Big_R_'s GameSpot Friend's Reviews

Drive3r reviewed Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater for the PlayStation 2...

Tue, 25 Jan 2005 11:46:01 -0800

...and gave it a 8.8.

Probably one of the finest franchises ever to grace any console, thats how i would describe any MGS game.Since the storyline is what drives the game ,ill leave it to you to buy the game and find out what happens.Lets just say theres a coup attempt within Russian circles being planned to overthrow Kruschev. Your job is to find the evidence that the american government wasnt involved in a nuclear explosion at the Russian Factility.MGS 3 like previous titles is both stealth and action.though stealth is primarily the way to go,its inevitable that youll have to go through some gun battles throughout the game.Fighting in the jungle,having to hunt food,no real radar,everything seems a little more difficult than before.Its very apparent that Hideo Kojima loves a good story by the 20minute introduction video and the 3 hours of cut scenes in MGS 3.If anything think of it as a movie your playing through.the most obvious reference to the name involves eating snakes as well as other things you can find in the jungle. Operative,Naked Snake has a stamina bar he must maintain in order to properly heal throughout the game and he can do so by chowing on Mushrooms,Rabbits,mice,snakes frogs and the occasional treat of ramen noodles,crabs and even field rations.but the only attention youll pay to this big part of the game is when your nadly hurt so it dosent creat any interuption in the story.the next major enhancement is the camouflage index, the higher the index the more unlikely it is that any nearby enemies will notice you.Snake's camo is further modified by face painting and how well it matches the bodily camo and his stance. Graphically its probably the best MGS game ive ever seen. The best thing about the game's graphics are the detail put into the enviornment.Basically youll have to see it to believe it !! Sound wise,David Hayter is back.Add this to amazing voice acting and sound effects make u feel like you are actually trapped in a jungle. Overall this is probably the best MGS game ive ever seen and definately one of the best console games ever made. So without hesitation GO GET IT !

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"Drive3r reviewed Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater for the PlayStation 2..." was posted by Drive3r on Tue, 25 Jan 2005 11:46:01 -0800

Drive3r reviewed DRIV3R for the PlayStation 2...

Thu, 04 Nov 2004 19:45:41 -0800

...and gave it a 9.2!

