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Final Fantasy XIII-2 Video Review

2012-02-10T22:03:00.001-08:00

Final Fantasy XIII-2 Review - One More Time

2012-02-09T08:19:00.000-08:00

Score: 7.75 / 10
Final Fantasy XIII-2
PS3 - Xbox 360
Developer: Square Enix
Publisher: Square Enix
Release Date: January 31st, 2012

Pros:

Visuals and voicework remain as polished as ever
Monster collecting is an addictive addition
Combat remains fast paced, and easy to pick up
Plenty of side content to add to the life of the game

Cons:

Crystarium leveling system has been dulled down
Mog Clock random encounters feels like a step back
Sense of direction is skewed with multiple paths and odd pacing
Ending is an abrupt stop

Final Fantasy XIII was one of those love it or hate it games. Open worlds were traded for linear corridors and combat was altered to become more fast paced with control over only one character. Some fans embraced the change and others revolted. The announcement that the next installment would be a direct sequel kept people on edge, since the story and overall interest in the characters was not nearly as huge as previous sequels. XIII-2 does address many issues with the previous installment, but takes one step forward and two steps back.

Journey Through Time

Final Fantasy XIII-2 picks up three years after the previous game's ending; Cocoon's collision with Grand Pulse was prevented by Vanille and Fang, the heroes are freed from being l'Cie, and Orphan has been defeated. Everything seems normal, except for the absence of Lightning. Only her sister Serah seems to notice her disappearance, while others claimed that she died in preventing Cocoon's collision. It is only with the appearance of Noel, that it is revealed that Lightning is alive and he can take her to where she is doing battle with a mysterious new enemy. The two set off through time and space to set things right.

There is an option to view a quick summary of the previous events of FFXIII, but the sheer scope of characters and terms is a lot to absorb in a limited time. Mixing in elements associated with time travel further complicates things, and you have to learn to accept things and move on to enjoy the basic story. Most of the time it seems as if the game asks a genuine question, only to get a response of "it just is" before moving on. The characters of Serah and Noel bring little to the table, but the antagonist Caius proves to be the most intriguing addition as the bad guy with sound reason for being a bad guy. There is also the addition of the new companion "Mog" whose constant cries of "Kupo" make for one annoying sidekick.

One aspect that remains unscathed with Final Fantasy is a stunning presentation. Visuals are as sharp as ever, with character animations syncing seamlessly with returning performances of the previous voice cast. Cinematic scenes are always entertaining, complete with over the top action sequences the series is known for. While the look and feel is great, there are some aspects that seem out of whack. Square Enix brought on three separate composers for the soundtrack, resulting in what sounds like a child changing the radio station; there are a few gems off the soundtrack, but the rest feels so out of place it actually detracts from the game.

Doctor Who?

XIII-2 ditches the linear, closed off corridors to a certain extent, giving the game a more open feel. While you still are not in an airship flying over the world, you jump between time gates and gather artifacts in each world to jump further; think Mario's overworld with branching pathways. The trouble with this is you have no idea if you are going in the right direction, resulting in occasional backtracking upon stumbling into a situation out of your league. The general story progression has a few snags along the way, including an attempt at platforming near the close of the game and one world where every two steps you enter into a fight, but beyond that the game is set at a standard difficulty with little issue.

Encounters in the game have changed, with a new "Mog Clock" encounter system. Monsters now randomly appear, and a clock counts down for you to engage in combat. If you strike first, you gain a boost in combat and attack right off the bat. If the enemy runs into you, it's even ground. If you do not escape the combat zone after a set time, you will engage in a fight or die situation in which death takes you back to the last save point. This makes latter fights much more intense. Though an interesting system, the random encounters feel like a step back in the series; as seeing the giant beasts in XIII roaming the corridors were much more intimidating and gave life to the worlds, rather than simply having them pop out of thin air.

While there are "villages" in the game these amount to nothing more than a few people walking around, uttering terrible and unimportant lines of dialogue. NPCs are available to issue sidequests, but these evolve into nothing more than simple fetch quests or battles. Shops are limited to one soul source, a traveler named Chocolina. She sells the standard amenities of potions, weaponry, and accessories which can be purchased much more easily thanks to the fact that you actually gain money from battles again.

I Choose You!

The fast-paced combat of XIII was a redeeming factor for the game, and it carries over well in the sequel. Limited to a party of three, you assign each member a role to follow. These range from support, to attack, to buffers and dispellers. These "paradigms" can be shifted mid-battle to adapt to the situation as it occurs; such as switching to a defensive roster when a boss is counting down a big move or attacking roster when he opens himself up.

It's the constant switch and adaptation to each situation that makes the battle system so great. One second you are boosting a boss's Stagger gauge to make him more susceptible to attacks, and the next you can be on the defensive trying to stack a few heals before resuming your assault. Each area is different, and each encounter warrants diverse tactics. This will constantly have you switching roles and paradigms to overcome a challenge, and makes brute force useless in most situations.

Following the popular trend, FFXIII-2 has also added a few typical features to mix things up a bit further. Cinematic Action sequences will occur during bigger battles that can give you an upper hand in battle if performed correctly. There is also the inclusion of dialogue trees in conversation, that add a small sense of choice in a predestined game. The ideas are nice, but nothing that hasn't been done better in other titles.

Unlike previous games, your party only consists of two main characters. The third slot is filled with monsters that you tame in the wild. Practically all monsters are up for grabs as you progress through the game, each coming equipped with a set role like a healer or magic user. You then use items found in the wild or purchased to level these monsters up. The addictive feel of getting, training, and using these monsters in battle is reminiscent of Pokemon; adding another addictive collecting task.You can even customize your monster with an accessory, because putting a backpack on a Chocobo...it's just awesome. The monster taming helps establish the game as a sequel and not just an expansion, and ends up being the highlight of the game.

To Be Continued

Though the primary quest is relatively short (about 20 hours), but there is plenty of side content offered to keep you busy well after the game's abrupt end. The side content is very collector based, and will have you straying from the established path to collect every last item in a world.

One particular portal takes you to 'Serendipity', which is basically a time traveler's casino....can't make this up. Once there you can tackle the slot machine in an attempt to rake cash in quickly for exclusive items not found or dropped by enemies. There is even the return of Chocobo races in which you can race your own tamed Chocobo or bet on existing ones.

Though you do not need to collect every fragment in the game to complete it, there are 160 total fragments scattered throughout the worlds that can offer ultimate rewards once a set is collected. These range from jumping farther when platforming to instantly killing weak enemies upon their encounter. Fragments are sometimes hidden throughout the world, obtained from completing sidequests, or rewards from various mini games.

Overall

While Final Fantasy XIII-2 addresses many of the issues of its predecessor, it brings up its fair share of new ones. Odd pacing, an odder soundtrack, and a dumbed down leveling system are just a few issues that hold the game back from redeeming XIII's downfalls. It's not a terrible RPG, and if you are a fan of Final Fantasy XIII then the game is exactly what you would expect. For those who missed the train that was XIII and are looking for a new RPG, XIII-2 may not be your ideal experience...but, you can put a hat on a Cactuar....so...so there's that.

And the 2011 GoTY Winners Are...

2012-02-03T12:17:00.001-08:00

At the close of the year we all have our pick set for Game of the Year. Here is what the big name publishers decided:

Destructoid - Portal 2
Eurogamer - Portal 2
Gamasutra - Portal 2
Gamespot - The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Gamespy - The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Games Radar: Portal 2
Gametrailers - Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception
Gameinformer - The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Gamingbolt - The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Giantbomb - The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Joystiq - The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Kill Screen - Portal 2
Kotaku: Portal 2
Spike: The Elder Scrolls V Skyrim
Xplay - The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Zero Punctuation (The Escapist) - Portal 2

To my surprise Portal 2 raked up quite a few more than expected, just as much as Skyrim.

February Releases - Love and Other Drugs

2012-01-29T09:36:00.000-08:00

Highlighted Release

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning
PC - PS3 - Xbox 360
Developer: 38 Studios / Big Huge Games
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Release Date: February 7th, 2012

Kingdoms of Amalur caught my eye at E3 as being one of those hack and slash RPGs with promise. With a story written by fantasy writer R.A. Salvatore and Todd McFarlane working on the art, there are major players at work in shaping a fantasy world unlike any other. Though acting as a hack and slash, twitch gaming will only get you so far, as developers promise combat soon requires much more strategy. With a slew of classes available and plenty of content to explore, Amalur is shaping up to be an RPG experience that will make you set aside Skyrim.

*** If you wish to watch a trailer for the game, simply the click on the game cover art. Enjoy!***

Additional Titles

February 7th

February 14th

February 22nd

February 26th

SWtoR Video Review

2012-01-23T09:28:00.000-08:00

SWtoR Review - Galaxies Ahead

2012-01-16T12:14:00.000-08:00

Score: 8.25 / 10
Star Wars: The Old Republic
PC
Developer: Bioware
Publisher: EA/Lucasarts
Release Date: December 20th, 2011

Pros:

Thousands of lines of spoken dialogue bring story to life
Plenty of variety in choosing a class fit to your style
Animations are spot on and battles are entertaining to watch
Flashpoints are challenging and rewarding experiences
Plenty of content to keep you entertained well past the level cap

Cons:

Finding a group for a quest or Flashpoint proves difficult
Companions are limited in skill customization
Repeating corridors turn bland after a time
Crew skills are far too easy to level

After years of being teased with pretty cinematics and the promise of a Star Wars game for the masses, Bioware has finally released one of the most anticipated MMOs this year. Star Wars: The Old Republic looks to give fans exactly what they asked for, in crafting their own story in the franchise history as anything they want to be. Featuring a more focused emphasis on voicework and a hefty license backing the content, Old Republic manages to not only deliver a stellar MMO but a love letter to fans of anything Star Wars.

A Long Time Ago, in my Galaxy Far, Far Away...

If Bioware is good at one thing, it's making a good story. With a franchise history to build off of, they continue their success in crafting a unique and enjoyable storyline for each class. Your role in the galaxy is determined by your choice in one of two sides: Republic or Empire. You then choose your class ranging from Jedi Knights to Smugglers, or Bounty Hunters to Sith Inquisitors. After customizing the looks to your character you are off on your very own adventure in the Star Wars universe.

Your starter planet depends on your class, and each class has a unique story to follow. Jedi Knights and Jedi Counselors both start out on the same planet, but have varying objectives to follow. Sticking with the Smuggler class, my story evolved from landing on a planet to deliver a shipment, to chasing a two-faced crook around the galaxy to recover my stolen ship, and eventually to beat him to a lost treasure.

Each story continually evolves, and is further supported by the fully voiced cast of characters. Everyone from your own character, to companions, and even quest givers are fully voiced. While the sheer mass of voicework is often repeated or deduced to a Hutt dialect, the overall scope is impressive. Your story is where it really stands out, as no performance lets up among the thousands of lines you will hear.

What the game lacks in visuals, it makes up for in its use of the license. Notable Star Wars tracks back your epic battles, with such music as "The Duel of the Fates" chiming in during a boss battle. The familiar sound of blaster fire and the ear candy that is the hum of a lightsaber, round out a complete package in presentation.

MM Oh!

MMO veterans will feel comfortable with the setup, as Old Republic does not stray far from the expected in terms of game play. You set out on quests in a certain areas and gradually level up, upgrading skills and equipment along the way. The standard amenities are all here; you have a galactic trade auction house, your PvP options, your crew skills and crafting trades, etc.

Classes in the game have up to six variations and there are plenty of options. Once you hit level 10 you will choose a specialization. The Smuggler class for example can follow one of two specializations; the Scoundrel or the Gunslinger. The Scoundrel can then follow the Sawbones healing tree, Scrapper DPS tree that focuses on stealth attacks, or the Dirty Fighting tree that is more melee focused DPS.

In addition to a specialization, your story will eventually grant you a ship that you can use to travel from planet to planet. Your class mission generally guide you on where to go and the locations are diverse. You will quest on notable Star Wars planets such as Tatooine, Hoth, Korriban, and Nar Shadaa. Though the look changes, the general rythym does not and at about level twenty or so, you being to see the pattern emerge of fetch quests and repeating corridors. Quests range from collecting items, to defeating certain enemies, and even quests within a quest that unlock as you go. While your story class objectives stand out the most, the other quests tend to be a bit more forgettable.

To take a breather from the MMO play, you also have the option to engage in space missions. These Starfox inspired segments are only about 5 minutes a piece and have you taking on opposing faction fighters and cruisers. It ends up being a battle for survival most of the time as you attempt to dodge around to recharge your shields. It's nothing spectacular, but it is a nice break from the grind and can net you some experience and items.

My Wookie and Me

One of the most noticeable additions to the game are the companions you pick up along the way. These colorful characters will act as a counterpart to your class in battle. This is especially helpful for the solo grind, as healer specialists can use their companion as a tank to pull threat and use their role as intended. Companions can also be sent off to craft or gather supplies from the crew skill missions, or even sell off items to make room in your inventory.

Helpful as they are, there is little customization you can do with them. If your companion is a healer he is going to stick to healing and will likely end up being used to fetch components. You can only summon one companion, which is a bit of a let down considering the amount of Heroic quests that demand multiple partners to complete.

You soon gather a hefty amount to fill your ship, and as I was changing planets I got the feeling of nostalgia from Knights of the Old Republic. Having a ship full of crew members that I could fully equip and even exchange dialogue with is a welcome feature. Though some have gone unused, and keeping six companion's equipment relevant to the level you are at is a bit of a chore.

Power in Numbers

For the more difficult dungeons and quests, you will need a group member or two. Flashpoints act as the games' dungeons, complete with a slew of baddies to overcome and a notable boss encounters. What starts as a simple spank and tank encounter soon evolves into the MMO basics. Up to four players can enter a Flashpoint, and each will need to know how their class works by level thirty. The promise of loot and ultimate reward of commendations at the end of each mission is a welcome break from the typical grind, and there are plenty of Flashpoints for each level range.

In addition to Flashpoints, most areas will have Heroic quests that offer players at a similar level a more difficult task in their area. While these start pretty basic, they also become a bit more challenging at later levels. They tend to act as a nice warm up for some of the more difficult Flashpoints, oftentimes requiring crowd control and DPS focus.

While the overall experience is great, finding a group for these experiences is anything but. You will find that most areas offer Heroic mode quests for groups of two, and soon require four on later planets. With no real server to server link, you are stuck with who is on your server and depending on the population of the planet you are currently on, results can vary. Oftentimes I found myself wishing to just use three of my own companions in lieu of human players, but since such a feature does not exist I simply abandon the quest all together and move on to the next solo area.

Overall

Knights of the Old Republic doesn't stray far from the MMO formula, but the small tweaks and improvements still make it fun. There is enough diversity in the classes to offer a variety of toons and enough emphasis on story to hold the solo player's interest through the grind to the level 50 cap. With steady improvements since launch and plenty of expansions on the way, any fan of Star Wars can appreciate the amount of content the game contains...just don't expect the next revolution in gaming.

Top 10 of 2011 - Game of the Year

2011-12-29T15:40:00.000-08:00

Part 1
Part 2

---3---

Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception
PS3
Developer: Naughty Dog
Publisher: Sony
Release Date: November 1st, 2011

Adventure games may come and go, but Uncharted is one of the few franchises that has yet to disappoint. The witty antics of Nathan Drake continued in the third installment, which stayed true to what the series is known for; over the top action sequences. Though the pacing and feel was not able to match up to the previous installment, you were still treated to frantic cover shootouts, platforming sequences, and mind bending puzzles. Gorgeous vistas and animations were backed by the ever perfect performances from the voice cast. Coupled with an enjoyable multiplayer and co-operative experience, Uncharted 3 was one of those games you wanted to dive right back into upon completion.

----2----

Batman: Arkham City
PC - PS3 - Xbox 360
Developer: Rocksteady
Publisher: Warner Brothers
Release Date: October 18th, 2011

Where I expected a sequel to simply provide more of the same, Arkham City surprised in every way. The small change of taking the game outside of the confined space of the asylum made a huge difference, as you took to the skies. The story and voice acting were just as fantastic as Arkham Asylum, and the visual appeal was even more impressive than before. It was a unique feeling as you glide from rooftop to rooftop, swooping down to kick a criminal in the back of the head. It was a game that once again made you feel like Batman. With improved combat and stealth sections, and the return of the addictive Riddler trophies; Arkham City was a title that kept me entertained from beginning to end.

-----1-----

The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings
PC - Coming soon to Xbox 360
Developer: CD Project Red
Publisher: Atari
Release Date: May 17th, 2011

When you think about Game of the Year, you think of something unique, enjoyable, and a game that leaves an impression on you well after you have played it. Out of all the games on this list, The Witcher 2 was the one title that made the biggest impact this year. Being a PC exclusive, not many have been able to experience it since it demanded so much in hardware. Once you play it though, you love every minute. Like a bad love child of Mass Effect, Fable, and Elder Scrolls; this was the best action RPG I have ever picked up.

Visually it was unmatched by other RPGs, with gorgeous play on lighting and some of the best animation I have seen in a long time. Villages are filled with people working about their day or drinking away the night at the local tavern. Subtle touches to the dialogue like adding a timer for split second decisions make every conversation entertaining. Quests feel like actual quests, in which menial tasks soon evolve into situations with varying outcomes. It was the combat that stood out the most. Where you start off clumsy and unskilled, you soon evolve into the battle hardened warrior that can enter a room with twelve guards and dispatch them with ease. The complex magic and swordplay system allows you to customize the main character however you wish.

It was a total package of a game, and one with plenty of replay value. Any issues I had with the game were addressed in a recent, completely free patch courtesy of CD Project Red. The fine touches and polish coupled with a brilliant world and original dialogue, led Witcher 2 to be my Game of the Year for 2011.

Top 10 of 2011

1. The Witcher 2
2. Batman: Arkham City
3. Uncharted 3
4. Skyrim
5. Gears of War 3
6. Portal 2
7. Star Wars: The Old Republic
8. Bastion
9. Deus Ex
10. Dead Space 2

Note: These are only games I have spent time on to fully play through and enjoy. With plenty of other titles missed along the way, don't feel distraught if you don't see your personal favorites on the list. I'm sure I'd love them too.

Top 10 of 2011 - Pt. 2

2011-12-28T09:41:00.001-08:00

Part 1 (10-8)

Star Wars: The Old Republic
PC
Developer: Bioware
Publisher: Bioware
Release Date: December 20th, 2011

Just in time for Christmas, Star Wars: The Old Republic took up much of my December. In the few weeks I was able to spend with the game, I was instantly hooked. Bioware is the king of storytelling lately, and their impact in making the typical MMO grind into a grand series of events is evident. Hundreds of thousands of lines of spoken dialogue suck you in as you battle the opposing faction on every Star Wars planet you can remember from the movies. It's a blast of a title for any MMO or Star Wars fan, and a no brainer to add to the list.

Portal 2
PC - PS3 - Xbox 360
Developer: Valve
Publisher: Valve
Release Date: April 19th, 2011

From the genuine charm of GLaDoS to the witty banter of Wheatley, Portal 2 delivered everything a sequel should. The new intricate puzzles became even more complex with small additions to overcome like the various gels and gravity beams. The co-operative multiplayer was a nice addition and made tackling puzzles with a friend a very satisfying experience. With a fantastic electronic soundtrack fueling some of the best lines of dialogue ever uttered in a game, Portal 2 did not disappoint.

Gears of War 3
Xbox 360
Developer: Epic Games
Publisher: Microsoft
Release Date: September 20th, 2011

The Gears franchise is very much in your face with machismo and bromance, but it can be pure fun to play. Offering something for everyone, Gears 3 had a fantastic single player campaign, frantic co-op multiplayer Horde mode, and refined multiplayer for the most competitive of shooter fans. Epic went all out with the last installment, and the gorgeous textures and beauty beneath the grainy filter shows it all. With continual updates, holiday events, and more content coming up in the future; it will be one of those games you continually revisit.

Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
PC - PS3 - Xbox 360
Developer: Bethesda
Publisher: Bethesda
Release Date: November 11th, 2011

The holy grail of RPGs this year, Skyrim was one of the few games you could gather around the water cooler and share stories about. Each player had a unique experience with the game as they chose their hero to behave as they would; be it the noble archer or brutal warrior. The open playground dared you to explore, as the amount of content in the game is unmatched in quests, villages, and skirmishes. The stellar soundtrack fueled each swing of your blade, and had players opting out of quick travel just to encounter all that they could. Boasting a different experience each play with random encounters, the game is more than enough to carry you into 2013 if need be. While this may be grabbing GotY awards left and right, it never struck me as the perfect title this year. Backpedaling combat and constant fetch quests held it back from being anything unexpected from the franchise.

Top 10 of 2011 - Pt.1

2011-12-28T09:33:00.001-08:00

It's that time of year again in which lists are created, titles are compared, and only one game can be chosen as a personal "Game of the Year". With past winners like Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, Resident Evil 4, or Red Dead Redemption; the game that stands out the most with the truly unique and memorable experience is the only one to come out on top. Not so unfortunate, the list has plenty of those titles. There were some true gems this year, and to name only one was actually a difficult task. What makes one game better than another? How do you compare a First Person Shooter to an RPG? The list was shuffled, tossed on the ground, thrown in a dryer, and neatly trimmed to what I feel could be justified. If it's on the list, you should do yourself a service and check it out.

10.
Dead Space 2
PC - PS3 - Xbox 360
Developer: Visceral Games
Publisher: EA
Release Date: January 25th, 2011

Dead Space was one of the most intense survival horror titles I had ever played, and the sequel somehow managed to one up the original. The biggest appeal of the game is not only the satisfying gameplay, but the impeccable sound design. The vicious screams of the horrors in the shadows, the crunch of ligaments as they are shot off, and the electronic thud of every shot fired from the plasma cutter. This element combined with stunning visuals and vistas that brought out a bit of beauty amidst the gore and chaos. Though the multiplayer left a little to be desired, the fantastic single player was full of scares. It was one of those games that I immediately hopped back into to experience all over again.

9.
Deus Ex: Human Revolution
PC - PS3 - Xbox 360
Developer: Eidos Montreal
Publisher: Square Enix
Release Date: August 23rd, 2011

One of the more underrated titles this year, Deus Ex: Human Revolution is the sexy lovechild of a RPG and cover shooter. The game allowed freedom in a confined space, allowing the player to become a battle hardened combat thug or stealthy assassin. Each room was a playground, daring you to overcome your own personal challenges; be it sneaking past without alerting a single guard or picking off everyone one by one. The freedom to evolve your character coupled with a fantastic story, visual presentation, and one incredible soundtrack that was sure to treat your subwoofer nicely. It's a total package of a game, and one worth any player's time.

8.
Bastion
PC - PSN - Xbox Live Arcade
Developer: Super Giant Games
Publisher: Microsoft
Release Date: July 20th, 2011

It seems odd that a downloadable title would be so high on the list, but it is very much the case with Bastion. An arcade title like no other, Bastion took a simple top down action RPG and gave it clever presentation. Everything from the narration, to the story, to the unique western electronic soundtrack cultivated into one memorable experience. It felt as if I were playing a classic SNES title that I missed out on, and still held its own against some of the big name titles this year.

