Ghost_Warrior's GameSpot Friend's Reviews Ghost_Warrior's GameSpot Friend's Reviews Ghost_Warrior's GameSpot Friend's Reviews en-us Copyright (c)1995-2013 CBS Interactive. All rights reserved. http://www.gamespot.com 20 Sun, 26 May 2013 01:14:46 -0700 GameSpot Ghost_Warrior's GameSpot Friend's Reviews http://img.gamespot.com/gamespot/shared/promos/misc/gs_logo.gif http://www.gamespot.com 135 40 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.

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"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/ 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.

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"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/ Mon, 29 Apr 2013 13:21:57 -0700 jg4xchamp reviewed BioShock Infinite for the PC... http://www.gamespot.com/bioshock-infinite/user-reviews/810834/platform/pc/ ...and gave it a 8.0.

The thing that stuck with me most about Bioshock Infinite was that I wanted to replay the game instantly after being finished with it. It's rare that a game causes this kind of reaction, and it's even rarer for that game to be a big triple-A blockbuster. Yet here I am, and I can't just go through it once. Even after trying to explore every little nook, alley, or trash can, I need to find the stuff I overlooked. After taking as much of the atmosphere and narrative in as I could, I still needed to go back to see what I missed. For the first time in a long time, a big triple-A game genuinely made me wonder what was coming up next.

Bioshock Infinite starts a lot like the original Bioshock did. A man named Booker Dewitt who travels to a lighthouse. This lighthouse contains some cryptic writing, and before long he's well on his way to a city unlike anything he could have imagined. Only this time you're ascending high into the sky and entering the world of Columbia, not sinking down into the depths to find Rapture. Whereas the original Bioshock was about discovering a city that was already in ruins, Infinite is about a city that is still going strong.

Columbia isn't a haunting city in ruins as much as it's something almost awe-inspiring. This sense of old American nationalist pride permeates the city as it is decked out in the colors of old glory. Where Rapture was built on science, Columbia is built on faith. It's fitting for a city high enough to be in the heavens, and for those opening moments you're just taking it all in: the raw vertigo that comes from being that high in the air, the incredibly well-done production values, the prayers of the priests in the opening church, the white supremacist nature of this society, and even aspects of the city that just feel wrong.

The game is set in 1912, but there is an uncanny anachronistic aspect to this opening, aside from the the fact that Columbia is a city in the sky. Early on, there is a quartet of singers sharing a piece of music that has no business being in 1912. You're playing a character who has no idea this city even existed, and yet the city already knows him as a anti-Christ known as the False Shepard because of the mark on his right hand. On top of that you're here to capture a girl (Elizabeth) who is so valuable she can wipe away Booker's debt from men who you don't want to owe money to. It's a city that can be as uncomfortable as it is inviting, and it's a feeling that stays strong through out the majority of the experience.

Before our two leads ever meet, we first get a glimpse of the game's main antagonist: Zachary Hale Comstock. He is to Columbia what Andrew Ryan was to Rapture, but he is more a man driven by faith, and presents himself as a prophet to a society that is blindly willing to follow him. He is a well-meaning man that can be downright frightening because what his ideologies drive him to do. He truly believes in what he is doing no matter how flawed his actions seem when compared to what he is preaching. Like Ryan was an example of the potential dangers of Objectivism, he is a take on the potential flaws of religion when taken to extremes.

Religion isn't the only theme at play in the early going. The game also wants to handle racism. It won't be long before you also start dealing with the Vox Populi, the rebel force that is trying to save the non-white members of this society, who are living life at the bottom of the barrel. It gives you the impression of a game (like the original Bioshock) willing to make a statement on these real-life themes by showing us extremist interpretations of them. Sadly, it never quite takes these themes as far as it could as the narrative is about the mystery behind the girl.

Who is she really? And why is she capable of doing the things she does? Elizabeth isn't a normal damsel in distress. She is capable of opening things called "tears" that are like windows to other worlds. But their exact nature is unclear, and the game will make you, and the characters, wonder what they are? The future? Another spin on that time-line, or something else entirely? In search of a way out of the city, Elizabeth and the player go on the run and start getting their answers along the way. And as they go further down the rabbit hole and begin to unravel Colmubia's mysteries, they also see the unraveling of Columbia, and the game world changes to reflect this. What was once a calming blue sky is now a thunderous group of storm clouds creating an ominous darkness over the city. A bustling street and fair now lay in ruins that evoke some of the more terrifying imagery found in the original Bioshock. All this deconstruction and destruction builds up to a fever pitch before you get to the game's conclusion, which is so compelling that it demands another run through, and you'll find yourself viewing what once seemed minor scenes with no real importance now feel like important tidbits that were foreshadowing the grand conclusion all along.

A lot of the story is also conveyed through environmental discoveries by the player. There are secret codes by the rebels that the player must solve to earn gameplay rewards. There are voxophones that give you further insight into the many characters and story beats at play the same way the audio logs did in the original Bioshock. In most cases, they can explain certain tidbits about the city or provide context for gameplay elements, but there is far more interesting stuff as well. For instance, the true story about what happened to Lady Comstock, and her actual feelings in the final few moments of her life may very well be one of the best aspects of the game, and are only available to the player through voxophones.

All of this makes Columbia a city worth exploring, even if you're going to feel that, at times, there just isn't enough of it to actually explore. A lot of the progression in the game is linear, and takes place in straightforward narrow paths. You get some boardwalks, beaches, and the like to explore, but more often than not you get funneled into combat zones.

Which means there also happens to be an action game tied to the story. Bioshock Infinite plays much like the previous Bioshock games. You have your basic weaponry which ranges from pistols, rifles, and shotguns, to heavy weapons, and then you have the Plasmid like powers of Columbia: Vigors. At the press of a button, you can unleash a bolt of lightning, release a flock of crows for crowd control, or deliver a furious bull rush, which provides a more visceral thrill compared to the other powers.

Charging these powers can create other abilities as well, which essentially allow you to set up traps. One such trap can detonate fire bombs, while another can provide an electric barrier if you need to protect something. There are also skylines, which happens to be a form of traversal in the city that also play a role in major set pieces. It provides a vertical dynamic to the combat that just wasn't there in the original Bioshock and makes it possible to escape combat zones more quickly, as well as bring death from higher vantage points.

It all comes together to create this powerful action game that feels far more fluid than the original Bioshock. Where the original felt clunky and almost lacked impact, Infinite genuinely wants you to feel strong. Even the more spongy enemies sell the notion that you can do serious damage, and the entire balance of the game is built with the idea that you play with some offensive latitude as opposed to a more laid-back, strategic approach.

The upgrading system is also a little familiar to Bioshock in that you do a lot of your upgrading at vending machines. With the right amount of money you can either upgrade your powers or your weaponry. These can range from damage boosts to quicker reload times for guns. For Vigors, the upgrades add bonuses effects, such as allowing your charge move to replenish your shield after every direct hit. There is a gear system that allows you to deck out Booker with other advantages as well. The player can wear up to four of these at a time, and they can do anything from increasing ammo capacity or adding effects to actions done while on a skyline.

All of this delivers a combat experience that is far more invigorating than the original Bioshock. Weapons feel stronger, set pieces feel larger, and environments are just big enough to allow proper experimentation with the multiple powers you have. All of this is welcome. The drawbacks come from some potential gameplay elements not found in the game.

If you're wondering if there are any scenarios where the player has the option to avoid combat, there really aren't, outside of one forced stealth scenario. While the original Bioshock allowed for a more "plan it out" approach, Infinite is about pure offense. The weapon wheel is gone and replaced with the often abused two-weapon system found in most FPS games. The addition of a shield also allows the player to play a bit more recklessly without any real drawbacks.

On top of that, you have the addition of Elizabeth who essentially cripples any real chance of a challenge in the game outside of 1999 mode, which gives you limited resources, removes quick revivals, and features more spongy enemies. She is constantly roaming the battlefield and is quickly there to resupply you, making sure the player is in no real threat of running out of ammo for their weapons or salts for using Vigors. Her tears provide some excellent combat options including added cover, automated allies, or even weapon dumps. However, they come with no real penalty. You can just spam them at will, and it creates a combat experience where, on top of all the power you have, you aren't ever really threatened by your enemies.

