Gamer1985's GameSpot Friend's Reviews Gamer1985's GameSpot Friend's Reviews Gamer1985's GameSpot Friend's Reviews en-us Copyright (c)1995-2013 CBS Interactive. All rights reserved. http://www.gamespot.com 20 Tue, 21 May 2013 01:18:22 -0700 GameSpot Gamer1985's GameSpot Friend's Reviews http://img.gamespot.com/gamespot/shared/promos/misc/gs_logo.gif http://www.gamespot.com 135 40 Fri, 17 May 2013 08:27:42 -0700 pigfish2 reviewed Tomb Raider for the PlayStation 3... http://www.gamespot.com/tomb-raider/user-reviews/811411/platform/ps3/ ...and gave it a 9.0!

It is easy to say that hitting the reboot button is the easy option with a franchise as it enables the developers to start from scratch once more. However in reality it is a difficult task to pull off. Make it too similar to previous iterations and people will wonder why you bothered but make it too different and existing fans will be up in arms. Thankfully with Tomb Raider, Crystal Dynamics has for the most part got the balance right, albeit opting for more that's different than the same.

Being a reboot, the game casts you as a young Lara Croft setting out on her first adventure. Lara and the entire crew of the ship The Endurance are shipwrecked on the island of Yamatai and as Lara you must uncover the islands mysteries, defeat a crazed cult and find a way to escape. All in all the plot and characters are pretty generic with some clichéd dialogue at times but it is the strength of characterisation put into Lara that stands out. She begins as a naive and frightened girl but over the course of the game develops into a strong and confident woman willing to do whatever it takes to survive. Her character development is handled well and is the stand out feature of the game. Most games allow you to advance in terms of abilities and weapons but it is rare for a developer to attempt such a degree of character development. Crystal Dynamics have pulled it off though. This is helped by capable voice performance by Camilla Luddington as Lara. Of course Lara also advances in terms of abilities which are earn using skill points and weapons which can be upgraded using salvage. Just like with the development of Lara's character these are satisfying. They also enable more tasks to be completed and improved combat capability but crucially without making the game too easy as you progress.

Gameplay can be split into three main types. Firstly there is combat. Whilst not groundbreaking the cover system is well implemented and useful in what are some pretty intense firefights at times. The enemy AI is competent too with foes hiding behind cover and making themselves difficult to take down. The combat is very much like that of the Uncharted series, which Crystal Dynamics have clearly taken a number of cues from for this reboot. This can be seen in the second type of gameplay, the exploration and platforming. Lara is just as acrobatic as Nathan Drake and makes use of whatever she can to climb and explore. Jumps and climbs are easy to perform and satisfying to pull off. In another cue taken from the Uncharted series, the scenery will often collapse as Lara climbs it, leading to a scramble to hang on and grab something else. This forms part of the game's edge of your seat tone. Set pieces abound and the game maintains a fast pace as Lara rushes to escape collapsing buildings, is swept down rushing rivers and much more. This lends the game a strong cinematic feel with Lara as the heroine of the piece. The fast pace works well due to the strength of its execution but at times it could do with slowing down. This pace is occasionally broken up the third gameplay type; puzzles. I was disappointed by the lack of puzzles in the early stages of the game and whilst they do increase in number as it progresses, I still would have welcomed more to slow the game's breakneck pace at times. The puzzles that do exist require some thought but none are likely to leave you stumped for long. Overall I feel the gameplay balance is about right though and the difficulty is appropriate too. An omission that fans of the franchise might find hard to take is the lack of tombs. There are seven, short optional tombs, hidden away to find but none that are compulsory for completion. This doesn't detract from the game's quality but existing fans could be left disappointed. It is worth noting though that despite its fast pace and lack of tombs the game is surprisingly lengthy, clocking in at over ten hours.

Graphically, Tomb Raider is not spectacular but it is a good effort. The dark colours and foreboding locales instantly set the island out as a place to be feared and lighting is effectively used to enhance the sense of unease. The music is well chosen and complements the graphical choices in making you truly believe that this is a scary place that Lara is desperate to escape from. In addition to the use of sights and sounds to create a dangerous atmosphere, the game includes a large number of collectibles that flesh out the islands backstory. These are genuinely compelling to discover and extend the games already generous run time. Relics reveal the islands physical history whilst documents are used to portray the experiences of individuals who have previously had the misfortune of ending up on Yamatai. I often find collectibles to be in a game simply for the sake of making it seem to have more value but the Documents and Relics as well as GPS caches (which reveal two secret documents if you find them all) actually complement and enhance the story of the game. Tomb Raider also features online multiplayer in an attempt to further enhance the experience. It is a woefully lacklustre though. Lag is commonplace and it is quite simply boring. As an additional feature that is entirely separate of the main game it can gratefully be ignored though and does not detract from what is a top draw adventure.

Multiplayer aside, Crystal Dynamics' reboot of the Tomb Raider franchise has done what it set out to. It successfully reinvents Lara Croft with a strong level of character development and a fast paced adventure full of memorable moments. Tom Raider has been brought up to date and whilst it may take many cues from the Uncharted series it stands out as a fantastic game in its own right and re-establishes Lara Croft at gaming's top table.

Get the full article at GameSpot

"pigfish2 reviewed Tomb Raider for the PlayStation 3..." was posted by pigfish2 on Fri, 17 May 2013 08:27:42 -0700
]]> http://www.gamespot.com/tomb-raider/user-reviews/811411/platform/ps3/ Thu, 16 May 2013 20:23:03 -0700 naju890_963 reviewed Metal Slug 3 for the PlayStation 2... http://www.gamespot.com/metal-slug-3/user-reviews/811398/platform/ps2/ ...and gave it a 8.0.

Metal Slug, a series best known for it's frantic gameplay and challenging difficulty. SNK's third outing in the franchise, Metal Slug 3 is critically acclaimed and loved by many fans of the series and it's deemed to be the best game in the franchise. While I personally never played a Metal Slug game before this one, I can't deny that MS3 is incredible. Metal Slug 3 was originally released in the arcades on the NEO-GEO MVS hardware which was a dominant force in the days of the arcades. Along the years it has been ported to many different systems, including the Xbox, PC and PS2. The one I'll be reviewing is the PS2 version.

Metal Slug is a series that has always thrived on ridiculously frantic gameplay and Metal Slug 3 doesn't fail to deliver. It's as frantic as ever. It does have a few new additions since Metal Slug 2/X. While no new weapons were added, SNK brought in a couple of new vehicles. One of these vehicles is an ostrich with a machine gun mounted on it. That's why I love this game. It's just goofy, the whole series has a great sense of humour. Apart from a few changes, Metal Slug 3's gameplay is still classic Metal Slug. That's not a problem at all. Metal Slug is one of those games were it is easy to pickup but hard to master. It can really get overwhelming sometimes and death can become unavoidable. Metal Slug 3 has four playable characters, which all play and feel the same. Their's also some backstory, which I wasn't bothered to read because personally I come to Metal Slug for one thing, gameplay. But it might interest some die hard fans of the series.

Gameplay wise, MS3 is very similar to previous entries in the franchise. Almost identical actually, except for a few new mechanics. Levels can actually branch out and can be played differently each time. This adds a lot to replay value. Metal Slug is all about non stop action. I love how it keeps at it all the time and rarely let's down. Most of the time, the screen will be filled with gunfire, soldiers and gigantic bosses. Speaking of gigantic bosses, these are probably the craziest bosses you'll ever see in a 2D run and gunner. They take a lot of hits too and most of the time there are standard soldiers running with them. The bosses don't require much strategy but they are still challenging none the less. A few gimmicks are present in some levels. In a particular level if the player dies, he'll be transformed into a zombie were he is immune to gunfire but still can die if other zombies attack him. I feel like they are a worthy addition and can help break up the gameplay at times. Weapons remain unchanged but I don't feel like that's a problem because they are all fun to use. SNK compensated for that and brought in a couple new Metal Slugs.

Metal Slugs resemble tanks but way wackier. Most of them have machine guns mounted on them, but some might have some special secondary weapons. They'll offer extra protection too. There is one metal slug available for each level. Their isn't much to say about the controls, they work great for the most part but I have a small gripe with them. In one level in particular I found myself on a platform with enemy soldiers underneath me. But for some reason it doesn't allow me to shoot below me which was a real pain as I had to restart the level and take them out first before proceeding upwards. It's nothing to cry about but it did manage to bother me for a while. Graphically it looks very close to the MVS version, I personally see no difference and it's a well done port. Metal Slug features that iconic announcer, you know the one.

The soundtrack rocks too, perfectly fitting. The console versions feature two bonus modes that can be played after finishing the main game. They are fun to play for a while but I didn't find myself going back to them nearly as much as I did with the main game. I would definitely recommend this version for anyone who hasn't played Metal Slug 3 but for those who did play it, I'd see no reason to buy this version except for the bonus modes which aren't that special to begin with. Overall I found Metal Slug 3 to be fun as all hell, fans of 2D games must check this one out.

Get the full article at GameSpot

"naju890_963 reviewed Metal Slug 3 for the PlayStation 2..." was posted by naju890_963 on Thu, 16 May 2013 20:23:03 -0700
]]> http://www.gamespot.com/metal-slug-3/user-reviews/811398/platform/ps2/ Mon, 13 May 2013 22:29:00 -0700 kierwinyoung reviewed Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance for the PlayStation 3... http://www.gamespot.com/metal-gear-rising-revengeance/user-reviews/811278/platform/ps3/ ...and gave it a 9.0!

After spending allot of time to finish them games and unlockables.
MGR is one helluva spin-off for Metal Gear franchise. I know allot of people likes Snake better than Raiden, aside from Snake gets more game than Raiden. Raiden only has one game, MGS2:Sons of Liberty. from that game, MGS is really step up from MGS1.
So MGR is really great for Raiden. He get's his own game.
To the game!
The Graphics were really great, especially slicing those enemies. but I just don't get it, the Codec looks like it's obvious that they're lip singing. anyway the gameplay graphics is top notch. the slow mo effect adds the ass kicking awesomeness.
As for the Sounds well the sword swings are cool, really big fan of Cyborg Samurai. What I really got addicted to, is the Battle songs. when enemies attack you and the soundtrack comes off. you know it's ass kicking time.
For Gameplay: The Klassic beat 'em up never made me bored, but MGR has that unique stuff that even Dante don't have, it's the Zandatsu the Skill that Raiden pulls out that really satisfies your killing desire. although some part of it is annoying when you pull the trick off near a wall, you'll see nothing but wall. but pull it off in multiple enemies and in open grounds..... yeah, it's Raiden's Lightning bolt powers.
The boss battle is also really bad ass, I mean those quick times and cut scenes, mixed with awesome Boss Theme. all the boss has a never dull moment.

Get the full article at GameSpot

]]> http://www.gamespot.com/metal-gear-rising-revengeance/user-reviews/811278/platform/ps3/ Sun, 12 May 2013 21:00:59 -0700 -HaloHitman- reviewed The Walking Dead: A Telltale Games Series for the Xbox 360... http://www.gamespot.com/the-walking-dead-a-telltale-games-series/user-reviews/811245/platform/xbox360/ ...and gave it a 9.0!

Let me start off by saying I'm not a fan of The Walking Dead t.v. series. But when I heard about how great this game is and that its not based on the show but the comics I was intrigued. I was immediately hooked. You play as Lee a many whose story slowly unravels as the series progresses, he then meets a little girl named Clementine. Before you know it they must rely on each other in the zombie apocalypse. This game is more interactive than you might think. The point and click adventure format makes it more story-driven and interesting. Throughout the game Lee has to make some tough choices that impact the outcome of the episode or series. This can sometimes be extremely challenging, yet rewarding. With that it may require multiply play throughs just to see the outcome of your choices.
The Walking Dead is really emotionally draining, as the story progresses and choosing your actions, it pulls on you in a emotional level that makes you feel exhausted, especially towards the end.
The game has a few problems though. Like ever survival horror game, it has some of the same tropes, I wont give examples because they would be spoilers, but there are a few that make you yell "Oh come on, really!" The graphics look really good for an arcade game especially with the cell shading, but textures can sometimes pop in and out. Another thing is the load times. If you get the complete series on disc, the load times are long and the gameplay can be laggy sometimes. I'm sure if you directly downloaded it from Live, PSN, or Steam, I'm sure it runs faster.
The Walking Dead is a breath of fresh air, especially from all those shooters out there, if you have the chance check out this amazing game.