Honorable Mention:
Dark Souls
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Battlefield 3
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
Infamous 2
El Shaddai
Outland

January Gaming Releases - A Fresh Start

2011-12-27T06:44:00.000-08:00

Highlighted Release

Final Fantasy XIII-2
PS3 - Xbox 360
Developer: Square Enix
Publisher: Square Enix
Release Date: January 31st, 2011

Final Fantasy XIII had mixed reception. Some found the linear gameplay and lack of towns a wrong turn for the series, while others praised the addictive combat and stunning visual presentation. Love it or hate it, a sequel was announced. Final Fantasy XIII-2 is looking to bring the two sides together, as a more refined experience with plenty of content to enjoy. With a new Feral Link ability to tame monsters to use in fights, time gates, conversation dialogue choices, and a new Mog Clock system to encounter enemies; the game borrows the good from XIII-2 while daring to be different with alterations to the formula. It's shaping up to be a great RPG to look into, and one of the bigger releases to kick off the year.

*** If you wish to watch a trailer for the game, simply the click on the game cover art. Enjoy!***

Additional Titles

January 8th

January 22nd

January 31st

A Look Back at Gaming 2011 - Pt.4

2011-12-21T06:00:00.001-08:00

Mid November - December
November

Not a few months after the release of the original, Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 was released as a stand alone title for a discounted price. New fighters were added to the roster, including Nova, Frank West, and the highly desired Pheonix Wright. Additional characters, stages, modes, and tweaks to the existing formula were implemented to round out a more refined experience.

Ubisoft closed out the Ezio/Altair trilogy with the release of Assassin's Creed Revelation. Hosting a new city full of assassin's, Ezio set out on one last mission to discover Altair's final message. New to the series included the addition of bombs to set traps and add distractions to Ezio's arsenal. There was also a new RTS game to defend Assassin Dens from the Templar, as well as first-person puzzles delving into Desmond's history.

Saint's Row the Third let the player take control of the Third Row Saints once again in the expansive city of Steelport. Story in the game evolved through interactions with three gangs, and each decision. New additions included an "Initiation Station" that allowed players to upload their character creations for others to test out. Though removing any competitive multiplayer, the game focused heavily on a co-operative mode for players to progress through missions together.

For classic side scroller fans, Rayman Origins offered another unique platforming experience. Simultaneous play with up to four players for drop in, drop out co-op was available for both online or local players. A large cache of collectibles, puzzles, and pick ups lay strewn about each level and the player's ability increases with each find. Abilities such as running up walls, shrinking in size, or gliding are steadily unlocked as you move from each level. Coupled with a stylish look and humorous characters, it is one of those platforming gems that stood out this year.

Racing enthusiasts need look no further than Need for Speed: The Run. Players took the role of Jack Rouke who is on the run after becoming a marked man for his debts, which he plans to pay back with illegal street racing. The characters and plot are carried forward by actor Sean Farris and Mad Men's Christina Hendricks. Powered by Frostbite 2's engine, the game provides physics accordingly, with car physics affected by all the elements. An experience point system handles unlocks of additional cars and features to keep ahead of the rest. With a 16 player multiplayer and expansive single player, it is a shining racer to close the year out.

Halo fans in need of a fix until Halo 4 got their hope with Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary Edition. Remastered HD graphics have the ability to be toggled on or off at any time, allowing players to relive the game with a new look or classic look. Complete with new maps with the Halo: Reach engine and Kinect features, it was a love letter to the Halo fans.

The close of the month belonged to one of the more anticipated titles of the year; The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. Link again sets off in search of a kidnapped Zelda, hoping to fulfill his destiny as the Hero from the Sky. Featuring Wii Motion Plus controls, the combat became much more challenging as sword swipes registered direction this time around. In addition to combat changes, RPG item crafting was also included to improve weapons and items with various materials. The classic feel and impeccable dungeon design, led to another fantastic adventure that fans will relive again and again.

December

Platforming fans looking to close out the year on a good note were treated with Trine 2. A sequel to the his title from last year, the game offered more puzzles, baddies, and bottomless pits to traverse than the previous title. Featuring an online and offline 3 player co-op, the experience was heightened as all three travelers sought passage across each trap. With an upgrade system and slew of collectibles to uncover, it was a nice treat to close out the year in downloadable gaming.

Mario Kart 7 made its return on the Nintendo 3DS. For the first time, the kart racer took the competition to the skies and even under water. Featuring the familiarity we have come to love from the franchise, all the classic items made their return. While the classic tracks made a return, the new tracks were a treat; offering such vistas as Music Park where you slide down a giant piano.

December came to a close with one of the most anticipated MMOs to date, Star Wars: The Old Republic. With Bioware at the helm, fans of the universe were able to craft a Jedi, Sith, Smuggler, or anything they could imagine and set it loose in the world of the Old Republic. Featuring exclusive class story missions, multiple Flashpoint dungeons, and PvP arenas; the experience was unlike anything in franchise history.

Part 1 - January - April

Part 2 - May - August

Part 3 - September - Mid November

Trine 2 Review - Three's Company

2011-12-05T22:52:00.001-08:00

Score 8.5 / 10
Trine 2
PC- Xbox Arcade - PSN
Developer: Frozenbyte
Publisher: Atlus
Release Date: December 7th, 2011

Introducting the new video reviews, first one featured below. For those that like to watch and not read!

Pros:

Visual backdrops like no other
Online and offline co-op
Intricate physics puzzles
Fun and challenging multiplayer

Cons:

Leniency with checkpoints leave little challenge
Character customization is limited
Except for an overall polish, not much has changed.
Short campaign

Trine was one of those hidden games of the 2009 PC gaming world. Though it was a small Steam download, it soon became a hit due to its accessible gameplay and beautiful art direction. With the slew of big name titles currently hogging most of my time, the sequel was something worth checking out.

Trine and True

Much like the previous installment, the most obvious thing Trine has going for it is stunning art direction. For a 2D platformer, the look is unmatched. Like a journey through the color wheel, vivid tapestries adorn each and every level. A bright purple contrasts a deeper blue in the forests, and orange rays peek through openings on a sunset village. Impressive plays on lighting help make Trine 2 just as enjoyable to watch as it is to play.

The story continues the adventures of the same group of heroes as the previous installment; the wizard Amadeus, the thief Zoya, and knight Pontious. Joined together by the mystical Trine artifact from the previous game, the heroes are bound together to help stop an unknown evil. While the actual plot will do little for the lore enthusiasts, the basic tale of three unlikely heroes on a quest is enough to satisfy for a 2D platformer.

The voice actors for each character chime in on occasion to help bring the characters to life, but it is the narrator that truly captures the feel of the game. Much like the previous installment, the narrator will recant the tale at each load screen and give his quips while you progress regarding the characters. You get the feeling of playing out a story from a children's book rather than it happening in real time. Backed by a fantasy-inspired original soundtrack, you can't help but feel like a kid hearing a fable for the first time.

Power of Three

The basic gameplay has not changed much since the last installment and still consists of platforming, combat, and puzzle segments.

These are further augmented by the three available characters and their abilities. The wizard, Amadeus, can spawn boxes and platforms by drawing them out with the mouse, but cannot attack as efficiently as the others. The thief, Zoya, has a grappling hook and bow to get to vantage points and fight from afar. The knight, Pontious, is combat ready with sword and shield, but is not as agile in platforming. The balance makes for constant switching between characters to adapt to each situation as it presents itself. You could technically get through the game with one sole character, but their usefulness in each dilemma warrants a shuffle of their roles.

The platforming is made even more interesting by the in-depth physics engine. You will stumble across many puzzles that consist of transporting water from one source to its destination, a Portal inspired platforming section, and many other puzzles that will could leave you scratching your head for a while. These well thought out puzzles are enjoyable, but by the sixth stage you tend to grow tired of fitting pipes to blow air to a platform.

Between these platforming sequences are combat encounters. Hordes of goblins, spiders, and other monstrosities will relentlessly throw themselves at you at certain areas. While you may rely on the knight for these sequences, the thief and wizard can both hold their own with enough practice.

Customization

Scattered throughout the game are small blue orbs and flasks. These gradually level your character as you collect them. Some are dropped from enemies, others are strewn across the path, and most are dangled just out of reach. They act much like Riddler Trophies in Arkham City, daring you to stop your progression to dedicate time in figuring out how to obtain them. Even after spending five minutes attempting to time a jump perfect, they are well worth the investment.

Each time you level up you earn an additional skill point. These can be invested into one of the three characters to upgrade their current weaponry or add new abilities. The wizard can be upgraded to spawn multiple platforms at once, the knight can add a flame sword to his arsenal, and the thief can fire two arrows at once. These upgrades become plentiful as the game wears on, but it's important to spread the wealth and not invest too much into a single character.

The last installment featured accessories that you could equip to further power your characters, but those have been replaced with collectible paintings and poems. These more hidden secrets are usually off the beaten path, but do little more than add concept art and poetry to your menu unlocks.

Team Trine

Acting as a totally different experience all together, the multiplayer of the game really stands out. With two other players, you must now traverse each stage with all three characters. It adds a bit more challenge and thinking to the mix, as you must now move multiple players past each puzzle. Teamwork and cooperation is key in progressing past the challenges.

Unique actions can be performed with the heroes split in three. The wizard can levitate a box across a gap with the other player on top, the knight's shield can acts as an additional platform boost, and the thief can tail behind the knight's shield to fire arrows from cover. It's this unique feeling of camaraderie that the single player does not contain, and makes the multiplayer a mode worth investing time into. The game features a Standard mode and Unlimited mode, in which multiple players can be the same role. You can have three wizards all stacking boxes or three knights all battling goblins.

Despite the stunning presentation, the overall experience is short lived. Clocking in at a mere six hours, it won't be long before your adventure will be at an end. Checkpoints are plentiful, and perhaps...too plentiful. Combat is easily thwarted by camping near a checkpoint to instantly restore health or lost characters. Enemy types tend to stick toward the goblin side, with only a few variations in between.

Overall

Trine 2 stays true to the formula, and risks little in expanding beyond. There is little issue with that, as the infinitely satisfying gameplay will keep you entertained from beginning to end. It is an adventure game that is more fun with friends, and is one of the more enjoyable downloadable titles to close out the year.

A Galaxy of Gaming

2011-12-05T09:10:00.001-08:00

With Star Wars: The Old Republic releasing in a matter of weeks (days for some), I began to notice the huge impact Star Wars has had on gaming. With such a successful franchise, video games were bound to follow. A handful have been some of the most unique and incredible experiences to date, while others have fallen prey to the typical movie adaptation. Yet, this franchise has had its fair share of solid hits.

Super Star Wars Trilogy (1992-1994)
SNES
Developer: Sculpted Software / Lucasarts
Publisher: JVC/THQ

The trilogy that started it all had movie based games on the SNES that were surprisingly fun. Taking you from the original title all the way to Return of the Jedi, the game combined platforming and combat in a simple and enjoyable format. The most memorable aspects came from the huge boss fights and easy to pickup gameplay, with the occasional horrific vehicle mission. I can't be the only one who suffered loss after loss trying to escape the Death Star explosion in Return of the Jedi, can I?

X-Wing/Tie Fighter (1993)
Dos - Macintosh
Developer: Totally Games
Publisher: Lucasarts

A flight simulator like no other, X-Wing put players behind the pilot seat of their favorite Rebel vehicle. Featuring the first actual 3D dogfights, players were able to be part of the Rebel Alliance, shooting down Tie Fighters in asteroid fields, with a later sequel that allowed you to assume the role of the Empire.

Star Wars: Dark Forces (1995)
Dos - Macintosh - Playstation
Developer: Lucasarts
Publisher: Lucasarts

Taking on the FPS market, Dark Forces took a great spin on the franchise. You assume the role of the mercenary Kartan, working on behalf of the Rebel Alliance. It was uncommon to have the ability to look up and down or even traverse multiple floors at the time, but Dark Forces utilized both. A sequel would later introduce multiplayer.

Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire (1996)
Nintendo 64 - PC
Developer: Lucasarts
Publisher: Nintendo/Lucasarts

The third person shooter that kicked off the launch of the N64, Shadows of the Empire let you assume the role of the smuggler Dash Rendar. Dash's journey led to battles in snowspeeders, space, and even a toe to toe with the deadliest bounty hunter of them all; Boba Fett. Backed by the classic score and some memorable boss battles, it was an enjoyable title from beginning to end.

Star Wars: Masters of the Teräs Käsi (1997)
Playstation
Developer: Lucasarts
Publisher: Lucasarts

Taking the franchise to the fighting world, Masters of the Teras Kasi allowed players to take control of their favorite Star Wars characters and settle fights like real men do...with fists. It was an interesting experience, and match ups like Boba Fett vs Darth Vader were interesting scenarios to play out.

Star Wars: Rogue Squadron Franchise (1998/2001/2003)
Nintendo 64 - Gamecube
Developer: Factor 5
Publisher: Lucaswarts

Creating a flight sim tailored toward the Star Wars universe was right up my alley, and Rogue Squadron delivered in full. Recreating some of the most infamous space battles in the game including the Death Star trench run and the battle over Endor, no other title could capture the feel of the movie like this one.

Star Wars: Episode 1 Racer (1999)
Nintendo 64
Developer: Lucasarts
Publisher: Lucasarts

A racing game was the last thing anyone expected from the Star Wars franchise, but after Episode 1's podracing sequence inspired a game it was found to be an enjoyable experience. Allowing you to customize your own racer and compete on various tracks from the Star Wars universe gave a thrilling feel.

Star Wars: Starfighter Series (2001)
Xbox - PC - PS2
Developer: Lucasarts
Publisher: Lucasarts

Following in Rogue Squadron's footsteps, Starfighter took place in the latest trilogy. Offering a unique story and piloting the Naboo Starfighter among other vehicles, the game was an addictive experience as you retried a stage multiple times for gold medals. Followed by a Jedi Starfighter game, the gameplay was even more expansive as you could use the force from the safety of your ship.

Star Wars: Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy (2003)
PC - Xbox
Developer: Raven Software
Publisher: Lucasarts

Offering the first tease of Jedi customization, Jedi Academy let players create their own Jedi equipped with a lightsaber right from the start. Featuring your rise in the Jedi order, you were sent on missions spanning multiple planets and outcomes. With a slew of options to customize the Jedi to the player's content, there was also a multiplayer that allowed you to take lightsaber melees online.

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (2003)
Xbox - PC
Developer: Bioware
Publisher: Lucasarts

The Star Wars game to rule them all, Knights of the Old Republic amazed everyone when it was released back in 2003. The action RPG allowed users to craft a Jedi or Sith player, with multiple moral dillemmas branching out their path to take over the galaxy or save it. Backed by a stellar voice cast, the story was one of the best offered.

Star Wars: Republic Commando (2005)
Xbox
Developer: Lucasarts
Publisher: Lucasarts

Taking another stab at the first person shooter market, Lucasarts delved into the untold story of Delta Squad in Republic Commando. Offering tactical FPS gameplay with the ability to issue orders to squadmates, the game was an explosive rollercoaster with some truly memorable encounters. The ending was abrupt, and left me pining after a sequel that never came.

Star Wars: Battlefront Series (2005-2006)
PC - Xbox - PS2
Developer: Pandemic Studios
Publisher: Lucasarts

Battlefield made a perfect mix with Star Wars in this multiplayer experience like no other. The series made its mark as players assumed the role of various troopers from the Republic and Empire, duking it out for control points. The second installment added in Heroes that could appear to turn the tide of battle, and made for some of the most fun I have had in a multiplayer experience to this day.

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed Series (2008-2010)
Xbox 360 - PS3 - PC
Developer: Lucasarts
Publisher: Lucasarts

Taking a spin on the canon story, Lucasarts gave use this third person action platformer to answer the question; What if Vader had an apprentice? The physics system in place made using force powers a blast and the intriguing story drove players forward through two installments.

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword Review - Legendary Legacy

2011-12-02T12:27:00.001-08:00

Score: 9 / 10
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Wii
Developer: Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo
Release Date: November 20th, 2011

Pros:

Stellar soundtrack
Motionplus makes fights more interesting
The later dungeons are well designed and diverse
Ability to upgrade equipment is a nice touch
Hours of content to explore

Cons:

Slow start to a stellar later game
Motion controls not fit for every aspect
Constant fetch quests are cause to revisit areas multiple times
Fi is one useless companion

The Legend of Zelda has been going strong for over 25 years now. The classic tale of an adventurer rising up to save Princess Zelda and defeat the evil Ganon never disappoints. Such a long run also puts the franchise at risk of becoming stale, though as of yet that has been avoided with top notch presentation and variation to gameplay. Acting as a swan song for the Wii, Skyward Sword attempts to prove the franchise still has something going for it.

One Triangle to Rule Them All

Each new Zelda game likes to put its own spin on the tale, and for this game it involves taking to the open skies. You once again assume the role of Link, whose relationship with Zelda unfolds at the game's beginning through investigation into Link's missing bird. Things go well after they rescue it, until a mysterious force kidnaps Zelda. Link gives chase with the help of Fi, an entity claiming it is his destiny to set out as the hero from the skies. It evolves into the typical narrative; Link is the destined hero, Zelda is in trouble, and Girahim is looking to use Zelda to awaken an ancient evil. Acting a prequel to Ocarina of Time, the game has some typical elements that fans of the series are accustomed to at this point, but real emotional investment stems from growing up with the series and not stellar writing or dialogue. Though it is a treat to see the origins of many elements from OoT.

Ditching the land and seas of previous games, Skyward Sword is centered around the skies. Skyloft acts as the central city with the overworld below. Taking a page from Wind Waker, you can fly to several small islands and dive down to the world below the clouds for bigger areas of exploration; ranging from deserts to forests to volcanic lands. Much like previous Zelda games, you will revisit these areas as you progress, unlocking them further with each new item. The feeling of flying through the clouds to new destinations proves enjoyable at first, but tiresome as the game wears on and forces you to travel back and forth between destinations.

Visually, the game is what you make of it. The game uses an artistic style similar to impressionism. The blotchy overtones and shading can look impressive for the Wii one minute, and horribly textured the next. Though the animations during the game's cutscenes are spot on, you can't help but feel as if this is a game being held back by the hardware. Areas are revisited time and time again, enemies are recycled with new colors, and you even fight a couple of bosses a few too many times. Despite the dated look, the visuals have little impact on the overall experience.

Each Zelda game of late has featured a companion, and Fi ranks among the most annoying. She will constantly talk to you, reiterating what a person just said or stating the obvious like, "I am 90% sure we are in a volcano", while I am running around lava. The constant reminders from her couple with the fact that if you turn your console back on to continue your game it assumes you forgot what every component does and feels the need to halt the combat and show its placement in your inventory. Without these reminders and pop ups, the game would have been at least 5 hours shorter.

Motion Maniac

The biggest change in gameplay lies with the Motion Plus. Swinging the Wiimote vertically or diagonally registers as such on the screen, and are used in a number of situations. This makes combat akin to a puzzle game, in striking a direction your enemy is not currently blocking. This is used not only in combat, but to unlock various doors, rotate and solve puzzle keys, and aim from a first person perspective to use the bow and other items.

The heavy reliance on Wii Motion Plus is a double edged sword. On the one hand, when the sensor reads you correctly it works great. First person aiming is simple and responsive and every swipe is accounted for without a hitch. Then you have the situations where the game does not cooperate. There was an instance where a boss required a certain diagonal slice to register a hit, but my flails and feeble attempts would perform a horizontal slice instead. This happened more than once, and became so much of an annoyance, that much of my combat evolved into deflecting attacks with a shield to gain an opening in lieu of slicing correctly.

With every item in your disposal making use of the Wii motion controls, there were times that I yearned for a classic controller. Direction and position are everything, and the occasional misread occurs a bit more than I would care for. To be fair my horizontal slices would read horizontal, but took effort to read which direction the slice originated. You become accustomed to the control scheme after a time and are able to compensate for any issues. The same cannot be said for its use in swimming and flying, as the motion control just can't beat the feel of analog stick in platforming.

That being said, the combat in the game is more challenging than previous titles, and it's a welcome change. Baddies will block and wait for your mistakes to cease an opening, or strike quickly. Simply waving the Wiimote like a madman will get results eventually, but is not the most efficient method to dispatching enemies this time around.

Dungeon Masta

It was hard to keep track of how many official dungeons were in this game, as much of the world below the clouds acts as one giant dungeon. You will constantly be tasked with solving various situations for each area to progress. It is as if getting to an actual dungeon in this game requires you to solve a dungeon.

The Legend of Zelda is infamous for dungeons that stick with you after completion. Though the initial batch are a bit lacking, some of the later dungeons are very well designed. There is a healthy mix of simple solutions and complex head scratchers. The satisfaction of solving a room and obtaining a needed item motivates you to press forward. You have the standard water, fire, sand temples but much have that needed twist to keep them unique. In the Lanayru Mining Facility you have crystals that open up bubbles in which time is altered to the past, and their use in puzzles and platforming is very intriguing.

As mentioned above, the enemies are much more challenging, but the bosses are much less so. Despite the enjoyable first boss, the rest ended up being quite simple. Many evolved into using complete pushovers, with a simple "stun them with the item you got" and "slash their face off while they are down" approach. To go from the superb boss battles of Twilight Princess to this feels like a bit of a downgrade. There are still some exceptions to this like Koloktos, in which you literally take off his arm and beat him to death with it. But of course, the final boss of the game proves a hefty challenge and was another big highlight of the combat.

Sky Hero Swag

Items in Zelda are always a treat, as each game in the franchise provide a unique arsenal to assist in combat and platforming. The most used in the early half of the game was the Beetle, a small projectile that you could fire and then steer around to cut down enemies or scout an area. With a few upgrades it became an efficient item for not only seeing what was ahead but assisting in solving puzzles as well. The Whip is another new addition, capable of producing a vine to swing on, pulling a far off switch, and even snagging an item from a guard. There are a few other interesting additions, with the return of the classic bombs, bows, and slingshot.

Zelda has always been much more action platformer than RPG, but a new upgrade system shifts the spectrum. Link can now upgrade his equipment using components that are found throughout the game. This became an addicting element, as components are plentiful in their discovery, whether found in a chest or dropped from an enemy. The lingering feeling of just needed a few more components to make your bow stronger is ever present, and you will find yourself going out of your way to gather what is needed.

If the main quest is getting you down, there is plenty of side content to pursue. The local townsfolk (all 12 of them?) have mishaps and troubles they could use assistance with and at varying times will signal for aid with a thought bubble above their heads. Most of it evolves into fetch quests, but the rewards are worth the effort. Aside from simple tasks are plenty of min-games, pieces of heart to track down, and Goddess Cubes in the world beneath the clouds that open up locked treasures above. It's a healthy mix of activities, and can be a welcome distraction from the main quest line. Just be prepared to do some traveling, as a warp system in this game is absent.

Overall

Skyward Sword was not the incredible thrill ride I expected, but one that keeps the formula interesting. Fetch quests and repeated visits to the same place over and over again will wear you down, but the intricate dungeon design and fresh take on combat will more than make up for it. It's not the holy grail of the franchise, but clocking in at around 40+ hours with a Master Quest replay, it is more than enough to hold you over until the next title.

