Available on: Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC
Played it on: PC and PS4
Played it for: 400+ hours (that's not a joke, please send help)
RATING: 10/10
DARK SOULS II: SCHOLAR OF THE FIRST SIN FIXES EVERYTHING.
Not really, the game still does have a few minor issues that are simply inherent to the engine. However, this was the product that Yui Tanimura wanted to deliver after his co-director was kicked off the Dark Souls II project. Some of the AI has been improved, many of the enemies were re-positioned, all DLC content has been included, the netcode has been updated, basically everything that could have been fixed, was fixed.
So, where to begin? Scholar is so much more than a standard Game of the Year edition of a game. So much has been changed for the better. In many ways, it almost feels like a new game entirely, even if one has already played the original Dark Souls II. The vast majority of enemy placements in the game have been changed, with some enemies not even appearing in same areas at all. It does a fantastic job at keeping players on their toes, especially when they've already played the first iteration and have certain expectations of where enemies are.
The graphics are much more polished than the original game as well. Scholar runs at a buttery-smooth 60 fps, and the texturing has been highly polished in a lot of areas that give the game a new dimension of beauty. The simplicity of the overall models lends itself well to this improvement too, there are rarely, if any, framerate dips across the entire experience. It just looks good. It feels good.
The whole Crowns DLC trilogy has also been included and similarly revamped. They have been more properly integrated into the larger game, as the in-game keys used to access these areas have been hidden in the world rather than given directly to players at the start. As a whole, the experience has a much better flow. The world does a fantastic job of feeling organic. Areas are layered on top of each other in a way that is not necessarily logical, but is conducive to player progress. While this was also true of the original game, the enemies reflect this even better this time around. No longer will you find an enemy that makes no sense for the area, the game has been redesigned to reflect both a logical world coherence and a difficulty curve that better suits a gradual increase in player skill. The trademark hardship is still present, but the difficulty spikes are a bit more rounded in this version.
And speaking of the Crowns trilogy, the background lore added by this content is fantastic and deep. They connect the world of Scholar to that of the first Dark Souls in a way that is not too overt, but is extremely meaningful. The Crown of the Ivory King does this especially well, directly addressing the fate of the Chaos of Izalith in between the games. The Majestic Greatsword found at the bottom of a side tower in the Crown of the Iron King is, for veterans, the blade of Knight Artorias, referencing him indirectly in its description. And even on a base level, the content added in each DLC is some of the best that any Souls-borne game has to offer. Each area has three bosses, a huge amount of land to explore that is populated by unique, tough, interesting enemies, and of course teeming with unique loot that enhances the total experience.
This iteration of Dark Souls II also improved the netcode enough to make PvP a viable passtime. This doesn't account for simple poor internet connections between players, but when the internet is good, I hardly had any of the frontstabbing or other bizarre lag problems that were ever-present in the PvP of the original game. On the whole, every component of the game has been tuned as well as it could have been. To break the facade of impartiality, as a Souls-borne player, Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin is, in my thousand-odd hours of total series play, the best that the games have to offer. Hands down.
Now with that being said, the game still isn't flawless. There are still annoying aspects of area and enemy design that stayed over between iterations. Hitboxes are not always entirely accurate, for one, and that includes the PvP environment. Certain PvE enemy triggers are very strange and will put players into awkward situations that will absolutely cost estus uses or even a life if the player doesn't know what to expect. And, you know, Brightstone Cove Tseldora and The Gutter still exist, so... take that for what you will.
And as much as I love the Crowns trilogy as a whole, I can't get over certain deeply flawed parts of those areas. The optional boss fight of the Crown of the Sunken King's Sunken City of Shulva is a truly horrific exercise in frustration, as is the entire optional Frozen Outskirts area of the Crown of the Ivory King. The former features a grueling endurance contest against three tuned up NPC's, one with a full Havel build from the first Dark Souls game, one with a blacksteel katana build, and one with a greatbow who harasses players from the back of the arena. Certainly a boss that requires skill, but even the arena itself hardly works in the player's favor, and the boss still almost always takes me five or more tries despite the hundreds of hours I've put into the game, depending on how the enemy AI configures. And the latter is just... poor. Low visibility, bad enemies, it's a mess. And on top of it all, there's the entirety of the Crown of the Iron King's Brume Tower, which is designed with an extreme amount of verticality. Definitely rare in the Souls games... but for a reason. The games are not platformers, and forcing those mechanics has historically always resulted in garbage areas. Blighttown is the easiest example, but the Crystal Cave, The Great Hollow, and The Gutter are all examples of where verticality has been done before, and all those areas are universally disliked. Brume Tower is now another place on that list.
But despite all those criticisms, for me the game is still a 10. I adore Scholar, and it was the first Souls-borne game I played where I finally internalized the mechanics and learned how to play the games well. And I partially attribute that experience to how varied and well-crafted this game is. It's the most balanced that the series ever got, with the most diverse areas, enemy designs, and viable builds to enjoy in one place. I still play it to this day, and will likely continue doing so for the entire foreseeable future. So please, give Scholar a shot. Because it needs more love.
Showing posts with label Greatest Hits. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Greatest Hits. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 13, 2019
Friday, September 23, 2016
Dark Souls
Available on: Xbox 360, PS3, and PC
Played it on: Xbox 360 and PC
Played it for: 150 hours
RATING: 8/10 on console, 6/10 on PC
Ah, Dark Souls. The famously obscure, infamously hard, not-to-be-trifled-with lovechild of Hidetaka Miyazaki and Kentaro Miura. The series has gained plenty of attention over the years, but let's go back to where it all began. Well, not counting Demon's Souls, of course. Or King's Field, for that matter...
Dark Souls isn't a direct sequel to Demon's Souls. Atlus published the latter, and there's been plenty of discussion since about IP ownership, so FromSoftware instead made a game with the same mechanics that's set in a different universe, this time published by Bandai Namco. The universal currency of the game is "souls" that are collected from fallen enemies, which can be used as both experience points and as gold. Business as usual, then. But the premise of Dark Souls is much more fleshed out than the previous game. In Demon's Souls, the protagonist, the "Slayer of Demons," was a pioneer adventurer who wanted to kill some demons. That was that. But Dark Souls paints a deep story for the protagonist. Cursed with the fate of the undead and branded with the feared Darksign, the protagonist is locked in a remote asylum to await the end of days. But unlike other undead, the protagonist still retains their human will, and sets forth on a date with destiny to become the Chosen Undead that would alter the course of history forever. Sweet!
The game still plays in a similar way to Demon's Souls, but overall it has a lot more polish than its older sibling. The first Dark Souls is the slowest of the Souls-borne games, but this goes miles in terms of building a tension that is inherent to the world of Lordran. Every weapon swing feels purposeful, like a commitment. This makes combat much more challenging, as poorly-timed swings could quite easily end up being fatal. Smaller weapons swing much faster, but don't deal the poise damage required to stagger most enemies like the massive zweihander would. But both are viable, as are all the other weapon classes.