There is this familiarity to Bioshock Infinite that makes it feel like a game in which Irrational focused more on fixing the combat of the original Bioshock, and less on creating something that was new and belonged entirely to Infinite. On top of that, aspects of the game just feel stripped down or even further simplified. The hacking mini-game from the previous games is now replaced with a simple lock picking mechanic that just requires you to scavenge a certain amount of lock picks. Upgrade paths are more straightforward and limited, and the Vigors can be borderline game-breaking with the right upgrades. It's not anywhere near the thinking man's shooter Irrational hinted at as much as it's right in line with the many adrenaline fused action games on the market.

So, of course, there are some drawbacks along the way. The final combat sections aren't nearly as strong as some of the more intense shoot-outs in the middle of the game. The final stretch of gameplay is a tedious endeavor that is drawn out far longer than it should have been. You have to deal with the disappointment that the Songbird is a potential gameplay obstacle the player never has to deal with. There are story elements that just don't gel with the rest of the game or feel like outright filler. Plot swings sometimes make very little sense, and other major characters come off a little underdeveloped given their importance. Columbia never lives up to Rapture in terms of exploration, and Comstock never quite delivers monologues on the same level as Andrew Ryan.

The game misfires more than a truly great game should. Instead of being graceful all the way to its conclusion, it gets there stumbling, tripping over itself, and at times falling flat on its face. Yet, it won't be those moments that stick with you as much as the moments where the game completely knocks it out of the park. It's going to be the part where the city drew you in immediately with it's absurd and almost majestic nature. It's going to be the combat that, while never challenging, makes you feel powerful in ways most standard triple-A action games rarely ever do. It's going to be an ending that changes the way you look at entire scenes throughout the game. It's a conclusion worth thinking about, and one that is effective enough to make you want to go just one more round to see what you missed.

Bioshock Infinite isn't as deep as it could be, or as concise as it needs to be to be truly effective. It doesn't live up to all the ambition that was shown in its many previews before it released, and it doesn't provide anywhere near the same commentary the original Bioshock did. What it does succeed at is showing you that there is still some wonder and excitement to be found in the triple-A action game. And that makes it an experience worth playing, warts and all.

Get the full article at GameSpot

"jg4xchamp reviewed BioShock Infinite for the PC..." was posted by jg4xchamp on Mon, 29 Apr 2013 13:21:57 -0700
]]> http://www.gamespot.com/bioshock-infinite/user-reviews/810834/platform/pc/ 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.

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"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/ Sun, 14 Apr 2013 00:04:46 -0700 naju890_963 reviewed Killzone for the PlayStation 2... http://www.gamespot.com/killzone/user-reviews/810217/platform/ps2/ ...and gave it a 6.0.

Killzone is your typical Sci-fi FPS series, nowadays the 2nd and 3rd game in the franchise are very popular on the PS3. But let's take a look at the first game in the franchise, Killzone. Killzone is set during a Helghast invasion on earth. Helghast are basically the main baddies of the franchise. They wear their signature helmet which makes their eyes glow red. Basically Helghast are invading earth and the ISA, earth's defense force must save the day. I can't say much about the plot as it's pretty generic and uninspired.

Killzone takes itself very seriously and that's one of the things that I personally dislike about it. The setting and story are too boring to be taken seriously and therefore isn't fun to experience. Comparing KZ1 to shooters of this era is a bit unfair so I'll be going a little bit soft on it, so to speak. KZ is pretty standard when it comes to content. It packs a single player campaign that lasts around 10-12 hours which is pretty average for shooters these days. It also features a Multiplayer mode which is quite barebones when compared to today's robust multiplayer shooters.

Now let's talk about the campaign. First you'll be greeted by a character select screen. For now you'll be only able to choose one character but the others will be unlocked throughout the campaign. The only thing that differentiates these characters from each other are the weapons that they use. There are also a lot of cutscenes scattered throughout the campaign missions backed up by some solid voice acting. But as I said before, Killzone takes it self too seriously and personally I found these cutscenes to be quite boring. The controls are very problematic, they feel heavy and trying to aim can be annoying. This could be intentional. Lots of "realistic" military shooters like to incorporate these type of controls which feel a bit more realistic. While these type of controls work on games like battlefield, sadly they feel like crap on Killzone. Now let's talk about another important factor in an FPS game, the levels. KZ tries it's best to be a gritty realistic shooter and it definitely shows. While I would normally be against visuals like these, I have to honestly say that these type of visuals fit KZ perfectly. As I said before as a game that wants to be taken seriously, gritty visuals are a no brainier. But sadly everything looks drab and boring, level's aren't any fun to explore as everything looks the same.

Oddly enough, even with all these problems, I can't deny that KZ can be very fun at times. I don't know if it's the way that the Helghast collapse when shot or how the weapons feel but there is something very satisfying. Speaking about the weapons, they are standard fare and fun to use most of the time. Both factions (ISA and Helghast) have their own set of weapons. Most of the time I found myself sticking to one assault rifle because most of them feel similar. Level design isn't bad for the most part but in some levels I found myself lost because I couldn't tell which way I should be going. It could be better but the basic design gets the job done. The AI could use some tuning for both friendly and enemy. They both suffer from the typical AI problems, like getting stuck or being dumb in general. From time to time my squad AI would actually do some work.

This one thing annoyed me throughout the course of my playthrough, the frame rate. It's plan awful. It's choppy as hell and frame drops are very common. Now I'm not saying that Killzone is unplayable, no. It normally holds up but in moments when a lot of things are going on the frame rate just drops very low. I understand that the PS2 isn't the most advanced system of all time but they still could have done better. Also I already talked about the artistic style and how drab it looks but I haven't touched on the technical side of things. I guess it looks quite good for a PS2 game, character models look decent, same for the gun models.

What about the multiplayer. Well unfortunately the official servers were closed down long ago so Online play is cut off. Their's still offline multiplayer though. You can either play on your own with bots or with a friend. It's very barebones and it's what you expect out of a 2004 FPS. If you enjoyed the core gameplay in the singleplayer than you will most likely enjoy the multiplayer aswell. All in all Killzone is a decent at best shooter, I won't recommend this for anyone who's looking for your average FPS, there are much better offerings on the market today. But for those who are fans of the series, I'd give it a shot.

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"naju890_963 reviewed Killzone for the PlayStation 2..." was posted by naju890_963 on Sun, 14 Apr 2013 00:04:46 -0700
]]> http://www.gamespot.com/killzone/user-reviews/810217/platform/ps2/ Wed, 27 Mar 2013 10:30:46 -0700 naju890_963 reviewed Crysis 2 for the PlayStation 3... http://www.gamespot.com/crysis-2/user-reviews/809444/platform/ps3/ ...and gave it a 7.5.

Games made by Crytek are infamous for their jaw dropping graphics and Crysis 2 doesn't disappoint in that regard. But Crytek games are not all about graphics, Crysis 2 has a fun but short singleplayer campaign which tells the story of Alcatraz were he fights the CELL corporation and the Ceph. A race of aliens which was explored in the other entry in the series, Crysis. Crysis 2 also features a multiplayer mode, which left me a bit disappointed but more on that later.

Crysis 2 picks up were Crysis left off. This time the suit is given to Alcatraz a soldier that has been reduced to a bloody pulp. He's kept alive thanks to the suit. Later in the story, more characters are introduced and more enemies roll out. It's interesting enough to keep you going along. It's recommended that you play the original Crysis if you want to get the full backstory that is. The nanosuit is a very important gameplay element. It allows Alcatraz to survive ridiculous amounts of damage and gives him the key to several abilities. The two main abilities the suit houses are the "Armor" and "Cloak" abilities. The armor ability gives the player an extra layer of protection against damage and can help in desperate situations or for straight up rushing, while the cloak ability makes the player invisible which helps a lot for stealth gameplay. While using this cloak ability, the player will be exposed if he chooses to attack. Keep in mind that when using these abilities they will be draining from the suit energy. This is necessary to balance out gameplay. You can really feel that Alcatraz is helpless without his suit because when he is out of suit energy, he can barely run and can die easily.

