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Reviews
Red Dead Revolver
Overall: As your boots hit the dirt the chime of your spurs fill the air. With a steely gaze and fingertips at your holster you look out from under your hat to see your next victim, a grizzly looking character claiming to be the fastest gun in the west, but only a claim you suddenly realize. Not a word can be heard only the whistle of tumbleweed dancing by. Your twitchy index finger can?t wait any longer. With the sun at its peak the grim looking gun slinger falls to his knees and suddenly eats a mouthful of dirt with an unwanted hole in his head. You?re left standing with a smoking barrel; he didn?t know what hit him. Sound familiar? Maybe a scene from your favourite western? Guess again. This is Rockstar?s Read Dead Revolver, a game that has kept close enough to the spaghetti western recipe to make even Clint Eastwood proud.Horses, ghost towns, hard liquor and easy women, everything you would expect from a classic western can be found in this title. This is a story of revenge. As Red, a rough and tumble cowboy, you set out to avenge the death of your parents, taking the law into your own hands. On your journey you assume the role of a bounty hunter, bent on bringing the Wild West?s low-life?s to justice, dead or alive (usually dead). As the game begins you are given very little in terms of a storyline, although not very complex, you slowly start to unravel a story as you progress through the game. The story maintained my interest and the characters were of true Rockstar style, unique and over-the-top.
This game comes to us courtesy of the creators of the Grand Theft Auto Series, but don?t expect a GTA with six shooters and horse hijackings. You find yourself in various western scenarios and situations as you progress through the game. Whatever you can think of you will probably find yourself playing through it. In Red Dead Revolver you will encounter high-noon duels, saloon brawls, ghost town shoot-outs, horse back pursuits and moving locomotive heroics. That is basically the formula for the game; progressing through these scenarios and unlocking bits of the story at a time. The variety is great and rarely do the scenarios feel repetitive and boring, they are also relatively short so when you die halfway through, redoing the level is not really an issue. The difficulty level is not very challenging and getting through each scenario is relatively easy, at the most it took several tries to complete a level. The motto of this game is fun, fast and simple, a nice change of pace from many of the games out there that require too much of a commitment. For us working stiffs who don?t have a lot of time, games like this are welcomed.
Gameplay: As you progress through the levels doing away with the bad guys on your route to the level boss you have a handful of weapons at your disposal. To expand your arsenal you can buy weapons from the local gun shop or pick them up from dead guys. At the beginning of each level you choose the weapons you want to carry. Your choices range from six shooters, rifles, sawed-off shotguns, broken beer bottles even throwing weapons such as sticks of dynamite.
In Red Dead Revolver you get to play the good, the bad and the ugly. Truly unique to this game is the fact that in certain scenarios you assume the role of a new character with their own unique characteristics and weapons. Even though the characters are different, the scenarios still tie into the overall storyline. You will assume the role of a gentlemanly gun fighter, a cowgirl reminiscent of Annie Oakley, a devious general and a bow and arrow wielding Indian. This just adds to the variety and introduces a new set of playable weapons. It also adds another unique perspective to the storyline.
Taking out the bad guys is pretty easy. Shoot them in the head to take them down quicker and to earn extra cash because depending of where you place your shots, this will determine your overall cash reward. Cash which you can use to buy goods, services and unlock bonus features. Game controls generally worked well, running, shooting, riding ? not a problem. Jumping and hand-to-hand combat were by far the most frustrating, these more then any of the others were lagging and unresponsive. I felt as though a minute had passed by from the time I hit the punch button until the time the punch was actually executed. This by far was the games biggest failure.
Other in game features include the art of the quick draw. During certain instances in the game you will be presented with a challenge. Some times one challenger, some times two. At this time the game will go into ?draw? mode. Game play goes into slow motion and when it stops how fast you can get to your controls will determine your fate.
Another unique and fun feature is ?Dead Eye?. I would compare it to bullet-time used in Max Payne or the Matrix. At the click of the button time slows to a snails pace and you are given the opportunity to place targets upon your approaching enemies but only as many targets as you have bullets in your chamber. When dead eye is over, bam, bam, bam, your enemies are dead; a unique way to unload rapid fire shots. Be warned though, you only have so many opportunities to utilize this in any given level.
At the end of each level earn a ranking. Accuracy, hit damage, and time all factor into a player?s ranking. Depending on your score you will unlock a variety of bonus features. Several multi-player modes that this game offers are fun and enjoyable but could be easily forgotten. A nice addition, but tacked on.
Graphics: I had mixed reactions when it came to the visuals in this game. At times I was blown away, at other times I was mildly impressed. The cut scenes and certain environments looked great. Characters were generally well done as were smoke and fire effects. Some environments I wasn?t so impressed with specifically the problem was with plants and grass that looked very fake. I also had some issues with the character movement which at times did not look natural or fluid. The styling of the game was great, a real old time Western feel. Cut scenes were made to look dated.
Audio: As far as I?m concerned a musical score can make or break a game such as this. I wouldn?t be able to take any themed game or movie seriously with Queen?s ?We Will Rock You? playing in the background. If you have ever seen the movie A Knight?s Tale you will know what I mean. Anyway, this game nails the soundtrack dead on. Red Dead Revolver pulls their inspiration directly from the classic spaghetti westerns we all know and love. It?s the classical Western sound and feel. The sound effects themselves are excellent, everything from the rifle blasts to the gurgling of a half dead guy you just took out.
Suggestions: Looking forward to more responsive controls and enhanced graphics for the sequel.
Overall Score: 8.0 / 10
Beyond Good and Evil
Have you ever opened a Christmas or birthday present only to find a pair of odor eaters and a 10 pack of tighty whities? Or maybe you found out your uncle Roger likes to wear red lacey things? Let?s face it, not all surprises are good surprises.Thanks to Ubisoft, Beyond Good & Evil is one surprise that will surely not disappoint. I have to admit, I am a meat and potatoes kind of guy. I like my bloody, violent military games. Very rarely do I venture off into the realm of action/adventure games especially not futuristic, sci-fi ones. For this reason I was skeptical when I first glanced upon this title, but I decided to open my mind, expand my horizons and give it a try. I?m glad I did.
This game proves that a great game is built on more then just great graphics alone. This game succeeds by delivering a complete gaming experience including variety, seamless game play, stunning visuals, a compelling storyline, unique camera angles, superior voice acting and a cinematic quality soundtrack.
In Beyond Good & Evil you assume the role of Jade, a young freelance reporter/photojournalist who along with her sidekick Pey?j the pig, are determined to make their world, Hillys, a better place to live. Hillys is at war with an alien group referred to as the DomZ, good thing Hillys is protected by an elite squadron known as the Alpha Sections, but is it really good? How come the Alpha Sections show up after the DomZ have already left? Questions abound in this unconventional story dealing with such issues as conspiracy, politics, trust, rebellion, free speech and the power of the press.
For the most part, you will be on foot exploring the world of Hyllis, collecting information from characters and searching for photographic evidence on the rumored conspiracy theories. Throughout your journeys you will encounter enemy aliens, thus the game contains a combat element, but it is fairly straightforward and requires very little skill. On the plus side the fighting sequences are fun and the animations are very fluid. Jades weapons of choice are her trusty staff and her camera.
A very unique element of this game is Jades photographic abilities. Pan around, zoom in and take snap shots of the enemy and uncover ruthless plots against the people of Hyllis. On the side, Jade can take photos of various creatures of Hyllis, which she can sell to a local scientist who is cataloging all of the life on Hillys. It?s not as easy as it sounds, because your pictures have to be good, meaning you have to get close and frame the subject matter properly. Capture enough creatures and you can upgrade your photo equipment and earn some serious credits (cash on Hyllis).