Casting, too, has been revamped to allow viability from the start, instead of asking the player to invest 60 intelligence or 60 faith and just hope for a payoff that would still often require a melee fallback when one runs out of MP. MP has been removed in Dark Souls, and spells are instead limited to a certain number of uses that cost stamina to cast. You'll still see the most damage out of a spell when you max out its appropriate stat, but it's perfectly viable to be a split physical and mental character this time around, pushing 40 Strength and 50 faith to get the most damage out of your lightning spears while still hitting like a truck with your blessed longsword. The possibility is massive in this game.
The rolling system has been re-tuned to a tiered metric. Increasing your endurance increases your equip load, which affects how your roll. Demon's Souls simply revolved around the 50% equip load mark, but Dark Souls adds a "mid roll" between 30% and 70% load. The addition of the mid roll is huge, as it's not too good and not too bad. It's significantly more difficult to get your character to the ridiculous hyper-speed Brushwood Set meta from Demon's Souls, although it is still possible with the right commitment. It is instead much more plausible to simply mid roll in the heavier sets, and this still requires a focus in Edurance. This means players need a much more careful balance of damage stats, Vitality, and Endurance, and is much better for gameplay overall.
Now, onto the story and such. The focus of Dark Souls was on an interconnected world design instead of the "hub-and-spoke" design of Demon's Souls. The game drops the Chosen Undead into Lordran with the basic objective of ringing the two Bells of Awakening in order to progress to the mysterious Kingdom of Anor Londo. Accomplishing that goal is left to the player, and while there is a standard order of bosses, there are many ways to unlock doors and potentially cut corners. As the player works through their quest, they'll meet quite a few NPC's that are all attempting to complete their own quests, most of whom the player can help as the game progresses.
The game slowly unveils the story as the player moves forward, and builds a genuinely complex history through environmental clues and item descriptions. It's a fascinating passtime to really piece everything together and come to the ultimately sad conclusions about the world of Lordran. And it feels absolutely fantastic to triumph where so many others failed. It builds a wonderful and coherent world that feels satisfying to play. It's a solid experience.
The game, of course isn't without flaws. The PvP experience is... less than stellar, with faulty netcode that often means completely off-model hitboxes. Backstab scamming is an important tactic, even in high-level PvP, and the weapon and armor balances were meant almost exclusively for PvE. They become far too easy to exploit in the PvP scene. Parrying is incredibly easy as well, and again becomes an important and easily exploitable mechanic when fighting other players. So while PvP is an ingrained and important part of the universe, it's a pretty terrible experience overall.
The PC port is also... well, it's atrocious. The mouse and keyboard controls are horrendous, the mouse isn't even hidden on-screen, the netcode works even less reliably than it does on console, the framerate is grossly underwhelming, and if you click to summon somebody whose name is too long, the game outright crashes. It takes no less than three heavy mods to get the game working right, and even then it doesn't fix the mouse or control issues, and it's far better to just plug in a controller. The game itself is good, but the disgusting port seriously docks points.
Overall, it's a great experience. Even on PC, if you can get all the mods to work right. It makes seriously beneficial improvements from Demon's Souls, builds a fantastic, breathing world, and feels great to play. Starting with this game is a must if you're a Souls-borne fan, or even if you're just interested in trying it out. Demon's Souls is optional. But not this one.
Played it on: Xbox 360 and PC
Played it for: 150 hours
RATING: 8/10 on console, 6/10 on PC
Ah, Dark Souls. The famously obscure, infamously hard, not-to-be-trifled-with lovechild of Hidetaka Miyazaki and Kentaro Miura. The series has gained plenty of attention over the years, but let's go back to where it all began. Well, not counting Demon's Souls, of course. Or King's Field, for that matter...
Dark Souls isn't a direct sequel to Demon's Souls. Atlus published the latter, and there's been plenty of discussion since about IP ownership, so FromSoftware instead made a game with the same mechanics that's set in a different universe, this time published by Bandai Namco. The universal currency of the game is "souls" that are collected from fallen enemies, which can be used as both experience points and as gold. Business as usual, then. But the premise of Dark Souls is much more fleshed out than the previous game. In Demon's Souls, the protagonist, the "Slayer of Demons," was a pioneer adventurer who wanted to kill some demons. That was that. But Dark Souls paints a deep story for the protagonist. Cursed with the fate of the undead and branded with the feared Darksign, the protagonist is locked in a remote asylum to await the end of days. But unlike other undead, the protagonist still retains their human will, and sets forth on a date with destiny to become the Chosen Undead that would alter the course of history forever. Sweet!
The game still plays in a similar way to Demon's Souls, but overall it has a lot more polish than its older sibling. The first Dark Souls is the slowest of the Souls-borne games, but this goes miles in terms of building a tension that is inherent to the world of Lordran. Every weapon swing feels purposeful, like a commitment. This makes combat much more challenging, as poorly-timed swings could quite easily end up being fatal. Smaller weapons swing much faster, but don't deal the poise damage required to stagger most enemies like the massive zweihander would. But both are viable, as are all the other weapon classes.
Casting, too, has been revamped to allow viability from the start, instead of asking the player to invest 60 intelligence or 60 faith and just hope for a payoff that would still often require a melee fallback when one runs out of MP. MP has been removed in Dark Souls, and spells are instead limited to a certain number of uses that cost stamina to cast. You'll still see the most damage out of a spell when you max out its appropriate stat, but it's perfectly viable to be a split physical and mental character this time around, pushing 40 Strength and 50 faith to get the most damage out of your lightning spears while still hitting like a truck with your blessed longsword. The possibility is massive in this game.
The rolling system has been re-tuned to a tiered metric. Increasing your endurance increases your equip load, which affects how your roll. Demon's Souls simply revolved around the 50% equip load mark, but Dark Souls adds a "mid roll" between 30% and 70% load. The addition of the mid roll is huge, as it's not too good and not too bad. It's significantly more difficult to get your character to the ridiculous hyper-speed Brushwood Set meta from Demon's Souls, although it is still possible with the right commitment. It is instead much more plausible to simply mid roll in the heavier sets, and this still requires a focus in Edurance. This means players need a much more careful balance of damage stats, Vitality, and Endurance, and is much better for gameplay overall.
Now, onto the story and such. The focus of Dark Souls was on an interconnected world design instead of the "hub-and-spoke" design of Demon's Souls. The game drops the Chosen Undead into Lordran with the basic objective of ringing the two Bells of Awakening in order to progress to the mysterious Kingdom of Anor Londo. Accomplishing that goal is left to the player, and while there is a standard order of bosses, there are many ways to unlock doors and potentially cut corners. As the player works through their quest, they'll meet quite a few NPC's that are all attempting to complete their own quests, most of whom the player can help as the game progresses.
The game slowly unveils the story as the player moves forward, and builds a genuinely complex history through environmental clues and item descriptions. It's a fascinating passtime to really piece everything together and come to the ultimately sad conclusions about the world of Lordran. And it feels absolutely fantastic to triumph where so many others failed. It builds a wonderful and coherent world that feels satisfying to play. It's a solid experience.
The game, of course isn't without flaws. The PvP experience is... less than stellar, with faulty netcode that often means completely off-model hitboxes. Backstab scamming is an important tactic, even in high-level PvP, and the weapon and armor balances were meant almost exclusively for PvE. They become far too easy to exploit in the PvP scene. Parrying is incredibly easy as well, and again becomes an important and easily exploitable mechanic when fighting other players. So while PvP is an ingrained and important part of the universe, it's a pretty terrible experience overall.