Apart from those two major suit abilities there are also a variety of more passive abilities that can be unlocked with currency dropped by the ceph. These abilities aren't essential but they do help at times. The AI is surprisingly good. Enemies are often hard to hit and can often outsmart the player. There is also a weapon customization system which works well but I often forgot about it during gameplay. Weapons are fairly standard and nothing special but they do get the job done. A big change from the original is the level design. Crysis used to have more open world levels, were you could formulate your own path to the objective. On the other hand Crysis 2 is a much more linear game. I personally find the linear level design to be better as it shows the player what the developer really wanted out of the level. Like most FPS campaigns these days, Crysis 2 has a lot of set-pieces. These set-pieces love to show what the Cry Engine can do. But that's really what set pieces are all about, they look really cool though. There are also a couple of collectables scattered about in the game's levels, they're fairly standard and their sole purpose for being there is probably for the achievements.

Graphically Crysis 2 looks amazing. I didn't really have to say that, it speaks for itself really. I was surprised that the console versions looked pretty good and played at a decent framerate. As for sound design the same can be said. As I said before Crysis 2 also features a multiplayer mode. Basically it plays it safe by incorporating the CoD formula into it's multiplayer. It has the usual class system, challenges, prestige modes and the usual multiplayer modes. I hate how every FPS has to do this. I played atleast 5 hours of the multiplayer and I got bored out of my mind because I experienced the same type of multiplayer on plenty of other shooters. The only thing that Crysis implements In it's multiplayer to try and differentiate itself from the other countless CoD knockoffs is the power system. But this barely changes anything. At the end of the day you're still gaining XP to unlock new weapons, perks and other multiplayer stuff.

I had my share of fun playing Crysis 2, the campaign while short had it's moments and the good pacing made it even more enjoyable. While the multiplayer is a shameless CoD ripoff, it is fun for those who still enjoy multiplayer shooters but it's nothing to write home about.

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"naju890_963 reviewed Crysis 2 for the PlayStation 3..." was posted by naju890_963 on Wed, 27 Mar 2013 10:30:46 -0700
]]> http://www.gamespot.com/crysis-2/user-reviews/809444/platform/ps3/ Fri, 22 Mar 2013 18:14:16 -0700 naju890_963 reviewed Altered Beast for the Genesis... http://www.gamespot.com/altered-beast/user-reviews/809218/platform/genesis/ ...and gave it a 6.5.

Altered Beast was originally an arcade game which was ported over to several home consoles including the Sega Master System, Famicom, ZX Spectrum and obviously the Sega Genesis. By far the best home console version was for the Genesis. This was one of the many reasons why gamers loved Altered Beast at first because it had shown the potential that lies in the Genesis. It was also a pack in with early Genesis models so it's rather easy to find and cheap to purchase in cart form nowadays.

You're basically controlling a warrior that has been resurrected by Zeus and commands him to save his daughter and defeat the evil Neff. It's a pretty barebones plot but what do you expect from an arcade game. The story is not the only thing that's barebones in this game. The gameplay is very shallow offering no depth at all and can get very tedious after playing for a few hours. The gimmick that Altered Beast boasts is the beast transformations. By collecting orbs from dead wolves, your character will get stronger and stronger until he eventually transforms into the designated beast for the level. As I said each level has it's own beast.

Their are five beasts to transform into. A werewolf, dragon, bear, tiger and a golden wolf. They don't differ from each other that much but they are great fun
when experienced for the first time. Although these transformations help the flow of the gameplay it still feels weary after a while and the light platforming doesn't help either. The bosses aren't very challenging especially the final boss which is a complete joke. Graphically it looks the best out of the console versions and it looks quite good for a game this old. The soundtrack is decent aswell and some tunes match the style of the game greatly.

It's a worthy pickup for any Sega fan or collector but don't expect any complex level designs or anything like that. At it's core, Altered Beast is a drony side scrolling beat em up with a gimmicky transformation system that makes the game worth a try. This can be easily found in most Sega compilations and it's also very easy to find for the original system too.

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"naju890_963 reviewed Altered Beast for the Genesis..." was posted by naju890_963 on Fri, 22 Mar 2013 18:14:16 -0700
]]> http://www.gamespot.com/altered-beast/user-reviews/809218/platform/genesis/ Wed, 13 Feb 2013 22:38:42 -0800 jg4xchamp reviewed Anarchy Reigns for the Xbox 360... http://www.gamespot.com/anarchy-reigns/user-reviews/807472/platform/xbox360/ ...and gave it a 6.0.

If I was trying to sum up all the brilliance Anarchy Reigns would have to offer it comes down to one simple statement: you punch people and they explode. This level of over the type action has become synonymous with Platinum Games. Anarchy Reigns certainly delivers for the most part in that regard, but this is the first time they've taken their act into the multi-player space. To say their first experiment in this space is completely successful would be misleading but what they do have here is a great foundation.

The core combat of Anarchy Reigns does your standard beat-em-up normal attack and strong attack routine. Your character will also have a "killer weapon" which is tied to an energy gauge that fills up based on how much of a beating you dish out. These attacks can all be used in conjunction with each other with the right opening and the game rewards players enough for playing with some finesse. A brief pause between strikes can change the entire animation routine of your strikes setting up a different combo entirely. There is also a rage meter which acts as a safety net for the player for a quick turnaround. When activated your character can go berserk and then hit your enemy with a myriad of strikes.

All of these attack combinations are fluid, responsive, and most importantly, brutally satisfying. Each strike has a high level of impact that will make you feel power. The fact that there is more depth there for a player willing to learn its nuances is also a rewarding feel. Sadly, this level of depth is also poorly presented to the player. There really isn't a move/command list for the many characters in this game, and the in game training options only teach you the basics. With recent fighting games having more advanced training techniques, this feels half-baked by comparison.

This learn-as-you-go approach also shows up in the multiplayer. The initial learning curve is going to take some time to get used to, but once you get a handle of your character, you'll be able to play at a more competitive level. As it stands Anarchy Reigns' modes are varied from the likes of team deathmatch, free for all for up to 16 players, a wicked version of soccer, and even shooter main stays like capture the flag. The multiplayer has a level of randomness to it that can make any match thrilling on what can happen in the environment alone. In one second you can have the entire arena lit up by an airstrike to another moment where a key part of the map has a black hole. It all creates an exciting brand of chaos that just isn't the norm with what's currently out on the market.

Unfortunately, this chaos also presents some of the multiplayer's biggest issues. While 2v2 and 4v4 modes are well thought out and fun to play due to easier communication; the free for all modes all are far too messy. Platinum Games has always had a penchant for chaos, but this is the first time navigating it has become an issue (albeit not an issue with the solo play). There is just far too much going on in these matches, and the poor lock on makes it difficult sometimes to be able to juggle multiple adversaries. A lot of your kills, and the general scoring in these games will be a product of "kill stealing". As a whole it lacks the competitive consistency to play with the big boys, but it's certainly fun in its own right as a celebration of chaos.

There are 17 characters in the game (18 if you have the Bayonetta DLC) and the vast majority of them have to be unlocked either through single player or multiplayer. It's worth mentioning that you can unlock every character without ever touching the story mode, however, this can take an extremely long time, making playing the story mode almost mandatory. This is unfortunate as the story mode is by far the weakest aspect of Anarchy Reigns.

The game is split into two story campaigns: one starring Madworld protagonist Jack Cayman and the other starring newcomer Leo. Both sides will also give you options to play as other characters in the story mode, but you don't necessarily have to play as anyone but our two main characters. While the two sides do present different angles of the plot they ultimately feel like carbon copy of each other. It makes the mode feel incredibly repetitive as every mission comes down to you needing to do some mass killings. A lot of your missions just come down to straight up killing a set amount of enemies. The game has makes a decent attempt at being varied with boss fights, shooting segments, and even vehicle segments. Sadly this format is rinsed and repeated through both campaigns so in a sense you go through the campaign twice.

The hub world doesn't help matters either. You're dropped into very bland environments with little to do but kill enemies and go to mission points. If you don't earn enough points in the missions you end up having to replay some of them, adding to the repetitive nature of the campaign. Boss fights and combat are executed well enough to be satisfying but the routine nature of the campaign leaves quite a bit to be desired.