The controls in Beyond Good & Evil are very smooth, but take some getting used to, as with any new game, but after a half hour you will feel quite comfortable with them. Some actions in particular require twister like maneuvers with your fingers to get the job done, especially some of the camera actions.
The transition between cut scenes and actual game play are what really impressed me about this game. At times I couldn?t tell when the cut scene had ended and when the game play had started. This consideration really enhances the flow of the game and your involvement in the game is never interrupted, which I feel cut scenes are notorious for doing. I am used to the old formula of a game being broken into game play and cut scene pieces, which really affects the consistency. In Beyond Good & Evil you are in and out of each mode that you hardly notice a difference, creating a seamless gaming experience.
If order to advance in the game you must solve various puzzles and challenges you encounter at the various locals in Hyllis. Be it in caves, or factories, be prepared to do a little thinking. The puzzles are not that complex; but require a keen sense of your surroundings to figure out what to do. It might be to use your projectile attack to push a button or to push a crate onto a lever.
Comic relief comes in the form of your gassy, !&%$@#* scratching trusty side kick, Pey?j, the humanoid pig. Pey?j follows you through most of the game which never becomes a problem, but it is rather quite enjoyable. The odd time he will get stuck, but this never really becomes a problem. He can assist you with various puzzles as well as support you in combat with the click of a button. Pey?j can also carry additional inventory items. It is very important that you watch each others backs, because if he dies, its game over for you.
Getting around is a necessity in this game, therefore Jade relies on her not so reliable hovercraft. The combination of speed, maneuverability, guns and unlimited ammo make piloting the hovercraft another enjoyable element of this game.
As mentioned before, her hovercraft is not so reliable; therefore upgrading your hovercraft requires you to spend pearls at a local garage. Pearls are rare on Hillys, and you will acquire them in various ways, such as by defeating bosses or completing special tasks. You can even purchase a few of them using your credits. There are a lot of pearls in this game, so acquiring them all is a mission in itself.
This game features a lot of ?other? fun stuff that really just adds to the complete package and makes you appreciate the time and detail the developers put into this game. The game menus are unique and interactive; especially the characters inventory menus and pass code menus.
Throughout the game you will stumble across a number mini-games, some of chance and some of skill. There is a variation of air hockey you play against one of the locals. Another is a shell game you play to earn extra credits. One of the most enjoyable you stumble across is a series of hovercraft races, reminiscent of F-Zero.
This game projects a world conceived in the minds of its creators. It is a world of vibrant colours and dark shadows. Unique creatures roam the landscape and lush living vegetation is in abundance. You get the feeling this is a real living world, the environments are interactive, flying creatures are seen in the distance, insects buzz around and the sun reflects off waves in the ocean with great realism. The water and sky effects are stunning and the use of shadowing is very well done.
I think what really makes this game stand out it how believable it all is. The character models express such emotion as jubilation, fear and anger. This combined with brilliant voice acting bring an element of realism and believability to these character not seen in many games.
The camera angles, editing, directing and cinematic techniques used in this game further blur the lines between cinema and electronic entertainment.
The audio component in this game is top of the line. Award caliber voice acting combined with an atmospheric and enchanting soundtrack creates an audio master piece of cinematic proportions. Dramatic changes in tune at each of Hyllis locales assist in directing your perception and prepare you for what?s in store .
Overall Score: 9.6 / 10
Secret Weapons Over Normandy
It only makes sense, World War II replayed at home on the video game console. It provides today's savvy game players the perfect blend of violence, action and history. For you slackers who slept through history class in high school, these games allow you to learn about and to some degree experience the events of WWII, and Secret Weapons Over Normandy (SWON) is no exception.Medal of Honour meets X-Wing is the best way to sum up Secrets Weapons Over Normandy. LucusArts has delivered a fast-paced, entertaining arcade style air-borne fighter in this title.
Lets face it, there are a handful of WWII themed games already in stores with more on the way, not to mention all of the other military based games out there. So what makes SWON so different? Well, let me state the obvious, this game plays out in the air. Fans of WWII themed games will find this style of game to be a great compliment to the other ground based games out there. This war didn?t only play out on the ground. Together it allows you to experience all the elements of WWII.
This game is not a boring flight sim, it's fun right away. With its arcade style game play, you will be blowing up Nazis in no time. The on- screen controls are pretty straightforward after some instruction (except for the radar which takes a little getting used to) and maneuverability can be easily mastered after a period of disorientation.
Third person is the default perspective in SWON, but this can be changed to first-person if you wish. Third person gives you great visual range of your plane, which is very beneficial in case you are ever hit and are on fire. In real life you would never see this much of your plane, but this doesn?t really apply here considering this is an arcade style game. The problem with these types of games using these perspectives is that the plane feels motionless creating a feeling you are hanging from a string. Slowly your background becomes your foreground. Now I know this is not an easy problem to solve without having wind shoot out of the screen, but SWON really has a problem trying to replicate motion and speed.
This game shares many of the design and story telling elements of the Medal of Honour series. The menus almost look identical to that of a Medal of Honour game. SWON is not just a mindless shooting game, it attempts to build and develop a story throughout.
In SWON you assume the role of American pilot James Chase. German forces are invading Europe and you have joined Britain's Royal Air Force. Soon after you are assigned to the Blackhawks, an elite air fighting unit. The story unfolds through a combination of cut scenes, narration, journal entries and a creative presentation of historical photos.
As mentioned before the action is fast and furious. This game moves along at a break-neck speed. Missions include escorting ground units, protecting Allie communication posts, destroying Axis installations, bombing bridges, even manning ground gunners to shoot down enemy planes above.
After successfully completing your missions as well as any secondary missions you are rewarded with upgrade points which can be used to power-up your planes. After enough upgrade points, your plane basically becomes a flying tank and nothing can shoot you down.
This leads me into a discussion about some of the major disappointments of SWON. Without very little instruction you can easily complete many of the missions, easy being the operative word here. This game lacks challenge. After becoming comfortable with the controls and enough upgrade points you become unstoppable. If you ever do find yourself in trouble there is always an airstrip nearby ready to make repairs. Confrontation is good, we need to be challenged, plus it would also add longevity to the game.
Another beef I have with this game is online play. Even though it says Xbox live on the box, online playability is non-existent. Xbox Live owners can download content, but that?s it.
There is an offline multiplayer split-screen option that lets players, along with computer-controlled wingmen, fight each other over the game's different environments.
This game is about the planes and lots of them. SWON has a great selection of planes from the era. Military and history buffs I am sure will appreciate the variety. The best part is that each of the planes has unique characteristics. The bomber is slow moving and hard to maneuver where as some of the small planes are a lot more agile.
The planes and environments all look good, but nothing really standouts. Many of the buildings and elements on the ground could use a little more detail, but seeing a swarm of dog fights in the distance and then flying right into it is pretty cool. Secret Weapons Over Normandy looks very good, but just not the best. Standard fare more or less.
The audio in SWON is very strong, by far the best aspect of this game. In the cockpit you constantly hear instructions from your wingmen and allies, some applicable to the missions at hand, some not. Most of the time you won?t pay attention to what is being said, but it adds an element of realism that works really well in this game. At times you can even hear transmissions from your enemy?s in their appropriate accents of course. Not only is the voice work fantastic and entertaining but the sound effects are great as well. The music creates an atmosphere similar to that found in the movies and Medal of Honor games.
Overall Score: 7.4 / 10
True Crime: Streets Of L.A.