The PC port is also... well, it's atrocious. The mouse and keyboard controls are horrendous, the mouse isn't even hidden on-screen, the netcode works even less reliably than it does on console, the framerate is grossly underwhelming, and if you click to summon somebody whose name is too long, the game outright crashes. It takes no less than three heavy mods to get the game working right, and even then it doesn't fix the mouse or control issues, and it's far better to just plug in a controller. The game itself is good, but the disgusting port seriously docks points.
Overall, it's a great experience. Even on PC, if you can get all the mods to work right. It makes seriously beneficial improvements from Demon's Souls, builds a fantastic, breathing world, and feels great to play. Starting with this game is a must if you're a Souls-borne fan, or even if you're just interested in trying it out. Demon's Souls is optional. But not this one.
Friday, January 18, 2013
Mass Effect
Available on: Xbox 360 (originally exclusive) and PC
Played it on: Xbox 360
Played it for: 45 hours
RATING: 9/10
Mass Effect is fantastic combination of sci-fi, RPG, and third-person-shooter elements. The story is riveting, and the game is very hard to set down until finished, which, unfortunately, should take quite a while. If you planned on doing other things when beginning the Mass Effect trilogy, prepare to be mistaken.
There's not much to say about the hero, Commander Shepard, as he or she is whatever the player decides to make him or her. So perhaps a little rundown of what Shepard can be is necessary. There is a basic morality system in Mass Effect consisting of Paragon and Renegade choices. These choices map out how Shepard is known throughout the galaxy, and how Shepard's life will change.
Paragon:
Paragon Shepard does whatever is necessary to save lives and befriend people. He or she enjoys the company of all his or her shipmates, regardless of whether they are Human, Asari, Turian, Krogan, Salarian, Quarian, or otherwise. This Shepard will never leave a man behind, and will never give up until all possible scenarios have been attempted.
Renegade:
Renegade Shepard, on the other hand, does whatever is necessary to finish the mission. Anyone in the way is an enemy, and will be disposed of. This Shepard is a hardened soldier, and is wary of anyone who isn't Human Systems Alliance Military. Uncompromising to the last, he or she doesn't care about personal image or public opinion, only service record. (BioWare says Renegade isn't evil, but this Shepard is definitely still a jerk.)
Regardless of morality or gender choice, Mass Effect is very engaging. Right from the opening cut scene, the player is given dialog choices and a barrage of information from all sides. The game doesn't nurse players into the world of the Milky Way, they're just thrown in right before a critical mission with a Spectre, a sort of galactic secret agent, and expected to perform at their best. This isn't bad, though, it actually adds greatly to the believability of the game. A commander wouldn't be stopping in the middle of a mission to go through a practice firing course, and then a tutorial about how to command squad members, that just doesn't make sense. And by not babying the player, the game comes more alive. Combat scenarios aren't meant to be easy in real life, so Mass Effect reflects this.
The way that the Mass Effect world is constructed is beautiful as well. There are two senses that permeate the game: adventure, and realism. It's not very far fetched at all to believe that in the twenty-second century, humanity will have encountered an entire galactic civilization stretching across the Milky Way, making the game very believable. While Shepard can't explore every planet in every solar system, the ones that can be explored give just enough of a taste for the galaxy to make players want to adventure, and want to believe in the Mass Effect universe. On top of that, the lore behind the game is incredibly well written, completing an already impeccable design. It's not just fun to play Mass Effect, it's exciting. It's addicting. It's everything that a good game should strive for.
The only place the game needs work is in the combat system. It doesn't work like normal shooters, more like an RPG. Which, well, it is, but this was a source of complaint for some, so I'll outline it anyway. Guns do health damage based on the gun type and location of the shot. Head shots do more than body shots, body shots do more than limb shots. When the enemy runs out of health, it dies and awards some experience. Fairly simple really, but none of the guns are memorable in any way. The combat stays a rather static element in a game that is changing constantly. All the armors look different, all the planets look different, all the characters are unique, but the guns are all the same. Damage and accuracy changes, but not the actual feeling of the gun. It's a rather small incomplete area, given the scope of the game, but it is worth noting.
What balances this out, though, are the powers. There are 6 classes that Shepard can choose from, 3 of which are pure physical, tech, and biotic powers, and three of which involve combinations of the aforementioned alignments. Every one of Shepard's abilities can uniquely influence a combat situation, and classes are geared towards fighting one type of enemy, which is where good squad judgement comes into play. If Shepard is a soldier, good for fighting living opponents, then the giant Krogan warrior, Human soldier, or Turian sniper wouldn't be good squad mates. For that, Shepard should have the engineer Quarian for fighting robots, and biotic powered Asari for support to keep balance. And because each individual power recharges separately after use, there are multiple ways to combine the powers of Shepard and his squad to overcome enemies. The combat system feels very well planned out, and works great for what Mass Effect set out to do.
The first game in the Mass Effect trilogy is staggeringly good. Excellent writing, a well thought out combat system, and stunning visuals accompany one of the most believable sci-fi universes ever imagined. And that easily puts Mass Effect in the running for the best game ever made on the 360.
Played it on: Xbox 360
Played it for: 45 hours
RATING: 9/10
Mass Effect is fantastic combination of sci-fi, RPG, and third-person-shooter elements. The story is riveting, and the game is very hard to set down until finished, which, unfortunately, should take quite a while. If you planned on doing other things when beginning the Mass Effect trilogy, prepare to be mistaken.
There's not much to say about the hero, Commander Shepard, as he or she is whatever the player decides to make him or her. So perhaps a little rundown of what Shepard can be is necessary. There is a basic morality system in Mass Effect consisting of Paragon and Renegade choices. These choices map out how Shepard is known throughout the galaxy, and how Shepard's life will change.
Paragon:
Paragon Shepard does whatever is necessary to save lives and befriend people. He or she enjoys the company of all his or her shipmates, regardless of whether they are Human, Asari, Turian, Krogan, Salarian, Quarian, or otherwise. This Shepard will never leave a man behind, and will never give up until all possible scenarios have been attempted.
Renegade:
Renegade Shepard, on the other hand, does whatever is necessary to finish the mission. Anyone in the way is an enemy, and will be disposed of. This Shepard is a hardened soldier, and is wary of anyone who isn't Human Systems Alliance Military. Uncompromising to the last, he or she doesn't care about personal image or public opinion, only service record. (BioWare says Renegade isn't evil, but this Shepard is definitely still a jerk.)
Regardless of morality or gender choice, Mass Effect is very engaging. Right from the opening cut scene, the player is given dialog choices and a barrage of information from all sides. The game doesn't nurse players into the world of the Milky Way, they're just thrown in right before a critical mission with a Spectre, a sort of galactic secret agent, and expected to perform at their best. This isn't bad, though, it actually adds greatly to the believability of the game. A commander wouldn't be stopping in the middle of a mission to go through a practice firing course, and then a tutorial about how to command squad members, that just doesn't make sense. And by not babying the player, the game comes more alive. Combat scenarios aren't meant to be easy in real life, so Mass Effect reflects this.
