NinjaBrownie's GameSpot Friend's Reviews NinjaBrownie's GameSpot Friend's Reviews NinjaBrownie's GameSpot Friend's Reviews en-us Copyright (c)1995-2013 CBS Interactive. All rights reserved. http://www.gamespot.com 20 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 22:21:06 -0700 GameSpot NinjaBrownie's GameSpot Friend's Reviews http://img.gamespot.com/gamespot/shared/promos/misc/gs_logo.gif http://www.gamespot.com 135 40 Fri, 14 Jun 2013 18:29:48 -0700 AK_the_Twilight reviewed Sound Shapes for the PlayStation 3... http://www.gamespot.com/sound-shapes/user-reviews/812396/platform/ps3/ ...and gave it a 8.5.

Throughout the entire playthrough of Sound Shapes, it's incredibly easy to compare Sony's latest platformer experiment to the Nintendo DS title Electroplankton. A niche musical toolbox, Electroplankton was a bizarre little title, one that brought creativity to the table but never seemed like a game. It had a fine amount of design choices tuned towards creating music from something full of purity and nature, but it was a toy more than a full-fledged game, one where goals and objectives never really came to fruition. Sound Shapes is what Electroplankton could have been; Sony's latest exclusive sheds the amorphous skin of novelty and truly makes a game out of music. Though Sony's user-generated fervor will likely gently push aside thirsty gamers looking for a hardened gameplay-based challenge, Sound Shapes is something bright and original. By seamlessly mixing a natural platformer construction with a universally musical vibe, Sound Shapes is a joyous ride that must be seen and heard to be believed.

You play as a single eyeball creature whose simple abilities include sticking to similarly colored walls and ceilings, rolling around at a higher speed, and being deathly vulnerable to anything glowing red. It's a simple aesthetic, one that echoes past Sony games like Patapon or Loco Roco, but significantly tones down the smiles and kooky atmosphere with something pure and minimalistic. It's a fine design that works remarkably well when showing the indie side of the Playstation Network. The eyeball can bounce off other creatures, slide along the sides of vines, and avoid being devoured by angry red ghost-like monsters. The controls are pretty tough to get a handle on, but work smoothly enough to keep you in direction and on course with your goal: reaching the end of each stage.

Sound Shapes' most crucial and fundamental philosophy is that every level is musical. No, this isn't just your typical theme world with giant notes or keyboard floors. Sound Shapes literally makes music out of its construction. As your little eyeball rolls through stages, different environmental objects will not only move, but (for lack of a better term) tune in to the action. There is a metronomic beat to every stage, and as you progress, the beat becomes complemented with snares, whistles, and other sounds. At first, it can seem a bit cacophonic, but soon it comes together into something harmonious and serene. Platforms will move into view with a steady sound, giant spheres in the sky will hum or whistle to the platforms' beat. Players can also collect notes for completion bonuses and even they have a musical importance. When collected, notes sound off with pitched tones, adding even more to the fantastic collection of minimalist symphonies.

Very much like Little Big Planet and Modnation Racers, Sound Shapes is not a lengthy or deep title for players looking for pure, unbound gaming guts. However, like those titles, Sound Shapes holds customizable level pieces, a stage editor, and the ability to share your designs on the Playstation Network. Compared to past Sony "Play Create Share" ventures, Sound Shapes has what is hands-down the most intuitive user-generation toolbox ever seen in a Sony title. Constructing a musically vibrant level is functional, but encourages creativity. There is a superb balance between making music and making a challenging stage that's worth sharing with friends. Keeping that metronomic pace helps nail the vibe of Sound Shapes, but you're still building a level, and it works fantastically. Unlockable objects will keep gamers rolling through the stages toward completion, but being able to use those objects in something creative is reward unto itself. Sound Shapes is the most honed and fluid example of user-generated content that Sony has ever delivered, all thanks to a simple and intuitive interface that never feels intimidating or convoluted. You will want to build stages in Sound Shapes.

If you do plan to play through the game instead of creating your own levels, expect a lighter experience. The five albums offer music from the likes of undead-rodent-based Deadmau5 and even maestro of alternative quirk, Beck. However, despite the levels' intense length and challenge, the number of them is low. Especially in the later levels, you'll see some incredibly unique design that demands more experimentation. Hopefully the community will create some fantastic symphonies and some post-launch DLC (whether levels or even just new objects to tinker with) would offer plenty of great tunes to roll to, but as a single package, Sound Shapes' concept is one that could've been expanded upon even more. The unlockable Death Mode is worthy of mention, because its insane difficulty is a hearty challenge for gamers underwhelmed by the bleak campaign. Still, the game portion of Sound Shapes could've been a bit richer, especially when the foundational concept is so very captivating.

Sound Shapes is a fine PSN title that fulfills the promise of so many other music-based games before it: it literally is musical. Down to its absolute core, Sound Shapes simply could not function without music. With its unique design and cool aesthetic, there is always something new to see in Sound Shapes. Playing through the campaign is a fleeting experience, but it's one that introduces players to a brand new way to experience sound in games. With such a clever and diverse soundtrack, the levels come to life in entirely new ways. But with the level editor and the ability to share your stages with the PSN community, Sound Shapes transcends its small flaws with accessibility and style. This is a game that urges players to break out the toolbox and design something fun and rewarding to make. If Sound Shapes provided just a bit more on the content count side of things, it would easily be Game of the Year material. Still, even with that nagging flaw, Sound Shapes remains an experience that truly redefines how sound can be approached in video games. Queasy Games' conceptual escapade is a subtle and serene title that commands its concept with gusto and it shouldn't be missed.

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"AK_the_Twilight reviewed Sound Shapes for the PlayStation 3..." was posted by AK_the_Twilight on Fri, 14 Jun 2013 18:29:48 -0700
]]> http://www.gamespot.com/sound-shapes/user-reviews/812396/platform/ps3/ Sat, 25 May 2013 20:07:14 -0700 AK_the_Twilight reviewed Tomb Raider for the PlayStation 3... http://www.gamespot.com/tomb-raider/user-reviews/811722/platform/ps3/ ...and gave it a 7.0.

The Tomb Raider series might have been the rise of Lara Croft in the early years of the Playstation, but at this point, the series has been coasting on its legacy. We haven't seen a fresh imagining of the legendary adventure series in years. Lara Croft's role as a breakthrough female lead is set in the history books of yesteryear instead of on the internet forums of today. Crystal Dynamics, the company involved with many of the more recent Tomb Raider titles, have delivered a remedy to that sentiment. In an ambitious move, the development house has reshaped expectations for Tomb Raider by delivering a dark and unsettling reboot for the series. With survival over sensationalism being the name of the game, Lara's back in business. While it's a solid reboot with an alternative tone unlike anything else seen in the series, gameplay annoyances and a neglect of the series' key values keep the new Tomb Raider from combatting its peers in quality.

Tomb Raider's story begins with iconic video game heroine Lara Croft in a different kind of role. Instead of the brash bombshell that we've grown to know, this Lara is a fresh young archaeology upstart. After enlisting in her first research expedition on the Endurance vessel, Lara convinces her fellow crew members to deviate from the set path and explore the dangerous Dragon's Triangle region to find the rumored kingdom of Yamatai. Things get shaky when the ship enters a treacherous storm and the entire crew is separated and stranded on a mysterious island. Lara awakens on the island, and after a rather harrowing escape from a cave prison, discovers that the island isn't uninhabited after all. The story progresses, with Lara regrouping with friends, discovering new enemies, and learning more about the dangerous island she and her crewmates are trapped on. While the new Tomb Raider has its signature adventure vibe, the core theme is Lara's growth as a survivor. While she begins the story as an ambitious, but rather timid soul, the game shows Lara ultimately growing into someone who will do anything to survive. It's not as steady as in other similar games, but once Lara makes her first kill, you begin to see the motion clearly. The secondary characters are interesting and the setting offers for some intrigue, but Lara remains the star and it's her transition that makes Tomb Raider's story stand out from past games in the series.

This Tomb Raider is an interesting point in the long-running series. The original Tomb Raider and many of the series' later entries were pioneers in their genre, taking cues from action films like Indiana Jones while mixing in exploration and puzzle elements seen in games like the original Prince of Persia. These cues also caused Tomb Raider to be a major influence on a later, similar franchise, Naughty Dog's Uncharted series. Now, this 2013 reboot shows that the student has become the master; it's clear that Uncharted was a major influence on this Tomb Raider. This new Lara Croft adventure focuses on a number of extremely over-the-top action sequences, a la Uncharted, but unlike in Naughty Dog's hit franchise, these sequences don't possess the same amount of creativity. Lara will escape out of collapsing caves, scale giant radio towers and dash through burning temples, and while these are very well done, many of these ideas are reused far too often. This is mostly caused by a more limited scenery variety; the forests, cliffs, and caves are fine, but this isn't a world-traveling game, so there are no traintop firefights or jungle chases. Tomb Raider is at a disadvantage here, but for what it has, you will find plenty of harrowing encounters.

However, these encounters suffer from a painfully excessive amount of quick-time events. Many of these moments are of the typical "press X to not die" situation, where one missed button press can result in instant death. While these offer a sense of tension, it simply cannot be ignored that these are far too frequent. Having to redo a stage portion just because you missed a cheap button press is obnoxious, ruining the pacing of the gameplay. Quick-time events also appear in combat and are noticeably tough to get a hold of. It's easy to see why these would be implemented, as (once again) Uncharted has made them rather commonplace in the genre, but even that series had too many and Tomb Raider has even more. The quick-time events are so frequent that their negative impact on the game flow is absolutely impossible to ignore, throwing mud on the face of what would otherwise be an amazing action-adventure title.

Tomb Raider's combat takes more cues from Uncharted, offering cover-based combat and multiple weapons. The combat sequences are nothing too special; Lara can use weapons like a pistol, shotgun, or her trusty bow, with each weapon having different pros and cons in the heat of battle. The cover system is easy to learn and taking out a crowd of enemies can be pretty frantic. Dashing from cover to cover is intense and while the enemies aren't going to earn any Ph.D.'s, they will use some varied tactics like flushing Lara out with explosives or burning cover with flames. The introduction of melee techniques and stealth kills are great as well, but many of the combat situations can be solved with a solid headshot instead of a clever blend of tactics. It's a bit disappointing, but the combat in Tomb Raider is still pretty fun, through and through.

Exploration and puzzles have become a cornerstone in Tomb Raider's gameplay legacy, but this reboot tones down both of those considerably. While Lara's repertoire of exploration skills like climbing and jumping are good and relatively important all around, you won't find too many reasons to go off the beaten bath (unless you're after some rather insignificant pickups). The puzzles are damn near ignored outside of the very few hidden Tombs, which offer rewards like maps, treasure or hidden items. These Tombs usually require some thought not only to complete, but also to find, but compared to other more puzzle-centric adventure games, they aren't nearly as challenging. Many involve simple uses of weights or switches and aren't very rewarding at the end of the day. It's a shame, because the element of puzzle-solving has been an important factor in the Tomb Raider formula as late as Tomb Raider Legend was years ago. This neglect is discouraging and doesn't make Tomb Raider as interesting a game as it should have been.

The replay value in Tomb Raider stems from the rather large number of side quests. You can find hidden GPS caches, relics, or secondary objectives like burning faction flags, but many of these are so rooted in completionism that you can't help but feel a bit bored after searching for the thirtieth GPS cache. You can earn XP from completing these objectives, which can be spent on new upgrades and techniques. While the idea of earning new abilities is great, these moves are not in any way required, or in some cases, barely useful at all. Lara can hunt animals (which is nowhere near as important as the trailers suggested) or upgrade weapons with salvage or custom parts. These are fine additions, but don't do much to broaden the gameplay. It's about as intricate and inventive as checking off items on your grocery list at the supermarket. The multiplayer is absolutely forgettable, suffering from bleak servers and an inexcusably low amount of creativity. You're better off saving your online time playing something else. Tomb Raider has a lot to do once the campaign is over, but none of it feels essential or even distracting enough to be worth revisiting.

In contrast to the Hollywood flash and flair of past Tomb Raider games like Tomb Raider Legend and Tomb Raider Underworld, this Tomb Raider is a gritty and dark adventure into the realms of survival instinct. No better example is the graphics. Lara's struggle to survive is illustrated in an almost cringe-worthy fashion, as many of the situations she must go through can result in her dying in extremely gruesome ways (like being impaled in the throat on a branch in a river rapid or being smashed against a rock in a beach undertow). Even when she's not being killed, Lara goes through some very painful situations. One in particular has her treating a wound by burning it with a hot utensil, resulting in a scene that isn't just difficult to watch, but it also goes on for way too long (a couple minutes, in fact). While it's clear that these scenes are used to illustrate the struggle and pain of trying to survive in harsh conditions, they feel excessive, almost like they are only there because the developers wanted them to. Aside from these moments, Tomb Raider's aesthetic is a fine change of pace both from past Tomb Raider games and other games in the genre like Uncharted. It's not about sensational, cinematic flair anymore; this Tomb Raider is all about realism, but in a dark and gritty way.

The voice acting is very well done, with Camilla Luddington taking up the role of Lara. Her performance is shockingly convincing, with Lara's progression toward being a true survivor being demonstrated with varied mood and constant gusto. The writing is convincing and charismatic enough for every character, but the shift in tone from Lara's role specifically is what makes the overall voice acting so captivating. The musical themes are subtle and don't do too much to revolutionize the presentation, but the excellent sound effects are rough and rugged in the right ways. The sound design captures the tone perfectly, offering a compelling performance from the voice cast and some excellent audio effects that make a strong mark.

Tomb Raider's reboot deviates a bit too far from what made the series so memorable, but by introducing a potent and interesting tone for its iconic lead, it still manages to be stand out as a great move forward for the long-running series. From its great combat to its nail-bitingly intense setpieces, Tomb Raider modernizes the series into something far beyond what the recent incarnations have set. Lara's character has evolved; it'll be tough to see another Tomb Raider game without thinking of this reboot. However, a lack of compelling side-quests, a horribly high amount of quick-time events and a squandering of the puzzle and exploration elements we've grown to associate with Tomb Raider all make this reboot only a good game, when it really could've been something more. With the vision of Lara Croft now reshaped into this new installment of the Tomb Raider series, there really is no turning back for the franchise. The Tomb Raider reboot is a successful re-imagining of the story of one of gaming's most memorable female characters; it's not Lara's best, but you'd be hard-pressed to find another action-adventure game with this much blood, sweat and tears to spill in 2013.

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"AK_the_Twilight reviewed Tomb Raider for the PlayStation 3..." was posted by AK_the_Twilight on Sat, 25 May 2013 20:07:14 -0700
]]> http://www.gamespot.com/tomb-raider/user-reviews/811722/platform/ps3/ Thu, 02 May 2013 19:38:19 -0700 AK_the_Twilight reviewed BioShock Infinite for the Xbox 360... http://www.gamespot.com/bioshock-infinite/user-reviews/810945/platform/xbox360/ ...and gave it a 9.5!