The third instalment of the highly successful Driver series of videogames has finally arrived. How does it fare?To start, the Driver series of games are driving adventure games, similar in nature to Grand Theft Auto, but without the free roamingaspect of Grand Theft Auto.In Driv3r, you play the role of an undercover cop on an assignment to put a car theft syndicate behind bars. The story is reminiscent of many Hollywood "undercover cop" movies and is presented to you in cut-scenes that are, again, reminiscent of said "undercover cop" movies.The game is mission based and as in previous Driver games, the missionsusually require fancy driving to complete. Unlike its predecessors, however, Driv3r contains more on-foot gunfight and shootout missions and this time, you have access to boats. On to the gameplay. Driv3r's missions range from the simple "bring person from A to B" to the more difficult "run away from police" missions. The missions vary in difficulty, some being relatively easy and others being more challenging. What I mean by that is, some shootout sequences are relatively easy, while other shootout sequences can be quite tough. Also, the difficulty level and the mission number aren't related-some early missions can be tougher than later missions. Driv3r does a good job of making the on foot missions more than they were in their predecessors. The "drive and shoot" sequences in the game are also rather entertaining, but contains lots of room for improvement. The other mission types don't really have much improvement compared to Driver 2. A case of "don't fix what isn't broken". An improvement in Driv3r is how the cars take "area specific damage". For example, strain your suspension too much and watch your wheels fall off. Your car can also be totally wrecked, but the rear portion can still be in showroom condition. Graphically, this game is more detailed than the Grand Theft Auto games and the locations are huge. Miami, Nice and Istanbul are all very well done. The cities almost seem alive...almost, in that there aren't that many people around most of the time. Also, car damage is done very well. If a headlight has been smashed, you'll only see one beam of light coming from the still working headlight. Sparks fly from the road if any metal part of the vehicle comes into contact with the road. Car explosions are fantastic to watch as well and the blast power is realistic to boot. The music in the game is basically just a few looping tracks per city. One for when everything is normal, another for when you are being chased by the police and one or two-event/mission music tracks. All of them suit the environment and the situation-Miami has a rather modern urban musical score, while Istanbul has a Middle-Eastern musical score. The musical score which suggests taking some action does just that and very well too. However, listening to the same piece of music on a loop can get boring. The gun sounds work. They aren't fantastic, but they work well, although each gun has its own unique sound. Car sounds however could really have had more time spent on them. Each vehicle type sounds like it runs off the same engine(ie, sports cars all sound the same, saloons all sound the same, etc). Also, screeching sounds are overdone. They appear far too often-when you brake, when you corner, when you do a burnout, etc. While it's acceptable to hear the screeching sounds in some cases, in some it could be and should be avoided. You can be rolling, but braking still warrants a screech. The AI in this game is very laughable. The basic 'instinct' in every character you encounter while in a shootout scene is to kill you and they do shoot at their own because they are in the line of fire. Enemy vehicles self destruct sometimes-they crash into things or hit a jump too fast, sometimes even crash into each other. Regular vehicles on the road are sometimes oblivious to your horning at them and in some cases oblivious to you being oncoming traffic at a T-junction. Other flaws in the game include the controls. They are absolutely horrible. The layout itself looks good, but could use some working on. Sometimes I wish that there was a button that was left for certain mission specific functions and is usually unused. There is also too much difficulty fluctuation. Some gamers may feel that they have gone from ridiculously easy to ridiculously hard over the span of 2 missions. The car handling is another one. Don't expect Grand Theft Auto style of handling. The cars are very bouncy, almost as if the road itself is made of rubber. This handling mechanic means that some gamers will find themselves spending some time with the game to get used to the way the car behaves. The game isn't very long either and the only thing that would make players come back are the secrets, Easter eggs and the "driving games" mode. There is absolutely no multiplayer to speak of either, something I wish was kept from Driver 2. Despite all this, there is still some fun to be had from the game, but I would recommend buying Grand Theft Auto: Vice City over this

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"Drive3r reviewed DRIV3R for the PlayStation 2..." was posted by Drive3r on Thu, 04 Nov 2004 19:45:41 -0800

Drive3r reviewed Grand Theft Auto: Vice City for the PlayStation 2...

Thu, 28 Oct 2004 17:36:06 -0700

...and gave it a 9.9!

When i first played GTA 3 it was like something ive never played before ! I mean it wasnt even comparable to GTA 2. It was the best game id ever seen and played it for at least a year everyday. When i heard about this game then i flipped out !! I would visit the GTA VC Psge everyday and see 1 new screenshot everyday and i went crazy. Got oit at midnight and then played for a week without a break only to go to the toilet and i ate junkfood the whole 7 days and ate it while i was playing. My PS2 was burning hot and the disc almost melted. Folks this is truely the best videogame ever made and anyone whi owns a PS2 is over 18yrs of age and dosent own this game should be shot. Everything is great about it. The Story,sound,graphics,gameplay and reply value is phenominal. Even if you complete the whole game u would have still completed only 50% of the game.The amount of things you can do is mind blowing ! From buying pubs to driving a taxi and u can even be a cop ! The story is the best ive ever seen in a game and the way the plot unfolds is awsome. From staying in a sleezy Hotel called Ocean View to owning your own 4 story mansion with your personal heli its all in there ! Rockstar have done an amazing job for the radio in the cars with classic 80s songs even featuring songs by Micheal Jackson ! You have all cars available from station wagons to ultimate sports cars ! In VC You can even ride bikes and boats! If you could and had to point out one flaw it would be the graphics. Which r preetly good anyway but sometimes things like character hands or faces look really wierd. Cars run smoothly and the whole city looks awsome. Sound is brilliant ! The character voiceovers are the best and you can hear the buzz of the city streets at anytime. The radio stations are also very very good with awsome songs that you can hear while crusin ! Gameplay ! Ahh what can i say ? It feels good to hit a 20sec wheele on a highway that necer ends on your Suzuki bike ! Car handling is awsome and the best part is the aiming system ! Its just so easy to use.The game is just fun to play even if ur only playin to take a free ride around the city. Overall i would jave to say that this game has the best storyine i have ever seen. All the srugs,corruption,killings,abusing.... its awsome ! This is an absolute must buy and i think the price of the PS2 should be increased a little and this game should be given wioth the standard package cause everyone deserves to play it. 3 cheers for Rockstar !!!

