The fearless hero stood at the mouth of Hell. No matter the odds, no matter the cost, the hero would press on. Whatever may lurch, whatever may haunt, the hero was resolute. The howl of the unknown settled on his mind, but he was aware of what must be done. Stale air in his lungs and dust in his eyes told the ancient tale of the people and place. The fearless hero, sword in hand, shield on arm, weapons at ready, marched into the dungeon without a second beat. He is Link. And this is Twilight Princess.
Set on a parallel world to Ocarina a century ahead, the kingdom of Hyrule is being conquered by an evil dude named Zant using the Twilight to steal the Light from the Light Spirits. Link is thrust into the middle of everything when his friends (a couple of snot-nosed kids) and his love interest (who has a thing for horses) are captured by a goblin/orc type thingy riding a boar, and while giving chase to his love interest (forget those kids… especially the creepy girl with a crush on Link) is turned into a wolf, and forced into the Twilight Zone. He is rescued by a Twilight person named Midna, meets Zelda, is conscripted into saving the world, and before he realizes what’s going on KA-POW! He’s already Midna, Zelda, that-one-creepy-woman-who-keeps-winking-at-him, the Queen of the Zora, the Gorgon, and the Mayor of his hometowns’ bitch (I’m sure I’m missing some).
Link has to collect the tears of light for the Light Spirits in wolf form to return the balance back to the force…I mean back to Hyrule, all while helping Midna recover the Fused Shadows in human form to help her stop Zant. A tough day for Link indeed. He must feel more used than… a napkin, or a tissue, or a cup, or something. If only he still had his voice to speak up for himself, (after walking in on his parents, he’s never been the same) then people might not walk all over him.
The addition of Ganondorf in the game was more of a fan service deal. (By the way… SPOILERZ!). The story ties in the fact that Ganondorf was imprisoned in the Twilight some hundred years ago, presumably by the Link of the Past, and is the source of all chaos. Link kicks his ass faster than you can sneeze, so by the time you turn back to the screen he’s already owned by the Master Sword.
The story is much more prevalent than previous installments. Fewer side missions are available, so be prepared to finish off relatively quick. But what drives the game is the efficiency of combat. The Wii remote acts as a guide for arrow shots, boomerang throws, claw shot clamping, and it works marvelously! Sword swinging and shield striking are a little clunky, but are a better change up than button mashing. Horseback combat has been improved twice fold so Link is able to swing his sword from side-to-side with as little as a waggle from the Wii-mote (Nintendo must be ecstatic that someone said Wii-mote). The wolf sections of the game were pretty repetative, until utilized where Link can switch between human and wolf modes.
For a delayed game well over two years… meh, for a new Zelda without the wait, was freaking sweet. Adapted into the Wii for new functionality and revved up innovation, the Twilight Princess is an awesome step forward for the series. Although not my favorite Zelda in the series, it none the less lives up to the name. So A it gets! (As a side note, those forsaken spiders scared the crap out of me, and now I sleep with my shield and sword Wii attachments at night... thanks Nintendo.)
Salt Water touches your lips. Wind blows through your hair. You might be on a beach or you might be playing The Legend of Zelda Wind Waker. As with many Legend of Zelda games, they start with the story of The Hero of Time. A couple of things are different with this Zelda tale. Cartoon graphics, Link has a family, and you are stuck on an island. It’s these things that set Wind Waker apart from any other Zelda game before or after it.
Life is good. It’s your birthday. You talk to your grandma and she gives you the legendary hero’s clothing to wear. Then, your sister gives you her telescope. While using the telescope, you see a giant bird and someone is in its claw. Some cannon fire from a ship hits the bird and it drops the person into a forest in the distance. You decide to go help but first you need to get a sword and shield. After that, you climb up a mountain and rescue the girl. Apparently she is the leader of a pirate ship. The bird comes back but grabs your sister instead. You join the pirates to save her after hearing she has been taken to the Forsaken Fortress.
Once you get to the Forsaken Fortress, you get thrown behind the walls. You get separated from your sword and cannot fight. You must sneak past enemies, find your sword, and rescue your sister. When you find your sister, the bird grabs you before you rescue her. The bird takes you to his master, and master of everything in the Forsaken Fortress, Ganon. He knows you are too weak and has you ejected from his Fortress. That is when the King of Red Lions finds you. Then you truly start your adventure.
The story is one of the best-crafted Zelda stories of all time. It sticks to the original recipe for a Zelda game, but still brings in enough to keep it fresh. Sailing is the biggest gameplay changer. No longer are you jumping on a horse and riding to your next target. Now you set sail and find your own path. If you are a fan of side missions, there a plenty of those, but if you just want to get through the story, you can do that too.
The music and sounds are as amazing as any other Zelda. All the sounds and music are inspired by the older Zelda games but enhanced or changed to fit this new adventure. It is what you expect from a Zelda game but also something that surprises you. The graphics are cell shaded but it works well with the comedy. Familiar faces look different, not just because of the new graphics, but because of the story and what has happened to their race. It might take time to get used to it, but it is worth it for an experience like this.
The new gadgets, and some of the old, bring new views on puzzle solving. The most important of which is the Wind Waker. Controlling the wind is a big deal and it’s even impossible to complete some puzzles without the wind blowing in the right direction. Another new item is the Deku Leaf. This lets you shoot gusts of wind at enemies or glide through the air for short distances. Using the Wind Waker and Deku Leaf together efficiently will help you get far. Everything else about the gameplay is just as you remember it from all other Zelda games. Slice and dice with your sword, block incoming attacks with your shield, and even the hook shot comes back.
What makes this Zelda such a different game than the rest is the size. Giant landscapes to explore, huge dungeons to conquer, and a big mystery to uncover. The sailing is a wonderful mechanic. You just have to be patient with it. The audio will make you want to stop and just take it all in every now and again. The weapons and items are used in such a way you never knew possible. This is the closest to a “perfect” game I have ever seen but I don’t believe in a perfect game. So this is an A, the highest grade I can give it. I want to thank Nintendo for making such an amazing game.
Ocarina of Time. Of course you remember the title. Maybe not the gameplay, the story, nor the graphics, but the name is pertinent and forever will be. But has anyone ever stopped to think about what came after? Has anyone ever stopped to think, “Hey, I remember Nintendo made another Zelda after Ocarina!” Unfortunately, the majority of the population shuns every existing title after Ocarina. Driven into a corner, mistreated and alone, the other Zelda titles struggle to stay afloat in a world ruled by favoritism. I’m here to stop such a cruel, inhumane treatment of other Zelda games. I’m here to shed a little light on their world, and show them that love exists outside. And for as little as a penny a day, you too can help raise awareness. Take a stand and say, “Hey, I remember Nintendo made The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask!”
Majora’s Mask was released two years after Ocarina of Time, and is a direct sequel to it. Set in a town called Termina, seven months after the events in Ocarina, young Link rides in on the beloved Epona to do what he does best: to be a tool for the rest of the world (half kidding). He is quickly screwed over by a skull kid wearing Majora’s Mask and forced to wear a Deku mask which turns the hero into an actual Deku. Link (the Deku) finds his way to the town, and unmasks himself into the form of a boy again. And they lived happily ever after…. Until the same damn skull kid unleashes the moon to crash into and destroy the town within three days! Fuck you skull kid! So now Link has to man (boy) up, and find the four giants who can help him stop the moon's descent.