The story itself isn't much to write home about either. Both Leo and Jack are looking for a Maximillion Caxton who has recently gone insane. In Leo's case, Max is a mentor figure who he is trying to save, and because Max killed his daughter, Jack is out for blood. The story itself is told through some cheesy flashbacks, a litany of poorly done character introductions and a number of clichéd elements found in most power fantasy stories. And it doesn't help that most of the dialogue is just far too nonsensical to be taken seriously. This brand of cheese has usually been entertaining in previous Platinum Games, but only because they seem intentionally cheesy. Because Anarchy Reigns sets itself up as a game that takes itself more seriously, it ends up falling flat.

Anarchy Reigns' inconsistent design flows into the presentation as well. Anarchy Reigns has an excellent soundtrack, especially if you were a fan of Madworld. Once again, Platinum uses hip-hop music to give Anarchy Reigns its own characteristic. A good portion of the music is about fighting and earning money so it gels well with the cast of characters. Unfortunately, the visual design is underwhelming, especially this late into a console generation. The environment designs are far too bland considering how often they appear and the color palette is far too washed out. Given this title's Madworld roots, it's rather disappointing that they didn't choose to use that sort of stylized visual aesthetic.

Taken as a whole, Anarchy Reigns isn't completely successful. The repetitive nature of the story mode is certainly disappointing yet the multiplayer modes can make up for a lot of its shortcomings. It's chaotic, messy, and seemingly half-baked at times but also unlike anything else on the market. At its budget price this is far from an awful game but Anarchy Reigns isn't quite ready for a primetime prize fight.

Get the full article at GameSpot

"jg4xchamp reviewed Anarchy Reigns for the Xbox 360..." was posted by jg4xchamp on Wed, 13 Feb 2013 22:38:42 -0800
]]> http://www.gamespot.com/anarchy-reigns/user-reviews/807472/platform/xbox360/ Fri, 18 Jan 2013 02:29:07 -0800 jg4xchamp reviewed Shadows of the Damned for the Xbox 360... http://www.gamespot.com/shadows-of-the-damned/user-reviews/806412/platform/xbox360/ ...and gave it a 6.0.

When the super duo of Shinji Mikami(Resident Evil creator) and Suda51(No More Heroes) hooked up back in 2005 gamers were given Killer 7. An absurd cel-shaded on rails gaming experience that had style in spades. So when you heard this team was making another game about a demon hunter in Hell, and the composer of this game would be Akira Yamoaka(Silent Hill) how could you not be interested?

Sure Shadows of the Damned still ends up an experience you might not have expected, but not necessarily in the best way. For one it's a third person action game in the vein of well most third person action games post Resident Evil 4. You have over the shoulder shooting, demons, and a linear level design structure. On the flip side you have a Hell unlike any other before it. This Hell has doors blocked off by demon baby heads who need strawberries. This hell is a constant struggle against the darkness where one must find goat heads, and shoot them to light up the place for safety. This hell has a sex hot line that turns your gun into The Big Boner. Yeah, it's that kind of hell.

Shadows of the Damned isn't going to be some revolutionary experience, but the ride it puts you through is an adventure worth taking. It's a game that doesn't take itself too seriously as you play as Garcia F*cking Hotspur: a top notch demon hunter. His desire to essentially kick every demon's ass is what eventually pisses off one of Hell's more perverted demons Flemming. Flemming kid naps Garcia's woman, sends her directly to hell for eternal torture, and to boot threatens to defile her while he's at it.

It's an opening that sets the tone perfectly. This game is obsessed with throwing out some innuendos, making d*ck jokes, being vulgar, and violent while it's at it. But it's not done in a way that would make you think the experience tries too hard to be edgy. It'll certainly be divisive, but it feels more silly and endearing. Garcia is a one liner spewing and bravado driven man who's only real desire to keep Paula is to hit it. His companion through this adventure is a talking torch named Johnson. Who just happens to be able to turn into a motorcycle and the weapons you'll need to slaughter the enemies you will deal with in hell.

What makes the story side of the adventure so entertaining is the chemistry between the two leads. This chemistry happens to play a large role why many of the innuendos in the game work so well. It also makes reading through the story books that give the back story on the boss demons a satisfying pit stop in between the action. The campy voice acting, and odd creatures such as the game's salesmen who sounds absurdly southern really sell this vision of hell. Yamoaka's soundwork is a nice mix of cheese, punk, and a spanish guitar solo to boot gives the game a sound track that is nothing short of excellent. It all adds up to a fun adventure worth finish, and part of that is because the standard action is serviceable.

Shadows of the Damned plays like any modern third person action game, and you'll spend most of your time shooting your enemies with an over the shoulder view. The weapons at your disposal is a pistol(named the boner no less), a shotgun, and a rifle. Your guns also have a light shot which is necessary for ridding some enemies of the darkness that protects them from any damage. It's disappointing to only have three weapon options, and they aren't exactly the most clever of weapons either. However the damage they cause is thoroughly gratifying as it only takes a few shots usually to have blood and guts flying everywhere. It's a level of grotesque action that makes shooting even the more standard enemies fun all the way through.

The game progression constantly moves you forward with minor stops in between. In these stretches you may need to find an item that opens a door, requiring you to do some backtracking here and there. When the game is really hitting on all cylinders it's a blast to play through. The best moments usually have you being bombarded with the different types of enemies, and using your full arsenal becomes paramount in those situations. Also the ability to upgrade these weapons into stronger versions gives the player a sense of progression. You will be a far more powerful person by the end of the experience.

What doesn't work very well in the game is usually any time the game tries to mix it up and be varied. While the moment to moment action is good it's the attempts at having big moments that fall flat. Boss fights are predictable and formulaic in nature. They are pattern driven fights that require you to hit the glowing weak spot. While the fights can be well paced, and against rather absurd creatures they ultimately lack the thrill of a truly great boss fight.

Other scenarios such as the darkness mechanic don't really help matters either. Hell will sometimes be completely covered in a darkish blue hue of darkness that is a poison to Garcia. To fix this the player will have to find goat heads or in some cases demonic hands that are the source for the darkness. Rarely are these hidden far out of sight, and in most cases it's more of a chore than a moment that raises the intensity.

There are also major change of pace scenarios that overstay their welcome. One scenario in the game transforms your pistol in The Big Boner and is basically a shooting gallery as you shoot this gun at oncoming demons. After every shot Garcia says "taste my big boner". Admittedly funny the first few times, but it's a routine that gets very old after you already shot down twenty demons. And the side scrolling chapters in the game are easily the weakest moments in the game.
When Shadows of the Damned is just run-and-gun splattering of the demonic "hell monkeys" that Garcia hates so much it can be entertaining. It's not a bright nor a particularly challenging experience, but it's one that satisfies one's urge to just let loose and mow down some demons. The fact that it couldn't maintain something with a sense of variety or book end it with some stronger gameplay moments is disappointing. The lack of a new game plus also kills any replayability the experience might have. Yet the adventure is funny and crazy enough to want to see through till the very end.

Shadows of the Damned doesn't reinvigorate the genre with new game design ideas. It doesn't even take existing ideas and execute them at a high level. One where each moment is a carefully executed sequence of action gaming bliss. No in fact it's just good fundamental mechanics surrounded by some average action game design. But the silly adaptation of hell, genuinely funny innuendos, and excellent audio work makes it an experience worth finishing. It's one you'll have fun with. Even if it'll leave you thinking this game could have been so much more.

Get the full article at GameSpot

"jg4xchamp reviewed Shadows of the Damned for the Xbox 360..." was posted by jg4xchamp on Fri, 18 Jan 2013 02:29:07 -0800
]]> http://www.gamespot.com/shadows-of-the-damned/user-reviews/806412/platform/xbox360/ Tue, 07 Aug 2012 12:45:43 -0700 naju890_963 reviewed Zone of the Enders for the PlayStation 2... http://www.gamespot.com/zone-of-the-enders/user-reviews/798341/platform/ps2/ ...and gave it a 8.5.