True Crimes: Streets of L.A. was a highly anticipated game due to the fact Grand Theft Auto (GTA) was nowhere on the radar screen for some time and fans everywhere were looking for there fill of GTA style gameplay for the Xbox, some even considered this a GTA killer? Did it live up to all the hype? Not really. Don?t get me wrong, this is a fun, entertaining game, what more could you ask for, but the truth of the matter is that this game contains flaws that prevent it from being truly great. As you can already see I am jumping right into the GTA comparisons, but for good reason. Both are gritty, open-ended games where the story unfolds on the streets, running, fighting, driving and shooting. Both games are similar, anyone who says otherwise has to have their head checked or is just trying to justify the purchase of one over the other.
I promise to keep the comparisons to a minimum; because this game offers enough unique experiences and has enough going for it that it doesn?t deserve to live in the shadow of GTA. I honestly believe both games can live harmoniously in the same video game collection, and that fans of GTA would benefit the most from True Crimes.
With True Crimes you can definitely expect an L.A. experience; a hard-core West Coast rap soundtrack, all the locales, crime and enough mature content to make even Andrew Dice Clay blush. The game play is deep, but in the end the game seemed rushed and lacked the polish it so dearly deserved.
By far the best element of this game is the massive L.A. environment. From Hollywood to Venice, it?s all here, landmarks and all. Jump on the highway and away you go. Watch as the neighborhoods change from ghettos to million dollar mansions. Even though some of the buildings look similar after awhile, especially in some neighborhoods, this game still has lots of detail. Hats off to the developers who took the time to re-create this city. If you?re planning a trip or moving to L.A., forget the Atlas, just play this game, you?ll soon learn your way.
As Nick Kang, a ?tough as nails? cop, recently suspended and just recruited into the Elite Operations Division, you battle gangs, complete missions and unravel the story of your missing father (also a cop). One of the most noticeable aspects of True Crimes is the developed storyline, but even though it is more developed and engrossing then say that of GTA?s it is not necessarily good or original. Frankly I think of a bad made-for-TV cop action flick when I play True Crimes. The characters are dull and not at all interesting. I cared very little about the main plot, and found more satisfaction running over innocent pedestrians rather then progressing the story.
Talking about running over pedestrians, driving along with running, shooting and fighting are the other elements of this game. As I mentioned before, the gameplay is deep; there is no doubt about that. This is a mission-based game where you have to get yourself from point A to point B with a few stops on the way. One way to get around is to take any car you wish, a hummer, a bus, it?s really up to you. Even though the driving physics are not the most realistic this is one of the most enjoyable parts of the game. You can drive over anything you wish and watch as the environment reacts around you. Shoot from your car and even catch some air (this game even tracks air time). On the negative side, the traffic is unrealistically non-existent and the controls are set up in such a way that I constantly found myself diving out of the car.
Once you?re on foot, stop a crook by flashing your badge, shoot in the air or chase him down and tackle him, then finally slap on the cuffs. If this doesn?t work, hell, just pull out your gat and cap his ass. Shooting is another fun element of the game, because you can basically shoot anything or anyone and the ammo is unlimited. You can also duck behind a car if engaged in a gun battle. I wasn?t impressed with the variety of weapons I encountered and less impressed with the accuracy. To counter the accuracy dilemma, this game offers a precision aiming feature. At the click of a button, you?re in a close-up fps type mode where you can aim for the knees or between the eyes. I often found this mode very frustrating, because once you are in precision aiming mode everything turns into slow motion including the speed at which you can move your crosshairs. Once you figure out where you?re aiming and move your cross hairs, the perp is gone or you?re being shot to death. Oh and of course there is the Matrix/Max Payne style slow motion feature available while diving and shooting which seems to be standard fare in most games likes this.
Fighting is another element of gameplay you can expect from True Crimes. Prior to playing this game I was looking forward to the martial arts style of fighting this game said it had to offer. Finally I thought, a more intelligent fighting system, more moves then the standard fare of basic kicks and punches. This is all true, but when it came down to actually playing the game, fighting turned into button mashing, with the odd block here and there. Dispense of your opponents with ease because the difficulty levels of the fighting challenges are very, very low. On top of all this, a poorly fixed camera during fighting doesn?t allow you to see opponents off the screen.
The main missions are interesting and some are truly unique. Where else can you kick the crap out of a stripper after she has given you a lap dance? There are stealth missions, hostage situations, and gun battles just to name a few. One feature of the game that is truly enjoyable is the number of random side mission you can choose to tackle on your way to the next main mission. Dispatch will notify you of the crime in progress taking place near by. These crimes might include domestic disputes, car jackings, and bank robberies. Breaking up a street brawl might lead to a chase down the street and then into a car chase because the perp might jump into a car if you?re not quick enough. At first they are fun and unique but can soon get repetitive.
This game is not GTA because you?re a cop, a good guy; that is if you want to be a good cop? True Crimes tracks your actions via a good/bad cop meter on the screen, which can ultimately lead to a different ending in the story based on its position. Drive over a group of school children and that meter goes down into bad cop territory or choose to shoot a perp. in the leg rather the head and the meter goes up into good cop territory. This is a great feature and adds to the challenge of the game. It also allows you to develop your character and create a different game every time you play. If you get too out of control, watch out, or you?ll have the SWAT team all over your ass. But be warned, achieving good cop status is not as easy as it sounds. While chasing down a crook on wheels, mowing down pedestrians unintentionally is a given and doesn?t help the good cop score.
In True Crimes the story doesn?t end if you fail a mission, it just heads down a different path. How many times have you become bored with a game simply because you have had to play the same mission over and over to move on? Well this game set out to solve all of that. This was one of the most anticipated features of the game and one of the biggest disappointments. If you fail a mission you are given the option to continue with the story or you can choose to replay the same mission, which really defeats the purpose. The biggest problem is the option to continue, because how many people are going to admit to defeat and choose the path of the loser when they can just do the level over? The player should be forced down a certain path as a repercussion of failure.
As you have already read, there is lots to do and lots to see, plus there?s more. Stations throughout the city allow you to upgrade and unlock new skills. There?s the ability to save your favorite vehicles and an auto-save feature at your convenience.
The graphics are good, but not impressive. The character models are decent, but movement is choppy. You are given more freedom with the camera compared to GTA, but during some scenarios the camera is fixed disabling your perspective. The graphics are what you would expect out of a multi-platform game, Playstation 2 graphics at best. True Crime models 240 square miles of LA with a pretty high level of detail and the environments react with every crash and explosion. I did find a lot of vehicle and street character replication. I couldn?t even keep track of the same blonde in a black dress suit that keep appearing. The cut scenes are standard and the lip-syncing during them is absolutely a pain to watch.
The sounds effects were generally well done and the soundtrack couldn?t have been a better fit. If you?re not a fan of the L.A. rap scene then you?re out of luck, because this game has a whole lot of it (50 tracks in all), with your custom soundtrack thrown in as a nice bonus.
The sounds effects while running were by far the worst. The whole game it sounds like you?re character is running through snow. The vehicle sounds effect weren?t any better.
The voice acting was great, but I wouldn?t expect anything less with a list of celebs providing their vocals including Christopher Walken, serving as a narrator.
If you like cheesy, unintelligent humour, then this is the perfect game for you. The developers have found the perfect formula to kill the mood of this game. For example, during an intense gun fight against a Russian gang, Nick, the main character, will spit out some of the worst one-liners to ever come out of a video game console.
Suggestions: The graphics need work and the fighting system needs an overhaul and don't forget to make the challengers a little tougher to beat. Also curb the cheesy one-liners. Some camera angles need work and improve the speed of the game during precision aiming mode.