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"Drive3r reviewed Grand Theft Auto: Vice City for the PlayStation 2..." was posted by Drive3r on Thu, 28 Oct 2004 17:36:06 -0700

Drive3r reviewed Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas for the PlayStation 2...

Tue, 26 Oct 2004 17:25:33 -0700

...and gave it a 9.7!

Five Yeard ago Carl Johnson escaped from the life in Los Santos,San Andreas a city with drugs,ganga and corruption. Carl's mother has been murdered. As Carl returns to his neighbourhood a couple of cops frame him. Carl is now forced accross San Andreas. Graphics: Typical GTA Style graphics although there is much more detail and clarity than previous games in the series the graphics arent the best seen on the console. The graphics are the only thing that stop GTA from getting a 10/10. Sound: Sound in San Andreas is better than any other GTA too. Gunshots with much more life and the voice overs are excellent ! Gameplay: Ahh ! The best part about the new GTA- you can swim ! Finally Rockstar enabled this new feature that not only works well but also looks really cool ! A few changes have been made in the aiming system but nothing over the top.Basically everythings the same. Overall: A must have game for anybody who has a PS2. The story itself makes this game the best on the console and apart from some graphical problems Grand Theft Auto San Andreas has definately lives up to the hype!

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"Drive3r reviewed Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas for the PlayStation 2..." was posted by Drive3r on Tue, 26 Oct 2004 17:25:33 -0700

Drive3r reviewed Doom 3 for the PC...

Sat, 02 Oct 2004 13:21:16 -0700

...and gave it a 9.2!

Right now my jaw is hurting quite a lot. This happens when its been dropped to the floor frequently over the course of a couple of days.Doom 3 was finally released and the wait was worth it. In the future that is around 2145 the earth is in a state where it is running our of natural resources.We, have however built outposts on Mars with the most prominent being the Union Aerospace Corporation's research facility.This former military organization now works to build machines that will for instance take the soil of Mars and turn it into water, along with gas and green slime which is obviously seperated ! that is atleast what the public is supposed to know, because even though these projects are being researched some naughty buisness is taking place behind closed doors like making teleportation devices. One of the teleportation units malfunctions and opening the doors to hell ! Thats where it all begins. Graphics: Visually i would like to point out that this game contains some disturbing scenes. The gore is excessive and realistic, this is as close as you will go to hell without actually going there.Much of the immersion in Doom 3 is due to the incredible engine, and amazing artwork. The engineis, as of right now by far the most advanced used in a game.Its mainly to render indoor graphics but it can also render highly impressive outdoor enviornments. The lighting,shadowing and animating are probably the main things that make it impressive to fully describe whathe game looks like but suffice to say its well beyond anything to date. Sound: Fortunately the voices and sound effects are nothing less than perfect. I have zero complaints except that you sometimes notice the same voice actining multiple times.The sound effects are crystal clear , perfectly real and with a lot of bass. Gameplay: Standard FPS graphics. Althought it is unuasuall that youre in the year 2145 and you can't have a flashlight attached to your weapon ! Overall: The best graphics ever seen but at a price. Attention ! This game is a gigantic system hog and youll have to burn quite a large hole in your pocket to afford to play this game with some eye cande. Anyway this is one fantastic game and a must buy for every PC Owner

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"Drive3r reviewed Doom 3 for the PC..." was posted by Drive3r on Sat, 02 Oct 2004 13:21:16 -0700

Drive3r reviewed WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain for the PlayStation 2...

Tue, 28 Sep 2004 17:45:47 -0700

...and gave it a 10.0!!!