A Look Back at Gaming 2011 - Pt.3

2011-11-30T13:14:00.001-08:00

September - Mid November

September

After a stunning teaser trailer left many fans in eager anticipation of a new big zombie game, and Dead Island delivered an open free roam zombie apocalypse game like no other. Featuring a skill tree to personalize your character, up to four players can fight with customizable weaponry and vehicle combat. Like a bad love child of Left 4 Dead and Oblivion, the game's RPG elements mixed well with the heavy emphasis on melee combat.

Warhammer 40K: Space Marine ditched the typical third person cover system and instead asked the player to charge in head first in this third person melee shooter. Taking place in the Warhammer 40k lore, you assume the role of ultramarine Captain Titus as he tosses Orcs in the air with each hit. When health dropped, performing executions boosted the health bar and got you back into the fight. The focus on running into the fire was something to adapt to, but proved an enjoyable alternative to the typical cover and run feel of third person games.

It was the highly anticipated Gears of War 3 that closed out the month of September. Continuing the exploits of Delta Squad, players fought off the Locust horde and the new glow induced Lambent forces to put an end to the war once and for all. Boasting the new Silverback mech, an improved Horde mode, and a refined multiplayer experience; there was something for everyone in this game. With continual "events" scheduled, it will surely be a game that is revisted time and time again. During its first week, Gears 3 made over 3 million in sales.

October

Following Shattered Dimensions, Spiderman: Edge of Time offered a unique twist to the Spiderman story. Using voice talent from the animated series, the story followed Spiderman's death by Anti-Venom, and Spiderman 2099's intervention. Though the gameplay did not vary from the typical beat em up formula, the story and voicework put it a notch above the typical comic book hero game.

RPG enthusiasts seeking brutal difficulty were gifted with Dark Souls. Featuring the difficulty the series is known for, adventurers once again died continuously in their determination to quell dragons, undead, and other monstrosities. Changes to the game include a single flask replacing the numerous potions, Bonfires that act as checkpoints but would respawn enemies, and a refined combat experience that rounded off an unforgetable and sometimes frustratingly enjoyable experience.

Rage provided FPS fans a new id Software title to tide them over. Taking place in a post-apocalyptic wasteland, players made use of a slew of weaponry and vehicles to survive the harsh factions claiming the land. The highest point of the game ended up being the sharp animation, and the intelligent AI that would result in a fast paced shootouts with unpredictable enemies.

For the die hard Battlefield fan base, Battlefield 3 became the must-own PC title. Featuring the new Frostbite 2 engine, the visual presentation was beyond anything seen before; with sharp character models and a level of destruction that was unmatched. The strong multiplayer fan base and 64 player servers will soon be treated with a Back to Karkand expansion pack. The game sold strong with over 5 million units moved within the first week.

The Dark Knight proved his worth once again this year, with Rocksteady's Batman: Arkham City. With a story by comic book writer Paul Dini, Batman fought his way through classic villains to uncover the latest plot by Joker and Hugo Strange in a city/prison full of criminals. The open world experience allowed players to stray from the main plot for additional missions, taking to the skies for their next destination. The small improvements worked wonders for the already stellar gameplay, and the inclusion of Catwoman and Robin kept the fights interesting. It quickly went on to sell 4.3 million units.

November (1-14)

Fans of Middle-Earth were treated to Lord of the Rings: War in the North. Alone or in co-operative play, players chose from one of three protagonists to quell the tides of enemies. Choosing from a mage, melee, or ranged character; players developed their skills and could even branch out to customize the character to the player's preferred play style. Coupled with special appearances by characters from the books, the game gave Tolkien fans something to keep them occupied until the next film.

November kicked off a slew of titles with a bang, as the highly awaited Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception was released. Nathan Drake continues his adventures with his usual cast of characters, in an interesting look at his relationships and drive. Not to disappoint, the presentation and feel was still as strong as ever with some truly jaw dropping set pieces to compliment the cover shooting. It has sold over 3.8 million copies worldwide.

The remakes also made an appearance this month. Goldeneye: Reloaded remastered the previous Wii title for the Xbox 360 and PS3. Featuring a new engine, achievements/trophies, and Mi6 Missions; it allowed other console owners the chance to be Bond once more.

Elder Scrolls: Skyrim gave RPG fans an adventure like no other. Boasting hours of gameplay and an expansive world to explore, Skyrim set players loose to create a character to their liking. With tons of options to create a hero tailored to the player's liking, there was no limit to the possible combinations in Skyrim; be it a stealthy rogue or dual casting mage. The unique experience for each player offered dungeons to explore, quests to complete, and a healthy supply of dragons to battle. In the first week of release, Bethesda estimated over 7 million copies of the game were shipped.

Call of Duty fanatics had something to be thankful for with the release of Modern Warfare 3, as it took the month by storm. Continuing the successful formula, players were once again treated to a stellar campaign in a World War 3 setting to close out the Price/Soap ordeal. Adding a co-op survival mode in addition to specs ops was just the cherry on top of the already established multiplayer. Competitive shooter junkies had more customization options, modes, and a new Elite service to further their passion for the game. Within 24 hours, the game sold 6.5 million copies in the US and UK alone and went on to make $400 million, making it the biggest entertainment launch of all time.

Part 1 - January - April

Part 2 - May - August

December Gaming Releases - Holiday Recovery

2011-11-28T06:47:00.001-08:00

Highlighted Release

Star Wars: The Old Republic
PC
Developer: Bioware
Publisher: EA/Lucasarts
Release Date: December 20th, 2011

After the destruction that was November, December may lack in number of releases but makes up for it with this title. Star Wars: The Old Republic has been teased for years now, and is one of the most anticipated MMOs to be released this year. It's a great game to close out 2011, and after spending time in the beta, I can safely say it is worth the wait. With an unmatched single player narrative, overall look, and atmosphere; the game is what every Star Wars fan loves about the universe.

*** If you wish to watch a trailer for the game, simply the click on the game cover art. Enjoy!***

Additional Titles

December 1st

December 4th

Assassin's Creed: Revelations - Requiescat in Pace

2011-11-16T10:42:00.001-08:00

Score: 8.5 / 10

Assassin's Creed: Revelations
PC - Xbox 360 - PS3
Developer: Ubisoft
Publisher: Ubisoft
Release Date: November 15th, 2011

Pros:

Hook Blade is a nice upgrade to combat and platforming
Slow-mo finishers are much more intense
Bomb crafting is diverse and a nice addition
Voice performances and soundtrack are top notch
Capture of the time period feels spot on

Cons:

Enemy AI is still a pushover
After four years, the general gameplay is wearing thin
The new tower defense game feels out of place
Assigning Assassins to tasks becomes tedious

Assassin's Creed has made its mark as a franchise on this generation of consoles, and improved with each installment. The infinite satisfaction of roaming an open city and stalking and assassinating a target has kept the series alive, coupled with a perfect capture of the time period. Revelations looks to put a close on the Ezio/Desmond/Altair saga and answer the many questions the previous games left in the open. While the typical formula has not changed drastically, there are plenty of surprises and incredible moments in Revelations to make it a fine close to the saga.

Nothing is True

Words cannot describe the unanswered questions following Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood. With one of the bigger cliffhangers of last year, the story picks up with Desmond in a coma that he must awaken from, now accompanied by the infamous Subject 16. The bulk of the story follows Ezio's last adventures as he seeks to uncover more of the truths left behind by Altair. There is also small segments of Altair's exploits with each artifact found by Ezio, divulging into his life as well. It's an inception inspired story within a story within a story, that is intriguing enough to provide closure. While a few questions remain unanswered, it's enough to provide some stirring emotions with the conclusion of Ezio and Altair's exploits.

The city of Constantinople acts as the hub world in which you establish your headquarters this time around. Much like previous games, the capture of the time period is perfect. The busy hustle and bustle of the city streets, the attire of the local pedestrians, and the detail of the famous architecture is astonishing. That special feeling of simply roaming around the city is not lost here, as the small details and atmosphere are truly incredible to behold.

Backed by a stellar voice cast with original dialogue, the game also features one of the most enjoyable original soundtracks of the series. Gripping ballads guide you as you leap across buildings, and a thunder of drums back every swing of your blade in combat. The presentation for Assassin Creed games have always been stellar, and even after four years it remains a big high point for the game.

Memoirs of Ezio

Gameplay for Assassin's Creed has not changed very much, and an annual release since the first installment has left the approach anticipated. You are plopped into the city and steadily guided to each main mission, with plenty of side content to distract you from the intended path. The missions this time around still contain a few tailing and crowd movement missions, but there are some true gems in the assassin tombs.

Platforming is key in getting around the city fast, and thanks to the new Hook Blade, it's easier than ever. You climb faster, can drop enemies faster, and even make use of the handy new ziplines to really get around town. The parkour is at its best on the various missions in the hidden tombs, offering some truly memorable set pieces and chases that dwindle all too soon.

Combat remains the same in timing your strikes and gaining kill streaks to quickly dispose of enemies. Though Ezio is well versed in combat by now, the game can become incredibly easy once you get a kill streak going. Though you have much at your disposal at this point, the core way to fight is to counter once attacked for an instant kill and chain your attacks from there. It's a familiar aspect of the game that did not get the attention it deserved.

You are still able to recruit your own crew of assassins, much like in Brotherhood. These useful new assassins will pop in to take out targets swiftly or rain down arrows onto a number of baddies. You can also send them out on various missions to purge the Templar threat across the globe, gaining currency and items from taken vistas. Unfortunately, they can take it back this time, meaning you must continually visit these hub stations to get your crew out in full force and tide the Templar invasions. It becomes much like feeding your SIM...tedious after the first few dozen times.

Everything is Permitted

The typical gameplay is all here, but three big additions stand out the most:

After clearing an area of Templar influence, you must also defend the area if you gain too much attention. This initiates a sort of tower defense game, in which you place certain classes in varying areas to hold back waves of troops; utilizing barricades, crossbows, and assassinations. It's an interesting addition, but feels incredibly out of place in this game. The constant fear of having to repeat the event made for continual bribes to speakers to keep my reputation down.

Bomb crafting adds more to Ezio's ridiculously large arsenal. With a slew of recipes at your disposal, you can create deadly poison bombs, tripwire bombs filled with lambs blood to stun enemies, and cherry bombs to distract guards and allowing you to sneak by. With hundreds of varying combinations, it is the most interesting and useful addition to the game that opens up new possibilities in approaching each situation. With the sheer number of troops in each mission, their use becomes very apparent after the first few missions.

Collecting Animus fragments around the city unlocks Desmond's Journey, a first person puzzle platformer. Almost akin to Portal, you traverse varying segments of a blocky world with only the ability to spawn geometry to get from point A to point B. Though the gameplay itself is pretty straightforward, the overall presentation of looking back on Desmond's life before the Abstergo incident of the first game is a treat and love letter to the fans.

Stab or be Stabbed

The multiplayer for Assassins Creed makes a return. The classic Wanted mode is back, offering contracts to players to hunt down and assassinate their target before being assassinated. It still evolves into a domino effect of stabs, but is just as mindlessly fun as the previous installment. Higher levels have a slight advantage over the new players, with much more at their disposal than a typical player.

Some new modes make an appearance. Capture the Flag has been added to mix up the typical Wanted modes, but Deathmatch proved the most intriguing. There is no compass pointing toward your target, but instead there is a box in the top right of the screen where your current target is displayed, which glows blue when you enter the line of sight of your target. There is also Simple Deathmatch, which also removes the abilities and perks from the players.

It's still an enjoyable mode often involving into hilarity as the stab train occurs over your corpse, but it still is not enough to make you drop the bigger multiplayer titles.

Overall

As far as a final installment in Ezio's journey, Revelations left me wanting a little more than what was offered. Fans of the series will feel right at home and the presentation of the game is just as stellar as its always been. It's a nice close to Ezio's journey, and a welcome finish to the series.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - Viking Victory

2011-11-08T07:32:00.000-08:00

Score: 9.5 / 10
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
PC - PS3 - Xbox 360
Developer: Bethesda
Publisher: Bethesda
Release Date: November 11, 2011

Pros:

Visually, locations are rich and outstanding to behold
The sheer scope of the game is incredible
Unique adventure for every player
Reworked magic and leveling is easy to grasp
Dragon battles are a unique experience

Cons:

Combat feels sluggish and dated at times
Enemy and Friendly AI have trouble finding paths

If there is one franchise that screams RPG, it's the Elder Scrolls. Ever since Morrowind, the game has been all about freedom of choice and shaping the main story to your preferred style of play. Whether you wish to become the stealthy archer or majestic mage, your preference makes this single player experience tailored to your ideal adventure. This is no different in Skyrim, in which the sheer scope and satisfaction of the game is beyond any RPG out there.

Sunny Skyrim

You are flung into the game as a prisoner, much like the previous installment. Just as you are about to be executed, a dragon appears to the surprise of all the villagers and you escape confinement. Through the main quest line, you investigate the reason behind the dragon's sudden appearance in the world, and how your own destiny intertwines. It's a classic tale of adventure, with a hero rising up against a dark force, reinforced by a hefty lore depicted in character interaction and literature that makes Skyrim a world all its own.

It's when the leash comes off that the game showcases its greatest feature; an open world daring you to explore every crevice. The sheer size and amount to do in this game is incredible. Practically ever villager has something to say or a task for you to complete. The quest log I had quickly filled up with each new area, to the point of becoming overwhelmed with the tasks at hand. Even players wanting to skimp on the main quest line can ignore it completely to just run around with a sword in hand.

You can embark on a sub-quest, run through a local dungeon, create armor and weapons, reinforce armor and weapons, produce potions, enchant weapons, and so much more. Bethesda has created a living breathing world, and you are just a small entity of it. As far as a game with the most bang for your buck, Skyrim is unmatched.

Your Own Viking

In addition to having an entire world at your disposal, the character creation in the game personalizes each experience. You choose a race ranging from Orc, to Nord, to Elf and everything in between. In addition to a race, there are the typical alterations that can be made to perfect the look of your character. The possibilities are endless, as you could put your own physical appearance onto any character model.

The biggest appeal of Skyrim lays in evolving your character from a soldier with tin cans for armor into the shiniest beacon of awesome in your perception possible. With each dungeon or mission completed, you are bound to find a new piece of equipment to replace your existing setup. The feeling of satisfaction as you pan the camera around to observe your character's look is never fleeting, as a brand new shiny piece of armor is right around the corner.

In addition to a unique look is the unique experience. Some players may wish to continue the main story, the outcomes can be so different that you may use a different method of getting there than another player. Some may wish to skimp on story and run around the wilderness, exploring caves and dungeons at their leisure. Others may grab the nearest broom and start whacking every chicken they can find in a village. Skyrim allows you to play out the game however you wish, and with so many classes and places to explore; no two individuals will have the same experience in Skyrim.

Fight with Honor

Combat in the game works best from the first person perspective. Depending on how you develop your character, the approach to each fight can vary. Stealthy classes will stick to the shadows and strike for extra damage. Melee combat will charge in with the typical block and counter attack technique. Spell casters will usually end up prepping with buff spells and then unleashing devastation.

Every action you invest in, including the armor you wear, adds up in that particular skill. A skill tree allows you to divulge with each level into whatever you wish to become adept in using in combat. No one tree is more powerful than the other, and the list of hybrid possibilities is immense. You can spend points in Archery and Destruction magic, making you a force to be reckoned with from afar, or Heavy Armor and Blocking to become an unstoppable tank.

You spend one perk per level for one of the three main bars on the interface: Magic, Health, and Stamina. Spell casters will choose heavily to increase their magic bar and allow more spells, health becomes a standard for all classes, and stamina becomes useful for melee lunges and blocking. It's a simpler alternative to upgrading individual skills such as Dexterity and Strength, and results in quicker decision making to get right back into the fight.

Do Not Feed the Giants

Do not get me wrong, Skyrim is a fantastic game that is well worth any fantasy buff's time. However, the game had a few quirks that held it back from perfection.

The AI has not gotten an upgrade from Oblivion, and it's painfully obvious as you watch them try to make their way to you. Followers and companions will often get hung up on rocks or a fairly large twig, and even enemies get tied up in their pursuit of you. I even watched a companion stand perfectly still as he was chopped by skeletons.

Combat has some fairly nice touches to it, but can evolve into backpedaling and firing off spells and arrows. Not to mention the melee combat, despite some satisfying finishers, leaves a little more visual appeal to be desired. Oftentimes full lunges will end up going right past the intended target. With multiple enemies in melee range, it can be difficult to pick certain targets, and more often than not you smack your friend in the back instead of the enemy.

Despite a generally fair difficulty, there were the occasional moments where you feel you rolled the unlucky dice in your journey. Giants are immediately labeled as a "stay the away from me or go flying 500 feet in the air" enemy, but end up being on your path to a new objective more often than they should early in the game. The occasional roadside encounter varies greatly, sometime being a single thief and other times a well trained mage that can put you down in seconds. Not only does it act as a constant gear check, but a lesson in humility.

Overall

Skyrim is one of the best RPGs to grace a console in a long time, and with the hours of content available, offers a huge world to play around in. It is one of the few games that has captured a battle with a dragon in a way unlike any other. The small nuances can be overlooked to see the unique adventure that lies below it, and with hours of content at your disposal, it's an adventure that can last a lifetime.

Modern Warfare 3 Review - If it Ain't Broke

2011-11-08T07:23:00.000-08:00

Score : 8.75 / 10

Modern Warfare 3
PC - Xbox 360 - PS3 - Wii - Nintendo DS
Developer: Infinity Ward/Sledgehammer/Raven
Publisher: Activision
Release Date: November 8, 2011

Pros:

Another stellar single player experience
No matter your play preference, there is something for everyone
A perfected multiplayer interface and layout
Survival mode adds an enjoyable co-op experience
Slew of customization and options in Multiplayer

Cons:

System shows its age at certain points
Killstreaks turn multiplayer into air raid zones
Grenade indicators depict direction but not distance
Locks are placed on certain game modes until "x" level is gained

A recent comment on a blog post put it best when they called Call of Duty the beer pong of first person shooters. It can be a drunken, bro-fueled, adrenaline induced experience that can be sloppy, but incredibly fun. Modern Warfare 3 has gotten a lot of flack after the big Infinity Ward/Activision dispute over the last installment. With a slew of military shooters on the market and an aged system, Modern Warfare 3 still manages to deliver a solid experience for single, co-op, and multiplayer enthusiasts alike.

We're Oscar Mike!

Continuing the story of the previous game, Modern Warfare 3 picks up the story with the Russian invasion of the United States. Captain Price is still on the run, Makarov is still being hunted for his crimes, and Soap is still recovering from his battle wounds. You switch roles between soliders of varying factions, each giving a different perspective of the war. Needless to say I was confused at the start as to what was going on, as a summation of previous events only occurs in flashes. It boils down to go here, shoot those guys, and aw crap we missed our chance at capturing *insert terrorist name here* again. The familiarity of Price and Soap helps, as players investing so much into those characters from previous games will finally see their story play out.

The campaign, despite an aged system, still manages to deliver a lot of wow factor. Set pieces are akin to a Michael Bay film, some of which are so over the top that you can't help but laugh. Much like the previous games, there are so many high points that it never becomes stale. Clocking in at only 5 hours the campaign does not overstay its welcome, and in fact felt like it left the party an hour early.

The overall look and feel of the single player experience is impressive. Firefights are enjoyable, and enough variation is introduced with new gadgets and sequences to keep it from becoming a mere shooting gallery. Stellar voice performances are backed by a stunning original soundtrack, that captures a very movie-esque feel. If you enter Modern Warfare 3 alone, the campaign is a roller coaster ride you won't soon forget.

Something Special Ops

If co-op is more your speed, look no further than the Spec Ops mode. You and a friend must complete various objectives and are given a series of stars based on your performance. Though less missions than the previous game, there is plenty of incentive to play and the feeling of satisfaction when a mission is three-starred is not lost. There is plenty of variation in the missions with training room runs, airplane shootouts, and other incredibly fun segments that are a blast to play through.

A new Survival mode has also been included. Acting as a sort of Horde mode, the Survival mode pits one or two players against endless waves of AI baddies. In this mode, you earn cash for weapons, upgrades, ammo, or even air strikes. It's an interesting addition, and mindless fun that can be played on every single map. Boasting its own level progression system, the more you play, the more impressive air support or weapon mods you can obtain. Out of all the new features introduced, it ranks as one of the best new modes of play.

Multi-Playa

Modern Warfare is known for having stellar multiplayer, and such is the case with the latest installment. There are a slew of game modes and maps at your disposal, offering hours of high octane shooter action. New game modes that make their appearance include "Kill Confirmed" in which you collect dog tags after each kill to score points, but risk poking your head out. "Team Defender" involves a team holding a flag for double points with each kill. It's a refreshing change of pace from the typical deathmatch and capture point games.

Switching gears from previous games, Killstreaks are now referred to as "Point Streaks", and kills are no longer the basis for their appearance. Pointstreaks are now also split into various packages: Assault, Support, and Specialist. These vary in rewards, with Assault offering predator drones and air strikes, and support offering UAV and SAM turrets. Though it is understandable on the purpose of switching these streaks up, the game can still evolve into a carpet bombing explosive war ground.

There are a ton of options to choose from in customizing your loadout. Weapons can now possess dual scopes, capable of switching range on-the-fly to take out enemies close or at a distance. Primary weapons now level up with the player, and unlock proficiency perks. There is also a new Prestige store to buy exclusive features like double XP. There are so many options at this point, that the menu can become overwhelming with perks, attachments, and modifiers; all with little suggestion or guidance in their implementation.

Stat Tracker

Call of Duty Elite is the new service that offers stat tracking and other various options. While the free version mainly tracks stats and allow some social networking options, there is a premium version for fifty bucks. Besides some information that can be gathered by other free sources, there are competitions that offer real life prizes, the ability to level your clan, and exclusive access to DLC. It's an interesting feature that die hards are sure to enjoy.

Modern Warfare 3 skimps on innovation for the familiarity that has existed since the first installment. There are times when the engine shows its age, with even the death animations giving off a sense of deja vu. Familiar scenes in the campaign of helicopter crashes and character deaths have less of an impact this time around. Grenade indicators give off a sense of direction, but fail to tell you the distance they are from your feet leading to many deaths in multiplayer and single player alike.

The online community is what you would come to expect; ruthless and well-versed in the game. Luckily, there is a Mercenary playlist to alleviate some of your pains, forcing parties apart for a mixed group of individuals. The lock-out of create a class until level 4 is disheartening, and no matter the default loadout you choose, you can't help but feel somewhat cheated as a high level Prestige wipes the floor with his advanced gadgets. Even some of the playlists are completely locked out until the 20th level. These roadblocks kept me from getting as hooked on the mutliplayer as I was in previous installments.

Overall

If you are expecting a new beacon of gameplay, look elsewhere. If you loved the previous games however, this is right up your alley. The campaign is still a blast to play, and each mode has gotten a tune-up to become something great. Though the engine is a bit dated, it ages like a fine wine that someone accidentally dropped the cork into...