Get the full article at GameSpot

]]> http://www.gamespot.com/the-walking-dead-a-telltale-games-series/user-reviews/811245/platform/xbox360/ Sun, 12 May 2013 20:43:38 -0700 -HaloHitman- reviewed LEGO The Lord of the Rings for the Xbox 360... http://www.gamespot.com/lego-the-lord-of-the-rings/user-reviews/811244/platform/xbox360/ ...and gave it a 8.5.

Just like every other game, LEGO Lord of the Rings is just plain fun. If you have played various other LEGO games you will realize that it is the same year after year, kind of like Call of Duty. Except LEGO games have a different story each time, with different elements that don't feel the same.
This time you are playing through the entire LotR trilogy, the only downside to this is that the story length is pretty short, but that is made up for the detailed LEGO world of Middle Earth that you can free roam and find various missions, items, treasures etc. There is a lot of replay to be had with this game and I found it to be surprisingly longer than any other LEGO game I have ever played.
There is also one small detail that can be a little odd. The game uses the audio and dialogue from the movies. So when the characters talk its exactly the same as from the movies. It takes you out of the game at first because it doesn't match LEGO characters, but after a while you get used to it, and forget about it.
Overall this game is extremely fun and worth playing for any fan of the LEGO series or LotR.

Get the full article at GameSpot

"-HaloHitman- reviewed LEGO The Lord of the Rings for the Xbox 360..." was posted by -HaloHitman- on Sun, 12 May 2013 20:43:38 -0700
]]> http://www.gamespot.com/lego-the-lord-of-the-rings/user-reviews/811244/platform/xbox360/ Sat, 11 May 2013 00:09:48 -0700 SR71halo reviewed BioShock Infinite for the Xbox 360... http://www.gamespot.com/bioshock-infinite/user-reviews/811196/platform/xbox360/ ...and gave it a 9.0!

Creating a follow up to a game as immerse and sophisticated as the original Bioshock is no easy task. How could you recreate that atmosphere and gameplay that stunned millions almost 6 years ago? Well, when the third game in the series, Bioshock Infinite, was announced, we were in just as much awe as we were when the first game was introduced. Unfortunately, the game was delayed several times and gamers were left waiting for this highly anticipated sequel. Now that it's out, does Bioshock Infinite live up to the high standards of the original? Short answer: yes. Long answer: eh, let's take a look anyway...

Taking place in the year 1912, you play as Booker Dewitt; a private investigator with a mysterious past and one mission; "get the girl and wipe away the debt". However, the girl and this "debt" remain a mystery at the beginning. You start the game at a mysterious lighthouse in the middle of the ocean. Upon entering this lighthouse, you find a chair at the top, which you are then strapped to and sent sky high (literally) to Columbia, a flying city. This fine city was founded by Comstock, whom everyone here seems to refer to as "The Prophet", and it seems like a friendly city at first, but you will find that it holds many dark secrets as you progress.

I hate to stop talking about the story there, but that's because the best part about Infinite is its remarkable story telling. It lures you in with its mysterious characters and setting and everything plays out perfectly at the end. It's just one of those plots that keeps you guessing throughout the whole game which instantly peaks your curiosity of what happens next. Of course, if you played the original, you know how well Irrational can pull off that "WTF" moment very well, and that moment here is no different. In fact, the twist is made even less obvious here. The ending will also leave an impression on you and will keep you thinking long after the credits role, that to me is a sign of good storytelling. Bioshock Infinite's story is absolutely fascinating, to the point where it deserves to be called one of the best told stories in video game history. The atmosphere, characters, and setting all compliment one another to give you one though provoking story that you will never forget.

The story is also accompanied by its brilliant presentation in both the art style and the environment around you. The city of Columbia looks so breathtaking, you'll want to explore and soak it all in. What makes it more interesting is that the city actually changes as you progress the story. It starts off all beautiful and innocent but then that beauty fades and you're left with a darker, war torn city in the sky, just to keep your excitement and curiosity high. The first Bioshock set the bar high with its tremendous atmosphere and visuals, it's nice to know that Infinite looks and feels just as good.

The gameplay remains true to the original Bioshock's formula. It has no set pieces like most military shooters, but that doesn't mean it's lacking on the action. Of course, being an FPS, the gameplay naturally involves pointing your gun and shooting. Of course you get a selection of weaponry like the machine gun, pistol, sniper rifle, rocket launcher, carbine, shotgun, grenade launcher, etc. The shooting is intense at times though it plays out like most FPS'. However, like the first game, you also have vigors to help you out (known in the first game as "plasmids"). Each vigor has different advantages like one that possesses enemies to fight in your favor or the one that sends crows at your enemies and distracts them. As you progress, you can use the money you find to upgrade your vigors (or weapons for that matter) so that they can do secondary attacks like using them to set traps. The vigors are fun to play around with but using them will eat up your vigor pool, which can be replenished by finding salts. This means that if you run out in the middle of battle, you'll have to resort on your gunplay more.

The gameplay is as fun as always but for the most part, there isn't much new when regarding gunplay. However, there are two gameplay elements that really help mix things up a bit. The first is the addition of the sky lines all throughout Columbia. Upon jumping on one, you're in for one hell of a roller coaster ride. You can attach and ride these rails to either travel from one spot to another or use it to your advantage during combat; either by making you a more difficult target (while firing at them from above at the same time) or using them to reach vantage points. Riding on these rails is always a thrill, whether you're traveling or just messing around.

The second element that really makes this game feel unique is your new trusted companion; Elizabeth ("the girl" I mentioned earlier). Storywise, Elizabeth is a well rounded and interesting character who holds a dark secret. Gameplay wise, she's the biggest advantage you got. She can't wield a gun and give you covering fire but what she can do is throw you ammo or salts if you're running low, or even health should you really need it. That's not all though, for she also has this mysterious ability to "tear" which involves opening doorways or portals. These tears can open up many elements that can give you the upper hand, from cover and rocket sentries to hooks to jump on for vantage points or even crates of ammo. The best part is Elizabeth never feels like she's holding you back or that you have to constantly babysit or protect her on a regular basis. She stays out of enemy fire just fine and can look after herself while you're busy trying to save your own hide. Outside of battle, she's also helpful for picking locks and finding you loot. Luckily, the AI has no trouble following close behind you and never gets stuck. Having this competent partner with you really adds to the gameplay and she can even be the deciding factor in every combat situation she's in.

However, as excellent as this game is, it isn't without a few flaws. First of all, there is only a two weapon limit this time. This isn't such a big issue in games like Halo where having two weapons works with split up levels and adds strategy to the multiplayer. For Infinite, none of that matters (open ended and no multiplayer) and having only two weapons when the first game let you carry many is a drag. Not to mention the game is a bit on the easy side. There is a little more punishment for dying by losing your money, unlike the first game which hardly gave you any punishment, but I highly recommend playing this game on hard if you have experience with FPS games before. Normal is too easy.

In 2007, Irrational set the bar with a well told story, unique visuals and fun gameplay with the original Bioshock. In 2013, they may have just reached that bar once again and showed other FPS devs how it's done. The gunplay may not seem spectacular but the extra elements it adds to the combat, like sky lines and Elizabeth, do. If there's one thing the developers did outdo themselves in, it would be the amazing story of Booker Dewitt and Elizabeth with a jaw dropping ending that will keep you thinking long after you're done, and you will want to play through it again. Bioshock Infinite is more than an impressive game, it's an experience that you should never miss.

Get the full article at GameSpot

"SR71halo reviewed BioShock Infinite for the Xbox 360..." was posted by SR71halo on Sat, 11 May 2013 00:09:48 -0700
]]> http://www.gamespot.com/bioshock-infinite/user-reviews/811196/platform/xbox360/ Tue, 07 May 2013 15:08:22 -0700 WTA2k5 reviewed BioShock Infinite for the Xbox 360... http://www.gamespot.com/bioshock-infinite/user-reviews/811097/platform/xbox360/ ...and gave it a 8.5.

Who dares doesn't always win, apparently. BioShock Infinite is a game that far too often goes only halfway in realizing its many grand ambitions. It dares to speak on ever-relevant issues of racism, classism, and nationalism, but in an odd twist of irony, it marginalizes these plot elements that, in the real world, often lead to oppression and marginalization to instead focus on some good old-fashioned mind-bending speculative science fiction. It admirably deigns to not fall back on jarring cutscenes, but predicates most of its major mechanics on familiar shooting structures, leaving most of its truly affecting moments to be navigated through singular button-presses, that is, if you are given the opportunity to have any real input in these moments in the first place. It wants you to lose yourself in the visually engrossing but philosophically abhorrent world of Columbia, but many of the floating city's major players are paper-thin caricatures, and the game's wealth of audiologs feels cheaper and more overly-convenient than ever.

Still, it must be said that the fact that Infinite even partly accomplishes any of the tasks that it sets out for itself is hugely impressive. Considering many games have difficulties spicing up even the most rote shooting mechanics, unleash a deluge of cutscenes and quicktime events on players at every possible opportunity, and often struggle to not, themselves, be racist, BioShock Infinite stands out as an important step forward for big budget games that strive for serious artistry and drama. Irrational's latest isn't the gaming medium's magnum opus of cultural expression that one might expect given the game's self-serious artistic posturing, and huge critical acclaim, but it's still an utterly important release, and a damn good one too.

This is because there are plenty of things that Infinite gets totally right. The game's astounding audiovisual presentation is perhaps the foremost place to start. The game doesn't overtly flex any technical wizardry in the way an id or Crytek release might, but its sheer artistic splendor makes it one of the very best looking games of this console generation. At the root of this is no doubt the game's stellar environment, which ranks among the pantheon of gaming's greatest settings.

In the game's opening hour, players are slowly, calmly introduced to the seeming utopia of Columbia, an opulent, sun-drenched city above the clouds defined by exaggerated American expressions. Bright, idyllic gardens surround grand Palladian building; a peaceful stillness remains pervasive even through bustling storefronts and chatting citizens, only to occasionally be interrupted by enticing music selections (seriously, pay attention to this game's soundtrack), or - as players will encounter soon after arrival - a gleeful carnival complete with silly games and booming fireworks.

The game is wise to devote such a long period of time to simply navigating and luxuriating in its enticing environment, as Columbia is a true marvel that demonstrates the fact that Infinite's surely ungodly budget was put to good use - Irrational's hugely talented art team seems to have been truly unleashed. And though the game reserves for itself a few more simple moments of quietude, players will also soon discover their chief motivation for the rip-roaring action that consumes the vast majority of Infinite's running time.

Lead by the self-righteous and disturbed Father Comstock, most of Columbia's denizens have adopted a worldview that takes notions of American Exceptionalism to ridiculous but no less frightening extremes. Here, other religions have been extinguished in favor of a faith that idealizes America's founding fathers, as well as Comstock and his family, and all but the Anglo-Saxon adherents to this dogma are marginalized, reviled and exploited. This, as you might imagine, is causing some problems within the floating city, and tensions continually escalate from the moment you arrive.

But don't ready your spinning skyhook just yet, as there's quite a bit to dissect with this hefty plot setup. As mentioned before, Infinite has no qualms about diving headfirst into seemingly risky storytelling territory. But, much like the original BioShock's awkward and contradictory critique of Randian Objectivism, Infinite handles its set of sociopolitical critiques in a rather bumbling, heavy-handed, and ultimately ineffective way. For most of the game, these heavy themes of discrimination are mostly shock with little substance. Early on, for example, players will find themselves in the headquarters of The Fraternal Order of the Raven, an environment whose every last bit of iconography - including statues of John Wilkes Boothe, and enemies garbed in darkened Klu Klux Klan robes - spews bigoted filth. Troubling, to be sure, but this environment is never explored to a satisfactory degree in a narrative context. We are never told what drove the Order's members to this disgusting mindset, or what function it plays in Columbian society as a whole; instead we're instructed to simply tear through the environment, dismembering every racist we can find. Indeed, almost every one of the game's on-the-nose explorations of racism and jingoism seems to exist as more out of a desire to simply justify Infinite's absurd level of bombastic violence than a willingness to earnestly and cerebrally comment on these weighty issues.

It's a true shame, but again, the fact that the game is willing to go to these dark places in an upfront and confrontational manner when most games dodge around similar issues or make heavy use of metaphor and allegory in order to indirectly speak on them is commendable, even if it keeps Infinite's apparent daring from being something to truly celebrate.

