[rokbox title=”Dead Rising 2 Review” thumb=”http://www.geeksofgaming.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/deadrising1-e1301314851501.jpg” size=”854 505″ ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNWbVN7y8aw&hd=1&autoplay=1[/rokbox]
Dead Space was an amazing addition to the horror genre. It could be considered the epitome of Resident Evil in space. Sadly, it didn’t receive much attention to the mainstream and quickly became a cult classic. Dead Space looks to draw in more gamers, with a more talkative main character and the addition of multi-player combat. Will this be the horror game of 2011, or will it just contain lukewarm shock value?
Dead Rising 2 Review
Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions Review
[rokbox title=”Spider-Man Shattered Dimensions Review” thumb=”http://www.geeksofgaming.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/spider-man-shattered-dimensions-box-art.jpg” size=”854 505″ ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICCx3–JnOg&hd=1&autoplay=1[/rokbox]
Spider-Man is one of the most iconic and well known superheroes of all time. Sadly, there just aren’t many video games that do the webhead justice. So now Beenox takes the challenge of trying to craft a good game with our friendly neighborhood hero. Yet will they be able to do what Rocksteady did for Batman in Arkham Asylum?
Things start off simple enough with Spider-Man facing off with Mysterio during a robbery. Spider-Man foils his plans of stealing an ancient artifact… by shattering it into as many pieces as possible. If things couldn’t get any worse for Spider-Man, he soon learns that the fragments of the tablet have entered different realities. Luckily there are 3 other Spider-Men that can help him recover the pieces before they fall into evil hands.
The story follows a very straightforward pattern, with each Spider-Man going after a boss in possession of the tablet pieces. A good majority of the time you’ll play a game of tag back and forth through levels. It’s a pretty predictable romp of chase the bad guy, and see how powerful the tablet can make them.
When you finally step into the shoes of Spider-Man you might be a little disappointed. The tutorial points out many of the games flaws in the first ten minutes. The major issue is with the camera itself, which can make almost any action a nightmare when it feels like it. When swinging it will close in behind Spider-Man and follow him a close as possible no matter what. Attempting to turn the camera with the right analog stick, will just confuse things and whip it back behind Spider-Man.
When you’re fighting off a series of thugs, the camera allows for free movement… but it will slide like it is stuck in molasses. So it’s almost easier to just try to lock-on to enemies and pay as much attention to Spider Senses as possible. The worst of the camera issues comes from climbing along any wall. The camera will not allow you to focus anywhere else, and attempting to do so will cause a series of spastic movements as a response.
If you can get past those issues you’ll have four different playstyles… well not so much different in three cases. Amazing , Ultimate, and 2099, while having their own attack animations… aren’t really that dissimilar from each other. When you’re fighting as any of the Spider-Men, you will pull off the exact same abilities as the others. The changes in character come in minor powerful skills like Ultimate’s Rage attack, or 2099’s accelerated Vision.
It also gets a little ho-hum when you realize that each level is the same for these characters. You’ll chase after a bad guy and fight off waves of henchmen until you get into an action sequence. Usually this is something like running away from a Sniper as Amazing Spider-Man, or free-falling through the sky chasing after an enemy in the 2099 universe. These portions of the game come second to randomly tapping on buttons to defeat bad guys.
The only real dimension with its own fighting style would be Spider-Man Noir. It takes on an Arkham Asylum like approach to combat, with Spider-Man sneaking about and taking enemies out silently. It’s actually a refreshing change of pace from the rest of the dimensions, even if it is far too hard to stay out of the enemies sight. This is usually due to the camera, or the jittery movements of Spider-Man when on walls or even web swinging.
It’s hard to accurately position Spider-Man in the air while swinging, not only due to the camera but mostly due to the stiff animations. Sometimes you’ll reach an area and Spider-Man will roll out of it back into the air, where he will stand up until his animation fixes itself. Other times you’ll climb up the side of a wall trying to get Spider-Man to leap over a railing, but instead he will try to go in another direction. Yet the most annoying part of it comes in the form of actual combat.
When attacking an enemy with web strikes, it is highly probable Spider-Man will appear somewhere else. He will literally swing towards a guy and either teleport to another part of the room or into the sky. It’s an extremely irritating affair when mixed with the camera, and the terrible lock-on system that you’re forced to use. If you don’t use it you’ll just end up bouncing between enemies and objects and barrels trying to find an enemy. With the most annoying portion of it being when you need to actually hit enemies with items, but it will continue to target the enemies forcing you to constantly re-position yourself.
The saving graces in this game come in the form of the graphics, with some highly detailed environments for each Spidey to traverse. They range from the heavily populated universe of 2099, to the seedy darkened streets of Noir. It’s probably one of the best aspects of the game, especially since the character models are quite detailed. The cut-scenes during level openings seem more like animated comics come to life, and most of the animation is pretty top-notch when it works. The game makes excellent use of lighting effects on the characters and the surroundings in the levels.
This is also one of the only games where Spider-Man feels most like his comic book counterparts. With Amazing, Noir, and Ultimate doing a fantastic job in their roles. Amazing and Ultimate come about as close to the comical side of Spider-Man as possible. While Noir does a great job of being a seedier more justice seeking Spider-Man. He even narrates his situations like he’s straight of a detective film. Spider-Man 2099 is the weakest of the bunch, but that’s mostly the scripts fault and not the voice actors. He still delivers a solid performance even if his version of Spider-Man is way off for the character
To be honest I probably had more fun with this game as a Spider-Man fan. I think I would have long turned it off if I didn’t enjoy the character and the voice work. It is terribly frustrating to have to deal with clunky combat, a wacky camera, and outright buggy animations. I’d say if you are a hardcore fan of Spider-Man, wait until this game is below $40 in price. It receives a C- for finally giving Spider-Man proper character, but having poorly executed game mechanics.