Playing through Bioshock Infinite, it's very easy to constantly recall that debut trailer years ago. That shattering of the Big Daddy figure, that breaking of the dark Rapture-esque view into the wide open sky of the floating cities; it was a pure feeling. It struck a contrast with its confusion; why kill Rapture? Because something bigger was coming. By leaving Rapture behind, Irrational Games have given themselves the opportunity to clean their slate and start again, and in the process, they've done something truly memorable with their newest project. Bioshock Infinite is Irrational Games' magnum opus, a game with such polish, reverence, and overall significance that it sets a ceiling-smashingly high standard for this generation, along with anything else released this year or beyond.

Bioshock Infinite begins with Booker Dewitt, an everyman investigator from New York who hopes to erase his current debt by delivering a mysterious girl to his bargainer. The trek starts with a rather ominous boat ride to a lighthouse, but within minutes, Booker is jettisoned into the sky and transported to the floating steampunk metropolis of Columbia. The dreamchild of its prophet ruler Zachary Comstock, Columbia is a city with early 20th century fundamentals, including racial disputes, industrialization and a steady mix of religious forwardness and patriotic gusto. Booker's mission brings him to the second main character, Elizabeth, the girl he is told to escort in exchange for a release from debt. After being held in a tower for years, Elizabeth is liberated by Booker and the two's goal to escape Comstock's city of dreams becomes a harrowing journey with many memorable moments throughout. In addition, the Vox Populi revolutionary group quickly becomes a key player in the story, but it isn't until the game's second half that you realize that there's much more to Bioshock Infinite's narrative. The story tackles so many potent and expandable subjects that you might initially think there's too much on its plate to digest, but the fact that these subjects are so integral to the world of the game completely erases that thought. The narrative is the epicenter of Bioshock Infinite, with the relationship between Booker and Elizabeth being the strongest essence you'll ever see this year. By the game's ending, every subtle clue will come together into something meaningful and genuinely original, something that will leave you lost for words, but begging to revisit.

The original Bioshock may have had some fine characters in Andrew Ryan, but it was its haunting underwater city of Rapture that made it so very memorable. Bioshock Infinite's Columbia, in contrast, isn't the star of the show in the same way Rapture was to the original. Instead, the characters of Booker and Elizabeth take control of the stage, and while this might bother some gamers who were blown away by Rapture, the sheer amount of importance that both characters have make continuing through the game an absolute joy. That's not to say that Columbia is a boring component. Rapture was a ruined dystopia were a majority of the life stood in psychopaths, struggling to stay sane in the crumbling sea kingdom. Columbia, on the other hand, is alive, and throughout the course of the game, you get to watch it die.

This unquestionably high importance in the storyline department doesn't imply that the gameplay is neglected. Irrational Games' progression and invention in game design are so apparent in Bioshock Infinite; so many elements are introduced throughout the course of the campaign, many of which are stunning steps forward for shooter design and game design in general. While the original Bioshock had this dark elegance to its design, one where a steady hand was more important than a fast one, Bioshock Infinite is a significant change of pace. This game is about fluidity, motion, and organic freedom. No better example of this is the Skyline mechanic, cable-based ziplines that stretch across the city landscapes. The Skylines can be boarded with simple context-sensitive taps of the A button, allowing for instant reverses in direction, shooting while in motion, and even a powerful dive-bomb attack to take out enemies. Many of the game's battlefields offer the Skylines to use, making the confrontations much more open-ended and varied.

The story itself demonstrates Elizabeth's significance, but her importance in the gameplay is just as omnipresent. Elizabeth's special ability to manifest items through "tears" allows for cover, ammo, supplies, allies, and more keeps even the ground firefights fresh. Elizabeth can revive Booker on the spot if he dies and can even toss Booker health, ammo, Salts (ability fuel), or even cash in some situations with the push of the X button. Elizabeth's AI is so well designed that you'll find her to be just as crucial to a victorious confrontation as your gun or your reflexes.

These ideas are not baby steps, but major catalysts in making the combat a healthy improvement over the original Bioshock's. As great as Bioshock was, the combat was clearly a significant afterthought for Irrational Games. That's not the case in Bioshock Infinite. There isn't a single moment where the combat feels dull or overdone. Steady enemy progression (both in number and skill), varied environment construction, and all of the weapon, equipment, and ability upgrades you'd expect contribute to the stellar combat in Bioshock Infinite. In a game where the story is the core focus of the immersion, it's stunning to see the combat so enriching and exciting to a point where the firefights are undeniably crucial.

Columbia's liveliness offers ample opportunity for immersion and exploration. The Bioshock elements of gathering cash for upgrades, finding hidden puzzles and trying out new special abilities (now in the form of Vigors) are still here and they don't lose a trace of luster in Columbia. These ideas give the player incentive to travel off the directed path and find some helpful rewards in the process. The Voxophone items are audio logs detailing the events of Columbia through the lenses of the different characters of the game, which offer creative insight to the narrative and are very rewarding for diligent players looking for more to chew on in terms of story. Upon completing the game, the difficult "1999 Mode" is unlocked, offering tougher enemies, less rewards, and more limitations on how you progress. It's stunning how valuable and resonant Bioshock Infinite is. The first thing that you'll do (once you're out of shock from the game's earthshatteringly exceptional conclusion) is dive right back into Columbia.

The ascendant sky city aesthetic may be a stark contrast to that of the remnants of an underwater empire gone wrong, but Columbia is a brilliant piece of anachronistic beauty that you can't help but be impressed. The initial offerings of a lively boardwalk or garden festival show the content and calm world of early 20th century America. It proves to be much more involving than Rapture was; while Rapture kept the doom and gloom on 100% all the time, Columbia means much more in that you get to watch the city fall from grace. This becomes very apparent upon the visit to Shantytown, the slum district where the rebellious Vox Populi organization gathers influence. The fact that you're watching Columbia fall offers agency; while Rapture had been dead on arrival in Bioshock, Columbia wasn't, and that vision gives a serious one-up to Bioshock Infinite. The open-ended combat situations and impressive sense of historical era authenticity complement the freedom of the game's vibe. Irrational Games want the player to be free, just as much as the player wants Booker and Elizabeth to be free.

Voice performances were something quite crucial to getting immersed in Bioshock's world. Bioshock Infinite follows that lead with some exceptional voice acting, all complemented by unparalleled writing. Veteran gaming voice actor Troy Baker leads the helm with his role as Booker, but the exchanges he performs with Elizabeth's voice actress Courtnee Draper bring the characters to life. The writing is natural, there's no way around it; Baker and Draper make even the simplest of discussions into something meaningful, building relations and character dynamics that no other game has come close to showing. The audio bursts with life even more not in gun sound effects or haunting scores (though they are also quite impressive), but in the downtime. The natural elements of a busy market district or local arcade calm the storm of the harrowing firefights; it's in these subtle moments that you see Bioshock Infinite as a presentation spectacle. No game has made a world like this.

While it would be untrue to call Bioshock Infinite a flawless experience (the fetch quest near the end of the story sticks out like a sore thumb during the sweaty-palm anticipation of the conclusion), it's something truly memorable when it becomes this hard to find a tangible flaw in a game. Bioshock Infinite is as fresh and vitalizing of an experience as Bioshock was back in 2007. Irrational Games' success with the first Bioshock didn't interfere with their ambitions to push forward and create a game design that truly feels progressive. The combat is levels above its predecessors'. The faster and smoother pacing, the masterful versatility in the weapons during encounters, it all unites into something fresh, but shockingly fundamental. But as great as the gameplay is, Bioshock Infinite's storyline is something that will be fondly referenced, discussed, and revered for decades. The fully realized relationship between Booker and Elizabeth transcends first impressions, diving deep into something so textured that any game storyline forward will be compared to it. Call it foolishly pre-emptive to say that Bioshock Infinite will be named the best game of 2013, but after exploring Columbia from humble start to unforgettable finish, that argument won't sound ridiculous at all.

Get the full article at GameSpot

"AK_the_Twilight reviewed BioShock Infinite for the Xbox 360..." was posted by AK_the_Twilight on Thu, 02 May 2013 19:38:19 -0700
]]> http://www.gamespot.com/bioshock-infinite/user-reviews/810945/platform/xbox360/ Mon, 08 Apr 2013 21:05:09 -0700 AK_the_Twilight reviewed Tony Hawk's Pro Skater HD for the Xbox 360... http://www.gamespot.com/tony-hawks-pro-skater-hd/user-reviews/810026/platform/xbox360/ ...and gave it a 7.5.

In 1998, an up-and-coming California skateboarder named Tony Hawk burst onto the scene at the X-Games competition, solidifying his place as one of the sport's most iconic figures. With his competition debut came the inevitable merchandising, one of the most major being the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater video game series. Featuring multiple skaters to play as (including Tony Hawk himself), the first Tony Hawk's Pro Skater became the foundational franchise of the modern extreme sports genre. The series became synonymous with the genre itself, with sequels being released consistently over the course of 13 years. But as the series continued, it became clear that things weren't changing for the better. Increasingly complicated gameplay, obscure distraction modes, and downright awful peripherals caused the series to tank, becoming a shell of its former self. Even publisher Activision knew that it was time for The Birdman to take a hiatus. But the series just couldn't stay on the ground forever. Out comes Tony Hawk's Pro Skater HD, an HD re-release of some of the best levels of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater and Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2. By revisiting the classic Tony Hawk mechanics, Activision and Robomodo have proven that going back to the series' golden age isn't necessarily a bad thing.

Diving into Tony Hawk Pro Skater's HD is as easy as it was in the late 90's. Even as the Tony Hawk series became increasingly complex, the fundamentals of combo-heavy, score-escalating trick chains are surprisingly still intact. Players can perform flips, grabs, grinds and lip tricks using different button combinations, with ollies and manuals being used to link the different moves together into chains that would prove impossible outside of the virtual sphere. The HD remake abandons the stupidly intricate slow-mo techniques, intrusive free-running, and bizarre secondary challenges in favor of what made the series so accessible and addictive to begin with: tight, but forgiving gameplay. Taking cues from the Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2 era, the game does do away with the THPS 3 revert technique (which could be used to chain half-pipe vert tricks together), so it must be noted that getting huge combos mostly comes from grinds and manuals. This is a bit regressive for the series since the third Tony Hawk game is arguably the finest in the franchise, but the gameplay is still smooth and works well even after all of these years. By returning to its roots, the Tony Hawk series finally has stable ground to stand on, even if the ground is a bit weathered.

Before the open-world rejuvenation of Tony Hawk Pro Skater 4, two-minute-long, goal-focused rushes of adrenaline were the name of the game. There are no people to find to earn missions and you can't simply ride around practicing tricks. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater HD is all business. With a selection of goals to complete, players must complete them in short, two-minute-long sessions. The challenges are classic Tony Hawk, ranging from high scores and special gap challenges to demolishing items or obtaining secret tapes (now bizarrely dubbed, "Secret DVD's"). While it's extremely difficult to complete all (or even more than one) of these challenges in a single session, revisiting levels to finish objectives remains addictive. There's also enough diversity among the challenges to keep the tedium at bay. Tony Hawk veterans will even find many of the more memorable challenges returning, such as finding Ollie the Magic Bum five times in the Venice Beach stage. One thing that is a bit off-putting, however, is that signature gaps and objectives are marked on a convenient map on the pause menu. In using the map, the feeling of accomplishment in finding a secret is considerably toned down. This is an optional feature, but with frustration comes desperation and the map will probably be used more than many players would want it to.

When it comes right down to it, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater HD is a stripped-down, straight-ahead representation of the series. You can choose to play as different skaters, some new and some old (even your avatar is up for grabs). You can spend the cash earned in the levels on boards, tricks, or stats. This brings the game to a more arcade-style condition, which is actually appropriate for the context. However, at only a handful of levels, it can feel steep with a 1200 Microsoft Point price. Online multiplayer brings back classics like Trick Attack, while throwing a curveball or two like Big Head, where oversized noggins come as the penalty until they burst into confetti. Altogether, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater HD is a short, but surprisingly enjoyable package.

With time comes improvement and while Tony Hawk's Pro Skater HD is a graphically refined game, it still is pretty rough around the edges. The lighting effects are nice and the game keeps the levels' layouts in tune with the originals, but it's still a pretty muddy game. Clipping and clumsy camera work can cause glitches, including the obnoxious ability to fall below levels into an infinite abyss. Audio is also a mixed bag, considering that many of the classic tunes from past Tony Hawk games have been changed. Heavy metal band Powerman 5000 and punk bands Bad Religion and Goldfinger make returns alongside rap legend Chuck D. of Public Enemy (teaming up with Anthrax with "Bring the Noise"). The newcomers include alternative act Middle Class Rut and rap innovator El-P (with Nine Inch Nails' Trent Reznor) to name a few. While these artists do provide some killer tunes to skate to, it is a shame that Tony Hawk Pro Skater mainstays like Rage Against the Machine, Naughty By Nature, and Primus aren't on board for the HD re-release's soundtrack. Even more disappointing is the brevity of the track list. After repeated retries, you're bound to grow tiresome of the paltry fourteen-track-long list. While licensing issues are bound to be the reason for the neutered song list, it still is a bit disappointing. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater HD doesn't make a quantum leap forward for the presentation. With its limited graphical changes and short soundtrack, the final product doesn't really live up to the edgy skater pedigree.

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater HD is nowhere near the best HD remake available on any console or downloadable service, but it's absolutely mind-blowing that the traditional Tony Hawk gameplay holds up so well today. The tried-and-true skateboarding game fundamentals are in their purest and most untainted form here, from the gravity-defying jumps to the massive chains of combos you can create. On the other hand, the minor tweaks that have been made are a mixed bag. The "cheat sheet" of a map is discouraging for purists, the graphics aren't the cleanest and the soundtrack feels rather neutered, but being able to enjoy a Tony Hawk game again is a fantastic feeling. The free-flowing combo system and clever level construction have been preserved in the brightest amber. Like fine wine, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater HD has aged well. While it's hardly a big enough stride to constitute a series reboot, as a nostalgia ride, few games can top what Activision has shown here. Whether you're a long-standing fan who's become fed up with the series' downward spiral or a newcomer who wants to see the series in its prime for the first time, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater HD is one of the more pleasant surprises of 2012.

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]]> http://www.gamespot.com/tony-hawks-pro-skater-hd/user-reviews/810026/platform/xbox360/ Sat, 30 Mar 2013 18:39:42 -0700 AK_the_Twilight reviewed Lollipop Chainsaw for the Xbox 360... http://www.gamespot.com/lollipop-chainsaw/user-reviews/809632/platform/xbox360/ ...and gave it a 7.5.

Goichi Suda, better known by the moniker Suda 51, can only be defined as a mad genius. He breaks rules, challenges norms, and manages to bring out Frankensteinian concoctions that simply must be noticed. Suda has been breaking gameplay traditions for nearly 20 years now, but with each major release, he manages to push the boundaries of video game design into sick and twisted territory. If the suggestive recharging of the beam katana in No More Heroes wasn't enough for you, Suda brings out a new variety of perversion with his latest project. With a new heroine to the hack-and-slash genre and plenty of upskirt shots for all, Suda 51's Grasshopper Manufacture released Lollipop Chainsaw to an anxious public. It's short, repetitive and constantly lewd, but Lollipop Chainsaw has a sugary charm that few other games have, and that charm pushes it to where other games of its genre fear to tread.