But there is a second major component of Infinite's ideological critique, one that is much more subtly woven throughout the game, and one that ultimately cuts much deeper. Forgiveness and rebirth, in regards to its inherent inclusion in many major religions, is relentlessly examined and scrutinized over the course of the campaign in some truly unsettling ways. This side of the game's narrative might be so uncomfortable, in fact, as to offend adherents to the faiths that Infinite draws some heavily parallels to with its own disturbing belief system. The fact, however, that these themes aren't merely dabbled in, as are the game's superficial commentaries discrimination, but rather made absolutely integral to the core narrative and explored fully and fearlessly leads Infinite, in this instance, to fully live up to its grandiose goals. This is the moment where Infinite's narrative triumphs, and I can only hope that more games follow in its footsteps in bringing to light serious thematic content in a more direct manner, as can be seen so often in other media yet so rarely within video games.

Alright, here's where you can start revving up your skyhook. As he progresses through the carnival that greets him as he first steps foot in Columbia, Booker DeWitt, the game's playable and decidedly not-mute protagonist, begins to fully unravel the noxious worldview of Columbia's inhabitants. On his way towards a strange raffle that serves as the fair's main event, Comstock's voice booms over a loudspeaker, warning the citizens of Columbia about the arrival of the False Prophet, a man who has the letters "AD" burned into his right hand. Sure enough, our anti-hero holds his hand up to reveal that exact marking. And sure enough, during this eerie raffle event, the Columbians take notice of the mark, and Booker DeWitt swiftly digs a spinning hookblade into the skull of the first police officer that attempts to apprehend him.

With this, BioShock Infinite reveals its heavy emphasis on twitchy shooter gameplay and ridiculous amounts of gore. Engaging in the game's slick shooting mechanics feels no different than it might in the latest Call of Duty game; guns have a fantastic sense of weight to them and the responsiveness and ingenuity of the game's heads-up display ensures steady environmental awareness despite the over-the-top freneticism of many of the game's combat sequences. But where Infinite's combat truly shines is in its surprising mechanical density. Vigors that grant Booker special powers like the ability to shoot electricity from his fingertips or absorb bullets and toss them right back at foes serve as the first extra layering. For those familiar with the series, these powers might seem quite like the Plasmids introduced in the first BioShock, and though they do perform the same function, they're implemented in a far more balanced way in Infinite than they are in its predecessors; they're powerful and readily available but must be dealt out conservatively, as the mana pool they run on is rather restrictive.

But as gleefully destructive as they can be, Vigors are decidedly uninteresting in the face of Infinite's more inspired new mechanics. Booker's ability to latch onto the aerial Skylines running throughout Columbia is perhaps the most mind-blowing gameplay feature of them all. Though the mechanic seemed rather unbelievable during its first E3 showing a couple years ago, it speaks to the ingenuity of the game's level design that fluidly navigating Skylines that weave throughout many of the game's rather conspicuous battle arenas while taking shots at enemies, a potentially disorienting feat, becomes effortless after only a few encounters. The verticality and freedom of movement this system grants the game is awe-inspiring, and almost attaches a sense of childlike wonder to the act of mass-murdering racists.

For the first few hours of gameplay, these are the mechanics that Booker is limited to. It's during this time that he seeks to accomplish a seemingly simple direction mandated by a mysterious client: "Give us the girl, and wipe away the debt." Though this phrase ends up holding more significance than an uninitiated player could possibly know, it nonetheless serves as the impetus for finding Elizabeth, a young woman whose power to tear holes in the space-time continuum has, perhaps expectedly, lead her to be sequestered on the looming, Statue of Liberty-esque research facility, Monument Island.

So, as one might expect, this ability of hers adds more than a few layers of complexity to what might've otherwise been a rather straightforward plot. As the extent of her powers is gradually revealed, a suitably mind-bending narrative begins to form that comments, among other things, on the frail nature of identity and the profound ways in which a single choice can influence personhood, for better or worse. Though the introduction of converging space-time might seem to risk devolving the story into an Inception-esque exercise in overly complex authorial self-indulgence, BioShock Infinite uses this storytelling conceit to build a truly tragedian narrative.

But Elizabeth isn't merely a means for crafting a brain-melting metaphysical storyline. Nor is Booker DeWitt a stupefied on-looker who hails from the same lineage of horribly flat shooter protagonists as Gordon Freeman, or Corvo Attano. They are both memorable characters whose defined personalities infuse the plot's affecting tragedy with a true sense of humanity. Elizabeth, on one hand, starts out as a surprisingly cultured and self-aware inversion of the classic damsel-in-distress trope, and her evolution over the course of the game's ten- to twelve-hour campaign is astonishingly well-paced and believable. Her exaggerated features and expressive animations that pay homage to the distinctive style Grim Natwick invented for Disney solidify her as one of the most memorable and empathetic characters in gaming. DeWitt, by contrast, is predominately a closed-book, limiting himself to practical, yet charismatic antics strongly reminiscent of classic swashbucklers like Han Solo until his dark past is fully revealed during the final act. When that happens, he extends far beyond his narrative role as a foil to Elizabeth, and the resulting revelations cut to the bone. Major compliments are due to Troy Baker and Courtnee Draper, who faultlessly brings this odd couple to life even through all the mind-blowing turns the story takes.

The duo also serve as a great team during Infinite's huge combat sequences. Though Booker, as mentioned before, is in charge of most of the direct combat, Elizabeth is a key ingredient in what makes the game's massive shootouts so dazzling. Most significantly, she uses her ability to alter time and space to bring objects into the battlefields that didn't previously exist. Asking for a wall of cover to hide behind when a dozen enemies are facing you down, or perhaps a Skyhook that lets you access a sniper perch adds an exciting tactical dynamism to combat that feels especially important considering the sheer number of foes the game throws at you. Since you can only select one object to tear in at a time, more heated battles require a constant mindfulness and economization of Elizabeth's power that is as exhilaratingly strategic as the best of tactical shooters.

A smaller, but no less genius touch is the fact that Elizabeth tosses you mana and ammo when it feels clutch. Even when it becomes obvious that she's scripted to do so whenever your resources are running low, the notion that an AI is looking out for you is relentlessly fulfilling, especially in a game that constructs a scenario that might've so easily fallen into the dreaded escort-mission trap. Indeed, going back to other first-person shooters has become tough, as Elizabeth is not just a delightful companion in a narrative sense, but she's also integral to the satisfaction of Infinite's moment-to-moment combat proceedings.

Each of the augments to the core shooting experience are satisfying in their own right, but once they all start working in tandem, Infinite's combat scenarios reach the upper-echelon of FPS sublimation. Not since Half-Life 2 has a shooter married pulse-pounding twitch thrills to a deeply strategic core so seamlessly, and while leaving so much room for experimentation. The gritty sound design that punctuates the action is equally superb; a combination of abrasive string stabs, impactful weapon sound effects and some truly horrifying enemy damage reactions unfailingly sell you on the weighty ferocity of the mayhem you cause.

All this, of course, sounds amazing, and on some level it truly is. But consider this: for all its fast-paced entertainment, Infinite's combat never fully works. In a mechanical sense, it's pretty much as polished as can be, but the game's massive amount of carnage doesn't quite work within the context of the story. In fact, story and gameplay don't feel merged at all. While there's a fair amount of narrative justification for the heavy degree of violence, the fact that shooting people and ripping their heads of with a spinning hook is pretty much Booker's only way of interacting with the world undercuts much of the arresting emotionality of Infinite's narrative.

Highlighting this problem is the fact that many of the game's most powerful moments either preclude player input, or limit interactivity to the push of a single button. Elizabeth's ability to tear holes in the space-time continuum, for example, may have been the basis for some ingenious puzzle solving and narrative interaction, but players are instead left to simply push a button to demand entry into a new reality where they can proceed to shoot more people in the face. Again, this feels like BioShock Infinite going only halfway in bringing its many fantastic ideas to life; some truly inventive mechanical structures may have been borne out of the game's central narrative conceits, but Irrational has disappointingly opted to instead rely on more comfortable and pre-established action gameplay.

This disconnect is furthered by the game's odd focus on scavenging between each firefight. While the opportunity to really dig into and appreciate each environment, as well as get a break from the nearly nonstop action is welcome, the context of the narrative doesn't really support these detours either. Booker's mission is given an impactful sense of urgency, so the fact that the game encourages you to stop down for long stretches of time to eat random food items littered about and try to uncover Columbia's many secrets is rather off-putting. Early on, for instance, Elizabeth finds herself in immediate danger. An objective indicator flashes on-screen telling you to go rescue her, yet you find yourself surrounded by lootable objects designated by a pulsating golden glow. Of all the moments to try and fish pieces of cake out of a trashcan, this may be the least opportune, but Infinite's structure, which evidently values narrative over gameplay in terms of pacing and logic, continues to tempt you astray regardless. This might all seem a bit nitpicky, but considering the fact that Infinite is so intent on being treated as a significant work of art, these small annoyances can't be ignored, as they gradually undermine the meaning the game tries so hard to construct for itself.

BioShock Infinite is a game worth any mature player's while, but it has come at an unfortunate time. Within the past year alone, the industry has been treated to games like Spec Ops: The Line, The Walking Dead, and Hotline Miami, just a few titles that are capable of eloquently and expertly exploring dark themes while being cognizant of their respective mechanics' impact on the narratives they try to weave, making a game like Infinite - one that never fully accounts for the ways in which its gameplay influences the meaning and effectiveness of its story - seem a bit clumsy by comparison. David Jaffe, the brilliant designer behind games like God of War and Twisted Metal once deemed the relationship between gameplay and narrative as being like the combination of "chocolate and tunafish." I would argue that this claim isn't necessarily true, and games like Spec Ops are perfect demonstrations as to why that is. In the case of Infinite, however, Jaffe's argument has a haunting validity. But take heart, the chocolate that is BioShock Infinite's gameplay and the tunafish that is its story are pretty much premium grade when enjoyed separately. Just accept the fact that the combination is going to taste a little odd and find something to savor within it.

Get the full article at GameSpot

"WTA2k5 reviewed BioShock Infinite for the Xbox 360..." was posted by WTA2k5 on Tue, 07 May 2013 15:08:22 -0700
]]> http://www.gamespot.com/bioshock-infinite/user-reviews/811097/platform/xbox360/ Tue, 07 May 2013 13:42:46 -0700 WTA2k5 reviewed BioShock Infinite for the PlayStation 3... http://www.gamespot.com/bioshock-infinite/user-reviews/811095/platform/ps3/ ...and gave it a 8.5.

Who dares doesn't always win, apparently. BioShock Infinite is a game that far too often goes only halfway in realizing its many grand ambitions. It dares to speak on ever-relevant issues of racism, classism, and nationalism, but in an odd twist of irony, it marginalizes these plot elements that, in the real world, often lead to oppression and marginalization to instead focus on some good old-fashioned mind-bending speculative science fiction. It admirably deigns to not fall back on jarring cutscenes, but predicates most of its major mechanics on familiar shooting structures, leaving most of its truly affecting moments to be navigated through singular button-presses, that is, if you are given the opportunity to have any real input in these moments in the first place. It wants you to lose yourself in the visually engrossing but philosophically abhorrent world of Columbia, but many of the floating city's major players are paper-thin caricatures, and the game's wealth of audiologs feels cheaper and more overly-convenient than ever.

Still, it must be said that the fact that Infinite even partly accomplishes any of the tasks that it sets out for itself is hugely impressive. Considering have huge difficulties spicing up even the most rote shooting mechanics, unleash a deluge of cutscenes and quicktime events on players at every possible opportunity, and often struggle to not, themselves, be racist, BioShock Infinite stands out as an important step forward for big budget games that strive for serious artistry and drama. Irrational's latest isn't the gaming medium's magnum opus of cultural expression that one might expect given the game's self-serious artistic posturing, and huge critical acclaim, but it's still an utterly important release, and a damn good one too.

This is because there are plenty of things that Infinite gets totally right. The game's astounding audiovisual presentation is perhaps the foremost place to start. The game doesn't overtly flex any technical wizardry in the way an id or Crytek release might, but its sheer artistic splendor makes it one of the very best looking games of this console generation. At the root of this is no doubt the game's stellar environment, which ranks among the pantheon of gaming's greatest settings.

In the game's opening hour, players are slowly, calmly introduced to the seeming utopia of Columbia, an opulent, sun-drenched city above the clouds defined by exaggerated American expressions. Bright, idyllic gardens surround grand Palladian building; a peaceful stillness remains pervasive even through bustling storefronts and chatting citizens, only to occasionally be interrupted by enticing music selections (seriously, pay attention to this game's soundtrack), or - as players will encounter soon after arrival - a gleeful carnival complete with silly games and booming fireworks.

The game is wise to devote such a long period of time to simply navigating and luxuriating in its enticing environment, as Columbia is a true marvel that demonstrates the fact that Infinite's surely ungodly budget was put to good use - Irrational's hugely talented art team seems to have been truly unleashed. And though the game reserves for itself a few more simple moments of quietude, players will also soon discover their chief motivation for the rip-roaring action that consumes the vast majority of Infinite's running time.