Metroid: Other M Review
[rokbox title=”Metroid Other M Review” thumb=”http://www.geeksofgaming.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/metroidmpreview.png” size=”854 505″ ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EUKUXrReag&hd=1&autoplay=1[/rokbox]
Metroid… we all know the name of the long running series. The well renowned saga known for exploration and its silent protagonist. Those who have followed Samus through previous games will be a little shocked by the changes. As Other M takes on a much more action oriented pace, with much less focus on adventure and more on the storyline for our heroine. Has Team Ninja gone too far, or is this a welcome change to the series?
We return to Samus after the events in Super Metroid, the galaxy is quiet after her success with the destruction of the Metroid species. During one of her routine patrols she receives a distress call from a nearby station. Upon investigating it she discovers her old soldier unit has arrived before her, yet instead of a reunion they soon find out that the station is flooded with aliens. So Samus must work in Tandem with the people she left behind, while trying to find out the source of the turmoil on the station.
Unlike previous games, Samus is no longer a silent hero. It is from her lips that you will learn the story of Other M. Through a somewhat emotionless voice she will narrate her feelings on current situations and her past. Most of this develops through cut-scenes similar to something out of the Metal Gear Solid series. The story however is pretty ho hum, and most of the time you will only pay attention to the action. Mostly due to the fact that story elements pop up every so often, so you’ll be more focused on combat than the story.
Metroid Other M employs a series of gameplay styles from previous Metroid games. It also introduces a lot of the fast paced action from games like Ninja Gaiden. This is mostly due to the fact that it is a much more action oriented affair. Players will have to utilize a variety of ways to defeat enemies, which consists of a lot of flipping around the Wii Remote. If you’re not holding the controller sideways and pressing the D-Pad to dodge. You’ll be pointing it at the screen trying to lock-on to an enemy to get a missile attack.
It’s a very unique way to play, and it comes off as fun and challenging at the same time. A majority of it consists of having entertaining battles with the simplest of enemies. Yet when you face a boss you’ll have to measure just when to fire off that missile. It’s good that it still retains that Metroid style while feeling like a totally different game. But do not despair fans of the series, the item collection and exploration still exists.
It’s pretty hard to die in Metriod: Other M, and that’s due to the fact that Samus can usually save herself by using a move called “Concentration”. If her health gets into the lower numbers, players can tilt the Wii-Remote up and press A to regenerate her health. This also works for refueling your missile supply if you’re running low. Don’t be fooled though, there will be plenty of times where you won’t have the option of using this tactic.
Samus will unlock features for her suit as she gets deeper into the station world. She can still find a variety of items scattered about different locations. But a majority of the time her suit functions will be limited by the orders of the squad leader, Adam. Which Samus will follow to the letter even if it puts her at significant disadvantage. Like the lava level for instance… where she has to take fire damage before finally being ordered to use her heat resistance.
The graphics are pretty good for the most part, even if some of the character models could use some work. Samus on the other hand, looks amazing with her armor adorned body. The game also has some pretty good visual flair for special abilities, or the sense of speed when Samus is rolling through a duct. Even the backdrops come off as impressive, with some gorgeous outside locations and creepy underground dwellings to explore. It’s just a shame that most of the enemy models come off as unimpressive.
It’s good that you won’t be worrying about the models as you blast them into oblivion. It’s all about Samus and how she defeats her enemies. Samus can now get up close and personal with her opponent and finish them off in one blast. She can also latch onto flying enemies and tear the wings off of them, or bound from multiple enemies to for a quick finisher. For the most part, Samus has become a much more entertaining fighter to watch.
It also helps that the sound plays an integral part in the gameplay, especially the music which does a good job at keeping things suspenseful. You will get used to the sound of screeching enemies, and your blaster charging from the Wii remote. There are even a few cues like listening to the sound of rustling bushes, to the familiar Metroid theme after you load a saved game. It’s just a shame that some of the voice acting can come off as dull.
Metroid Other M is a great addition to the series, and even though it has a few issues like the voice acting. It’s still an extremely fun game to play, especially due to how amazing the boss fights can be. If you’re looking for a new Metroid experience, or have just been introduced to the series as a whole… Other M is not to be missed. It receives as B from Half-Ass Gaming, it reaches a good balance between all of the Metroid games.
Shank Review
[rokbox title=”Shank Review” thumb=”http://www.geeksofgaming.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/shankpreview.png” size=”854 505″ ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQPpJbIdq8w&hd=1&autoplay=1[/rokbox]
The main story in Shank follows in the footsteps of most Grindhouse revenge films, like Once Upon A time in Mexico, and Kill Bill. Shank is left for dead by his former companions in crime for going against the ways of his family. On top of that they violated and murdered the woman he loved. In a lust for vengeance, he must systematically hunt each of them down. It follows a strict formula of familiarity and for the most part, you can always guess what the twists are.
Yet the combat is what players are really here for, and it is as visceral as the title demands. Shank has a large amount of moves at his disposal, he can commit a series of combinations by using each of his weapons. He can also grapple enemies, throw them into their friends, or shoot them at point blank range. He also he the ability to leap through the air and pounce on top of people, from here he can unleash an assortment of punishment depending on the weapon.