The game is an innovator where the Ocarina can be used to slow, speed, or reverse time. Masks are also the centerpiece of the game where each can be worn to create unique effects (i.e. bunny ears make Link quicker, great fairy mask attracts fairies). Special masks can turn Link into a Deku, Gorgon, or Zora that allow Link to possess the necessary prowess to travel within specific terrains (or turn the Ocarina into awesome instruments). Four main areas are available for exploration and dungeon crawling, each with unique terrains accessible with the corresponding mask.
The combat in the game is symmetrical to its predecessor with the exception of the special moves and items associated with the special masks. Many side quests are available- more so than the predecessor- and dungeons are beefier with mask-specific puzzles. No Ganondorf though, and only a glimpse of Zelda. Oh, and the fan-girls who swooned over older Link won’t get none of that in Majora’s. Honestly though, you won’t miss them at all with this title (Especially no more "Hey, hey, hey, you motherfucker listen!"). Kicking that skull kid in the galls, and playing that cool ass guitar as the Zora are more than enough to keep this game appetizing. And at the time of its release, the new expansion pack for the N64 added new crisp textures to the game.
By far, this is a very worthy title. I give everything an A+, with reason, but few titles are very deserving like this one. Elaborate puzzles, and fresh gameplay unlike other Zelda titles make Majora’s Mask a unique and must play for any Zelda fan. But if you still bat an eyelid, I promise, you will miss out on an awesome game (that, and you just made my shit list). So again… for a dollar a day (fees went up), you too can help Majora’s Mask feel wanted and appreciated.
It’s been almost exactly 13 years since Ocarina of Time wowed us on the N64. The Legend of Zelda was strictly a 2D title until the moment of Ocarina’s release. A 3D Zelda seems like a natural fit now, but at the time, I wondered how they would translate the game into the third dimension without losing its spirit. Zelda was tied to 2D as tight as Mario was. One thing that gave me hope and got me excited, was the success of Super Mario 64. Our favorite Italian Plumber went through the same dimension change a couple years earlier and still holds a place in my heart as one of the best Mario games in history. Could Nintendo bring us that same magic to translate Zelda into the polygon world? Of course they could! (slaps you) How dare you doubt them!
The game’s story is magical and worthy of a place among the best fairy tales out there. Our adventure takes place in Hyrule Kingdom. Ganondorf, an evil king of thieves with the ability to turn into a Man-Bear-Pig, is desperate to find an ancient relic called the Triforce. It is said that anyone who holds the Triforce will be granted one wish. It's assumed Ganondorf wont be wishing for world peace. You play as Link, a little fairy boy with an appetite for adventure. Things go south when Ganondorf captures the kingdom and chases down Zelda for a piece of the Triforce. Link tries to interject, but Ganondorf pushes Link aside like some twirp. Oh no you di’int! Now begins the adventure of stopping Ganondorf and getting some sweet revenge.
The meat of the game is in its dungeons. Each dungeon has a theme (water, fire, shadow, etc.) and is full of puzzles that will get you further toward your ultimate goal. Some of the temples can stump you at times, but that’s part of the fun. There’s no greater feeling than discovering the solution to a puzzle you’ve been working on for hours. Many puzzle games now have gotten easier and easier. This allows for a wider audience to play, but doesn’t give the same satisfaction you would get with harder adventures. Ocarina of time is the perfect game to experience the nostalgia of when the challenge was great and the reward was satisfying. Thank god for virtual console (and the newly released 3DS version)!
You will travel to many towns and upgrade your equipment every now and then, but this is not an RPG. No XP is given, and there are very little side missions. This truly is just an adventure (and a damn good one). The story isn’t laid on too thick once you start tackling dungeons. All the dialogue is strictly text based with no voice acting. However, the narrative is still extremely compelling and has a twist that will shock you!... as long as you’ve been living under a rock.
This game is a treasure and a masterpiece. There is no way you can own a Nintendo console without this gem in your library. The experience of playing this beautiful piece of art is an irreplaceable part of any gamer’s life. Playing it in 1998 blew me away and still gives me chills over 10 years later. This title will make you feel like you finally got to live that adventure you always dreamed about having in the backyard as a kid. If you haven’t played this game… (slaps you again) Play. It. Now. If you have, give it another go. Skyward Sword is coming out and there’s no better way to get you in the mood for another 3D adventure than playing the game that started it all.
Author Note: This review will be covering the console version of the game. The PC version differs too much in graphics and gameplay to judge them equally. Things like map size and player are all effected.
One of the biggest rivalries in the video game industry has begun. Battlefield and Call of Duty have been fighting for modern war supremacy for years. Call of duty is consistently the winner, but the battlefield games have gained quite a bit of ground. This year, Battlefield 3 will square off directly With Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. Battlefield 3 has landed the first punch. The Swedish developer of the Battlefield series (DICE) hopes to win consumers over with grander battles and vehicle gameplay (absent in its Call of Duty counterpart). Call of Duty still has a lot of followers, but it will be the first game Infinity Ward has made since the massive firing/departures. DICE is hoping between that and their growing fan base, Battlefield will finally take the crown this holiday as the best-selling war game.
Battlefield’s single player campaign lets you drive tanks, ride in jets, and do some good old fashion shooting. The story starts out on an exciting subway highjack. After about five or ten minutes of gameplay, you are shot back in to the past in order to explain the events leading up to it. Two suits are interrogating a soldier from the front lines. Our soldier in custody recounts stories to answer questions that turn into the missions you play. The interrogation is happening to find out where a group of terrorists are hiding a nuke that will go off in New York City. Yeah. It’s pretty much as generic as it sounds. The narrative is bland and offers nothing interesting. There isn’t one character you’ll care about or any sequence that will really get your heart pumping. There are a few cool set pieces and scripted moments, but not nearly as much as you would see in any modern single player campaign.
In other words, the single player is very underwhelming. However, the majority of consumers buying this game probably won’t mind. Most Shooter fans probably won’t even realize there’s a single player option. Unfortunately, it does degrade the overall value of the product. If you look at any other quality shooter from the past ten years, every single one has a memorable story mode worth playing over and over again in different difficulties and in co-op. The Story even rips plot points and dialogue directly from the last Modern Warfare game, proving DICE relies on its competitors to figure out how to do single player. It’s a shame. Considering some of the crazy moments that happen during multiplayer, a good Battlefield campaign has so much potential. You just won’t see it this time around. For now, the Single player is essentially one huge training mission for multiplayer.
The meat of the game is built in the battles you’ll fight online. 24 players can duke it out in a single match (64 on the PC version). Everything found in war can be found here. Tanks. Jets. Guns. Defibrillator packs. Health Packs. Backpacks! Yeah. Shit gets crazy online. You can fight in a few different modes across nine maps. Every mode is recycled from other games in the series. The two main modes you’ll be selecting the most are Conquest and Rush. Rush is a classic attack-and-defend mode where one team defends two pieces of electronic equipment, while the other team tries to blow them up. Conquest is a mode that’s been around since the first Battlefield. Each team attempts to capture and hold areas on the map for victory (much like Territories in other shooters).