Lead by the self-righteous and disturbed Father Comstock, most of Columbia's denizens have adopted a worldview that takes notions of American Exceptionalism to ridiculous but no less frightening extremes. Here, other religions have been extinguished in favor of a faith that idealizes America's founding fathers, as well as Comstock and his family, and all but the Anglo-Saxon adherents to this dogma are marginalized, reviled and exploited. This, as you might imagine, is causing some problems within the floating city, and tensions continually escalate from the moment you arrive.

But don't ready your spinning skyhook just yet, as there's quite a bit to dissect with this hefty plot setup. As mentioned before, Infinite has no qualms about diving headfirst into seemingly risky storytelling territory. But, much like the original BioShock's awkward and contradictory critique of Randian Objectivism, Infinite handles its set of sociopolitical critiques in a rather bumbling, heavy-handed, and ultimately ineffective way. For most of the game, these heavy themes of discrimination are mostly shock with little substance. Early on, for example, players will find themselves in the headquarters of The Fraternal Order of the Raven, an environment whose every last bit of iconography - including statues of John Wilkes Boothe, and enemies garbed in darkened Klu Klux Klan robes - spews bigoted filth. Troubling, to be sure, but this environment is never explored to a satisfactory degree in a narrative context. We are never told what drove the Order's members to this disgusting mindset, or what function it plays in Columbian society as a whole; instead we're instructed to simply tear through the environment, dismembering every racist we can find. Indeed, almost every one of the game's on-the-nose explorations of racism and jingoism seems to exist as more out of a desire to simply justify Infinite's absurd level of bombastic violence than a willingness to earnestly and cerebrally comment on these weighty issues.

It's a true shame, but again, the fact that the game is willing to go to these dark places in an upfront and confrontational manner when most games dodge around similar issues or make heavy use of metaphor and allegory in order to indirectly speak on them is commendable, even if it keeps Infinite's apparent daring from being something to truly celebrate.

But there is a second major component of Infinite's ideological critique, one that is much more subtly woven throughout the game, and one that ultimately cuts much deeper. Forgiveness and rebirth, in regards to its inherent inclusion in many major religions, is relentlessly examined and scrutinized over the course of the campaign in some truly unsettling ways. This side of the game's narrative might be so uncomfortable, in fact, as to offend adherents to the faiths that Infinite draws some heavily parallels to with its own disturbing belief system. The fact, however, that these themes aren't merely dabbled in, as are the game's superficial commentaries discrimination, but rather made absolutely integral to the core narrative and explored fully and fearlessly leads Infinite, in this instance, to fully live up to its grandiose goals. This is the moment where Infinite's narrative triumphs, and I can only hope that more games follow in its footsteps in bringing to light serious thematic content in a more direct manner, as can be seen so often in other media yet so rarely within video games.

Alright, here's where you can start revving up your skyhook. As he progresses through the carnival that greets him as he first steps foot in Columbia, Booker DeWitt, the game's playable and decidedly not-mute protagonist, begins to fully unravel the noxious worldview of Columbia's inhabitants. On his way towards a strange raffle that serves as the fair's main event, Comstock's voice booms over a loudspeaker, warning the citizens of Columbia about the arrival of the False Prophet, a man who has the letters "AD" burned into his right hand. Sure enough, our anti-hero holds his hand up to reveal that exact marking. And sure enough, during this eerie raffle event, the Columbians take notice of the mark, and Booker DeWitt swiftly digs a spinning hookblade into the skull of the first police officer that attempts to apprehend him.

With this, BioShock Infinite reveals its heavy emphasis on twitchy shooter gameplay and ridiculous amounts of gore. Engaging in the game's slick shooting mechanics feels no different than it might in the latest Call of Duty game; guns have a fantastic sense of weight to them and the responsiveness and ingenuity of the game's heads-up display ensures steady environmental awareness despite the over-the-top freneticism of many of the game's combat sequences. But where Infinite's combat truly shines is in its surprising mechanical density. Vigors that grant Booker special powers like the ability to shoot electricity from his fingertips or absorb bullets and toss them right back at foes serve as the first extra layering. For those familiar with the series, these powers might seem quite like the Plasmids introduced in the first BioShock, and though they do perform the same function, they're implemented in a far more balanced way in Infinite than they are in its predecessors; they're powerful and readily available but must be dealt out conservatively, as the mana pool they run on is rather restrictive.

But as gleefully destructive as they can be, Vigors are decidedly uninteresting in the face of Infinite's more inspired new mechanics. Booker's ability to latch onto the aerial Skylines running throughout Columbia is perhaps the most mind-blowing gameplay feature of them all. Though the mechanic seemed rather unbelievable during its first E3 showing a couple years ago, it speaks to the ingenuity of the game's level design that fluidly navigating Skylines that weave throughout many of the game's rather conspicuous battle arenas while taking shots at enemies, a potentially disorienting feat, becomes effortless after only a few encounters. The verticality and freedom of movement this system grants the game is awe-inspiring, and almost attaches a sense of childlike wonder to the act of mass-murdering racists.

For the first few hours of gameplay, these are the mechanics that Booker is limited to. It's during this time that he seeks to accomplish a seemingly simple direction mandated by a mysterious client: "Give us the girl, and wipe away the debt." Though this phrase ends up holding more significance than an uninitiated player could possibly know, it nonetheless serves as the impetus for finding Elizabeth, a young woman whose power to tear holes in the space-time continuum has, perhaps expectedly, lead her to be sequestered on the looming, Statue of Liberty-esque research facility, Monument Island.

So, as one might expect, this ability of hers adds more than a few layers of complexity to what might've otherwise been a rather straightforward plot. As the extent of her powers is gradually revealed, a suitably mind-bending narrative begins to form that comments, among other things, on the frail nature of identity and the profound ways in which a single choice can influence personhood, for better or worse. Though the introduction of converging space-time might seem to risk devolving the story into an Inception-esque exercise in overly complex authorial self-indulgence, BioShock Infinite uses this storytelling conceit to build a truly tragedian narrative.

But Elizabeth isn't merely a means for crafting a brain-melting metaphysical storyline. Nor is Booker DeWitt a stupefied on-looker who hails from the same lineage of horribly flat shooter protagonists as Gordon Freeman, or Corvo Attano. They are both memorable characters whose defined personalities infuse the plot's affecting tragedy with a true sense of humanity. Elizabeth, on one hand, starts out as a surprisingly cultured and self-aware inversion of the classic damsel-in-distress trope, and her evolution over the course of the game's ten- to twelve-hour campaign is astonishingly well-paced and believable. Her exaggerated features and expressive animations that pay homage to the distinctive style Grim Natwick invented for Disney solidify her as one of the most memorable and empathetic characters in gaming. DeWitt, by contrast, is predominately a closed-book, limiting himself to practical, yet charismatic antics strongly reminiscent of classic swashbucklers like Han Solo until his dark past is fully revealed during the final act. When that happens, he extends far beyond his narrative role as a foil to Elizabeth, and the resulting revelations cut to the bone. Major compliments are due to Troy Baker and Courtnee Draper, who faultlessly brings this odd couple to life even through all the mind-blowing turns the story takes.

The duo also serve as a great team during Infinite's huge combat sequences. Though Booker, as mentioned before, is in charge of most of the direct combat, Elizabeth is a key ingredient in what makes the game's massive shootouts so dazzling. Most significantly, she uses her ability to alter time and space to bring objects into the battlefields that didn't previously exist. Asking for a wall of cover to hide behind when a dozen enemies are facing you down, or perhaps a Skyhook that lets you access a sniper perch adds an exciting tactical dynamism to combat that feels especially important considering the sheer number of foes the game throws at you. Since you can only select one object to tear in at a time, more heated battles require a constant mindfulness and economization of Elizabeth's power that is as exhilaratingly strategic as the best of tactical shooters.

A smaller, but no less genius touch is the fact that Elizabeth tosses you mana and ammo when it feels clutch. Even when it becomes obvious that she's scripted to do so whenever your resources are running low, the notion that an AI is looking out for you is relentlessly fulfilling, especially in a game that constructs a scenario that might've so easily fallen into the dreaded escort-mission trap. Indeed, going back to other first-person shooters has become tough, as Elizabeth is not just a delightful companion in a narrative sense, but she's also integral to the satisfaction of Infinite's moment-to-moment combat proceedings.

Each of the augments to the core shooting experience are satisfying in their own right, but once they all start working in tandem, Infinite's combat scenarios reach the upper-echelon of FPS sublimation. Not since Half-Life 2 has a shooter married pulse-pounding twitch thrills to a deeply strategic core so seamlessly, and while leaving so much room for experimentation. The gritty sound design that punctuates the action is equally superb; a combination of abrasive string stabs, impactful weapon sound effects and some truly horrifying enemy damage reactions unfailingly sell you on the weighty ferocity of the mayhem you cause.

All this, of course, sounds amazing, and on some level it truly is. But consider this: for all its fast-paced entertainment, Infinite's combat never fully works. In a mechanical sense, it's pretty much as polished as can be, but the game's massive amount of carnage doesn't quite work within the context of the story. In fact, story and gameplay don't feel merged at all. While there's a fair amount of narrative justification for the heavy degree of violence, the fact that shooting people and ripping their heads of with a spinning hook is pretty much Booker's only way of interacting with the world undercuts much of the arresting emotionality of Infinite's narrative.

Highlighting this problem is the fact that many of the game's most powerful moments either preclude player input, or limit interactivity to the push of a single button. Elizabeth's ability to tear holes in the space-time continuum, for example, may have been the basis for some ingenious puzzle solving and narrative interaction, but players are instead left to simply push a button to demand entry into a new reality where they can proceed to shoot more people in the face. Again, this feels like BioShock Infinite going only halfway in bringing its many fantastic ideas to life; some truly inventive mechanical structures may have been borne out of the game's central narrative conceits, but Irrational has disappointingly opted to instead rely on more comfortable and pre-established action gameplay.

This disconnect is furthered by the game's odd focus on scavenging between each firefight. While the opportunity to really dig into and appreciate each environment, as well as get a break from the nearly nonstop action is welcome, the context of the narrative doesn't really support these detours either. Booker's mission is given an impactful sense of urgency, so the fact that the game encourages you to stop down for long stretches of time to eat random food items littered about and try to uncover Columbia's many secrets is rather off-putting. Early on, for instance, Elizabeth finds herself in immediate danger. An objective indicator flashes on-screen telling you to go rescue her, yet you find yourself surrounded by lootable objects designated by a pulsating golden glow. Of all the moments to try and fish pieces of cake out of a trashcan, this may be the least opportune, but Infinite's structure, which evidently values narrative over gameplay in terms of pacing and logic, continues to tempt you astray regardless. This might all seem a bit nitpicky, but considering the fact that Infinite is so intent on being treated as a significant work of art, these small annoyances can't be ignored, as they gradually undermine the meaning the game tries so hard to construct for itself.

BioShock Infinite is a game worth any mature player's while, but it has come at an unfortunate time. Within the past year alone, the industry has been treated to games like Spec Ops: The Line, The Walking Dead, and Hotline Miami, just a few titles that are capable of eloquently and expertly exploring dark themes while being cognizant of their respective mechanics' impact on the narratives they try to weave, making a game like Infinite - one that never fully accounts for the ways in which its gameplay influences the meaning and effectiveness of its story - seem a bit clumsy by comparison. David Jaffe, the brilliant designer behind games like God of War and Twisted Metal once deemed the relationship between gameplay and narrative as being like the combination of "chocolate and tunafish." I would argue that this claim isn't necessarily true, and games like Spec Ops are perfect demonstrations as to why that is. In the case of Infinite, however, Jaffe's argument has a haunting validity. But take heart, the chocolate that is BioShock Infinite's gameplay and the tunafish that is its story are pretty much premium grade when enjoyed separately. Just accept the fact that the combination is to taste a little odd and find something to savor within it.

Get the full article at GameSpot

"WTA2k5 reviewed BioShock Infinite for the PlayStation 3..." was posted by WTA2k5 on Tue, 07 May 2013 13:42:46 -0700
]]> http://www.gamespot.com/bioshock-infinite/user-reviews/811095/platform/ps3/ Sat, 04 May 2013 14:48:51 -0700 SR71halo reviewed Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon for the 3DS... http://www.gamespot.com/luigis-mansion-dark-moon/user-reviews/811009/platform/3ds/ ...and gave it a 8.5.