Basicly all that is improved in this year's Smackdown is the grapple system and a few bells and whistles have been added here and there. Graphics: The graphics have been improved since the last smackdown and specially the facial expressions are very good in the game. Apart from that there is a verity of venues and all of them designed spot on.This years smackdown also have Blood ! All the moves in the game work smoothly. Sound: The main problem with Smackdown HCTP in this category is the commentry, this is also the biggest problem with the game. The first smackdown on the PS2 had commentry, but it was horrible, the second smackdown on the PS2 just had a few comments from J.R and Lawker here and there.THQ could have done a fantastic job of adding great commentry in this game but, didn't . Apart from commentry some sounds are delayed. The good part about the sound for Smackdown HCTP is the bone crushing noises youll hear when you give our opponent a slam. This is a great idea too. You can make the player feel like he's bashed someones head open, but he has just ddt'd someone. Gameplay: The latest smackdown has 16 grapple moves !! That is Awsome ! They all have their own pros and cons.The reversal system has been totally changed in this game and is much better than any other wrestling game i have ever played. The L2 button is used for reversal of basic punches and kicks wheras the R2 button is used for reversal of grapples. You can reverse an opponent's finishing move by pressing both these buttons together.The different match types found are TLC,Ladder matches,Cage,Hell in a Cell,The Elimination Chamber !, Bra and Panties !,First Blood and all the usuall stuff. Although King of the Ring is missing. Overall: Other improvements in the game are a little better Season Mode although not all that different from Smackdown SYM and a better create-a-wrestler.It features over 50 wrestlers and 10 legends which include Roddy Piper,The old school Undertaker and many more.Smackdown!: Here Comes the Pain is a great game for anyone even remotely interested in wrestling and is well worthy of the score it had receieved

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"Drive3r reviewed WWE SmackDown! Here Comes the Pain for the PlayStation 2..." was posted by Drive3r on Tue, 28 Sep 2004 17:45:47 -0700

Drive3r reviewed The Getaway for the PlayStation 2...

Tue, 28 Sep 2004 07:44:07 -0700

...and gave it a 8.5.

The Getaway is a hardcore game with a lot of swearing and shooting and due to its story and graphics turns out to be one of the best PS2 games that i have ever played. Graphics: Awsome job dony by Team Soho of creating very realistic graphics and great physics of the cars. Although the enviornments can be quite washed out sometimes.I would also like to point out that the game has wonderfull and life like facial expressions. Sound: Gunshot sounds and voice overs are very good. I also liked the game's soundtrack.It would have been appreciated if they could have added an Radio mode in the cars. Gameplay: Two things about the gameplay of the Getaway are very irritating. One, the fact that there is no health bar and Mark can heal a gunshot wound by leaning against a wall !! That idea was soo dumb. Secondly , why couldnt they just put a map on the gameplay screen ? The idea of following the indicator of the car was very stupid and could lead you somewhere else quite a few times.Specially in an enviornment so big the streets werent easy to get familiar with !Also the the controlls werent very responsive specially the car controlls Overall: If you arent really worried about the two major flaws i mentioned then you shouldnt hesitate to pick up this game as it can be quite entertaining and fun sometimes and the story is fabulous ! But Dont Play It in front of your MOM !

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"Drive3r reviewed The Getaway for the PlayStation 2..." was posted by Drive3r on Tue, 28 Sep 2004 07:44:07 -0700

Drive3r reviewed Ninja Gaiden for the Xbox...

Mon, 27 Sep 2004 16:52:19 -0700

...and gave it a 9.4!

Ninja Gaiden can be described as noting else but awsome ! And Microsoft have nothing to do with it ! Thats the best part. TECMO RULEZ !Read on to know more about the game Graphics: Astonishing and Stunning arent enough to describe how graphically detailed Ninja Gaiden is. I mean most games dont even have rendered cut scenes that look as good as HG's ingame graphics. I how have given it more than 10/10 for graphics if i could. The best possible graphics on the Xbox. Sound: The sound is as good as the graphics. I am saying this cause i dont want to describe something about one game with the same adjectives again and again.Every little detail is the top notch, from the running sound to the huu!! Ryu makes when he is in battle ! Gameplay: Gameplay of Ninja Gaiden is also awsome !! Very smooth and easy controlls and can be a hell of a lot of fun while fiting against dozens of Ninjas. The moves incorporated into the game are better then any fighting game or action game ever seen.The reaon this game isnt getting a 10/10 from me is becaue of the camera angles. They can get really frustrating sometimes. Overall: One of the best Xbox titlles available so far and a must buy for anyone who owns an xbox.

