MEMBER PROFILE FOR Batman2372
Average Overall Score Given: 8.12500 / 10
Total Forum Posts: 278
Reviews
Turok: Evolution
Overall: I went into this game with limited expectations. I had never played a
Turok game, and new nothing more
than it had Dinosaurs. I was more
than surprised. I am actually
enjoying this game. It's a bit
more gory than Halo (so parents, be
warned), and for some that can be a
downer and for some that can be a
bonus; me, I could not have the
blood and guts and be fine. I
wouldn't call this a Halo killer,
but it's still a great bit of fun.
Gameplay: The major beef I had with James
Bond was how they completely messed
up the controls after Halo had set
such a clear precedent. Luckily,
Turok didn't follow in Bond's
footsteps. The controls are
precise (you can actually adjust it
as you see fit) and easy to use.
Overall gameplay is your normal
FPS, up to a point, where they
throw in some flying action a la
Starfighter. It took me a couple
of tries of severe pteradactyl
abuse to shift gears into flight
mode, but I got the hang of it.
The flight control is a bit more
realistic than Starfighter (hello,
there is GRAVITY on a planet!) but
you're still very mobile. Only
problem is it gets repetitive
quickly, so by the time you finish
a chapter of flight, you're ready
to be back in FPS. Speaking of,
the weapons are fun, especially the
tech bow. It's a real kick to take
off a baddie's head with a
well-placed arrow. The grenades
aren't as cool as Halo, as well as
the guns. But overall, not too
shabby.
Graphics: On one hand, really cool, and
another, almost cheesey. There's a
lot of blood and guts, and it gets
to the point of ridiculousness at
times. The levels are expansive,
though with varying levels of
quality (some of the plants look
like they're ported). The
dinosaurs are cool looking, to the
point of almost being impressive.
Decent job, guys.
Audio: This was great for me. From the
pull of the bow, to teh smack of
the ax, to the whistling of the
bullets bouncing by, they did it
right. And one of the things I
appreciate most they included: the
background music changes from level
to level. Don't get me wrong, I
love Halo, but that song gets stuck
in my head and it drives me crazy!
Good work.
Suggestions: I realize the demographic this game
is aimed at, but c'mon. Blood for
the sake of gore is pointless.
Other than that, good job!!!
Overall Score: 9.0 / 10
World Series Baseball (Sega)
Overall: After playing Triple Play, I was looking for something a little
more, hoping WSB would be it. And
in some things, it was. But there
are some glaring problems with
WSB's gameplay that made it a bit
disappointing. Franchise Mode =
wonderful. This is by no means a
terrible game. But for someone who
likes the quick results of NFL
Blitz, you better wait until MLB
SlugFest
Gameplay: I thought that the pitching aspect
of this game was dead-on. Not too
easy, but the strikes can happen.
Batting... why can't you move in
the batter's box? I'd like to be
able to hug the plate if I want.
Baserunning... a little tricky,
especially when attempting a hit
and run play. Fielding... this was
very different than Triple Play,
and my wife particularly didn't
like this style, although I thought
it was pretty decent, with the
exception of not being able to
throw to a cutoff man and going
straight to a base.
Graphics: Absolutely gorgeous. I played
games in every park I had really
been to, and they all looked
exactly as I remembered them
(Astros field even had the train
and flag pole in center field).
The characters either looked very
much like their realy counterparts
or nothing like them. Randy
Johnson practically looks black.
But overall, highly impressive
Audio: Not too bad. It's neat to hear
over in your left ear a heckler or
a vendor. The callers were pretty
good, and the over sound was smooth
Suggestions: it just seems like some control
issues were skimped on. Other than
that, not bad.
Overall Score: 8.0 / 10
Spider-Man
Overall: Being the super hero junkie I am, I was pumped up over this game. However, deep within me I was a bit nervous after the disappointment of Batman Vengeance that this would be just another "sold because of the name" game. Happily for all of us true believers, Spidey was all we could hope for. The graphics were very good, the gameplay was fairly easy to get used to, and ... do I dare say it ... it was fun! That said, there are some flaws to it (I mean, c'mon, it's not Halo), but this was overall massive turn in the right direction for super hero games. If Superman lives up to the hype and Dark Tomorrow learns from the mistakes of BV, we may be back in the super hero business!Gameplay: For those that played the Dreamcast/PS2 version of Spiderman, alot of the ground/wallcrawling action is the same. Pretty straight-forward, lots of fighting/webthrowing moves. But this time they got smart and added webslinging abilities, and that upped the ante considerably. The aerial fighting in New York was some of the most fun in the game. That's what Spidey is all about, for Pete's sake! The camera angles could get hairy from time to time, but overall, I had no issues. Great job you guys!