It must be rough being Luigi. Always following in his brother's foot steps, Luigi was usually portrayed as the cowardly sidekick who always relies on Mario to hog the spotlight and save the day. Well, he was finally given his own game.....on the NES, which stunk, but then he got a second chance in a ghost catching game on the Gamecube, which didn't. The first Luigi's Mansion was definitely an odd choice to throw this cowardly anxious sidekick into, but luckily it ended up being incredibly fun and a good example of what the system can do. It took only 12 years, but Nintendo finally decided to give us some more ghost catching goodness with a sequel; Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon for the Nintendo 3DS. Now the question is; was it truly worth the long wait for a second helping?

The game begins in a place called "Evershade Valley," where Professor E. Gadd lives in his laboratory and studies the friendly ghosts living in the area. One night, King Boo escaped from his prison and shatters an object called the "Dark Moon," which immediately causes the ghosts to become hostile. Retreating to his secret lair, E Gadd knows that only one man is right for the job (mainly because he's the only ghost hunter he knows about). Luigi, who was relaxing peacefully at home, is summoned by E Gadd to put on his Poltergust once more, recollect the 5 pieces of the Dark Moon, defeat King Boo and restore peace to Evershade Valley once more.

For a Mario game (or Luigi game), the story actually has a lot of personality to it. There's hardly any cut scenes out side of text boxes when you're back in E Gadd's lair, but it tells the humorous narrative very well. Luigi himself has plenty of expression to give. You feel bad for the poor guy when he shivers or freaks out at any ghost he comes across. I also like how the comedic timing was handled. Most of the humor in the game has to do with interacting with the environment around you; watching ghosts through a peep hole or Luigi being pulled into a closet. I thought it was especially funny when Luigi's hums to the background music.

The gameplay and controls are actually pretty straight forward, but it is engaging and fun. Your main tool that you'll be using is the Poltergust 5000 that is used for almost everything. You can press the R button to suck and the L button to blow, which can help either reveal secrets (like sucking up dust or rugs) or even catch ghosts that wander the mansion. Catching ghosts basically turns into a game of hide and seek. To actually find and catch them, you'll have to blind them with your attached strobe light and then engage in a long struggle with your vacuum. A timer will count down until you can officially suck the ghost up but when the above meter fills, you can press A to make the timer drop faster. It sounds easy at first but some ghosts are protected with armor or other ghosts may hit you while trying to catch another. This adds a bit of strategy to the gameplay as you may have to decide whether or not to sacrifice your catch in order to move out of the way is worth it.

The other tool you'll get on your poltergust is the light-dark device, which will be used to find invisible objects or enemies (like boos). When you find an invisible object, you'll need to suck up all the orbs that pop out of it in a limited time or it will remain invisible until you do. This and the strobe light seem pretty weak at first but luckily, you can find a lot of money within each mansion that you can collect to upgrade your gadgets, though they work more like experience. Upgrades include a stronger strobe light, a longer lasting dark light and a stronger poltergust (you can suck them up faster). All of these gadgets work well and they add to the great amount of exploration this game offers.

Speaking of which, this game gives you 5 mansions to explore, each with a different look and layout than the last. With the help of your tools, you must explore every nook and cranny in these mansions to find money or other collectables by blowing fans, pulling ropes or sucking up rugs or curtains. The game follows a mission based structure where E Gadd will give you objectives and tells you where you need to go, but don't this game is linear for that. In fact, exploration is greatly rewarded by giving you extra money or collectable gems should you go out of your way. The missions structure works surprisingly well and each mansion feels fresh and new from the last, giving you plenty of variety in its level design. The only problem you may come across is there's no checkpoints in this game, which means you have to do it all in one go. However, this game isn't particularly all that hard and I had few problems with dying.

The music and graphics also help the atmosphere and feel of the game. I already mentioned how expressive Luigi and the ghosts are, but the eerie music in the background and the graphical style help lay into this too. The visuals themselves are nice and crisp, possibly one of the better looking games on the 3DS. The 3D also adds plenty of depth to the visuals, but not a whole lot. The depth is nice but it doesn't add to the experience as much as you'd think.

The atmosphere in all of these mansions are brimming with personality, but the only thing that ruins this is, actually, E Gadd. At first, he calls you on the Dual Scream (hehe) more often than an overprotective mother at the beginning of the game, but luckily he calls you only when you beat an objective over time. The biggest problem I have is when you complete a mission. When you finish your last objective, instead of letting you explore the mansion a bit longer, you are immediately pixelated back to E Gadd's lair, which can break the immersion. I wish it was more open ended, letting you walk from mission to mission instead of pulling you back in between segments.

This game is full of surprises, and perhaps the biggest surprise is its multiplayer mode. Whether local or matchmaking, you and up to 3 other people enter the Scarescraper and are given one of three objectives. Players have a choice between Hunt (work together and catch every ghost on each floor), Polterpup (catch every Polterpup on each floor), or Race (find the exit on the floor). Once you and your teammates work together and complete the task on a floor, you move on to the next until you reach the top. If everyone dies or the timer runs out, the game is over. Even though this is a co-op mode, it feels very competitive when trying to get a higher score than your teammates. You'll also find yourself trying to catch ghosts or collect red coins for the bonus upgrade before everyone else. Surprisingly, the multiplayer works very well. This mode adds to the high replay value and each mode feels engaging, when you don't deal with people quitting all the time. It's also important to point out that coins collected in this mode get added to your total amount.

To answer my question before; yes, Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon was well worth the long wait. Next Level Games basically took the amount of fun and potential the first Luigi's Mansion created and added more content as well as fleshed out the gameplay and exploration aspects, making for a more engaging and entertaining experience while keeping what made the first game such a gem. Dark Moon has plenty of charm and personality to go around and it will make an excellent addition to your 3DS collection.

Get the full article at GameSpot

"SR71halo reviewed Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon for the 3DS..." was posted by SR71halo on Sat, 04 May 2013 14:48:51 -0700
]]> http://www.gamespot.com/luigis-mansion-dark-moon/user-reviews/811009/platform/3ds/ Fri, 03 May 2013 04:19:30 -0700 naju890_963 reviewed Sonic the Hedgehog for the Genesis... http://www.gamespot.com/sonic-the-hedgehog/user-reviews/810955/platform/genesis/ ...and gave it a 8.5.

The Sonic the Hedgehog series has been running since 1991 when the first game debuted on the Sega Genesis. This was Sega's idea of a mascot. A blue hedgehog, with spikes on its back and red shoes. Sega created a platformer with this character, made him run very fast in colorful levels with lots of enemies, power-ups and bosses. This was a winning formula. It was the game that got the Sega Genesis up on its feet. Nowadays Sonic is on par with Mario when it comes to popularity but in the last 10 years we have seen a decrease in quality when it came to Sonic games. None the less, Sonic is still loved by many and his old games will always be cherished by Sega fans everywhere.

Sonic The Hedgehog was the first 2D platformer to feature a character so fast. At the time, Genesis owners were amazed at the speed that Sonic ran. He still runs fast nowadays but it won't blow your mind like it did back in the 90s. This contributed to fast platforming and an incredible flow that made Mario and other platformers seem sluggish. The main antagonist is Doctor Ivo Robotnik who was snatching animals and transforming them into evil robots. It's up to Sonic to defeat Robotnik and save the day. Sonic 1 features 6 zones with 3 acts each. This means that it has 18 playable levels with a special stage that can only be accessed in the first two acts of every zone. While most of the levels are pretty solid, I found the pacing to be poor. Let's see. The game starts of with the infamous Green Hill Zone. It's a fast and short level just like it should be. The second level is called Marble Zone. This is a platform heavy zone, so it's naturally quite slow. I personally find it fun but Sonic is not about slow platforming. All of the levels after Green Hill except Starlight Zone don't capture the feel of speed the first zone manages to achieve. Even so the platforming in these levels still managed to keep my attention and are pretty challenging.

Every zone has a boss of its own. The boss is always Robotnik with a new machine wreaking havoc upon Sonic. Once you get the patterns down, the boss fights are laughably easy, they're still fun to go through though. The levels are packed with rings, enemies and power-ups. Rings are very important. Sonic doesn't have the usual health system found in most platformers. If Sonic doesn't have any rings and gets hit by an enemy he will die. But if Sonic has one or more rings on him and gets hit, Sonic will simply drop all his rings. It's a great system and it helps keep the action fast. There are other things that the rings can do. If Sonic collects a 100 rings in one act than he gets an extra life. Rings are also necessary if the player wants to access the special zone. If Sonic collect fifty rings, a giant ring will appear at the end of the level. When Sonic jumps through it he'll be teleported to the special stage. Sonic will need to traverse a maze with multi-colored blocks while collecting rings. Collecting another hundred rings here will grant the player an extra life and a continue. But the main reason why the special stages exist is the Chaos Emeralds. If Sonic collects all the emeralds in all the special stages, a different ending will play instead of the normal one. These special stages get annoying sometimes, although the background and the music are kinda trippy. Keep in mind that special zones are not available at the end of act 3 of every zone, as a boss is present.

A bevy of power-ups are available, they can usually be found in computer monitors. There is the Super ring, which rewards Sonic with 10 rings, the Speed shoes, which make Sonic run even faster, a shield which grants Sonic an extra layer of protection against enemies, Invincibility, speaks for itself and a 1-up, extra life basically. Also keep in mind that invincibility won't help if Sonic falls on spikes or a pit. Sonic has a few attacks up his sleeve. He can jump on enemies or use the spin attack in which Sonic rolls up into a ball and charges his enemy. Speaking of enemies, theirs a plethora of enemies which are all Robotnik's robots. Theirs a couple of annoying enemies here and their but I think they look cool and most of the time they're fun to stomp on. Sonic has very simple controls, D-pad for movement and the A button for jumping. Simplicity at it's finest. The 16-bit sonic games are all beautiful to look at, and this is no exception. The colors are simply amazing, everything just pops out of the screen. It's ironic that a game this old can still wow gamers with its colorful graphics while newer games like Battlefield 3 can bore me to death with its various shades of brown. Also the infamous soundtrack for Sonic, unbelievably catchy and just a joy to listen too, truly a gem.

What can I say more? The original Sonic the Hedgehog is something that everyone must play, most of you must have already played it. It's available on tons of platforms but if you want to be a purist and buy it on the original console then it's not a problem at all. The Sega Genesis or Megadrive, depending on where you live is very easy to find, the sonic games are quite easy to find aswell, they were best sellers on the console after all.

Get the full article at GameSpot

"naju890_963 reviewed Sonic the Hedgehog for the Genesis..." was posted by naju890_963 on Fri, 03 May 2013 04:19:30 -0700
]]> http://www.gamespot.com/sonic-the-hedgehog/user-reviews/810955/platform/genesis/ Thu, 02 May 2013 00:09:14 -0700 SR71halo reviewed Sonic Generations for the 3DS... http://www.gamespot.com/sonic-generations/user-reviews/810926/platform/3ds/ ...and gave it a 6.5.

It's funny. For the last decade, Sonic was struggling to find himself on the console versions. Every major 3D Sonic release got panned and fans declared that Sega couldn't do anything right. Meanwhile, at the same time, Dimps kept making hits with the handheld titles such as the Advance trilogy and Rush duo. Years later, the roles have switched. Both versions of Sonic Colors were BOTH received well and now, Generations on the 360, PS3 and PC managed to finally give us a solid 3D Sonic title. However, while Generations HD is a step forward, the 3DS version, once again created by Dimps, is a step backwards.

The story hasn't changed at all from the console game, but the only major differences are 1) Sonic friends are all absent this time except for Tails and 2) there are no cutscenes, just text boxes. Basically, Sonic and Tails are getting ready for his birthday party when suddenly, a mysterious creature called the Time Eater captures Tails and swallows the world around him. Sonic wakes up in a white void and now, with the help of his past self, he must run through these familiar levels and restore time back to normal. If you played the console version, you might just skip most of the story since it's the exact same thing but toned down.

Much like its older brother, you are given two different Sonics to play with, each with their own unique gameplay style. First up is Classic Sonic, who represents the old Sonic games on the Genesis in both gameplay and design. I must admit, he does play more like classic Sonic than the 360 version. The physics are much closer to the real thing and both the jumping and rolling feel better. We finally have a replica of the classic games......until they gave him the homing attack. I'm not usually one to rage at small things like this but giving classic Sonic homing attack is just unnecessary, and it isn't needed here either. Other than that, Classic Sonic actually plays decently.

The other gameplay this game offers is Modern Sonic. Seeing as how this is the hand held version, it would be more appropriate that he plays more like the Rush games, of course (as opposed to Unleashed/Colors gameplay on the console). Much like the Rush games (and Colors DS), you can use the boost to blast your way through the stage as well as homing attack and stomp. There isn't really a whole lore more to say, it's just Sonic Rush again without anything new added, and inferior level design.

