MEMBER PROFILE FOR HaZarD SFD
Average Overall Score Given: 7.96667 / 10
Total Forum Posts: 1395
Reviews
DiRT
Well up until this day I thought I would never play another off-road rally game in my life. Well that all changed after playing the demo for DiRT after downloading if off the marketplace. What killed me the most was the overall looks of this game and well its amazing. You will love the effect this game has on your ability to drive a car or truck in any other game out there. Nothing compares to DiRT as you think it should. Especially with the mix of tracks and roads you will be driving on as you make your way to the top and its a long ways up there. The more you progress through, the more points you get unlocking tracks above your racing tier.I was especially pleased at the opening video as it just screams get as close to the edge without falling off. Mind you in game that is more like don?t go near that edge or you will fall off. This title will definitely change your views on off-road racing as the look and style of game play is up to par if not more for current Off-Road Racers to date.
After you play the first 10 tracks you start to really get in tune with the controls and how the cars, trucks, and buggies feel on the different types of terrain. That all comes to an end though when they put you on 2-3 paved tracks at once and then toss you on a light dirt track. You thought you were in control but think again as each time the track terrain changes you have to change your driving skills.
I personally like the bumpercam view but in all honesty its a little low for this game. They do offer more than just that the view from the cockpits 2 camera angle is just amazing. As you go from race too race you start to make some big amounts of cash from $120,000 too $400,000+ which isn?t bad for beating the crap out of your car since you will need to fix it. Some of the races are just nasty with hairpin corners and jumps with a sharp bend 40 feet after. I had one jump I hit at full bore and well I missed the road and ended up flying off the cliff. Yes I did that one over a few times for the fun of it. Your navigator gives you specifics of what is coming up ?When? he is in your car. Sometimes you race alone and that is kinda nerving since you are used to directions being shouted at you.
Multiplayer was great besides the fact you race alone. It does offer an advantage over others as all the races and cars are different each time you race. Mind you sometimes its nice to pick and choose once in a while besides vote. Talking to people while they scream about falling off a cliff or slamming into the trees is the best relief during a really tight race.
But the detail they put into this whole package is probably the best part in my opinion. First off when you start the game you expect some cheezy arse standard rally type menu but when it kicks on your like "WoooooW". The windows are poping up and flying by and your selecting away like a kid in a candy store. I love it how when you start a game you get to see your stats all the time. My favorite is the longest time on 2 wheels. Yeah that one you want as high as possible. The cars visually are really well done up too especially the damage aspect. There are seven zones on each car that you can damage or make fall off. I mean I had one race where both doors were missing and well I think after I was hung up on that tree I knew they did kinda fall off. On thing that really peaked my interest was the start of the Ockfen Germany Race.
The camera swoops down in front of the car as im revving the engine and I see the mud protector for the intake opening and closing. The best is seeing your nice uber clean car at the start of the race get all nasty and dirty as you do lap after lap or fly through checkpoints. When watching the replay on some of the races you can even get a nice view of all the suspension and in slo-mo watch the spring compress and all the tie rods and sway bars compress. I purchased a car on one of the races and during the replay I noticed that with each rev of the rear mounted engine it would torque the exhaust system and the sparks would fly. In all honesty Codemasters really did a nice job visually for this title and I hope their next one is built off this game and they take it even further.
Now when you slam into a wall the crunch of the panels and the smashing of glass is music to my ears. Tearing down a gravel road and the rocks and dirt flying through the wheelwells and banging up on the rocker panels is quite nice and seeing as I have driven like that its quite realistic for sound. I really enjoyed how they added in the menus and loading areas some well done up music and with Travis Pastrana as your narrator you will quite enjoy the way the game is playing out and the end of each race. As you fly down some of the roads and hit jumps at a nice brisk pace you land and the sound of your suspension bottoming out and the frame just tearing along the road is bone jarring because you wonder if something broke. When you start driving off the road is when more of the sounds you thought you wouldn?t hear come into effect.
I passed over some rocks and you can hear them nailing some of the panels underneath and the grass whipping against the front bumper. I did notice that some of the engine noises are a bit repetitive and the exhaust sounds as well. Now each vehicle tearing down a gravel road or pavement is usually the same and you cant complain about that since the hills and rocks are inches from wrecking your race.