As Shank’s arsenal grows so does his ability to handle different situations. For example, the shotgun can be used to back off enemies… and it is extremely powerful versus the larger opposition. While the pistol is more of a multi-purpose weapon, for stunning smaller enemies and juggling them during combos. Add in the fact that Shank acquires different types of melee weapons, from dual-machetes, to fists wrapped in chains… and you’ve got a lot of choices on your hands.
You can also defend by holding the guard button, and dodge attacks by moving the analog stick left or right. This will probably be the move you’ll need the most, due to enemies being able to surround Shank and juggle him while he’s down. Not to mention that the ranged enemies can shoot clean through 8 guys to hit you with bullets. So you’ll really need to be paying attention to actually avoid hits… hell who am I kidding a good majority of them time you’ll just get hit no matter what.
Seeing as the game likes to place you in situations where you have no choice but to get tagged by an enemy. It can be during one of the many “Run for your life sequences” where an object flies in to hit you in a place where you’d never recover. Or just trying to climb a wall and reach an area with enemies standing on top, they’ll be able to shoot you at a perfect angle and knock you down. This brings on the major issue with Shank… and that’s the controls.
A good majority of the time the game wants you to be precise with your movements, unfortunately the controls are not as exact as they should be. For instance, if you’re facing one direction while attacking, and try to switch directions to attack another enemy. The game doesn’t always register this properly, a good majority of the time you’ll stay facing the direction you were in and keep attacking. Which leaves you open to the accurate enemies, and bosses who will kindly murder you.
Regardless of that issue the game is still tons of fun, just expect to die constantly even on the normal difficulty. Luckily, you can alleviate some of these problems by playing in Multi-Player… you’re even presented with a different campaign than the single-player version. The only real difference is that you can perform tandem attacks and revive the other player. Unfortunately, you can’t play this game online… so recruit a friend to buddy up with you on the couch.
The graphics in Shank are a mix of blocky characters that are straight out of a Flash Animation. With lightly detailed hand-drawn backdrops for the stages. The most interesting portions of it are the silhouette battles, and when the environment is crumbling around Shank. This bright and colorful world of Shanks is eye catching, especially when someone is being slaughtered in one of the cut scenes. The only problem is that it has a few stuttering issues and extremely long load times.
At the price of $15 dollars on Xbox Live and PSN, this is a tough one to sell as a single-player game. Mostly due to the frustration of being surrounded by enemies who have more control than you. That and the game is about 3 to 4 hours long if you’re playing by yourself, with the only replay value being in the multi-player section. So Shank Receives a C+ from Half-Ass Gaming, mostly due to the fact that the controls make the enemies seem more badass than they are.
Mafia II Review
With movies like The Godfather, Goodfellas, and Casino, the world of the Mafia is something that is well known. However, in the game world the selections for the fictional Mafia experience are not so easy to find. From EA’s Godfather series to the mentions in the Grand Theft Auto series, there haven’t been many games willing to take you into this violent world. Finally, the sequel to the original Mafia comes out after 8 years, but can it take the reins from the Masterpiece that is the original?
The story follows Vito Scaletta who comes to America with bright eyes and hopes of a new life. His dreams of striking it big in America are quickly dashed, when he sees what things are like for his people in Empire Bay. As he gets older; he learns that his father is a dead-beat drunk, and that he has to hustle to make things better in his life. Unfortunately, he fails a robbery attempt and is quickly arrested by the police. Yet instead of going to prison, he opts into joining the war effort to take over Sicily.
Vito receives a slight injury during the war and is placed on leave. He returns home to find his best friend Joe waiting for him. Within an Hour or so Joe somehow gets Vito released from his duties in the military. He returns home to find out that his father borrowed money from a loan shark, and now his Mother and Sister are in debt for thousands of dollars. Vito enlists help from his best friend Joe, who is eager to get Vito into the business of “Odd jobs”.
The game follows Vito through fifteen chapters of his life, and what a crazy life he leads. Unlike most protagonists in these types of games, Vito knows exactly what he is. The ups and downs in his life are from him doing what he needs to survive. He doesn’t have a hero complex while killing a slew of people, he does what he’s told so that he can get paid and stay afloat. Mafia II sells this story beautifully; and it will leave you wondering if Vito will ever make something of himself.
Moving around in Mafia II is as basic as it comes in Third Person shooters. You can use the shoulder buttons to sprint, or climb over an object. Vito can also snap in and out of cover at the press of a button, and he also has the option of staying in cover while moving around corners. The actual shooting mechanics are typical to the genre, you pop out of cover and shoot whatever is in your way. Unlike most games though, standing behind a thin wooden plank for too long will most likely get you killed. Enemies will tear down your defenses, but you can also do the same to them.
There aren’t any real differences to spice up tried and true formula, but it works well and you can also lock-on to enemies who are within your aim radius. The guns range from various pistols and machine guns of the era. Vito will rely on Magnums, Thompsons, MP 40s, and the old reliable Shotgun. The pistols have small differences to them, while the machine guns mostly all feel the same.
The real meat and bones here would have to be the melee system, it’s pretty simplistic but it is a ton of fun later in the game. Vito can release a slew of punishing combos early on, but later he’ll be able to dodge and counter-attack enemies. As he becomes more of a pugilist, he’ll eventually be able to grapple and finish off opponents when their defense is down. On top of that, he can also use the environment for a brutal instant knockout.
The Combat is off-set by various elements like stealth missions, car chases, and just selling some cigarettes out of the back of a truck. So you won’t spend every waking moment shooting at bad guys, you’ll even complete menial tasks while trying to work your way up in the mob. Being the ultimate button man comes at a price, as everyone else stands around while you bury the bodies.