If you’re worried about getting tired of playing the same modes over and over again, don’t be. Every match has so many close calls and crazy “holy shit!” moments, boredom is not issue. Part of this is because of how much is at your disposal. As I mentioned earlier, there’s a ton of vehicles to explore and items to unlock. This allows every player to fight the war in any way they want. You could play entire matches without firing a bullet if you’d like. There’s a place for people who want to just repair vehicles, revive teammates, or supply ammo for squads. Best of all, the game will still reward you handsomely for all these non-combative alternatives. Every action earns you points. Every point Earns you rewards. This makes for an extremely addictive multiplayer that can be played for ages without getting stale. Also, if you have a 5.1 system, crank it up. This is what you bought it for.
Unfortunately the multiplayer experience isn’t all peaches. Server issues and glitches have been plaguing the game since launch. In the first few days, the Xbox 360 servers were down completely, reducing our copies of Battlefield 3 to a paperweight. Connection issues are still ruining the experience a week and a half after launch with frequent disconnects and a temperamental Quick Match option. Any high selling game might have a few issues during the first week, but this beyond anything else I’ve seen. It is such a shame that I’ve been stuck having a few horrible experiences simply trying to play the game, and it has nothing to do with the gameplay. DICE crafted one of the best multiplayer experiences this year, and simultaneously ruined it for everyone.
This was a tough game to score. I would feel awkward telling people it’s a must-have when the servers aren’t active all the time. When they are, it isn’t exactly what I would call “fully operational.” This is a game that would get an A in my book were it not for the troubles I had trying to play it. A month or two from now, after they come out with a patch or two, I’m sure they’ll sand away the issues and leave behind the gooey filled center of an amazing game. Unfortunately, none of us knows when that will happen. If you’re already done with Gears and desperate for a new shooter, go for it. If you can wait until Modern Warfare 3 launches, find out if any of the Battlefield issues have been fixed by then. If not, you might want to look into our Modern Warfare 3 review.
There’s a shooter somewhere! Wait, wrong game. I know you are all waiting for our Battlefield 3 review, but you have to hang on just a little longer (that’s what she said). Chainsaws, glowing bits, explosions, and fortifications; what do all these things have in common? Gears of War 3 Horde mode! With the new DLC that came out yesterday, you get even more of those things (But less time with your woman or man). The Horde Command Pack gives you 3 maps, new fortifications, new characters, and new achievements.
One of these new maps will look familiar to Gears Veterans. Blood Drive returns in all its glory. This is a very symmetrical map with a lot of small nooks and crannies that make sniper rifles a powerful tool for friend or foe. In Rustlung, an intense battle rages in the middle of a storm on the lower deck of Sovereign (the ship from the opening of the campaign). In the middle of the level, walls can be lowered or raised using buttons on both sides to help protect teammates or expose enemy forces. Azura is set in the final chapter of Gears of War 3, so if you still haven’t beaten it, get on that (Secondly, if you still haven’t beaten it, why are you looking at DLC to extend the gameplay?). It’s the biggest level in the pack and might just give Sandbar a run for its money. I played about an hour on that map and still felt like I haven’t seen all of it.
The upgrades and new fortifications came just in time for me. I spent hours in Horde trying to level up all my fortifications so I would be ready for this map pack. Some people may not have everything upgraded yet, and that’s ok, but you wont see the pay off these new fortifications give you right away. The new fortification, the Command Center, is a nice addition. It makes you feel less like a trapped soldier trying to survive and more like a solider trying to complete a mission. The ability to call in snipers or mortars helps when you’re playing by yourself. The sad part is, you can only call in for support once and then you have to rebuy the Command Center at the end of the wave.
The new characters are nothing too great. It’s just different people to stare at while killing things. I wish it had more female characters (not like that, Dante). Due to the medal for playing as a female character, I find everyone is playing as one of the three females. They only added one, so when you get a full team of five, some people are naturally the same character. It’s hard to know who you’re fighting next to without pressing LB. New weapon skins also came out with the pack but again that’s just for looks.
The new achievements will be fun to get, but seem really easy if you have friends. If you don’t have friends, then I’m sorry. Send me a friend request and I will try to be your friend, but no promises. All the maps, characters, and gun skins can be used in Versus and Beast so it gives them all more screen time. The Horde Command Pack is fun but not enough. With the next DLC pack announced (and coming just a month) this will keep you busy, but it won’t last.
I start by loosening the noose around my neck and crawling off the toilet. What happened? Where am I? Who am I? Why is a doll following me and giving me clues? These are just a few questions you may have as Decay Part 1 starts. Many of you may not be aware of Xbox Live Indie Games. Indie games cost anywhere from one to five dollars, but most of them can be skipped. Rarely, an Indie game comes out that is good let alone great; Decay is one of the latter. The first part is only one dollar, making it very easy to jump in. The other parts are three dollars each, making the whole series only ten dollars.
Being a point-and-click adventure title, I was hesitant to play at first. Decay is on Xbox and not PC, so I was worried the controls wouldn’t feel right, like many point-and-click console games. My worries were quickly slaughtered! You escape a room only to find yourself in a hotel. With very little area to explore (just three rooms and a hallway) you may think it will be a quick adventure. However, just because you have been in a room doesn’t mean you are done with it. In the other parts of Decay you explore new areas and have more/harder puzzles; good luck with the piano puzzle in Part 2.
You do have an Inventory, where you store all the random stuff you find. In your Inventory you can combine, view, use, and even rotate your items. What good is a flashlight when you don’t have batteries? You found a picture of a family but did you see the code on the back? I found it helped if I had a notebook with me when I played and just wrote down the details of each room. In some rooms, there might be symbols and numbers but in another room you’ll find a note with just the symbols. Later, there is a wall safe and you must decode the note for the combination. Being able to write down the numeric translations from all the other rooms was a lifesaver.
The story unravels with so many twists; you won’t know what’s coming until it’s already there. In the fourth part of Decay, more things get added to the gameplay. They allow you to use the thumb stick to look around rather than having to switch from side to side. There are also more mini games to make sure you are paying attention and so many scares, I had to put down the controller a few times. With multiple endings, it’s hard not to go back and find out how else it could have happened.
This game gets a solid B+ from me. With its cleaver use of the controller in a point-and-click adventure and a story that makes you beg for more, I can’t imagine my collection without it. Every Indie game has a trial where you can play the game for five minutes before you buy it. Download the trial and see if you can find the answers to what’s going on before you Decay!
Tim Schafer is a man any gamer should know. He helped create some of the classic Lucas Arts adventure games back in the day (Monkey Island, Grim Fandango, etc.). Ever since he started his own company in South San Francisco (Double Fine Productions) Tim Schafer has continued to release games with critical acclaim, but bad sales numbers. Schafer’s games are unique and hard to sell. After a few games, Double Fine wasn’t doing so hot financially and had to think of a new direction. Schafer gathered his team and split them up into a few different groups. He had found his answer. Smaller games. Frequent releases. In comes Costume Quest. A fun Halloween style RPG and the first of Schafer’s small game experiment. The game was welcomed with good reviews as always. Just one thing to do now: Buy. This. Game.
Costume Quest is about two little kids (a brother and a sister) who go out on Halloween to trick-or-treat. The mom leaves one of the kids in charge. The player makes this decision, essentially deciding if you want to be a boy or a girl. Things go awry when the sibling you didn’t pick gets kidnapped by Grubbins (green goblin looking creatures). The story pretty much kicks off from there but doesn’t have a whole lot of twists and turns. It is a smaller game and an elaborate story isn’t really necessary for a title like this. You do have the occasional conversation with trick-or-treaters and some other weird characters (like a helpful scarecrow who gives you hints as you progress). Each conversation is funny, clever, and at the exact level of quality expected from one of Schafer’s games.