The way that the Mass Effect world is constructed is beautiful as well. There are two senses that permeate the game: adventure, and realism. It's not very far fetched at all to believe that in the twenty-second century, humanity will have encountered an entire galactic civilization stretching across the Milky Way, making the game very believable. While Shepard can't explore every planet in every solar system, the ones that can be explored give just enough of a taste for the galaxy to make players want to adventure, and want to believe in the Mass Effect universe. On top of that, the lore behind the game is incredibly well written, completing an already impeccable design. It's not just fun to play Mass Effect, it's exciting. It's addicting. It's everything that a good game should strive for.
The only place the game needs work is in the combat system. It doesn't work like normal shooters, more like an RPG. Which, well, it is, but this was a source of complaint for some, so I'll outline it anyway. Guns do health damage based on the gun type and location of the shot. Head shots do more than body shots, body shots do more than limb shots. When the enemy runs out of health, it dies and awards some experience. Fairly simple really, but none of the guns are memorable in any way. The combat stays a rather static element in a game that is changing constantly. All the armors look different, all the planets look different, all the characters are unique, but the guns are all the same. Damage and accuracy changes, but not the actual feeling of the gun. It's a rather small incomplete area, given the scope of the game, but it is worth noting.
What balances this out, though, are the powers. There are 6 classes that Shepard can choose from, 3 of which are pure physical, tech, and biotic powers, and three of which involve combinations of the aforementioned alignments. Every one of Shepard's abilities can uniquely influence a combat situation, and classes are geared towards fighting one type of enemy, which is where good squad judgement comes into play. If Shepard is a soldier, good for fighting living opponents, then the giant Krogan warrior, Human soldier, or Turian sniper wouldn't be good squad mates. For that, Shepard should have the engineer Quarian for fighting robots, and biotic powered Asari for support to keep balance. And because each individual power recharges separately after use, there are multiple ways to combine the powers of Shepard and his squad to overcome enemies. The combat system feels very well planned out, and works great for what Mass Effect set out to do.
The first game in the Mass Effect trilogy is staggeringly good. Excellent writing, a well thought out combat system, and stunning visuals accompany one of the most believable sci-fi universes ever imagined. And that easily puts Mass Effect in the running for the best game ever made on the 360.
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Dishonored
Available on: Xbox 360, PS3, and PC
Played it on: Xbox 360
Played it for: 25 hours
RATING: 9.5/10
Corvo Attano is on a mission. Not just to create destruction and chaos, but to restore order to his country and his people. When he returns from a long voyage to foreign lands, he bears sole witness to the murder of the Empress, and the kidnapping of her daughter, Lady Emily. He is framed for both, and spends about a year in prison before, at last, he is freed with the help of mysterious allies. And now he plots his revenge against the people who murdered his Empress.
Sounds like the premise for a horror movie that follows the villain, to be honest. But the plot of Dishonored is far from some generic horror story. In fact, it's one of the most well thought out games of the current console world. Players can choose to kill enemies or knock them out, what equipment to upgrade, what powers to acquire, anything that could alter how the game is played. By the end, the player feels like a master assassin.
The narrative is great on its own, without even considering the mechanics. The characters are believable and likable, the story is extremely thorough, and the places that Corvo visits have a lot of twists and turns throughout them that lead to meeting new NPC's, all of which Corvo can interact with in any way he chooses. The missions ultimately culminate in finding and eliminating a target, but it's not like many other assassination games where all the targets are generic and evil. The enemies actually have personalities, and it really complicates the storyline when Corvo has to choose whether or not to exact his revenge accordingly. The whole thing is masterfully compiled between the pacing, character development, and player's choice, and it leaves the player actually quite satisfied.
The gameplay, graphics, and engine only help to complete the experience of Dishonored. The art style is somewhere between that of Fallout 3 and Borderlands, not quite realistic, but not quite like a comic book, either. What it does, is stand out wonderfully. The world is just believable enough to pull you in, especially with the level design and architecture, and it becomes quite addictive after only a short amount of time. Corvo doesn't have a voice actor, or a face that is shown in game, so before long, the player can actually feel like they are Corvo. The choices that Corvo makes are almost personal, and this is also compounded by the fact that the game never leaves Corvo's eyes, so the things that happen to him, from the camera's point of view, happen to the player. The game sucks the player in, and really makes him or her want to play more, which is something that many current games lack. Halo 4 may be well done, but it doesn't suck you in quite like Dishonored.
This aspect is increased because the game alters itself based on the decisions that Corvo makes. If the player decides to kill many guards, all of his targets, and eliminate everyone in his way, the game gets much darker and the city will fill with more dead and plague infected citizens. And he will become more notorious as well. Conversely, if Corvo removes his targets through non-lethal means, and only knocks out guards, he is seen as an almost Batman-like vigilante who's mission is to save the city above all else. This will lead to more healthy citizens, and a much lighter storyline. This is yet another way that Dishonored itself worthy of being one of the greatest games of the year.
A last, yet perhaps the most important, aspect of the game's inner workings is Corvo's Outsider Mark, which allows him to bend reality in a multitude of ways. There are items called Bone Charms located throughout each of the sprawling levels, and these can be used to upgrade Corvo's mark to summon plague infested rats, teleport, see through walls, cause a tornado of wind, possess people, or even stop time. These dramatically change how the game is played, and if used properly, Corvo may never even be seen during the course of the missions, especially with his array of gadgets like mines, sleep darts, a pistol, a crossbow, and, of course, his sword. Corvo is certainly on the list of the top ten greatest gaming assassins.
If you haven't gotten the opportunity to try out Dishonored yet, it is most certainly worth a try. Everything about the game comes together to provide a very unique experience that changes based on the way the player wants it to progress, which ensures that the player won't want to set that controller down until the game is over. And because of the multiple ways that the story can progress, it has a significant amount of replay value, or at least deserves to be played twice, once while saving the city, and once by causing as much chaos as possible. With all this in mind, Dishonored definitely earns that 9.5/10.
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
The Binding of Isaac
Only Available on: Steam (PC)
Played it for: 70 hours
RATING: 8/10
While many teenagers are all wrapped up with Halo 4, Assassin’s Creed III, or the new Call of Duty, there’s a little known game for the PC that is just as entertaining as these giant titles, and much, much more difficult.
The Binding of Isaac, a little indie game available for $5.00 on Steam, is a 2D shooter game that is far from ordinary. You use the WASD keys to move, and the arrow keys to shoot, but then it gets odd. The main character is a little boy named Isaac, who dreams he jumps into the basement to escape from his crazy mother. And in this basement, Isaac encounters all sorts of baddies, from spiders and flies to jumping pajamas and strange little balls that shoot lasers. And he fights them off by shooting giant tears at them. As he makes his way through the basement, he must contend with difficult bosses, limited health and power-ups, and no idea where he’s going. Yeah, it’s a strange game.