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"Drive3r reviewed Ninja Gaiden for the Xbox..." was posted by Drive3r on Mon, 27 Sep 2004 16:52:19 -0700

Drive3r reviewed WWE Day of Reckoning for the GameCube...

Mon, 27 Sep 2004 16:23:18 -0700

...and gave it a 6.8.

When i first popped in the disc of DOR i thought i was gonna see magic on the GameCube for the first time since Metroid Prime. But like always, the gamecube and this game were a major letdown.I UK magazines and pratically everywhere editors were takin about how awsome this game was gonna be !Uhh.. Graphics: 1 word. THEY SUCK !!And i never expected this from Yukes of all people !! What does the PS2 have that the GC dosent ? The GC is also capable of better graphics. How can yukes make such an awsome game on the PS2 with awsome graphics and not make the same type of thing for the GC ? Sound: Nothing Great. Actually sound is preety bad Gameplay: I really want to kick that guy who made designed trigger buttons for the GC controller in his rear end ! They are the most dumb and frustrating to use thing in the world. The overall gameplay can also be preety irritating !!It dosent make any sense ! I give someone a pedigree and then try to pick him up bu then he can suddenly start beating me up like hes come in fresh Overall: I say it again and again, it was a huge letdown. But then again, its not like a stone in the diamonds of the GC !!Most GC games are dumb! Even with all these flaws it is the best wrestling game on the GC. No wonder the GameCube didnt do well !

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"Drive3r reviewed WWE Day of Reckoning for the GameCube..." was posted by Drive3r on Mon, 27 Sep 2004 16:23:18 -0700

Drive3r reviewed Burnout 3: Takedown for the PlayStation 2...

Mon, 27 Sep 2004 14:48:27 -0700

...and gave it a 9.5!

To be quite honest before i actually played Burnout 3 i thought it would be quite a mediocre game like the other 2 burnouts which got boring within a day.But after playing it it made me fall i love with it and chrish it forever, and trust me im not exaggerating ! Graphics: The best graphics that the PS2 can create and there is nothin better you can hope for. The physics to die for ! If every racing game had phyics like it they would all be in the 9+ catagory Sound: The songs in the game are quite good ,some of them are awsome.The crashing sound and boost sounds are the best ever heard i think otherwise you have all the basic stuff. Gameplay: The gameplay, i wont say can get because i know will get very addictive.I mean you think ur gonna slam into something and get your head blown off but then at the last millisecound your out of the way and i also thought the controllers were very responsive too. Overall: I think Criterion have done a fab job of creating one of the best games ever to be played since the launch of the PS2. Burnout 3 is definately in the league of games like GTA:Vice City,Halo,Half Life,Far Cry and there isnt any competition in the genre of racing games

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"Drive3r reviewed Burnout 3: Takedown for the PlayStation 2..." was posted by Drive3r on Mon, 27 Sep 2004 14:48:27 -0700

Drive3r reviewed Far Cry for the PC...

Mon, 27 Sep 2004 13:36:49 -0700

...and gave it a 10.0!!!

The basic storyline of the game is that you are this ex-CIA agent and you now give people tours around really creepy islands and your stuck on one now and have to save yourself and a girl who came along with you. Graphics: The best graphics i have ever seen in any PC Game especially the water detail.The downside to this though is that you will most probably have to upgrade your systme to even think of playing it on the high detail mode. Sound: Nothing too impressive. The basic sound of guns is quite good and overall the game sounds quite nice keeping in mind the background music. Gameplay: Thankfully there isnt any lag in the mouse and evertyhing works well. Nothing too over the top you have your standard gameplay mechanics. Overall: Although the game might be very fun to play and has a lot of eye candy it can sometimes be really frustrating trying to kill something or someone. I mean you could fire two cartridges into a guys chest but he would still be able to move around and shoot you. Also the later levels get really tough with the really big monsters who all come in packs. But anyway, awsome game and anyone with even the slightest interest in FPS games should give this one a try.

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"Drive3r reviewed Far Cry for the PC..." was posted by Drive3r on Mon, 27 Sep 2004 13:36:49 -0700