Suggestions: In all honesty there is not much to complain about this title other than they could of done a bit better on the feel of the vehicle as its a more arcade/sim style racer. The cars did feel a bit light on the track but overall they ran great. Multiplayer yes could of been better as you race by yourself with 100 others and its hard to get the voice going to talk to others.
Overall Score: 9.0 / 10
Rapala Tournament Fishing
Well I was a fan of fishing games since the Sega Dreamcast and the Rapala game for the original XboX. I initially couldnt wait for the release of Rapala Trophies. Unfortunetly they had some timely setbacks and this game was set back 15+ times since February 2006. Finally they released it on April 4th of 2007. I had to call around a bit to even find the game as most rental stores didnt even carry it, but I found it and was really excited to actually give this game a go. So after reading the manual and putting the game in I was set.Well I guess you could say I was kind of over excited to play this game since its been pushed back 15+ times. I was quite happy with the little mini games and trivia that you could play when you came up to loading screens which were fun to the fact that you forget the game is done loading. I was happy to the fact that you were able to choose the gear you were taking out onto the water. The rods and reel selection kind of gave you the hopes of snagging the big one! but when you take a 40lb test and large rod and reel out and catch a 1lb bass, it kind of ruins your excitement. I was happy to hop on a dock and be able to switch between fishing areas for a bit of variety and not be restricted to one area. The option to hop on a boat and upgrade your outboard was fun as well to the fact you can get around faster to find the BIG ONE! (that I could never find). Rapala really put alot of work into how their lures worked and the selection wasn't the greatest but having used the Rapala lures in real life they did what they were supposed to in game. Honestly though they could of added more.
Once you get out into the open with your rod in hand and find the location you hope to catch a nice largemouth, you notice the scenery is quite well done and the locations are almost like you were there. The water effects on and below are really good with the sun glare and waves along with when your watching your lure skim across the top or below the water. The fog effects really add to the excitement as you can see fish in the distance but untill your lure window starts glowing your really just in a waiting game.
As your sitting on the dock or floating on your boat the sound of the water slapping up against the hull of the boat or the shore behind the dock do you realize that there isnt much to be heard. There is however the sound of waterfoul in the distance and bugs buzzing around and the wind rustling the trees but other than that its really down to the music thats been included with the game or if you cant stand the slow fishing beat you can always turn on your own tracks you have stored on your box.
Suggestions: The fishing could have been a bit more challenging. The game case does make for a nice ventilation stand for when your xbox is on the carpet so it doesnt overheat from the lack of gameplay excitement. Seriously though some multiplayer should of been added. I would of liked to see some more lures as well since the selection was kinda on the light end.
Overall Score: 3.8 / 10
Xbox 360 Video Game System
Overall: Seriously the Home Depot Doesnt carry them it was a joke. I love this system and for a first gen with no issues I support it 100% with no negative comments about it. Except the power cord should of been cat proof.Overall Score: 10.0 / 10
Superman Returns
Well after playing the demo off Xbox Live marketplace I was surprised at how much I was wanting more. I just didnt feel like I got enough out of the superman demo as I should of. Some of the superman games in the past were not the best even if he did have super powers.I was really surprised at how easy it was to get used to and enjoy. Some or most of the games in the past didn?t deal too much with the movie except for having Lex Luthor as a boss, which this game does the same thing.
After seeing the commercials for the movie I was not expecting to much of a good game to come out after the movie if any at all. Most will think that the game ties in with the movie, well it doesn?t.
The game starts off letting you know that everyone on earth has gotten by without you around and can fight their own battles, for now! Superman spends 5 years traveling to
Krypton to see if it really existed and was still there. On his way back he ends up getting caught by Mongrul. While in his captivity you experience first hand how to get used to the controls.
When you first get a chance to control superman, you feel like you can do anything that he can do. You cant, well not yet anyways. As you go through the game flying at super speeds and cruising between buildings, you gain experience battling the hundreds of robots that relentlessly keep appearing for a quick experience jump. As you progress through the game you gain more powerful powers, but all of it is wasted on an enemy that isn?t even in the movie. When I heard this game could be repetitive I didn?t think this much. The robots appear almost in every chapter if you can call them that. All the chapters you move through are just sections of battling the same robots and the occasional boss and/or new enemy.