Overall Score: 7.8 / 10
Syberia
In a gaming world flooded by button mashers, f.p.s.?s, bigger, louder and faster, Syberia offers something a little bit different. Syberia offers its own spin on the classic point-and-click adventure game genre that was popularized in the 80?s and early 90?s. If you have never heard of this title, it is actually a conversion of one of 2002?s best PC adventure games and is a product of Benoit Sokal, a renowned French comic artistIn Syberia you assume the role of Kate Walker, a young, ambitious New York lawyer on assignment to close what appears to be the simple sale of a French mechanical toy factory that manufactures gear-wounded gizmos. To put it simply, this is a story about a real estate deal gone wrong. Complications arise and the plot beginnings to thicken as Kate is sent on a life-altering goose chase through Europe and Eastern Russia to find a mysterious inventor, Hans Voralberg, the man to seal the deal.
Syberia offers a truly unique gaming experience. The storyline is intriguing and the characters are memorable. This is also a story about self-discovery as you explore the life of Kate Walker. The combination of an enchanting soundtrack and rich and artistic visuals, create a game world like no other, filled with mechanical wonders, mystery and intrigue.
Not to say that this title and this genre do not have any faults. At times Syberia can be a slow plodding experience. Scenes that at first sight were breath-taking become forgettable and repetitive as you run, run and run through the same scenes looking for clues or nearly invisible exits. Controls are simple, puzzles are novice, gameplay in linear and not very hands-on and the main objective is pretty straightforward.
This game will appeal to gamers looking for a laid-back experience, but would be suggested for anyone looking for a good story or variety in their video gaming life. This is a budget title, so the price could'nt be better. Go ahead; give your Xbox a taste of something a little different
Discover your short-term goal, find a puzzle, solve the puzzle, and move on to the next chapter. This is Syberia, actually this is an extreme oversimplification, but the controls are pretty straightforward and the game manual is thin. You enter the game with nothing, but soon after, the story starts to unfold. Your goals become clear while at the same time learning little by little something new about each of the main characters. Gameplay is very linear. Even though it attempts to hide this fact, the reality is that you finish this thing puzzle by puzzle. The challenges and puzzles are fun, but not very challenging. You can expect to hunt for keys, find missing objects or figure out how to operate a variety of mechanical gadgets.
You progress through 5 major locales utilizing a point-and-click interface. Basic character movement is controlled with the left thumb stick, which at times is a bit awkward to control getting stuck in corners now and again. X is used to run which you never take your thumb off in this game. Items of interest or certain areas of interest become highlighted which then take advantage of the A button, used to interact or select items, often requiring you to press the same button a couple of times for it to work which becomes annoying fast. I never really understood why the developers allowed us to freely run the character through the streets, but make it mandatory to select the stairs and press the A button to go up/down them, even though there is no where else to go. Kate, the main character also has an inventory of items and documents at her disposal using Y.
This game ultimately requires persistence and patience. No brain busting puzzles here. Just make sure not to skip over key pieces of dialogue or clues or else you will find yourself running in circles. This game offers zero replay value, it is quite linear and has one fixed ending. It does offer some extras though. On the disc you can find a 'making of' and also a bio on Benoit Sokal, which is an added bonus considering I had no idea who he was before I played this game.
The stunning visuals are one of the most notable characteristics of this game, eye candy one could say. The 3D models are very well modeled and shaded and the backgrounds are like gorgeous paintings. Old French villages, surreal environments, intricate mechanical masterpieces all fill the screen.
The problem with the backgrounds is that they are more like Non-interactive 2D backdrops. Any realism is limited to certain spots of animation such as a refracting river, a spinning gear or a few flying birds, the rest it motionless. At times it feels like your running through a painting.
Syberia was originally designed for PC monitors therefore many of the game's wide-angles are filled with fine detail and text that is very difficult to make out and some characters just blend into the background. Some passages from one screen to another are not clearly identifiable and some are just !&%$@#* well invisible.
The audio is generally well done. The background music is appropriate and the ambient environmental noises assist in developing a realistic atmosphere. The biggest downfall with regards to the audio element of this game is the voice acting. All the dialogue is delivered via audio rather then text, but subtitles are an option. In a nut shell the voice acting is not believable and the accents are very bad. The initial setting is France, which you would never guess by listening to some of the locals. Kate also receives random cell phone calls throughout the game. These conversations are quite awkward, some times meaningless and definitely not believable.
Overall Score: 7.8 / 10
Pirates of the Caribbean
Have you even wondered what it was like to be a Pirate in the 17th Century? Have you ever thought about getting into the Pirating business? Well you?re in luck because Pirates of the Caribbean produces a realistic gaming experience of life on the high seas. Now before we go any further into the details of this game let me get a few things out of the way that really surprised me about this game.Number one, this game is not based on the movie at all! No Johnny Depp, no Orlando Bloom, nothing, which really doesn?t matter to me anyway because I was just looking for a good pirate game, and movie based games usually suck anyway. This game has nothing to do with the movie because it appears to be a last minute movie license deal rushed to the marketplace to coincide with the release of the movie. This game was originally supposed to be called Sea Dogs II, a sequel to the developer?s (Akella) Sea Dogs for the PC, but with a major movie coming out, slap a new label on this baby and in an instant you have a highly marketable game.
Number two, the thing that surprised me the most about this game, which I wasn?t expecting at all were the number of technical glitches and spelling mistakes, which goes back to the feeling like this game was rushed. Constant freezes, skips, sputters and even crashes between loading scenes all on an Xbox where other games work fine. I had better luck on a second Xbox where I experienced only the constant two-second stutters and skips, but no crashes. As you can see, while playing this game I experienced a roller coaster of emotions, which ranged from sheer enjoyment to annoyance even utter frustration.
Honestly, I could have fallen in love with this game, but the technical bugs wouldn?t allow me to do so. Aside from a few surprises this game still has a lot to offer. Like I said at the beginning, what this game does best is provide a realistic look into the life of a pirate. This game is not Pirates: Legend of Black Kat, an earlier Xbox pirate game, which was more of a fantasy adventure game with a very linear storyline and set goals. Sure it has a few similarities, all your typical Pirate fare such as hidden treasure, tall ships, sword fighting, but Pirates of the Caribbean takes a more realistic approach as you learn the business of being a pirate as you slowly build your empire. Some of the business activities you partake in include shipping, buying and trading goods; financing your affairs courtesy of the local loan shark; hostile takeovers of enemy ships; paying salaries and motivating employees. You even have to assemble a team of right hand men and officers to join your staff.
In Pirates of the Caribbean you assume the role of Nathaniel Hawk, a 17th century captain of a modest ship and small crew trying to make a living sailing the waters of the Caribbean, which are ruled by a number of European nations including the English, French, Dutch and Spanish, oh, and of course groups of Pirates. Immediately upon placing this game into your Xbox you are thrown right into the action with very little background and absolutely no idea of what to expect which is the first indication that this game features very open-ended gameplay. Luckily you have a crew mate to guide you through your first few steps and transactions as well as getting up to speed on how to wield your sword and operate your pistol, but soon after that you?re on your own. Initially there is no indication of any plot or major storyline, but soon after leaving your first island the French make a hostile bid for this English controlled colony and thus the story begins and the plot begins to thicken with some interesting twists and turns along the way.
This is a deep game that offers some excellent replay value, but comes with a steep learning curve with very little help from the manual or in game tutorials, especially when it comes to understanding the many meters and interfaces you deal with. It?s like being pushed into a pool without any instructions on how to swim so obviously you?re going to sink, but eventually you?ll learn. This game is not really rental material unless you were thinking about buying it and wanted to take it for a test drive first. Behind all the technical glitches is a good game, with great graphics but as far as RPG?s are concerned, this game is ok, nothing exceptional, the true value of this will game will be derived by true fans of the Pirate genre.