Besides the two gameplay styles that define Sonic the Hedgehog for the past 20 years, the levels also consist of stages from past Sonic games. The 3DS follows this same trend. In fact, the one reason to buy this one is because the level selection is actually different from the console counterpart. Both versions include Green Hill Zone but this time you get Casino Night (Sonic 2), Mushroom Hill (Sonic & Knuckles), Emerald Coast (Sonic Adventure), Radical Highway (Adventure 2), Water Palace (Rush) and Tropical Resort (Colors) instead. While none of these stages are bad by any means, there are a few problems. First off, if you noticed, there are less stages than the other version (which had 9). This version could have handled more than that, and the game feels shorter overall (and Green Hill can be beaten within a minute each). Why not include levels from the Advance trilogy or Rush Adventure? My other problem is the amount of copy/paste level design. What made the level design good on the 360/PS3 version is that each stage felt like a reimagined version of an existing level. On the 3DS version, the classic stages for classic Sonic are all practically the same exact levels from their respective games. Likewise, Water Palace and Tropical Resort feel very similar to the Rush and Colors counterparts. The rest of the levels are a little more original but nothing truly that noteworthy. Just decent levels to kill some time in on the go.

Completing both acts of each stage will unlock a special stage, which is a throwback to the special stages in Sonic Heroes.....only with better controls and no teammates following you. The goal is to run down a long pipe and chase after an emerald as fast as you can while dodging obstacles like bombs. You can also run into these bubble.....things and refill your boost meter. Like I said, thanks to better controls, these stages play much better than what Heroes had. Not to mention getting to them isn't as much of a hassle.

The bosses on the other hand are better than the console version. The problem with the bosses before were they were over too quickly and didn't quite take as much imagination. The bosses in this game, on the other hand, are much more fun and they actually take more than 4 hits. Not to mention, the Time Eater fight in this game is actually fun (unlike that terrible fight in the other version). I think the one that took the least amount of creativity is the Biolizard, which is almost exactly like the one in Adventure 2 but with a better camera angle. He's still decent though, as are the Big Arm robot (Sonic 3) and the Egg Emperor (Sonic Heroes). Dimps have always been good at boss fights so it's no surprise that they did a good job here...........

As long as we're not talking about the rival fights, which unfortunately aren't good. The rivals are the same three that you fought before (Metal Sonic, Shadow and Silver) but they share one major flaw; they are all exactly the same. They basically play like Sonic Rivals only less fun. The goal in all 3 is to beat them to the end while dodging their attacks, like Metal Sonic's static, Shadow's chaos spear and cheating Silver's teleportation. The console had decent rival fights but here, it seems as though there was no effort, at least not as much as the boss fights.

As for other modes, there are missions to accomplish just like the 360/PS3 version. However, these also show a lack of effort. They're basically the typical missions like finishing the stage in a given amount of time, destroying a number of enemies, etc. Needless to say the mission variety is lacking compared to every other copy. Unlike the others though, the 3DS has a multiplayer mode that is.....ok. How it works is you enter a matchmaking playlist with one other player. Both of you pick either classic or modern Sonic and a stage. The game randomly picks one of the two selected Sonics and stages, assuming you both chose different things, and you pretty much just have to beat your opponent to the finish line. Wifi multiplayer is nice addition and the multiplayer can occasionally be fun...except for the speed traps. If you get caught in one of these, it traps you until you tap a button repeatably to get out. Multiplayer is ok overall though, and it isn't too difficult to find people.....for now.

Sonic Generations on the 360 and PS3 was a surprise and was good enough to be considered one of the best. It's a shame to see that Dimps didn't put as much love into the 3DS version like the other one, or the Rush games for that matter. While not a bad game by any means, the 3DS version just feels bare bones, whether you compare it to the HD one or not. I will say that for a game that was rushed, it does have its share of fun every now and again, but there isn't enough here to warrant a full price when you have better options for Sonic games and platformers on the system. I would recommend it to the hardcore Sonic fan that wants to play every stage in both Generations games. However, if you have access to a 360, PS3, or a decent gaming quality PC, you might be happier with that version instead.

Get the full article at GameSpot

"SR71halo reviewed Sonic Generations for the 3DS..." was posted by SR71halo on Thu, 02 May 2013 00:09:14 -0700
]]> http://www.gamespot.com/sonic-generations/user-reviews/810926/platform/3ds/ Tue, 30 Apr 2013 15:26:37 -0700 kbaily reviewed Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two for the Wii U... http://www.gamespot.com/disney-epic-mickey-2-the-power-of-two/user-reviews/810869/platform/wii-u/ ...and gave it a 5.0.

Ok I'll be honest. I liked the first Epic Mickey. It was an ambitious idea and despite some issues with the clumsy camera and wonky combat, I found the story compelling enough to work through it.

I was really hoping when the sequel was announced that perhaps they'd be able to fix the issues with the first and make a better game. Sadly this is not the case. You know a game is bad when the multiplatform sequel sells LESS than the Wii exclusive first game. I really get the impression that Warren Spector wanted to improve the game but the heads at Disney wanted to rush out a sequel to make money off kids before they forgot or lost interest. So much of this game reeks of that.

Ok the story this time is Wasteland is rebuilding itself now that Mickey destroyed the phantom blot. Suddenly mysterious quakes start occurring and the Mad Doctor shows up and sings about how he's changed and wants to help. Oswald goes with him while Ortensia and Gus the Gremlin wire up a TV to bring Mickey back. The first game's story felt compelling because you wanted to see where Mickey and Oswald's dynamic was going to go but here, they're all friends on an adventure and it's dull. They even have full voice acting and yet I find myself wishing I could go back to the grunts and squeaks of the first.

Gameplay is a mess. First of all they still didn't fix the camera which was the biggest issue many had with the first game. Also Mickey still lacks any sort of lock on for his paint attacks so fighting baddies is a test of patience. To make things worse, this game decided that having 2 player co-op was the way to go and like Resident Evil 5, your AI partner is incompetent. Oswald carries a remote to use on various items as well as he can fly to carry you over gaps but getting him to do stuff tries your patience further. There's no online co-op so if you can get a friend to help you, do so. Otherwise you'll be waiting forever for Oswald's brain to work and he activates the thing you were standing beside for 5 minutes. Despite trying to bring in new elements like magical ink or not focusing quite as much on the good/evil thing, you'll mostly find yourself just trying to move on to the next thing and not even bothering finding all the collectables.

Also this is the first time ever where playing with the Wiimote(or Move) controller is BETTER than a traditional one. Why? Well when using the regular controller, you have to move the brush reticule with the right analog stick so if you have the Wiimote or Move, you're better off with that.

Also the game is glitchy as I'll get out. I'm talking Sonic '06 levels of glitchiness. Load times are long, slow down shows up when too many baddies are on screen and at one point I actually fell through the floor and got stuck. I can't believe how unfinished it feels. Not to mention a lot of areas from the first game have been reused.

This is just disappointing. There was so much potential for this as a series. It could've been a great game for parents and kids to play together exploring a fun Disney world but nope, the corporate heads saw a big pile of cash and said "screw it kids are dumb, just crank out a half assed sequel and we'll make easy money."

What a shame.

Get the full article at GameSpot

"kbaily reviewed Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two for the Wii U..." was posted by kbaily on Tue, 30 Apr 2013 15:26:37 -0700
]]> http://www.gamespot.com/disney-epic-mickey-2-the-power-of-two/user-reviews/810869/platform/wii-u/ Mon, 29 Apr 2013 19:14:27 -0700 SR71halo reviewed Super Smash Bros. Brawl for the Wii... http://www.gamespot.com/super-smash-bros-brawl/user-reviews/810845/platform/wii/ ...and gave it a 9.5!

When it comes to fan service, very few games have even come close to the amount of fun and chaos that is the Super Smash Bros. series. An instant success on the Nintendo 64, this game was a dream come true to those who grew up with Nintendo; the most iconic and beloved characters gathered together for one game and fighting one another. Luckily, it turned out to be great fun and with each game came even more favorites for you to play with. Now, two games later, comes Super Smash Bros. Brawl for the Nintendo Wii. Building off what it did well in previous games plus adding a bigger roster, bigger brawls and bigger thrills, Super Smash Bros. has never been better.

For those who are new to this series, Super Smash Bros. is a party fighting game that lets you choose from a wide variety of Nintendo characters and pits you against up to 3 other players (or AI) from a 2D perspective. The goal is to knock the other players off the map; whether that means send them flying above you, knock them off the side of the screen or knock them off the cliff to their doom below. Each player has a percentage meter that rises every time you get hit. As it gets bigger, the player becomes easier to knock off the map. You are also assisted by random items and special moves that drop on the map. This fast paced gameplay is chaotic and fun, and no other game does it better than Brawl. Playing against an AI is fun enough, but it's even more fun when you have friends to play with.

The gameplay is complimented by how accessible it is. There are only two real attack buttons and a block button but depending on which way you tilt your stick, you can perform a variety of attacks without having to memorize 20 different combos. And then there is the character roster, which is bigger than ever before with a grand total of 35 playable fighters at your disposal. Not only do you get the returning favorites like Mario, Link, Pikachu, Fox, Kirby, etc., but we are also introduced to many newcomers like Wario, Meta Knight from Kirby, Lucario from Pokemon, Olimar from Pikmin and many more. As a bonus, Brawl is also the first game in the series to introduce two third party characters into the action; Solid Snake from the Metal Gear series and Sonic the Hedgehog. With their own signature moves and abilities, Brawl offers a nice variety for you to choose from.

Luckily, this time around you're not limited to playing offline if you want to play with others. This is the first game in the series to offer online play. How this works is you get the choice between free for all and teams, and the game will try to find a match for you. After picking your character, you will be taken to a practice room to warm up before fighting. In spite of fighting other people being as fun as fighting people offline, matchmaking is so-so. Sometimes I can connect with little issues, other times I suffered from some serious lag. Not to mention if you want to play with friends online, you'll have to exchange friend codes which is always a hassle. Online is ok, but the matchmaking could have used some tweaking.

Even though there are a lot of fun stages to choose from, you also have the option to create your own stage. Using a simple interface, you can specify a size, background picture, and theme song to go along with your work. Then it's just a matter of selecting which of the premade terrain parts and platforms you want to lay out. This tool works surprisingly well, and you can make some pretty interesting levels. It's just too bad you can't play them online, not even with friends.

There is plenty more for single players too. There is the traditional Classic mode, of course, where you must fight in a number of rounds, two bonus rounds and eventually, defeat the master hand, a mysterious giant hand that is the main enemy in every SSB game. The best part about classic in this version is the fighters you take on change every time you play, so you will never take on the same fighters twice. Next is event mode which is a series of fights where you must complete a specific objective to complete.

The main event in the single player mode is the story mode, otherwise known as the Subspace Emissary. The story is pretty simple, all of the Nintendo characters (and Snake) band together to take on a mysterious enemy that's freezing everyone into statues. It usually starts off with two or more characters teaming up against this oncoming threat, but eventually, all stories slowly weave together. There isn't a whole lot more to say about the story, but it is cool to see characters like Link and Mario interacting with each other, or just to see what happens when Samus teams up with Pikachu.

As for the game itself, Subspace Emissary is controlled from a side scrolling perspective and plays like a beat em up, only with platforming. The percentage rule in the main game still applies here only this time, you have a life system, only dying may switch you to another character if you have the option. For the most part, this mode has it's moments and it can be a blast to play. However, there are moments tat drag it down like sections where the level scrolls or other annoying platforming sections. Not to mention some characters fair better in a platforming style game than others. Other than that, it's an interesting new experience for fans and newcomers alike, and you can play it in co-op if you like.

What started out as fan service on the Nintendo 64 is now one of, if not the, best party/fighting games on the Nintendo Wii. With bigger brawls, a bigger cast, and an improvement on that crazy chaotic gameplay we all know and love, Super Smash Bros. Brawl is simply one of the best game to grace the system. Tht's also not to mention the amount of content, stages and unlockables available. I would go ahead and say this is a must own to all Wii owners but let's be honest, if you own a Wii, chances are you already have it.

Get the full article at GameSpot

"SR71halo reviewed Super Smash Bros. Brawl for the Wii..." was posted by SR71halo on Mon, 29 Apr 2013 19:14:27 -0700
]]> http://www.gamespot.com/super-smash-bros-brawl/user-reviews/810845/platform/wii/ Sun, 28 Apr 2013 03:20:10 -0700 pigfish2 reviewed LEGO City Undercover for the Wii U... http://www.gamespot.com/lego-city-undercover/user-reviews/810781/platform/wii-u/ ...and gave it a 8.0.