Graphics: Okay, yes, it's multi-platformed so you're not going to get the "full power of the Xbox". Get over it. It still is pretty cool looking, particularly when swinging around New York. You can see your reflection in some of the shiny buildings. The cutscenes I thought were wonderful, my favorite being a slow-mo of web forming as it flowed from his wrist. Not too shabby.
Audio: The went all out for this. Tobey, Willem, Bruce, are actually them! Bruce narrating was great, especially in the training sequences. Some of the phrases Peter/Spidey would say would get repetitive (and the same is true of the thugs), but overall very nice.
Suggestions: Keep working on the camera issues. Thanks for giving us faith back in the genre. I for one was getting worried.
Overall Score: 9.0 / 10
James Bond 007: Agent Under Fire
Overall: Goldeneye in it's day was absolutely the coolest game out, no question, when it came to it's multiplayer mode. The epitome of what FPS was all about. I was super excited about seeing AUF, remembering all the fun times I had with Goldeneye. Unfortunately, the gameplay carried over without upping the ante at all. Better graphics are great, but graphics aren't the only part of the game. You've got to have some scope, longevity, and basic playing ability, and these in my opinion didn't get much better. Disappointing to say the leastGameplay: I was screaming about the controls the whole time. Bungie did a wonderful job with Halo, so it was sad that EA didn't take a look at it and mimic it. Yeah, yeah, you can change your controls, but not well enough, and it's not that easy. The driving sequences, however, were pretty good. The multiplayer levels were a bit disappointing. They seemed small, and there weren't that many angles. My wife and I would always go to the same spots to take each other out, it became old quickly.
Graphics: It's a very pretty game, even for a port. That being said, it's still a port. I hate that I keep comparing to Halo, but... it's not Halo.
Audio: The sound wasn't bad at all. No, it didn't sound like Pierce Brosnan, but I don't think they were going for that. Gunplay, tire-squealing, etc. were all nice.
Suggestions: There's evidence of what works well in a FPS. USE IT! The multiplayer levels need to be more expansive. Other than that, yall were on the right track.
Overall Score: 7.0 / 10
Knockout Kings 2002
Overall: I was pumped up to hear there was a boxing game coming out so quickly. A die hard Ready to Rumble fan, I wondered how simulation/arcade this game would be. I got this as soon as possible. And I wasn't too terribly disappointed. To be able to be Ali is enough to get the game. To feel your heartbeat through rumbling in your controler is great! However, the game's single player is a bit lacking, to be translated disappointing. Multiplayer is great, but your friends aren't over at your house ever day. However, it's still a game AT LEAST worth the rent.Gameplay: How could bashing someone with nothing but your fists not be fun? Even so, there were a few problems. The control to quickly bob and weave is barely different from actually moving, and this created problems at first. Blocking is still a chore, it's hard to choose where you're blocking. Punching is relatively easy, considering you don't get tired. Still, this has been fun, don't get me wrong... But there's only so much you can do with the game.
Graphics: For the most part the graphics are great. Sugar Ray Leonard LOOKS like SRL. Body motions are for the most part fluid and realistic. HOWEVER, it could be said the Phantom Hit by Ali is being recreated with every fight. When you watch the replay of a good knockdown, 9 times out of 10 it appears that you've either whiffed right past him, or actually hit through his head for the punch that actually takes him down. The first time I saw that, I was saying, I didn't even hit him!!!
Audio: Ambient sounds are great. The Soundtrack is very good, but without being able to use the Xbox hard drive jukebox, the soundtrack gets old quickly
Suggestions: More intuitive controls, stronger single player career mode, better visuals on the replays, Xbox music capablities.
Otherwise, great job!!!