The game plays like any top down RPG. The battles are a little traditional with a turn based combat system. However, you can execute a few well timed button presses for extra damage every so often. The variety of attacks comes from the different costumes you find and build throughout the game. You and your crew can dawn a variety costumes for different powers. Each one serves a classic RPG role to support each other in battle (healers, tanks, etc.). This keeps the game fresh since you are constantly collecting new pieces to put together more costumes. This keeps the addiction level for collectables high since there’s a new way to play behind every costume found.
Costume Quest combines some of the best, and only, comedic writing in a video game with the solid mechanics of a turn based RPG. The battles themselves do get a little repetitive over time, but at around 12 hours, the game ends before it starts to feel too much like a chore. This is a game that should be bought and played immediately. It is the perfect fit if you want to stay inside on a cold Halloween night and play a cheap quality title. Buy this game, and hopefully Double Fine Productions will live on and continue to deliver other games like it in the future.
Welcome to a very small world of quality licensed video games. Batman: Arkham Asylum surprised everyone a couple years ago by not only surpassing expectations for a Batman game, but also earning itself a handful of Game of the Year awards alongside the cream of the crop franchises of this generation. No one expected the developer (Rocksteady) to produce such a gem when they only had one game under their belt (and not a very good one). A couple years later, here we are in glee for the sequel to one of the best comic book games of all time. New villains. New Gadgets. New city. Peggy, hold my calls for the rest of my life. What do you mean no one ever calls me?! You’re fired! No, wait! Resign. I don’t want you to get unemployment money. That’s how good Arkham City is!
Sit back and pop in your Arkham City disc, because you’re gonna be playing as… Dun nan a na na na na na Catwomaaaan…? Yes. The very first thing you do in AC is play as Catwoman. Odd. You would think players would want a chance to get used to walking in Batman’s shoes again before learning a new character. The disappointment quickly disappears after you find out how awesome she is to play. She can’t glide like Batman, but she can use that dominating whip of hers to latch on to rooftops and billboards in the environment. It’s surprisingly effective and almost doesn’t make you miss the cape. Catwoman also has thief vision (her version of Batman’s detective mode) that allows her to see the heat signatures of enemies. Unfortunately, it isn’t as robust as detective mode. It doesn’t give you a detailed analysis of the fight like its Dark Knight counterpart (total enemies, which thugs are armed, etc.), but still helps a little.
Combat works slightly differently with Catwoman as well. She’s faster than Batman and can use her whip (instead of a cape) to stun enemies. Beyond that, it’s pretty similar. You’re still pressing the same buttons to punch and counter as you would in Batty’s shoes. Starting the game on such a different note than its predecessor is pretty ballsy, but it was still a really fun sequence and doesn’t last too long. There are about 3 Catwoman sections in the game, but you won’t be playing any of them unless you scored an activation code from buying the game new, used from GameStop, or renting a copy with an unused code in it (I Win). If you want to hop strait into our masked hero’s suit, it’s almost better you don’t have the code, but the Catwoman sections are short and a lot of fun if you give it a chance.
Now you get to play as dun na na na na na Robiiiin! No, kidding. Fuck that. BATMAN! Well, Bruce Wayne. Close enough. The story starts with the explanation of the game’s title. Every prisoner in Arkham Asylum has been moved to a new district of Gotham called Arkham City. Led by Hugo Strange, Arkham City is a Gated mad house of Batman villainy. Strange arrests Bruce Wayne at the game’s opening and throws him in Arkham. The tutorial teaches you the basics as you bust out of captivity and call Alfred to send you an aerial drop of your goods. Time to suit up.
Toiling around in the city, Batman discovers that Joker is alive but not well. He was exposed to quite a bit of Bane’s Titan formula in the last game and is now feeling the effects. It’s killing him. In 24 hours, the Joker will be dead. Lucky for him, he captured and infected you with the same poison, knowing you’d be forced to find a cure now. At the same time, Strange is constantly making announcements over the city’s loud speakers saying “protocol ten will commence in 9 hours.” What is protocol ten? Will Batman find a cure to save his life in time? Who else will get in the way? Tune in next paragraph!
Every piece of the story is logically and expertly crafted. Mr. Freeze gets involved because he is an extremely talented scientist and the perfect candidate to cure Batman and Joker. Freeze tells Batman he needs a sample of blood that has been exposed to the toxin for longer than Batman and Joker has had it. Batman then rushes to find Ra’s al Ghul. Ra’s has been exposed to it for centuries and never dies because of his Lazarus Pit. He’s perfect. I’ll stop there because I don’t want to give too much away, but every villain has a motivation that fits in the games story perfectly. Rocksteady allows you to enjoy fighting a handful of major Batman villains, without compromising the narrative. Tough to do, and amazing to experience.
All your favorite gadgets return. Batarang. Grapple Hook. Line launcher thingy (technical term). The game is mostly full of familiar tools, but there are a few new toys to play with. You now have a device that can disable enemy weapons in a room from a distance (limit two baddies per fight). This makes for a new level of strategy when tackling rooms full of armed guards. There’s also a new device grabbed from Mr. Freeze that allows you to create a floating platform of ice in any body of water. From there, you simply hop on and use the grapple hook to pull yourself to your destination. Leveling up also returns, allowing you to upgrade most of your gadgets and even your suit. Again, some of the upgrades are repeats from the last game, but there’s plenty there to keep you hooked on beating the crap outta henchmen to gain XP.
The city isn’t quite as fleshed out as a Grand Theft Auto or a hand full of other open world games. There aren’t a whole lot of landmarks and recognizable buildings to help you remember where you’ve been. Thankfully, an effective map and waypoint system help you forget this flaw quickly. You can glide around the city to get everywhere. Clinging on to Helicopters also works as a mode of quick travel, but you won’t use them often. There aren’t too many in the sky and it’s hard to tell if they’re ever taking you in the right direction. Gliding is surprisingly fast and you can zoom around pretty quick using the grapple hook too. The city is small enough that you won’t really miss a more robust quick travel system.
Arkham City is an amazing video game. Comic book fans will get an enormous nerd-rection from the clever story and characters. Gamers will enjoy an awesome open world experience with satisfying combat and varied missions. If you’re a comic book fan and a gamer, get ready to change your pants every 5 minutes. It isn’t a perfect game. Some of the repeated gadgets have lost their luster from the last installment, and the map could have marked building entrances to avoid pointless door hunting. It got slightly annoying to search around huge structures for a tiny vent or passageway. However, these are complaints are small and are quickly forgettable. The only thing bad about this game being so good, is not being able to use the article title “Batman: Arkham Shitty.” After a very satisfying experience, I must say, worth it!
It’s always nice to see older developers come out with something new. id Software, the company credited with creating the first-person shooter genre, has come out with their version of a post-apostolic future. RAGE takes place after the real life asteroid, Apophis, hits earth and wipes out almost everything. Yes, Apophis is a real asteroid but its not going to hit Earth, just past really close in the year 2029. RAGE takes place in 2135; you awake in your Ark and are quickly saved from a group of bandits by Dan Hagar (voiced by John Goodman). RAGE’s bread and butter though, is shooting and killing.
