Category Archives: Gaming

Holiday Games Radar (2009)

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Since the holiday season is creeping upon us, I thought I’d take a look at some of the most anticipated games this year. There is always a huge rush of titles at this time, and this year is no different. Hopefully we can sort through what games look legit and what games you should avoid.

PS3:

The PS3 has some solid multiplatform offerings coming out, but the real gems of its lineup are the console exclusive games. Kicking things off is the excellent Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. This is a solid game all around. The single player, multiplayer, and co-op experiences all deliver on so many levels. This game is a real testament to the level of polish and attention to detail that developer Naughty dog has devoted to this incredible game. For those of you who have been waiting for a solid AAA PS3 title, wait no longer.

Another recently released game is the latest in Sony’s staple series Ratchet & Clank.  While its definitely been a while since I’ve played a Ratchet & Clank game, the latest incarnation Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time maintains all of the fun elements of the past titles while making enough changes to keep the series fresh and innovative.  What is interesting is that, other than Uncharted 2, no other game companies are making these action platforming games. For those who may be turned off by the game’s kiddie looking animation and graphics, don’t be fooled. The game offers one of the most sophisticated and mind bending gaming experiences you’ll find on any system.

Coming out Nov. 17 is Sony’s God of War Collection. This includes the original God of War I and II both digitally remastered in glorious HD. Even better, is the fact that this bundle includes a beta code to the highly anticipated God of War III. The bundle costs a measly $40, and should definitely be worth it as both games are excellent. I’ve wanted to revisit them, but my PS3 isn’t backwards compatible. Thankfully, with this release you can jam them on your PS3 even if it isn’t backwards compatible.

XBOX 360:

In case you’ve been living in a cave, Microsoft has released the latest game in its beloved Halo series. Halo 3: ODST dropped last month and has been receiving heavy rotation in 360s across the world. the latest chapter in the Halo saga puts you in the shoes of the members of the Orbital Drop Shock Trooper squad. The fresh perspective is a welcome addition to the Halo universe and the gameplay is as tight and responsive as the best games in the series. The gunplay is fast and frenetic like any other Halo game, backed up by a pretty solid story. Factor in the inclusion of all 21 (including 3 never released) maps and you’ve got enough Halo action to keep you busy for some time.  There is a review floating around this site somewhere if you want more details.

Grand Theft Auto : Episodes from Libery City came out this week. This includes both Xbox 360 exclusive episodes: the previously released  ’The Lost and Damned’ and the all new ‘The Ballad of Gay Tony’ with some additional content. Both episodes are also available for download from Xboxlive marketplace individually, but the double package is a great deal. If you no longer have GTAIV, buying the Episodes disc will enable you to play the new content without the original game disc, which is a huge plus. ‘Ballad of Gay Tony’ looks to be the most action packed episode yet, complete with insanely over the top action reminiscent of the best GTA: San Andreas had to offer.

Left 4 Dead 2 hits the streets on Nov. 17. This game looks to take the intense action of the first game and add new zombies, new campaigns, new characters, and all new modes. As a rabid fan of the first game, I can’t wait to get my hands on this one. Hopefully this game is just as much of a blast to play with friends as the first was. There is nothing like trying to survive against endless hordes of zombies with a couple of buddies. For one of the best co-op multiplayer experiences on any system, look no further than the Left 4 Dead games.

WII:

The New Super Mario Bros. comes out this November for the Wii. This game looks to usher in a new era of solid Mario bros. gameplay. Very sinmilar to the resurrection of the Street Fighter franchise, New SMB boasts the same classic 2-d gameplay with beautifully rendered 3-d backgrounds. The gameplay should look familiar to anyone who’s played SMB 1-3, although with some interesting looking additions. Mario can now don a penguin suit and throw snowballs that freeze his enemies. Frozen enemies can be jumped on like platforms in order to access other areas. Further adding to the fun is that 4 players can jam co-op simultaneously.The gameplay looks very old school and very addictingly fun. I only pick up a few Wii titles each year, and this looks like it will definitely be one of them.