A Look Back at Gaming 2011 - Pt.2

2011-11-06T17:37:00.000-08:00

May-August

May

May played host to a handful of great titles. DiRT 3 returned to bring the rally racer back into the lime light. A new mode called gymkhana consist of obstacle courses in which the player must perform various tricks to earn points. The gameplay and overall look of the game were praised, as well as its ability to upload replay clips directly to Youtube.

RPG fans were in for a treat with The Witcher 2: Assassin of Kings. Bringing forth a more challenging hack and slash experience, Witcher 2 offered a rich and lush world filled with epic battles and hours of side content. Not only did the game play well, but was a visual marvel with its lush environments and character models. The games developer has even addressed most of the complaints of the game with a patch including a tutorial and arena mode.

The month was overtaken by LA Noire. This free roam detective game had players running around 1947 L.A, jumping from traffic cop cases to homicide to solve murders. The biggest distinction was the new facial recognition used to track the voice actor's expressions, which played a huge part in the interrogation sequences. LA Noire received overly positive reviews, and word of mouth led it to sell over 4 million units.

June

After spending years in developer hands, Duke Nukem: Forever was finally released.Gearbox took the helm in bringing back the humorous hero Duke Nukem, as he once again defends the world from an alien threat. Subtle touches like replacing the health bar with an "ego bar" were the little things that made the game enjoyable. However, it was received negatively by critics, citing the dated game play and long load times.

The fourth installment of the Red Faction series made its debut, with Red Faction: Armageddon. Keeping true to the series, the environments were fully destructible and visual eye candy as they collapsed with each big explosion. There was a great arsenal of weapons to choose from, including one of the best weapons ever included in a game; a unicorn that farts rainbows.

F.3.A.R. continued the series known elements, allowing you to play as either Paxton Fettel or Point Man; each with varying play styles. While the campaign left a bit to be desired, the multiplayer shone through, containing a mode simply dubbed "F***ing Run", in which you fight your way through baddies while running from Alma's Wall of Death.

Shadows of the Damned was a new IP that featured a unique environment for a third person shooter. Garcia pursues the lord of demons known as Fleming, using his trusty sidearm "Johnson". Johnson switched between a pistol, automatic rifle, and shotgun; culminating in solving puzzles to eliminate darkness from various rooms. The challenging boss fights and varying gameplay held many gamer's interest, and it was perceived as another great new IP to round out June.

This month held many titles, but none more anticipated than Infamous 2. Players once again took control of Cole Mcgrath as he set out to hold off the impending "Beast" from destroying the world. Giving the same free roam superhero feel of the first game, Cole's arsenal was expanded based on morality, with ice augmentations for morally good players and fire augmentations for morally evil. The game also included a create your own mission mode, that gave players the tools to share their created mission.

July

July was a slow month, but not for the Arcade titles that swept across the interwebs.

From Dust allowed players to act as a tribal deity, paving the way for your followers to survive the harsh elements of the new world and cultivate a civilization. The physics and visual appeal of the game were stunning for an arcade title, and the multiple side objectives and challenge maps gave it plenty of life beyond the single player experience.

Ms. Splosion Man continued the fun of the Twisted Pixel simple platformer. Featuring a continued co-op mode and new features like the voluptuous "Mandy" bot, the game was as enjoyable in the single player as it was in the multiplayer.

For non-arcade fans, there was the release of Catherine. Players took control of Vincent, who during the day must keep a handle on his relationship and at night he must escape his nightmares in a puzzle platformer. Choices made affect the development of Vincent and story route, offering multiple scenarios that can play out.

If there was one arcade title that became a must-play, it was Bastion. The action/RPG took place after an even dubbed "The Calamity", and your actions are guided by an ominous narrator. The incredible presentation, enjoyable gameplay, and unique soundtrack combined to form one of the best Arcade titles to ever grace a console.

August

The calm before the storm, August gave a breather before the downpour of games, but still held a few gems of its own.

A new third person adventure game, El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron had art fanatics in a stir. The cel shaded visuals of the game were jaw dropping, as the color wheel was showcased as you progressed to each level. Coupled with the unique look was a satisfying combat system that was both challenging, and easy to pick up without growing stale.

Deus Ex: Human Revolution highlighted the month, acting as a prologue to the critically acclaimed PC series. As Adam Jensen, the game gave host to a slew of gameplay varieties; featuring third person cover shoot outs, social dialogue, hacking, and stealth. Each room was a veritable sandbox, as you could approach it however you desired; guns blazing or the stealthy spy. Deus Ex has shipped over two million units as of September.

Part 1 - January - April

Uncharted 3 Review - Adventure Awaits

2011-11-05T09:12:00.000-07:00

Score: 9.25 / 10
Uncharted 3
PS3
Developer: Naughty Dog
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Release Date: November 1, 2011

Pros:

Mocap and voice performance unlike any other title
Engrossing visuals and set pieces
Enjoyable platforming and shooting segments
Multiplayer offers a slew of options for any type of gamer
Slew of unlockables keep you coming back

Cons:

Some elements mirror Uncharted 2 in far too many ways
Friendly AI is more than useless in contrast to the aggressive enemy AI
Trial and error platforming can put a halt to some segments

Uncharted is a series that you bring with you if you were stuck on a desert island...granted, if there were electricity and HD TV on a desert island. Regardless, the series has always been akin to playing out an Indiana Jones action film. With an always stunning voice cast and even more satisfying gameplay, Uncharted 2 was critically acclaimed and snatched up Game of the Year awards left and right. The third installment is stuck in Uncharted 2's shadow, but still manages to deliver a solid experience unlike any other.

Film Meets Fandom

Uncharted's story continues the adventures of Nathan Drake. With his friend Sully and the usual cast of characters, he sets off to discover an ancient 16th century treasure, but he ends up being pulled in to an even bigger mystery centering around the ring he wears around his neck. The game dives into multiple storylines...maybe too many. His relationship with Elena, his working with Chloe again, and his background into Sully are delved into with little resolution. The plot is all over the place, but nothing so mind numbing that you fail to ignore the big picture.

Though you may be confused at times, the performances and presentation are unmatched. Visually stunning set pieces are right around every corner, with vivid lighting and textures that are jaw dropping. Nathan Fillion, Emily Rose, and Richard McGonagle are just a few of the cast that deliver flawless performances with each quip and comeback, complimented by their mocap work that breathes life into the game. Coupled with perfect camera placement and a movie quality original soundtrack, the aesthetic appeal of Uncharted is unmatched and one of the strongest features the game possesses.

It's the minor details that the game pays attention to that really bring it life. Drake places a hand on a wall as he sweeps near it, water in a swaying cruise ship sloshes back and forth, and even subtle footprints left behind in the sand are the polish the series is known for, and it is very much present in this game.

Single Playa

Uncharted is known for a stellar campaign, and the third installment is no different. The gameplay varies between platforming, puzzles, and cover based shoot outs. The constant shuffle and added variables keep the game fresh and exciting, as there is something new around each corner that keeps you guessing.

Much like the previous installments there are moments in that game that are so incredible that you wish to replay them immediately. A particular level has you trying to escape a burning chateau, fighting off baddies as you watch flame consume the walls around you. The highlight of the game had to be the cruise ship, in which you could actively view the entire ship flooding before your eyes. These moments were not only technical marvels, but incredibly fun and satisfying moments.

Then there is the undeniable truth; the campaign never really surpasses Uncharted 2's stellar single player. Many elements of the game are cut and paste mimics of the second installment, including another convoy chase, another lost city, and another similar stealth mission. Though some of the highlights mentioned above were enjoyable, only the latter half of the game really captured that Uncharted series feel. The new melee system is great, but overused; to the point of engaging a brute almost every chapter in a one on one fisticuffs. The overall pacing and feel of the game was not the caliber of previous title, and the difficulty fluctuates from being simple to overly challenging, even on normal.

Do not get me wrong, I really enjoyed the campaign for Uncharted 3 as expected, but when compared to the perfect fluidity and simplicity of the second installment it feels like a step back.

What are Friends for?

While the campaign seemed alright, the multiplayer has gotten an overhaul. Complete with new customization, co-op options, and slew of unlocks; there is something for everyone in this mode.

Competitive multiplayer modes range from the classic Team Deathmatch, to a Capture the Flag inspired Plunder mode, and King of the Hill; all of which are a blast to play. Loadouts can be chosen and changed on respawn to keep your favorite weapons at hand. It's the maps that steal the show, with some transforming from chase scenes to airstrips or the burning chateau slowly transforming an environment. No matter the mode, it's a blast to play.

The most interesting addition is the new "Power Play" feature. During the game the winning team will suddenly gain a disadvantage, and must work through it to fend off the trailing team. Such instances as marking the most advantageous player for all to see, or making the winning team see nothing but skeletons and turning friendly fire on are interesting ways to keep games close. It also prevents blowouts, as most games will be much closer in end-game scores because of the alteration. It isn't on every mode, but is a fun feature of the online multiplayer.

For the co-op crowd there are a few options to choose from. There is a co-op arena, similar to horde mode where three players fend off a number of baddies. Co-op hunter mode has teams face off against each other with NPCs halting your attempt at various objectives. Co-op adventure mode is also available, but nowhere near the fun of the previous game. Though it still contains some scripted events, each section evolves into entering a room and holding off waves of bullet sponge bad guys.

Cash Money

Included with the multiplayer is a new customization and economy. Each match will award a certain amount of cash. This can be used to unlock various characters, perks, and weapon upgrades. Like most games, this of course gives vets the advantage against any new players, especially considering how expensive each upgrade and unlock costs.

No matter the mode you play on, you have the potential to also collect treasure. Random occurrences specific to the player will allow you to grab treasure pieces to complete sets. Completing sets unlocks additional items for customization. It's a neat incentive to keep playing and try all the modes, as some treasure only appears in certain game types.

Coupled with the hidden treasure of the single player, there is plenty of incentive to keep playing after completing the game itself.

Overall

Though it is not the sequel I had imagined, Uncharted 3 is still a solid entry in the franchise.It's filled with incredible set pieces, an enjoyable story, and some of the best visual presentation to grace the PS3.

Battlefield 3 Review - What is it Good For?

2011-11-01T06:32:00.000-07:00

Score: 9 / 10

Battlefield 3
PC- Xbox 360 - PS3
Developer: EA Digital Illusions
Publisher: EA
Release Date: October 25th, 2011

Pros:

Possibly the best looking game to ever grace a system
Fantastic sound design
Jaw dropping set pieces
A stand out, enjoyable multiplayer

Cons:

Campaign story and characters fail to hold interest
Single player is littered with scripted events
Few squad management and other start up issues

Battlefield has always been about full-scale war, and done it well. The necessity of teamwork, the scale of skirmishes, and the destructive capabilities of leveling entire buildings round out one of the best online experiences you can have with a shooter. Battlefield 3's showcase at E3 blew everyone away, with a new look and promise of a shooter unlike any other. Debuting with the new Frostbyte 2 Engine, Battlefield 3 is yet another incredible shooter for multiplayer fanatics and provides an experience not soon forgotten.

Beauty in the Battlefield

Watch any video of this game, and within the first few seconds you will see the biggest appeal. For PC owners, this is possibly the greatest looking game ever created. The new Frostbite engine shines true as rays of sunlight peek through openings, glass is shattered and spread across the ground, or trees sway as the shot from a cannon resonates through the field. There are some stunning sights to behold in this game, and the sharp character animation and impeccable sound design only enhance the setting.

If there is one thing EA manages to get right every time it's sound design. That simple, looked over feature that really brings a game to life. Every shot that leaves the muzzle makes an impact on your subwoofer, like a symphony of bullet shells that becomes music to your ears. The whiz of bullets over your head, the rapid tapping of fire at your cover, or distance sound of an impending battle makes this game appealing in both sight and sound.

As far as presentation comes, the game is unmatched. It is the one military shooter that comes closest to the ambiance of a war. With some jaw dropping visuals on the PC, it is hard not to appreciate the detail that went into this game. The glare of sunlight, the shimmering water as it moves down a stream, and the detailed character models all combine to convince any player to stop and take it all in before running into the battle.
Solo Soldier

The campaign for the game plays out the story of a soldier's interrogation. While the information is unclear, you delve into his memories of the skirmishes that have led to his incarceration. If it sounds familiar...that's because it very much is. The plot fails to really takeoff until the later levels, and until then leaves you confused at who these people are and what you are even doing.

There are some truly shining moments in the campaign that stick with you well after they are through. One of the highlights had to be hopping into the back of a fighter jet and taking off from a battleship. The feeling of taking off was so well done that I actually tensed up a bit as we shot off into the air. There is also a level where you roll out with an assembly of tanks, kicking up dust as you fire each shot.

While there are some great moments, the campaign ended up falling flat. It evolved into, "look how pretty our game is", and did not focus on making the actual gameplay as enjoyable. While it is a great game to watch, popping from skirmish to skirmish left me wanting more from the game. Scripted events pop up far more often than they need to, hindering your progress as you wait for the AI to open doors for you as if you were their prom date. There are even "out of bounds" segments that kill any immersion the game puts in place by killing you if you do not return in a certain amount of time.

Oorah

Though single player left me wanting more, multiplayer more than made up for it. Battlefield offers up to 64 players to duke it out over a slew of maps. At fewer numbers they are tailored to be quick skirmish sites, but at full capacity are massive in scale. Maps can vary from close quarters action to giant battlefields that require a few minutes drive to get from point to point. Some include fighter jets, some include tanks, some do not even possess vehicles.

Battlefield has been all about team play, and it is no different in this installment. The four classes (Assault, Support, Engineer, and Recon) all work in a single cohesion that further supports communication and teamwork. The single-soldier run and gun is only so powerful in this game, and it's that sense of camaraderie that really makes the multiplayer stand out. The more you help out your squad the more points you are rewarded. The lone wolf will find the game far more difficult.

The arsenal of weaponry is as much a variety as you care to possess. Automatic, heavy machine guns, or a trusty sniper rifle are all here and can be tailored to personal preference. As you gain more experience, tactical flashlights or red dot sights unlock that make your weapon more efficient. While the starting arsenal is very disappointing, as you progress you will steadily unlock a slew of weaponry to pave your way to victory. Just expect a steep "learning curve" as other players with much better equipment brush you to the side.

Squads still act as the highlight feature. You will be automatically assigned to a squad of four people, and are expected to work together with them. You have the ability to spawn on them, and are awarded extra points for healing or supporting them rather than another random teammate. This encouraged teamwork works well in keeping you from straying too far from your buddies.
The standard modes are all here. Team Deathmatch, Rush, and Conquest fill out the list of the most popular modes. Conquest proves the most enjoyable, especially on the larger maps as you rush to capture each point. Regardless of the mode, the first team to run out of "tickets" loses. Dying loses a ticket each turn, and failure to keep more than half the points on the map can bleed out tickets. It's a system that has stood the test of time, and keeps battles from drawing out into stalemates.

Battle Browser

The oddest feature the game possesses is the browser based menu. On PC the game launches from an internet browser. This page acts like a Facebook for the game, continually tracking your friends and your own accomplishments in the game. It also keeps a detailed list of past servers, performance statistics, and much more.

It's an organized and interesting method of keeping everything in one central hub. You still must launch the actual game to change most settings like key bindings or aspect ratio, but overall it still works. The biggest issue thus far is joining a game with friends. We had a group of four attempt to join multiple servers to no avail, as someone almost always ended up being left behind, on a different squad, or launching campaign instead. It's a rough start, but will be fixed with numerous patches along the way.

Overall

Though the single player experience left a lot to be desired, the overall look and feel of the game is unmatched. The multiplayer stands out among the shooter market, and holds an incredible promise for expansions to come. There is no experience quite like it, and if you are playing on the PC it is that much better.

November Gaming Releases - A Feast of Franchises

2011-10-29T12:25:00.000-07:00

Highlighted Release

Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Wii
Developer: Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo
Release Date: November 20th

This month is going to be a huge one for gaming. Sifting through the gems of titles that will be released, it was hard to pick just one to highlight. However, with the flood of sequels the one franchise that never disappoints is Legend of Zelda. The new look and feel of the game looks promising, as Wii Motion Plus will enhance the experience enough to differentiate it from Twilight Princess. Complete with a new crafting system, new dungeons, and the same great Zelda elements we have come to love, this will be a title that no fan should pass up.

*** If you wish to watch a trailer for the game, simply the click on the game cover art. Enjoy!***

Additional Titles

November 1st

November 8th

November 11th

November 15th

Dance Central 2 Review - Pump Up the Jams

2011-10-28T06:47:00.000-07:00

Score: 8.25 / 10

Dance Central 2
Xbox 360 Kinect
Developer: Harmonix
Publisher: Harmonix
Release Date: October 25th, 2011

Pros:

New options in Break it Down mode help in perfecting moves
Choreography is both challenging and welcoming to newcomers
Ability to jump in or out of a song at any time for two players
Voice recognition makes navigation much easier

Cons:

Online still very much absent besides leaderboards
Slight cost to transfer DC1 songs over
Campaign mode seems tacked on

Dance Central is one of those guilty pleasure games. The one you swear you only play with your little nephews, when in actuality you five starred every song on Hard....alright well that's more centered toward my experience. Love it or hate it, Dance Central is the best running franchise on the Kinect, and possibly the best use of the hardware. With the influx of dance games on the market, the first installment stood above the rest with its stellar choreography, set list, and simplicity to get even the most rhythmically challenged individual on their feet. The second installment is a slight improvement, providing the familiar "one more song" feel.

Dance, Sucka!

Dance Central is easy to understand, and simpler to get into. You simply mimic the avatar on screen, using flashcards that highlight key parts of the body involved with a move. These are strung together to form a routine, which you are evaluated on by your body placement. Red highlights over certain areas allow the game to give active feedback and for you to adjust accordingly. It's the same system the first game used, and it still holds up fairly well. Though the Kinect hardware reads the moves well enough, the game is a little too lenient on awarding some moves. There were times when the avatar would go crazy, and I would move an arm or leg two inches and still have it count. Mind you, these are seldom occurrences, and the routines are much more enjoyable to perform this time around, even on Easy mode.

For the single player mode, there is a "crew challenge". Essentially it is you trying to prove yourself to local crews, but in reality it is simply the same play list you can go through if you just hop into dance mode. There is no real story, no character customization, no real incentive at all. This seems like a disappointment, considering this is the same company that provided the enjoyable single player for Rock Band.
The set list this time around contains various artists that range from Nikki Minaj, to Rihanna, to Daft Punk. There is something for everyone on the list, and the variety insures you will find a favorite track among the ones presented. While the diversity of tracks is a little more modern this time around, it's enough to satisfy. Luckily, all of them come unlocked if you wish to hop right into the routine of your favorite on the list.

It Takes Two

The focus of two players is very obviously shoved in your face as each avatar crew consists of two people, but it is an area that is greatly improved. Two people can now do the same routine at the same time, whether competitive or co-operative. A new interesting feature is the ability of the second person to hop in or out at any time, so if one person suffers a hernia they can leave and not affect your performance further.

While the cooperative just allows two to dance at once, it is the competitive mode that truly shines. Battle mode pits player against player, tallying scores and moves. The infamous "freestyle" breaks have been replaced with a lottery wheel of moves plucked from the song. The first to perform the shuffle of moves on screen will get additional points. This makes it any one's game, as some are worth more points than others and its first come, first serve. There are also breaks in the song where the game focuses on one person's performance for a certain section. It is a refined mode that promises hours of comebacks and spotlight steals.

Break it Down for Me

Practicing for a routine is key on the later songs as Hard mode has some more complicated choreography, granting the purpose of Break it Down mode. This allows you to take the routine move by move and perfect the look. You have the ability to slow the move down to really make sure you are hitting it correctly, and the game will actually test you three times to make sure you have it down.

The new features to Break it Down are incredibly helpful. You have the ability to record yourself performing the move and compare it to the avatar on screen, possibly the best use ever to compare leg and arm placement. There is also voice integration that makes it easy to replay, speed up, or slow down a move to practice. Before you even begin, you can concentrate on a certain set of moves and create a playlist of the ones giving you trouble to practice.

It is the most useful mode to improve your performance, and the best upgrade the game has gotten.
I Got a Fever

Besides the basics of Break it Down, there are other additional options at your disposal. Playlists allow you to conjure together your favorite songs of the bunch to play in succession. Capping out at 20, you no longer need to navigate the menus as often to search for the ones you enjoy dancing to the most. Voice recognition even allows everything to be hands free if you simply want to jump right in, by saying the song title, difficulty, and play mode instantly.

There is even the return of Fitness mode. This healthy-minded option will count how many calories you burn while playing the game. This way, you can push yourself to pass out on "Baby Got Back" and feel good about yourself afterword.
With the improvements also come the disappointments. Once you play through the Crew Challenge, that is the extent of unlockable content...new crews. The possibility of dance crew creation and an in-game economy could have extended single player immensely. You can transfer your songs from the first game to the second game, though the small five buck fee is a slight irritation. Though the flash cards describe the movements decent enough for the lower difficulties, Hard mode still requires frequent visits to Break it Down mode.

Overall

While the overall game is a blast, there was not enough new content to truly blow me away. Sure the new improvements make it superior to the first, but that's where it stops. There are plenty of songs to perfect and with DLC on the way, the library can only get bigger. In the never ending line of dance games that are flooding the market, Dance Central 2 still stands out among the rest as the most enjoyable experience.

Batman: Arkham City Review - City of Chaos

2011-10-24T07:19:00.000-07:00

Score : 9.75 / 10

Batman: Arkham City
PS3 - Xbox 360 - PC - Wii U (Soon)
Developer: Rocksteady Studios
Publisher: Warner Brothers Interactive
Release Date: October 18th, 2011

Pros:

Combat is as fluid, and satisfying as ever
Open world gives new freedom to the game
Sharp visuals and animation
Loads of side content worth investing time to explore
Voice cast that amplifies the story

Cons:

Characters like Robin and Catwoman are stuck as DLC
Slew of gadgets can become cumbersome

Superhero games have always led to disappointment in the past, with the main issue being the inability to capture what makes the comic book heroes so great. Batman: Arkham Asylum changed all of that, when Rocksteady Studios took the license and completely changed the game. Blending together everything that makes Batman the hero that he is, Askham Asylum came as a huge surprise to the gaming community when its incredibly satisfying gameplay and story combined to make an unforgettable experience. After being teased over and over with stills and thirty second trailers, the next installment is finally here. Batman: Arkham City perfects the previous formula, creating an incredible experience that is a love letter to fans and gamers alike.

City of Confinement

Arkham Asylum's darker take on the Batman license is alive and well, and that much is obvious from the first five minutes of the game. Bruce Wayne is kidnapped and thrown into Arkham City, an enclosed prison of miscreants and criminals. Donning his cowl and arming himself, Batman must dig into the heart of the city to uncover the truth behind its purpose. It is a story of intrigue, and one that holds your attention throughout. Sure the game depicts the struggle with your usual cast of Batman bad guys, but the heavy toll of handling all the anarchy is much more apparent compared to the calm, collective hero we saw in the previous game. It's a much darker, more interesting story this time around.