Lollipop Chainsaw follows Juliet Starling, a bubbly cheerleader who also wields a giant chainsaw during her day-to-day adventures through high school. You see, Juliet isn't only a blonde bombshell; she's also a zombie hunter. One day (her birthday, no less), after riding her bicycle to school, Juliet discovers that her campus is overrun with the undead. After reuniting with her boyfriend Nick, Juliet is forced to reveal her secret life as a zombie hunter to him in a bizarre way: by decapitating Nick and keeping his disembodied head alive through a magic spell. Juliet finds her dirty-old-man of a sensei and, after a lengthy and ridiculously vague monologue, takes up the duty of defeating an ancient evil released onto Earth. Oh, and the ancient evil comes in the form of five zombie leaders revived by an egotistic goth kid from Juliet's school. Lollipop Chainsaw is a Suda 51 game and it isn't afraid to show it at every opportunity. From its bizarre concept to its ridiculously playful attitude, Lollipop Chainsaw will constantly bring back the goofy vibe seen in past Suda 51 titles like No More Heroes. It's a hilarious game, something that's apropos for any Suda 51 release, and it'll make its mark long after the game's end.

Very much like No More Heroes, Lollipop Chainsaw is a hack-and-slash game with the same amount of wackiness that's typical of Suda 51. Juliet can slash up zombies with her chainsaw, beat them into a daze with her pom-poms, or rack up the damage with special combo attacks. In addition to typical melee moves, Juliet can use new skills to take out zombies, like shooting explosives or dashing into them. The attacks are easy to pull off, but it's rather disappointing when the combos began to lose their importance and button-mashing manages to be the weapon of choice when dispatching the undead. After seeing games like Bayonetta push the third-person action game so far, Lollipop Chainsaw feels stripped-down and surprisingly bland for what it tries to be. The significant number of quick-time events will also wear on your thumbs. After button-mashing through fallen barriers and closed doors a few dozen times, it is bound to wear on your patience as well. One running sequence features putting Nick's head on a zombie body and having him dance while the player performs a rather lengthy set of quick-time events. These are funny the first couple times, but soon the quick-time event vibe wears itself down to a husk. Repetition is Lollipop Chainsaw's Achilles heel, crippling what is an otherwise insanely fun and extremely memorable game.

Completing the lengthy missions involves trekking down corridors and pathways while ripping through zombie skulls with your chainsaw. Occasionally, you'll find students in distress and need to save them from the walking dead, or you'll need to participate in a few wacky minigames. These minigames can range from Zombie Baseball (where you use a blaster to attack zombies) or simply mowing down the zombies with a giant combine. These sequences are actually quite inventive and don't feel off concerning the game's already crazy vibe. Included alongside these minigames are some fantastic boss fights that follow the Suda 51 pedigree without hesitation. They're inventive, clever, and will keep you entertained to the final blow.

Lollipop Chainsaw may have a very short campaign (clocking in at only six or so hours), but a solid amount of unlockable content like costumes, music, and combos will keep fans coming back. Rankings from both the community and Juliet's zombie-fighting father offer challenges to complete, while grades after each mission will refine the already honed skillset of sharp gamers. It's still a very short game and at $60 US, it's a tough pill to swallow considering its gameplay flaws. If you can overcome the repetition, you'll find another solid game from one of the industry's greatest alternative visionaries.

Lollipop Chainsaw's aesthetic is where it really (and expectantly) pushes the envelope. From the flashy colors and bright rainbows of a Sparkle technique to the gory blood fountains of the zombie enemies, Lollipop Chainsaw has a bottomless reserve of style. The cutscenes are presented in a comic-book-esque design, but the in-game action is full of colors and incredibly expressive animations. The environments are surprisingly varied considering the game mostly takes place on school grounds. To back up the sugary sweet graphics is an amazing mix of licensed music, exciting sound effects, and some very funny voice acting. Jimmy Urine of wacky punk band Mindless Self Indulgence contributes to the boss scores, while licensed music from Five Finger Death Punch, Arch Enemy, and The Chordettes (the band behind the catchy "Lollipop" theme) make the battles even more engaging. Voice actress Tara Strong (known for her work in The Powerpuff Girls, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, and Final Fantasy X) makes a stellar performance as leading lady Juliet, capturing a bubbly personality with just enough edge to keep things interesting. When combined with the exceptionally funny writing of the game, the voice acting is worth playing the game over again to hear.

Lollipop Chainsaw is a flawed gem whose insane presentation and undeniable mature charm (mostly) overshadow its shortcomings. A fantastic amount of style, charm, and vulgarity sets Lollipop Chainsaw apart from the Devil May Crys of our time. The hilarious dialogue, excellent voice acting, and goofy scenarios are exciting and bizarre to witness. Though the mature humor and constant upskirt shots won't appeal to everyone, they will get your attention. Still, the repetitive combat and brief length will leave some gamers wanting more, especially with the bar set so high by other games like Bayonetta. The overuse of quick-time events also makes a mark on an otherwise sublime guilty pleasure. It's quite frankly a flawed masterpiece, right up there with No More Heroes and Killer 7. At the end of the day, Suda 51's latest is a sugary lollipop; it's a sweet concoction that doesn't last forever, but it leaves behind a juicy flavor that's good to the last taste.

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"AK_the_Twilight reviewed Lollipop Chainsaw for the Xbox 360..." was posted by AK_the_Twilight on Sat, 30 Mar 2013 18:39:42 -0700
]]> http://www.gamespot.com/lollipop-chainsaw/user-reviews/809632/platform/xbox360/ Tue, 19 Mar 2013 17:34:55 -0700 AK_the_Twilight reviewed Ridge Racer Unbounded for the Xbox 360... http://www.gamespot.com/ridge-racer-unbounded/user-reviews/809084/platform/xbox360/ ...and gave it a 6.5.

Ridge Racer may have been working in growing up since its days on the original Sony Playstation, but it still remains a memorable name in the lands of drifting, high-octane racers. Despite being more associated with internet memes than enormous must-have racing games, Ridge Racer has kept on trucking throughout the Burnouts and Gran Turismos of its time. But that's not to say that Ridge Racer hasn't been tuning its gears since 1994. The series has made appearances on consoles and handhelds galore, with the newest installment being released as Ridge Racer Unbounded. Namco Bandai has handed off the franchise name to Flatout developer Bugbear Entertainment. Mixing in destructive environments, hidden shortcuts, and the trademark Ridge Racer drifting, Ridge Racer Unbounded has burst onto the racing scene. Though it has its share of control issues and lacks some innovation, Ridge Racer Unbounded is a stylish and intense racer that shouldn't only be experienced by the Ridge Racer faithful.

Ridge Racer Unbounded doesn't follow the template of past Ridge Racer games. Instead of smooth drifting being the star attraction, Ridge Racer Unbounded takes its trappings from intense destructive elements and aggressive driving, a la Burnout and Need for Speed. Typical races allow a number of cars to compete for 1st place, but not without plenty of utilizable environments to take out rivals. The tracks normally offer destructible "targets" which when driven through with enough nitrous boost, can offer shortcuts and more nitrous to spend on bursts of speed. Nitrous can also be earned by boosting into enemies (dubbed "fragging"), destroying lighter environmental elements like pillars or parked traffic, or through the atypical Ridge Racer drifting. This all comes together to make a remarkably refined racing setup, one that doesn't feel forced or out of place in the Ridge Racer franchise. These new gameplay mechanics offer a frantic and aggressive vibe for Ridge Racer. Unbounded takes some risks in competing with its arcade racing peers, but the end result is an exciting change of pace for the venerable series and even sets some examples that its fellow arcade racers could take a hint from.

However, Ridge Racer stumbles when it comes to nailing the controls. Though its arcade roots show that it specializes in the drift mechanic, Unbounded takes some serious practice to nail the drift controls. Different cars have different handling stats, but finding that perfect drift control setup never seems to stick. There demands a very gentle mix of braking, hand-braking, and accelerating when coming along a curve, but it never feels intuitive in the way that Burnout or Need for Speed does. Even Mario Kart's drift mechanics are more fluid than those seen in Ridge Racer Unbounded. This critical flaw is made even more discouraging during the Drift events, which are some of the most unintuitive sequences in the entire game. The lack of a significant tutorial in terms of nailing drift mechanics is also a harsh blow to an otherwise exciting racing game. It has been proven in the past that Ridge Racer has capitalized on fluid drifting and slick controls, but the destructive diversions of Unbounded have overshadowed some dangerously simple equations for the franchise. Prepare for a ton of retry commands before making it to first place.

Ridge Racer Unbounded does hold a surprisingly high amount of content under its hood. Aside from the typical race stages, there are stages that focus on rushing to the finish line under a time limit, along with stages that focus entirely on how many cars you can frag. The stage design is good and is bound to satisfy your destructive urges, but feels unoriginal. We've all seen the time attacks, the destruction stages and the typical "race to the finish" challenges, but Ridge Racer Unbounded holds a "me too" attitude, one that takes plenty of liberties from its peers, but doesn't expand upon them. The targets during races can introduce shortcuts, however, so there is a bit of strategy when deciding to use that nitrous at the right time. But if you can overcome these issues, Ridge Racer Unbounded holds a strong and intricate multiplayer competition and content sharing emphasis. It even allows for editing tracks for showing off online. While the control problems and unoriginal game types may discourage some, the content will keep racing fans on board, especially with the adrenaline-pumped destructive elements taking center stage.

Ridge Racer's premium graphic style has always been a shining star for console racers, offering smooth animations and slick race design and Unbounded is no exception. The immense sense of speed may not reach the levels of some of its peers, but there is an undeniable rush when tearing around a turn or taking an airborne leap. The lighting is pristine and the cars look fantastic when shimmering in the twilight. The destructive crashes and frags are also presented extremely well, with crushed car designs running riot among the pandemonium and shortcut-laden buildings bursting with shrapnel and debris. The soundtrack is a mix of techno, house, and dubstep, featuring the likes of The Crystal Method, Noisia, and Skrillex to name a few. For better or for worse, the soundtrack is a consistent collection of adrenaline-pumping bleeps and bloops. While some may yearn for a slightly larger, more diverse soundtrack, Ridge Racer Unbounded still keeps the moves going with gusto.

Ridge Racer Unbounded takes plenty of liberties from other, much more ambitious racing series, but it's taken the right liberties. The slick graphic design and intense amount of destructibility in the different tracks are fantastically presented, delivering a great amount of adrenaline-pumped action for racing fans. While Unbounded has the style, though, the control issues are all the more disappointing. Drifting never feels intuitive; it takes an annoyingly high amount of practice and skill refinement to nail that perfect turn. The lack of anything particularly new for the series is also a big issue, keeping Ridge Racer Unbounded from triumphing over its many, many peers. If you can overcome these problems, however, Ridge Racer Unbounded is a remarkably intense installment in this otherwise straightforward racing franchise. Namco Bandai and Bugbear have definitely given Ridge Racer an overhaul when it comes to what racing's about, and though it's not perfect, there's still a solid amount of fun on board. Turn up the dubstep and enjoy this pleasant racing surprise.

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"AK_the_Twilight reviewed Ridge Racer Unbounded for the Xbox 360..." was posted by AK_the_Twilight on Tue, 19 Mar 2013 17:34:55 -0700
]]> http://www.gamespot.com/ridge-racer-unbounded/user-reviews/809084/platform/xbox360/ Thu, 14 Feb 2013 16:40:33 -0800 AK_the_Twilight reviewed Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition for the Xbox 360... http://www.gamespot.com/minecraft-xbox-360-edition/user-reviews/807502/platform/xbox360/ ...and gave it a 8.0.

When Markus Persson took the name "Notch" and developed the budding version of a blocky exploration-based game called Minecraft, the indie game had a bit of a negative and underdeveloped connotation to it. It wasn't until Minecraft gained steam in late alpha and early beta that everyone saw the pixelated sun coming over the horizon. Something big was on the way. In 2009, Minecraft picked up financial and fan support, netting over four million addicted PC gamers before being fully released two years later. Notch continued to develop Minecraft on PC, until a deal with Microsoft allowed Xbox 360 owners to discover the world of Minecraft for themselves. Finally, after years of anticipation, the blocky behemoth has landed on Xbox Live Arcade as Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition. While some bits and pieces of the PC Minecraft experience have been removed, there is still a huge amount of creative content available for perusal in Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition, resulting in a fantastic world that simply shouldn't be missed by Xbox 360 owners.

Minecraft revels in its pristine simplicity. You play as a random adventurer in a blocky, LEGO-esque world, armed with only wits and an unstoppable desire for discovery. By harvesting resources like wood, stone or wool, you can then build items to harvest more resources, which can be used to build more complex or resilient items, along with full dwellings. Wood can be gotten from trees; stone can be obtained from mining. However, the rarer items aren't without their challenges. Finding the better resources requires digging deep within the world's underground or even taking out the rather rambunctious monsters that exist in the dark. Even more challenging is the nighttime, where the monsters run riot, leaving your blocky adventurer vulnerable. This requires a careful management of resources (including time, since the game takes place over the course of "days" and "nights"), but the recurring goal of simply surviving the night is omnipresent.

Minecraft, at its inner-most essence, has no real goal, which can throw video game theorists for a loop. It's a game where the player can explore the distant lands, mine for resources, and pretty much do whatever they feel is most important to them. There are some rarer and more valuable items and tools to construct, but aside from some remarkably easy Achievements, Minecraft is whatever the player makes of it. It can get formulaic at times (surviving every night just to mine more resources does have its share of tedium), but there is a very steady learning curve tied closely with a fine reward path. Being able to move past a simple coffin to survive the night and actually sleep in a log cabin's bed is very encouraging. Players might witness colossal castles throughout Minecraft, and while it may seem like a distant dream, it is possible and Minecraft nails that perfect progression of making something incredible from humble beginnings. That being said, Minecraft is not a game of instant gratification. It's a very subtle type of sandbox experience where action isn't the name of the game, so those who've played more intricate sandbox games may find the slower pace of Minecraft to be a serious detraction. Still, if you're interested in a one-of-a-kind experience, Minecraft is a fine example.

To everyone who has already played the PC version of Minecraft, the 360 edition will offer no surprises. The dual-analog controls work well enough, but the lack of mod and texture support at launch is sure to disappoint long-time players. Even more discouraging is that worlds have noticeable invisible boundaries, so the adventure will block players off if they reach the end of a world. However, the 360 edition does have a simple crafting interface, split-screen multiplayer (for HDTV's only), and upcoming Kinect support. The tutorial mode is perfect for learning about the world of Minecraft, though, making the 360 edition feel more like an introductory package than the near-infinite world that the PC Minecraft has become. It's based on an older version of the game (incoming updates are promised as free), but the 360 edition still remains a solid game that doesn't lose the fundamentals of the Minecraft experience.

Its purposely blocky aesthetic has long since been Minecraft's most distinctive feature, giving it wide comparisons to LEGO and other building kits of gamers' childhoods. The 360 edition doesn't ignore any of the quirky charm of Minecraft. Though worlds are boxed in by invisible walls, there still is a sense of unbound freedom and discovery that simply cannot be duplicated. Everything from the single pixel sun to the exploding Creeper enemies has endless creativity. The serene musical compositions continue the laid-back vibe, though the growls and slurps of the enemies are bound to leave some people cringing, whether in disgust or pure fear. Call it blocky and overly minimalist if you want, but Minecraft is a game with charm and lots of it.