Driving cars through a large city is typical of free-roaming games like Grand Theft Auto. Except in Mafia II if the police catch you speeding you’re in for a ticket. Luckily, you can remedy this by switching on the speed limiter which keeps you out of sight of the cops. I suggest getting used to this, since in Mafia there are no waypoints to skip to at all. Much like its predecessor, you’ll spend at least 5 to 10 minutes traveling from place to place. Much of this time is spent listening to idle conversation between Vito and his cohorts. While in other instances, you’ll be weaving through traffic trying to reach a destination in the nick of time.
It’s quick to note that Mafia II bears a resemblance to GTA, but it is truly more of a linear game that uses the city to tell a story. Because there is very little that you can do on your own in the city besides steal cars and rob shop owners. These options are more like tasks as opposed to Hunting in Red Dead Redemption… or going on dates in GTA: IV. These are just to get you a little bit more money for tuning up your car, going to the tailor, or getting that gun you always wanted. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing at all, but don’t expect too much outside of the storyline path.
Empire Bay might possibly be the best looking place since Liberty City. From the large scale bridges with looming high-rises in the backdrop, to the detailed rustic buildings with tons of Denizens going about their business. It’s not hard to see that Mafia II is an extremely gorgeous game. The cars and the people capture the feeling of the Era, and small events scattered throughout the game helps with the immersion. From the scar on Vito’s jaw line, to a man trying to reach out to his dying friend. This game has some pretty good things going for it.
The sound plays a big part in all of this, with an excellent cast for the main players in Mafia II. Vito comes off as a very convincing “yes” man, while Joe plays his role as the charismatic loudmouth who can kill at the drop of a hat. Even some of the bit players like the Irish Boxer “Brian O’neal” come off as interesting characters. To top it all off the soundtrack contains some pretty good songs from the era, and the news will keep you updated on your violent events about town.
However, there are a few instances where you’re pulled out of the world by the A.I. or the physics. A good majority of this happens when following an NPC up or downstairs. For some odd reason they’ll always find a railing to walk into for 3 seconds before adjusting themselves. Another issue is how the characters interact with each other, they’ll generally slide in front of each other before the animation starts. There are also some issues with the stealth kills, where Vito will choke air while the enemy runs away and dies.
Also… the Police seem to appear in the area as soon as you commit a crime. The minute an alarm goes off the police will somehow have already arrived and will descend upon you. Another issue involving the cops, is that they’ll just want to arrest you for no particular reason. You’ll be driving along obeying the traffic laws and all of a sudden the police are banging into your car. There is also an odd bug with some of the civilians calling the police on Vito even if he’s just walking into a shop. They’ll duck and scream as the police come driving up and start firing at Vito just because he wanted to buy new clothes.
Mafia II is a story driven game that plays out like a movie, while it does have a few bugs here and there that can ruin the immersion. It sells the story of a Mobster who just can’t win extremely well, and the game captures the era that it emulates perfectly. Mafia II features 15 chapters that clock in between 12 to 14 hours of gameplay. It’s a non-stop ride that’s entertaining the whole way through, and the ending is just as cruel as the original. So Mafia II receives an B+ from Half-Ass Gaming, and hopefully we’ll have less of a wait for Mafia 3.
Kane and Lynch: Dog Days Review
[rokbox title=”Kane and Lynch Dog Days Review” thumb=”http://www.geeksofgaming.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/kaneandlynchpreview.png” size=”854 505″ ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3OlnXQvTWFQ&hd=1&autoplay=1[/rokbox]
It’s once again time to dive into the shoes of Kane and Lynch, this time the two are thrust into the criminal underground of Shanghai. Kane arrives in Shanghai to meet Lynch for what could be his last job, but within minutes they both commit an atrocity that will haunt them for the rest of the trip. This mistake puts the two of them on a hitlist of one of the most dangerous men in the city. The only way the two of them will survive is to find a way out of China.
It’s a fairly straightforward story that jumps between Vengeance and Redemption, there are a few what the F moments. But it’s not exactly the most engaging story ever told, in fact it isn’t nearly as good as the story in the first Kane and Lynch. It tends to string you along with a few shocking developments, to keep you interested enough to keep mowing down bad guys in droves.
You’re quickly pushed into what would seem to be familiar territory for Kane and Lynch. No matter where you go a hail of bullets will follow. Luckily the gameplay is much improved from Dead Men, you can actually partially lock-on to enemies by clicking the Left Trigger. The cover system is a lot smoother also, but there are still a lot of situations where you will be stuck in cover. In reality, there isn’t anything necessarily special about the mechanics in Dog Days. It plays like your average third-person shooter, the only real difference is the destructible cover.
Most of the enemies don’t come off as particularly smart, but the same goes for your dim-witted computer companion. A good amount the time you’ll wonder what they are even doing there, since a good majority of the A.I. will run right past him just to kill you. Not only that it seems like he runs off on his own too much, leaving you to fight off waves of bad guys alone. If you can find someone to play online with, or even to sit right next to you and play… that’s probably the best bet.
Your enemies on the other hand will shoot mercilessly at you from cover, most of the time they’ll have pin-point accuracy around corners. I had a tough time trying to figure out how I was being shot through large metal containers. That and they aren’t particularly the smartest guys around, most of them will run straight towards you. Which is a problem in itself in a way, since the game has the option of allowing you to take hostages. The only problem with trying this outside of the “allowed” areas, is that the computer will one-hit kill you at close range no matter what. So it is highly unlikely that you will try to take many hostages at all in this game.