The second you grapple to a rooftop and fly around the city skies the change from the original game becomes obvious. Gone are the confining hallways, and in its place stand towering skyscrapers, shimmering bays, and open skies. It has the same effect that an open world Spider-Man game possesses in giving freedom to simply zoom around the city. The detailed textures of the world and characters alike are a joy to behold. Subtle features such as Batman's cape physics and the looming bat signal guiding you to your next objective make the game veritable eye candy.

The return of classic Batman villains with their respective voice talent are a welcome treat. Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill are incredible in their performances as usual, and further supported by Troy Baker (Two-Face), Grey DeLisle (Catwoman), and Nolan North (The Penguin). Even the soundtrack exemplifies the early Batman films from the Tim Burton era. The game is a true love letter for any fan of Batman media; be it the films or the comic books, there is something here to tug at your nerdy heartstrings.

Bat Brawl

Much like the previous installment, the game shuffles between exploration, combat, and stealth. The healthy balance keeps things interesting, and just when you think you have the hang of things a new gadget or enemy is thrown in to keep the game from becoming stale.

Combat remains the fast-paced one-button brawler that makes even the simplest move evolve into a fury of fists. Split-second decision making about which gadget to use, when to counter, and how to react are easy to pick up and difficult to master. Fighting twenty foes at one time can be intimidating, but as the freeflow combat has you dispose of each with a few taps of the controller you begin to realize what makes Arkham City so great. Simplicity evolves into a satisfying reward, as anyone can look and feel like Batman with a simple tap of the X button.

With faster and more intimidating baddies, comes new gadgets and moves to quell the masses. Freeze bombs, batarangs, and explosive gels are incorporated from exploration into combat with button shortcuts. Mixing the variety of these into your combat boosts your damage and experience reward to level up. However, twice the gadgets and moves also means twice the thought process on what to use next. There are times the combat can be overwhelming with so many odds and gadgets at your disposal, you tend to forget the shortcuts or leave some moves unused. For the most part it is an improved and enjoyable experience.

The stealth gameplay has also been fine-tuned. Still giving the feeling of being a predator instead of prey, you pick armed thugs off one by one as you hop to different vantage points. Enemies are much more equipped this time around with thermal visors, proximity mines, and jammers on your detective vision. This makes the stealth much more interesting, and keeps you from repeating the same strategy of hopping to a vantage point and taking your time.

Off the Beaten Path

Arkham City does one thing few other games have the capacity to do; make side content worth your time. The generic recycled side mission is instead a side campaign all its own. Missions will vary from simple brawls, to puzzles, to detective work of tracking down an enemy. Each yield a unique and enjoyable reward, mostly being the chance to view more of the cast of villains that make their debut in this game or returning characters.

The high point yet again lies with The Riddler trophies, now featuring over 400 different collectibles or objectives. You will stumble upon these trophies continuously through the campaign, and it is hard not to stray from the path to figure out a way to retrieve them. What makes these collectibles so great is that the majority of them are not simply lying hidden behind a corner, but baited in front of you, beckoning for you to figure them out. Coupled with the ability to interrogate certain enemies to gain locations of all the collectibles, it is one of the best times I have had scouring for hidden items.

A Worthy Challenge

When you finish the campaign, there are a slew of additional modes that will keep you busy. Besides the side content, you can start a New Game+ mode. This makes the baddies much more difficult, stealth missions more challenging, and removes the notifications on when an enemy attacks. Though you keep all items and upgrades, it is still a tough fight to the end and a great way to get a second play through in.

Upgrading Batman comes easy and naturally. With each room or brawl completion you are rewarded experience to upgrade as you see fit. You will be able to increase damage you can take, unlock new gadgets, and even upgrade existing moves. Experience is plentiful and you will find yourself upgrading rather quickly.

The reappearance of the challenge rooms further encourages you to subject yourself to more brawling and stealth. The significant difference are the inclusion of medals, where you soon become set on trying to get all three medals for each event. It adds replay value, but could have been a bit more varied. Tack on the fact that you must collect riddler trophies to unlock most of them, and the mode feels like it didn't get the attention it deserved.

Acting as launch DLC for new owners, the addition of Catwoman as a playable character is also available. Complete with four side missions that tie into the main game, the switch of characters acts as a nice reprieve. Catwoman's acrobatic style of fighting and travel are quite different from Batman. With Robin DLC slated for future releases, it leaves the question on why such characters are reserved for DLC when they add so much to the story and world.

Overall

Arkham City is not only an improvement on the first installment, but a great use of a license. It is hard to capture the feeling of being a classic comic book superhero, but as you dive bomb down to enemies or silently take out two guards at once you see that Rocksteady has gathered what was necessary to make you feel like Batman. It is an experience not soon forgotten, and not only one of the best Batman games to be released, but one of the best games to be released this year.

A Look Back at Gaming 2011 - Part 1

2011-10-11T12:56:00.000-07:00

The year is coming to a close, which means the onslaught of gaming releases will be accompanied by many a "Top 10 of 2011" list. Favorites will be chosen and lists will be compared, but one thing will remain true - this has been a great year in gaming. For this reason, it is interesting to look back at all the great titles that were released this year to remember the big moments, surprises, and tears of joy that they brought to us. This is part one of a look back at gaming for the year of 2011.

January-April

January

The year began with gamers still in a gaming stupor from the fall releases.Call of Duty: Black Ops, Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, and other big name titles remained glued to consoles as players scrounged for achievements and a higher kill/death ratio. What usually begins as a lull soon became anything but, as a handful of titles were released to get the year started right.

MMO fans got the first treat of the year with DC Universe Online for the PS3 and PC. Players chose a mentor such as Batman or The Flash and began their journey into becoming a superhero or villain. A slew of customization and ability to shape your hero with whatever power you could imagine had many clamoring to create their superhero persona. With the game recently announced going free to play, this exclusive license to the DC universe gave fans of the comics a tool to drop themselves into their favorite DC universe.

The PS3 got a big exclusive start with Little Big Planet 2. The user-friendly side scroller was a nice break from the more serious titles of the previous year, and offered a simplistic and brilliant platforming experience. Expanding the community features, LBP2 allowed for easier level creation along with some of the best variety a platformer could contain. Featuring everything from jetpacks to mobile bunnies, the game was a blast to play with three other friends at your side.

Two Worlds II gave a taste of the RPG market for the year. Along with the typical leveling and action oriented RPG elements, Two Worlds II offered one of the best crafting systems in a game. Everything was worth looting and the layout was simple enough to grasp and complicated enough to repurpose every item you stumbled upon.

The month belonged to survival horror however, as the highly awaited Dead Space 2 was released on January 25th. Continuing the horrors of the Ishimura, Isaac Clark once again battled through mutilated creatures to discover the truth behind The Marker. Sporting a new multiplayer along with new weapons and abilities, the game was favorably reviewed and EA reported that Dead Space 2 sold nearly 2 million units in the first week of its release.

February

Bulletstorm brought a new IP to the market. Offering what can only be described as a puzzle shooter, the team at People Can Fly and Epic Games rewarded variety in a standard FPS. With an arsenal of unique weaponry and humorous play on word rewards, the game sold over 1 million copies and gave owners early access to the Gears of War 3 beta.

PS3 fans put another notch to their trilogy belt with Killzone 3. Taking place in various locations, from Arctic landscapes to lethal jungles, the classic feel of KZ2 returned complete with a new jetpack feature to take the shooting skyward. Revamped melee combat (known as Brutal melee) allowed you to string together multiple combos, but never strayed far from its shooting mechanics. As expected the feel and look of the game continued in classic KZ fashion, and went on to sell over 1.8 million copies worldwide.

Fighting fans were finally at ease with the release of the ever speculated Marvel vs Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds. Continuing the fast-paced action of the previous installment, the third title in the series offered a unique look and feel as Capcom and Marvel's biggest stars fought it out on various stages. The cel shaded look and sleeker roster provided an online fighting experience like no other, as playes quickly assembled their personal favorite team of all stars. As of March, the game has sold over 2 million copies worldwide.

March

Kicking the month off with an MMO, Rift became a strong contender against the juggernaut that is WoW. Choosing one of four classes with branching paths, the player had the ability to customize their character down numerous sub-class trees and switch roles at their choosing; going from warrior to healer in no time at all. The game proved that MMOs could still grow from the traditional formula, as server wide invasions brought noobs and pros alike together to stem the incoming baddies.

Pokemon continued its legacy in releasing Pokemon: Black and White. Showing that the series is very much alive and well, the game offered seasonal change to affect when certain Pokemon appeared in addition to the day and night feature. The all new triple battles offered a 3v3 pokemon fight. In the US, Black and White sold more than 1.08 million copies on day one, but in Japan it became the fastest selling DS game to sell five million copies.

The first game to showcase the CryEngine 3, Crysis 2, also debuted this month. Similar to Crysis, the player customized their weapon loadouts and character traits how they saw fit; be it the guns blazing method or stealthy approach. Multiple suit modes could be used simultaneously, emphasizing the maneuverability of the character and showing how you could be as stylish in movement as you were with guns. As of June over 3 million copies of the game have been sold across all platforms.

The highly anticipated sequel to Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age II, was released later in the month. Taking place after the events of the first game, a new cast of characters continued the fight against the remaining Darkspawn and Quin threat. Putting in a new combat system as well as Mass Effect inspired dialogue trees, the game was more streamlined for console appeal. One million copies of Dragon Age II were sold within two weeks of the launch, faster than Dragon Age: Origins. Yet, the repeating environments and quests drew little praise from critics.

The month belonged to the handheld teased at E3 2010; the Nintendo 3DS. Set at a launch price of $250 the 3DS was lighter, sleeker, and faster than the previous DS handhelds with 3D capability that was glasses free. The downside came with news of a 3-5 hour battery life. Without many launch titles to back the handheld, initial sales were lower than expected. As a result, Nintendo would later cut the price by a third, giving existing owners ten free Nintendo games for their faithful purchase. As of today, only about a million in sales account for 3DS owners in the US, with 4.3 million worldwide.

April

Mortal Kombat made its return with a ninth installment. Even after years of churning out titles, Mortal Kombat brought the classic brutal fighting we have come to know and raised it to the next level. A new combo bar allows the use of bone-crunching "X-ray" blows and Fatalities were as gruesome as ever. New features like a Fatality training mode, ability to switch characters during the single player story mode, and Challenge Tower rounded out a fighting game worth the price. NetherRealm Studios reported that Mortal Kombat has shipped close to three million units, which actually covered the cost for the entire Midway asset acquisition.

Not to be forgotten, the Xbox Live Arcade/PSN released Outland. Combining platforming with a polarity system similar to Ikaruga, Outland was a stylish game that was as fun to play as it was to watch. The constant switch between light and dark powers made for enjoyable combat and memorable boss encounters. Complete with an Arcade mode and co-op capabilities, the game made its mark as a must play arcade title that offered a refreshing platforming challenge.

One game overshadowed this month, and that was the highly anticipated release of Portal 2. Players once again hit the test chambers with new puzzles, new obstacles, and a new favorite character. With brilliant voice work and a co-op experience to share the fun, Portal 2 was a sequel that did not disappoint. Stephen Merchant and J.K. Simmons gave brilliant performances to boost the series, providing just as much character as GLaDoS. The new gels added some additional thinking to the typical portal puzzles, and level design made you think before acting. In June, Newell announced that Portal 2 had sold 3 million copies, with more sales on the PC than consoles.

Dark Souls Review - Glutton for Punishment

2011-10-08T10:38:00.000-07:00

Score: 8.25 / 10
Dark Souls
PS3 - Xbox 360
Developer: From Software
Publisher: Namco Bandai Games
Release Date: October 4th, 2011

Pros:

Each checkpoint gives a feeling of accomplishment
Gorgeous vistas and backdrops
Variety of tactical approaches and classes to fit your play style
Hours of content and a huge world to explore

Cons:

Lack of true "tutorial" leaves much unexplained
Difficulty will turn off many players
Terrible Lock-On system
The Online is a step back from the previous installment

Demons Souls was the underdog title that nobody saw coming, taking many by surprise. The refreshing challenge and fantastic presentation of a dreary fantasy world were unmatched. With a unique take on multiplayer integration into a single player campaign, the game became a cult hit and fans were ready for more punishment. Enter Dark Souls, a more difficult and expansive game that continues the punishing difficulty and sense of accomplishment.

Left in the Dark

The first thing everyone wants to know about Dark Souls is if the game is as difficult as everyone makes it out to be. The answer is a very clear yes. Dark Souls is in fact more difficult than Demons Souls, and dying is an actual part of this game. Much like a grumpy step parent in a feel-good comedy film, your continually sought after approval will be met with death, disappointment, and frustration; which makes the slight nod in your favor that much more meaningful.

The difficulty of the game lies in ignorance, rather than actual skill. Dark Souls does the exact same thing Demons Souls did; it throws you into the game without any real explanation of how it works. While I could look past this in Demons Souls, the system has become more complex for Dark Souls. The bonfire checkpoint system, humanity status, and a series of RPG elements are just thrown at you with no personal explanation of what you can or should do with them. Not even the instruction manual with the game explains the various symbols and glyphs showcased on an item's stat sheet.

Then there is the new, more open world feature of the game. Demons Souls had a linear progression from start to finish, allowing you to branch off every now and then but basically laying out your challenge for you. In Dark Souls there is no real sense of direction save for a few NPCs' subtle hints, and with a game promising difficulty it is too much to determine whether the player should continue attempting a difficult enemy in their path or try another route. Eventually you find the group you were fighting is way beyond your level, and you were suppose to go up the stairs, not down.

In the end it is the player's lack of knowledge that makes the game so tough, and while I do not mind a lack of in-depth tutorials for the basics, the second you fire up the game you feel like you have no idea what you are doing or where you are going. While some argue this is the point of the "lost and lonely ambiance" of the game, I find that having to hit the Internet in order to decipher a stat screen or gain a sense of direction puts a halt to the experience.

Beacon of Light

Now to state the obvious; Dark Souls is one pretty game. The glint of light off of a suit of armor from a torch, the wave of fur as the wind blows on a boss's hide, and other subtle touches in the game give a hint of beauty in an utterly hopeless world. Backdrops look as if they were taken from a painting and are worth the risk of falling off of a cliff to your death to behold. The character models for each enemy are more imposing than the last, and the sheer scale of the some of the bosses is enticing and frightening all at once. Though your personal character up close is no looker and the occasional texture can be a bit jagged, the overall look of the game is more impressive than the first.

Story for the game makes as much sense as you could imagine. The previous game at least involved a fog that fell over the world and your attempt to lift it. This game opens with a narrative of how the world came to this state of madness and sets you off to escape it. Needless to say if you are looking for a tale of a gallant hero riding his white steed to save a princess...look elsewhere. Random NPCs will detail their exploits which you will quickly forget as you were pining after their armor instead of listening. While the difficulty and challenge drive you forward, the story is easily forgotten.

It is the scenic vistas and impressive lighting in the game that really bring the world to life. Dreary forests, dark caverns, and ruined castles are just a taste of what you will traverse in the game. The world gives off this ever present sense of danger, and at the same time entices you to explore further.

Clever Girl

The first lesson you learn is that patience is everything, and careful progression is the only way to get from point to point. Enemies are ruthless and every mistake made is costly. Different approaches and tactics are encouraged with each death, as you search for areas you might have missed or locales to assist you. Tactics like leading enemies to fight on your terms and always keeping your shield up become adapted norms, and eventually the game shapes you to play like your chosen class.

Enemies are fairly intelligent. They will soon catch on to patterns and mix up their fighting styles to adapt. Switching up tactics and waiting for an opening soon become a big focus, and the game is fairly good at offering variety. Death in the game is usually the fault of the player, and each time I had to retry it was usually remedied with a more careful approach.

There is a huge sense of achievement when a boss is toppled and a sigh of relief at the sight of the nearest checkpoint. The satisfaction of reward after the incredible punishment the game dishes out is a relaxing feeling and one unique to this game. The refreshing challenge the first game offered has indeed returned.

Bonfire Bash

At the bonfire you will have the opportunity to repair, rest, and mentally prepare yourself for the task ahead. It is also where your actions have trade offs. The bonfires act as checkpoints, but once triggered will also respawn every enemy you killed. Using "Humanity" will bring you back to your human state and allow more health potions and better item drop rate, but leave you prone to online invasion from another player. Staying in Undead form will keep you safe from invasion, but limit your amount of potions you can carry. This dilemma of using the bonfire or continuing onward keeps the game interesting and is a welcome addition tot he gameplay.

Equipment requires repair and upkeeps, which you use souls to gain. Killing enemies grants souls, which can purchase items or level your character's abilities, etc. However dying causes you to return with no souls, and you begin the long trek back to your corpse to recover them.

Welcome to My World

Much like the last game, the unique multiplayer remains. Ominous messages may be left to warn of upcoming traps or call out tactics for battles. Co-op "spirits" can inhabit the game to help out or invade your game to kill you. It is such a unique and interesting way of bringing multiple players together for a single player game, and has not lost its impact since the last installment.

It has, however, taken a step back from the previous title. Dark Souls does not run on dedicated servers, and you are thrown into peer to peer servers. This means you will not always be seeing the big group that purchased this game running around, you will be playing with only a handful. It also means any hope of co-op or invasion of a friend's game is impossible without manipulation and constant retries to get to the same area.

The amount of ghosts, bloodstains, and messages in the previous installment were countless. In this installment the amount of other players seen and their specific messages has decreased. Finding a co-op partner can prove time consuming, responding or writing a message requires you to look through your inventory; it is just a mess of what it used to be. Though it still works for the most part, the multiplayer integration seems to have taken a backseat in this game.

Overall

Dark Souls at its core is a dark-fantasy, hardcore RPG. With a complex inventory system and world to explore, it is a dangerous game full of challenge, reward, and satisfaction. If you can suffer the deaths and are willing to take time to learn, the game is a rewarding experience unmatched by any other. Just be sure that if you are new to the series, you pick up a few extra controllers...

Does Matchmaking Work?

2011-10-03T14:28:00.000-07:00

Have you ever fired up the latest competitive multiplayer game and been stuck in "that" game? You know the one with the team of players barely starting their online career against the party of elite tier seven juggernauts that only live and breathe this single title and ponder the reason for putting campaign in a game.

These games always end in disappointment as one team destroys the other, and always leave me asking: Is this really matchmaking?

We rarely think about the process once we hit the button to join a game, but there are numbers crunching behind that spinning wheel you stare at so obsessively. Much like a dating site, there are criteria that you are compared with to find your perfect gaming match...which usually ends up in tears and frustration...again, much like a dating site.

The System

Besides choosing from a playlist to fit your desired play style, the majority of the time you will be matched based on the biggest factor of them all: Your connection. Your latency is key in providing an enjoyable and fluid online experience, and as such becomes the biggest item that is looked at first for criteria. It is a factor that is first to be cried "wolf" if everything goes south in a match, and as such becomes top priority with little complaint. Coupled with your existing level on the system used and the playlist chosen (casual vs ranked), you are tossed into a game and ready to go.

So what about the matchmaking systems designed to keep it interesting? In most Xbox Live games these days, Microsoft Research has established the TrueSkill system to even things out. Gears of War 2 and Halo 3 are perfect examples of games utilizing this technology. Your True Skill ranking remains hidden under that lovely experience number you grind for in various modes, and becomes the deciding factor in how you progress.

Let's use this handy chart to get specific, shall we? Trueskill is characterized by two numbers

Your actual skill (μ in the picture).
Your uncertainty value (σ ).

Uncertainty is how the game accounts for luck, like the time you killed four people with a random rocket. Playing consistently will lower this, but playing inconsistently will raise it. Your actual skill is measured by wins and losses. Trueskill DOES NOT take evaluation performances inside the game into account. The only statistics that Trueskill takes from a game are the Mu and Sigma values of all the players, and how you placed. This means your kill/death ratio, your headshot count, or your ability to teabag a player have no say in matchmaking.

Your team is set up against an opposing team with roughly the same skill level. The game predicts the winner and loser of each match. If you are projected to lose and you win, you get experience. If you are projected to win and you lose, you lose experience. If you are projected to win and win or lose and lose you loose/win a small amount of experience.

This is simply a basic overview and there are many technical items at work here. For the big scheme of it all, you can head here.

As for PC, well that is where dedicated servers come into play. Sifting through the lists of available venues, there are subtly named "noob servers" and a general community on each server. Finding the right fit is what remains key here, and having a sort of "hove" that you can return to with people that take the game in the manner you approve of; be it running around like children or playing more professionally. In the days of Counterstrike and Unreal Tournament, favorite servers were quickly chosen and players returned to those that provided the most enjoyable experience.

The Problem

In a perfect world, every match would be an edge of your seat experience in which both teams felt the game was just. Unfortunately, this is just not possible. There are far too many variables to weigh in determining a perfect match. When matchmaking offers filters such as language barriers or mic behavior, this is when you bottleneck your options and limit getting into a match at all.

Trueskill does a decent job in at least providing some favorable match ups, but could be tweaked. The system matches wins and losses, but not by how much that win was achieved. Complete blowouts are simply factored as a mark in the win column, ignoring the fact that the winner killed you and tied you to his gun to act as a bulletshield.

Trueskill has the ability to be "manipulated". Rage quitting can ensure your win/loss ratio remains untarnished. Players can only play with their fellow professional team members and end up wiping the floor with their communication and team play, but when out on their own become mismatched.

Matching by latency is great, but matching a group of lone sharks with a pack of wolves is hardly very enjoyable (especially if this scenario is on land). Packs of tightly linked players will stick together on most squad based games, performing well due to communication and existing knowledge. Some developers have split this option up and shuffle teams accordingly, but the "party grouping" feature is heavily used and rarely kept separate from the desired playlists.

The Solution

The biggest and best solution lies with the developer. TrueSkill is a step in the right direction, but nothing beats what a developer can put in place. Steps have already been taken in a number of games to help with matchmaking's faults. Punishing early quitters, rewarding those who fight through it, and other various incentives that keep gamers going through the motions are present in a number of titles. There are a number of other games that have showcased some interesting ways to tackle matchmaking dilemmas.

Uncharted 3 has a great system in place to prevent total blowouts. Simply dubbed "Power Plays", events will occur that hinder the winning team and give a boost to the losing team. These range from marking the best player for all to see and doubling his worth per kill, to causing all players to appear as skeletons and turning on friendly fire for the winning team. Whatever the occurrence, this actually made each game I played during the beta a close one.

Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood's multiplayer is even tailored to punish the victor. Each assassin has a contract to hunt one person, and the person in the lead can have up to three contracts on them at a single time. In turn, the person with the least score can have only one or no contracts on them, giving them a chance to catch up. It's an interesting system that prevents any one person from blowing way ahead of the pack without consequence.

The prime example of them all? Starcraft 2. No other game developer has truly attempted to provide an even and exact match of players than Blizzard Entertainment did with Battle.net. Each player goes through a series of qualifying matches before being placed in a league ranging from Bronze to Platinum. When a player gains points, they increase their rank and can shift leagues. A player that loses points will, in turn, lose rank and can fall to a lower league. The more games played, the better your matchups. It is a system that keeps you in your element without putting you into games that are too simplistic or too difficult for your liking.