While some might think that 360 gamers have gotten the short end of the stick (and that may be a bit true), Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition is a fine port made especially for console gamers that doesn't ignore the core value of Notch's triumphant world. The fundamentals of mining, constructing, and exploring aren't ignored in this console port. Every critical value is translated without any significant hindrances, and while PC Minecraft users won't find anything new here, console gamers who've waited patiently for a Minecraft experience will find an engaging and magical world that has yet to be truly replicated, console or otherwise. The inclusion of split-screen multiplayer and improved crafting with a solid online component and easy-to-drop-in world construction all show that care has been taken in making a console Minecraft. It won't replace your tried-and-true PC Minecraft experience in any way, but Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition is an experience that shouldn't be missed by any console gamer. Pony up the 1600 Microsoft Points and grab your pickaxe, because you will get lost in Mojang's masterful world and you won't want to leave.

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]]> http://www.gamespot.com/minecraft-xbox-360-edition/user-reviews/807502/platform/xbox360/ Sun, 03 Feb 2013 16:58:55 -0800 AK_the_Twilight reviewed Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City for the Xbox 360... http://www.gamespot.com/resident-evil-operation-raccoon-city/user-reviews/807064/platform/xbox360/ ...and gave it a 4.0.

Umbrella just won't die, will it? Yes, Capcom's zombie series epic Resident Evil is as perpetual as the zombie virus in those poor people of Raccoon City. Resident Evil 4 remains one of the most intense survival horror experiences ever designed, but Capcom has been tossing the license around quite a bit these days. Whether it's movies or HD re-releases, the Resident Evil name is the mark of fame for zombie outbreaks. With Resident Evil 6 on the way, Capcom let another studio take the reins of the brand new team-based shooter, Operation Raccoon City. Dating back to the days of Resident Evil 2, Operation Raccoon City is another perspective of the infamous zombie outbreak. Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City takes plenty of liberties from other games of its type, but the clunky controls and obscure storyline won't do much for anyone but the most die-hard of Resident Evil followers, and even they will have a tough time calling Operation Raccoon City a truly fun experience.

Veterans of the Resident Evil franchise will find the story to be relatively coherent, but far from essential. You play as a member of Delta Team under the order of Umbrella to recover a viral sample from a laboratory in Raccoon City. Under direct order from Resident Evil mainstay, HUNK, the player goes through the game, following the events of Raccoon City's viral outbreak. The amount of fan service delivered in Operation Raccoon City is respectable enough for long-time followers of Umbrella, but for those who aren't familiar with the mythology, there isn't much reason to empathize with any of the characters, even at the game's conclusion. Cameos by Leon Kennedy and Claire Redfield help a bit and are appreciated. However, the characters are far from fleshed out. The storyline is an interesting spin on the Resident Evil mythology (since you do get to play as the "bad guys"), but the team is far from charismatic and the tried-and-true roles tend to show their fan service skills more than their demand for a truly captivating purpose.

Controlling your character of choice in Raccoon City is clunky. Though it shares the Resident Evil 5 control setup relatively well, the cover system is awkward and difficult to use effectively. Instead of pressing a button to sidle up against cover, players must tilt the analog stick toward the cover, where the game automatically glues the character to the wall. This is a problem that makes the firefights difficult to navigate, as your character will stick to a wall with the slightest tilt of the analog stick, muddling up the battles' pacing. This is increasingly obnoxious when you're outrunning a monster, where the camera will get confused, leading to instant death. The gunplay itself, on the other hand, makes shooting too easy. The laser-sight introduced in Resident Evil 4 makes the gunfights drag on and on, swarm after swarm of easy-to-battle, cookie-cutter enemies. But even something as simple as picking up an herb for health turns out to be cumbersome when the inventory system is so mindlessly constructed. Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City doesn't do much to make its controls as fluid as its peers. With an overly sensitive cover system, simple gunplay and a schizophrenic camera come together to make exploring Raccoon City a real chore.

Fear has been in the blood of Resident Evil since its inception, but it's grown increasingly apparent that the series is beginning to bleed itself dry. There isn't a single trace of concentrated and purposely implemented fear in Operation Raccoon City. The tension of Resident Evil is canned and processed into a form that's dull and boring. Seeing a monstrous creature burst from the walls is a bit disorienting at first, but after ten or so quick-time-events, the novelty wears off rapidly. Very much like the cooperative element in Resident Evil 5, having a crew to back you up doesn't make the game scary: it makes you always feel like your back is covered. It's very clear in Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City that Capcom and Slant Six wanted to change the Resident Evil formula for a new age, but when so much of the core essence is drained away, the end result is something so derivative and dull that you're better off playing another Slant Six team shooter. To be frank, it's an inarguably unneeded game.

The multiplayer offers a solid amount of modes for the price, including Heroes Mode, which lets players take control of some of the more iconic Resident Evil characters. The Nemesis Mode even brings in Nemesis from Resident Evil 3: Nemesis, allowing players to test-drive his own skills. These modes are entertaining, but don't take a significant amount of creativity. The multiple zombie types scream Left 4 Dead, though it's the clumsy controls that make the modes much more irrelevant in their design.

Though Resident Evil 4 and 5 remain great looking games for their respective times, Operation Raccoon City's presentation is pretty uninspired. The low amount of scary moments is hindered further by some muddy textures and bland design. Glitches are also overly present and even the character models themselves feel derivative. None of the monsters in Operation Raccoon City set the bar past what's been seen in Left 4 Dead and past Resident Evil games. The audio is decent. The voice acting does move a bit past Resident Evil's older cheese factors, but there's nothing to write home about. Compared to the groundbreaking Resident Evil 4 and the shimmering visual spectacle of Resident Evil 5, there isn't much in Operation Raccoon City that distinguishes it from other, much more creatively made shooters.

The Resident Evil series has had its ups and downs this generation, but Operation Raccoon City is a bizarre low for this iconic franchise. It just doesn't feel like a Resident Evil game; the developers didn't do much to make it feel that way. The controls are sensitive, touchy, and cumbersome. When picking up an item is more of an ordeal than taking out a colossal zombie creature, there's definitely something wrong with the control setup. The mode count compliments the multiplayer focus, but distances the game from the Resident Evil vibe, which in Operation Raccoon City, is downright ignored. A bland presentation and obscure storyline don't do much for Operation Raccoon City's case either. Though there are moments of potential for a team-based shooter experience in the Resident Evil universe, Operation Raccoon City is a serious misstep for the franchise, thanks to fundamental control issues and a lack of Resident Evil essence. You wouldn't be hurting anyone ignoring this flawed game.

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]]> http://www.gamespot.com/resident-evil-operation-raccoon-city/user-reviews/807064/platform/xbox360/ Tue, 13 Nov 2012 11:23:21 -0800 AK_the_Twilight reviewed Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2 for the DS... http://www.gamespot.com/shin-megami-tensei-devil-survivor-2/user-reviews/803062/platform/ds/ ...and gave it a 8.0.

Forget shotguns. Forget spellbooks. When the demons of Hell rise up to wreak havoc on the world above, open up your cell phone. High school students already have them all the time, but in the Shin Megami Tensei world, their cell phones are the best weapons when defeating the minions of the underworld. Atlus' long-running alternative RPG series gets a strategy makeover once again with Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2 for the Nintendo DS. Though it makes some missteps with presentation, Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2 is a fine example of strategy RPGs done right, even with more powerful portable systems running about in the modern market. Its darker premise hides accessible, but deep gameplay mechanics that can put even console games to shame.

Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2 takes place in modern day Japan. A typical day turns disastrous when a massive earthquake occurs and demonic creatures escape to cause havoc across the city. Players take control of another unnamed protagonist and his school friends to defeat the demons and re-secure the city over the course of one week. Very much like past games in the Shin Megami Tensei series, the main character establishes relationships with the other members of his team, like laid-back friend Daichi and strong-hearted female Io. There are definitely some characters that will resonate better with the players than others, but being able to choose certain dialogue choices brings the Fate System into effect. Very similar to Persona 3's Social Links, certain dialogue will improve characters' morale, increase stats, or even unlock new abilities or allies. Sadly, the overall setting can feel less fleshed-out than past games in the series. Though the disaster area has urgency on its side, compared to a school or local neighborhood, Devil Survivor 2's setting has a noticeably different vibe, which is a bit disorienting. Fortunately, the characters do the heavy lifting and the dialogue alone is exciting enough to continue through Devil Survivor 2.

Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2 is a turn-based strategy game in the vein of handheld classics like Final Fantasy Tactics Advance or Fire Emblem. Each character battles in a team with up to two other demons in tow. Each leader has specific abilities, as do the different demons. Move around the grid-based board to fight enemies. Defeat them all to win the battle. Though the game has some rather straight-ahead mechanics, learning the ins and outs of battle isn't difficult to get together. Leveling up helps your player and his buddies earn higher skills, but players can even use the Skill Crack option to earn skills from defeated enemies. Taking on another team is fast and fluid, with good use of skills earning Extra Turns to double the amount of attack rounds for your player. Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2 may seem like your typical strategy game, but its mechanics flow so well together that it's incredibly hard to put down.

But as seen in other Shin Megami Tensei games, specifically the successful Persona sub-series, the big fun lies in the different demons you can enlist to fight by your side. Using the demons in battle offers some serious strategy that stretches beyond the typical "weak-against-Fire, strong-against-Ice" idea, putting the collectability of the different creatures on Pokemon level. With stats to track for all of your demons, assigning moves initially appears to be straightforward. In comes the Auction application. Players can use money earned to bid on new demons to fight with, either making a deal or making a fool of yourself amongst the other bidders. Even better is the Fusion application, which allows the player to combine two different demons to make stronger ones with better skills or even skills you can only get through fusion. Very much like Nintendo's Pokemon, getting your demonic army together is incredibly addictive. You'll find yourself shelling out your hard earned cash to get a new demon, just to fuse them into a brand new form. Customization is a big part of Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2's appeal; prepare to spend upwards to hours getting that perfect battle combination just right. Organizing your team into a demon-slaying behemoth is simple enough to get into, but addictive enough to keep your experimentation on a crucial high.

Devil Survivor 2's events take place in a calendar of sorts over the course of seven days, where some of your actions will require you to skip other events in order to proceed with a story. You might talk with a teammate to improve morale (maybe even increase their stats a bit) or you can simply progress through the story yourself. An available Free Battle mode lets you try out new demons without wasting precious event slots. The replay value most comes being able to customize your team while picking different strategies and managing the available time remaining during each session. It's a great portable-focused game, where you can dive into a quick mission, complete it, save, and close up your DS easily. The pacing is perfectly tuned for a handheld game, though the engrossing auction and team mechanics are bound to keep many players occupied.

Graphically, Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2 doesn't do too much out of the ordinary. There are some cool cutscenes, along with nice depth and texture effects, but battles aren't animated with much intensity. The static enemy designs during confrontations can overstay their welcome and attack animations rely on simplistic visual effects. It's a serious shame; Devil Survivor 2 doesn't have much flair to match its gameplay creativity. With minimalist sound design and scrolling text, Devil Survivor 2 doesn't have much on the side of audio either. The musical themes are respectable, but compared to other RPG's on the system, they're less catchy. Though it has an interesting premise and stellar gameplay design, Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2 doesn't flex its muscles much, whether that's technically or artistically. On the whole, Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2's presentation just looks dated.

Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2 manages to overcome its weaknesses with creative and customizable gameplay that really makes a lasting impression. The story may not reach the immense heights of the Persona subseries, but the characters are entertaining and build up plenty of interesting moments over the course of the game. A highly addictive demon fusion and leveling system is sure to keep players mixing and matching to reach their ideal demonic team. But even with such varied and interesting team construction elements, Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2 doesn't feel intimidating. Simple battle gameplay masks a remarkable amount of depth, whether you're stealing enemy techniques or unleashing critical hits on your foes. However, a slim presentation manages to creep into the game. As a DS game in a 3DS world, Devil Survivor 2 doesn't show much effort in making the DS's technical factors still relevant in this day and age. These gripes aside, Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2 is a fantastic strategy RPG with a lot to offer when it comes to playing your way. If you need a handheld RPG fix, prepare for one hell of a ride in Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2.

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]]> http://www.gamespot.com/shin-megami-tensei-devil-survivor-2/user-reviews/803062/platform/ds/ Tue, 25 Sep 2012 13:13:00 -0700 AK_the_Twilight reviewed The Walking Dead: Episode 1 - A New Day for the Xbox 360... http://www.gamespot.com/the-walking-dead-episode-1/user-reviews/800441/platform/xbox360/ ...and gave it a 8.0.

The Walking Dead series could be considered the zombie thriller genre's breakout series, bringing what was originally a niche concept into the modern mainstream crowd. With a successful comic book lineup and a multi-nominated television adaptation on AMC, zombies could be making their mark on popular culture. Now, zombies are returning to a medium that they're no stranger to: video games. Gamers have seen zombie game after zombie game, but it's a rare appearance seeing zombies in a point-and-click adventure game. The Walking Dead begins its five-episode game adaptation with Episode 1: A New Day, pioneering a zombie apocalypse that isn't full of shotguns, first-aid kits, or herbs. With a creative focus on dialogue effects, decision-making, and character relations, The Walking Dead's first episode stands out from its peers as a substance-packed experience that will stick with players.

The Walking Dead video game follows Lee Everett, a man whose arrest and police transport is stopped short by a wandering undead. After the police car crashes, Lee discovers a young girl named Clementine in a local neighborhood, someone was able to survive the zombie onslaught in her treehouse. Lee and Clementine meet up with some fellow survivors and begin their new life evading the looming zombie horde. The different characters that Lee meets (or even befriends) end up making impressive marks on the storyline. The drama and character relationships are the main attraction in The Walking Dead, and while some roles are bound to be more enticing than others, the way that the drama of the television series translates so well to the video game medium makes the entire experience a treat. It's a well-paced and captivating adventure that will get your blood pumping.

The game follows the Telltale tradition of being a point-and-click game with occasional quick-time-events sprinkled throughout. Players can gather items to solve puzzles, complete objectives, or more creatively, reinforce relationships between Lee and the other characters. Players get movement controls like an action game, but they also control a cursor to interact with characters and the environment. Though it can feel a small bit limited at times, the controls are fluid enough and clever enough to stay away from obstruction. The most interesting part of The Walking Dead is the dynamic dialogue choices. When answering a question or interacting with significant story events, Lee is given a selection of responses. While this may not sound particularly innovative, Telltale carefully made it so each response affects later choices in the game. If you choose an answer praising a person's character, they will remember it, which can affect future responses or decisions. The choices are also ambiguous enough to be less predictable than in other games of its type.

The Walking Dead game adaptation, like the comic book series and television show, isn't focused on blasting zombie skulls and mowing down the horde, Resident Evil or Dead Rising style. The game is mostly honed on communication, teamwork and survival. The very few amounts of action sequences are mostly quick-time-events that do more to further the dramatic storyline than tear up the undead. There is a surprising amount of tension in these moments, which builds up considerably when the player is forced to make intense decisions within a brief period of time. The impact of these decisions gives the game a unique vibe, one where you really feel like your actions are purposeful when surviving the zombie apocalypse. Telltale has crafted a game that, even with its gruesome aesthetics, gives lasting purpose to the player's actions and motives.