Lego City Undercover marks the first entirely original game in Travellers Tales series of Lego games that began with Lego Star Wars back in 2005 and for the most part its better for this. Much of the charm of the Lego games is the way they poke fun at characters you know but free of the constraints of a familiar franchise the developers have kept the series' trademark humour intact with their own cast of likeable and funny characters. The story goes that as legendary cop Chase McCain you have returned to Lego City after two years away to help return the notorious criminal Rex Fury to prison. Undercover is still heavily indebted to films though with countless nods to and parodies of classic movies throughout. One of the best is a construction worker who is clearly a parody of Arnold Schwarzenegger. The game is light-hearted in tone as you expect from a Lego game and genuinely amusing throughout with full voice acting for all the major characters. Said characters are for the most part well characterised but sadly Rex Fury is criminally underused with little explanation of his motives. All in all it is very much what you expect from a Lego game on the exterior but delve deeper and there is some noticeable tinkering and additions.

Lego City is fully open world and you can make your way throughout the entire city with no loading screens. This sense of exploration fits well with Lego and is improved further by the ability to take control of any of the over 100 types of vehicles dotted throughout the city. Impressively each vehicle has its own unique handling, which is an extra level of sheen than you would expect. The 15-20 hour story involves both exploration and completing goals in the city and 15 special assignments set in self contained levels. This works well and introduces variety to proceedings. The chief gameplay mechanic is the ability for Chase to switch between a number of disguises ranging from burglar to fireman. Each disguise once unlocked provides its own unique abilities for solving different puzzles. This is a good way of keeping the Lego games character swapping intact whilst casting you as a single character. One free play mode is unlocked you can use any of the games 290 disguises that there are to collect. These disguises include all of the games major and minor characters and beyond and fit into categories based on the disguises Chase can use in the story. Gameplay involves a mix of fighting, platforming and puzzle solving and whilst for the most part these are all simplistic they are nevertheless fun. In terms of gameplay there is little change from what you expect from the tried and tested Lego formula. The game is rarely challenging, but that has never been the point with the Lego games, instead it offers relatively easy childlike enjoyment.

Graphically the game is not groundbreaking but holds up well with minor blemishes only noticeable when the camera moves in close. The voice work for the game is well recorded and the sound work in general is good. The music whilst decent quickly becomes irritating though as the game only has a few tracks that constantly repeat. One area where the game falls down is in technical details. The loading times when starting or finishing levels, and entering the police station are horribly long and clock in at a minimum 40 seconds each. This can be in part understood by the huge open world nature of the city but nevertheless it is an irritating waste of times. More worryingly the game at times suffers from freezing and other minor technical problems but these are rare. Lack of multiplayer in such a family orientated game is another drawback. The gamepad is well implemented if hardly original, with it serving as a communicator, scanner and map.

Undercover is a fun, if hardly exceptional game that offers plenty of hours of enjoyment. The story can be finished in 15-20 hours but with loads to collect and unlock beyond that and a huge city to explore there is plenty of value to be had. It is one of the best games in the Lego series that benefits from being unchained by the absence of a license and whilst it may not be a classic, it is a welcome addition to the Wii U's library.

Get the full article at GameSpot

"pigfish2 reviewed LEGO City Undercover for the Wii U..." was posted by pigfish2 on Sun, 28 Apr 2013 03:20:10 -0700
]]> http://www.gamespot.com/lego-city-undercover/user-reviews/810781/platform/wii-u/ Sat, 27 Apr 2013 19:44:31 -0700 immortality20 reviewed Injustice: Gods Among Us for the Xbox 360... http://www.gamespot.com/injustice-gods-among-us/user-reviews/810758/platform/xbox360/ ...and gave it a 8.0.

The moment Injustice starts, it is obvious NetherRealm wanted to create excellent fan service. The presentation is excellent here, down from the menus to the end credits, everything is presented with respect. What's also apparent when starting up the game for the first time is the amount of content being offered, whether you want to try out the campaign, do some Star Labs missions or try out Battle mode (home to classic arcade ladder), there is always something to do in Injustice.

The campaign is set up easily enough, introducing us to an alternate universe where Superman is acting as a God. The concept is interesting to any comic fan, as the question is asked often, "can Superman be stopped?". In order to help out with an answer, there is a pill taken by the heroes and villians that basically make them super strong and super tough. It's a good job of setting up how a character like Nightwing can possibly go toe-to-toe with someone like Wonder Woman.

Like their last game, Mortal Kombat, you control a certain character for a few fights before switching off to another. This is handled well enough here, letting you play as most of the popular characters for three to up to half a dozen fights. The story holds up well enough, and it can even be shocking sometimes to see Alt Superman act like such an douchebag, and I like how the fights and cut scenes blend so well together with little load times between.

When in a fight, the graphics are quite crisp, the character models look absolutely perfect. Most moves, combos and special moves are natural extension of them and your never there shaking your head. If you are, it's just because of how much destruction you're causing, as it's easy as pressing the right shoulder button to grab weapons and smash them against opponents. As you fight the levels fall apart around you, reacting to the carnage you are dishing out to eachother.

It's when the camera pulls out for a cut scene that the graphics take a dip in quality, items just look flatter or more jaggy and the faces and bodies of these characters just don't like as high quality. It's almost jarring when the camera zooms back in and another match starts how the character model looks better, one would think they would of worked harder to have no distinction between cut scenes and gameplay like Uncharted or Tomb Raider.

The gameplay is tight, as in Mortal Kombat you can "juggle" opponents for your bigger combos. The combos are easy to learn, and the moves are fun to pull off, especially the super moves. You have a 3 section meter that is built by getting hit mostly, you can use a piece of the bar for a special move with extra damage, use it to do a clash (where 2 people "bet" with their bars on who will win) or save it for the super move which takes off about 33% of a health bar. I like how there isn't any rounds, just 2 health bars, when one is down all the way there is a little pause, and the fighting starts again. This just translates and is smoother than having the usual 3 rounds.

In most level there is transitions, meaning you can slam your opponent onto a new level or into a whole new area. I like how easy it is to pull off too, you just have to be in range and press back and "A" and watch the short scene as your opponent goes hurling through buildings and other awesome stuff. This just adds to the destruction in the game, it is quite fun seeing the different levels and how they objects can be interacted. If you don't like the idea of weapons and level transitions, you can turn them off in options. I personally love it and it adds to the comic book flavour that NetherRealms nails.

It won't take long for you to find you favourite characters. In a small miracle, one of the best characters I used was Aquaman. Maybe they made him really good because of all the insults Aquaman usually takes as a..."hero". They seem to broken into 2 easy classes, lightweight and heavyweight. Smaller characters are faster but weaker, not able to throw big objects or do massive damage with combos. The heavyweights are slow but their combos do more damage and they can toss around big weapons like cars and missiles. Suffice to say that if you can master a heavyweight you can beat almost anyone, but I had much more fun using a smaller character and doing lots of fast and brutal combos.

The campaign isn't the longest, clocking in at 6 to 8 hours which is quite disappointing considering how long the campaign was in Mortal Kombat. This is offset by the wealth of content in the 2 other modes, Battle and Star Labs. In Star Labs you get 220 missions, 10 for each of the characters. These challenge you to do win under certain cirumstances and rewards with you up to three stars for your efforts. The Battle mode houses the classic ladder where you get each character's story, and other modes where you have to beat opponents under certain rules, like timed, lower health and so on.

With a nice variety of DC characters in the roster, everyone should be pretty happy with the character selection. Of course we know no fighting game is complete until they release DLC characters, but the pacage you get on day one is pretty darn impressive. Injustice celebrates comics in the purest form, with loads of fan service in unlocks and rewards to your hard earned fighting. You even gain XP with every fight to unlock more modes within Battle and character costumes, which there is plenty of. Needless to say, if you want value this is a decent enough package, if you can get by the slight graphical hiccups and somewhat shallow fighting system.

Get the full article at GameSpot

"immortality20 reviewed Injustice: Gods Among Us for the Xbox 360..." was posted by immortality20 on Sat, 27 Apr 2013 19:44:31 -0700
]]> http://www.gamespot.com/injustice-gods-among-us/user-reviews/810758/platform/xbox360/ Fri, 26 Apr 2013 19:40:45 -0700 SR71halo reviewed The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword for the Wii... http://www.gamespot.com/the-legend-of-zelda-skyward-sword/user-reviews/810725/platform/wii/ ...and gave it a 8.5.

For the past 25 years, it seems as though The Legend of Zelda could do no wrong. It succeeded in almost era of gaming imaginable; from the overhead games on the NES and SNES to the 3 dimensional world of Ocarina of Time and onwards (with the exception of those CDi games of course). The very last game for the Nintendo Wii, Skyward Sword, is certainly no exception. It doesn't do everything right but what it does well, it does really well. With a beautiful art style and interesting puzzles, Skyward Sword has plenty to offer to veterans and newcomers alike.

Taking place at the earliest point in the franchise, the plot begins with Link, of course, who was born and raised in Skyloft (a civilization in the sky after the ground below was swallowed by darkness). He begins to have dreams of a strange figure. Woken up by his friend Zelda, Link prepares for the Wing Ceremony, a tradition to acknowledge one as a knight. Link completes the ceremony after overcoming the attempts of his classmate Groose to sabotage him. Link and Zelda take their Loftwings (giant birds) out for a flight to celebrate, but encounter a storm which sucks Zelda down to the still demon-infested Hyrule. Soon after, Link learns that the figure from his dream is Fi, the spirit of the Goddess Sword, which Hylia created in case the evil she defeated was to stir again. She tells him that Link must descend to the surface below to find Zelda. With guidance from an elderly woman in the Sealed Temple near Faron Woods, Link pursues Zelda to the Skyview Spring where he encounters the Demon Lord Ghirahim, who is responsible for Zelda's predicament. For an origin story, it's told pretty well for the most part. The dialogue is well written and the cut scenes are amusing. The relationship between Link and Zelda is much stronger in this game too, they even give a reason why the series should be named after her.

When you step into this beautiful looking world of Hyrule, you'll start off in the sky which is where you'll probably be spending your time in between dungeons. Eventually, you'll be able to go to the ground as well, which is where you'll find every dungeon in the game and enemies roaming the forests, volcanoes and deserts. The overworld is huge but unfortunately, the ground is far more interesting than the sky. The ground is well designed, it's full of secrets to discover and puzzles to solve with many paths to follow. You'll be spending much time here before reaching each dungeon so it's nice that these landscapes are made interesting. The sky, on the other hand, could have used more content. There is the city of Skyloft which is fun to explore at first, until you realize that the only spots you'll be visiting in between quests are the stores. Other than that, you can fly to other islands in the sky on your Loftwing. These places don't offer much either outside of a piece of heart or rupees. Flying around on the bird is actually a lot of fun, but the islands are not.

For the most part, the controls never gave me too much trouble. The biggest problem you'll face is this game requires the Wii Motion Plus attachment or controller, or else you can't play the game. Outside of that, the game controls ok. The swings of your sword will give you trouble at first but within a few more minutes of playing, the almost become second nature. However, you may swing in a different direction than you intended but these controls are actually satisfying once you master them. You'll really feel like Link when slashing up badies with enough practice. The most trouble I had with the motion controls were moments that require movement like falling from the sky or guiding an item called the hook beetle. Moving the Wiimote to control where you're going can be frustrating at first and requires a lot of concentration and precision.

The dungeons are the core of the Zelda franchise, they're what basically every Zelda game relies on. I am pleased to say that Skyward Sword's dungeon designs are fantastic. They're not really all that hard to figure out, but they're fun and memorable. I think this game deserves praise for less block pushing and more focus on funner puzzles. This is also aided by some clever items to aid you like the whip which is used to swing from platform to platform, or the hook beetle which can be used to activate switches or carry other items. I do wish there were more temples in this game, but from what we have, these temples are great fun.

Much like every Zelda game before it, you'll encounter bosses at the end of every dungeon. Once again, a lot of these bosses are well designed and fun. For instance, the volcano boss which requires you to roll bombs down a hill after him and strike him with your sword. The best boss of all though, and quite possibly one of the most memorable of the series, is Magmanos. To defeat him, you have to wait for him to strike, which will allow you to throw your whip and pull his arms off, giving you access to his weak spot. Eventually he rises out of the ground and pulling his arms off gives you a chance to pick up one of his giant swords, which you can use to annihilate him. Many of the enemies and bosses are well done and require some fancy sword play from the player.