This is a big game with a main mission to complete, but this game offers so much more. You are given the freedom to explore and take on side missions unrelated to the main plot, which you can pick up at various locations such as taverns. You will find yourself traveling from island to island to complete your tasks and amass wealth all in a real time environment. Days turn into nights, your crew will demand wages and loan sharks will eventually need their money back or else.
One of the biggest aspects about this game is the ability to build and grow your character. You?re not given much information about your character in the beginning, because you get to choose what type of person you want to be. Do you want to be a savior or maybe a scourge? Based on your performance throughout the game and the risks that you take, your reputation will develop and you will be awarded skill points which you can allocate to your characters various skills such as sailing, combat, commerce and leadership just to name a few. Each attribute will assist you throughout the game, for example a high leadership skill will allow you to persuade people with ease.
Life on land is composed of running around islands through various towns, outskirts, jungles and beaches collecting information, trading goods, picking up missions and much more. The towns are key to gameplay development. Here you will find merchants, shipyards, and taverns with various people traveling about. Running around requires a lot of patience, especially if you plan to explore, luckily the developers have built in a feature that allows you to jump to key locations in an instant, no walking required. Even though open-ended free roaming gameplay is a big feature of this game I found myself restricted to many narrow beaten paths in areas outside of the towns. While on land you have the option of a first person perspective or third person, but rarely did I find myself using the first person view and third person comes with odd maneuverability of your character.
Dialog is a big part of this game as you will need to extract information from various individuals, so be prepared to deal with a lot of text screens. Depending on which way you direct the conversation, you direct your destiny. I did feel like I was wasting time talking to some characters that didn't have anything interesting to say and found there was a lot of repetition. Another thing you should be prepared for is a number of interface screens such as your commerce interface, inventory interface etc. They provide the foundation of this game and allow you to conduct your daily business.
The game utilizes a basic block-and-slash-style of sword combat which is easy to learn but not very exciting to play. Special attack abilities can be earned as you progress in the game to add some variety, but the battles never become too involved. Along with a basic sword you also begin with a basic two shot pistol, but you can upgrade if you have the cash. Be prepared to die and die often in the beginning, so make sure you save a lot. It only takes a few hacks from your enemy to send you six feet under. You will run into situations where you become swarmed by a group of thieves or Pirates who can finish you off in a matter seconds. The further you progress in the game the better you become all of which adds to the realism of this game. Instead of charging into a group of people and hacking away you might think twice about it.
Aside from the land, you will spend much of your pirate life at sea which will require you to command a ship, a necessity to get from island to island and to transport your goods and complete your missions. Gameplay at sea is restricted to your ship. You start by sailing around the Islands in a bird?s eye view of the sea crossing paths with other ships and out running storms. You have the option at anytime to go into a close-up ship mode to do battle or to see the surrounding environment. You start with a basic ship which you can upgrade by purchasing a better one or stealing someone else?s. Sea battles are a big part of this game where the objective is to sink your enemy using a variety of weapons even in an optional first person view or you might want to board an approaching ship to steal their loot. If you are successful you get all the goods and the boat, possibly earning skills points if you decide to raid larger ships then your own, a great incentive to risk it and challenge yourself. Hijacking ships I found to be one of the most enjoyable elements of the game and not an easy thing to do considering the controls for sailing are difficult and the ships movement is relatively slow, making it difficult to maneuver parallel to the ship you want to board. No ship tutorial is given in the game and the manual itself is not very helpful, so you're pretty much on your own.
Simply put the graphics are fantastic, especially at sea. The water effects are terrific and the environments look stunning especially the detail in the sky. As you run up and over hills the sun hits you in the face, creating some very realistic glare effects and at night the moon lights up the sky and glimmers off the waves producing your only sources of light during very some dark nights. Some great detail has also been given to the land environment as grass and plants move as you walk by. In this game you will experience a variety of weather conditions, both on land and at sea, all with great detail and realism. The storm conditions at sea are done exceptionally well as gigantic waves send your ship into disarray. Make it out alive and you can earn some very nice skills points. The character models are well done and realistic looking, but movement is somewhat choppy. Groups of opponents during combat often look fake as they move in sequence, like a bunch of backstreet boys and draw their swords at precisely the same moment. Other complaints included the slow frame rate which is very noticeable as you pan your surroundings.
The soundtrack is terrific and appropriate to the genre of game. The soundtrack is dynamic and will adjust depending on the situation you find yourself in. In areas of danger you can expect a faster tempo pulse pounding track, where as in the towns or other safe areas you can expect something mellow and friendly. The sound effects themselves could use some improvement because nothing really stood out, just your typical fare of sword clashing and bits and pieces of dialogue like your odd ?welcome? or ?get out of here?, nothing extensive. In Pirates: Legend of Black Kat you could hear every creak and twist of your wood ship, but nothing to that effect in this game.
Suggestions: Realism is good, but it is important to find the fine line between being realistic and being boring. For example, a big ship in the game is slow and unmanageable, just like the real thing I am sure, but not much fun to control. The last thing a professionally developed game should have is spelling mistakes. Add more variety in the dialog. How about adding in some audio dialogue as well. I think the many accents that could be explored in this game would add an element of authenticity to it. Finally, please make sure the next version is 100% bug free with smoother loading and an increased frame rate. It looks like a Pirates of the Caribbean movie sequel is in the works, so I am sure a game will follow.
Overall Score: 7.0 / 10
Enter the Matrix
Enter the Matrix, indeed. This game manages to take you down the rabbit hole and then some. To be quite frank, this is an unbelievably good game and I will explain why in a second, but first let?s get one thing straight, this game is for true Matrix fans only. I have to admit that there are third person action games out there with better graphics and better controls, but one thing is for sure, those games don?t have the ability to immerse you in a Hollywood phenomena. From the get-go, this game was built with the fans in mind. It comes with all the teeth punching, gravity deifying moves that has made the Matrix legendary. This is great and all, but the real reason I consider this to be an amazing game is due to the fact that the game makers had a vision to make this more then a rehash of the movie, rather, they created something truly unique, a side story related to the movies, but not shown in the movies. It?s not mandatory, but this game does require you to view the Matrix Reloaded to get a better idea of who the characters are what the story is about. In Enter the Matrix, you assume the role of either Niobe or Ghost, secondary characters in the Matrix Reloaded (especially Ghost) to complete a variety of missions. With movie based video games having a notorious reputation of being pathetically bad, this game was necessary in order to flip kick this genre in the ass. Enter the Matrix, without a doubt has raised the bar on the movie based video game genre.This game offers a variety of gameplay including first person sniper shoot-outs, car chases and 3D Kung fu fighting. As expected all the Matrix special moves are present in this game, everything from wall flips, cartwheels even wall running. Special moves can be executed in slow motion or bullet time with ease using your ?focus? button, but overall, the controls in this game take a little getting used to and are one of the weakest aspects of this game. This is the first game I have played where the default fire button is set to the black button. Luckily you have the option to adjust controls. This game offers an equal amount of gunplay and hand-to-hand combat. At your disposal is a lovely arsenal of weapons, explosives and killer kung fu moves. What really sets this game apart is the fact that this game offers tons of original movie footage from a different point of view that ties in seamlessly in to the Matrix Reloaded plot. Also included is the chance to play in some of the movies most thrilling scenes and environments as well as a load on new ones. A must for any Matrix fan.
