MEMBER PROFILE FOR Buck
Average Overall Score Given: 8.83333 / 10
Total Forum Posts: 4
Reviews
Midnight Club 2
Overall: A street racing game with attitude, Midnight Club 2 keeps you pumpin'! I have a couple of concerns that keep this from taking top honors, however.Gameplay: Race against the console, or with friends. You belong to a secret club of racers in three cities. The object is to win races, or evade arrest. One of the big draws for me is the character development of your opponents. I'm still only about 20% into LA, but I love the people Rockstar have created! The cutscene with Maria talkin' smack is excellent, as is the one with her brother. They have the flavor of LA pretty much down to a Tee. I don't really see much point to hitting the pedestrians...it doesn't add anything to the gameplay, and I find it a little disturbing that casual mayhem is so prevalent. If there were some redeeming feature, such as losing points, having to slow down, being arrested, etc., were present, I'd it wouldn't bother me. But in an age where kids are hurting themselves and others trying to imitate "Jackass", I think Rockstar made an error in judgment.
Graphics: Graphics are decent, I like the effects when you hit a lightpole and when you get blown up running into a gas pump. The atmosphere of LA is also quite well done.
Audio: ALthough I too miss the customized sound track option, I really like the tunes included in this game. The voiceovers really add to the overall immersion!
Suggestions: If you're going to include options for killing innocent bystanders, make it somehow add to the gameplay.
Custom sound track option!
A very good game overall.
Overall Score: 8.0 / 10
Fatal Frame
Overall: A slow-paced, anxiety-filled search for your orphaned brother takes you through a haunted mansion. I've owned Fatal Frame since shortly after it's release, but only now beginning to appreciate the game's overall value. I'm an FPS or driving sim type of gamer. Most of the time. Any game that requires me to slow down and pay attention to menus has to have some redeeming feature(s) to keep drawing me back. Fatal Frame has several. With the 2003 XMAS season on the way, I expect the price of this game to drop. Do yourself a favor...pick it up when it does!!!Gameplay: Armed with a camera, and other enhancements, you must search every inch of a haunted mansion and it's grounds. You photograph spirits in order to banish them, and keep you from harm. The controls can be a bit of a hassle depending upon the view that you're in.
Graphics: Impressive. The attention to detail is what kept drawing me back. The camera view can be absolutely astounding!
Audio: The soundtrack is very eerie. Custom sound tracks are not supported, but are entirely unnecessary anyway. Some games don't really depend upon sound. The sounds in this program help to put you in the right "frame" ahem, of mind.
Suggestions: I applaud TECHMO for this very entertaining game. I recommend they work a little closer on the controller issues next time though.
Overall Score: 9.0 / 10
Freaky Flyers
Overall: An arcade-style game with some of the best cinematics yet available on any console. Fun for the whole family (although some of the younger kids may not get the inside jokes).Gameplay: You have a variety of options to choose from: Adventure, you have to finish at least in 3rd place against the other wacky characters in order to progress. There are a number of different tracks, with different subgoals to attain.
Race: 1 oe 2 players choose from available tracks.
Dogfight: 2 players only, within the sections of the Freaky Flyer Levels.
Mini Games: 1 player only. These are out of the racing circuit. They take you on "heroic challenges".
Graphics: The graphics are excellent. I can only imagine how they'd look on an HDTV! The frame rate is very smooth.
Audio: No custom sound track, but I wouldn't expect it in this type of game anyway. The built in tracks are well done, and fit the particular areas you happen to be in. Listen carefully and you'll detect homor in some of the lyrics:)
Suggestions: A worthy effort, keep up the good work!
Overall Score: 8.0 / 10
Return to Castle Wolfenstein: Tides of War
Overall: A worthy remake of the PC-based game, RTCW is a top notch FPS. A multiplayer option is available, but not reviewed in my piece. Check out other articles on this site, and the May 2003 XBOX magazine review for full details.Gameplay: A FPS with a multitude of levels, RTCW sends you through Nazi infested areas on quests for specific goals. On the way you'll have the opportunity to uncover treasures, weapons, and health to keep you going.
Graphics: Detailed graphics, and a silky-smooth frame rate look better on my XBOX than on my laptop. I haven't noticed an appreciable amount of slowdown when multiple enemies are present on the screen simultaneously.
Audio: Dolby 5.1 sound great, especially when hooked up to a good sound system. The music is what you'd expect from a title of this genre. The voice acting is pretty decent too.
Overall Score: 10.0 / 10
TimeSplitters 2
Overall: This is a great FPS, with lots of variety. Good graphics, silky-smooth frame rate, and very good sound track make this a must have.Gameplay: If you're into first-person shooters, this'll appeal to you plenty. There's nothing too innovative, but it's obvious a lot of effort was expended to make this game rock!
Graphics: Slightly cartoonish, but I'd imagine it's meant to be that way. explosions and flame look awesome. There are both indoor and outdoor settings with lots of variety. As I mentioned before, the frame rate is silky-smooth.
Audio: Although there's no custom soundtrack option, the ambience from the music really adds to the gameplay. The sound effects can be stunning if you have dolby surround sound! The cry of the damsels in distress (in the Notre Dame level)gave me the creeps at first. You can also hear the crackle of the burning candles too.
Suggestions: Great work, keep 'em comin'!
Overall Score: 9.0 / 10
Quantum Redshift
Overall: Great sci-fi racing title! Fantastic graphics, superb sound, many, many hours of gameplay. The closest game to compare to is Project Gotham Racing...I'd have to give the nod on graphics to Quantum Redshift.Gameplay: There are three elements that make Quantum Redshift (QR) so appealing: The simple type of racing, the beautiful graphics, and the custom soundtrack option. Sometimes you just want to pick up a controller and not want to have to work at figuring out a puzzle, or plan strategy. QR fits the bill, yet offers the opportunity to maximize your points by aiming at the various targets and upgrading your equipment. The "Nemisis" feature doesn't seem to add much to the game, except you earn double points for attacking them.
Graphics: I don't have a high-definition TV, but I can guarantee it would really look stunning. The tracks have some of the best eye-candy yet. Comparing this with Halo wouldn't be appropriate though, you know - apples and oranges. If you're a graphics junkie...this is a must-have!
Audio: The sound effects do the trick, as do the voiceovers. Where the sound excels is the custom soundtrack you can create. Of course, the menu options allow you to tailor how loud each component is. I prefer to turn down the effects to a low level so my music isn't drowned out. My biggest complaint is that there is a limit to how many songs you can have at a time. I would have preferred a custom option like "AMPED", where you can turn on/off entire soundtracks on the hard drive.
Suggestions: This is a very worthy effort, comparable to Project Gotham Racing. Consider opening up the custom soundtrack option a little more.
Overall Score: 9.0 / 10