The problem is outside of these great dungeons, you have sidequests to complete, which aren't all that exciting. These quests usually involve you performing tasks like escorting or search missions as well as a stealth mission. These quests are by no means terrible or even bad, but they feel more like filler in the end. The rewards are small and they contribute little to nothing to the story.

Smart use of the motion controls, a vibrant art style and some great dungeon designs are what make Skyward Sword a strong entry into this long running series. The game will take you well over 40 hours to complete and while the side quests may just be mere filler, the dungeons and story segments are not. It is another memorable adventure that will fit any fan's collection quite nicely. Although it may not be a masterpiece, Skyward Sword keeps the series going strong and demonstrates why Zelda is still fun after 25 years.

Get the full article at GameSpot

"SR71halo reviewed The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword for the Wii..." was posted by SR71halo on Fri, 26 Apr 2013 19:40:45 -0700
]]> http://www.gamespot.com/the-legend-of-zelda-skyward-sword/user-reviews/810725/platform/wii/ Fri, 26 Apr 2013 14:44:00 -0700 naju890_963 reviewed Duke Nukem 3D: Atomic Edition for the PC... http://www.gamespot.com/duke-nukem-3d-atomic-edition/user-reviews/810705/platform/pc/ ...and gave it a 8.5.

It's time to go back to Duke's glory days. As you may know, Duke's latest game, Duke Nukem Forever was a flop. It was an outdated mess that made Duke look pathetic. DNF went through countless development cycles and it was basically a big old mess. But let's forget about that for now and go back to the time when Duke was still a force to be reckoned with in the gaming industry.

Duke Nukem 3D originally came out on MS-DOS back in 1996. This was back when games were harder to boot up than launching a rocket in space. But thankfully nowadays we have procedures that are much easier. There are numerous versions and ports of this game. The one I'll be reviewing is the Atomic edition. This contains another episode with eleven levels. You can try being a purist and buying the original DOS version but that would be a big pain in the ass. The easy way is to buy it off gog.com or get the Megaton edition from Steam. Let's dig in.

Duke Nukem 3D is an old-school FPS, were you control the always charming Duke Nukem. There are four episodes in total with eleven levels each, except for the first episode that only has seven levels. A multiplayer mode was also available but that is long gone. After the events of Duke Nukem 2, Duke finds himself back on earth. He finds out that an unknown force has taken over earth and it's up to Duke Nukem to save the day. It's a very simplistic storyline, although it doesn't really show itself throughout the game except at the occasional cutscene peppered throughout the episodes. But I believe that a simplistic, cliché storyline like this goes perfectly with Duke's outrageous character. Speaking about Duke, he's one hell of a character. Firing one liners at every opportunity he gets and blasting aliens without remorse, that's Duke alright. Duke is as two-dimensional as it gets. Nowadays characters in video games are more realistic and most of today's games have abandoned these macho one man army's with no soul, like we used to find in games like Doom or Wolfenstein 3D. I can't imagine what kind of controversy this game sparked up back in 1996. Why you ask. Well Duke 3D features strippers, (probably the first game to do it) and countless more nods to pornography.

Now that we have covered the setting and story, it's time talk about the gameplay. First of all, this game runs on the 2.5D build engine which is similar to the engine that Doom uses. Moving and shooting feels a lot like other 2.5D FPS's. It can be pretty weird to control Duke for players that never played a 2.5D game before. Unlike 3D shooters, the player is only allowed to look left or right. Eliminating enemies that are standing above or under the player can be done by shooting in the direction that the enemy is situated in. Unlike shooters of today, Duke 3D doesn't try to be realistic by giving the player only two weapons to use at a time, no it lets the player use the full arsenal once you unlocked them all obviously. Speaking about weapons, theirs a bevy of fun weapons to choose from like the chaingun, shrink-ray, microwave expander and others. It's so refreshing to play a shooter that doesn't have the usual military weapons like the M4, AK-47 and so on. Not to mention that all these weapons feel very different from each other. Theirs also an inventory system which is used to store items like Holodukes, health packs and steroids. To be honest the inventory is a bit of a pain to use and flip through items. I really like the levels in Duke 3D. I think that the level design is very clever at times. There are multiple routes to take to get to the objective and tons of secrets and easter eggs to find. The levels look awesome and the environments are very interesting to explore. These levels are filled with fun things to do like, tipping strippers, pissing in toilets and lots of other things to interact with.

Graphically it looks dated by today's standards, but it's totally playable. Even though graphically it looks dated it has this charm to it that makes everything all the better. As far as sound goes, everything sounds retro and awesome. To be honest some sounds from the alien enemies really creeped but I guess it's just me. I almost forgot to mention that the main theme is incredible. It's so awesome in fact that Megadeth actually made a cover for it. Duke Nukem 3D manages to still retain its charm after all these years and clearly stood the test of time. I doubt that you'll find an FPS as fun and creative as Duke 3D.

Get the full article at GameSpot

"naju890_963 reviewed Duke Nukem 3D: Atomic Edition for the PC..." was posted by naju890_963 on Fri, 26 Apr 2013 14:44:00 -0700
]]> http://www.gamespot.com/duke-nukem-3d-atomic-edition/user-reviews/810705/platform/pc/ Tue, 23 Apr 2013 01:11:04 -0700 kbaily reviewed Paper Mario: Sticker Star for the 3DS... http://www.gamespot.com/paper-mario-sticker-star/user-reviews/810571/platform/3ds/ ...and gave it a 7.5.

I'll be honest, like most of you, I wasn't thrilled with the choices of this Paper Mario installment. Super Paper Mario tried using the environments and such for a platformer which wasn't bad but not overly endearing and this one sort of returns to the turn based combat and yet doesn't.

As Paper Mario goes, this one has a pretty weak story especially when compared to Thousand Year Door and Super. It's the Mushroom Kingdom Sticker festival celebrating the arrival of the Sticker Comet when Bowser shows up and steals the power of a Royal Crown Sticker that makes him all shiny. He grabs Peach, leaving the festival in ruins. And that's it. Mario of course has to go to the rescue but yeah, no fun new characters to meet, except for a lovably simple Wiggler, no side story with Peach or Bowser and what they were doing while Mario was running around. You're only new friend is Kersti, a bossy silvery crown sticker who will go down in the annuals as one of the worst Mario characters ever. Fi was more useful than her. So yeah where Paper Mario was known for mixing up the tired "Bowser kidnaps Peach formula" this one almost reverts back to the first Paper Mario taking place in the good old Mushroom Kingdom with the usual grass, desert, forest, ice, etc. levels. Though it still tries to have that self-referenial sense of humor.

So this is how the combat works now. It is back to turn based but instead of having a menu of attacks, you collect stickers scattered throughout the levels and purchase in shops then select them in battle. So your book will be full of jump shoes and hammers. Also scattered throughout the land are "things" which are random items like fans, staplers, cats, that can be converted into stickers and these work as suped up attacks, though many times I found myself hoarding these things for boss fights. They also have special functions elsewhere in levels to open new paths or clear out roadblocks giving this more of a Zelda or Metroid feel of gameplay. The nice thing is, once an item is found, you can repurchase it at a store in town as opposed to hunting around for it again.

Kersti's one useful thing she does is "Paperizing" where she lifts you off the page and this is used to place stickers and scraps in places in order to progress.

So since battles no longer increase HP or attack power, why not bypass them, well as you find out later, battling gets you coins and in many cases stickers which you do need. At first having only a couple album pages limits you but towards the end you'll have more pages then coins to buy stickers to fill them. To fill more attack slots Kersti will let you spin for 3 coins to increase your attacks per turn and like with other Paper Marios, learning to time attacks and blocks is crucial to success.

I kept going back and forth on this game. For a while I stopped playing it altogether getting annoyed at Kersti waiting until half way through a boss fight to tell me that if I had "this" item I could beat it easily. Hunting around for additional exits and being forced to fight enemies with no purpose. But I went back and gave it another chance and found myself getting into it. It's not a horrible game especially if you judge it on its own merits instead of trying to compare it to the rest of the Mario RPGs. And I found myself addicted to filling up the sticker museum.

Much like NSMB2, it's perfectly servicable, plays well and can be fun if you let it and don't expect too much but I really hope the next Paper Mario installment steps it up a bit.

Get the full article at GameSpot

"kbaily reviewed Paper Mario: Sticker Star for the 3DS..." was posted by kbaily on Tue, 23 Apr 2013 01:11:04 -0700
]]> http://www.gamespot.com/paper-mario-sticker-star/user-reviews/810571/platform/3ds/ Tue, 23 Apr 2013 00:51:24 -0700 kbaily reviewed The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX for the Game Boy Color... http://www.gamespot.com/the-legend-of-zelda-links-awakening-dx/user-reviews/810570/platform/gbc/ ...and gave it a 8.5.

Despite being a Zelda fan, somehow I missed Link's Awakening the first time around. Probably because I was a stupid child who owned a Sega Game Gear instead of a Game Boy so it eluded me for years.

Thankfully the 3DS came along with the Eshop and this was one of my first purchases as this and the two Oracle games are the only Zeldas I haven't played (at least until the new 3DS title comes out).

Much like Majora's Mask, Link's Awakening is more a spirtual, personal journey for Link. Following the "Dead Link" timeline after the Oracle games (according to Nintendo's Zelda timeline), Link is sailing the high seas training for the return of Ganon when a storm leaves him shipwrecked on a strange island. A young girl named Marin finds him on the beach and Link awakens and learns that if he wants to leave this island he must find 8 magical instruments to awaken The Wind Fish, a creature who sleeps in a giant egg on top of the mountain. Ok then. There is no Zelda, no Triforce and no Ganon and unlike MM, no real threat of the world ending.

One of the more unique aspects of this title is the Mario character cameos. One of the first folks you meet is a pudgy mustachoied man named Tarin who's running around the woods looking for mushrooms and turns into a racoon. (Mario be trippin) But also a local resident has a pet Chain Chomp and various dungeon enemies resemble Mario baddies and even Wart, the one time villian of SMB2 makes a cameo as the frog king as well as Kirby and Dr. Wright from the SNES SimCity. Makes for what could almost be an amusing crossover.

Gameplay is pretty standard Zelda fare you've come to know using the template setup by it's predecessor "A Link to the Past." You have eight main dungeons as well as the added "Color Dungeon" for the DX version which allows you to enhance your attack or defense. You have an easier time getting around the island thanks to phone booths placed around where Urial will give you hints as to which way to go. Also you have a few worthwhile side missions like a long trading sequence that will get you a super powerful boomerang and collecting seashells to make your sword more powerful. While Kolohint Island seems small, there's a fair amount of stuff crammed in here but never feels like it drags on too long.

If I had any complaints is that some bosses feel a bit too easy. Many bosses I was able to beat within seconds of them appearing on stage. Of course getting the boomerang really makes the game easy especially the final boss. Also the last two dungeons are somewhat overly complicated in their design. They involve way too much backtracking and doing things in a certain order. I had to take a look at zeldadungeon.net to figure out how to finish them at one point.

But still I got a good sense of satisfaction once I did finish the game and experience the rather bittersweet ending. If you're looking for something to download to your 3DS, this shouldn't be missed.

Get the full article at GameSpot

]]> http://www.gamespot.com/the-legend-of-zelda-links-awakening-dx/user-reviews/810570/platform/gbc/ Sun, 21 Apr 2013 04:59:55 -0700 -HaloHitman- reviewed LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes for the Xbox 360... http://www.gamespot.com/lego-batman-2-dc-super-heroes/user-reviews/810494/platform/xbox360/ ...and gave it a 8.0.

LEGO games are know for two things, 1) the charming humor, 2) the friendly accessibility the games deliver. This game still stays with those trends. LEGO Batman 2 sees you return as Batman trying to stop The Joker and Lex Luthor from causing chaos in Gotham, though Batman soon realizes he must request the help of Superman and The Justice League to stop them.
The game has some cool features going for it, like the addition of the batmobile and other types of vehicles. Also the whole city of gotham is nicely detailed for a LEGO game. Through the city you can find gold bricks to collect, as well as other characters and vehicles.
The story itself is actually pretty decent for a LEGO game considering its not based off of a movie or t.v. series.
Though the game has issues with the gameplay. The driving is a bit of a headache and it takes a while to get used to, the same goes for the flying mechanics on certain characters. Also the fighting seems to be broken at times. The fighting in every lego game is easy, you just hit a button and your character attacks, but for some reason in this game when you attack certain npc's it doesn't damage them or they don't die.
Overall LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heros is a fun game that has a few flaws but not enough to disrupt the fun.

Get the full article at GameSpot

]]> http://www.gamespot.com/lego-batman-2-dc-super-heroes/user-reviews/810494/platform/xbox360/