This is a multi-platform game, so don?t expect any Xbox exclusive graphics. Don?t get me wrong, the graphics in this game are good, in some instances they are amazing including the look of the marble in the mountain mansion, but truly, this game does not offer Xbox capable graphics. What you can expect are PS2 level graphics including flat environments, boxy objects and weak lighting effects. I also found this game having difficulty keeping pace loading background environment details. What did impress me are the great cut scenes and fluid character actions during gameplay and fighting sequences. Some of the camera angles are unique and in some instances the game will take over during a fight sequence to execute an amazing finale. What causes a problem are the combination of these unique camera angles and odd controls to sometimes make you lose your view and perspective of what?s around you. Even though the graphics in this game are not perfect, it has so much more to offer.
Just what you would expect from a Matrix product, booming instrumental scores blended to perfection with adrenalin pumping electronic tracks. The sound effects are excellent including the gun and fight effects. What I did tire of though were the driving sound effects, which did get repetitive and sometimes during gameplay your character will say something, a hint what to do, but at times it is difficult to make out what was said. Other then that, the sound in this game is excellent.
Suggestions: Add a multiplayer feature and the ability to play as some of the more popular characters?oh wait?nevermind! Ignore that last part. The hacking option is truly a unique and amazing way to add additional interactivity into the game as well discover bonus content.
Overall Score: 10.0 / 10
MVP Baseball 2003
I am sure some of you remember EA?s Triple Play baseball series, a series criticized for lacking in various aspects of gameplay when compared with the competition. So what do you do with a fleeting baseball title? Reinvent yourself with a new name, new features and improved gameplay. Enter MVP Baseball 2003, EA?s rookie title in its re-entry into this genre. Developed by EA Canada, MVP Baseball features a new pitching and batting interface, a window-in-window "base cam" on all of the base runners, and a new spin on the often-paltry homerun derby. Game play modes include regular, franchise, season, tournament, and "Home Run Showdown". The Homerun Showdown, as it is called in this game, is a fun and unique take on the classic "Home Run Derby" as you square off against an opponent to achieve a specific total hitting distance. Each of your hits is added to a running total, fouls are subtracted with Home runs adding a 100-foot bonus, and strikes a 100-foot penalty. This game also has some excellent tutorials, which can easily replace the game manual. For a realistic, fun baseball experience, this is your game. It has all the players, all the numbers and many unique new features that will keep you busy for a few months. The best part of this game is that many, if not all, aspects of gameplay require a degree of skill with repercussion is you fail to execute. This would be a confident buy for any series baseball gamer because the improved pitching system, franchise mode and homerun showdown offer some excellent replay value.My biggest beef with baseball video games in the past has been how fast they lose their appeal after 9 innings. Batting was the only thing I looked forward to after rushing through pitching. MVP Baseball 2003 tries to resolve this with an improved and unique batter, picture interface, the best feature of this game. It features a visible strike zone with cold, hot and neutral squares highlighted within it. A hot (red) square indicates an area where the batter is likely to get a hit and a cold (blue) square indicates where the batter is less likely to get a hit. The challenge for the pitcher is to deliver a pitch in a cold or neutral area within the strike zone; you can also pitch outside the strike zone, which will trigger your controller to rumble. The hot and cold zones is the first feature to spice up pitching, the other is the actual delivery of the pitch. Pitching is achieved with the assistance of an on screen pitching meter system. With the push of a button you activate the meter, which will require you to release the button and push it again in a couple of designated areas on the meter to establish the degree of effectiveness and accuracy of the pitch. If you screw up, the batter gets a preview of where the pitch will end up. This game is very hands on, not only in pitching, but also in many aspects of the game. Base throwing also uses a meter, which determines the strength of the throw, but too much power can result in an error. Situational hitting is very possible is this game, be it a grounder or fly ball, the batter has total control. This game also features picture-in-picture base running, so you can keep an eye on all your runners or opposing teams runners. Running the bases does take a bit of practice to master, because without it your players will end up running for home well after the catcher has the ball. This game has more control, more fun factors and fast paced gameplay, more then what I can say for a real baseball game.
The graphics are more or less what I expected from an EA game, just a PS2 port not using the capabilities of the Xbox. Stadiums could use a little work especially in the stands where the spectators resemble cardboard cutouts, with zero definition and detail. Player head scans are recognizable, but have a crazed, glazed look that at times is pretty freaky looking; let?s just say they are not perfect. On the plus side player movements are pretty fluid and uniforms ac !&%$@#* ulate dirt and grass stains, which indicates at least some attention to detail. The alternate views are great especially when pitching because it is nice to see the action from the mound. Overall the graphics are fairly well done, but improvements in the environments, shadowing detail and crowds wouldn?t hurt.
San Francisco Giants announcers Duane Kuiper and Mike Krukow provide the play-by-play and color commentary for this game. Along with their regular commentary they throw in a few interesting facts here and there. As expected the EA trax sound track is in play, which is a familiar feature across many of EA Sports recent titles. The ballpark atmosphere is identical to what you would hear while attending an actual game. The sound effects in MVP Baseball 2003 really bring you into the game, from the crack of the bat to the roar of the crowd, the sound effects are excellent. You can hear chants for the home team and at times the crowd will yell specific players names; ?Go Barry Go!?
Suggestions: Graphics of course could use a little more attention
Overall Score: 9.0 / 10
Reign of Fire
Many of you are asking yourselves, is this just another movie to video game failure? The answer sadly enough is yes. Movies are notoriously bad for failing to port successfully to video games, and this one is no exception. It?s not that this game is horrible, but after a couple of hours into the game the fun factor vanished almost immediately.Initial I thought this game had a formula for success. As part of a group of human resistance fighters, you battle fire-breathing, high-flying dragons, bent on eliminating the human race. At your disposal is combination of heavy artillery and machinery including gun turrets, rockets, heat seeking missiles, jeeps, tanks, ATVs, even fire trucks. At a later stage in the game you can even assume the role of a dragon and set out to barbeque as many people as possible. Even though this game looks great on paper it falls short in many areas of actual gameplay, graphics and sound.
If you have never seen the movie, this game does a good job of familiarizing you with the storyline and characters. As Quinn, the leader of a small encampment, you join the leader of the Kentucky Irregulars named Van Zan who has come to bring hope to humanity and take on the dragons.
At best this game is a rental, unless you are a hard-core Reign of Fire movie fan (I?m not sure if there are many of these), because this game features some extras such as a movie trailer, concept art and a music video. For the rest of you this is just another single player (no multiplayer features), linear mission based game with frustrating controls, dreary graphics and gameplay with very little replay value.
With nine driving human levels and nine different flying dragon levels, Reign of Fire is a relatively large game, and unique in the fact that you get to play the role of the good and the bad guy. You start the game with some basic training and move right into the fast paced mission levels including escort, search and rescue, protect and black hawk down type missions just to name a few. This game offers some challenging gameplay, but lacks an in game save feature, so you end up doing levels over and over from the beginning, killing any enjoyment this game has to offer and players will find their main concern is getting to grips with the controls.
The basic control system is such that, where you aim your weapon is where the vehicle will go. Gamers will find it frustrating watching their vehicle struggle to make it halfway up some of the many hills in the game, but thankfully targeting enemies and firing your weapons is simple. The dragon flying system is a bit better and a little more enjoyable, but you find yourself awkwardly struggling to make sharp turns while getting blasted from below.
Adding to the frustration of the game is a poor navigation/radar system, because in many points of the game you end up in the middle of nowhere with no idea where to go and often end up where you started. After the first few levels the game?s missions feel repetitive, offering nothing else despite the fact that you can control different vehicles, but I have to admit the tank was pretty cool.
This aspect of the game produced some mixed opinions. On one had you have some great looking fire-breathing dragons swarming up above in an ash polluted darkened sky. They are well modeled and textured, with much attention paid to the fire and smoke effects. The cinematic cut scenes are fantastic, because many of them are pulled from the actual movie.