The footage in the game is supposedly taken from some hidden cameraman filming a documentary. So you’ll see a lot of shaking camera movements while playing, and the screen will mostly be as grainy as can be. While it does have an authentic feel to it, it can come off as a bit distracting during battles. I found it hard to tell what was going on in front of me at times because of the glaring lights, grain, and dark levels associated with the game.
The environments are pretty forgettable except for a few venues, and the character models are basic at best. Yet the game adds some noticeable visual touches to set it apart… like pixilated censors that’ll cover up certain parts of the body. You’ll see this scattered through the game on nude models, or when you get a headshot. This immerses you into the documentary style of the game, you’ll almost feel like you’re watching live feed of two maniacs. Most of the enemies don’t come off as particularly smart, but the same goes for your dim-witted computer companion. A good amount the time you’ll wonder what they are even doing there, since a good majority of the A.I. will run right past him just to kill you. Not only that it seems like he runs off on his own too much, leaving you to fight off waves of bad guys alone. If you can find someone to play online with, or even to sit right next to you and play… that’s probably the best bet.
Your enemies on the other hand will shoot mercilessly at you from cover, most of the time they’ll have pin-point accuracy around corners. I had a tough time trying to figure out how I was being shot through large metal containers. That and they aren’t particularly the smartest guys around, most of them will run straight towards you. Which is a problem in itself in a way, since the game has the option of allowing you to take hostages. The only problem with trying this outside of the “allowed” areas, is that the computer will one-hit kill you at close range no matter what. So it is highly unlikely that you will try to take many hostages at all in this game.
The footage in the game is supposedly taken from some hidden cameraman filming a documentary. So you’ll see a lot of shaking camera movements while playing, and the screen will mostly be as grainy as can be. While it does have an authentic feel to it, it can come off as a bit distracting during battles. I found it hard to tell what was going on in front of me at times because of the glaring lights, grain, and dark levels associated with the game.
You can also partake in various Multi-player modes, most people will remember Fragile Alliance from Dead men. Where you have to steal 4 million dollars and try to make it to the getaway vehicle, but along the way you can slaughter your teammates to get a bigger share. The next mode is Undercover Cop which plays a lot like Fragile Alliance, except with a small twist… one of the players of course is an undercover cop. So you play the odd man out and have to kill criminals after they commit a crime. This mode is a bit harder to play… as failure to actually come off like a criminal will get you snuffed out immediately.
The final mode is Cops and Robbers… which seems to be the least played game. But the premise of the mode is simple enough, take on the role of a cop and stop the criminals and try to take a cut for yourself. While as a criminal you steal the drugs, and try to survive to escape on the helicopter. These game modes are pretty fun, especially Undercover Cop… because it’s fun to masquerade as a criminal while systematically taking out the team around you. Yet it’s never really that fleshed out, since heists can be completed in less than 4 minutes. The main problem with the Multi-player is that if anyone leaves, you’re immediately thrown back to the lobby and that’s just frustrating. You can also play Arcade Mode, but it’s Fragile Alliance with increasing difficulty between modes. It’s pretty much used to train you for the multi-player, but it does come with leader board tracking if you’re into that.
Take in the fact that the Single-Player campaign is only 4 to 5 hours long, and the actual Multi-player while fun isn’t going to keep you playing very long. And you’ve got a solid C- game on your hands here, mostly due to the fact that it’s really an average third person shooter. Kane and Lynch: Dog Days improves on the original, but it doesn’t make a mark of its own in the gaming world. I can’t recommend this game as a purchase for $60 or even $50, I’d either rent it for a day or wait until you can buy it for $30 or less.
Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World Review
[rokbox title=”Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World Review” thumb=”http://www.geeksofgaming.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/scottpilgrimvspreview.png” size=”854 505″ ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xsiWrGhlOE&hd=1&autoplay=1[/rokbox]
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is a popular movie based off a popular comic that has been turned into a video game. The story is simple and sweet, Scott Pilgrim is in love with Ramona Flowers… but to be with her he must defeat her 7 evil ex-boyfriends. So Scott and his friends traverse 7 levels trying to get to reach these baddies so Scott and Ramona can live happily ever after.
Scott Pilgrim plays similarly to games like Streets of Rage, Final Fight, and mostly River City Ransom. In fact Scott Pilgrim is in a way a clone of that game, it takes plenty from what made River City Ransom so popular. Most familiar will be the coins that fall out of the beaten down enemies, and the shops scattered through the game so your characters can increase their stats. The only real difference is that you gain moves through leveling instead of purchasing them like River City Ransom.
Don’t get me wrong… this game isn’t a complete clone of River City Ransom. It has its own style of game play and a plethora of special moves for each character. The most noticeable thing about the game is how closely it portrays the comic book that it is based off of. The game is extremely colorful and full of gorgeous locations to fight through. In fact the most impressive scenes in the game are the small cut-scenes that show off the different assortment of bosses.
Scott Pilgrim isn’t without problems though, the number one issue is that you cannot play this game cooperatively online. So that means if you don’t have a bunch of friends nearby, you’ll most likely be grinding your way through coins to try to get your stats up. Since the difficulty in the game will increase in later levels when you’re surrounded by a bunch of baddies. If you’re playing solo, prepare to get wailed on until you can get a good amount of defense. The final reason is that even though this is a downloadable game, it will still freeze occasionally.