MULTIPLATFORM:

With all of these great console exclusive games on the horizon, there is the hugely anticipated release that is on nearly every gamer’s mind.  A little game you may have heard of called Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. From all of the media that has been released on this game, it looks flat out incredible. The graphics look superb and the gameplay looks like COD4, only improved dramatically (if that is even possible!). This game looks like it has enough hi tech military shooter action to make even Tom Clancy weep. This is perhaps one of THE most anticipated releases in years, and its release will definitely be epic.

Dropping the same day as Left 4 Dead 2 is another highly anticipated sequel, Assassins Creed 2.  This game looks to have taken everything wrong with the first game and improved upon it. Early indications show that this game could possibly live up to the massive potential that the first game failed to capitalize on.  Not to mention the game takes place in a historically accurate recreation of Florence, complete with incredible graphics and environments, and you have all the makings of a winner.  Although this game doesn’t have a multiplayer component, I’m excited for it as I can pick it up for PS3 and show my system some love this holiday season.

Another multiplatform title that may have slid under the radar of most is DJ Hero.  This is the latest music game to come out and in this one you assume the role of…a DJ! Early reports say that the turntable controler is just awesome, and the gameplay, while still a rhythm game essentially, is fresh and fun enough to breathe new life into the music game genre (which in my opinion has gotten a bit stale). I look forward to scratching records at the virtual club in this game as all the reviews I’ve read so far say that it is a blast to paly.

On The Radar:

 Out just after the holidays are three major releases:  Mass Effect 2, Bioshock 2, and God of War III.  Expect more info on these as things develop.  For now, just take the time to take in the gaming goodness that is being unleashed this holday season.

Tekken 6 (PS3, Xbox360)

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I’ve been a fan of the Tekken series ever since the first game. There is something about the fluidity of the combat that is unmatched by any other brawler series.  As the series has come out with sequel after sequel, they have managed to stick to the core engine and gameplay that have made it so successful over the years. As good as it has been, does the game still hold up with the new standards set by today’s fighting games? Read on…

GRAPHICS (8/10)

There is nothing wrong with the graphics. Most of the polygons are smooth and the character models are fairly detailed. That being said, I feel that the graphics haven’t changed very much since the last incarnation. Unfortunately the last game was released for the PS2. While the graphics are definitely smoother than the last game, there isn’t the huge graphical improvement one would expect when making the jump from a previous gen console to the current gen. Even though the characters look good for the most part, there are certain angles which could use more anti aliasing and less jaggies. I may be nitpicking a bit, but seeing how smoothly Soul Caliber (produced by the same Namco family) looks and runs, I expected Tekken to look better than it does.

The fighting arenas are actually pretty gorgeous.  There are a few stages that are sub-par, but for the most part the environments are all very crisp and brimming with details. This is where the game’s graphics truly shine. While the character models may not be the greatest, the environments are pretty enough that you may wind up getting kicked in the face while zoning out on how nice everything in the background looks.

STORY (7/10)

The story is just as confusing as ever. I’m not even sure what the hell is going on to be honest. It centers again around the Mishima bloodline. As usual, all of the members of that family are fueding over who retains power and control of the empire. In a nutshell, another King of Iron Fist Tournament is held and there is some supernatural being at the end (isn’t there always??) and a ton of confusion leading up to that point.  To be perfectly honest, when did we ever need a reason to kick ass?  While the story isn’t that great, it doesn’t detract from the game much. Add to the fact that there are 40+ characters each with their own unique ending. I’m sure if you really pay attention and you unlock the endings for every character you should be able to piece together most of what is going on with the plot.

GAMEPLAY (9/10)

The gameplay hasn’t changed much from the last game or the game before that.  It seems that they have pretty much perfected their fighting engine and have taken the Madden route of adding minimal changes to an already successful formula. While the gameplay is very responsive and intricately deep, the gameplay is starting to show its age a bit. I guess its the old saying, “If it ain’t broke, just repackage it and charge 60 bucks for it.”