You do have some mini games you can play, like being Bizarro and destroying the city in the attempt to save it. His mini games do provide some stress relief to the constant robots attacking the city that you have to deal with. The other mystery character is Mxyztplk. He has taken some of your items and hid them around the city in an attempt for you to complete his trials to get them back, including the ?Find 200 furry kittens? mission. I found 3 and quit after that.
The city of metropolis and the world environment looks amazing and will never let you down. The buildings and islands look great from above and the sun flare effects are a treat as well. Up close some of the buildings start to loose their detail along with the water. When superman is called for a fire, the buildings you see are almost engulfed in flames and don?t look half bad. The Blurring effects do occur when you fly at high speeds and the matrix effect happens when you put some hurt on bosses, which help enhance the game.
Lex Luthor?s voice is none other than Kevin Spacey and sounds great along with some helpful tips from Jor-El?s voice too. The random civilian calling out to superman is nice to hear as well. The sound effects from battle and when flying around are probably the best part of the game but don?t make it the best superman game and tend to get repetitive after a while. When you are encountering those pesky robots or any other enemy, the sound all around you in battle is great. You can hear the destruction the enemy is causing in the near distance and the pleas for help from victimized civilians.
Suggestions: Some of the things we could of enjoyed was flying to outer space, going underwater, and most of all flying through buildings. I was really hoping for a more destructible and interactive environment, as there is not alot of objects to pick up off the buildings. The enemies that you constantly encounter are annoying and just bring no connection to the movie.
Overall Score: 8.0 / 10
Call of Duty 3
You start off looking into a dark rainy day. In the distance is a Post WWII German flag hanging lengthwise, and leisurely waving in the wind. Below is a Battalion of German soldiers marching forth. Meanwhile cut scenes are appearing and briefly telling you parts of what happened during June 4 1930 WWII. The CGI movies are very well made and provide you with the feeling of being there.The game starts you in a small base just outside St Lo, France. You walk towards a lone soldier and he guides you though some of the controls with a few comments and remarks. Walking around you get some control popups that will help you in further situations ahead. After a bet on how good you can shoot you are asked to jump in a Deuce and go into town, but before that you got to get a hold of a Thompson that is behind a barricade near a tent.
The Game menu is easy to navigate, and the control scheme is great. You wont find yourself hitting the wrong button and all of a sudden have a grenade at your feet and needing to run away hoping that you don?t get a piece of shrapnel in your backside. On the way into the city during the truck ride you are chased by a fellow soldier that is looking for a ride, as he is following you find out the trials and tribulations of war. After entering the city you are awarded with a wave of soldiers battling it out in a ruined graveyard, with bullets flying overhead and exploding grenades on the other side of the wall you are taking cover by. When you climb over the wall with the help of a fellow soldier you then notice the power of COD3 on the Xbox and thank yourself for also having a good stereo (In which I will touch on later). The amount of action you see starts the game off in a very heated battle and you then thank yourself for messing around at the base earlier to learn some of the controls. There are fellow soldiers perched behind tombstones returning fire while you are running from each small tomb and headstone to advance. The nice thing they added to COD3 is being able to pick up grenades and throw them back, just as you see a grenade land at your feet and a soldier beside it picks it up and throws it back and kills the attacking German. It makes all the more interesting game play when you pick one up and have a very short time to aim and throw it back, before you loose your arm and then some. The AI is more improved on keeping you from advancing to quick and will find a way to kill you if they cant get a bead on you with their weapons (Thankfully you can throw the grenades back). The skill levels are quite different as on easy you don?t take much damage and the enemy count is generally not that high but as you kick it up a bit, like on hardcore you do notice more soldiers shooting back and their aim is remarkably better. Another great addition is regenerating health, for when in those heated battles you take a barrage of bullets and almost die. You can take cover and replenish and proceed to return fire to advance. The variety of attacking you can do is great. In addition to just your basic hand weapons, their are antitank, sniping, and machinegun nests. There is also vehicles you will be driving and shooting out of while racing down roads filled with Germans doing their own thing, not expecting you to show up. The Axis soldiers will find anyway they can to get into the building you are in, and if you aren?t finished looking out for just yourself they will find a way to come in from behind you and your fellow allies.