Overall Score: 8.0 / 10
Star Wars: Starfighter - Special Edition
Overall: I'm a Star Wars addict, so immediately I had to take somewhat of a liking to it, and that was before I took the plastic off. That said... this is a decent game. The gameplay isn't bad, the graphics are pretty good, and the sound isn't bad. But none of them (with the exception of the soundtrack, which is always good in a Lucasarts game) are GREAT. That being the case, it was a bit on the disappointing side. But just a bit.Gameplay: The controls really confused me at first. It was like a mix of PGR and some kind of RPG game. But since I'm too lazy to even bother with reconfiguring, so I learned (after multiple attempts) that my right trigger WASN'T going to kill anything but me, etc, etc. The multiplayer mode was a bit disappointing. There just wasn't much too it. One on one gets boring quickly.
Graphics: The graphics weren't bad. And the addition of Xbox levels was another plus. But it comes back to what I've said previously... it was good, but not great. It had the potential, but didn't quite clear the bar.
Audio: Lucasarts is strong with the force when it comes to sound, and this was no exception. The voice acting wasn't stellar, but it held it's own. The soundtrack (thank you Mr. Williams) was wonderful. There was plenty of ambient sound, it all worked nicely.
Suggestions: Jedi Starfighter is due in May. Learn from the disappointments of Starfighter, and build on the strengths that you did have. The Star Wars franchise isn't dead, but continue to make sub-par games, and it'll head down the same path as Anakin.
Overall Score: 8.0 / 10
Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX 2
Overall: This game is quite possibly the best bike game ever made. Made in the tradition of Tony Hawk, this game has all the elements: decent sound, expansive levels, fun and challenging game play. While not quite to the level of THPS3, this game has certainly done the Xbox justice.Gameplay: The replay value of this game is no different than the Tony Hawk series. There is plenty of stuff to do, and plenty of stuff to figure out and find. The controls aren't hard to comprehend, but it's the implementation that's hard to master. Getting to the next level is a chore, and almost too much of one at times. But it grasps you enough to give you that itch to try "just one more time" to get that last objective.
Graphics: The levels are both creative and huge. The first time I saw the grass, I was amazed... there were actual blades of grass there! However, the characters faces is another story. They all remind me of the character Flat Top in Dick Tracy, they're just too wide and almost sick looking.
Audio: I was pretty happy with the choice of artists and tracks. Worked really well for the game. Other ambient sounds... well, it's a bicycle, what do you want? It worked fine.
Suggestions: Some more interactive multiplay would be cool (see THPS3). In some of the levels.... (I'm gonna sound like a wimp here) ... it was too hard. Take it down just a little. Otherwise, thanks for making such a cool game for us!
Overall Score: 9.0 / 10
Wreckless: The Yakuza Mission
Overall: One word: Boring. I got tired of this game so quickly. The graphics were pretty cool, but Pretty pictures don't make a great game. Atari's Combat from eons ago was more fun. Why? MULTIPLAYER. Had this had multiplayer, it could have been a great game. The cheesy single player just didn't cut. I didn't even bother TRYING to finish this game. Took it back the next day.Gameplay: It was easy enought to learn (gas, brake, steer, use). I dunno... it just wasn't fun. It's one of those things were it's difficult to say WHY. I guess because it seemed so repetitive in a game that I in my mind's eye had perceived to be different. And to not have multiplayer to take out the predictable nature of AI only added to that.
Graphics: This was the only redeeming quality of Wreckless. The environments were spectacular. Everything from the buildings to the water were amazing to look at. I probably would have enjoyed this game more if I could have just driven around and looked at everything. The reflections in the water were GREAT! I loved the explosions when you went flying only to crash into the side of a building. Great stuff.
Audio: What sound? The music was repetitive, full of technobabble. Don't get me wrong, I like techno just as much as the next guy, but not when EVERY SONG SOUNDS THE SAME.
sounds weren't anything to write home about.
Suggestions: MULTIPLAYER, MULTIPLAYER, MULTIPLAYER. Work on the single player plot and objectives. Better use of sound.
In other words: try again.