The mechanics are where this game really shines, though. The game begins in a rectangular room, with anywhere between one and four doors leading out. Each door the player goes through leads to another rectangular room, usually full of enemies, and once the room has been cleared, more doors open up. The game changes these rooms every time the player starts a new game, too, so no two games of The Binding of Isaac are ever the same. This adds massive amounts of difficulty to the game, as it’s impossible to plan ahead. If this wasn’t bad enough, the game limits the amount of silver keys and bombs that spawn during a game, so it can be very difficult to give Isaac the necessary boosts he needs to beat the bosses. Silver keys unlock upgrade rooms and stores, both of which are necessary for Isaac’s survival later on, and bombs can be used to open up secret doorways to rooms that contain a rare item, or even just lots of money. And of course, as Isaac moves deeper into the basement, the enemies become more unforgiving, making survival less and less likely. All of this culminates in a final boss fight with Isaac’s mother, who periodically stomps her foot at Isaac between waves of enemies. If Isaac is lucky enough to beat all the enemies until this fight, “Mother” will still give the player a run for his or her money.
But wait! When at last Isaac is lucky enough to win this final boss battle, the game isn’t over! Normally, the game sends Isaac through six floors of the basement before the final fight with his mother, but after beating the game, it expands to eight floors, and there’s a new final boss past defeating “Mother.” The new floors are impossibly difficult, and it provides one of the most challenging and frustrating experiences in modern gaming.
And for those who want to expand their gaming abilities even further, there’s a DLC for The Binding of Isaac called Wrath of the Lamb. This adds hundreds of new powers, trinkets, and items for Isaac to collect, new enemies, new bosses, and an even further addition to the game. After beating the game on the second round, it expands from eight floors to a final, massive, ninth floor. But thankfully, after this ninth boss is defeated, the game is finally, officially, over.
So, this indie game is extremely difficult and frustrating, but so very rewarding when finally beaten. Considering how much re-play value it has, how hard it is to beat in the first place, and how variable gameplay is, it’s well worth the $8.00 for the game and its DLC. And don’t forget, Christmas is around the corner, so Steam’s Winter Sale should easily bring it down in price. And if you’re looking for a game to tide you over ’till the 25th, this is certainly the game for you.
Played it for: 70 hours
RATING: 8/10
While many teenagers are all wrapped up with Halo 4, Assassin’s Creed III, or the new Call of Duty, there’s a little known game for the PC that is just as entertaining as these giant titles, and much, much more difficult.
The Binding of Isaac, a little indie game available for $5.00 on Steam, is a 2D shooter game that is far from ordinary. You use the WASD keys to move, and the arrow keys to shoot, but then it gets odd. The main character is a little boy named Isaac, who dreams he jumps into the basement to escape from his crazy mother. And in this basement, Isaac encounters all sorts of baddies, from spiders and flies to jumping pajamas and strange little balls that shoot lasers. And he fights them off by shooting giant tears at them. As he makes his way through the basement, he must contend with difficult bosses, limited health and power-ups, and no idea where he’s going. Yeah, it’s a strange game.
The mechanics are where this game really shines, though. The game begins in a rectangular room, with anywhere between one and four doors leading out. Each door the player goes through leads to another rectangular room, usually full of enemies, and once the room has been cleared, more doors open up. The game changes these rooms every time the player starts a new game, too, so no two games of The Binding of Isaac are ever the same. This adds massive amounts of difficulty to the game, as it’s impossible to plan ahead. If this wasn’t bad enough, the game limits the amount of silver keys and bombs that spawn during a game, so it can be very difficult to give Isaac the necessary boosts he needs to beat the bosses. Silver keys unlock upgrade rooms and stores, both of which are necessary for Isaac’s survival later on, and bombs can be used to open up secret doorways to rooms that contain a rare item, or even just lots of money. And of course, as Isaac moves deeper into the basement, the enemies become more unforgiving, making survival less and less likely. All of this culminates in a final boss fight with Isaac’s mother, who periodically stomps her foot at Isaac between waves of enemies. If Isaac is lucky enough to beat all the enemies until this fight, “Mother” will still give the player a run for his or her money.
But wait! When at last Isaac is lucky enough to win this final boss battle, the game isn’t over! Normally, the game sends Isaac through six floors of the basement before the final fight with his mother, but after beating the game, it expands to eight floors, and there’s a new final boss past defeating “Mother.” The new floors are impossibly difficult, and it provides one of the most challenging and frustrating experiences in modern gaming.
And for those who want to expand their gaming abilities even further, there’s a DLC for The Binding of Isaac called Wrath of the Lamb. This adds hundreds of new powers, trinkets, and items for Isaac to collect, new enemies, new bosses, and an even further addition to the game. After beating the game on the second round, it expands from eight floors to a final, massive, ninth floor. But thankfully, after this ninth boss is defeated, the game is finally, officially, over.
So, this indie game is extremely difficult and frustrating, but so very rewarding when finally beaten. Considering how much re-play value it has, how hard it is to beat in the first place, and how variable gameplay is, it’s well worth the $8.00 for the game and its DLC. And don’t forget, Christmas is around the corner, so Steam’s Winter Sale should easily bring it down in price. And if you’re looking for a game to tide you over ’till the 25th, this is certainly the game for you.
Monday, February 27, 2012
BioShock 2
Available on: Xbox 360, PS3, and PC
Played it on: Xbox 360
Played it for: 30 hours
RATING: 9/10
Summary:
Welcome back to Rapture, ladies and gentlemen! The home of the greatest minds in all the world has been brought back with a vengeance! This time around, however, you aren't the sleeper agent, heroic, prodigal son returned to his father's utopian palace. You are instead, one of the great keepers of the underwater city: an Alpha Series Big Daddy, code-name DELTA. The beginning of the game shows you being forced to commit suicide by a woman named Doctor Sophia Lamb.
Ten years pass, and you find yourself inexplicably alive and well, and in need of finding your Little Sister.
Review:
BioShock likes to stand out. It makes a statement every time it releases a title, saying, "Look at me, world! I'm extremely disturbing, and I don't care!" However, the games have such good plots, and are made so well, that they simply become a good series, no matter how messed up it may be. I never thought in a thousand years that BioShock 2 would be as good as the first one, but I was quite mistaken. In fact, I thought the plot was actually better than BioShock's, as the pseudo-utopia comes more fully to life in the even more destroyed set pieces and ruined psyches of the splicers. DELTA never speaks throughout the game, but your emotions find voice in Eleanor, your now 19-ish Little Sister, who helps you through the course of your journey by giving you gifts and guidance, among other things. You can feel DELTA's pain, anger, and resentment towards Dr. Sophia Lamb as more and more secrets about your past are revealed through various means. It really is a masterpiece of story-telling.
The gameplay is better, too, as the graphics and controls are more refined and flowing in this installment. Hacking is much more difficult, as the game doesn't pause itself mid-combat to hack a turret, and failure to hack correctly leads to the loss of remote hack darts, which are essential tools in a sticky situation. Of course, what you can't hack you can shoot or hit with the 6 other weapons in the game, ranging from the iconic rivet gun and drill to a missile launcher that fires heat-seeking-rocket-propelled grenades. And let's not forget the wide range of usable plasmids in the sequel, which harness the power of the elements much more fully and devastatingly, and can easily disable any robotic opponent. Or living one, for that matter, considering the flames, ice, bees, cyclones, and other assorted punishments you can dish out to splicers are not limited to any one setting. Instead, the choice is yours on what to use and what not to as you get closer and closer to your goal. As much as it tries, BioShock is still an RPG at heart.