Even without much change, the game is still a blast to play.  Tekken freaks will be able to pick up and play this one right where they left off. The game boasts 40+ characters to choose from right off the bat. Unlike most other fighting games, no two fighters are alike. They all have unique move sets and abilities that will take a great deal of time to truly master. On the flip side, Tekken newbs will be able to pick this one up and jam right away. The controls are fairly easy to pick up, however in order to be truly good you need to invest some time to learn all of the little details of each fighter. Button mashing will only get you so far, as veterans of the series no doubt have their combos ready to counter any attack thrown at them.

Perhaps what is most interesting about this series is that is has a rabid following like no other fighting game. Tekken fanatics study the frames per second (FPS) rate of each move so they know which is faster and what moves can be used to cancel out other moves. If you allow yourself to get sucked into the deep gameplay experience, you can easily get wrapped up in this game for a while. I remember with Tekken 3, aruguably the best and deepest game of the series, I was a fanatic, studying every fighter’s move list and how to counter them. While I didn’t feel the same level of immersion with this game, its good to know that most of my knowledge and timing from previous games still holds true with this latest one.

MULTIPLAYER (6/10)

I have not tried the 360 version of this game, but my experiences so far with the online modes have been garbage. It takes forever to find a match and when you do, it is laggy to the point it is almost unplayable. I’ve read online that they may be releasing some type of patch to try and fix this, but the real question is: why release a game that isn’t ready yet?? Those looking to pick this game up with the hopes of kicking ass internationally will be sorely disappointed.

While the online is lackluster, the real gem of the series is fighting someone one on one, mano y mano. It is best fighting someone in your own living room, as it is priceless to see their face as they watch the replay of their character getting KTFO. While this may seem a bit old school, it is still just as fun as it was with the previous games, and at the moment, it is the ONLY saving grace of the multiplayer.

OVERALL (8/10)

Seeing as how the game came out yesterday morning and I’ve been pretty much jamming it almost non-stop, I haven’t gotten as in depth with some of the modes as I would like. Tekken has tons of goodies to offer even the most rabid fans of the series.There are a number of cool modes in this newest game, yet they are all things we’ve seen in the series before. Tekken Force mode (the game’s version of a “campaing” mode) weasels its way into this game also, and it is just as horrible as it was before. Honestly, besides all of the gimmicky modes tacked on, the real focus here is the arcade mode.  Arcade mode definitely delivers.

It seems like for everything the game does wrong, it manages to do something right. The gameplay is as tight and fluid as ever, even if it hasn’t changed much. If you are new to the Tekken series, this game is worth picking up as everything will seem fresh. If you are a casual fan of the series looking to pick this game up and relive some of the glory of past games, you may wind up a bit dissappointed. If you are a Tekken fanatic, you will like this game no matter what anyone says. Personally, I enjoyed this game a ton, but not nearly as much as I thought I would. Maybe my tastes have evolved a bit since the last few games in this series.  Bottom line- this is one of the best, if not THE best, 3-d fighting games on the market right now. If you have an urge to throw down, you should definitely give this one a try.

Brutal Legend (PS3, Xbox360)

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Brutal Legend is the long awaited game from developer Tim Schafer. While most people will have no idea who Schafer is, he is best known for his psychedelic humorous games ‘Full throttle’ and ‘Psychonauts’.  Brutal Legend not only features the imaginary design work of Schafer, but the main character is voiced by none other than comic wildman Jack Black.  If there are two things that this game promises to deliver, they are originality and fun. While the visual style may look like something the Pixar artists came up with after an acid trip, don’t let the cartoony visuals fool you. This game is neck deep in profanity, gory violence, and a raging metal soundtrack.  The real question is: Is this game any good? We’re about to find out.