There isn’t much to say about Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, it’s a gorgeous trip back to simpler times of side-scrolling combat. It’s just sad that it lacks Online Co-Op and crashes whenever it feels like it. But don’t get me wrong, this game is awesome fun even when playing solo. So if you can gather 3 friends to sit in the living room with you and throw down… you’re going to have one hell of a time. So Scott Pilgrim receives a B from Half-Ass Gaming, It’s just $10 on the Playstation Network and releases August 25th for the 360.
Madden NFL 11 Review
[rokbox title=”Madden NFL 11 Review” thumb=”http://www.geeksofgaming.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/madden11preview.png” size=”854 505″ ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5Px3LqS1lQ&hd=1&autoplay=1[/rokbox]
The Madden series is the most popular football series known to man, mainly due to the fact that for a couple of years now it has owned the NFL License. Yet even though it has little to no competition, it still manages to upgrade itself yearly. This season Tiburon has decided to make some major changes to the overall game mechanics. Yet are these changes enough to warrant an upgrade to Madden 11?
The major change this year is the Gameflow system, which pretty much simplifies the whole Madden experience. Instead of having a bunch of plays on screen during games, you can press A and have the coach select them all for you. This keeps the game moving and you on the field, and it’s actually pretty intelligent system a majority of the time. The A.I. will properly select plays for the position you’re in, so you can keep your focus on the field. Yet for those who prefer a more hands-on touch, you can always press X and select the plays yourself.
With this system and a few other tweaks, the game will definitely appeal more to casual players. One of the features removed from Madden 10 makes its way back into the game, which is perfectly named Rewind. With this players can basically call a mulligan on a play that didn’t turn out so well, you can limit the number of rewinds per game or just go for an unlimited supply.
Another new inclusion to the game would have to be the Strategy Pad, which simplifies calling hot routes, coverage, etcetera. It makes things a bit easier for people new to the game to make those important calls during a play. For hardcore fans, EA has already stated that they will patch in the old system from previous years. Another brand new addition is “Game planning”, this allows the setup of plays for certain situations in the game. So you can set your favorite run play for 1st down or second and long, while on defense you can choose your favorite blitz on second and short or pass coverage.
This places Gameflow under your control, you can even choose the frequency of the plays by using the shoulder buttons on your respective controller. Another instantly visible change is when you first boot the game up, you will immediately see EA’s online pass function in full effect.. Unfortunately, beyond these additions a good majority of features remain unchanged from 2010… like Franchise Mode which is pretty much a carbon copy of last years.
Luckily the forgotten features can be forgiven when you finally get into the game. Let’s start with how much the A.I. has improved this year. By improved I mean they will actually properly block for you this time… it’s amazing. It’s so much of a relief to actually be able to depend on blockers as a running back this year. It’s just as satisfying as a Quarterback in the pocket, since everyone in can move at top speed in the backfield. This means you can turn and sprint in one direction, and somehow immediately turn into another direction at the same speed, and throw a perfect pass without a loss in accuracy.
Which is great in single-player but in Multi-player it becomes a bit more exploitable, since almost all Quarterbacks move like a running back in the pocket. While we’re on the subject of Multi-Player, there is an all new mode called Team Play which allows 6 players to go against each other, or 3 versus the CPU. It’s pretty much an extended and vastly improved version of Co-Op from Madden 10, by that I mean the camera is no longer zoomed into the back of your players head.
There are some issues with Multi-player that we encountered during our play session, like the occasional freeze during game play or outright loss of connection. In fact in three separate play sessions during a Team Play game, we lost connection with our group during the 3rd quarter. Other than that… most everything works the same as it did in Madden 10.
The look and feel of Madden has changed from last year, this time sporting a lot of presentation enhancements. You’ll see more TV style intros in Madden 11, from players arriving on the bus, to the crowd purchasing shirts. This brings the game to life and keeps players locked on the field, and it’s good that the graphics have been slightly improved from last year. It’s all in the faces this time around, since a good amount of the likenesses are more realistic. Though there are still some that border on the line of the Uncanny Valley.
In the sound department there are some pretty good cracks and pops for hits, that and the commentary voice work is really well done. It almost feels like you’re listening to a real football game at times, this goes along with the excellent on field crowd noises and voices. Though the Extra Point still sounds as horribly robotic as it did last year. The in-game music selection is absolutely fantastic, which ranges from AC/DC to the likes of Ozzy Osbourne… this soundtrack is definitely rocking!
In the end… this year’s game is a minor step up from 10. Most of the additions to the game are small under the hood changes, but the addition of actual working blockers makes things all the better for advanced players. While Gameflow is more of a way to get casual players back into the intricacies of Madden… most advanced players will probably forgo it for what they know. With little to no tweaks to the Modes at all, this is more like playing a patched version of Madden 10. So the final result is a B- from Half-Ass Gaming… it’s still a fun game but the lack of any real mode changes degrades the experience.
Blazblue Continuum Shift Review
[rokbox title=”Blazblue Continuum Shift Review” thumb=”http://www.geeksofgaming.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/blazbluepreview.png” size=”854 505″ ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfF1IFgYxd8&hd=1&autoplay=1[/rokbox]
The Original Blazblue was a highly colorful and technical addition to the fighting game genre. It contained some of the great visuals that made Guilty Gear popular, while creating a masterpiece of a fighting system all of its own. Arc Systems Works is back with Blazblue: Continuum Shift which continues the 2D fighting tradition. The real question is does the game extend past what made the original Blazblue so impressive?
As soon as Continuum Shift opens up, there are some considerable changes to the previous game. First the menu system has a more open-ended feel this time around, using a number system to ease beginners into the process. The tutorial does exactly as it says, it runs you through the basics and even advanced tactics in the game. It also introduces players to the brand new Beginner mode, which is pretty much for players who don’t wish to learn the complicated combos in game.