But as much as BioShock 2 tries to be better than it's father, the two will both stand hand in hand on the top of the gaming pedestal, showing the world how different an experience it can create for players new to the series, and even to seasoned veterans like myself. In the end, it really stops being BioShock and BioShock 2, and instead simply becomes "Rapture." And now that 2K is releasing their third title in the fall of this year, how will the series be affected by the change of scenery? I look forward to the year ahead.
Played it on: Xbox 360
Played it for: 30 hours
RATING: 9/10
Summary:
Welcome back to Rapture, ladies and gentlemen! The home of the greatest minds in all the world has been brought back with a vengeance! This time around, however, you aren't the sleeper agent, heroic, prodigal son returned to his father's utopian palace. You are instead, one of the great keepers of the underwater city: an Alpha Series Big Daddy, code-name DELTA. The beginning of the game shows you being forced to commit suicide by a woman named Doctor Sophia Lamb.
Ten years pass, and you find yourself inexplicably alive and well, and in need of finding your Little Sister.
Review:
BioShock likes to stand out. It makes a statement every time it releases a title, saying, "Look at me, world! I'm extremely disturbing, and I don't care!" However, the games have such good plots, and are made so well, that they simply become a good series, no matter how messed up it may be. I never thought in a thousand years that BioShock 2 would be as good as the first one, but I was quite mistaken. In fact, I thought the plot was actually better than BioShock's, as the pseudo-utopia comes more fully to life in the even more destroyed set pieces and ruined psyches of the splicers. DELTA never speaks throughout the game, but your emotions find voice in Eleanor, your now 19-ish Little Sister, who helps you through the course of your journey by giving you gifts and guidance, among other things. You can feel DELTA's pain, anger, and resentment towards Dr. Sophia Lamb as more and more secrets about your past are revealed through various means. It really is a masterpiece of story-telling.
The gameplay is better, too, as the graphics and controls are more refined and flowing in this installment. Hacking is much more difficult, as the game doesn't pause itself mid-combat to hack a turret, and failure to hack correctly leads to the loss of remote hack darts, which are essential tools in a sticky situation. Of course, what you can't hack you can shoot or hit with the 6 other weapons in the game, ranging from the iconic rivet gun and drill to a missile launcher that fires heat-seeking-rocket-propelled grenades. And let's not forget the wide range of usable plasmids in the sequel, which harness the power of the elements much more fully and devastatingly, and can easily disable any robotic opponent. Or living one, for that matter, considering the flames, ice, bees, cyclones, and other assorted punishments you can dish out to splicers are not limited to any one setting. Instead, the choice is yours on what to use and what not to as you get closer and closer to your goal. As much as it tries, BioShock is still an RPG at heart.
But as much as BioShock 2 tries to be better than it's father, the two will both stand hand in hand on the top of the gaming pedestal, showing the world how different an experience it can create for players new to the series, and even to seasoned veterans like myself. In the end, it really stops being BioShock and BioShock 2, and instead simply becomes "Rapture." And now that 2K is releasing their third title in the fall of this year, how will the series be affected by the change of scenery? I look forward to the year ahead.
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Halo: Combat Evolved - Anniversary
Only Available on: Xbox 360
Played it for: Well, if you include my hours into just Combat Evolved, I would put the total around 50 hours.
RATING: 8.5/10
Summary: The Pillar of Autumn has come out of slip space to see if they escaped the Covenant on Reach. They did not. So, it's time to call out that famous Spartan soldier John 117, otherwise known as Master Chief, to fight the good fight once again.
Review: Oh boy...
I loved Halo: Combat Evolved. It was fun, addictive, had an amazing plot, tight controls, good graphics (for the time, obviously), and great gameplay overall. Now, I didn't quite get the full experience out of Halo for the first go round, as I played it last year on the very computer which is now publishing this review. The game wasn't meant for PC, though, so the controls kinda, well, sucked. Still though, it was an awesome game for a bored high school Sophomore, and I spent plenty of time with it in my off periods. So Anniversary is rather a nice throwback for me to a time when I was much more stupid.
You might think it a waste of your $39.99 plus tax to purchase a ten year old game, and you may be right seeing as I didn't spend the $39.99 plus tax, and instead am enjoying it as a Christmas gift, but I would call this game worth it, especially now that I'm getting the full console experience after playing the ported PC version. For those who don't know, 343 Industries kept all the same programming, just with a re-skin of graphics, so it plays the same and feels almost the same, but looks so much better. It's really wonderful to crash on the Halo and see it how the developers meant it to look. I think that the Pillar of Autumn and 343 Guilty Spark are the missions where the changes are the most noticeable, as the ship is completely re-vamped, and the swamp at the beginning of 343 looks truly incredible. The sniper rifle is probably the most notable gun change, as it actually looks like a menacing weapon rather than a tube with a scope and a trigger.
I suppose that really isn't much of a review, but the game itself will be covered when I review Halo: Combat Evolved, and seeing as this is the same game, just re-skinned, I can't really find anything else that is prudent to remark about.
Those dedicated Halo fans can rest easy as well, as the game itself plays the same as it did in 2001, but for those who got on board with 3 or Reach, I highly suggest you play this game so that you can see where it all began.
Played it for: Well, if you include my hours into just Combat Evolved, I would put the total around 50 hours.
RATING: 8.5/10
Summary: The Pillar of Autumn has come out of slip space to see if they escaped the Covenant on Reach. They did not. So, it's time to call out that famous Spartan soldier John 117, otherwise known as Master Chief, to fight the good fight once again.
Review: Oh boy...
I loved Halo: Combat Evolved. It was fun, addictive, had an amazing plot, tight controls, good graphics (for the time, obviously), and great gameplay overall. Now, I didn't quite get the full experience out of Halo for the first go round, as I played it last year on the very computer which is now publishing this review. The game wasn't meant for PC, though, so the controls kinda, well, sucked. Still though, it was an awesome game for a bored high school Sophomore, and I spent plenty of time with it in my off periods. So Anniversary is rather a nice throwback for me to a time when I was much more stupid.
You might think it a waste of your $39.99 plus tax to purchase a ten year old game, and you may be right seeing as I didn't spend the $39.99 plus tax, and instead am enjoying it as a Christmas gift, but I would call this game worth it, especially now that I'm getting the full console experience after playing the ported PC version. For those who don't know, 343 Industries kept all the same programming, just with a re-skin of graphics, so it plays the same and feels almost the same, but looks so much better. It's really wonderful to crash on the Halo and see it how the developers meant it to look. I think that the Pillar of Autumn and 343 Guilty Spark are the missions where the changes are the most noticeable, as the ship is completely re-vamped, and the swamp at the beginning of 343 looks truly incredible. The sniper rifle is probably the most notable gun change, as it actually looks like a menacing weapon rather than a tube with a scope and a trigger.
I suppose that really isn't much of a review, but the game itself will be covered when I review Halo: Combat Evolved, and seeing as this is the same game, just re-skinned, I can't really find anything else that is prudent to remark about.
Those dedicated Halo fans can rest easy as well, as the game itself plays the same as it did in 2001, but for those who got on board with 3 or Reach, I highly suggest you play this game so that you can see where it all began.