I haven’t played a shooter this polished in years. It may take a few minutes to get used to the controls but after that, it’s smooth sailing. You start off with only the pistol if you didn’t get the Anarchy Edition, so make sure to loot every body so you don’t run out of ammo. There are many different bandit tribes; some are more acrobatic while some build RC Bombs. Mutants are the more generic enemy. These guys can be killed easily, but give no loot. The Authority is the new government and has the best weapons and armor. There are so many different enemies, weapons, and ammo types, the combat will stay fresh for a while. Sadly, there are a lot of weapons but you can only equip four at a time. I found that I stuck with my Crossbow, Double-Barrel Shotgun, Machine Gun, and Sniper Rifle.
The Level Design was very unique. At first glance, it seems very linear. With most doors being locked, you might feel trapped on a single path. id Software did this on purpose, closing off some path ways then opening them on later levels makes it feel like a new area to explore. The Wasteland is where they bring in the vehicles. For the most part, vehicles are only used to get from quest to quest but they are fun to drive. At first you start with an ATV. It doesn’t have guns on it but you do need it for an achievement. Later you get a buggy that you can upgrade with machine guns, rockets, and pulse weapons. In towns, there are races you can do for extra cash, but you will find that most of that cash will go towards your vehicles to do more races and make more cash. It’s a vicious cycle. Towns also have plenty of places to gamble your money away.
With so many good aspects in RAGE, it’s easy to over look the bad, but it’s there. The only competitive multiplayer is demolition derby. You have to race from marker to marker collecting points while shooting others. It’s a nice change of pace from all those games that just throw multiplayer in to get sales. The co-op is a fun but short experience for you and one friend. The missions are different than single player but you play through the same areas. The co-op also keeps track of points so you can be competitive if you like. With everything id Software did right in this game, I find that the small problems fade after you realize you’ve been playing for five hours already. A great game that I will be playing over and over, but it’s not perfect.
World of Goo is a masterpiece. There was a time when 2-D games were considered top dog. Now 3-D games have stolen the attention of the world. Every time someone asks me what my favorite game of the year is, my mind immediately thinks of the big 3-D titles (Mass Effect, Uncharted, Halo etc.). Then along came World of Goo. Play 5 minutes, and it will have you fooled it’s just a bridge building game. Play the whole thing, and World of Goo will be punching you in the nads screaming “How DARE you judge me so early!” Even though it came out a few years ago, this is a title that will have you thinking “Game of the Year” no matter what year you’re in, what dimension it’s in, or how bad your nads hurt.
World of Goo starts out simple. You take little black goo balls and bind them together into structures in order to solve the puzzle of the level. This allows you to build bridges, erect towers, and clear paths for other goo balls to follow. Sounds simple enough, but the game doesn’t stop there. Like any quality title, each level is constantly challenging you to apply what you’ve learned in the levels before. As you progress, new types of goo balls are introduced, allowing you to build new weird structures throughout the game. With around 50 puzzles to solve, you’ll get to discover a lot of new gameplay mechanics in this small package.
The story is a feature you wouldn’t expect to be included in a game like this. 2-D puzzle solvers don’t bother with cut scenes or narrative because it often detracts from the gameplay (and is unnecessary). Normally I would completely agree with this sentiment, but World of Goo does story in a way that is so subtle and smart, you’ll be happy it’s there. Behind every new gameplay mechanic is a cleverly executed piece of story that justifies it. The cut scenes are short, creative, and never bothersome. Each one does an amazing job of getting you excited for the next new world or gameplay mechanic you’ll get to play in.
2-D games may have lost the attention of the masses, but this is a game that definitely made me turn my head back to the dimension. It has everything you would expect out of a top notch 3-D game: fantastic gameplay, unique art style, varied levels, and a beautiful soundtrack (available for FREE on their website). World of Goo emanates a level of quality you would think impossible coming from a few guys maxing out their credit cards. You won’t get a better game for ten bucks on Steam. It is available on WiiWare as well with a co-op mode, but it’s essentially the same game with two cursors. Despite all the 3-D games you play this year, it will be a strong competitor for your Game of the Year, any year you play it.
Crimson Alliance is a top view dungeon crawler RPG made by Certain Affinity. Yes, Certain Affinity, the same people that made the Halo: Reach Defiant Map Pack and the Xbox Live arcade game Age of Booty. You may have gotten Crimson Alliance for free if you got all the Summer of Arcade Titles. If not, you can pick up one character for 800 points ($10) or buy all classes for 1200 points ($15). Either way, this is a fun experience for you and your friends.
The simplicity lets any type of gamer jump in, but has the depth for veterans of the genre. It has simple controls for all three of characters: X is a standard attack, Y is a Stun Attack, B is a Defensive strike, and A is a Dash move. Even though it sounds simple, the controls can get tricky to master.
Co-op is a big deal in Crimson Alliance. The four-player co-op, either on the same system or over Xbox Live, allows you to always have someone to play with. There are some secret passages that require more than one person to get past and some doors that only open to a certain class, but the game can be completed in single player. You will want one of each class playing just so you don’t miss out on any secrets.
Sharing is caring in this game. You don’t have to fight your teammates for gold. Any gold one player picks up, everyone gets. The gold is important to upgrade your character. You don’t level up or get stronger in this game. It’s all about the weapons. You buy new weapons and clothing to make your moves stronger and give yourself more health. Some weapons have added abilities like lighting strikes or extra damage to certain enemies.
Crimson Alliance isn’t perfect for all. It does have some issues that are hard to overlook: camera is way too far out, all characters must stay in the same area, it’s hard to target enemies with ranged attacks, and without a real level up system, it is hard to feel the progression of your character. But, as a gamer who doesn’t play many dungeon crawlers, I do feel this game had what I was looking for in a social environment. I was playing with friends and it wasn’t so easy I felt like I was playing a child’s game.
Also, there is a new level that will bring new missions that are perfect for co-op. It will add new loot, new enemies, and new challenges. It is coming out October 12th for only 240 points ($3).
It’s been three years. Long for the satisfying crunch of another man’s skull under your boot? Addicted to hearing your enemies scream as you burn them alive? In desperate need to use your chainsaw for something besides carpentry? You know what you need? NO, not another trip to the Catholic Church! You need Gears of War 3 all up in your Xbox! Gears is back and offers the same ball busting, gut spewing pleasure we all know and love. With a few additions like Beast Mode and four player co-op, this is a package bleeding at the sides with content. Gears of War 3 includes the longest campaign Epic has ever created, and the most refined multiplayer experience in the series. Get on your athletic cup. This installment is so good, you’ll feel like you got kicked in the nuts.
The campaign starts about 2 years after you sunk Jacinto at the end of the last game. The COG military has collapsed and everyone is doing their part to gather whatever supplies necessary to survive. You play Marcus Fenix once again and assemble a team to kick some locust ass all over the planet Sera. The story kicks off with a data disk Fenix receives from the former COG chairman. The disk holds a video message from his father saying he knows how to stop the locusts, and it has something to do with Imulsion (Sera’s version of oil and the cause of 80 years of world conflict before the locusts showed up). The most curious detail in the video comes from daddy Fenix looking older than when they thought he died. Marcus sets out to find his father and unravel the secret behind what he was talking about.