Though the first episode of The Walking Dead, A New Day, will last only a couple of hours, the replayability is fueled by a captivating story. If you pick one choice the first time, you'll more than likely want to replay the game to see alternative decisions and their effects. Character relations are constantly strained; consequences are amorphous and tough to predict. Players can compare their decisions to the rest of the online community after completing the first episode as well. But it's the dialogue that really will keep you playing. Seeing a positive (or negative) reaction from a long-time friend has plenty of lasting appeal, more than enough to satisfy interested gamers until the second episode is released. A cheap price of only $5 U.S. is just icing on the cake.

The Walking Dead's roots come from the popular comic book and Telltale does a respectable job of making the game look and feel like its source material. The game's visual aesthetic follows past Telltale games like Back to the Future, with characters having cartoony, but expressive animations and designs. The game does have a few technical hitches, though. Frequent freezes between cutscenes and invisible walls are obnoxious. The game also has a tendency to render a bit later than when cutscenes start. To counteract the hit-or-miss visuals, the voice acting is absolutely stellar. Characters are believably written and performed, especially in the more emotional moments. The incredibly high number of responses and reactions are also impressive. On the whole, The Walking Dead is a fine adaptation of the comic and television series, one that delivers a rugged and believable environment with plenty of relationships and character dynamics to explore.

The Walking Dead's game adaptation series is off to a great start. Though the technical marks and somewhat short length will discourage some gamers, Telltale has brought The Walking Dead into a field that few other series of its kind have tread. The high amount of dialogue and great amount of distinctive, meaningful characters will resonate with both fans of the series and those looking for a new zombie world to explore. It's absolutely astonishing seeing how the decisions the player makes have such enormous effects on the rest of the game. It's rewarding to see your actions have interesting consequences, especially when so much is on the line in The Walking Dead. Whether you're a long-time Walking Dead fan or just someone looking for a spin on the zombie or point-and-click adventure genres, Telltale's adaptation is sure to keep you interested.

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]]> http://www.gamespot.com/the-walking-dead-episode-1/user-reviews/800441/platform/xbox360/ Wed, 05 Sep 2012 11:39:10 -0700 nintendoboy16 reviewed Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing for the DS... http://www.gamespot.com/sonic-and-sega-all-stars-racing/user-reviews/799631/platform/ds/ ...and gave it a 8.0.

Sonic and SEGA All-Stars Racing brings Sonic back into kart racing, which he was in before thanks to Sonic Drift on the SEGA Game Gear, but you won't just see Sonic characters here as other SEGA franchises get some love too, such as Jacky Bryant from Virtua Fighter, Ulala from Space Channel 5, Ai-Ai from Super Monkey Ball, Ryo Hazuki from Shenmue, Beat from Jet Set Radio, among others. If you have the 360 version of the game, Rare's Banjo is available as an exclusive character alongside the XBOX avatars. If you have the Wii version of the game, the Mii's are playable. And if you have any of the HD console versions on the PS3 or 360, you can download Metal Sonic as DLC. While the DS version doesn't have anything special like those, the roster is still quite well varied and gives even lost franchises some mention.

As for the racing itself, it's actually quite crazy, sometimes crazier than any Mario Kart game. Whether you play a character that rides a car, a hover vehicle, or a bike, you'll have a well controlled racing experience on your hands. Even with the use of "gimmicks", which are pretty much SEGA's take on items in other kart racers like Mario Kart and Crash Team Racing, with the red missiles being similar to red koopa shells, a remote controlled rocket being the near equivalent to the blue koopa shell with the only difference being that you can set it off anytime, a barrier to temporarily protect you which was seen in Crash's racer, and even Star Power. What Star Power does is that depending on the character, they'll either gain a massive boost of speed, or by slowing their foes down by playing music. These only work when you're behind the top three however as if you use it when you're in the top three, you just throw the star, though it does make the game feel a bit more balanced that way.

Let's move on to graphics: for a DS version of a game that's on multiple consoles that OBVIOUSLY have more power, this version actually still holds it's own quite well on a more limited handheld. The vehicles and characters look very good. The environments look great, and a nice color palette to back it all up. What's also very neat is that the framerate is still very smooth for a DS game.

Next up are the controls: though unlike the console versions where you use an analog stick (unless you play this on a 3DS where the analog nub works on D-Pad controlled games, but as I don't have a 3DS yet, I can't comment on that), you can only use the D-Pad to move as you're accelerating. Luckily, the controls work great enough with the right response time and it feels just as good as Mario Kart DS, so no problems there.

A few other things to comment on and I'll start with the stage variety. Like I said, I comment the developers for adding such variety in the character roster, but while most of these tracks are a lot of fun to race through and look really nice on the DS, they could be a little more varied in what franchises to represent. The biggest culprit in the franchise section is the Sonic series. I know Sonic is a major franchise for SEGA, but why does that series have nine courses while the few other courses to be referenced (Billy Hatcher, Jet Set Radio, Samba De Amigo, and Super Monkey Ball) only have three each? Why weren't there tracks dedicated to Virtua Fighter, Alex Kidd, or Space Channel 5?

Now onto some of the gameplay modes, other than your regular grand prix and time attack modes, there is also a mission mode. The missions mainly consist of battling other racers, getting a certain number of some objects, drifting a certain number of times, avoiding certain objects, driving through the right colors of giant rings, and of course, racing some adversaries. Most are quite fun, but one mission in particular has an unclear objective where it only states that you have to dodge one thing, but when you play it, you have to dodge another obstacle that will also take away your points without telling you. Luckily, it was only one mission so it's nothing too major.

You'll also get an achievement mode, but personally, I never really cared too much for them. Not that they are a bad thing, it's just that I don't like paying too much attention to them and rather focus on unlocking more useful things like more characters.

One thing I have to criticize in regards to a bit of the replay value is that you have to BUY background music in order to hear them in the game. Hearing the same music over and over again gets a bit repetitive and extra music tracks help prevent it from being such, but we have to buy the other ones? We didn't have to do that for other things like racecourses as you'll race through the unlockable ones anyway, as well as the characters because you'll race them anyway, why not do the same for the music?

But speaking of music, the DS version of the game uses mostly MIDI versions of the soundtracks, but they are very well done and some of the worst tracks they could put on there (like Sonic R's Can You Feel the Sunshine and Super Sonic Racing) are actually more tolerable. I think my most favorite track in the game has to be The Concept of Love from the Jet Set series (though granted, I've yet to play a Jet Set game) mainly because it's the catchiest in the game and suits the Tokyo based stages very well.

Lastly the multiplayer, now granted, I have never played the online portion of it (due to my DS not being compatible with the online service I have), but in local download only multiplayer, players who don't have the game have the option to play only a few characters, but only with the first player picking the characters and the tracks. Luckily, the game runs very smooth when you have full bars, but every time a race finishes, you have to turn off the dang systems every time, which is annoying if you want multiple rounds.

But once you get past those flaws, Sonic and SEGA All-Stars Racing is still a great racing game to have in your DS collection thanks to its widely varied roster, still very well done racetracks and fun local multiplayer, though if download play didn't have you reset the system after every race, it would have been a little bit better and if more franchises got referenced in the stages it would make the variety in the game stick out a little bit more.

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"nintendoboy16 reviewed Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing for the DS..." was posted by nintendoboy16 on Wed, 05 Sep 2012 11:39:10 -0700
]]> http://www.gamespot.com/sonic-and-sega-all-stars-racing/user-reviews/799631/platform/ds/ Sat, 04 Aug 2012 07:53:39 -0700 AK_the_Twilight reviewed Street Fighter X Tekken for the Xbox 360... http://www.gamespot.com/street-fighter-x-tekken/user-reviews/798185/platform/xbox360/ ...and gave it a 6.0.

Capcom and Namco's extreme fighting game collaboration has finally seen the light of day. After mixing in universes ranging everywhere from the robot pilots of Tatsunoko to the superheroes and supervillains of Marvel, Capcom united with Namco on a two-game fighting game project featuring the Street Fighter and Tekken series. With Namco's 3D spin currently in the works under the title of Tekken X Street Fighter, Capcom was up to bat first with the 2D cross-universe brew, Street Fighter X Tekken. With its unique Gem system and interesting collection of tag-team online modes, Street Fighter X Tekken is fine as a competition-focused game, despite its similarities with Capcom's past ventures into the fighting game genre.

With Street Fighter X Tekken's bevy of fighting game icons, expect a diverse and expressive roster of characters to fight as. Capcom's Street Fighter mainstays like Ryu, Chun Li, and Cammy return with many of their rivals, while Namco delivers on the Tekken side with characters like Heihachi, Yoshimitsu, and Kazuya. The characters still feel diversely designed and finding a favorite is extremely easy. The roster is large and the different fighting styles will encourage practice and refinement in the long run. Street Fighter characters will mostly play as they did in Super Street Fighter IV. The Tekken characters work very well in the 2D Street Fighter setup, introducing intense and unique fighting styles to the field. Street Fighter X Tekken may feel like pure fan service to some, but to fighting aficionados who have stuck by either series, the game is difficult to resist.

Street Fighter X Tekken takes the 2D fighting game system of Street Fighter IV and mixes in a few new tricks. The first new addition is the Gem system. Gems are special items that can augment specific skills for each fighter, such as increasing speed or attack strength under specific fighting conditions. The ability to customize your fighting style with different Gems can be key to victory during the battles and the Gems do a good job of diversifying the already extensive lineup of fighters. Another big addition is the Cross Gauge, which is used to pull off special moves, keep combos going, or even deliver a double team attack against opponents. Finally, each character can also use a trump card called Pandora Mode, a super-powered mode only available for a short time and at a significant health risk. These new additions are good at setting Street Fighter X Tekken apart from its peers and add just enough strategy to keep matches from feeling too stale. They are fine additions, to be sure, but it would've been better if the gameplay didn't feel as familiar as it does.

Each match follows a tag team design; each team picks two fighters to duke it out, with moves like tag attacks and tag combos being available for use. When compared to Capcom's previous fighting game installments, Street Fighter X Tekken is a much easier game to get into. Surprisingly, the tutorial modes are just complex enough to introduce the ins and outs of the gameplay, but don't shove overly intricate combo memorization in players' faces. While knowing how to tag in your partner at the right time is downright essential, the game still has a relatively steep learning curve. There isn't much room for error against even the newest members of the fighting game community. When it comes right down to it, prepare for a lot of practicing amongst the different offline modes before selecting a character and entering the chaos of the online play.

The modes of Street Fighter X Tekken follow the example of Super Street Fighter IV, with slimmed down single-player modes in favor of a massive online community. A cool addition is being able to jump into an online match while in the arcade mode, so there's no need to switch modes if you're waiting for combatants to duke it out against. The game comes with what many modern fighting game fans have come to expect: robust online matchmaking, ranking systems, replay channels, all of that good stuff. Lag is incredibly minimal while taking the fight online and being able to use Gem equipment is another creative touch. Tutorials and arcade modes will offer good practice before diving into online versus play, but you simply can't top the feeling of a successful victory in the multiplayer suite. Being able to team up with a friend both online and off adds a fun cooperative element to Street Fighter X Tekken too. Though the game doesn't do too much different from the modern mainstays of fighting games, there still remains a solid framework to the gameplay. Capcom's honed fighting game prowess still has a lot to show.

The stunning Street Fighter IV aesthetic is brought back again in Street Fighter X Tekken and it really hasn't looked better. The Tekken characters are still expressive and instantly recognizable, even in the 2D world. The slick design of the arenas (especially the dynamic backgrounds) will keep players enticed, but it's the buttery smooth fighting that seals the deal. The move list is incredibly huge and seeing the more extreme techniques will always astound. Pandora Mode triggers fluorescent glows from the characters, kicking up the intensity even further. While it's safe to say that we've seen a lot of these design ideas before in past Street Fighter installments, the Tekken spice still manages to keep things interesting. In the audio realm, voice acting is bizarre at times, but the always memorable battle themes and sound effects will resonate with long-time players for sure. Street Fighter X Tekken keeps the flair and intensity on high, and though the character models have their share of familiarity, the presentation remains one of the finer aspects of the fighting game genre.

Street Fighter X Tekken is not a bad fighting game by any means; it's just a safe one. The Gem system and emphasis on tag-team play definitely spice up the competition, but there isn't too much else that stands out aside from the roster. Like many other crossover fighting games, fan service is a prime factor in the game's aesthetic feel. Seeing Ryu take on Kuma is a surreal, but engaging experience. But aside from playing as your favorite characters from your franchise of choice, the game does have some clever gameplay ideas. The customizable Gems and easier-to-learn battle and combo systems are a step in the right direction, but Street Fighter X Tekken isn't a game that will tear many experienced challengers from the already plentiful collection of Capcom tournament fighters. If you're a long-time fan of either franchise, Street Fighter X Tekken is a no-brainer. If you're someone who is looking to dive into fighting games, Street Fighter X Tekken isn't really a bad place to start, thanks to its helpful tutorials and more fluid combo system. The big question is whether Street Fighter X Tekken is worth tearing yourself away from Super Street Fighter IV or Ultimate Marvel VS Capcom 3. Fighting game fans looking for something new will find this crossover clasher to play too close to Capcom's already established template. It's bound to get the adrenaline going, but it won't leave you coming back for too much more.

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]]> http://www.gamespot.com/street-fighter-x-tekken/user-reviews/798185/platform/xbox360/ Sun, 15 Jul 2012 11:41:45 -0700 SkeletalKnight reviewed Outwitters for the iPhone/iPod... http://www.gamespot.com/outwitters/user-reviews/797361/platform/iphone/ ...and gave it a 9.5!

Outwitters is a turn based strategy game from One Man Left. The game released (for free) on the Apple Store for iPhone/iPod and iPad on July 5th, and I was lucky enough to stumble across it a few days later. Having been a strategy game fan for years, I was blown away by Outwitters after a single match, and have been playing it pretty much nonstop for almost a week.

The closest game that I would compare Outwitters to has to be the old Advance Wars titles on the GBA. In Outwitters, you have a main base to defend, one or two spaces to spawn new units, and must balance attacking the enemy base, defending your base, and scouting the enemy through a fog of war - similar in concept to Advance Wars. Unlike Advance Wars, you do not get to move all of your units each turn. You generate a resource called Wits each turn, and use these Wits to spawn new units, move your units, attack, or use special abilities like healing. You can win a game by eliminating all enemy units and blocking their spawn hexes, or by destroying the enemy base - and as bases don't have much health, one decisive turn can end a game.

The graphics have a pleasant, cartoony style to them, and the music is fantastic - a bouncy main title song plays at the main menu, and the three different map themes (each corresponding to a respective team) each have their own song as well. The units for each team all look different, yet they have details that remain the same - for example all soldier units carry a pitchfork-like weapon, and all medic units have a cross symbol somewhere on them. The animation and sounds for movement and attacking are smooth and enjoyable, and defeating an enemy unit causes them to disappear in a satisfying and team-centric explosion.

Most free games on the iPhone nowadays have in-app purchases that improve the gameplay or allow you to speed up your game, but they don't always feel like something worth spending any money on, even if you enjoy the game - Outwitters is an exception! Outwitters currently has three different teams; Scallywags (fish pirates), Feedback (robots), and Adorables (stuffed animals) - with more teams in the works. The Scallywags team is unlocked by default, and you can purchase the other two teams - you can also purchase the Uber Pack to unlock all of the current teams and every team they release in the future.