Overall Score: 5.0 / 10
The Simpsons Road Rage
Overall: This could easily have been titled Crazy Taxi: Simpson's Style. That's not to tear it down by any means. The whole town of Springfield is represented, broken down into various zones. The premise is that Mr. Burns has taken over the public transportation system, making it expensive and unsafe. Homer and pals have decided to run their own taxi service. Your object is to deliver as many passengers to their destination in the alloted time. There's also multiplayer, where it's a race to get a certain amount of money collected, and it's a fight to get the fares.Gameplay: I loved the idea that it only took about 5 minutes to figure out how to play the game, unlike some where it takes a week before you even know what you're doing. We found that multiplayer was extremely fun, especially for people that aren't avid gamers.
Graphics: The graphics were... cartoony. Oh, wait, the Simpsons ARE cartoons! Even so, it was pretty obvious that this was a port of a PS2 game. The polygon count isn't extremely high. It was neat to be able to see different parts of Springfield, though, which at least for us was a major part of the game. I could have been better, though.
Audio: All the voice-overs were done by the original actors, which was a MAJOR plus, since "The Simpsons" plays so heavily on sound bites. However, while funny, they started to get a bit mundane and repetitive. There wasn't much in the way of ambient sound, but nothing detrimental.
Suggestions: Either make an Xbox-exclusive or Xbox-prioritized Simpsons game that capitalizes on its strengths. This was still by far the best Simpsons console game out there. Thanks!
Overall Score: 8.0 / 10
Project Gotham Racing
Overall: This, along with Halo, was the first in my collection, and with good reason. This is by far the best street racing game out there. With two styles of play due to the Kudos system, it broadens the game to even more people. The cars are great...(a Dolphini!!!) If you like racing games and you own an Xbox, you NEED PGR.Gameplay: Not too easy, not too hard, just some practice. The controls are laid out well. With several different objectives throughout each city, there's plenty of play on this game.
Graphics: Holy cow, the graphics are amazing. Driving in Time Square was just like it really is (minus the 80+mph speeds)! Gorgeous! And the cars....beautiful. They didn't hold back. And they're not just pretty when you're sitting still. You scrape up against a guard rail, you're gonna see the scratches on the car. Smack your side view mirror, it'll be hanging by a thread. Can't say enough of these graphics.
Audio: Just as good. Each car has their individual engine sounds. Ambient sound is all there. And the soundtrack is great! As you drive under a bridge, the "reception" on your radio fades out till you've cleared it! And when you incorporate the songs you've ripped to your hard drive (yes, you can do that), the game fits a radio DJ in between songs so it's still just like a radio! Wonderful digital surround.
Suggestions: I wish there had been a free drive mode. The scenery is so pretty, I wish I could just go out for a Sunday drive and look at it!
Overall Score: 10.0 / 10
4x4 Evo 2
Overall: If your in to REAL off-roading, I think you'll really like this game due to that fact it allows you to get away with stuff that you wouldn't dream of doing in your own truck. For gamers that got it just because they thought it would be cool... it's a bit disappointing. Poor manual instructions and lack of using the Xbox capabilities took away from what otherwise is a decent game.Gameplay: The basic controls of the game aren't all that difficult, once you figure them out. However, the manual BARELY gives you a clue on how to do this, so you end up spending time just figuring out transmission issues. The AI in career mode is tough, but that may be partly because I'm a street racer at heart, and this is a whole new ballgame. What we have discovered is that free roam is probably the most fun, where you can just go out and push the jeep to it's max, which is what off roading is all about, anyways.
Graphics: This is where it starts getting disappointing. The different environments are alright, but nothing to write home about. The trucks are okay, but at times it looks like you're driving a jeep body with two axles and tires....and nothing else. At times I thought I was actually playing my Dreamcast.
Audio: No surround... this is a major downer in my book. If it can be done, you should do it. It seems like this aspect was really cut
Suggestions: It's obvious this was pushed out the door to make for a title by launch. What a shame, because with some better do !&%$@#* entation, better graphics, and better sound, this would have been a pretty good game.
