, you either have to cycle through all the enemies in the area (which can take an unacceptably long time in an emergency), or else point your ship in the general direction of where you think the enemy is and hope it locks on - which can be kind of annoying when your target is a dinky fighter on the other side of the frickin' star system. The game's zoom feature can help with this, but it's also one more thing to keep track of while you're under fire. Some kind of radar system or waypoint indicators for crucial targets would also have been nice, since the targeting system means you may have to frantically cycle through targets just to lock onto the one you need to destroy to complete the mission.

The game's most major flaw, however, is the one that detracts from the game's fun enough to lower its score dramatically: your ship shudders violently every time it's hit by enemy fire, and it shudders badly enough that it's virtually impossible to aim accurately or even feel like you're flying in a straight line when you're under fire. My theory is that the game designers got confused and thought they were creating a Star TREK game rather than a Star WARS game at some time during its creation; that's only explanation I can think of for such a mechanic making its way into this game. Yeah, you're supposed to feel it when your ship is hit in games like this, but when you can't even shoot back due to the shuddering, and when enemies CONSTANTLY manage to hit you after the first hit (as indeed they do in this game), and when you sometimes have up to half a dozen enemies shooting at you at once (another thing that tends to happen in this game), that's when the game takes a flying leap from "challenging" into "incredibly frustrating."

Star Wars Starfighter: Special Edition has a lot of fun aspects that make it enjoyable to play, but that one ill-considered game mechanic does an unfortunate job of canceling out some of that fun. Check it out, but definitely rent before buying.

Score: 6.0 out of 10 (Lots of fun action that doesn't get boring, but the frustrating ship shuddering mechanic is bad enough to potentially provoke some controller-throwing among players, and the targeting system needs some work to function more smoothly)

Review delay/double feature notice

2007-06-18T19:29:00.001-07:00

Just wanted to let my readers know that my next review will be a bit late. I had a work week last week that kicked my ass, and I spent most of the weekend recovering.

On the upside, this week will be a double-feature of sorts, with two game reviews instead of one. I'm shooting for a Sunday publishing date for that.

Kicking things off with a clash of the titans and the gods

2007-06-10T18:41:00.000-07:00

God of War II

Release Date: 2007
System: Playstation 2
ESRB Rating: M (Mature) for Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Strong Language and Sexual Themes
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA)

Alright, tell me seriously - who wasn't impressed by 2005's God of War?

It's doubtful anyone could find an action game fan that wasn't completely floored by that title - the fast and furious (and gory!) action, the depth of the "mini-game kills" (like ramming the Hydra's head through a pike), the music worthy of an epic Hollywood movie, the story of a man vengeful enough to try to kill a GOD.

So it follows that a sequel to such a game would be a tough thing to pull off - how can you possibly improve on a game like that?

Well, SCEA managed to do it - God of War II surpasses its epic predecessor in terms of storyline and gameplay depth, but leaves the core of the experience unchanged in its excellence.

God of War II once again puts the player into the blood-stained boots of Kratos, the eternally pissed off Spartan warrior who got his vengeance in the first game by killing Ares, the Greek god of war, and taking his place on Mount Olympus.

As the game begins, Kratos finds himself on the outs with the other Gods of Olympus, who are getting a bit miffed at Kratos's bloodlust. Zeus, the leader of the gods, decides to tell Kratos just how much the other gods don't want him around - by impaling him through the chest with a huge frickin' sword. Yeesh, you help the Spartans pillage and burn a few cities and the other gods get all uppity!

Fortunately for Kratos, he's had a friend for some time that he doesn't know about - Gaia, the Titan of the Earth (who, it's revealed, is the unseen narrator of the God of War games). In Kratos, Gaia sees a chance for the Titans to avenge the loss they suffered in their war against the gods. Healing Kratos's mortal wounds, she tells the warrior of a way for him to survive - if he can find the three Sisters of Fate, he can go back in time to the point where Zeus killed him and take his vengeance on Zeus. And so Kratos, with the Titans on his side, sets out to find the Sisters and bring the gods to their knees.

Fans of the first God of War will be pleased to know that the basics of the gameplay have not changed from the last game - Kratos still has his trusty twin Blades of Athena, which he can still use to tear through the many forces opposing him. And he still has plenty of magic for when things get rough. And yes, there are still those impressive mini-game style kills that let you slaughter baddies in all sorts of gory fun ways.