Zone Of The Enders is a mech action game directed by Hideo Kojima, who made the Metal Gear series. ZOE features a short 6-8 hour campaign mode and a bonus mode after beating the main story. You take the role of Leo Starbuck, a young boy wandering about in the city. When the BAHRAM forces attack, Leo stumbles on an inactive mech named Jehuty. Leo pilots Jehuty, and so the adventure begins. The plot is pretty generic, but it still keeps you going throughout the game. You'll meet several characters along the way; some are quite interesting while some are forgettable. ZOE features a deep backstory covering the migration to Jupiter and the orbital frames. Now ZOE is pretty straight forward when it comes to gameplay. The combat may be fairly simple but it is very fun, the blade attacks are very fluid and flying around is a joy. The camera is also pretty stable; normally it operates well giving you a nice view of the battlefield. You also have a ton of subweapons at your disposal like the geyser, javelin and others. These can be fun to mess around with but in the heat of battle they won't be of much use. Sadly combat will get repetitive, their is only one blade combo and the blaster isn't much either. Some of the boss fights are incredibly fun. Especially the one on one mech fights, those are really cool. Graphically ZOE is superb. This game was released in 2001 and looks amazing, even by today's standards. Grant it the cutscenes might look a bit crappy but the mechs and environments look very vibrant. In my whole playthrough of ZOE, I didn't encounter any frame rate issues or crashes. Their is also a bonus mode awarded to the player after beating the main story. This versus mode is quite simple, basically the player battles another mech in a 1on1 fight. It gets old real quick, but it's still pretty fun from time to time. Their isn't much to say really, ZOE is a short burst of Kojima goodness with great gameplay and really awesome looking mechs.

Get the full article at GameSpot

"naju890_963 reviewed Zone of the Enders for the PlayStation 2..." was posted by naju890_963 on Tue, 07 Aug 2012 12:45:43 -0700
]]> http://www.gamespot.com/zone-of-the-enders/user-reviews/798341/platform/ps2/ Thu, 14 Jun 2012 07:52:37 -0700 Swanogt19 reviewed Lollipop Chainsaw for the Xbox 360... http://www.gamespot.com/lollipop-chainsaw/user-reviews/795823/platform/xbox360/ ...and gave it a 8.5.

Lollipop Chainsaw is a hack and slash game that feels like a throwback to the days of beat em ups on the Sega Genesis and SNES. The game is not very long but provides a lot of fun and a lot replay value. The game does have a lot of mature content which has turned away some people but you have an open mind and or not taken back from stereotypes try this game.

There are only six stages in the game. Once you completed the stage you are given a total score and are compared to some previous scores (Juliet's sister and father). You can increase your score by finished the stage in less time, not dying, using powerful combos, etc. You unlock combos and other things by increasing your medal count to purchase these things. You are also to compete against other player's scores online.

What I enjoyed the most was the characters in the game. From Juliet to her older sister to some of the bosses all of them were great. Add a great cast of characters as part of a fun hack and slash with a lot of replay value you have Lollipop Chainsaw.

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"Swanogt19 reviewed Lollipop Chainsaw for the Xbox 360..." was posted by Swanogt19 on Thu, 14 Jun 2012 07:52:37 -0700
]]> http://www.gamespot.com/lollipop-chainsaw/user-reviews/795823/platform/xbox360/ Mon, 04 Jun 2012 08:01:36 -0700 Swanogt19 reviewed Earthworm Jim for the Super Nintendo... http://www.gamespot.com/earthworm-jim/user-reviews/795290/platform/snes/ ...and gave it a 8.0.

Over the years Earthworm Jim and it sequel has become an occult series by fans and critics alike. The first game introduces the player into the universe of Earthworm Jim that brought forth the occult status. On the surface this game is a 2-D platformer but the characters and level designs take the game to make greater depths.

A special suit is being transported by a bounty hunter named Psy-Crow for his employer, Queen-Slug-For-A-Butt. On his mission Psy-Crow accidently drops the suit, which lands on an Earthworm named Jim. This suit makes Jim appear as having a normal body with legs and arms. Jim is trying to having the suit taken from him as well as saving Princess-Whats-Her-Name from the Queen.

Through out the game you will jump, shoot, whip, and swing your way through several different levels. Jim will also have an underwater water vehicle race, a space rocket race, bungie jump contest, and guide some friends safely through a level. Providing a good variety of gameplay styles. The difficulty slowly increases and peaks are the final level making the curve perfect. Once you lost all your lives and have used all your continues you must start a new game.

With good level designs, gameplay variety, and a truely unique gaming universe Earthworm Jim is a lot of fun to play. One of the best platformers of the 90s and a game that can still be enjoyed today. Check out Earthworm Jim!

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"Swanogt19 reviewed Earthworm Jim for the Super Nintendo..." was posted by Swanogt19 on Mon, 04 Jun 2012 08:01:36 -0700
]]> http://www.gamespot.com/earthworm-jim/user-reviews/795290/platform/snes/ Mon, 14 May 2012 07:15:20 -0700 Swanogt19 reviewed Silent Hill for the PlayStation... http://www.gamespot.com/silent-hill/user-reviews/793601/platform/ps/ ...and gave it a 9.0!

Though this game is rather short the game leaves a lasting impression. You are Harry Mason who has lost his daughter after a car crash while traveling to Silent Hill on vacation. You look for several different clues in hope to finding your daughter. Along the way you meet different characters and monsters along the way.

The game play involves a lot of one place to the next and then exploring the destination. At each destination you will come across enemies, weird noises, and puzzles. The puzzles can range from easy to difficult. Some destinations have a boss that you must face as well. Providing a good amount of different game play but each area tends to follow a pattern. Enemies through out a level, a couple of puzzles, and then a boss. Then on to the next level and repeat. The story is very exciting and if it is your first play through you will be wondering what is going on. It is hard to put the controller down once you get involved with the game.

There is some replay value once you've completed the game. There is several different endings depending on what you do at certain points in the game. Though this may not be clear on your first play through. Silent Hill is a terrifying yet wonderful experience. A game that will stay with you after you play it. Take a chance and don't look back. Play this game.

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"Swanogt19 reviewed Silent Hill for the PlayStation..." was posted by Swanogt19 on Mon, 14 May 2012 07:15:20 -0700
]]> http://www.gamespot.com/silent-hill/user-reviews/793601/platform/ps/ Tue, 08 May 2012 07:10:43 -0700 Swanogt19 reviewed Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island for the Super Nintendo... http://www.gamespot.com/super-mario-world-2-yoshis-island/user-reviews/793311/platform/snes/ ...and gave it a 9.0!

In Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island you play as different Yoshies. Your goal is to carry Mario safely through each level on your way to find Luigi and the Stork who was carrying the two babies. Mario sits on Yoshi's back and he time Yoshi is hit Mario goes up into the air, Yoshi only has a certain amount of time to get Mario back before Baby browser's helpers get Mario.

The idea and gameplay are quite different from Super Mario World. Which is a good thing, as great as Super Mario World was another game based on the same exact gameplay would have gotten old. Focusing on Yoshi and his several different moves along with some fantastic level designs make this game unique. Allowing for this sequel to be enjoyable as the first Super Mario World.

There is a total of 6 different worlds with 8 levels each. 2 of the 8 levels are castles which have a boss. At the end of each level you will get a score ranging from 1 to 100. If you get a perfect score of 100 you will unlock a secret level for that individual level. Allowing for some replay value. The levels and enemies vary. I found the castles to be more interesting this time around compared to the original Super Mario World.

The game looks like colorful pop up story book. Which fits well with the whole "baby" Mario and Browser idea. For a game released in 1995 this game looks beautiful. The music is not as good as the first Super Mario World but it still is good.

This is a great plat former that provides variety, great graphics for its time, good music, and most importantly fun.

9/10

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]]> http://www.gamespot.com/super-mario-world-2-yoshis-island/user-reviews/793311/platform/snes/ Thu, 26 Apr 2012 05:27:58 -0700 Swanogt19 reviewed Alan Wake for the Xbox 360... http://www.gamespot.com/alan-wake/user-reviews/792610/platform/xbox360/ ...and gave it a 6.5.