Overall

Matchmaking will take some time to refine for making those games we all walk away from ultimately satisfied at the results.With so many variables in the air, it will be in the hands of the developers to truly even out the online gaming experience. Until that time, we must suffer through the unfortunate match ups and hope the next round shuffles the odds in a more desirable favor. Or there is always one item we could implement that makes even the best players shudder in fear...

Battlefield 3 Beta Impressions

2011-10-03T08:09:00.000-07:00

The Battlefield 3 beta is live and breathing as we speak. The most highly anticipated game of the year is nearly upon us and the beta is serving not only as a technical analysis of the game, but a sneak peek at the action we will experience at the end of October.

Let us start with the obvious; the look of the game. If your PC can take it, Battlefield 3 is the most gorgeous looking game I have ever seen on a platform. Period. The high resolution textures, lighting, and shadows really throw you into a world unlike any other. Topped off with subtle touches in animation and movement, and war has never looked so good.

The sound design, typical of EA produced games lately, is top notch. The sound of gunfire and rockets whizzing past your head never get old, as each sound seems original and unrecycled. The boom of an explosion and echo of gunfire down hallways keeps you aware of the location of the battles taking place. Even the nonchalant attitude of the aircraft support flying over is a nice touch that adds to the authentic nature of the game.

The general atmosphere of Battlefield feels much more like a war, and much less like a skirmish. You duck behind a rock to take cover from enemy fire while tanks trade blows and jets are dogfighting above. The gleam of a sniper's scope or ability to see your legs as you jump over cover are anything but stale and add to the feel. The authenticity of the experience has really come full circle, and provided a war game unlike anything seen before.

Getting a hang on how to approach battle takes a little time, but once you get the idea of how to tackle each situation it becomes a blast. Not much in terms of game play has changed for the series, with the typical run and gun aspect still alive and well. Acting gung-ho is a sure road to death, while teamwork and careful movement are key to victory. Squads working and spawning together really add to the encouragement of teamwork.

Like previous shooters, a level progression system is in place that unlocks additional equipment and attachments to make you all the more deadly. These range from the usual ACOG scopes to new tactical lights that you can use to obscure your target's vision. My only issue being the complete lack of equipment you start with, as attachments and perks must be unlocked after some fighting. Though they unlock eventually, starting off feels like a disadvantage.

Only one map was available for the beta, but being a beta you can't really complain. The Operation Metro map provides an on-foot capture point battle, changing venues upon each base's destruction. Starting in a park you move to the subway and finally in the city streets. The map is not so large to get lost in, but has some paths you will have to learn to cover. For being a preview of what on-foot combat is all about, it was a great start.

The Caspian Border map is the 64 player map featuring vehicles and mayhem. Though locked out early on by password, it eventually leaked and had players scrambling to join. From what was seen, this huge terrain gives plenty of space between opposing sides and offers great vehicle conflict with point control.

Unlike most games, launching the game takes your default Internet browser to a menu instead of an in-game application. It takes some getting used to, but is fast and manageable. The only issue is its inability to update on the fly, requiring you to hit "refresh" to see the stats from your last game added in. You also must enter the game before altering any options like video or controls, but I imagine this will be fixed come retail release.

All in all, Battlefield 3 is shaping up to be quite the online experience. The refined combat, intricate detail, and overall atmosphere of the game is unlike any other. We will have to see if the Single Player and Co-op stack up to the hype when Battlefield 3 drops October 25th.

October Releases - Frightening Frenzy

2011-09-27T08:25:00.000-07:00

Highlighted Release

Battlefield 3

Developer: EA Digital Illusions CE

Publisher: Electronic Arts

Release Date: October 25th, 2011

If there is one "must experience" title this month, it is Battlefield 3. In case you have not paid attention to any developments in the gaming industry, this title has been turning heads ever since its debut trailer. With visuals unmatched by anything else on the market, DICE is looking to take the shooter market by storm with their 64 player warzones. Realistic look and feel, building destruction capabilities, and some of the most satisfying sounds design to grace a game all round out a total package of a game; and one worth your time.

***NEW FORMAT! Much clearer and simplified for your viewing pleasure. If you wish to watch a trailer for the game, simply the click on the game cover art. Enjoy!***

Additional Titles

October 4th

Editor's Choice

October 11th

October 18th

Editor's Choice

October 25th

Gears of War 3 Review - Brothers to the End

2011-09-23T14:53:00.000-07:00

Score: 9.5 / 10

Gears of War 3
Xbox 360
Developer: Epic Games
Publisher: Microsoft
Release Date: September 21, 2011

Pros:

4 player co-op campaign is a welcome addition
Multiplayer is polished and well organized
Battles play out upon jaw dropping vistas
Even after five years, the game play is just as enjoyable
Whether a campaign, co-op, or multiplayer fan; there is something for you

Cons:

Friendly AI are sporadic in behavior
Beast mode has no option for PvP
Horde goes downhill once someone drops out

Hard to believe it has been five years since the release of the first Gears of War. The mechanics of the cover system and third person gunplay were simple enough to execute, and challenging enough to keep you engaged. After a sequel leaving numerous questions in the air, the final installment to the Gears of War trilogy has finally arrived. The result is a more polished, well rounded experience that has something every type of gamer can enjoy.

Brothers to the End

Gears of War 3 offers one of the best campaigns you can play this year, with a stellar presentation overshadowing smaller nuances.

Somehow Epic Games has managed to improve the visual appeal of the Gears franchise. This is the best looking game of the series, due in no small part to some jaw dropping set pieces. War torn beaches, post-apocalyptic cities, and luxurious hotels are just a few of the detailed locations where you engage waves of baddies. The subtle effects like sunlight peeking through the leaves of palm trees or the destruction of a concrete column as it is riddled with bullets really bring the world to life. Coupled with a soundtrack that amplifies the action or drama, the game is a cinematic experience from beginning to end.

The story offers some closure to the varying events of Gears of War 2, complete with a few surprises as well as a few predictable outcomes. There were several high points, including an emotional glimpse at Augustus Cole returning to his old Thrasher stadium, where nostalgia turns to a desire to relive his glory days. Sam (Claudia Black) and Anya (Nan McNamara) are welcome additions to Delta squad, and provide great banter between the existing team. It was refreshing to get a closer look at the characters, something the previous Gears briefly touched on. While I would have liked the relationship between Marcus and his father to play out further, the story is satisfying enough to provide closure to the trilogy.

My Campaign Clique

The campaign itself is a very fluid, well organized experience. The new Lambent are a welcome challenge, and require varying tactics that differ from the typical Locusts. The relative pacing and feel of the game is spot on, save for one mission involving a submarine that, despite its phenomenal look, traded the cover system for a turret sequence that was more frustrating than enjoyable. The game is still littered with colossal boss battles, hectic firefights, and frightening new encounters to keep you on your toes. Clocking in at a little over 10 hours, it's an enjoyable campaign that you will immediately wish to experience again.

The addition of four player co-op is great, but has its drawbacks. If playing alone, expect the AI to fluctuate on performance. Most of the time they tend to do quite well in providing cover fire and holding their own, and other times they will charge head first into turret fire with their chainsaw revved or hover over you for 10 seconds before deciding to help you up. Depite taking time to get you back on your feet, overall they performed pretty well for AI counterparts. It can get crowded in the tighter areas and your cover may already be occupied by a fellow COG, but having three human partners to go through the game with is a fun experience and recommended to try.

Multiplayer Mayhem

The multiplayer for the game has gotten a fine tune up, and since the beta it has been tweaked to become a well-oiled machine of online gaming. Now equipped with dedicated servers, lag and host advantage has become much less of an issue. Partying up with friends can be done with a press of the button, and the entire menu makes it easier to switch out characters and weapon loadouts on the fly.

The standard modes are all here with only a handful of new ones. Team Deathmatch, Execution, and King of the Hill are all here, but it's Capture the Leader that still possesses one of the more enjoyable new experiences. The idea of capture the flag mixed with Guardian mode makes for an interesting game. Though more playlists will be created as the game goes on, the basic modes from the beta are here with not much else. The multiplayer is still as strong as ever, and is fine tuned enough to go toe to toe with some of the more established series as a choice online experience.

The multiplayer is a different territory from the campaign and you will have to adjust strategies. Your immunity to damage behind cover is altered and most fights still end up being close quarter shotty face offs. Once you learn how to play it becomes highly entertaining, but there will be the shift from facing AI to facing human players that must be overcome by constant deaths.

For the Horde

Horde mode makes its reappearance and changes for the better. The same fifty waves of enemies still make their way to you with more variety and challenge than before. Each tenth wave consists of a boss, such as a beserker, brumak, or lambent berserker. The end of each wave gives you a chance to fortify and regroup for the next one. It's a simple premise that becomes increasingly enjoyable with each wave. However, if one person leaves the match, no shift is made to compensate for their absence, which given the length of a typical Horde match will make quitters a common occurrence.

The biggest difference lies in the currency obtained while playing. Each kill and assist nets you an amount of cash which you can use to fortify defenses. These range from new weapons, to decoys, to laser fences. Fortifying positions and expanding them is key in making it past the later waves, as enemies become tougher and more accurate. Each item also has the potential to "level up" giving an RPG element to the mode, allowing you to create barriers or turrets for a cheaper price the more you play the mode. There are also additional side missions that can pop up during your encounter, where if you meet the requirements, are awarded additional currency. It's a frantic, challenging addition that keeps Horde mode from getting stale past wave ten.

A new addition to the Gears universe is the side-switching Beast Mode. This allows a team of five people to take control of the Locust army against AI COG soldiers. Think of it as Horde mode from the perspective of the incoming wave. Limited to 12 waves, Locusts must bypass defenses like turrets and spikes to wipe out the COG army.

Overall the mode is an interesting addition, and controlling a Beserker is a satisfying experience. It does, however, feel like a missed opportunity. Only the AI can control the COG. This makes it feel strangely limited, as an obvious player vs player for this mode would have given it a bigger impact.

Pays to Play

Despite what mode you choose, you earn experience and credits towards the various medals and rewards available. Leveling up unlocks additional character models and weapon skins to showcase in multiplayer. Much like Halo: Reach, it is a nice to know that no matter what mode you spend the most time on, you are still being given overall credit. Though most skins can be unlocked, a large majority are locked out by microtransactions. $3 nets you a new skin for a weapon, but each skin is nothing to rave about and the inclusion is a bit off putting. Remember the good old days of unlocking skins through personal performance?

One thing that Epic is really good about is stat tracking. Whether it is achievements or kills, there are a slew of numbers to review on your character profile sheet. This makes setting a goal to obtain a certain award easier to predict and plan out. There are a slew of awards to obtain for various actions, and getting them all can be challenging.

Overall

Gears of War 3 is a more refined game and a fine conclusion to the trilogy with a lot of content to offer. Unlike most sequels it does not feel like a simple revamp to the existing formula, but more like a different game from Gears of War 2. With future DLC in the works and a complete shuffle of online playlists and features, it is shaping up to be quite the contender for Game of the Year and a title that every one can find something to enjoy.

Pining for Pirates

2011-09-19T11:27:00.000-07:00

We have had so many enjoyable titles lately that cover a slew of genres; Sci-fi RPGs, adventure platformers, Westerns, and a plethora of military shooters. Yet, as I look through the sea of titles coming our way and the games that have passed I had to ask myself;

Where are the really good pirate games?

I have always had high hopes for an open ended pirate game to fulfill all those desires that were influenced by movies, books, and other medium showcasing the exploits and adventures of a pirate. Sailing the seven seas, making a captured captain walk the plank, or leading a ship to search for buried treasure are countless exploits I wish to partake in gaming.

Just think of the possibilities for an open-world pirate game. Ports that could act as hub worlds, customization of your character and ship, a slew of quests and mini-games to obtain from the taverns; the list goes on and on.

That's not to say there are not some great pirate games out there, just not the games I would typically be addicted to playing hours on end. While the Monkey Island series satisfies in a great environment, the game play is tailored to a point and click aspect. Sid Meier's pirates gets even closer to what I come to expect, but the heavy focus on top-down strategy and distance from the action is not what I envision.

The closest example of a game that captured part of what I was looking for was found in the most unexpected of places; a Zelda game. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker gave a satisfying feeling as you threw up the sail and followed the wind to your next destination, charting the seas as you go. There was no cinematic or loading screen to act as a buffer for travel, just you sailing off at your leisure. Even in long trips I would zoom to an over-the-shoulder view just for the unique perspective from the deck as Link bounced across the waves with an island in the distance.

Ship to ship battles would be a must. I have yet to experience a legitimate fight over the high seas with canons firing, ships side by side with crewman boarding the opposing ship, and sword fights erupting on the deck. The closest experience I have had with this was the Gunship Battle in World of Warcraft. During an encounter before the Lich King, you do battle with an opposing faction's gunship. Some players jetpacked over to the opposing ship to battle on the deck while others manned cannons and defended the ship. It was a team effort that ultimately gave an enjoyable experience.

Whether it is a pirate themed stage on Banjo Kazooie or the visit to The Pirates of the Caribbean universe in Kingdom Hearts II, each game seems to feed that desire I have to experience a really stunning pirate game. The pieces are there, we just need a developer to throw it all together. I want a game to run to the next time I watch a really good pirate movie...

Gunstringer Review - A Classic Standoff

2011-09-16T09:38:00.000-07:00

Score: 7.75 / 10
The Gunstringer

Xbox 360 Kinect
Developer: Twisted Pixel Studios
Publisher: Microsoft
Release Date: September 13th, 2011

Pros:

Classic game mechanics make it a blast to play
Characters and presentation keep it interesting
Slew of unlockable modes, concept art, and more
Gameplay is constantly shuffled to keep things fresh
Gold Medals can offer a true challenge to obtain

Cons:

Kinect lag is ever present and must be compensated for
Though co-op is offered it is poorly executed
Boss fights are set up in an all too predictable manner

Kinect titles as of late have..well...disappointed. For a piece of technology that is so impressive, the lineup has been much more "adorable" than I would have liked. Luckily, Twisted Pixel has heard the cries and given us Gunstringer, a Western gun slinging puppet show...cannot make this stuff up. Despite a few technical setbacks, Gunstringer is a solid Kinect title that separates itself from the typical shovelware.

Bang Bang, My Baby Shot Me Down

The Gunstringer features a typical story of revenge filled with a colorful cast of characters. You were betrayed by your former posse and must hunt each down for a little payback. It is a classic tale of revenge in an Western environment, told through cut scenes and an ominous narrator with a voice that amplifies the experience. The catch is that the whole story is taking place with puppets on a theater stage, with a live action audience viewing the story play out. It is no Inception as far as plot is concerned, but it is an interesting take with an unusual approach.

It is not the story that stands out the most but the presentation. You are essentially putting on a play for an audience, and are reminded of this through the course of the game. Subtle visuals such as stampedes of cows constructed by soda cans, riding a pencil for a horse, and the backdrop of an audience that cheers at each heroic deed really gives the game a unique, cartoonish feel. Coupled with Twisted Pixel's spot on humor, a fitting and well rounded soundtrack, and the perfect fit of the narrator allows the game to become as much a joy to watch as it is to play.

Me and My Six Shooter

Gameplay in Gunstringer at its core is like that of a rail shooter, without confining itself to repetition. Furthering the theme of a puppet show, one hand controls the Gunstringer's marionette strings which you can use to move him around and flick to have him jump. The right hand controls the gun, in which you sweep over targets to lock on and flick your wrist to send bullets flying. It is a simple scheme that is easy to pick up and easier to perform. As you get the hang of things, gunning down a string of baddies with a flick of the wrist becomes a satisfying experience.

The game does not limit itself to just one central focus with the controls. Some instances you will find yourself running and gunning, some will throw you behind a cover system, and others will have you don two pistols at once. This continual shuffle leaves an unpredictable nature to the game, as just when you think you have seen it all a new weapon or function is introduced that mixes up the typical run and gun expectation.

The very noticeable Kinect lag and faulty reads are present in the game and will take some getting used to. This can become tedious during the platforming portions of the game or strive for gold medal perfection, but the penalty is not too taxing and the game sets you up to immediately try again mere feet from your fall.

Trials of the West

The game is broken up into different acts with a boss fight at the end of each act. Though enjoyable at first, these boss battles soon became too predictable and each boss felt like a copy of the last. They each shoot a projectile, each move about in a weird manner, and each get dizzy to open themselves to attack. It was unfortunate that the most fun I was having was working towards these bosses, and not the actual fights themselves.

The co-op in the game proved to be one of the more disappointing additions. The second player raises his hand and can join in at any time to act as a second pistol. The trouble with this is that there is not always a pistol standoff every second, so your partner will end up standing next to you waiting until you finish your platforming segment before they can hop in again. For a developer that made Splosion Man such an enjoyable multiplayer experience, it feels odd that such a feature feels so tacked on.

Repeated Revenge

The game is relatively short, and you will blaze through the story in about 6 hours time, but it's the arcade inspired score, slew of bonuses, and strive for gold medals that keeps you coming back for more. At the end of each level you are given a score total. Factors that weigh into this range from enemies killed, to health lost, and multiplied score from combos built from the Taco El Diablo item multiplier. The strive to obtain gold medals can be quite challenging, and is incentive to focus hard to hit every target along the way.

In addition to obtaining a medal you are awarded currency for the bonus store. The bonus store in this game, like all Twisted Pixel titles, are packed full of goodies to enhance the experience. Movies, concept art, and the soundtrack are just a few of the goodies the game has to offer.

Game modifiers make the game experience the second time around a bit different. Hardcore mode provides the challenge needed to make the game much more difficult with increased damage and a drop in score if hit. There are other modifiers similar to skulls in Halo that make second trip through the story a different experience with additional reward.

Overall

Gunstringer is not a bad game by any means, but I will admit that I expected more from it. It still has the satisfying arcade rail shooter feel, I just wish more had been done with bosses and co-operative play. Though short lived, if you are a Kinect owner it is one to add to the tiny library that is your Kinect shelf.

Closure in Gears of War 3

2011-09-12T06:48:00.000-07:00

Gears of War 3 is nearly here and for a lot of people it means more multiplayer mayhem. For myself, it means closure to a storyline that I have been following since the first installment.

While overall I have enjoyed the Gears world and story, the second game in the trilogy left a lot of questions in the air. I have not had a chance to delve into any of the novels or comic books to research further, but even so, many questions go unanswered. Here are my expectations for open plot lines and hopes of what the story could evolve into:

(SPOILER ALERT - Gears of War/ Gears of War 2 plot discussion)

Catching up with Dad

It has been revealed that this game will focus on Marcus Fenix's father, Adam. He has been a huge influence in the Gears universe, as the game started with Marcus in prison, where he spent four years for abandoning his military post in order to make a vain attempt to save his father. After the second game, it was Adam's haunting voice that left ominous tones for the consequences of sinking Jacinto with his closing line, "What have you done?"

My main inquiries lie with his relationship with other key characters. Marcus was willing to risk his military career to save his life, and it's that care for his father that I am hoping to see play out. Do they have a love/hate relationship, what happened to Marcus's mother, etc. The Locust Queen held Adam in high regard, as she mentions in the second game when encountered. Hopefully, we will gain some back story regarding their past encounters and his influence on the world.

Where do Baby Locusts Come From?

Ever notice that the Locusts sit at the same stature of a human? Strip them of the spiky armor and the similarities exist, with the exception of the gigantic Brumaks and Corpsers. This big question came into play in the second game; Are the Locusts a creation of man?

So many small occurrences hint at this possibility. The run through the abandoned laboratory filled with mutated Sires, the kidnapping of COG soldiers for "processing" in the previous game, and the biggest of them all; the incredibly human look of the Locust Queen.

When I was about to face the Locust Queen I had the notion that I would encounter something similar to the Queen from Aliens...but instead, a very normal figure stood before me. Her face and shape had nothing inhuman about it. With her previous encounter with Adam Fenix many speculate that the Locust Queen could in fact be Marcus's mother, a byproduct of Adam's failed experiments. That plot element seems too obvious to be true, and I feel that it could just be a formal acquaintance that held them together.

Romance in the Battlefield

There is a very subtle, and I mean very subtle hint of a possible romance between Anya and Marcus. At the close of the final game we see Marcus radio for Anya to respond, and a very noticeable sound of discern in his voice as his calls go unanswered. As she appears in a Raven on the far side with a quick wave, Marcus retains his calm, but I always felt like there might be something there.

I Got the Black Lung, Pop

Immulsion acts as the main energy source for the planet Sera, and early in the second game we learned of a side effect it could have; Rust Lung. This sickness overtook a large part of the last remnants of humanity through the entirety of the first level...and then we just shut up about it. It was never mentioned again or became a factor in any other plot element. Did the COG's develop superior immunities after the first act?

I know the Immulsion will play a huge factor in the Lambent's origin, but the effect on humans seemed to go unexplained. Hopefully more will be revealed as to its impact on both the Locusts and humans.

A Delta Must Die

...Not talking Carmine here. This is war. Plain and simple. For an emotional impact that will resonate through the Gears universe, I feel that one of the original four will have to die. Most of the characters killed at this point in the universe were only known for a few hours before they were taken out; Tai, Kim, and even Maria. I never got to invest much in these characters, so when the time came for their demise I simply gave a, "Well that sucks" and moved on. If one of the original four were to die, it would make the necessary impact the story needs.

Personally, my money will be on Dom. After losing his wife and the dim outlook of the war hanging over him, he seems like the character that would be most willing to sacrifice himself to let others live on. With nothing left to lose, his death could be the spark needed for the other Gears members to turn the tide in a key battle.

El Shaddai Review - Poetry in Motion

2011-09-08T12:08:00.000-07:00

Score: 8.25/10
El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron
PS3 - Xbox 360
Developer: Ignition Tokyo
Publisher: Ignition Entertainment
Release Date: August 16, 2011

Pros:

Stunning and unique art direction
Constant shuffle in combat and platforming
Weapon choice affects both combat and travel
Combat, though easy to pick up, can be challenging

Cons:

Platforming can become tedious at times
Story is a blur and will take replays to fully grasp
Camera can become an additional obstacle to overcome
Recycled enemy models become predictable after a while

El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron is one of few original IPs released this year. This one flew in under the radar with little advertising, but the incredible visuals caught my eye and convinced me to check it out.

Poetry in Motion

From screenshots, trailers, and the first few minutes of the game you begin to notice El Shaddai's strongest feature; this is some of the best art direction showcased this year. A vivid color palette coupled with unique worlds result in eye candy for the player and viewer alike. Each chapter features a different atmosphere; ranging from luminous Tron-esque city streets, to highly reflective glass shards scattered about a fiery landscape, and even cel-shaded cartoonish platforms. Each chapter is a fresh and interesting take on the elements backed by an appropriate musical score, and encourages you to continue forward to see what else the game has in store.