The best part about the Tutorial, is the commentary given by Rachel. She will utterly berate you for having to learn the most basic of moves in the game. Her dialogue can be pretty hilarious, and it is worth going through this even if you know all of the moves. With this mode though it makes an already accessible fighting system even more so. With this new mode it is almost impossible not to get into the inner workings of Blazblue. There are a few more new modes here, the first being Challenge mode. Where players can take their character of choice and go down a long list of missions. These missions consists of trying pull off a string of combos that the game provides for you until the mission is completed. In reality… this setting is more like an advanced training mode for learning combos and special moves. It really isn’t all that interesting and should have been expanded a bit more, or simply added to the training section.
Next up is Legion mode, in this mode you take a single character out to destroy armies. Each time you defeat an army you have your choice of characters to take from that team, but more people in your army means slower regeneration for the injured. So it gives you the option of having a massive amount of numbers, or selecting characters familiar to you and playing through. Furthermore, in Legion Mode you can gain bonuses like health potions, or lowering the level of enemies a bit while fighting.
The Story mode has been expanded a bit more this time around, where the previous Blazblue kind of lead you along a small path. This version throws a lot more back story and dialogue between the characters. So now you get more of a full-fledged story, and yes the choose your own adventure style dialogue choices still appear. However, there seem to be fewer chances to go in the wrong direction this time. I will leave a disclaimer for the story mode, no matter how awesome it is… it does become rather long-winded… so don’t expect too much actual combat.
Everything you know and love from the Calamity Trigger is present in Continuum Shift. The same combat that made the original so interesting, is refined in the second iteration. The game is still incredibly easy to get into, especially now that they’ve made a mode just for being casual. Yet the game is still fundamentally sound enough that the hardcore will decimate them. It’s mainly in the way that the characters themselves are designed, some of them are easy to get into… but others take time to learn and require a more strategic style.
A good example is the way that Ragna is designed, he’s your basic Street Fighter style character. Yet if you were to choose someone like Rachel, or Carl… it takes a bit more finesse than just charging forward and using combos. Not to mention that each character has a special ability called a “Drive”. Each of these moves are unique to the character that you use them with, like Ragna’s Drive moves which can suck health from other characters.
There are also some new playable characters thrown into the mix, the extremely fast Hazama who can dart around the screen with ease by using chains from his chest. He’s more of an advanced character since most of his attacks are about positioning and movement. While Tsubaki is more of a beginner to mid-range character, fairly easy to get into since her moves are pretty straight-forward.
The voice acting has also improved from the last game, with the characters seeming to have more personality this time around. Ragna is a lot more believable as the Anti-Hero here, and Hazama does a fantastic job of being an insane villain. That and the soundtrack is a blast to listen to, the music really matches the tone of the levels and will get you pumped during fights. Blazblue is full of awesome music cues too, especially when using certain special abilities or Astral Heat moves.
The multi-player is still as robust as before, and hasn’t really changed from the first edition. Which isn’t really an issue since it’s a one on one fighting game. Yet this is where we come to the real truth about Blazblue… not much has changed from the original. But… this game is only $40 in sticker price… which is basically a purchase of two new characters, a much improved story, a tutorial, and some new modes. Which in the long-term would prove to be quite a good investment if you’re a fan of the series.
For beginners Continuum Shift is the ideal purchase, as it introduces the game to more casual players who just want to get into the thick of it. So the game ends up being more of a refining of the original game, but adding little to set it apart against the first one. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing since the Calamity Trigger’s fighting system is still amazing to this day. So Blazblue: Continuum Shift earns a B from Half-Ass Gaming… it’s a solid fighter worth a purchase… but more like an expansion than a sequel.
Persona 3 Portable Review
I will admit that I had a total nerdgasm as soon as I heard that Persona 3 would be going portable. I’ve beaten the game at least 3 times trying to max out as many social links as I could. I even went ahead and purchased Persona 3: FES even though I already owned the original. Now why you ask would I be excited about a portable version of a game that I have played to death? Because they’ve added a female side to the game… now before you think I’m some kind of pervert. You have understand that more content in one of the greatest JRPG’s of recent note is a good thing.
Let’s get right into it shall we… now if you’ve ever played Persona 3 before, you’ll want to know what has changed. The most noticeable differences for fans of the original will be the dissection of most of cinematics, and the fact you can no longer walk around freely in the game. Movement is now tied to an isometric view with selectable sprites on screen. So instead of actually seeing your character, you will instead see a round ball that you use to talk to people throughout the game.
Now I know what you’re thinking… that’s a pretty big omission from the game. But in reality it actually works pretty well for the Portable version. Things go a bit quicker as a lot of the improvements for getting around town that were added in Persona 4 are included here. So you can bring up the town menu with square and navigate each area with a click of the D-Pad. This goes along well with the fact that the reticule moves quickly across the screen. So it is much easier to go from place to place in the Portable version of the game.
It also makes the dialogue go faster, instead of seeing characters animating on the screen in a lot of familiar sequences of the game. You’ll instead instantly see the faces of the characters and the dialogue pop up instead. It is actually a lot more in your face this time around, with characters speaking directly to you through the screen. While I do prefer to actually walk around with my character in the original Persona 3, the portable method adds an appeal all of its own.