Alan Wake is a 3rd person shooter and psychological thriller game for the xbox 360 and pc. This review will be of the xbox version. Alan Wake is a writer who writes psychological and horror thrillers. Him and his wife go to a city call Bright Falls where it appears a book that he has not written yet is starting to come to life.

This game is very story driven and as it should be. The game takes nods at writers such as Stephen King and Hitchcock. However the game play is most a copy and paste of any 3rd person shooter with the exception of fighting your enemies off with light. As Alan you use a flashlight, flares, and flash bangs to fight off your enemies. A cool concept but it was used the same way through out the game making it a little uninteresting by the end of the game.

The game is set into 5 different episodes. Through out each episode Alan's story continues to come to life and he must figure out how to stop it. This happens by running from point A to B and fighting off enemies in your way.There is no variety of objectives. You start an episode in one area and you have to get to another. Always on foot with the exception of two or three times where you can drive a car. But that does not provide any real excitement it just takes less time.

The enemies that you will encounter are also repetitive. From "dark" men (some small some big), dark birds, and the darkness throwing large trucks, barrels, and other items at you that is all there is for enemies. All with the same attack pattern. They're interesting at first but by episode three things were always the same.

Alan Wake has a great story which will draw anyone in. But the repetitive game play can make it hard to finish because it doesn't feel fun a lot of the time.

Get the full article at GameSpot

"Swanogt19 reviewed Alan Wake for the Xbox 360..." was posted by Swanogt19 on Thu, 26 Apr 2012 05:27:58 -0700
]]> http://www.gamespot.com/alan-wake/user-reviews/792610/platform/xbox360/ Mon, 16 Apr 2012 15:28:35 -0700 naju890_963 reviewed Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 for the PlayStation 2... http://www.gamespot.com/dragon-ball-z-budokai-tenkaichi-3/user-reviews/792098/platform/ps2/ ...and gave it a 8.5.

The Budokai Tenkaichi series is very different to the Budokai series. Its gameplay is set in 3D arenas were everything is destructible and can lead to very fun immense battles. Since the first in the series the Tenkaichi series continued to impress the fans with more improving and refinement. Even with the new releases on the newer generation of consoles BT3 still is fun and highly recommended to any Dragonball Z fan.

Not a lot of things have changed since BT2. You can say that the developers went for a more refined game rather than introducing new features and such. BT2 made a lot of great changes to the series and I am more than happy that BT3 did not change the formula. As usual BT3 has the same modes from before Duels, Tournaments, Ultimate battle and story. Duel mode has stayed the same in all of the games in the series. Simply put, pick your character and your opponent and battle it out. Tournaments have introduced a time system. For example, if it's 2:00Pm in the game this certain tournament will open.

When it's 4:00Pm the other certain tournament will open and so forth. Apart from that nothing vital has changed in the tournament mode. Story mode is trying to be better than the other story modes from the past games in the series but still it feels strange and skips a few battles here and there. It's more dynamic but for a newcomer he will have absolutely no idea what's going on between battles. Also disc fusion has been introduced in the ultimate battle section. What basically disc fusion is, it lets you use ultimate battle modes from the other two games in the series, combines them and gives you two new modes, only if you have the other games. These are a nice addition and can help the longevity of the title.

Gameplay wise the fighting feels much better. It's more complex in a way and feels much more rewarding when punching an opponent into a giant rock followed by a well-executed KAMEHAMHA!!! It feels much more like the epic fighting in the anime and that's a step forward for the series. Also a boost has been introduced. When you execute a signature or finishing move you get a little prompt on the bottom of the screen to press square and a certain direction on the directional pad. This gives the attack a little boost to further damage your enemy. The clashes between rushes or energy attacks now look even more amazing and lead to bigger explosions. All around the combat is very fun and it is still hard to learn for newcomers of the series.

The cell-shaded graphics look even better now. They are more crisp , vibrant and look much more lively in general. In the graphics department BT3 excels at delivering anime like feel. The voice track are just like the anime and also includes the Japanese voice which sound excellent as well. Dragonball Z Budokai Tenkaichi 3 is a great game that refines on the series and makes it accessible for newcomers while still maintaining enough challenge to please the fans.

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]]> http://www.gamespot.com/dragon-ball-z-budokai-tenkaichi-3/user-reviews/792098/platform/ps2/ Sat, 31 Mar 2012 02:56:01 -0700 naju890_963 reviewed The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim for the PlayStation 3... http://www.gamespot.com/the-elder-scrolls-v-skyrim/user-reviews/791101/platform/ps3/ ...and gave it a 9.5!

The Elder Scrolls series has been around for a long time. It has been expanding its vast lore and gameplay mechanics over the years. Skyrim shows the fruits of Bethesda's labour. This 5th instalment in the elder scrolls series is based on the snowy land of skyrim. It's a region full of nature's beauties, including forests and lots of real animals and some fantasised ones. It's populated by region's leading race the Nords. These barbaric Viking like race are very strong physically and are accustomed to skyrim's harsh weather which grants them an advantage over the other races. Also the usual other races are available in skyrim's deep character creator.

The plot bases on two main wars going on in skyrim. First of all the Stormcloaks are rebelling against the empire because they are feeling that their culture is being destroyed by the empire. But what the civilians of skyrim are really worried about is the return of the dragons. Also other factions return like The Dark Brotherhood, Thieves Guild, The Companions and The College of Winterhold. These are all very unique and have immensely deep storylines.

There are some notable gameplay improvements like dual wielding spells and weapons and a refined levelling up system. The levelling system has made the game much more different and satisfies the player more. It works like this. You have a set of skills like Archery, Alchemy and such. In order to level up you need to use these skills to individually level up these skills while at the same time levelling your character. You also have a skill tree in each of these skills. These perks are fairly useful in your journey and will surely boost your character's strength.

The menus have also been refined, they are given a more polished look but they can get tedious at time because of the lack of a sort option for your inventory. The game looks superb, even though character models look a bit stiff and the animations are a bit stupid at times, you have to keep in mind that it is a very big land with lots of things to render. The skybox looks amazing and the environment is believable and beautiful at the same time. It runs at a stable FPS but frame rate dips are very common usually at large battles. Also after a certain amount of time played on one save file skyrim will suffer some lag issues as reported by many players.

Skyrim packs hundreds of hours of content. There are tons of quests to do, lots of weapons to collect and so much more. First of all the main quest. This quest follows the return of the dragons. It's interesting enough to continue through but lots of players forget about it because of all the interesting other side quests. The main quest can take you about 20 hours or so to play through and offer a satisfying ending. Faction quests return and they are still fun as hell. These are all very story driven and pack lots of hours of entertainment. There are ton of side quests to do ranging from a simple delivery mission or a strange encounter with a daedra.

New to the franchise are miscellaneous quests. These are all filed under the misc tab in the quest log. These can be little things like fetch an item or kill a dragon but can lead to something important that will have its own quest.
The AI is still pretty mediocre as it always has been in the franchise. Followers may get stuck in random things or don't move out of your way. The Enemy AI can be bugged at times at just do random things or not move at all. Skyrim has it's fair share of bugs to complain about. Quests can be bugged and unable to progress further. These glitches can really hurt the player's progress but Bethesda are patching up the game bit by bit. The NPC's also are a bit clunky and can get glitched up at times, but still they work pretty good.

Skyrim is a gigantic game that has so much to offer, you will be playing for days on end and probably crush your social life all together. It has it's fair share of shortcomings but these are few and with all the fun you'd be having you won't notice them at all.

The Good :
-Gigantic world with tons of content.
-Dual wield system makes combat more fun.
-Side quests are very interesting.
-Swords and equipment look very detailed.
-Great voice acting.

The Bad :
-Can get buggy at times.
-NPC's can get clunky at times.
-Combat is still a bit shallow.

Get the full article at GameSpot

]]> http://www.gamespot.com/the-elder-scrolls-v-skyrim/user-reviews/791101/platform/ps3/ Wed, 08 Feb 2012 01:53:40 -0800 jg4xchamp reviewed Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception for the PlayStation 3... http://www.gamespot.com/uncharted-3-drakes-deception/user-reviews/787301/platform/ps3/ ...and gave it a 7.0.