Each team that you own will also give you some maps themed to that team to play on. The maps are varied in size and start you off with different amounts of units, with a different amount of bonus hexes, spawn hexes, and terrain pieces, making you develop strategies for each map separately. Some maps have walls that block movement and line of sight - others will also have pits that block movement, but not line of sight - sniper units can shoot across these hexes.

The units filling each role on the three teams are identical - they have the same sight range, movement speed, health and attack strength, meaning that there is no imbalance between the teams. Each team does have a unique unit available to them, and each one is widely different between the teams - these units can be very powerful if used properly but are vulnerable, and cost a large amount of Wits to field.

Outwitters can be played in three different modes - Pass and Play on one device, Friendly Play with Game Center friends or random players, and League Play (ranked games) against random Game Center players on randomly chosen maps. Both League and Friendly play support in-game chat (to all players or just to your partner) and easy Game Center friend requests. With League play, your first 5 matches in the 1v1 or 2v2 brackets will place you in one of five "Tiers of Skill" to place you where it seems your skill in the game fits - this should ensure that all players will eventually be playing consistent games against people around their own ability, and not seeing a rookie player getting paired up against one of the most veteran Super-Titan ranked players.

If you've played games such as Words with Friends, or Draw Something, you understand how the turn system works in Outwitters - you take your turn, submit it to the server, and the other player will take their turn when they choose to - you can also have several active games at a time. This works great to make this a pick-up-and play game, perfect for killing off a couple minutes here and there throughout the day if you're busy, but can be frustrating if you want to play turns one-right-after-the-other. If an opponent goes four full days without taking their turn, the game will automatically cause them to forfeit and give you the win, just as if you had completed the match.

I've saved what I feel is the best feature of Outwitters for last: Replays!

Outwitters has built-in full replay functionality, both while in-game and once the match is over. You can use this replay in a match to go back one turn, several turns, or even to the start of the match, and try to estimate where your opponent's troops might be hidden, which can help make your decisions on what to spawn or where to attack. Once the game is over you get access to a full replay with no fog of war, allowing you to see every move made by yourself or your opponent so you can refine your strategy for future matches, or see where you went wrong. You can also copy a link to the replay which can then be posted elsewhere to allow others to look up your game for fun or critique!

Overall, I've given Outwitters a 9.5. I don't believe a game can ever truly earn a perfect score, as there is always a way to improve. The only negatives I see in the game are the lack of a 'confirm attack/cast' option(there IS one for movement however) and the waiting aspect in the turn format - I would like to see a gametype you could join where your time limit is much smaller, say 15 minutes or so, to facilitate those who want to designate some time to active play. One Man Left reps are active on the forums, and seem responsive to player comments, so it's possible we will see these features in the future.

So in closing, if you are a fan of games such as Advance Wars I would recommend downloading Outwitters - it will cost you nothing to try it out, and you may find yourself as addicted as I am!

Get the full article at GameSpot

"SkeletalKnight reviewed Outwitters for the iPhone/iPod..." was posted by SkeletalKnight on Sun, 15 Jul 2012 11:41:45 -0700
]]> http://www.gamespot.com/outwitters/user-reviews/797361/platform/iphone/ Mon, 11 Jun 2012 10:31:25 -0700 AK_the_Twilight reviewed Devil May Cry HD Collection for the Xbox 360... http://www.gamespot.com/devil-may-cry-hd-collection/user-reviews/795658/platform/xbox360/ ...and gave it a 5.5.

Long, long ago, in 2001, long before quick-time events and regenerating health became staples in action games, Capcom's horror visionary Hideki Kamiya (best known for his work on the Resident Evil series) delivered a brand new series featuring a smartass half-demon named Dante: the Devil May Cry series. The Devil May Cry series reinvented the action game genre with over-the-top acrobatics, intense action and a dark, gothic atmosphere. With the steady influx of HD collections and the Ninja Theory-developed spin on the series coming soon, Capcom prepped its fanbase with a high-definition re-release of the original Devil May Cry Playstation 2 trilogy. Though the games hold up relatively well (aside from Devil May Cry 2), Capcom's most recent HD re-release has too little extra content and not enough significant graphical polish to be worth an immediate purchase, even for the most die-hard DMC fans.

The original Devil May Cry was a powerful kick in the face to the third-person action title. Mixing in the haunting horror atmosphere of Resident Evil with a high-intensity sword-and-gun gameplay setup, Devil May Cry was able to stand out considerably from the rest of the PS2 library. As much of a maverick the game was back then, it's tough to say that the static camera angles don't run on the nerves here and there. Dante's jumping controls aren't particularly Mario-esque, especially when the camera decides to change angles mid-jump. The constant "use Key A for Door B" objectives can feel grating after the tenth time as well. Fortunately, the combat is slick and exciting, retaining the over-the-top and gory action that players have expected from the series. Bosses are bombastic and challenging, always requiring that extra boost of reflexes and twitch skills to overcome. Being able to check out new skills and combo moves is also enthralling and it keeps the gameplay relatively diverse. It would be a lie to say that the game has aged flawlessly, however. Compared to the later installments in the series, the original Devil May Cry comes off pretty unpolished by today's standards. Though it remains a pioneer of the genre, Devil May Cry still feels a tad dated in the modern gaming climate.

Devil May Cry 2 is widely regarded as the worst of the trilogy and that really hasn't changed since the early 2000's. Dante's second outing is a much more stripped-down Devil May Cry. Gameplay doesn't feel as tight and responsive as it did in the first, environment design feels derivative, and the challenge has been considerably toned down. Enemies will barely put up a fight and can be taken down with button-mashing alone. Even the largest of swarms can be controlled with well-placed, auto-lock-on bullets. The very essence of Devil May Cry is disappointingly absent in the second game, making it an underwhelming sequel to an otherwise action-packed title.

Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening can easily be considered the best game on the disc for many reasons. It's expectedly the most modernized of the three, offering a versatile combat system with different styles to try out. Whether you like guns, swords, tricks or whatever, you'll find a style that will complement your way to play. The different challenges can be fiercely difficult, especially the epic boss fights, but they never feel cheap or unrefined. Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening does inherit some of the confusing camera situations that the genre has grown, but even when set next to other modern classics of its kind like God of War or Ninja Gaiden, the game puts its best foot forward when trying to be crazy, but controlled. You even have a few extra gameplay options from the Devil May Cry 3: Special Edition like unlockable characters. The third time's a charm for Capcom's bloody action series, as Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening stays fresh and invigorating even years after its release.

Disappointingly, Devil May Cry HD Collection is a pretty bare-bones release. You do get an art gallery, sound test and the archetypal Achievements/Trophies, but the game doesn't offer any new modes to speak of. The game doesn't even let you switch games without restarting your console. The HD graphical upgrade doesn't offer a considerably better look either. The menus, gameplay and in-game cinematics have notoriously confusing picture qualities, as the screen will adjust itself to full screen or traditional letterbox viewing on the fly. It's a distracting move and the high-definition graphics rarely show off any significant improvement from the PS2 versions. Though it packs a budget price, unless you're after a few measly Achievements/Trophies, the changes to the games are so minute that you're more than likely better off just looking for the original PS2 discs. Devil May Cry HD Collection's lackluster bonus content makes the entire package all the less appealing, even with its lower-than-average price.

Dante's original trilogy has its ups and downs, but the real killer here is the completely lazy re-release of the series. Capcom hasn't done very much to make these games palatable to a modern gaming audience. The bonus content is pathetic and tedious to navigate, while the HD update is undermined by confusing technical design. However, if you're looking to revisit the PS2 era through this collection, the games themselves aren't too bad. Sure, Devil May Cry 1 and 2 have their flaws, but the gameplay still is influential and there are some exciting moments throughout all three installments. Though the genre has made new strides since the days of the Playstation 2, Devil May Cry still is a series with guts to spill. As far as HD re-releases go, on the other hand, Devil May Cry HD Collection is a real letdown. If you haven't played the original DMC trilogy before, it'll be hard to see what all of the hype was about. HD collections don't get much more straightforward than Devil May Cry HD Collection and it's that bland and mindlessly repackaged effort that makes this collection difficult to recommend, even to the most avid of Dante's followers.

Get the full article at GameSpot

]]> http://www.gamespot.com/devil-may-cry-hd-collection/user-reviews/795658/platform/xbox360/ Tue, 15 May 2012 09:38:10 -0700 AK_the_Twilight reviewed Ninja Gaiden 3 for the Xbox 360... http://www.gamespot.com/ninja-gaiden-3/user-reviews/793668/platform/xbox360/ ...and gave it a 4.5.

The posterchild of difficult modern action games, the original Ninja Gaiden for the Xbox could be considered one of the best reboots of a series in recent memory. From its intense combat to its varied and challenging design, Ninja Gaiden beat you up and laughed in your face while doing it. However, its difficulty made it one of the Xbox's best. After a brief sequel in Ninja Gaiden II, Team Ninja parted ways with the series' visionary, Tomonobu Itagaki. With the series in a questionable position, Ninja Gaiden moved forward with spinoffs until the anticipated Ninja Gaiden 3. Ninja Gaiden 3 is Team Ninja's attempt to modernize the series. They've shoehorned almost everything you could possibly dislike about modern gaming into one big, sloppy package that shamefully ignores the core beliefs of the series.

The story begins with series hero Ryu Hayabusa investigating a new threat: a clan of alchemists who aim to bring about a new world order. While that may sound incredibly derivative, Ninja Gaiden 3 offers a secondary plot featuring Ryu's role as a ninja. Throughout the game, Ryu experiences dangerous effects from a curse given to him by the opposition. Turns out that Ryu's role as a ninja has been given him some bad credibility, as the enemies label him a murderer and give him a nasty curse. The story has a few brief turns, but it's disappointing that the resolution is so flimsy and meaningless. Aside from some minor appearances by series mainstays, the past Ninja Gaiden mythology has been shoved aside for a boring, sci-fi narrative. Ryu's struggle with his killing ways isn't represented very well either. He kills hundreds of enemies throughout the game, but still feels disturbed by it. It just doesn't add up. Ninja Gaiden 3 possesses a meaningless storyline that stands far away from the series' mainstays. It's essentially your typical action game with the Ninja Gaiden license slapped on it.

The Ninja Gaiden reboot on the original Xbox was an amazingly fluid transition from the tough-as-nails 2D action title on the NES to a modern medium, but the most apparent shift was the combat. Those who've experienced the original NES Ninja Gaiden games know that it was not easy in any sense of the word. Team Ninja's Xbox rendition didn't skip a beat in making every enemy encounter a tense and challenging one. The combat took the fast-paced swordplay of Devil May Cry and amped up the difficulty to unheard of levels. But beneath this near-masochistic challenge level was a keen eye for fluidity. Ninja Gaiden was pitch-perfect when it came to dodging, leaping, and slashing up enemies, but Ninja Gaiden 3 does none of that. The combat is sluggish and awkward; there's a noticeable delay between button input and attack animation. While dodges are slick and stylish, the combat situations demand zero skill. Randomly pressing buttons can and likely will be the style of choice for players; even worse, it proves more effective than using any well-timed attacks or smooth defenses. The skill and refinement of the Ninja Gaiden combat system is tossed aside in favor of a quick-time-event-heavy combat system that requires no precision or reflexes.

While the sloppy combat may seem like a way to make the game more difficult, Ninja Gaiden 3 is far, far easier than its predecessors. Enemies can be pretty aggressive at times, but health is doled out at a ridiculous rate. Almost every typical battle follows a tediously designed pattern. Ryu will encounter a group of enemies, the player will repeatedly tap the X button through quick attacks (or more than likely a slew of quick-time events), Ryu will use his overpowered Dragon Sword attack, earn enough energy to use the stupidly devastating Ninpo attack, X button attack again, rinse, repeat. It's a mindless cycle that happens so frequently that even the small changes like using a bow to attack from a distance feel purposeless and dry. Even worse, health is restored after every battle, so running out is extremely rare. The fact that Ninja Gaiden 3 only has one melee weapon, one Ninpo spell, and one ranged skill on the disc (more weapons will be released as DLC) makes the repetition even more prevalent. Ninja Gaiden 3 is bare-bones at every opportunity and doesn't offer a trace of diversity in its already shallow combat.

Ninja Gaiden 3's repetitive combat and dull encounters stretch across a tedious eight hours, but even before the first hour rolls out, you'll already be exhausted from boredom. Not even the available Ninja Trials offer enough longevity beyond the campaign. The multiplayer is also affected by the tedium, so you and your friends can trudge through the online play as a team. Even worse is the infamous Online Pass which shuts you out of the multiplayer unless you pay for it (or buy a new copy). Ninja Gaiden 3's longevity is reasonable for its price, but its underwhelming gameplay makes every mode a slow and boring crawl.

Despite this insane amount of broken gameplay elements, Ninja Gaiden 3 is actually an amazing-looking game. Team Ninja has always been about adding pristine graphic design to their games and Ninja Gaiden 3 follows in that long tradition. The ferocious Ninpo animations are a sight to behold, as are Ryu's insane gliding and attacking animations. Ninja Gaiden, like its predecessors, is a beautifully gory game. Every stream of blood and guts is just as impressive as it is stomach-turning. Though enemy and boss designs are stale and repetitive, the animations are technically superb. The voice acting, on the other hand, overstays its welcome. The cinematic sequences aren't awfully performed, but the quips from the cookie-cutter enemies are. Once one guy says "killing is my business" you'll already be tired of it. The fact that it drags on with nearly every battle doesn't help. The sound effects, though, are brutal and visceral, complimenting the action with intense bursts of slashing and dashing. While the presentation has its ups and downs, it still can't save Ninja Gaiden 3 from being a boring and underwhelming action game.

By eliminating everything that made the modern renditions of the series so exciting, Team Ninja has horribly stained the series' reputation. Ninja Gaiden 3's terribly weak combat and repetitive design are such massive departures from the highly regarded series that (aside from its characters) you wouldn't even know that you're playing a Ninja Gaiden game. A flat and uninteresting plot with a meaningless struggle between Ryu and his shinobi ways make the motivation to continue playing dry and tedious. The campaign, multiplayer, and extras are all hindered by the game's uninspired design. Though its presentation has moments of polish and the game's cinematic, over-the-top appeal has its times of shine, Ninja Gaiden 3 simply can't back its visual style up with respectable and functional gameplay. Team Ninja thought they were modernizing the series for a new audience with Ninja Gaiden 3, but the end result ignores the core followers at every opportunity. Hopefully, Team Ninja will notice the error of their ways and bring Ryu back to where he needs to be in the next installment, because Ninja Gaiden 3 doesn't deserve your attention, patience, or money.

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"AK_the_Twilight reviewed Ninja Gaiden 3 for the Xbox 360..." was posted by AK_the_Twilight on Tue, 15 May 2012 09:38:10 -0700
]]> http://www.gamespot.com/ninja-gaiden-3/user-reviews/793668/platform/xbox360/ Mon, 07 May 2012 15:11:44 -0700 AK_the_Twilight reviewed The Darkness II for the Xbox 360... http://www.gamespot.com/the-darkness-ii/user-reviews/793284/platform/xbox360/ ...and gave it a 6.5.