GRAPHICS (9/10)

The graphics in this game are awesome. while they may not feature the texture detail and grittiness of some of the more visually arresting games this generation, they are definitely beautiful. The backgrounds are insane, as if dreamworks decided to create a cartoon version of Salvador Dali’s works.  The character models also look awesome. All of the characters look and move very smoothly without any rough edges. The art style of the characters is a bit reminiscent of  “The Boondocks” or the animation found in the Guitar Hero series. The bottom line is that everything looks great and its easy to become immersed in this fantasy world based solely on graphics alone.

STORY (8/10)

The single player experience is rather short. The story is actually quite good, with a few twists along the way. In a nutshell, you assume the role of Eddie Riggs, a roadie for a rock/pop/metal band. In the middle of one of their concerts, the monter on Eddie’s pendant awakes and kills all the band members. eddie himself is then transported to an alternate Rock universe in which everything looks like it was plucked straight from an album cover. He finds himself caught up in the midst of a civil was between ‘real’ rockers against every other incarnation of metal heads (glam rock, hair rock, emo rock, they’re all here).  What ensues is an original journey that takes you from one end of this surreal rock world to the other.  The game is often times hilarious as they poke fun at just about every type of rock except for the hardcore.

GAMEPLAY (7/10)

The gameplay is a bit of a mixed bag in this game. For those of you who have played the demo, let me just say that the final game is not much like the demo at all. The demo featured a combination of driving and hack and slash gameplay that seemed to have a nice flow to it all, in addition to some pretty slick visuals. The demo takes place in the very beginning of the game. As you progress, you meet different kinds of rockers: headbangers, rocker chicks, biker dudes, etc. Each group has different strengths and weaknesses. You wind up not only controlling the main character, Eddie Riggs, but also controlling the different groups of rockers you will come upon. The result is a combination of hack and slash gameplay mixed with some simple Real time Strategy (RTS) elements.

While the groups of rockers are pretty cool and very funny at times, this style of gameplay got old to me pretty fast. You are commanding these groups to either stay and defend or go forward and attack. At the same time, you are battling the same baddies that the squads are going against. Not only do you have to fight your way through the enemies, at the same time you ahve to instruct the various squads on what they need to do in order to be successful. I am not a fan of RTS games at all. To be quite honest, I felt this was an amazing game up until the point where the RTS elements became more and more forced upon you.   While the RTS elements seem to work fairly well, I just don’t like those types of games and I had no idea this type of gameplay comprised so much of Brutal Legend.

SOUND (8/10)

The sound for this game is excellent. Jack Black offers some of the best voice acting seen in a long time. Its refreshing to see such a big celebrity lend his voice and likeness to a project like this.   Every yell, wisecrack, and scream by Black all serve to bring the character of Eddie to life.  The sound effects are great also, as every collision, crash, and guitar riff really seem to stand out with crisp detail. Another huge sound bonus is the killer soundtrack. While I wasn’t familiar with some of the songgs on the soundtrack, I found myself humming them after nearly every play session. Black definitely knows what rocks and what doesn’t, and you can be assured that only the choicest rock cuts have made the soundtrack list.

REPLYABILITY (7/10)

The single player campaing is very short. Once you are done with it, there is not much incentive to go back and playthrough, unless you really enjoyed it the first time around. The multiplayer is comprised mainly of RTS gameplay, with you pitting armies of rockers against another. While I’m sure there are people out there who will dig this game, there will be an equal number who will hate this game due to the inclusion of RTS elements. I played through the game once, and afterward I had no desire to try it again right away. The multiplayer portion doesnt get much love from me either, as I really can’t get into RTS games, no matter how well made they are. 

OVERALL (8/10)

While I don’t care for the RTS elements, even though they are a huge part of this game, I can certainly appreciate the level of polish and creativity that went into this title. If there is one thing to be said about this game, it is definitely a unique experience. Fans of Jack Black, or just metal in general, will find somthing to gravitate to with this game. The RTS elements are handled perfectly, and while I dont care for the genre, I must admit that the controls they have implemented are very smooth and responsive. With the X-mas gaming season upon us, I can think of a number of other games that offfer a more engaging experience. However, I can’t think of one that is as freash and original as this one.  For those looking to try something new, this may be the game for you.