However, while the basics may not have changed, God of War II has plenty of things that make it a large improvement over the first game. For one thing, there are MANY more boss fights than in the first game. Kratos gets to fight everything from Icarus to a giant, living statue. Of course, these boss fights also mean more opportunities for spectacular mini-game kills - some of which are so amazingly acrobatic you might get motion sickness. Fortunately, there's still plenty to do in between these boss fights, with massive hordes of enemies trying to stop Kratos at every turn.

Players will also find a few more weapons to play with this time around. In addition to the Blades of Athena, Kratos can now find and wield a war hammer and a spear, and all of these weapons can be powered up using red orbs just like in the first game. Kratos also gets a chance to wield some new magic this time through. As if that weren't enough, Kratos can obtain several relics that let him do things like temporarily stop time.

Just as in the first game, the hack-and-slash gameplay in God of War II is loads of fun, being simple to pick up and play while still having a tremendous amount of depth due to the many moves you can pull off with Kratos's weapons. The various relics help add to this depth, especially the Golden Fleece, which allows you to absorb and redirect enemy attacks.

The game's plot is another strong point of the game, though for somewhat different reasons than the first game's. God of War II's plot is just as much of an epic revenge tale as the first game's, but God of War II's plot progresses in a somewhat different direction. Unfortunately I can't reveal more without spoiling the plot, but I will say this: Kratos gets scary as the game progresses.

The only thing really wrong with the game is a lack of newness in the magic system. Two of the game's four spells are identical to spells in the first game. While there are two new spells to play with, the other two spells, unchanged in nearly every way except for their names, feel like something of a missed opportunity.

With the release of the Playstation 3, God of War II may be one of the last great games to come out for the Playstation 2. If this turns out to be the case, it's an awesome way to end a game system's run. Take your PS2 for one last blockbuster spin with God of War II.

Score: 9.5 out of 10 (Manages to keep the tried and true feel of the first God of War while still making nearly everything about it feel fresh and worth playing again, and manages to avoid ever feeling repetitive)

A word about reviews

2007-06-10T16:27:00.000-07:00

Thought I'd share how the review scale is going to work, since rating numbers can sometimes be misleading.

The basic scale is going to be on a scale of 0-10. Seems simple, I know, but I feel the need to emphasize something about it.

Basically, this scale isn't going to work like school grading systems - a 5 out of 10 isn't a failing grade; it means the game is merely average. By that same token, 7/10 means the game is pretty good - not the best, certainly, but worth a try.

Here's the complete scale:

10 - Perfection or close to it
9 - In the top 10 of its genre (or maybe top 20 for large or glutted genres)
8 - Excellent
7 - Good
6 - Above average - fix some flaws and it'd be a hit
5 - Average. Meh.
4 - Below average
3 - Wait to buy until it hits the $5 bargain bin
2 - Did they seriously expect anyone to buy this crap?
1 - The pinnacle of suck
0 - Were they even TRYING?!

Hi everybody!

2007-06-08T13:37:00.001-07:00

Hey, everyone.

Right now, if you're looking at this, you're probably wondering who the heck I am and what's going to be on this blog, so I figured I'd lay it all out for you here as my introductory post.

I'm a 25-year-old (in a few days) journalism graduate living in mid-Michigan. I like writing; it's something I'm good at and always have been. But what I love writing most is something that I've not been able to do for over two years now: video game reviews. Heck, the whole reason I got into journalism was to join the ranks of video game critics like those at Gamepro and Electronic Gaming Monthly. I actually had a job like that for two years, reviewing video games for my college's campus newspaper, but I've been graduated for two years now, and haven't had much success finding a forum to keep reviewing on.

Fortunately, with the existence of blogs, it's easier to get your writing out there now. So basically, I'm taking advantage of that fact and hoping to use this blog as a kind of springboard to launch my video game critic career.

I'm a lifelong video gamer - started off with Duck Hunt when I was about 5 years old and have kept up with the times since then. I love these games, not only for the fun factor, but also because they can tell very interesting stories. Many of my all-time favorite games - the Metal Gear Solid and Fatal Frame series among them - attained that place in my heart as much because of their incredible stories as because of their gameplay and graphics.

Most of these reviews will be on Playstation 2 and XBox-generation games because, quite frankly, I'm way too poor to afford any of the next-gen systems. As a result, most of these games I will review have been out for some time now. If I'm fortunate enough to play any game on the next-gen systems to the extent that I feel comfortable reviewing it, I'll post the review ASAP.

This blog officially launches on Monday, June 11. The first review: God of War II.

Hope to see you then!