The multiplayer aspect is great but is also accompanied by a few problems. Now I don?t know if this happened to all but I now some of it has. When going into ranked games the search always brought up one and only one server ?S and never let you in. When you finally get your way back to the main multiplayer menu and start a player match and search for a server, you wont be let down with the amount that show up. After Getting into a server you get the choice of choosing sides (Unless the server turned on auto team balance) you are awarded with various classes. There are 7 character classes insisting of rifleman, light assault, heavy assault, medic, scout, support, and the sometimes handy sometimes not anti-armour. The maps they include in the game are great and offer a variety of game play. Half of the maps include tanks and most include small to medium vehicles that will allow you to enjoyably cover terrain faster while running over the other team. I have joyously been in 24 slot servers and haven?t noticed any lag if none at all during my multiplayer experience. One of the maps holds terror due to the 3 tanks each team is able to get their hands on and if all controlled by one team, wreak terror on the other side and generally win the match. Now most of the time I was a scout, as I always like to snipe but in some games this did prove to be a very hard challenge. Well in COD3 it was the best time I had in a long time, especially with the artillery option.
The visuals are great in the fact that the wind in the game is making the grass and trees move accordingly. Some of the blown up buildings and rubble look amazing as you scope in on a sniper rifle to see a picture hanging in a window 300ft away. The focus effect you get when using the iron sights is great as everything around what you are aimed at is blurry. As you advance across the grass and take a look back and see where you have stepped the grass is pushed downward, it is even more noticeable when you go prone and then back up. Some of the vegetation provides cover and obscurity from the enemy but also does the same for them, even at long distances.
The voices in the game were very well done and with the characters mouths moving along nicely with the script, makes for an almost ?You are there? experience. The best of all is the sound effects from the exchange of gunfire and grenades. You will often hear soldiers cry out taunts and hints on where the soldiers are or coming from. COD3 truly engulfs you in the game and provides you with sounds that will make your ears smile. I do suffer somewhat of a handicap being that my speaker set up is only 2 channels but with the addition of a good amp even the stereo set up was enough to make me drool.
Suggestions: I do love the WWII shooters but I also hate them at the same time. I do love the aspect of playing in Europe but ever since I played the COD series I do feel they are almost all the same. They did great on the multiplayer but could of put a bit more time into making it work more than it does. Hopefully the patch will come soon. I have more than enjoyed my time playing this game but I would of liked to see more interaction with characters along side you. I do classify this game as a great rent for those who occasionally play WWII shooters or just want to try it out, but if you are in love with being immersed in a WWII experience I suggest you buy it like I did and play it to the fullest, especially online where you can extend your game play experience.
Overall Score: 8.0 / 10
Viva Piñata
Overall: Viva Pinata basically starts off like an intofor a kids show. The game is comparable to the sims but more geared towards a younger audience. You start off on a desolate patch of land and you need to get it ready for pinatas to come and inhabit it. You meet some characters that do help you along quite a bit and offer very good advice.
Gameplay: Gameplay is quite easy with the simple controls, but the advanced controls offer a few more options and are just as easy to use. Characters are entertaining and charismatic in the entertainment aspect. Pretty much Pinatas appear on the edge of your land and you have to find a way to get them onto your farm. Once on they will walk about and see how you are doing and interact with pinatas already dedicated to your land. There are some bad pinatas that will cause some havoc, even the locals will have a fight between each other. You basically have some tools for making the area look good. You dig and finalize buildings with your shovel, plant seeds, and water plants to keep them alive till they are grown. Sidewalks can be layed out nicely and alot of other features are able to be used to customize your land.
Graphics: Graphics are very well done on the characters. The land and backgrounds have good lighting and fog effects. Even with 100 pinatas on your screen there is no lack in performance from the 360 and it runs nice and smooth. When saving or loading it will jog a bit but its not really noticable. Shading and lighting effects make everthing look great, day or night.
Audio: Sound I have heard is amazing on a 5.1 system, but I only have 2 Channel. As for the system I do have the voices are very crisp and easy to understand. The characters are very comical and make odd noises here and there. The music in the game is great as well and isnt some monotone tune as in some sim games out there.
Suggestions: Being able to see what way the building is situated in the build box would of been nice. Being able to skip through the Pinata intro's that happen all through the game would of helped as they were a bit annoying.
Overall Score: 9.0 / 10