This game also offers multiple camera views so you can choose to immerse yourself in the action or assume a bird?s eye view. On the other hand there is a dilemma here because the close up view offers the greatest detail and action, but nearly impossible to play in because you find yourself with a restricted view, spinning around, looking above for approaching dragons.
I understand that the game takes place in a charred, post-apocalyptic world, but the result of this is a lot of bland, repeating patterns in the gameplay environment with poor shadowing. The environments show essentially large polygonal stretches of land, with few details to cover them.
If you like simple sound effects and the rat-a-tat-tat of machine guns, then this game is for you. The missile and explosion sound effects were not as good as I would have liked and overall nothing about sound in this game really blew me away. Music on the other hand is great and assists in creating some excitement in the game.
Suggestions: If there ever is a sequel, seriously consider improving the graphics and getting a little more creative with the gameplay environments and missions. A much needed improvement in controls and navigation would also help as well.
Overall Score: 6.0 / 10
Pirates: Legend of Black Kat
I know what you?re thinking; you?re thinking I?m going to be using those clich? pirate terms like swashbuckling, walk the plank, shiver me timbers, arrrgh and maybe even yarrrgh, well guess what? Your right, but I refuse to use poop deck. All of these terms help me to describe Pirates: Legends of Black Kat because it contains all the elements of pirate lore you would expect out of a pirate themed game.As sexy pirate Katarina de Leon (a.k.a. Kat) you set out to avenge her father?s death, thanks to the scourge Captain Hawke, and to discover her mother?s hidden fortune, also completing other quests along the way. You must find the chartstones to point the way, but only after setting sail for the high seas, exploring mysterious islands, unlocking treasure chests and fighting a variety of beasts and boss monsters.
Peg-legged pirates, squawking parrots, voodoo headhunters, buried treasure, ship battles, compelling storylines and a riveting musical score; this game does a really good job of capturing the essence of a true pirate fantasy. Does Pirates: The Legend of Black Kat deserve to walk the plank? Not at all. Don?t get me wrong; this game is not perfect, but what it offers is truly a fun, at times, addictive gaming experience. For me this was a rental, even a re-rental, but for any true pirate adventure lovers out there, you might consider adding this to your collection. I played this game from start to finish and I have to say it has one of the best finales I have ever seen in a video game with a surprising little twist at the end.
This game features 2 very different gameplay modes. The first is sea mode where you control Kat?s ship to sail back and forth among the 26 Islands. You start with a basic 4 cannon pirate ship but once you advance in the game and collect enough treasure you can upgrade. The ship also has ramming attack capabilities and features power ups when found, such as the Neptune lighting attack. The ship is fast and turns on a dime, which is not that realistic, but who wants to control a slow moving vessel.
The second mode is land mode and occurs when you dock the ship at an Island port. In this mode you are basically sent on a series of hunting quests and involves long stretches of running around and searching which is really not that hard considering you just follow the beaten path. The odd time you venture off the path to find buried treasure which is nearby when the controller starts to vibrate more and more.
To sum it up you find an item, return to a specific area, go to next area, fight monster boss, move on to next world etc. This aspect is one of the fundamental flaws of Pirates; a lot of running around with not a lot of variety in land mode gameplay. The game is not that difficult because it is primarily a hack and slash, but there are a variety of mental puzzles to be solved especially trying to figure out boss monsters? weaknesses and it does feature several difficulty levels to choose from.
Both in sea mode and land mode Kat has an arsenal of weapons at her disposal such as smoke bombs, throwing daggers and poison darts. A unique feature about this game is that Kat can pick up a variety of spells along her journey, some of which are crucial to completing the game. The only problem I encountered with so many weapons in inventory is cycling through them all especially when caught up in a battle.
What I especially liked about Pirates is that most of the games objectives are revealed near the beginning of the game so you never really know which ones you are going to complete first, which adds a nice element of surprise to the game. Another feature to mention is multiplayer ship battle mode but it is nothing to brag about.
The crystal clear waters in sea mode make you feel like you?re in paradise. You can see sunken ships, schools of fish and the occasional whale underwater. The entire environment in sea mode looks fantastic especially the blue skies, sandy beaches and sunsets. Sea mode also has a rotating camera feature, which will take some getting used to. This allows you to do a complete 360 around the ship with the ability to zoom out and zoom right in to see everyone on deck. In land mode this is a different story because the graphics are pretty average and not very detailed. The environment close to Kat looks pretty good but looses detail the further out. Kat is one fine looking pirate and has one heck of a pirate?s booty, she gives Lara Croft a run for her money, but overall the character models are pretty average with fluid motions.
What an excellent musical score. The music in Pirates adds so much to capture the whole swashbuckling theme and feel, everything you would expect from a pirate movie. Based on the situation the music will build the momentum or capture the moment perfectly, everything from an approaching enemy ship to defeating a boss monster. The sound effects are equally as good such as the boom of the cannons, clashing of swords, screaming banshees to the groaning and creaking ship boards as it sways back and forth at sea. Let?s not forget this game features 5.1 Surround Sound.
Suggestions: Mix it up a bit. Running along a beaten path can get tiresome after awhile. How about exploring hidden caverns and dark caves. A swim feature would be nice, to explore sunken vessels, search for underwater treasure and maybe battle a giant squid. I look forward to the next installment of Pirates if thar be one?arrrgh! Sorry, that one slipped out.
Overall Score: 9.0 / 10
Star Wars Jedi Knight 2: Jedi Outcast
In a galaxy far, far away, eight years after Return of the Jedi, you assume the role of former Jedi Knight Kyle Katarn, a character with an impressive resume but a shaded past. He is a loner who was once a member of the Imperial Army (the bad guys) but left after he learned of their true intentions. In Jedi Outcast Kyle is working along side the New Republic (the good guys) on reconnaissance missions with his partner and pilot Jan Ors to battle the Imperial remnant (the bad guys who just won?t go away) and renegade Jedi, Desann. This game is very good at immersing you in the entire Star Wars experience including the classic sound track, environments, sound effects and characters such as old favourites Lando Calrissian and Luke Skywalker. The one thing that really stood out in my mind after playing this game is that this is not your typical mission based game, which you end up completing 2 days into the purchase or rental. This game offers something much more; longevity and challenge. You won?t be following any beaten paths from objective to objective. Instead this is a game where you are dropped in the middle of an expansive Star Wars universe with only your wits, and a keen sense of the surroundings to succeed. To put it bluntly, this game takes some brains. This is an aspect of the game I truly appreciate and one which adds an element of reality not seen in many mission-based games. Too many games of this genre hold your hand throughout the entire mission. In Jedi Outcast you find yourself in a variety of interesting situations including operating a remote controlled droid into dangerous territory, taking hostages and crashing through glass ceilings. To sum up this game, a compelling single player storyline, great multiplayer features that add replay value, mediocre graphics and good sound. A buy for any true Star Wars fan or a great rental if you?re up to the challenge.In Jedi Outcast you have to overcome obstacles and solve mind-boggling dilemmas in order to reach your mission goals. You must constantly be looking for clues and elements of the environment that arouse suspicion, things like switches, computer consoles, vents etc. At times you do get the feeling you are running in circles or you hit a dead-end, but whatever you do don?t give into the dark side of the strategy guide or Internet for the answer as it will greatly diminish the sense of accomplishment once you have figured it out. What you do have at your disposal is the ability to save your progress anywhere and anytime in the game, which comes in handy. Also at your disposal is a wide variety of weapons and explosives including the E-11 Blaster, Wookiee Bowcaster (Chewies favourite) and many more. What Jedi game is complete without of course the lightsaber, which is not available to you for the first few levels, but is definitely worth the wait and work to acquire it. The game playing view is unique in that it switches from a first-person shooter to a third-person view when you decide to use the lightsaber. The switch between views is a smooth transition, but when engaged in a lightsaber battle in the third person view it is sometimes easy to loose your opponent, but this could be overcome with practice. Kyle also has the power of the Force in his arsenal, which is also acquired after a few levels. This includes Force Speed, Choke, Lighting, Jedi Mind Trick, and many more. The button configuration is excellent with the feature to customize the black and white buttons for your favourite weapon, force or inventory item for easy execution. Cycling through items is done with the left thumb pad, which is easy to do, but time consuming when engaged in battle. This game also features various degrees of difficulty from Padawan to the locked level of Jedi Master. In Multiplayer mode, game options include a variety of free for all death matches, duels and teams based games such as capture the flag.