Dwelling within the shadows, The Darkness was a sleeper hit upon its release in 2007. During the crowded Halo/Gears of War/Call of Duty shooter era, seeing a new shooter franchise rising to center stage was odd. Even odder was that the game was an adaptation of a comic book, something that doesn't normally bring about gamer confidence. After telling its almost frightening narrative of Jackie Estacado, The Darkness disappeared, only to be revived once again in the sequel, The Darkness II. Though the Darkness II has an amazing aesthetic and a captivating storyline, its core mechanics are horribly shallow and don't demand nearly as much creativity as the presentation and narrative deliver.

The story picks up two years after the events of The Darkness, with cursed protagonist Jackie Estacado now the leader of his family's crime syndicate. Still brooding over the loss of his girlfriend Jenny Romano, Jackie continues leading his crew of men and combatting the monstrous entity, The Darkness, that gives him superhuman abilities. When Jackie's syndicate is attacked by a rival gang, Jackie begins having visions of Jenny along with an alternate reality where he is an inmate in an insane asylum. Turns out that The Darkness doesn't want to leave his body, but once an occult organization called The Brotherhood bursts onto the scene, Jackie is forced to take action and use The Darkness, whether he likes it or not. The story, despite its angsty protagonist and somewhat boring antagonist, is a very well-represented narrative. The tug-of-war between Jackie and The Darkness is fantastically presented, usurping focus from the dull Brotherhood. Even the goofy romantic dialogue from Jenny seems to have a place in The Darkness II. As far as FPS stories go, The Darkness II doesn't hold back in giving the player something to work for when unfolding the narrative. It's a dynamic and intense tale that sets the bar high for shooter storylines.

The Darkness II plays very much like any other first-person shooter game in its generation. You can do the archetypal techniques like dual-wield different guns, melee attack, and the like. Enemies will swarm into your very linear path and start shooting or rushing you with melee attacks. Defeat the enemies to progress through the path. The shooting controls feel very good, especially the dual-wielding of guns, but enemies are downright stupid and rely mostly on numbers and the occasional armor upgrade to force the player's hand. The AI will run at you while you deliver headshots, wait for you to reload from around a corner or even stand in one place as their teammates are mowed down by a barrage of submachine gun bullets. The Darkness II's template is riddled with so many tropes and issues from the shooter genre that staying interested in the game relies almost entirely on the story.

The Darkness II's major combat draw is that Jackie isn't limited to guns alone. Using the power of The Darkness, Jackie can "quad-wield" with two guns and two dark tentacle-like appendages to attack with. The Darkness "arms" expand Jackie's abilities considerably. Jackie can grab weakened enemies to execute them, reach for environmental objects to equip, or simply beat a thug senseless with a quick swipe. The catch is that The Darkness can only be used in the shadows, so bright flood lights or lampposts must be taken care of to use the shadow skills much more frequently. The Darkness can also be used to harvest hearts from enemies to restore health on the fly. The Darkness opens a lot of doors for Jackie and the player to try out gorier and more complex moves, but normally, running and gunning is the most efficient way to deal with the herds of enemies that burst onto the scene.

Jackie can expand his skillset even more with Dark Essence, which is earned by taking out enemies with different skills or finding rare Relics scattered about each area. The Essence is spent in a "store" of sorts. The available skills follow a skill tree, which can offer abilities like earning health or ammo when executing an enemy, summoning a swarm of insects to distract enemies, or faster reload times for certain guns. While it's nice to see a solid amount of variety in the available skills (the insect swarm is particularly useful), the overall framework of The Darkness II doesn't reward that variety nearly as much as a game like, say, Bulletstorm. You can pretty much use the same skills repeatedly. Buying the new skills is fun, but some skills also feel incredibly overpowered. Being able to earn health by quick executions is almost cheap in a way and using the same moves over and over doesn't show any kind of serious penalty. Earning Essence is rewarding and purchasing a new skill on the skill tree is exciting; it's just a shame that the game doesn't offer any major incentive for the player to try something outside of their established comfort zone.

The Darkness II's single-player story mode is a brief adventure, lasting only a handful of hours. Though the game's combat is intense and even the lighter stealth missions from the tag-along Darkling are fun distractions, The Darkness II doesn't divert enough from its core values to make a serious impression on the genre. The gameplay does take a cooperative shift in the Vendettas mode, where players can work together in a collection of other missions. Vendettas is a fine addition with a solid focus, but the running and gunning seen in the story mode transfers over, so don't expect a huge amount of variety in the game mode.

With its cel-shaded aesthetic and constant parallel between light and shadow, The Darkness II is a surprisingly sharp-looking shooter. The different cinematic sequences have a rugged and aged artistic design. The high amount of cel-shading definitely shows a stark contrast between the light and darkness, which complements The Darkness II at every turn. The environments can feel a bit stale at times, though the high amount of equippable objects add a dynamic element to the game design. For audio, Faith no More's Mike Patton makes a return to the voice acting circuit as The Darkness. Along with Brian Bloom as Jackie, the tension between the two makes the conflict captivating. The voice acting on the whole is quite good, as each character, no matter how small, makes an impact on what Jackie does. Though the sound effects and music can feel a bit stale, The Darkness II has a high amount of style in tow, something that keeps it going, even throughout its gameplay tedium.

The Darkness II delivers a fully functional and occasionally creative shooter experience, but that creativity doesn't last nearly as long as expected. The "quad-wielding" is mildly interesting at best, gimmicky at worst. There are many ways to disembowel, decapitate, and destroy your enemies; however, the game doesn't offer any serious incentive to break outside the player's norms. You don't even have to use The Darkness in combat; guns work exceptionally well. Still, The Darkness II holds a narrative that really draws the player in, despite the gameplay stagnancy. The graphic design is also incredibly atmospheric. You will want to persevere through the stale environments and surprise enemies just to see how Jackie's story unfolds. The Darkness II's simplistic enemy swarms may harken back to the dated decades of the shooter genre, but at the end of the day, there's still enough fun to be had butchering up thugs, throwing beams through their chests, and having your Darkness tendrils gobble up their still-beating hearts. It's a brief, simplistic, and unimaginatively designed first-person shooter, but during the few hours it lasts, it's also a surprisingly enjoyable one.

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"AK_the_Twilight reviewed The Darkness II for the Xbox 360..." was posted by AK_the_Twilight on Mon, 07 May 2012 15:11:44 -0700
]]> http://www.gamespot.com/the-darkness-ii/user-reviews/793284/platform/xbox360/ Mon, 23 Apr 2012 18:08:56 -0700 AK_the_Twilight reviewed Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning for the Xbox 360... http://www.gamespot.com/kingdoms-of-amalur-reckoning/user-reviews/792475/platform/xbox360/ ...and gave it a 7.5.

It's become very clear that the role-playing game is a genre of giants. Pioneering a new IP in a climate full of established franchises like Final Fantasy, Elder Scrolls and Pokemon isn't easy; any developer that steps forward to shake things up is bound to get noticed. 38 Studios, a rookie development house run (ironically) by professional baseball player, Curt Schilling, has finally broken its silence on its brand new IP. Seeing a fresh developer take on such a crowded genre of games may seem like an uphill battle, but 38 Studios has definitely put their best foot forward in their debut title, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning. Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is an ambitious role-playing game that won't revolutionize the RPG archetype, but it does make a large enough dent in its hull to be worth investigating.

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning begins with your character's burial. Yes, the main character is dead, just not for long. After awakening from his proposed eternal sleep, the character is revealed to be a part of an experiment called the Well of Souls, which was designed by a gnome scientist to reverse Fate and bring back the dead. However, the character has no recollection of his past. As the head scientist of the Well of Souls explains the situation, he is attacked by the Tuatha Deohn (a group of immortals who aim to strike down the gnome's experiment to conquer death), leaving the main character on the run. After escaping, the main character meets up with a Fateweaver, a man who can predict a person's ultimate fate. To the Fateweaver's shock, the main character's fate is unreadable and his future is in his full control. With no direction brought about by Fate, the character is able to determine his own future through a number of choices available at the game's onset. The very gist of not being bound by Fate's puppetstrings is definitely interesting, but very few of the key figures throughout the world seem to have the charismatic staying power seen in other role-playing games. The writing is far from terrible and you will find a few characters to stick by, but when it comes down to having a captivating narrative that keeps you going, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning misses the mark by a pretty noticeable distance.

Kingdom of Amalur: Reckoning is, at its core, a hybridization of open-ended role-playing games like Skyrim and action-focused adventure games like Zelda. While they may seem different at first, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning fuses them together into a surprisingly cohesive end. The role-playing elements are pretty much everything you'd expect from a Bethesda-developed RPG. Characters pick their roles throughout the game from three major categories: might (strong defense and physical abilities), finesse (high speed and ranged skills), and sorcery (increased magic attack and spell defense). Players pick their initial "fate" at the start, each selection offering a different category to focus on. As the game progresses, players can increase skills, gain new abilities and tricks, or even pick new classes that combine the categories. You like agility and magic? There's a class for that. You like ranged attacks and high defense? There's a class for that. You like all three categories? There's even a class for that. Switching classes on the fly is easy and experimentation is incredibly encouraged. Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning really lets the player find a niche for themselves, satisfying an important quota for any successful role-playing game: pure, unbound choice.

Gamers who've played Skyrim will find the number of things to do throughout the land of Amalur to be respectably comprehensive. There are dungeons to explore, potions to concoct, treasure chests to unlock or dispel, tasks to complete, and side-quests to finish. Though it's safe to say that none of the objectives feel particularly new, the sheer amount of them definitely helps the game's credit. The fact that the world is so completely massive doesn't hurt either. It may seem a bit shallow at first, but diving into Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is an absolute treat and will hook gamers instantly.

The other component of Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is the combat, which is a far departure from the Elder Scrolls or Final Fantasy. Battles take place in real-time, more like a traditional hack-and-slash action game. Players can move, dodge, attack, and block without issue. The game plays more like Fable than Skyrim, where reflexes and timing overtake dice rolls and lucky draws. The combat offers occasional quick-time events, such as the Reckoning mode, where players earn heightened stats and a chance for extra experience points. The combat, however, can get tedious, especially if you stick with a single class for a long while. Mashing the X button with the occasional dodge can get the job done rather quickly and efficiently. The lack of a dedicated lock-on system can also make the battles confusing. While the role-playing elements are remarkably refined, the combat, though distinctive from its RPG peers, doesn't make as big of a splash.

As with other open-world role-playing games, there are plenty of quests and tasks to complete throughout Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning. Staying on task with the main quest is damn near impossible, since the game throws so many side-quests your way throughout the course of the game. Side-quests range from traditional dungeon crawls to fetch quests, and though they could use a bit more variety in their structure, they keep the gameplay front and center. The main quest doesn't even really get started until a few hours in, but when it does, simply exploring the huge world and looking for enemies to defeat is a worthwhile distraction in and of itself. With dozens of hours of playtime and promised DLC quests, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning doesn't skip on content. It's a thick RPG with more things to do than you can shake a scepter at.

If there's one thing that takes Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning down a peg, it's its aesthetic design. It just feels derivative. Though there are plenty of environments like mountains, forests, and wastelands, they feel like they've been ripped out of the most generic MMORPG design. The character models lack emotion and the overall design of the different tribes and races are downright trivial. Even worse is the presence of glitches and pop-in textures; simply walking through a forest will reveal some nasty texture rendering. The load times can also be pretty obnoxious. Audio-wise, it's nothing special. The themes and voice acting aren't awful, but they both lack personality. The sound effects bring the game up a bit, but overall, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning makes a pretty half-hearted effort in making the world captivating, at least from a presentation standpoint.

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning's very existence feels apropos to its theme of challenging Fate. It's a game that nimbly dodges the identity crisis of mixing role-playing and action games, overcoming significant odds to challenge the stalwart giants of the genre. The role-playing freedom of choice is expansive, rewarding players for playing their own way. It's fast-paced enough for action fans, but deep enough for RPG fans. The story isn't the most complex, but it gives the player enough context to follow their own goals and objectives. The large amount of side-quests and tasks is incredibly addictive; the massive world packs in a surprisingly large amount of content for such a new IP. Still, the aesthetic design is so riddled with blandness and technical hitches that staying focused on the stories or dialogue is a losing battle. Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning will more than likely remain stuck in the shadow of other, more prominent names in the RPG world, which is a real shame, since the merging of action and role-playing in Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is cohesive and captivating all at once. If you can ignore its presentation and personality issues, you'll find a daring new way to approach the RPG in Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning.

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]]> http://www.gamespot.com/kingdoms-of-amalur-reckoning/user-reviews/792475/platform/xbox360/ Tue, 17 Apr 2012 13:03:54 -0700 AK_the_Twilight reviewed Alan Wake's American Nightmare for the Xbox 360... http://www.gamespot.com/alan-wakes-american-nightmare/user-reviews/792157/platform/xbox360/ ...and gave it a 6.5.

When Remedy drew Alan Wake from its dark slumber, the survival horror genre underwent a metamorphosis. The funhouse scares of the past were pushed aside in favor of a psychologically heightened narrative of a writer whose stories slowly became more than just stories. Alan Wake took the best from Stephen King, Alfred Hitchcock, and Rod Serling and made something so haunting and hypnotic that not even a few gameplay missteps could hinder its long run to release. After a couple downloadable episodes, Alan Wake was thought to have disappeared, but Remedy returned with a new adventure for Alan. It's safe to say that Alan Wake's American Nightmare is not what long-time fans were expecting in an Alan Wake sequel, but its pulp approach to the series' narrative manages to make a few major marks on Alan's odyssey through the shadows.

Alan Wake's American Nightmare takes place at an odd point in the game's mythology. Though Alan has survived in the Dark Place and saved his wife, Alice, he's brought to a mysterious dimension replicating the Arizona desert. The dimension is Night Springs, the television show Alan Wake wrote for before hitting it big as a novelist. Essentially an episode brought to life, Night Springs is eerie, haunting, and unsettling. After waking (sorry, couldn't resist), Alan is revisited by the shadow-laden creatures The Taken, who as always, are out to kill him. But Alan's biggest problem is his evil double, Mr. Scratch, a character who made brief appearances in the Alan Wake DLC. It's up to Alan to stop Mr. Scratch from destroying Night Springs and taking everything that Alan holds dear. The entire plot doesn't hesitate to feel like a gaiden, a parallel narrative to Alan's haunted world of Bright Falls. Throughout the game, the story starts to focus more on Alan and his wife as characters, but never truly feels cohesive. With minor hints and references to Alan's story, American Nightmare just brings in more questions than answers. The entire narrative focuses on the dangers of being a creator of worlds, adding in the feeling of deity-like responsibility and its consequences. That being said, American Nightmare doesn't get anywhere near the mastery of dynamic storytelling that the first Alan Wake brought. It's a decently structured narrative, but doesn't live up to its pedigree.

Alan Wake's American Nightmare doesn't stray from the already pulse-pounding combat system that the first game brought. Alan can still focus the light of his flashlight to weaken enemies before filling them with lead. He can still use flares, flashbangs, and firearms to eliminate The Taken. While the combat isn't the smoothest, it still keeps the tension high and offers enough variety to move the firefights away from pure boredom. Still, there are no new combat twists and very few new weapons. The core combat remains what players have grown to know, for better or for worse. The Taken come in some new forms, some with hatchets, some with chainsaws. Some new Taken can split into multiple enemies or even take the form of an angry flock of birds to disorient Alan. The small changes, while inventive, don't divert from the combat much and by the game's conclusion, the repetition will start to rear its ugly head.