The most major change to the game though would have to be the inclusion of the female character. Seeing as I’m someone that has beaten the original, this would have still been a purchase for me but probably not an immediate one. While I was skeptical at playing a female in a game with Dating-Simulation elements, I was more excited that I was given a reason to play one of my favorite RPG’s again. The added female portion of the game comes with a lot of different dialogue choices and story options. Yes, Junpei will still call you man and dude every five seconds… but that’s his style. When it comes to everyone else in the game, there will be no way that you don’t know you’re playing as a girl. There are some major dialogue changes here for the female character, and a good amount of social links open up and change based on being her.
One of the more admirable additions are the skill cards that players receive through various methods. Using these cards will apply magical bonuses to persona that wouldn’t normally be able to earn them. Which is excellent when you use them at the Naganaki Shrine to exchange for two more. Other notable changes are the addition of a bulletin board for searching for missing people. That and the part-time job system from Persona 4 makes its way into Persona 3. You will also hear different music when exploring the city as the female version of the main character. This really increases the content in the game, and these are mostly the changes outside of the dungeons.
Persona 3 utilizes a combination of two different types of game play styles, at night you can run around through a series of randomly generated dungeons. You can control your character with the analog stick or D-Pad, and press the X button to initiate combat with enemies you find. The triangle button calls up your basic character selection screen. Here you can equip your characters, use skills, check quests, and social links. The square button is used to give orders to your party, so you can make them split up and search for items or defeat enemies. This helps a lot if you have them properly equipped, since defeating enemies alone yields more experience for them and you.
For the most part nothing has really changed here from the console version, you ascend stairs defeating monsters so that you can level up to fight the boss at the end of the month. After defeating that boss, you pretty much repeat these actions until reaching the end of the game. There are some extra things that can be done inside of dungeons, mainly the requests given to you by Elizabeth from the Velvet Room. No that isn’t the name of a strip joint, it’s a place that I’ll go into further detail about later.
The major change that I saw for the dungeons was the inclusion of additional experience in certain areas. At times you’ll stumble into a dungeon and your character dialogue will come up stating that something feels different. This pretty much opens up grind points where you can gain double experience for killing all the monsters in the area. I thought this was a pretty cool addition to the game, because grinding can suck the air out of RPG’s. Also for a price you can choose to heal your party at the entrance to Tartarus for a fee.
Let’s move on to the actual combat sections in the game, which have adopted the style of Persona 4. By that I mean that now players can initiate cooperative attacks on a knockdown. So you can use this attack against other monsters to incapacitate them, which will finally trigger an all-out attack with the whole group. The most major change though is that your main character is stuck with one weapon type. You no longer have the option of using the different weapons for the main character, you’re stuck with either the sword for the male or Naginata for the female. Another slight change to things is the way that skills are leveled up, now instead of choosing a skill to replace… instead the game will automatically replace the old skill in the arsenal. Everything else remains the same, the shuffle still makes you choose a card to win extra experience, weapons, replenishment, and new persona. Your groups persona still evolve as they level up, and this time you have full control over each character.
How about we get to the second part of the game, and personally what makes the Persona games so interesting to me. By that I mean the social links aspect of the game, I can’t tell you how much time I’ve invested in trying to max out social links. I used to reset the game constantly on the original if I made the wrong dialogue choices. That’s because most of the social link stories actually make it seem like you’re having an impact on someone’s life. You get close to them and befriend them and things unfold like a TV drama, the stories are really interesting for the most part.. and that’s not mentioning the dating portions.
But social links aren’t just some way to fill time in the game, the higher the link of a friend… the higher the Arcana level to create more powerful Persona. Now let’s get back into the Velvet Room that I spoke about before, here you can choose to create new persona types from cards you collect. You can fuse these cards together to create even more powerful Persona. At first things start off slow with double fusions, but then you can combine triple, to quadruple… and then specific rare cards that make some of the most powerful persona types. This can be almost as addicting as the social links aspect, as it’s pretty much Personas version of Pokemon.
The Velvet Room can also be used to receive quests from Elizabeth or Theodore, these quests will lead you into dungeons for items, or have you looking for people at certain times, or have you go out on a date with them so they can see the world. These quests can keep you occupied in dungeons for hours, especially on some of the more rare challenges.
Beyond all of the interesting stories you’ll see through social links, the main storyline for Persona 3 is a compelling one. It follows the SEES. group as they try to fight off monsters in a secret time of day called the Dark Hour. Only people with the ability to use Persona are awake during this time, and they are the only ones who are able to stop the “Shadows” from causing havoc in the town. Yet the only way that seems like an actual possibility of beating them, is by traversing through their school when it turns into a dungeon named Tartarus.
I’m not going to spoil the story in Persona 3 by saying anymore, instead I’ll talk about the voiceovers for the characters in game. Which is by far the most impressive English dub for a JRPG I have witnessed. The cast is highly believable in their roles as angsty teenagers forced to fight monsters. A good amount of my time was spent laughing at well delivered jokes, as opposed to laughing at terrible voices trying to sound serious. This is only amplified by one awesome soundtrack, the music in Persona 3 is the best of the series. There are songs you’ll hear multiple times throughout game-play, but they are so catchy that you never hate them… instead you’ll be singing along with them.
Let me stop myself here before I continue to ramble on about Persona 3. This is one of my favorite RPG’s of all time, and Persona 3 Portable just adds to the content. What it does take out of the game is easily overlooked, because it adds so much more to an already awesome game. If you have a PSP and you have a taste for RPG’s, you should look no further than Persona 3 Portable. With that… Persona 3 Portable receives an A+ from Half-Ass Gaming… now let’s see if they make a Persona 4 Portable or Persona 5 for the PS3.