I have to admit this game did not immediately impress me when it came to visuals when I know the Xbox is capable of so much more. The cutscenes are very grainy looking and the characters in the scenes are not at all believable, but the environments look stunning. This is the complete opposite when it comes to the actual game. The character models look good and movement is quit realistic, enemies duck, dive and die in a variety of spins and falls, but I would suggest an improvement in the frame rate of the game. The environments on the other hand are flat and square looking, very panel-like, but at the same time the movies were similar. They did a good job of re-creating the cold look and feel of Imperial buildings with all the blinking buttons and old school computers you can handle. Detail in some environments could also be improved such as the city environments, which are very empty looking.
Phazers, tazers, lazers and the hum of lightsabers, you name it, this game has it. The sound effects are your typical Star Wars fare and very well done. This is not to mean that the sound in the game did not have any faults. Certain background sound effects retain their volume even if you move further away from the source of the sound, which is not very realistic and annoying at times. The sound track is excellent including all the classics from the movie such as the Star Wars theme song. The game can recognize certain situations and will adjust the music accordingly, for example if you find yourself in the middle of an ambush the music will pick up to build on the excitement of the situation. Voice is also very well executed in the game and crystal clear. Kyle can interact with certain characters in the game to produce dialogue some of which is alien gibberish (subtitles included).
Suggestions: On my quest to save the Universe, the idea of being killed by an elevator door does not really appeal to me. I think I would prefer a more noble death. When on elevators in first person perspective it is sometimes difficult to determine if you are centered on the elevator platform correctly, which you sometimes find out you are not when you are crushed and killed between the platform and door. I would expect maybe a decrease in health before being killed. I can?t tell you how many times I had to restart because of this. I would also suggest an improvement in graphics to match the Xbox?s capabilities and an improvement in the frame rate of the game. Xbox live support would also be a bonus in multiplayer mode.
Overall Score: 8.0 / 10
Legends of Wrestling 2
Legends of Wrestling 2 brings you back to the glory days of wrestling as you step up to some of the best in the business including new additions Andre the Giant, Rowdy Roddy Piper, Big John Studd and many more. This game is obviously geared towards the long time wrestling fan with a line-up of over 60 (20+ more then the original) legendary characters and bonus DVD content of the Legends themselves. For some this will be just another wrestling game, while for others it will serve as a trip down memory lane. Playing this game I had the feeling something just wasn?t right and I couldn?t put my finger on it until I finally figured it out after playing Legends of Wrestling 1. The original was more colourful and cartoonish, which made sense because at wrestling?s peak in the 80?s there was an exorbitant amount of paraphernalia including toys, sticker albums, and even a Saturday morning cartoon. The sequel takes a completely opposite approach. It appears the developers have tried to transplant these Legends into a more modern wrestling environment. This is evidenced by the edger graphic design, harder soundtrack, flashier entrances and busty referees all of which I would expect out of a RAW game. For some this might work, but personally I think it takes away from the whole nostalgia thing they have going on. With added features, improved gameplay, graphics and sound, I would rate this game a buy, especially if you remember a lot of the old school wrestlers. All and all a good fun game with some excellent replay value.Besides the graphics, gameplay is one of the most noticeable differences of this title over the original. With an improved button configuration, landing a Superfly Leap or Bundy Splash has never been easier. The controls are also more responsive resulting in faster gameplay. Starting off, the controls are a bit complex, but after a few matches you will master the basics. The main maneuvers are a body strike, attack move, grapple, and a block. Once established in a grapple your move options are increased as each of the main buttons and triggers will result in additional moves. Further moves are also based on where the action is situated and your opponent?s status. Combos and reversals are easier then ever since the moving meter system used to execute these moves has been updated and is easier to see. In addition to the basic versus and tag team modes, Legends of Wrestling 2 now features steel cage, ladder, battle royal and additional tag team matches. This game also features enhanced career and custom wrestler options. In career mode your Legend or custom wrestler travels through various geographical regions as you fight your way to the top and international glory. Each region has a unique storyline, which changes each time you play. Even though the storylines are not that compelling and the cinematic scenes are not the best, it?s a unique feature that enhances the longevity of the game. Win matches to earn coins, which allow you to purchase additional content such as locked Legends and managers. You can even gamble your coins to earn even more coins.
Gone are the shinny plastic looking Legends from the original, which have been replaced by bigger, better looking models. The new character models are much more realistic looking with improved shadowing, facial and muscle detail. The ringside crowd has also gotten a little more three-dimensional, while the fans in the stands are still very flat looking. When wrestling outside the ring near the barriers, the camera can actually get stuck behind certain parts of a very flat looking crowd for a brief period of time. The animation is a lot more fluid and not so jerky, a problem that plagued the original. Blood, blood and more of it. Crack someone in the nose and you?ll see the blood sputter to the canvas. A grueling match can result in a pretty red looking wrestling ring. As mentioned before ring entrances have become much more dramatic with the Legends showboating around providing their signature posses accompanied with fireworks and a lot more flash. Camera angles have also been improved which reduces the chance of getting lost off the screen, which was a problem in the original. With multiple wrestlers in the ring this can be a different story especially if you are wrestling at the back of the ring and the camera is trying to keep everyone in frame. In this situation it is sometimes hard to see what?s going on. The developers have thankfully kept the Matrix-like dramatic pauses during the match, which will occur if a wrestler has executed an outstanding move. The action is paused while the camera seamlessly does a 360 around the wrestlers.
Load up your custom sound track as you beat Andy Kaufman into a bloody pulp all in Dolby Digital if you have the capability. The included soundtrack has been changed drastically from the original. This title features a harder sounding soundtrack with songs from some established bands. Overall sound effects have been improved in this game, including wrestler sound effects that are a lot better then the same old grunts from the first. A garbage can on the head, sounds like a garbage can on the head. The crowd effects have also been improved resulting in a livelier crowd. Each wrestler in this game is accompanied by their signature theme music, even though they are not as authentic as I would like them to be they are still an improvement. Something noticeably missing from this game is the absence of the capability to add your own entrance music for your customized wrestler. With regards to this aspect of the game, the developers have taken a step backwards.
Suggestions: Bringing back the classic red, white and blue ring ropes would be a nice touch, and improvement on the controller vibration variation would help. A leap off the turnbuckle should produce a lot more rumble then a slap on the chest. Definitely missing some key players from the line up (which I would expect a few to make appearances in part 3). I?m talking Jesse ?The Body? Ventura, JYD, Hillbilly Jim, Jake ?The Snake?, Warrior, Macho Man and of course the lovely Elizabeth. I would even consider adding commentators into the mix. Who could forget Mean Gene Oakland? Additional authentic entrance music would be a bonus as well (i.e. Hogan?s ?I am a Real American?).
Overall Score: 8.0 / 10