One of the more difficult things in sports is following up a championship season. Everything the champs do is put under a larger microscope, and the expectations may be too much given how good the competition actually is. Sure repeats have happened, but most of the time the champions just aren't as good as they were the last time they were out on the field. Sometimes they go from winning it all to being a one and done in the playoffs. That's the fate a lot of videogame sequels face when they have to follow up an esteemed predecessor. That's the fate that Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception ultimately ends up having to accept.

The game picks up some time after Uncharted 2, and picks up in a London Bar. Nate and Sully are up to their old tricks of setting up a score for themselves, all the while being fooled by the people they are well: trying to fool. The game doesn't pick up with a shootout against pirates, or even another stealth run through a museum. Instead the game aims for a straight up bar fight with henchmen. Pool cues, beer bottles, and chairs included. All of it with Uncharted's meticulous crafting of cinematic action. It sets the tone for the rest of the game. It's more Uncharted, and in a lot of ways, an even more cinematic Uncharted.

It all opens the door for a new villain and a more personal plot for Nathan Drake. Uncharted 2 gave us a globe-trotting romp with an adventurer searching for gold, all the while trying to stay not too far behind a madman. Uncharted 3 gives us a globetrotting romp with an adventurer searching for treasure, all the while trying to not be too far behind an insane rich woman. Okay maybe the central plot is very much the same, but the game puts more of a focus on the internal turmoil of Nathan Drake. We're given a different side of Nate, one that honestly could make the player question exactly what makes Nathan tick. Is it all for pride or is it some sort of a turn on for him to just cheat death left, right, and center?

I digress though, and admit Uncharted 3 continues the most basic trend of the series. It's not a very original tale, at many times full of clichés. Yet the characters are always entertaining enough, and the banter between them makes for an enjoyable experience. and as always, the gameplay ends up holding its own. Uncharted 3 is very much the "Tomb Raider meets Gears of War" experience it has been since its inception (albeit with very few of the drawbacks from the original game), and that ****of play still yields fun results.

The game is tightly paced from one spectacular set-piece to the next, and the shooting action in between is satisfying, all things considered. Uncharted 2 delivered an engaging spectacle like few other games, and Uncharted 3 isn't too shabby on its own merits. Whether it's trying to escape a burning castle, or hanging for dear life on a hanging ramp of a flying cargo plane. Oh and yes, the sinking ship is every bit as intense as you would expect it to be. There are also plenty of smaller shootouts so it never ends up feeling like the game is just bombarding you with cheap thrills every five seconds. It is however still a little too scripted, and shootouts really only play out one way in most cases. The enemy AI isn't necessarily bright, but that's only a minor drawback on what is some damn good third person action.

Where the game continues to fall flat is in other facets of its gameplay. Puzzles are more frequent this time, and some of them are genuinely clever. Even if it means the answers are always there by just opening up your journal. However, the linear nature of the platforming just isn't excusable the third time out. What amplifies it even more are chase sequences that are frequent in this game. On more than one occasion you will be forced to either run away from adversaries, or chase one down. These sequences are also heavily scripted, and in a lot of cases present you only one way of progression. Even going as far as to denying you the ability to climb a structure you were able to climb at other points in the game. Nathan Drake comes off as someone who should easily be able to climb a fence, and when he can't it's definitely jarring in a game so focused on its presentation. Sure, this linear nature was apparent in the original and Uncharted 2 but the chase sequences just put this annoyance front and center. It also doesn't help that there are some cinematic moments in the game that become a bit intrusive on the gameplay. As the only purpose they serve is to slow you down, force you to go from A to B with nothing else to do but listen to some chatter between characters. You may still be in control, but for extended periods you aren't really doing anything.

Uncharted 3 has its own offerings in terms of multiplayer between 3 player coop modes, and a more traditional 5 v 5 competitive multiplayer. If Gears of War is the yang with its heavy focus on map control and power weapons. Uncharted 3 is the yin with its focus on player progression, and customization for personal load outs and specific attributes. This styIe of play can be plenty addictive as you're always working for unlocks but it also gives more of an edge to those who play more rather than those who play well. Being a lower-leveled player puts you at a major disadvantage as some of the later power ups, modifications and starting weapons are game-changing enough to be a significant edge. One of those being weapon accuracy boosters that aren't accessible until you level up to the mid-20s.

Given how the matchmaking can match you with just about any one at any level it can be steeper climb than it should be for some players. Also, while a bonus that gives the losing team a quick perk isn't game breaking by any means, the addition of power boosts for piling up styIe points does give you a rich-get-richer scenario, making early leads a premium.

The multiplayer's best aspects are the cooperative modes. A new co-op adventure mode gives you a more story centric cooperative experience through five playable scenarios. Complete with set pieces galore and your typical Uncharted action but with some buddies. The Hunters mode delivers you a 2 v 2 mode where one team is handicapped in terms of their own abilities, but they get the boost of having enemy AI on their side to help them out. Think Left 4 Dead without the zombies. Then there is Uncharted's own survival mode called Arena. With the twist here being that every wave has its own rule set. One wave can require you to kill everyone on the map, and another wave can require you to find some treasure and bring it to a specific point on the map.

The multiplayer is solid across the board, but the real star of this game is the single player. And yes the action is still very fun, and few games are in the same league on a presentation standpoint (especially on consoles). It's just plenty of Uncharted's elements have gotten a little stale with this being the third game. Sure the game continues to bring the same bravado to its set pieces, but not once did it bring it with the same moxie. Uncharted 3 is like a big prime time regular season game at Cowboys Stadium. The spectacle is there, the lights are bright, and yes the game is fun. But it's just the regular season. Uncharted 2 was more like a great Super Bowl. The lights are brighter, the stakes couldn't be higher, and the big plays are simply electrifying.

Uncharted 3 is a good game, but the playing-it-safe attitude and a superb predecessor might leave people wanting more if they were hoping for greatness. But hey, Naughty Dog got their ring already and a good regular season isn't anything to scoff at.

Get the full article at GameSpot

]]> http://www.gamespot.com/uncharted-3-drakes-deception/user-reviews/787301/platform/ps3/ Wed, 08 Feb 2012 01:49:29 -0800 jg4xchamp reviewed Gears of War 3 for the Xbox 360... http://www.gamespot.com/gears-of-war-3/user-reviews/787299/platform/xbox360/ ...and gave it a 8.0.

Five years ago the original Gears of War released to commercial and critical success. It was a game that tasked the player with shooting through hordes of enemies in a game world known as Sera where humanity was pretty much screwed. That game would go on to become the blue print of how a cover-based third person shooter was supposed to work. It's been 5 years since and the third game in the series portrays a game world where humanity is still quite screwed. You still shoot your way through hordes of enemies while taking cover, and what was once the trendsetter is now just more of the trend.

Gears of War 3 is the third game in one of this generations more influential franchises and, for better or worse, it's a familiar experience. The stop-and-pop gameplay that put the series on the map is still in place. With only some new additions to the weapons list as well as new foes being the significant changes to the action. Yet this is also the first time the series can lay claim to being a more complete package. Besides delivering the franchise a final act (from a story standpoint) Gears of War 3 also delivers the franchises best multiplayer simply on the premise that it actually works this time.

The multiplayer ships with 10 maps, and 6 multiplayer modes. Including franchise staples such as Execution-where the player has to get up close to get kills, and Wingman (2v2v2v2). Newcomers include a Team Deathmatch mode with a Gears of War twist. Both teams share a pool of 15 extra lives, and when that number depletes the remaining members of the team all have one life each. It makes coordinating as a team a premium, as you just won't be allowed to let one or two people cost you lives. It all amounts to a team oriented shooter with some strong close quarters action. The addition of dedicated servers in public and ranked matches eliminates old franchise skeletons such as host advantage, and provides the series the smoothest net code it has ever had.

Some multiplayer annoyances are still there. Such as how it's still focused on close quarters combat, and the shotgun still reigns supreme. Ranged weapons like the Lancer and Hammer burst just aren't as effective as trying to get close and obliterating them point black with the Shotgun. The game also brings some newer annoyances such as the balancing of two key weapons. The new sawed off shotgun is almost too effective as even a blind fire shot at close range can kill an enemy, and the rocket launcher known as the Boomshot is far too accurate. Yes a lot shooters have powerful and accurate rocket launchers, but most of them let you get away with killing your enemies from a distance. In Gears of War all the dirty work is done in close quarters. It makes picking up the Boomshot almost a priority on some maps, and in the elimination modes(Warzone and Execution) it makes it the most important pick up on the map.