Friday, October 14, 2011
Gears of War 3
Only Available On: Xbox 360
Played it for: 50 hours and counting
RATING: 11/10
WARNING: SPOILERS FROM PREVIOUS GEARS OF WAR TITLES IN THE SUMMARY SECTION, AND GEARS OF WAR 3 SPOILERS IN THE CAMPAIGN REVIEW.
Summary:
Humanity is dead. After the end of the Pendulum Wars, the Locust came to try and destroy humanity. They wanted the resources of the above world, and they were going to take them by force. Feeling a need to defend what was theirs, the humans, under the leadership of Chairman Prescott, Commander in Chief of the Coalition of Ordered Governments, or C.O.G., took up arms as COG Gears. They began to use weapons of mass destruction called the Hammer of Dawn, an orbital laser designed to burn anything in it's path. Much of humanity did not survive these "hammer strikes," and any that did went underground, and became labeled as Stranded. When the hammers didn't work, the humans used a Lightmass Bomb, Sera's form of a nuke, and launched it strait into the Hollow - the Locust stronghold. Not even this could end the Immulsion War. Finally, at the end of the second game, the humans sink Jacinto, the last bastion of humanity, in order to flood the hollow, and bring the city toppling down onto the Locust Queen. The war was over, but now humanity had to survive.
Review:
Every once in a console's lifetime, there comes a game that can make the console bloom in a way it never has before. It has impeccably rendered graphics, a soulful storyline, a perfect physics engine, no glitches, and is challenging enough to keep you coming back again and again. For the PlayStation 1, this was Final Fantasy 7. For the PlayStation 2, this was Final Fantasy 10. For the Xbox, it was Halo 2. And for the Xbox 360, it is Gears of War 3. Basically what I'm saying is that 11/10 you see at the top of this page is not going to come back until the Nextbox comes out, making this is a very special review. So, without further ado, I give you the best of this console generation.
Campaign:
Truly Incredible.
I really give props to the guys at Epic for this writing. For the first time in the saga, we see less of a focus on the gratuitous violence, and far more of a focus on the progression of the characters. To put this into context, while the deaths of previous Gears characters came as a shock, they were relatively easy to get over. In this third installment, we witness the death of the main character's best friend, something that was completely unprecedented, and definitely evokes plenty of emotion for the rest of the game. Not only that, but we also get a sense that Marcus has some emotion other than anger this time around, and it gives a depth to his character that hasn't been seen before in the franchise.
Other than the incredible writing, the story was also the longest of any Gears game, with five Acts, and seven or eight chapters to each. It really gave a scale to the Gears world that we haven't had the ability to see thus far, and it is much appreciated. It was nice to have a modern shooter that didn't take me less than three days to finish.
Multiplayer:
Better!
The multiplayer on Gears 3 is much better than the previous two, and is much more enjoyable to participate in. Instead of running around with a sniper shotgun, (which is not to say that no one uses the shotguns anymore) we find that the multiplayer has much more of a sense of balance, making the Lancers actually useful, and giving people a chance to actually play the game without rage-quitting. The maps have also been re-designed to be symmetrical, which, while a bit un-original, gives both sides an equal chance at winning.
Horde Mode 2.0:
An Interesting Twist.
The original Horde Mode in Gears 2 never really lost any appeal, no matter how much it was played. However, not wanting to simply copy/paste, Epic decided to integrate some very interesting features into Horde 2.0. First off, the objective of survival is still the same, so there's no need to worry about that. However, what Epic did was to change the means to accomplish that objective. Now you can build spike strips, auto-turrets, mounted turrets, dummies, and a Silverback (a large mechanical suit, similar to the first Iron Man suit that Tony Stark built from scratch). However, every 10 waves is a boss fight, in which Brumaks, Berzerkers, and various mutant versions of these come out to play. It makes Horde far more engaging, and definitely makes the original look almost boring in comparison.
Beast Mode:
Beast Mode is the opposite of Horde Mode 2.0, and puts you in the shoes of a locust trying to eliminate various human survivors. This wouldn't have been very fun in Gears of War 2, but the fact that the humans can build their own bases adds to the challenge. Beast is much shorter than Horde, lasting only 12 rounds where Horde lasts 50, but the last wave can prove troublesome, forcing you to down every survivor before killing them. Wave 12 also gives the humans the most powerful weapons in the game, and these make it easy for them to halt your assault, even if you choose to spawn as something as strong as a Berzerker. In the end, I think Horde and Beast both hold the same amount of appeal, and I applaud Epic for the idea.
As I stated at the beginning of this review, I think Gears 3 is the pinnacle of what the Xbox 360 has to offer. I look forward to what Epic does next, and I hope that whatever they do will be just as exciting as what they gave us last month. I would like to congratulate Epic on how far they come, and I wish them luck in the future.
Played it for: 50 hours and counting
RATING: 11/10
WARNING: SPOILERS FROM PREVIOUS GEARS OF WAR TITLES IN THE SUMMARY SECTION, AND GEARS OF WAR 3 SPOILERS IN THE CAMPAIGN REVIEW.
Summary:
Humanity is dead. After the end of the Pendulum Wars, the Locust came to try and destroy humanity. They wanted the resources of the above world, and they were going to take them by force. Feeling a need to defend what was theirs, the humans, under the leadership of Chairman Prescott, Commander in Chief of the Coalition of Ordered Governments, or C.O.G., took up arms as COG Gears. They began to use weapons of mass destruction called the Hammer of Dawn, an orbital laser designed to burn anything in it's path. Much of humanity did not survive these "hammer strikes," and any that did went underground, and became labeled as Stranded. When the hammers didn't work, the humans used a Lightmass Bomb, Sera's form of a nuke, and launched it strait into the Hollow - the Locust stronghold. Not even this could end the Immulsion War. Finally, at the end of the second game, the humans sink Jacinto, the last bastion of humanity, in order to flood the hollow, and bring the city toppling down onto the Locust Queen. The war was over, but now humanity had to survive.
Review:
Every once in a console's lifetime, there comes a game that can make the console bloom in a way it never has before. It has impeccably rendered graphics, a soulful storyline, a perfect physics engine, no glitches, and is challenging enough to keep you coming back again and again. For the PlayStation 1, this was Final Fantasy 7. For the PlayStation 2, this was Final Fantasy 10. For the Xbox, it was Halo 2. And for the Xbox 360, it is Gears of War 3. Basically what I'm saying is that 11/10 you see at the top of this page is not going to come back until the Nextbox comes out, making this is a very special review. So, without further ado, I give you the best of this console generation.
Campaign:
Truly Incredible.
I really give props to the guys at Epic for this writing. For the first time in the saga, we see less of a focus on the gratuitous violence, and far more of a focus on the progression of the characters. To put this into context, while the deaths of previous Gears characters came as a shock, they were relatively easy to get over. In this third installment, we witness the death of the main character's best friend, something that was completely unprecedented, and definitely evokes plenty of emotion for the rest of the game. Not only that, but we also get a sense that Marcus has some emotion other than anger this time around, and it gives a depth to his character that hasn't been seen before in the franchise.