For the first time in the series, you can grab three friends and hop right into the campaign (Previous installments only allowed two player co-op). The feature is nice but I can’t help but think it was a bit of a wasted opportunity. The first Gears ushered in a new era of co-op, allowing players to work together in ways besides just splitting up enemies to shoot. One player could hold a spotlight on the other so he wouldn’t get devoured by the game’s night loving critters. Some levels had you taking separate paths to open doors for each other in order to progress. It was a type of co-op I hadn’t seen in shooters and couldn’t wait for more. I expected Gears of War 3 to carry exciting new sequences like this with four players, but the amount of split paths and separate jobs are dramatically less than before. You still split up sometimes, but it’s always 2 and 2. Where’s my cool X-Men moments that can only happen with four people helping each other out? The feature definitely feels like just a way to get four players into the campaign instead of an exciting new opportunity for fresh gameplay.
The single player still packs a punch (did I just say that?) and delivers quality set pieces and theaters of war that rival the best shooters out there. Every act is full of something memorable and screams for multiple play throughs. As if this wasn’t enough, Epic also crafted us the best Gears multiplayer experience to date. As soon as you’re done ripping through the story, you can duke it out in competitive multiplayer, crush some A.I. in Horde Mode, or crush even more A.I. in the brand new Beast Mode.
Competitive multiplayer is addicting and has definitely come a long way from the glitch heavy Gears of War 1. Everything seems smoother in general. Any online game is susceptible to connection problems and exploits, but Gears of War 3 has finally reached the industry standard in multiplayer lag. You can fight online across ten maps in 5 vs. 5 matches. The game doesn’t boast a huge number of multiplayer modes and none of them are overly unique. A few variations of death match, king of the hill, and capture the flag. Each one has a Gears spin on it, but none of them offer a set of rules that can’t be found anywhere else. The series has always fallen short on modes, but the matches play so well, it doesn’t hurt the online experience a great deal.
If player vs. player bores you, hop in to Horde where fifty waves of A.I. locusts are just dying to get their head blown off by you. The Horde Mode, first introduced in Gears of War 2, allows you and four friends to fight as soldiers against the A.I. locusts in waves. At wave fifty, the game ends and the victory chants ensue. In Gears of War 2, the explanation could pretty much stop there. In Gears of War 3, there’s a lot more at your disposal. There is now an entire economy to get lost in as you fight the good fight. Every enemy you kill in horde gives you money. Money buys defenses (turrets, spikes, ammo). Buying defenses unlocks more powerful ordinance over time. This adds a whole new level to Horde and keeps you coming back. Your unlocks carry over from match to match, so you’ll want to hop back in numerous times just to see every piece of equipment you can acquire. A new unlock is a new cool way to rip a locust apart.
A brand new mode called Beast allows you to do the same thing from a different perspective. You are a part of the locust horde, charging towards a group of defending soldiers with your grotesque brethren at your side. Kill every last human you see. Unfortunately, Beast mode isn’t nearly as robust as Horde and doesn’t really seem needed. There are only 12 waves and it doesn’t offer anywhere near the depth of any other feature in the game. Killing some humans with a few friends is all in good fun, but you won’t be coming back to this one often.
Gears of War 3 is a fantastic shooter. It boasts a quality campaign everyone should play, with an online component that will keep you engaged for months. With the promise of DLC, it’s likely you’ll keep this disc in your Xbox for a long time. It isn’t without its flaws. The co-op could have been better, online modes could have been more plentiful, and Beast mode felt like an afterthought. However, each one of these is instantly forgettable when you’re screaming at your friends and blasting away grunts until 4am. Buy Gears of War 3. Love Gears of War 3. Ignore all of life’s responsibilities. Instant bliss is guaranteed.
Need a 2D side scrolling action game with multiple classes and upgradable abilities? Me neither, but then along came Trine and reminded me why I did. Trine allows you to traverse a medieval fantasy with the power to switch between different classes on the fly. Each class has their own abilities that you can upgrade if secrets are found and enemies are killed. Along with a variety of levels and clever exploration, Trine is full of every ingredient needed in a compelling game.
Trine is the story of an empire in disarray after the death of a king and an undead army taking advantage of the chaos. Our heroes (a wizard, a thief, and a knight) accidentally stumble upon an artifact called a Trine, which binds the souls of the people around it. From this point on, each hero can only exist physically one at a time. Most games would allow you to switch between characters without a thought, but Trine cleverly makes this quirk a part of the story. After the incident, our heroes press on to save the kingdom and separate their souls.
The game allows you to upgrade your abilities as well. Each character has a short list of skills that help you get through each level. The wizard can conjure up boxes out of thin air (great for reaching secrets up high), the thief can shoot fire arrows to light up dark levels, and the knight can break through walls. As you kill enemies (or collect experience potions) you gain XP, allowing you to upgrade all these benefits. Being able to create one box at the beginning of the game is helpful, but the ability to create up to 4 boxes and few walkways opens up a whole world of possibilities for exploration.
You can play traditionally with a keyboard and mouse, but the game also gives you the option to plug in a 360 controller if it’s more comfortable for you. I assume most PC gamers would just be comfortable with the old QWERTY, but I found the platforming easier with a controller. You can also plug in multiple keyboards and/or controllers and play with up to three people (each taking the role of one of the characters). Unfortunately, there’s no online play, but having each class on screen at once makes for some pretty clever puzzle solving that isn’t possible in single player.
This game was nothing but fun. Yes, the enemies do get a bit redundant, and the narrator doesn’t know when to shut his trap sometimes, but everything else hits its mark. The graphics are gorgeous and wondrous, killing enemies is a blast, and gaining experience is addicting. One play through lasts about 8 hours, but the game screams for a second run with its many secrets and hidden areas. The pricing is a bit steep for a 2D action title (20 bucks on steam), but if you have the dough, Trine is an adventure no PC gamer should miss.
Trenched is just the game XBLA needs. With very few tower defense games on the service, Microsoft grabbed themselves an exclusive on Tim Scafer’s latest title. As anyone would expect from a game in this genre, you will get to fight the enemy in waves as they try harder and harder to get through the defenses you have built. The game has a few twists on the classic tower defense concept and presents a solid experience that any tower defense fan would enjoy.
Trenched doesn’t work quite like every other game in its category. Instead of building defenses from a top down view, you get to join the fight alongside your turrets to play a more direct role in your victory. You control a mech called a Trench and pack copious amounts of guns and ammo allowing you to blast the enemy away 3rd person shooter style. Unfortunately, because you’re on the ground at all times, setting up your defenses isn’t quite as easy as top down versions of the genre. Every emplacement and upgrade requires you to run to the desired location to deploy. You won’t find any streamlined management of your defenses here.
However, being on the ground does have some advantages. Your Trench is fully upgradable with a healthy selection of weapons and emplacements you can choose before every mission. Any enemy you kill earns you XP and helps you gain levels. This unlocks new equipment and makes certain enemies easier to deal with. The end of every mission awards you with a nice wad of cash to be spent on all those fancy weapons you just unlocked. You can even eventually upgrade your Trench’s legs to make running all over the battle field a little less inconvenient. With the benefit of XP grinding, you can replay old levels to gain more money and experience to make later levels a little easier.
Trenched doesn’t have much of a story to tell. An evil scientist of some sort wants to destroy the U.S. army so he can use his advanced radio creatures to broadcast his message of… evil. This isn’t too much of a disadvantage because this kind of game doesn’t really need much more than that. The gameplay is where it counts.