While the visuals are sharp, the story is a blur. The basic idea is that you are an archangel named Enoch who must chase after fallen angels for God...even though his previous job as a scribe gave little combat training. You are given a guide, who happens to be your hipster tourist, Lucifel. He not only saves your game but talks to God on his cell phone to update your progress...cause standard prayer does not have WiFi. The game chronicles your journey to capture each angel and bring them back, but most of the time leaves you scratching your head wondering what is going on. An intricate story is in place with cutscenes and spoken dialogue as you traverse, but it will take multiple playthroughs to fully grasp the tale of the angel in blue jeans.

Thou Shalt Have Variety

The game transitions between combat and platforming to keep the gameplay fresh, and it balances the occurrences of the segments pretty well. Just when combat loses steam, the game throws you into the platforming aspect for a nice breather and even an instance of a motorcycle chase.

Combat is much like a traditional third person hack and slash, but if you play it as such you are sure to lose. Straight forward button mashing is a sure route to pain, and carefully timed attacks are key to succeed. Enemies are smart, and I found myself constantly switching up tactics and approach to adapt to what enemies appeared. Besides the few bosses, the enemies tend to repeat with recycled character models in place of others with the typical "this one has should pads" look.

When you are not hacking away at evil minions you are traversing the lush and colorful environment. The game switches between fixed camera platforming and side scrolling segments. At most, each has you simply jumping from platform to platform with a few baddies in between. It's nothing really new, but the constant shift in viewpoints really keeps the game engaging.

If only the shift were assisted by the fixed camera, making some segments of platforming a chore as you attempt to judge depth through a multi-colored world. Luckily, the penalty for death is small and you will instantly be put in a position to try again with no load time at all. This alleviates some of the frustration, though you will encounter an incredibly annoying tower in one of the later chapters that almost rivals God of War's infamous spike wall.

Thy Holy Hand Grenade

Combat and platforming center around three weapons; the Gale (ranged), the Arch (all around melee), and the Veil (heavy hitter). Each has its strength and weakness that you must use to adapt to each situation. Sticking with one weapon in combat will usually end up getting you killed.

After you stun an opponent, you steal their weapon and "cleanse" it in turn. A cleansed weapon deals increased damage and disarms the opponent, so it is highly encouraged. Even sticking with one weapon too long will result in it losing its purification, in which you must tap a button and take a few seconds to re-cleanse it for ideal damage at the cost of being open to attack. This encourages you to keep disarming and switching up weapons, along with your tactical approach as enemies begin blocking your predicted attack pattern. Weapons cannot be upgraded or augmented, so the game nudges you to mix things up for the best result.

In addition to combat, the weapons shift how you traverse. The Arc allows you to hold the jump button and gently float to a landing, the Gale allows you to dash in mid-air, and the Veil allows you to break through certain surfaces. Some weapons made other platforming segments much easier, and it was interesting to pass by a few breakable surfaces wondering how it would change if you had a different weapon.

Conquer Death with Buttons

Boss encounters in the game prove a true test of skill, as the combat setup of not sticking to one weapon comes full circle. Most of the time icons will appear that allow you to grab a different weapon to tackle the situation, with a voice or circle over their head usually instructing you on which weapon would fit best.
Bosses act as the true test in your ability to adapt, as their attacks lay into you if you are not prepared.

Needless to say, having to physically move and grab a weapon during a boss battle is a chore, as they continually float around the battlefield out of reach of both you and the fixed camera. Weapons are trapped in orbs, which you attack to release them, but eventually fade after a time to reappear later. I lost count of the amount of hits I took searching for the correct weapon only to have two more pieces of armor knocked off.

This brings up the health system, as boss fights are where you will die more often than not. You start with full armor and after taking a few hits, are stripped of a few pieces. Once your armor is gone and only your stylish blue jeans remain, the next hit will end it. The game does offer you the chance to mash a series of buttons together to recover and hop back into the battle. This becomes increasingly more difficult as you get knocked out over and over. It's an interesting system that gets you right back into the action.

On certain occasions, the Watchers will hop in to challenge you. Victory is satisfying, but the result of winning is unclear. It is one of those "suppose to lose but you don't know it" situations. Sure these showcase the bosses as intimidating and allows you to see how they attack, but their appearance soon blurred when I was suppose to actually fight them or not. Unpredictable, yes; but its common occurrence became a bit more irritating than interesting.

Overall

Clocking in at about 10 hours at most for the story mode, your first experience will be a short one. Hidden collectibles, stage rankings, and an online leaderboard provide incentive to return, if not for another glimpse at the worlds to drool over.

El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron is one of the best looking titles offered this year. The small issues and frustration will pester you for a little while, but quickly fade as each new world is unveiled. It's a unique experience of a game, and a great new IP for the year.

September Gaming Releases - So it Begins...

2011-08-31T21:48:00.000-07:00

September 6th

Driver: San Francisco

PS3 - Xbox 360 - Wii - (PC 27th)
Developer: Ubisoft Reflections
Publisher: Ubisoft

Warhammer 40k: Space Marine

PC - PS3 - Xbox 360
Developer: Relic Entertainment
Publisher: THQ

Dead Island

PC - PS3 - Xbox 360 - OnLive

Developer: Techland

Publisher: Deep Silver

Resistance 3

PS3
Developer: Insomniac Games
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment

September 13th

Hard Reset

Developer: The Flying Wild Hog
Publisher: Steam

NHL 12

PS3 - Xbox360
Developer: EA Canada
Publisher: EA Sports

The Gunstringer
Xbox 360 Kinect
Developer: Twisted Pixel Games
Publisher: Microsoft Studios

September 20th

Gears of War 3

Xbox 360
Developer: Epic Games
Publisher: Microsoft

September 27th

FIFA 12

PC - PS3 - Xbox 360 - Wii
Developer: EA Canada
Publisher: Electronic Arts

X-Men Destiny

Xbox 360 - Wii - PS3 - Nintendo DS
Developer: Silicon Knights
Publisher: Activision

Deus Ex: Human Revolution - More than Human

2011-08-29T08:21:00.000-07:00

Score: 8.75/10

Deus Ex: Human Revolution

PS3-Xbox 360-PC
Developer: Eidos Montreal
Publisher: Square Enix
Release Date: August 23, 2011

Pros:

Various methods to progress through each room
Takedowns that never get old
Slew of choices personalize the experience
Whether the combat or stealth approach, the result is satisfying
Customization to tailor the character for your own playstyle

Cons:

For a game offering variety, stealth is encouraged
Boss battles seem an inconvenience more than an experience
Very long load times
Enemy AI is questionable

The original Deus Ex was released in 2000 on the PC and received critical acclaim. No other shooter could combine RPG and adventure experiences and meld them into gameplay. Deus Ex: Human Revolution is no different, as the large amount of choice and gameplay elements meld together to make an enjoyable and personal experience.

Robot in Disguise

Acting as a prequel to the first Deus Ex, you are Adam Jensen; security lead at Seraph industries that works in cybernetic augmentations. The latest discovery is cut short as a terrorist attack puts you in intensive care and gives you cybernetic enhancements of your own. With your new abilities, you must uncover the truth behind the attack. While the story starts slow enough, it soon hooks you in as you delve deeper into the chaos. Having not played the first Deus Ex, there were moments missed that original fans are sure to find entertaining, but nothing story wise is too dependent upon playing the first game to piece together.

The world itself is an interesting one of conflict. There are the pro-cybernetic crowds against anti-cybernetic crowds, mixing political and social conflict. It is a world alive with scandal, chaos, and corruption, each ensnaring the characters in the game.You always feel like there is something deeper going on behind each mission you take up or character you interact with.

Visually the game, while not a benchmark in pushing detail, is enjoyable. The overall futuristic ambiance is alive as a slew of dark and yellow tones through the game greet you, amplified by a synthetic soundtrack. Though some character models and textures look a bit rougher than the typical game and Jensen's dialogue reminds you of Christian Bale's Batman, it's nothing to detract from the overall impression. The only part to truly distract you are the rough character animations that look much less alive than the world that surrounds them.

Silent in the Shadows

The gameplay in Deus Ex is a complex one, as it mixes a plethora of game types together into one cohesion. The main idea is a first person shooter, but as you take cover behind walls it shifts into a third person view. Then there are interrogations to sway conversation to your liking, and a RPG leveling system. It's like someone took Fallout, sandwiched it between Gears of War, sprinkled LA Noire on top, and stuck it in a blender. While different at first, you soon get the hang of the transitions.

Most of the time you will be asked to move from point A to point B, but it's up to you to choose how to go about it. You can go in guns blazing with the third person cover system and shoot the place to high hell. Those inclined to keep it quiet can stealth their way in, picking off guards one by one. There are even those who choose to mix both together.

This is where Deus Ex shines; choice not only in social interaction, but choice in gameplay. The variety in paths and abilities really personalizes the experience for the player. Countless times after I cleared a room, I stumbled upon a vent or explosive barrel or hackable terminal that I did not initially notice and thought, that would be a clever way to get past them. This factor encourages you to try different tactics and methods to fit whatever situation is thrown your way. The majority of the time, if something is blocking your path there is always another way to approach it.

We Can Rebuild Him...

There are benefits to being a totally awesome cyborg, and these are what you will be pumping upgrades into to better improve your abilities. As you progress you are awarded XP which warrants you a Praxis Point. These can be spent on varying abilities to suit your play style.

If you are more the combat hardened character, there are some abilities to boost your overall armor and reduce recoil. The stealth-savvy will enjoy the short term cloaking and ability to run without making noise. Even the hackers have ability trees that make it easier to hack doors and even gain the ability to turn sentry turrets against their fellow man.

Though limited in provision, Praxis points can be bought or kits can be found which allow you to spend a decent amount without overpowering your character. You will be strong, but never a one-man army.

Conversation Starter

Most missions and side missions will only be acquired through conversation. As you traverse the hub world you will run into many colorful characters that could use assistance. Some missions are placed in your path, while others are found only by those looking for a quest. The only downside is that you cannot truly "backtrack" and must finish these side missions before continuing the main story.

As stated before, along the main game you will encounter "interrogation" or persuasion pieces. These can alter the outcome of a situation in your favor. In one case you need to convince a hostage to be released. Talking rationally gets the job done 90% of the time, and I found that if I approached each conversation as if it were actually taking place in the real world, the outcome was in my favor. It's a smart, well done aspect of the game that can let you avoid fights all together.

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Despite the great positives the game provides, there are some negatives that hold it back from greatness. The AI in this game is pretty stupid when it comes to investigating a noise. If I was ever caught, there was always somewhere I could go that the AI could not. I am not talking about on top of a crane or something out of reach, I am talking about walking into another room 5 feet from their position where I have been pelting them with bullets.

The boss battles in the game end up lacking any real enjoyment. Most of them require the run and gun strategy, and most could be spammed by the Typhoon ability for a quick victory. In a game offering choice and diversity, these encounters felt forceful in tactics.

Though the hardest difficulty provides some challenge, the long load times really put a hamper on things when you die. We are talking a good 30 seconds or so of waiting before hopping back into the action. Though a patch is en route for PC to address this issue, consoles suffer the worst. In an age where load times are masked by slow opening doors or slow moving elevators, it just feels like a huge inconvenience.

Overall

If you can wait out the dragging load times and challenge yourself to go through the game stealthily, Deus Ex: Human Revolution is a blast to play. It is one of those games that you can pick up, stare at the clock, and realize you spent an hour deciphering that one room correctly. If you are debating what to pick it up for, PC is the best experience for it all around. It is a solid standout of a title, and a nice end to the summer gaming drought.

Bastion Review - The Kid is Alright

2011-08-24T19:55:00.000-07:00

Score 9.25/10

Bastion

Xbox Live Arcade

Developer: Super Giant Games

Publisher: Microsoft

Release Date: July 20, 2011

Cost: 1200 MS

Pros:

For an arcade title, it has an impressive presentation
Stellar soundtrack
Gameplay is fast and easy to pick up
Array of weaponry at your disposal allows you to customize to your liking
New Game+ gives replay value to the game

Cons:

Targeting can be hectic when multiple enemies are on screen
Fixed camera can occasionally make it difficult to determine where a platform ends

Bastion is another title that has received great word of mouth and promotion during the Summer of Arcade. At 1200 MS points, most have been reluctant to purchase the newest title from Super Giant Games. Once you start Bastion it soon becomes obvious that this arcade title is unlike any you have played before, and may be the best Xbox Live Arcade experience you can have.

Welcome to the Bastion

The plot and story telling for Bastion is done through an ominous narrator. His deep, boding voice unfolds the story as you progress with original and fresh dialogue. It gives off the sense of being a recalled tale, rather than one that is playing out in real time. While the voice do not seem to fit at first, you eventually grow to love his commentary on your actions.

You play as The Kid, who awakens to a world destroyed by an event simply known as "The Calamity". Through artifacts and stage progression you slowly peal away the layers to find out what happened and restore your hub world of The Bastion, bringing it back to its glory days.

When firing up Bastion I got the sense of throwing an SNES cartridge in my Xbox, as the shading and style of the game feel like a classic throwback. Though the images by no means contained super detailed textures, it went along with the theme and feel of the game. As you walk the world unfolds before you, giving it a dungeon crawler ambiance and ever present ignorance of what could lay ahead.

Terror of the Tiles

The game at its core functions as an action/adventure RPG. You start in the hubzone of Bastion and from there, shoot off to other areas to explore. Fighting nets you experience, which you use to level up your weapons and skills.

Combat is simple, and easy to pick up. You get a button to attack, one to block, and one to use a special ability. Though simple in layout, the combat is not a standard hack and slash with waves of enemies. Some take priority in being struck first, some cannot be attacked directly, and some are handled best at melee or ranged. The constant shuffle of enemies keeps thing interesting and challenging enough to keep you from getting bored.

In addition to the main questline there are specific side objectives for each weapon. Tasks such as hitting as many targets with the bow with as few shots as possible, to navigating a maze with the polearm are welcome distractions from the main story. Exploration is also encouraged in each level as artifacts are littered throughout for you to collect.

Only a few minor nuances really get in the way. When mutliple enemies get on screen, it can be tough to target the specific one you really want as you dodge incoming projectiles. Plus, once you are leveled up enough you do seem a bit overpowered, but none of these truly detract from the overall enjoyment.

Level Up!

As stated before, the RPG elements come into play when customizing your loadout at the Bastion. An array of six buildings litter the hub world, each offering something to improve or challenge your character.

Each weapon you get can be customized to perform better with items from the store and exploration. The most interesting part is how the weapons can choose one of two paths, being switched at your convenience. An upgrade could warrant a more powerful shot or a faster shot, depending on personal preference. It's this simple inclusion that really makes it feel like I am tailoring the weapon to fit my play style.

There are also additional "spirits" you can assign to boost personal health or damage with each level, and a room that awards additional experience upon completing certain requirements. The most interesting Bastion addition is the altar, where you can invoke the wrath of the gods to increase the difficulty in certain areas but have enemies yield higher experience.

Melodies

Something that impressed me the most about Bastion was not the gameplay or the look, but the music. The soundtrack to this game is phenomenal. Each track captures the feel of the moment; be it frantic combat or somber self-reflection.

The most standout tracks at the songs performed by the games' few characters you run into along the way. Their somber melodies combine with original lyrics to really convey the hopelessness and struggle the few surviving citizens are coping with. Even if you never play the game, just listening to the soundtrack can impress the biggest non-gamer.

Overall

Bastion is not only one of the most impressive titles this year, but one of the greatest Xbox Live Arcade titles on the market. A compelling story, addictive combat, and incredible sound design combine to create a truly remarkable game. With a New Game+ mode and hours of content, you get plenty of bang for your buck.

Best Voice Actors in Gaming

2011-08-21T21:06:00.000-07:00

Making the look for a great and iconic character in gaming is one thing, but it is the voice that can truly bring characters to life. While many appreciate a good looking game with stylish gameplay, I am always impressed when a voice actor can really deliver a performance that not only powers the story, but leaves me in anticipation of their next lines of dialogue. Here are a few of the voice actors that lend their voice to the gaming industry the most, and excel with each new character.

Nolan North

Notable Work:

Nathan Drake - (Uncharted, Uncharted 2)
Desmond Mile - (Assassin's Creed, Assassin's Creed II, Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood)
The Prince - (Prince of Persia - 2008)
Space Core / Fact Core / Adventure Core - (Portal 2)

Upcoming:

Nathan Drake - (Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception)
The Penguin - (Batman: Arkham City)

It is not a voice actor list without first mentioning the man himself; Nolan North. If you check his IMDB, the list is endless of various games/cartoons/animated shorts that he has loaned his voice to, showcasing his ability to adapt to a multitude of roles; be it the cocky hero or dastardly villain. His most iconic role of Nathan Drake made him a personal favorite of gamers everywhere. No other voice actor could have fit the role better, as Nolan brought Nathan Drake's witty, charismatic personality to life through his carefully timed voice delivery and mocap. Chances are that if you have ever played a video game, you have heard the him in some role.

Jennifer Hale

Notable Work:

Commander Shepard (Female) - (Mass Effect, Mass Effect 2)
Ophelia - (Brutal Legend)
Trishka - (Bulletstorm)
Bastilla - (Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic)

Upcoming:

Commander Shepard (Female) - (Mass Effect 3)
Satele Shan - (Star Wars the Old Republic)

Jennifer Hale is a female juggernaut of voice acting. With a hefty amount of cartoons and animated features under her belt, she also sports a slew of video games characters. Her role of Bastilla in KoToR stuck with me the most, as her voice exemplified the confident, yet caring nature of the Jedi who stood by your side. There is an unmistakable inflection in her voice that makes her noticeable and easy to identify, yet it never detracts from making each character she portrays different and unique.

Ali Hillis

Notable Work:

Dr. Liara Tsoni - (Mass Effect, Mass Effect 2)
Lightning - (Final Fantasy XIII)
Dr. Ariel Hanson - (Starcraft 2: Wings of Liberty)

Upcoming Work:

Dr. Liara Tsoni - (Mass Effect 3)
Lightning - (Final Fantasy XIII-2)
Star Wars: The Old Republic

Leading her voice to such games as Mass Effect and Final Fantasy XIII, Ali Hillis is a stand out among gaming voice talent. Her role of Dr. Liara Tsoni in the Mass Effect titles was the most impressive, as the lower register in her voice leaves a seductive, yet innocent tone to the character. Her portrayal of Lightning was equally affected by this lower voice, in providing a stern and strong female lead.

Troy Baker

Notable Work:

Snow - (Final Fantasy XIII)
Vincent Brooks - (Catherine)
Alec Mason - (Red Faction Guerilla )

Upcoming Work:

Two-Face - (Batman: Arkham City)
Booker Dewitt - (Bioshock: Infinite)

After making a mark in cartoons, Troy Baker has steadily emerged as a gaming voice regular. His lively, eccentric voice breathes life into every character he portrays. His performance as Snow from Final Fantasy XIII proved to be one of the best in the game, as the typical hero showed signs of losing hope through well delivered dialogue. With his future appearance as the lead role in Bioshock: Infinite, he is sure to become even more well known and appreciated.

Jen Taylor

Notable Work:

Cortana - (Halo, Halo 2, Halo 3)
Princess Peach - (Everything Since Mario Kart)
Zoe - (Left 4 Dead, Left 4 Dead 2)

Upcoming Work:

Cortana - (Halo 4)

Turning words into a savory song, Jen Taylor has one of those voices that can make you melt. Her iconic role of Cortana showcased her ability to transform an AI, something assumed so boring and monotone in every form of media, into one of the most charismatic leads of the Halo story. She even became a personal favorite choice in Left 4 Dead for her lively portrayal of Zoe.

Claudia Black

Notable Work:

Morrigan - (Dragon Age: Origins)
Chloe - (Uncharted 2)
Admiral Daro'Xen vas Moreh - (Mass Effect 2)

Upcoming Work:

Chloe - (Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception)
Sam Byrne - (Gears of War 3)

Claudia Black's Australian dialect is easy to recognize, and always vivacious. Her portrayal of Chloe in Uncharted 2 was a welcome addition, but it was her role as Morrigan that made her stand out the most. Here was a character that was morally gray and seemed out for herself, yet was given a hint of compassion that was amplified by Claudia's delivery.

Steve Blum

Notable Work:

Grayson Hunt - (Bulletstorm)
Grunt - (Mass Effect 2)
Jack Cayman - (Madworld)

Upcoming Work:

Grunt - (Mass Effect 3)
King Bouris Ulgo - (Star Wars: The Old Republic)

Another titan in voice work, Steve Blum's rugged voice can make an incredible impact in a character. The gritty register has empowered foul-mouthed mercenaries like Grayson Hunt, but still differentiate from the cooler, collected nature of Jack Cayman. With an impressive IMDB roster and an infinite amount of possibilities ahead, Steve Blum is a welcome addition to the list.

Quinton Flynn

Notable Work:

Axel - (Kingdom Hearts II)
Prince Kael'thas Sunstrider - (World of Warcraft)
Raiden - (Metal Gear Solid 2, Metal Gear Solid 4)

Upcoming Work:

Raiden - (Metal Gear Solid: Rising)
Silver the Hedgehog - (Sonic Generations)

With another distinguishable voice, Quinton Flynn is able to breathe life into each character he backs. His most iconic role as Raiden from the Metal Gear Solid series produced a notable change from the second to the fourth installment, and Quinton's performance helped to showcase it vocally. With a voice tailored to animation, he is yet another addition to the list that is well worth a nod.

Robin Downes

Notable Work:

Doc/ Various- (Bulletstorm)
Medic - (Team Fortress 2)
Sagacious Zu - (Jade Empire)
Travis Touchdown - (No more Heroes)

Upcoming Work:

Talbot - (Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception)
Joseph Capelli - (Resistance 3)

Not only can he give a personality to a doctorial profession in Team Fortress 2, but the man's IMDB showcases a multitude of roles over several years of gaming. He is most known for being the voice behind Travis Touchdown, where even his vulgar words made necks explode. To transition to that from his calmer role of Sagacious Zu, backs his ability to adapt to any role.

Honorable Mentions

Mark Hamil

Notable Work:

The Joker - (Batman: Arkham Asylum)
The Watcher - (Darksiders)

Upcoming Work:

The Joker - (Batman: Arkham City)

David Hayter

Notable Work:

Solid Snake - (Metal Gear Solid series)

Upcoming Work:

Star Wars: The Old Republic

Fruit Ninja Kinect Review: Frigid Fruit

2011-08-15T09:00:00.000-07:00

Score 7/10

Fruit Ninja Kinect
Xbox Live Arcade: Kinect

Developer: Halfbrick Studios
Publisher: Microsoft
Release Date: August 9th, 2011
Cost: 800 MS Points

Pros:

Great pick up and play Kinect title
Leaderboards to compete against your friends
Unlockables are a nice incentive to play more

Cons:

Mistakenly judging a slice happens far too often
Main Menu is a chore to navigate
Co-op can be physically painful
Not a lot of content considering the price

In the latest Summer of Arcade title, Fruit Ninja Kinect brings the hit OS App to the consoles as the newest Kinect game.

Go Ninja Go Ninja, Go!

The basic idea of Fruit Ninja is a simple one; whack fruit and score points. Slicing in a direction with your hands slices the fruit. Hitting multiple fruit with one swipe warrants a combo, and thus, a higher score. With most gametypes featuring bombs that hurt your time or lives, it's a game you want to be accurate and efficient in performing.