Overall Score: 6.0 / 10
Halo: Combat Evolved
Overall: It's no secret that Halo is the King of the Xbox, and I'm not about to tell you any different. Multiplayer, multiplayer, multiplayer. There's nothing cooler about the game than it. There's so much you can customize for it. This game has it all: sound, visuals, gameplay are all top-rate. If you haven't played it, what are you waiting for? Get out of that chair, don't stop at Blockbuster, and go to your nearest game store and BUY IT. You'll be glad you didGameplay: There's not one part of the game that is bad. But it's the gameplay that takes the cake. Whether you want to play single player, single player with the help of a friend, or multiplayer against friends, all of it is first rate. The way the controller is set up takes care of any disadvantadge you'd think you'd have by not using a mouse. The buttons are laid out in a manner that is smart and easy to use. Can't say enough. The only issue is that in multiplayer you can't have bots. It would be nice to play multiplayer when you don't have any friends around.
Graphics: Absolutely gorgeous.... the gameplay looks as good as the cutscenes. Phenomenal.... that's all I can say
Audio: Digital sound is awesome. You can't even compare it to some of the others in terms of its sound. Ambient sounds, gunfire, movement, it has all the right stuff. Can't beat it. The music is perfect. It gets old hearing the punk grind of most of the games out there today. In my opinion, only Lucasarts has better sound.
Suggestions: Allow bots on multiplayer.
Overall Score: 10.0 / 10
Star Wars: Obi-Wan
Overall: The ratings on this game haven't been great, and a lot of people put this game down as one of the big Xbox losers. I'm not nearly that harsh. I've had a good time with this game. I am a bit worried that this will get old for me, though. It's pretty much a slash, slash, use the force, slash, slash game. Yeah, the graphics in some sense could have been better, but they're not awful. The sound is a mixture of wonderful and awful. The biggest thing about the games is the plethora of BUGS. One night it wouldn't recognize my second controller. It's frozen up on another occasion. On more than one occassion I was going to take it back, only to stick it out and it not happen anymore. That alone makes it frustrating, and hurt its score.Gameplay: The premise of the game I had no problem with. What kid doesn't dream of fighting the bad guys with their trusty lightsaber? (okay, what kid in MY generation, back when Star Wars meant EVERYTHING.) The ability to use the force to push and pull was really neat. The only problem was that it never really changed. You were trying to do the same thing every level, except they added more baddies. It doesn't grow on you, it gets old.
Graphics: In some ways, the graphics were fine. I loved the different settings, they were expansive and interactive. What they weren't, however, was Xbox quality. They could have been much sharper and more intricate. The characters mouths never moved when talking, and that was a big letdown. It can be done (ie Halo and a multitude of others), they just didn't take the time.
Audio: Ambient sounds and music... classic Lucasarts. Absolutely wonderful. Voiceover work. Absolutely attrocious. The guy that was supposed to sound like Ewan MacGregor sounded like he was straining as hard as he could to try to emulate Obi-Wan. Qui-Gon was no better. I don't think any of the original characters voices were used, and it became super-annoying to listen to the clearly inadequate impersonations.
Suggestions: Take more time on KOTR. Do it right. You were close on this one, but it looks as if you rushed to get it out for Christmas 2001.
Overall Score: 8.0 / 10
Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3
Overall: Rejoice, you skating freaks,the next level of gaming grinding has arrived. THPS3 had upped the ante over itself. My wife had begged for THPS2x, and I told her that if we waited for 3, she wouldn't be sorry, and for once I WAS RIGHT. This is definitely a MUST HAVE for your collection. I won't lie, I wasn't that big of a skating game fan before I got this one, and I STILL played it for 5 hours last night alone!Gameplay: The gameplay is just as good as what you've come to love with a couple of extra helps. There's a cool revert that you can use to link -grinds that can really rack up the points. Absolutely no disappointments here.
Graphics: Holy cow... This is where I think they really did it right. Everything from when you create your custom skater to the boards. And the levels... oh man. They're gigantic! Everything down to the rust on the stop sign is great!
This is what really caught my eye and got me to start playing
Audio: This is probably the most ho-hum feature of the game, and it's not bad. The grinding sound is there, and there's some ambient sound, but nothing to write home about. The soundtrack is n't too bad, but for as many songs as are on it, I sure hear Motorhead's "Ace of Spades" an awful lot. But with the option to use your own ripped stuff, that's not really an issue, anyway.
Suggestions: The only thing I could see to make this better would be online play. Other than that, Activision has done a great job!!! Thanks!!!!
Overall Score: 10.0 / 10