Defend structures. Get money. Buy weapons. Defend more structures. This formula is fun but does get slightly repetitive. New enemies and defenses are constantly being introduced to prevent all the levels from blending together, but it only goes so far before you feel like doing something else. Luckily, Trenched doesn’t exploit this flaw. As soon as you’re done with it, it’s done with you. Not too long and plenty of fun, but you can’t help but think you should have gotten a little more for $15.
Out of all three of Schafer’s recent downloadable games (Costume Quest, Stacking, Trenched) this is probably my least favorite. However, it is still very entertaining and I enjoyed every minute I played. It even reminds me of how the brutal legend RTS sequences should have been (another game genre typically played top down, but retooled in a 3rd person view). If you had trouble with those levels, don’t worry, the 3rd person angle is a much better fit for tower defense. If you’re a fan of the genre and want to play something new but familiar, buy it. If not, you can survive waiting until it falls in price a little.
Civilization 5 is back with more DLC. This time you get to rule the land of Star Craft as Sejong the Great into a glorious victory in science. Along with a new civilization, 2k has also released a Wonders of the Ancient World Scenario pack. This piece of DLC includes three new wonders (completing the seven wonders of the ancient world in the game). Both DLC packs also include a new scenario for you to play with your new toys in. Personally, i usually just stick with the “normal” game mode, but it does give a little extra value to each pack.
The new Korean Civilization allows you to hunker down and excel in research. Their main bonus, Scholars of the Jade Hall, grants them the ability to gain +2 science for all specialists and great person tiles. They also receive tech bonuses for building science structures or wonders in their capital. Two new units also join the Korean arsenal. The Turtle Ship replaces the standard Caravel. This naval unit is more powerful than the caravel, but cannot go into deep water. Bad for exploration, but if you spawn on an island, this unit makes it very easy to defend your cities while you go for a non-violent victory. They also have the Hwach’a. This is a powerful ranged unit that replaces the Trebuchet, although, the Hwach’a does not require any iron to build.
The three new wonders are The Temple of Artemis, The Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, and the Statue of Zeus. Artemis can be built after researching Archery (the earliest you’ve ever been able to build a wonder). It gives you +10% growth in all cities and +15% production towards ranged units. Halicarnassus is available when Masonry is researched and grants you +2 gold for marble & stone tiles, plus 100 gold for every great person you expend. Lastly, Zeus can be built when Bronze Working is researched and provides +15% combat strength when attacking cities. Each new wonder is a brand new bonus towards gold, growth, or combat very early in the game, if you can beat the other civs to them.
Each DLC pack is absolutely worth the buy. Korea is a very worthy addition to other science heavy civs and provides a unique defensive strategy. If you spawn on an island, you are golden. Something else unique about Korea: you do not need a massive empire to bank on a large amount of science. The Koreans extract a lot of extra science from buildings you place in the capital. Because of this, you can keep a relatively low amount of cities (hopefully on an island) and rival the behemoth empires in science. I only had three cities during one of my games and I was pushing 1000 science towards the end.
Usually in a game of civilization, I like to go for pottery early on. This ensures my cities will grow fast enough to keep up in production and science down the road. People don’t usually rush militarily in civ 5 anyway. Now, with the addition of the new wonders, I find myself sometimes researching archery to get my early growth bonus that way. I always fear someone else might get Artemis before me, ruining my chances to destroy others in population. These wonders make earlier research decisions a lot tougher and will make people who don’t care about military catch themselves researching archery and mining earlier than they ever would.
Each DLC pack is $4.99 on steam ($7.50 if you buy them both). They are both playable with your friends online and they will provide you with hours more of gameplay for a game that never gets tiring. After 426 hours, I am still hooked. (Yes ladies, I’m single).
Ever wanted to be a detective? No? What the hell’s the matter with you? Well, if you’re normal, that would be pretty damn sweet right? Investigating crime scenes with the utmost scrutiny. Checking the dead body for any marks or wounds that might make the case. Telling your captain “we need to go arrest (insert man in political power)” and hear him say “(man in political power) would never do that! You’re crazy!” oh yeah. That’s the life. Welcome to that life. Welcome to L.A. Noire.
You play Cole Phelps, an L.A. cop in the 40’s, hot off the heels from fighting in the pacific theatre in WW2. It is an open world game, but almost doesn’t need to be. The cases are linear and there isn’t a whole lot you can do on the side except the occasional call from dispatch to go take care of a robbery or two. As you play the game and solve cases, you get promoted to detective and get to work traffic, Homicide, Vice, and Arson. Some job are better than others (Homicide is always a thrill), but the game does a good job of keeping the cases different so you won’t get bored.
Once you get to the scene, you’re given as much time as you please to roam around the crime scene and investigate clues. You’re welcomed by a little rumble of the controller every time you pass by a piece of evidence that might be crucial to the case. The game allows you to pick up objects and use the thumb sticks to turn it every which way to look for any clues that might be written or engraved on it. These quiet moments are very satisfying and really does a good job tricking you into thinking you did some awesome detective work (the hallmark of any great game). As you investigate, every clue is automatically recorded in your notebook. Everything gets recorded pertaining to the case at hand: The locations of the crimes, People of interest (suspects), and clues. This comes in handy during the interrogations.
After investigating (or before, but that’s sloppy) you can talk to your suspects and ask them questions. When your suspect answers your question, you have three choices. You can say he/she is telling the truth, doubt the answer (meaning you don’t believe him but don’t have any evidence to prove it), or say they’re lying. Claiming someone is lying requires you cite a piece of evidence in your notebook that proves they are a dishonest scumbag. Every actor in the game had their performance captured with high definition cameras to ensure a realistic experience during questioning. Their face looks eerily accurate and you can see the subtleties of their performance. It is a little blurry and not perfect, but it certainly does it’s job. If they have something to hide, they usually won’t look you in the eye, or they’ll appear nervous. Some of the actors overdo this more than others, but I guess some people are better liars than others in real questioning too, so it kind of works out.
Sometimes I ran into a problem where I would present a piece of evidence to prove the suspect is lying, but I guess it wasn’t the “correct” choice. I had this happen to me while playing Phoenix Wright as well. Sometimes, certain pieces of evidence make sense in my head as a contradiction, but i guess no one else shares the same logic. Only time will tell if this is my problem (probably) or everyone else’s, but it did get slightly annoying knowing that some of the evidence choosing was guess work rather than the pure logic of your investigations.
Another slight qualm, the story misses its mark a few times. Without giving too much away, the main character makes some questionable decisions that puts his name in jeopardy and seems unprovoked. It isn’t until this point that you realize they haven’t spent that much time building the characters enough for you to really care. Every so often, the game will flashback to the war, but all of these sequences are short and almost feel like they’re just spewing information rather than telling a story. This all leads up to an ending that will leave you with a feeling of “um… okay.”
The gameplay is more than solid and makes for an amazing experience, and if you’re from the L.A. area, the world is very accurate. There are no freeways, because it’s the 40’s, but you’ll be able to navigate the streets if you spend enough time downtown. The face capture technology is new and unique and offers gameplay that would otherwise be impossible (plus if you’re a big fan of Mad Men, it’s almost a complete reunion). Despite the troubles I have with some of the clues or the story, this game still deserves to be bought and played. There are very few games in existence that allow you to feel like a detective and even fewer that does as good a job as this. With the promise of DLC, it’s a game you’ll enjoy having on your shelf for months to come.