This is mixed up with the various game types. There is an Arcade mode that throws a timer in the corner and bombs that lower the timer if hit. There are also power ups like "Freeze Time" or "Frenzy" that work to assist you. Zen mode does away with bombs and has you working to improve your combo with fruits alone. Classic offers your 3 lives and costs you a life with each fruit you miss.

Fans of the OS game will feel right at home with the rules and regulations, and noobies are quick to gather how it works. It's a simple premise with easy execution.

Buddies and Bonuses

Fruit Ninja with a friend is another interesting feature added to the game. There is a co-op and battle mode available, depending on how you view your friendship at the current time. The co-op is much like Arcade, and boasts powerups and a timer. It's the battle mode that proves the most interesting with colored fruit specific to which side you are on; blue hits blue and red hits red. It's unfortunate that the space is so small for these modes, as with almost every game, my friends and I ended up smacking each other in the arms more often than not.

In addition to co-op the game offers unlockables. These can range from new backgrounds to new shadow effects, to new blade types that are unlocked through specified requirements. Basically playing the game will gradually unlock them, though a few require some tact. It's a small incentive that keeps you playing to unlock all that is available.

Kinect Woes

For the basic idea of things, Fruit Ninja works decently enough for the Kinect. It proves to be pretty enjoyable and that "one more try" effect most OS games possess is present. Though the Kinect lag becomes obvious at the start, you soon tailor your movements and make it work, using the reflected shadow in the background to track your movements. That does not mean that Fruit Ninja is not lacking in a few areas.

Accidental slices make navigating the menu and staying accurate a chore. You must "slice" your option to open it, most of the time missing or hitting the wrong thing. Occasional miss-swipes would occur in-game that made it hard to build up combos or the accidental swipe of a bomb would end your streak. In a game that demands precision to excel, this hurdle gets in the way.

Then there is the pricetag. Sure it's not the 1200MS points like previous titles, but 800MS points for this game is a bit much to ask. I am usually not one to complain on price, but 10 bucks for an essential OS game to Xbox Live Arcade port is a bit much to ask, even if it is Kinect. Slicing fruit can only hold your attention so long...

Overall

Fruit Ninja Kinect is an interesting addition to the Kinect library, but one that is too short-lived. Though bound to be a hit for a weekend with the usual group, the novelty eventually fades along with your arm strength. At a 800MS point price tag, it is tailored toward the die hard fans with Kinect only...all 8 of you.

Counter Strike Returns Q1-2012

2011-08-12T10:42:00.000-07:00

Counter Strike was a mod that took the PC world by storm around 1999 and has had several releases since. The newest sequel, Counter Strike: Global Offense, was confirmed today for a Q1 2012 release date.

Expect to see many new features including:

New Gameplay mode
New Maps and Revamps of Classics (Dust, Aztec)
New Weapons
Matchmaking and Leaderboards
New character skins

The game is being developed by Valve and Hidden Path Entertainment, who also worked on previous CS titles. We should hear more as the weeks progress, but until then, here is a teaser trailer for the game. CS:GO will be released for PC, Xbox 360 Arcade, and the Playstation Network.

Source: Platform Nation

From Dust Review: A Dusty Diety

2011-08-08T13:47:00.000-07:00

Score: 8/10

From Dust
Xbox Live Arcade/PC/PSN
Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
Publisher: Ubisoft
Cost: 1200 MS Points

Pros:

Environmental physics that never get old to see
An arcade title that trumps most retail titles in look
Intriguing gameplay that keeps you on your toes
Challenge maps to further the play value
No one way to complete a map

Cons:

Camera can be tedious
No true way to control the tribesman besides setting pre-destined waypoints
Grabbing the right element or object can prove frustrating at times
Villager AI is incredibly stupid

The second title available from the Xbox Live's Summer of Arcade is From Dust. Ubisoft's latest arcade title is for those archaeological strategy enthusiasts...all six of you.

Sovereign Sphere

On the face of it, From Dust is a strategy game. Yet it is much more about controlling the elements than the actual villagers you seek to flourish. You assume the role of a god-like sphere entity that must guide villagers to establishing a civilization.

It only takes a level or two to truly appreciate the look and physics of the game. It never gets old to pick up a pile of sand and redistribute it, as the swirling vortex of particles is hypnotizing to behold. It was when a tsunami was thwarted by my villagers that I truly saw the level of detail shine through, as a wall of water cascaded around my village and trickled to the valley behind me. Materials behave as they normally would, with water slowly eroding insufficient barricades and fire spreading as it would among brush. It is like watching a Discovery channel special in HD, and being able to pick up parts of the erupting volcano.

The early civilization influence is apparent as your villagers perform tribal dances and speak in a language similar to an ancient ancestor of the Sims. Each tribe member is adorned with a single expression mask that gives the game a cartoonish feel. The only true story is narrated by a tribal leader, but holds no real interest or emotional attachment to the villagers...which is good because when they die from your accidental removal of a sand barrier, you do no feel so bad about it.

The Power to Move Mountains

The gameplay works from a typical overhead view of the terrain. The basic goal is to get your villagers from totem to totem, establishing a village and populating the area with vegetation. There are also additional side missions you can attempt such as getting vegetation to spread throughout the region and discovering small "memories" that are essentially text logs. The beauty of the game is that there is no one method to completing a map. You can sit there for hours building a sand maze if it gets the job done.

You control the snake like cursor that is able to pick up and place various elements around the area. You can pick up sand and redirect a river's stream for your tribesman to cross, pick up lava to form new mountains to protect from tsunamis, etc. You can also have villagers retrieve knowledge and memories from certain waypoints to repel certain hazards.

You are not restricted to just picking up and placing elements, as various powers are in place to assist you as you progress. With each totem populated, you gain one power. These can range from turning elements to jelly, thus freezing the water, to being able to place infinite amounts of earth at one time.

In addition to a story mode, there are a slew of challenge maps unlocked as you progress. These mini-maps give simple challenges like escorting villagers through a series of rivers, to dousing out a fire before it burns down a village. No real medals are given, just a time record to beat.They still add some interesting scenarios and can be pretty fun to attempt.

A Tsunami of Troubles

What starts as a simple pull and place soon becomes a frantic race against mother nature. The problem with this is the simplistic controls of the console eventually give way. There is no real way to jump the camera from totem to totem. You must sluggishly glide along the map, only realizing your village is in trouble by the frantic screams and panic of villagers. The camera is either too far in or way too far out most of the time.

Villagers in this game are very....very...stupid. This is not helped by the fact that you cannot set them waypoints like, "Hey wait here, I'll clear this out for you." Once you assign them a task they will become drunk with purpose and strive headfirst toward their target. They consider lava a mere twig in the road, and laugh as you try to desperately clear their path until they vanish in a puff of smoke. Villager waypoints can constantly shift, and on some occasions your villager will not go down a desired route. It's a much bigger issue on the later levels, and led to much frustration.

Other smaller nuances hold From Dust back from greatness. The maps feel limited in size due to console constraints, and you always feel like you are emerging into another box world with the same parts moved around. The Challenge maps, though interesting to tackle, prove short-lived with only a "fast time" to flaunt. Potential for a level editor is great in this game, and oddly absent.

Overall

From Dust delivered a decent strategy game experience for an Arcade title. If you can get past the basic feel of the game, it truly is one of the more visually appealing arcade games to play. The potential was there for greatness, but nothing was delivered but the basics.

Why I Still Own a Kinect

2011-08-05T07:41:00.000-07:00

I purchased a Kinect last November with Dance Central and the packaged Kinect Adventures. I played both games at a relatively normal pace, showcased the technology to friends, and had a generally good time with the hardware.

It has been at least six months since I have genuinely played anything Kinect associated. Besides the occasional voice command items while doing chores, it sits quietly and collects dust. And yet, I am hesitant to sell the device.

It's not due to the current lineup, I will be the first to admit it. Let's face facts, the software released with the Kinect left a lot to be desired. Though Dance Central proved to be the best use of the tech and most enjoyable title I experienced, it only lasted so long before the appeal faded. Kinect Adventures was much like that of Wii Sports, and was a series of mini games that held my attention for a day at most.

Future Software for Kinect?

I initially held on to the hardware for E3's showcase. I thought to myself, surely they have some top developers throwing something incredible our way. With each title unveiled, my optimism dwindled. The Star Wars game every one had hoped for looked lag ridden and dull (Though in its defense is looking to have improved functionality since E3). The Fable Legends title looked like a rail shooter that might hold my attention for a few days, and seeing that I have no children (that I am aware of) Sesame Street: Once Upon a Monster had no appeal at all.

That's not to say there are not a golden few Kinect titles that hold potential. Ryse is a first person hack and slash game from the fine individuals at Crytek (Crysis 2) that puts you in the shoes of a roman warrior. Sega has a first person survival horror game in the works known as Rise of Nightmares. Even arcade titles such as Twisted Pixel's Gunstringer look like fine use of the Kinect technology. They just do not look like titles that I would drop a big game for...

So why do I still have this thing? What is keeping me from taking it back and throwing it toward one of the dozen big name titles coming out this Fall?

It is the big name titles themselves that are holding me back.

A handful of games are featuring Kinect support for a few elements of gameplay. Mass Effect 3 will make use of the voice recognition technology that allows you to speak the dialogue options aloud. Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary has already admitted to including some Kinect function in their game. Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier showcased a bit of how they will integrate menu navigation and working gameplay to the Kinect.

I don't expect to use these features all the time, nor do I expect them to work perfectly; but the inclusion alone is a big check in the win column for the Kinect. The potential of the hardware to enhance games we already love is something I have been hoping for since release. A small inclusion of issuing squad base orders by voice or maybe solving a puzzle with motion control could prove an interesting addition. Though I am skeptical as to the functionality of the Ghost Recon gameplay (see below), the Minority Report inspired navigation of weapon customization blew me away. Regardless of the functionality, I like the direction developers are taking in providing some support for the hardware.

I would not go out and purchase a Kinect right away just because a big title is including an option to offer voice recognition, but it is something that has persuaded me to hold on to the hardware a bit longer. It's much like choosing to see a movie in 3D instead of 2D; you get the same product in the end, but that 3D can make things look awfully spiffy...or inexplicably burn your retinas.

The EVO 2011 Impact

2011-08-01T13:47:00.000-07:00

In case you missed it this past weekend, the EVO 2011 Championship tourney was underway at the Rio Casino in Las Vegas. Thousands of gamers both young and old put their skills to the test as they battled it out over Super Street Fighter 4, Marvel vs Capcom 3, and more.

I have heard a lot about EVO over the years, but never actually sat and observed the games...and man are they are intense. Just watch the clip below to observe one of the most exciting matches of the Marvel vs Capcom 3 tourney:

It is such a unique thing to observe two competitors, dedicated to a single game with hours upon hours of practice, duke it out in front of fans and fellow competitors. There is a certain energy in the crowd that amplifies what gaming is all about.

You have to have a new found respect to those that compete as you watch the matches. These are individuals who have dedicated their lives to a single game, with the sole purpose of becoming better than the guy next to them. Every move is analyzed, every strategy studied and tested, and every scenario evaluated.

Yet it is when they are on stage that the true pressure is felt, even from a spectator's view. You can see each opponent studying each other, trying to figure out patterns. All the while one single slip, one single missed move, or one failed combo can make or break a fight. At certain points, I was on the edge of my seat as one competitor's health bar dwindled and the other was moving in for the finisher.

Despite the tourney's competitive energy there is, whether intentional or unintentional, a certain interpretation of this social gathering. It is much like that of Comic Con or E3, a celebration of a medium we make a part of our lives through competition. When you think about it, it is basically a room full of people cheering on two guys playing a video game. Rather, it seems like a meeting of like-minded individuals, celebrating a game's impact in their lives by showcasing their dedication for the world to see. A winner is crowned in the end, but EVO seems like an experience that even the loser feels good about in the end.

Needless to say there were some exciting battles at EVO 2011, and it showed dedication and skill I had never seen in a simple online match. I am not one who can usually watch some one else play video games, but this was a huge exception. Here is to the competitors on a well fought tourney, that I will be sure to keep my eye on in the years to follow.

August Releases - Fruit, Fantasy, and Football!

2011-07-31T09:06:00.000-07:00

August 10th

Fruit Ninja Kinect
Xbox 360: Arcade Kinect
Developer: Halfbrick
Publisher: Microsoft

August 16th

El Shaddai: Ascension on the Metatron
PS3-Xbox 360
Developer: Ignition Entertainment
Publisher: Ignition Entertainment

August 23rd

Deus Ex: Human Revolution
PS3-Xbox 360-PC
Developer: Eidos Montreal
Publisher: Square Enix

BodyCount
PS3-Xbox 360-PC
Developer: Guildford Studio
Publisher: Codemasters

August 30th

Madden NFL 2012
PS3-Xbox 360
Developer: EA Tiburon
Publisher: EA Games

Do Fighting Games Need a Strong Story?

2011-07-28T10:18:00.000-07:00

Fighting games have never had very strong narratives. I have never purchased a fighting game expecting character development, emotional cut scenes, or memorable dialogue. I play a fighting game for the obvious, frantic core of it all...the fighting.

And yet, elements of a story are all in place in these games. The game sets characters toward a goal: Win a world tournament, stop an ancient evil, claim an all-powerful weapon, etc. Characters are even tailored to specific roles, the poster children for good guys like Ryu of Street Fighter and Liu Kang of Mortal Kombat are clearly portrayed as the heroes. Likewise, Nightmare of Soul Calibur and Kazuya of Tekken are obviously the baddies.

Everything is in place...so why is there not more emphasis on story?

A blog I stumbled upon in the great wide Internets hit the nail on the head. In a short entry looking into the same topic of fighting game stories, his/her words can be summed up with this:

"If any developer, designer, player, or writer absolutely needs to blame the current sorry state of fighting game stories on any one thing, they can blame it on the arcades, the place where this whole mad scene started"

The arcade influence is still too heavy in fighting games to provide a narrative. Fighting games are still much more of a competitive, two player, pick up and play experience. Even in the single player arcade, the only mode with true story in most fighters, the second player can still press start at any time to hop in and challenge you. There is even a countdown screen when you lose a fight on most of these to Continue. It's much like a puzzle game that would hold your attention for a time. Did you play Tetris because you felt a strong desire to build disappearing buildings for the entertainment of local children? With these types of game it never becomes a question of story, but what fight or what stage is next.

Then there is the idea of a story progression mode, such as the past attempt at this in Mortal Kombat: Deception's "Konquest" feature. This open world option allowed you to move along collecting coins and going from point to point to...well...fight. It was like playing Arcade mode, but I had to physically walk to my next battle. Unlike other genres of gaming that open up new game play elements, new weapons, new enemies, or epic boss battles; the fighting genre already has most of everything it can offer from the start to players. If anything, arcade and story modes simply exist to train you for online competition.

You must also consider the idea of what is "canon". With most games clocking in at a 15+ character roster, which one is considered "the" iconic story to follow? While most would agree the main characters like Ryu or Kyo Kusanagi (King of Fighters) would be the story to document, there will be other devotees to different characters. It's safe to say that Sub-Zero is not considered a supporting cast member to many.

Does this mean a big story is not possible? Of course not, developers just choose not to center the game around it.

The director of Marvel vs Capcom promised a truly in-depth story for the latest installment, with a Marvel writer taking the helm no less. That idea was obviously scratched and left me pretty disappointed. Here was a sporting roster of colorful characters and personalities with great potential that ended with a story panel that made no sense. This is Marvel comics we are talking about; the same people that can kill Captain America, but not really kill Captain America, but time travel with Captain America all at the same time. Needless to say, I expected a little bit more with a comic book writer on board.

Recent games have improved upon the typical story formula recently. Blazblue in particular was praised for its story instead of the run of the mill arcade and ending. Although it was much more favored to the anime enthusiast, it provided choices in the story and branching paths that made for an interesting addition. Street Fighter 4 at least chose to include small "rival" scenes in which two characters exchange words. I had no clue what they were discussing most of the time, but it was a nice addition that built the fight up.

Do I ever expect fighters to contain full fledged cinematics and stellar voice work to sway me from competitive online play to AI battles? No. I do expect smaller aspects to improve as time goes on, however. The most I could ask for at this point is a stellar character ending that actually makes sense, because at this point in gaming; fighters are still all about the fighting.

So what do you think? Do you ever want your fighting games to contain fleshed out stories? Is the tride and true Arcade mode enough to tide you over?

Sources: I Speak Comics by Sumo. - Worth a read for his fighting game articles, hits a lot of great points.

Summer Post: Beach Levels in Gaming

2011-07-01T11:31:00.000-07:00

Summer. The sun shining down, the cool breeze offering a moment of relief from the heat, and the sounds of the waves crashing gently against the shore, retreating to the ocean to repeat the cycle anew. Who could guess that such a relaxing, pristine setting in real life could also be one of the best locales a video game could offer. In no particular order, here are a few games that gave some memorable beach excursions.

Koopa Troopa Beach
Mario Kart (1997)
N64

Whenever the word beach is uttered with the word gaming, Koopa Troopa Beach from Mario Kart 64 is always the first to come to mind. Waves continually washed in and out of the track, sometimes covering the smaller paths. Crabs posed a threat as they moved side to side, threatening to drop you from 1st to 4th. The overall ambiance of the track was boosted with the catchy island tune in the background. It was a fast, fun, and memorable race destination.

Treasure Trove Cove

Banjo Kazooie (1998)

N64

Banjo Kazooie had a host of worlds to explore, each more unique than the last. One of the best was introduced early on; Treasure Trove Cove. This open-world beach played host to some unique platforming and battles, including collecting treasure for Captain Blubber to defeating Nipper, the giant hermit crab.

Gelato Beach
Super Mario Sunshine (2002)
Gamecube

It is just not a beach blog without mentioning the game centered around an island paradise. Super Mario Sunshine sported many island locations, but Gelato Beach was one to behold. Being able to see the pristine beach and crystal clear water was incentive enough to help clean the beach of any pollutants with F.L.U.D.D. Collecting red coins in a coral reef, pushing a giant watermelon along a boardwalk, and even fighting a giant Wiggler on the beach made this one memorable beach world.

Silent Cartographer
Halo: Combat Evolved (2001)
Xbox/PC

Halo took beaches and introduced them to Michael Bay. The second you touch down on the beach you are bombarded by Covenant fire with the classic Halo theme backing your regime. The level consists of you driving around the island, infiltrating various facilities as you blast your way through a Covenant armada. It was a strangely satisfying feeling as you splashed through shallow waters in your Warthog to your next destination, gunning down Elites along the way.

Chapter 8: Sandtraps
Half Life 2 (2004)
PC

After driving along the coast line for a time, you soon must trudge along a beach to face the Combine head on at Nova Prospekt. Disembarking from your vehicle landed you in a mad dash past Antlion infested sands. It was the latter half of this chapter with the beach confontration at night that stuck with me the most. With control of Antlions via Bugbait, you marched past the rocky shore to soldier outposts, leaving devastation in your wake. It was a nice contrast from fearing to welcoming the Antlion presence, and such a distration that you almost forgot that you were on a beach.

July Releases: Football, Splosions, and Seduction

2011-06-29T11:59:00.000-07:00

July 12th

NCAA Football 2012
Xbox 360/PS3
Developer: EA Tiburon, EA Canada
Publisher: EA Sports

Ms. 'Splosion Man
Xbox Live Arcade
Developer: Twisted Pixel Games
Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios

July 20th

Bastion
Xbox Live Arcade
Developer: Supergiant Games
Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive

July 26th

Catherine
Xbox 360/PS3
Developer: Atlus Persona Team
Publisher: Atlus

Outland Review - It's a Jungle out There

2011-06-23T18:26:00.000-07:00

Score: 9/10

Outland
Xbox 360 Arcade/PSN
Developer: Housemaque
Publisher: Ubisoft
Release Date: April 26th, 2011

Pros:

Unique look and style for a platformer
Challenging platforming requiring timing and determination
Hidden collectibles has you backtrack and explore
Memorable boss encounters

Cons:

Difficulty spikes in the later game can take time to overcome
Online community oftentimes absent

Xbox Arcade and PSN host a slew of fun, engaging titles that is ever expanding. Among these recent releases is Outland, a new arcade platformer from Ubisoft. The unique look and overall presentation of the game hooked me in, and I decided to give it a peek.

Rumble in the Jungle

Outland's story acts as little concern. Your character is donned the "chosen" one of your tribe, gaining powers of your ancestors. It's forgettable and overlooked as the game lacks any dialogue besides a narrator. This actually works for the game, giving it the feeling of a classic folk tale.

It's the overall artistic style that caught my attention and kept it throughout. The game features shadowed figures with small spurts of color adorning their armor or extremities. The contrast between the vibrant colors and dark foreground really give the game a unique look. Artistic backdrops help to differentiate the worlds and breathe life into their setting.

Polar Opposites

Outland has you progress through a series of platforming and combat scenarios, unlocking more areas with each power. In most cases defeating a boss in one area, opens the path to a new one, much like that of a Metroid title.

The main element of Outland is the ability to switch between dark (red) and light (blue) powers on the fly. In dark mode, red beams/dots/etc will not harm you, but blue ones will and vice versa. What starts as a simple switch to dodge cannons soon becomes a frantic session of polarity shifts and running for your life.

Sounds simple until you throw in the combat. The combat in the game functions in the same manner as the platforming; only dark can hurt light, light can hurt dark (red hurts blue, blue hurts red). This means while you are dodging lasers you must also be in the appropriate form to damage the enemy in question.

The game does a fine job of slowly getting you accustomed to the system by introducing a new hurdle to overcome with each encounter. What starts as a simple fight between an enemy and dodging a laser, soon turns into a constant switch and strike to damage the enemy. Though the difficulty can get a bit crazy after a few hours, you are beaten into learning how to play and learning how to time the polarity switch.

Like a Boss

The bosses in the game prove to be the most memorable experiences. Not only in look and style, but in combat mechanics. Some start fairly straight forward, while others require much better timing and thinking. The final boss in the game felt like a final boss should, with it being the most challenging fight of the lot. Each battle was memorable, and stuck with me well after the encounter.

Besides the typical combat and bosses there are a few collectibles to be...well...collected. These are strewn about the level, usually off the beaten path and unlock concept art...yay? There are also upgrade stations to increase max health and power. Needless to say, it is usually worth your time to check out the corner in most rooms.

Buddy System

Another interesting addition to the game is co-op. These rooms are slowly unlocked as you progress through the main game, and usually require you to get to the end of a level before the time limit expires. It's fast paced and requires a ton of teamwork to make it work.

The mechanics are fine, but finding a person is not. Unfortunately, not enough marketing was really done for this game so the Xbox Live servers were blatantly absent. It's not like your typical game where you can hop in and find a dozen people on at three in the morning, so you'll have to play during typical hours.

Overall

Outland is a unique and enjoyable arcade title that any platformer enthusiast should enjoy. Despite the difficulty spike in a few areas, the overall world and combat is a joy to behold. It's a throwback to classic titles with a modern look and feel. Take the time to download the demo at the very least, because this is a game worth the purchase.