In the disturbing world of Night Springs, Alan will normally going from Point A to Point B to find people to talk to, enemies to defeat, and settings to reform. It starts off surprisingly well, following the familiar vibe of the original Alan Wake with shocking enemy appearances and spooky puzzles. Soon enough, though, tedium will set in. This isn't really noticeable in American Nightmare's first couple hours, but the game will literally force you to replay through locations that you've already been to. The small number of locations drags the game down immensely, a stark contrast to the inventive mills and forests of Alan Wake's first game. It just would've better if there were more environments and signature paranormal moments, but American Nightmare just doesn't have many of either.

Backing up the story mode is an arcade mode, where Alan fights Taken for high scores and multipliers. Items and weapons are available for use, along with healing and ammunition stations. While it may seem a bit odd seeing such a narrative-driven game take the Resident Evil: Mercenaries approach, the overall setup is actually pretty good. Narrowly dodging an enemy attack is tense and the rewarding sense of seeing your skills on the leaderboards helps extend the game's longevity considerably. With a campaign of only a few hours, Alan Wake's American Nightmare seems like it needs some more meat on its bones. Fortunately, the campaign's scattered manuscript pages add depth and creative energy to the Alan Wake story. It could've lasted a little longer, but at 1200 Microsoft Points ($15 US), Alan Wake's American Nightmare has a reasonable amount of content for its asking price.

Alan Wake's American Nightmare takes away a large amount of the suspense that the first game possessed in favor of a more pulp film vibe. Though it has its share of creepy atmosphere, the ambiance in the game is limited and won't scare you in the same way that Alan Wake did. That being said, the overall graphic design is still quite good. The shadowy mist of the Dark Presence and the erratic motions of The Taken still retain a creepy charm. The new environments show off a new world, though the character models still feel stiff and puppet-esque. The action can also suffer from some frame rate issues, which intrude right when the battles heighten, while the live-action cutscenes add a bizarre tone to Night Springs, capturing the Twilight Zone vibe perfectly. In fact, the audio manages to amplify that sense of perverse creepiness to a new level. The narrator parallels the great Twilight Zone figure Rod Serling without a hitch and Alan's conversations with Mr. Scratch are deep and rich with psychological boom. Mixing in some growls from enemies and music from rock band Kasabian compliments the audio well. Though it is a very different animal than its predecessor, Alan Wake's American Nightmare is presented in a very clean light.

It's really hard to find a place for Alan Wake's American Nightmare. Though it shares the combat and design of its predecessor, the new story, unique setting, and action-style focus make it feel like something separate from Alan's already interesting journey. The combat is still a tad unrefined and the lack of horror and psychological intrigue is sorely missed. The narrative is far from bad, but it's disorienting and ends on a rather anti-climactic note. Still, the game holds a good amount of content for the price, even if that content isn't something that made the first game so fantastic. American Nightmare does, however, develop a vibe so full of intertextual references to the Twilight Zone and Stephen King novels that it's very hard to not be at least a little enticed with its material. The maniacal laugh of Mr. Scratch will remain in your psyche for a good, long while. If the combat in the Alan Wake series has irked you since its inception, American Nightmare won't change that, but the game still holds a good amount of solidly produced action content for a reasonable price. Though it's nowhere near a proper Alan Wake 2, Alan Wake's American Nightmare is still worth checking out.

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]]> http://www.gamespot.com/alan-wakes-american-nightmare/user-reviews/792157/platform/xbox360/ Mon, 09 Apr 2012 14:43:01 -0700 AK_the_Twilight reviewed SoulCalibur V for the Xbox 360... http://www.gamespot.com/soulcalibur-v/user-reviews/791689/platform/xbox360/ ...and gave it a 6.0.

The fighting game genre has undergone major changes since the humble days of arcade cabinets in local movie theatres. The home console experience was one of the biggest factors in the genre's metamorphosis, especially with the widely acclaimed Soul Calibur series. With four major home console releases since the Dreamcast debut in 1999, the series' focus on weapon-based combat and challenge-packed communities of fighters became a household name in fighting game quality. 2012 delivers the fifth installment in the Soul Calibur series of fighting games and if there was any indication that the fighting game climate has changed since online play became a feature, Soul Calibur V is it. Bleak single-player offerings challenge robust multiplayer content in the fifth tale of souls and swords, making it a decent, but ultimately slim package.

Soul Calibur V fasts the mythology forward seventeen years after Soul Calibur IV. Series regular Sophitia has passed on, Nightmare has disappeared, and two new heroes have risen to continue the storyline. The first comes in the form of Patroklos, a brash and initially misguided figure out to rid the world of Soul Edge's living remnants, the Malfested. The second is his older sister Pyrrha, who is led along by Soul Edge and its minion Tira. Once past enemies make reappearances, the entire storyline enters a dynamic and interesting state. As the general story progresses, it becomes very clear that Soul Calibur V isn't fiddling around with past characters. The entire lineup has gotten a considerable restructuring, at least in terms of cosmetics. Characters like were-creature Z.W.E.I. or acrobatic staff-wielder Xiba play very much like past characters in the series, which may feel awkward for players who've become accustomed to the legacy that the Soul series has earned. The characters who do make return appearances play pretty much as you'd expect them to and retain their signature fighting styles. Taking the role as the archetypal guest character is Ezio Auditore from the Assassin's Creed series, and while it may seem a bit odd at first, Ezio makes a stunning fit into the weapon-based combat of Soul Calibur V. It is a shame that many characters from the past Soul Calibur games have been removed in favor of new characters, but with the playing styles making the transition smoothly, it's not a lingering issue.

If you're looking for a competitive way to play, Soul Calibur V has a solid amount of multiplayer content for those looking to give their arcade fightstick controllers another go. The ability to check out both Ranked Matches and the more casual Player Matches gives players a niche to follow. Even fighting game beginners will find their own crowd of fellow rookies to duel against, all while refining their skills with their favorite characters. If you're looking for Ranked Matches, players can tweak search components to find a solid challenge, a nearby friend, or someone more at their skill level. Connections are generally fluid and only trace amounts of lag from distant opponents will appear while taking on rivals online. The lobby system in Player Matches is a great way to see the pros in their natural environment and learn new strategies. The community is as challenging as ever, but it's very easy to find a fighting style that's all your own and refine it for online play. If you're looking for a multiplayer fighter with plenty of options and a community always willing to duke it out, Soul Calibur V has exactly what you're looking for.

Single-player fans, on the other hand, seem to have gotten the short end of the stick with Soul Calibur V.
Aside from the single-player story mode that follows Patroklos and Pyrrha, offline play offers a typical arcade mode, just like what has been presented in past Soul Calibur games. Versus battles, quick battles, training, and local multiplayer are also included as well. The only significant offline mode is the unlockable Legendary Souls, a mode where the player fights seven absurdly difficult opponents. It's unquestionably hard, but offers some character rewards. Soul Calibur V's discouraging amount of single-player content feels honed to those who've already invested time and interest in the series. If you're a newcomer to Soul Calibur and aren't after online battles, Soul Calibur V isn't the best place to start.

Soul Calibur does offer a relatively robust character creation mode, where many different attributes can be customized. Height, hair colors, voice, there are multiple features that allow players to find their own special appearance or replicate their favorite pop culture icons. Though fighting styles are limited to templates found in other fighters' repertoires and equipment doesn't have any sort of special properties aside from visual aesthetics, there is fun in designing your own special warrior to show off to rivals online. Though it has its limitations, creating your character is surprisingly addictive, even more so when you're demonstrating your character's fighting style against online opponents.

Soul Calibur V has the same slick visual style and pristine graphic design as the series has always had. However, the introduction of new characters does offer a little bit more polish than the reused character models seen in other games in the series. The animations that each character shows in their fighting styles are expressive and fluid, especially in the newcomers like Patroklos, Z.W.E.I., and Ezio (whose many moves perfectly recreate his skills in his home series). Don't skip out on the veterans, though; the introduction of refined guard moves and critical attacks show plenty of over-the-top action during the heat of battle, even when online the action is smooth and every move makes a difference. It's disappointing that a majority of the story is presented in still-frame illustrations, but they still look pretty good, and when the game does go to fully animated action, it's stellar to watch. To complement the graphics, the audio offers great musical scores and the same cheese-tastic voice acting that the series has been known for. Epic battle themes will resonate through your victories alongside quips on "destiny" or "spirit." The presentation isn't a major move from the previous games, but it's tough to fault Soul Calibur V for sticking to its already loaded guns.

Soul Calibur V is the prime example of the dividing factors of the single-player/multiplayer value argument; which will give you the most entertainment? The entire idea of single-player content is so secondary in Soul Calibur V that deciding whether or not the game is for you comes down to your preference for multiplayer. If you appreciate online competition, Soul Calibur V is the game to own, thanks to its solid gameplay fundamentals and engaging community of fighting game fans. If you aren't a fan of online multiplayer, Soul Calibur V could easily be considered the worst in the series. Its short story mode, unbalanced challenge level and overall lack of things to do offline all limit the single-player crowd. It just never leaves a lasting impression. As a multiplayer fighter, Soul Calibur V is fantastic and will keep competitors going and going. As a fighting game that will keep you coming back regardless of your internet connection, Soul Calibur V feels too deprived of content to be worth a serious recommendation. There's fun to be had in the newest Soul Calibur game; it's just a shame that there isn't more of it to spread around.

Get the full article at GameSpot

"AK_the_Twilight reviewed SoulCalibur V for the Xbox 360..." was posted by AK_the_Twilight on Mon, 09 Apr 2012 14:43:01 -0700
]]> http://www.gamespot.com/soulcalibur-v/user-reviews/791689/platform/xbox360/ Tue, 03 Apr 2012 10:22:47 -0700 AK_the_Twilight reviewed Quarrel for the Xbox 360... http://www.gamespot.com/quarrel/user-reviews/791291/platform/xbox360/ ...and gave it a 7.5.

While word games have their place online in the forms of browser games and the occasional retail hit, it's tough to see the virtual medium redefine the word game in the same way that the original Scrabble did for board games. But development house Denki mixed the vocabulary virtuosity of Scrabble with the land-grabbing strategy of Risk, creating a bizarre, unique, and addictive mobile title in the form of Quarrel. With words, not swords being the weapon of choice, Quarrel took iOS users to a crazy new level of strategic wordsmithing, allowing them to battle friends and rivals on the go. After a tumultuous publishing struggle, Denki eventually moved their hit onto a new digital platform, the Xbox Live Arcade. It's not the most diversely constructed package, but Quarrel's XBLA debut is an enjoyable and surprisingly challenging word game, one whose creative design and charming presentation will hook you.

Quarrel plays out on a territory-based map, with each player controlling areas of land with their goofy infantry units. Each player takes a turn moving their units to different parts of the game board. You can move your troops to your own adjacent spaces to reinforce your defenses, or if you're feeling daring, attack an opposition's square. Once you take on an enemy's territory, you have to face their infantry as well. It's here that Quarrel shows off its unique blend of grammatical ambition and clever design. The battles (called "quarrels") give each player an identical set of eight letters. Each letter has a specific point value and the player who makes the highest-scoring word wins. Winning attackers take control of the territory, winning defenders hold steady and take out the attacker's army. Here's the catch: the length of the potential word depends on how many units you have in control in the quarrel. If you have a lonely two, beware, but if you're lucky enough to have eight, look for the hidden anagram for extra reward. Rewards, aside from the territory grabbing and expansion of your vocabulary, come in the form of treasure. Earn treasure to gain extra units to spring on an enemy during a quarrel. All of these elements come down to this: wipe out your opponent's armies with your superb wordsmithing to gain control of the entire board and win. With stalemate speed tests and earning bonus points during other players' quarrels, the game throws a whole lot at you. Fortunately, it's some of the most addictive board gameplay seen on the Xbox Live Arcade.

An essential note to any strategy game designers: Quarrel is remarkably successful in making the strategic placement of troops and the smooth progression of earning territory meaningful. You can't simply run around the map without any planning; if you do, you'll no doubt run into a corner with nowhere to run or hide. If intricate vocabulary is the meat, smart strategy is the potatoes. Knowing when to spread your troops out across the map and when to reinforce their territory is crucial when entering the verbosity big leagues. Quarrel also adds a solid dynamic element to the game. Getting an anagram during another player's turn can net big treasure points, so there's always something to get involved in, even when you're not doing the quarreling yourself. Quarrel is definitely unique and it finds ways to hook you in very easily. The fluid, but exciting nature of this Scrabble-strategy hybrid makes it an incredibly addictive game to play.

Quarrel offers gameplay for up to four players, and if you can get four of your buddies to buy the game and get online, you'll have a fantastic test of intellectual vigor and skilled strategy. There is no local multiplayer, which is a disappointment, but the online play offered lets you select casual matches and ranked matches. The community leaderboards show a healthy amount of word enthusiasts, but finding a game proves a bit less fruitful than expected. It's a shame, considering how well thought-out Quarrel is, but once you find a game, you'll surely have a good time. Even if you're not after a multiplayer free-for-all, the single-player content is surprisingly thorough. The computer players can be pretty ruthless in their word choices, so prepare for a challenge even in the earlier levels. The gameplay itself doesn't make too many diverse strides when it comes to game types; you'll mostly be quarreling in the same land-grabbing fashion throughout every mode. Some single-player modes are one-on-one, others as a four-player free-for-all, but the core gameplay is standardized a bit too much. Still, there's a surprisingly high amount of content in Quarrel, whether you're a lexicon loner or a competitive word-crafter.

With its grinning pirates, ninjas, and aliens, Quarrel has a charming presentation. The bright, vibrant colors and funny animations of units bombarding enemies with letters are fantastic, always showing the fun side of expanding your vocabulary. Aside from the units and attack animations, Quarrel keeps its visual style simple, but engaging. It's a family friendly title that, oddly enough, will likely appeal to the intellectual crowd. The music is a bit less successful, since the trumpet themes can get a bit obnoxious after the tenth quarrel in a game. The cheers from the units, however, still capture a goofy charm throughout the game. It's a simple setup, but Quarrel's presentation is a solid one.

Between the popular indie adventure titles and the retro remakes, Quarrel will likely be forgotten amongst the crowded XBLA market and that's a real shame. Quarrel's clever balance of strategy and vocabulary is unlike any other game on the XBLA service, constantly challenging players with its tough single-player opponents and excellent multiplayer design. Quarrel rewards both skilled strategists and wordsmiths, while never ignoring the unity that the features create. It would've been better to see a little more diversity in the core gameplay elements and the online multiplayer community is absurdly bleak, but once you find a solid match, you won't want to play any other word game again. At a mere 400 Microsoft Points, Quarrel is a game whose creative and comprehensive value simply can't be ignored. If you're out to test your word crafting in a brand new and inventive way, Quarrel can easily stand as the best word game this side of Scrabble.

Get the full article at GameSpot

"AK_the_Twilight reviewed Quarrel for the Xbox 360..." was posted by AK_the_Twilight on Tue, 03 Apr 2012 10:22:47 -0700
]]> http://www.gamespot.com/quarrel/user-reviews/791291/platform/xbox360/