Roblox is known for being a fundraising extravaganza, helping raise dough for Haiti, and more recently Japan. Is has been well received by parents and kids alike, and even TRUSTe backed. Hell, it has an I-touch App to boot. Yes this game is just swell, it couldn't possibly be bad? Could it?
I feel like the point of this FREE MMO is to lure kids into a false sense of security as it regularly impregnates viruses into very expensive computers. Well, that and to raise money. It should have occurred to me that maybe a free online game could possibly have been whoring around, but I’m optimistic and it’s been backed by some good people, so I was giving it the benefit of the doubt. Sadly... my computer will never be rid of the ghonaherpesyphillaids it contracted from that whore....
Aside such minor inconveniences, the game is a multitude of different “game-types” that range from kiddie games- like freeze tag and hide ‘n seek- to more elaborate games for older kids- like gun games and more gun games- made by random Robloxians. Players immerse themselves into the Roblox world by creating their characters using many different interchangeable Lego-like (definitely Mega Blocks) clothes, and even building a home or multitude of homes. Game play is very simple just point and click or use the arrow keys; different “game types” dictate different hot keys- usually using the 1-0 keys. I’ve seen elaborate puzzles, capture the flag, building contests, and even action games where Robloxians attempt to shoot the crap out of each other; the sad part is, although the atmosphere of the games are all cool-looking and elaborate, the truth is, it is only limited to the shitty core game play.
The interface is slow, like a fat kid chasing chocolate cakes- I mean he gets there and he eats the damned things, but jeez- and even when the game responds the lag is horrid. Shoot ‘em up’s quickly become a horrid mess of laggy masses of blocks haggardly blowing up for no apparent reason. And I am running it on an i-7 with 1 gig dedicated damn it! What else could it ask for? A PC that could run Crysis?
All-in-all the game isn’t a steaming pile, but the amount of faults add up to make it a contender. Would I recommend this to anyone? Actually, yes. To my enemies (suck it). Well, if you’d like to take a swing at this mother I’d recommend updating your anti-virus before starting up. It’s not a bad way to keep kids at bay while you pick up Mass Effect and play for hours on end; I find instant noodles keeps them away when they’re hungry. I’d have to give this contender the grade it deserves, a C+, Only because it works toward a good cause. So what do a Trojan, a Worm, and a Blue Screen have in common? They play Roblox.
E-B-A! Ou-En-Dan! Hurray! Ever play EBA? How about Ouendan? Neither? I guess we can’t be friends. Before I get going on Osu, get your feet wet and play the hell out of either two. Ouendan and EBA are music rhythm games played on the DS that are filled with guilty-pleasure music to play along to. Simple to play, hard to master; all you have to do is tap circles on the stylus and spin the wheel when prompted. Easy enough (laughs). I (or one of us) will write a good ‘ol review for it (I’d almost bet money on G doing that).
Osu is a freeware spawn of Oudendan (the original) created by some dude who just loves the damn games for the PC, and more recently on the I-touch. When first downloading the game, players will have only the “how-to-play” option, but going onto the official site provides songs which can be downloaded to play for free. Filled with music from head to ass, there are literally endless amounts of songs from which to choose. The best part: songs are created and uploaded by the players, so any creation can be shared with anyone- no matter how shitty the song!
I have really enjoyed this game. I play for hours on end and never tire. I get blisters on my fingers, I sweat from cheek to cheek, I don’t get hungry or thirsty, and I don’t sleep. At first it is awkward playing with the mouse pad, as it is too clunky when quick paced songs appear, but after a few hours of practice, I’m sure you too will be enthusiastic to continue. Some of my favorite hits include Star Maze from the Mario Series, The Pokémon Gym Leader Battle Theme from Colosseum, and Random Katamari songs.
The I-touch version fares better as the touch pad makes for easier play.The only drawback I would say is that when hitting the circles, my fingers block out the entire screen, so a stylus pen would definitely come in handy. Damn my overly obese fingers! Damn them to hell! It seems to me though that the I-touch version is a cash cow because it gives you a tease of only four songs and expects people to fork up some dough for extra songs. I know I would gladly hand over my paycheck and work a few corners for extra songs, but others might not be as willing....
Anyway, Osu offers different modes, such as: hidden, mirror, x2, ect. not included in the original to spice things up. Nothing new with the design of the game, everything is a carbon copy save for the mouse addition. A very solid game for those who love EBA, Ouendan, or music rhythm games in general. If I were to give it an A+, I’d be biased as hell.... But you know what? A+ it deserves! So as my heart starts beating to the bass rhythm, and my hand cramps up from exhaustion, I still hunger for more Osu!
I adore the Back to the Future movies. I spent my childhood obsessed with anything having to do with time travel (or anything else considered not “cool”). I loved how the story was built on the sci-fi but told as a character piece. The first movie is on a short list of my all-time favorite movies and the trilogy itself I still hold very near and dear to my heart. So, when Telltale announced they were making a Back to the Future game, naturally, I flipped a bitch. They made a lot of other adventure games I loved (Sam & Max, Monkey Island, etc.) and knew they would do one of my favorite stories justice.
The games start out in 1986, after all the events of the movies. Doc has been missing for a while and the city is going to sell off all of his stuff. Marty (voiced by AJ LoCascio, a creepy good M.J. Fox impersonator) is naturally uneasy with the idea. Before another moment passes, the DeLorean shows up out of nowhere with no driver. That’s when Marty decides that something is wrong and the adventure continues.
The game works like most Telltale titles. The story is spread over 5 3-hour episodes as a pseudo point-and-click adventure (you drag Marty around with the mouse rather than clicking), full of puzzle solving and dialogue trees. Unfortunately, this is where the game falls a little short. Puzzle solving is one of the great joys of an adventure title and Telltale has always provided challenging puzzles that are just the right level of frustrating and satisfying. BttF falls a little far from the tree presenting puzzle after puzzle that isn’t very challenging. Because of this, the gameplay is lacking a very important amount of satisfaction you would usually get with this genre.
This is why most of the satisfaction comes from the story. They used Bob Gale (Co-creator of the films) as a story consultant, and Christopher Lloyd reprises his role as Doc Brown. Michael J. Fox is not involved with his lead part, but does have a small cameo in the 5th episode. The story brings back almost every character from the movies and gives fans a million reasons to play each episode, complete with a little cliffhanger ending.
Considering just the gameplay, I would give this title a B. Considering just the story, I would give it an A. That is why I decided to split the difference in my final score. Even still, it fell slightly in the B range due to the gameplay. If you don’t like the movies or never really watched them, kill yourself, but after that, you might not want to bother with this game. If you are a super fan like me, Buy it. There is a lot of story and it is all much appreciated in the mind of a wannabe DeLorean time traveler.
The story is much more prevalent than previous installments. Fewer side missions are available, so be prepared to finish off relatively quick. But what drives the game is the efficiency of combat. The Wii remote acts as a guide for arrow shots, boomerang throws, claw shot clamping, and it works marvelously! Sword swinging and shield striking are a little clunky, but are a better change up than button mashing. Horseback combat has been improved twice fold so Link is able to swing his sword from side-to-side with as little as a waggle from the Wii-mote (Nintendo must be ecstatic that someone said Wii-mote). The wolf sections of the game were pretty repetative, until utilized where Link can switch between human and wolf modes.