The competitive multiplayer is by far the game's best asset, but that's not to say the campaign is slouching. With the addition of four player co-op this can easily make a claim to being the best campaign the franchise has had. The campaign picks up after Gears of War 2 as humanity has sunk its last sanctuary known as Jacinto to flood the Locust out of their homes beneath the surface. While this action crippled the flood it ended up opening the door for a new enemy in The Lambent. With their ability to explode, and mutate into even more deadly creatures they liven up the Gears of War action. As well as providing a nice change of pace from the traditional Locust of series past. It is however disappointing that you are not given many scenarios where you fight both of these enemy types at once.

The campaign is a five act romp of going from one environment to the next where you take cover, and shoot everything in sight. With on rail segments and the new mech-suit the Silverback being the change of pace moments in the game. It's all entirely satisfying due to some pretty good level design which has a nice mixture of more claustrophobic closed areas where the enemies are funneled in right at you to more open spaces to give you more breathing room to coordinate with your allies.

Ultimately the game is very similar to its predecessors. The basic formula of cover, shoot, and move forward that the series kicked off with is still the primary formula for success here. You are still progressing in a linear fashion with only one real way to progress through each act. From a combat standpoint you don't have many options, and it doesn't help by the end of the third act you've seen all the games major gameplay ideas. Boss fights such as the Lambent Berserker are far too drawn out to be satisfying, and a later segment that has you fighting a more drone-like enemy over stays its welcome. It all makes the campaign a solid experience, but one you're going to want to end already by the time you hit the final stretch in the game.

Don't expect much from the story as it's still as much of a meat head centric series as it has always been. The attempts at trying to tug at your heart strings are however, better done here. As even characters like the Cole train get some added layers when he visits his old stomping grounds. The plot focuses on Marcus Felix trying to find his father, and ultimately with how the human side needs to find a way to stop the lament. The climax of the game does provide some closure on the Gears of War storyline, but the story still continues to be the weakest element in the Gears of War series.

If you're looking for a less plot centric cooperative experience, and more survival you have Horde 2. The biggest new additions are fortifications. These can range from fences to turrets or even decoys. Each kill and each round nets your group some cash which you can spend on building your defenses. Given how enemies become stronger every 10 waves it provides a new layer of strategy. A lot of times it's better to save your money, and build your defenses for the later waves. Especially considering now on the 10th wave you have a boss fight wave. These can range from something like the Lambent Berserker to even more deadly beasts like the Brumak. There is also a new beast mode that lets you control the Locust, but that's a significantly shorter mode (12 waves), and simply isn't as fun or satisfying as horde.

All things considered Gears of War 3 is a damn good multiplayer package, but it's hard not to fault the game for playing it too safe. Given the numerous cover based shooters released in the 5 year span between Gears of War releases it's easy to see how the series went from being King of the Mountain to being more in the same field as its competition. I digress however, and can easily say this is the best competitive MP experience in the genre. As always the visceral action of the franchise can carry this game even through the most formulaic of scenarios, and chainsawing your foes hasn't gotten old since 2006. Because when it really comes down to it, chainsawing your enemies is worth it, always.

Get the full article at GameSpot

"jg4xchamp reviewed Gears of War 3 for the Xbox 360..." was posted by jg4xchamp on Wed, 08 Feb 2012 01:49:29 -0800
]]> http://www.gamespot.com/gears-of-war-3/user-reviews/787299/platform/xbox360/ Sun, 29 Jan 2012 10:39:36 -0800 naju890_963 reviewed Dark Souls for the PlayStation 3... http://www.gamespot.com/dark-souls/user-reviews/786642/platform/ps3/ ...and gave it a 9.5!

Dark Souls the RPG that makes you suffer every time you make a mistake. It just kicks you in the back when you are not looking and making plea for help. But that's only if you want it to. If just don't jump into the lion's den without strategy death is sure to follow. This is a big environment that is filled with traps and dangerous enemies lurking around every corner waiting for your turn to move.


The Good:
é Intensely unforgettable atmosphere.
é Gory and satisfying combat.
é Gigantic boss fights.
é Clever level design.
é Stellar Presentation.
é Seamlessly integrated online features.
The Bad:
é Frame rate can get choppy.
é Controls can lag at times.
é Can be a grind at times.

Presentation é When you start playing Dark Souls you get the feeling that this is a grim world and that you have no expectation to live. You start off in a cell amongst the dead in an asylum. The Whole feel of the game makes you feel so helpless but that does not detract from the fun of the game, it helps the atmosphere feel scary and unpleasant. I really love how the menus are so well integrated to the game itself. They work great and don't disrupt the feel of the game at all. The graphical style of the game is amazing; it looks great and gory while scary and gloomy enough to make an enthralling atmosphere. The sound is also incredible along with the music and immerses you even further in this dark world.

Gameplay é Dark Souls is shown in a third person perspective which is excellent for this type of game. This is an open world were you basically fight every monster, loot every chest and kill every boss. It's a pretty simple concept to follow on but the game is far from simple. Since it is open world you expect it to tell you were to go, but no. You are clueless when you first step in this world. The game never tells you what to do although sometimes it gives you some mere objectives but most of the time you are on your own.

Combat is very solid here but gets kind of irritating when you are in a narrow corridor with no space to swing you sword. Even the lock on can get tedious at time, not locking on the right enemies can destroy you. But apart from that the combat is great fun. When you use light armor your character feels very light and roll fast to dodge enemies. Controlling the character is great and pretty much remained like Demon Souls but including falling attacks which you can do when you are on top of someone. A new addition to the dark souls formula is the bonfires. Bonfires are used to rest the player, attune magic, access unique items and refill your estus flasks. Unlike Demon souls you don't have a fixed hub like the nexus since dark souls is an open world game not level based.

Dark Souls also adds covenants to the mix. Covenants are somewhat guild like and offer you free equipment or spells. You can also rank up in these guilds by sacrificing a vital item for each separate covenant. Every time you hit a milestone in these rank up you get a special item from the guild that makes you more powerful the way you use it. In total there are nine different covenants which are all very different.

Multiplayer - Multiplayer in Dark Souls is very unique. It is not the usual PVP stuff, there is much more to dark soul's multiplayer than that. By default you are always online depending if you are signed in PSN. While traversing this world players will encounter traces that other players leave. These are the three traces.

1. Messages: These are left behind by players that are willing to help or even misdirect players. These messages can be only constructed by fixed messages so that it eliminates any hardcore trolling that some of the players would love to. Players can also rate up or down the selected message so it can be easily trusted or ignored.

2. Bloodstains: Bloodstains are left behind by players that recently died, when interacted it will show a ghost replay of the last 5 seconds of that players life. This helps the player to directly learn from others mistakes.

3. Apparitions: A ghost of a player can appear randomly around the world showing you what that player is doing in real-time.

Other players can directly impact another player's world by either Invading as a dark spirit or being summoned as a phantom. Cooperative modes requires both the summoned and the summoner must voluntarily be initiated the partnership. To summon a player to help you first you need to be human. To be human you need humanity and after all that you need to check if you have beaten the area boss. If you haven't beaten the area boss then you can finally summon a player. Up to 3 players can be summoned at the same time. After the boss is beaten the other phantoms are vanished and return to their respective worlds. The invading feature on the other hands works much simpler. When you invade you are pretty limited on the items you use, which makes PVP even more difficult but even more satisfying when you defeat someone.

Overall: Dark Souls is a very worthy sequel to Demon souls, blending all the dark elements from the other game and making an intense dark world with solid combat, amazing soundtrack and stellar online features. This is a game for the gamers that are willing to devote time and sweat in this terrifying RPG.

Get the full article at GameSpot

"naju890_963 reviewed Dark Souls for the PlayStation 3..." was posted by naju890_963 on Sun, 29 Jan 2012 10:39:36 -0800
]]> http://www.gamespot.com/dark-souls/user-reviews/786642/platform/ps3/