Other than the incredible writing, the story was also the longest of any Gears game, with five Acts, and seven or eight chapters to each. It really gave a scale to the Gears world that we haven't had the ability to see thus far, and it is much appreciated. It was nice to have a modern shooter that didn't take me less than three days to finish.
Multiplayer:
Better!
The multiplayer on Gears 3 is much better than the previous two, and is much more enjoyable to participate in. Instead of running around with a sniper shotgun, (which is not to say that no one uses the shotguns anymore) we find that the multiplayer has much more of a sense of balance, making the Lancers actually useful, and giving people a chance to actually play the game without rage-quitting. The maps have also been re-designed to be symmetrical, which, while a bit un-original, gives both sides an equal chance at winning.
Horde Mode 2.0:
An Interesting Twist.
The original Horde Mode in Gears 2 never really lost any appeal, no matter how much it was played. However, not wanting to simply copy/paste, Epic decided to integrate some very interesting features into Horde 2.0. First off, the objective of survival is still the same, so there's no need to worry about that. However, what Epic did was to change the means to accomplish that objective. Now you can build spike strips, auto-turrets, mounted turrets, dummies, and a Silverback (a large mechanical suit, similar to the first Iron Man suit that Tony Stark built from scratch). However, every 10 waves is a boss fight, in which Brumaks, Berzerkers, and various mutant versions of these come out to play. It makes Horde far more engaging, and definitely makes the original look almost boring in comparison.
Beast Mode:
Beast Mode is the opposite of Horde Mode 2.0, and puts you in the shoes of a locust trying to eliminate various human survivors. This wouldn't have been very fun in Gears of War 2, but the fact that the humans can build their own bases adds to the challenge. Beast is much shorter than Horde, lasting only 12 rounds where Horde lasts 50, but the last wave can prove troublesome, forcing you to down every survivor before killing them. Wave 12 also gives the humans the most powerful weapons in the game, and these make it easy for them to halt your assault, even if you choose to spawn as something as strong as a Berzerker. In the end, I think Horde and Beast both hold the same amount of appeal, and I applaud Epic for the idea.
As I stated at the beginning of this review, I think Gears 3 is the pinnacle of what the Xbox 360 has to offer. I look forward to what Epic does next, and I hope that whatever they do will be just as exciting as what they gave us last month. I would like to congratulate Epic on how far they come, and I wish them luck in the future.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Gears of War 2
Only available on: Xbox 360
Played it for: Minimum of 60 hours and counting
RATING: 10/10
WARNING: SPOILERS FROM GEARS OF WAR 1 IN THE SUMMARY SECTION
Summary:
You play as Sargent Marcus Fenix, a Coalition of Ordered Governments (COG) Gear. Several years ago, the planet Sera was attacked by its former residents, the Locust. The humans fought back. The current residents of Sera, the humans, were undergoing a brutal civil war, known as the Pendulum Wars, as the Locust began their assault. This left them battered and low on supplies to begin with, giving the Locust an immense advantage. In the first Gears of War, The COG used a form of nuclear weapon called a "lightmass bomb" in order to finish the war. Unfortunately, this was not enough to kill off the remaining locust, and the war continued. This is where Gears of War 2 picks up. As the war continues, you and your best friend, Dominic Santiago, will undergo many hardships of war, including the incredible pain of loss and the awful brutality of the Imulsion Wars.
You play as Sargent Marcus Fenix, a Coalition of Ordered Governments (COG) Gear. Several years ago, the planet Sera was attacked by its former residents, the Locust. The humans fought back. The current residents of Sera, the humans, were undergoing a brutal civil war, known as the Pendulum Wars, as the Locust began their assault. This left them battered and low on supplies to begin with, giving the Locust an immense advantage. In the first Gears of War, The COG used a form of nuclear weapon called a "lightmass bomb" in order to finish the war. Unfortunately, this was not enough to kill off the remaining locust, and the war continued. This is where Gears of War 2 picks up. As the war continues, you and your best friend, Dominic Santiago, will undergo many hardships of war, including the incredible pain of loss and the awful brutality of the Imulsion Wars.
Review:
There is a reason this game has a 10.
The guys at Epic really pulled it together for this massive release. The stellar graphics and seamless control handling are just the first of many compliments I have for this game. The graphics blew me away. It has been a long time since I have seen a game with this much originality of engine, and it is a very refreshing change. While Call of Duty and Halo continue to update their graphics in minute ways, Gears just went all out. The update from the first game is astonishing, not to mention the fact that the controls just work so well, unlike many of the games coming out today. There is no confusion, and no "throw your controller against the wall" rages. To put it simply, the game just...works. The campaign is a bit bland at times, taking on a more over-scripted tone, but the cinematics and actual gameplay more than make up for it.
Horde mode: Exceptional
While the first ten waves are a bit trivial, the next forty can prove quite challenging, as the Locust gain double health, double accuracy, double damage, then 2.5x all of the above for the final ten waves. However, even after one beats all fifty waves of horde, playing it all over again from wave 1 is just as fun, and this is the best part. The need for survival never gets old, and this is what makes horde a true masterpiece.
Multiplayer: Eh, needs a bit of fine tuning.
This is quite literally the only criticism I have on Gears 2, and it is not really enough to put a dent in the rating. The Lancer Rifle is much more downgraded in multiplayer, and the Gnasher Shotgun is far too upgraded. However, as long as you know how to use a shotgun you shouldn't have much of a problem.
Even though the game came out several years ago now, I felt it was my duty to put in my two cents worth, seeing as Gears 3 will be the subject of my next review. I still avidly play Gears 2, and it is one of my favorites. I will be surprised if the trilogy does not become a vintage classic within the next two years.
There is a reason this game has a 10.
The guys at Epic really pulled it together for this massive release. The stellar graphics and seamless control handling are just the first of many compliments I have for this game. The graphics blew me away. It has been a long time since I have seen a game with this much originality of engine, and it is a very refreshing change. While Call of Duty and Halo continue to update their graphics in minute ways, Gears just went all out. The update from the first game is astonishing, not to mention the fact that the controls just work so well, unlike many of the games coming out today. There is no confusion, and no "throw your controller against the wall" rages. To put it simply, the game just...works. The campaign is a bit bland at times, taking on a more over-scripted tone, but the cinematics and actual gameplay more than make up for it.
Horde mode: Exceptional
While the first ten waves are a bit trivial, the next forty can prove quite challenging, as the Locust gain double health, double accuracy, double damage, then 2.5x all of the above for the final ten waves. However, even after one beats all fifty waves of horde, playing it all over again from wave 1 is just as fun, and this is the best part. The need for survival never gets old, and this is what makes horde a true masterpiece.
Multiplayer: Eh, needs a bit of fine tuning.
This is quite literally the only criticism I have on Gears 2, and it is not really enough to put a dent in the rating. The Lancer Rifle is much more downgraded in multiplayer, and the Gnasher Shotgun is far too upgraded. However, as long as you know how to use a shotgun you shouldn't have much of a problem.
Even though the game came out several years ago now, I felt it was my duty to put in my two cents worth, seeing as Gears 3 will be the subject of my next review. I still avidly play Gears 2, and it is one of my favorites. I will be surprised if the trilogy does not become a vintage classic within the next two years.
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